Project Runway | The New York Observer

The Week in DVR: Anna Wintour Is On Dave! Plus, Models, The Brat Pack, And Daniel Day-Lewis

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:10:03 -0400

Monday: Late Night With David Letterman

We just can’t wait to see how the big guy handles his lead guest: Anna Wintour. The ever-elegant and chilly editor in chief of Vogue is mysterious, terrifyingly powerful and—even with magazines gasping for existence—as close to royalty in certain publishing circles as you are going to get. But with the release of the documentary The September Issue, a behind-the-curtains look at how the fashion...

The Week in DVR: Project Runway (Finally) Returns! Plus, Michael Cera Acts Adorable, Lindsay Lohan Was A Mean Girl

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:45:04 -0400

Monday: Glenn Martin, DDS
Once upon a time, Michael Eisner was the chief executive at the Walt Disney Company and one of the most powerful men in the world. Now, he’s executive-producing a cartoon for Nick at Nite. What a world! At least the cartoon in question, Glenn Martin, DDS, looks like it could be pretty funny. Starring the vocal talents of Kevin Nealon and Catherine O’Hara (why hasn't anyone thought of hooking...

Gen Art Benefit Co-opted by MTV; Is No Party Safe From 'Reality' Cams?

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:15:39 -0400

Although Gen Art's 15th Anniversary benefit on the spacious 11th floor of 7 West 34th Street was admittedly thrown as a last-ditch effort to save the floundering organization, the mood was hardly desperate!

First to arrive was lovely New Zealand native Rebecca Taylor, with father in tow. The designer was wearing one of her own creations, a blue jumpsuit—“It covers all your sins! You don’t shave your legs—put on...

At Bravo Upfront: Gym Makeovers, Celebrity Florists, New York Preppies, High-Strung Photographers, Supermodels, Kelly Cutrone, Miami Narcissists, and Fiction

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:39:32 -0400

"We're in a hyperbolic type space, which is fitting despite the market conditions," said Lauren Zalaznick.

It was Tuesday morning and Ms. Zalaznick, the overseer of various NBC Universal cable lifestyle channels, was standing in an ornate banquet hall at the Russian Tea Room, kicking off Bravo’s annual upfront presentation to reporters.

Over the next hour and a half, a conga line of Bravo executives talked up the channel's strong performance...

What Does Lifetime Mean For the Fate of Project Runway?

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:19:19 -0400

So, great news! After a year of what has seemed like needlessly complicated lawsuits and negotiations, Project Runway has finally untangled itself enough to get an airdate on Lifetime this summer for its already-completed sixth season. We don’t really care so much about the details of the whos and whys and hows this all-popular show ended up in court (but if you’re interested, here’s a pretty good explanation). What we’re worried about is, will...

Licensed to Kilt! Sean Connery Bequeaths His Bare-Leggedness to Ed Westwick

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:25:00 -0400

Country singer Kellie Pickler is a bit of a skirt chaser.

“I think it’s sexy,” the platinum blond 22-year-old former American Idol contestant told the Daily Transom. “I think it’s great. Real men wear kilts!”

Ladies, not so much! Ms. Pickler wore a non-plaid Gwen Russell-designed red gown to the “Dressed to Kilt” fashion show, organized by the Friends of Scotland and hosted by the hilly country’s reigning king,...

Sara Vilkomerson's Guide To This Week's Movies: Fashion Victim

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:06:35 -0500

Has anyone else noticed that Project Runway tends to be the acceptable exception for reality show snobs who usually sniff at such things? An it’s-O.K.-to-watch-this-it’s-about-talent-not-drama rationale has made the (former) Bravo show increasingly popular since it first aired in 2004. Jay McCarroll, the winner of that debut season, set a high bar when it came to contestant personality; he was a sharp-tongued and innovative designer who made cool-looking clothes while also being hilarious and...

Fashion Roundup: Christian Louboutin Sends Heels Higher; Peter Som Leaves Bill Blass; Harvey Weinstein Counter-Sues Bravo

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:58:54 -0400

Christian Louboutin has announced that he will create the first 8-inch high heel that exists outside of the fetish world. [Guardian]

Heidi Klum's three children get regular coaching lessons in soccer from David Beckham and in tennis from Roger Federer. [Vogue UK]

Designer Peter Som confirmed that he is departing as the creative director of Bill Blass. [WWD]

In April, Bravo filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein Company to prevent Project Runway from going...

Fashion Roundup: 'Project Runway' Delayed; Sacha Baron Cohen's Fashion Mockumentary; Donatella Versace at the Whitney

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:35:49 -0400

The sixth season of Project Runway will be delayed until NBC and Lifetime can resolve their differences in court. [LA Times via The Cut]

The "appearances" that Sacha Baron Cohen made at Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks as a character named "Bruno" were for footage for his next mockumentary about the fashion world. [WWD]

The economy has caused some retail buyers to cut their spring orders 15 to 20 percent after seeing the runways....

Fashion Roundup: Project Runway in Limbo; Nina Garcia Steps on Some Toes; Charlotte Ronson's Biggest Fashion Mistake

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:15:12 -0400

Project Runway is being blocked from moving to Lifetime; Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn do a celebratory chest bump. [NY Times]

"This is insane. I just stepped on someone," Nina Garcia said to Tinsley Mortimer as the two exited the Dior show in Paris. [FWD]

Charlotte Ronson's biggest fashion mistake was cutting her hair short like her sister, Samantha, when she was 13 years old; Kirsten Dunst said that since she's young, she's supposed...

Reality Stars Feel at Home at Michael Kors, But What About the Clothes? "I Loved It," Says His Mama

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:48:30 -0400

At Michael Kors' 10 a.m. fashion show Wednesday, Blake Lively was the obligatory Gossip Girl representative on hand, looking maddeningly fresh. Several seats down, Heidi Klum, Rachel Zoe and actress Joy Bryant chummed it up, snapping pictures and covered their mouths when they spoke to each other (the better to avoid their comments being printed in stories like this one?).

This being a Michael Kors show, almost everyone in the fashion industry who...

'Traitor' Premiere: New Show for 'Project Runway' Alums; 'It's Kanye!' Says Estelle; Jesse Williams' Traveling Pants Secrets

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:40:14 -0400

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,...

Fashion Roundup: Gisele Bundchen Makes a Calendar; Roberto Cavalli Segways Through Saint-Tropez

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:44:58 -0400

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...

Nina Garcia Already Settling In at Marie Claire

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:23:16 -0400

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...

The Week in DVR: Sick of Batman and Project Runway? Time For a Weekend Getaway!

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:53:11 -0400

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...

Bravo Unveils Cast of Project Runway Season Five

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:38:57 -0400

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...

The Week in DVR: The Anti-Climactic Return of Project Runway; Anthony Bourdain's Colombia

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:41:58 -0400

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...

Morning Memo: Simmons Robbed; Runway Renovated

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:20:24 -0400

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 some 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...

Morning Memo: Chloe Sevigny, 'Eco-Nazi'? Angelina Jolie Pregnant With Twins

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:22:33 -0400

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...

Nina Garcia Is In at Marie Claire

Wed, 14 May 2008 14:50:39 -0400

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. Garcia's hire at the magazine is "completely separate from Marie Claire's possible interest...

Morning Memo: Mariah Got Married! And Tom Cruise Banished the Body-Thetans That Ruined His Last Oprah Interview

Fri, 02 May 2008 09:24:56 -0400

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]

Tom Cruise finds redemption on Oprah by not mounting any couches. [US Weekly]

Madonna's show at Roseland Ballroom was followed by an after-party at The Box with Michael Stipe, Justin Timberlake, Donna Karan, Ingrid Sischy, and Alexander McQueen. [P6]

Demi Moore...

The Week in DVR: Funny Returns With Mother, Big Bang; Steve Guttenberg Is Not Dead

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:14:23 -0400

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...

Morning Memo: Lindsay Lohan's New 'Partying' Method; 'Gay Gay' Clooney Pops the Question?

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:57:49 -0400

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]

Tina Brown finds Hillary Clinton "resolutely effective" and "inspringly pedestrian" but not "magically delicious." [Newsweek]

Lindsay Lohan and her little sister, Ali, "partied" at the penthouse of her new apartment building, the Atelier, Thursday night—if...

The Week in DVR: Lewis Black and Julianna Margulies Go Solo; Top Chef Returns

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:11:02 -0400

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...

Project Runway Winner's BF Unveils Nightlife Photos--in Park Slope!

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:26:02 -0500

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...

The Week in DVR: Gossip Girl's Close Call; Meet The Royal Family; Auf Wiedersehen, Project Runway

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:33:03 -0500

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 Week in DVR: Still Roughly 36 Hours of Oscar Fashion Coverage to Go! Plus, the Project Runway Finale

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:08:18 -0500

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...

Project Runway Designers Gather to Gossip, Make Heidi Klum Nervous

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:08:41 -0500

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...

A Little Runway Dish: Ricky's No 'Cry Baby'

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:41:01 -0500

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...

At Project Runway Show, Victoria Beckham Nearly Releases Cat From Bag

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:21:55 -0500

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.

“Well, for me personally, there is one designer who is a very clear...

Michael Kors On Olsen Twins, Aviators, Great Legs

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:36:01 -0500

Ahhh…Wednesday, the day when sweet relief is offered up in the form of Project Runway. To celebrate the butterflies of anticipation, here’s a clip of 'Top American Designer' (at least according to Heidi Klum's weekly introduction of the P.R. judge) Michael Kors—whose style icons comprise a fashion fruit salad: the Olsen twins, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, Jackie Onassis—dishing on what gets his motors revving.

In short, insists Mr. Kors, size doesn’t matter!

“In...

Project Runway's Yummiest Episode Yet!

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:15:58 -0500

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. The challenge was to create a garment out of any of the materials found in the Hershey’s flagship store. While Elisa—the slightly unusual one who spits on her clothes—seemed overjoyed at the news (jumping up and down and speaking to the “magic” of candy), Christian—one of the most...

Project Runway Alum Daniel Vosovic Makes Cute Bags, Chronicles Design Process

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:43:51 -0500

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...

Socialites Shop for Lifestyles at Michael Kors' New SoHo Shop

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:54:45 -0500

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,”...

Tim Gunn's Flight from Fear

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:11:32 -0500

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 star said—nearly resting his chin on his clavicle—at a benefit for Safe Horizon, which supports victims of violence.

Project Runway Gets Bitten With Sex and the City Branding Bug

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:08:51 -0500

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! This we all already knew. But on Wednesday night, the Bravo network hurled...

Project Runway's Secret Celebrity Guest Revealed!

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:17:11 -0500

Project Runway SPOILER ALERT! More after the jump.

Helping to rekindle his blaze of glory, Jon Bon Jovi, the platinum singer and sometime actor, will be a guest judge on this Wednesday’s episode of the popular Bravo thread-shred. According to Fashion Week Daily, Runway contestants will be asked to create an outfit for Mr. Bon Jovi. Those interested in finding out if the 45-year-old rocker can...

Project Runway Premieres!

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:47:49 -0500

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...

Project Runway Contestants Get New Digs

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:21:09 -0500

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

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:49:14 -0500

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.

"Atlas had become so recognizable -- it was a 'stop' for fans who would tour the sites...

Heidi Klum Won't Go Naked This Winter

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:20:11 -0500

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...