31-07-2025
A timeline of 'Project Runway' winners to celebrate season 21
One day you're in. The next day you win.
- YouTube
The gays have been obsessed with Project Runway since its inception. However, with so many changes to the fashion world and the reality TV landscape, many people assumed this beloved competition series would ever return. As of 2025… Yes, it is!
To celebrate Project Runway season 21, we've put together a timeline of every single winner.
Jay McCarroll (Season 1)
Bravo
Project Runway season 1 winner Jay McCarroll.
The very first winner of Project Runway, Jay McCarroll, went to school at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) prior to getting cast on Project Runway. His run in the reality competition series was pretty interesting — considering that this was the show's first season ever — in that he never won a single challenge until the grand finale.
Speaking of finales! Despite winning season 1 of Project Runway, McCarroll famously declined to receive the $100,000 grand prize due to contractual details set by the production team back then. Namely, the contract would've forced him to share 10 percent of ownership for his future work, and McCarroll was not interested.
Chloe Dao (Season 2)
Bravo
Project Runway season 2 winner Chloe Dao.
Chloe Dao became a huge star after winning season 2 of Project Runway. Though some fans questioned if she was fully invested in the competition, the judges constantly gave her 10s across the board when it came to her undeniable talents as a designer.
Jeffrey Sebelia (Season 3)
Bravo
Project Runway season 3 winner Jeffrey Sebelia.
Jeffrey Sebelia used to be a professional singer before transitioning into the fashion world. He was also open about his sobriety (and struggles with substance abuse).
Christian Siriano (Season 4)
Bravo
Project Runway season 4 winner Jeffrey Sebelia.
At just 22 years old, Christian Siriano made history as the youngest winner of the franchise thus far. Since season 4, Siriano has arguably become one of the most successful designers of the entire franchise, which is still true, even now.
Siriano immediately launched his own fashion label and went on to dress high-profile stars ranging from Rihanna to Kelly Clarkson. In the 2025 reboot of Project Runway on Freeform, Hulu, and Disney+, Siriano appears as a mentor to the contestants — a position previously held by the legendary Tim Gunn.
Leanne Marshall (Season 5)
Bravo
Project Runway season 5 winner Leanne Marshall.
Leanne Marshall had one of the bumpiest rides in Project Runway history, landing in a bottom placement early on, in season 5, and almost going home. In the end, though, she did manage to win the show. A real gag!
Irina Shabayeva (Season 6)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 6 winner Irina Shabayeva.
Selena Gomez and Carrie Underwood were among the A-listers dressed by Irina Shabayeva after the won Project Runway season 6. In the competition, Shabayeva never landed in the bottom, and even went on to compete in two seasons of Project Runway All Stars.
During the all-winners season of Project Runway All Stars, she ultimately finished the competition in third place overall.
Seth Aaron Henderson (Season 7)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 7 winner Seth Aaron Henderson.
Seth Aaron Henderson would eventually make history by becoming the first two-time winner of Project Runway. His first run, in season 7, was a really interesting journey. Oh, and let's not forget that Henderson took home $150,000 as the grand prize.
Gretchen Jones (Season 8)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 8 winner Gretchen Jones.
If you know the saying, "Ugh, you just had to be there!", this victory was definitely one of those moments. The Project Runway panel of judges was more divided than ever on whether they wanted to crown Gretchen Jones as the season 8 winner. Ultimately, that is indeed what happened… But not without a fight!
Anya Ayoung-Chee (Season 9)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 9 winner Anya Ayoung-Chee.
The stunning Anya Ayoung-Chee came into Project Runway season 9 as a former competitor at the Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago pageant. While some fans and fellow competitors doubted if Ayoung-Chee had the skills to win the show due to her lack of experience, she still came out victorious in the end.
Dmitry Sholokhov (Season 10)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 10 winner Dmitry Sholokhov.
Another Project Runway winner with an interesting background was Dmitry Sholokhov. Prior to season 10, he was a ballroom dancer had the judges gagging week after week after week for his work in fashion design.
Michelle Lesniak Franklin (Season 11)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 11 winner Michelle Lesniak Franklin.
It definitely took nerve, as RuPaul would say, for Michelle Lesniak Franklin to win Project Runway season 11. She struggled a bit in the first few episodes, but kept bouncing back, and finished this competition as the crowned winner.
Dom Streater (Season 12)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 12 winner Dom Streater.
All the way from Philadelphia, Dom Streater was only 24 years of age when she won Project Runway 12. Streater was always an avid supporter of women supporting other women — a throughline that she demonstrated time and time again during that season.
Sean Kelly (Season 13)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 13 winner Sean Kelly.
Sean Kelly, from New Zealand, was another winner whose background (prior to the show) and progress (during the competition) felt like a subversion of viewers' expectations. At the time — after winning Project Runway season 13 — Kelly stayed in New York City to live and to work.
Ashley Nell Tipton (Season 14)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 14 winner Ashley Nell Tipton.
Ashley Nell Tipton's main message in season 14 centered on struggling to find clothes that were beautiful and also fitting for plus-size women. With that frustration — and motivation — in mind, Tipton created some phenomenal work in the competition.
Erin Robertson (Season 15)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 15 winner Erin Robertson.
Similarly to Michelle Lesniak Franklin (season 11 winner), Erin Robertson had a wild journey on season 15 of Project Runway… But she still won! This is certainly one of the most exciting comeback stories in the entire series.
Kentaro Kameyama (Season 16)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 16 winner Kentaro Kameyama.
Season 16 of Project Runway was all about Brandon Kee. In comparison, Kentaro Kameyama was among the oldest competitors of the cast (age 38) and was classically trained to play the piano. Project Runway fans who watched season 16 play out in real time will remember that this victory was pretty surprising — it was well-deserved, but Kee seemed to be a much more obvious choice as far as viewers and other contestants could tell.
Sebastian Grey (Season 17)
Lifetime
Project Runway season 17 winner Sebastian Grey.
Colombian designer Sebastian Grey won Project Runway season 17 with a dazzling run that demonstrated how proud he is of his country of birth and heritage. It was also really exciting to see how Grey would take on more "traditional" pieces and turn them into fashion-forward looks.
Geoffrey Mac (Season 18)
Bravo
Project Runway season 18 winner Geoffrey Mac.
One thing Project Runway fans will never forget the adorable and emotional moment when Geoffrey Mac immediately called his father after being declared the winner of season 18. Throughout the competition, Mac was pretty open about mental health struggles like anxiety, imposter syndrome, and burnout.
Shantall Lacayo (Season 19)
Bravo
Project Runway season 19 winner Shantall Lacayo.
From Nicaragua to Miami to Project Runway season 19, Shantall Lacayo won the show and cashed in a giant grand prize of $250,000. Lacayo talked about her dreams of moving to New York City after the show to pursue the opportunity in the city where everything happens.
Bishme Cromartie (Season 20)
Bravo
Project Runway season 20 winner Bishme Cromartie.
Season 20 was a special Project Runway All Stars edition that included season 17 star Bishme Cromartie. His beautiful and devastating final collection on the show honored his sister — who, at the time, had just died two months before the season filmed. And yet, Cromartie persevered and won the show.
This article originally appeared on Out: A timeline of 'Project Runway' winners to celebrate season 21
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