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