I have to say, it was pretty cool that the designers went to the Getty Center. I've been, and I think it's spectacular, and the trip almost made it seem like the old Project Runway was back — when contestants would be inspired by architecture, art or Postal Service uniforms. That said, the clothes that came out of this challenge were atrocious. These people have got to be some of the WORST the show has ever had. Where's the dreamy romance, a la Leanne? The couture drama, courtesy of Christian Siriano?

Where is anything that looks like this?

Anyway. Althea was inspired by the architecture of the Getty.

Carol Hannah was into one specific Frenchy French bed.

Irina liked this painting, with its different textures: Fur, marble, flesh and sheer dresses.

Christopher was inspired by a fountain: Specifically, the rocks. And the algae.

Gordana was moved by Monet.

Of course, putting the inspiration in action was mostly a disaster. Tim thought Irina's fur was apacalypto.

Tim Gunn: Perplexed by preposterous, problematic pebbley puckery panels.

Christopher painted himself as a martyr, saying "I know who I am, I'm the wacky weird guy." Wacky? No. Repetitive? Maybe.

Anyway, the runway was rough. Did you catch the look Althea gave Irina's dress?

Guest judges Cynthia Rowley and Cindy Crawford joined Nina and Heidi in trashing Irina's dress… Or at least, the styling. And the length.

But guess what? Irina was the first one to be told she was going to fashion week. Were you rooting for her? I wasn't.

Althea's dress was called a "messfest." But she went to fashion week too.

Carol Hannah's dress was kind of meh. And yet! She rounded out the final three.

Christopher's rock dress was really similar to his Vampire bride gown. And it was too stiff, the judges thought. And so he was out.

Poor Gordana really put her heart and soul into her angelic cathedral dress. But it wasn't enough to get her into the final three.

As you know, Fashion Week already happened. In February. So if you want to see images from the final three's shows, Racked has photos. Now that we know who the contestants are, it's fairly easy to tell that the one with all the fur and knits? Irina. I'm guessing collection one is Althea; collection two is Carol Hannah. But I could be wrong! In any case, the three shows got terrible reviews. Cementing my gut feeling that this was the worst season ever.

Liveblogging the Shows: Project Runway [Racked]
Earlier: The Tragedy That Was The Project Runway Show

When the designers sit with their backs to the runway, you assume that there's going to be an OMG AMAZING SURPRISE! Instead it was: Yawn.

Some unseen minions dragged their old garments onto the catwalk. Big deal.
(The kids had $100 and one day to make an outfit to complement on of their "best" garments on the show so far.)

We found out that Logan is extremely bowlegged.

No, really: Watch him walk.

It was revealed that Gordana is a Bosnian Serb. How come it took this long to tell us that?!?!

We found out that Tim Gunn can be a little bitchy.

We found out that Carol Hannah has three stars on her hand.

We found out that Althea hates Logan for stealing her zipper collar idea.

We found out that Irina's dial is stuck on catty.

We found out that Althea thinks Logan is hot, but that's part of why she hates him: "He thinks because he's, like, cute he can do whatever the [bleep]."

We found out that people call Irina "Meana Irina."

An example of Irina's mean: "Are you insane? Or are you drunk? You're supposed to get inspiration from your own look. Not from mine."

Actually, a lot of people were being snotty; Althea called Carol Hannah a "one trick pony," and Logan said of Gordana: "My grandma has better taste than that."

I have to say, for an episode called "The Best Of The Best, all the clothes were MEH.

The judges liked Carol Hannah's flirty little dress. Kerry Washington especially loved the pockets.

Irina's Aspen nighttime look was okay, although Nina said the dress "looked cheap."

Althea won with her cozy sweater and paper-bag waist pants which probably only look good on models.

Guest judge Nick Verreos called Gordana's look "Office worker in Poland." Don't you mean Sarajevo?

Christopher's dress was called a "carnival float" and Heidi said "it looked like she took the bedspread with her." I think maybe what he needed was a hoop? Because the sketch is actually super cute.

The judges ripped Logan's look apart. Kerry Washington thought it was reptilian.

The worst part was when Heidi said, "I think this is one of our toughest decisions." Pardon? Our? Nick and Kerry just got there! Nina hasn't been around! These people haven't had to make decisions with you before! Nina looked like she wanted to laugh, since this season's judging is SUCH A JOKE. Kerry Washington's face was like, "Um, what she said." Nick just seemed scared.

Anyway: Logan was Auf'd.

Click here to read my goodbye letter to Logan.

The producers have played up the flirtation between Carol Hannah and Logan in season 6, but theirs is not the first Proj Run romance.

In season five, Kilkenny writes, "there was an epic courtship between two of the show's male designers, Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault, but the relationship was completely whitewashed from the show." This, despite the fact that "all of the elements for great television were there: love, angst, drama, and a romantic ending."

It was love at first sight: "I knew the minute I saw him on the rooftop," says Nault. The couple would hold hands as they sat beside each other during the runway shows, though Nault was eliminated after the second challenge. Feld was "devastated," and claims: "I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. But Kenley, another contestant, came to me and said, ‘Wesley says: Make it to the end for me.'" Kilkenny points out: "You couldn't write this kind of ratings gold."

Tim Gunn has defended the omission of these details as the producers being "discreet." But this is a show that airs footage of people applying mascara in the bathroom mirror, crying on the phone to loved ones, etc. Kilkenny adds that the producers were not discreet in season four when HIV-positive designer Jack Mackenroth had to leave the show after developing a contagious staph infection.

Of course Project Runway embraces gay people. But Kilkenny argues: "If the producers had thought [Nault and Feld's] courtship had value, you can be damn sure it would have been in the final product… By selectively editing which relationships they include in the show, the producers are participating in homophobia."

Here's another idea: Maybe Nault and Feld's romance didn't air because it was too normal, too positive? Season five focused a lot on love-to-hate Kenley, "leathuh" loving Stella and Mr.-I-speak-about-myself-in-the-third-person, Suede. Could it be that with so many colorful characters, a gay love affair just couldn't compete?

In any case: Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault are business partners, with a collection called WesFeld, and recently traded commitment rings. So perhaps having a relationship away from the prying lens of a camera was a good thing?

Project Runway's Surprising Homophobic Editing [True/Slant]

She's the classic "I'm not here to make friends" type on this show. And, in addition, she's a shit-talker. Although in this case, Christopher's dress did look like something an Amish woman would wear.

The challenge? To take $150 and create an ensemble inspired by a fabulous location. Christoper's dress was supposed to be Santa Fe, but it looked like Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Althea couldn't even wrap her mind around the Amish dress, saying: "If Christopher can put that garment down the runway and not get eliminated then… I don't know what's going on." And Christopher looked at his own damn dress and said, "Oh no."

(This is just a gratuitous shot of Logan.)

Meanwhile, Nicolas was supposed to design something inspired by Greece. "A person could definitely wear it in Greece," he claimed. Sure, or in New York, or Hong Kong, or on Mars! Endless possibilities.

Guest judge Milla Jovovich liked Irina's Aspen-inspired ensemble. It looked like it had a big vagina in the front, and another shaved pube triangle in the back. Michael Kors was right when he said "there's some sex involved."

Michael Kors felt that Nicolas was designing for Grease the movie, not Greece the country. But Olivia Newton John would never wear that hideous top!

While discussing Logan's disappointing "Hollywood" outfit, Michael Kors uttered the Quote Of The Day, and possibly YEAR: "They're clothes, they're not fashion."

Althea's St. Tropez look: Good, not great.

Gordana got some nice feedback on her Park Avenue/New York dress.

Twisted straps kept Carol Hannah's Palm Beach dress interesting and not the same old same old.

Milla Jovovich seemed personally offended by Logan's Hollywood look.

Irina's vagina: The winner.

Christopher actually stayed in the competition, despite this Mary Magdalene at the Mall look.

Nicolas was Auf'd. Even though he has three stars on his hand! I'm confused now. What is going on?

Milla is also distraught.

Christina Aguilera doesn't want to go to "that cavewoman place." She wants carats on her coochie, dammit!

But let's back up:

First, Christopher has to do his hair.

Okay so Bob Mackie, the "sultan of sequins," and Tim Gunn told the designers they had $300 and two days to create and "extravagant stage look" for Christina Aguilera.

Gordana was kind of stressed out, because her dress was falling apart as she made it. The perils of beading!

New mantra: "I just have to be Speedy Gonzales."

Christopher was working on some Lady Marmalade wackness and buttoned-up Tim Gunn had to tell him, "It should be super sexy slut." Dude. If Tim Gunn doesn't think your outfit is slutty enough, you are in trouble.

Tim thought that Shrin's dress looked like "Guinevere meets Vampira." Shirin was all, "You don't like anything about it?!?!" Tim said: "No." Uh-oh!

Meanwhile, Gordana was putting an old-world hex on her garment.

BREAKING: Irina is a bitch, according to the bitchiest person on the show.

My favorite erroneous statement of the episode: "A bustier and sparkle panties — you can't ask for anything more."

Do you see what I see?

Do you? (Click here if you don't know why this is noteworthy!)

Highlights of the runway:

Everyone liked Althea's gorgeous, hourglass-enhancing gown.

Nicolas' Ice Capades number was the one I thought Xtina would chose. Crotch-centric!

But Carol Hannah won the challenge, with an inky feathered and sequined black gown.

Christopher's outfit wasn't even as good as Lady Marmalade.

Besides, Christina wore a bikini bottom in that video — Mya rocked the boyshorts.

Alas, no one liked Shirin's scary witch costume. Shirin was Auf'd.

Any last words, Nina?

Earlier: All Project Runway posts

More runway images at MyLifetime.com

What were you doing before the show?
Before the show I was employed by Target, designing Mossimo Black Label for almost five years. I left that job to participate in season 6. After we finished taping, I had some questions about what I wanted to do next. I took some time to reflect. Then I was offered the opportunity to come work for Kohl's as one of their designers, so that's what I'm doing currently, as well as a myriad of other things — one of which is my own clothing label, Ra'mon Lawrence. I just showed by Spring 2010 collection in New York. I'm also doing a couple of collaborations… I really am a busy guy right now.

When did you start designing?
I started designing in 2001 — I went to the Art Institute in Chicago and entered their fashion program — I was also studying performing arts at the same time…

What kind of performing arts?!?!
(Laughs) I was studying dance and theater and installation art.

Like Fame?
Pretty much! I'm a little obsessed with Glee right now...

Glee is so good.
It's one of my goals — to get on that show next.

So you're originally from Chicago, right?
Yes. Born and raised outside of Chicago —- I went to college at University of Iowa for four years; then went overseas for a few years, then came back to Chicago…

What do you think about Michelle Obama's fashion choices? She's a Chicago lady.
I love love love Michelle Obama. I believe we have not seen — at that level of a woman in power — we have not seen that type of gracefulness, effortlessly done, as she is doing right now.

I guess it goes without saying that you'd love to design for her.
Yes. In [my spring 2010 collection] there's a dress called Michelle and it is completely inspired by her. It's my dream to give it to her, and to dress her for future occasions. She's very aware of the idea that you can look fantastic, and do it on a budget — or a way that is economically responsible. You don't have to necessarily buy everything high end to have a look that is chic and well put-together. When you see her mixing labels like J. Crew with unknown designers — it's just really smart.

What made you decide to try out for Project Runway?
I was at Target at the time, and I was really a crossroads, thinking, okay, I've been there for a while, what would be the next thing that would challenge me? And I got a call from someone saying that they represented the show, and they'd come across my information. I thought it was a joke. I hung up a couple of times. But it seemed very cosmic, like the universe was saying hey, you've been looking for that next step; and here's this opportunity that anyone would kill for. I believe there were 10,00 people who auditioned for season 6 — so to be one of 16 out of 10,000? That's phenomenal. It felt like the right thing to do.

Did you know, when you were filming, about the Bravo/Weinstein/Lifetime drama?
While we were filming, I did know. I didn't know going into it; but right before — when they cast us, we were aware that there was an issue. But the severity of it? I don't think any of the designers knew… We thought oh, this might go in the can, or straight to DVD. It was always a quiet concern that we had. And then to finish taping the show and have a year pass — literally a year to the date of it airing was when we started taping. So interesting. And to sit around for a year and have this secret that you can't really talk about? We've all been really anxious about the situation.

You won the beach challenge with the dress that you dyed, and I really thought you did well on the dressing the model challenge — that blue dress with the big flower, and then — all of a sudden — you went home. I was shocked. Were you shocked?
I was utterly shocked. That's the best way to put it. And not only was I shocked, I think everybody was shocked. All the other castmates — and even some of the production staff — were like, what happened? I could sit around and theorize about it, but I will take ownership of the choices I made on the program. No one can say I was a person who was not a competitor… Everything that I did, I took a risk. I think the one thing that they kept harping on in every challenge was innovation. And I kept thinking, how can I push? How can I not be safe, how can I be innovative and stand out, with a point of view. And so I get that sometimes that can also be the thing that can be one's downfall. Which I think was, in the episode where I was Auf'd.

I think the other problem is that in the past, there's been more consistency with the judges. And [in this season] there have been a lot of guest judges. …It should be about, how is the person growing? And how can you still see that person's perspective coming through everything that they do? Because ultimately, everything that's shown in the competition should give you a visualization of what that person's line at fashion week would be like. And their potential.

(In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Epperson also talks about the weirdness of the judging this season, saying, "The judges are who the judges are. Starting with Lindsay Lohan being a judge. But then again, she's working with Ungaro, so she is kind of a genius." LOL.)

Do you keep in touch with anyone from your season?
Definitely. It's almost like being in this weird fraternity — or having an extended family. I talk to most of the cast. Christopher, Carol Hannah, Althea, Epperson and Logan — and Qristyl — those are the ones I speak to on a regular basis. Christopher and I are the closest. We actually have matching tattoos! If you go back and watch the show, you'll notice three stars on both of our right hands. We had this tradition with another cast member: Before every challenge, we would actually draw the stars on one another. I had a feeling, out of the three of us, that we were the strong competitors — I had a feeling we would be the top three. But if we weren't the top 3, then at least one of us should make it to the top. So it became a ritual that we went through and after the show we went and got them permanently tattooed.

What were your impressions of Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, MIchael Kors and Nina Garcia?
Mr. Gunn is the one people ask the most about. What you perceive of him, watching all the previous seasons, is truly who he is. I truly believe that he wants everyone to be the best they can be. He's really funny, with an amazing dry humor that I think is hilarious. He's lovable! Being around him, you understand why America has the reaction via television to him. He's great!

As far as Heidi, Michael and Nina, we don't get as much exposure to them. But Heidi is insanely beautiful and very funny. And very upbeat, but at the same time, she is very much a businesswoman. Michael has these one-liners and he's entertaining. And if you can look past some of the cruel and harsh things that he can say, there is a truth there, that, if you're smart enough to want to be better, you'll listen to and hear. Nina has an amazing poker face! You're always like, what is she thinking? But when you're around her, she is so sweet.

Overall, your experience was good?
Absolutely. Win or lose, Project Runway doesn't define me. Who I was beforehand is who I was after. But I'm stronger now, having gone through the experience. There's a little bit more confidence. And also a different view on how to take my design to the next level. So I can't say that the experience wasn't worth it, because it truly was. I'm having all these opportunities! We probably wouldn't be sitting here talking right now — but one day, we would be talking — it's kind of put me on a fast track. I'm super busy, and a lot of it is good! And a lot of it is based on having had this opportunity to put myself out there as a designer.

How can people keep up with you?
They can visit my website, they can find me on Facebook, and they can follow me on Twitter. Keep an eye out! Hopefully this is not the last you see of me, not just as designer but as a television personality.

Will you be dancing ?!?!
That might be part of it!

Maybe guest appearance on Glee?
That would be great! Or since I am a self-confessed Trekkie, maybe my love of that will get me in the next JJ Abrams movie!

RamonLawrence.com [Official Site]
'Project Runway Talk': Epperson Dishes On Dubious Judging ... And Lindsay Lohan! [EW]

Earlier: Project Runway: Ra'mon Gets Robbed
Related: All Project Runway Season 6 posts

• Move over, David Beckham: Cristiano Ronaldo is posing in the spring Armani underwear campaign. [AP]
• Beckham, who says he decided not to renew his Armani contract, is said to be looking to launch an underwear line of his own. [WWD]

• A fit model who worked at Guess? for three years is suing the company for sexual harassment. She alleges that founder Paul Marciano made unwanted sexual advances, and cut her work hours after she resisted. [WWD]
• Yohji Yamamoto announced this morning it was filing for bankruptcy. [NYTimes]
• Meanwhile, Giorgio Armani launched a cell phone that costs $1,032. [Reuters]
• Grace Coddington's face on a t-shirt is definitely something we want. [Refinery29]
• Model Agyness Deyn abstained from booze at a party for a movie. Allegedly, it's because her boyfriend, Albert Hammond, Jr., of the Strokes, is in rehab. [P6]
• Naomi Campbell picked a bag from the Louis Vuitton spring collection to sell to benefit the White Ribbon Appeal, which works to reduce deaths in childbirth. The bag will cost 1,900 Euros; no word yet on what percentage of the proceeds will go to the charity. [Elle UK]
• Looking so nervous you'd have sworn she was about to have a heart attack, Katy Perry interviewed Karl Lagerfeld after his show in Paris. After asking him about the prevalence of metal trim in the collection, the Kaiser said it was actually metallicized leather. The look on the pop star's face when Lagerfeld tells her the one song that sums him up is Lily Allen's "It's Not Me, It's You," is priceless. Then the designer says, "I'm addressing what others do, or have done, but have never wanted to be somebody else." And Perry asks to borrow one of the "metal" dresses for the EMAs. [People]
• Mario Sorrenti is shooting Nicole Kidman in the next Omega watch campaign. "I love diamonds," says the star. [WWD]
• Project Runway is to become a Wii game. We hope that there will be secret levels you can pass into, where the designers will all start singing, "Daniel Franco, Where Did You Go." Or maybe, if you unlock a special sewing box, you look through it and see Tim Gunn and Andrae eating at Red Lobster. [MSNBC]
• Chanel Iman and Iman: Iman and Chanel Iman. These two beautiful ladies did a video for Modelinia, wherein they talked about diversity in fashion. "With the diversity on the runway, it's getting better. But we need more diversity in the campaigns," says Chanel. "The first couple of pages in the magazine is not, you know, ethnic girls." "It's amazing at this age, 2009, almost 2010, with Obama as President, that e should be even talking about this," adds Iman. Iman sums up her life advice thusly: "Just be true to yourself. And don't embarrass your parents. Please." [Modelinia]
• A Portuguese eBay user put a bag from the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection up for auction. The collection doesn't go on sale until November 14. The bag, allegedly from a photo shoot, didn't sell. [Racked]
• Dina Lohan told Access Hollywood not to believe everything you read about Lindsay's fancy new job in fashion, and how that's going. "She's just a little girl and God gave her this gift. She's just trying to create. She did great in Paris, don't believe what you read. She's genius at fashion." Meanwhile, she would like us to buy something called "Shoe-Hans." She herself will continue wearing footwear by Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, thank you very much. [The Cut]
• Rachel Roy says moving to the East Coast for university after growing up in the Bay Area was a shock, because the former could be "quite segregated, and I wasn't into that. I'm only 35 — so it's not like we're talking many years ago — but I wasn't used to it because I grew up around Samoans, African-Americans, and Filipinos. You go to a club based on the music you like, not based on the kind of people you want to be around. I kind of went into a culture shock when I moved to the East Coast. I try to bring back that laid-back, hippie-chic attitude that the Bay Area has to my business because I've interned at so many places in fashion where it can be quite anal. But I also love New York. I love that it's the closest city we have to Europe, so that's a part of me, but thank God I'm from an area that keeps me out of it." [FabSugar]
• Yesterday in Japan, a suit went on sale that claims to offer some protection against swine flu to its wearer. The $580 suit is coated with titanium dioxide, a chemical that can break down viruses that come into contact with it. To put it mildly: this seems unlikely to work. Why not get the swine flu vaccine instead? [Telegraph]
• Nars is celebrating its 15th year in business with a book featuring photographs of fashion celebrities like Daphne Guinness and Marc Jacobs wearing its products. François Nars did both the makeup and the photography. [WWD]
• Kate Moss met her longtime hairdresser, James Brown, when she was 14. She went to a party at his house, and his sister threw her out. "She thought her boyfriend was flirting with me," explains the supermodel. "So that was that, really," adds Brown. "It started with a fight." Also relevant to this video: HOLY ACCENTS. [Elle UK]
• James Mischka and Mark Badgley live in a 546 sq. ft. studio apartment in Midtown. How relatable! Which they moved into because they were spending too much time in their weekend home, a Lexington, Kentucky, horse farm, to justify the expense of a Greenwich Village duplex. Sigh. [WSJ]
• Philip Treacy designed footwear for the first time ever for the Valentino show. The renowned milliner says working for the foot was like "a whole other dimension." [Elle]
• Again, the article about Crocs, what they mean, whether or not they can make it as a going concern, and what that means. [Time]
• Lost in the news of Liz Claiborne's reshuffle yesterday — the Liz Claiborne line will be sold exclusively at J.C. Penney's, and Isaac Mizrahi's Liz Claiborne New York line will go to QVC — was the fate of Claiborne by John Bartlett, the men's wear line. It will cease to exist. Sorry, guys. [Racked]
• Uniqlo's parent company posted a record profit for the year, of $1.2 billion. [AdAge]
• Levi's profits fell 41% in the third quarter. [WSJ]

"I come to America with nothing… At least I have my health." LOVE. HER.

So yeah, the challenge involved wedding gowns. Specifically: Taking divorced ladies' bridal gowns and turning them into something new for the "new chapter" of their lives.

Did you get a good look at Gordana's face when she saw the divorcées in white coming down the runway?

She has an awesome WTF face.

Leah: "I've been divorced for three months."
Gordana: "Congratulations."

Shirin's divorcée had a slender column dress, with not a lot of material to work with, and she had dreams of looking like Cher — a la "Half Breed." Shrin whined, "I can't do it," blah blah blah. Which was total bullshit. Have you seen Cher's "Half Breed" costume?

You don't need very much fabric at all!

Anyway, Shirin was frustrated, so she cried.

And sniffled.

And so on. The tender touch of Tim Gunn saved her from disaster.

OMG TIM GUNN SAID COUGAR. LOL.

Later, on the runway, Michael Kors tore into Christopher's dress, calling it "tin foil."

Highlights from the runway:


Shirin's dress turned out to be just fine. See what a hug from Tim Gunn can do?

Irina whipped up something lovely. But then again, she picked a dress with lots of fabric and lace.

Carol Hannah's dress: SPECTACULAR.

Yay! Gordana won with a punk rock edgy strapless number Taylor Momsen wishes she had. And Gordana won! America, where all your dreams come true. And if not, at least you have your health.

Lowlights from the runway:

Logan's pants and ruffle vest: Good idea, bad clothes.

Epperson's kimono wasn't terrible, but the competition was stiff. And we had to say auf Wiedersehen.

Don't worry, Epperson — you can still play along, with the Project Runway video game for Nintendo Wii!!!!

Press Start to Work It: ‘Project Runway' Video Game Is Planned [NY Times]

Earlier: Project Runway: Shower Loofas & Disco Pumpkins
Michael Kors Returns To Runway, Makes People Cry
Project Runway: Ra'mon Gets Robbed
Project Runway: Is Making A Dress Harder Than Kicking Meth?
Project Runway: Sewing & Sobbing
Project Runway: "I Didn't Try Hard Enough"Project Runway: No One Wants Chicken Thighs
Project Runway: Tender Tim Makes Everything Better

Having a Macy's challenge is understandable, they're partnering with the show, and I'll gladly sit through a thinly-veiled commercial about INC if I'm watching interesting programming. But "something blue" is not a challenge. Anyway: The designers were paired up into teams. Epperson and Christopher made a shirtdress, and Tim Gunn said something like, "You really have potential here for serious reinvention." Maybe he meant: You need to reinvent what you have done? Christopher took it to mean that they'd reinvented the shirtdress. "That's pretty cool," he said. Reality TV 101: If someone thinks something is awesome, it is not.

Meanwhile: Nicolas, the breakout shit-talker of the season, was working on a two ruffled dresses with Louise. When she wasn't around, he declared: "Ruffles make me sick."

Additionally: "That ruffled thing just looks weird and strange."

On the runway, the judges agreed: The ruffles were awful. "I wanted something to spice it up a bit," Louise explained. "…And that was ruffles," Heidi said astutely. Michael Kors was disgusted, calling the garment "a bridesmaid's dress with a shower loofa." Both dresses were stiff and ugly, but Nicolas had immunity, so he didn't care.

The judges hated Christopher and Epperson's bubble dress and shirtdress, too. Heidi thought the bubble dress looked like it had a lobster bib on it. Michael Kors called it a "teal charmeuse disco pumpkin." Christopher cried. Real tears.

The judges really liked Irina's sweet mitered-stripe dress, which seemed kind of Ella Moss to me, but whatevs. Irina and Gordana won.

Irina and Gordana's two-piece ensemble did seem like something I might actually wear.

Carol Hanna and Shirin made this sassy day-to-night number, which the judges didn't have a problem with.

Tim Gunn was all, "Don't get me started on leggings." But the judges seemed to think the other outfit by Carol Hannah and Shirin was okay.

Christopher's disco pumpkin certainly has a familiar shape; he's done the tight-around-the-neck-and-then-backless thing a few times.

Call me crazy, but I liked the shirtdress Christopher and Epperson designed. And it seemed like Tim Gunn, did too.

Team Ruffle made two flavors of fug: Blueberry cobbler…

And blueberry poptart. No more Louise "Brooks"! But Louise Black has an Etsy store, so you can keep tabs on her there.

Images via MyLifetime.com

Earlier: Previous Project Runway Posts

According to a piece by Godfrey Deeny for Fashion Wire Daily:

"I was very influenced in my choice by Tim Gunn, who had invited Lindsay to be a judge," said Ungaro CEO Mounir Moufarrige in an exclusive interview. "His comments that she had a great sense of fashion and knew what works and doesn't work, were pretty significant to me."

Deeny points out that celebrities with fashion lines are not new. But "no celebrity has ever been given the reins at a major Paris couture house."

One the one hand, it seems tragic: Emanuel Ungaro designed for the House of Cristobal Balenciaga! He worked for Courrèges! He is on an extremely select list of Haute Coutouriers — alongside Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier. He may have sold the brand, but it still has his name on it, and the aura of France, and things well-done. Why involve a former Disney star and current paparazzi target? Does Project Runway have that much clout?

On the other hand, it makes sense: Ungaro needs to attract attention, bring in, as Moufarrige says, "younger and cooler" trends — and thereby earn younger, cooler customers. A design house is, after all, a business. And to stay in business, the company needs keep up with the times, know its customer. And Lindsay Lohan is a critical shopper. Someone with an eye. Moufarrige says: "Lindsay Lohan is not a designer, we are not pretending that she is. But she is a great merchandiser who can bring lots of ideas." (He also notes: "Lindsay already had an Ungaro coat at the age of 13. Her own mother used to wear Ungaro. You could not sit on a settee or chair in her place. Her home was full of brands. You had to sit on the floor!")

Still: It seems risky to put an iconic French brand in the hands of a Hollywood wildchild. Just because you love clothes doesn't mean you know what the hell to show on a Parisian runway. We'll find out what Lohan — and creative teammate, designer Estella Archs — have whipped up when Ungaro presents its spring 2010 collection in the Carrousel du Louvre on Sunday.

The House Of Ungaro's Lowdown On Lindsay Lohan [Fashion Week Daily]

• Yes, this outfit is available! [OC via Racked]
• Kanye's so-last-week jackassery has spawned a tee shirt. We say: stop trying to make "I'ma let you finish" happen! [InventorSpot]
• Miuccia Prada has a "passion for knickers," believes deeply in no-pants. [Telegraph]

• Burlington Coat Factory has accused a NYC pants manufacturer of bribery. The manufacturer is accusing BCF of tarnishing their reputation. [NYP]
• I think we can all agree that what we need is more celebrity fragrances: in order to boost sales, this holiday season will see more boldface B.O. than ever before. Is our dream of "Joyce Carol Oates: Enigma" about to come true?! [WWD]
• Aspiring fashionistas, NB: Proenza Schouler's looking for design, production, and sales interns. [Fashionista]
• Vanity Fair Italia is throwing its weight around: "It's bigger than any international Vogue," says Jonathan Newhouse of the ever-expanding glossy. [WWD]
• Uniqlo brings its budget cashmere to a Paris flagship: will France dig it? [NYT]
• Model Sessilee Lopez has broken with Twitter. "Sorry twitter but this is my very last tweet ... we had some good times and bad but now our relationship is over ... " Was it something @ said? [New York]
• Frankly, we'd kind of forgotten about Enrique Iglesias, but Azzaro hadn't! He's the face of new fragrance Azzaro Pour Homme. [People]
• Karl Lagerfeld toys are practically a cottage industry: now the Kaiser's a 10" Manga-inspired Tokidoki figurine. Now he can have his own, cryptic Toy Story! [WWD]
• Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon is for some reason no longer, repeat no longer, suing her mother. [Daily Mail]
• Paul Smith's iconic signature logo is, in fact, faux: "It was very practical to call it Paul Smith. Then I tried my signature and you couldn't read it, it was sort of ‘Gug Giz' and it didn't quite work! Pauline [Paul's wife] and I asked lots of friends to write it and one just wrote that signature. But I can do it now!" Hold up: Paul and Pauline? Okay, carry on. [Daily Express]
• Nobody's worn spider silk - "a textile stronger than steel and made from the silk of the golden orb spider, native to Madagascar" - for hundreds of years. But socialite Tinsley Mortimer donned a spider silk shawl at a Museum of Natural History exhibit dedicated to the wonder fabric. [Observer]
• WWD.com has "tweaked" its site - again - to make it more user-friendly. Yes, most everything is still subscription. [MediaBistro]
• French Connection has launched a baby's line, thankfully named "fc:baby" rather than "little fcuk." [Telegraph]
• We knew moving Project Runway to L.A. was a mistake! Here's Nina on why she and Michael Kors have been tragically MIA: "When it was in L.A. and in that time period that we filmed, it was very difficult to be there the entire time. He has another job, he's a designer and work on his collection, and I had to fly to Paris to see the fashion shows for the fall. It was impossible to be there for an entire month." [LAT]
• Although here's someone who's probably in favor of the move: Lauren Conrad! "I think that for the Kohl's line we wanted a very California brand...We were able to make the California-look very accessible everywhere." [People]
• Thanks to Ann Taylor's aggressive re-branding efforts, the stock is up 90% and analysts are lowering their rating. [Crains]
• From their scores of suitors, Zappos has selected Interpublic Group of Cos.' Mullen as its creative agency. Let's cross our fingers. [AdAge]
• Alber Elbaz spoke at "Creativity, innovation and excellence: from crafts to the design and fashion industry" at UNESCO's First Forum on Cultural Industries, in Italy. He was apparently charming, and presumably was more succinct than Gaddafi. [WWD]
• Vogue UK is having a "Miss Marple moment." We're guessing they interpret this less literally than we do. [VogueUK]
• Roberto Cavalli is opening an online shop, and the first 500 customers will receive a free bag "in Cavalli's signature prints." Threat or promise - you decide! [Sassybella]
• Perhaps inspired by Tim Gunn's Marvel turn (we wish) the Women Paris model agency's show package used a Sin City aesthetic, which sends a sinister message, but whatever. [The Fash Pack]
• We've heard of strange bedfellows, but Swatch and Tiffany? Says Swatch's prez, "It will be the perfect gift, to a well-educated, beautiful woman, a perfect gift. So man, back to your wallet." [Guardian]
• Out magazine feted itself at Original Penguin's NYC pop-up shop yesterday. Reports Racked: "Guests guzzled Blue Moons and were entertained by roving models, live mannequins, a soundtrack of diet dance pop, and slightly terrifying larger-than-life prints of October Out covergirl Donatella Versace." [Racked]

Ra'mon, a self-admitted sci-fi fan, was supposed to make a sci-fi garment. He had an idea about a reptilian princess or something, and started to make a jumpsuit — unitard, really, and when his model tried it on, she looked like a turtle without a shell. Sad! Ra'mon had to scramble, with two hours left, to come up with something else.

Meanwhile, in the workroom, there was a little crush forming: Carol Hannah was looking at Logan like she wanted to make out with him SO BADLY.

Oh yeah: LOGAN WINKED AT HER.

Carol Hannah on Logan: "He's really hot!"

Let's just objectify Logan a little more, shall we?

Okay then.

Ra'mon came up with a pretty cool lizard queen dress, but the judges tore him apart on the runway, calling it a "shambles." Guest judge Arianne Phillips, who did the costumes for Walk The Line, said it was "risky and ambitious," but he would get "no banana."

Highlights from the runway:

Epperson's genre was "Western," and his frontier woman dress was fierce.

Christopher's "Period Piece" garment was supposed to be for a Vampire Bride. The judges pretty much creamed their pants over it.

Nicolas had "Sci Fi," and made an ice queen confection, which won the challenge.

Did you see Epperson's face after Nicolas won?
He did not look thrilled.

Louise was in the bottom two, and, frankly, her '40s take on a flapper dress was not Film Noir. It showed very little imagination and even the judges admitted that Ra'mon seemed to have more vision.

Heidi called Ra'mon's snakelady ensemble "a home sewn mess."

"Your character may have been out of this world, but what planet was she from?" HELLO? THAT IS THE POINT. She is an alien lifeform. Jesus! Anyway: Ra'mon heard those two horrible words: "You're out." I don't understand how he could make gorgeous dresses week after week and get kicked off. He won a challenge a few weeks ago! It was Louise's first time in front of the judges, but she really failed the challenge, in that she didn't really create a character or something film-worthy. I'm mad.

[Ra'mon Lawrence Official Site]

[Runway images via MyLifetime.com]

Here are some highlights from this year's report:

• The lead article, "Females Make Inroads Into Conducting," is actually rather depressing. Few women have ever conducted orchestras in the U.S. or abroad. Though a handful of female conductors have been making headway since the '70s, no female conductor has ever been named artistic director of one of the top-tier American orchestras, and less than 12% of orchestras of any size are headed by women in the U.S. In March, Chinese-born conductor Xian Zhang was named musical director of Milan's Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra, becoming Italy's first high-profile female conductor, and in the U.S. women have recently been named artistic director at three smaller regional ensembles: the Reno Philarmonic, the Berkeley Symphony, and the Flagstaff Symphony. "There's still a lot of sexism in this field, though it seems to be changing, albeit slowly," says Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director Robert Spano. "Apparently, we can have female prime ministers abroad and female secretaries of State, but not female music directors. It's been quite discouraging."
  
  
• It seems Mad Men's January Jones has taken Tracy Jordan's advice to "live every week like it's Shark Week" to heart. She was honored for her work as Oceana's celebrity spokesperson for decimated shark populations. She grew up in landlocked South Dakota and was fascinated by the ocean. "I had shark book and every documentary I could get my hands on. I think they're incredibly beautiful and prehistoric," she says, "Without sharks, there is no ocean life." Jones is filming PSAs for the group and later this month she'll head to D.C. to fight for a bill that would stop finning, the process of removing a shark's fin for food then letting it die a slow death in the ocean. "You already can't bring sharks without fins intact into the Atlantic coast. This (law) would expand to the Pacific, effectively stopping finning in American waters," she says.
  
  
• Maria Bello, who has starred in A History of Violence and ER was honored for her work with the Save Darful Coalition. "In 2003, when the genocide started happening, I thought it was my duty and my right and my privilege as a human being, as a woman living in a democracy, and as a public figure to speak out and use my voice to talk about the injustice," she says, "I found out through being a part of Save Darfur that it is the women and mothers who are transforming and changing the face of the peace process in Darfur and in other countries. We're working on creating a council of women from D.C. and the media and business — real women leaders who can work to promote issues of social justice and be involved from the ground level up."
  
  
• Sigourney Weaver was recognized for her work with The Flea Theater in New York City, an Off Off Broadway theater that produces noncommercial work in a professional atmosphere, and gives young thespians the opportunity to work with established artists in various workshops and productions. "I went to arguably one of the better drama schools in the country (Yale) in the 1970s, and I came out of that school not really knowing very much," Weaver says. "I found that working in Off Off Broadway shows was a real artistic home. I learned on my feet working with new plays and writers; that's where my true training really began."
  
  
• It seemed a little odd that Tina Fey was left off last year's list, but now it seems it was for the best. Did Variety predict that Fey hadn't reached her peak yet, even before the world became aware of a certain Alaska governor? Since Fey's responses to the standard set of questions Variety asks all the women in the report are culled from previous interviews, we'll assume she's been so bombarded with accolades this year that she didn't even bother to respond. The same goes for Kate Winslet, who is recognized for finally winning an Oscar this year. Variety reports that her "career mantra" is "There's more to life than cheeckbones," which is actually just something she told Rolling Stone... in 1998.
  
  
• Alice Ripley won a Tony this year for her performance as Diana, a bipolar wife and mother who undergoes drug and shock therapy in Next to Normal. She says, "The role takes a woman onstage in a musical to a place she has never been, and takes the audience as well." Variety asks about her "philanthropic passion" and she makes a rare admission for an actress: "I don't honestly have the time or energy to support anybody else's cause but my own, which is self-expression. So I guess if I had a cause it would be education."
  
  
• Southland executive producer Ann Biderman says, "I'm just writing about people that I care about... I don't believe in those restrictions that say men are interested in copshows and women are interested in romantic comedies. In [Southland] there's this huge struggle between chaos and control. Those life-and-death stakes will always be intriguing."
  
  
• Many people were shocked that The Hurt Locker, a film about the war in Iraq, was directed by Kathryn Bigelow... a woman. "Of course I find gender typecasting more than a little old-fashioned and dated, but it doesn't bother me," she says. "Honestly, more than anything, I'm happy if people like the film. I've been around long enough to know it doesn't always go that way."
  
  
• Jane Campion, whose latest film Bright Star is about the romance of Fanny Brawne and John Keats says, "I was familiar with Keats, as many people are, as someone from long ago, dusty history, school... You don't really understand it, you don't know much about it. And I was really shocked reading Andrew Motion's Keats biography a few years ago when it came to the love story, because I found it completely compelling — mostly because of the letters from Keats to Fanny. I felt terribly touched with the tragedy and the beauty of that first love; there was something so tender about it for me. That's something I like in this world, tenderness. Something I wanted to share."
  
  
• Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke says she refused to do the sequel New Moon even after the film had the biggest opening weekend for a film by a female director ever. She explains that she's always turned down sequels but, "when Twilight made all this money my agent said, 'Maybe they'll really let you do what you want and give you more time.' I knew Chris Nolan had three years between 'Batman' movies, Jon Favreau had two years between 'Iron Man' movies." However, "Since the kids are not supposed to age they wanted to release the new movie a year to the date of the first. So I would have had less prep time than I had on the first one."
  
  
• Nora Ephron says despite her many successful films including this summer's Julie and Julia she still doubts herself sometimes. "I'd always wanted to have the career of someone like Woody Allen," she says, "but I don't know how he does it. I could never produce multiple films a year every year. Even if they paid me huge amounts of money and let me use all the unfinished scraps I have in my closet."
  
  
• CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will begin hosting her own Sunday news show on the network this month called, Amanpour. "We'll tackle the big issues of our time in terms that are relevant and understandable," she says, adding, "I'm apprehensive, of course... It's completely different for me."
  
  
• When asked about her "leisure pursuits" Rachel Maddow says: "I drink. I'm a hobbyist bartender. I make pre-Prohibition, classic American cocktails."
  
  
• "I think 'nice' is a very effective way to do business and always pays off in the long run," says Andrea Wong, Lifetime's president and CEO. Apparently Wong wasn't following this rule when she poached Project Runway from Bravo, but she explains she wanted the show because it's "the perfect fit for where I wanted to take this network." JoAnn Alfano, the network's executive VP of entertainment says, "Everyone knew the Lifetime name, but we had become so synonymous with victim movies that if a woman was experiencing a bad situation, people would say, 'You sound like a Lifetime movie.' Look, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Changing that perception will take time."
  
  
• In addition to making Joan Holloway and Betty Draper look fabulous on TV, Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant's work is so popular that "Mad Men style" has crossed over into real life. We've noticed the show's huge influence on women's clothing, but didn't realize it's having an even bigger effect on men's fashion, which usually changes very slowly. Arthur Wayne, director of communications for Brooks Brothers, says menswear is "more evolutionary than revolutionary, but for the last two years we have seen a real shift in men wearing slimmer suits. I think what Janie has done for the show plays right into that." Brooks Brothers made some of the suits worn on screen in season three and Bryant designed a "Mad Men edition" suit for the store. It comes out later this fall and is expected to be a big hit with both men, and women forcing their significant other to dress like Don Draper.

Women's Impact Report '09 [Variety]

Earlier: Variety Honors, Offends Women In Entertainment

There was trouble brewing with Johnny Meth's dress almost right away… He had visions of origami birds holding up the shoulders, but Nicholas, with his patented charm, said the gown looked like "wrinkled up paper with pig's blood all over it."

Then Tim Gunn got a look at Johnny's dress. Tim Gunn was woeful. He said: "I am woeful, Johnny." Tim also said: "It looks like a craft project gone awry." And "It looks like the birds attacked the dress." A tough critique. But to be honest, the dress wasn't finished, and I think Johnny should have just kept on going. But instead, he scrapped the dress and made up some lie about how a steamer, or an iron, destroyed it.

Then Johnny worked on a crossword puzzle for a while.

On the runway, Johnny showed some other dress he'd whipped up, which the judges did not like. Then he tried to act like his original dress was amazing and Dior-esque, which made Nicholas roll his eyes and giggle. Nicholas corrected Johnny, saying the dress "was a red mess." So Johnny called Nicholas a jerk. And this is pretty much all the drama this show is offering this season, so try to enjoy it.

Anyway. Highlights from the runway:

Logan's chic little number, with blue edges.

Epperson's kimono, stiff but kinda cool.

Christopher's feathery ballgown, which guest judge Eva Longoria seemed enchanted by.

Althea's strapless dress, which was really all about cool graphic design.

Irina's elegant coat, which guest judge Tommy Hilfiger gushed was Coco Chanel, YSL, Givenchy and some other stuff. Irina won the challenge.

Johnny's little paper dress was sad, and so we said auf Wiedersehen to Johnny.

Any last words, Johnny?

[Runway images via MyLifetime.com]

Veronica Sawyer, 2030, no?
































Judging by Tim Gunn's smile, I think it's safe to say that Christian made it work.