The six remaining contestants sent their lines down the runway at Bryant Park this morning.
Final 6 ‘Project Runway' designers put best looks forward
By SUZANNE GANNON- McClatchy-Tribune News Service
NEW YORK — If there is one burning question electrifying the air in the fashion world this week it is who will be the winner "Project Runway Season 5" as the cable TV hit wraps filming and prepares to make its much talked about move from the Bravo network to Lifetime.
That question came several catwalk strides closer to being answered Friday morning, as the show filmed its finale under the tent here at Bryant Park, showcasing the 10-piece collections of each of the six semi-finalists: Jerell Scott, Stephen "Suede" Baum, Joe Faris, Kenley Collins, Korto Momolu, and Leanne Marshall.
Before a packed house that included a nexus of fashion and Hollywood elites like show producer Harvey Weinstein, Padma Lakshmi, stylist Rachel Zoe, the "Project Runway" iconic judging trio of Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, and Heidi Klum strode down the runway and mugged for the camera pit. Then, after thanking the magical elves, Bravo, and numerous others, host and executive producer Heidi Klum, clad in a deliciously snug green-black dress, introduced guest judge and beloved mentor to the designers Tim Gunn, who stepped in at the last minute for Jennifer Lopez who had cancelled due to a foot injury.
Seeming almost weepy, Gunn said, "I promise to be impartial and unbiased and to put my relationship with the designers on a metaphorical shelf."
Then the ever perky Klum set the production in motion with her trademark command, "Let's start the show!"
In introducing his collection, which featured a palette of black and gold and shiny coppers and silvers with abundant texture and glimmer, Jerell, the first to present, said "I am just waiting on y'all to see what I do!"
Jerell's Look No. 1 was the show-stealer of his collection, a fierce strapless pencil dress in shimmering copper that was corseted in a silver border that gave the piece the appearance of a tightly wrapped spring roll.
The Mohawk-coiffed Suede was next, and said the experience had been an "amazing dream," and told the audience that they would see in this collection "where he'd taken linear." The color story, he said, was reflected in his hairdo, dyed in stripes of bright purple, pink, and blue. Down the runway sashayed a loosely connected array of pinks, purples, teals, and stripes in lots of directions, the first being the friendliest to the eye: a short pink plaid dress, overlaid with a ballooning turquoise skirt-cape that tied at the waist.
Viable retail potential seemed to be the message behind Joe's collection, which stuck to a fairly consistent matrix of leather and denim, with lots of zippers and stitching. Inspired by "Americana and everything it represents, the West, rock n' roll, and motorcycles," Joe sent down the runway combinations including a gorgeous brown leather corset over skinny jeans, a pair of leather pants that looked painted-on, and a pair of electric-orange crushed velvet jeans under a denim corset.
Next up was Kenley, who gushed that "Alice in Wonderland" and painting were the cornerstones of her collection, which entailed bold magentas and teals, and floral prints combined with impressive tailoring. Look No. 1, a black strapless number with a magenta skirt-cape tied around the waist was one of the highlights, along with a super slim black strapless that may have required the model to be poured into it.
"Are you ready for me?" said Korto when she took the microphone. Citing her African roots and her life in Arkansas, she put forth an extremely succinct color story of electric greens, khaki, and gold, and experimented with an assortment of silhouettes including balloons, folds, and daring ruffles that collectively amounted to a cohesive whole. An off-ochre asymmetrical number with a halter top (Look No. 9) and a lime-green gown slit to the floor with pleating (Look No. 10) were notable. Beaming upon its conclusion, Korto strolled the catwalk with her little daughter.
At last Leanne presented her work, noting that she had "lost millions of hours of sleep over it" and saying that she was "in love with it."
It wasn't hard to see why, as a serenely simple palette of mint and cream floated down the runway, displaying a seemingly refined approach to cutwork and draping that manifested itself in wavy, swoopy curves, and concentric fans of fabric. Every ensemble was easy on the eye, but Look No. 9, a gorgeous mint-colored strapless, Look No. 10, an ecru bridal gown with draping layers, and Look No. 7, a cream dress with a sheer mint balloon overlay were true stand-outs.
Following the show, Santino Rice, one of the finalists from Season 2 (who unabashedly takes credit for making "the show famous") said, "It's glaringly obvious who the decoys were."
On 'Project Runway', broadcast time lags behind real-world time. Several designers had already been eliminated by the time New York's Fashion Week rolled around, but to keep viewers guessing, all six contestants who remained after Wednesday night's broadcast sent a collection down the runway Friday.
"The bottom line is that it's down to Korto and Leanne, and if there is a third finalist, I would say it could be Joe."
"Korto and Leanne showed craftsmanship, cohesion, and a point of view," he said. "There was a fresh perspective in their work, whereas I saw a lot of schlock (in the other collections) and they didn't necessarily have a definitive point of view."
"Leanne's color palette was really concise, which might hurt her," he said. "Korto ran with a more 70s look, and a color palette with citrusy golds and greens and avocado."
About to star in a new show on VH1, Rice now spends his time dressing 30 exclusive female clients around the world with garments he makes by hand in his Los Angeles studio.
No matter who wins the coveted $100,000, Bluefly.com distribution and Saturn hybrid vehicle in Season 5, it's a sure bet they've all garnered a career boost.
Lilly Barany, a lucky 12-year-old New Yorker who scored a ticket to the taping of the finale at her school's auction seemed to agree. "I thought it was really cool," she said. "My favorite one is Leanne because of the colors and the way she cut the clothes."
Could this mini-fashionista have a future on "Project Runway?"
WTF did he make for the challenge? 
looks like next week she mouths off to Tim!
And I don't like her attitude, especially towards Tim.
