Project Runway Season 19 Release Date, Cast, And Plot - What We Know So Far

When Bravo's "Project Runway" debuted in 2004, it's probably fair to say that few could guess what a reality TV juggernaut it would go on to become — not because there was anything wrong with the show, but because it would take some pretty impressive hubris to predict that a fashion design themed reality competition would go on for 18 seasons and counting. 

During the show's lengthy existence, faithful fans have been graced with a number of spin-off shows, and true believers have been forced to deal with some serious changes, including the departures of host Heidi Klum and mentor Tim Gunn in 2018. Nevertheless, the show has endured, and its basic format has remained largely untouched. Each season, a gathering of aspiring fashion superstars face off in a series of weekly challenges that culminate in a runway show and a gut-wrenching judging of their creations. It's the perfect format for a comforting, visually appealing reality television fix, and the only real question about it is: When will fans have more? Let's take a look at what we know so far about "Project Runway" season 19.

Gauging the premiere date of a new "Project Runway" season can be a bit of a struggle, as the show doesn't exactly follow a tight annual release schedule. Historically, the show has favored late summer and turn of the year for its release dates, but some years have been blessed with more than one season, and it hasn't been unheard of that a new season premieres on the comparatively random month of March. Add that to the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has been causing movie and TV show delays across the board, and it would be easy to imagine that there's simply no way to tell when "Project Runway" season 19 drops. 

Fortunately, that's not the case. Per Deadline, Bravo has announced that the season very much has a premiere date, and in fact, it's probably a lot closer than you'd think. "Project Runway" season 19 will premiere on October 14.

Apart from the brand new batch of talented but relatively unknown designers, the cast of "Project Runway" season 19 is a mixed bag of familiar faces and ... well, faces that are also familiar, but not necessarily from this particular show (via Bravo TV). The single biggest change is that Karlie Kloss, who took over hosting duties from Heidi Klum in Season 17, will only appear as a guest judge this time around. However, Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell, and Elaine Welteroth all continue as judges, and Christian Siriano will again be acting as a mentor to new contestants. 

Kloss is set to appear on the season's penultimate episode, but she's far from the only great guest judge in "Project Runway" season 19. The season is set to feature some very notable figures from the worlds of acting, fashion, and social media, and you can expect to see stars like Taraji P. Henson, Billy Porter, Gigi Hadid, TikTok star Wisdom Kaye, designer Jason Wu, as well as many others. 

As a fashion design-themed reality TV show, "Project Runway" knows what it's good at, and is likely to maintain focus on its core concepts during its 19th season. As such, you can expect a host of increasingly busy competitors trying to craft the best possible clothes while attempting to cope with various thematic, material, and time constraints, as well as plenty of uplifting praise and blunt criticism from the judges. 

"Project Runway" true believers know full well that the show's challenges are many and varied, and while you'll still have to wait and see what hurdles the designers will have to clear over the course of Season 19, the show's official Bravo TV page has teased fresh takes on materials like fake fur and concepts like the classic cocktail dress, as well as a prominent, color-themed team challenge. We also know that at least one of the challenges will be a particularly high-profile one. It looks like the competitors will be put in charge of dressing stars of another reality show franchise — namely, the ladies of the various "Real Housewives" programs. That's right, it looks like fans of reality television are in for a double whammy.