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In fashion, you’re either in or you’re out, or so goes the catchphrase for the hit reality show Project Runway, which had its second season finale last week. Boasted by critics as the “Prada of Reality shows” the show has brought high fashion and class to TV. The basic premise of the show is narrowing down a pool of sixteen budding designers until only the winner remains to start their fashion line.

In each episode of the show, the contestants are challenged to design a dress under a variety of different conditions. Some of the better episodes this season included: making an outfit with only the clothes they are wearing, making a dress out of plants or designing for a celebrity. The designers are given a limited time and budget to produce the garment for the runway.

Aside from assigning and completing the challenges, there is a great deal more to the show. The contestants all live together in apartments and spend a great deal of time joking around and trash talking the competition. The contestants also work closely with an adviser, Tim Gun, who offers advice on how to better construct a garment. For the most part the designers all get along surprisingly well, and speak highly of the work done by one another. Occasionally, there is some animosity, most memorably when one designer took another’s model. The designers got to choose their models at the beginning, but the winner each week is allowed to choose somebody else’s if they so desire.

While there is trash talking and some fierce competition, the biggest strength of the show is the respect it has for its contestants and the work they do. One cannot watch an episode of The Real World or The Bachelor without seeing a number of adults embarrassing themselves. Oftentimes contestants of reality shows have a difficult time returning to their normal lives after their television stints, but this is not so with Project Runway, where contestants go on to seemingly greater fashion success.

The producers and judges clearly believe in the designers they selected to be on the show, and the contestants are treated with respect.

When they are judged, it is on the work they created and nothing else. The work itself is often very good, and something the designers are very passionate about. They all put so much of themselves into their work that their efforts are inspiring. But, each week a cut needed to be made.

The final three, Daniel, Chloe, and Santio were given eight weeks to create a collection of twelve designs.

They then met at Olympus Fashion Week to present their collections in a real runway show with hundreds of onlookers. As a final twist they were told they needed to make a thirteenth outfit in twenty-four hours.

They all managed to pull it off and presented their collections. Each one was rather impressive, demonstrating both creativity and skill. Santio was rejected on the grounds of his designs being uncharacteristically simple and ill-fitting. Daniel’s collection was very simple and consisted mainly of separates one might find at Target. In the end Chloe was selected the winner because of her superior tailoring and bold fabric choices.

The show has drawn to a close for now, but last week it was renewed for a third season. The designers are now sent back into the real world with some added fame and a great deal of experience.

Some of the designers have already found success. Brenda Strong, Desperate Housewives’ narrator from beyond the grave, recently wore a dress by designer Nick to the Screen Actors Guild award. I’m sure it is only the first of many triumphs for these ambitious designers.