Season 1

Project Runway Season 1 was the first season of Project Runway, Bravo's reality competition show for fashion designers. The season received critical acclaim including and gave Bravo one of its most successful series since Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

The winning designer of the first season was Pennsylvania-based designer Jay McCarroll. As his prize for winning the competition among 12 designers, McCarroll won $100,000, a mentorship with Banana Republic to aid in developing his own fashion label, and a feature of his work in the American edition of ELLE magazine. The winning model of the first season, selected by McCarroll, was Julia Beynon. McCaroll later turned down both the $100,000 and the mentor-ship with Banana Republic, stating that the prizes came with too much contractual baggage.

Designers

 * Mario Cadenas, 23, from Pembroke Pines, Florida
 * Nora Caliguri, 21, from Cheshire, Connecticut
 * Daniel Franco, 32, from Los Angeles, California
 * Starr Ilzhoefer, 27, from Charlotte, North Carolina
 * Kevin Johnn, 37, from New York, New York
 * Jay McCarroll, 29, from Dallas, Pennsylvania
 * Wendy Pepper, 39, from Middleburg, Virginia
 * Robert Plotkin, 28, from New York, New York
 * Vanessa Riley, 34, from London, England
 * Kara Saun, 37, from Los Angeles, California
 * Austin Scarlett, 22, from New York, New York
 * Alexandra Vidal, 21, from Miami, Florida

(ages listed are the designers' ages at the time the show was taped in the summer of 2004.)

Winner:
 * Jay McCarroll

Models

 * Josiane Barboza, 21, from Brazil
 * Julia Beynon, 20, from California
 * Audrey Chihocky, 18, from Virginia
 * Erin Denardo, 21, from New Jersey
 * Melissa Haro, 17, from California
 * Mary Henderson, 19, from Texas
 * Olga Kononova, 18, from Czech Republic
 * Martinique Mitchell, 21, from California
 * Joy Pursell, 21, from Texas
 * Morgan Quinn, 21, from Iowa
 * Jenny Toth, 22, from Ohio
 * Alison Zebelian, 19, from Michigan

Winner:
 * Julia Beynon

Episodes

 * 1) Innovation - December 1, 2004
 * 2) Vision - December 8, 2004
 * 3) Commercial Appeal - December 15, 2004
 * 4) Collaboration - January 5, 2005
 * 5) "Model" Clients - January 12, 2005
 * 6) Making A Splash - January 19, 2005
 * 7) Design A Collection - January 26, 2005
 * 8) Postal Uniform Challenge - February 2, 2005
 * 9) Design For The Red Carpet - February 9, 2005
 * 10) Reunion(Season 1) - February 16, 2005
 * 11) Finale (Season 1) - February 23, 2005

Model Eliminations

 * Notes:


 * Designers chose their models prior to each challenge, with the winner of the previous challenge choosing first and the other designers choosing in random order. The model who was not chosen would be eliminated.
 * Since models are eliminated at the beginning of the next episode, no model was eliminated in episode 1.
 * There are only 10 sections for models instead of 11 because no models were out in the reunion episode.

Episode 1: Innovation

 * Designers created a sexy, glamorous outfit for a night on the town made only from materials bought at a Manhattan supermarket. The designers had a budget of $50 USD and 1 hour to make their purchases. They have one day to complete the design and the winner had immunity for the next challenge and cannot be eliminated.
 * Judges: Nina Garcia; Michael Kors; and Patricia Field.
 * WINNER: Austin
 * OUT: Daniel
 * First broadcast December 1, 2004

Episode 2: Vision

 * Designers used plain white cotton jersey to build a garment that conveys "envy." They had a budget of $50 USD and one day to complete the design.
 * Judges: Nina Garcia, Constance White, style director at eBay; and Paul Berman, from 30 Van Dam.
 * WINNER: Kara Saun
 * OUT: Mario
 * First broadcast December 8, 2004

Episode 3: Commercial Appeal

 * Designers created a holiday dress to fit with Banana Republic's current line. They had to pick their fabrics at the studios and two days to complete the designs.
 * Judges: Nina Garcia; Michael Kors; and Deborah Lloyd, Head Designer at Banana Republic.
 * WINNER: Wendy
 * OUT: Starr
 * First broadcast December 15, 2004

Episode 4: Collaboration
Note: team leader in bold
 * The designers created a new look for rising rock star Sarah Hudson. A team event with three teams, each with a lead designer and two assistants. Each team had $150 USD and one day to complete the design.
 * Kevin, Nora and Alexandra
 * Jay, Kara and Robert
 * Austin, Wendy and Vanessa
 * Austin, Wendy and Vanessa
 * Judges: Nina Garcia; Michael Kors; and Sarah Hudson.
 * WINNER: Kevin (teamed with Nora Caliguri and Alexandra Vidal)
 * OUT: Vanessa (teamed with Austin Scarlett and Wendy Pepper)
 * First broadcast January 5, 2005
 * First broadcast January 5, 2005

Episode 5: "Model" Clients

 * Working with their chosen models, the designers created a wedding dress for that model. The designers had a budget of $300 USD and two days to complete the design.
 * Judges: Michael Kors; Anne Slowey, Fashion News Director at ELLE; and wedding dress designer Amsale.
 * WINNER: Kara Saun
 * OUT: Nora
 * First broadcast January 12, 2005

Episode 6: Making A Splash

 * Designers made swimsuits, then attended an evening party with their swimsuit-clad models. The winner was the designer who received a mention in the New York Post gossip column "Page Six". The designers have a budget of $75 USD and 5 hours to complete the design.
 * Judges: Constance White; Anne Slowey; and Richard Johnson, editor of "Page Six".
 * WINNER: Austin
 * OUT: Alexandra
 * First broadcast January 19, 2005

Episode 7: Design A Collection

 * Designers created a collection for the year 2055 as one team. Kevin was the team leader for this challenge. Each designer had a budget of $50 USD and one day to complete the collection.
 * Judges: Anne Slowey; Michael Kors; and Betsey Johnson.
 * WINNER: Kara Saun
 * OUT: Kevin
 * First broadcast January 26, 2005

Episode 8: Postal Uniform Challenge

 * Designers redesigned the uniform worn by United States Postal Service workers. The designers had a budget of $100 USD and one day to complete the design.
 * Judges: Nina Garcia; Michael Kors; and United States Postal Service worker Becky Negich.
 * WINNER: Kara Saun
 * OUT: Robert
 * First broadcast February 2, 2005
 * Kara is the First person to win 2 challenges in a row.

Episode 9: Design For The Red Carpet

 * Designers created a dress for Access Hollywood reporter Nancy O'Dell to wear to the Grammys. The designers have $300 USD and two days to complete the design.
 * Judges: Nina Garcia; Michael Kors; and Nancy O'Dell.
 * WINNER: Wendy
 * OUT: Austin
 * First broadcast February 9, 2005

Episode 10: Reunion

 * All of the participating designers gathered for a reunion hosted by Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn on the eve of New York Olympus Fashion Week at which the final three designers will display their collections.
 * Judges: not applicable
 * WINNER/OUT: not applicable
 * First broadcast February 16, 2005

Episode 11: Finale

 * The final three designers, Jay, Kara Saun, and Wendy, were visited by Tim Gunn at their homes to show their progress of their collection. Each designer created a twelve piece collection for a showing at New York Olympus Fashion Week.
 * Judges: Nina Garcia; Michael Kors; and Parker Posey.
 * Winner of Project Runway Season 1: Jay
 * OUT: Kara Saun (1st Runner-Up), Wendy Pepper (2nd Runner-Up)
 * First broadcast February 23, 2005

Trivia

 * Austin Scarlett later appeared in Project Runway: All Stars in 2012, where he finished runner-up.
 * Wendy Pepper, in the same year, competed in the second season of the All Stars edition placing 12th out of 13.
 * In 2016, Daniel Franco competed in the fifth season of the All Stars edition, placing 12th out of 13.

Contestant sites

 * Alexandra Vidal official web site
 * Austin Scarlett official web site
 * Jay McCarroll official web site
 * Kara Saun official web site
 * Mario Cadenas official web site
 * Starr Ilzhoefer official web site
 * Vanessa Riley official web site
 * Wendy Pepper official web site
 * Daniel Franco official web site