Project Runway

On Thursday evening, Kevin Christiana, a Project Runway Season Four veteran, watched as the principal cast of Traitor celebrated the New York premiere of their film at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza. Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and Saïd Taghmaoui squeezed onto a pair of plush red couches with Jeffrey Nachmanoff, who is making his directorial debut. The Daily Transom wouldn't have pegged Mr. Christina as a fan of international adventure thrillers about counter-espionage operations, but then again, isn't that just a microcosm for Project Runway these days?

"It's a show!" sighed Mr. Christiana, when queried about a recent New York magazine article that chronicled the rivalry between Project Runway judge and recent Marie Claire hire Nina Garcia, and Anne Slowey, Fashion News Director at Elle and the Miranda Priestly-esque star of the CW's forthcoming battle-of-the-fashion-assistants Stylista.  read more »

Halston, the '70s-tastic label revived last year by Jimmy Choo designer Tamara Mellon and movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, has announced that it will show at the Museum of Modern Art during fashion week, even though designer Marco Zanini departed from the label recently. [FWD]

Model Agyness Deyn and her boyfriend, Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., wear matching shoes. [Jezebel]

Project Runway is suddenly not looking like an automatic hit, as the contestants are lackluster this season and the show is on too early (9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.). [Portfolio via Racked]

Gisele Bundchen reportedly gave her boyfriend, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a calendar featuring "specially shot" photos of herself.  read more »

Nina Garcia, who's still technically employed by Elle through the fifth season of Project Runway, has reportedly moved into her Marie Claire office and has begun working on projects, reports Women's Wear Daily.

But Ms. Garcia's co-workers at the magazine are already apparently displeased with her demands as she began organizing for fashion shoots in the January issue. According to WWD, "sources said Garcia’s requests for high-end designer wares to be featured in fashion spreads can at times be at odds with Marie Claire’s more mass-market sensibilities."

A Marie Claire spokesperson said, “Nina is on contract with Elle that prohibits her from working for Marie Claire before Sept.  read more »

MONDAY

The new Batman flick, The Dark Knight, opened this weekend to rave reviews, sold out crowds and a record-breaking performance at the box office—it took in $155.34 million, according to the Associated Press, surpassing the $151.1 million Spider-Man 3 made on its opening weekend a little over a year ago. When a blockbuster generates this much hype, the networks can cash in with primetime tie-ins that appeal to TV-addicts regardless of whether or not they've actually seen the movie. It starts tonight with The Dark Knight's predecessor, Batman Begins, on FX at 5 p.m. Then at 9, turn to the History Channel for Batman Tech, which answers the question posed by the Joker in the original 1989 remake of Batman: "Where does he get those wonderful toys?"  read more »

The suspense is over.

Bravo has finally unveiled the new cast lineup for Project Runway just two days before the premier of season five.

"I feel as though we set the bar higher every season," host Heidi Klum said in a statement released this morning. "We've got some truly talented, innovative and deeply creative designers this year, and I think it's fair to say, the most diverse—everyone from a rocker chick who mostly works with leather to a more bohemian, surfer boy and everything in between."

Guest judges this season will include Diane Von Furstenberg, Sandra Bernhard, Apolo Ohno, Brooke Shields, LL Cool J, RuPaul, Rachel Zoe, Cynthia Rowley and Francisco Costa.  read more »

MONDAY

The three Americans who were freed recently from a leftist guerilla organization in the jungles of Colombia traveled home to Florida for the first time in more than five years on Saturday after undergoing 10 days of treatment in an Army medical center in Houston. Their highly publicized rescue by the Colombian military on July 2 served as a reminder that the large South American nation still has lots of problems, like political strife, a slowing economy, poverty, crime and drugs. (Did you see that VBS.tv documentary on Colombian scopolamine? Scary!) But tonight, Anthony Bourdain focuses on the brighter side of Colombian culture in the latest installment of No Reservations.  read more »

A suitcase filled with $15,000 worth of Russell Simmons jewelry was reportedly stolen when one of Mr. Simmons' employees left it in the hallway of a Bleecker Street building for about 30 minutes. [P6]

Heidi Klum says that Project Runway will get a facelift on Lifetime that will include more catch phrases and a "Hollywood flair." [Forbes via The Cut]

Jennifer Lopez stopped by Obama's offices to talk about "matters close to her heart." [People  read more »

Chloë Sevigny has turned into an "Eco-Nazi" with her anti-plastic-bag ways. [The Cut]

Gossip Girl News! The guy who plays Dan's father, Rufus, thinks Dan and Serena make a "a very hot couple" in real and Gossip worlds, which is kind of ew. Meanwhile, GG's lead torturer Michelle Trachtenberg was in fact the torturee in her private Los Angeles high school. [People, Daily Intel]

Arthur Sulzberger Jr. has moved into an apartment on West 66th Street after getting separated from his wife, Gail Gregg, who for now occupies the home they shared together on West 64th Street. [P6]

Eliot Spitzer will be issuing campaign contribution refunds to his top supporters. [P6]  read more »

Fashion Week Daily has confirmed that Nina Garcia has accepted an offer from Hearst Corporation and will be joining Marie Claire as its new fashion director in the fall. Meanwhile rumors about Marie Claire replacing Elle as Project Runway's sponsor still have not been confirmed, but a source tells FWD that "negotiations are just starting, if even that," and that Ms.  read more »

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have reportedly gotten married after dating for about a month. [NY Daily News]

Project Runway is not just moving to Lifetime, but also Los Angeles for its sixth season. [EW]  read more »

MONDAY

Does anyone remember laughter? O.K. maybe times haven’t been that tough, but the country’s diaphragms have been woefully underused these last couple of months (even with Jimmy Kimmel f**king Ben Affleck) with the absence of new episodes of veteran sitcoms (and movies like Semi-Pro plaguing the theaters). But tonight, all of that changes with fresh installments of How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) and Two and a Half Men (CBS, 9 p.m.). (Rookie breakout The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8 p.m.) has a new episode, too!) Watch—it’s bound to feel like the television equivalent of make-up sex.  read more »

Did George Clooney pop the question? [Marie Claire UK]

All this while he avows that he is "gay, gay" (and not "gay, gay, gay"): "That third 'gay' was pushing it."[People]

Matt Damon's rep confirms he and his wife Luciana are expecting. [People]  read more »

MONDAY

Finally, they’ve given Julianna Margulies her own show, Canterbury’s Law (Fox, 8 p.m.), in which she plays a bitchy (natch) attorney for the falsely accused. Ms. Margulies has certainly paid her dues, appearing during her 18-year career on E.R., Law and Order, Scrubs, The Sopranos, and a whole host of made-for-TV movies, not to mention Snakes on a Plane. Her career strategy has obviously paid off: make the rounds playing a doctor or a lawyer and eventually, they’ll make a TV show for you. (Except if you’re Fyvush Finkel. Sorry!) It’s not a new idea. Jewish mothers have been on that tip for years.  read more »

On Wednesday night, hipsters everywhere cried “Fierce!” as Heidi Klum named fashion design wunderkind Christian Siriano the winner of Project Runway season four, making him the youngest designer yet to have topped the hit Bravo reality series. But this weekend, the 22-year-old Mr. Siriano is taking the spotlight off of himself (surprising, we know!) and casting it instead on his boyfriend, nightlife photographer Brad Walsh, 25, who will present his debut New York photo exhibit this Saturday at the building where he lives in Park Slope, with Mr. Siriano as the evening’s host, and tunes provided by the Misshapes. (Sorry kids, we hear the guest list is way packed!)

On display will be a collection of a few dozen studio portraits and party photos that Mr. Walsh has taken over the past two years, including shots of Euro models Agyness Deyn and Freja Beha Erichsen, the Misshapes’ Leigh Lezark, miscellaneous friends and a variety of outrageously dressed club kids that anyone who used to read Blue States Lose has probably glimpsed at least once or twice. (You all remember Jonny Makeup, a.k.a. Little Scotty Mouth Breather, right?)  read more »

MONDAY

For several panicked hours on Friday, fans of Gossip Girl—and presumably, The O.C.—swamped message boards following the news that producers of the new CW show had offered former O.C. cast member Mischa Barton a role on G.G. as Georgina Sparks, an old chum of Serena van der Woodsen. A wave of invective ensued: “This is the dumbest idea I have ever heard,” wrote one irate commenter, “[M]ischa [B]arton is the most useless actress ever!!!” wrote another. Too harsh? Maybe … maybe not. Consider the history: Josh Schwartz, who now produces G.G., and the other O. C. producers opted to kill off Barton’s character, well before the show ran its course. Now they want her back?  read more »

MONDAY

For the last six weeks, NBC has lorded over Monday nights with the consistent popularity of game show Deal or No Deal [8 p.m.]. (Last Monday’s episode was its most-viewed in over a year with 16.8 million people tuning in.) The streak will likely end tonight, when ABC airs the made-for-television adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun [8 p.m.] starring Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and the rest of the cast from the 2004 revival. Dennis Harvey, in the blue-collar prose typical to Variety, calls it a “sturdy translation.” Talk about faint praise!

Meanwhile, if Raisin fails to play the part of streak-killer, the March 17 return of How I Met Your Mother [CBS, 8 p.m.] and The Big Bang Theory (the two will be switching time slots) and Two and Half Men [CBS, 9 p.m.], each with nine new episodes, should. Three weeks have never felt so long.  read more »

There are only 13 days till the Project Runway finale airs. And while we have a few ideas about who’s going to win—thanks to a certain little bird—the anticipation continues to build. Last night, Bravo aired one of those reality TV reunion episodes, in which almost everyone comes back to the show, where they are filmed fidgeting in a poorly designed set. It gives them a chance to rehash tired feuds, dish about “what happened when the cameras weren’t rolling” and howl at embarrassing outtakes. But this isn’t just any reality series.

In this clip from last night’s episode, host and mentor Tim Gunn straps on his best TV persona to reveal the show’s “fan favorite”—the PR designer that garnered the most viewer votes. The winner gets $10,000 and a bigger head. (This video also reveals a sense of how judge Heidi Klum’s mood—or looser editing—on the reunion episode made the whole thing utterly bizarre. For the first time, Ms. Klum makes three things crystal clear: 1) She really can’t stand eliminee Victorya Hong; 2) Mr. Gunn makes her nervous; 3) $10,000 doesn’t impress her.) So, back to the fan fave, who, Mr. Gunn reveals, won by a landslide. Turns out, viewers absolutely adore…MARION LEE!

No, not really…but those who don’t already know will have to watch the clip to find out. Hint he’s so Posh.

This morning, a few minutes before the Project Runway show got under way, several alums of the series were mingling on the plastic-covered catwalk at the far end of the tent. In the midst of all the anticipatory mayhem, we caught up with Ricky Lizalde, the last designer to be auf-wiedersehned from the show.

Mr. Lizalde, 35, whose considerable background in lingerie design probably kept him on the show for longer than most (including he) expected, came across like, as he put it, “a big crybaby.” But that stigma, he insisted, can be chalked up to the magic of sneaky editing.  read more »

Victoria Beckham (a.k.a. Posh Spice) had chosen a clear winner by the time all five of Project Runway’s finalists—Chris March, Christian Siriano, Rami Kashou, Sweet P and Jillian Lewis—finished showing their collections in the Tent at Bryant Park this morning. But while speaking to the Daily Transom, the singer and Marc Jacobs muse revealed a bit too much.

Read through for, well, it's not really a spoiler so much; but if you're obsessed with the show and want everything to be a secret, don't read through.  read more »

Ahhh…We  read more »

Last night offered sweet relief in the form of Project Runway’s return after a painful hiatus. Marked by hilarity, it was definitely worth the wait.  read more »

Remember Daniel Vosovic from the second season of Project Runway? Well, the 26-year-old budding designer has been keeping very busy since his successful stint on the Bravo reality show (he won five design challenges). He may have lots of balls in the air, but when it comes to starting his own fashion label, Mr. Vosovic is nothing but slow and cautious.

“Right after the show, I really had to make a decision of what to do,” he told us, before recalling a conversation he had with himself. ‘“Do I want to start a collection or work for someone else? No, I need more experience.’ So I’ve been working on the foundation of what my future company will be. I’m working with my management team now on the launch for my signature line,” he said, adding that the line should launch in about a year and a half. In the meantime, he’s been collaborating with a new hotel chain called NYLO, designing a collection of uniforms for the staff.

Continue reading after the jump.  read more »

Michael Kors knows a thing or two about self-promotion. His personal publicity from Project Runway may have created someone new for you to hate--but it created someone new! And last night he used his star-power to attract not just small-screen celebrities but bona fide New York socialites to toast his new SoHo boutique on Prince Street.

The 48-year-old father of the neon metallic sandal has decided to bill the joint “our first Lifestyle store,” but inhabiting the old Jerry’s restaurant as it does, the place really only has room enough for a few clunky bags, a rack of frocks and a gaggle of skinny socials.  read more »

Tim Gunn, the endearingly flamboyant and uncle-ish co-host of Bravo’s Project Runway and Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, told The Daily Transom last night that he spent most of his life masking his sexuality.

“I’ve grown into feeling safer and safer, but there were times when I didn’t at all,” the now-out-of-the-closet television celebrity said—nearly resting his chin on his clavicle—at a benefit for Safe Horizon, which supports victims of violence.

READ MORE >>  read more »

Sarah Jessica Parker, the actress who is frequently confused soap-opera-fan-style with Carrie Bradshaw, the character she portrayed on HBO hit series Sex and the City, who was a writer and not a fashion designer anyway (and based on former Observer scribe Candace Bushnell, btw), has been rewarded for being the beneficiary of a fantastic wardrobe: she has her own fashion line!  read more »

Project Runway SPOILER ALERT! More after the jump.

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Vanity Fair’s James Wolcott summed it up best when he wrote, “It's time to thread that sewing machine, flex those tattoos, and give Tim Gunn something to murmur about before he tidies off like a tight, smart, walking umbrella, to borrow K Tynan's peerless description of John Gielgud.” Mr. Wolcott was referring to, of course, the fourth season of Bravo’s Project Runway, which premiered last night. It didn’t disappoint. Runway fans who missed the episode may want to stop reading this NOW.

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Over on The Real Estate, Chris Shott reports that in the upcoming season of Bravo’s hit series Project Runway, the competing designers will live in a different building than they have in the past. During the first three seasons, the budding designers were housed in the luxury high-rise Atlas on West 38th Street. But this time around they'll be in an “equally luxe” New Gotham building a few blocks north, on West 43rd.

Project Runway Switches Digs for Season Four [NYO]

When the new season of Bravo TV's reality series Project Runway debuts on Wednesday, you might notice a change of scenery.

After three seasons housed in the luxury high-rise Atlas building at 66 West 38th Street, the show's competing designers were relocated this summer to the equally luxe New Gotham building at 520 West 43rd Street.  read more »

Project Runway judge Heidi Klum finds America restrictive in many ways, but its citizens can always wear whatever they want, the 34-year-old says in an AP story published this afternoon.

“Well, you can’t go naked,” she reportedly added.

That’s probably a good thing, too. Particularly for Ms. Klum, who finished filming the fourth season of the hugely-popular Bravo series in Manhattan last May. (The premier episode—which features Ms. Klum and her fellow judges, fashion designer Michael Kors and Elle fashion director Nina Garcia—will air this Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST.) “I judge clothes from my perspective, and I’ve been in the business for a long time,” she reportedly said during the interview.

“I started in ’93 and I’ve worn a lot of things, from really cheap things to really expensive things. Things that I didn’t know which way to get into them—I had instructions, and two people helped me. Or things so big and overwhelming I can hardly stand in them: ‘Take the picture, ‘cause I’m gonna fall over.’ And when I’m not on a runway or in front of the camera, I need conventional clothes too,” the article quotes Ms. Klum as saying.  read more »