And the winner is…

Tonight’s fabulous finale kicked off with a surprise challenge for the already stressed Final Three

they must take a minimum of two pieces from all of the challenges they have done, and from these, create the 11th piece of their collection. Described as “sickening” by Leigh, Henry ended up loving each designer’s last minute creations. The next day marked two days till runway, and was the considerably less traumatic model casting day! With a bevy of boys with their tops off to perve on, it was a much-needed day of fun for our hard-working designers!

The day before runway heralded model fitting day, and before you know it, the big day was here! No one was under any illusions – it was the day of their big break. As all of Melbourne’s fashion scene turned out in force, backstage played out the usual dramas, with Leigh even having to spraypaint red shoes gold at the 11th hour! And then… action!

The runway shows went off without a hitch, each designer over the moon at the positive reaction their fantastic frocks were receiving. But there’d only be one winner. Before the judging panel of Kristy, Jayson, Sarah, Paula Joye and Karen Webster, Leigh’s collection was named as theatrical, dramatic, and with an air of opulence and decadence. It had a fantastic point of view and was an incredibly bold statement.

Petrova’s colourful collection was described as sensual, fresh and possessing an ethereal fairytale quality, with a sense of magic and whimsy. But it was Juli who emerged the winner, with her heavenly collection that whispered elegance and would make any woman feel like a princess. Talented Juli was described as understanding true design, and was retail and catwalk ready.

Congratulations Juli!

Catwalk Talk with the mentor of Project Runway, Henry Roth
Question:	Which contestants did you most look forward to seeing what they’d pull out of the bag?
Answer:	We had 12 really amazing designers, all with individual style. Some designers were extremely flamboyant (Leigh and Marc), others were far more considered and low-key (Deborah and Oren and Shane), others were flirtatious and frilly (Juli and Petrova), whilst others are far more street, such as Brent. I couldn’t wait to walk into the work room and see what was going down - it was like entering Designer Disneyland.
Question:	Which challenge did you feel was the most demanding?
Answer:	The car parts/ Fiat challenge was so left-of-centre but the teams rose to the challenge incredibly well.
Question:	Name the three most important personality traits in a truly great designer?
Answer:	1. Creativity: If you don’t have the concrete pillars of design and creativity, then you can’t be a designer. 2. Practicality; Knowing how to translate your dreams of design into the finished product. 3. Commerciality; Knowing how to get your product recognized and sold in store.
Question:	What are the common mistakes new designers make when starting out?
Answer:	Thinking that they can go it alone straight out of college. It’s far better to gain an in-house design position first and work through the ranks.
Question:	Name your top five current inspirations.
Answer:	Street fashion/ Op shops/Vivienne Westwood/ Guggenheim Museum of Art in New York/ Barak Obama. Change is all good!
The Final Interview with Finale winner, Juli Grbac!
Question:	You look totally shocked when you won – didn’t you think it was a distinct possibility?
Answer:	No way! I honestly thought it would be Leigh. As soon as they announced it, I didn’t realize. I was hugging Leigh and then it hit me. I started crying tears of joy. It was the best feeling I’ve ever had. I had to keep asking the judges, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Question:	What have you been doing since the show finished?
Answer:	As soon as the show finished, things were back to normal with the business. I showed at Brisbane fashion week, and now I am in production for that collection. My business has grown since the show, and after I show in Melbourne Fashion Week, it will continue to grow. I plan on going national next year, and expanding to go international in 3 years.
Question:	How will your next collection be different from the finale collection?
Answer:	The finale collection was a meant to be a show-stopper, we didn’t have to think about it going into production or selling it, whereas the next collection will have to meet all the needs of a customer.
Question:	Looking back, what were the best and worst parts about being on Project Runway?
Answer:	The worst part was talking to family and friends for five weeks. The best parts were the laughing and the carry on in the workroom – we had a ball.