by Todd Betzold

If you are a fan of Project Runway than you have to be a fan of Tim Gunn! His lovable personality has been helping the designers throughout the years on Project Runway and as the finale runway show airs tomorrow, it means the end to another season of Project Runway. Tim has been there for all ten seasons, so he has seen a lot of crazy things go on in the work room. Today, he spoke to RealityWanted and other reporters in a conference call about those ten seasons, the finale runway show and much more.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: We saw the judges consult with you earlier in the season with Ven's look. Do the judges often consult with you before making their decision?
A. Tim: What happened is unprecedented. I've never done that before and our director came to me afterwards and said, "First of all, I don't know why you did that and secondly, this is never going to end up in the show." I agreed it would never go in the show, but I had a very bastardly motivation. My motivation was, oh good, I can talk to the judges and help Ven go home this challenge and it didn't work! It ended up being Gunnar and if I would have known that I wouldn't have agreed to talk to the judges.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What has been your favorite moment from Season 10?
A. Tim: I have a favorite moment with all of them and it's the following. It was the Babies R Us challenge and coming into the workroom with the wagon to retrieve the robot babies and told them I was taking them to the park (laughs). I've never experienced a more joyous moment from them ever. You would have thought that each one of them had just won the season.

Q. Is the winning collection the one you were hoping would win?
A. Tim: This season, not that I don't always feel close to the designers, but this was a really difficult season. It was as if it was always stormy and a rain cloud over that workroom and accordingly I was able to explore levels of emotions with these designers that I hadn't as fully explored with finalists in previous seasons. I was rooting for all of them and this is a not a Miss America response, I assure you. I was happy with any of the final four winning.

Q. Are there any home visits from over the seasons that stand out as the best?
A. Tim: Most of them are wonderful. The ones that stand out for me are the ones that aren't so great. One of the worst was edited in such a way you wouldn't even know it, which was probably for several reasons. I tell people that the editing of the show is kind to everyone. The home visit that was so dramatically edited was Gretchen's, the winner of Season 8. We were playing croquet and you don't see any of this in the edit. Her mother kept knocking my croquet ball across the street into the traffic, so I had to run across the street and retrieve it. I would bring it back and she would slam it again. It was so hostile and angry and I couldn't believe it, but I thought well the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.

Q. Do you think the challenges are getting more demanding on the designers each season?
A. Tim: No, I don't think the challenges are more demanding. I will say that the dramatic turn for me and it has been true for the last several seasons, but especially this past, the challenges are getting shorter. This season, with the exception of the last challenge, they were all one day challenges. Heidi will often say to me off-camera why doesn't this work better and I will often say, give them more time. It is really a matter of time more than anything else.

Q. You are always telling the contestants to use the accessory wall wisely. How important is accessorizing the outfit when it hits the runway?
A. Tim: To hear the judges talk about it, it's the most important thing in the world. Generally speaking, I feel that there an enhancement to whatever the garment is, as is the hair and makeup. To me, it is all about that garment. Unless the accessorizing is an extraordinary distraction in a bad way, I would never comment on it at all. The judges seem to have a very different take and it's all they talk about. I just want to say be quiet and look at the clothes.

Q. Do you have any advice for someone that is thinking about auditioning for the show?
A. Tim: Be who you are because if you present yourself as someone you're not, the likelihood that you can sustain that on the show is unlikely. Just be who you are and be proud of that and don't be someone who you think the producers or the judges think will want to have on the show.

Q. Some of the contestants run out of steam throughout the season. What are the qualities that make or break a contestant?
A. Tim: I can give you a whole list, but the unknown quantity here is how will each individual designer respond to the pressures of being on the show. You just don't know. Qualities that are important are experience with the technical know-how, strong point of view, strong ability to conceptualize, tenacity, a strong bladder (laughs) and a lot of self-confidence. That self-confidence has to be tempered with an ability to listen and sympathize. It is important to have a strong knowledge of fashion history, especially with Nina.

Q. What were you really thinking when you had that moment of silence at Fabio's place while looking at his pants?
A. Tim: I thought it was one of the worst collection of clothes I had seen in my entire life. I was just mystified. He is so incredibly talented. That palette is so juvenile and so junior. He is incredibly smart and incredibly knowledgeable and I thought, in a matter of speaking, was pulling my leg and was going to say, "Guess what, that's not really it." I just don't know what happened. I was hugely relieved that he passed through the judges' analysis last week and I was especially pleased with the feedback the judges gave him because it was similar to what I gave him when I had the home visit and we'll find out tomorrow whether he listened or not.

Q. Who would you love to see as a guest judge on Project Runway?
A. Tim: I would love to see Meryl Streep and I would love to hear how Meryl Streep talks about clothes quite frankly.

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

(Image courtesy of Lifetime)

Follow Todd on Twitter @TopicalTodd