The remaining designers are asked to create a dress with "hope" as their inspiration. The dresses are bid upon at a charity event hosted by Iman, with the proceeds going towards AIDS research in Africa.

The designers take on a Joe Fresh challenge, where each is assigned a timeless wardrobe staple to inspire a transformative look.

The three finalists show their collections at L’Oréal Fashion Week in Toronto to determine who will win the first Project Runway Canada.

The eight remaining designers are challenged to create a performance outfit for Canada’s opera darling Measha Brueggergosman to wear during her upcoming North American tour. The twist is that Maesha is known for only singing barefoot.

The designers must creat two bathing suits inspired from vintage fashion looks- one for their regular model, and one for a plus size woman.

The designers meet their host, Iman, on a glamorous yacht and are given 30 minutes to create an outfit with very limited materials. Later the designers learn the competition has only just begun and they must now each create an innovative look using only the clothes from another competitor’s suitcase.

In the premiere episode, the country’s most talented up-and-coming designers are sent straight to the fashion front lines. Host Iman and Mentor Brian Bailey greet the designers at the Canadian War Museum and deliver the first challenge. Drama ensues when two designers face the toughest – and most surprising challenge of their fashion careers. It’s a race against time as the designers prepare to show their first creations at a special, public runway show. Joe Zee, Creative Director of U.S. ELLE magazine, joins the judging panel, which declares the season’s first challenge winner and the first eliminated designer.

On a trip to the park, a mass of lost and broken umbrellas is revealed as the challenge fabric. The designers race to choose the best of the broken umbrellas to create a cocktail dress. The twist is that the designers must utilize all of the fabric from the umbrellas they have chosen.

The designers head to TMU's Design and Technology Lab to create futuristic looks for the year 2125.

On the runway, Iman surprises the designers by introducing their special celebrity muse - Canadian sweetheart and Hollywood A-list celebrity Elisha Cuthbert. The opportunity to dress a celebrity can make or break a new designer and the tension causes some designers to crack under the pressure. Elisha Cuthbert joins the judges and selects the winning outfit she will wear on a night out in Hollywood. As always, one designer doesn’t measure up and is sent packing. Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert burst onto the American scene as Kiefer Sutherland’s daughter, "Kimberly Bauer," in the critically acclaimed FOX/Global series 24. Cuthbert’s portrayal earned her a nomination for a 2002 Teen Choice Award for "Breakout TV Actress." She also received a 2005 SAG Nomination as part of the 24 cast in the category of “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.” Cuthbert will soon be seen in the romantic dramedy, My Sassy Girl.