PROJECT RUNWAY – Freeform’s “Project Runway” stars Heidi Klum, Christian Siriano, Nina García, Law Roach, and Tyra Banks. (Disney/Rankin)
On December 1, 2004, “Project Runway” premiered on Bravo, its original home channel. In 2004 the show was hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, who served as chair of Parsons School of Design from 2000 to 2007. The show was part of an era of peak fashion reality TV, which also included shows like “America’s Next Top Model,” “Stylista,” “Make Me a Supermodel,” and, later, MTV’s “The Hills.”
“Project Runway,” which is still on the air today, has always followed the same premise. A group of designers competes for prize money and mentorship, and the designers who make it to the final episode get to show their collections in an exclusive runway show. The TV exposure was also meant to help designers’ careers, whether they won or not, as their work would now be seen by millions.
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The original lineup of judges included Klum, along with Nina Garcia, who was the fashion director of Elle when “Project Runway” began and is now its editor-in-chief, and fashion designer Michael Kors, of his eponymous label and one of the most recognizable names in American fashion. The show was meant to find the next “It” designer in American fashion. Of all the contestants to come through “Project Runway,” arguably its most distinguished alumnus is Christian Siriano.
The designer won season four of “Project Runway” and is now one of the most coveted red-carpet designers in the business. Over the course of his career, there have been award shows where up to nine stars have worn his designs for momentous occasions, from the Golden Globes to the Emmys. Siriano took over Tim Gunn’s adviser role on “Project Runway” in 2018 and is now mentoring the potential next generation of young design talent.
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Siriano has become a household name in many ways, from people talking about celebrities wearing his designs to his collaborations with brands like Payless, giving entry-level consumers access to his products. Many watched his meteoric rise to stardom from his early days as a contestant on the show and are now both followers of his career and consumers of his designs.
Although some might question the validity of those who find fame in creative industries through reality television competitions, there is no denying the cultural impact “Project Runway” once had. The show not only catapulted Siriano to fashion stardom but was also a ratings juggernaut for Bravo for many seasons. It also helped turn Klum, Gunn, and Garcia, who were all highly regarded in the fashion industry, into household names beyond those who followed fashion news, models, or Elle magazine.
While not every designer who won the show became a household name, for years “Project Runway” helped bring designers to New York Fashion Week, increase their public profiles, and bring the world of fashion into the homes of viewers who tuned in to the show’s home network at the time, which went from Bravo to Lifetime, back to Bravo, and is now on Freeform and the streaming services of Hulu.
Now, with the show’s ratings no longer at the peak they once were, the golden era of fashion reality TV over, and people discovering fashion brands on social media rather than TV or even traditional retail stores, the question is: does “Project Runway” have the relevance it once did?
Veejay Floresca image courtesy of IN magazine
For those of us in the New York fashion scene, “Project Runway” is still a great way to discover emerging designers. Season 21 winner Veejay Floresca is a New York-based designer who recently showed at New York Fashion Week in February. The show helped her earn the attention of editors and fashion stylists, who have been requesting her clothes for editorial shoots and red-carpet clients.
However, when New York looks for the next great emerging fashion designer, rather than looking to reality TV contestants, editors and stylists look at competitors in other categories. Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award is considered a major steppingstone for many New York-based designers. This year’s winners included Wangda Chen of his namesake brand, Wangda, for menswear and Aiste Hong of her namesake brand for womenswear. Many past FGI nominees and winners go on to become Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) members and show on the official CFDA calendar.
The CFDA is America’s ultimate governing fashion body. When the industry is looking for the next emerging talent, there is also the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. Each year, the annual competition awards the winning designer and two runners-up with financial funding and mentorship to help take their brands and businesses to the next level. The first-ever winners of the award were Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler. Not only did the duo build a successful multimillion-dollar business, but after exiting their brand, they are now the creative directors of Loewe. Loewe is under the umbrella of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, as well as Dior, Fendi, and Givenchy.
With the return of Heidi Klum in 2025 for season 21, some of “Project Runway’s” cultural relevance has returned. The show generated a lot of buzz when celebrity stylist Law Roach joined the panel. Roach is the stylist to A-lister Zendaya and has dressed many stars throughout his career, including Celine Dion, Kerry Washington, and Megan Thee Stallion. He has also become a media personality himself, having served as a judge on “America’s Next Top Model.”
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For season 22, the judges’ panel will also include Tyra Banks in a recurring role. Banks has been a TV staple since the first season of “America’s Next Top Model” in 2003. Following the Netflix documentary “Reality Check: America’s Next Top Model,” which details some of the more unpleasant realities of her modeling competition show, Banks’ name has been all over the press. She is also in the process of suing Netflix for defamation.
“Project Runway” might be past its prime, but in an era of memes, Instagram Reels highlighting the show’s best moments, and its ability to still attract judges who are part of the social media conversation, the show remains a staple. Who knows if it will ever produce another designer of Siriano’s gravitas, but there are still working designers coming out of the show, including season 10 winner Dmitry Sholokhov, season 18 winner Geoffrey Mac, and season 20 winner Bishme Cromartie.
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There is always a new generation of talent, or even some older, undiscovered talent, out there for whom “Project Runway” becomes that small break or second chance in their careers. Going into its 22nd season, plenty of us are still tuning in to see who will be crowned the winner of “Project Runway.”
Kristopher Fraser
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