Not so fast, Lifetime: Bravo brings back one more season of 'Project Runway'

NEW YORK -- OK, “Project Runway” fans, it’s official: You’re in for a “PR”-heavy 2008. Bravo executives confirmed today that your favorite fashion competition will return for its fifth season this July on that network before strutting over to its new home on Lifetime, where Season 6 is scheduled to air in late November.

The news came this morning at Bravo’s upfront breakfast, held at Craft, the Flatiron restaurant owned by “Top Chef’s” Tom Colicchio. As reporters munched on frittata, bacon and apple-cinnamon doughnuts, Bravo President Lauren Zalaznick declared that the network is in the best shape it’s ever been.

“Ours is not a comeback story,” she said. “Ours is a story of absolute continued momentum that we’re really proud of.”

Of course, there is that pesky matter of the “Runway” lawsuit, filed by Bravo’s parent company NBC Universal last week after the Weinstein Co. announced it was moving the hit show over to Lifetime.

“Regarding last week’s news, as you can well imagine, I have not much to say,” Zalaznick said. “It’s ongoing litigation, and the no comment starts here and ends here.”

She did note that “Runway” Executive Producer Harvey Weinstein had planned to attend the breakfast, but was likely too busy doing favors for NBCU Chief Executive Jeff Zucker.

“Harvey was gonna come, but Jeff has four kids, so it takes a long time to drop them at school and then he has windows and cleaning to do, so he may or may not make it,” she quipped.

That was about all Bravo executives had to say about “Runway,” which is currently in preproduction. But they had plenty else to talk about, including Bravo’s “consumer-centric” approach.

“We put the consumer in the center of our swirling bubble of Bravo,” said Zalaznick, making the channel sound like a zesty brand of shower gel.   

The mantra for 2008, repeated by multiple executives: “More Bravo, more often and in more places.”

The cable channel is boosting its programming hours by 45% in the coming year and adding three new series to its slate of 12 original programs.

Joining the line-up are:

• “The Rachel Zoe Project:” A “docu-drama” about the celebrity stylist and her coterie as her empire grows.
• “Date My Ex:” A spin-off of “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” this reality dating series tracks the romantic adventures of Jo De La Rosa as her dates are monitored by her ex-fiance Slade Smiley.
• “Real Housewives of New Jersey:” Self-explanatory. The third iteration of this franchise centers on five Garden State women and their lavish lifestyles.

Returning this year, along with “Project Runway": “Flipping Out,” “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List,” “Million Dollar Listing,” “The Millionaire Matchmaker,” “The Real Housewives of New York City,” “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” “Shear Genius,” “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style,” “Top Chef,” “Top Design” and “Work Out.”

The channel also has several other projects in development, including a series about New York restaurateur Donatella Arpaia, a reality show about a group of wealthy friends in Miami and a “Shear Genius” spinoff featuring former contestant Tabatha Coffey.

-- Matea Gold

(Photo courtesy Mark Abrahams / Bravo)

NEW YORK—Producer Harvey Weinstein doesn’t appear worried that he made enemies at NBC Universal by moving his hit show “Project Runway” from NBCU’s Bravo over to Lifetime.

NBC Universal Chief Executive “Jeff Zucker has been a friend of mine for many years,” Weinstein said today at a lunchtime programming presentation hosted by Lifetime Networks at a posh midtown Manhattan restaurant. “Over the next three years, once I finish my servitude of cleaning his house, driving him to work every day, baby-sitting the kids and taking [his wife] Karen shopping, I think we will be friends again.

“And when I come back in my next lifetime, the years that I want to be single and have fun again, I want to be Ben Silverman,” a grinning Weinstein added for good measure, referring to the notoriously fun-loving NBC Entertainment co-chairman.

NBC Universal filed a lawsuit last week against the Weinstein Co., claiming the producers violated Bravo’s right of first refusal by signing a five-season deal with Lifetime beginning this November.

In the claim, NBC cited a promise Weinstein made to Zucker over lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills in January 2007, when he allegedly told the network honcho: “You can only have in your life five true friends, and I consider you one of my five friends. And I’m telling you, I will not embarrass you.”

Weinstein declined to comment on the suit Monday, but said, “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

“As I’ve said before, Jeff Zucker has been one of my best friends for many years,” he added. “The show was never going to be renewed for Bravo anyhow. . . . We wanted to grow the show; we have the rights to leave.”

Brace yourselves, “Project Runway” fans, because this one is a biggie: After five seasons on Bravo, your favorite fashion competition will sashay over to a new network.

The Weinstein Co., which produces the popular program, announced today that the Heidi Klum-hosted show is moving to Lifetime Networks as part of a five-season deal with the network. Here’s what the producers had to say:

“We would like to sincerely thank NBC Universal and Bravo for all their contribution and support. Today’s announcement is a celebration of all of our success and having Lifetime’s unique cable reach will ensure that the show will continue to grow and expand in the years to come. Lifetime is one of the strongest cable networks in the industry, with great leadership and a true commitment to original programming. We are very excited for the many new opportunities that will now be provided to ‘Runway’ and its fans and look forward to premiering the sixth season in November 2008.”

The move is a major coup for Lifetime, and network president Andrea Wong sounded jubilant about the deal:

“Project Runway’ is one of the best television programs on the air today on broadcast or cable. I am a huge fan. All my friends are huge fans. Having water cooler movies, dramas, and reality shows like ‘Project Runway’ is what Lifetime Television is all about.”

The move is apparently not viewed sanguinely at NBC Universal. According to a joint news release from Lifetime and the Weinstein Co., NBC decided not to pick up the show, then sued the producers in New York Supreme Court today over the move to Lifetime.

David Boies, the high-powered attorney representing the Weinstein Co., dismissed the suit as without merit. NBC Universal could not immediately be reached for comment.

So what does this mean for Season 6? The show will still feature Klum, who quipped in today’s announcement that “fashion is about change.” Designer mentor Tim Gunn also pledged to “make it work” with Lifetime.

UPDATE: NBC Universal says that the Weinstein Co. signed the deal with Lifetime without offering it the chance to match the offer. Here's the company's statement:

"NBC Universal has continuing legal rights related to 'Project Runway,' including a right of first refusal to future cycles of the series, which the Weinstein Co. unfortunately has refused to honor. NBC Universal regrettably had no alternative but to bring legal action to enforce its rights to this program, including the right to decide whether it is in the best interest of the company to continue to air the show under the proposed financial terms."

Amid this thorny dispute, it remains unclear how Bravo will handle the fifth season of "Runway," which is set to air on the network sometime this year. Casting for the show is scheduled to wrap up this week.

-- Matea Gold

Photo: Getty Images. (L-R) Model Tyson Beckford, model Niki Taylor, "Project Runway" judge Nina Garcia, judge and designer Michael Kors, singer Victoria Beckham and model/host Heidi Klum attend the "Project Runway" Season 4 Fall 2008.

There was a moment in "Project Runway's" season finale Wednesday night when Christian Siriano, the boy wonder who typically finished his challenges early and with utter, arch confidence, looked like he was going to fall to pieces. Heidi Klum had said only his name and nothing else, drawing out her trademark tortuous pause. The camera locked on his face: His lip trembled and buckled, he squeezed his roving eyes shut and then opened them, and a couple of tears leaked down his cheek.

Suddenly, it was evident: Christian, 21, wanted this bad and maybe needed it more than Rami Kashou, an already established LA designer who has dressed Jessica Alba and Fergie. And so Christian -- with his club-kid half-hawk and mantra of “fierce!” -- became the youngest winner in the history of "Project Runway."

Guest judge Victoria Beckham was pleased — she’d noted earlier that Christian’s dramatic, voluminous creations, which sometimes threatened to swallow the heads of his models like some froufrou wicked python, had made her smile from her front-row seat. Yet don’t expect to see that sign of good humor in a photograph any time soon. Beckham has taken it upon herself to be couture’s sharp-boned gargoyle, admonishing the rest of us to enter those hallowed halls with respect.

Speaking from his apartment in New York this morning, nearly a month after the taping of Runway’s finale, Christian, now 22, is vivacious but hasn’t forgotten the total freak-out feeling he felt in that moment. “I wasn’t really prepared to win," he says in a voice that sounds like it's dripping with gossip at all times. "I was so tired, so emotional, so exhausted. I wanted to win for my family and my friends who had all supported me.” He says he wasn’t surprised exactly, but it still came as a shock: “Here I was competing with these amazing, talented designers and I’m so young.”

So, how did he win? The runway, like an X-ray, exposed cracks in Jillian Lewis' and Rami’s collections. Nina Garcia was right: Former Ralph Lauren designer Jillian couldn’t decide which of her inspirations should dominate, and in the end, none of them did — a disservice to her innovative and richly detailed collection. Rami, who will stand by his ideal of statuesque feminine beauty no matter what, sufered for his jeweled tones and moss greens that won’t flatter every woman. Something tells me that though he lost, he’d opt out of jumping in his time machine. And I have to say that I thought the draping master had it in the bag.

(Ahem, Rami, I wear moss green and peacock blue. Send those clothes to me c/o the L.A. Times. Kidding!)

If you watch "America’s Next Top Model," you know the importance of humility. If those girls don’t blubber in front of the den mothers at some point, they get cut. Throughout the show, Christian was portrayed as the enfant terrible, issuing harsh judgments on others' designs that were almost always spot-on. But he knew when to pull it back. On the prom challenge, for instance, Christian let a domineering teenager cow him into creating a mess and he took his lashes accordingly. His occasional flashes of humility kept him likable and only deepened as the season continued.

He’s not unaware of this dynamic in his personality: “My cockiness,” he sighs. “Well, I would call it my confidence. Yeah, it’s sassy, but it’s meant to be funny. There were some challenges I didn’t do well on and I took that. It’s not like I was crazy, because I agreed with the decisions." But he doesn't feel bad about any of those lacerating critiques he dished out to his fellow designers. "Every sassy comment I made, you heard it from the judges as well so it wasn’t like I was coming from nowhere."

Whatever his rep is, he takes it with a grain of salt. "I don’t mind being portrayed as [cocky] because I think by the end you see that I’m a humble person and I’m not evil and I don’t hate anyone. I’m not Jeffrey Sebelia! Now he’s sassy!”

Christian had his share of doubters among his competition, of course, and at one point magnanimous mentor Tim Gunn didn’t see what all the fuss was about either. "We saw him in New York, the last stop of our auditions, so we already had selected most of our designers," Gunn said. "As I was looking through his application, I said, ‘Why are we seeing this kid? How can he possibly compete with these people?’ "

But the producers saw a spark in Christian and once Gunn was in the room with the diminutive kid from Maryland who made his own prom outfit, the former chairman of the fashion design department at Parsons the New School for Design did too.

"This is an old soul. His talent is simply staggering and prodigious," Gunn said. "The closest I’ve seen at his age is my former students Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, the Proenza Schouler boys. They were close but they weren’t Christian."

For now, Christian, who says the Bryant Park show nearly destroyed him — models ripping the pants you made five minutes before the catwalk will do that — is calmly waiting for his $100,000 check to come. His plans for it include working on a spring collection that will feature more color and more prints and getting "a fabulous bed" at long last: "Right now, my room is tiny and crowded with big tables, sewing machines and shelves with fabric all over them," he said. "Now that I have means, I need somewhere to sleep."

On the near horizon, he’s got a visit to L.A. scheduled for next week, to show Beckham some clothes from his collection and a few pieces he made just for her. He loves L.A., which might seem counter to his dark, Londonesque sensibilities. "I looooove the atmosphere. I could design there... I’d love to do more of a casual brand, little wearable dresses and jeans. But, in the future, in the future."

In the meantime, he’ll probably have Beckham as his fierce representative.

--Margaret Wappler

Wednesday night’s finale of “Project Runway” presented a smashup between high fashion, Grecian sophistication and military chic. In the end, guest judge Victoria Beckham smiled on Christian Siriano, a miraculous feat in itself if you’ve followed VB’s SmileWatch 2007.

Drooling over Christian’s dramatic collection of black with wisps of brown and creme (and feathers!), the style maven gleefully called his work “mayjah!” in the way only Posh can. And Christian, who usually comes off like a preening peacock strutting its feathers, was reduced to tears with his win. Avant-garde, but not unlike what we’ve seen from him before, his slim-figured designs lacked only a rapier to round out the Puss in Boots look. It’s no fit for the average American soccer mom, but it worked for Posh, a decidedly different kind of soccer mom.

“You really made me smile, and I’m not easy to make smile,” she said, with true understatement.

Was last night’s auff-ing a surprise?

<Shakes head>

Yes, Chris March’s detailed work (with human hair!) on his collection was amazing, but did he really have a chance? He was voted out once before, so it wasn’t a shock that he was sent packing again.

The walkoff between Chris and Rami showed that Rami can do more than drape, causing collective “Project Runway” fans to heave a sigh of relief. What took him so long to change his one-note designs?

At the homes of Christian and Jillian, it was clear why they are the front-runners of the competition. Christian’s designs looked as fierce as ever, while Jillian’s got the market on feminine wearability. When can we buy her clothes?

Chris’ hearty laugh capped off this episode, a fitting tribute and end to a good-natured and gracious designer.

-- Lora Victorio

(Chris March dress photos courtesy Bravo)

NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find a giddier crowd than the one that was packed into the main tent in Bryant Park this morning for “Project Runway’s” finalist fashion show. Sleekly coiffed women in black and men in sharp-angled suits craned their necks as they checked out the other attendees, which included some apparently well-connected adults’ lucky offspring, who didn’t even try to mask their glee.

“That’s Tyson Beckford!” one young girl exclaimed breathlessly, catching sight of the model and Bravo host. “Oh. My. God. Wait -- is it?” Her voice came down an octave, then rose again. “Yes! It is! Tyson Beckford is here!”

Also in the house: Laura Bennett, last season’s runner-up, dressed in a glittery taupe dress, her trademark red bob pulled back into a mini ponytail, along with “Top Chef’s” Padma Lakshmi, “Lipstick Jungle's” Lindsay Price and an assortment of other fabulous-looking folks.

The attendees were still milling around on the runway when the lights dimmed and a striking trio walked down the runway toward the massive bank of cameras: host Heidi Klum, sporting sleek bangs and washed-out jeans; designer Michael Kors, in dark glasses; and – drumroll please! – none other than Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham. The latter, a guest judge for the final episode, was decked out in an eye-popping tangerine dress with a deeply cut neckline, her signature impassive look firmly in place.

After striking a pose, Kors and Beckham took their seats in the front row and Klum reappeared at the top of the runway, belting out a loud, “Hello everybody!” After she welcomed the crowd and offered a special shout-out to producer Harvey Weinstein, the show began.

A rundown after the jump, which PR fans can safely read without encountering any major spoilers. Why? Because those tricky folks at Bravo included all five remaining contestants in the runway show! It made for a gasp-inducing program, as one by one their profiles appeared behind the "Project Runway" screen, triggering confused murmurs in the crowd. But exactly which finalists will appear in the March 5 finale? The official word from Bravo: “Stay tuned.”

I went to prom my junior year, in 1993, with a senior named Josh who had aspirations to be a radio DJ. It was one of the most tremendous letdowns of my adolescent years. I wore a hideous dress and too much makeup and Josh tried to make out with me and I wouldn't let him because I had decided over the course of the evening that he was a total dork-loser. But about that dress? It was bright red velvet with a sweetheart neckline. I hate to admit it, but it resembled the one that got Kevin canned on last night's episode.

I absolutely adored this week's challenge of making prom dresses for high school girls from New Jersey. Catholic school girls, nonetheless! From the get-go, the show had twists. The girls got to pick the designers. (Am I the only one who imagines that decision-making process somehow ending in a pillow fight?) Poor Christian got saddled with one of the stronger personalities in the group, a handful named Maddie, who, according to Christian's text message (you can get texts from the show if you sign up here), wanted to look like Beyonce for her prom. Didn't we all, honey.

Prom, it turns out, reveals things. Not just who will "go all the way" or who will be a "prude" or who will drink too much of his father's booze beforehand and throw up in his date's lap (that happened to a friend of mine), but it revealed weaknesses in these designers that we may have suspected before but now have confirmation of.

Take Rami, for instance. I'm not going to deny his talent or his stone-cold foxiness, as one commenter put it last week, but he might be a one-trick pony. Or at least, one could easily make that mistake. Don't make the draped, ropy dress anymore, Rami. You already nailed it in the first challenge. What else you got?

As for Christian, last week he was working everyone's last nerves with his smug judgments and seemingly unshakable confidence -- or was it arrogance? Either way, Christian got rocked this week by a 17-year-old girl. His dress wasn't horrible, but it revealed that his normally arch point of view isn't very flexible.

On the triumphant side, wasn't it nice to see Sweet P get a fire in her belly and design a shimmery, red-carpet-ready dress? It would've been perfect on Jessica Alba. Nice to see you back, Sweet P. Victorya rightly won with her inventive, slightly mod but very now electric-blue dress bedecked in jewels, but I'm still a little creeped out by her. Those claws might be retractable, but they're still there.

All around, prom was a great concept for "Project Runway," but I think Kit Pistol missed an opportunity. Wouldn't she have been the perfect one to have updated Molly Ringwald's pink-and-lace prom frock from "Pretty in Pink"?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos: Bravo, Los Angeles Times, Paramount)

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

Weinstein promises 'servitude' to make up with Zucker

NEW YORK—Producer Harvey Weinstein doesn’t appear worried that he made enemies at NBC Universal by moving his hit show “Project Runway” from NBCU’s Bravo over to Lifetime.

NBC Universal Chief Executive “Jeff Zucker has been a friend of mine for many years,” Weinstein said today at a lunchtime programming presentation hosted by Lifetime Networks at a posh midtown Manhattan restaurant. “Over the next three years, once I finish my servitude of cleaning his house, driving him to work every day, baby-sitting the kids and taking [his wife] Karen shopping, I think we will be friends again.

“And when I come back in my next lifetime, the years that I want to be single and have fun again, I want to be Ben Silverman,” a grinning Weinstein added for good measure, referring to the notoriously fun-loving NBC Entertainment co-chairman.

NBC Universal filed a lawsuit last week against the Weinstein Co., claiming the producers violated Bravo’s right of first refusal by signing a five-season deal with Lifetime beginning this November.

In the claim, NBC cited a promise Weinstein made to Zucker over lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills in January 2007, when he allegedly told the network honcho: “You can only have in your life five true friends, and I consider you one of my five friends. And I’m telling you, I will not embarrass you.”

Weinstein declined to comment on the suit Monday, but said, “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

“As I’ve said before, Jeff Zucker has been one of my best friends for many years,” he added. “The show was never going to be renewed for Bravo anyhow. . . . We wanted to grow the show; we have the rights to leave.”

Brace yourselves, “Project Runway” fans, because this one is a biggie: After five seasons on Bravo, your favorite fashion competition will sashay over to a new network.

The Weinstein Co., which produces the popular program, announced today that the Heidi Klum-hosted show is moving to Lifetime Networks as part of a five-season deal with the network. Here’s what the producers had to say:

“We would like to sincerely thank NBC Universal and Bravo for all their contribution and support. Today’s announcement is a celebration of all of our success and having Lifetime’s unique cable reach will ensure that the show will continue to grow and expand in the years to come. Lifetime is one of the strongest cable networks in the industry, with great leadership and a true commitment to original programming. We are very excited for the many new opportunities that will now be provided to ‘Runway’ and its fans and look forward to premiering the sixth season in November 2008.”

The move is a major coup for Lifetime, and network president Andrea Wong sounded jubilant about the deal:

“Project Runway’ is one of the best television programs on the air today on broadcast or cable. I am a huge fan. All my friends are huge fans. Having water cooler movies, dramas, and reality shows like ‘Project Runway’ is what Lifetime Television is all about.”

The move is apparently not viewed sanguinely at NBC Universal. According to a joint news release from Lifetime and the Weinstein Co., NBC decided not to pick up the show, then sued the producers in New York Supreme Court today over the move to Lifetime.

David Boies, the high-powered attorney representing the Weinstein Co., dismissed the suit as without merit. NBC Universal could not immediately be reached for comment.

So what does this mean for Season 6? The show will still feature Klum, who quipped in today’s announcement that “fashion is about change.” Designer mentor Tim Gunn also pledged to “make it work” with Lifetime.

UPDATE: NBC Universal says that the Weinstein Co. signed the deal with Lifetime without offering it the chance to match the offer. Here's the company's statement:

"NBC Universal has continuing legal rights related to 'Project Runway,' including a right of first refusal to future cycles of the series, which the Weinstein Co. unfortunately has refused to honor. NBC Universal regrettably had no alternative but to bring legal action to enforce its rights to this program, including the right to decide whether it is in the best interest of the company to continue to air the show under the proposed financial terms."

Amid this thorny dispute, it remains unclear how Bravo will handle the fifth season of "Runway," which is set to air on the network sometime this year. Casting for the show is scheduled to wrap up this week.

-- Matea Gold

Photo: Getty Images. (L-R) Model Tyson Beckford, model Niki Taylor, "Project Runway" judge Nina Garcia, judge and designer Michael Kors, singer Victoria Beckham and model/host Heidi Klum attend the "Project Runway" Season 4 Fall 2008.

There was a moment in "Project Runway's" season finale Wednesday night when Christian Siriano, the boy wonder who typically finished his challenges early and with utter, arch confidence, looked like he was going to fall to pieces. Heidi Klum had said only his name and nothing else, drawing out her trademark tortuous pause. The camera locked on his face: His lip trembled and buckled, he squeezed his roving eyes shut and then opened them, and a couple of tears leaked down his cheek.

Suddenly, it was evident: Christian, 21, wanted this bad and maybe needed it more than Rami Kashou, an already established LA designer who has dressed Jessica Alba and Fergie. And so Christian -- with his club-kid half-hawk and mantra of “fierce!” -- became the youngest winner in the history of "Project Runway."

Guest judge Victoria Beckham was pleased — she’d noted earlier that Christian’s dramatic, voluminous creations, which sometimes threatened to swallow the heads of his models like some froufrou wicked python, had made her smile from her front-row seat. Yet don’t expect to see that sign of good humor in a photograph any time soon. Beckham has taken it upon herself to be couture’s sharp-boned gargoyle, admonishing the rest of us to enter those hallowed halls with respect.

Speaking from his apartment in New York this morning, nearly a month after the taping of Runway’s finale, Christian, now 22, is vivacious but hasn’t forgotten the total freak-out feeling he felt in that moment. “I wasn’t really prepared to win," he says in a voice that sounds like it's dripping with gossip at all times. "I was so tired, so emotional, so exhausted. I wanted to win for my family and my friends who had all supported me.” He says he wasn’t surprised exactly, but it still came as a shock: “Here I was competing with these amazing, talented designers and I’m so young.”

So, how did he win? The runway, like an X-ray, exposed cracks in Jillian Lewis' and Rami’s collections. Nina Garcia was right: Former Ralph Lauren designer Jillian couldn’t decide which of her inspirations should dominate, and in the end, none of them did — a disservice to her innovative and richly detailed collection. Rami, who will stand by his ideal of statuesque feminine beauty no matter what, sufered for his jeweled tones and moss greens that won’t flatter every woman. Something tells me that though he lost, he’d opt out of jumping in his time machine. And I have to say that I thought the draping master had it in the bag.

(Ahem, Rami, I wear moss green and peacock blue. Send those clothes to me c/o the L.A. Times. Kidding!)

If you watch "America’s Next Top Model," you know the importance of humility. If those girls don’t blubber in front of the den mothers at some point, they get cut. Throughout the show, Christian was portrayed as the enfant terrible, issuing harsh judgments on others' designs that were almost always spot-on. But he knew when to pull it back. On the prom challenge, for instance, Christian let a domineering teenager cow him into creating a mess and he took his lashes accordingly. His occasional flashes of humility kept him likable and only deepened as the season continued.

He’s not unaware of this dynamic in his personality: “My cockiness,” he sighs. “Well, I would call it my confidence. Yeah, it’s sassy, but it’s meant to be funny. There were some challenges I didn’t do well on and I took that. It’s not like I was crazy, because I agreed with the decisions." But he doesn't feel bad about any of those lacerating critiques he dished out to his fellow designers. "Every sassy comment I made, you heard it from the judges as well so it wasn’t like I was coming from nowhere."

Whatever his rep is, he takes it with a grain of salt. "I don’t mind being portrayed as [cocky] because I think by the end you see that I’m a humble person and I’m not evil and I don’t hate anyone. I’m not Jeffrey Sebelia! Now he’s sassy!”

Christian had his share of doubters among his competition, of course, and at one point magnanimous mentor Tim Gunn didn’t see what all the fuss was about either. "We saw him in New York, the last stop of our auditions, so we already had selected most of our designers," Gunn said. "As I was looking through his application, I said, ‘Why are we seeing this kid? How can he possibly compete with these people?’ "

But the producers saw a spark in Christian and once Gunn was in the room with the diminutive kid from Maryland who made his own prom outfit, the former chairman of the fashion design department at Parsons the New School for Design did too.

"This is an old soul. His talent is simply staggering and prodigious," Gunn said. "The closest I’ve seen at his age is my former students Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, the Proenza Schouler boys. They were close but they weren’t Christian."

For now, Christian, who says the Bryant Park show nearly destroyed him — models ripping the pants you made five minutes before the catwalk will do that — is calmly waiting for his $100,000 check to come. His plans for it include working on a spring collection that will feature more color and more prints and getting "a fabulous bed" at long last: "Right now, my room is tiny and crowded with big tables, sewing machines and shelves with fabric all over them," he said. "Now that I have means, I need somewhere to sleep."

On the near horizon, he’s got a visit to L.A. scheduled for next week, to show Beckham some clothes from his collection and a few pieces he made just for her. He loves L.A., which might seem counter to his dark, Londonesque sensibilities. "I looooove the atmosphere. I could design there... I’d love to do more of a casual brand, little wearable dresses and jeans. But, in the future, in the future."

In the meantime, he’ll probably have Beckham as his fierce representative.

--Margaret Wappler

Wednesday night’s finale of “Project Runway” presented a smashup between high fashion, Grecian sophistication and military chic. In the end, guest judge Victoria Beckham smiled on Christian Siriano, a miraculous feat in itself if you’ve followed VB’s SmileWatch 2007.

Drooling over Christian’s dramatic collection of black with wisps of brown and creme (and feathers!), the style maven gleefully called his work “mayjah!” in the way only Posh can. And Christian, who usually comes off like a preening peacock strutting its feathers, was reduced to tears with his win. Avant-garde, but not unlike what we’ve seen from him before, his slim-figured designs lacked only a rapier to round out the Puss in Boots look. It’s no fit for the average American soccer mom, but it worked for Posh, a decidedly different kind of soccer mom.

“You really made me smile, and I’m not easy to make smile,” she said, with true understatement.

Was last night’s auff-ing a surprise?

<Shakes head>

Yes, Chris March’s detailed work (with human hair!) on his collection was amazing, but did he really have a chance? He was voted out once before, so it wasn’t a shock that he was sent packing again.

The walkoff between Chris and Rami showed that Rami can do more than drape, causing collective “Project Runway” fans to heave a sigh of relief. What took him so long to change his one-note designs?

At the homes of Christian and Jillian, it was clear why they are the front-runners of the competition. Christian’s designs looked as fierce as ever, while Jillian’s got the market on feminine wearability. When can we buy her clothes?

Chris’ hearty laugh capped off this episode, a fitting tribute and end to a good-natured and gracious designer.

-- Lora Victorio

(Chris March dress photos courtesy Bravo)

NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find a giddier crowd than the one that was packed into the main tent in Bryant Park this morning for “Project Runway’s” finalist fashion show. Sleekly coiffed women in black and men in sharp-angled suits craned their necks as they checked out the other attendees, which included some apparently well-connected adults’ lucky offspring, who didn’t even try to mask their glee.

“That’s Tyson Beckford!” one young girl exclaimed breathlessly, catching sight of the model and Bravo host. “Oh. My. God. Wait -- is it?” Her voice came down an octave, then rose again. “Yes! It is! Tyson Beckford is here!”

Also in the house: Laura Bennett, last season’s runner-up, dressed in a glittery taupe dress, her trademark red bob pulled back into a mini ponytail, along with “Top Chef’s” Padma Lakshmi, “Lipstick Jungle's” Lindsay Price and an assortment of other fabulous-looking folks.

The attendees were still milling around on the runway when the lights dimmed and a striking trio walked down the runway toward the massive bank of cameras: host Heidi Klum, sporting sleek bangs and washed-out jeans; designer Michael Kors, in dark glasses; and – drumroll please! – none other than Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham. The latter, a guest judge for the final episode, was decked out in an eye-popping tangerine dress with a deeply cut neckline, her signature impassive look firmly in place.

After striking a pose, Kors and Beckham took their seats in the front row and Klum reappeared at the top of the runway, belting out a loud, “Hello everybody!” After she welcomed the crowd and offered a special shout-out to producer Harvey Weinstein, the show began.

A rundown after the jump, which PR fans can safely read without encountering any major spoilers. Why? Because those tricky folks at Bravo included all five remaining contestants in the runway show! It made for a gasp-inducing program, as one by one their profiles appeared behind the "Project Runway" screen, triggering confused murmurs in the crowd. But exactly which finalists will appear in the March 5 finale? The official word from Bravo: “Stay tuned.”

I went to prom my junior year, in 1993, with a senior named Josh who had aspirations to be a radio DJ. It was one of the most tremendous letdowns of my adolescent years. I wore a hideous dress and too much makeup and Josh tried to make out with me and I wouldn't let him because I had decided over the course of the evening that he was a total dork-loser. But about that dress? It was bright red velvet with a sweetheart neckline. I hate to admit it, but it resembled the one that got Kevin canned on last night's episode.

I absolutely adored this week's challenge of making prom dresses for high school girls from New Jersey. Catholic school girls, nonetheless! From the get-go, the show had twists. The girls got to pick the designers. (Am I the only one who imagines that decision-making process somehow ending in a pillow fight?) Poor Christian got saddled with one of the stronger personalities in the group, a handful named Maddie, who, according to Christian's text message (you can get texts from the show if you sign up here), wanted to look like Beyonce for her prom. Didn't we all, honey.

Prom, it turns out, reveals things. Not just who will "go all the way" or who will be a "prude" or who will drink too much of his father's booze beforehand and throw up in his date's lap (that happened to a friend of mine), but it revealed weaknesses in these designers that we may have suspected before but now have confirmation of.

Take Rami, for instance. I'm not going to deny his talent or his stone-cold foxiness, as one commenter put it last week, but he might be a one-trick pony. Or at least, one could easily make that mistake. Don't make the draped, ropy dress anymore, Rami. You already nailed it in the first challenge. What else you got?

As for Christian, last week he was working everyone's last nerves with his smug judgments and seemingly unshakable confidence -- or was it arrogance? Either way, Christian got rocked this week by a 17-year-old girl. His dress wasn't horrible, but it revealed that his normally arch point of view isn't very flexible.

On the triumphant side, wasn't it nice to see Sweet P get a fire in her belly and design a shimmery, red-carpet-ready dress? It would've been perfect on Jessica Alba. Nice to see you back, Sweet P. Victorya rightly won with her inventive, slightly mod but very now electric-blue dress bedecked in jewels, but I'm still a little creeped out by her. Those claws might be retractable, but they're still there.

All around, prom was a great concept for "Project Runway," but I think Kit Pistol missed an opportunity. Wouldn't she have been the perfect one to have updated Molly Ringwald's pink-and-lace prom frock from "Pretty in Pink"?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos: Bravo, Los Angeles Times, Paramount)

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway' jumps from Bravo to Lifetime, NBC takes action against Weinstein

Brace yourselves, “Project Runway” fans, because this one is a biggie: After five seasons on Bravo, your favorite fashion competition will sashay over to a new network.

The Weinstein Co., which produces the popular program, announced today that the Heidi Klum-hosted show is moving to Lifetime Networks as part of a five-season deal with the network. Here’s what the producers had to say:

“We would like to sincerely thank NBC Universal and Bravo for all their contribution and support. Today’s announcement is a celebration of all of our success and having Lifetime’s unique cable reach will ensure that the show will continue to grow and expand in the years to come. Lifetime is one of the strongest cable networks in the industry, with great leadership and a true commitment to original programming. We are very excited for the many new opportunities that will now be provided to ‘Runway’ and its fans and look forward to premiering the sixth season in November 2008.”

The move is a major coup for Lifetime, and network president Andrea Wong sounded jubilant about the deal:

“Project Runway’ is one of the best television programs on the air today on broadcast or cable. I am a huge fan. All my friends are huge fans. Having water cooler movies, dramas, and reality shows like ‘Project Runway’ is what Lifetime Television is all about.”

The move is apparently not viewed sanguinely at NBC Universal. According to a joint news release from Lifetime and the Weinstein Co., NBC decided not to pick up the show, then sued the producers in New York Supreme Court today over the move to Lifetime.

David Boies, the high-powered attorney representing the Weinstein Co., dismissed the suit as without merit. NBC Universal could not immediately be reached for comment.

So what does this mean for Season 6? The show will still feature Klum, who quipped in today’s announcement that “fashion is about change.” Designer mentor Tim Gunn also pledged to “make it work” with Lifetime.

UPDATE: NBC Universal says that the Weinstein Co. signed the deal with Lifetime without offering it the chance to match the offer. Here's the company's statement:

"NBC Universal has continuing legal rights related to 'Project Runway,' including a right of first refusal to future cycles of the series, which the Weinstein Co. unfortunately has refused to honor. NBC Universal regrettably had no alternative but to bring legal action to enforce its rights to this program, including the right to decide whether it is in the best interest of the company to continue to air the show under the proposed financial terms."

Amid this thorny dispute, it remains unclear how Bravo will handle the fifth season of "Runway," which is set to air on the network sometime this year. Casting for the show is scheduled to wrap up this week.

-- Matea Gold

Photo: Getty Images. (L-R) Model Tyson Beckford, model Niki Taylor, "Project Runway" judge Nina Garcia, judge and designer Michael Kors, singer Victoria Beckham and model/host Heidi Klum attend the "Project Runway" Season 4 Fall 2008.

There was a moment in "Project Runway's" season finale Wednesday night when Christian Siriano, the boy wonder who typically finished his challenges early and with utter, arch confidence, looked like he was going to fall to pieces. Heidi Klum had said only his name and nothing else, drawing out her trademark tortuous pause. The camera locked on his face: His lip trembled and buckled, he squeezed his roving eyes shut and then opened them, and a couple of tears leaked down his cheek.

Suddenly, it was evident: Christian, 21, wanted this bad and maybe needed it more than Rami Kashou, an already established LA designer who has dressed Jessica Alba and Fergie. And so Christian -- with his club-kid half-hawk and mantra of “fierce!” -- became the youngest winner in the history of "Project Runway."

Guest judge Victoria Beckham was pleased — she’d noted earlier that Christian’s dramatic, voluminous creations, which sometimes threatened to swallow the heads of his models like some froufrou wicked python, had made her smile from her front-row seat. Yet don’t expect to see that sign of good humor in a photograph any time soon. Beckham has taken it upon herself to be couture’s sharp-boned gargoyle, admonishing the rest of us to enter those hallowed halls with respect.

Speaking from his apartment in New York this morning, nearly a month after the taping of Runway’s finale, Christian, now 22, is vivacious but hasn’t forgotten the total freak-out feeling he felt in that moment. “I wasn’t really prepared to win," he says in a voice that sounds like it's dripping with gossip at all times. "I was so tired, so emotional, so exhausted. I wanted to win for my family and my friends who had all supported me.” He says he wasn’t surprised exactly, but it still came as a shock: “Here I was competing with these amazing, talented designers and I’m so young.”

So, how did he win? The runway, like an X-ray, exposed cracks in Jillian Lewis' and Rami’s collections. Nina Garcia was right: Former Ralph Lauren designer Jillian couldn’t decide which of her inspirations should dominate, and in the end, none of them did — a disservice to her innovative and richly detailed collection. Rami, who will stand by his ideal of statuesque feminine beauty no matter what, sufered for his jeweled tones and moss greens that won’t flatter every woman. Something tells me that though he lost, he’d opt out of jumping in his time machine. And I have to say that I thought the draping master had it in the bag.

(Ahem, Rami, I wear moss green and peacock blue. Send those clothes to me c/o the L.A. Times. Kidding!)

If you watch "America’s Next Top Model," you know the importance of humility. If those girls don’t blubber in front of the den mothers at some point, they get cut. Throughout the show, Christian was portrayed as the enfant terrible, issuing harsh judgments on others' designs that were almost always spot-on. But he knew when to pull it back. On the prom challenge, for instance, Christian let a domineering teenager cow him into creating a mess and he took his lashes accordingly. His occasional flashes of humility kept him likable and only deepened as the season continued.

He’s not unaware of this dynamic in his personality: “My cockiness,” he sighs. “Well, I would call it my confidence. Yeah, it’s sassy, but it’s meant to be funny. There were some challenges I didn’t do well on and I took that. It’s not like I was crazy, because I agreed with the decisions." But he doesn't feel bad about any of those lacerating critiques he dished out to his fellow designers. "Every sassy comment I made, you heard it from the judges as well so it wasn’t like I was coming from nowhere."

Whatever his rep is, he takes it with a grain of salt. "I don’t mind being portrayed as [cocky] because I think by the end you see that I’m a humble person and I’m not evil and I don’t hate anyone. I’m not Jeffrey Sebelia! Now he’s sassy!”

Christian had his share of doubters among his competition, of course, and at one point magnanimous mentor Tim Gunn didn’t see what all the fuss was about either. "We saw him in New York, the last stop of our auditions, so we already had selected most of our designers," Gunn said. "As I was looking through his application, I said, ‘Why are we seeing this kid? How can he possibly compete with these people?’ "

But the producers saw a spark in Christian and once Gunn was in the room with the diminutive kid from Maryland who made his own prom outfit, the former chairman of the fashion design department at Parsons the New School for Design did too.

"This is an old soul. His talent is simply staggering and prodigious," Gunn said. "The closest I’ve seen at his age is my former students Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, the Proenza Schouler boys. They were close but they weren’t Christian."

For now, Christian, who says the Bryant Park show nearly destroyed him — models ripping the pants you made five minutes before the catwalk will do that — is calmly waiting for his $100,000 check to come. His plans for it include working on a spring collection that will feature more color and more prints and getting "a fabulous bed" at long last: "Right now, my room is tiny and crowded with big tables, sewing machines and shelves with fabric all over them," he said. "Now that I have means, I need somewhere to sleep."

On the near horizon, he’s got a visit to L.A. scheduled for next week, to show Beckham some clothes from his collection and a few pieces he made just for her. He loves L.A., which might seem counter to his dark, Londonesque sensibilities. "I looooove the atmosphere. I could design there... I’d love to do more of a casual brand, little wearable dresses and jeans. But, in the future, in the future."

In the meantime, he’ll probably have Beckham as his fierce representative.

--Margaret Wappler

Wednesday night’s finale of “Project Runway” presented a smashup between high fashion, Grecian sophistication and military chic. In the end, guest judge Victoria Beckham smiled on Christian Siriano, a miraculous feat in itself if you’ve followed VB’s SmileWatch 2007.

Drooling over Christian’s dramatic collection of black with wisps of brown and creme (and feathers!), the style maven gleefully called his work “mayjah!” in the way only Posh can. And Christian, who usually comes off like a preening peacock strutting its feathers, was reduced to tears with his win. Avant-garde, but not unlike what we’ve seen from him before, his slim-figured designs lacked only a rapier to round out the Puss in Boots look. It’s no fit for the average American soccer mom, but it worked for Posh, a decidedly different kind of soccer mom.

“You really made me smile, and I’m not easy to make smile,” she said, with true understatement.

Was last night’s auff-ing a surprise?

<Shakes head>

Yes, Chris March’s detailed work (with human hair!) on his collection was amazing, but did he really have a chance? He was voted out once before, so it wasn’t a shock that he was sent packing again.

The walkoff between Chris and Rami showed that Rami can do more than drape, causing collective “Project Runway” fans to heave a sigh of relief. What took him so long to change his one-note designs?

At the homes of Christian and Jillian, it was clear why they are the front-runners of the competition. Christian’s designs looked as fierce as ever, while Jillian’s got the market on feminine wearability. When can we buy her clothes?

Chris’ hearty laugh capped off this episode, a fitting tribute and end to a good-natured and gracious designer.

-- Lora Victorio

(Chris March dress photos courtesy Bravo)

NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find a giddier crowd than the one that was packed into the main tent in Bryant Park this morning for “Project Runway’s” finalist fashion show. Sleekly coiffed women in black and men in sharp-angled suits craned their necks as they checked out the other attendees, which included some apparently well-connected adults’ lucky offspring, who didn’t even try to mask their glee.

“That’s Tyson Beckford!” one young girl exclaimed breathlessly, catching sight of the model and Bravo host. “Oh. My. God. Wait -- is it?” Her voice came down an octave, then rose again. “Yes! It is! Tyson Beckford is here!”

Also in the house: Laura Bennett, last season’s runner-up, dressed in a glittery taupe dress, her trademark red bob pulled back into a mini ponytail, along with “Top Chef’s” Padma Lakshmi, “Lipstick Jungle's” Lindsay Price and an assortment of other fabulous-looking folks.

The attendees were still milling around on the runway when the lights dimmed and a striking trio walked down the runway toward the massive bank of cameras: host Heidi Klum, sporting sleek bangs and washed-out jeans; designer Michael Kors, in dark glasses; and – drumroll please! – none other than Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham. The latter, a guest judge for the final episode, was decked out in an eye-popping tangerine dress with a deeply cut neckline, her signature impassive look firmly in place.

After striking a pose, Kors and Beckham took their seats in the front row and Klum reappeared at the top of the runway, belting out a loud, “Hello everybody!” After she welcomed the crowd and offered a special shout-out to producer Harvey Weinstein, the show began.

A rundown after the jump, which PR fans can safely read without encountering any major spoilers. Why? Because those tricky folks at Bravo included all five remaining contestants in the runway show! It made for a gasp-inducing program, as one by one their profiles appeared behind the "Project Runway" screen, triggering confused murmurs in the crowd. But exactly which finalists will appear in the March 5 finale? The official word from Bravo: “Stay tuned.”

I went to prom my junior year, in 1993, with a senior named Josh who had aspirations to be a radio DJ. It was one of the most tremendous letdowns of my adolescent years. I wore a hideous dress and too much makeup and Josh tried to make out with me and I wouldn't let him because I had decided over the course of the evening that he was a total dork-loser. But about that dress? It was bright red velvet with a sweetheart neckline. I hate to admit it, but it resembled the one that got Kevin canned on last night's episode.

I absolutely adored this week's challenge of making prom dresses for high school girls from New Jersey. Catholic school girls, nonetheless! From the get-go, the show had twists. The girls got to pick the designers. (Am I the only one who imagines that decision-making process somehow ending in a pillow fight?) Poor Christian got saddled with one of the stronger personalities in the group, a handful named Maddie, who, according to Christian's text message (you can get texts from the show if you sign up here), wanted to look like Beyonce for her prom. Didn't we all, honey.

Prom, it turns out, reveals things. Not just who will "go all the way" or who will be a "prude" or who will drink too much of his father's booze beforehand and throw up in his date's lap (that happened to a friend of mine), but it revealed weaknesses in these designers that we may have suspected before but now have confirmation of.

Take Rami, for instance. I'm not going to deny his talent or his stone-cold foxiness, as one commenter put it last week, but he might be a one-trick pony. Or at least, one could easily make that mistake. Don't make the draped, ropy dress anymore, Rami. You already nailed it in the first challenge. What else you got?

As for Christian, last week he was working everyone's last nerves with his smug judgments and seemingly unshakable confidence -- or was it arrogance? Either way, Christian got rocked this week by a 17-year-old girl. His dress wasn't horrible, but it revealed that his normally arch point of view isn't very flexible.

On the triumphant side, wasn't it nice to see Sweet P get a fire in her belly and design a shimmery, red-carpet-ready dress? It would've been perfect on Jessica Alba. Nice to see you back, Sweet P. Victorya rightly won with her inventive, slightly mod but very now electric-blue dress bedecked in jewels, but I'm still a little creeped out by her. Those claws might be retractable, but they're still there.

All around, prom was a great concept for "Project Runway," but I think Kit Pistol missed an opportunity. Wouldn't she have been the perfect one to have updated Molly Ringwald's pink-and-lace prom frock from "Pretty in Pink"?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos: Bravo, Los Angeles Times, Paramount)

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway' finale: And the winner is...

There was a moment in "Project Runway's" season finale Wednesday night when Christian Siriano, the boy wonder who typically finished his challenges early and with utter, arch confidence, looked like he was going to fall to pieces. Heidi Klum had said only his name and nothing else, drawing out her trademark tortuous pause. The camera locked on his face: His lip trembled and buckled, he squeezed his roving eyes shut and then opened them, and a couple of tears leaked down his cheek.

Suddenly, it was evident: Christian, 21, wanted this bad and maybe needed it more than Rami Kashou, an already established LA designer who has dressed Jessica Alba and Fergie. And so Christian -- with his club-kid half-hawk and mantra of “fierce!” -- became the youngest winner in the history of "Project Runway."

Guest judge Victoria Beckham was pleased — she’d noted earlier that Christian’s dramatic, voluminous creations, which sometimes threatened to swallow the heads of his models like some froufrou wicked python, had made her smile from her front-row seat. Yet don’t expect to see that sign of good humor in a photograph any time soon. Beckham has taken it upon herself to be couture’s sharp-boned gargoyle, admonishing the rest of us to enter those hallowed halls with respect.

Speaking from his apartment in New York this morning, nearly a month after the taping of Runway’s finale, Christian, now 22, is vivacious but hasn’t forgotten the total freak-out feeling he felt in that moment. “I wasn’t really prepared to win," he says in a voice that sounds like it's dripping with gossip at all times. "I was so tired, so emotional, so exhausted. I wanted to win for my family and my friends who had all supported me.” He says he wasn’t surprised exactly, but it still came as a shock: “Here I was competing with these amazing, talented designers and I’m so young.”

So, how did he win? The runway, like an X-ray, exposed cracks in Jillian Lewis' and Rami’s collections. Nina Garcia was right: Former Ralph Lauren designer Jillian couldn’t decide which of her inspirations should dominate, and in the end, none of them did — a disservice to her innovative and richly detailed collection. Rami, who will stand by his ideal of statuesque feminine beauty no matter what, sufered for his jeweled tones and moss greens that won’t flatter every woman. Something tells me that though he lost, he’d opt out of jumping in his time machine. And I have to say that I thought the draping master had it in the bag.

(Ahem, Rami, I wear moss green and peacock blue. Send those clothes to me c/o the L.A. Times. Kidding!)

If you watch "America’s Next Top Model," you know the importance of humility. If those girls don’t blubber in front of the den mothers at some point, they get cut. Throughout the show, Christian was portrayed as the enfant terrible, issuing harsh judgments on others' designs that were almost always spot-on. But he knew when to pull it back. On the prom challenge, for instance, Christian let a domineering teenager cow him into creating a mess and he took his lashes accordingly. His occasional flashes of humility kept him likable and only deepened as the season continued.

He’s not unaware of this dynamic in his personality: “My cockiness,” he sighs. “Well, I would call it my confidence. Yeah, it’s sassy, but it’s meant to be funny. There were some challenges I didn’t do well on and I took that. It’s not like I was crazy, because I agreed with the decisions." But he doesn't feel bad about any of those lacerating critiques he dished out to his fellow designers. "Every sassy comment I made, you heard it from the judges as well so it wasn’t like I was coming from nowhere."

Whatever his rep is, he takes it with a grain of salt. "I don’t mind being portrayed as [cocky] because I think by the end you see that I’m a humble person and I’m not evil and I don’t hate anyone. I’m not Jeffrey Sebelia! Now he’s sassy!”

Christian had his share of doubters among his competition, of course, and at one point magnanimous mentor Tim Gunn didn’t see what all the fuss was about either. "We saw him in New York, the last stop of our auditions, so we already had selected most of our designers," Gunn said. "As I was looking through his application, I said, ‘Why are we seeing this kid? How can he possibly compete with these people?’ "

But the producers saw a spark in Christian and once Gunn was in the room with the diminutive kid from Maryland who made his own prom outfit, the former chairman of the fashion design department at Parsons the New School for Design did too.

"This is an old soul. His talent is simply staggering and prodigious," Gunn said. "The closest I’ve seen at his age is my former students Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, the Proenza Schouler boys. They were close but they weren’t Christian."

For now, Christian, who says the Bryant Park show nearly destroyed him — models ripping the pants you made five minutes before the catwalk will do that — is calmly waiting for his $100,000 check to come. His plans for it include working on a spring collection that will feature more color and more prints and getting "a fabulous bed" at long last: "Right now, my room is tiny and crowded with big tables, sewing machines and shelves with fabric all over them," he said. "Now that I have means, I need somewhere to sleep."

On the near horizon, he’s got a visit to L.A. scheduled for next week, to show Beckham some clothes from his collection and a few pieces he made just for her. He loves L.A., which might seem counter to his dark, Londonesque sensibilities. "I looooove the atmosphere. I could design there... I’d love to do more of a casual brand, little wearable dresses and jeans. But, in the future, in the future."

In the meantime, he’ll probably have Beckham as his fierce representative.

--Margaret Wappler

Wednesday night’s finale of “Project Runway” presented a smashup between high fashion, Grecian sophistication and military chic. In the end, guest judge Victoria Beckham smiled on Christian Siriano, a miraculous feat in itself if you’ve followed VB’s SmileWatch 2007.

Drooling over Christian’s dramatic collection of black with wisps of brown and creme (and feathers!), the style maven gleefully called his work “mayjah!” in the way only Posh can. And Christian, who usually comes off like a preening peacock strutting its feathers, was reduced to tears with his win. Avant-garde, but not unlike what we’ve seen from him before, his slim-figured designs lacked only a rapier to round out the Puss in Boots look. It’s no fit for the average American soccer mom, but it worked for Posh, a decidedly different kind of soccer mom.

“You really made me smile, and I’m not easy to make smile,” she said, with true understatement.

Was last night’s auff-ing a surprise?

<Shakes head>

Yes, Chris March’s detailed work (with human hair!) on his collection was amazing, but did he really have a chance? He was voted out once before, so it wasn’t a shock that he was sent packing again.

The walkoff between Chris and Rami showed that Rami can do more than drape, causing collective “Project Runway” fans to heave a sigh of relief. What took him so long to change his one-note designs?

At the homes of Christian and Jillian, it was clear why they are the front-runners of the competition. Christian’s designs looked as fierce as ever, while Jillian’s got the market on feminine wearability. When can we buy her clothes?

Chris’ hearty laugh capped off this episode, a fitting tribute and end to a good-natured and gracious designer.

-- Lora Victorio

(Chris March dress photos courtesy Bravo)

NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find a giddier crowd than the one that was packed into the main tent in Bryant Park this morning for “Project Runway’s” finalist fashion show. Sleekly coiffed women in black and men in sharp-angled suits craned their necks as they checked out the other attendees, which included some apparently well-connected adults’ lucky offspring, who didn’t even try to mask their glee.

“That’s Tyson Beckford!” one young girl exclaimed breathlessly, catching sight of the model and Bravo host. “Oh. My. God. Wait -- is it?” Her voice came down an octave, then rose again. “Yes! It is! Tyson Beckford is here!”

Also in the house: Laura Bennett, last season’s runner-up, dressed in a glittery taupe dress, her trademark red bob pulled back into a mini ponytail, along with “Top Chef’s” Padma Lakshmi, “Lipstick Jungle's” Lindsay Price and an assortment of other fabulous-looking folks.

The attendees were still milling around on the runway when the lights dimmed and a striking trio walked down the runway toward the massive bank of cameras: host Heidi Klum, sporting sleek bangs and washed-out jeans; designer Michael Kors, in dark glasses; and – drumroll please! – none other than Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham. The latter, a guest judge for the final episode, was decked out in an eye-popping tangerine dress with a deeply cut neckline, her signature impassive look firmly in place.

After striking a pose, Kors and Beckham took their seats in the front row and Klum reappeared at the top of the runway, belting out a loud, “Hello everybody!” After she welcomed the crowd and offered a special shout-out to producer Harvey Weinstein, the show began.

A rundown after the jump, which PR fans can safely read without encountering any major spoilers. Why? Because those tricky folks at Bravo included all five remaining contestants in the runway show! It made for a gasp-inducing program, as one by one their profiles appeared behind the "Project Runway" screen, triggering confused murmurs in the crowd. But exactly which finalists will appear in the March 5 finale? The official word from Bravo: “Stay tuned.”

I went to prom my junior year, in 1993, with a senior named Josh who had aspirations to be a radio DJ. It was one of the most tremendous letdowns of my adolescent years. I wore a hideous dress and too much makeup and Josh tried to make out with me and I wouldn't let him because I had decided over the course of the evening that he was a total dork-loser. But about that dress? It was bright red velvet with a sweetheart neckline. I hate to admit it, but it resembled the one that got Kevin canned on last night's episode.

I absolutely adored this week's challenge of making prom dresses for high school girls from New Jersey. Catholic school girls, nonetheless! From the get-go, the show had twists. The girls got to pick the designers. (Am I the only one who imagines that decision-making process somehow ending in a pillow fight?) Poor Christian got saddled with one of the stronger personalities in the group, a handful named Maddie, who, according to Christian's text message (you can get texts from the show if you sign up here), wanted to look like Beyonce for her prom. Didn't we all, honey.

Prom, it turns out, reveals things. Not just who will "go all the way" or who will be a "prude" or who will drink too much of his father's booze beforehand and throw up in his date's lap (that happened to a friend of mine), but it revealed weaknesses in these designers that we may have suspected before but now have confirmation of.

Take Rami, for instance. I'm not going to deny his talent or his stone-cold foxiness, as one commenter put it last week, but he might be a one-trick pony. Or at least, one could easily make that mistake. Don't make the draped, ropy dress anymore, Rami. You already nailed it in the first challenge. What else you got?

As for Christian, last week he was working everyone's last nerves with his smug judgments and seemingly unshakable confidence -- or was it arrogance? Either way, Christian got rocked this week by a 17-year-old girl. His dress wasn't horrible, but it revealed that his normally arch point of view isn't very flexible.

On the triumphant side, wasn't it nice to see Sweet P get a fire in her belly and design a shimmery, red-carpet-ready dress? It would've been perfect on Jessica Alba. Nice to see you back, Sweet P. Victorya rightly won with her inventive, slightly mod but very now electric-blue dress bedecked in jewels, but I'm still a little creeped out by her. Those claws might be retractable, but they're still there.

All around, prom was a great concept for "Project Runway," but I think Kit Pistol missed an opportunity. Wouldn't she have been the perfect one to have updated Molly Ringwald's pink-and-lace prom frock from "Pretty in Pink"?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos: Bravo, Los Angeles Times, Paramount)

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway': 'Mayjah' finale!

Wednesday night’s finale of “Project Runway” presented a smashup between high fashion, Grecian sophistication and military chic. In the end, guest judge Victoria Beckham smiled on Christian Siriano, a miraculous feat in itself if you’ve followed VB’s SmileWatch 2007.

Drooling over Christian’s dramatic collection of black with wisps of brown and creme (and feathers!), the style maven gleefully called his work “mayjah!” in the way only Posh can. And Christian, who usually comes off like a preening peacock strutting its feathers, was reduced to tears with his win. Avant-garde, but not unlike what we’ve seen from him before, his slim-figured designs lacked only a rapier to round out the Puss in Boots look. It’s no fit for the average American soccer mom, but it worked for Posh, a decidedly different kind of soccer mom.

“You really made me smile, and I’m not easy to make smile,” she said, with true understatement.

Was last night’s auff-ing a surprise?

<Shakes head>

Yes, Chris March’s detailed work (with human hair!) on his collection was amazing, but did he really have a chance? He was voted out once before, so it wasn’t a shock that he was sent packing again.

The walkoff between Chris and Rami showed that Rami can do more than drape, causing collective “Project Runway” fans to heave a sigh of relief. What took him so long to change his one-note designs?

At the homes of Christian and Jillian, it was clear why they are the front-runners of the competition. Christian’s designs looked as fierce as ever, while Jillian’s got the market on feminine wearability. When can we buy her clothes?

Chris’ hearty laugh capped off this episode, a fitting tribute and end to a good-natured and gracious designer.

-- Lora Victorio

(Chris March dress photos courtesy Bravo)

NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find a giddier crowd than the one that was packed into the main tent in Bryant Park this morning for “Project Runway’s” finalist fashion show. Sleekly coiffed women in black and men in sharp-angled suits craned their necks as they checked out the other attendees, which included some apparently well-connected adults’ lucky offspring, who didn’t even try to mask their glee.

“That’s Tyson Beckford!” one young girl exclaimed breathlessly, catching sight of the model and Bravo host. “Oh. My. God. Wait -- is it?” Her voice came down an octave, then rose again. “Yes! It is! Tyson Beckford is here!”

Also in the house: Laura Bennett, last season’s runner-up, dressed in a glittery taupe dress, her trademark red bob pulled back into a mini ponytail, along with “Top Chef’s” Padma Lakshmi, “Lipstick Jungle's” Lindsay Price and an assortment of other fabulous-looking folks.

The attendees were still milling around on the runway when the lights dimmed and a striking trio walked down the runway toward the massive bank of cameras: host Heidi Klum, sporting sleek bangs and washed-out jeans; designer Michael Kors, in dark glasses; and – drumroll please! – none other than Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham. The latter, a guest judge for the final episode, was decked out in an eye-popping tangerine dress with a deeply cut neckline, her signature impassive look firmly in place.

After striking a pose, Kors and Beckham took their seats in the front row and Klum reappeared at the top of the runway, belting out a loud, “Hello everybody!” After she welcomed the crowd and offered a special shout-out to producer Harvey Weinstein, the show began.

A rundown after the jump, which PR fans can safely read without encountering any major spoilers. Why? Because those tricky folks at Bravo included all five remaining contestants in the runway show! It made for a gasp-inducing program, as one by one their profiles appeared behind the "Project Runway" screen, triggering confused murmurs in the crowd. But exactly which finalists will appear in the March 5 finale? The official word from Bravo: “Stay tuned.”

I went to prom my junior year, in 1993, with a senior named Josh who had aspirations to be a radio DJ. It was one of the most tremendous letdowns of my adolescent years. I wore a hideous dress and too much makeup and Josh tried to make out with me and I wouldn't let him because I had decided over the course of the evening that he was a total dork-loser. But about that dress? It was bright red velvet with a sweetheart neckline. I hate to admit it, but it resembled the one that got Kevin canned on last night's episode.

I absolutely adored this week's challenge of making prom dresses for high school girls from New Jersey. Catholic school girls, nonetheless! From the get-go, the show had twists. The girls got to pick the designers. (Am I the only one who imagines that decision-making process somehow ending in a pillow fight?) Poor Christian got saddled with one of the stronger personalities in the group, a handful named Maddie, who, according to Christian's text message (you can get texts from the show if you sign up here), wanted to look like Beyonce for her prom. Didn't we all, honey.

Prom, it turns out, reveals things. Not just who will "go all the way" or who will be a "prude" or who will drink too much of his father's booze beforehand and throw up in his date's lap (that happened to a friend of mine), but it revealed weaknesses in these designers that we may have suspected before but now have confirmation of.

Take Rami, for instance. I'm not going to deny his talent or his stone-cold foxiness, as one commenter put it last week, but he might be a one-trick pony. Or at least, one could easily make that mistake. Don't make the draped, ropy dress anymore, Rami. You already nailed it in the first challenge. What else you got?

As for Christian, last week he was working everyone's last nerves with his smug judgments and seemingly unshakable confidence -- or was it arrogance? Either way, Christian got rocked this week by a 17-year-old girl. His dress wasn't horrible, but it revealed that his normally arch point of view isn't very flexible.

On the triumphant side, wasn't it nice to see Sweet P get a fire in her belly and design a shimmery, red-carpet-ready dress? It would've been perfect on Jessica Alba. Nice to see you back, Sweet P. Victorya rightly won with her inventive, slightly mod but very now electric-blue dress bedecked in jewels, but I'm still a little creeped out by her. Those claws might be retractable, but they're still there.

All around, prom was a great concept for "Project Runway," but I think Kit Pistol missed an opportunity. Wouldn't she have been the perfect one to have updated Molly Ringwald's pink-and-lace prom frock from "Pretty in Pink"?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos: Bravo, Los Angeles Times, Paramount)

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway': Back to the sewing table

Was last night’s auff-ing a surprise?

<Shakes head>

Yes, Chris March’s detailed work (with human hair!) on his collection was amazing, but did he really have a chance? He was voted out once before, so it wasn’t a shock that he was sent packing again.

The walkoff between Chris and Rami showed that Rami can do more than drape, causing collective “Project Runway” fans to heave a sigh of relief. What took him so long to change his one-note designs?

At the homes of Christian and Jillian, it was clear why they are the front-runners of the competition. Christian’s designs looked as fierce as ever, while Jillian’s got the market on feminine wearability. When can we buy her clothes?

Chris’ hearty laugh capped off this episode, a fitting tribute and end to a good-natured and gracious designer.

-- Lora Victorio

(Chris March dress photos courtesy Bravo)

NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find a giddier crowd than the one that was packed into the main tent in Bryant Park this morning for “Project Runway’s” finalist fashion show. Sleekly coiffed women in black and men in sharp-angled suits craned their necks as they checked out the other attendees, which included some apparently well-connected adults’ lucky offspring, who didn’t even try to mask their glee.

“That’s Tyson Beckford!” one young girl exclaimed breathlessly, catching sight of the model and Bravo host. “Oh. My. God. Wait -- is it?” Her voice came down an octave, then rose again. “Yes! It is! Tyson Beckford is here!”

Also in the house: Laura Bennett, last season’s runner-up, dressed in a glittery taupe dress, her trademark red bob pulled back into a mini ponytail, along with “Top Chef’s” Padma Lakshmi, “Lipstick Jungle's” Lindsay Price and an assortment of other fabulous-looking folks.

The attendees were still milling around on the runway when the lights dimmed and a striking trio walked down the runway toward the massive bank of cameras: host Heidi Klum, sporting sleek bangs and washed-out jeans; designer Michael Kors, in dark glasses; and – drumroll please! – none other than Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham. The latter, a guest judge for the final episode, was decked out in an eye-popping tangerine dress with a deeply cut neckline, her signature impassive look firmly in place.

After striking a pose, Kors and Beckham took their seats in the front row and Klum reappeared at the top of the runway, belting out a loud, “Hello everybody!” After she welcomed the crowd and offered a special shout-out to producer Harvey Weinstein, the show began.

A rundown after the jump, which PR fans can safely read without encountering any major spoilers. Why? Because those tricky folks at Bravo included all five remaining contestants in the runway show! It made for a gasp-inducing program, as one by one their profiles appeared behind the "Project Runway" screen, triggering confused murmurs in the crowd. But exactly which finalists will appear in the March 5 finale? The official word from Bravo: “Stay tuned.”

I went to prom my junior year, in 1993, with a senior named Josh who had aspirations to be a radio DJ. It was one of the most tremendous letdowns of my adolescent years. I wore a hideous dress and too much makeup and Josh tried to make out with me and I wouldn't let him because I had decided over the course of the evening that he was a total dork-loser. But about that dress? It was bright red velvet with a sweetheart neckline. I hate to admit it, but it resembled the one that got Kevin canned on last night's episode.

I absolutely adored this week's challenge of making prom dresses for high school girls from New Jersey. Catholic school girls, nonetheless! From the get-go, the show had twists. The girls got to pick the designers. (Am I the only one who imagines that decision-making process somehow ending in a pillow fight?) Poor Christian got saddled with one of the stronger personalities in the group, a handful named Maddie, who, according to Christian's text message (you can get texts from the show if you sign up here), wanted to look like Beyonce for her prom. Didn't we all, honey.

Prom, it turns out, reveals things. Not just who will "go all the way" or who will be a "prude" or who will drink too much of his father's booze beforehand and throw up in his date's lap (that happened to a friend of mine), but it revealed weaknesses in these designers that we may have suspected before but now have confirmation of.

Take Rami, for instance. I'm not going to deny his talent or his stone-cold foxiness, as one commenter put it last week, but he might be a one-trick pony. Or at least, one could easily make that mistake. Don't make the draped, ropy dress anymore, Rami. You already nailed it in the first challenge. What else you got?

As for Christian, last week he was working everyone's last nerves with his smug judgments and seemingly unshakable confidence -- or was it arrogance? Either way, Christian got rocked this week by a 17-year-old girl. His dress wasn't horrible, but it revealed that his normally arch point of view isn't very flexible.

On the triumphant side, wasn't it nice to see Sweet P get a fire in her belly and design a shimmery, red-carpet-ready dress? It would've been perfect on Jessica Alba. Nice to see you back, Sweet P. Victorya rightly won with her inventive, slightly mod but very now electric-blue dress bedecked in jewels, but I'm still a little creeped out by her. Those claws might be retractable, but they're still there.

All around, prom was a great concept for "Project Runway," but I think Kit Pistol missed an opportunity. Wouldn't she have been the perfect one to have updated Molly Ringwald's pink-and-lace prom frock from "Pretty in Pink"?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos: Bravo, Los Angeles Times, Paramount)

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

Bryant Park showdown: The 'Project Runway' finals

NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find a giddier crowd than the one that was packed into the main tent in Bryant Park this morning for “Project Runway’s” finalist fashion show. Sleekly coiffed women in black and men in sharp-angled suits craned their necks as they checked out the other attendees, which included some apparently well-connected adults’ lucky offspring, who didn’t even try to mask their glee.

“That’s Tyson Beckford!” one young girl exclaimed breathlessly, catching sight of the model and Bravo host. “Oh. My. God. Wait -- is it?” Her voice came down an octave, then rose again. “Yes! It is! Tyson Beckford is here!”

Also in the house: Laura Bennett, last season’s runner-up, dressed in a glittery taupe dress, her trademark red bob pulled back into a mini ponytail, along with “Top Chef’s” Padma Lakshmi, “Lipstick Jungle's” Lindsay Price and an assortment of other fabulous-looking folks.

The attendees were still milling around on the runway when the lights dimmed and a striking trio walked down the runway toward the massive bank of cameras: host Heidi Klum, sporting sleek bangs and washed-out jeans; designer Michael Kors, in dark glasses; and – drumroll please! – none other than Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham. The latter, a guest judge for the final episode, was decked out in an eye-popping tangerine dress with a deeply cut neckline, her signature impassive look firmly in place.

After striking a pose, Kors and Beckham took their seats in the front row and Klum reappeared at the top of the runway, belting out a loud, “Hello everybody!” After she welcomed the crowd and offered a special shout-out to producer Harvey Weinstein, the show began.

A rundown after the jump, which PR fans can safely read without encountering any major spoilers. Why? Because those tricky folks at Bravo included all five remaining contestants in the runway show! It made for a gasp-inducing program, as one by one their profiles appeared behind the "Project Runway" screen, triggering confused murmurs in the crowd. But exactly which finalists will appear in the March 5 finale? The official word from Bravo: “Stay tuned.”

I went to prom my junior year, in 1993, with a senior named Josh who had aspirations to be a radio DJ. It was one of the most tremendous letdowns of my adolescent years. I wore a hideous dress and too much makeup and Josh tried to make out with me and I wouldn't let him because I had decided over the course of the evening that he was a total dork-loser. But about that dress? It was bright red velvet with a sweetheart neckline. I hate to admit it, but it resembled the one that got Kevin canned on last night's episode.

I absolutely adored this week's challenge of making prom dresses for high school girls from New Jersey. Catholic school girls, nonetheless! From the get-go, the show had twists. The girls got to pick the designers. (Am I the only one who imagines that decision-making process somehow ending in a pillow fight?) Poor Christian got saddled with one of the stronger personalities in the group, a handful named Maddie, who, according to Christian's text message (you can get texts from the show if you sign up here), wanted to look like Beyonce for her prom. Didn't we all, honey.

Prom, it turns out, reveals things. Not just who will "go all the way" or who will be a "prude" or who will drink too much of his father's booze beforehand and throw up in his date's lap (that happened to a friend of mine), but it revealed weaknesses in these designers that we may have suspected before but now have confirmation of.

Take Rami, for instance. I'm not going to deny his talent or his stone-cold foxiness, as one commenter put it last week, but he might be a one-trick pony. Or at least, one could easily make that mistake. Don't make the draped, ropy dress anymore, Rami. You already nailed it in the first challenge. What else you got?

As for Christian, last week he was working everyone's last nerves with his smug judgments and seemingly unshakable confidence -- or was it arrogance? Either way, Christian got rocked this week by a 17-year-old girl. His dress wasn't horrible, but it revealed that his normally arch point of view isn't very flexible.

On the triumphant side, wasn't it nice to see Sweet P get a fire in her belly and design a shimmery, red-carpet-ready dress? It would've been perfect on Jessica Alba. Nice to see you back, Sweet P. Victorya rightly won with her inventive, slightly mod but very now electric-blue dress bedecked in jewels, but I'm still a little creeped out by her. Those claws might be retractable, but they're still there.

All around, prom was a great concept for "Project Runway," but I think Kit Pistol missed an opportunity. Wouldn't she have been the perfect one to have updated Molly Ringwald's pink-and-lace prom frock from "Pretty in Pink"?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos: Bravo, Los Angeles Times, Paramount)

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway': Did you go to prom?

I went to prom my junior year, in 1993, with a senior named Josh who had aspirations to be a radio DJ. It was one of the most tremendous letdowns of my adolescent years. I wore a hideous dress and too much makeup and Josh tried to make out with me and I wouldn't let him because I had decided over the course of the evening that he was a total dork-loser. But about that dress? It was bright red velvet with a sweetheart neckline. I hate to admit it, but it resembled the one that got Kevin canned on last night's episode.

I absolutely adored this week's challenge of making prom dresses for high school girls from New Jersey. Catholic school girls, nonetheless! From the get-go, the show had twists. The girls got to pick the designers. (Am I the only one who imagines that decision-making process somehow ending in a pillow fight?) Poor Christian got saddled with one of the stronger personalities in the group, a handful named Maddie, who, according to Christian's text message (you can get texts from the show if you sign up here), wanted to look like Beyonce for her prom. Didn't we all, honey.

Prom, it turns out, reveals things. Not just who will "go all the way" or who will be a "prude" or who will drink too much of his father's booze beforehand and throw up in his date's lap (that happened to a friend of mine), but it revealed weaknesses in these designers that we may have suspected before but now have confirmation of.

Take Rami, for instance. I'm not going to deny his talent or his stone-cold foxiness, as one commenter put it last week, but he might be a one-trick pony. Or at least, one could easily make that mistake. Don't make the draped, ropy dress anymore, Rami. You already nailed it in the first challenge. What else you got?

As for Christian, last week he was working everyone's last nerves with his smug judgments and seemingly unshakable confidence -- or was it arrogance? Either way, Christian got rocked this week by a 17-year-old girl. His dress wasn't horrible, but it revealed that his normally arch point of view isn't very flexible.

On the triumphant side, wasn't it nice to see Sweet P get a fire in her belly and design a shimmery, red-carpet-ready dress? It would've been perfect on Jessica Alba. Nice to see you back, Sweet P. Victorya rightly won with her inventive, slightly mod but very now electric-blue dress bedecked in jewels, but I'm still a little creeped out by her. Those claws might be retractable, but they're still there.

All around, prom was a great concept for "Project Runway," but I think Kit Pistol missed an opportunity. Wouldn't she have been the perfect one to have updated Molly Ringwald's pink-and-lace prom frock from "Pretty in Pink"?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos: Bravo, Los Angeles Times, Paramount)

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway': kids in a candy store

After weeks of holiday-enforced darkness, "Project Runway" returned with an inexplicable concept: raid the Hershey's store for materials. Did Heidi owe Hershey's a favor? Perhaps it caught her binging on its products and blackmailed her into featuring it on the show? What else can account for allowing that marketing oompa-loompa to make so many dreadful puns involving the word "sweet"? I suppose it's a step up from the grocery store but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the designers as they rifled through mega-bags of Twizzlers, Kisses pillows and other plump symbols of an over-sugared society.

Much to their credit, several of the designers came up with spunky, joyous creations. Rami, the challenge winner, made a shiny, busy halter dress that would've been perfect for Barbie in Tokyo. Jillian, who actually spoke with some degree of personality this episode (has anyone else noticed her sometimes-disturbing lack of expression? "I. will. win. I. will. keep. winning." Stare. Blink. Cut.), made a sexy, almost cowgirl-like corset and swinging skirt with licorice. Even Chris, the guffawing ghost of "Project Runway," made a dress that showed restraint and a sense of fun.

As for the big loser, Elisa, I was shocked that she, of all people, didn't rise to the conceptual challenge. She claimed to have been going for some sort of macabre Gretel look but guest judge Zac Posen's critique of her work was dead-on. Elisa sold her dress with arty jabber and her usual enigmatic smile but if she were to walk into a store and choose an avant-garde frock, it wouldn't have been her own lackluster work in dusty brown, punctuated by inelegant silver globs.

With her exit, "Project Runway" lost one of its best characters. Never mind her talents as a designer, I'm talking pure entertainment value. Every time the camera turns on her, I'm excited to see what art-school mysticism she will peddle next, typically to the bemused horror of her fellow designers. I'll miss her.

Now, if they cut Sweet P, who's been on the chopping block lots lately, I'll be really bummed. Of all the contestants, she seems the most down-to-earth, with her rockabilly combo of sleeve tats and sundresses. Which makes me wonder:

Oh, and any crushes I should know about?

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway': In through the 'Auf' door

I'm all for second chances but is it cruel to bring someone back if that person is only going to get the ax again?

Last night, Jack, suffering from a skin staph infection, had to withdraw from the competition mid-challenge. It was sad for a number of reasons. For one, pretty-eyed Jack has shown promise. He's been HIV-positive for 17 years but his MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the staph germ, wasn't connected with his HIV. After he left the show, he had to be hospitalized for five days, as he writes on his blog. What a lame bit of luck.

But one man's swollen nose is another man's vindication, so in bounded Chris March, to the delight of Sweet P and others who had missed his booming laugh. Me, on the other hand, I just rolled my eyes. What is the point of bringing back a guy who clearly has talent but who also just as clearly isn't going to make it to Olympus Fashion Week? Does it really make it more competitive to bring back a designer who was already cut? Though I also wonder if Jack will get to reenter the fray as well? In fact, maybe Jack and Chris will swap places a few times. Hey, why the hell not?

Last night's challenge asked the designers to create an outfit for a client who had lost a lot of weight. Here's the trick: the outfit had to be based on clothes they had loved when they were bigger. Steven was paired with a woman standing in her too-big wedding dress like a little girl in her mother's frock. He knew right away he was doomed: "It felt like death on a stick."

Never have I seen someone so intimidated by a heap of poly-satin and beading. He went the wrong direction -- pairing a simple black fabric with a mess of lace and pearls? You gotta meet that kind of insanity with more insanity. He could've made it playful, whimsical. Instead of going down in flames, he went down with all the dour impact of a librarian rear-ending a "just-married" limo.

As far as the Algonquin fashion table goes, Christian, who initially seemed horrified at the idea of working with some norm from the real world, rose to the challenge and made a spectacular outfit -- chic, polished and accessible. Kevin's was adorable too but he should've played with those leggings a little bit. Maybe some piping or a bottom cuff would've done the trick? Jillian, who made an awesome pair of overalls (I know, that might be an oxymoron) last episode, is clearly one to watch. Her dress was totally smashing and her client loved it.

One of the best moments last night was watching these regular women, renewed and breathing in the full powers of a second wind, taking to the catwalk with verve and attitude. I loved the energy, the sassy turns and devils horns. Heidi could've picked up a few tricks.

-- Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway' at the Paley Center

On Tuesday night, I attended the Paley Center's program, "Inside 'Project Runway'," and learned all sorts of juicy tidbits. For one, the producers are working on getting Marc Jacobs as a guest judge, which is better than SJP for true fashion freaks because MJ's perfume is divine, he wears cool glasses and loves the Mods. Two, Santino is blogging for Elle.com and though that counts as competition, I will still kindly link to it. And finally, according to my hair-extension-spotting friend Bette -- trust me, she's got a laser eye for this kind of thing -- Heidi's impossibly radiant waves are just that: impossible. Hope the Bravo lawyers don't get me for saying that.

The panel discussion hosted by the excitable Kristin Dos Santos from "E!" included Season 2's Santino Rice and Andrae Gonzalo, Season 1's Kara Saun, the great Klum and lots of producers in glasses, some named Jane. The crowd wore its best frocks but was no match for Santino who looked like a pimpin' Parisian carnival emcee. Way to go, dude, but it was a bit of a shame to see my man defanged. He did little more than provide spot-on Tim Gunn impersonations, funny though they were, and he said not an unkind word about anyone or anything. Zzzz...

Some of the most illuminating moments in the panel came when Heidi and the producers explained final elimination. For starters, it lasts ALL DAY. I always thought Michael Kors and Nina came to their decisions in 15 minutes or so, but it turns out they discuss for hours and hours. And then, when they drag the victims back on stage, they cut the air-conditioning for better sound quality, which is partly why the contestants always look so sweaty.

And in the awful-things-that-were-prevented category, Heidi said that they first pitched MTV on the show, but they passed. Thank Prada they did. Can you imagine what horrors they would've inflicted with all the seizure-inducing quick cuts, not to mention the ubiquitous shot of static they like to insert willy-nilly into anything and everything? I'm so glad they passed on this little show about sewing.

-- Margaret Wappler

PS. Buh-bye, Chris. You seem cool but I saw the dents in your cheetah-patterned armor from the get-go. I know SJP is awesome but you cannot visibly tremble before her! As for the rest of you, protect your faces from Victorya.

(Photos courtesy Kevin Parry /The Paley Center for Media / Bravo)

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway': Fleece is not fashion

The menswear challenge, like a Salem witch trial, involved hysteria, accusations and boring, conservative clothes, but it had its purpose: With Darwinian cruelty, it separated the master designers from the lesser designers. In season 2, we saw promising Nick auf'd when he tried to make a suit for Daniel and this week's first official menswear challenge ever slapped down several well-meaning designers who actually thought they could make a suit -- ha ha! -- in a couple of days. What hubris! Isn't there folklore about tailors stooping over fabric for several weeks in some sort of Geppetto-like workshop? If there isn't, there should be.

I think most of the people who watch "Project Runway" are women and women who don't watch sports, so what was with the Tiki Barber guest spot? That's the best they could do, after the triumph of Sarah Jessica Parker? Who is this Tiki Barber, anyway? He was boring in person and he wanted them, shiver, to make boring clothes. I'm not impressed that he once served as running back for the New York Giants. I'm not even sure what a running back does. Runs? Backward?

Now, we all know that men drew the short stick when it comes to fashion and let's pity them for it. We might make 85 cents to their dollar or whatever, but at least we look good while doing it. On "Project Runway," I don't want to see the designers constrained to menswear, unless they get to make something fabulous and brave. But no one got to do that. Even Kit "Pistol" was reduced to generic sportswear ideas by creating a fleece jacket.

And Jack, the big winner, what did he do? Made some pinstriped pants and a pinstriped shirt. What a snooze.

The highlight of all this is that apparently, when pressed to make sucky clothes, designers become vicious and strange, like animals locked in a basement during a hurricane. Witness the swipes between Carmen and Ricky, who, not coincidentally, ended up on the chopping block together. There was also that weird, though somewhat endearing, shorts-sharing thing that happened with Jack and some of the others. And finally, Elisa's bizarre refusal to "intimately" fit the male model. I love Elisa, if only because I could have never predicted that she'd be the prude of the group. Handsy Isaac Mizrahi she is not.

As for Carmen, this week's sacrifice, I saw the Grim Reaper standing behind her sewing machine weeks ago. I dig the junk-store, Madonna-circa-"Desperately Seeking Susan" look, but she just didn't have it. Better luck elsewhere, Carmen.

-- Margaret Wappler

For the record: An earlier version of this Show Tracker said that "Project Runway" has had menswear challenges in the past. Though the show's designers have made menswear items on prior seasons, this was the show's first official challenge.

(Photos courtesy Bravo)

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway': Once Bitten, twice shy

   When it comes to absolute insanity flying out of her mouth, Heidi Klum is no Tyra Banks. In fact, in comparison, Klum, who hosts the German version of America's Next Top Model, is quite rational with her critiques of Project Runway's denizens.

So when Klum tells you -- twice -- that your clothes look like they are "dirty, from a basement," it is not a good sign. Alas, this week we said goodbye to Marion, the rather timid-seeming Texan who operates his own "fashion and art laboratory" in Dallas. We all got what he was going for -- a sophisticated but raw boho look -- but he felt flat on his face and created a burlap sack with some fringe instead. Worst of all, he fell before the mighty fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker!

What a blow for him but what a coup for the show. SJP is probably its coolest guest ever, even if the mission statement of her clothing line, Bitten, is a little overwrought: "Fashion is not a luxury and quality is not a privilege." So serious, SJ! Does that really mean you'll never wear ultra-luxe Prada, et al, again?

Last week, a rather overzealous reader (i.e., one of my editors) suggested I make some picks for who's going to make it to the top three. It's ridiculously premature to predict, but what the hell? I'll just deny it all down the line.

Margaret's Top Three (in no particular order... c'mon, I'm not going to do that...):

1. Christian
2. Victorya
3. Kit

--Margaret Wappler

(Photo courtesy Bravo)

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.

'Project Runway': And they're 'auf'

For the most part, I can’t relate to reality TV. I don’t care about rose ceremonies. I don’t need to watch children rebuilding society. I won’t root for anyone as she/he eats scorpions or bikes across Idaho in four days. As “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia would say with a droll flip of her caramel hair, “Haven’t we seen this before?”

But if a stranger tries to make a dress out of three yards of fabric in less than 24 hours, I am riveted. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s “Project Runway,” in its fourth season, is the best reality show on TV. Why? Because the contestants have some modicum of talent. Because the program could actually affect their careers 20 years down the line. And, best of all, it allows me and many others to indulge our favorite fantasy career, which I abandon semi-annually when I relearn the hard way that I have no aptitude for sewing anything beyond a button.