Christopher Straub Offers Limited Edition Holiday Dress

Project Runway season 6 designer, Christopher Straub has designed a new "Little Black Dress" for the holiday season. The "Porter" dress is available in sizes XS - XXL and is priced at $140.00. Click here for more information.

Louise Black at Austin Fashion Week

Project Runway Season Six designer, Louise Black presented a trunk show at Feathers Boutique yesterday. BPR's own Frank Hui attended the "Austin Fashion Week" event and sends us this report. Thanks Frank!

All photos: Frank Hui

Dear BPR,

My roomie Rick and I have been attending a few Austin Fashion Week events. Luckily most are open to the public for free. Been lots of fun. Someone like Louise, who's a quirky doll, fits right in to the Austin mix of being professional and being eccentric.

Austin Fashion Week pairs up a designer in fashion, jewelry or accessories with a specific boutique or salon for their mutual promotion. Louise had a trunk show at Feathers Boutique along with wild wigs from Coco Coquette. Here is one of Louise's corsets.



Click here to continue.

News from Althea Harper

The designs of Project Runway’s Althea Harper continue to make their mark with a-listers, including the Kardashian sisters.



In the promo image for Season 5 of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kim is wearing a one shoulder black Carra Dress from Harper's 2010 Fall collection. This dress retails at $325 on www.altheaharper.com. The sleek lines and mesh cutouts of the dress were inspired by both the Futurism movement that originated in Italy during the early 20th century and the female form.



Harper, a New York based fashion designer who combines both tailoring and drape into unique silhouettes aimed to enhance every woman's form, continues to impact the fashion world, by crafting brilliant pieces recognized by celebrities, press and public alike.

This is not the first time Harper and the Kardashians have linked up. During a recent Mercedes-Benz Polo Tournament in the Hamptons, Harper and Kourtney discussed their favorite smart phone fashions with SWAGG.com. Harper has also dressed Kourtney Kardashian.

Tuesday News

First, a programming reminder: there is no new episode this week! Project Runway returns on Thursday, March 4. Now onto the news:

Tim Gunn spoke at Georgia State University yesterday and gave up some juicy dish in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He's done defending Season 6, thinks now that the plan is to stay in New York for future seasons and that Bravo "meddled" excessively with who got eliminated in Season 5.

Here's the view from the seats of Tim's talk from someone who had her question answered.

Heidi Klum's 4-year old son Henry has gotten really tall!

Oasis Magazine interviews Jay Nicolas Sario.

Tim Gunn Q & A - How Does He Really Feel About the LA Season And What Makes Him Cringe?

Highlights:
EW: Let’s be honest. Did you hate last season?
Gunn: Well, we all need to be truth tellers about it. My response is so filled with selfish dimensions – having to leave my own apartment and camp out in a strange place for 5 weeks, piling into a van to go to Mood which would take up to an hour one way. I have so many feelings about season 6. This has nothing to do with the individuals Carol Hannah, Althea, or Irina, but I was disappointed that our three finalists were three women in their 20s.


EW: To me, that felt like Lifetime was pushing the show to choose someone in its demographic.
Gunn: Had Lifetime really had a hand in it, Gordana would have been among them. She’s more the Lifetime demographic-she’s a woman in her early 40s. I would have been eager to see her at Bryant Park too.


EW: If you could go back, what would you have done differently?
Gunn: Upon reflection I think it was not advisable to have that season be in L.A. And I missed Nina and Michael. I engage with the designers in anticipation of what Nina and Michael will say and I know them well. It’s hard when it’s Heidi and 3 guest designers.


Click here for the full interview from EW.com.

Project Runway Season Six DVD available February 23

Click here to pre-order from Amazon.com.

The New Old Biddy is Back

Jennifer Eolin is back to share what happens when "real people" wear Project Runway clothes. Click here for her post.

Season Six Finale Party

BPR Field Reporter Jes Switaj was at the season six finale party and sends us this report - thanks Jes!!!

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Project Runway Season 6 Finale party last Thursday. It was held at SL in the Meatpacking district in Manhattan. The party started at 9 with cocktails, mingling and all 3 finalists posting constant updates to their Twitter accounts. In attendance were Althea, Irina, and Carol Hannah (of course!) Nicolas Putvinski, Epperson and Logan Neitzel. Malan Breton from Season 3 also stopped by to say hello and to wish the designers luck.


There were probably about 100 or so people in attendance for the viewing party, watching anxiously! Although I had my own ideas about the outcome of the finale, I have to say that while watching, right up to the end, I just wasn’t sure who would win. You NEVER know what those judges are thinking! All three contestants did such an amazing job.


An impromptu after-party was held a few blocks away at Tenjune. A special guest showed up unexpectedly, Nick Verreos! At least, I wasn’t expecting him! It was a fantastic night and a great wrap-up of such a fun and crazy season! Congrats to all three designers for making it to fashion week, they ARE all winners!

BPR Fan Favorite is Christopher Straub!

Congratulations to Christopher Straub for winning the BPR Fan Favorite! Click here to see the poll results. We don't have a gigantic check for Christopher, he has won our hearts with his charm and talent.
Thanks everyone for voting!

From The Mailbox

Click here to visit the BPR page at myLifetime.com. Thanks especially to Mark Y and Tropical Chrome for your help with the finale quotes.

Click here to watch Kevin Christiana's "Make your own holiday fashion" segment on Rachael Ray.

Click here for an interview with Irina Shabayeva on Entertainment Tonight.

Irina Shabayeva on "Live with Regis and Kelly" in Las Vegas

Photo: Disney-ABC Domestic Television

Project Runway Champion, Irina Shabayeva created this wedding gown for Kelly Ripa in three days! Kelly and her husband Mark are going to revisit the chapel where they were married. Watch "Live with Regis and Kelly" this week for more from Las Vegas.

Uncle Nick Is Everywhere

You can't walk 10 feet in the world of Project Runway without runing into its unofficial ambassador Nick Verreos. First, check out his post where he "invited" himself to Irina's finale party. Then don't miss his recap of the finale itself where he picks out his favorite three looks from each collection.

Thanks Nick!

Recapalooza!

One last trip down looza lane:

Eric3000 stayed until the bitter end...
Jordan Baker is unstoppable...
Red Poppy was not digging Heidi's threads...
Second City Style files the last quotes for the season...
Maxthegirl channels Confucius...
Watch Me Boogie gets in under the wire...
Jayne at least has her cocoa to soothe her...
It's the mysterious Q...
Click here for Lorraine!
Toyouke has already forgotten this season...

Thank you recappers! Season 7 is just around the corner, we'll see you again soon!

When Bloggers and Models Collide: Part 2

Jennifer Eolin, aka "The New Old Biddy", takes to the catwalk at Shin's Korean BBQ in Part 2 of her quest to become a runway model. With Season 6 model Kojii Helnwein as her coach, how could she go wrong? Joining Kojii are two special guest judges that you don't want to miss. So, is Jennifer in or is she out?

BPR Podcast with Irina Shabayeva

Photo: ProjectRunway.com

Project Runway Season Six Champion Irina Shabayeva talks to BPR about the show and her plans for the future. Click here to listen.

BPR Podcast with Carol Hannah Whitfield

Photo: ProjectRunway.com

Project Runway Season Six finalist, Carol Hannah Whitfield talks to BPR about her experience on the Lifetime show and her plans for the future.

Click here to listen.

BPR Podcast with Althea Harper

Photo: ProjectRunway.com

Project Runway Season Six finalist, Althea Harper talks about her experience on the Lifetime show and her plans for the future.
Click here to listen. Thank you Althea!

Please Select Your Project Runway Season Six BPR Fan Favorite

Lifetime is not planning any "Fan Favorite" voting, but that won't stop us! Please select up to three designers as your favorites in season six. There is no prize for the winner, but lots of love.

poll by twiigs.com

Congratulations, Irina Shabayeva

"You are the winner of Project Runway." You heard that back in February. And thus we all waited 9 months for this win to be delivered. At that time no one had seen a single episode of the show. Both the audience and the judges were forced to look only at the clothing on the runway because we had seen nothing in the workroom. So in many ways this win feels very pure if that makes any sense.

You came to the finale with 3 wins under your belt and you brought us your interpretation of a modern warrior woman. Your point of reference was New York City and black was therefore the natural color choice. You told your story with a cohesive collection united by accessories and a play of textures. And it all looked expensive. Heidi Klum stated that your garments looked "modern with an edge" and that she would like to own a lot of the pieces. Michael Kors pointed out the showmanship you brought to the presentation and how you punctuated your show with the hats. Nina Garcia seemed very surprised by the t-shirts and how they brought an intimacy to the line. Your attention to detail was evident in every piece and the play of textures of the luxe fabrics kept the collection interesting. Congratulations on your win, Irina!

This post is only for positive words for Irina Shabayeva.If you have negative commentary or something to say about another designer, you may do so in our Reactions post here.

Photo courtesy of myLifetime.com.

Poll - Finale Season 6 - Your Turn to be the Judge

Photos: top row - Althea; middle row - Carol Hannah; bottom row - Irina.
Photos courtesy of New York Magazine. Click to see a larger view.

You've seen the designs on the runway at Bryant Park and now it is your turn to be the judges. This week you are Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors and Suzy Menkes, Fashion Editor of the International Herald Tribune. It's time to tell us:

poll by twiigs.com

Please send your questions for the 3 finalists to Team BPR by 1:30 Eastern. Mark the subject line, 'Podcast questions.'