Bitten); or centered around a specialized theme (such as “cocktail party,” “wedding gown,” “female wrestling outfit,” or “prom dress”).
The show took place in New York City for Seasons One through Five (with a short stop in Paris in Season 3) with designers using a workroom at Parsons The New School for Design. They shop for materials at a fabric store in New York’s Garment District (usually at MOOD Designer Fabrics) — unless the challenge requires otherwise (e.g., denim jackets and jeans from Levi’s, confectionery and souvenirs at the Hershey’s Store in Times Square, or fabric at Spandex House in Season 4). The designers are sequestered together grouped by gender at Atlas New York (an apartment building near Parsons) during Seasons 1–3 (back again at Season 5) and at New Gotham during Season 4. Along with the network change to Lifetime, the location changed from New York to Los Angeles for Season 6. While on the show, the designers are prohibited from leaving the apartments without authorization, making unauthorized communication with family or friends, or using the Internet to research designs. Designers are also forbidden to bring pattern books or similar how-to materials with them during the show, or risk being disqualified from the competition (as was the case of Keith Michael in Season 3).
The designers are given a budgeted stipend to select and purchase fabric and notions, and then provided a limited amount of time to finish their designs (from as short as half a day to two or three days). Often, the designers work independently, although on some challenges, contestants must work in teams or as a single collective group. Once the deadline is reached, the designers must dress their models and select their hair,