Project Runway Taught Me To "Make It Work"

I grew up in a household that really looked down on anything “girly.” I made sure not to outwardly care about my hair or nails, I certainly didn’t play with Barbies, and I always joined in when others mocked anything that other girls liked.

For most of my life, I would never have touched a reality TV show about fashion with a ten foot pole. I figured I wouldn’t like it, and even if I did, it wasn’t something I’d ever want other people to know about me.

All that changed when a friend showed me one episode of Project Runway. Specifically, Episode 9 from season 11, titled “Take It All Off.” I watched with absolute glee as a bunch of fashion designers with over-the-top personalities struggled to create outfits for a group of male strippers from Australia. All the designers were used to making clothing for willowy female models, so they had absolutely no clue how to design for exceptionally muscular male forms.

On top of that challenge, the outfits were meant to be tear-away, so the dancers could incorporate them into a performance. The designers are completely in over their heads, and even though the Thunder from Down Under boys are incredibly good sports about the whole thing, the resulting runway show is a disaster that had me laughing to the point of tears.

Once we’d watched that single episode, my friend looked at me with the gleam of temptation in her eyes and asked, “wanna watch another one?”

I absolutely did. Over the next few years, that same friend and I would make it a weekly tradition to order Chinese takeout and watch an episode or two of Project Runway. Eventually, we finished all the available seasons and moved on to Project Runway: All Stars and Project Runway: Junior.

I’ve now gone from someone who would once have turned up her nose in disgust, like Christian Siriano at a particularly heinous neon print, at the very idea of the show. Now I’m a superfan, one who can rattle off the weirdest challenge per season (I especially love the bug inspired challenge from All Stars season 3) and stays abreast of all my favorite designers’ careers. The designer I most relate to, Amanda Valentine, is pregnant and has the cutest instagram these days.

But why do I love Project Runway so much, despite the fact that it represents everything I use to cringe away from? Just like a well accessorized outfit, it really comes down to three key things:

It’s inspirational

As a recovering perfectionist who deals with anxiety daily, I find it almost therapeutic to watch other people rise to the challenge, fix their mistakes, and work out their issues on television. Frequently, a designer will start to melt down or become frustrated when things don’t turn out the way they planned or they meet an unexpected snag. Some even try to give up - most recently, Victoria Cocieru during the “Sheer” challenge in season 18.

But the designers never actually let misbehaving fabric or a difficult challenge get the better of them. Even when things seem completely hopeless, they always manage to “get something on the model.” Sometimes, their designs even come out better than they would have if everything had gone perfectly. Seeing other people overcome the sense that they can’t do something makes me realize that I can do that, too, and that mistakes are never the end of the story.

I also noticed something else as I binge watched season after season over beef fried rice and eggplant lo mein. The designers who were closer to me in age - men and women in their late 20s and early 30s - seemed to have a lot more existential angst. I recognized their words as my own thoughts: fear of not being good enough, a terrifying connection between one’s accomplishments and one’s self worth. They were more likely to get down on themselves, consider giving up, or become paralyzed by fear and shame.

In contrast, each season has at least one person who is older, usually established in a teaching or non-fashion career, who’s taking a run at being a fashion designer - like Nancy from season 18, who I also follow on Instagram (she’s making masks these days!)

I hope these designers are a blueprint for my future, because they always have such a strong sense of themselves. If they get critical feedback, they take it in, then decide whether it fits with their vision. They remain upbeat and optimistic, taking each challenge as a fun new experience rather than a threat to their world staying okay. I learn a lot from them and often do my best to channel their energy when I find myself facing down self-criticism or insecurity.

It's educational

I've never been remotely knowledgeable about fashion. Until I became a Project Runway binge watcher, I was basically Andy in the first part of The Devil Wears Prada, when her ignorance earns her a vicious dressing down (get it?) from Meryl Streep for not understanding the impact fashion has on her life.

But now, I know about the cultural history of American sportswear (it's not actually athletic clothing!) and that certain stitching techniques never work on organza. I also get an interesting sense of the way fashion trends function. Whenever my friend and I would watch seasons from more than a few years ago, everything looked so dated, and we would gush as the judges referred to something as "fresh" or "innovative" when it looked completely cliche to us. But when it came to designs from only a few years prior to our viewing, everything seemed like something we'd like to wear.

The weirdest effect is when we watch recent episodes as they come out. Anything that the judges love, we think is bizarre and nearly unwearable. Clearly, our tastes are a few years behind the cutting edge of fashion - people in the industry find something cool, but it takes a few years for those styles to trickle down into the mainstream. If something is all over Forever 21 in 2021, it was probably on the runways in 2017.

Project Runway gives us a behind the scenes look at passionate creatives honing their craft. I always learn so much from the way Tim Gunn talks about the use of color, shape, proportion, storytelling, and other elements of fashion. I love seeing the contrast between students recently out of design school, amateurs who self-taught, and professionals that came up in the industry. As a writer, I can definitely see the comparison between the fashion world and the literary world. Despite documenting an industry that's often mocked, Project Runway shows just how seriously fashion designers take their work.

It’s hilarious

Okay, I'll be honest - I don't watch reality TV because I think it will teach me how to be my best self or make me more informed about a poorly understood artistic medium. Those are the things that keep me binging Project Runway year after year, but they're not the reason I got into it in the first place.

Like all successful reality TV franchises, Project Runway works because it is endlessly entertaining. My friend and I often comment on how brilliant the show's casting producers must be, because the personalities are always larger than life and interact in fascinating ways. I love when two designers form a special bond, because they're able to support and inspire each other, like Mila and Maya from season 7. And I'll admit - here is where the "guilty pleasure" comes into play - it's never boring when two designers have conflict, or when drama breaks out.

Plus, the runway shows have the benefit of being excellent to watch no matter what. When the designers have done well, we get to see interesting and unique fashion, while also knowing the inspiration and context behind the work. And when the designers don't manage to hit the nail on the head, well, the results are also great television.

There's a reason Project Runway so often gives rise to shareable memes and quotable quotes. Who among us hasn't enjoyed a riff on Christopher's perfect riff on another contestant's pretentious color naming, from season 10?

Whether it's new fashion terminology, bizarre Michael Kors turns of phrase, or just strange attempts at passing off a vest as a "sleeveless jacket," Project Runway never fails to deliver a healthy dose of guilty-pleasure, binge-watching, reality TV fun.