Series synopsis
Project Runway is an American reality television series that premiered on Lifetime on December 1, 2004. It was created by Eli Holzman. It stars Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia and Brandon Maxwell.
Aspiring fashion designers compete for a chance to break into the industry. Each week, a designer is eliminated from the competition after exhibiting their work in front of a judges' panel.
Premise
Aspiring fashion designers compete for a chance to break into the industry. Each week, a designer is eliminated from the competition after exhibiting their work in front of a judges' panel.
Premise: Back in dramatic fashion.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Tim Gunn as Self - Co-Host / Mentor
- Heidi Klum as Self - Host / Judge
- Nina Garcia as Self - Judge
- Brandon Maxwell as Self - Judge
- Elaine Welteroth as Self - Judge
- Law Roach as Self - Judge
- Korto Momolu as Self - Designer
Guest cast
- Zac Posen as Self - Judge
- Michael Kors as Self - Judge
- Karlie Kloss as Self - Host / Judge
- Christian Siriano as Self - Mentor
- Vera Wang as Self - Guest Judge
- Sandra Bernhard as Self - Guest Judge
- Apolo Ohno as Self - Guest Judge
- Wendy Pepper as Self - Audition Judge
- Nicky Hilton as Self - Guest Judge
- Brooke Shields as Self - Guest Judge
- Nancy O'Dell as Self - Guest Judge
- Sasha Cohen as Self - Guest Judge
Episodes
This series spans 20 seasons with 296 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 33 | July 5, 2006 | November 30, 2017 |
| Season 1 | 11 | December 1, 2004 | February 23, 2005 |
| Season 2 | 14 | December 7, 2005 | March 8, 2006 |
| Season 3 | 14 | July 12, 2006 | October 18, 2006 |
| Season 4 | 14 | November 14, 2007 | March 5, 2008 |
| Season 5 | 14 | July 16, 2008 | October 15, 2008 |
| Season 6 | 14 | August 20, 2009 | November 19, 2009 |
| Season 7 | 14 | January 14, 2010 | April 22, 2010 |
| Season 8 | 14 | July 29, 2010 | October 28, 2010 |
| Season 9 | 14 | July 28, 2011 | October 27, 2011 |
| Season 10 | 14 | July 19, 2012 | October 18, 2012 |
| Season 11 | 14 | January 24, 2013 | May 2, 2013 |
| Season 12 | 14 | July 18, 2013 | October 24, 2013 |
| Season 13 | 14 | July 24, 2014 | October 30, 2014 |
| Season 14 | 14 | August 6, 2015 | November 12, 2015 |
| Season 15 | 14 | September 15, 2016 | December 29, 2016 |
| Season 16 | 14 | August 17, 2017 | November 30, 2017 |
| Season 17 | 14 | March 14, 2019 | June 13, 2019 |
| Season 18 | 14 | December 4, 2019 | March 12, 2020 |
| Season 19 | 14 | October 14, 2021 | February 3, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Road to the Runway (Season 3) Tim Gunn takes a group of fashion industry professionals in search of the next great designer. They interview thousands of applicants, and narrow them down to the 15 contestants for the third season of Project Runway. |
July 5, 2006 |
| 2 |
Project Jay Bravo follows Jay McCarroll, the winner of the first "Project Runway," as he moves to New York and begins to create and market his very own fashion line in the one-hour documentary, "Project Jay." |
February 22, 2009 |
| 3 |
All-Star Challenge Eight popular designers from past seasons return to compete for $100,000. The clothiers are Daniel Vosovic, Santino Rice, Jeffrey Sebelia, Uli Herzner, Mychael Knight, Chris March, Sweet P and Korto Momolu. Nicole Kidman makes an appearance. Originally aired between seasons five and six. |
August 20, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Innovation The 14 hopefuls all meet up in New York and are given their first assignment: Innovation. Taken to a place where they are to get their materials, the designers are shocked to see it is a grocery store. They have a budget of $50, one hour to make their purchases, and one day to complete their designs. |
December 1, 2004 |
| 2 |
Vision Another day begins, and the designers are to design a dress that represents 'Envy'. They have a budget of $50 and one day to complete the design. As they finish, the designers are surprised to be told that their dresses will be put for sale in a private auction, with whomever gets the most bids winning the challenge. |
December 8, 2004 |
| 3 |
Commercial Appeal The designers can finally design something actually wearable. For this challenge, the designers must create a party dress that could appeal to Banana Republic's customers. The winner, instead of being granted immunity, will have their dress marketed and sold at select Banana Republic stores. They have to pick their fabrics at the studios and have two days to complete their designs. |
December 15, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Road to the Runway After auditions in New York, Houston, Miami, and Los Angeles, the 16 contestants being considered for this season's cast were given six yards of plain white muslin, $20, and one week to create an outfit that best represents who they are as a fashion designer. After arriving, the 16 contestants find that only 14 positions were available in the Parsons workroom and thus two will be eliminated at the runway judging. |
December 7, 2005 |
| 2 |
Clothes Off Your Back Heidi throws a roof-top party for the designers. At the party, she announces their next challenge: each must create an outfit using nothing besides the clothes he or she has worn to the party. They have one day to complete their designs. |
December 7, 2005 |
| 3 |
All Dolled Up The contestants are asked to design for a global star… Barbie. The winning designer's outfit will be duplicated for the My Scene Barbie collection. The designers have a budget of $150 and two days to complete their designs. |
December 14, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Wall to Wall Fashion Fifteen designers arrive in New York and are asked to create an outfit in just two days using only materials found in their apartments. |
July 12, 2006 |
| 2 |
Fit For A Queen The designers are paired into groups to design and create a gown for Miss USA, Tara Conner, to wear for the Miss Universe pageant. The designers have $300 and two days to complete their designs. |
July 19, 2006 |
| 3 |
Designer's Best Friend The designers are informed that they'll be creating an evening outfit based on a story inspired by a tiny dog. The designers must also design outfits for the dogs to wear. They have $150 and two days to complete their looks. |
July 26, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sew Me What You Got In the fourth-season opener, the new crop of designers invades New York City. It's pins-and-needles time when the first challenge finds the newbies racing to design whatever they want. They are given 10 minutes to grab from $50,000 worth of fabric in three tents set up in Bryant Park to create a garment that best reflects who they are as a designer. |
November 14, 2007 |
| 2 |
I Started Crying The designers are asked to create a two-piece garment for Sarah Jessica Parker's "Bitten" line. After pitching their designs, Parker chooses seven who will be team leaders, working in teams of two to create the design. They have $15 and one day to complete their look. |
November 21, 2007 |
| 3 |
Fashion Giant The designers are asked to create a menswear outfit for Tiki Barber to wear on The Today Show. They have $150 and two days to complete their looks. |
November 28, 2007 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Let's Start From the Beginning The 16 new contestants are introduced and face their first challenge. The designers are asked to create a look using only materials purchased from a grocery store. They have $75 and one day to complete their outfits. |
July 16, 2008 |
| 2 |
Grass Is Always Greener The designers are asked to create a cocktail dress, using environmentally friendly or conscious fabrics, with their models as their clients. They have $75 and one day to finish their garments. |
July 23, 2008 |
| 3 |
Bright Lights/Big City The designers are tasked to create a look inspired by the nightlife of New York City. They have $100 and one day to complete their designs. |
July 30, 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Welcome to Los Angeles! 16 new contestants arrive in Los Angeles to begin the competition. The designers must create a red carpet look showing innovation and point of view. They have $200 and two days to complete their designs. |
August 20, 2009 |
| 2 |
We Expect Fashion The designers are asked to create something fashionable and easy to move in, but also appropriate for a pregnant woman to wear out in public, for supermodel Rebecca Romijn. They have $100 and two days to complete the look. |
August 27, 2009 |
| 3 |
Rumble On the Runway The designers are divided into teams of two and asked to create a fun and fashionable look inspired by Californian surfwear. The have $50 and two days to complete their looks. Later, the designers are given the additional challenge of creating an avant-garde companion piece to their surfwear outfit. They receive an additional $200 for the second look. |
September 3, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Back to New York Season 7 of Project Runway premieres with sixteen new designers, who will try to make their way to Bryant Park to show their collections at Fashion Week. The contestants are asked to create a garment that represents who they are as a designer. They must choose five fabrics from a wide selection provided by Mood and have one day to complete their look. |
January 14, 2010 |
| 2 |
The Fashion Farm The designers must create a party look from a burlap potato sack for their model/clients. They are given the raw materials and have one day to complete the challenge. |
January 21, 2010 |
| 3 |
The Hi's and Lows of Fashion After being taken to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for inspiration from famous designers, the contestants are then divided into teams of two. The challenge is to create a high-end signature look worthy of a master collection. They have $500 and two days to complete their looks. The next day, they are given the additional task of creating a second "look for less," using only 10% of the budget for the first garment and inspired by the look being crafted by another team. |
January 28, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
And Sew It Begins 17 designers start a new season with a goal to reach New York Fashion Week and become the winner of Project Runway. For their first challenge, the designers are asked to incorporate an article of clothing taken from another designer's suitcase into a new garment of their own. They have access to additional fabric, but just five hours to finish their looks. |
July 29, 2010 |
| 2 |
Larger Than Life The designers have to create a fashion forward outfit representing the strong and practical Marie Claire woman. They have $150 and one day to complete their looks. |
August 5, 2010 |
| 3 |
It's a Party The designers have to create an outfit from materials obtained at a party supplies store. They have $100 and one day to complete the challenge. |
August 12, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Come As You Are 20 new designers audition in front of Heidi, Tim, Michael, and Nina. The judges then pare the group down to the 16 contestants of season 9. The next morning, the designers are given the challenge of transforming a bed sheet and the pajamas they are wearing into an outfit of their choice. They have one day to complete their garments. |
July 28, 2011 |
| 2 |
My Pet Project The designers are tasked to create an outfit using materials found at a pet supply store. They have $300 and one day to complete their looks. |
August 4, 2011 |
| 3 |
Go Big or Go Home The designers are paired up into teams of two and must create outfits for professional stilt-walkers. They have $500 and one day to complete their garments. |
August 11, 2011 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Times Square Anniversary Party Sixteen new contestants arrive in New York to become the next great designer. Before arriving in New York, they were asked to create an outfit at home that represents who they are as a designer. For their first challenge they must take that look and make a complementary outfit for it. They have $100 and one day to complete their garments. |
July 19, 2012 |
| 2 |
Candy Couture The designers must create garments out of candy from Dylan's Candy Bar. They have $250 and one day to complete the challenge. |
July 26, 2012 |
| 3 |
Welcome Back (or Not) to the Runway After being paired up, the designers must create a red-carpet look for a client to wear to the Emmy® Awards and whose color is inspired by a car. They have $300 and one day to complete their garments. |
August 2, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
There Is No "I" In Team 16 new contestant vie to be the winner of Project Runway. But there's a twist: this season they will have to compete as teams. For their first challenge, they are asked to create an outfit that shows their point-of-view using New York City as the inspiration. The teams have $1200 and one day to complete their garments. |
January 24, 2013 |
| 2 |
Spin Out The designers must create ball-boy and server uniforms for Spin New York, a ping-pong social club. The teams have $500 and one day to complete the challenge. |
January 31, 2013 |
| 3 |
Surprise Me The contestants are tasked to design garments for Heidi Klum and the launch of her new fragrance line. Heidi will wear the winning garment in her national commercial and a second winning garment at a press event. The teams have $1200 and one day to complete the challenge. |
February 7, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sky's the Limit 15 new, and one returning, contestants begin the battle to win Project Runway's twelfth season. This season incorporates some new changes including the "Tim Gunn Save," the anonymous runway show, and a $4000 spending account allowing the designers to set their own challenge budgets. For their first task, the designers must create an outfit that shows their point-of-view using parachute materials. They have two days to complete their looks. |
July 18, 2013 |
| 2 |
Million Dollar Runway The designers are asked to create evening wear looks to go with multi-million dollar pieces of jewelry. They have one day to complete their outfits. |
July 25, 2013 |
| 3 |
An Unconventional Coney Island The contestants head to Coney Island for their next challenge. In teams of two, they first must give away frozen yogurt treats to locals to elicit buzzwords to use as a theme for their garments. Then, they must pay $100 from their accounts for access to the carnival games which will provide the materials they are to use. They have one day to complete their looks. |
August 1, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Judges Decide Eighteen designers have made it through the application stage, but the judges need to pare down the group to fifteen contestants. Later in the workroom, they learn that a designer from a previous season will join them. For their first challenge, the designers are asked to create a Spring look from the provided fabrics that will give the judges a preview of their Fashion Week collections. They have one day to complete the challenge. |
July 24, 2014 |
| 2 |
Unconventional Movie Nite! Working in teams of three, the designers must create a mini-collection of fashionable looks out of items found in a movie theater or film set. They have one day to complete the challenge. |
July 31, 2014 |
| 3 |
Welcome to the Future The designers must draw from their past to inspire a look they think will be relevant 20 years into the future. They have $200 and one day to complete the challenge. |
August 7, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Mad Dash Mayhem 16 new designers arrive in New York City to compete to be the 14th winner of Project Runway. At Madison Square Garden, they have three minutes to find the fabric they will use to create a look that shows who they are as a designer. They have one day to complete the challenge. |
August 6, 2015 |
| 2 |
It's All In The Cards The designers are asked to create a fashionable garment using Hallmark cards for both inspiration and materials. They have one day to complete the challenge. |
August 13, 2015 |
| 3 |
Shut Up and Sew Working in teams of two, the designers are tasked to create one day-to-night look inspired by an exotic destination (The Caribbean, India, The Greek Isles, Venice, The South Of France, Hong Kong, and St. Petersburg). They are provided fabrics corresponding to that location and have one day to complete the challenge. |
August 20, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
An Unconventional Launch Party 16 new designers arrive in New York with an eye to being named champion of Project Runway's 15th season. At the launch party, they are given their first challenge: use the party's spirit, aura, and vibe as inspiration (and the decorations as materials) for an outfit of their choosing. They have one day to complete their looks. |
September 15, 2016 |
| 2 |
Just Fabulous! The designers must create an outfit to flatter all body types, with the winning look to be sold by JustFab.com. They have $150 and one day to complete the challenge. |
September 22, 2016 |
| 3 |
Blacklight or Daylight? The designers are asked to create a look that transitions from daylight to blacklight on the runway. They have $200 and one day to complete their garments. |
September 29, 2016 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
One Size Does Not Fit All 16 new designers arrive in New York City to compete to be the 16th winner of Project Runway. For their first challenge, the designers must create a red carpet look that showcases their fashion point-of- view. But the real surprise comes when the designers learn they will be working with models of all sizes this season. They have $300 and one day to complete their garments. |
August 17, 2017 |
| 2 |
An Unconventional Recycling In three teams, the designers are asked to create a high fashion, five-look collection out of recycled materials. They have one day to complete the challenge. |
August 24, 2017 |
| 3 |
A Leap of Innovation! After attending a screening of the film Leap! and a performance by Hiplet, the designers must create a fashionable look inspired by dance, movement and innovation. They have $200 and one day to complete the challenge. |
August 31, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
First Impressions Sixteen talented designers from all walks of life arrive in New York City for the ultimate fashion competition. Their first challenge is to create a look inspired by one of the four judges' "Fashion First" photographs. They have $250 and two days to complete their garments. |
March 14, 2019 |
| 2 |
The Future Is Here Divided into teams of three, the designers are tasked to create a mini-collection that shows a sneak peek into the future of fashion using models transformed with special effects body modifications. They have $750 per team and two days to complete the challenge. |
March 21, 2019 |
| 3 |
All the Rage The designers are tasked with creating bold, editorial head-to-toe looks using a single print. They have $250 and one day to complete the challenge. |
March 28, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Blast Off With luggage still in tow, 16 new designers are greeted at the iconic TWA Hotel at JFK airport. Paired off, they receive their first assignment: to create innovative jumpsuit and cocktail looks inspired by humanity's continued push into space exploration. They have $400 per team and two days to complete the challenge. |
December 5, 2019 |
| 2 |
Cats Of the Urban Jungle The designers must create a chic street style look using animal prints while taking inspiration from the upcoming film "Cats." They have $250 and two days to complete the challenge. |
December 12, 2019 |
| 3 |
Sleigh the Runway The designers are tasked to create a party cocktail dress using winter holiday decorations. They have two days to complete the challenge. |
December 19, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Colorful Return The designers are split into two teams living and working separately to create mini-collections celebrating color. The competition comes to a head on the day of the runway show when they reunite hoping their team is victorious. |
October 14, 2021 |
| 2 |
#STREETWEAR In their first individual challenge, the designers take on streetwear. They must use their unique personal experiences and cultures to create impactful looks containing at least three separate pieces. They have $300 and two days to complete their garments. |
October 21, 2021 |
| 3 |
If You Got It, Haunt It After the designers are sent to sleep in a haunted mansion to find inspiration for their challenge, they are tasked to create a hauntingly chic masquerade gown and mask. They have $500 and two days to complete their outfits. |
October 28, 2021 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Lifetime |
|---|---|
| First aired | December 1, 2004 |
| Last aired | September 25, 2025 |
| Runtime | 43 minutes |
| Status | Returning Series |
| Schedule | Thursday at 21:30:00 |