The first season of Project Runway debuted on Bravo in 2004 to great acclaim and an Emmy nomination. The design competition is set to return for its 21st season in 2025, but this time on Freeform. With over 30 international adaptions, awards, and countless designs the series took a break in 2023. Now, the series has a slight shake-up and is ready for more iconic fashion moments.
While some Project Runway Season 1 alumni have had bigger careers than others, a handful of designers have made a name for themselves in the world of fashion. Others, however, have moved on to more successful ventures. As former host, Heidi Klum says, “One day you’re in and the next day you’re out.”
Season 1 of Project Runway Cast Guide
Cast Member | Age (2004) | Spot Finished |
|---|---|---|
Daniel Franco | 28 | 12 |
Mario Cadenas | 23 | 11 |
Starr Ilzhoefer | 27 | 10 |
Vanessa Riley | 34 | 9 |
Nora Caliguri | 21 | 8 |
Alexandra Vidal | 22 | 7 |
Kevin Johnn | 44 | 6 |
Robert Plotkin | 28 | 5 |
Austin Scarlett | 23 | 4 |
Wendy Pepper | 39 | 3 |
Kara Saun | 37 | 2 |
Jay McCarroll | 29 | 1 |
Robert Plotkin
Robert Plotkin finished in fifth place on Season 1 of Project Runway. After his elimination, he worked at Laundry by Shelli Segal and Haute Hippie, according to ScreenRant. His Instagram is now mostly dedicated to his wife and kids, and he appears to now work in banking.
Kevin Johnn
Kevin Johnn is one of the most successful brand owners to appear on Season 1 of Project Runway. Although he started with his eponymous fashion line, he has recently found more success with the sportswear line Zeronine. The brand makes bikes, protective gear, and clothing.
Daniel Franco
Daniel Franco was the first contestant ever to be eliminated from Project Runway, but he returned in Season 2 to try again. Sadly, he didn’t last much longer. He later appeared in Season 5 of Project Runway: All Stars, where he was eliminated in the third episode. He has the unfortunate title of achieving the same place (12th) three times on the reality TV show.
Series | Season |
Project Runway | 1 |
Project Runway | 2 |
Project Runway: All Stars | 5 |
In 2010, Entertainment Weekly reported that Daniel auditioned for American Idol. He appeared in the Adam Lambert look-a-like montage, and told the judges: “If Adam Lambert and Susan Boyle had sex, which is pretty far-fetched, I’d be it, pretty much.” He was thrown out of the competition for being over the singing show’s age limit.
He now works at The Albertson Wedding Chapel in L.A., where he hosts designer weddings. The family business promises to be an “alternative to the tacky Vegas wedding chapels or the dreary, sad weddings at the L.A. county clerk’s office.”
Mario Cadenas
Mario Cadenas is now Helsinki-based after finishing in 11th. place on Project Runway. According to his website biography, his designs focus on “Sustainable research, development” and he wants to counteract the “frivolity” of fast fashion.
2:10
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His Instagram also lists him as a sometimes model and actor, often modeling his own looks on social media. He even appeared nude in Harper’s Bazaar in 2024.
Starr Ilzhoefer
After appearing on the first-ever season of Project Runway, Starr Ilzhoefer quit fashion designing and went on to practice law as a corporate lawyer for respected firms. After working in law, she went into real estate, which landed her in hot water, as she was accused of mortgage fraud.
She hit the headlines in 2018, with local news outlets reporting that she faced federal charges for allegedly stealing $1 million. Prosecutors claimed she helped trick the Federal Housing Administration and private financial institutions out of $1 million. They alleged she targeted distressed homeowners, promising them foreclosure rescue and convinced them to sell for less than they owed lenders.
Vanessa Riley
Vanessa Riley was known as the villain of Project Runway’s inaugural season before finishing in ninth place. She made it very clear that she was unimpressed with her time on the show, especially during the season reunion.
She worked in fashion for a few years after her appearance on the reality show. More recently, she founded Peace, Love & Ponies, a business that sees ponies partner with entertainers for events in Texas.
Nora Caliguri
Nora Caliguri was sent home from the competition in eighth place after her wedding dress design failed to impress the judges. As of 2023, Nora was the creative director of Authentic Lifestyle Products, a brand that brings clothing designs, including activewear, to market for private and branded labels.
NJ.com revealed that after appearing on the all-star edition of the show, she hired and managed designers and collaborated with brands like Kenneth Cole, Champion, and Kendall + Kylie. She returned for Project Runway: All Stars, which celebrated 20 seasons of the design competition.
Alexandra Vidal
Alexandra Vidal is a Cuban fashion designer who came seventh in Season 1 of the design condition. After her time on the show, Alexandra started her own eponymous haute couture and evening wear line. According to Cinemaholic, she is married to Brian Worthington, a celebrated New York-based interior designer.
Her website biography lists all the famous women who have worn her creations on the website.
- Naomi Watts
- Zooey Deschanel
- Joan Smalls
- Judith Light
- Coco Rocha
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Wendy Pepper
Wendy Pepper was one of Project Runway’s most notorious contestants. She made it to Fashion Week in the first season and placed third. ScreenRant reports that Wendy had a business after her appearance on the reality show, where she created a catalog of made-to-order bridesmaid dresses and sold bright-hued children’s riding britches. She was also a contestant on the second season of Project Runway: All Stars.
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After the show, she sold her designs out of a boutique in Middleburg, VA. She died in November 2017, aged 53, in Washington D.C. The Daily Dish reports it was due to complications of pneumonia after battling cancer for several months.
Andy Cohen paid tribute to the designer online after her passing, declaring Wendy “One of the first of many great characters to appear on #ProjectRunway,” and added that “She was a big reason for the first season’s success.”
Kara Saun
The Season 1 standout is proud to be the first Black woman to be featured on Project Runway. Since leaving the show, she has worked as a costume designer for two decades.
According to her website, her most famous credits are The Sing-Off and Disney’s successful movie The Descendants. She later returned for Season 20’s Project Runway: All Stars.
Kara Saun’s Notable Clients Include:
- Zendaya
- Heidi Klum
- Julianne Hough
- Snoop Dogg
- Jamie Foxx
- Zoe Saldaña
Austin Scarlett
Austin Scarlett was one of the best-known stars of the first season of Project Runway and landed his own spin-off show called On the Road with Austin and Santino.
He is currently a successful wedding dress designer. Austin’s bridal designs have seen him featured on episodes of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. According to the biography on his website, he has designed costumes for David Parson’s Dance on PBS, Juilliard, The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and Shen Wei Dance Arts.
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Jay McCarroll
Jay McCarroll’s inventive and original designs helped her become the first-ever winner of Project Runway. After his win, he started teaching at Philadelphia University and started a fashion line on QVC.
In 2010, he won Season 7 of VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club after losing 40 pounds. He has also regularly appeared on the PBS show Quilting Arts. His IMDB lists him as being a set customer for 13 episodes of the Netflix drama Orange Is The New Black.
The New York Post reported that Jay turned down the grand prize after winning Project Runway. He learned upon winning that it came with a contractual clause that stipulated that the production company would own a 10 percent stake in all of his future professional projects.
Project Runway
- Release Date
-
2004 – 2023-00-00
- Network
-
Lifetime, Bravo
- Directors
-
Rich Kim, Ariel Boles
-
Diane von Fürstenberg
Self – Judge
-
Heidi Klum
Self – Guest Judge
-
Selma Blair
Self – Audition Judge
-
Roberto Cavalli
Self – Co-Host / Mentor
