A Note From Uli Herzner

Hi Laura and BPR,

I absolutely loved to be on the All-Star Challenge. Especially meeting designers from other seasons. Sweet P and Korto are supernice and talented and I am so happy to get to know them. We became really good friends.

We did not like that the editing of the show made us look like enemies...life is too short to waste time and energy in confrontations and fights. There was so much love, fun and respect in the workroom this time around....we all respected each other ....but it's a tv show ... so the producers had to create drama for the viewer...I guess.

The challenge .. I thought was the best ever !!!! We all had a chance to show "how we have evolved and what we are up to now." ... I guess I must have missed the part where I got a different challenge "to make a printed collection" ....because the fact that I have moved on as well and also grown as a designer....was pretty much dismissed by the judges

What? ..... did they really want me to do the same thing again as 3 years ago? Isn't fashion about creating new things every season?

If they would have criticized the pieces I did ... but no ... they totally ignored my collection .... and were asking for the prints ....which they hated so much the last time around...and Nina saying I lost my spirit .....that's an insult !!!!
I never lost my spirit ....and even if they try very hard ...I will never lose my spirit !!!!!!

I just don't want to be put in a box (in my case, the printed, flowy, hippie...Uli box.)

I am always inspired by ..what I want to wear ....and I don't want to wear the same stuff over and over again. How often can you wear a loud print?....and "hippies" don't really have the money the buy my stuff.

(I am sorry ...my pieces are expensive .... because you need a ton of money to be able to produce in China ...to sell a cheap mass-produced product, and as we all know ...I never won any money to do that)

So, I have to admit ...
I was really devastated and crying my eyes out.
I just did not quite understand ..felt like... getting hit by a truck...
but after a lot of hugs and support from my fellow designers, a glass of wine and a good night sleep....the world looked all bright again the next day.

There are no winners and losers.
I think the producers were looking for another "Christian " ...and they found him in Daniel ..who did a great job ...and is a great representation for an "All-Star winner" and the Project Runway show.
Me...on the other hand..not so much !

I am happy that I was part of the "All-Star Challenge."
I think there are many, talented, young designers out there ...who would kill for that chance, and I really enjoyed the time there...not regretting it ..at all and I will keep moving forward ... in "baby steps"

Life is good !!!
I have my little design company ....making pieces for high-end boutiques and private clients...no pressure ...no one telling me what to do ....all the creative freedom I want (Because I am a free spirit!) and about 2 weeks out of the month I still work as a fashion stylist on photo shoots. I get to spend time with a great group of people and travel to fantastic locations ....and I love it.
I am following my dreams !!!!!!!

thanks for reading this
peace and love
uli

A Note From Chris March

This was in our comments from Chris March. Given the concern that many of our readers have expressed about him, we felt it was appropriate to give his words a bigger voice:

Hi Everyone--I don't know if it's appropriate for me to comment here, but I would like to say a couple of things about the show:

First, thanks to everyone for your praise of my collection--it is very flattering and means a lot to me! The show had incredibly tough circumstances this time, and I was lucky to get anything done...

About the sleeping...a few things colluded to make me extremely sleepy during the filming.

1) I got approximately 3 hours of sleep a night, less the night before the runway.

2) The first day of filming, I got a bad case of food poisoning at lunch (which they conveniently edited out) that made me very weak and dehydrated.

3) I am diabetic, and on a new medication that makes me very, very sleepy. It just can't be helped.

4) Yes, I have sleep apnea, have been diagnosed and have a CPAP machine. Unfortunately, the other circumstances of participating in the show overwhelmed any sleep I actually got.

5) Then, to top it all off, I went home after the final interview and went to bed, and woke up the next morning with a terrible case of the flu (which I must have been catching during the last days of filming).

PLEASE know that I try to take care of myself (yes, I am painfully aware that I really need to lose weight) and go to the doctor every 3 months to monitor my diabetes. I have made great progress with it since being on Season 4 (I was then insulin dependent, and no longer need it).

Thanks again for all your lovely compliments, and you can visit or email me any time on my website at www.chrismarchdesign.com.

Sincerely,

Chris March

Project Runway: All-Star Challenge Preview

BPR readers are looking forward to the All-Star Challenge as much to the premiere of Season Six! Check out the poll results here.

Project Runway All-Stars Special August 20th on Lifetime

The two-hour special will air just before the premiere of Season Six on Lifetime. Here are the designers:

Daniel Vosovic
Santino Rice
Uli Herzner
Jeffrey Sebelia
Mychael Knight
Chris March
Sweet P
Korto Momolu

That's all I have right now - please stay tuned!

Update: Here is an image from myLifetime.com. It's great to see everyone together with Tim and Heidi!

From The Mailbox

Kevin Christiana's Mynt 1792 Motorcycle jacket is featured in the brand new issue (August 2009) of People Style Watch.

Stay tuned to BPR for the "Official" announcement about the Project Runway All-Stars competition next week. Thanks for your patience.