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!

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.