by Todd Betzold

One of the tougher judges on Project Runway has always been Nina Garcia. She can be harsh and can be very hard on the designers, but as the Fashion Director at Marie Claire, I think she has every right to be. Nina has been here since Season 1 of Project Runway and with the finale runway show taking place tomorrow for Season 10, Nina talked with RealityWanted and other reporters today in a conference call about the finale, her time as a judge on Project Runway and much more.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: The judges seem very divided with the final four designers and the samples of their collections they showed last week. Was it tough picking a winner based on their final collections?
A. Nina: Here is a little hint: I think the pre-show to the finale was a wakeup call to the designers. What you'll see is that at the finale they really step it up. There will be a clear and definite winner. I think it was very unanimous. Yes, there was a struggle because each of them came back with their best game, but I think there was a real solid winner. It wasn't so much of a disagreement towards the finale. For me, there was a clear winner.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Jennifer Hudson is the guest judges for the final runway show. What was that like having her voice and opinion when picking the winner?
A. Nina: It was great to have Jennifer. She is a celebrity herself. She has walked the red carpet many times. It is always interesting to have a celebrity's point of view and it was very timely when she is coming out with a line of clothes herself. She is in that mist of producing clothes and understanding what women need for their wardrobe, so I thought it was a very timely invitation.

Q. For the first part of the finale, you all commented on the poor styling. Do you think that is something many designers do or is it the lack of experience with these designers?
A. Nina: No, I think that is something that real designers deal with all the time. I think that is a service that the designers with more resources use the stylists especially for that because they will turn out a more polished and concise message. It is a skill set all on itself, the whole styling and the presentation of a show. It is not just a problem that these designers on Project Runway deal with. Any new and upcoming designer that is coming out and does not have the resources for that service has to be very resourceful and be able to do it themselves.

Q. What qualities do you think the winning collections on Project Runway tend to share?
A. Nina: It has to be a standout collection. It has to have creativity and at the same time wearability. It has to be something that you want to inspire to have and at the same time you have to be able to see yourself wearing it. When I see the winning collection that is what I want to see. I think it is creative, meaning I haven't seen it before and comes from a place of authenticity from the designer. That women are going to be interested in it and retailers are going to be buying it. These are clothes that are for a store.

Q. What did you think of each of the final four designers that made you think they were the ones to watch?
A. Nina: They all brought very different things to the table. Fabio was one of those very conceptual, modern designers. He comes from a very organic place and thinking outside of the box always. Dmitry is very architectural. He likes to play in geometry. Technically he is very skilled as a tailor and he has a very sophisticated hand. Christopher is also very skilled as a tailor and he has a wonderful way to deal with lightness and making fabrics look very light when they are not. He has a beautiful hand with fabrics and his clothes look expensive. Melissa loves separates and I think that is so important when you are putting together a collection. She lives in the world of separates and she has a very easy and urban attitude toward her clothes. Melissa designs for a young girl like herself.

Q. What did you think when you were first approached to be a judge on Project Runway and what made you say yes?
A. Nina: I thought it was a crazy idea and nobody would be interested in fashion (laughs). I was a little skeptical, but I knew Heidi very well having worked with her on many covers before and I knew Michael very well. I knew we had good company. Heidi brought the model perspective having worked in the industry for so long. Michael brought the designer perspective, having a phenomenal career as a designer and I brought more of the editorial perspective. When I saw all of that come together, I thought this makes sense. Of course, Tim Gunn was teaching at Parsons at that time and was perfect and is a perfect mentor.

Q. Based on your feelings earlier in the season, were you at all surprised at who made the finale?
A. Nina: Yes, I was surprised who made the finale. If you would have asked me that at the beginning of the season I would have pointed out other characters that kind of lost steam throughout the process. The other thing that was quite distracting is that we had some colorful personalities this season and literally that was very distracting. When you have that type of personality it turns the shift and it is all about that personality and it kind of clouds other people's work. As the show goes on and you see the people's work and their skill set and their determination, you start to see the clear winners.

Q. Do you have any advice for anyone auditioning for the show?
A. Nina: Put together a very concise collection or portfolio of your collection. Be very motivated and focused and articulate when you present it.

Q. What do you attribute to all the judges sticking together and Project Runway lasting for so long?
A. Nina: I think there is great chemistry between the judges. We are all coming from a place of real genuine care for the talent and betterment of the designers and I think it shows. It comes from a good place and we all have genuine interest for these designers to work and we appreciate their work and that is part of the success of the show.

Project Runway airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Lifetime.

(Image courtesy of Lifetime)

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