Project Runway (Season 6)

The sixth season of Project Runway, a reality competition show about fashion design, premiered on Lifetime on August 20, 2009, the first season to be aired on that network. The production of this season started in September 2008 and finished the pre-finale filming on October 17, 2008. It is the only season of Project Runway filmed at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Returning as judges are supermodel Heidi Klum, fashion designer Michael Kors, and Marie Claire fashion director Nina Garcia. Tim Gunn returned as a mentor to the aspiring designers. This is the second season which consisted of all female finalists.

The winner of this season of Project Runway, received an editorial feature in an issue of Marie Claire magazine, a cash prize of $100,000 to start his/her own line, and an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Paris.

Designers
The 16 designers in season 6 were (in order of elimination):

Episode 1: Welcome to Los Angeles!
Original Airdate: August 20, 2009

The designers were asked to create a dress made for a red carpet event, focusing on innovation on their creation and making a statement on who they are as a designer. They were preassigned models for their challenge, given 30 minutes to sketch their design, a 30-minute shopping spree at Mood with a budget of $200, and two days to complete their design.


 * Guest Judge:  Lindsay Lohan
 * WINNER: Cara
 * ELIMINATED: Laura

Episode 2: We Expect Fashion
Original Airdate: August 27, 2009

Designers were to create a pregnancy look for supermodel Rebecca Romijn, who was carrying twins. She was looking for something that was fashionable and easy to move in, but also something appropriate for a pregnant woman to wear out in public. Designers were given 30 minutes to sketch, a 30-minute shopping spree at Mood with a budget of $100, and two days to complete the look. The prize for the winning designer was immunity for the next challenge.


 * Guest Judges: Monique Lhuillier (sitting in for Michael Kors), Rebecca Romijn
 * WINNER: Cara
 * ELIMINATED: Alia

Episode 3: Rumble on the Runway
Original Airdate: September 3, 2009

The designers were taken to the beach, where they were told to create a fashionable, surfer-inspired outfit, and were placed in teams of two. Tim drew the names of team leaders via a random lotto; those team leaders then selected their partners in the order they were chosen, as follows:

Later on in the challenge, it was revealed that they would also be creating an avant-garde look inspired by their ready-to-wear, surfer-inspired outfit. They had $50 for the first look and $200 for the second.


 * Guest Judges: Max Azria (sitting in for Michael Kors), Rachel Bilson
 * WINNER: Nick
 * ELIMINATED: Gabriel

Episode 4: What a Woman Wants
Original Airdate: September 10, 2009

The designers were challenged to create an eye-catching outfit to please their surprise client: their models. This outfit is intended for model industry events. Designers were given a budget of $100 to shop at Mood, and a day to complete the look. The winning designer would have immunity for the next challenge.


 * Guest Judges: Marc Bouwer (sitting in for Michael Kors), Zoe Glassner (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Jennifer Rade
 * WINNER: Moises
 * ELIMINATED: Adam

Episode 5: Fashion Headliners
Original Airdate: September 17, 2009

Designers were taken to the Los Angeles Times, and were challenged to create an outfit made out of newspaper. They had three minutes to grab the newspaper they desired to use for design and then completed the look in a day. Designers were provided with paints and could use muslin, which could not be shown on the runway, for infrastructure. The winner would have immunity for the next challenge.


 * Guest Judges: Tommy Hilfiger (sitting in for Michael Kors), Zoe Glassner (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Eva Longoria
 * WINNER: Bobby
 * ELIMINATED: Nichole

Episode 6: Lights, Camera, Sew!
Original Airdate: September 24, 2009

Designers were challenged to create a movie character and design a look inspired by different movie genres for this character. Due to Bobby's win in the last challenge (and the odd number of remaining contestants), Tim allowed him to choose whichever genre he desired. After that, two people were allotted per genre. Tim chose their names out of a bag at random.

The designers and their genres were as follows:

They were given $150 and a day to complete their designs. The winner received immunity for the next challenge.


 * Guest Judges: John Varvatos (sitting in for Michael Kors), Zoe Glassner (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Arianne Phillips
 * WINNER: Katrina
 * ELIMINATED: Douglas

Episode 7: The Sky Is the Limit
Original Airdate: October 1, 2009

Designers were challenged to create two garments for Macy's; both had to be blue and fit in with Macy's exclusive I⋅N⋅C International Concepts line of clothing. Designers had to pitch ideas to Macy's executive Martine Reardon, who chose five designers' ideas for completion. The designers then had to work in pairs; team leaders were the designers with the favored sketches, who then chose their partners in the following order when Tim selected their name from a bag at random. The leaders and their partners, respectively, were:

The winner of this challenge would not receive immunity, but would instead make a holiday dress to be sold in select Macy's stores nationwide and on Macy's.com. There was a suggested possibility for one or more people to go home. Had two people gone home, Christopher would have been the other


 * Guest Judges: Zanna Roberts (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Martine Reardon
 * WINNER: Moises
 * ELIMINATED: Brady

Episode 8: A Fashionable New Beginning
Original Airdate: October 8, 2009

Designers were challenged to reconstruct a divorcée's wedding gown and turn it into a new dress. Each designer was allocated a divorcée, who fed their respective designers ideas on how to translate their gowns. They were given $25 to spend at Mood and were allowed to buy a maximum of two yards of fabric. The challenge ended at midnight. The winner of the challenge received the last immunity for the remainder of the season's challenges.


 * Guest Judges: Zanna Roberts (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Tamara Mellon
 * WINNER: Katrina
 * ELIMINATED: Lala

Episode 9: Sequins, Feathers and Fur, Oh My!
Original Airdate: October 15, 2009

The designers were required to make a dazzling and show-stopping stage look for guest judge Christina Aguilera. This outfit was intended to catch the attention of the audience in the back of the theater, as well as appear chic on camera close-ups. They were given budget of $300 and two days to complete their designs. The winner would no longer be granted immunity from this point forth.


 * Guest Judges: Bob Mackie (sitting in for Michael Kors), Christina Aguilera
 * WINNER: Vance
 * ELIMINATED: Nick

Episode 10: A Tale of Seven Cities
Original Airdate: October 22, 2009

For this challenge, the designers embarked on a trip to the Michael Kors boutique, where Kors briefed them about drawing inspiration from seven select locales around the world. Designers chose in the following order, beginning with Vance as a benefit from his previous win: They were given $150 to shop at Mood and one day to complete their looks.


 * Guest Judge: Milla Jovovich
 * WINNER: Irene
 * ELIMINATED: Bobby

Episode 11: The Best of the Best
Original Airdate: October 29, 2009

Before being presented with their challenge, the designers were required to be facing away from the runway. When Heidi emerged, they were surprised to see looks of theirs from previous challenges. They were asked to create a companion piece from their winning look. (Cara, Katrina and Moises, who had multiple wins as of this episode, were given their most recent look; Karima, who has never won before, was presented with her first look by default.) The designers were given $100 to shop at Mood and one day to complete their outfits.
 * Guest Judges: Nick Verreos (sitting in for Michael Kors), Kerry Washington
 * WINNER: Karima
 * ELIMINATED: Moises

Episode 12: The Art of Fashion
Original Airdate: November 5, 2009

For their final runway challenge before New York Fashion Week, the designers embarked to Los Angeles's famed Getty Center (a portion of the J. Paul Getty Museum), where they were greeted by Tim and the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa. After the mayor greeted them, Tim explained that their challenge would be to draw inspiration from any location in and around the Getty Center. After 30 minutes of browsing (with their models in tow as muses) and 30 minutes of sketching, they were given $300 to shop at Mood for the final time. On the runway, no concise top or bottom was indicated. Rather, the judges had compliments and criticisms for all. Heidi then asked each designer to explain why they felt they were worthy of making it to Bryant Park and which two designers they would take with them. There was no one winner for this challenge; instead, each designer was either advanced to the final round or eliminated.


 * Guest Judges: Cynthia Rowley (sitting in for Michael Kors), Cindy Crawford
 * ADVANCED: Cara, Katrina, and Vance
 * ELIMINATED: Irene and Karima

Episode 13: Finale - Part 1
Original Airdate: November 12, 2009

For part 1 of the finale, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn sent the remaining contestants (Cara, Katrina and Vance) home with $9000 and ten weeks to create a 12-piece collection. The narrative shifts to a few weeks later when Tim Gunn arrives at the contestants' homes to critique their collections. In addition to providing an outside opinion, he also joins each contestant for a meal with their friends and family. The three, over the course of the next weeks, pick models and finish their collections before Heidi and Tim arrive with a surprise: they must create, complete and integrate one more piece into their collection. Previous contestants Karima, Irene and Moises arrive to help them.

Episode 14: Finale - Part 2
Original Airdate: November 19, 2009


 * Guest Judge: Suzy Menkes
 * WINNER: Cara
 * ELIMINATED: Katrina and Vance