Upon its debut in 2004, “Project Runway” – a competition in which aspiring designers face off in the hopes of becoming the next big name in American fashion – was a critical and commercial smash. The show was arguably the prestige entry in the typically trashy reality television genre. It attracted legitimate big-name high-fashion judges and guests. The finale shows at New York Fashion Week were the talk of the industry. And the show launched the careers of some of today’s hottest fashion stars.

While the show has struggled to maintain its cultural relevancy over the years – as a wise Teutonic woman once said, “In fashion, one day you’re in, the next, you’re out” – in honor of its upcoming 20th Season, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to look back and see what garments remain in vogue, as we determine the Best “Project Runway” Design.

Join host Eric Rezsnyak and panelists Curtis Creekmore, Gary Jackson, and Karissa Kloss as they discuss and debate the best fashions featured in the long-running competition.

The Round 1 match-ups are:

NOTE: You can find photos of ALL the looks discussed by checking out the Google Slides here, or at the bottom of this article.

Want to play along at home?

Download the listener bracket here and see if your picks match up with ours!

Looking for more related content?

Check out these other episodes from Great Pop Culture Debate:

Best “Real Housewives” Tagline

Best “America’s Next Top Model” Photo Shoot

Best Reality TV Competition Series

Best “Drag Race” Snatch Game Performance

And if you want to further gay movie content, check out our list of the Top 10 Michael Kors “Project Runway” Critiques!

Have a say in future episodes!

Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in our Topic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in the polls currently open for your votes!

EPISODE CREDITS

Host: Eric Rezsnyak

Panel: Curtis Creekmore, Gary Jackson, Karissa Kloss

Producer: Bob Erlenback

Editor: Jack Kwait-Blank