All of the designers you love and love to loathe are here including Daniel Vosovic (check out his impressive press page), Austin Scarlett (his bio boasts baby pics), and Mychael Knight (whose unisex MajK fragrance allegedly "transcends the boundaries of gender and has the ability to leave any man or woman breathless").
Whether you're simply killing time between Tuesday afternoon meetings or have your Amex out and are ready to spend spend spend, many of the past contestants offer the opportunity to purchase their designs directly. Santino Rice's site peddles $12. 39 thongs that read "This garment was made to come off." Jay McCarroll is selling pink t-shirts overrun with hot air balloons. And Jeffrey Sebelia has a knit zip-up sweatshirt with removable hood and sleeves.
Since we all have our favorite designers, the ranking of the sites ultimately comes off as somewhat arbitrary, but Urlesque.com's primer does a nice job of summing up the highs and lows of each page, leaving you with more free time to ogle frequent Out party-goer Jack Mackenroth's portfolio and beefy shirtless pics.
Passing Judgment: being that he is headlining the Fashion Rocks concert, it's no surprise to see Justin Timberlake grace this year's FR mag cover--and he is "gracing" with all the svelteness of a high class waiter. [The Cut]
A happy belated Birthday to the ever
inspiring and always fabulous Tim Gunn! At 55 he's still working it
like he owns it, because he basically does. [AP]
If you have, like $18,000 to blow on just whatever, you can get your very own pair of vintage (and we mean vintage) Levi's from the 1890's that were found in a mine in the Rand Mining District, on the Mojave Desert,. California. Sounds like a totally legit investment. [Kottke]
Did they or didn't they, did they or didn't they? In what is likely only a brilliant publicity stunt on Marc Jacob's part, everyone is still guessing whether he wed is three-month Brazilian boyfriend this past weekend. It's almost too much to handle, but you bet your bottoms I'm going to do my best to keep up. [The Cut]
It looks like someone's shelf life is about to expire; it's being reported that Jil Sander is up for sale. The label was purchased by a private equity fund in 2006 (which bodes so well for a designer label), but they are claiming fatigue of "waiting for Jil Sander’s bottom line to match its critical acclaim." [WWD] Vanity Fair has just released it's annual best dressed list. Topping the list of men? David Beckham. Coming in at number two? His bulge. [The Cut]
When designers branch out into markets that are hardly their own, it's always fun to see if it's going to be a success or a train wreck. With that in mind, who's not excited to see the mock-ups of Roberto Cavalli's new dance club in Dubai? The rendering looks cheap, and we don't see any animal print in the interior decoration! Honestly, Roberto--abandoning you morals so quickly? [The Cut]
Simon Doonan and longtime partner Jonathan Adler will tie the knot in California in mid-September. Ever the quipster, Doonan is foregoing a big bash, saying "I always thought we were married, so I don’t feel like celebrating the
fact that the government’s allowing me to think I’m married. It’s more
like paying a parking ticket.” A long, long overdue parking ticket, sir. [The Cut]
Christian Siriano, everyone's favorite androgynous pixie, has unveiled his new line on Bluefly.com as part of his winning package from last season's Project Runway. It's cute stuff if you need to suggest a few things for the drab hag in your life, and each piece has Siriano-esque names such as "Posh" (who is one of his biggest supporters) and "Transylvania." As long as there's no "fierce" I'm fine. [NYT]
Men's Fashion Week is underway in New York, and I'm sitting here blogging about it rather than sitting there watching....which was not the case last year...excuse me while I make a few calls. [Material Interest]
In case you were wondering, Girogio Armani wears a speedo. You go, girl! [Socialite Life]
Mike Albo goes on a gay shopping adventure in Provincetown for The International Herald Tribune...and doesn't make it much farther than Marc by Marc Jacobs. [IHT]
Something wicked this way comes for Project Runway!
Last week's season premiere of Project Runway left many people scratching (and shaking) their heads as the wackiest-yet-dullest cast yet flopped on their first challenge. After watching the show, I couldn't help but think something had gone horribly wrong with the show's usually successful formula of excessive product placement and diva homos!
Ever since the finale of the last season, things have gone awry! Project Runway announced it would move to Lifetime, Nina Garcia left Elle Magazine, the show revealed plans to relocate to Los Angeles... and things only got worse as the new season began.
Season five hit the airwaves with little to no promotion from Bravo—many of my friends didn't even know the new season was starting. Then viewers we're introduced to the strangest cast of characters yet with the tan-addicted alien with bad highlights and the bride of Chuckie winning the awards for most bizarre contestants. It seemed as though the producers, in an act of self-sabotage or acknowledgment that the old formula had become stale and needed a little shaking up, decided to pick the contestants based on their looks instead of their talent. Then, they rehashed a challenge from the first season instead of coming up with something new and exciting. At the end of the show, I didn't feel like any of the designers stood out quite the way the Christian Siriano or Jay McCarroll did from the get go in previous seasons. Everything felt phoned in, like the show's creators just wanted to get one more season in the can so they could move on.
I think there's more reality TV drama happening off the screen than on it! Could this be a sign of the Runway Apocalypse? The show's fall from grace? Is it a fashion curse? or is it like Heidi says: One day you're in and one day you're out!
Having waited a year for Yohji Yamamoto's diffusion line, Coming Soon, we can now stop fretting our perfectly coiffed heads and finally get our hands on a few of the pieces that have hit NYC store Odin. It's been a limited roll out thus far, but expect to see more pieces hit more stores by 2009. [The Cut]
The (Capsule) New York trade show is going on now in New York, alluding to a few items we'll all likely be wearing next spring (because we are so ahead of the curve, you know). [Material Interest]
Ashton Kutcher is getting back to his modeling roots in the Pepe Jeans Fall ad campaign. Yes, funny can be sexy, but a hot man in nice clothes is always sexy. [Towleroad]
Not long ago your Stylelist reported the looming (re)trend of thermochromatic t-shirts (that's Hypercolor for all you 80's kids). Well, never ones to miss out on a hipster trend, American Apparel has their own version for only $34! Now all I need to do is dig around in my closet for those acid-washed jeans of mine...[Fabsugar]
Tumi is expanding its T-tech line with a full outerwear and bags. Perfect, because a wrinkle-resistant cotton blazer is just what my monthly camping trips have been missing. [DNR]
Renzo Rosso, the big guy behind Diesel, has acquired a major stake in darling Dutch design team, Viktor & Rolf. A huge merger to say the least, the possibilities are exciting, as long as Rosso doesn't get to carried away with the overly-edged Diesel aesthetic. [WWD]
Have Daniel and Wesley of this season's Project Runway found themselves in their own runway romance? According to their MySpace pages, they just might have. [Towleroad]
Tonight being the launch party for Karl Lagerfeld's new photography book, Metamorphoses of an American, enjoy a tantalizing preview of Lagerfeld's photo diary of Brad Koeing, "the world's most sought after male model." [The Cut]
A growing number of studies are building a strong case for the reality of shopping addiction, claiming that, when enacted during certain emotional states, it functions in a similar manner as a drug. We did always seem to have the best nights out after a binge at Barneys.[The Wall Street Journal]
Now that Nina Garcia is poised to remain at ELLE until September 1st and finish out season 5 of Project Runway, an all out bitch-fight has broken out between Glamour, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Marie Claire and Harper's Bazaar for sponsorship in the show's sixth season. Though this one will come down to dollar signs, if we had to pick a winner in a hypothetical personified match-up, we'd have to give it to Cosmo...that tramp would totally hide a shank in her hair. [WWD]
Christophe Decarnin recently invigorated Balmain's womenswear line with sex and energy--which makes us even more giddy to hear the rumor that he could do the same with a reported men's line from the French label. Trés chic. [WWD]
Drat. We just missed the win on that Murakami sculpture of the ripped anime dude slinging his sauce. All that practice on eBay for nothing. [Gawker]
After her cute but nonetheless paltry collaboration with Five O'Clock Heroes on the song "Who," Agyness Deyn is now commanding the spotlight in her own newly formed band with friends Alanna Materson and Jackson Pollis. This ball is rolling perhaps a little too fast. [British Vogue]
We're all admittedly a little tired of the hoopla going on between Nina Garcia and Project Runway, but, alas, it all readily determines the existence and survival of the greatest reality show on television. Turns out negotiations are still churning, and ELLE is putting up a bit of a fight with Marie Claire for sponsorship. En garde! [WWD]
Just announced: Josh Harnett will be the face of the new Armani men's fragrance Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men. Good to see he is getting some work these days. [Fashionista]
Dov Charney, Creative Director and entrepreneur of pseudo-pornographic obsessed label American Apparel, was just named Retailer of the Year. Considering the guy looks like the type who would roll up in a converter van and ask you to film a few tasteful scenes in the back, it's surprising the award has previously gone to the likes of Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta. [Gawker]
15 of the chicest spring bags for toting male. [Refinery29]
Victoria Beckham told The Sun (UK) that the only people that like her are the gays. Not so fast honey...[Towleroad] -- SETH PLATTNER
As reported yesterday, The Metropolitan Museum was prepping for the onslaught of glitterati that would descend upon the Costume Institute Gala for the opening of the exhibition "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy." It was A-list all the way. We found our invitation buried under some magazines on the coffee table, but all the gay drama on Gossip Girl was way better. [WWD]
Though guaranteed to remain Project Runway's sponsor through season five (which premieres this summer), is ELLE in danger of being dethroned by Marie Claire in season six? After all, Nina Garcia was spotted leaving the Hearts building—which owns MC—last week.[The Cut]
We were all admittedly nervous when we heard Agnyess Deyn was set to make her debut in the music industry with a collaboration with hipster New York band Five O'Clock Horses. Well, their first single is out...and it's not that bad! [Perez Hilton]
After rolling out diffusion lines from Madonna, Stella McCartney and Roberto Cavalli, Donatella Versace told a crowd at The New York Times' TimesTalk that Versace will not collaborate with H&M for their own lower-priced line. Then she started talking about wearing leather, taking drugs and being lonely, and everyone got slightly uncomfortable. [The Cut]
Sarah Jessica Parker also gave her own, thankfully less awkward interview at the TimesTalk last Friday where she dished on, what else, the Sex and the City movie. Our appetites (and maybe our pants) are wet. [Fashionista] -- SETH PLATTNER
What if all of your favorite T.V. shows collided and became one big fashionable party? Well, this week's episode of Ugly Betty is just that. Project Runway's Christian Siriano and Nina Garcia stop by the Mode offices and all hell breaks loose.
It's like NY media gossip, Project Runway and Ugly Betty hopped into a blender, and turned into some strange tasting (but low calorie!) smoothie that you can't help but drink up.
The episode airs just a week after Nina left Elle, her Project Runway gig is uncertain and she's judging a contest to redesign birth control cases for YAZ. How hard they fall.
Photo: Getty Images
Kate Moss can read! Photographer Nick Knight produced a short film of Kate Moss reciting poetry paired with roughed-up video clips from their V Magazine photoshoot. Snaps all around! [Fashionista]
The skies are unfriendly again. Not because American Airlines canceled over 1000 flights (including mine), but because phone-flinger Naomi Campbell was back in the sky after being banned by British Airways. She successfully flew from London to Brazil on TAM Airlines without so much as a single tantrum. I hope they made her eat food from coach as a punishment. [British Vogue]
More gossip on the Nina Garcia/Project Runway/Elle Magazine drama. This is better than watching Days of Our Lives! [WWD]
Dolce & Gabbana tap Welsh songstress Duffy as their new muse. Duffy is Amy Winehouse without the drug problem. [British Vogue]
Paris boutiques get image overhauls as new designers take over the reigns at the top. [IHT]
Can't find the light switch? Just turn on your wallpaper. A new wallpaper shown at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan emits light in charming branch designs. It beats a mirror on the ceiling. [Engadget]
Oscar de la Renta designed First Daughter Jenna Bush's gown for her May 10th wedding. Someone is actually willing to marry into the family? Good look to that guy. [WWD]
Will Project Runway's move to Lifetime ruin the show? Will Sally Field become a guest judge? Will contestants design outfits for a Lifetime Original Movie? [NY Times]
Australian Fashion Week organizers have decided to ban models under the age of 16—but eating disorders are still okay. [WWD]
Rumors of Nina Garcia leaving Elle are still circulating like wildfire! [Jossip, WWD, FWD]
British Cheap-chic retailer Topshop announced that they will open a U.S. flagship location in Manhattan on October 10th! Mark your calendars, boys. [Fashion Week Daily]
The swimsuits to be worn by swimmers on the U.S. Olympic team not only cover more of the male swimmers body, but also gives them a gender-neutral Ken doll-like crotch to reduce "drag." In other words, the swimming competitions just lost some gay viewers while some drag queens get some much-needed respect. [Queerty]
Celebrities are always meddling with fashion. Samuel L. Jackson has been trying to get Giorgio Armani to use more brocade, beaded fabrics—and fabrics used in the womens collection—for the mens collection. Armani needs to tell Samuel L. to stick to acting and let Armani design the clothes. I mean, celebrities are just walking coat hangers for designer clothes to get into celebrity magazines. [WWD]
Is Nina Garcia, Project Runway judge and Elle Fashion Director, leaving the magazine? When WWD reports a rumor, it's usually true... I said usually. What does this mean for her Project Runway gig? [WWD]
Yigal Azrouël dishes about his collaboration with K-Swiss and his love of surfing. [The Cut]
The Project Runway/Bravo hair-pulling cat fight continues! Harvey Weinstein and Bravo fight over who is responsible for the show's success. They need to settle the lawsuit with a walk-off! [NY Post]
Lenny Kravitz will wear 20 outfits designed by Gucci for his upcoming tour. Hey, if Madonna can wear D&G, Lenny deserves a little love from the Italians, too! But how many costume changes does a guy need? [British Vogue via The Cut]
Madonna's hip-hop collaboration with Timbaland and Timberlake has gone too far. On the cover of her new album, Hard Candy, her Madgesty sports a ghetto-fabulous white-diamond and gold knuckle-ring that spells "M-dolla"—designed by Chopard, of course. [WWD]
When Project Runway's fifth season kicks off in November, it won't be found on it's usual slot on Bravo on Wednesdays at 10pm. Instead, E! reports that viewers will have to program their TiVo's to Lifetime—the channel where women and gay men get their fix for Will & Grace reruns and countless dramas starring Sally Field.
In retaliation for the divorce, Bravo filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein Company, which produces the show. After all, Project Runway was the channel's most-popular program that launched a handful of similar programs that followed a similar format.
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn will still star in the show but Michael Kors and Nina Garcia are still negotiating their contracts with their new employer.
Project Runway has more drama than a hot tranny mess!
There are many qualities of a leader—and being a sneaker connoisseur turns out to be one of them. A study found that people who bought more three or more pairs of sneakers a year were more likely to have leadership qualities than the less-sneaker-oriented folks. I wonder what researchers have to say about men who wear high heels? [Yahoo/Reuters]
Naomi Campbell was released on bail after being held on suspicion for assaulting a police officer. Reports say she got in a tiff over lost luggage. [Reuters]
Louis Vuitton unveiled its Monogramouflage print designed by Takashi Murakami and Marc Jacobs. Just in case you need to engage in some urban warfare with an Upper East Sider at Saks Fifth Avenue. [Fashionista]
The NY Times channels a little Rebel Without a Cause in its obsession with leather jackets. [NY Times]
What should you do with that crappy smelling celebrity cologne your mother gave you for your birthday? Use it as mace to ward off burglars and muggers! Apparently, Elizabeth Arden Red Door perfume is highly effective. [UPI]
Giorgio Armani launched a line of super-lux luggage for men and women in patent crocodile skin. I wouldn't recommend checking that when flying with Delta. [WWD]
Police raided a warehouse in Queens and seized $5.5 million worth of counterfeit bags just hours before Louis Vuitton's Brooklyn bash to call attention to the evils of counterfeiting. Coincidence? Or brilliant marketing? Hmmm... [WWD]
Project Runway wins the Peabody Award, which are meant to honor excellence in entertainment and news broadcasting. Other winners include a documentary on wounded war veterans. Runway is the first reality show to win the prestigious award. An Emmy and a Peabody? Fierce! [The Cut]
Not all natural products are good for you. A study found that many products— including Jason, Kiss My Face, Jason and Whole Foods-branded products— contained a carcinogenic byproduct called 1,4-Dioxane. Stick to munching your organic foods instead and driving your hybrid. [WWD]
Yohji Yamamoto plans to follow in the high-heeled footsteps of Americas Next Top Model and Fendi by staging a fashion show in Beijing's Forbidden City next month. Fendi staged a show on the Great Wall last year and ANTM filmed a runways show in the same location as Yamamoto's show during it's 9th season. What's most awkward about the fashion show is not the lack of Tyra Banks but the politics behind the show. WWD reports, "Yamamoto is organizing the show in collaboration with the Chinese
government and will use the occasion as a personal apology to the
Chinese people for Japan's atrocities during its World War II invasion." Seriously. [The Cut]
Banana Republic and GAP Inc. are up against more allegations of poor working conditions for the factory workers that produce clothes for the company. Banana Republic responded today saying that it will launch its own investigation into the allegations, and find lesser known factories that know better than to complain about child labor and long hours if they know what's good for them. [WWD]
Paula Abdul purchased Rami Kashou's Hershey's challenge dress from Project Runway for almost $3,000 in a charity auction. She said she would probably wear it on Halloween but I wouldn't be surprised if that crazy bitch showed up on American Idol with it because it's a Tuesday. For her, every day is Halloween. [The Cut]
Fall Out Boy frontman (and Popnography's favorite boy in eyeliner) Pete Wentz will debut an exclusive collection of jeans, t-shirts, hoodies for Nordstrom. While the clothes will be available in the young women's section of the store, he hopes that some boys will pick them up too. Clearly, he's angling for the tween homo market. It kind of fits in with his whole "I'm kinda sorta but not really bisexual because its kinda punk rock" reputation. I hope black eyeliner is the free gift with purchase! [WWD]
Alexander McQueen will stage a mini fashion show of his Fall/Winter 2008 collection in NYC next week. [FWD] That is, if the burst pipes in his showroom didn't destroy everything he planned to show. [Fashionista]
Are straight men intersted in fashion again or are they finally listening to their girlfriends and wives who whine "Why don't you dress a little more like my gay BFF?" [Times UK]
Marc Jacobs and beau Jason Preston's relationship hit the skids last week while on vacay in Turks and Caicos. Page Six reports that the "nonstop screaming matches" got so bad that they spent time apart and eventually cut the trip short—flying home on separate planes, of course. Fighting is no fun without the makeup sex. [Page Six]
Threeasfour, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastian and Philip Crangi will all create limited-edition collections for GAP this year, but they might be tough to find. If a designer designs a collection for GAP and nobody can find it, does it still make a splash? [Fashionista]
Would you buy a $250 pair of cashmere boxer briefs? Me neither. But the girls at The Frisky were so captivated by them that they went on their own expedition into the land of pima cotton and bulges in men's underwear. [The Frisky]
Gucci, Chloé and Dunhill won a $4.3 million judgment against a bag counterfeiter. Vendors on Canal St. don't bat an eyelash, they just get more creative. [WWD]
Christian Siriano just might be the most successful Project Runway alum yet! WWD reports that he now has financial backers for his line, Posh Spice in his clothes, and a scheduled appearance on Ugly Betty—and W Hotels gave him a bed. His response to all this newfound success? "Fierccccce!" [The Cut]
You know you've achieved a level of celebrity when Saturday Night Live takes aim at you with its satire and mockery. Christian Siriano probably didn't think he would walk away with $100,000 in prize money from winning Project Runway (oh, who are we kidding, he knew it all along) but who could imagine that SNL's Amy Poehler could channel Siriano's signature hairstyle, glasses and overuse of catch phrases with such accuracy and panache? Whether you love him or hate him, the sketch is sure to please!
If you missed it, you know we've got the clip for your viewing pleasure!
Is Project Runway in need of a makeover? Jillian Lewis and Christian Siriano told WWD they think producers should shake things up to keep the show, which is now casting for Season 5, fresh. [WWD]
An American Apparel model speaks out about the company's mustachioed CEO Dov Charney. Mustache or not, he's apparently not the douche bag the media portrays him to be. Maybe shaving the mustache will help him ditch the Chester the Molester associations and sexual harassment suits—or maybe he should just stop giving models vibrators as gifts. [Radar]
Miuccia Prada loves to mix art and fashion, so its no surprise to hear that Prada plans to open a Rem Hoolhaas-designed gallery space in Milan to showcase Fondazione Prada's collection of contemporary art in the next couple of years. The foundation is shopping around for a quaint home with curb appeal with just 162,000 square feet. [WWD]
Project Runway winner Christian Siriano is considering his options for what to do with his final collection. WWD reports that he is considering retailers like Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys New York or his own website—that is, if Posh Spice doesn't snap it up herself. As the winner of the competition, he can hawk his line on Bluefly.com but he's unsure if his collection is right for the Bluefly customer—considering they sell last season's threads on the cheap. [WWD]
Reality shows collided when Jaslene from America's Next Top Model worked the Project Runway catwalk for Jillian. Time for a Heidi vs. Tyra supermodel smackdown! [Fashionista]
Hoping to rise from the dead, Paper Denim & Cloth gets a major image overhaul in a bid to win over the hipster set of the Lower East Side. The fruits of their makeover labor will be seen this fall. Does anyone still wear Paper? [WWD]
Fabulous designer and Project Runway alum Malan Breton gives Out.com Stylelist his take on last night's Runway Finale:
"As I sat in the small viewing room at the Tribeca Grand where the TRESemé Tim Gunn Project Runway 4 finale party took place, I was reminded of why I became a designer: the raw element that comes from creating a beautiful garment.
I had my favorites but I was not on the judging panel. I adored the theatricality of Christian's collection, the Jillian's sportswear, and the detail in Rami's collection was stunning. By far this has been the strongest fashion showing that Project Runway has ever seen.
Darlings, I was moved when Victorya proclaimed her love of Christian's work. People often give her a rough time about her own fashion choices but she is a free spirit—one who does not live by a book of fashion but rather by her own sense of style.
I was moved to see the judges name Christian Siriano the winner. I remember meeting him briefly many months ago and thinking that he was not arrogant at all but that he was just a young artist trying to get the world to see his gift—and an amazing one it is.
I look forward to seeing all of these designers reach a great level of success. I am also excited that another designer who has such a strong vision made it to win. Did you see Victorya tear up at Christian's response? Darlings, that is reality. We all have a gift to give and when it is validated there is nothing greater."
For more information about Malan Breton, visit his website and be sure to check out The Malan Show at BravoTV.com!
The NY Times captures the It bag for men in Paris: the leather carryall. Homos everywhere toss aside their Jack Spade canvas messengers and head straight for something a little more butch...almost. [NY Times]
Are text messages dangerous for pedestrians? The City of London thinks so! Text-obsessed Londoners have apparently run into so many lamp posts while sending a message to their mates that the city has installed pads on many lamp posts. Well, this is the same city that thought giving pubs 24-hour drinking licenses would curb binge drinking and alcohol-related violence. What will they do to stop the walking-while-chewing-gum injuries? [Engadget]
Does Baby Phat designer Kimora Lee Simmons demand that someone stand beside her at all times during personal appearances to refill her champagne when her glass is less than one inch full? The NY Post thinks so. And come on, us size queens could always use a few more inches. [NY Post]
The New York Daily News reported today that Marc Jacobs was seen rubbing his finger up and down his boyfriends abs in a bar. Wait, why is this news? It would be news if Marc did that to Anderson Cooper. Must be a slow news day for Rush & Molloy. [NY Daily News]
Tim Gunn & Christian Siriano hold a walk-off. Clearly Miss Ferocia Coutura wins and tells Gunn that his walk is "not fierce!" [Mollygood via Queerty]
Just when you thought your mobile phone did everything you could ever hope, Adidas and Samsung have teamed up to create the F110 miCoach, a phone that tracks your heart rate, tells you when you're not running fast enough, counts your strides and holds 1GB of music. Now, if they could only figure out a way for it to run for me. [Engadget Mobile]
Fabulous, bitchy and sometimes-annoying, peacock-haired designer Christian "Fierce" Siriano walked away with a check for $100,000 last night as the winner of Project Runway Season 4, beating out Jillian and Rami in the final walk off in Bryant Park.
Was there any question that Christian wouldn't win? His work has been consistently innovative and on a completely different level than any of the other designers. While the judges did their best to criticize all the designers to keep viewers guessing and increase the suspense, all they could say was that Christian's overuse of black could look monotonous. Someone needs to sent them the memo that 90s monochromatic minimalism is back in a big way.
What was lacking in this season's finale was a good juicy scandal or cat fight! This time around, we didn't have any jealous designers claiming that Rami couldn't have made his clothes in the allotted time (Jeffrey Sebelia) or that Jillian purchased shoes for her models in some underhanded way (Kara Saun). I would have settled for a model no-show, a last minute challenge to create one final look, or just a good old fashion hair pulling!
Guest judge Victoria "bobble head" Beckham, who spoke with a lispy slur because her lips looked like they were about to burst with newly-injected collagen, said she'd happily wear any of Christian's clothes! For Christian, who counts Posh as one of his style icons, that was probably the biggest compliment of all.
Congratulations Christian!
UPDATE: I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was watching TRL on MTV while eating a late lunch, when Christian Siriano stopped by to chat with MTV News. He revealed that Posh wasn't joking when she said she'd love to wear his dresses—he's actually designing two dresses for her spiceness right now! Also, MTV News dork Jim Cantiiello kept referring to Christian as Chris Crocker—of Leave Britney Alone fame.
Givenchy confirmed that Justin Timberlake will be the face behind their newest fragrance—slated to launch this fall. Does anyone still care about J.T.? What has he done lately other than give menu recommendations to unsuspecting patrons at his Manhattan restaurant? [Fashion Week Daily]
Boy band and reality TV refugee Nick Lachey threw a diva-style hissy fit at a JC Penney's launch event that he was paid to attend. He's just bitter that he only gets invited to D-List events. [Page Six]
Christian "Ferocia Coutura" Siriano, the peacocked hair diva designer Project Runway front runner, was awarded the title of "Fan Favorite" during last night's reunion episode and went home with a $10,000 check as big as his ego. Of course, I totally voted for him. [Popnography]
Editors at the Gucci womenswear presentation complained that the bold-patterned carpet on the runway made them nauseous from motion sickness. But I guess you'd have to actually eat something if you're going to lose your lunch. [Fashionista]
Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, Victoria Beckham and Heidi Klum judge one of the final five.Photo: Getty Images
Project Runway recorded its final fashion show today in Bryant Park! It was a celebrity-studded with Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham (the guest judge), Tyson Beckford, Niki Taylor, Padma Lakshmi, Harvey Weinstein, and many Project Runway alums in attendance. For the first time, five designers showed collections—so as not to spoil the next episode. After the episode that aired on Wednesday night, Rami, Chris, Christian, Sweet P, and Jillian were still vying for the top three spots but all five showed collections in the tents this morning.
Attending the show was quite exciting. Nine-hundred Project Runway fanatics filed into the Tent at Bryant Park abuzz with the latest gossip from Wednesday's show when Ricky was sent home. Every person in the room whispered their guesses for the final three and most people seemed in agreement that it would be Christian, Rami and Jillian. So, imagine the surprise when the first designer to walk onto the catwalk this morning was Sweet P, whose tearful introduction charmed the audience.
Here's what your Stylelist saw on the runway this morning:
Sweet P: Sweet P's collection was much more refined than much of what we saw on the show but it also came across as a little mish-mashy with fits of plaid and ruffles. It had a youthful feel but sadly lacked a real wow-factor that Sweet P fans were hoping for.
Chris: Chris March's collection was surprisingly vampish and gothic—and of course, a little costumey. Tons of velvet, jeweled crosses,and smoldering red hues.
Jillian: Jillian always delivers ultra-wearable and consumer-friendly pieces that always feature excellent details. It certainly had a Ralph Lauren/Club Monaco feel at times (which is not surprising considering she worked for Ralph Lauren prior to the show).
Rami: Always glamorous with flowing, draped gowns, Rami is a red carpet dream. His collection was stunning, with a deep blue and green color palette. Woven details, beautiful layering,
Christian: Always up for the dramatic. Christian took a major couture-style turn with some jaw dropping looks complete with exaggerated ruffle skirts and collars, oversize hats, and tons of feathers.
Stay tuned for more photos as they hit the wires!
UPDATE! More photos after the jump!
The sea of Project Runway fans inside the tent before the show.Photo: Nick Burns
Our new BFF Malan Breton knows a little about what it's like to compete on Project Runway—he was one of last season's contestants. We asked him to sum up last night's Season 4 premiere and here's what he had to say about all the drama and the contestants:
I will sum the premiere episode up in four parts:
Part A: Gratuitous underwear shots! Part B: Unfinished Jersey. (editors note: I assume he means jersey fabric... not the state, though NJ is kinda unfinished, too). Part C: Divas! and most importantly! Part D: Undiscovered genius.
Yes ladies and gents! Season Four of Project Runway has begun and with it the talent and the drama! Three of the beloved persona's in fashion Michael, Nina, and Tim Gunn. Heidi is always gorgeous and not pregnant this season. The cast this season is gorgeous! Jack, I predict, will be sharing lots of gratuitous underwear shots. I do look forward to meeting all of them—it is like a family.
I will never forget standing on the Project Runway catwalk, but I prefer catwalks of my own now. Happy new season of Runway darlings!
Love, malan
P.S. Always remember to dream.
Malan is right! Now, most of America knows what Jack Mackenroth looks like in his underwear—we're not complaining. It seems Bravo finally realized that Project Runway is only watched by gay men and straight women. But Jack is more than just a pretty face, his dress was fabulous! Way to take one for the team, Jack!
The gay telephone tree is buzzing about the new season of Project Runway which premieres tonight on Bravo! From everything we've heard—and all the contestants we met at the Out 100 party last Friday (Hi Jack & Christian!)—this season is set to be the best yet!
Here's what Tim Gunn, Project Runway daddy and reality TV star, told our lovely and talented celebrity interrogator Shana on the Out 100 red carpet about this season:
Q: What are you wearing tonight?
A: Hugo Boss. I'm a classicist at heart and Hugo Boss has that classic design witha modern edge. I need that modern edge. I can now afford it. I've had a great year. While I'm not flush in cash, I can finally afford a great suit.
Q: You couldn't afford a great suit while working for Parsons?
A: God no. It was sad. I couldn't afford great clothes even though I was the dean of the fashion department.
Q: Are you breaking any of the style rules from your own book? A: Good question. Let me think. I'm sure I am. Rules are made to be broken. You have to take the guidelines and make them your own. Wear things with confidence and people will begin to believe it.
Christian Lacroix designed glass bottles for Evian. Get your ready-to-wear bottle for $6 and your "couture" bottle for untold sums. Personally, I prefer to drink my water than to wear it, but to each their own! [Fashionista]
Starbucks and Apple begin their joint quest for world domination as iTunes rolls out in Starbucks locations across the Universe. [Engadget]
Scent of a man! Do you really need to wear antiperspirant and deodorant each day? The NY Times explores the American obsession with battling B.O. and suggests that little man stank goes a long way. [NY Times]
Gift Bags, long lines, supermodel poses, designer cameos and cat fights over leopard prints! That sums up the scene at H&Ms across the world that revealed the Roberto Cavalli line to the world today. I would have been in line this morning, but I didn't want to get trampled to death. [Fashionista]
Are members of the general public the harshest fashion critics? What do you expect when you invite plebeians to attend fashion shows? [NY Times]
Verizon welcomes pre-orders for LG's latest Voyager and Venus clamshell and slider phones starting today! Because some people don't actually want an iPhone. [Engadget]
Project Runway goes interactive and takes a page from Fantasy Football. Pick your favorite designer during each show and see how they do when the judges hurl insults and shred them to pieces! Fun! [Fashionista]
The premiere of Project Runway Season 4 is just one week away, but yesterday, each of this season's designers gave NYC a taste of the drama to come during a fashion show at Lincoln Center.
Unfortunately, your Stylelist couldn't make it to the show because he was working on his tan in the Dominican Republic and enjoying cocktails with Oscar de la Renta.
For the runway show, each of this season's 15 designers created three looks.
Project Runway's first dramatic scene debuted today in the gossip pages! Rumor has it that the oh-so-handsome HIV-positive contestant, Jack Mackenroth, was booted off the show after a getting a staph infection. The Daily News reports, "According to a source who spoke with him, "He is saying he got kicked
off not because he lost a challenge, but because he got a 'staph'
infection and said his face blew up like the kid from 'Mask.'" But Mackenroth denies spreading the goss because he is sworn to secrecy. This is going to be the best season yet. [Daily News]
Lily Allen on meeting Karl Lagerfeld, "
I was absolutely petrified when I first met Karl [Lagerfeld]. All the PRs were
pushing me into going and I was like, what am I doing? And I was really
s******g myself. And when I did meet him he was like, ‘Hello, nice to meet
you’." [Times UK]
Radar weighs in on the Karl Lagerfeld documentary and highlights the man's best quotes: "Fashion is ephemeral, dangerous, and unfair.... If you want social
justice, become a civil servant.... Fashion people enchant me." And don't forget the sign in Lagerfeld's bathroom that reads "Pissing everywhere isn't very Chanel." [Radar]
MTV hops on the Project Runway bandwagon with an online fashion reality series that follows three "up and coming" fashion designers as they prepare to show their collections at MAGIC—the behemoth trade show in Las Vegas. But will the three designers live in a house and have their lives taped while they make skirts out of corn husks? Probably not. I'll wait for Project Runway. [WWD]
Alcohol Monitoring Ankle Bracelets are so in for Spring 2008. Just ask Karl Lagerfeld! [Fashion Week Daily]
Patricia Field calls Meryl Streep fat! Cat fight! During a panel discussion on costume design during The New Yorker Festival, Field discussed dressing Streep for The Devil Wears Prada. "I don't copy and document, it's too boring. Meryl Streep is a German,
big-boned, different woman. No way I was going to apply Anna Wintour's
look to Meryl Streep; it would have been a mess." [WWD]
Marc Jacobs and International Herald Tribune critic Suzy Menkes buried the hatchet at the Louis Vuitton show. Menkes, who wrote that she "wanted to strangle Marc Jacobs" with her bare hands after his tardy show in NYC, received a peace offering from Jacobs at the LV show—what looks like a t-shirt featuring a drawing of Menkes strangling Jacobs. [Fashion Week Daily]
How does a celebrity counter all those rumors that Popnography keeps spreading like a kid on a playground? They start their own blog! Here are 66 celebrities who hit the keys to spread their own gospel in true celebrity style. PR reps are so out this season. [Celebrity Cowboy via Radar]
Target is being sued for not making its website accessible to the blind. Are they really missing much? The site is such an eye sore and their products aren't known for being exceptional (except for the rare designer collaborations), so the visually impaired aren't missing much. [DNR]
In other Target news, Keanan Duffty-designed menswear inspired by David Bowie will hit stores beginning October 14th. Think The Man Who Fell to Earth-style puffy vests, T-shirts, and skinny jeans, priced at an ultra affordable $15-60. This should be interesting. [Fashion Week Daily]
Marc Jacobs is always up for going the extra mile to make a production out of his runway shows. The tent in the courtyard of the Louvre for Louis Vuitton's runway presenation features a ceiling papered with vintage romance novel covers with the title "After Dark," and covered with with Vuitton's LV monogram. Tres chic! Let's hope the show starts on time. [WWD]
Tour the Maison Martin Margiela store in Manhattan's Meat Packing
District. Visiting the actual store can be dangerous for your wallet. [NY Times]
Project Runway's is gayer than ever (obviously they are paying attention to their demographics). And that's the way it should be! There's just one lone straight man in a sea of girls and homos. [AfterElton]
The premiere of Project Runway Season 4 is still a month away, but you can still get a piece of the action—well, a piece of Season 2 designer Nick Verreos, that is.
Basil Hayden, purveyors of fine bourbon, teamed up with OutMagazine to raise money for Chicago-area LGBT charities in the best way a bunch of gays know how—throwing fabulous parties with style leaders like Out's fearless leader Aaron Hicklin, Top Design's Erik Kolacz, Design on a Dime's Brice Cooper, Color Splash's David Bromstad, and Thomas Riker & James Dolenc of jamesthomas!
The Tastemaker 2007 series of six events over the last two months (which have raised over $15,000 for LGBT charities in the Chicago area) will culminate on Thursday, October 4th, with a final party and auction benefiting The Center on Halstead, the Gay epicenter in Chicago's Boystown.
What's up for bid? A one-of-a-kind gown that would make any drag queen envious designed by the handsome and charming Nick Verreos from Project Runway. The dress, which was inspired by Basil Hayden and channels what Nick Verreos calls "Martha Washington 2008," features an empire-period style gown with gold silk chiffon, a gold and black satin obi bow, and gold and a black duchesses bust/corset section with hand-beaded Swarovski crystals.
If you're not in Chicago, you can still place a bid on the dress via email (click here). If the auction doesn't reach your bid, the dress is yours and you (or someone you know) will be ready for the prom!
Check out photos from the Tastemaker series after the jump!
Everyone's favorite fashion father-figure and Project Runway mentor, Tim Gunn, has set his sights on a reality television takeover with his new show, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, which debuts tonight on Bravo!
Under Tim's tutelage, the fashion helpless will explore their personal style and follow the tenets of Gunn's book Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality Taste and Style while Gunn utters his patented phrases of "Make it work" and "Carry on."
It's a makeover show that's equal parts Queer Eye and The Swan only there's just a Fab Two instead of five—model Veronica Webb co-hosts. Sadly, it looks like Gunn only works his style magic on women. Perhaps he gets his hands on guys later in the season—or just off camera.
Tune in tonight for the premiere at 10:00pm on Bravo!
BONUS: The contestants of Project Runway Season 4 will also be revealed during tonight's show!
Bosom Buddies & Project Runway Winners: Jay McCarroll and Jeffrey Sebelia.Photo: Getty Images
Glancing at the schedule of shows for New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, I noticed a glaring omission. Where is Project Runway? For the past three years, Project Runway contestants have shown their final collections in the Bryant Park tents and the show has always been listed on the show schedule.
So what's going on over at Bravo? Perhaps the contestants are participating in a fashion week in another city? Schedules for Fashion Weeks in Berlin, Los Angeles and Miami also came up without a mention of Project Runway.
Your investigative Stylelist contacted the show's publicist to get an answer, and so far, the email has gone unanswered. The rumor is that the Season 4 gang will show their final collections in Europe.
UPDATE: Our friends at Blogging Project Runway tell us that the season begins to air in November and contestants will present their final collections during NYC Fashion Week in February.
A budgie smuggler from Parke & Ronen's Spring 2007 Collection.Photo: Getty Images
New York Magazine bites back after Jay McCarroll's publicist denies that he's homeless and posts the transcript from Jay's interview. [NY Mag]
Do your sunglasses make you more prone to car accidents? Will this news make you trade in your Prada aviators for wrap-around Oakleys? Don't count on it. [Daily Mail]
Men.Style.com asks buyers from the 10 leading menswear stores in the country for their top fall picks. I hope you like plaid. [Men.Style.com]
V Magazines snags an impromptu interview with delicious, Dutch, design duo Viktor & Rolf. [V Mag]
A quick guide to who should wear short bathing trunks (or "budgie smugglers")—and more importantly, who should not. [Daily Mail]
As the dollar loses value, high-end fashion gets more expensive. But who cares? The higher prices tickle our love of snobbery and just make us want it more. [NY Times]
NYC Hairstylists won't just give highlights and a trim but wi
