Although previous Project Runway winners like Jeffrey Sebelia and Jay McCarroll have commented about the challenges in finding success after the show, the competition does offer some pretty great exposure – and not just for the winning designer.

Every designer has a chance each week to not only make his or her vision manifest in front of millions of viewers, he or she also has the chance to charm them, and build an emotional investment in the clothes beyond just the aesthetics.

And of course, the final three designers all get a pretty impressive prize: the chance to show at Bryant Park in front of many fashion powerhouses.

But this year, one element of the prize is possibly one of the best ways yet to make coming in first translate to lasting success.

This year, the winning designer will have the chance to sell his or her clothes on Bluefly.com. This is ingenious on a few different levels.

The primary benefit: it addresses one of the challenges for a winner: geography. If the winner can use the cash prize to develop a new or enhance an existing line, it's possible that it might only be picked up by buyers for small boutiques. Larger retailers might not want to risk valuable store real estate on an untried brand, no matter how much buzz. This means the opportunity to buy the close might be limited to smaller stores that Project Runway viewers might not be familiar with, or possibly not even anywhere near.

Whereas selling the line directly to the customers via an online marketplace takes geography out of the equation. The weekly announcement of the prize build anticipation for viewers who will not have to then track down where the winner is selling his or her clothes after the show.

We've recently reported how Chloe Dao, Uli Herzner and Laura Bennett are working or have worked with TV retailers like Home Shopping Network and QVC. Selling through these venues addresses the same issue of customer geography. The added benefit of Bluefly is that it also has the cache of being a bit more upscale than the TV retailers, selling brands like Fendi, Prada and Gucci.

Of course, we'll still ages away from knowing who that winner might be.  In the meantime, though, the website is also offering versions of each week's winning looks.  This week, it's a way to achieve Rami Kashou's goddess-dress look.  Whose will is be next?  Tune in Wednesday to find out...


- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Bravo
(Image courtesy of Bravo)