Project Runway

TV review by Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media
Project Runway Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Check this one out before sharing with fashion-crazed teens.

Bravo Reality TV 2004
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Parents say

age 11+

Based on 12 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 38 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this popular reality contest includes scenes in which models are fitted into skimpy clothes. Designers drink and smoke and use mild profanity like "hell." The contestants are all motivated and creative, but they can also be two-faced and gossipy about their fellow competitors. Instead of focusing on the creative process, the show tends to highlight prima donna personalities and unprofessional behavior.

Community Reviews

Kcamshaw
Kcamshaw Adult
February 15, 2020
age 16+

Dildos and Nipples

As a parent, I think you should base your decision on when it’s appropriate for your child to watch designers use fabrics that include dildos and nipples on them. And in which they talk endlessly about dildos and nipples. I’ve been watching PR with my 10 year old for over a year and been okay with the bleeped out language and some more adult themes that could require a discussion, like homosexuality. But this was a little over the edge for me to watch with my elementary-age child. So, do with this info as you will.

This title has:

Too much sex
LilacWines
LilacWines Adult
December 8, 2018
age 12+

Great for inspiring creativity

This is great for creative kids. For a reality tv show, they mostly keep the drama pretty low keep and focus more on fashion and artistic talent.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In PROJECT RUNWAY, more than a dozen designers -- ranging from instructors at fashion schools to small-time designers with their own businesses to very young recent grads -- compete in weekly design challenges. The finalists then create their own lines to present at New York's Fashion Week. The winner gets money, a magazine fashion spread, and other prizes. Hostess/executive producer Heidi Klum meets with the designers when their challenges are announced and on the runway when their pieces are judged by famous designers, magazine fashion editors, and other celebrity guests. Tim Gunn, head of the Parsons School for Design, is the liaison to the designers and guides them through their challenges.

Is It Any Good?

Watching the designers create their pieces in incredibly short amounts of time with small budgets -- and usually in the midst of hysteria a-- is awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, Project Runway doesn't really linger on the design process (sketching, selecting fabric and materials, cutting, pinning, measuring, sewing, detailing). Instead, the cameras tend to focus on the drama between the contestants' over-achieving, arrogant personalities as the designers scramble to finish their challenges (and cut each other down). Then viewers watch as the competitors' unique designs are displayed on the super-thin bodies of aspiring models. Is this what we want teens to be thinking is real?

It's easy to get sucked into this admittedly addictive show. For kids serious about design, it offers a peek into the nasty side of the fashion industry -- what's behind the glitz and glitter and bling. But beware: This show is a very slippery slope and hard to turn off once you start.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the unglamorous side of the fashion world. How much education, hard work, and risk does it take to become a designer?

  • Does being a worthy competitor mean foregoing any gestures of cooperation?

TV Details

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