What Does the Winner of Project Runway Get? All About the Impressive Cash Prize

Project Runway season 21 has crowned its winner — and given out its major prize.

The latest season marked Heidi Klum’s return to hosting the competition following her 2018 exit, with the addition of celebrity stylist Law Roach and Elle editor-in-chief Nina Garcia as judges.

The series picked up after a two-year hiatus following Bishme Cromartie’s win in Project Runway season 20, an All-Stars season. His prize package offered comprehensive industry support — including financial backing, professional representation and major media visibility — to launch a successful fashion design career after his Project Runway appearance.

Now, a new designer takes the mantle after a competition between finalists, including Jesus Estrada and Ethan Mundt. In the finale episode on Sept. 25, Veejay Floresca won the final, coveted prize.

So what does the Project Runway prize include? Here’s everything to know about what the Project Runway winner gets.

What does the winner of Project Runway get?

This year’s winner won a cash prize of $200,000 as well as a mentorship with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a spread in Elle magazine.

In the past, the prize has varied season to season but frequently included a cash sum as well as a coveted CFDA spot.

In 2023, Cromartie won $250,000 as well as an Elle spread and CFDA mentorship, in addition to representation by Agentry PR.

Do all Project Runway contestants get paid?

According to Portland Monthly, Project Runway contestants do not get paid as of 2013.

The article, which features interviews from seven previous contestants, asserted that “many must quit their jobs to be on the show.”

Season 9 contestant Bryce Black went as far as sharing that he had a hard time landing a job after appearing on the show because prospective employers thought he wouldn’t actually want to do the work after getting a taste of his dream on Project Runway.

“What I really wanted to do,” Black said, “was pay the bills.”

Who is the most successful Project Runway winner?

Christian Siriano, the winner of Project Runway season 4, is widely regarded as the most successful winner in the fashion competition’s history. To this day, Siriano remains Project Runway’s youngest winner — he was 21 years old at the time — and he has the largest celebrity clientele following of any alumni.

Since starting his namesake fashion label, Siriano has created iconic celebrity looks, including Billy Porter’s 2020 Oscars tuxedo gown and Janelle Monáe’s 2019 Picasso-inspired Met Gala look. In 2018, the fashion designer dressed a staggering 17 celebrities at the Oscars, in addition to 10 stars at the Golden Globes and three at the SAG Awards the same year.

Siriano is still involved in Project Runway today. After Tim Gunn’s 2018 exit alongside Klum, Siriano took his place as a mentor on the show. Klum endorsed Siriano herself, telling PEOPLE in 2018, “I think he’s a great leader in changing the perception on how women are being looked at,” she shared.

“I feel like he was the first to introduce models with curves. I had to explain to a lot of these designers, ‘You want to be a designer? Who did you think you’re designing for? Models and super models only?’ ” Klum said. “If you’re going to be a designer you have to cater to all women — and they all come in different sizes and different shapes and heights.”