Team BPR at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week - Part 1

Photo: Mark Hall

After checking in to our hotel on Wednesday evening, and enjoying a delicious meal with Jennifer Eolin we headed to Nicolas Putvinski's very provocative "Madame" presentation.



We were thrilled to see that Heidi Klum was also at the event!

Congratulations Nicolas!

Season 8 Premiere - Empire Hotel NYC

Project Runway Designers from several seasons joined Heidi Klum on Wednesday night at The Empire Hotel for the Season 8 Premiere. All photos Killian/WireImage.

Logan Neitzel - Season 6

Carol Hannah Whitfield - Season 6

Ben Chmura - Season 7


Althea Harper - Season 6

Christopher Straub - Season 6

Ivy Higa - Season 8

Nicolas Putvinsky - Season 6

TVGuide.com Interview with Nicolas Putvinski

From The Mailbox

Click here to read about Tim Gunn's visit to Detroit on October 17th.

There is still time to enter the "Make it Work" sweepstakes for chance to meet Tim Gunn.

Click here for a new exit interview with Nicolas Putvinski from Entertainment Weekly.

Click here for the Episode 10 recap from Eric3000.

Here is Cliffie's! Thanks guys.

Click here for "Five Questions with Christian Siriano" from SFGate.

BPR Interview with Nicolas Putvinski

Nicolas talks about his experience on the show, his plans for the future and the time Heidi Klum suffered a "Feather Malfunction."
Nicolas works with Martin Izquierdo at Izquierdo Studio.
Click here for the podcast.

Thank you Nicolas!

BPR Love for Nicolas Putvinski

This week when you selected Greece, all I could think about was the myth about Icarus. He donned wings, not unlike the those you create for the Victoria Secret Angels with Izquierdo Studio. Like Icarus, you soared to heights in Episode 6 when you won the "Lights, Camera, Sew!" challenge. And last week you basked in the warm glow that is Bob Mackie which is probably like getting too close to the sun for a feather prince. But we know that you did not crash dramatically into the sea and drown; as Tim said, your look for this challenge was indeed beautifully executed - it was a matter of taste. You will continue to dress celebrity clients and collaborate with other acclaimed designers like Georgina Chapman and Keith Lissner because of the sophistication and impeccable detailing of the looks you create. But now you will have more opportunities to display your talent and we will be watching and cheering you on.

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

Image courtesy of myLifetime.com.

From The Mailbox

There is still time to bid in the Episode 9 auctions. Right now Nicolas's dress has the highest bid. Click here to see all of the current auctions.

Click here for an episode 9 recap from Naturally Blonde.

Click here to enter a contest sponsored by Rowenta for a trip to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City in February 2010. Good luck!

There is still time to enter the "Fierce Style" contest here as well.

Congratulations, Nicolas

When presented with this challenge you knew immediately that you wanted the science fiction genre. You spun a fantastic tale involving an ice queen and you knew exactly how she would look and the kind of gossamer gown that she would wear. After Tim's critique, you understood that this was the time to show your skill with costume and drama and your styling and makeup further enhanced this evil beauty of your fantasies. The regal results did not leave the judges chilly; John Varvatos said the detail was spectacular and Zoe Glassner called it clever, bold and risky. Your frosty fashion was a tour de force in snowy sequins and alabaster-hued applique. Good show, Nicolas!

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

Image courtesy of MyLifetime.com. Click on the picture for a larger view.

Weekend News

Attention New York: Christian Siriano will be at the Victoria's Secret Store in Herald Square from noon - 3:00 PM introducing his new make-up collection. Please send photos!

Click here for an in-depth interview with Project Runway Season Six designer, Nicolas Putvinsky from Baltimore's Sewing Examiner, Wendy Kaufman.

Click here for a Newsweek Roundtable interview with Tim Gunn, Nina Garcia, Heidi Klum and Michael Kors. Thanks Anne.

Laura Bennett is in Los Angeles promoting her new book and having some fun.

BPR Interview with Nicolas Putvinsky

Photo: Rachel Cohen

BPR Field Reporter Jes Switaj attended the Project Runway Season Six event on Long Island Saturday and brings us these interviews. Thanks Jes and thank you Nicolas.

BPR � What was one of the best things about being on the show?

NP - My strategy was to have the best time of my life and I did. I think I�m sort of the comedic relief on this season. I�m going to make some people laugh hysterically!

BPR - Was your overall experience on the show different from what you imagined it would be like?

NP - It was VERY different, because I do know quite a few past contestants and none of them warned me about how hard it would be to do the show. It was an incredible experience though and I loved every moment of that. The timeframe was much different than I imagined.

BRP - Who would you most like to have had critique your work that might make a good guest judge on a future season?

NP - To be honest, the person I REALLY wanted to be a guest judge on the show actually was!

BPR - Which of the head judges do you feel offered the most useful feedback and what was it?

NP - Heidi. She told me �People are going to talk about you no matter what. Good or bad, you just have to take it and move on.�

BPR � How do you plan to brand your line, going forward?

NP - I�m coming out with my first collection. It�s a private collection I�ve put together for stylists only. It won�t be available to the public. I�ve been working in the costume industry for a long time, so it will be very theatrical. I�m actually going to be working in costume as well. In a few years maybe I�ll have a ready to wear collection, but right now my imagination is just running wild.

BPR - What do you listen to while you work?

NP - My iPod has everything from Christina to German Death Metal. My favorite band is Placebo.

BPR - What message would you like to relay to the viewers, in anticipation of the premiere?

NP � There are going to be a couple of episodes where people are going to throw things at their television. There were a few times when even we as designers said "What the hell just happened?"

Project Runway Season 6 Event on Long Island

Team BPR thanks Ali G for this excellent Field Report!

Hi, BPR!

It�s Ali Ghozati, reporting about a special Project Runway event.

On Saturday, August 8, from 12pm to 3pm, 6 designers from season 6 � Althea Harper, Epperson, Irina Shabayeva, Malvin Vien, Nicolas Putvinski, and Qristyl Frazier � appeared at Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island in New York.





This event was very crowded � Long Island has many fans of Project Runway. The event featured members of the audience coming on the stage in rounds, taking plain white T-shirts and designing them using scissors, markers, and jewels.


Three of the designers served as judges, picking a winner in each round. The winner got a gift card. There were several rounds with various members of the audience competing and all of the designers getting to judge. It seemed like a lot of fun. The 3 designers who weren�t judging sat at a table, graciously agreeing to take pictures and sign autographs.


I spent most of the event at this table, chatting with the designers. All of them were so nice. They showed a lot of enthusiasm. Althea was a sweetheart. She mentioned that the models this season were, to quote her directly, �crazy good.� She highly recommended watching "Models of the Runway," the spin-off show. I told her that she herself looked like a model for the show since she really was stunning.


Epperson was so cool. He was much taller than I thought. Irina was lovely. When I was talking to her, she made me feel like the only human being on the planet despite the surrounding pandemonium.


Qristyl was gracious. My camera kept malfunctioning in taking a picture with her, but she was extremely patient, letting me continually try until I was finally successful. Malvin was very kind. His hair was pretty fierce. Nicolas thanked me for attending the event and supporting the show. I thanked him for coming to Long Island, making me and my fellow Long Islanders so happy.


At this event, there were a lot of signs for Project Runway and some monitors set up, showing clips of season 6. I walked away with a poster autographed by all of the designers and an official Project Runway audition kit (a cute container which had needles, thread, safety pins, and buttons in it). Overall, this event was superb. I had the time of my life at it. It made me look forward to season 6 of Project Runway even more. While I wish the best of luck to all of the designers, there are 6 of them that I�m especially rooting for! Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Ali

From The Mailbox

Recording Artist Keri Hilson is wearing a "MYNT 1792 by Kevin Christiana" jacket in the current issue of Angeleno magazine.

Tomorrow is a big day for Project Runway Fans. Season Six designers are making appearances at malls all over the US. This is a great way to express our support for our favorite show!

First, Althea Harper, Epperson, Irina Shabayeva, Malvin Vien, Nicolas Putvinski and Qristyl Frazier will all be at Roosevelt Field Mall in New York tomorrow from 12:00 - 3:00. Click here and here for details. Thanks Ali!

Carol Hannah Whitfield, Gordana Gehlhausen and Mitchell Hall will be in Atlanta at the Lenox Square Mall. Click here for more.

Ra'mon-Lawrence, Christopher Straub and Shirin Askari will be at the Woodfield Mall in Chicago. Click here for more info.

Am I missing any other events? Is there anything on the West Coast?

BPRs, of course if you are able to attend any of these, please send photos. Thanks everyone.

Weekend News

Photo: Marion Curtis/Starpix

People.com's introduction to the season six designers includes a quote from Tim Gunn about each contestant.

Carol Hannah Whitfield, 24: "She's young, just out of design school," says Gunn of the South Carolina native, who currently resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. But "people will be disarmed by what they see her achieve."

Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman, 31: "He's someone who in my view thinks entirely too much," Gunn says of the Chicago resident, whose favorite designer is Marc Jacobs. "I was constantly surprised in the workroom � suddenly, there's a new design."

Johnny Sakalis, 30: A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, Runway's new West Coast home, "Johnny will be polarizing," Gunn says of the L.A. resident. "People will love him, or hate him."

Irina Shabayeva, 27: A native of the Republic of Georgia, she counts Cleopatra as a style icon. And Gunn admires the designer's sense of proportion and fit. "Her models look as if they've been in for a dozen fittings," he says, "and they haven't."

Malvin Vien, 24: "When you see this guy, you won't believe he's from Colorado," Gunn says of Vein. Talk about an eclectic fashion palette: His style inspirations include rural Chinese farmers, Japanese ghost stories and insect anatomy.

Althea Harper, 25: "Everyone [thinks] she's only on the show because she's a tall blond beauty," admits Gunn. "But she's extremely talented. She's going to blow people away."

Qristyl Frazier, 42: Hailing from St. Louis, Mo., her style icons include Halle Berry, Whitney Houston and Gwyneth Paltrow. "Qristyl is a hoot," says Gunn. "She likes a lot of color, and print. She's entertaining to watch."

Logan Neitzel, 25: "Logan's from Seattle, and you get a crunch-granola feeling in what he does," Gunn says of the self-described "guys' guy" who likes snowboarding and cars as much as he likes John Galliano and Tom Ford.

Mitchell Hall, 26: "Mitchell looks like he just stepped out of Gossip Girl and I think that's who he'd like to design for," Gunn says of the Savannah, Ga., resident, who is a creative director for a Vera Wang bridal salon.

Ari Fish, 26: "She's deeply conceptual," Gunn says of the self-taught Kansas City, Mo., native, who doesn't sketch or drape her designs, but sews fast. Her influences include geometry, ergonomics, nomadic tribal wear and athletic apparel.

Nicolas Putvinski, 27: Born in Moscow, he's had designs commissioned for W and Vogue � and may be a bit of a fashion snob. "If you have such a bad taste in your mouth about American fashion," Gunn has wondered about the F.I.T. grad. "Why are you here?"

Shirin Askari, 25: "She's young, she's pretty, she's articulate," Gunn says of the Garland, Texas, resident whose style icon is Katharine Hepburn. "I'm not sure what is distinctive about her, other than the fact that she's good."

Christopher Straub, 30: "Christopher is very sensitive, very emotional. He wears his emotions on his sleeve," Gunn says of the Shakopee, Minn., resident, who appreciates volume, eye-catching fabrics and Victoria Beckham.

Louise Black, 32: Gunn describes the native Texan as "thoughtful, contemplative, and never a hair out of place." A fan of Christian Lacroix, the first garment the former clinical lab technician ever made was her own wedding dress.

Gordana Gehlhausen, 45: The Yugoslavia-born designer now owns a boutique in San Diego. Expect a lot of "textile development," says Gunn. "It wouldn't be a case of going shopping and using the fabric she brought back. She'd do things to it."

Epperson, 50: "He is the most senior in terms of design career and reputation," Gunn says of this self-taught designer who grew up in Harlem, N.Y. "He has a distinguished career. He's elder-statesmanlike."

Click here to read about Season Six designers Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman and Christopher Straub in the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Christopher is an underwear designer who tried for Project Runway four times. Katy Gerdes calls Ra'mon-Lawrence "dramatic" and "interesting."

Click here for more about Ari Fish from pitch.com.

Project Runway season three designer, Kayne Gillaspie will be at Austin Fashion Week. Click here for details. We'd love a field report! Thanks Frank.

Designer Bio - Nicolas Putvinski

Age 27
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Current Home: New York, NY
Favorite Designer: Olivier Theyskens
Style Icon: Marlene Dietrich
Favorite Past Project Runway Designer: Rami Kashou, Season 4

Click here for more information.