Field Report - Elisa Jimenez in Austin

Elisa with a local fashion journalist

I was able to squeeze a few minutes to meet Elisa Jimenez at her "Pop-up and Play Boutique" in downtown Austin. Basically they are the occasional trunk type shows that she likes to do in various cities. She had just completed one in Dallas and in LA. My friend Rick and I had quite the journey to get to her event. Her showing was in the busiest section of downtown and it took forever to find street parking and we walked around for 20 minutes trying to find the store and were almost ready to give up. Then we saw some colorful swatches tied around a banister. Turns out the event was occurring at a 2nd floor bar lounge. The bar was quite lovely with a scenic covered balcony and provided an ideal atmosphere for her. There was a good steady attendance including members of Austin fashion community.

Click here to continue.

Meet The Cast of "The Fashion Show"

Click here for more from Bravo.

Attention Los Angeles

Become a member of the studio audience and judge a brand new Bravo network "fashion reality" show. Click here for tickets. No fooling.

Memo To Lifetime

With the long awaited news that Season 6 of Project Runway will finally see the light of day, all eyes will be turning to the Lifetime Network to see how they will handle promotion and publicity of the show.

Project Runway is considered a cornerstone in Lifetime President Andrea Wong's continuing effort to feature more original programming and move away from the legacy of Golden Girl re-runs and disease-of-the-week movies. Will the fan base follow?

Here are a few things that we would love to see Lifetime do:

• Create a clean, easy to navigate website for the show that doesn't take 15 minutes to load.
• Bring back Tim Gunn's podcast! Perhaps our favorite bonus feature of Seasons 1-3, Tim's podcasts were often as entertaining as the show itself, providing unique behind the scene details of each episode. Yes, you will probably have to pay the man, but you will endear yourselves to PR fans everywhere and generate serious traffic to your website.
• Schedule the show in its traditional Wednesday 10:00 p.m powerslot. This is the favored time for most of the fans and one that Bravo will most certainly try to counter against.
• Continue the tradition of posting clear photos of each design after every episode.
• Provide previews and video extras that are fully embeddable and easy to share.
• Recognize that there is a significant audience of men that watch this show. Ahem. We can get away with the TV tuned to Bravo, but it's a tougher sell on Lifetime.

We know you have more. What else would you like to see from the Lifetime Network?

A Note From Tim Gunn!

Season Six: What's fabulous about it is our backdrop: Los Angeles. In fact, it's more than a backdrop; we fully embrace the city. During our first days of taping, I was reminded that for the first half of the last century, Los Angeles, and Hollywood more specifically, was THE fashion capital of this nation. It was the burgeoning film industry that inspired people about how they wanted to dress. For example, Gilbert Adrian, the head of costume design at MGM, launched a ready-to-wear line in response to the fervor for his designs. During those early decades, New York fashion was all about copying Europe; New York didn't possess the creative thinking that Hollywood embodied. It wasn't until the couture houses in Paris closed during WWII that American fashion began to ascend, with Claire McCardell and Norman Norell leading the pack.

Back to Los Angeles...it's the home of the television and film industries, costume design, and the red carpet. What better incubator is there for fashion?

Season Six also has a considerable enhancement: "Models of the Runway," a companion piece to Project Runway. Content is shared across both shows, so ardent, insatiable viewers will have to see both in order to get their full dose of all things Runway!

Isn't it fabulous that we can all talk about it, again?!?!?!

XOXOX

Tim

(Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images for IMG)

From The Mailbox

Heidi Klum was on CBS last night for the April Fool's Day prank show, "I Get That a Lot." Click here for the full episode.

Tim Gunn is in Nashville today for an in-store event at Kate Spade. Click here for an interview with Tim in the Tennessean.

Nashville's City Paper is looking for YOUR questions for Tim. Click here to submit.

Project Runway Season 6 Set for Lifetime

This time it's not an April Fool's! Project Runway is actually set to return in the summer on Lifetime. Click here for the report from Variety. The Weinstein Company has agreed to pay NBC Universal a settlement fee.

Our friends at Full Picture confirmed the story for us right after it broke. (We were concerned with the story coming out so late in the day on April 1st.)

UPDATE: According to a statement in the LA Times from Harvey Weinstein, 5 YEARS of Project Runway is part of the deal with Lifetime.

UPDATE: Tim Gunn just called Laura K. and is thrilled to hear the news about Season 6. When asked for a quote he said, "Words cannot adequately express how ecstatic I am."

UPDATE: Here's the statement from Lifetime president Andrea Wong:

I couldn't be more excited that Lifetime will bring its viewers an amazing, all-new season of Project Runway this summer. As the highest-rated cable network for women, Lifetime is the perfect home for this outstanding program as well as its companion series Models of the Runway. All of us at Lifetime are thrilled to move forward with Heidi, Tim, Nina, Michael, The Weinstein Company and the entire Project Runway team.

More to come, stay tuned!

Project Runway Season Six Premiere This Summer!

At last we have confirmation of the Season Six premiere. According to this press release, Project Runway will air in the "Summer of 2009" on the newly-formed Weinstein Network.

TWN will launch programming in June 2009 with a marathon of Weinstein hit movies including Clerks II and Who's Your Caddy?

Aiming for an upscale viewership, TWN hopes to build momentum toward the Project Runway premiere "later in the summer."

According to a Weinstein press representative, "All legal matters have been resolved and we are moving forward with our plans to air Project Runway on the new network. Also, season 7 will be filmed in New York City this June."

(Casting information has been posted on Craig's List as well as on the network's new website.)

Asked to comment about Season Six, Tim Gunn responded, "I firmly believe that this cast is the most talented group ever. Season 6 will prove to be the best one ever."

Co-executive producer and host of the show, Heidi Klum claims that, "Harvey is a loyal friend and one of the most beloved men in Hollywood. I count on him to make the impossible possible."

Weinstein continues, "I am tired of piddling around with these other networks, I figure I can just start my own."

Bob Weinstein will head up the new venture. "My brother has always wanted to be a network honcho and we feel like the time is right," says Harvey of his more silent sibling. Also joining the team, Dr. Louis Aronne whom Harvey refers to as his "mentor and life-coach," as well as American Idol host and celebrity wrangler, Ryan Seacrest.

When quizzed about the choice of Seacrest for Vice-President of Reality Programming, Weinstein quipped, "Everything he touches turns to gold. Hell yes, I wanted Seacrest."

TWN will have a "strong reality show presence" with plans to begin filming a new competitive-reality series about dog grooming called "Project Puppy," and another as-yet-unnamed project about celebrity bloggers.

In related news, the Project Runway Season Five DVD is now available. Click here to order.

Click here for the full press release.

Christian Siriano Designs Available at Intermix

Several of Christian Siriano's designs are now available at Intermix. Click here to shop online.

Tuesday News

Renee K noted that Nick Verreos was seated several rows in front of her at the World Skating Championships in Los Angeles on Saturday. She sends this report:

During the resurfacing of the ice, I saw him stand up and turn my way. I pointed at him and crooked my finger signaling him to come up to my row. (Picture of him walking in the aisle). Surprisingly, he did. What a delight!!! I can only add to the others who have posted about meeting him to say that he couldn't have been nicer. He looked fabulous.
Thrilled, I introduced myself, told him how much I enjoyed his work and also told him I had been looking for him the entire time to which he replied, "You know I love figure skating, especially the outfits." I said he should have been there all week as there had been some doozies. Anyway, he agreed to having a picture taken with me.
Of all the wonderful things I experienced during the event, I have to admit, this one was my personal highlight.

In other Nick news: Attention San Antonio - Uncle Nick is coming to town. And if you are really ambitious, a quick scoot up I-35 will earn you a visit with Elisa Jimenez and her new affordable line of fashions. Two of our favorites in Texas on the same day!

Monday Morning Mailbox

Photo: Erica Jackson

Project Runway Season Three finalist Mychael Knight was one of the judges for Charleston Fashion Week's Emerging Designer Competition over the weekend. Click here for the full story from Charleston's Calendar Girl.

Click here for a new interview with Daniel Vosovic. Thanks Lauren.

Tim Gunn loves Los Angeles!

Project Runway at the GLAAD Media Awards

Tim Gunn, Christian Siriano and Jack Mackenroth all attended the GLAAD Media Awards Presentation in New York on Saturday. Click here for full coverage of the evening.

Jillian Lewis Finale Design Available

This design from Jillian Lewis's Project Runway Season Four Finale collection is listed on eBay. The auction includes many detailed photos and a thorough description of the jacket and pants. Click here to bid.

Saturday Mailbox

Jerell Scott is on the April cover of Alive magazine. Click here for more information.

Click here for Rondi's recap of Project Runway Canada Episode 9.

Click here for Johanne's recap.

Click here for exit interviews with Kim and Adejoke.

From The Mailbox

Project Runway Season Five finalists, Jerell Scott and Korto Momolu will be hosting a fashion event in Little Rock Arkansas tomorrow night. Click here for more information. Thank you Latiste.

Christian Siriano's line has been picked up by Saks! Click here for more information. Congratulations Christian!

Project Runway Canada Season 2 Episode 9

Click here to continue.

Evening Update

Carrie Ann Inaba wore another NIKOLAKI design on Dancing With The Stars this week. Check it out on Nick's blog.

Jeffrey Sebelia was among the designers showing at the March Fashion Industry Night March 14th in Los Angeles.

Attention Birmingham: Project Runway Season Two designer, Heidi Elnora (Standridge) will be featured on May 3rd at "Rock the Runway." This kicks off the Bridal Event, "Style in the Sky." Click here for more information.

Meet The Hosts and Judges of "The Fashion Show"

From The Mailbox

This design is a preview from Leanne Marshall's Bluefly collection. Click here for more.

Joe Faris gives advice to budding designers at FGI Career Day in Detroit. Click here for more.

Rami Kashou for HSN

This draped jersey dress is available in five color options on HSN.com.

Click here for more information and watch Rami on yesterday's show.