Season 4

Project Runway Season 4 was the fourth season of Project Runway, Bravo's reality competition for fashion designers. The season premiered November 14, 2007. Returning as judges were supermodel Heidi Klum; fashion designer Michael Kors; and Nina Garcia, Elle magazine fashion director. Tim Gunn, chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne, Inc., again acts as a mentor to the contestants.

Through a series of weekly challenges, contestants were eliminated, leaving three finalists left who then went on to show their designs in the final episodes at New York Fashion Week. The winner, Christian Siriano, received prizes including: an editorial feature in Elle, $100,000 from TRESemmé to start his own line, the opportunity to sell a fashion line on Bluefly.com, and a 2008 Saturn Astra automobile.

Designers
The 15 contestants were (in order of elimination):
 * Simone LeBlanc, 32, from Lawrenceville, Georgia
 * Marion Lee, 39, from Tyler, Texas
 * Carmen Webber, 39, from Charlotte, North Carolina
 * Jack Mackenroth, 38, from New York, New York
 * Steven Rosengard, 30, from Chicago, Illinois
 * Elisa Jimenez, 42, from El Paso, Texas
 * Kevin Christiana, 31
 * Christina "Kit Pistol" Scarbo, 26, from Los Angeles, California
 * Victorya Hong, 34, from Winchester, Virginia
 * Ricky Lizalde, 35, from Escondido, California
 * Kathleen "Sweet P" Vaughn, 46, from Los Angeles, California
 * Chris March, 44, from San Francisco, California
 * Jillian Lewis, 26, from Selden, New York
 * Rami Kashou, 31, from Ramallah, Palestine
 * Christian Siriano, 21, from Annapolis, Maryland

(ages listed are the designers' ages at the time the show was taped in the summer of 2007)

Models

 * Amanda Alter, 23, from DeWitt, Arkansas
 * Christina Anderson-McDonald, 23, from Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania
 * Aviva Brocks, 21, from London, England
 * Lauren Browne, 18, from Grafton, Massachusetts
 * Ashley Evans, 22, from Smithville, Missouri
 * Jacqueline Miranne, 21, from New York City, New York
 * Marcia Mitchell, 23, from The Berkshires, Massachusetts
 * Lisa Nargi, 25, from New York City, New York
 * Katie Nelson, 19, from New York City, New York
 * Anna Lita Perez, 25, from Kiev, Ukraine
 * Marie Salter, 25, from Katy, Texas
 * Lea Rannells, 22, from Bridgewater, New Jersey
 * Sam Ruggiero, 19, from Redding, Connecticut
 * Cheron Smith, 22, from Torrance, California
 * Wendi Sullivan, 28, from Canton, Massachusetts

Episodes

 * 1) Sew Us What You Got
 * 2) I Started Crying / Money Changes Everything
 * 3) Fashion Giant
 * 4) Trendsetter
 * 5) What's the Skinny?
 * 6) Eye Candy
 * 7) What a Girl Wants
 * 8) En Garde!
 * 9) Even Designers Get the Blues
 * 10) Raw Talent
 * 11) The Art of Fashion
 * 12) Reunion(Season 4)
 * 13) Finale - Part 1(Season 4)
 * 14) Finale - Part 2(Season 4)

Challenges

 * Jack Mackenroth left the competition for medical reasons. Chris March, who was previously eliminated in Episode 4, returned to take his place.
 * Even though their groups had scored lowest, outfits made by Elisa, Victorya and Sweet P were liked by the judges.
 * The judges declared a tie between Rami and Chris, and asked each to design a collection for Bryant Park. Only one designer will show at Bryant Park Fashion Week based on his three strongest pieces.
 * Sweet P's design was considered good even though her group scored lowly.

Episode 1: Sew Us What You Got
The designers arrive in New York and are asked to create a garment that best reflects who they are as a designer. They are given 10 minutes to grab from $50,000 worth of fabric in three tents set up in Bryant Park. The designers are randomly assigned models.


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Monique Lhuillier
 * WINNER: Rami
 * OUT: Simone
 * First aired November 14, 2007

Episode 2: I Started Crying / Money Changes Everything
The remaining designers are asked to create a two-piece garment for Sarah Jessica Parker's BITTEN line using $15 of materials and only one day to complete their look. All fourteen designers pitched their designs to Parker who chose seven to work in teams of two to create the design. The winning design was sold beginning in November 2007 at Steve & Barry's stores.

The teams:
 * Ricky with Jack
 * Christian with Carmen
 * Rami with Jillian
 * Elisa with Sweet P
 * Kit with Chris
 * Victorya with Kevin
 * Marion with Steven

Note: Team leaders in bold.


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Sarah Jessica Parker
 * WINNER: Victorya (teamed with Kevin Christiana)
 * OUT: Marion (teamed with Steven Rosengard)
 * First aired November 21, 2007

Episode 3: Fashion Giant
The remaining designers are asked to create a three piece menswear outfit for guest judge Tiki Barber to wear on The Today Show. The designers are randomly assigned male models.


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Tiki Barber
 * WINNER: Jack
 * OUT: Carmen
 * First aired November 28, 2007

Episode 4: Trendsetter
Each designer picks one of 12 outdated fashion designs. Then working in four teams of three, each team must incorporate all three styles into a cohesive collection of three outfits. They have $225 and two days for the project.


 * Jillian, Kevin and Rami (Trends: overalls, 70's flare, poodle skirt)
 * Chris, Sweet P and Steven (Trends: shoulder pads, baggy sweater, dancewear)
 * Christian, Jack and Kit (Trends: zoot suit, pleather, fringe)
 * Ricky, Elisa and Victorya (Trends: neon, cutouts, underwear as outerwear)


 * Note 1: Team leaders in bold, and trends are listed respectively.


 * Note 2: Although Victorya, Elisa and Sweet P's overall group performance was LOW, their garments were considered good by the judges.


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Donna Karan
 * WINNER: Jillian (teamed with Rami and Kevin)
 * OUT: Chris (teamed with Steven and Sweet P)
 * First aired December 5, 2007

Episode 5: What's the Skinny?
Each designer has to create an outfit for a woman who has recently lost weight, using one of the woman's outfits from before her weight loss as raw material for the new design. The new outfit must incorporate aspects of the now-thin woman's personality, as well as the designer's own style. Each designer is given $10 to use for additional materials. They have one day to complete the outfits.

Designers and Clients:


 * Steve with Laura
 * Chris with Silvia
 * Jillian with Erika
 * Kevin with Elyse
 * Sweet P with Chris
 * Victorya with Ory
 * Elisa with Tracy
 * Ricky with Penny
 * Kit with Alicia
 * Christian with Kerry
 * Rami with Lisa


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Patrick Robinson, head designer for The Gap
 * WINNER: Christian
 * LEFT: Jack left to receive medical treatment for a MRSA infection. To keep the same level of competition, he was replaced with Chris, the last designer eliminated.
 * OUT: Steven
 * First aired December 12, 2007

Episode 6: Eye Candy
Designers are to create a garment using any materials that were available at the Hershey's store in Times Square, New York City. They are given no budget but only five minutes to collect materials, and are given only one day to complete the outfit.
 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Zac Posen
 * WINNER: Rami
 * OUT: Elisa
 * First aired January 2, 2008

Episode 7: What a Girl Wants
Designers are challenged to design a prom dress for a group of 16 and 17 year old girls from St. John Vianney High School in New Jersey. The girls, along with their mothers, pre-select the designers they want to work with based on the designers' portfolios. The designers have a budget of $250 for materials from MOOD and two days to construct the dresses.The winner is dependent on who did the best according to the clients, and they are judged on time management.


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Gilles Mendel
 * WINNER: Victorya
 * OUT: Kevin
 * First aired January 9, 2008

Episode 8: En Garde!
Each designer is randomly paired with another designer and asked to select a team leader. Each team is asked to create an avant-garde outfit based on inspiration from their models' hair styles. They are given a budget of $300 and two days to create this look. The following day, each team is asked to create another, simpler, ready-to-wear outfit which embodies the "essence" of the avant-garde look they have been working on. For the second piece, the designers have a budget of $50. The leader of the winning team receives immunity in the next challenge, while the winning team and their outfits are featured in a TRESemme fashion shoot.

Teams:
 * Kit and Ricky (LOW)
 * Rami and Sweet P (LOW)
 * Christian and Chris (HIGH)
 * Victorya and Jillian (HIGH)


 * Note: Team leaders in bold.


 * Note 2: Although Sweet P's overall group performance was LOW, her garment was considered good by the judges.


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Alberta Ferretti
 * WINNER: Christian (teamed with Chris March)
 * OUT: Kit (teamed with Ricky Lizalde)
 * First aired January 16, 2008

Episode 9: Even Designers Get the Blues
The designers are tasked with creating an iconic look using deconstructed denim fabric and white cotton while also showing off the Levi's 501 legacy. The designers are given three minutes to collect provided denim jeans and jackets and cotton fabric hanging from clotheslines in a storeroom; Notions such as buttons, rivets, and other fasteners are provided in the workroom. The designers have one day to complete the design. From this challenge forward, the winning designer would no longer gain immunity in the following challenge.


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judge: Caroline Calvin
 * WINNER: Ricky
 * OUT: Victorya
 * First aired January 23, 2008

Episode 10: Raw Talent
Each designer selects one of six WWE Divas based on their general attitude, and must design an outfit that matches that attitude and can be worn in the wrestling ring. The designers are given $100 for fabric and two days to complete the designs.
 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judges: Traver Rains and Richie Rich of Heatherette
 * Guest Clients: Maria Kanellis, Kristal Marshall, Michelle McCool, Candice Michelle, Layla El, Torrie Wilson.
 * WINNER: Chris (Made Maria's outfit that will be worn during a WWE match)
 * OUT: Ricky
 * First aired February 6, 2008

Episode 11: The Art of Fashion
The designers are given 45 minutes in three galleries (the Greek and Roman Sculpture courtyard, the European Painting wing, and the Temple of Dendur) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to select a piece of art to use as inspiration for a dress, using provided cameras to capture the artwork. They are given $300 for materials at Mood, and two days to complete the design.

Designers and their art inspiration:
 * Chris - Marie Francoise
 * Christian - Don Andrés de Andrade y la Cal
 * Jillian - The Story of the Argonauts
 * Rami - Aphrodite
 * Sweet P - Peacocks


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judges: Roberto Cavalli
 * WINNER: Christian
 * OUT: Sweet P
 * First aired February 13, 2008
 * All the designers who remain in the competition at the end of this episode will show collections at Bryant Park at New York Fashion Week in February 2008.
 * While statements throughout the show stated that only three designers would move on, the judges declared Rami and Chris tied, and thus, both will develop their line for the Bryant Park show. However, prior to the show, both will display their three best pieces to the judges, who will then decide who will actually be participating for the Project Runway competition during Bryant Park, reducing the final judging decision to three.
 * While they say that only the one that wins the tie will move on, since fashion week was before the airing of this episode, Sweet P actually developed a line for fashion week, and sold at least one garment.

Episode 12: Reunion
All the designers gather for a reunion. Christian Siriano is given $10,000 as the winner of the viewer "Fan Favorite" contest by Season 3's Michael Knight. Highlights of the season are reviewed, including different designers' reactions to being eliminated, the judges' unaired reactions to the Raw Talent episode, as well as the remaining designers' wrestling diva alter-egos; personality traits of the designers such as Chris March's laugh, Ricky Lizalde's crying, Elisa Jimenez's offbeat personality, and Christian's repeated use of the word "fierce".


 * Hosts Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn
 * Guest Judges: None
 * Guests: Mychael Knight, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * FAN FAVORITE: Christian
 * OUT: None
 * First aired February 20, 2008

Episode 13: Finale (Part 1)
The four remaining designers are given five months and $8000 to create a collection of twelve looks for Fashion Week. Three and a half months later, Tim visits each of the designers to assess their progress. The designers return to New York City after five months. Chris and Rami are to select their three best outfits from their collections, and are given three hours to fit pre-selected models and prepare their hair and makeup before the runway show; they each can use the help of one of the other competitors (Jillian with Rami, Christian with Chris). The winner of this runway show, Rami, joins the other two, Jillian and Christian, in the competition at the Bryant Park show.


 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judges: none
 * ADVANCED: Rami
 * OUT: Chris
 * First aired February 27, 2008


 * Chris and Sweet-P showed decoy collections at fashion week, as their elimination episodes had not yet aired.

Episode 14: Finale (Part 2)

 * Judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors
 * Guest Judges: Victoria Beckham
 * WINNER of Project Runway Season 4: Christian Siriano
 * OUT: Jillian Lewis (2nd runner-up), Rami Kashou (1st runner-up)
 * First aired March 5, 2008
 * PR4 Model Winner: Lisa Pryston Nargi, who got a spread in Elle magazine, wearing Siriano's designs.

Contestant Official Websites

 * Christian Siriano Official Website
 * Rami Kashou Official Website
 * Jillian Lewis Official Website
 * Chris March Official Website
 * Ricky Lizalde Official Website
 * Na‧be by Victorya Hong Official Website
 * Kit Pistol by Christiana Scarbo Official Website
 * Kevin Christiana Official Website
 * Elisa Jimenez Official Website
 * Steven Rosengard Official Website
 * Jack MackenrothOfficial Website
 * Simone LeBlanc Official Website (Website Developing)