Amy is from Oakland via Texas and a "permalancer" for Old Navy. She likes Lady Gaga and would love to dress Leigh Lezark.

Anna is originally from Wisconsin, loves Carla Bruni and worships at the altars of Marc Jacobs, Lanvin and Band of Outsiders.

Anthony hails from Birmingham, Alabama and loves glamour and color.

Ben made dresses that were inspired by different kinds of snakes and would love to design for Rihanna. Keep your eye on this one!

Christiane's originally from Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, and makes simple dresses using vivid colors. She might go far in this competition.

Emilio's hometown is Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He has a background in costume design.

Janeane Marie lives in Portland and is inspired by "earth science and space."

Jay is a visual merchandiser and stylist for the Gap — in the kids' division. He did a really cute happy dance in the casting session when Tim Gunn liked his stuff.

Jesse is from Ohio but lives in Orlando, FL and is an actor as well as a designer. He made a bright blue tulle party dress that no one liked but still made it on the show.

Jesus is originally from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. He used to dress up Barbies and used his mom as his model in the casting session. He says he adds "a little touch of grandiosity" to everything.

Jonathan's dream client is Meryl Streep and he loves Galliano. He made shorts with a hideous appliqué on the crotch and was picked anyway.

Maya is 22 and created a collection called Fashism, which is super avant garde. Crazy shapes and orb-like purses with spikes. One to watch!

Mila is inspired by artists Mondiran and Calder; she's into color blocking and loves Halle Berry and Cate Blanchett. She, Emilio and Pamela are the forty-somethings in a show with mostly 20 and 30 somethings.

Pamela's favorite designer is "God." Her dresses are pretty, soft and beautifully constructed, and Tim Gunn thinks "she's on the cusp of something big."

Ping works as a design intern, assistant stylist, model, interpreter, reporter and freelance writer (!!!). She loves "everything asymmetrical." She is a little wacky, and so are her clothes. She's going to be fun to watch.

Last, but not least: Seth Aaron lives in Vancouver but is originally from San Diego and does tough, rocker jackets. He's got 2 kids, a lizard and a dog. His favorite color is black and he fears "getting fat."

So you heard it here first: Keep a fashion eye on Ben, Christiane, Maya and Ping… And be prepared to be entertained by Anthony, Jesus and Jay.

There are photos, casting videos and at-home videos on the site, but be warned: Lifetime's website is THE WORST. It still SUCKS, just like it did last season, and you'll have to sit through those damn "the touch the feel of cotton" commercials over and over if you want to see anything good. It's like they want to drive people away.

The good news is, Season 7 taped over the summer in New York, where it belongs. So I'm looking forward to it!

Project Runway Designers [MyLifetime.com]
Project Runway Season 7 Cast Revealed! [Blogging Project Runway]

Apparently Tim had a "meltdown" during the Season 7 final runway show. He explains:

It was looney kajooney land, let me tell you. The backstage at Bryant Park is always crowded -you've filled the space to capacity, so we have a ton of hair people, makeup people, models, dressers and, because we couldn't have any of the designers revealed to the public at large, we had all 16 designers backstage. Thankfully we only had three people showing, and that's a record for us: It's always been at least four. That was the good news: There were no red herrings. Owing to the fact that we couldn't reveal to the audience who the finalists were, we wanted to tape their introduction before the audience came in. We had to do a pre-fashion show, and we taped the whole thing. Through the miracles of editing, it's going to look as though the designers are speaking to the audience, but there isn't one. We did the whole show; it was great. Then a volunteer at Bryant Park declared that the models should get out of their looks - it takes forever to get them into them, up over the head with the hair and makeup. I was distracted by something, then I'm paying full attention backstage and the models are getting undressed. I said, "Halt! What is happening here?" The head dresser said, "I'm getting them out of their clothes." "Why?" "Well, they're going to steam them." That's when I said, "I am about to lose it, and everyone's going to stay in her clothes! PERIOD."

Tim also defends Meana Irina. Sort of:

Every season prior to Season 6 has had a "villain." There really isn't one this season… this season there wasn't really a person for whom I have antipathy, like Kenley [Collins]. Blech. Before that, Victoria Hong, before that, Vincent Libretti. Irina is tenacious. She really wants it. We had a very long lunch with Irina and her family, and, oh my God, talk about the nut not falling far from the tree. Her mother was saying things like, "If Irina doesn't win, she better not come home," and I could say she's already a winner. Also, Irina was my student.

But! Tim Gunn thought that Ra'mon should have gone home!

I was absolutely confident that the Ra'mon [Coleman]and Mitchell [Hall] team would both go home, and the fact that Ra'mon won that challenge still has me spinning in my chair. I was horrified by what he designed — that neoprene horror. Nina [Garcia] had a filibuster in support of that look. The other judges were aghast, but she said, "This is the only look that is remotely innovative." Well, innovative it was; good it wasn't.

As for the judging in Season 6, Tim admits: "It wasn't good not having Michael [Kors] and Nina as much this season." And he hints that the Season 7 designers may be ingrates: "I will say that in Season 7 there are a number of designers who throw me under the bus." Plus, the Season 7 kids dilly-dally: "It's also the season of the sashay — no one other than me moves with any degree of urgency. No matter what, they sashay. I don't even have the adequate words to describe how mad and frustrated I would get: "We have to get down to the runway right now!" and they'd just kind of glide along through the workroom."

There are a lot more classic Tim Gunn quips in the piece, but let's end with his thoughts on the hoof-like Alexander McQueen shoe seen on the runway and in the Lady Gaga video:

"It not only looks ugly - I don't believe it's something you get used to and then think is pretty — it looks like the individual has a deformity. It looks like the devil's spawn. It's really horrifying."

'Project Runway': Tim Gunn Carries On (To Season 7) [LA Times]

Earlier: "I Took A Risk": Talking With Project Runway's Ra'mon

Those of us who are — or used to be — fans feel like we are being tortured as producers drag this shit out as long as possible. All of this happened so long ago, the fashion show pictures went up online in February, and it feels like this whole thing has taken FOREVER. Since there were three finalists instead of four, they could have condensed the finale into ONE show, but no, they are forcing us (ME) to watch two sloooow-ass episodes of this crap. Gah.

Rant over.

So, Tim Gunn went to visit each designer as she worked on her collection. Carol Hannah — living on Long Island — was first; she'd been inspired by the architecture of Duke University. Tim's "Can I be blunt?" was much-needed.

Tim saying, "I love a kitchen" made me realize that the reason I'm obsessed with him is because Snagglepuss was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid. Alright already. Heavens to Mergatroid. Exit. Stage left.

Tim Gunn in an apron!

Tim visited Irina in Manhattan next, and her floofy, snippy dog Princess basically snubbed him. How dare you snub Tim Gunn?!?! Something is not right in this house.

When I saw this, even though I was watching TV by myself, I said out loud: "Are you kidding me? Project Runway is NOT ABOUT screenprinted T-shirts!" I wrote in the notes I was keeping: "WTF."

Do you think the fact that her parents gave their little princess "free rein" is maybe why Irina is so bitchy? Or do you think it's because her mother tells her she "has" to win it and she has "no choice."

Tim visited Althea in Ohio next, and we learned a lesson: People in sci-fi movies wear handknit sweaters.

Also, when Tim critiqued Althea's Edwardian wild west coat, Althea couldn't stop saying, "Yeah. Yeah." Even as Tim was saying, "This can't walk down that Bryant Park runway."

The only mildly dramatic moment was when Irina was informed that she could not use the Coney Island images since she did not create them. Duh. Also: Go away.

My favorite part about Nina and Michael visiting the designers was Carol Hannah saying, "I did not expect them to be here." Of course not! They have been missing all season. They don't even really recognize you guys.

My second favorite part about the Nina/MK visit was Irina initially saying, "Advice is always great." And then later, deciding to ignore Nina's extremely specific advice just for Irina.

The "surprise" was a surprise to absolutely NO ONE. Of course the designers had to make another look — it happens every season.

It was also not a surprise to see these kids, because former contestants always return. It was a surprise that Althea picked Logan, stealing sick-to-her-stomach Carol Hannah's man right from under her nose.

So even though Lifetime is, for some reason, making us wait another week to see the runway shows, the pictures have been up on line for months. if you're interested, you can see all the final collections here. Otherwise? See you next week for more of this bullshit, and we can finally say goodbye to the worst season ever.

Project Runway 6.13 Finale Pt. I + Final Collections [ONTD]

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.

First, a description of the problem. Salon's Heather Havrilesky introduces her review of the TV shows The League and Men of a Certain Age with this depressing assessment:

[W]hile it's still unnerving to observe the casual arrogance of a gaggle of young men in their prime — their baseball caps molded into the perfect C shape, their boxer shorts peeking out above their low-slung jeans, the almost prissily self-aggrandizing set of their broad, hairless shoulders — watching that same smug spirit butt stubbornly from within the cramped confines of adult life can be surprisingly poignant. Because even as the older guy's guy accepts the responsibilities and burdens of demanding wives, pesky children, gigantic mortgages, tedious jobs and arthritic knees, even as he gives in to the perils of prostate checks and surrenders to the burden of acknowledging people's feelings and succumbs to the unbearable reality of neurotic teenage offspring and little motorized devices that yank the stray hairs out of his nose, there's some small part of him that is never completely at peace with this shackled, neutered state. Something deep inside him can still feel that tacky, spilled-beer floor under the soles of his shoes, some part of him can hear the faint strains of "Louie, Louie" playing on some quad far, far away, some stubborn cells at his core can still smell the Polo cologne and the cup-a-noodles heating up in the mini microwave.

Are these really the choices for men? "Louie, Louie"-loving frat boy or "neutered" married guy? Yes, I'm aware that television offers men plenty of chances to solve crimes, diagnose obscure ailments, and bed beautiful women — but personality-wise, many TV men seem pretty arrested. Women may have hookers, victims, and doormats to choose from, but guys have assholes, man-children, and slobs. But there are a few awesome men on television, a few who — aside from the flaws every human being has — a boy would be lucky to grow up to be.

Tim Gunn, Project Runway

Nurturing yet firm, Tim Gunn is the perfect surrogate parent to the sometimes childish contestants of Project Runway. He knows what he likes, but he's not a dick about it, and he genuinely wants to help designers make beautiful things and average people look their best. Yes, I know Tim Gunn is actually a real person and not a "character," but I'm assuming his persona on Project Runway isn't all there is to him. However, that persona — unflappable yet light-hearted, with the grace to say "Macy's accessory wall" repeatedly without sounding like an idiot — is pretty awesome in itself. TV's couch-dwelling slobs could learn a lot from Tim.

Image via Boston.com.

Admiral William Adama, Battlestar Galactica

Adama doesn't always make the right decisions, and he's a little over-reliant on military solutions for political problems. But he's a man of principle, someone who's been given enormous power over the human race and manages (largely) not to misuse it. You won't see him screwing around with interns — in fact, Adama's very supportive and fair to the women under his command, as his close mentorship of Starbuck (though that, too, has its faultlines) shows. Battlestar Galactica has some of the best female characters of any sci-fi show, and part of that has to do with the gender equality of the Colonial Fleet, for which Adama bears (fictional) responsibility. Male bosses, take note.

Image via LA Times.

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Yeah, okay, I'm a nerd. But I'm a discerning nerd, and I'm not a big fan of Captain Kirk's swashbuckling, lady-killing approach to the universe. Capt. Picard, however, shows that being bald can be hot, ordering tea can be cool, and, most importantly, being thoughtful can be manly. Picard spends just as much time puzzling over the moral implications of contact with alien races as he does firing his phaser, and he shows over and over again that the brain is mightier than the sword. Margaret says her brother "always says he learned everything he knows about respecting other cultures from Captain Picard," and I'm hoping some of the Captain's awesomeness rubbed off on my brother as well.

Detective Elliot Stabler, Law & Order: SVU

I struggled with this one, because Stabler has a lot of problems. He brutalizes suspects, he has rage issues, and he can seem unpleasantly narrowminded. But just as great female characters don't have to be perfect saints, a male character can still be compelling even if you don't like everything he does. And what's refreshing about Stabler is that he's a capital-A Adult who cares deeply about his family — even when his marriage on the rocks — and doesn't shy away from responsibility. I don't approve of his interrogation methods or his politics, but I do think Stabler could teach The League's overgrown frat boys a thing or two about growing up.

Cliff Huxtable, The Cosby Show

Cliff Huxtable the character had a big cultural influence, given that The Cosby Show was one of the first to depict middle-class black family life. But Cliff himself was also a big influence on his family, an involved dad who actually enjoyed spending time with his kids. Contrast him with one of the dads from The League, who says, "If Sophia and I split up, 50 percent of my time I would have to spend 100 percent of my time with my kid. Right now, I'm rocking like 50 percent coverage 30 percent of my time, you cannot beat those numbers" — and you might just want to take a trip back to the eighties. But you don't have to — as Kate says, "though he's not exactly in the Cliff Huxtable mold," Darnell from My Name Is Earl is the "only character on that show with a brain and a conscience, and also not a bad dad."

In Defense Of The Aging Frat Boy [Salon]

Earlier: Report: Television Violence Against Women On The Rise

• Stephanie Seymour's divorce from Peter Brant is getting even uglier. After police were called to the couple's home following Seymour's complaint that Brant's security assaulted her, Brant has accused the model of drug use and is seeking sole child custody:

• Brant alleged in court filings that Seymour sought treatment for Vicodin abuse, and subsequently became addicted to the drug Subutex, which is used to treat opiate addiction. He says Seymour has missed multiple court-required breathalyzer tests, and has twice submitted urine samples that, though clean of Subutex, were too cold to meet the minimum valid temperature. The media mogul also says Seymour "broke in" to the couple's Florida mansion and removed $700,000 worth of items, all while the kids sat in a hotel in Connecticut. [NYP]
• When fashion goes Galt, you know we're in trouble. [TDB]
• Nanette Lepore, Michael Kors, Zac Posen, Anna Sui, Betsey Johnson, and that guy who was just endorsed by Barack Obama, whatsisname, Bill Thompson, will be on Seventh Avenue on Wednesday for a rally to save the New York Garment District. Twenty-five thousand people work in the district, and designers say they need their convenient access to sample houses and manufacturers it provides, but lax enforcement of existing zoning laws and competition from cheaper labor sources overseas have led the zone to dwindle. [NYDN]
• Not to be outdone, Mayor Bloomberg — whom some designers have criticized for failing to do enough to protect the garment district — is launching a fashion incubator program for 12 up-and-coming designers this fall. [NYP]
• Woody Allen is reportedly considering casting Adriana Lima in his new movie, which is set in Rio de Janeiro. Because he's "fascinated" by her beauty. [NYP]
• "My fashion advice is to have a flattering mirror at home and then forget about it," says Vivienne Westwood. The designer lives in Captain Cook's old house, and has never sold out to a larger company or a private investor, despite some offers. And some polite nos: reports Cathy Horyn, one backer in the 90s picked another designer instead. "They could have made money with me. They lost it. I'm a woman," says Westwood. "I'm like household management or whatever it is. I would never spend more than I have." [NYTimes]
• Tim Gunn has a cameo in the Sex And The City sequel. [E!]
• JMS, a brand owned by Hanes, is adding a dedicated plus-size apparel line to its existing plus-size offerings, which were mainly jeans and underwear. It'll be sold at Wal-Mart and the creative director promises "slimming seams, strategically placed pockets, freedom of movement and appropriate-weight materials." [WWD]
• Christian Louboutin, the designer who slimmed down Barbie's ankles when he had the chance to release a line of dolls under his own name, says he never meant to imply her ankles were big before. "Fat ankles she didn't have, she just could have had thinner ankles," explained Louboutin. Still digging, then. [WWD]
• Manolo Blahnik: "I hate celebrities. All those pointless girls — I won't name names, but you know who I mean. They are 'famous'. Ridiculous. I like women with style: actresses like Uma Thurman, icons like Audrey Hepburn. I like women with style to wear my shoes." [Vogue UK]
• Model Selita Ebanks joins Sinbad, Darryl Strawberry, and Cyndi Lauper in the next season of Celebrity Apprentice. [NYDN]
• Pat Field made a tote bag for Diet Coke to give away with purchase, which will be available later this month from Boots stores. [Daily Express]
• Erin Wasson, presumably to avoid her dreaded homelessness, makes an appearance in the fall J. Crew catalog. She eats a necklace in one shot. [Refinery29]
• Something called the Japan Jeans Association given the country's first lady, Miyuki Hatoyama, its Best Jeanist Award. (She shares it with a pop star and an actor.) Pleased, the 66-year-old Hatoyama said, "This is the prize I have long wished to win. I'm a jeans lover. I'm always putting on jeans as they're easy to wear." She also recalled that she and her husband were each wearing jeans when they met. [AFP]
• Gee, we're so glad reporter Giles Hattersley puts that nice boss, successful businesswoman, and maker of lovely shoes Tamara Mellon in her place in this hard-hitting profile. Apparently she smokes, wears "teensy" dresses, and altogether reminds Hattersley of "the heroine of some dicey Danielle Steel bonkathon." Can't have that. [ToL]
• Love Moschino, the Italian company's lower-priced clothing line, is adding accessories to its collection. [WWD]
• Georgia May Jagger, already having nabbed the Hudson Jeans campaign, is now the face of Rimmel cosmetics. [Telegraph]
• Yasmin le Bon's daily life: "If lunch is at home then I tend to eat up leftovers from the fridge. I'm the leftover queen. I can't help it. I might mix them into an omelette or throw them all into a soup. One of the children won't eat soups any more because she's worried what old food I've put in it. Simon's mother, Ann Marie, often comes round with homemade bread and cakes." [ToL]
• Alvin Ailey company dancers will wear Mark & James, Badgley Mischka's just-announced lower-priced line, to their season opening gala on December 2. [WWD]
• Henry Holland kinda maybe sorta wants to move to New York. "Every time I come, the need to live here becomes more and more urgent and I want to go home less and less. I spend my entire time here plotting about how I would do it." But even if he did cross the Atlantic, he says he would still show his line in London. [Grazia]
• The luxury market, once in free-fall, is still declining, just not as steeply as some analysts earlier expected. Instead of the overall 10% drop in luxury sales that had originally been forecast for 2009, analysts say the industry is on track for an 8% decline in sales. [WSJ]

• Today, a judge extended Lindsay Lohan's three year probation for another year to give her time to complete her alcohol education classes. Her lawyer said she's extremely busy and was only able to complete about half of the classes. [TMZ]

• The judge told Lindsay, "I ordered you into court today because I wanted to speak to you directly. I don't want to get any more notices again [that you might be in violation of probation], no warrants ... where you're thumbing your nose at the court." [People]
• Lindsay was called to court because the Right On Programs reported that she hadn't been attending classes after being granted a leave of absence to work. [TMZ]
• Lindsay is moving to Texas to work on a movie and has requested another leave of absence from the program. The DA says if the court has to jump through hoops for her again, they want her to see jail time. [TMZ]
• A progress review hearing is set for December 15. The judge said to Lindsay, "I'm rooting for you to successfully complete probation." [People]
• TLC is suing Jon Gosselin for allegedly breaking his Jon & Kate Plus 8 contract by appearing on other shows and giving unauthorized interviews. The network also says he shut down filming for his own benefit, not for his kids. According to the suit, after they removed Jon from Kate Plus 8, his lawyer gave the network an ultimatum saying that if he wasn't released from his exclusivity clause within the hour Jon would block the filming of the show. [TMZ, TMZ]
• Jon's lawyer says that TLC has "treated Jon Gosselin like a dog by attempting to keep him on a leash and muzzle him and deny the father of eight the opportunity to earn a livelihood to support his family." [AP]
• Stephanie Santoro said when they were together, Jon Gosselin "told me that he took $100,000. It was either out of Kate's account or the kid's account to open his children's foundation." [Radar Online]
• Michael Jackson says his ideas for his This Is It concert series were the result of divine inspiration. "God channels this through me at night. I can't sleep because I'm so supercharged," he told director Kenny Ortega, adding, "You don't understand — if I'm not there to receive these ideas, God might give them to Prince" (As in "the artist formerly known as", not his sons). [Reuters]
• Joe Jackson has put together a VIP package for the premiere of This Is It which will allow anyone with $3,000 to have a private dinner with him before the show. [Showbiz411]
• Police are investigating a woman's claim that Dennis Rodman reached up her skirt at a Miami party and touched her inappropriately. [Radar Online]
• Nicolas Cage is suing his business manager, Samuel Levin, for $20 million because he claims he led him "down a path toward financial ruin." The lawsuit says Levin failed to pay Cage's taxes on time and "placed Cage in numerous highly speculative and risky real estate investments, resulting in Cage suffering catastrophic losses." [TMZ]
• Last year when the IRS came after Nicolas Cage for writing off $3.3 million in business expenses for things like limo rides, meals, and gifts, Samuel Levin said that was "customary in the entertainment industry" but the IRS didn't agree. [TMZ]
• Before yesterday's "Balloon Boy" incident, Richard Heene had pitched a reality show about his family to several production companies; they all turned him down. [Radar Online]
• Richard Heene also pitched the show to TLC, but the network declined. [TMZ]
• In the Heene 911 call, which you can listen to at the link, Richard Heene says he's sure son Falcon is in his homemade balloon because, "We looked everywhere ... and then my son just said ... yeah, he verified it ... he said yeah he went inside just before it went off... We had it tethered ... it wasn't supposed to take off." [TMZ]
• Though it was reported that David Letterman has extended his contract to stay on the show through 2012, he's actually only signed through August. [Newsday]
• Survivor winner Richard Hatch has completed his sentence for tax evasion. [AP]
• Justin Timberlake's mom, Lynn Harless, says, "I have, on occasion, actually beaten him straight up [at golf] ... He took my husband [Paul Harless] and me on a golf trip one time and they were surprised at the end when they added up the scores and I was one up on them ... I have bragging rights for life." [People]
• A month after Martha Stewart said the quality of Kmart's products had diminished she released a statement saying, "Both Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and I appreciate the long and productive relationship we have enjoyed with Kmart and Sears Holdings. Although we were not able to agree on terms that would have allowed us to continue working together, we wish our friends at Kmart and Sears Holdings all the best." [Reuters]
• The lawyer representing Randy and Evi Quaid in the criminal case over unpaid hotel bills has quit. [Radar Online]
• Kim Kardashian is celebrating her 29th birthday in Las Vegas tonight but Reggie Bush can't make it. "He can't come because of the game," she said. [E!]
• Tim Gunn will have a cameo in SATC 2. [E!]
• While throwing cash at the crowd during the BET show 106 & Park Diddy's $20,000 ring flew off, so he had security frisk 160 people before leaving. It wasn't found. [N.Y. Post]
• Larry Birkhead testified in the preliminary Anna Nicole Smith hearing that he saw her take Topamax, Lasix, Klonopin, Valium, Xanax, Potassium and Methadone, and the bottles all had different aliases on them. [TMZ]
• Marisa Berenson says she wrote her new memoir Moments Intimes because, "It was the right time for me to write about the people I loved and who counted in my life. It's a book about love—things I wanted to tell that are important to me both on a personal and spiritual level." [W]
• Padma Lakshmi doesn't know what she wants to name her baby because, "I just want to see how the baby looks when it comes, and then I'll have some ideas... The name will have to do with my family. I don't think it's going to be called 'Pomegranate' or 'Atlanta.'" [People]
• Spike Jonze says he decided to cast Max Records as Max in Where the Wild Things Are after, "We beat each other up with blow-up boxing gloves and Nerf guns. I was like, ‘Wow, he has a good shot.' So, I cast him." [People]
• Michael Palin says he's obsessed with Mad Men. Some cast members attended the premiere of the Monty Python documentary Almost The Truth: (The Lawyer's Cut) and Palin said, "Everyone's looking for us, but I can't get over seeing the guys from Mad Men." [Showbiz411]
• Paul Shaffer says of the rumor that he was offered the role of George Costanza on Seinfeld, "Just to be clear, I was offered the role of Jerry Seinfeld's sidekick. He had three sidekicks, and I had a feeling mine might've been that role. And any regrets? Well, I mean it was only the most beloved show of all time. ...Truthfully, though, I would have missed the opportunity to play music." [CNN]
• Benicio Del Toro says, "I was about 13 when I lost my virginity, and that first experience was totally a nervous situation. It was in a house with someone I had known only a little bit. She was slightly older, and she'd done it before... I wasn't exactly a natural, but it was good, yeah. I had wanted it to happen for a while." [Daily Express]

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]

• Ungaro's CEO says Lindsay Lohan was appointed creative director because, "Celebrities today attract lots of attention and having a moving, dancing, swinging, living doll is, we hope, going to bring down the age group at Ungaro while keeping the DNA."

• Linds has been working with Spanish designer Estrella Archs to produce Sunday's Ungaro collection in just three weeks, but when the New York Times stopped by the studio yesterday, "Ms. Lohan was conspicuous by her absence." [N.Y. Times]
• Christian Siriano will star in a Bravo reality show about him setting up a new shop and marketing his clothing line. [Variety]
• Suri Cruise's wardrobe has been valued at around $3.6 million. "They really splurge on Suri," says an insider. "Suri is very vocal when it comes to outfits. She's rarely seen in anything twice." [News.com.au]
• Isaac Mizrahi doesn't want you to call his new New York boutique a store. "I'm afraid to call it a store because that immediately makes you think about sales expectations," says Mizrahi. "It's more of an opportunity to show the collection and service the customer. I'm trying to get across the fact that clothing is a product of the creative process... Most designers are really good at retail. I always thought, ‘That's not my job.' This shop is me committing to retail." [WWD]
• Kim Kardashian is releasing her first fragrance in February with Lighthouse Beauty. Chris Lighty, a founding partner in the company, says, "Kim has created her own brand, which has really be able to extend off-screen and out of the reality show arena it started in. She's not a one-horse show." [WWD]
• Mariel Haenn, Rihanna's stylist, says of the look she'll be sporting to coincide with the release of her new album, "It's definitely going to be Rihanna in the raw state we've seen her in lately... Though she's an icon right now, this crazy super glam, we're going to see her being real—human. She hates too soft and girly... she still plays with her girly side, but there's always a tough piece somewhere, with edge." [Radar Online]
• Many designers are streaming their shows online this season including Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Emporio Armani, and Alexander McQueen. [Vogue]
• Burberry says it expects to boost operating profits by $6.4 million in the year ending in March 2010. It's re-negotiated its Japanese apparel license with two local partners and expects higher royalty payments than previously estimated. [WWD]
• Rather than having a huge relaunch, Nina Ricci unveiled its first collection under the creative direction of Peter Copping last night to only 75 people. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Mira Sorvino has been in New York this week asking people to donate suits to women who are trying to escape domestic abuse as part of the "Tell A Gal P.A.L." campaign sponsored by Allstate Foundation. People can donate business attire at Allstate offices through October 9. "The suits work in both a practical real way and a symbolic way," said Sorvino. "They give women a way to present themselves in a professional way." [WSJ]
• The costumes for Kylie Minogue's U.S. tour will be designed by Jean Paul Gualtier. [People]
• Crocs has entered into a new revolving loan agreement with PNC Financial Services group. The company can borrow up to $30 million under the new agreement. [Reuters]
• On The Bonnie Hunt Show yesterday Tim Gunn said of Michelle Obama wearing Crocs, "I like to think she was doing a footwear experiment... if she wasn't I'll do my first fashion intervention and show up at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and insist I be taken to her closet." Video here: [People]

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]

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]

• The stylist who allegedly walked out on Mark Fast's show says it wasn't because the models were too "fat" - but because they were too fat to walk right! "The walk is very important,'' she explains. [Mirror]

• The stylist in question is reportedly Erika Kurihara, fashion editor at hipper-than-thou London style mag i-D. [Frockwriter]
• "Another studio insider, Amanda May, has since tweeted that the names of the three models in question are Hayley, Laura and Gwyneth and that the company is 'so happy we stuck to our guns about the casting.'" [Frockwriter]
• Says Fast's creative director, "The decision to use fuller girls is something we have been talking about. There's an idea that only thin and slender women are able to wear Mark's dresses and he wanted to combat that. We wanted women to know they didn't have to be a size zero to wear a Mark Fast dress - curvier women can look even better in them." [Daily Mail]
• Burberry's multi-pronged approach for getting down with the kids: broadcasting their fashion week show online; Facebook; Twitter; and social media site, "Art of the Trench," which "will encourage customers and fans of the brand to upload pictures of themselves sporting a classic Burberry trenchcoat." [Racked]
• Wait, what? Apparently Clint Eastwood owns a clothing line, Tehama, and it's been bought by Nacabi Inc. [WWD]
• Kelly Cutrone: "I'm, like, the patron saint of interns. I made interning famous." Well, maybe Venerable. [New York]
• The ever-modest Tim Gunn on being named a "Top 5 Silver Fox": "Well, that's very flattering but I think someone is a little cuckoo." [MediaBistro]
• And who's the Loaded Gunn's favorite superhero? Batman, of course - "the most debonair of superheroes." [USAToday]
• A Philip Lim VIP show: An intern covered in vom and a careening model. Like a PhiDelt party, plus pleating. [Racked]
• Yoko Ono's fashion show for threeASFOUR is exactly as you'd imagine a runway show by Yoko Ono. Check it. [FashionWeekDaily]
• And Rick Owens' furniture line is exactly as you'd imagine a furniture line by the punky designer. "He calls the antlers on his angular plywood chairs "brutalist crowns," and said he loves the way their elegance contrasts with the chairs' crude wooden shapes. Plywood is one of his all-time favorite materials, and a staple, "the washed black leather," he said, of his furniture collections." [WWD]
• Perhaps inevitably, Yasmin LeBon has designed a fashion line, for Sir Philip Green's Wallis chain. It's allegedly very glam, and very good. No word on whether the iconic "Rio" video was an influence. [WWD]
• Louis Vuitton hits a snag in its epic fight to protect its TM: they've lost a fight to get Google and other search engines to stop using their name. [Telegraph]
• DeBeers - which has been linked to blood diamond mining - is talking about the role of diamond mining and climate control. Says the director: "We are making sure that we do not waste any water and that we have stepped up our programs." [WWD]
• Donatella Versace regards the recession as an "opportunity." Says the tanned titan vaguely, "The crisis is a big opportunity — it offers more stimulus for creativity ... more ideas come about." [Reuters]
• In case you were wondering what Lady Gaga considers the best costume for the Vogue offices? Here's Grace Coddington: "She was wearing Philip Treacy's hat with Vogue written on it when she came to see Anna, and when she came to see me the next day she had sprayed her hair red." [Fashionista]
• In their continuing desperation to change their staid image, the Gap is collaborating with awesome illustrator Garance Dore on a line of tees. [ElleUK]
• Twiggy is the subject of a retrospective exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. Quoth the too-nice-for-ANTM super, "It's hysterical, and incredibly flattering. I think when you're living a life you don't mark down "this is this, and in 40 years' time I'm going to be that", you just live your life." [Telegraph]
• If there's one name you take away from London's Fashion Week, people, make it Christopher Kane. He is hottt. [NYTimes]
• And his TopShop line is, not shockingly, flying off the shelves - particularly the "crocodile dress." [Racked]
• Victoria Beckham and the other WAGs (for Yanks, that's "wives and girlfriends" of football stars; think, for fashion week purposes, Kim and Nene) have hit fashion week in full force, [ElleUK]

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]