"Project Runway" first debuted on our screens in 2004, with supermodel Heidi Klum leading
the charge as the show's host and fashion consultant Tim Gunn by her side as the contestants'
mentor.
The two quickly became the face of the show and went on to make 16 seasons together, calling
it quits at the same time in 2018.
So why did they leave after all that time?
Well, according to Gunn, it's because they wanted to make the show better, but the network
refused to make changes.
He told The New York Post,
"Heidi and I have wanted to make changes to 'Project Runway' for quite a while.
We were joined in that desire by the 'Project Runway' showrunner for the last eleven seasons,
an incredible woman by the name of Sara Rea.
And the network wouldn't budge — they said 'This is a success, people like the format,
we're not going to change anything.'"
Things finally came to a head in 2018 when "Project Runway" switched networks again.
The show originally started on Bravo in 2004 before moving to Lifetime in 2009.
But in 2018, the series returned to Bravo, which Gunn and Klum saw as the perfect opportunity
to finally shake things up and make those long overdue changes they had been pushing
for.
Gunn told The New York Post,
"When 'Project Runway' left Lifetime and went back to Bravo, Heidi and I huddled and said,
'This is the opportunity.
This is the time that we can do what we really want to do.'"
For instance, Gunn and Klum pitched the idea of expanding the show's emphasis on sewing
skills to include testing the contestants' global marketing and branding chops.
However, Bravo refused to implement the changes.
So Gunn and Klum walked, and were eventually replaced by Karlie Kloss and Christian Siriano.
Bravo executive vice president Shari Levine told The New York Times they wanted to go
in a different direction,
"Heidi and Tim were the originals and I enjoyed working with them, but this is 15 years later.
It's important that the show evolves and looks to the next generation."
After Gunn and Klum left, they started their own new reality fashion competition, "Making
the Cut," which debuted on Amazon Prime Video in March 2020.
According to Variety, "Making the Cut" is a more global competition, meaning designers
from all over the world can enter, and guest judges include the likes of Naomi Campbell
and Nicole Richie, among others.
"'Making the Cut' is all about finding the next great global fashion brand, and this
is a conversation that goes well beyond design."
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Klum revealed how "Making the Cut" differs from "Project
Runway," explaining that they introduced a shopping element, connecting the designers
and the audience.
"When you see a design that you actually love, you can buy it.
It's not only great for the consumer, but it's also amazing for our designers.
We never had that aspect where we could actually help the designers to really branch out into
the real world like this on 'Project Runway.'"
Gunn also told The New York Post that "Making the Cut" has given the two much more opportunity
to work together, saying
"On 'Project Runway' we had such completely separate roles that we barely interacted."
And for fans who have already binge watched the first two seasons of "Making the Cut,"
there may be good news.
Though the series hasn't been officially renewed, Marie Claire reported in January 2022 that
Klum and Gunn were seen together on the fashionable streets of Beverly Hills filming its third
season.
Exactly when that will come out is unknown, as there's no official release date, although
Fansided speculates it will drop around fall or winter of this year, with two episodes
releasing per week, similar to previous seasons.
It looks like we'll be waiting in great anticipation for the next season and the iconic, dashing
duo that is Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn.
We can't wait to see what incredible fashions they serve up next.
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