HONOLULU -- Andy South is the son of Laotian immigrant farmers from Waianae. South is short for Southiphong.

The young designer is one of 17 other contestants on the popular "Project Runway" which debuts it's eighth episode Thursday. South spent Wednesday at a New York City red carpet Marie Claire premiere of the show and planned to return to Honolulu to watch the first episode with his family and friends.

South says his style is edgy but refined.

"My personal style is about taking risks. I mix it up with a little bit of punk, a little bit of goth, and always a lot of black and hardware detail," South said.

His local designs caught someone's eye, as South says he was asked to audition for the eighth season of the lifestyle show.

The Honolulu Community College Fashion Design graduate says over the last six weeks of competition, he bonded with designer Ivy Higa, who hails from the Big Island. It was a Kailua-Kona meets Waianae in New York..

As you can imagine, there was Hawaiian pidgin mixed in between the needles and thread.

"Only the two of us would understand what we were what we were saying and we would laugh about it and no one would understand. It was nice to have her there it was like a little bit of home," South said.

South can't divulge much about the "Project Runway" season aside from there is a hat challenge. But he does say the competition was fierce. The whole experience he said was much tougher than he thought it would be. He credits his mom for his success so far.

"Being a refuge immigrant herself and helping other immigrants here in Hawaii. It seems full circle that I am back here," South said.

This week amid his whirlwind traveling, the young designer moved into new design studio South would like nothing better to do well so his mother can retire. He'd like to think it will start at his new place at Chinatown's Pacific Gateway Center, with a little help from "Project Runway."