Project Runway: Season One

Notable challenges included designing a dress from items in a supermarket and imagining fashion from the year 2050

by Mark Hughes

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Premiered: Dec. 1, 2004
Nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Competition Reality Series

Season 1
Winning Designer: Jay McCarroll
Second Place: Kara Saun
Third Place: Wendy Pepper

Prizes:
$100,000 cash prize
Mentorship from Banana Republic
Display of the winning work in Elle magazine

Fun Fact: Jay McCarroll chose not to accept the cash prize to create a brand of clothing when he discovered that the Weinstein Company (the production company behind Project Runway) would forever take 10% of any profits he made.

Competitions for this season included:

Episode 1: Innovation
Using only materials available from a supermarket, designers had to create a sexy, elegant dress for a night out on the town.

Episode 7: Design a Collection
Designers worked in teams of three to create a fashion collection representing the year 2055.

Episode 8: Postal Uniform Challenge
Contestants were asked to redesign the uniform for United States Postal Service workers.

Finale Judges: Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, , and Parker Posey.

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