Victoria Cocieru knows who she is as a designer perhaps better than anyone else on “Project Runway” season 18. She has a clear, consistent aesthetic that comes through in her looks … most of the time. When she struggles during a challenge she tends to go down hard. So while she has created some of the show’s most skillful and unique looks, she has also sent some of the worst looks of any designer down that runway. Scroll down to see how we rank all of her creations from worst to best, updating every week as the season progresses. And spoiler alert — her best look is not necessarily the one she won for.
For weeks Cocieru could do no wrong. She was safe in the season premiere episode, “Blast Off,” but then she got five high scores in a row, winning in “The Ultimate Upcycle” for her deconstructed and reconstructed Goodwill suit for Karlie Kloss to wear to a fashion event in Paris. That was her signature asymmetric design crisscrossed with straps and the one the judges seemed to love the most — especially when you consider that Kloss was voting for a look that she’d be wearing herself.
But does Cocieru have more ideas beyond that? When thinking outside her usual box the pressure got to her multiple times, especially in “Sheer Genius,” when she was so frustrated that she almost quit the competition completely. She ultimately cobbled together a dress in two hours that wasn’t just her poorest showing but arguably one of the worst looks anyone sent down that runway in season 18.
One thing’s for sure, though: even at her worst moments, she never plays it safe. The judges tend to admire designers who swing for the fences, even if they strike out a few times. That verve kept her in the competition when other designers paid the price for being too timid. What do you think were her best and worst looks? See our rankings below and decide for yourself.
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22. ‘Sheer Genius’ (Episode 8)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create editorial looks using sheer fabrics.
Result: Victoria almost quit in frustration and cobbled together this look in about two hours. She was in the bottom two for it, but Chelsey Carter was eliminated instead.
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21. ‘Live and Let Tie Dye’ (Episode 10)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To take tie-dye from dated and casual to fresh and fashionable using textiles they created themselves
Result: Victoria was in the bottom two, but Delvin McCray was eliminated instead.
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20. ‘Project Runway X Ashley Longshore’ (Episode 7)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To collaborate with Ashley Longshore to turn her pop art into high-fashion looks.
Result: Victoria was in the bottom three, but Marquise Foster was eliminated instead. (Marquise later returned to the competition after Dayoung Kim withdrew for health reasons.)
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19. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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18. ‘There is Only One You’ (Episode 6)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: The designers were free to create whatever looks they wanted inspired by their own personal heritages.
Result: Victoria got a high score from the judges, but Chelsey Carter won the challenge.
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17. ‘Blast Off’ (Episode 1)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: For teams of two to create complementary looks for a futuristic getaway to a space station hotel.
Result: Victoria’s team got safe scores from the judges.
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16. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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15. ‘Olympic Game Plan’ (Episode 11)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create dream victory dresses for real-life 2020 Olympic and Paralympic athletes
Result: Victoria got a high score from the judges, but Nancy Volpe-Beringer won the challenge.
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14. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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13. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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12. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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11. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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10. ‘The Ultimate Upcycle’ (Episode 4)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create looks for an American in Paris — specifically, Karlie Kloss, who was attending an event in France for the Council of Fashion Designers of America
Result: Victoria was the winner of the challenge.
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9. ‘Sleigh the Runway’ (Episode 3)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create cocktail dresses for a holiday party with unconventional material, specifically holiday decorations.
Result: Victoria got a high score from the judges, but Sergio Guadarrama won the challenge.
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8. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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7. ‘The Height of Avant-Garde Fashion’ (Episode 12)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: For designers to create avant garde looks inspired by the Vessel in New York City
Result: Victoria was one of four designers who advanced to the Fashion Week finale.
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6. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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5. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
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4. ‘Cats of the Urban Jungle’ (Episode 2)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create streeetwear looks with animal prints in honor of the movie “Cats”
Result: Victoria got a high score, but Marquise Foster won the challenge.
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3. ‘Sew 80’s’ (Episode 5)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: For teams to create mini-collections inspired by the 1980s pop-punk style of Cyndi Lauper.
Result: Victoria was on the winning team, and she got the second highest score from the judges, but Geoffrey Mac won the challenge.
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2. ‘Suit Yourself’ (Episode 9)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To reinvent the tuxedo in a modern way, and to incorporate satin somewhere in their designs
Result: Victoria got a high score, but Marquise Foster won the challenge.
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1. ‘Finale’ (Episode 14)
Image Credit: Bravo Challenge: To create 10-look collections for New York Fashion Week
Result: Victoria was a runner-up to Geoffrey Mac, who won the season
