Top 20 Best Project Runway Designs Ever

#20: Ethan Mundt’s Disney Villain Look

“New House / New Rules”

The Season 21 premiere came out swinging with a challenge that split the workroom into princesses and baddies, and the darker side absolutely devoured. Better known to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fans as Utica Queen, Ethan Mundt brought theatrical instincts to the challenge without letting camp swallow the couture. His House of Villains ensemble balanced drama with polish, giving the runway a sleek, shadowy presence rather than a costume-party wink. Nina Garcia praised how the petite model still felt “grandiose,” while Heidi Klum said she could imagine wearing the jumpsuit herself.

#19: Austin Scarlett’s Corn Husk Dress

“Innovation”

From the very first challenge, the series taught viewers that a supermarket aisle could become a fashion supply closet. In Season 1’s “Innovation,” the designers had to make a night-out look using items purchased at a Manhattan supermarket, and Austin Scarlett chose one of the riskiest materials available: corn husks. The pale husks formed a fitted bodice and a feathery skirt, reading less “farm stand” and more botanical fantasy. The look won the challenge, but more importantly, it defined the show’s DNA. It was fragile, absurdly ambitious, and proof that unconventional materials could still produce real runway magic on television.

#18: Anya Ayoung-Chee’s Stunning Finale Collection

“The Finale, Part 2”

Season 9 ended with a breezy escape rooted in a Caribbean point of view. Anya Ayoung-Chee’s finale presentation, titled “Tobago Love,” leaned into flowing silhouettes, bold prints, warm colors, and resort-ready ease. Rather than overcomplicating the runway, she built a world that felt relaxed, confident, sensual, and instantly recognizable. Among her designs, the teal, green, and gold plunging gown was the clearest knockout. With its airy skirt and watercolor-like sweep, it looked less like a finale garment and more like a vacation daydream floating down the runway. No wonder Anya took the crown for the season!

#17: Laura Bennett’s Silver Showstopper

“Finale – Part 2”

Every great collection needs the kind of closer that makes the room sit up straighter. During Season 3’s final runway, this evening look showed Laura Bennett’s eye for controlled elegance with a polished confidence that felt unmistakably modern. The shimmering silver bodice framed an open back, while the chartreuse panel cut across the waist with just enough shock to keep the look from becoming too polite. Laura finished behind Jeffrey Sebelia and Uli Herzner, but this dress has aged beautifully. Chic and sophisticated, it remains one of the show’s sharpest arguments for restraint.

#16: Irina Shabayeva’s Newsprint Trench

“Fashion Headliners”

Some unconventional-materials challenges produce cute gimmicks; this one produced outerwear envy. In Season 6’s “Fashion Headliners,” the designers were sent to the Los Angeles Times and challenged to create garments from newspaper. The winning trench made the material look sculptural, sharp, and weirdly luxurious, with structured pockets, a cinched belt, bracelet-length sleeves, and a textured collar and cuffs that read almost like faux fur. It was clever without being jokey, and wearable without losing the challenge’s audacity. This look announced Irina’s signature strength loud and clear: refined, expensive-looking armor for a woman in charge.

#15: Irina Shabayeva’s Cream Red Carpet Gown

“As Sewn On TV”

Sometimes judges send home a dress that refuses to leave the fandom. For “All Stars” Season 3’s “As Sewn On TV,” the final six were flown to QVC headquarters and asked to create a red carpet dress. Irina Shabayeva’s cream, strapless mermaid gown may have come across as too bridal to the panel, but its drama was undeniable: sculpted bodice, sweeping train, and floral appliqué cascading down the skirt. Korto Momolu won the challenge, while this dress got its designer eliminated. Still, as a runway image, it had a timeless elegance.

#14: Seth Aaron Henderson’s Punk Pairing

“A Little Bit of Fashion”

Kidswear challenges can turn twee fast, but this winning duo had bite. In Season 7’s “A Little Bit of Fashion,” designers began with children’s outfits before creating companion looks for adult models. Henderson’s kidswear design mixed a houndstooth hoodie with pink accents and a black skirt trimmed with grommet details. The grown-up version sharpened the rebellious aesthetic with skinny pants and a crisp black-and-white jacket. The judges responded to the hard edge, whimsy, and exceptional tailoring, while Seth Aaron’s mini model gushed over her pink-and-black purse. The looks were playful, confident, and coordinated in a way that felt stylish rather than matchy-matchy.

#13: Sonjia Williams’ Under-the-Sea Candy Creation

“Candy Couture”

The unconventional-materials challenge went full sugar rush in Season 10, and this look refused to melt under pressure. For “Candy Couture,” the designers raided Dylan’s Candy Bar and transformed sweets into runway garments. Sonjia’s short blue-and-white dress turned gummy sharks, jelly beans, Jordan almonds, and gumballs into an undersea fantasy, with a sculpted bodice and a flirty skirt that kept the concept from feeling like a craft project. Ven Budhu ultimately won the challenge, but Sonjia’s look was a standout. It balanced imagination and execution in a way that made it hard to forget.

#12: Chasity Sereal & Prajjé Oscar Jean-Baptiste’s Pink Faux Fur Look

Season 19’s avant-garde challenge pushed the contestants into bold, theatrical territory. For “Are You Fur Real?,” designers worked in pairs to create dramatic looks using faux fur, with Billy Porter joining as guest judge. Chasity Sereal’s collaboration with Prajjé Oscar Jean-Baptiste transformed a sea of bright pink material into a runway spectacle. They sculpted a dramatic bodice with striking pillar-like shapes at the hips and paired it with a graffiti-inspired skirt that looked equal parts fashion and modern art. The concept was undeniably bold, and the proportions made it feel regal and intriguing in the best way. Chasity earned the win, and the look became one of the challenge’s most memorable creations.

#11: Ethan Mundt’s Wickedly Avant-Garde Gown

“Something Wicked”

Story-driven prompts can turn into cosplay fast, but this gown treated the source material as inspiration, not instruction. For Season 21’s “Something Wicked,” the designers created avant-garde looks based on the themes of “Wicked: For Good.” Mundt’s Elphaba-inspired emerald green gown married glittering crystal work with smooth satin. It then pushed the drama with wispy feathered accents, matching gloves, a sweeping train, and a veil that gave the whole look a sense of wicked enchantment. The result felt unmistakably Oz-adjacent without turning into a literal interpretation of a familiar figure. It was the kind of look that proved fantasy fashion can be elevated, editorial, and completely runway-ready.

#10: Samantha Black's ‘Ultimate Hard & Soft’ Design

“The Ultimate Hard and Soft”

Two unconventional material challenges were merged into one for this exciting season eleven assignment. The two teams of designers were tasked with creating a stunning collection with materials from both the flower shop and the hardware store. Samantha struggled at first with how to fit in the soft, floral contrasts with her sharp industrial look. In a stroke of design genius, she trapped green leaves inside metal mesh, to give the illusion of a real fabric. She used this to create a stunning peplum pencil skirt that balanced beautifully with the bold, cage-like top, creating a look that nailed the brief and was as elegant as it was edgy.

#9: Korto Momolu’s Seat Belt Coat

“Fashion That Drives You”

Season five contestants got all revved up for this unconventional materials challenge, where they were asked to create a stunning outfit made entirely out of the parts and materials from a Saturn hybrid car. Although she didn’t secure the challenge win, Korto impressed the judges and viewers with her gorgeous mod-style coat, made using woven golden seat belts and featuring flared sleeves, a unique high neck and wrap belt. The look was elegant and funky at the same time, and ended up not looking like the product of an unconventional materials challenge, but a gorgeous design in its own right.

#8: Erin's Yellow ‘Chicken Wire’ Dress

“Bold Innovation”

In this exciting season 15 challenge, competitors were tasked with creating an avant garde runway look using metal and machinery from an industrial warehouse. Erin wanted to create a hard-meets-soft design, and used metal grating to create a structured ‘paper doll’ style dress, adorned with yellow flower appliques made out of leather and chains. She paired this with flowing yellow pants to give a stunning contrast to the rigid wire dress, for a contemporary and innovative design that dazzled on the runway. The judges said the look would be perfect for an editorial spread and were really impressed with Erin’s creativity, landing her the win that week.

#7: Rami Kashou's Final Collection Gown

“Finale (Part 2)”

If you can’t bring the glamor for the finale runway, when can you? He may have missed out on the top prize, but Rami blew us away with this intricate final collection gown. Known throughout season four for his draping work, Rami showed just how much he’d learned about avant garde garment construction with this golden lace fishtail gown. Every inch was exquisitely crafted, with chevron-style layers of lace repeated all the way down the dress, all topped off with dramatic full lace epaulettes for a royal look that left viewers with their jaws on the floor.

#6: Emilio Sosa's Green & Gold Gown

“Finale (Part 2)”

Emilio was known for his bright colors and bold fabrics during season seven, but he really honed his craft and used color like an expert for this finale dress. Viewers fell in love with the gorgeous sparkling green and gold fabric he used to make this asymmetrical Grecian-style gown, with a stunning flowy skirt that breathed life into the look as it came down the runway. The flowing fabric, together with the strong and solid gold belt, created an interesting contrast, as well as a beautiful hourglass shape on the model, for a look that served drama while still being elegant enough for any red carpet.

#5: Edmond Newton's Greeting Card Wedding Dress

“It’s All in the Cards”

Talk about creating a Hallmark moment! Season 14’s unconventional materials challenge saw the designers attempt to make gorgeous garments using Hallmark greetings cards. Never afraid of an ambitious concept, Edmond wanted to create a fashion-forward wedding dress to blow away the judges. It turned out that what he created was even better than what we could’ve imagined, with a well-constructed corset and a dramatic open back, on top of a full skirt made up of dreamy paper petals that curved and swerved beautifully down the runway. He even made a red rose bouquet out of cards to finish off the look, leaving judges and viewers seriously impressed.

#4: Sean Kelly's Rain Dress

“The Rainway”

Sean Kelly really made a splash in this unique season 13 challenge, where designers were asked to create looks for a rainy runway. Sean’s inspired plan was to actually use the rain as part of his design, by sewing powdered dye into the seams of his garment to make the dress ‘bleed’ with color once wet. This was a huge risk: if the plan failed, judges would only see a plain white sundress, and not the vision that Sean had hoped for. Luckily everything went to plan, and we all breathed a sigh of relief as the garment began transforming into the most beautiful shades of yellow and pink on the runway, taking this dress from simple to spectacular in front of our eyes.

#3: Kini Zamora’s Umbrella Dress

“The Rainway”

It may be another entry from season 13’s “Rainway”, but just like the judges in this episode, we couldn’t make up our minds on which of these two gorgeous looks was more deserving! Kini Zamora created a smart and stylish gown inspired by an inverted umbrella, with a full skirt folded in unique umbrella-like pleats, contrasting with a simple dominatrix-style skin-tight top, complete with matching gloves and hat. The dress created a stunning spectacle as it came down the runway, and judges were just as blown away as viewers were at home by the concept and the execution, securing both Kini and Sean a joint-win for their “Rainway” looks.

#2: Christian Siriano & Chris March’s Elizabethan Creation

“En Garde!”

For this season four challenge, designers were put into pairs and asked to use their model’s hairstyle as inspiration for a fashion forward design. With their model’s romantic braided bun in mind, Chris and Christian used 45 yards of ivory organza to create their breath-taking avant-garde look, featuring layer upon layer of exquisite tiered ruffles. To top it off, an extravagant neck piece made with even more organza ruffles towered above the model, turning the look from a gown into art. The gown exuded Elizabethan opulence as it floated down the runway, and was gorgeous enough to make the cover of any fashion magazine, winning the challenge and inspiring “Project Runway” contestants to this day.

#1: Austin Scarlett’s Light Up Dress

“When I Get My Dress in Lights”

Austin created this stunning illuminated gown during the first All Stars season, where the designers were challenged to create a dress incorporating lights. Staying true to his brand, Austin wanted to create an ethereal look that still had edge, and so created this explosion of tulle, fiber optics and fairy lights that exuded pure fairytale fantasy. The look was topped off with a swirl of tulle around the head, creating a stunning portrait of a galaxy swirling around the model. Judges and viewers were impressed that he didn’t go for the obvious futuristic garishness that had thwarted the other designers, and Austin proved that sticking to your instincts and believing in your style can really pay off.

Which “Project Runway” look would you love to wear? Strut into the comments and let us know!