Season 2

**Top Designer Season 2** was the second season of Top Designer, a reality tv competition for fashion designers.

Following a nationwide search earlier in the year, furteen designers were chosen as semi-finalists and brought to New York City in October 2007. After the first challenge, called "Road To The Runway", twelve went on to compete as finalists.

The winning designer, Fadime Uzun, received $100,000 in seed money to help launch her own line, a 2007 Saturn Sky roadster, a spread in *Elle* Magazine, and a mentorship with the Banana Republic Design Team.

Model and host, Karolina Kurkova, fashion designer, Marc Jacobs, and editor in chief of *Elle* Magazine USA, Anne Slowey, returned to the show as judges, and Tim Gunn returned as the designer's mentor.

## Contestants

The 14 contestants in Season 2 were:

(ages listed are the designers' ages at the time the show was taped in the fall of 2007.)

### Designers

* In the second episode, Caoimhe was told she was lucky to have immunity, because she delivered poorly.
* In the fifth episode, Caoimhe was told she had one of the lower scores, and had she not been on the winning team, she would have been in the bottom and/or going home.

## Episodes

### Episode 1: Road To The Runway

*Original Airdate:* February 7, 2008

Before arriving in New York, the 14 contestants being considered for positions in this season's competing cast were given six yards of plain white muslin, $20, and one week to create an outfit that best represents who they are as a fashion designer. After arriving, the 16 contestants found that only 14 positions were available in the Parsons workroom and thus two would be eliminated at the runway judging.

WINNER: **Caoimhe**
ELIMINATED: **Alison** & **Max**
### Episode 2: Clothes Off Your Back

*Original Airdate:* December 14, 2008

Designers made an outfit using only the clothes they were wearing at the moment the challenge was announced. They had one day to complete their designs.

* **Guest Judge:** Diane von Fürstenberg

WINNER: **Michael**
ELIMINATED: **Randy**
### Episode 3: All Dolled Up

*Original Airdate:* February 21, 2008

Designers created a life-sized outfit for the My Scene Barbie collection. The winning designer's outfit would be duplicated for the My Scene Barbie collection. The designers had a budget of $150 and two days to complete the design.

* **Guest Judge:** Lily Martinez

WINNER: **Fadime**
ELIMINATED: **Sabina**
### Episode 4: Social Scene

*Original Airdate:* February 28, 2008

Designers created a party dress for socialite Nicky Hilton. The designers had a budget of $150 and two days to complete the designs.

* **Guest Judge:** Nicky Hilton

WINNER: **Fadime**
ELIMINATED: **Travis**
### Episode 5: Team Lingerie

*Original Airdate:* March 6, 2008

Designers created a lingerie line consisting of three looks. A team event with three teams, each with a lead designer and two assistants. The designers had a budget of $200 and one day to complete the collection.

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* **Guest Judges:** Cynthia Rowley & Alessandra Ambrosio

WINNER: **Lillian**
ELIMINATED: **Avery**
### Episode 6: Window Shopping

*Original Airdate:* March 13, 2008

Designers created a day-to-evening ensemble for Banana Republic. A team event with four teams of two. Each team had to finish their garment in one day. After that, all teams went to Banana Republic and each had to make a window that showed the idea of the dress; they had 30 minutes to buy all the materials they needed for the display and an hour to finish. The winner was chosen by votes from Banana Republic clients.

The teams were:

* Nadine and Traian
* Caoimhe and Laura
* Michael and Fadime
* Sergey & Lillian

* **Guest Judge:** Deborah Lloyd

WINNERS: **Lillian** & **Sergey**
ELIMINATED: **Caoimhe** & **Laura**
### Episode 7: On Thin Ice

*Original Airdate:* March 20, 2008

Designers created a figure skating outfit for 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen. The designers had a budget of $150 and two days to complete the design.

* **Guest Judges:** Sasha Cohen

WINNER: **Michael**
ELIMINATED: **Nadine**
### Episode 8: Inspiration

*Original Airdate:* March 27, 2008

Designers took photos around New York and picked one to be an inspiration for an outfit. The designers had a budget of $100 and one day to complete the outfit.

* **Guest Judge:** Zac MacCrum

WINNER: **Sergey**
ELIMINATED: **Traian**
### Episode 9: What's Your Line?

*Original Airdate:* April 3, 2008

Designers made an evening dress for supermodel Iman. The evening dress also reflected the line which the designers will show at Olympus Fashion Week.

* **Guest Judge:** Iman

WINNER: **Sergey**
ELIMINATED: **Michael**
### Episode 10: Reunion

*Original Airdate:* April 10, 2008

All of the designers gathered for a reunion hosted by Tim Gunn and Karolina Kurkova on the eve of New York Fashion Week at which the final three designers will display their collections.

### Episode 11: Finale - Part 1

*Original Airdate:* April 17, 2008

The three final designers were shown at home when Tim Gunn visited them, and then returned to New York to prepare their collections for showing at New York Fashion Week. Back in New York, they were surprised to find out that they had to complete one final challenge: an additional garment that they each had to design with the aid of one eliminated designer of their choice. Michael, Traian, and Nadine returned to help Sergey, Lilliam, and Fadime, respectively.

### Episode 12: Finale - Part 2

*Original Airdate:* April 24, 2008

Fadime, Lilliam, and Sergey displayed their final collections of thirteen pieces at New York Olympus Fashion Week.

* **Guest Judge:** Debra Messing

WINNER: **Fadime**
ELIMINATED: **Sergey** (1st Runner-up) & **Lillian** (2nd Runner-up)