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5 December 2019 · 14 episodes
Season 18 sees 16 new designers ready to wow host Karlie Kloss, mentor Christian Siriano, and judges Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell, and Elaine Welteroth with their jaw-dropping fashions. This season brings back some elements of the competition that fans know and love, including the “Siriano Save,” which gives Christian the opportunity to bring one eliminated designer back into the competition, and the chance to present a final collection at New York Fashion Week.
1. Blast Off
6 December 2019
In the premiere of Project Runway, the competition begins with some twists right out of the airport gate. With luggage still in tow, the designers are greeted at the iconic TWA Hotel at JFK airport ready to take flight with their first challenge: to create an innovative look inspired by humanity’s continued push into space exploration. In a Runway first, these unfamiliar designers have to pair up and collaborate to make cohesive pieces that blow away the judges or they are out. Fans will also get a chance to own a piece of the designer creations when they vote on the outfits they like best.
13 December 2019
Designers must create a fresh take on a timeless classic: animal prints; taking inspiration from the 2019 movie, "Cats," the designers must tame their prints to create stylish looks that can compete on the runway and in the Flash Sale challenge.
20 December 2019
The designers are awakened by a surprise visitor; the designers are challenged to show their holiday spirit in the perfect party dress; channeling their own holiday memories, the designers must transform a winter wonderland into a wearable wonder.
3 January 2020
Guest mentor Karla Welch tasks the designers with dressing her client, Karlie Kloss; the designers must recycle donated clothing from a Goodwill store to create their looks, and they must be both resourceful and fast for this one-day challenge.
10 January 2020
The iconic Cyndi Lauper is both inspiration and guest judge for this totally tubular team challenge. Split into two teams, the designers must create cohesive mini-collections. They need to collaborate to pay homage to Cyndi’s '80s fashion trailblazing that brought underground punk into the pop culture while still giving the looks a totally awesome modern take. Sounds pretty straight forward until Christian throws out a mid-challenge twist that changes everything.
17 January 2020
In this week’s challenge, the designers are given a chance to think about their family history and channel those stories and emotions into a look of their choosing. The stakes are high in this one day challenge, as the designers need to face and embrace who they are in order to succeed. Luckily for the designers, there’s a surprise early on that will help boost their chances for success in this Flash Sale Challenge!
7. Project Runway X Ashley Longshore
24 January 2020
Collaborations between fashion designers and artists are all the rage. In this challenge, the designers get a chance to enter into one with the fashion industry’s latest art darling, Ashley Longshore. Ashley’s outrageous pop art, turned into one of a kind prints, gives the runway some of the boldest looks of the season.
8. Sheer Genius
31 January 2020
The designers face a one-day challenge using sexy, sheer fabrics; staying in the game becomes more and more difficult for several designers who are reaching their personal limits and question their ability to make it to the end.
7 February 2020
This week’s challenge is all about turning a timeless classic on its head: The Tuxedo. Inspired by recent fashion moments like their mentor Christian Siriano’s groundbreaking Oscar look for Billy Porter, the designers will each need to find their own way to take the tuxedo into the future with a mix of male, female, and non-binary models. A perfectly tailored suit is nearly impossible without help, so the designers get a surprise second set of hands to help out.
14 February 2020
Tie dye is back in a big way and the designers will need to create their own textiles to elevate the trend from casual to couture. In a twist that may feel more like a trick to the designers, it’s an overnight challenge! The designers go a bit mad working into the wee hours trying to perfect their techniques and complete their high end looks.
21 February 2020
Designing for a client can be tough, especially when your client is a star athlete with high expectations. In this challenge, designers are paired up with a real athlete who will be competing to be in the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games. The designers need to make them their dream outfit for a victory night celebration, using all of their specialty skills to make the perfect proportions for their clients unique bodies, all while keeping their own point of view amongst a tough client challenge.
12. The Height of Avant Garde Fashion
28 February 2020
With only one challenge left to make it to New York Fashion Week, the remaining designers must think big to create an avant-garde look that is anything but ordinary. In a fashion first, the runway begins with a season long retrospective, outside and 16 stories high, at New York City’s dramatic, Vessel. The stakes are as high as the runway, because in fashion one day you’re in, and in this challenge, two will be out.
13. Finale (1)
6 March 2020
Christian visits the remaining contestants at home as they furiously complete their final collections. Then it’s back to workroom to refine and revise, because even though New York Fashion is here, that doesn’t mean everyone will show in the finale.
14. Finale (2)
13 March 2020
The remaining designers rush to put the final touches on their collections, balancing advice from experts while trying to not lose their own point of view. It’s game, set, match when Serena Williams joins as guest judge for the final runway, with only one designer chosen as the winner.