17 New Designers for Project Runway Season 8

More Designers Than Ever in Series History to Compete in Expanded 90-Minute Version of Television's Top Fashion Design Series Beginning Thursday, July 29, at 9pm with Actress Selma Blair serving as Guest Celebrity Judge for the Premiere!

Let the sewing, stitching and snickering begin! The Emmy® Award nominated series, Project Runway, kicks off its eighth season with 17 talented designers – the most in series history – beginning Thursday, July 29, at 9pm ET/PT on Lifetime Television. In the show's expanded 90-minute format, the new crop of designers will encounter host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia and top-name guest designer and celebrity judges, including actress Selma Blair for the premiere episode, as they face inventive challenges, unexpected eliminations and other surprises along the way. Filmed on location in New York, each episode of the eighth season will feature more couture creations and fashion flubs as the designers attempt to make the cut to show at New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Center.

As part of the winner's prize package, this season's victorious designer will receive $100,000 from L'Oreal Paris to start his/her own line, a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine, a $50,000 technology suite by HP and Intel to create his/her own vision and run his/her business and the opportunity to design and sell an exclusive collection on Piperlime.com. The model paired with the winner of Project Runway will also appear in the designer's editorial feature in Marie Claire and receive $25,000 from L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional.

The Project Runway, Season Eight designers are:

•A.J. Thouvenot, 26 - Hometown: St. Louis, MO; Resides in St. Charles, MO
•Andy South, 23 - Hometown: Waipahu, HI; Resides in Honolulu, HI
•April Johnston, 21 - Hometown: Mooresville, NC; Resides in Savannah, GA
•Casanova, 33 - Hometown: Fajardo, Puerto Rico; Resides in Astoria, NY
•Christopher Collins, 30 - Hometown: Encinitas, CA; Resides in San Francisco, CA
•Gretchen Jones, 28 - Hometown: Fairplay, CO; Resides in Portland, OR
•Ivy Higa, 30 - Hometown: Seoul, South Korea/Kaihula-Kona, HI; Resides in New York, NY
•Jason Troisi, 33 - Hometown: Greenwich, CT; Resides in Greenwich, CT
•Kristin Haskins-Simms, 38 - Hometown: Philadelphia, PA; Resides in Philadelphia, PA
•McKell Maddox, 29 - Hometown: Brigham City, UT; Resides in Layton, UT
•Michael Costello, 27 - Hometown: Los Angeles, CA; Resides in Palm Desert, CA
•Michael Drummond, 31 - Hometown: St. Louis, MO; Resides in St. Louis, MO
•Mondo Guerra, 32 - Hometown: Denver, CO; Resides in Denver, CO
•Nicolas D'Aurizio, 31 - Hometown: Hackensack, NJ; Resides in New York, NY
•Peach Carr, 50 - Hometown: Winfield, IL; Resides in Lake Forest, IL
•Sarah Trost, 27 - Hometown: Frazier Park, CA; Resides in Toluca Lake, CA
•Valerie Mayen, 28 - Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX; Resides in Cleveland, OH


Last Thursday, Project Runway received two Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Reality-Competition Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program for Heidi Klum.

Lifetime's digital offerings will represent a robust collection of video content, including extended runway judging, designer and judge video blogs and more. They will also feature full streaming episodes of the show, available only on myLifetime.com. Also returning for Season 8 are Rate the Runway photo galleries of the show's fashions, as well as blogs by mentor Tim Gunn and fan-favorite designers from past seasons.

Other return offerings include the 2010 Webby Award-nominated Tim Gunn's Workroom videos and Designer Portfolios. Tim Gunn's Workroom will continue to showcase his critiques of the contestants' garments-in-progress, and the interactive Designer Portfolios will display the designers' previous work along with sketches made before the show and throughout the season. Roiworld.com's popular weekly Project Runway dress-up games (which accounted for more than 4.8MM game plays in Season 7) will also return, featuring illustrated versions of the winning designs in an interactive wardrobe.

Project Runway enthusiasts can also interact with fellow fans, show insiders and designers by following @projectrunway on Twitter or visiting www.facebook.com/projectrunway for the latest Project Runway news and updates.

Reality Check: Project Runway Season 6, Episode 12

Bryant Park became a reality for three designers on Project Runway last night. But, for two, it was the bittersweet end of their short-lived, reality show lives.

Tim Gunn took the designers to The J. Paul Getty Museum where they were invited to use the center as inspiration for their last design. To get the creative juices flowing, Gunn also brought out the models to serve as muses while the designers were perusing the Getty Center. From the striking architecture to the beautiful interiors and inspirational paintings, there was something for each of the designers to focus their designs on.

This was the final challenge for the five remaining designers and as the gravity of the situation set in, the tension in the studio could be cut with a knife.

Carol Hannah found a luxurious French bed from 1775 and designed a gold evening gown that the judges thought was beautifully executed but not reminiscent of the inspiration. While they all agreed that it was perhaps the most show-stopping piece on the runway, they also warned her that was playing it a bit safe.

Gordana fixated on a painting by Monet and created a dress that symbolized not only her simplistic and sophisticated design aesthetic but also her strong spirituality. As her model walked down the runway, she remarked that this was the best dress she felt she had ever made. The judges all agreed that her piece closely resembled the painting with the flowy, gorgeously draped material, but wondered if her performance would be strong enough to carry her all the way to Bryant Park.

Irina also spotted a painting, but she was interested in replicating the gauzy, sheer material that was draped over two voluptuous women. Her flowy number was beautifully crafted but she definitely missed the mark with the accessories. Her delicate dress was overshadowed by clunky shoes, heavy bangles, large earrings and a distracting headband. Once the accessories were removed, the judges all agreed the dress looked much simpler.

Christopher is the last man standing in this challenge and he knows he is the wildcard. He has always stayed true to his own visions, even at the dismay of the judges. At the Getty Center, he spotted a rocky water fountain and focused on the algae at the water’s edge, creating a dress in a slate blue-gray color. The judges felt he had chosen the wrong fabric for the dress and wondered if his lack of experience was becoming a hindrance.

Althea tried to recreate the architecture of the museum into the structure of her skirt but found that her material was much more difficult to manage than she had anticipated. Heidi Klum said she was disappointed with her and surprised to see such a messy design.

Luckily for Althea, her strong body of work was enough to save her and send her to Bryant Park along with Irina and Carol Hannah, whose designs stood out above the rest. Although Klum admitted that this was the hardest challenge to decide, the judges decided to send Christopher and Gordana home.

Next week is sure to bring a fresh dose of design drama as the designers get to make their own collections and head across the country to Bryant Park. Be sure to tune in next week to see how these three women will fair in the Big Apple!

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Erin Simpson

Reality Check: Project Runway Season 6, Episode 10

Now that the cast has dwindled down to just seven remaining designers, it has become increasingly harder to pinpoint who will go home.

This week’s challenge was to pick one of Michael Kor’s favorite destinations and create an ensemble inspired from that locale. Designers had to choose between New York City, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, San Tropez, Aspen, Greece, and Palm Beach and finish the entire look under the impossibly tight deadline of one day.

Gordana spent most of her time creating an elaborate, detachable crystal neckline for her dress that the judges all agreed was the focal point of her dress, making it a spot-on design fit for a Park Avenue Princess.

Irina once again wowed the judges with her Aspen-inspired snow bunny outfit, using her tight budget to create an expensive-looking, three-piece outfit. The pants were modeled after ski-pants, the top was a roomy, cowl-necked sweater, and she completed her look with a luxurious faux-fur vest. Although it was clear her muse was not stepping anywhere near the ski trails, the judges named her the challenge winner because of her ability to make a beautifully executed look that perfectly encapsulated Aspen’s snowy atmosphere.

But the judges narrowed their least favorite looks down to Nicolas and Christopher, failing to find anything awe-inspiring about their interpretations.

Christopher, who has found himself in the bottom three the past few weeks after such a promising start to the season, had trouble capturing the style of Santa Fe. Although he managed to create a beautifully intricate belt that guest judge Mila Jovovich gushed over, the rest of his dress looked more like a costume than a southwestern inspiration.

In the end, it was Nicolas’ Grecian-gone awry outfit that baffled the judges and sent him packing. Everyone agreed that his gauzy shirt with the disproportionate sleeves and the slightly flared menswear pants captured the wrong Greece. Instead, his ensemble looked more like something Olivia Newton John would have worn in her hit musical, Grease!

Designers are dropping like flies and those remaining are getting closer and closer to a trip to Bryant Park. Tune in next week to find out who Klum will give the boot to next!

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Erin Simpson

Reality Check: Project Runway, Season 6, Episode 5

Finally, the designers of Project Runway were given a challenge that was truly puzzling. After being led to the LA Times' headquarters, the designers were told that they had to create a look completely out of newspaper. The inspiration came from the first paper dress, which was made in 1968, and the designers had to come up with their own unique perspective.




In three minutes, the cast furiously stuffed stacks of newspapers into trash bags and tried to visualize what they would create. Back in the studio, most designers were admittedly perplexed.



Christopher wanted to win over the judges this week by making a showstopping dress with lots of 'wow' factor. And he managed to do just that by creating a solid bodice and a voluminous, flowing skirt out of shredded newspaper that, incredibly, resembled feathers.



Althea, who had immunity this week, was inspired by the architecture of buildings and decided to use the newspaper to make a stunning pattern across the dress. Her dress was exquisitely made and hugged the model's curves perfectly, striking a perfect chord with the judges.



But Irina came to the forefront after remaining under the competition's radar the past few weeks with her Chanel-esque trench coat. The coat was beautifully constructed and included innovative detailing, like the collar and cuffs that were made of scrunched newspaper. The judges were all in agreement and named her the challenge winner.



Now for the episode's juicy drama! Johnny crumbled under the pressure, yet again, scrapping his original dress after Tim Gunn told him it looked like a kindergartener's mess. But, when his model came in for a fitting, he lied and told her that the steamer sprayed water all over the dress and ruined it. He stuck to his story, telling everyone, even the judges, that the steamer was the reason for the dress's disappearance. Too bad there were 11 other designers and a camera crew present to witness the actual truth. Unfortunately, his second attempt looked sloppy and lacked originality and creativity.



Nicolas, who thought his 90's punk rock throwback was going to be a hit, took every opportunity to trash his fellow opponent, Johnny. He even went so far as to call Johnny out on his lie in front of Heidi Klum and the judges, telling them all that the original dress was awful.



But karma always comes back around, and this week, Nicolas found himself in the bottom two, right next to Johnny. It was a close call, but the judges ultimately decided to eliminate Johnny. Maybe next time Nicolas will think twice before opening his mouth in front of the cameras....



The competition is getting fierce; let's stay tuned and see who will be auf'd next week!

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Erin

Reality Check: Project Runway, Season 6 Episode 4

I am breathing a huge sigh of relief right now. I am not joking, when I saw that Logan was in the bottom two next to Qristyl on last night’s episode of Project Runway, I started having heart palpitations. My palms were sweating and my pulse was quickening. It may be because he looked absolutely delicious or that he was wearing those fabulous silver pants on the runway, but I just could not bear to see him go!

His cocktail dress was definitely a bad combination of 80’s prom queen and punk rock. And the judges were right, he could have done so much more with the fabric and the style. But ultimately, he ignored his instinct and listened to his model. That was because this week’s challenge was to work with the models to create a look for an upcoming industry event.

Many of the designers struggled to satisfy their models’ wishes while still staying true to themselves. Shirin questioned her model’s request for a royal blue jumpsuit and in the end, decided not to compromise her own judgment and modified her look into a chic dress.

But Althea once again stunned the judges (and myself!) with her unique and interesting twist on the classic suit. It was a three-piece number that included a beautifully fitted jacket and a voluminous skirt that struck a perfect balance. All the judges agreed that they would walk out the door with her outfit and named her the challenge winner.

Unfortunately, Qristyl’s attempt at creating a simple, black style yielded a boring, safe dress that the judges said looked cheap. And Klum made the final observation that her dress made the model look fifteen years younger, which is devastating for any model to hear! During a moment of intense deliberation (I was watching through squinted eyes with bated breath) Klum gave Qristyl the boot and sent Logan back to the designers. And I have to say, I couldn’t be happier!

Stay tuned for next week’s dose of fashion drama….I know I will!

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Erin

MTB4 Season Finale:

Talk About Damage

After watching the final showing of MTV’s Making The Band (season 4), I couldn’t help but to shake my head at how things ended for the girls of Danity Kane. What was the real story behind Aundrea’s absence? It’s obvious that there’s a lot of tension between the girls and it would only be right not to continue together for now, but don’t they seem bitter?

Damaged... damaged.... damaged....

Noticed the girls’ body language, the way Dawn switched places with D.Woods in-between a commercial break and their responses when asked if there was a possibility of Danity Kane reuniting.

So how you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it?

I guess this is deeper than tv: more than what we, as both viewers and fans, can ever imagine. Damaged... damaged.... damaged. However, I was deeply disappointed that they didn’t put the pettiness aside to give their fans a final performance but what would you expect from a bunch of immature girls who have a sense of entitlement?

On lighter note, I’m definitely looking forward to Aubrey’s new reality show.