Plot Synopsis

Hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum (Seasons 1-16) or Karlie Kloss (Seasons 17 & 18), PROJECT RUNWAY is a competition reality series set in the glamorous world of the fashion industry. Up-and-coming designers compete in weekly elimination challenges to win the half-million-dollar grand prize, which for Season 12 includes $150,000 cash, $100,000 fabric allowance, a $50,000 styling contract, a fashion spread in "Marie Claire" magazine, a 2014 Lexus IS 350, a $50,000 technology suite by HP and Intel and the opportunity to design and sell an exclusive collection at Belk. For the first five seasons, the series aired on Bravo and took place in New York City. After a long legal battle, the program moved to Lifetime for Season 6, originating from Los Angeles. Starting with Season 7, the show continued to air on Lifetime, but the program moved back to New York City. On May 26, 2016 Lifetime renewed PROJECT RUNWAY for three additional seasons, taking the series through Season 18. Two years later, soon after Season 16 concluded, A+E Networks severed its relationship with the production company, TWC Television, and canceled later seasons of the series, following the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Bravo bought the rights to the series, which returned to its original network in March 2019.

Past winners include: Jay McCarroll (Season 1); Chloe Dao (Season 2); Jeffrey Sebelia (Season 3); Christian Siriano (Season 4); Leanne Marshall (Season 5); Irina Shabayeva (Season 6); Seth Aaron Henderson (Season 7); Gretchen Jones (Season 8); Anya Ayoung-Chee (Season 9); Dmitry Sholokhov (Season 10); Michelle Lesniak Franklin (Season 11); Dom Streater (Season 12); Sean Kelly (Season 13); Ashley Nell Tipton (Season 14); Erin Robertson (Season 15); Kentaro Kameyama (Season 16); Sebastian Grey (Season 17).

Returning to its original network, Season 17 of PROJECT RUNWAY premiered Thursday, March 14, 2019 from 8-9:30pm ET/PT on Bravo with a new host Karlie Kloss, new mentor Christian Siriano (Season 4 winner), returning judge Nina Garcia, and new judges Brandon Maxwell & Elaine Welteroth. The new look and feel continues with 16 new designers from across the United States and abroad who compete for the coveted spot of a lifetime, a chance to show their collection during an exclusive runway show for industry insiders and influencers as well as win the largest cash prize in the show's history. With an all-new runway and workroom furnished with sewing and embroidery machines by Brother, a glam room for the models outfitted by TRESemme and Maybelline, along with challenges that embrace the nuances of the fashion industry -- including flash sales, fast fashion, the inclusion of plus-size models, Instagram, a special Elton John challenge inspired by Paramount Pictures' Rocketman, and more. Proving they can survive in the competitive and cutthroat world of fashion, the hopefuls compete in an array of challenges, including a series first -- the flash sale challenge. In several episodes this season, fans will have a higher stake in the show by getting a chance to own a piece of the Runway by voting on the outfits they like best, with both the judges' winning look and a fan-favorite look being manufactured in the USA by Nineteenth Amendment, a production platform producing sustainable clothing on-demand, and sold on Bravotv.com/ProjectRunway. The wining designer will receive the largest prize in the show's history -- $250,000 furnished by the Pilot's FriXion Erasable Gel Ink Pen -- a feature in ELLE, and his or her own featured role in a Bluprint digital series as well as $50,000 to put toward their own design studio also courtesy of Bluprint. Plus, for the first time ever, "Project Runway" is partnering with one of the most prestigious organizations in fashion, CFDA (The Council of Fashion Designers of America) for a one-on-one mentorship including all the tools and connections to create, grow, and sustain a business in fashion. Guest judges for Season 17 include: Marni Senofonte, who is Kendall Jenner's personal stylist as well as the stylist behind Beyonce's Lemonade and Super Bowl 50 looks; actress and Siriano muse Danielle Brooks, who judges a fierce challenge to design a dream dress for the women who keep New York City running; famed designer Dapper Dan drops by to inspire the contestants to think outside the box as he did with luxury fashions in the '80s; and to take things up another notch, rapper/songwriter Cardi B makes a surprise visit and gives commentary as only she can. The Season 17 designers are: Afa Ah Loo (Lotopa, Samoa); Rakan Shams Aldeen (Homs, Syria); Cavanagh Baker (Nashville, TN); Tessa Clark (Greenville, OH); Bishme Cromartie (Baltimore, MD); Venny Etienne (Brooklyn, NY); Jhoan "Sebastian" Grey (Cali, Colombia); Renee Hill (Philadelphia, PA); Sonia Kasparian (Portland, OR); Kovid Kapoor (Brooklyn, NY); Frankie Lewis (Louisville, KY); Lela Orr (Monroe, LA); Jamall Osterholm (Cranston, RI); Nadine Ralliford (Stone Mountain, GA); Gary "Garo Sparo" Spampinato (Bayshore, NY); and Hester Sunshine (Santa Fe, NM).

Season 18 of PROJECT RUNWAY premiered on Thursday, December 5, 2019 from 9:30-11pm ET/PT on Bravo. Host Karlie Kloss is back, along with Christian Siriano as the mentor and returning judges Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell, and Elaine Welteroth, to decide who has what it takes to make it in this industry. Each 90-minute episode features the return of some fan-favorite elements, including the "Siriano Save," in which Christian has the opportunity to bring one eliminated designer back into the competition, and the piece de resistance, a chance to present a final collection at New York Fashion Week. Gotham remains a main character for this fashion adventure for challenge reveals and runway shows with iconic locations such as the famous TWA Hotel at JFK, The Vessel at Hudson Yards, and Bergdorf Goodman. In addition, the series continues to shine a light on the evolution of fashion and inclusion by featuring a variety of sexual preferences, racial backgrounds and ages including a nonbinary model and a trans model, a "Dreamer," and the oldest designer ever to compete on PROJECT RUNWAY. Challenging fashion norms, the designers are tasked with creating functional outfits for Olympians and Paralympians, as well as turning donated garments from Goodwill of NY into high fashion wear. Guest stars this season include: singer and actress Cyndi Lauper, actress and equal-rights advocate Laverne Cox, comedian and actress Leslie Jones, Olympic gold-medal downhill skier Lindsey Vonn, actress Rachel Brosnahan, fashion designer Thom Browne, legendary artists Ashley Longshore, Emmy-nominated fashion stylist Marni Senofonte, and more. The 16 new hopefuls for Season 18 include: Brittany Allen (Austin, TX); Asma Bibi (Athens, GA); Chelsey Carter (Chicago, IL); Jenn Charkow (Seattle, WA); Victoria Cocieru (Moldova); Marquise Foster (Brooklyn, NY); Alan Gonzalez (Houston, TX); Sergio Guadarrama (Austin, TX); Dayoung Kim (Portland, OR); Shavi Lewis (Hillside, NJ); Geoffrey Mac (Brooklyn, NY); Delvin McCray (Chicago, IL); Tyler Neasloney (Jersey City, NJ); Veronica Sheaffer (Chicago, IL); and Nancy Volpe-Beringer (Philadelphia, PA).

Season 19 of PROJECT RUNWAY premiered on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT on Bravo. Returning mentor Christian Siriano, along with judges Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell, and Elaine Welteroth, takes on 16 new designers from across the United States and abroad, each ready to prove they have what it takes to show a collection at New York Fashion Week and be the next great name in fashion. Each 90-minute episode will test the contestants' creativity and technique with challenges such as producing a "hauntingly" chic look, an avant-garde look from faux fur, an unconventional cocktail dress with a twist, and in a PROJECT RUNWAY first, the ultimate REAL HOUSEWIVES reunion outfit. The winning designer will receive the grand prize of $250,000 supplied by Pilot FriXion Erasable Pens. Guest judges for the new season are actress and activist Taraji P. Henson, beauty icon and supermodel Gigi Hadid, fashion designers Jason Wu and Christopher John Rogers, TikTok creator and model Wisdom Kaye, style icon Billy Porter, Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author Andy Cohen, and returning to the Project Runway family for the penultimate episode, supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss. Season 19 designers include: Octavio Aguilar (Miami, FL); Darren Apolonio (New York, NY); Kenneth Barlis (San Diego, CA); Caycee Black (Brooklyn, NY); Coral Castillo (Los Angeles, NY); Meg Ferguson (Tulsa, OK); Prajje Oscar Jean-Baptiste (Philadelphia, PA); Bones Jones (Brooklyn, NY); Kristina Kharlashkina (New York, NY); Katie Kortman (Japan); Shantall Lacayo (Miami, FL); Aaron Michael (Jackson, MS); Chasity Sereal (Houston, TX); Zayden Skipper (Atlanta, GA); Sabrina Spanta (Bloomfield Hills, MI); and Anna Yinan Zhou (San Francisco, CA).

For its 20th season, PROJECT RUNWAY returns on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT on Bravo, kicking off a PROJECT RUNWAY ALL-STARS season. The series returns to the workroom with mentor Christian Siriano along with judges Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell and Elaine Welteroth. Fourteen of the most beloved designers from across 19 seasons are given one last shot to change their life forever with a career-defining win. The All-Stars put it all on the line for a chance at redemption in a high-stakes season full of surprises and a twist that changes the game. The winner takes home $250,000, a career-changing mentorship with the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and a feature in Elle magazine. Each 90-minute episode features challenges that test their artistry and push their limits, including an unconventional challenge that takes everyone by surprise. Other challenges include the return of the classic denim challenge and a uniform refresh for fan favorites from the cast of BELOW DECK. The city awakens once again to become the creative playground for these all-star designers, with iconic locales such as FAO Schwarz, historic Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park and glossy skyscraper SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. The judging panel for Season 20 includes actor, author and activist Alicia Silverstone; actor, singer, producer and director Billy Porter; fashion designer Zac Posen; CEO & founder of alice + olivia, Stacey Bendet; creative director of Carolina Herrera Wes Gordon; actor, producer and Emmy Award-winning writer Lena Waithe; image architect and celebrity stylist Law Roach; actress, producer and '90s icon Jennie Garth; author, actor and model Paulina Porizkova; designer Sergio Hudson; actress, artist and model Julia Fox; designer Willy Chavarria; BELOW DECK co-star Kate Chastain; RHONY Luann de Lesseps; designer Batsheva Hay; Emmy-winning actor Coleman Domingo; and Steven Kolb, CEO of Council of Fashion Designers of America. The All-Star designers include: Brittany Allen (Austin, TX), Season 18; Prajje Oscar Jean Baptiste (Philadelphia, PA), Season 19; Laurence Basse (Los Angeles, CA), Season 15; Fabio Costa (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Season 10; Bishme Cromartie (Los Angeles, CA), Season 17; Johnathan Kayne Gillaspie (Nashville, TN), Season 3; Mila Hermanovski (Los Angeles, CA), Season 7; Rami Kashou (Brooklyn, NY), Season 4; Viktor Luna (Los Angeles, CA), Season 9; Korto Momolu (Little Rock, AR), Season 5; Nora Pagel (Metuchen, NJ), Season 1; Kara Saun (Los Angeles, CA), Season 1; Hester Sunshine (Brooklyn, NY), Season 17; and Anna Yinan Zhou (San Francisco, CA), Season 19.
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On Thursday, September 7, 2023 from 9-10:30pm ET/PT, Bravo premiered "," the 90-minute Season 20 finale of PROJECT RUNWAY. IN a series first, three All-Star finalists -- Bishme, Brittany, and Laurence -- race against the clock to complete eight finale-worthy looks in just eight days. With the pressure mounting, all of these finalists are shining jewels, but only one will be crowned.