The Project Runway Canada reboot had some seriously high expectations to live up to. After all, the original run from 2007 to 2009 is still considered one of Canada’s finest reality TV exports. Luckily, the new season—helmed by supermodel Coco Rocha, with judging from industry icon Jeanne Beker and designer Spencer Badu—delivered on every front: jaw-dropping designs, fiery drama, and a hefty dose of sass from creative director Aurora James.

Toronto really flexed this season, too. All three finalists were from the GTA, and veteran costume designer Leeland Mitchell ultimately snatched the crown last week with his delightfully whimsical creations. Charles Lu and Curtis Matysek rounded out the top three, but it was Mitchell’s fearless creativity that stole the show.

Ironically, Mitchell’s journey was anything but smooth. While Lu and Matysek racked up wins and stayed comfortably “in” throughout the competition, Mitchell found himself in the bottom two during the final pre-finale, and he had a couple of low scores along the way. But his unwavering commitment to bold, outlandish whimsy carried him through. Mitchell is renowned for his costume creations in the entertainment/drag world.
In fact, it is rumoured that Leeland turned down working with Lady Gaga for this show.

The finale collection was a showstopper: Technicolour plaids and floral appliqués, a gold-lamé dragon’s-head dress teetering between costume camp and haute couture, and perhaps the season’s most talked-about piece—a giant pleather ballgown wrapped in leather belts. Risky? Absolutely. Stunning? Undeniably. And it was exactly the fearless, imaginative vision the judges were looking for.

Leeland Mitchell may have been the underdog, but by the final runway walk, he proved that in the world of Project Runway Canada, whimsy wins.