1. Before Project Runway there was a perception that fashion was an insider’s industry, and would never work on television.

The Project Runway team had a vision for the show and were undaunted. Executive Producer Desiree Gruber: “We knew how exciting it was. If you’re in fashion you know the drama that takes place to get things made. When you see a runway show it seems like the designer decided these things months ago. Behind the scenes people in the industry know they might have changed their minds the night before and stuff didn’t arrive in time. They didn’t have enough leather to make a long skirt so they sent the models out in minis. There is a lot of last-minute preparation that has the power to change the entire tone of a show.”