The intrigue. The back stabbing. The challenges. And who stole Andrae's chiffon in season two anyway?
No, it's not the latest plot on "Desperate Housewives," it's the reason viewers keep tuning in to a reality show that has become a surprise hit — Bravo's "Project Runway."
The second season finale this past March was seen by more than 3.4 million viewers, making it the most viewed single telecast in Bravo's history, according to information from the network.
Season three starts on Wednesday at 10 p.m. with 15 new designers vying for a grand prize of $100,000 to start their own fashion line, a fashion spread in Elle Magazine and a chance to show his or her collection at New York Fashion Week in September. Each week, contestants are challenged to produce a garment in what seems an unimaginable short period of time — one or two days. One week it may be creating clothing from fruits and vegetables while the next week they have to dream up a skating costume for Olympic champion Sasha Cohen.
And the judges can be ruthless. Ask Santino Rice, last season's bad boy who seemed bent on alienating the host, supermodel Heidi Klum, men's and women's wear designer Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, fashion director for Elle Magazine, all of whom make up the panel of judges.
Like Donald Trump's "Apprentice," each week there is a winner and a loser. The person who fails the challenge is eliminated with an "Auf Weidersen" from Klum.
Through the series,
The powers that be were savvy enough to give Gunn, who has his own cult following, more air time with the special, "Road to the Runway," which focuses on how the contestants were selected. It precedes episode one at 9 p.m.
The hour-long program follows Gunn to Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and New York, where we get an inside look at the auditioning process, the good, the bad and some really ugly design. He's helped in the process with a few of the show's past contestants, including Santino.
Malan Breton, 32, of Long Island City, N.Y., made the cut; in fact, he also auditioned for season one and made the cut for season two, but declined the offer.
This time, however, Breton accepted the opportunity because he was more prepared, he said in a phone interview.
"I watched season two and I learned the process was fair and very real," said Breton, a self-taught designer who has a theatrical background and has designed women's wear for the last four years. At 42 and the mother of five, architect Laura Bennett of New York is not the typical "Runway" contestant, she said. She has been sewing clothes for herself from a very young age and said she had no problem with designing on demand.
"Success on that show is being able to make a series of decisions really fast, knowing what you're good at and sticking with what you know," she said. "I never felt competitive with the other designers. [I thought] whether or not I'd succeed would be based on my own talent."
The runway experience itself was dramatic, she said. While most of the clothing may have looked so-so on the mannequins, they looked so much better coming down the runway, she said. In person, Gunn, she said, is just like he is on television — "very droll, mild mannered . . . and very concerned about us all."
And he has become quite the celebrity. When the group would go on shopping trips, Gunn was always stopped by fans, she said.
As for the judging, Bennett wasn't particularly intimidated and said, "There were times I totally agreed [with the judges]. And, there were times I was completely shocked and completely disagreed with their comments."
While she's not sure where this experience will take her, Bennett plans on switching her career from architecture to fashion. "I think I'll follow my own gut instinct," said Bennett, describing how she'll conduct her clothing business. "And that's the only way to succeed, really. Send out what you believe in."
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