Season 3

Top Designer Season 3 was the third season of Top Designer, a successful reality competition for fashion designers. The third season of the show, with Karolina Kurkova returning as the host and Tim Gunn as the designers' guide, began airing on December 4, 2008. This broke tradition from the previous two seasons, which premiered in the spring, with the finales taking place at Olympus Fashion Week in February.

Season 3 brought in a new set of sponsors, notably Macy's replacing Banana Republic.

As the winner, Nicola Dimitrov received a spread in Elle magazine, a mentorship with INC (Inter-National Concepts) Design, a year of representation by Designers Management Agency, a 2007 Saturn Sky Roadster, and $100,000 to start a clothing line (furnished by TRESemmé haircare).

Contestants
The 14 contestants in Season 3 were:

(ages listed are the designers' ages at the time the show was taped in the summer of 2008.)

Episode 1: Wall to Wall Fashion
Original Airdate: December 4, 2008

The designers arrive in New York and are asked to create an outfit in just two days using only materials found in their apartments. All items found in the apartment must fit into a large bag and the designer who touches the object first gets it. This challenge requires the designers to create garments that innovate and best reflect who they are as a fashion designer. All of the designers are randomly assigned models. The winner has immunity for the next challenge and cannot be eliminated.


 * WINNER: Isaiah
 * ELIMINATED: Karolina & Roxana

Episode 2: Fit for a Queen
Original Airdate: December 11, 2008

The remaining designers are asked to create a formal evening gown for guest judge and 2008 Miss USA Crystle Stewart in just two days and $300 USD. The winning dress will be worn in competition by Crystle in the Miss Universe 2008 pageant. This challenge requires the designers to be placed in teams of two with Crystle Stewart choosing six team leaders. All of the designers are allowed to swap models. The winner has immunity for the next challenge and cannot be eliminated.


 * Guest Judge: Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008.


 * WINNER: Ron
 * ELIMINATED: Werner

Episode 3: Designer's Best Friend
Original Airdate: December 18, 2008

The remaining designers are asked to create an outfit and story for a dog and its owner in just two days and $150 USD. The winner has immunity for the next challenge and cannot be eliminated.


 * Guest Judge: Ivanka Trump, VP Real Estate Development at Trump Organization.


 * WINNER: Donelle
 * ELIMINATED: Billy

Episode 4: Iconic Statement
Original Airdate: January 1, 2009

he remaining designers are asked to modernize a look for a "fashion icon" in just two days and $150 USD. The winner of this challenge will feature their look and model in a print advertisement for TRESemmé in Elle magazine. This challenge allowed remaining models to be randomly selected to choose a designer they wanted to work with. Models then chose a portrait that indicated the icon they wanted the designer to modernize. The fashion icons were: Cher, Farrah Fawcett, Pam Grier, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Onassis, Diana Ross, and Twiggy. The winner does not have immunity for this challenge.


 * Guest Judge: Diane Von Fürstenberg


 * WINNER: Ron
 * ELIMINATED: Oswald

Episode 5: Reap What You Sew
Original Airdate: January 8, 2009

The remaining designers are asked to create a three-piece outfit for Macy's in-house INC brand in just two days and $100 USD. All designers are allowed to swap models. Three designers are chosen by guest judge Mehmet Tangoren as team leaders, must work in teams of three, and can choose any model in their team. The winning design will be manufactured, produced, and sold at Macy's largest stores nationwide. The winner does not have immunity for this challenge.


 * Guest Judge: Mehmet Tangoren, VP of Contemporary Sportswear at Macy's.


 * WINNER: Stefan
 * ELIMINATED: Ada

Episode 6: Waste Not, Want Not
Original Airdate: January 15, 2009

The remaining designers are asked to create an outfit in just one day using only materials found at the Waste Management Recycle America Center in Port Newark, New Jersey and $25 USD for materials found at an art supplies store. This challenge requires the designers to create garments that innovate and are judged accordingly. The winner has immunity for this challenge.


 * Guest Judge: Rachel Zoe


 * WINNER: Nicola
 * ELIMINATED: Peter

Episode 7: Everyday Woman
Original Airdate: January 22, 2009

The remaining designers are asked to create an outfit for an "everyday woman" with just one day and $150 USD. The remaining designers' mothers and sisters are used as the clients and models for this challenge. Each designer cannot pick their own mother or sister. The winner does not have immunity for this challenge.


 * Guest Judge: Joan Kors


 * WINNER: Vanessa
 * ELIMINATED: Isaiah

Episode 8: Couture du Jour
Original Airdate: January 29, 2009

The remaining designers are asked to create an evening gown in just two days and €300 Euro ($375 USD) employing Haute couture techniques. Designers workroom is held at Parsons Paris. There were two runway presentations: one for guest judge Catherine Malandrino with Parisian models, and the New York panel. The winner does not have immunity for this challenge.


 * Guest Judge: Catherine Malandrino & Richard Tyler


 * WINNER: Stefan
 * ELIMINATED: Teresa

Episode 9: What the ELLE?
Original Airdate: February 5, 2009

The remaining designers are asked to create an outfit that expresses "their specific point of view as a designer" in just two days and $250 USD. The winner of this challenge has his or her look and model featured in US Elle Magazine's "First Look" page photographed by Gilles Bensimon. All of the designers are allowed to swap models. The designers must create a photo-shoot with their models and find three words that best expresses who they are as designers. The designers are given a one-sheet for their three words and photo to be judged. The chosen designers will show a 12 piece collection during Olympus Spring Fashion Week. This is the final challenge and there is no immunity for this challenge.


 * Guest Judge: Terri Agins, lead fashion writer for "The Wall Street Journal".


 * WINNER: Ron
 * ELIMINATED: Donelle

Episode 10: Reunion
Original Airdate: February 12, 2009

All of the Season 3 designers gathered for a reunion hosted by Tim Gunn and Karolina Kurkova on the eve of New York Fashion Week, at which the final four designers will display their collections. Contestant Donelle Augustin won $10,000 in the "Fan Favorite" contest.

Episode 11: Finale - Part 1
Original Airdate: February 19, 2009

The remaining designers are asked to create a 12-piece fashion collection featured at the Bryant Park tents for Fall 2008 New York Olympus Fashion Week with only two months and $8,000 USD. Tim Gunn travels to visit each of the remaining designers respective studios to critique each designer's progress. The designers then return to New York with a week remaining to finish their collections in a workroom provided by show sponsor Macy's.

Episode 12: Finale - Part 2
Original Airdate: February 26, 2009

The remaining designers finish their collections and all of the designers show and are judged in the Bryant Park tents for Fall Olympus Fashion Week with no decoy collection. Collections were judged based on execution, innovation, and originality. The winning designer received an editorial spread in Elle magazine, a mentorship with Macy's in-house INC (International Concepts) Design studio, a year of representation by Designers Management Agency (DMA), a 2007 Saturn Sky Roadster, and $100,000 stipend to start a clothing line. The winning model is featured and photographed in a fashion spread for US Elle magazine.


 * Guest Judge: Fern Mallis, founder of New York Fashion Week.


 * WINNER: Nicola
 * ELIMINATED: Ron (Runner-Up), Vanessa (2nd Runner-Up) & Stefan (3rd Runner-Up