"Project Runway" is known for shining a spotlight on up-and-coming designers. The show has been a national stage for everyone from Austin Scarlett to Zulema Griffin. And it has birthed legitimate catwalk contenders like Christian Siriano.
The 'Project Runway' team comes with impressive resumes
The judges come to the show with their resumes intact. Michael Kors is the youngest recipient of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. Nina Garcia has been fashion director at both Elle and Marie Claire magazines. And Heidi Klum was the number two top earning model of 2011.
The team for the "All Stars" addition of the show is equally well credentialed. Host Angela Lindvall has graced the cover of seemingly everything from Harper's Bazaar to Vogue. And Isaac Mizrahi has created collections backed by Chanel and appealed the masses via Target and QVC.
Chapman went from model to fashion mogul
Then there's Georgina Chapman, the 36-year-old British beauty who started in front of the lens and then spun her modeling pursuits into a career in design. Along with her Chelsea College of Art and Design classmate, Keren Craig, she launched the label Marchesa.Each week on "Project Runway: All Stars," Chapman has delivered frank but fair critiques of the contestant's offerings. But on Dec. 20, 2012, she'll find herself under a bit of scrutiny when Lifetime airs the half-hour documentary "Project Runway Spotlight: Marchesa."
Chapman relates to 'Project Runway' contestants
In a recent conference call interview, Chapman talked about being the main focus of the show for a change. Chapman conceded, "It was quite different. I felt like the contestants. I have a lot more sympathy. They get to see a lot, because you become unaware that they're there after awhile. It's interesting when I watch it because I was getting an outside perspective on what goes on."But Chapman doesn't plan on turning the special into a weekly series. She admitted that her life is just a little too boring to be the subject of a regular reality TV show. That might seem hard for some people to believe; after all, she's a glamorous star who's married to one of the most powerful men in entertainment -- Harvey Weinstein.
Chapman doesn't live a reality TV-friendly lifestyle
Despite their high-profile careers, Chapman and Weinstein seem to live a quiet existence. They have a two-year-old daughter and another baby on the way. And the couple splits their time between a townhouse in New York's West Village , a waterfront home in Westport, Connecticut, and a sprawling mansion in Los Angeles.Although she's married to Hollywood heavyweight, the media mogul didn't get involved in her Lifetime doc. As she explained, "He doesn't have much of a role when it comes to fashion. The documentary was actually made by a Canadian company for Canadian TV. So this is a version of it that Lifetime has worked on. He didn't really have any involvement."
Tune in to "Project Runway Spotlight: Marchesa" on Dec. 20 at 10 PM ET on Lifetime. And watch "Project Runway: All Stars" every Thursday night at 9 PM ET.
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