Project Runway Winner: Leanne Marshall (Season 5)
Ever wondered what happened Post-Project Runway? This QuirkyChic series on the past winners on Project Runway looks at the winners of the past seasons and discusses how far they’ve come along. Were they one-hit wonders or worthy of the coveted prize? This week we look at the winner of Season 5, Leanne Marshall
Unlike her predecessor Christian Siriano who had a distinct affinity with the world of high fashion, Leanne Marshall was more of the fashion dork – one who made her name selling her wares on Etsy from her home in Portland under the alias leanimal.
Here’s her winning collection from Project Runway debut at Bryant Park:
Her collection had a predominantly pastel palette, and featured her distinct style of “petal-ling” of the fabric. Leanne Marshall asserted that she loved playing with fabric, and that she would definitely be coming up with other new ways of playing around with it, and that the competition had left her all “petal-ed” out. Her winning collection on Project Runway caught the eye of Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker, who immediately contacted her about wearing one of her dresses.
Fast forward to the present, Leanne Marshall has been rather quiet (as befits her personality that we saw on Project Runway) and has not debuted any other lines on the runway apart from her eco-friendly line from Fall 2009:
For an eco-friendly line, it certainly isn’t just a bag of straw or sticks. Leanne Marshall demonstrated her great versatility here and these clothings don’t look like recycled or subpar fabrics at all, showing that the fashion industry can survive whilst being eco-friendly. It just has yet to try.
Check out her official website here, where it appears that Leanne Marshall is still actively designing and making clothing, though not on the scale that’s presented on the runway. Whether she’ll continue to rise as a designer since her move from Portland to New York still remains a question, but she still does have time, so we’re hoping to see more of her in the future.
Project Runway Winner: Christian Siriano (Season 4)
Ever wondered what happened Post-Project Runway? This QuirkyChic series on the past winners on Project Runway looks at the winners of the past seasons and discusses how far they’ve come along. Were they one-hit wonders or worthy of the coveted prize? This week we look at the winner of Season 4, Christian Siriano
Fierce. That was Christian Siriano’s favourite word the entire season, and evidently that sentiment hasn’t left him lagging behind like his predecessors. His winning runway collection featured a predominantly black lineup, which he varied with contrasting textures and fabrics. Indeed, despite the limited colour palette, his collection got immediately snapped up by retailers and he gained immediate fans in celebrities such as Posh Spice and Tori Spelling. The absence of furniture and a bed in his tiny New York apartment also inspired W Hotels to give him a bed, which was pretty charitable of them, I must say. If you’re finding his face familiar despite not being a fan of the show, Christian Siriano has also made cameos in various other television series, such as Ugly Betty.
Here’s a look at his winning collection:
Somehow I felt his collection was very crow-like. The feathery feel of his pieces are not as feminine as previous Season 2 winner Chloe Dao. Indeed, I immediately thought that it would fit perfectly in the wardrobe of a very fashionable Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, with the huge overshadowing black hats and lean silhouette.
Season 4 also debuted the opportunity for Project Runway finalists to sell their collection on Bluefly.com, which I thought was ingenious since this meant that the winners would not only benefit from the $100, 000 cash prize, but also reap in the potential profits from the sale of their pieces from the competition as well. Here’s a video interview Christian Siriano did for Bluefly.com.
I can’t say I’m a fan of his personality (I really would not call Kate Moss a “stumpy stump”, and who is HE to call her short when his height is considered below average for the average male in America?)
Significantly, Christian Siriano has persevered throughout the years, and in the toughest of times, has diversified his collections to mass street chains such as Payless to finance his greater dreams of high street fame. Here’s the latest of his collections:
As if he’s undergone a 180 degree change, his newest collection seems completely different from his winning runway collection just 3 years ago. White predominated the beginning of his lineup, and was gradually replaced by tones of beige, followed by safari brown, then a burst of bright colour in voluminous fabrics and ruffles. He’s definitely kept it fresh and exciting, rather than stagnating into something “boring” as critics of him predicted. Tim Gunn has high hopes for him and predicts that this man will be the next Marc Jacobs.
Here’s a peek at Christian Siriano’s collaboration with Payless – which was toned down for the mass market:
Quite aptly, many have termed them the “claw shoes” and personally, I’m not a fan of the curved heel aesthetic. They don’t seem very stable! Would you purchase these shoes?
My verdict: Christian Siriano has a shrewd ability to know when and how to diversify in order to stay in business. To date, he’s probably the most successful Project Runway winner, and I hope that his predecessors and successors to the Project Runway throne will learn from his success.
Project Runway: Jeffrey Sebelia (Season 3)
Ever wondered what happened Post-Project Runway? This QuirkyChic series on the past winners on Project Runway looks at the winners of the past seasons and discusses how far they’ve come along. Were they one-hit wonders or worthy of the coveted prize? We’re looking at Season 3 Winner, Jeffrey Sebelia this week.
Known as a “bad ass” who was arrogant, spouted vulgarities and made another contestant’s mother cry, Jeffrey Sebelia was definitely one of the more colourful contestants Project Runway had, but he DID have one of the most eye catching and likable collections that blew away the competition.
Here’s a look at the pieces that won him the prize
I apologise for the mess of pictures, but his runway pictures were difficult to find…
Prior to Project Runway, Jeffrey Sebelia already had an established line known as Cosa Nostra, which has since become defunct. To date, he’s known for producing the clothings of the girls in the Bratz movie
so well, it looks like Jeffrey Sebelia, for all his past heroine addiction and jailtime, might be successful in designing clothes for the giggly teenage girl market. There’s a great article on him here
My verdict: Jeffrey Sebelia wasn’t shrewd with his handling of fame and financial freedom post-Project Runway. It’s great to know he hasn’t fizzled out entirely, but he could definitely do better.
Project Runway Winner: Chloe Dao (Season 2)
Ever wondered what happened Post-Project Runway? This QuirkyChic series on the past winners on Project Runway looks at the winners of the past seasons and discusses how far they’ve come along. Were they one-hit wonders or worthy of the coveted prize? This week we’re looking at Chloe Dao, Winner of Season 2.
Of Vietnamese ancestry, Chloe Dao was first-generation immigrant who grew up in the United States redesigning vintage clothes in her youth. Her first creation? A senior prom dress.
Unlike the winner of the first season Jay McCarroll as blogged about here, Chloe Dao accepted the $100 000 prize and a mentorship with Banana Republic (Jay rejected it to pursue other financial ventures). Known for her distinct style of voluminous sleeves and her strong use of brocade patterns, Chloe Dao won the competition with her collection that featured mostly women’s evening wear.
Here’s a look at the collection that won her the prize:
I enjoyed her use of prints and brocades, but that might be my biased view since I myself love clothings with interesting prints. However, I’m not too great a fan of her voluminous silhouettes, but the last outfit in deep marine blue illustrates her capability to also pull off very elegant, form flattering dresses as well.
Here’s the latest designs from her website
With her love for women’s evening wear, Chloe Dao has definitely leaned on her strengths and has created a brand known for its elegant and sophisticated women’s wear, which also has an extensive bridal collection. Will she be the next Vera Wang? Significantly, she’s toned down on her voluminous clothings, making her collection more accessible to the everyday woman. I do love her tasteful use of large ruffles to accentuate – it reminds me of Lanvin, but hers is a more floaty and feminine version.
My verdict: Chloe Dao has definitely shown that she can be a success beyond Project Runway, but she has yet to reach the standards of top designers. What do you think?
Project Runway Winner: Jay McCarroll (Season 1)
Despite the excitement and immense talent one sees on reality shows such as Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model, one can’t help but wonder whether the winners of each season truly launches his or her career successfully after the end of each show. Curious, I decided to begin looking up the past 7 winners of Project Runway to find out. Granted, it wasn’t particularly easy, seeing that the Fashion World easily erases its memories of those who have not pleased its eyes, but the Internet is an awesome stalking medium.*evil cackle*
Let’s begin with Jay McCarroll, Winner of Season 1. 
Here’s a re-look at some of the looks that won him the conveted prize: 
Certainly, it was a memorable collection. His use of the colourblock technique was both interesting and unique. I really liked the blue top, because it also had a combination of different types of fabrics, which ordinarily wouldn’t be that easy to combine together. One can sense his kooky personality in his choice of very different silhouettes throughout the show and his fearlessness in using items that one normally wouldn’t expect on the runway of a fierce competition, i.e. blue transparent raincoat.
and with a few quick glances at his website, here’s where his designs stand today
I certainly can’t say I’m a fan – and it seems that rather than go high-street, Jay Mccarroll decided to hit the mass market. Most of his pieces are priced $30 upwards, and he sells prints of his design and conceptual sketches on his website for $28 USD each. He’s also stayed true to his colourblock aesthetic, but somehow it comes off as pedestrian rather than interesting and fresh, as his first collection did. His reliance on digital artwork rather than painstakingly handsewn patterns also speaks of laziness and well, it doesn’t impress. His work also no longer bears traces of his sensitivity to colour as he showed in Project Runway, some colours here clash rather badly on the same outfit, and they hardly look flattering on some of the models.
My verdict: Jay McCarroll was a one-hit Project Runway winner.
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