Project Runway Canada (season 1)
Encyclopedia
Project Runway Canada Season 1 was the first season of Project Runway Canada
, Slice's reality competition show for fashion designers. The season received critical acclaim since being based on the successful American
version of the show
and went on to win an Gemini Award
. Project Runway Canada gave Slice one of its most successful series since the launch of its new branding.
The winning designer of the first season was Saskatchewan
-based designer Evan Biddell. As his prize for winning the competition among 12 designers, Biddell won $100,000 to start their own fashion line
, a professional portfolio photo shoot provided by L'Oreal Paris, a retail mentorship with Winners and a cover and feature spread showing their winning collection in Elle Canada.
The 12 models competing for an Elle Canada spread in the first season were:
1 - Although Lucian, Megan, and Shernett designed in the winning collection, Megan was the only one credited with a win since she was the team leader.
2 - Marie Genevieve was eliminated in the "Dressing the Diva" episode, but then was brought back when the next challenge required splitting into teams of two. There were only seven designers, so the leftover designer (Shernett) had to choose amongst the eliminated designers to work with. Shernett initially chose Michael Hatley, but Michael then explained that she did not want to return to the show. Shernett's next choice was Marie Genevieve, who returned to the runway.
13 designers meet their host, Iman, who informs them that one of them will be going home immediately. Their challenge is to create an outfit in 30 minutes with very limited materials. After one designer is cut, the remaining 12 designers learn the competition has only just begun and they must now each create an innovative look using only the clothes from another competitor’s suitcase. Marie Genevieve wins the first challenge and Darin and Stephen are in the bottom two. Darin is eliminated.
On a trip to the park, a mass of lost and broken umbrellas is revealed as the challenge fabric. The designers race to choose the best of the broken umbrellas to create a cocktail dress. The twist is that the designers must utilize all of the fabric from the umbrellas they have chosen.
Faced with the challenge of creating a new look for a Bratz doll, the designers go to a party to consult with the "experts": 12-year-old girls!
The designers have to design the season’s must-have item. After a visit to a Winners flagship store, they are split into groups of three and told that they're designing a three-piece look based on a piece that they find at Winners.
The teams:
The eight remaining designers are challenged to create a performance outfit for Canada’s opera darling Measha Brueggergosman
to wear during her upcoming North American tour. The twist is that Maesha is known for only singing barefoot.
The designers are required to pair off into teams, which means one of the five previously eliminated contestants gets a second chance. Since the numbers of contestants are now odd, Shernett gets to pick a previously eliminated contestant to be her partner and re-enter the competition. She selects Michael first but it is later revealed that Michael does not feel capable of re-entering. Shernett's other choice is Marie Genevieve, who accepts. The designers must choose a pair of opposites to drive their design, but later discover that their two cohesive looks must also reflect day and evening wear.
The designers are challenged to design a dress inspired by the word "hope". The final creations are to be presented at a "Keep a Child Alive" event hosted by Iman, where the dresses are bid on in a silent auction to raise money for AIDS research in Africa. Marie Genevieve's dress was auctioned for $10,000 and Biddell's dress was invited to be part of a collection. Every cent from the sale of the dress will go to charity.
It’s a lesson in fashion history as the designers take inspiration from some famous historical looks. They must use their costume inspiration to create two swimsuits: one for their model and one for a plus-size model.
During model selection, the models were dressed in costume to represent the inspiration for the bathing suits. The designers picked as follows:
The remaining five designers are challenged to create resort wear. After travelling to southern California for inspiration, they head to L.A. to meet special guest Nick Verreos from season two of Project Runway U.S. He reveals that the designers must make 2 outfits, one for their model and one for themselves.
In the final challenge that will determine which three finalists will compete at L’Oréal Fashion Week, the four remaining designers are tasked with designing an outfit for Iman. The winning design will be worn by Iman at the fashion show finale.
The three finalists show their collections at L’Oréal Fashion Week in Toronto to determine the winner of the first Project Runway Canada.
Project Runway Canada
Project Runway Canada is a Gemini Award-winning Canadian television adaptation of the American reality television series Project Runway, which debuted on the Slice network on October 8, 2007. The second season aired on Global. The series' host is fashion model Iman, while Canadian designer Brian...
, Slice's reality competition show for fashion designers. The season received critical acclaim since being based on the successful American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
version of the show
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
and went on to win an Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
. Project Runway Canada gave Slice one of its most successful series since the launch of its new branding.
The winning designer of the first season was Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
-based designer Evan Biddell. As his prize for winning the competition among 12 designers, Biddell won $100,000 to start their own fashion line
Fashion line
A fashion line is a clothing subsidiary that designs and sells garments according to a specific ethos, often only slightly different than the company's flagship brand. A single designer or creative director will often be in charge of many lines, each presenting a different take on the company or...
, a professional portfolio photo shoot provided by L'Oreal Paris, a retail mentorship with Winners and a cover and feature spread showing their winning collection in Elle Canada.
Season 1 contestants
The 12 fashion designers competing in the first season were:- Evan Biddell, 23, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Lincoln Cheung, 26, from Montreal, Quebec
- Marie Genevieve Cyr, 25, from Montreal, Quebec
- Sofia Duncan, 34, from Ottawa, Ontario
- Megan Fischer, 25, from Calgary, Alberta
- Kendra Francis, 35, from Toronto, Ontario
- Darin Hartmann, 43, from Bashaw, AlbertaBashaw, AlbertaBashaw is a town in central Alberta located at the junction of Highway 21 and Highway 53. Formerly one of the most recognizable sources of cheese production in Alberta, the Bashaw cheese plant has been closed since the spring of 2002.-Demographics:...
- Michael Hatley, 25, from Toronto, Ontario
- Lucian Matis, 27, from Toronto, Ontario
- Shernett Swaby, 30, from Toronto, Ontario
- Carlie Wong, 22, from Vancouver, British Columbia
- Stephen Wong, 38, from Toronto, Ontario
The 12 models competing for an Elle Canada spread in the first season were:
- Shandel Chakalall, 24
- Lauren Cummins, 24
- Shani Feldman, 27
- Ashley Hart, 19
- Renée Holford, 25
- Amanda La Magna, 17
- Joelle Litt, 25
- Chanel Michaels, 26
- Jessica Romano, 22
- Jaclyn Vens, 18
- Drea Vujovic, 23
- Gigi Young, 22
Season 1 challenges
| Designer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 41 | 5 | 62 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biddell | HIGH | HIGH | WIN | IN | HIGH | HIGH | WINNER | Winner | ||||
| Lucian | LOW | IN | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | WIN | OUT | Runner-Up |
| Marie Genevieve | WIN | LOW | IN | IN | OUT | HIGH | HIGH | WIN | WIN | LOW | OUT | 2nd Runner-Up |
| Stephen | LOW | IN | LOW | LOW | IN | HIGH | IN | IN | HIGH | OUT | Listen To Iman | |
| Shernett | IN | IN | WIN | HIGH | LOW | LOW | LOW | LOW | OUT | Resort Wear Galore | ||
| Kendra | HIGH | WIN | IN | LOW | LOW | IN | IN | OUT | Splash From The Past | |||
| Megan | IN | LOW | HIGH | WIN | WIN | LOW | OUT | Keep A Child Alive | ||||
| Carlie | IN | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | OUT | Opposites Attract | |||||
| Michael | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | The Thrill Of The Hunt | |||||||
| Sofia | IN | HIGH | OUT | Passion For Fashion | ||||||||
| Lincoln | IN | OUT | When It Rains, It Pours | |||||||||
| Darin | OUT | Clothes Off Their Backs | ||||||||||
- Blue background and WIN means the designer won that challenge.
- Light blue background and HIGH means the designer had one of the highest scores for that challenge.
- Pink background and LOW means the designer had one of the lowest scores for that challenge.
- Orange background and LOW means the designer was in the bottom two for that challenge, but was not eliminated.
- Red background and OUT means the designer lost and was out of the competition.
- Violet Red background and OUT means the designer was eliminated, but was brought back.
- Green background and WINNER means the designer won the entire competition.
1 - Although Lucian, Megan, and Shernett designed in the winning collection, Megan was the only one credited with a win since she was the team leader.
2 - Marie Genevieve was eliminated in the "Dressing the Diva" episode, but then was brought back when the next challenge required splitting into teams of two. There were only seven designers, so the leftover designer (Shernett) had to choose amongst the eliminated designers to work with. Shernett initially chose Michael Hatley, but Michael then explained that she did not want to return to the show. Shernett's next choice was Marie Genevieve, who returned to the runway.
Season 1 Fashion models
| Model | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | WIN |
| Chanel | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | OUT |
| Drea | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | OUT |
| Renée | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |
| Jaclyn | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||
| Amanda | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||
| Jessica | IN | OUT | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||
| Lauren | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | OUT | |||||
| Joelle | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||
| Shandell | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||
| Gigi | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||||
| Shani | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||||
- Blue background and WIN means the model wore the winning design that episode.
- Red background and IN means the model wore the losing design that episode.
- Yellow background and OUT means the model quit the competition.
- Pink background and OUT means the model wore the winning design that episode, but was eliminated.
- Dark gray background and OUT means the model was eliminated in this episode.
- Green background and WIN means the model was paired with the winning designer, and won the competition.
Episode 1: Clothes Off Their Backs
Original Airdate: October 8, 200713 designers meet their host, Iman, who informs them that one of them will be going home immediately. Their challenge is to create an outfit in 30 minutes with very limited materials. After one designer is cut, the remaining 12 designers learn the competition has only just begun and they must now each create an innovative look using only the clothes from another competitor’s suitcase. Marie Genevieve wins the first challenge and Darin and Stephen are in the bottom two. Darin is eliminated.
- Guest Judge: Arthur Mendonça
- Winner: Marie Genevieve Cyr
- Eliminated: Darin Hartmann
Episode 2: When It Rains It Pours
Original Airdate: October 15, 2007On a trip to the park, a mass of lost and broken umbrellas is revealed as the challenge fabric. The designers race to choose the best of the broken umbrellas to create a cocktail dress. The twist is that the designers must utilize all of the fabric from the umbrellas they have chosen.
- Guest Judge: HeatheretteHeatheretteHeatherette is a fashion company and design house run by and former Club Kid Richie Rich, located in New York City. Heatherette came out with a bang in 1999 when they began collaborating on t-shirts and leather goods as a hobby on their living room floor...
- Winner: Kendra Francis
- Eliminated: Lincoln Cheung
Episode 3: Passion For Fashion
Original Airdate: October 22, 2007Faced with the challenge of creating a new look for a Bratz doll, the designers go to a party to consult with the "experts": 12-year-old girls!
- Guest Judge: Jasmin Larian
- Winner: Shernett Swaby
- Eliminated: Sofia Duncan
Episode 4: The Thrill Of The Hunt
Original Airdate: October 29, 2007The designers have to design the season’s must-have item. After a visit to a Winners flagship store, they are split into groups of three and told that they're designing a three-piece look based on a piece that they find at Winners.
The teams:
- Michael, Stephen and Kendra
- Marie Genevieve, Biddell and Carlie
- Megan, Lucian and Shernett
- Guest Judge: Shannon Johnson
- Winners: Megan Fischer
- Eliminated: Michael Hatley
Episode 5. Dressing The Diva
Original Airdate: November 5, 2007The eight remaining designers are challenged to create a performance outfit for Canada’s opera darling Measha Brueggergosman
Measha Brueggergosman
Measha Brueggergosman is a Canadian soprano who performs both as an opera singer and concert artist. She has performed internationally and won numerous awards...
to wear during her upcoming North American tour. The twist is that Maesha is known for only singing barefoot.
- Guest Judge: Measha BrueggergosmanMeasha BrueggergosmanMeasha Brueggergosman is a Canadian soprano who performs both as an opera singer and concert artist. She has performed internationally and won numerous awards...
- Winner: Megan Fischer
- Eliminated: Marie Genevieve Cyr
Episode 6: Opposites Attract
Original Airdate: November 12, 2007The designers are required to pair off into teams, which means one of the five previously eliminated contestants gets a second chance. Since the numbers of contestants are now odd, Shernett gets to pick a previously eliminated contestant to be her partner and re-enter the competition. She selects Michael first but it is later revealed that Michael does not feel capable of re-entering. Shernett's other choice is Marie Genevieve, who accepts. The designers must choose a pair of opposites to drive their design, but later discover that their two cohesive looks must also reflect day and evening wear.
- Guest Judge: Ian Hylton
- Winner: Lucian Matis
- Eliminated: Carlie Wong
Episode 7: Keep A Child Alive
Original Airdate: November 19, 2007The designers are challenged to design a dress inspired by the word "hope". The final creations are to be presented at a "Keep a Child Alive" event hosted by Iman, where the dresses are bid on in a silent auction to raise money for AIDS research in Africa. Marie Genevieve's dress was auctioned for $10,000 and Biddell's dress was invited to be part of a collection. Every cent from the sale of the dress will go to charity.
- Guest Judge: Wayne Clarke
- Winner: Evan Biddell
- Eliminated: Megan Fischer
Episode 8: Splash From The Past
Original Airdate: November 26, 2007It’s a lesson in fashion history as the designers take inspiration from some famous historical looks. They must use their costume inspiration to create two swimsuits: one for their model and one for a plus-size model.
During model selection, the models were dressed in costume to represent the inspiration for the bathing suits. The designers picked as follows:
| Designer | Inspiration |
|---|---|
| Biddell | Geisha Geisha , Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:... |
| Marie Genevieve | British Punk Punk fashion Punk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and body modifications of the punk subculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including... |
| Shernett | Flapper Flapper Flapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior... |
| Kendra | Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I.... |
| Lucian | Gypsy |
| Stephen | Greek Goddess |
- Guest Judge: Tu Ly
- Winner: Marie Genevieve Cyr
- Eliminated: Kendra Francis
Episode 9: Resort Wear Galore
Original Airdate: December 3, 2007The remaining five designers are challenged to create resort wear. After travelling to southern California for inspiration, they head to L.A. to meet special guest Nick Verreos from season two of Project Runway U.S. He reveals that the designers must make 2 outfits, one for their model and one for themselves.
- Guest Judge: Joe Mimran, Kimberley Newport-Mimran
- Winner: Marie Genevieve Cyr
- Eliminated: Shernett Swaby
Episode 10: Listen To Iman
Original Airdate: December 10, 2007In the final challenge that will determine which three finalists will compete at L’Oréal Fashion Week, the four remaining designers are tasked with designing an outfit for Iman. The winning design will be worn by Iman at the fashion show finale.
- Guest Judge: Robin Kay
- Winner: Lucian Matis
- Eliminated: Stephen Wong
Episode 11: Finale
Original Airdate: December 17, 2007The three finalists show their collections at L’Oréal Fashion Week in Toronto to determine the winner of the first Project Runway Canada.
- Guest Judge: None
- Winner of Project Runway Canada: Evan Biddell
Judges
- ImanIman (model)Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid , professionally known as Iman , is a Somali-American fashion model, actress and entrepreneur. A pioneer in the field of ethnic cosmetics, she is also noted for her charitable work. She is married to David Bowie.-Early life:Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Iman is the daughter...
- Brian BaileyBrian Bailey (designer)Brian Bailey is a Toronto, Ontario, Canada based fashion designer. He designs for women and has bridal and evening collections in addition to day-wear and ready-to-wear.-Trivia:...
(mentor) - Shawn Hewson
- Rita Silvan