For those of you lucky American Express cardholders who fell in love with Leanne’s sumptous plum gown it can now be yours for $650. Take a look at her DVF dress in all it’s glory and buy it here!

Bid here to get the orignal design made by Leanne as well as the pieces from all the designers.

As you all know, this Monday we had the pleasure of visiting Season 4 Alum Rami Kashou’s studio to have him help dress our Style correspondent Joslyn Davis for Fashion Week. She tried on many dresses and looks by Rami and loved them all, but she can only wear one. Help her make her decision! Vote below now - and choose the dress she will wear inside the tents at Bryant Park for the Season 5 Finale Fashion Shows.

We love when the designers go on field trips. Every time Tim surprises them, or Heidi announces they are to meet outside the workroom for their challenge we prepare for a big adventure. So when Tim announced they were to design for a “Fashion Icon“, we knew this was going to be exciting. When Blayne automatically thought the icon was Mary-Kate Olsen we were at first shocked and then on the floor in stitches. Was the thought wild? Yes. But we expect nothing less from him. Our favorite line from him has to be when he announced “I want to marry Mary-Kate!”

Terri, who always has the best one liners, said it best when they showed up at their destination and she said ” We arrived at this beautiful showroom, and we were like ‘What? What’s goin’ on!’ I mean it’s Project Runway anything could happen.”

Judging from the looks on the designers faces when Diane von Furstenberg was introduced as the icon and the challenge was given, we knew they were looking forward to getting to work. Poor Kenley was overwhelmed and cried so many times from a mixture of excitement and worry that we weren’t sure she was going to be able to sew without exploding. We must admit we understand her feelings. Let’s face it, Diane von Furstenberg is an established  American designer who changed the face of fashion with a design so revolutionary and yet so classic that it has remained a staple in generations of women’s closets for 30+ years! Let’s not even discuss what she has done as President of the CFDA. The pressure was on!

From the very beginning it was clear that this challenge was going to be a struggle for both Stella and Blayne.  For Stella, this task and DVF’s aesthetic was so out of her point of view as designer that she was going to have to push herself to the limits, and for Blayne this challenge did not give enough wiggle room for him to  be quirky. On the flip side, we automatically knew Korto and Leanne would be front-runners given their penchant for sophisticated well-constructed pieces.

How Blayne flew under the radar and did not go into the final three we will never know. His cropped pants were a mystery to us, and certainly are not part of DVF’s aesthetic or a look we saw in her Look Book. Like Diane we didn’t like the rear view of Joe’s look either however, we were taken aback by the harsh criticism he received on the runway.  Stella’s look wasn’t spectacular but we were pleasantly surprised she stepped outside of her box and created a more polished look. Her execution on the construction and the crooked cape were her downfall. Had she kept it simple and maybe nixed the cape she might still be on the runway. Lastly, we thought  Suede’s gown looked okay but the vest was awkward and did nothing for the look.

As for the top three we thought Korto’s gown was glamorous and exactly what we expected of her. It looked pulled together and had great movement. We found Leanne’s exquisite gown perfectly channeled both the Old Hollywood glamour of A Foreign Affair and DVF’s Collection.  We agree with the judges that she did a great job of mixing  the soft feminine look of the gown with the hard masculine edge of the coat.

Finally, there was Kenley. We can hardly talk about her dress because we can’t believe her attitude on the runway! Not only did she cut Heidi off when she was giving Kenley her critique but she shunned all criticism from everyone and sassed Diane von Furstenberg saying she thought she needed color in her collection. Whew! As far as her dress we thought it was nice but we didn’t think it deserved to be in the top three. Like Heidi we saw it as a well constructed but simple dress.

Ultimately, Stella went home and Leanne was the winner again.  Her look will be on a special site for American Express cardholders and a portion of the proceeds will go to the CFDA Foundation.

We really enjoyed this challenge and are biting our fingernails until next week. As always bid now-and own a piece of the runway.

Judging from Episode 507’s guest Judge Rachel Zoe and Heidi Klum’s reactions to Korto’s design, we knew this seatbelt coat appealed to stylish women who like high-end fashion. What we didn’t know was that this nifty little coat would  be a huge hit with the fans too, and would lead  the auction with the highest bid (beating Leanne’s winning design by more than twice the amount).

The current bid on Korto’s coat is an astonishing $1,001.10.  This number is so high, that some people are even speculating that either Ms. Zoe  or Heidi might be bidding. ( We’ll keep you posted if we hear anything!) We loved the looks from this offbeat challenge and think that any of these pieces would be a great  to own.

So don’t miss your chance to take home a piece of the runway. Bid now- and send us your best guess on what you think the final bid will be!

Can you hardly wait for New York Fashion Week? We can’t either! To get our lovely style correspondent Joslyn Davis in style for  the Bryant Park Tents to cover the Project Runway Season 5 fashion shows/finale, we’ve enlisted Rami Kashou from Season 4 to dress her in a piece from his collection. Will he put her in one of his classic draped numbers? Will he choose a piece in a different silhouette?

Stay tuned to watch the video- and in the meantime see how it all went down when Joslyn visited the tents last year by watching the Season 4 Fashion Week videos.

If ever you wished you had your own personal stylist, you’ll be certain to fall in love with Nina Garcia’s new book The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own . This easy to follow volume by the stylish Editrix is in the same vein as her first style tome The Little Black Book of Style. She keeps the lessons easy to follow by listing her pieces alphabetically and using whimsical designs by fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo.

FROM The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own

With her style philosophy firmly out in the world, Nina decided to address the most popular question readers consistently ask her: Exactly what are fashion’s timeless pieces?

The One Hundred answers this question and provides women with a tangible style map to follow when planning a shopping trip and stocking one’s closet. With illustrations from world-renowned fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo, The One Hundred contains the 100 items that Nina believes will never go out of style, and that have become absolutely indispensable for any woman reaching for her own eternal fashion look.

Snag your copy today and  let Nina help you shop your way to a chic new wardrobe!

After the first challenge in Gristedes I think it’s fair to say that most of us cringe at the thought of the designers working with unusual materials. It’s true it always makes for an interesting show, however it’s just so sad to see them flounder. In our experience, the designers either can’t think outside the box or create something so basic by using the most fabric-like material that the innovation the challenge calls for is lost.  On the flip side there are those rare gems that manage to rise to the occasion and laugh in the face of unusual and creative challenges, like first guest judge Austin Scarlett.

For this challenge, as soon as the designers arrived on the roof for their introduction and saw the cars I could cut the tension with a knife. Our favorite line was from Terri who asked ” What am I supposed to do with these cars? I don’t have blow torch!”

As we predicted many of the designers picked seat belts and other pieces of cloth they could easily form into fabric-like pieces. Luckily when they got in the workroom designers like Kenley and Leanne realized early on that to stand out they needed to avoid using seat belts or at the very least use them in a different way. Let’s face it, The judges either dock you for taking the easy road and following the flock or applaud you for taking something everyone else has and re-thinking that material. The choice is yours.

Jerell, Leanne, and Korto were the top three with their dazzling innovative designs. We love the Barbarella/ Judy Jetson look of Jerell’s design. Not only did the piece look modern it combined the materials in really great way and was totally wearable without being a bore. We agree with Rachel that we would wear Korto’s elegant weaved coat in a second. Just as Micheal said we think it was chic. This look took a lot of effort and time, and is an example of a great way to work a common fabric many of the designers snagged. Last, but not least is Leanne who never ceases to amaze! We definitely think she is one to watch. Taking a departure from her pleats and pintucks she made a party perfect cocktail dress out of seat material of all things!

It was no suprise that Keith, Stella, and Blayne ended up in the bottom three. Keith, who finally made a different silhouette ( we were in no mood to see more torn strips attached to a skirt or a sleeve), ended up boring the judges with his conservative look. One could chalk it up to karma for yelling at Alyssa for sitting in the makeup room! Come on! Then there was Stella with her  separates in the bottom three who in all fairness went outside her comfort zone. Be honest, you all thought she was going to make an all leather piece too! It didn’t make sense to Pr Alum Laura or to Micheal Kors and her skirt was clearly puckering and coming apart. Lastly, there was Blayne who rounded out the lowest scores with his elegant, but poorly made dress. We give props from his ‘licious’ departure with his more elegant design. We know he was reeling from not having anything hot pink to choose from. Unlike Heidi we liked the broken glass shards on the bust ( we aren’t superstitious), and we think the look is chic. However, as Laura pointed out it was ill-fitting on the top.

Ultimately, Leanne won with her snazzy dress and Keith was out. We agree with the judges choices for this challenge. Do you? Don’t forget you can take home a piece of the runway by bidding on these creative designs on our Project Runway Auction.  Bid now- and pick up Rachel’s Zoe’s book packed with all her fabulous style advice!

Tune in tonight for celebrity stylist, author, and style maven Rachel Zoe is the guest judge on Episode 507:  Fashion The Drives You. The designer’s will be asked to use a car as their muse in creating innovative looks. Given her penchant for helping to shape the style of today’s hottest young starlets most notably her past work with Nicole Richie,  we know that she will have a keen eye towards cutting edge creativity.

See her inspiration and ways she styles stars like Mischa Barton, Jennifer Garner, Joy Bryant, Keira Knightley, Kate Hudson, and Anne Hathaway by snagging her fashion book with Rose Apodaca titled Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, and Everything Glamour.

This was was a truly regal challenge. Dressing first-class drag queens is no small feat and from the looks of the garments creating these pieces was both fun and frightening. Let’s gets started with the bottom three to mix it up a bit.

Upon close inspection Jerell’s dress is beautiful. It’s well made and you can tell he took his time to make sure each tiny detail was complete. In the light the cool colors of the sequins sparkle and the the detailed collar is impeccable. Still, as all the judges and Heidi agreed this does not look crazy enough to be worn by a drag queen. The length should have beeen shorter, and the details on the collar could have been incorporated elsewhere on the dress.

Next there is Keith’s design which kept us guessing. From the looks of the shoddy work and the layers and layers of fringe we felt like we were experiencing some deja vu from episode 503, wherein Micheal told him his design looked like toilet paper.  All together the look is grand, but not in a good way.

Although, we did not think Daniels Cha Cha dress was the worst it did deserve to be in the bottom three. It was similar to Jerell’s dress in that it looked like a basic gown a costume designer might have. It did not scream Drag Queen. First of all the dress was heavy. To be honest it seemed like he took all of the fabric he purchased and incorporated it into the dress. There were layers and layers of fabric and simply put there was just too much going on.

AND NOW ON TO THE GOOD STUFF….

Despite feeling lost, Joe came through with a stellar sailor jumpsuit. It looks just as good off the runway as it did on Varla Jean Mermann. Not only was the color of the jumpsuit pretty but the little details like the stars on the cuff and the oversized belt (which accentuated her waist just right) were dazzling.

Terri’s design is just as outlandish and fun as it was on the runway. It really is a sight to see. Each piece by itself from the kimono style wrap to the Wonder Woman esque lace-up back bustier was well made. Combined, the look commands attention and perfectly embodies the outrageous personality of Terri’s model Acid Betty.

Finally….

there is Korto. Her design with it’s hot “notice me” red is amazing! Not only is her design fit for a queen  but the intricate details like the curled pieces on the shoulder give it just the right kick to take it over the edge. We love that the skirt can be unattached and turned into a cape, making two complete looks. This is the type of innovation that the judges were looking for. Sweetie seemed to be having fun on the runway, and with a dress like this, who could blame her?

We had too much fun this challenge and cannot wait for next week!