What is the reality TV show "Project Runway" about?

Project Runway is a reality competition show about fashion designers creating clothing under pressure.

In a typical episode, contestants receive a design challenge with a theme, a limited budget, restricted materials, and a tight deadline. They sketch, cut, sew, and style an outfit before presenting it on a runway. A panel of judges evaluates the designs, and one or more designers may be eliminated. The competition gradually narrows the field until finalists present full collections.

The American series premiered on Bravo on December 1, 2004. Heidi Klum originally hosted the show, while Tim Gunn served as mentor to the contestants. The program became known for turning the creative process of fashion design into a television contest, including challenges involving unconventional materials, celebrities, retailers, and specific garment types.

Project Runway is sometimes confused with a modeling competition because models appear on the runway, but the contestants are designers. The designers are judged primarily on their garments, originality, construction, ability to meet the brief, and performance under severe time constraints.