Project Runway Australia
| Company type | Reality television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | July 7, 2008 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Television program |
Project Runway Australia is a reality television series derived from the American original Project Runway, featuring Australian fashion designers who compete by crafting garments for weekly themed assignments. The show is hosted by Megan Gale, with Peter Morrissey and Claudia Navone serving as judges, and mentorship provided by Alex Perry. Production began in May 2008, with the series debuting on Arena on 7 July 2008, concluding after four seasons on 17 December 2012.
Victorious contestants were awarded a "$100,000 opportunity" to launch their own fashion label during Melbourne Fashion Week, a new vehicle (model varying each season), and a six-page editorial spread in the now-defunct Madison magazine.
Judges and mentor
The initial judging panel consisted of fashion model Kristy Hinze, Sarah Gale—a fashion buyer and trend forecaster—and designer Jayson Brunsdon, recognized for dressing celebrities such as INXS, Princess Mary of Denmark, and Linda Evangelista. The first two seasons featured mentorship from Henry Roth, a New York-based designer and former judge on Style Court.
In the third season, Megan Gale, Kirrily Johnston, and Jarrad Clark replaced Hinze, Gale, and Brunsdon respectively, while Alex Perry assumed the mentor role.
By 2012, the judging lineup included Peter Morrissey and stylist Claudia Navone alongside host Megan Gale.
Format
The competition follows a progressive elimination format beginning with 10 or more designers, narrowing down to three or four finalists. Each episode challenges participants to create one or multiple new garments for an in-house runway presentation. These assignments assess both innovation and individual design aesthetics, involving tasks such as working with unconventional materials like car parts or recycled materials, designing for prominent clients (for example, singer Kelly Rowland), corporate collaborations (such as Myer), or themed collections like "cocktail party", "wedding gown", or "bikini".
Filming takes place in Melbourne where designers operate within a studio at the Whitehouse Institute of Design and source materials primarily from local suppliers like Rathdowne Fabrics. Contestants reside together in isolated apartments under strict regulations forbidding unauthorized communication, internet use for research, or possession of pattern books; violations result in disqualification.
Participants receive a fixed budget for fabric and notions along with limited timeframes—from several hours up to a few days—to complete their creations. While work is predominantly individual, some challenges require team collaboration. At deadline, designers style models’ hair, makeup, and accessories ahead of the runway. A panel of regular and guest judges scores each outfit on multiple criteria using a scale from 0 to 5. Judges interview top and bottom performers before privately deciding winners and eliminations. Winners often earn immunity for subsequent challenges, though this advantage is gradually removed later in the competition. Additional incentives include media exposure, integration into branded collections, or opportunities for online sales.
In the finale, the remaining three or four designers prepare an entire 10-look collection. Unlike other international versions, only the winner showcases at Fashion Week, while finalists present their collections at a live runway event before industry peers. Designers have two months and a $10,000 budget to develop their final collections either at home or studio spaces. Some outsourcing is permitted but most garment construction must be completed by the designers themselves. Prior to the final presentation in Melbourne, finalists participate in model casting sessions, styling consultations, fittings, and may be required to complete an additional design challenge. Receipts are audited to ensure adherence to budgetary limits and outsourcing policies; any infractions can lead to score penalties. The grand prize includes $100,000 to launch their brand plus editorial coverage in Madison magazine; earlier seasons also offered mentorship from a design firm. Later editions introduced prizes such as a new car sponsored by brands like Fiat 500.
Models compete alongside designers with their numbers decreasing as contestants are eliminated. Initially assigned randomly, model selection becomes strategic from the second challenge onward based on prior results. The previous challenge’s winner selects first, followed by others through a random draw conducted by host Hinze. Occasionally only the winning designer chooses models with options to retain or exchange those assigned to other competitors. Winning models gain exposure through Madison magazine features highlighting the winning designer’s collection. Certain challenges do not involve models.
Judging is overseen by host Hinze along with Jayson Brunsdon and fashion buyer Sarah Gale; guest judges rotate per episode including designers, supermodels, celebrities or industry experts relevant to each challenge’s theme. Mentor Henry Roth supports designers without participating in judging—introducing challenges, accompanying fabric shopping excursions, providing mid-challenge feedback, and enforcing deadlines prior to runway presentations.
Season summaries
| Season | Premiere Date | Finale Date | Number of Designers |
Winner | Runner(s)-up | 3rd place | Designer Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th place | |||||||
| 1 | 7 July 2008 | 15 September 2008 | 12 | Juli Grbac | Leigh Buchanan | Petrova Hammond | |
| — | |||||||
| 2 | 8 July 2009 | 16 September 2009 | 12 | Anthony Capon | William Lazootin | Lauren Vieyra | |
| — | |||||||
| 3 | 4 July 2011 | 6 September 2011 | 12 | Dylan Cooper | Craig Braybrook | Johnny Schembri |
|
| — | |||||||
| 4 | 8 October 2012 | 17 December 2012 | 12 | Christina Exie |
Leah DaGloria, |
None. |
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- During Season 4, all four finalists remained in competition until the final winner was declared; no contestants were eliminated beforehand.