Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      From the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  and The Walking Dead  to Chris Pine and Regé Jean-Page, see who dropped by EW's Comic-Con headquarters at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. Read More
    • Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Go behind the scenes of Amazon Prime Video’s ambitious fantasy epic, which hopes to introduce J.R.R. Tolkien to a new generation. Read More
    • Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be more to learn about the high-profile defamation trial, more than 6,000 pages of court docs were released over the weekend. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. 'Project Runway' Style: 17 Hot Designs (and 7 Hot Messes)

'Project Runway' Style: 17 Hot Designs (and 7 Hot Messes)

With season 6 under way, we applaud past successes like Austin Scarlett's corn husk dress, Michael Knight's Pam Grier hot pants, and Korto Momolu's seatbelt coat -- and shudder all over again at Carmen Webber's menswear disaster
By Missy Schwartz Updated August 26, 2009 at 08:00 PM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1

Project Runway | HOT Leanne Marshall's New York nightlife-inspired ensemble (season 5, episode 3) New York City's famed nightlife was the jumping-off point in week 5, and Leanne,…

HOT
Leanne Marshall's New York nightlife-inspired ensemble
(season 5, episode 3)

New York City's famed nightlife was the jumping-off point in week 5, and Leanne, the quiet brunette from Oregon, delivered a sophisticated, sexy ensemble worthy of the glamorous heyday of Studio 54. The top and bottom had a simple, timeless elegance that played off the gorgeous accent detailing of the skirt. Feminine and edgy, the outfit was an early hint of the vision Leanne would bring to the Fashion Week finale, where she emerged the fifth-season victor.

1 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

2

Project Runway | HOT Korto Momolu's seat-belt coat (season 5, episode 7) How did Korto respond to the challenge of stripping Saturn hybrids for parts? Why, by driving…

HOT
Korto Momolu's seat-belt coat
(season 5, episode 7)

How did Korto respond to the challenge of stripping Saturn hybrids for parts? Why, by driving her design to the very heights of fashion-forward inventiveness, of course. Made entirely of seat belts, her coat boasted both stunning texture and a beautiful shape, enhanced by three-quarter-length bell sleeves and a cinched waist. It was a showstopper, but in a foreshadowing of the finale, Korto came in second to Leanne.

2 of 24

3 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

3

HOT Austin Scarlett's cornhusk dress (season 1, episode 1) The prim contestant with a penchant for neck scarves won the very first challenge of the…
Credit: Barbara Nitke

HOT
Austin Scarlett's cornhusk dress
(season 1, episode 1)

The prim contestant with a penchant for neck scarves won the very first challenge of the very first season with a dress made out of cornhusks bought at New York supermarket chain Gristedes. The husks did wilt overnight in the workroom. But not even a little case of the day-olds could derail Austin's vision.

3 of 24

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

4

HOT Jay McCarroll's Chrysler Building dress (season 1, episode 3) Season 1's loudmouthed champ never actually won any of the pre-Fashion Week challenges. And while…

HOT
Jay McCarroll's Chrysler Building dress
(season 1, episode 3)

Season 1's loudmouthed champ never actually won any of the pre-Fashion Week challenges. And while the judges didn't think this silky, Chrysler Building-inspired number was quite right for that week's client, Banana Republic, we love it for its edgy sophistication.

4 of 24

Advertisement

5 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

5

HOT Kara Saun's postal uniform (season 1, episode 8) For her fourth win, season 1's early front-runner (but ultimate second-placer) managed to turn a dowdy…

HOT
Kara Saun's postal uniform
(season 1, episode 8)

For her fourth win, season 1's early front-runner (but ultimate second-placer) managed to turn a dowdy civil servant's uniform into a chic, modern ensemble that, yes, would work perfectly in rain, sleet, or snow.

5 of 24

6 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

6

HOT Austin Scarlett's Grammy dress (season 1, episode 9) The task? Design a dress for Access Hollywood reporter Nancy O'Dell to wear to the Grammys.…

HOT
Austin Scarlett's Grammy dress
(season 1, episode 9)

The task? Design a dress for Access Hollywood reporter Nancy O'Dell to wear to the Grammys. The flowing gown that Austin sent down the runway was gorgeous, sexy, and feminine. Yet somehow, season 1 villain Wendy Pepper's orange minidress took top marks. Four years later, we'd still opt for Austin's colorful showstopper any day.

6 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

7

HOT Santino Rice's gray dress (season 2, episode 5) Season 2's resident pot-stirrer designed his share of outré doozies (paging the turkey-feathered ice-skating costume!), but…
Credit: Barbara Nitke

HOT
Santino Rice's gray dress
(season 2, episode 5)

Season 2's resident pot-stirrer designed his share of outré doozies (paging the turkey-feathered ice-skating costume!), but his gunmetal gray party dress was so pitch-perfect it even promised to make guest judge Nicki Hilton look elegant. The flowing skirt paired with the braided top was pure sophistication. And the judges agreed.

7 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

8

HOT Daniel Vosovic's flower power ensemble (season 2, episode 8) For a challenge that asked the designers to snap photos around Manhattan and then create…

HOT
Daniel Vosovic's flower power ensemble
(season 2, episode 8)

For a challenge that asked the designers to snap photos around Manhattan and then create an outfit inspired by those pictures, the mild-mannered Daniel V. captured both the delicate bulbousness of a flower and the crispness of its stem. The judges rightly rewarded him.

8 of 24

Advertisement

9 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

9

HOT Chloe Dao's makeover of Nick Verreos (season 2, episode 10) The petite Texan (and ultimate season 2 champ) beat out her competitors that week…

HOT
Chloe Dao's makeover of Nick Verreos
(season 2, episode 10)

The petite Texan (and ultimate season 2 champ) beat out her competitors that week by outfitting fellow designer Nick Verreos in a sharp, pinstriped trouser-and-vest ensemble offset with a smart pink shirt. Nick never looked more handsome. (Unfortunately, he didn't deliver nearly as well with his own design: His ill-fitting suit for Daniel V. earned him a ticket home.)

9 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

10

HOT Michael Knight's coffee filter dress (season 3, episode 1) The ''Wall to Wall Fashion'' challenge in the season 3 premiere asked designers to use…
Credit: Barbara Nitke

HOT
Michael Knight's coffee filter dress
(season 3, episode 1)

The ''Wall to Wall Fashion'' challenge in the season 3 premiere asked designers to use materials found inside their apartment. And while others went straight for more obvious fabric substitutes like sheets, curtains, and upholstery, Michael showed masterful innovation by stitching together a chic minidress made of coffee filters. It didn't even make the top three, but it's still the one most of us remember best.

10 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

11

HOT Michael Knight's Pam Grier-inspired hot pants (season 3, episode 6) Fan-favorite Michael scored his first win with his impossibly sexy, bright fuchsia short-shorts ensemble…

HOT
Michael Knight's Pam Grier-inspired hot pants
(season 3, episode 6)

Fan-favorite Michael scored his first win with his impossibly sexy, bright fuchsia short-shorts ensemble inspired by the great Pam Grier. The ''Iconic Statement'' challenge was a tough one for many — see what earned Bradley Baumkirchner a spot on our Hot Mess list — but Michael passed with flying, hot pink colors.

11 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

12

HOT Laura Bennett's recycling dress (season 3, episode 7) Who knew that season 3's überglamorous mother of six would whip up one of her most…
Credit: Barbara Nitke

HOT
Laura Bennett's recycling dress
(season 3, episode 7)

Who knew that season 3's überglamorous mother of six would whip up one of her most inspired designs after visiting a recycling plant? The redheaded ballbuster's cocktail dress was not only effortlessly chic, it also captured her winning sense of humor: The back memorably read ''FOR NUTS ONLY.''

12 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

13

HOT Uli Herzner's blue minidress (season 3, episode 12) Runway 's other blonde fräulein won the final challenge before Fashion Week with her stunning silk…

HOT
Uli Herzner's blue minidress
(season 3, episode 12)

Runway's other blonde fräulein won the final challenge before Fashion Week with her stunning silk tie-dye mini. The long-frock-loving Uli finally shortened her hemline and was rewarded with a photo in Elle magazine.

13 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

14

HOT Chris March's purple gown (season 4, episode 1) Like season 3's Michael Knight, the lovable Chris March failed to get the judges' attention in…
Credit: Barbara Nitke

HOT
Chris March's purple gown
(season 4, episode 1)

Like season 3's Michael Knight, the lovable Chris March failed to get the judges' attention in the first challenge. His regal silk plum gown with a gorgeously constructed purple-and-green crisscross halter top didn't even crack the top three. But if, someday, we ever get an invite to a fancy soirée where the little black dress just doesn't cut it, we won't have to think twice about what to wear.

14 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

15

HOT Victorya Hong's charcoal minidress (season 4, episode 2) Victorya often came off as a sourpuss on the show, but her bow-tied minidress was 100…
Credit: Barbara Nitke

HOT
Victorya Hong's charcoal minidress
(season 4, episode 2)

Victorya often came off as a sourpuss on the show, but her bow-tied minidress was 100 percent upbeat, and it tapped right into the still current trend of flowy smock dresses. Winning the challenge offered a greater than usual reward, too: Guest judge Sarah Jessica Parker had the design reproduced in two colors for her very own Bitten line.

15 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

16 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

16

Project Runway, Project Runway (Season 4 -- Episode 8: On Garde!) | HOT Christian Siriano and Chris March's avant-garde gown (season 4, episode 8) The pairing of Christian ''Fierce'' Siriano and witty Chris March could only yield…
Credit: Barbara Nitke

HOT
Christian Siriano and Chris March's avant-garde gown
(season 4, episode 8)

The pairing of Christian ''Fierce'' Siriano and witty Chris March could only yield genius. Tasked with producing an avant-garde garment based on their models' hairstyles, the match made in style heaven whipped up this jaw-dropping gown that was the very definition of couture. That they did it in just two days with a mere $300 is a reminder of how extraordinarily talented many of the Runway folks are.

16 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

17 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

17

HOT Jillian Lewis's Argonaut-inspired outfit (season 4, episode 11) The soft-spoken gal from Long Island, once again delivered a gorgeous garment, this one inspired by…

HOT
Jillian Lewis's Argonaut-inspired outfit
(season 4, episode 11)

The soft-spoken gal from Long Island, once again delivered a gorgeous garment, this one inspired by the painting Scenes From the Story of the Argonauts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The playful gold skirt and expertly tailored black jacket were feminine and fashion-forward, and rank among Jillian's strongest work all season. We love it, even if the judges opted to give top marks that week to Mr. Fierce's elaborate, multi-piece conquistadorish ensemble.

17 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement

18 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

18

HOT MESS Wendy Pepper's postal uniform (season 1, episode 8) Everything that Kara Saun's uniform brought — style, fit, originality — Wendy's sorely lacked. Working…

HOT MESS
Wendy Pepper's postal uniform
(season 1, episode 8)

Everything that Kara Saun's uniform brought — style, fit, originality — Wendy's sorely lacked. Working as if she'd never even heard of the word innovation, Wendy made a dull white blouse with an incongruous oversized collar and cuffed short sleeves, and paired it with unflattering shorts that even puckered on the model's size-0 thighs. It's because of fashion crimes like this that dogs bite the people who deliver your mail.

18 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

19 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

19

HOT MESS Santino Rice's makeover of Kara Janx (season 2, episode 10) Once again, Santino just couldn't resist a little envelope pushing on the catwalk.…

HOT MESS
Santino Rice's makeover of Kara Janx
(season 2, episode 10)

Once again, Santino just couldn't resist a little envelope pushing on the catwalk. Unfortunately, this time it was at the expense of poor Kara, whom he outfitted in a horrendous beige jumpsuit. In addition to fitting the svelte Janx about as well as a cardboard box might, the garment captured none of her vivacious personality. Santino is lucky Nick Verreos tanked so badly that week. Otherwise, he might have been the recipient of Heidi's auf Wiedersehen.

19 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

20 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

20

HOT MESS Bradley Baumkirchner's Cher (season 3, episode 6) Bradley wasn't alone in blowing it the week the designers had to create a look based…

HOT MESS
Bradley Baumkirchner's Cher
(season 3, episode 6)

Bradley wasn't alone in blowing it the week the designers had to create a look based on a fashion icon — Vincent Libretti's Twiggy dress was tantamount to sartorial slander of the British '60s trendsetter — but we knew the poor guy was doomed when he revealed that he knew next to nothing about Cher. (How a designer hopes to break into the fashion world without at least a basic familiarity with the supreme gay idol baffles the brain.) There was nothing remotely Cher-like in the Halloween-y metallic cropped top, and of the bizarre white pants, Michael Kors famously said, ''That crotch is insane.''

20 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement

21 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

21

Project Runway | HOT MESS Vincent Libretti's recycling dress (season 3, episode 7) Like most of Vincent's work, this one is best described with a body noise. While…
Credit: Barbara Nitke

HOT MESS
Vincent Libretti's recycling dress
(season 3, episode 7)

Like most of Vincent's work, this one is best described with a body noise. While nearly everyone else turned recycled materials into clean and chic ensembles, he made eco-debris look like dirty, nasty garbage-wear. Using his standby defense ''It turns me on,'' Vincent miraculously avoided auf-ing that week. That he remained while the promising Alison Kelly went home (for a voluminous paper garment that Heidi said made her model look plus-size) is a classic example of a polarizing personality trumping genuine talent in the reality TV sphere.

21 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

22 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

22

HOT MESS Carmen Webber's menswear disaster (season 4, episode 3) We won't deny that menswear is tough. It demands a different set of tailoring skills…

HOT MESS
Carmen Webber's menswear disaster
(season 4, episode 3)

We won't deny that menswear is tough. It demands a different set of tailoring skills than most designers carry in their back pocket. And having to create a three-piece outfit for Tiki Barber in just two days is a tall order indeed. While Carmen certainly wasn't the only one to struggle that week — recall Sweet P's shirt with a comically ginormous collar — her design was off the disastrous charts. The trousers were as high as Don Draper's on Mad Men (though not nearly as well constructed), and the jacket was a shoddily executed Members Only knockoff that might have been semi-current circa 1984. But the straw that broke this fashion camel's back, of course, was the scrap of blue fabric thrown around the model's neck as a desperate makeshift shirt replacement. A sewing-room lesson for the ages: When in doubt, do not reach for the dickey.

22 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

23 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

23

Project Runway | HOT MESS Blayne Walsh's vulgar onesie (season 5, episode 1) Remember Austin Scarlett's cornhusk dress ? How beautifully it demonstrated what an inventive designer can…

HOT MESS
Blayne Walsh's vulgar onesie
(season 5, episode 1)

Remember Austin Scarlett's cornhusk dress? How beautifully it demonstrated what an inventive designer can do with unusual materials? Well, this is the opposite of that. In the fifth-season premiere, the New York City supermarket chain Gristedes was once again the starting point, and it was there that Blayne bought the makings of this bleeding eyesore of a garment that came off as a desperate attempt to be edgy. It was a ridiculously vulgar onesie, and the white Astroturf-y landing strip alone should have sent the guy packing. Alas, that glorious day did not come until week 9.

23 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement

24 of 24

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

24

Project Runway | HOT MESS Kenley Collins' mermaid dress (season 5, episode 12) In the second-to-last challenge before Fashion Week, the designers had to make an evening gown…
Credit: Barbara Nitke/Bravo

HOT MESS
Kenley Collins' mermaid dress
(season 5, episode 12)

In the second-to-last challenge before Fashion Week, the designers had to make an evening gown inspired by the New York Botanical Garden. And from the looks of this skintight disaster, Kenley met Ariel the Mermaid amid the tulips and daisies. How else to explain that wretched bottom section that was meant to evoke the delicate petals of a flower, but instead suggested slimy fish scales?

24 of 24

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Missy Schwartz

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 24 1
    2 of 24 2
    3 of 24 3
    4 of 24 4
    5 of 24 5
    6 of 24 6
    7 of 24 7
    8 of 24 8
    9 of 24 9
    10 of 24 10
    11 of 24 11
    12 of 24 12
    13 of 24 13
    14 of 24 14
    15 of 24 15
    16 of 24 16
    17 of 24 17
    18 of 24 18
    19 of 24 19
    20 of 24 20
    21 of 24 21
    22 of 24 22
    23 of 24 23
    24 of 24 24

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    'Project Runway' Style: 17 Hot Designs (and 7 Hot Messes)
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.