by Gina Scarpa

On the season finale of Project Runway, the remaining three designers were sent home to work on their collections.  They headed to New York, where they presented their designs at Bryant Park at New York Fashion Week.  After the runway show, judge Michael Kors told Irina Shabayeva that her concept wasn’t necessarily original, but that he admired the work she put into it.  Heidi Klum countered with compliments, saying that she would love to own a lot of Irina’s pieces and wear them herself.  Irina was named the winner and took time out of her busy schedule to talk to RealityWanted in an exclusive interview about her victory!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What made you decide to try out for Project Runway this season?
A. Irina: I tried out because it’s an amazing opportunity for an merging designer.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Was it very different, with the show taking place in L.A. as opposed to New York? How is the style different on the west coast?
A. Irina: We didn't get to see much of LA. but the style there seems to be a lot more laid back and casual where as NY is always sleek - at least Manhattan is!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Which designers did you think would be your biggest competition?
A. Irina: Epperson in the beginning… I thought Louise was great and Malvin had some interesting ideas as well.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You got some backlash from your fellow designers for the comments you made about them. Was it just the spirit of competition talking?
A. Irina: The comments were definitely not single sided.  We were all very competitive and there was a lot of tension in the work room, especially after we got half way though the competition.  For some reason, viewers got to hear a lot of my comments and not enough from the rest of the cast.   There was never a shortage of comments from most of the cast.   Editing plus competition equals drama, which equals good tv!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Which piece are you most proud of this season?
A. Irina: I am most proud of my newspaper trench coat.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How much time did you put into your final collection for Bryant Park?
A. Irina: It took about 2 months to complete the collection.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Were you concerned going into panel after Bryant Park, that you might not win?
A. Irina: Of course I was concerned, but also very confident with what I had put forth.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What does winning Project Runway mean to you on a personal level?
A. Irina: Winning Project Runway really touched my family and that is a great gift… aside from the money and the prizes!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What's next for you?
A. Irina:  Big things!  I am going to work harder then I did before if that is possible... I am focusing on building a global brand.


(Image courtesy of Lifetime)

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