What Every 'Project Runway' Winner Is Up to Today
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They made it work! Fashion competition shows are now everywhere—see Netflix’s Next in Fashion, Max’s The Hype and more—but there was one series that started it all: Project Runway. Originally hosted by Heidi Klum, the show became a slow-burn hit, spawning early memes (“what happened to Andrae?”) and catchphrases (“one day you're in, the next day you're out").
The show has since undergone a few overhauls, moving from Bravo to Lifetime and then back to Bravo again, with Klum and mentor Tim Gunn leaving the franchise in 2018 and co-creating their own show, Making the Cut, for Prime Video. Despite those shake ups, though, Project Runway has still produced a ton of successful designers, including red-carpet favorite Christian Siriano and former bridal queen Leanne Marshall.
The series is now kicking off its 20th season, which features 14 fan-favorite designers from past seasons competing with help from Siriano as their mentor. They’ll be evaluated by longtime judge Nina Garcia, who’s been with the show since Season 1, as well as Brandon Maxwell and Elaine Welteroth, both of whom joined in Season 17. As the drama begins in the workroom, take a look back to find out what all 19 winners of Project Runway have been doing since their victories.
Related: Everything to Know About Bravo's First-Ever Project Runway All-Stars
Project Runway Winners: Where Are They Now?
Jay McCarroll (Season 1)
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Jay McCarroll took home the prize in the show’s inaugural season, famously winning the whole shebang without winning any of the individual challenges. McCarroll continued working as a fashion designer after his 2005 victory, showing a collection at New York Fashion Week in 2006. In 2010, he competed on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club, losing a total of 40 pounds. More recently, McCarroll has been working in film and TV, landing gigs in the costume department on shows including Mare of Easttown and Orange Is the New Black.
Chloe Dao (Season 2)
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After winning Season 2 of Project Runway in 2006, Chloe Dao returned to her hometown of Houston, where she still runs a boutique called Dao Chloe Dao that sells clothing of her own design. In 2013, she became a judge and executive producer on Project Runway Vietnam, one of the show’s many international editions. In 2020, Dao pivoted to mask-making at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, donating thousands of masks to hospitals and local medical professionals.
Jeffrey Sebelia (Season 3)
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Jeffrey Sebelia was arguably the first “villain” of Project Runway, but his clothes were so good that the judges let it slide. After the show, he went on to design for his own label, Cosa Nostra, which closed in 2009. He then became the designer of a brand called Fluxus and later launched a children’s line named La Miniatura. In 2013, he competed on Season 3 of Project Runway All Stars, finishing in seventh place. It’s not clear whether Sebelia currently has any design projects in the works, but according to his Instagram, he’s loving life with girlfriend Tara Maxey and son Harrison, who recently graduated from high school.
Christian Siriano (Season 4)
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Christian Siriano is far and away the most successful champion in Project Runway history. After winning Season 4 in 2008, he founded his namesake fashion label, Christian Siriano, and collaborated with brands including Payless, Victoria’s Secret and Puma. In 2013, he was inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and to date is still the only Project Runway winner in the organization. Siriano has become a favorite for celebrities in need of dramatic red carpet looks, having designed outfits for Billy Porter, Christina Hendricks, Melissa McCarthy, Whoopi Goldberg, Michelle Obama and more.
In 2020, he and his team pivoted in a less glamorous—but important—direction, sewing thousands of cloth surgical masks for New York City medical workers in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Siriano has been a mentor on Project Runway since Season 17, which premiered in 2019.
Leanne Marshall (Season 5)
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Following her Project Runway victory in 2008, Leanne Marshall established herself as a successful wedding dress designer. In May 2022, she decided to leave the bridal industry behind and pivot her namesake line toward more casual ready-to-wear dresses (though she still offers evening gowns in numerous dramatic silhouettes). Like Siriano, Marshall has dressed tons of celebrities, including Solange, Ariana Madix, Julianne Hough and Ariana Grande.
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Irina Shabayeva (Season 6)
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Since winning Season 6 in 2009, Irina Shabayeva has continued her career as a fashion designer, crafting couture bridal gowns and evening wear. In 2013, she finished in sixth place on All Stars Season 3. Shabayeva returned to the franchise in 2019, coming in third place on All Stars Season 7 (which exclusively featured winners from the franchise’s flagship series). She has also dressed plenty of stars, including Sarah Michelle Gellar and Maye Musk. In 2012, Carrie Underwood wore one of Shabayeva’s designs on the cover of her album Blown Away.
Seth Aaron Henderson (Season 7)
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Seth Aaron Henderson is the first Project Runway champion to win the competition twice. After taking home the prize for the first time in 2010, he won All Stars Season 3 in 2014. He later returned again for All Stars Season 7 but finished in second-to-last place. Henderson has continued working as a designer, selling clothes under his own label, Seth Aaron. From 2019 to 2020, he worked as a designer for the brand Fin Fun, which produces swimmable mermaid tails for kids and adults.
Gretchen Jones (Season 8)
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Some Project Runway viewers consider Gretchen Jones’ win to be one of the most controversial moments in the show’s history given her victory over fan favorite Mondo Guerra, whose finale collection was beloved by Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, and guest judge Jessica Simpson. Jones continued working as a designer for a few years after her 2010 victory, but she has since pivoted to consulting, working with brands including Converse, REI and Pendleton. In 2018, she founded her own firm called Weird Specialty, which offers a holistic approach to business coaching.
Anya Ayoung-Chee (Season 9)
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After winning Season 9 in 2011, Anya Ayoung-Chee founded her own line called Pilar, named in honor of her late brother. That line is now defunct, but she still designs clothing under her own name, which she sells via her website. She also runs a brand called Wyld Flwr, which sells designer NFTs and metaverse wearables. In 2014, she starred as a mentor in the first and only season of Tim Gunn’s series Under the Gunn. Five years later, she competed on Season 7 of All Stars, finishing in 10th place.
Dmitry Sholokhov (Season 10)
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Dmitry Sholokhov became the second double winner of Project Runway, taking the Season 10 crown in 2012 and the All Stars Season 4 victory in 2015. He has continued working on his namesake label, Dmitry Sholokhov, which specializes in “affordable high fashion.” In 2019, he competed in Season 7 of All Stars, finishing in second place.
Michelle Lesniak Franklin (Season 11)
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After winning Season 11 in 2013, Michelle Lesniak Franklin returned to her hometown of Portland, Oregon, where she continued designing clothes. Her online boutique is seemingly no longer in business, but as recently as 2019, she was showing her designs on the runway. That same year, she won Season 7 of All Stars.
Dom Streater (Season 12)
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Dom Streater took home the top prize on Season 12 in 2013. She went on to present a collection at New York Fashion Week before becoming a designer for Urban Outfitters. She later founded her own line of ready-to-wear dresses, T-shirts, and accessories, and in 2016, she won Season 5 of All Stars.
Sean Kelly (Season 13)
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After his 2013 victory, Sean Kelly continued his career in fashion, founding a men’s swimwear brand called Hercules. He is also the design director for Retrofête, a New York City boutique that specializes in sequined party dresses and bedazzled accessories. He finished in seventh place on Season 7 of All Stars.
Ashley Nell Tipton (Season 14)
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Following her Project Runway win in 2015, Ashley Nell Tipton became a designer for JCPenney’s plus-size boutique and founded her own namesake line. In 2022, she became a professor of fashion design at Palomar College in California. Tipton is also active on YouTube, where she shares styling tips and vlogs about her life.
Erin Robertson (Season 15)
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Erin Robertson—the self-proclaimed “fashion scientist”—won Season 15 in 2016, then went on to take home CFDA’s Teen Vogue scholarship. In 2020, she partnered with MIT as a judge for MIT’s Pandemic Response CoLab, which sought ways to reimagine face coverings and PPE during the coronavirus pandemic. Roberts still designs and sells clothes through her An-Erin label.
Kentaro Kameyama (Season 16)
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After his Season 16 win in 2017, Kentaro Kameyama, who is also a composer and classical pianist, became the chair of the fashion department at the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California. He also helms his namesake label, Kentaro Kameyama, which has shown collections at both New York and Paris Fashion Week.
Jhoan “Sebastian” Grey (Season 17)
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Since winning Season 17 in 2019, Jhoan “Sebastian” Grey has continued designing, with a focus on using recycled and upcycled materials in his work. In April 2023, he showed his designs at the Young at Art Museum’s 16th Annual Recycled Fashion Show in Florida.
Geoffrey Mac (Season 18)
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Geoffrey Mac was already a successful designer when he won Project Runway in 2020, but his appearance on the show helped kick his career into overdrive. He still designs for his eponymous line, Geoffrey Mac, which offers unisex clothing and chunky, punk-inspired jewelry.
Shantall Lacayo (Season 19)
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As the most recent winner of Project Runway, Shantall Lacayo is still riding high on the exposure from the show, designing for her namesake line, Shantall, which is available online and at the Anima boutique in Panama City, Panama.
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