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From grocery aisles to glowing runways, “Project Runway” has served up some truly wild design briefs over the years. Join us as we count down the most inventive, demanding, and unforgettable challenges ever thrown at the show’s aspiring fashion stars. Which assignment pushed creativity furthest—and which one would leave you sewing in panic? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Are you guys ready?
00:01Yeah, we're ready.
00:02Let's start the show.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the most inventive, demanding, and unforgettable design assignments ever thrown at Project
00:13Runway's aspiring fashion stars.
00:15Basically, I shocked all the fresh corn, and I put it together fresh.
00:22Number 20. Wickedly avant-garde.
00:25The road to the season 21 finale took a spellbinding detour through Oz.
00:30With the finale approaching, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo introduced a two-day assignment inspired by Wicked for Good,
00:38while Oscar-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell joined the contestants as a mentor.
00:42We're pleased to welcome to the runway the most swankified man in Oz.
00:46Oscar-winning costume designer of Wicked.
00:48And the upcoming Wicked for Good, Paul Tazewell.
00:51Good luck, designers.
00:51Instead of demanding literal character recreations, the open brief encouraged bold, conceptual fashion,
00:59and gave each designer room to filter the film through a personal aesthetic.
01:03The pressure was deliciously brutal.
01:06Two contestants would be eliminated, and Tyra Banks joined the judging panel.
01:10I think there's different levels of avant-garde.
01:13Right.
01:13There's avant-garde couture, and there's avant-garde street fashion.
01:18I think it's absolutely stunning.
01:19Ethan Munt ultimately won with a dazzling green creation, but the entire runway showed how effectively
01:26a movie tie-in can ignite genuine imagination instead of producing glorified costumes.
01:32What Jesus did, immediately, Wicked.
01:35I can totally see Cynthia wearing this.
01:38It was like, you know, already in the silhouette.
01:40I was like, wow.
01:41She looked stunning.
01:43Number 19.
01:44The HP and Intel Challenge.
01:46One museum trip sent six designers into one of season 11's most layered assignments.
01:51You went to the amazing Guggenheim Museum for your inspiration, and we asked you to push
01:56your creative boundaries and design two looks.
01:59A three-dimensional art piece and a more wearable fashion piece.
02:03After exploring the Salomon R. Guggenheim Museum for inspiration, three newly formed pairs had
02:09to create an original textile, then use it across two coordinated garments, an avant-garde
02:14statement, and a ready-to-wear companion.
02:17That combination tested collaboration, print development, cohesion, and the ability to translate
02:24a grand concept into something commercially plausible.
02:27Stanley Hudson and Michelle Lesniak-Franklin excelled with a dark, spiraling woman motif.
02:32I did a painting on the back of the train.
02:35Let me see it.
02:35It's six yards long, so it'll really train out.
02:39My God.
02:40Behind her.
02:41This is fabulous.
02:43I have chills.
02:44Michelle delivered the experimental piece, while Stanley's ready-to-wear dress earned the
02:48individual win and a $10,000 prize.
02:51The silhouette of the dress is very charming, and it's the right length.
02:57It's a yin and a yang.
02:58The challenge made the designers operate like miniature fashion houses, turning museum inspiration
03:04into a complete visual language, rather than a single striking outfit.
03:09Number 18.
03:10The Makeover Challenge.
03:12So for this next challenge, you will be designing a look for a very demanding client.
03:20One of your fellow designers.
03:22The season two competitors traded dress forms for one another, making every fitting personal
03:27and every critique painfully public.
03:30Randomly assigned partners had to reinvent a fellow designer from head to toe, then send
03:35that very client down the runway in the finished look.
03:38When I looked at him in the garment, I'm like, he's looking so cool.
03:41And it just made sense, you know, it was a head-to-toe look.
03:44And I think that if he could, he'd buy those things and put them in his closet and love them.
03:48And I think that I did a nice job.
03:51Clothing, hair, makeup, and styling all mattered.
03:55While Daniel Vosovic's immunity meant the remaining four were effectively battling for
03:59three places in the final four.
04:01Chloe Dow conquered unfamiliar menswear with a dashing ensemble for Nick Varios, earning
04:06the win.
04:19Nick's suit for Daniel V, however, suffered from fit and construction problems and sent
04:25him home.
04:25By turning competitors into clients and models, the assignment tested technical range, taste,
04:31communication, and friendship under maximum pressure.
04:35If all that pressure has you ready for a change of pace, give your watchlist a makeover with
04:40Ms. Mojo's 24-7 live stream.
04:42Scan the QR code on screen to join us live for non-stop pop culture fun.
04:47This is Project Runway.
04:49Let's get it on.
04:50The search for the next big fashion designer.
04:53This is a dream come true.
04:54I'm going to do whatever it takes to win.
04:56Number 17.
04:58A Single Bolt of Fabric.
04:59A brutally simple premise stripped the returning designers of their usual safety nets in Season
05:0520.
05:05I came up with this next challenge myself.
05:08You did?
05:09For this exact moment.
05:10Oh.
05:11Okay.
05:11Oh, wait.
05:13Whatever this is, I don't like it.
05:16Each received fabric from the same Scarlet Bolt and just one day to create a runway look
05:21that unmistakably reflected their identity.
05:23With color and material neutralized, silhouette, construction, texture, and styling had nowhere
05:29to hide.
05:30Producing everything from basket weave outerwear and sculptural ruffles to sleek draping.
05:36Brittany Allen stood out with athletic separates with contrast top stitching, earning the win
05:40and $10,000.
05:42This look has my DNA written all over it.
05:44It's literally active wear taken in a way that's ready to wear for the runway.
05:51It's sexy.
05:53It's ready to literally be put on a rack and throw a price tag on it.
05:57Hester Sunshine's ambitious ensemble was criticized for uneven finishing, leading to their elimination.
06:03Equal ingredients rarely create equal results.
06:06And this clever experiment made creative identity the only real advantage.
06:11This challenge was about standing out.
06:15And yours stood out to me.
06:17I think it's very clear that an individual came up with it.
06:21And I think that's what we were looking for.
06:22Something that just feels unlike anyone else.
06:25Number 16.
06:26The Heidi Klum Sleepwear Challenge.
06:29Before anyone could reach for a sewing machine, the season 16 designers spent the night atop the
06:34Empire State Building in matching pajamas.
06:36Their assignment was to create fashionable sleepwear for Heidi Klum intimates, using textiles
06:41created by hand and drawing inspiration from the landmark.
06:45You can create any type of sleepwear.
06:47The biggest rule?
06:48Make it fashionable.
06:50You are also going to be creating your own textile.
06:55By hand.
06:56This is what I've been waiting for.
06:58That deceptively cozy brief demanded comfort, commercial appeal, original surface design,
07:04and enough polish to satisfy Heidi as judge and client.
07:08Michael Brambilla won with a dusty rose bias-cut chemise featuring Art Deco motifs.
07:13I love that effect in the back.
07:16The multi-straps.
07:17The Art Deco motif.
07:19It almost looks like the top of the Chrysler Building.
07:22There's a sensuality to her and a sophistication to her.
07:26Deontay Weather's loose teal look read as, quote, frumpy to his model and impractical to
07:31the panel, sending him home.
07:34Apparently, pajamas can be ruthless.
07:36There's no design here as far as I'm concerned.
07:38This is like the second time we've had this.
07:41I'm uninspired.
07:43Maybe with more time, the ideas are able to come together.
07:46I'm just not seeing it.
07:48Number 15.
07:49The Unconventional Challenge.
07:51This is really an opportunity for you to show us your innovation and creativity.
07:57The winner of this challenge will receive immunity and cannot be eliminated on the next challenge.
08:02The Season 9 workroom became a craft store fever dream before a single seam was sewn.
08:07At Petland Discounts, the designers received $300 in just 30 minutes to gather everything needed
08:13for an unconventional runway look.
08:15Tim Gunn discouraged fabric-like shortcuts and allowed muslin only as infrastructure,
08:21forcing everyone to turn store stock into convincing fashion.
08:25Olivier Green fashioned a dog bed lining into a top and paired it with an ombre hamster
08:30bedding and rabbit bedding skirt, earning the win and immunity.
08:34I felt extremely happy with how my garment looks on the runway.
08:39This is the moment that you can show people your creation and they thought that moment was magical.
08:45Anthony Ryan Auld's mini dress made of seeds nearly stole the prize, while Joshua Christensen's
08:51safer interpretation failed to impress and sent him home.
08:54The word for today's challenge is unconventional.
08:57Sure.
08:58You picked the most conventional materials and then you put them in conventional shapes.
09:05The assignment delivered exactly what the series does best, ingenious transformations
09:10and glorious chaos.
09:12Number 14.
09:14The Burlap Challenge
09:15Models in potato sacks set up a season 7 assignment that sounded like a practical joke.
09:21After arriving at a farm, the designers learned that their models would choose their designers
09:25and serve as clients for party looks intended for an industry event.
09:29You've heard the expression, she's so beautiful, she'd even look great in a potato sack.
09:34Well, you're going to prove that point.
09:36For this challenge, you will be creating a party-worthy look out of potato sacks.
09:41They had one day to transform the coarse material using supplies selected from a farm stand.
09:46The results proved remarkably varied.
09:49Anna Marie Lynette used potato stamps.
09:51Amy Sarabi softened the texture through panels with darkened edges.
09:55And Jane Nicolasario produced a sleek, fluttering cocktail dress that won the challenge.
10:00When she first came out, I said, did he cheat?
10:03Are they feathers?
10:04What is it?
10:05Did he shred organza?
10:06Really well done.
10:08I think he's made Burlap look expensive.
10:10Very, very nicely abstract.
10:13It's lovely.
10:14Later, Hardware sent the cast to a hardware store to fetch materials for an unconventional
10:19outfit and matching accessory.
10:21Humble's supplies rarely looked this runway ready.
10:24What you did was truly amazing.
10:26And we've seen many garbage bags on Project Runway.
10:30But never quite like this.
10:31Your outfit was creatively inspired and very you.
10:35Number 13.
10:37The Day 2 Blacklight Transformation Challenge
10:39One flip of a switch turned the Season 15 runway into a glowing laboratory.
10:45Inspired by Transitions lenses, the designers had one day and $200 to create a look that worked
10:51in ordinary illumination, then transformed under ultraviolet lamps.
10:56For this challenge, you were inspired by Transitions lenses to design looks that would be just as
11:01amazing in daylight as under a blacklight.
11:05A dedicated testing room and reactive supplies made fabric choice as important as construction.
11:10Erin Robertson mastered both versions with a pale blue organza dress whose exquisite beading,
11:16piping, piping, and bra details emerged under UV, earning her a Marie Claire spread.
11:21As soon as she went into blacklight, it goes from this innocent, little too, raver vibe.
11:27It's a beautiful transition.
11:29I couldn't be happier.
11:39Cornelius Ortiz's emoji reveal was another standout, while Kimber Richardson's floral mini
11:44sent her home.
11:45So when this dress came out, you know, I got very excited because it's a very wearable,
11:50cute dress.
11:50And I saw this print and I was expecting it, you know, just saying, like, let it glow.
11:54And it did not.
11:55More than a novelty, the assignment rewarded designers who built surprise directly into
12:01the garment.
12:05Paris became more than a glamorous backdrop when the season three designers were handed
12:09one of the show's most technically punishing briefs.
12:12You are in Paris, capital of fashion, capital of couture.
12:16You have to make the couture gown.
12:18Oof.
12:19Working at Parsons Paris, they had two days and 300 euros to create hand-finished evening
12:25gowns, before presenting them aboard a Seine riverboat to Catherine Malendrino.
12:30Back in New York, the same garments faced Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, and guest
12:36judge Richard Tyler.
12:37So the designs had to survive travel, refitting, and two separate presentations.
12:42We had to make a couture gown to fit not only a model in Paris, but to fit a model
12:46here.
12:47My model in Paris actually was quite a bit smaller, like three inches in every, you know,
12:53area.
12:53So that completely changes things.
12:56Jeffrey Sebelia's audacious yellow plaid gown, complete with streaming ribbons, secured
13:01his second consecutive win.
13:03Vincent Libretti's ill-fitting creation sent him home.
13:06I use very expensive fabric.
13:09There's a little detail in the sleeve, and I think it's soft and feminine, and I like
13:15it.
13:16You know, I don't like the sleeve, but if you're going to do some oddball sleeve, it's got to
13:20fit.
13:21The assignment transformed a dream trip into a ruthless test of technique, stamina, and
13:26spectacle.
13:27Number 11, the Hershey's Store Challenge.
13:30For this challenge, you'll be using items from Hershey's as the raw materials for an outfit
13:35of your choice.
13:37Surrounding you are all sorts of delicious brands for you to create your designs.
13:43A five-minute shopping frenzy at Hershey's Times Square store unleashed one of the show's
13:47sweetest displays of ingenuity.
13:49With no budget and only one day, the season four designers transformed store merchandise
13:54and actual suites into runway garments, making material manipulation the real test.
14:00The result was a rare runway packed with texture, color, and genuine fashion.
14:05I have to look at each designer differently.
14:07And from you, I have to say, I think that this is a really smart editing choice.
14:13It's also made well, and she's great in it.
14:16This girl could go into a studio and be shot for the pages of Elle.
14:20Gillian Lewis took the biggest edible risk with a Twizzlers-covered bodice, while Rami
14:25Cashew won with a polished look built from Twizzlers plastic and York peppermint patty paper.
14:31The sound looks amazing.
14:32I definitely see that it caught Zach Pozen's attention instantly.
14:36I'm very happy with the outfit, and it feels pretty good.
14:39Elisa Jimenez's design sent her home.
14:41The season later applied similar makeover magic to denim, and even designers get the blues.
14:47One by Ricky Lizaldi.
14:48When I see my garment, I enjoy it.
14:51She looked like one of my sketches.
14:53She looked like the girl in my head.
14:54It felt so good.
14:55It felt amazing to see her like that.
14:58Number 10.
14:593D Bridges
15:00In New York, there's no shortage of inspiration for designers to draw from and incorporate in
15:05their design.
15:06This three-fold challenge asked them to do exactly that and draw from the bridges of New
15:11York when creating their pieces.
15:13Added on to that, the outfit had to be new and experimental.
15:17Avant-garde, you might say.
15:19And some form of 3D printed materials had to be incorporated in the design.
15:23While the designs were over the top and stunning, the 3D printed aspect was minimally used to
15:29add a flair and texture to the designs.
15:32Number 9.
15:33Flower Party
15:34While cotton is originally from a plant, most designers stay away from using actual flowers
15:40as more than accessories next to their designs.
15:42This challenge had designers creating the full dress out of flowers and plants directly
15:47from the New York Flower District.
15:49As with other unconventional challenges, actual use of fabric was a no-no.
15:54But the designers could attach the flowers to a muslin base if needed.
15:58A portion of this challenge was repeated in Season 11, but we think the best results
16:02came from Season 2.
16:04In addition, earlier that same season, All Dolled Up challenged the designers to create
16:09life-sized looks for the My Scene Barbie collection.
16:11With Nick Varios' winning design reproduced for the doll.
16:15I looked around at all the other My Scene Barbie dolls and I thought what was missing
16:19was sort of this young, hip daughter of a European mogul who went to Capri and she hangs out
16:26with her girlfriends.
16:27So that was my whole mood.
16:29Number 8.
16:30Lights
16:31The perfect dress with just the right smile can be said to light up the red carpet.
16:35And leave it up to this episode of All Stars to take that to a whole new literal level.
16:40There's not enough budget to cover an entire garment and light bulbs.
16:45So I immediately think of creating a print or a plaid with the tape.
16:51Designers were tasked with creating an avant-garde look that incorporated a lighting element and
16:56were given access to a range of supplies, including neon glow tape and LED lights.
17:09Designers used the materials to create their own textiles and add accents.
17:13The smartest paired them with white fabric that stood out for a dramatic punch on the
17:17dark runway.
17:18My model looks like she stepped out of a dream.
17:22I love the way my dress looks.
17:24It's actually, I think, one of the favorite creations I've ever made.
17:29Number 7.
17:30Sarah Jessica Parker
17:31I spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live?
17:38Thanks to Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker is a style icon known for her exquisite
17:43taste in fashion, especially shoes.
17:46But that's not what we got when she was invited on as a guest judge.
17:56Instead, designers were asked to be inspired by her own low-priced clothing line, Bitten,
18:01and create a two-piece outfit using $15 worth of materials so that it could be sold at a
18:07reasonable price to consumers.
18:09The winner, of course, would have their design sold at an actual store in the same month the
18:14episode was aired.
18:15Who says you can't be fashionable and thrifty?
18:18And where's the follow-up episode for in just like that?
18:21Number 6.
18:23Newspapers
18:23What's black, white, and red all over?
18:26The designs from this week's episode.
18:28Outfits for this challenge were to be made of newspaper, though muslin could be used for
18:33infrastructure as long as it wasn't seen.
18:35As in many other challenges and many other seasons, several of the designers are very adept
18:41at taking something that isn't fabric and making it look better than most traditional ones we
18:46could buy at the store.
18:47Irina Shabayeva won with a belted trench coat whose textured collar and cuffs convincingly
18:52mimicked fur.
18:53While Carol Hannah Whitfield's dramatic red gown and Logan Neitzel's sleek sheath showed
18:58how varied the results could be.
19:00The more I looked at the dress, the more I realized how much Asian inspiration I got
19:05from it.
19:05The coloring that I used ended up looking like bamboo leaves.
19:09I feel confident.
19:11Number 5.
19:12Spare Parts
19:14Automobiles are generally how the models get to the runway, not what they wear on it.
19:18The only thing that was in the cars were things that cars are made out of, mats, seat covers.
19:25What are we going to make?
19:26For this Season 5 challenge, the designers were asked to make their outfits out of unconventional
19:31materials one would be more likely to find in an auto repair shop, or even in a car factory.
19:37These are heavy-duty materials, so just trying to work with this stuff, it's going to be a
19:42little difficult.
19:43Car seat covers for fabric, metal accents, woven seatbelts.
19:47Who knew a Saturn hybrid could yield so many pieces of fashion before the rest headed to
19:51the junkyard?
19:52This made us look at our own cars in a whole new light.
19:55My dress is seatbelts and broken glass I took from all the mirrors.
19:59I'm totally doing something different than I usually do.
20:02I want to show versatility that I can design outside of Blaine, which the judges talked about.
20:07Number 4.
20:08Design Your Own Fabric
20:11Awesome!
20:13Cool!
20:14We admit, this challenge is a staple on almost every season of the show, but that doesn't
20:19stop it from being impressive or memorable.
20:22Specifically, we're talking Season 8, where Mondo's pattern came with a shocking personal
20:27confession on his end.
20:28The symbolism in the pant actually are, um, these pluses are positive signs.
20:37And I've been, uh, HIV positive for 10 years.
20:41Not only was his pattern of black pluses against a purple and yellow background striking as a
20:47pair of pants, but also when paired with the personal meaning behind the fabric, it's really
20:51hard to top this fashionable design.
20:54You know, I feel a lot better.
20:57I feel free.
20:58Mondo won the challenge, becoming the show's first designer to claim three consecutive victories.
21:04Number 3.
21:06The Grocery Store
21:06Talk about starting the show off right.
21:09The best runway challenge to date was arguably their first.
21:13This is our destination.
21:15In this premiere episode, the designers were taken to a grocery store, instead of a fabric
21:21shop, and asked to create fashionable outfits out of anything they could find among the shelves.
21:26And while this challenge was repeated in Season 5, we still have to commend the creativity
21:30from the first episode.
21:32Austin Scarlett best embodied that ingenuity, winning with a sculptural cornhusk dress.
21:38Years later, Heidi Klum cited the design as proof that restrictive materials and parameters
21:42could still produce something genuinely original.
21:45But the winner is Austin.
21:48To choose cornhusks showed true innovation.
21:55Thank you all.
21:56Thank you very, very much.
21:57Number 2.
21:58Drag Queens
21:59I'm a head of lettuce, and if you don't make me look prettier than Heidi, I'll kill you.
22:03Drag Queens and Project Runway were basically a match made in heaven, and we're actually
22:08surprised it took five seasons to get there.
22:11However, when it finally did happen, they had a rather fitting judge for the panel.
22:16The one and only RuPaul Charles.
22:18Rather than working with their normal models, the designers were tasked with dressing drag
22:23queen clients who knew exactly how to wear their feminine outfits with the right amount
22:27of flair.
22:28In case you missed it, one of the queens featured was Acid Betty, who would later go on to appear
22:33in Season 8 of RuPaul's Drag Race.
22:35Hi, I'm Acid Betty.
22:37I'm the fiercest hybrid drag queen in New York City.
22:39Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
22:43Art to avant-garde.
22:45Pairing designers with art students tested interpretation and imagination in Season 9.
22:51Anthony Ryan.
22:52He really made a beautiful, interesting dress that was simple.
22:58From the colors to the strong point of view, you could see what the inspiration was.
23:02You actually could see someone wearing a version of that.
23:05Heidi's Baby Challenge.
23:07Kids wear, mom looks, and baby dolls made for delightful entertainment in Season 10.
23:13This fusion between kind of the dressy and the casual is really cool and really comfortable
23:20for boys.
23:21I was able to take a boys look, which is completely out of my comfort zone, and really make it
23:27special
23:27and gorgeous.
23:28Carrots and couture.
23:30Over $30 million in jewels inspired some serious runway glamour in Season 12.
23:35Kate did a beautiful job.
23:37She created a fact.
23:39And she was very ambitious.
23:41Mini-Marie Antoinette.
23:42I do see a beautiful young actress.
23:46Where?
23:46Yeah, absolutely.
23:47It's a new world.
23:48And I can see it in an editorial shoot as well.
23:50Yeah.
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24:14Influence.
24:19We know, we know, it's yet another avant-garde challenge.
24:23But trust us, you'll want to hear about this one.
24:25This time, instead of a runway, the models and designs walk down a rainway.
24:31In other words, the runway will have full-on water effects and the clothes must be waterproof.
24:36So we were in for a show of rain slickers and rubber boots, right?
24:39Not even close.
24:41Instead, we were greeted with an array of unique designs and shapes and one very memorable
24:47color-changing dress we all wish was in our closets.
24:50Which Project Runway assignment would you volunteer to tackle?
24:54And which one would have you fleeing the workroom?
24:56Stitch your thoughts together in the comments.
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