Congrats to Michael Drummond and A.J. Thouvenot, the adorable dynamic St. Louis-based designers who have been making a splash in local circles for years.

To know them is to know that they were made for reality TV -- in a good way.

A.J. designs a line called Trashbiscuit with Ryan Coyne and I've often called the two our very own St. Louis Heatherette, but Ryan told me that he's most proud that I once described their line as what a zombie might wear to prom.

After their Trashbiscuit runway show at the city's St. Louis' first fashion week a few years ago, I wrote this:

So zany that you can't help but smile when you see it. (A.J.) calls it "downtown, trashy and a little bit of nonsense."

Can't argue with that. What makes Thouvenot's line fun is that it lacks pretension. It's certainly not for everyone, but we want to be at the same party with the girl bold enough to sport some of the more wearable looks, including cocktail dresses that look like the start of a prom zombie Halloween costume.

And then there is Michael, whose destiny was foretold after he won a "Project Design," contest at St. Louis Fashion Week. One of the judges was "Project Runway" semifinalist Jerell Scott. Oh, yeah, and me. I sat next to Jerell and he honestly started raving about the Michael's clothes before we'd seen the third outfit in his collection. 

Michael's line is called Exquisite Corpse and he's known around town for beautifully tortured knits. Jerell put his money where his mouth was and after the contest started selling Michael's line in his Los Angeles boutique.

At the time, I wrote this about Michael and his work:

The petite, soft-spken Drummond was a standout because his clothing was full of intrigue and wonder. He used scrap, discarded and vintage materials to construct all of his garments. His materials included plastic that he wove into a fabric. Everything was intentionally askew and slightly distressed. The effect was sculptural.

The looks were so captivating that it would be easy to see them hanging in a museum. Yet everything was ripe for translating into wearable-art pieces.

Wearable art is something that was not lost on one of the competition judges, Jerell Scott, a finalist on the "Project Runway" fashion design TV series. Scott opened a boutique, Jane Doe John Doe, in Los Angeles in December to sell his clothing and that of his fellow "Project Runway" alums. He's talking to Drummond about offering some clothes from his line there as well.

Drummond was a crowd favorite although his aesthetic confused some. In a written statement about his design philosophy in the program booklet, Drummond explained, "I often try to make the garment a little frightening or ugly. I want my garments to look like they might walk away if you don't pay attention to them."

Can't wait to see how the two St. Louis design stars will fare against the discerning eyes of Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn starting July 29 at 9 p.m. on Lifetime. There's a new 90-minute format, so we'll expect extra drama. We just hope our guys aren't among the first to cry.

Click there names below to head over to their Project Runway bio pages, including closet tours, introductions and casting sessions.

A.J. Thouvenot, 26 - Hometown: St. Louis, MO; lives in South City, but originally from St. Charles, MO

Michael Drummond, 31 - Hometown: St. Louis, MO; Resides in St. Louis, MO.