And…scene. Boy, was this a painful season of PR. We’re not sure we can be convinced to go back for more. But we will keep you spoiler-free in the meantime.

1. Did you look at Heidi and think “Holy Pink!?”

2. Nina’s face at Irina during judging, who didn’t love it?

3. Really, that much black wasn’t a conscious decision? Really? It’s not necessarily wrong, but c’mon.

4. When you saw the black headbands, didn’t you just think Carmen Kass in every single Michael Kors show you’ve ever seen?

5. Were you mad when Tim didn’t reference Balenciaga re: the shoulders?

Tonight’s ep was such an Adventures in Copyright moment. But I’m still annoyed that yet again, Michael was absent…even though Nina was back in good form. But on to the questions.

1. “How creative are you that you have to steal ideas from people?” —Althea

2. Do you think Althea stole from Irina?

3. Have we heard the nickname “Meana Irina” before? I missed it, if so. Though even when she’s right, she’s totally a mean girl.

4. Didn’t Gordana’s dress outfit look like it was made for the saddest I-banker’s secretary in Wall Street? Oy, the ’80s.

5. Wait, Nick Verreos is a fashion professor now? Sir, I hope you don’t think you’re any kind of Tim Gunn.

1. Nicolas, are you sure you know what “fashion-forward” and “over-the-top” mean because they usually don’t come in the form of white jersey and (very Contempo Casual) gray trousers?

2. Also Nicolas, ever think that choosing a fabric (jersey) that you’ve never worked with before might not be the best idea for a challenge on Project Runway?

3. Logan, what happened to the oversized sweater with pockets situation you described to Tim? That did sound very Mary-Kate and very cute for that matter.

4. Nina, where is that serious tough love? These remaining designers really need a good kick in the pants from you.

5. While I agree that Carol Hannah’s dress was very pretty and that I, like Milla, could live in it, why did no one point out its real lack of a unique point-of-view? You could find that dress many places. And it was very Uli, no?

1. Bob Mackie. Seriously, Bob Mackie. Why has this not happened sooner?

2. Also, that means where is Cher? I love Christina, but if we’re bringing her in as a judge then I’m thinking David LaChappelle should have been the other guest.

3. How f*&^%ing “on” was Tim tonight? My favorite was the the Guinevere meets Vampira reference.

4. Who didn’t laugh when hearing that a designer was going to “Blast the industry with my knowledge.” Yeah, bring it, bro. Can’t wait.

5. Did Gordana forget what verbs are?

6. Do you really believe these people have been dressing celebs for years? No, other contestants, they have not.

1. Nina, can you hear me?

2. Lifetime, you’re kidding about those “most talked about season” commercials, yes?

3. As far as bridal challenges go, could you have picked a worse week editorially? Nope!

4. The rest of you also thought Tamara was going to be a bigger bitch, right?

5. Would Anja have totally killed in Gordana’s dress? Of course. Sorry for the rhetorical.

6. MK, did you just bring up Cher? Yep, you did. Thank you for balancing out the bad and the Nina-less with a little bit of diva - even if it wasn’t your pithiest moment.

1. Who misses Tim saying, “Don’t bore Nina”, since you know, Nina’s never there anymore? So yes, Lifetime, that means we’re still kind of in a fight.

2. Michael, thank god you’re back. Will you please bring a few more bons mots along the lines of “teal charmeuse disco pumpkin” next week? It makes Thursdays at 10 pm way less dull than they’ve been lately. Thanks.

3. Also, how much did you love that he couldn’t contain his disgust as Louise’s dresses came down the runway? Because seriously, wow and ew, those things were Bad News Bears all the way around.

4. If Tim hates leggings so much, how could he ever support Lindsay Lohan’s design efforts for anything, let alone Ungaro?

5. Should we introduce Louise to Peter Copping so she can learn something about pretty, romantic ruffles?

Okay, sorry for the lateness. But it’s Fashion Week. And when I get home, I’ve gotta write and slideshow and stuff. So I finally just watched this week’s ep (yes, at 3 am…I’m an insomniac, especially at this time of year.)

I was feeling a pop culture void having not read a thing about TV, let alone watched it in days. Please forgive me for any and all loopiness.

1. Okay, when the heck is Michael coming back? And no Nina? Ridiculous.

2. Did an F-bomb slip out on Lifetime, as in “I f***ing love this color”? I swear it did.

3. Is Althea a girl with literally no reference points who has some serious skill?

4. Sexy, romantic, flowy, strong, punk, cocktail, tiger? (Thanks for writing that one for me, Epperson’s model.)

5. Is Jen Rade the best guest judge ever?

We didn’t get a chance to watch the first episode until last weekend. Our apologies for not recapping. But we’re back to analyzing Heidi, Tim, Nina and the gang as they take over FIDM and Lifetime.

1. Where’s Michael? You know he would have had some zingers for Malvin’s sling, Mitchell’s shorts, and Ra’mon’s darts.

2. What up with the chicken fetish, Malvin?

3. Don’t you bet Jerry O’Connell and Rebecca Romijn have really fun date nights? Bowling perhaps?

4. Speaking of Rebecca, isn’t it still hard to remember to drop the Stamos from her name?

5. Did Qristyl (don’t even get me started on the spelling of her name) actually call something outdated and then show up to the runway wearing what looked like a full-length patchwork leather skirt and a really bad jean jacket?

It sounds like Vogue’s landed high on McKinsey’s priority list.

Condé Nast brought in the consultants just a couple of weeks ago, with the promise that significant changes (other than firing every secretary in the building) wouldn’t be made for at least a couple of months.

But they’ve already prepared a focus group just for Vogue. Readers were asked to take a survey to gauge their qualifications and then a select few were chosen to participate in more written surveys as well as in person interviews and round table discussions about the magazine starting next week.

Meanwhile, in other Condé Nast news that has nothing to do with McKinsey, we hear Taylor Tomasi Hill, Teen Vogue’s Accessories Editor, is leaving the Sartorialist’s dream team for Nina Garcia at Marie Claire. And as of right now, Teen Vogue won’t be replacing Tomasi.

Sign Us Up: Now this sounds like an epic shoot. Daphne Guinness, David LaChappelle, an 18 acre former nudist colony in Maui, and bathtubs in trees. Very good times. {Fashionologie}

Lay Lady Lay: Rachel Zoe is apparently my music twin. Her iTunes playlist is pretty much my most-played songs rotation. A hippie who immediately equates an REM song with 90210 and also swoons for Chris Martin singing “Green Eyes”? Nice. Now if only we had similar clothing budgets. {The Zoe Report}

It’s A Beautiful Life: Nina Garcia’s IMDB listing just got a little longer. Ashton signed her up for a guest spot on the The Beautiful Life. Maybe Mischa could benefit from some of her tough love. Let’s hope they had a sit-down. {FWD}

To: Tips@Fashionista.com

From: Alpha@Boy.com

Hi!

Hope all is well and you survived Fashion Week!

Anyway, I just finished watching the premiere episode of Running in Heels on the Style Network’s website and thought I’d pass it on. I honestly think it’s worse than Stylista, the editors make it completely evident that it’s fake. And the number of Michael Kors references can only mean that he’s a sponsor. Or Nina Garcia just wants to suck up to him, still. Joanna is really funny and the interns are completely not with it.

Let me know what you think! Enjoy, haha.

xx

Best Line: “There’s so much buzz about her joining in the industry, I really want to be able to exploit it.” - Joanna Coles, Marie Claire’s EIC, on Nina Garcia.

Good news if you’re a fan of Nina Garcia on Project Runway, and Stylista on the CW. Bad news if you think ELLE should lay off cable-related publicity:

ELLE has just hired on Creative Artists Agency as a consultant.

Why?

Because they need someone to look for “TV shows and film properties that can elevate ELLE’s brand among potential readers,” and they’re so serious they need someone to do that full-time.

Meaning?

Get ready for more ELLE on TV, which is sure to compete with Marie Claire’s Running in Heels.

In the meantime, we’re just waiting for someone to announce they’ll host live podcasts of editorial meetings and interns packing clothes. Can’t. Wait.

Sorry to start your weekend off like this, but this statement’s been emailed to some press from NBC Universal:

“NBC Universal is pleased that the court granted our motion for a preliminary injunction against The Weinstein Company. The overwhelming evidence demonstrated that The Weinstein Company violated NBC Universal’s right of first refusal to future cycles of Project Runway. After hearing all of the evidence, the court issued an order prohibiting The Weinstein Company from taking the show or any spin-off to Lifetime.”

Questions:

1. Will PR go back to Bravo, or does that mean it’s just (gasp) done?

2. Does this affect Nina Garcia’s job / tenure / existence at Marie Claire?

3. What about Project Runway: The Movie where they just mash all the episodes into one big marathon? Can that happen?

4. What will Heidi Klum do with all her free time?!

This morning, my friend asked me how the clothes were at Rock & Republic but I was like, What clothes? Yes, it was technically a fashion show except we were too busy staring at the crowd to really notice.

As promised, Chace was front row, alongside Jessica Szohr (Vanessa), who is probably the only Gossip Girl cast member to look and dress differently from her character in real life. And then to our delightful surprise, Miss Ashley Olsen plunked down next to Jessica and the two chatted and giggled throughout the show. Could this possibly indicate a guess appearance for the twin? We could totally see Ashley Olsen playing Ashley Olsen, maybe at a party at the Gansevoort and air-kissing Serena to everyone else’s secret jealousy.

Only after we finally took our seats did we notice Margherita Missoni sitting directly across from us and in second row; Nina Garcia and then, we’re not sure why, John Legend and his girlfriend. Also inexplicably, but predictably, were Alex and Simon from Real Housewives of Manhattan.

We did however look up long enough to see that all the looks coming down the runway were exclusively black and white, and exclusively T-I-G-H-T. And since when are leggings and a tube top considered fashion? The boys, however, did walk out in some pretty awesome suits that we hope Chace noted. We’re less sure about the acid washed black and white jeans - but hey, who knows what’ll happen in the life of Nate.

—HAYLEY PHELAN

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

Yigal Azrouel showed his Spring 09 collection at the Eyebeam in Chelsea - it’s the same place he showed last year, and the same place Alexander Wang loves to show - and we decided it’s our new favorite venue.

However, the airy, concrete-floored, brick-walled space contradicted the pastiche collection.

Yigal showed a few signature pieces including baby soft leather jackets and the thinnest jersey we’ve ever seen layered under sheer chiffon dresses - but otherwise, we kept whispering, “Stella!” or “Lanvin!” or “Matthew Williamson!” It wasn’t that we didn’t like it, it was just that we felt we’d seen most of it before.

Those bathing suits though, we might not know who can actually wear them, but they’re amazing.

Pre-show highlights included Kelly Cutrone, in sunglasses, getting snapped by the photographers a la celebrity, Nina Garcia shuffling to her front row seat and Cory Kennedy rocking flannel like it was 1994.

Post-show highlights included Yigal’s wave, because, well, he’s super cute. But you knew that already.

ps. For those of you who might have wondered, the gift bags did, in fact, include a few boxes each of those Yigal Azrouel condoms. And now you kow.

You can’t call yourself a true fashion guru until you’ve seen Kathy Griffin do her impression of Stella McCartney.

It’s absolutely hysterical, and also dead-on, and we hope the comedienne will whip it out tonight at Bravo’s A-List Awards.

But even if she doesn’t, it seems Bravo really is pulling out the big guns for the show, at least in terms of fashion.

Among the expected guests are model Lauren Hutton, Nikki + Tyson, Simon Doonan, Nina Garcia, Karolina Kurkova, and Georgina Chapman - but okay, let’s rewind to Nina Garcia, since this will be the first time since the ELLE departure that she’s stepped into the very public eye. Will anyone dare to ask her a tough question on the red carpet?

And wait, why is Nina going to a Bravo party if her show’s been sold to Lifetime?

Intrigue!

A source inside the Hearst building says “it’s all true.” Marie Claire. Project Runway. Everything. Expect a formal announcement a little later today.

The May issue of Prestige Hong Kong has an interview with former ELLE editor Nina Garcia, while she was still at ELLE.

The interview really isn’t that interesting until the very end, when Garcia starts to talk about the high turnover in the fashion industry, sort of alluding to her own shaky position that she must have known about -

“The turnover is very quick. So people get even more insecure about their jobs and positions, the hierarchy. It’s silly! But you have to keep it in perspective. It’s only fashion.”

But the issue has an even more fun little snippet than Nina’s -

Some first-ever seen images from the upcoming Kate Moss for Agent Provocateur ads (more on that, in video form, later).

We can’t believe she’s supposed to look “virginal.”

While everyone continues to try and guess whether Nina Garcia just happened to be hanging out at the Hearst building yesterday, or if she is in fact being courted by Harper’s Bazaar, we offer some more fun Nina news to brighten your morning -

The former ELLE Fashion Director has partnered with Step Up Women’s Network and Bayer to bring us another kind of design contest for which (we’re guessing) she’ll be a judge - the “YAZ: Step Up and Go Beyond” contest.

Yep, that YAZ.

The contestant who can best redesign what Nina calls, “an iconic accessory,” the little plastic cases that house birth control pills, wins $10,000 to invest in a future career in design. You can enter until June 30, and the winner will be announced around Fashion Week this September.

Nina thinks the winner should be able to redesign the birth control case that Duane Reade gives out for free into “a chic, more sophisticated carrying case that they could slip into their purses” because apparently all women are secretly yearning to eye up each other’s plastic pill packs.

You heard it here first - Lutera’s so out for S/S ‘09.

Spotted: Nina Garcia leaving the Hearst building, sprinting across the street before hailing a cab and trying to avoid eye contact with anyone as she left. Stay tuned.