‘Project Runway’ Season 22 Winner Revealed: Who Won the 2026 Finale?
SPOILER ALERT: This article reveals the winner of the Project Runway Season 22 finale.
After weeks of runway challenges, critiques and plenty of opinions from the judges, Project Runway has officially crowned its Season 22 winner.
Jude Mikulencak won Project Runway Season 22 during Thursday night’s finale, taking home the top prize after facing Anna Molinari, Bi Pham and Joseph McRae in the final challenge.
The four finalists had one last major assignment standing between them and the title: create a five-look capsule collection in just five days with a $7,500 budget. Each designer brought a distinctly different point of view to the final runway, giving Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Law Roach and guest judge Fausto Puglisi plenty to debate.
Why Jude Won Project Runway Season 22
Jude entered the finale with a reputation for clean construction and strong tailoring, and that ultimately helped push him over the finish line. His final collection leaned into the refined aesthetic viewers had seen from him throughout the competition. The judges were particularly impressed by his technical ability and the sophistication of the clothes, especially considering Jude is only 23 years old.
There was still some disagreement at the judges’ table. Heidi questioned whether the collection had enough of a major “wow” moment, while Nina defended Jude’s more understated approach and praised the sophistication and details of his work. That debate ultimately worked in Jude’s favor. Rather than trying to become a different designer for the finale, he delivered a collection that felt unmistakably like him.
Anna, Bi and Joseph Make Their Final Case
Jude certainly didn’t have an easy path to the title.
Anna brought an emotional concept to her collection, using her experience during the competition as inspiration and playing with restriction and freedom through her designs. Bi based his collection around the Vietnamese card game tiến lên and delivered some impressive pieces, although one white dress received particularly harsh criticism from the judges.
Joseph stayed true to his bold streetwear aesthetic, which once again sparked debate at the judging table. His collection was unapologetically Joseph, but the judges remained divided over whether his approach was strong enough to earn him the season.
In the end, Jude’s consistency, tailoring and polished final collection gave him the edge.
What Did Jude Win?
Along with being named the winner of Project Runway Season 22, Jude walks away with $200,000, a spread in ELLE, a mentorship with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and six months of representation from Agentry PR.
The victory officially puts Jude alongside more than two decades of Project Runway winners and at just 23, his fashion career is only getting started. But after four very different finale collections, the debate probably isn’t ending with the judges’ decision.
Did Project Runway crown the right Season 22 winner?
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So
Comments