DESIGNERS: Of course, if there's one thing we love here more than Prince and a cappella music, it's the return of Project Runway. Robin Givhan and Mary McNamara preview the season. For those not already hooked, listen to the LA Times' McNamara:

I came late to Bravo's "Project Runway," and I have no excuse for my lateness save ignorance and an outdated, pig-headed resistance to reality TV. But now I am a TV critic, so I am watching everything and, frankly, I cannot believe how fabulous, and unnervingly addictive, "Project Runway" is. I sit down to watch an episode of a previous season on DVD and, bam, there's three hours gone while deadlines fly by and dinner simmers to scorched nothingness. Because I have to find out What Happened Next.

Who thought of this show? They should get the first-ever Nobel Prize for television. Combining the best aspect of reality TV -- truth is always stranger, and more disturbingly ambitious, than fiction -- and the survivalist cunning of a really good spy serial, "Project Runway" is essentially "Mission: Impossible" for fashionistas. To save the world, host Klum intones, you must construct a prom dress out of whatever you can find in a dentist's office. And next thing you know, a perfectly presentable frock made out of dental floss and spit cups is waltzing down the runway.

Reality Blurred has more links, including Denhart's own piece about how the show (and this season of it) has more talent than any other in reality tv.

From the Wayback Machine, here's just some of what we've written about the show over the years. Season four, tonight: let's make it work, people.

AN ATTITUDE SO NASTY THAT HE ACTUALLY MADE SOMEBODY'S MAMA CRY: Pulitzer Prize-winning WaPo fashion writer Robin Givhan says the right person won Project Runway:

The Los Angeles-based designer won because the collection he showed in Bryant Park during New York's fashion week in September was creative, surprising and unique. It had a distinctive point of view that set it apart from the other contestants' collections. It did not ape the sensibility of a more established brand. It was not aimed at filling a niche in the marketplace or some hole in a woman's wardrobe. Its goal was to spark desire in a customer for something she never dreamed she wanted. Sebelia did not do that with every garment. In fact, he really only accomplished it with one dress -- perhaps two. His spiraling zippers were dazzling, and they made his point. (Besides, if he'd been able to do that consistently, he wouldn't be on "Project Runway," he'd be working for Gucci Group.)

Laura Bennett's collection was elegant and safe. Her cocktail dresses and gowns are sound answers for a woman who is seeking sophisticated evening clothes with a blend of glamour and sex appeal. But Bennett doesn't offer new ideas, just nicely modulated and tweaked versions of pre-existing aesthetics.

Uli Herzner's clothes delight the eye but they can be redundant. Her skill is not based on silhouettes or proportions but on her adeptness with colors and prints. Herzner makes what could be cacophonous into something harmonious. . . .

Knight had an aesthetic meltdown as he worked on his collection. He has said that his design hero is Gianni Versace. But Versace's sexy, just-this-side-of-sleazy style requires enormous skill. The late designer's body-revealing clothes were feats of engineering, giving the impression that they were hanging precariously off the body while providing modesty precisely where it was needed. The key to Versace style was not submitting to wild abandon but making calculated use of restraint.

Knight's youth and inexperience were his undoing. At 28, he was the youngest of the finalists and needed an objective eye to keep him on track, to tell him when he'd gone overboard. He needed "Project Runway's" resident consigliere, Tim Gunn. Knight's reliable good taste turned bad.

The final line might provoke an argument or two: "Sebelia was kept on because he provided more than just wicked entertainment. He was talented and creative. And more than any other contestant, he was a fashion designer and not just a guy trying to make nice clothes."

edited to add: The Trib's Maureen Ryan has a lengthy interview with Tim Gunn.

DO NOT DISRESPECT THE INDUSTRY: The season of the annual ALOTT5MA Awards begins, as it always does, with the award for Reality TV Host/Judge of the Year, which in previous years has gone to Reality TV Host/Judge of the Year. Past winners include Robert K. Oermann of Nashville Star (2003), Ralph Garman (as Derek Newcastle) for Joe Schmo 2 (2004), and Project Runway's Tim Gunn (2005).

Many worthy contenders this year, and let's start with the new folks:

• I had high hopes for Jason Newsted and Gilby Clarke this year on RockStar:SuperNova, and when Newsted was allowed to talk later in the season he seemed smart, but he was increasingly drowned out by editors interested only in letting us know what a horndog Tommy Lee was.
• Stan Lee brought the grouchiness to Who Wants To Be A Superhero?, but I wish I could have seen more of him in person, and less video.
• Dr. Jacque Bailly and the National Spelling Bee Judges get an honorable mention for resolving the "hechsher" thing properly.
• He's more "jury and executioner" than "judge", but ever since the South Park episode on him Jen and I have been digging Dog, the Bounty Hunter. Just saying.
• Were a single episode enough to win this, Anthony Bourdain would have won this for Top Chef. And while Tom Colicchio is solid in the "I'm not Tim Gunn" role on the show, he's still only a second-tier guy.
• And if it could come down to a single line, it would be that of Elle fashion news director Anne Slowey, on PR2 Emmett's design for Sasha Cohen: ''There's entirely too much tootie being exposed.''

We are left with two finalists. Could they both please step forward. I have two judges left in this post, but I will only conclude with one name, and that one name represents the person who is ALOTT5MA's best reality tv judge/host of 2006.

First, we have the man who may be the Albert Pujols of reality tv, Tim Gunn, for seasons two and three of Project Runway. When you think about all the fun stuff with Santino and Andrae in which he acknowledged his growing cult and his classy handling of the Keith and Jeffrey Sebelia situations in season three, this is a judge with enormous insight, as well as true caring about both the designers and the integrity of the competition.

And then we have Tyra Banks. I know what you're thinking: that silly model show? Who cares? But as with Tim Gunn and fashion, Tyra makes you care about modeling, forces the viewer (and the contestants) to see modeling as industry, and one which requires hard work and versatility. She is over-the-top and overly serious, for sure, but it makes for good television. Ritual is a good thing on these shows, as much in her set-ups at the end of each episode as Probst's "you all want to know what you're playing for, right?" (and five other set phrases) or Phil Keoghan's "I'm sorry to tell you you have been eliminated from the Race." What could have been a dumb show about looking at pretty girls instead forces you to really think about who is a successful model and why.

No actual top models have emerged from the show, but nor are any Runway finalists currently dominating their industry. You just have to consider the shows on their own, regardless of what comes after.

In the end, it comes down to one bit from each show -- Tim Gunn's What Happened to Andrae? versus Tyra's rousing gospel number, She Don't Want To Be Here, Send Her Home. So who will it be -- the one who everyone already adores, or the famous, hard-working Inglewood native who just turned 33 but who doesn't have the respect that perhaps she deserves . . .

It's Tyra.

DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S JUST FASHION? Interesting meta-reality talk in a live chat with Tim Gunn about why Project Runway 2's fashions may not have been on the same level as what Austin, Jay and Kara produced in the debut season:

Washington, D.C.: Tim - I am among the ranks of those that love the show and you. My question is 'Where is andre?' Seriously though, I honestly felt like the runway show of season 1 (particularly Kara Saun and Jay) were far and beyond superior to the designers of season 2. The outfits felt more complete, more highly stylized - more runway! Do you agree? And did the show encourage season 2 designers to make the clothes less runway and more wearable?

Tim Gunn: Thank you for this interesting and provocative question. I believe that the season two designers are stronger than season one's as a whole. I also believe that the absence of immunity in season two removed the incentive to win the individual challenges. The designers just wanted to be IN, so risk-taking was seen as being just that, a RISK.

I mean, he's right, right? About the immunity issue, at least. (I don't think that anyone other than Daniel V. could've really competed with last year's top three, do you?) Shows need to reward good work -- Survivor does it with immunity, TAR with early departures on the next leg and occasional added prizes -- but Runway didn't this year, and neither does Idol. Should American Idol introduce an immunity factor? Top Model? Should Runway bring it back?

DEDICATED TO THE STEEL WORKERS OF AMERICA. KEEP REACHING FOR THAT RAINBOW: Drag Week on Project Runway. Three truly super bests. Two boring worsts and one that was just a mess. (Blayne, not Jarrell. What was Jarrell doing in the bottom three? Bronzer Boy made a pride parade Voltron outfit and it was falling apart.)

And, of course, Chris won. As good as the top three were, he came back and stole the Project Runway show right out from under this seasons' contestants (without deploying human hair anywhere in his doubly mirror-domed Valkyrie outfit, except possibly in that great golden wig). I'm sure you can't buy all the components at Mood, and that it took more than thirty-six hours to plan and execute, but for my jeebus-we-pay-how-much-per-month-for-this? basic cable dollar he can bring all the monkey house Tim can handle once a season for as long as the show stays on air. Glorious.

The elimination was dead-on. No defense. Who in the world thinks Cirque > Showgirls > Drag in over-the-top garish glitzplosions of great glittery bigness? No one, no matter how instinctively high their taste level.

IN THIS CRAZY PARADIGM, YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH PAIN: There is Project Runway, and then there is Project Runway, and the only way to know which one is on is to tune in. On some weeks, contestants playing it safe produce mediocre wares despite stimulating material, fail to grasp something crucial about the challenge before them, or swing artlessly for the fences when subtlety is instead required. On others, even recycled ideas and misplaced products manage to inspire. Routinely, each season, some unimaginative tasks are set that lead inevitably to unremarkable results, despite the star power of inspirational guests and/or Olympian feats of contestant creativity. This was none of those weeks.

This was a week for heavy hitters, inspired designs, and a challenge so well conceived and impeccably presented that I’d bet good money that Bravo’s producers had nothing to do with it.

We were generally in heaven, even with Kenley off her meds and weeping the whole time and that bizarro-cutesy montage of Leanne “spying” around the workspace. Minimal Suedage. Minimal Blaynage — and how awesome was it that they went from his Mary-Kateliciousexpialatrocious nothing-happened-before-1990 hopes to Kenley’s Diane von Furstenberg / Marlene Dietrich dreams in ninety well-edited seconds? I was hoping for a reaction shot of Blayne that said “Who in the world is Marlene Dietrich?,” but I suppose that would be asking too much. Anyway, he’s some kind of man, our Blayne. But what does it matter what you say about people?

Speaking of which, either someone finally talked Stella into letting them help her with her makeup or she grew out of her Bride-of-Chucky phase into something more Morticia Adamms. Just in time, natch. If I were a more suspicious type, I'd say she knew what was in the cards.

Bummer about the winning design, which we were thinking about buying, is that it looks like you don’t get the little coatlet with your purchase, just the dress. I quite liked it with the coatlet. Quite liked the whole outfit, in fact, in a sweetie-hold-onto-me-so-I-don't-follow-that-woman-home sort of way. Really better if we get one, on that level at least. But I can't decide what it would mean, culturally, to get a DvF dress as a BravoTV tie-in. Can't even decide what it means that I need to decide what it means. Know what I mean?

DO NOT DEFEND THE SHOE: It is time for us to begin presenting the 2005 ALOTT5MA Awards, given each year for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence in the subset of popular culture. Decisions are made either individually or collectively by the blog, but, basically, we're all free to do what we want.

And because I started this site, I get to kick things off with the third annual award for Reality TV Host/Judge of the Year. Past winners include Robert K. Oermann of Nashville Star (2003) and Ralph Garman (as Derek Newcastle) for Joe Schmo 2 (2004).

This year, I don't think there will be too much debate. While perennials Tyra Banks (the Susan Lucci of this category) and Jeff Probst (for the Janu council, via Isaac) did solid work and Phil Keoghan was great in the one season of The Amazing Race which aired this year -- there was only one, right? -- a new entry into the field gave us such pleasure that to ignore him would be absurd.

Tim Gunn teaches a course called concept development at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, and concept devlopment is what he did so well on Project Runway. In his role as both task assigner and mentor on the show, Gunn has been the bridge between the viewer and the intricate work being done by the competitors. His position on the show is unique -- his purpose is to improve the work of all the competitors and does not judge them, formally or informally. His criticism is constructive in the best sense of the word. In this, he gives viewers clarity in an arcane field -- much like 2003's winner Oermann, he gives the context in which we understand that "pretty" is not always "good" and the importance of balancing one's own vision with the client's.

Without Tim Gunn, Project Runway is just American Idol with scissors. With him, it's an educational hoot.

And he has a blog.

EITHER YOU ARE EEEN OR YOU ARE OUT: After a disappointing season of the Race, it's going to be refreshing to see some top-notch reality TV again, and Project Runway returns to Bravo this evening for what promises to be fun, excitement, and drama. Also, if you really want a shot at winning some Project Runway DVD's and a bag designed by Season 1 winner Jay McCarroll, TWOP is running a contest.

PLEASE, LET THIS BLOG BE "IN:" For those of you, like I, a bit frustrated that this season of TAR is (especially after this week) short on the "likeable," it's not time to abandon TAR (Jonathan's eventual and assured comeuppance is reason enough to keep watching), but it's time to add Project Runway to your viewing schedule (if it isn't already). The early process has eliminated most of the truly egregious and uninteresting candidates, and many truly likeable contestants remain, including Austin Scarlett, possibly the only man who can make Carson Kressley seem straight, Nora, who stands a decent shot at becoming this show's Omarosa, and Wendy, the mother hen of the group, and one of my favorite reality contestants in a long time. Aside from some overly blatant product placements ("Cotton is the official fabric of 'Project Runway'") and an oddball show ending disclaimer that notes that producers and Bravo had input into elimination decisions rather than straight scores determining it (a fact that may have saved Nora and/or Austin this week), it's well worth the TiVo, even with Wednesday nights already being a TiVo overload for me (the "Alias"/"West Wing" conflict is killing me--I watched "West Wing" on one TV while TiVoing "Alias" on the other).

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: Well, since Primetime Emmy nominations arrive Thursday, it's assuredly too laye for us to influence voters, but I want to take a moment to offer a few nominations that would be wholly pleasant surprises in a variety of categories.

• Tom Cavanaugh, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Jack & Bobby--It's fairly inexplicable how Cavanaugh has managed to avoid getting Comedy-side nominations for either his lead work on Ed or his recurring guest part as J.D.'s brother on Scrubs. Cavanaugh's performance as Jimmy McAllister in a couple of episodes of this season's late and lamented WB drama, though, should have been good enough to make people take notice, especially a scene where he goes toe to toe with Christine Lahti about his drug addictions.
• "Malone v. Malone," Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, Without a Trace--If just for making a gripping hour of police procedural without a crime being involved, this deserves mention. Rather than any person being missing, this episode of the consistently solid crime drama focuses on Jack Malone being deposed in his divorce. However, what makes it truly special is how effectively Malone slowly boils, building to a shocking act of physical and emotional violence. Top-notch stuff.
• Judy Greer, Outsanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, Arrested Development--Kitty Sanchez is genius on the page, I suspect, but Greer manages to make it even better, with an odd mix of tender pathos and utter insanity. And any nomination for AD is welcome.
• Liza Weil, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Gilmore Girls--Kelly Bishop would be most deserving of a nomination, but enough people are focusing on that, but Weil would also be worthy for her performance as Paris Geller. Sure, there's been nothing as exasperatingly funny from her this season as there was two seasons ago with her neurotic "I had sex, so I'm not going to HARVARD!" breakdown, but her work this year both mourning for her late lamented romance with Prof. Fleming and her relationship with Doyle are worthy alone.
• Tom Amades, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Everwood--I really wish I weren't picking just one person from Everwood, but if you have to pick, Amandes is it. It's a nasty category, with competition from 2/3 of the cast of West Wing, Victor Garber, and likely frontrunner Shatner, but Amandes is worth it--be it praying in a bathroom stall for the health of his wife, comically feuding with Dr. Brown, or telling his daughter the horrible, nasty, truth about her boyfriend--he's been one of the best actors on TV this year. Period.
• Robert Sean Leonard, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, House--OK, Hugh Laurie is a veritable cinch for a nomination, but the supporting cast on this show doesn't really get enough attention. Leonard, as Dr. Wilson, perhaps the only doctor who House will defer to, helps anchor the show. His stoicism and skepticism counterbalance Laurie's arrogance and certainty, and it's that balance that makes the show work.
• Outstanding Reality Series, Project Greenlight--One word. Gulager. That's all. And maybe an Emmy win will get the series picked up for a well-deserved fourth run.
• Outstanding Reality/Competition Series, Project Runway--OK, Survivor, Amazing Race, and Idol are locks. Top Model probably gets the fourth slot, occupied last year by Last Comic Standing. But is there any question that Runway was wonderfully executed and made reality TV that well deserves its props here? Didn't think so. Sadly, the residual popularity of Apprentice may leave Runway feeling "out."

So, who are your favorite longshots who haven't gotten much mention? I'm not talking about the folks who EW and the like have been pushing (Kristen Bell, Lauren Graham, John C. McGinley), all of whom are deserving--but those who don't seem to get much love from anywhere.

TOP ARCHITECT? PLEASE? Having succeded in bringing successful reality professional competitions with Project Runway and Top Chef, this fall Bravo will roll out Project Decorator, Project B&B Owner and Project Hairstylist.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, LL COOL J IS THE GUEST JUDGE NEXT WEEK: And it looks like Kenley's in for it. Maybe they'll sic the panther on her. Or bomb her town. Don't call it a compensated promotional appearance. Yo. And if the banter at the judging table goes anything like this, there will be much rejoicing.

As for this week's episode of Project *yawn* Runway, I don't have a lot to offer. Here's the Bravo slideshow.

Jarrell's design was the only one with any "wow" to it, taking his client from shy and likeable to poised and effusive.

Kenley seemed dejected not to get the win, in that I'm-usually-cute-enough-to-be-the-center-of-attention-so-why-don't-you-LIKE-me-it's-all-so-unjust way that everyone's tired of seeing from her. Crap. I broke my hyphen key. See what you made me do, Kenley? With your prints and your belts and your pouting and your hair feathers and your American Graffiti silhouettes? Shape it up for next week or I'll let the em dash loose on you. If the panther doesn't get you first, that is. I'm not afraid. Neither is Heidi. Catty, incisive Heidi. Interrupted her once too often, methinks. Heh heh.

Korto's collar made her client look like she should be carrying a carbine with a fixed boyonet. Liked it otherwise. No, really.

As the judges remarked, Leanne's jacket gave her client a static prow like a bumper car or a paddle boat or something, despite a nice dress underneath. In motion, with the jacket buttoned especially, it got very boxy and odd.

Joe was ... gods. Wrong. Just wrong in so many ways. Goodbye Joe. Keep thanking your lucking stars that you didn't get that poor child compared to Monica Lewinski on national television right as she headed out into the world to find her first internship.

And Suede's design inspired confusion and disgust, although (ignoramus that I am) I couldn't see why. Suede, sure. The design? Not sure. Wiser more discriminating viewers tried to explain to me that it was too 1992, leaving me to wonder why it's okay to be 1952 and awesome to be 1972 and positively inspired to be 1982 but wrong wrong wrong to be 1992. His client looked like one happy kid in that outfit, but Nina clearly threw up a little bit in her mouth. If only it could have been another double elimination.

So, as we've known since Terri got the doesn't-work-and-play-well-with-others auf, Jarrell, Leanne, and Korto are the obvious favorites on talent, range, and personality. Here's an easy link to the final collections, for those curious and unconcerned about spoiling the final few Wednesdays. Let 'er rip in the comments. Mixed bag, to be sure. I'll confess that, after what seemed like a promising start, I'm more or less waiting for the competition to wind down.

The big lesson I've learned about fashion (or at least about fashion on basic cable television) from this cycle of Project Runway is that it's usually a lot more fun from a bitchy gay perspective. I have our commenters to thank for that, so, thanks for that.

MAKE IT WORK: Matt and I have been behind Project Runway since the start.

But tonight's reunion show? Hot damn. So worth missing West Wing, American Idol and Alias for. There has never been a more jaw-droppingly funny, insightful and, believe me, vicious reunion show before. From a healthy dose of unloading on Pepper to the drama that is Morgan to the reason they called it "Project Drunkway" to Vanessa Riley called on the carpet for her unconscionably ungrateful online interview, it's all there.

If you've missed anything, Bravo's re-airing all the episodes this Sunday, starting at 11am, followed by the Grand Runway Finale next Wednesday. This has the best new reality competition since The Apprentice -- only, it's better, because instead of being centered around the host's ego, it's centered around the designers' talent, and it's all been great fun.

ANDRAE IS NOT, IN FACT, AT RED LOBSTER: New York Magazine has a lengthy cover story discussing what's happened to former Bravo reality stars, with an emphasis on Project Runway and Top Chef alums. It also answers a number of questions--why did Jay turn down his Runway prize money? How much influence do producers have over eliminations? It's well worth your time.

BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT A GEODUCK IS A 150 YEAR-OLD GIANT CLAM: Wouldn't it be nice if the producers of Bravo's Top Chef and especially Project Runway aired a "Pop-Up" version of each episode after the main broadcast (or even, as the main broadcast) to explain some of the lingo and nuances during the show?

I mean, I know from mise en place, but I'm somewhat of an aspiring culinary geek. I had no idea that, for example, "because kangaroo has virtually no fat it can easily dry out during cooking", the many ways to cook a black chicken, a/k/a the "Silkie", or that alligator, when fried, tastes like chicken. I'd like to see these shows educate as well as entertain, and pop-ups can make these shows just a little less cryptic. Runway would've been a lot easier had I understood what ruching was...

YES, THE OTHER SASHA COHEN: One of my favorite ALOTT5MA Awards to consider each year is the one for Best Reality Competition Challenger, which went in 2004 to TAR5's Caviar Challenge and in 2005 to Survivor 10's Tom and Ian on the Buoys.

Nominees in 2006 include TAR9's "statute with extra pieces", "messenger or maiden" in Tokyo and the final task of getting the flags in order; American Idol 5's week where they had to sing something by Queen and not come off as complete douchebags; and ANTM6's "runway twirl"and ANTM7's "celebrity couple photoshoot", which was the coolest to watch, but not necessarily the hardest to compete in.

One early favorite, Tuesday Night Book Club's "read and discuss Good In Bed", was disqualified on the basis of the fact that we never saw any of the women reading the book. And almost anything from Treasure Hunters could be nominated, but it became really difficult to trust the producers to believe the contestants weren't occasionally getting other hints -- though seriously, yo, those were some ridiculously tough and cool challenges.

Two runners-up, both from Project Runway: season two's "design a figure skating outfit for Sasha Cohen" and season 3's "rip off the walls" opener. Either of them was worthy of winning this thing, but I like to be contrarian, though if you want to believe that Sasha Cohen finally wins a gold medal through this award, I won't complain.

Instead, this award goes, collectively, to the challenges from "Who Wants To Be A Superhero?", a show whose concept was too weird and stupid to actually work -- except that it did -- mostly by having hidden moral challenges in almost every task: change into your secret costume in public and run across a park (but don't miss the girl screaming for mommy!); sending the superheroes to a local cafe to grab lunch for the crew (but don't reveal your secret identity!); etc. Want to have fun? Watch episode three, where they think they're walking on a balance beam over a 20 foot drop betwen buildings to rescue a damsel-in-distress, when they're actually right on the ground.

Producers and writers are the hidden heroes of reality tv -- as we saw with The Scholar, a great concept can be ruined by lousy challenges, but a weird (even laughable) concept can be redeemed by well-designed ones. I had no interest in this show until Matt and TPE pushed me to watch, and quality like this is truly heroic.

THERE CAN BEAD ONLY ONE: The Project Runway season three finale is now final. At the Throckmorton Manse, we loved pretty much everything Uli sent down the runway, 11/12ths of Jeffrey's effort, 3/4ths of Laura's and more than half of Michael's.

Michael, faulted for "turning the volume up" perhaps too far, admittedly had a few outfits that would have looked about right on Princess Ardala of Ye Olde Buck Rogers TV Show. Nonetheless it was a good finale all around with some really beautiful and innovative concoctions that, frankly, compared to last year, left us well and properly amazed.

In the interest of remaining spoiler-free, let's save the rest for the comments. Strong opinions, as always, are more than welcome.

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU MISS KARA SAUN'S FLIGHT-INSPIRED RUNWAY SHOW: They had the Project Runway Bryant Park finale show today, and if you want some spoilers (though not as to who won, because no one knows that yet), the Philadelphia Inquirer's Elizabeth Wellington has three minutes of audio about the show, and you can see pictures of the collections of Michael, Jeffrey, Laura and Uli via those four links. No word on who's the decoy.

CROSSING THE LINE OF TASTEFUL SPOILERS: As New York gears up for Fashion Week, spoilers for one of the final three on Project Runway are leaking out. Apparently, one of the contestants was overheard touting plans for their line at the runway show--and it might not be who you'd expect...

PERHAPS IT WASN'T TIM AND ANDRAE AT RED LOBSTER: Or so a gossipy Project Runway producer suggests, claiming that rumors flitted about concerning a contestant hookup among two designers last season. (Even more bizarrely? The story is revealed in an interview conducted by Ralph Fiennes, who's apparently a big Runway fan.)