Project Runway Season 8 Casting Videos: Nick Verreos, Tim Gunn and Zoe Glassner Decide!

Well, kiddies, it is OFFICIAL: Project Runway Season 8 is about to begin (July 29TH!). I will be in Europe on my Florence Lecture but rest assured I will be watching one way or another (Thank Goodness for the INTERNET!!!).
LA Season 8 Casting Buddies: Marie Claire's Zoe Glassner, Tim Gunn and Nick Verreos

Yesterday, the complete list of Season 8 Designers/contestants were announced and boy, is it a "colorful" bunch, to say the least (like, Andrae, Daniel Franco, Santino and I weren't colorful!!??). Those names (Casanova? Peach? Mondo?) are SLAYING me!! It's like the names to the new season of "MTV's The Jersey Shore", not Project Runway! Love it!
Dapper Twosome: Tim Gunn and Nick Verreos

As many of you may know from reading my blog here, I was actually honored enough to be one of the Casting Judges for this season in Los Angeles--along with Tim Gunn and Zoe Glassner of Marie Claire. And we "let through" several talented designers and yesterday, the entire cast was revealed!! Below are four Videos from this new season's contestants and my thoughts on what I saw that day. Enjoy!

Michael Costello

My Thoughts on Michael:
Michael Costello had tried out for several seasons and never made it. Throughout the years, I have actually seen a lot of Michael's designs, befriending him within the "LA Fashion Community" as he kept telling me how much he wanted to be on Project Runway.
Well, he showed up again, and with a model I also know, the lovely Suwana Perry. Of course, from the moment he walked in, he was "on" and we all loved his fun bubbly energy, his funny candor about himself and his "quirky" parents and how his mom doesn't know he is gay and still wants to find a nice Greek bride for him (!). Design-wise, he is a "mini-me" of Elie Saab: He never met a bow, a backless asymmetrical drape with sequins, and an exaggerated train (all in one dress!) that he didn't like. His "Achilles Heel" might be trying to "tone it down" and learning how to edit. We'll see...

Mondo

My Thoughts on Mondo:
Mondo tried out last year at the LA Castings, where I was once again a judge, and I told him to "Eat a Burger!" (he's very skinny) and he remembered that. His designs were creative, fun, very Heatherette (his idols). Our complaint was that they were a little "over-designed" but we were impressed with his own unique "look" (these kids come STYLED huney!) and his sewing skills. Speaking of styled, his models were DONE from head-to-toe! So glad that these contestants who try out are going for it--110%--especially when it counts!

Sarah Trost

My Thoughts on Sarah Trost:
I remember that "kitty dress" and boy was it AWFUL! (as my Casting Judge cohort Zoe Glassner concurs in the video above). To be honest, most of her dresses looked rather "homespun" and more appropriate for an old lady residing in a Boca Raton living community. She said her inspirations are Adrian, Schiaparelli and the original Christian Dior, but yet we didn't see any of that in her designs. But they were kinda fun. As you see from above, she was in the "maybe" pile and then it was up to the casting "Gods" to let her in. And they did. We'll see how she does...

Christopher Collins

My Thoughts on Christopher Collins:
First of all, it was such a nice breath of fresh air for a contestant/designer to come into the castings and NOT SAY, that Lady Gaga was their inspiration!!! His designs were simple, classic and "American Sportswear" elegant. Very Jason Wu meets Banana Republic. Is it "earth shaking"? That's arguable. But we loved how humble he was. In a sea of people who think they are "fierce" and dress like it but have nothing to back it up, Christopher's simple clothes and his simple attitude WAS fierce!

You can see all the Designer's Casting Videos plus much, much more on Lifetime's Project Runway Website.

Tim Gunn and Nick Verreos Reunite for Season 8 Project Runway Castings!!

Fashion Prom Couple!All Smiles at 9 AM: Tim Gunn and Nick Verreos at Season 8 Project Runway LA Castings

Last week, I had the pleasure of judging--for SIXTH SEASON IN A ROW!!!!--the Castings for Project Runway, Season 8. The producers of the show have been scouring the country for the next Top American Fashion Designer and they have gone to NYC, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta...and last week was the final Los Angeles Casting at the Mondrian Hotel on Sunset Blvd. Casting Executives "preselected" from thousands and thousands of applications and their picks were the ones that we, the Casting Judges, saw at these sessions. Approximately 50 designers--mostly from California--representing cities (sounds like a Miss USA!) such as San Francisco, San Diego, Palm Springs, and the Los Angeles area of course, came to this final round of casting.
I was so happy to be reunited with Tim Gunn. It's always so wonderful to spend time with Tim since our schedules are so crazy--especially his--that we don't get to see each other much. Vintage Nick and Tim: Nick Verreos gets mentored by Tim Gunn, Season 2 Project Runway

I was also especially excited to see Miss Zoe Glassner, Senior Shopping Editor at Marie Claire, whom I've also had the pleasure of judging past Project Runway castings with. We had a great time seeing all the designers and we scrutinized every seam, every unnecessary ruffle and bow, and every wonky--and not-so wonky hem! No Wonky Seams! LA Casting Panel, Zoe Glassner, Tim Gunn and Nick Verreos

Maybe since it was "the end of the road-trip" for them--Zoe and Tim had NO PATIENCE for "I just wanna do this as a hobby..." and the "I Hate to sew and CANNOT draw...but I wanna be a fashion designer" nonsense--and trust me, they would let them "have it". Sometimes, I was the Paula Abdul of the group--or shall I say the Ellen DeGeneres-- with my "What Tim and Zoe are trying to say is..."LOL! But all in all, even Tim remarked that we may have found one of the "Best" of the entire Season 8 Casting process, here in LA. Well, we shall soon see!