50 Fun Facts About Project Runway

On which network did Project Runway premiere on December 1, 2004?

Bravo aired the first five seasons before the show moved to Lifetime for eleven more, then came back in 2019.

Which supermodel hosted Project Runway from 2004 to 2017?

She left with Tim Gunn to make Amazon's Making the Cut, then returned as host and head judge in 2025.

Who was the designers' mentor for the show's first 16 seasons?

He was chair of the fashion school at Parsons and gave tips in the workroom, but never took part in judging.

Which fashion-magazine editor has judged every season of Project Runway?

She was Marie Claire's fashion director when the show began and later became editor-in-chief of Elle.

Which American designer was an original judge alongside Klum and Garcia?

He stepped back before season 11 because of scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Zac Posen.

Who replaced the original designer-judge as a regular starting in season 11?

Rachel Roy filled in on episodes he could not make. He left in 2018 along with Klum and Gunn.

Which New York fabric store do the designers usually shop at?

It is in the Garment District. Season 4 sent them to Spandex House and the Hershey's Store in Times Square instead.

The early seasons were filmed at which New York institution, part of The New School?

It is part of The New School. Season 6 moved to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Finalists show a complete collection at New York Fashion Week. How many looks must it contain?

They get 12 weeks and $8,000 to build it at home, and must do most of the sewing themselves.

How much money are the finalists given to produce their Fashion Week collections?

Compared with the weekly challenges, which can allow as little as five hours of work, the finale is a 12-week project.

What do the models wear when they line up for the weekly model elimination?

Models are randomly assigned for the first challenge; after that the designers choose who they want to keep.

Which prestigious broadcasting prize did Project Runway win in 2008?

The citation praised it for using the reality-contest genre to 'engage, inform, enlighten and entertain'.

Whose 2018 bankruptcy sent Project Runway back to Bravo?

NBCUniversal reacquired the rights after the Weinstein assets were sold off, then lost Klum, Gunn and Posen within months.

Which Amazon fashion competition did the host and mentor leave to create in 2018?

It premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2020 and ran for three seasons.

Which model took over as host when the show returned to Bravo for season 17?

She hosted seasons 17 and 18 and appeared only occasionally in season 19.

Which former champion became the show's mentor in 2019?

He won season 4 as the show's youngest champion and still holds the mentor job under Klum's return.

Which celebrity stylist joined the judges when the show moved to a Disney channel in 2025?

Zendaya's longtime 'image architect' joined Klum, Garcia and mentor Siriano. Tyra Banks was added for season 22.

Who won the very first season of Project Runway?

The Pennsylvania designer turned down both the $100,000 prize and the Banana Republic mentorship.

Why did eliminated season-1 designer Austin Scarlett show a collection at Fashion Week?

Producers feared the finalists' identities would leak before the finale aired. Decoy collections became a fixture.

Who won season 2 of Project Runway?

Daniel Vosovic was runner-up and fan favorite, and later won the 2009 All-Star Challenge special; Santino Rice was third.

Which season-3 designer was the first asked to leave for rule violations?

He was found with banned pattern-making books and had left the set for hours to use the internet.

Which sponsor replaced Banana Republic starting in season 3?

The switch came as Macy's was converting the former May Company department stores to its own name.

What distinction does the season 4 champion hold among all Project Runway winners?

Christian Siriano was 21. He also won the season's $10,000 fan favorite prize.

Season 4's Jack Mackenroth was the first designer to leave for what reason?

Chris March, the most recently eliminated designer, was brought back to replace him.

Season 5 opened by repeating which task from season 1?

The Gristedes supermarket challenge was a homage to past seasons, with Austin Scarlett as guest judge, for the last season on Bravo.

Who won season 5, the first with an all-female final three?

Her wave-patterned collection beat Korto Momolu and Kenley Collins. Momolu took fan favorite.

Season 6 was the first filmed outside New York. Where did it go?

It was shot at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Season 7 returned to New York.

Which company sued to stop the show's move to Lifetime, delaying season 6?

The case settled in April 2009 with the Weinstein Company paying an undisclosed sum. Season 6 aired that August.

Who won the 2009 Project Runway: All-Star Challenge special and its $100,000 prize?

Eight past contestants competed in one challenge; Momolu was second and Sweet P third.

Who won season 6, the first season on Lifetime?

She later appeared in the 2010 Wii video game alongside Klum, Gunn, Kors and Garcia.

Which season-7 designer quit, saying she lacked the experience to 'go all the way'?

Anthony Williams returned to replace her, and she still won the season's fan favorite vote.

Who won season 7 after the show's return to New York?

Ten designers showed at Fashion Week that season, the most ever, because the final 11 all produced decoy collections.

Season 8's controversial finale saw Gretchen Jones beat which fan favorite?

Kors and Garcia outvoted Klum and guest judge Jessica Simpson; Tim Gunn later publicly criticised the decision.

Season 8 expanded each episode to what length?

It also fielded 17 designers, the most in the show's history at the time.

Which Trinidadian designer won season 9 and also took fan favorite?

A former Miss Trinidad and Tobago, she had only learned to sew months before the show.

Who won season 10, which launched with a runway show in front of a live audience?

The Belarus-born designer later won Project Runway All Stars as well. Two designers quit in the same episode that season.

Season 11 was dubbed what, because of its format?

Designers worked in teams for every challenge. Michelle Lesniak Franklin won after being spared an elimination.

What twist, introduced in season 12, lets the mentor rescue one eliminated designer per season?

Justin LeBlanc was the first beneficiary and went on to finish third.

Who won season 12, the first featuring a returning designer voted in by the public?

Kate Pankoke from season 11 won the public vote for the 16th spot that year.

Who won season 14 in 2015?

She was the first winner to show a plus-size collection at Fashion Week. Edmond Newton had been rescued by a Tim Gunn Save.

Season 16's Claire Buitendorp was disqualified for smuggling what back to the apartment?

She used it to measure her own clothing. Her challenge win from the previous episode was rescinded.

Who won season 16, the last before the 2018 host and mentor shake-up?

The Japanese-born designer beat Ayana Ife, whose modest-fashion collection was a first for the show.

Who won season 17, the first season after the return to Bravo?

Brandon Maxwell and Elaine Welteroth had joined Nina Garcia on the judging panel that season.

Who won the 2023 All-Star season 20?

He had finished fourth in season 17. Fourteen designers from the first 19 seasons competed.

On which channel did season 21 premiere in July 2025?

The Disney-owned channel refocused the show 'for a new generation' and brought Heidi Klum back. Veejay Floresca won.

Who hosted the last five seasons of the spin-off Project Runway All Stars?

Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman were the permanent judges across the spin-off's seven seasons.

Which spin-off had three alumni mentoring and managing teams of four designers each?

Tim Gunn hosted, and the mentors themselves could be sent home if their teams failed.

Project Runway: Junior featured designers in which age range?

It premiered in November 2015 and was cancelled after two seasons.

Which publisher released the Project Runway video game for the Wii in 2010?

It featured Klum, Gunn, Kors and Garcia and supported the Wii Balance Board.

How many contestants were cast for the record-breaking season 22 in 2026?

It premiered on July 9, 2026, after Disney renewed the show, with Tyra Banks added to the judging panel.