Project Runway (season 6)
Encyclopedia
The sixth season of Project Runway
, a reality competition show
about fashion design, premiered on Lifetime Television
on August 20, 2009, the first season to be aired on that network. The production of this season started in September 2008 and finished the pre-finale filming on October 17, 2008. It is the only season of Project Runway filmed at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles
.
Returning as judges are supermodel Heidi Klum
, fashion designer Michael Kors
, and Marie Claire
fashion director Nina Garcia
. Tim Gunn
returned as a mentor to the aspiring designers. This is the second season which consisted of all female finalists.
The winner of this season of Project Runway, Irina Shabayeva
, received an editorial feature in an issue of Marie Claire magazine, a cash prize of $100,000 to start her own line, and an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Paris. Furthermore, the winning model of this season, Kalyn Hemphill, received a $25,000 cash prize from L’Oreal and took part in the winning designer's fashion spread in Marie Claire.
The premiere was preceded by a two-hour special episode of Project Runway: All-Star Challenge where eight past contestants (Daniel Vosovic
, Santino Rice
, Jeffrey Sebelia
, Uli Herzner
, Mychael Knight, Chris March
, Sweet P, and Korto Momolu) competed in one challenge with a cash prize of $100,000. Vosovic won the challenge, while Momolu came in second place, Sweet P in third, and March in fourth.
The designers were asked to create a dress made for a red carpet event, focusing on innovation on their creation and making a statement on who they are as a designer. They were preassigned models for their challenge, given 30 minutes to sketch their design, a 30-minute shopping spree at Mood with a budget of $200, and two days to complete their design.
Designers were to create a pregnancy look for supermodel Rebecca Romijn
, who is carrying twins. She was looking for something that was fashionable and easy to move in, but also something appropriate for a pregnant woman to wear out in public. Designers were given 30 minutes to sketch, a 30 minute shopping spree at Mood with a budget of $100, and 2 days to complete the look. The prize for the winning designer was immunity for the next challenge.
The designers were taken to the beach, where they were told to create a fashionable, surfer-inspired outfit, and were placed in teams of two. Tim drew the names of team leaders via a random lotto; those team leaders then selected their partners in the order they were chosen, as follows:
Later on in the challenge, it was revealed that they would also be creating an avant-garde look inspired by their ready-to-wear, surfer-inspired outfit. They had $50 for the first look and $200 for the second. Most of the episode focused on Qristyl and Epperson, who had trouble getting along, and Mitchell and Ra'mon; Mitchell had trouble keeping on task, which caused Ra'mon to have to create both looks mostly on his own. At judging, Qristyl and Mitchell were in the Bottom 2, Qristyl for not being able to lead her team and Mitchell for not doing anything. Ra'mon was crowned the winner, even though he was not the team leader. Mitchell on the other hand, was eliminated for not doing anything for his team's designs.
The designers were challenged to create an eye-catching outfit to please their surprise client: their models. This outfit is intended for model industry events. Designers were given a budget of $100 to shop at Mood, and a day to complete the look. The winning designer would have immunity for the next challenge.
Designers were taken to Los Angeles Times
, and were challenged to create an outfit made out of newspaper
. They had three minutes to grab the newspaper they desired to use for design and then completed the look in a day. Designers were provided with paints and could use muslin
, which could not be shown on the runway, for infrastructure. The winner would have immunity for the next challenge.
Designers were challenged to create a movie character and design a look inspired by different movie genres for this character. Due to Irina's win in the last challenge (and the odd number of remaining contestants), Tim allowed her to choose whichever genre she desired. After that, two people were allotted per genre. Tim chose their names out of a bag at random.
The designers and their genres were as follows:
They were given $150 and a day to complete their designs. The winner received immunity for the next challenge. The judges praised Nicolas, Epperson, and Christopher for their creativity and the ideas behind their muses. Meanwhile, Gordana and Louise were criticized for a lack of creativity, while Ra'mon's dress showed a lack of craftsmanship. It was this, along with his fabric selection, that eventually would get him eliminated.
Designers were challenged to create 2 garments for Macy's, Inc.; they both must be blue and must fit in Macy's, Inc.'s line. Designers had to pitch ideas to Macy's executive Martine Reardon, who chose five designers' ideas for completion. The designers thus had to work in pairs; team leaders were the designers with the favored sketches, who then chose their partners in the following order when Tim selected their name from a bag at random. The leaders and their partners, respectively, were:
The winner of this challenge would not receive immunity, but would instead, make a holiday dress to be sold in select Macy's stores nationwide and on Macy's.com. There was a suggested possibility for one OR more people to go home. Had two people gone home, Christopher would have been the other
Designers were challenged to reconstruct a divorcée's wedding gown and turn it into a new dress. Each designer was allocated a divorcée, who fed their respective designers ideas on how to translate their gowns. They were given $25 to spend at Mood and were allowed to buy a maximum of two yards of fabric. The challenge ended at midnight. The winner of the challenge received the last immunity for the remainder of the season's challenges.
The designers were required to make a dazzling and show-stopping stage look for guest judge Christina Aguilera. This outfit is intended to catch the attention of the audience in the back of the theater, as well as appear chic on camera close-ups. They were given budget of $300 and two days to complete their designs. The winner would no longer be granted immunity from this point forth.
For this challenge, the designers embark on a trip to the Michael Kors boutique, where Kors briefs them about drawing inspiration from seven select locales around the world. Designers chose in the following order, beginning with Carol Hannah as a benefit from her previous win:
They were given $150 to shop at Mood and one day to complete their looks.
Before being presented with their challenge, the designers were required to be facing away from the runway. When Heidi emerged, they were surprised to see looks of theirs from previous challenges. They were asked to create a companion piece from their winning look. (Irina, who has three wins as of this episode, was given her most recent look; Logan, who has never won or been in the top before, was presented with his first look by default.) The designers were given $100 to shop at Mood and one day to complete their outfits. In the workroom, Althea noticed Logan was creating a similar collar to that of her top three design from Episode 9. On the runway, Irina insinuated that Althea's coat was inspired by Irina's previous winning look, but the judges ignored this complaint and awarded Althea the win.
For their final runway challenge before New York Fashion Week
, the designers embarked to Los Angeles's famed Getty Center
(a portion of the J. Paul Getty Museum
), where they were greeted by Tim and the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa
. After the mayor greeted them, Tim explained that their challenge would be to draw inspiration from any location in and around the Getty Center. After 30 minutes of browsing (with their models in tow as muses) and 30 minutes of sketching, they were given $300 to shop at Mood for the final time. On the runway, no concise top or bottom was indicated. Rather, the judges had compliments and criticisms for all. Heidi then asked each designer to explain why they felt they were worthy of making it to Bryant Park
and which two designers they would take with them. There was no one winner for this challenge; instead, each designer was either advanced to the final round or eliminated. However, the magazine featuring the winner featured Carol Hannah. This may have been because she only had one previous win, compared to Althea and Irina, who had 2 and 3 respectively
For part 1 of the finale, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn sent the remaining contestants (Irina, Carol Hannah and Althea) home with $9000 and ten weeks to create a 12-piece collection. The narrative shifts to a few weeks later when Tim Gunn arrives at the contestants' homes to critique their collections. In addition to providing an outside opinion, he also joins each contestant for a meal with their friends and family. Ten days before New York Fashion Week
, Tim calls Irina to inform her that the images that she is using for her collection are copyrighted and cannot be used. The week before Bryant Park, Althea and Irina arrive in New York; Tim arrives later to inform them that Carol Hannah has fallen ill with a stomach virus
, although she feels better and joins them in the workroom the next day. The three, over the course of the next week, pick models and finish their collections before Heidi and Tim arrive with a surprise- they must create, complete and integrate one more piece into their collection. Previous contestants Gordana, Logan and Christopher
arrive to help them. The show ends with Carol Hannah falling ill once again.
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
, a reality competition show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
about fashion design, premiered on Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
on August 20, 2009, the first season to be aired on that network. The production of this season started in September 2008 and finished the pre-finale filming on October 17, 2008. It is the only season of Project Runway filmed at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Returning as judges are supermodel Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum
Heidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
, fashion designer Michael Kors
Michael Kors
Michael Kors is an American fashion designer. He is best known for designing classic American sportswear for women.-Personal life:...
, and Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
fashion director Nina Garcia
Nina Garcia
Nina García, is a Colombian fashion journalist and critic who has held the post of Fashion Director at Elle and Marie Claire magazines, and is currently a judge on the Lifetime reality television program Project Runway....
. Tim Gunn
Tim Gunn
Timothy M. "Tim" Gunn is an American fashion consultant and television personality. He was on the faculty of Parsons The New School for Design from 1982 to 2007 and was chair of fashion design at the school from August 2000 to March 2007, after which he joined Liz Claiborne as its chief creative...
returned as a mentor to the aspiring designers. This is the second season which consisted of all female finalists.
The winner of this season of Project Runway, Irina Shabayeva
Irina Shabayeva
Irina Shabayeva is the winner of the sixth season of Project Runway along with her model, Kalyn Hemphill. Shabayeva is originally from the Republic of Georgia and is of Russian heritage...
, received an editorial feature in an issue of Marie Claire magazine, a cash prize of $100,000 to start her own line, and an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Paris. Furthermore, the winning model of this season, Kalyn Hemphill, received a $25,000 cash prize from L’Oreal and took part in the winning designer's fashion spread in Marie Claire.
The premiere was preceded by a two-hour special episode of Project Runway: All-Star Challenge where eight past contestants (Daniel Vosovic
Daniel Vosovic
Daniel Vosovic is a fashion designer and a finalist in season 2 of the reality show, Project Runway. He was the winner of the Project Runway All-Star Challenge, which aired on August 20, 2009.-Biography:...
, Santino Rice
Santino Rice
Santino Quinto Rice is an American fashion designer and television personality. He is best known for his appearances on the reality television programs Project Runway, RuPaul's Drag Race, and On the Road with Austin and Santino.-Early life:Rice was born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri...
, Jeffrey Sebelia
Jeffrey Sebelia
Jeffrey Sebelia is an American fashion designer and founder of the clothing label Cosa Nostra, which he headed from a loft on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles...
, Uli Herzner
Uli Herzner
Ulrike “Uli” Herzner is a fashion designer originally from East Germany, currently living in Miami Beach, Florida. She was a contestant on the third season of the Bravo network reality television series Project Runway, where she finished runner-up to Jeffrey Sebelia. She is now the star of her own...
, Mychael Knight, Chris March
Chris March
Chris March is an American fashion and costume designer best known for his appearance as a contestant on season 4 of Bravo's Project Runway. He was also on the Project Runway All-Star Challenge, and was the third runner up....
, Sweet P, and Korto Momolu) competed in one challenge with a cash prize of $100,000. Vosovic won the challenge, while Momolu came in second place, Sweet P in third, and March in fourth.
In order of elimination
| Name | Age | Place of residence | Place finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ari Fish | 16th | ||
| Malvin Vien | 15th | ||
| Mitchell Hall | 14th | ||
| Qristyl Frazier | 13th | ||
| Johnny Sakalis | 12th | ||
| Ra'mon Lawrence Coleman | 11th | ||
| Louise Black | 10th | ||
| Rodney Epperson | 9th | ||
| Shirin Askari | 8th | ||
| Nicolas Putvinski Nicolas Putvinski Nicolas Putvinski is a Russian fashion designer. He was a contestant on Project Runway in which he finished in 7th place. Nicolas was born in Moscow, Russia.... |
7th | ||
| Logan Neitzel | 6th | ||
| Christopher Straub Christopher Straub Christopher Straub is a fashion designer who was a contestant on season 6 of the competitive reality show Project Runway and also appeared on season 1 of the competitive reality show Models of the Runway as the designer for the model Katie Sticksel, Celine Chua, and Matar Cohen... |
5th | ||
| Gordana Gehlhausen | 4th | ||
| Carol Hannah Whitfield | 3rd | ||
| Althea Harper Althea Harper Althea Campbell Harper is an American fashion designer. She was a contestant on Season 6 of Project Runway in which she finished as the runner up... |
2nd | ||
| Irina Shabayeva Irina Shabayeva Irina Shabayeva is the winner of the sixth season of Project Runway along with her model, Kalyn Hemphill. Shabayeva is originally from the Republic of Georgia and is of Russian heritage... |
1st |
In order of elimination
| Name | Age | From | Place of residence | Place finished |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yosuzi Sylvester | 21 | Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south... |
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
16th |
| Erika Macke | 21 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
15th(Withdrew) |
| Erica Milde | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Chicago, Illinois | 14th | |
| Valerie Roy | 27 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
New York, New York | 13th |
| Emarie Wiltz | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
New York, New York | 12th | |
| Fatma Dabo | Gambia | Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
11th | |
| Vanessa Fitzgerald | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
New York, New York | 10th | |
| Tara Egan | 21 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Chicago, Illinois | 9th |
| Ebony Jointer | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Hacienda Heights, California Hacienda Heights, California Hacienda Heights is an unincorporated census-designated place in and below the Puente Hills of the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States... |
8th | |
| Celine Chua | 28 | Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
New York, New York | 7th |
| Kojii Helnwein Kojii Helnwein Kojii Helnwein , born January 8, is a model, actress and musician.-Early Life and Family:Born in Dublin, Ireland, Kojii is the daughter of musician Enda Wyatt of Irish rock band An Emotional Fish and holistic healing mother.Kojii has one brother who is also a bassist and trained in holistic... |
25 | Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
6th |
| Katie Sticksel | 22 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
5th |
| Matar Cohen | 24 | Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
New York, New York | 4th |
| Lisa Blades | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
3rd | |
| Tanisha Harper Tanisha Harper Tanisha Mariko Harper is a model, actress and television host.- Early life :Harper was born in Tokyo, Japan. She is of African-American, and Cherokee Native American descent. At the age of fifteen years old she was discovered in a shopping mall in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona... |
24 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
2nd |
| Kalyn Hemphill | 19 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
New York, New York | 1st |
Project Runway
| Designer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | Episode | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irina | IN | IN | HIGH | IN | WIN | IN | WIN | HIGH | IN | WIN | HIGH | ADV | - | WINNER | 14 - Finale, Part 2 13 - Finale, Part 1 |
| Althea | IN | HIGH | IN | WIN | HIGH | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | IN | WIN | ADV | - | ||
| IN | IN | IN | HIGH | IN | IN | HIGH | IN | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | ADV | - | 3RD PLACE | ||
| Gordana | IN | IN | LOW | IN | LOW | LOW | HIGH | WIN | IN | HIGH | LOW | OUT | 12 - The Art of Fashion | ||
| Christopher | WIN | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | LOW | LOW | LOW | LOW | OUT | |||
| Logan | IN | IN | IN | LOW | IN | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | LOW | OUT | 11 - The Best of the Best | |||
| Nicolas | IN | IN | LOW | IN | LOW | WIN | LOW | IN | HIGH | OUT | 10 - Around the World in Two Days | ||||
| Shirin | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | HIGH | OUT | ||||||
| Epperson | IN | IN | LOW | HIGH | IN | HIGH | LOW | OUT | 8 - A Fashionable New Beginning | ||||||
| Louise | IN | HIGH | IN | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | 7 - The Sky Is the Limit | |||||||
| Ra'mon | HIGH | LOW | WIN | IN | IN | OUT | 6 - Lights, Camera, Sew! | ||||||||
| Johnny | HIGH | IN | HIGH | LOW | OUT | 5 - Papper Dresses | |||||||||
| Qristyl | LOW | IN | LOW | OUT | 4 - Models As Clients | ||||||||||
| Mitchell | LOW | LOW | OUT | 3 - Surf's Up | |||||||||||
| Malvin | IN | OUT | 2 - Mommy Chic | ||||||||||||
| Ari | OUT | 1 - Red Carpet Ready | |||||||||||||
- Heidi Klum cited Nicolas as "very lucky", stating had he not had immunity from the last challenge, he could have also been out.: Tim Gunn announced that this would be the last challenge awarding immunity to the winner. Immunity will no longer be granted from episode 9 and onward until the competition ends.: Before allowing Gordana to leave the runway, Heidi told her she could have been in the bottom and/or out, had she not had immunity.: The judges did not split the group into "high" or "low" scorers. Hence, there was no winner; designers either advanced to Fashion Week or were eliminated. However, on Lifetime's Comcast OnDemand channel, Carol Hannah was featured in the November 5 "Winner's Interview" and "Winner Judging" segments.
- The designer won Project Runway Season 6.
- The designer advanced to Fashion Week.
- The designer won the challenge.
- The designer came in second but did not win the challenge.
- The designer had one of the highest scores for that challenge, but did not win.
- The designer had one of the lowest scores for that challenge, but was not eliminated.
- The designer was in the bottom two, but was not eliminated.
- The designer lost and was out of the competition.
- The designer had one of the highest scores but was eliminated.
Models of the Runway
| Model | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalyn | QF | MH | IS | IS | IS | IS | NP | NP | NP | IS | IS | IS | IS | WINNER | 14 - That's a Wrap! 13 - Bryant Park Bound |
| Tanisha | AH | AH | AH | AH | AH | AH | RE | IS | AH | CW | AH | AH | AH | OUT | |
| Lisa | LB | LB | LB | CW | CW | CW | LN | CW | CW | AH | CW | CW | CW | OUT | |
| Matar | NP | SA | QF | RE | RE | RE | GG | GG | GG | CS | GG | GG | OUT | 12 - NY Here We Come! | |
| Katie | CS | CS | CS | CS | CS | CS | IS | CS | CS | GG | CS | CS | OUT | ||
| Kojii | CW | CW | LN | LN | LN | LN | LB | RE | LN | NP | LN | OUT | 11 - It's a Sticky Situation | ||
| Celine | IS | IS | NP | NP | NP | NP | CS | LN | IS | LN | OUT | 10 - Burlesque Babies | |||
| Ebony | SA | NP | SA | SA | SA | SA | CW | SA | SA | OUT | 9 - Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow | ||||
| Tara | GG | GG | GG | GG | GG | GG | AH | AH | OUT | 8 - A Fresh Start | |||||
| Vanessa | RC | RC | RC | RC | RC | RC | SA | OUT | 7 - You're My Pumpkin Pie | ||||||
| Fatma | LN | LN | MH | LB | LB | LB | OUT | 6 - Hot Mess | |||||||
| Emarie | JS | JS | JS | JS | JS | OUT | 5 - Chic Clique | ||||||||
| Valerie | MV | MV | CW | QF | OUT | ||||||||||
| Erica | RE | RE | RE | OUT | 3 - Frenemies | ||||||||||
| Erika | AF | QF | WD | 2 - They Love Me, They Love Me Not | |||||||||||
| Yosuzi | MH | OUT | 1 - Off the Runway | ||||||||||||
- The aftershow "Models of the Runway" fully reveals the eliminated model of a future challenge.: Valerie was originally eliminated in Episode 2; however, she was brought back after Erika, Carol Hannah's model, voluntarily withdrew.: All the designers were required to switch models for this episode.: In place of the models, a group of divorcées modeled designs based on their old wedding dresses. Colored boxes in this column refer to the models assigned to the winning and losing designers.: The designers were once again required to switch models for this episode.
- The model won Project Runway Season 6.
- The model wore the winning design that challenge.
- The model wore the losing design that challenge.
- The model was eliminated.
- The model was brought back into the competition.
- The model withdrew from the competition.
Designer Legend
- Althea: AH
- Ari: AF
- Carol Hannah: CW
- Christopher: CS
- Epperson: RE
- Gordana: GG
- Irina: IS
- Johnny: JS
- Logan: LN
- Louise: LB
- Malvin: MV
- Mitchell: MH
- Nicolas: NP
- Qristyl: QF
- Ra'mon: RC
- Shirin: SA
Episode 1: Welcome to Los Angeles!
Original Airdate: August 20, 2009The designers were asked to create a dress made for a red carpet event, focusing on innovation on their creation and making a statement on who they are as a designer. They were preassigned models for their challenge, given 30 minutes to sketch their design, a 30-minute shopping spree at Mood with a budget of $200, and two days to complete their design.
- Guest Judge: Lindsay LohanLindsay LohanLindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
- WINNER: Christopher
- ELIMINATED: Ari
Episode 2: We Expect Fashion
Original Airdate: August 27, 2009Designers were to create a pregnancy look for supermodel Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
, who is carrying twins. She was looking for something that was fashionable and easy to move in, but also something appropriate for a pregnant woman to wear out in public. Designers were given 30 minutes to sketch, a 30 minute shopping spree at Mood with a budget of $100, and 2 days to complete the look. The prize for the winning designer was immunity for the next challenge.
- Guest Judges: Monique LhuillierMonique LhuillierDiane Monique Lhuillier is a fashion designer most prominently known for bridal wear. She owns a couture fashion house based in Los Angeles, California....
(sitting in for Michael Kors), Rebecca RomijnRebecca RomijnRebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
- WINNER: Shirin
- ELIMINATED: Malvin
Episode 3: Rumble on the Runway
Original Airdate: September 3, 2009The designers were taken to the beach, where they were told to create a fashionable, surfer-inspired outfit, and were placed in teams of two. Tim drew the names of team leaders via a random lotto; those team leaders then selected their partners in the order they were chosen, as follows:
| Team | Team Members |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shirin and Carol Hannah |
| 2 | Logan and Christopher |
| 3 | Nicolas and Gordana |
| 4 | Mitchell and Ra'mon |
| 5 | Althea and Louise |
| 6 | Qristyl and Epperson |
| 7 | Johnny and Irina |
Later on in the challenge, it was revealed that they would also be creating an avant-garde look inspired by their ready-to-wear, surfer-inspired outfit. They had $50 for the first look and $200 for the second. Most of the episode focused on Qristyl and Epperson, who had trouble getting along, and Mitchell and Ra'mon; Mitchell had trouble keeping on task, which caused Ra'mon to have to create both looks mostly on his own. At judging, Qristyl and Mitchell were in the Bottom 2, Qristyl for not being able to lead her team and Mitchell for not doing anything. Ra'mon was crowned the winner, even though he was not the team leader. Mitchell on the other hand, was eliminated for not doing anything for his team's designs.
- Note: This episode marks the first person (and team leader) of a winning look to be eliminated.
- Guest Judges: Max AzriaMax AzriaMax Azria is a French fashion designer of Tunisian Jewish descent who founded the contemporary women's clothing brand BCBGMAXAZRIA. Azria is also the designer, chairman and CEO of BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP, a global fashion house that encompasses over 20 brands...
(sitting in for Michael Kors), Rachel BilsonRachel BilsonRachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
- WINNER: Ra'mon
- ELIMINATED: Mitchell
Episode 4: What a Woman Wants
Original Airdate: September 10, 2009The designers were challenged to create an eye-catching outfit to please their surprise client: their models. This outfit is intended for model industry events. Designers were given a budget of $100 to shop at Mood, and a day to complete the look. The winning designer would have immunity for the next challenge.
- Guest Judges: Marc Bouwer (sitting in for Michael Kors), Zoe Glassner (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Jennifer Rade
- WINNER: Althea
- ELIMINATED: Qristyl
Episode 5: Fashion Headliners
Original Airdate: September 17, 2009Designers were taken to Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, and were challenged to create an outfit made out of newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. They had three minutes to grab the newspaper they desired to use for design and then completed the look in a day. Designers were provided with paints and could use muslin
Muslin
Muslin |sewing patterns]], such as for clothing, curtains, or upholstery. Because air moves easily through muslin, muslin clothing is suitable for hot, dry climates.- Etymology and history :...
, which could not be shown on the runway, for infrastructure. The winner would have immunity for the next challenge.
- Guest Judges: Tommy HilfigerTommy HilfigerThomas Jacob "Tommy" Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and founder of the premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger.-Early life:...
(sitting in for Michael Kors), Zoe Glassner (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Eva LongoriaEva LongoriaEva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
- WINNER: Irina
- ELIMINATED: Johnny
Episode 6: Lights, Camera, Sew!
Original Airdate: September 24, 2009Designers were challenged to create a movie character and design a look inspired by different movie genres for this character. Due to Irina's win in the last challenge (and the odd number of remaining contestants), Tim allowed her to choose whichever genre she desired. After that, two people were allotted per genre. Tim chose their names out of a bag at random.
The designers and their genres were as follows:
| Genre | Designers |
|---|---|
| Action/Adventure | Carol Hannah, Logan |
| Film Noir | Althea, Irina, Louise |
| Period Piece | Christopher, Gordana |
| Sci-Fi | Nicolas, Ra'mon |
| Western | Epperson, Shirin |
They were given $150 and a day to complete their designs. The winner received immunity for the next challenge. The judges praised Nicolas, Epperson, and Christopher for their creativity and the ideas behind their muses. Meanwhile, Gordana and Louise were criticized for a lack of creativity, while Ra'mon's dress showed a lack of craftsmanship. It was this, along with his fabric selection, that eventually would get him eliminated.
- Guest Judges: John VarvatosJohn VarvatosJohn Varvatos is an American contemporary high fashion menswear designer.- Biography :The Varvatos family are originally from the small village of Poulata on the Greek island of Cefalonia. John Varvatos was born in Detroit and grew up in Allen Park, a Downriver community situated south of the city...
(sitting in for Michael Kors), Zoe Glassner (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Arianne PhillipsArianne PhillipsArianne Phillips is a costume designer. She has also been Madonna's stylist and has designed and styled her last four concert tours. She has worked with Lenny Kravitz, Courtney Love, No Doubt and Justin Timberlake...
- WINNER: Nicolas
- ELIMINATED: Ra'mon
Episode 7: The Sky Is the Limit
Original Airdate: October 1, 2009Designers were challenged to create 2 garments for Macy's, Inc.; they both must be blue and must fit in Macy's, Inc.'s line. Designers had to pitch ideas to Macy's executive Martine Reardon, who chose five designers' ideas for completion. The designers thus had to work in pairs; team leaders were the designers with the favored sketches, who then chose their partners in the following order when Tim selected their name from a bag at random. The leaders and their partners, respectively, were:
| Team | Team Members |
|---|---|
| 1 | Althea and Logan |
| 2 | Christopher and Epperson |
| 3 | Louise and Nicolas |
| 4 | Irina and Gordana |
| 5 | Carol Hannah and Shirin |
The winner of this challenge would not receive immunity, but would instead, make a holiday dress to be sold in select Macy's stores nationwide and on Macy's.com. There was a suggested possibility for one OR more people to go home. Had two people gone home, Christopher would have been the other
- Guest Judges: Zanna Roberts (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Martine Reardon
- WINNER: Irina (teamed with Gordana Gehlhausen)
- ELIMINATED: Louise (teamed with Nicolas Putvinski)
Episode 8: A Fashionable New Beginning
Original Airdate: October 8, 2009Designers were challenged to reconstruct a divorcée's wedding gown and turn it into a new dress. Each designer was allocated a divorcée, who fed their respective designers ideas on how to translate their gowns. They were given $25 to spend at Mood and were allowed to buy a maximum of two yards of fabric. The challenge ended at midnight. The winner of the challenge received the last immunity for the remainder of the season's challenges.
- Guest Judges: Zanna Roberts (sitting in for Nina Garcia), Tamara MellonTamara MellonTamara Mellon, OBE is the Chief Creative Office and co-founder of Jimmy Choo, a luxury brand that offers designer shoes, handbags and a range of accessories .-Early life:...
- WINNER: Gordana
- ELIMINATED: Epperson
Episode 9: Sequins, Feathers and Fur, Oh My!
Original Airdate: October 15, 2009The designers were required to make a dazzling and show-stopping stage look for guest judge Christina Aguilera. This outfit is intended to catch the attention of the audience in the back of the theater, as well as appear chic on camera close-ups. They were given budget of $300 and two days to complete their designs. The winner would no longer be granted immunity from this point forth.
- Guest Judges: Bob MackieBob MackieRobert Gordon Mackie is an American fashion designer, best known for his costuming for entertainment icons such as Judy Garland, Cher, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Tina Turner, and Mitzi Gaynor...
(sitting in for Michael Kors), Christina AguileraChristina AguileraChristina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
- WINNER: Carol Hannah
- ELIMINATED: Shirin
Episode 10: Around the World in Two Days
Original Airdate: October 22, 2009For this challenge, the designers embark on a trip to the Michael Kors boutique, where Kors briefs them about drawing inspiration from seven select locales around the world. Designers chose in the following order, beginning with Carol Hannah as a benefit from her previous win:
| Location | Designer |
|---|---|
| Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach, Florida The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth... |
Carol Hannah |
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Nicolas |
| Saint-Tropez Saint-Tropez Saint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez.... |
Althea |
| New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
Gordana |
| Aspen, Colorado Aspen, Colorado The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005... |
Irina |
| Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census... |
Christopher |
| Hollywood, California | Logan |
They were given $150 to shop at Mood and one day to complete their looks.
- Guest Judge: Milla JovovichMilla JovovichMilla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...
- WINNER: Irina
- ELIMINATED: Nicolas
Episode 11: The Best of the Best
Original Airdate: October 29, 2009Before being presented with their challenge, the designers were required to be facing away from the runway. When Heidi emerged, they were surprised to see looks of theirs from previous challenges. They were asked to create a companion piece from their winning look. (Irina, who has three wins as of this episode, was given her most recent look; Logan, who has never won or been in the top before, was presented with his first look by default.) The designers were given $100 to shop at Mood and one day to complete their outfits. In the workroom, Althea noticed Logan was creating a similar collar to that of her top three design from Episode 9. On the runway, Irina insinuated that Althea's coat was inspired by Irina's previous winning look, but the judges ignored this complaint and awarded Althea the win.
- Guest Judges: Nick VerreosNick VerreosNick Verreos is an American fashion designer and contestant on the second season of the reality television program Project Runway.-Early life and education:...
(sitting in for Michael Kors), Kerry WashingtonKerry WashingtonKerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
- WINNER: Althea
- ELIMINATED: Logan
Episode 12: The Art of Fashion
Original Airdate: November 5, 2009For their final runway challenge before New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
, the designers embarked to Los Angeles's famed Getty Center
Getty Center
The Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is a campus for cultural institutions founded by oilman J. Paul Getty. The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles...
(a portion of the J. Paul Getty Museum
J. Paul Getty Museum
The J. Paul Getty Museum, a program of the J. Paul Getty Trust, is an art museum. It has two locations, one at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, and one at the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California...
), where they were greeted by Tim and the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
. After the mayor greeted them, Tim explained that their challenge would be to draw inspiration from any location in and around the Getty Center. After 30 minutes of browsing (with their models in tow as muses) and 30 minutes of sketching, they were given $300 to shop at Mood for the final time. On the runway, no concise top or bottom was indicated. Rather, the judges had compliments and criticisms for all. Heidi then asked each designer to explain why they felt they were worthy of making it to Bryant Park
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a 9.603 acre privately managed public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan...
and which two designers they would take with them. There was no one winner for this challenge; instead, each designer was either advanced to the final round or eliminated. However, the magazine featuring the winner featured Carol Hannah. This may have been because she only had one previous win, compared to Althea and Irina, who had 2 and 3 respectively
- Guest Judges: Cynthia RowleyCynthia RowleyCynthia Rowley is an American fashion designer. The fashion label she created in the early 1980s bears her name.-Background:...
(sitting in for Michael Kors), Cindy CrawfordCindy CrawfordCynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford is an American model. Known for her trademark mole just above her lip, Crawford has adorned hundreds of magazine covers throughout her career. She was named #3 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of the 90s...
- ADVANCING: Althea, Carol Hannah, and Irina
- ELIMINATED: Christopher and Gordana
Episode 13: Finale - Part 1
Original Airdate: November 12, 2009For part 1 of the finale, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn sent the remaining contestants (Irina, Carol Hannah and Althea) home with $9000 and ten weeks to create a 12-piece collection. The narrative shifts to a few weeks later when Tim Gunn arrives at the contestants' homes to critique their collections. In addition to providing an outside opinion, he also joins each contestant for a meal with their friends and family. Ten days before New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
, Tim calls Irina to inform her that the images that she is using for her collection are copyrighted and cannot be used. The week before Bryant Park, Althea and Irina arrive in New York; Tim arrives later to inform them that Carol Hannah has fallen ill with a stomach virus
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is marked by severe inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract involving both the stomach and small intestine resulting in acute diarrhea and vomiting. It can be transferred by contact with contaminated food and water...
, although she feels better and joins them in the workroom the next day. The three, over the course of the next week, pick models and finish their collections before Heidi and Tim arrive with a surprise- they must create, complete and integrate one more piece into their collection. Previous contestants Gordana, Logan and Christopher
Christopher Straub
Christopher Straub is a fashion designer who was a contestant on season 6 of the competitive reality show Project Runway and also appeared on season 1 of the competitive reality show Models of the Runway as the designer for the model Katie Sticksel, Celine Chua, and Matar Cohen...
arrive to help them. The show ends with Carol Hannah falling ill once again.
| Team | Team Members |
|---|---|
| 1 | Althea and Logan |
| 2 | Irina and Gordana |
| 3 | Carol Hannah and Christopher |
Episode 14: Finale - Part 2
Original Airdate: November 19, 2009- Guest Judge: Suzy MenkesSuzy MenkesSuzy Menkes, OBE has been head fashion reporter and Editor for the International Herald Tribune since 1988. In that time she has written over 1.7 million words in the paper....
- WINNER: Irina
- ELIMINATED: Carol Hannah and Althea