NEW YORK -- New York designer Irina Shabayeva’s collection took the gold in "Project Runway," winning $100,000 toward her line, an agent and a trip to Paris. Judges Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Susie Menkes chose Shabayeva over Carol Hannah Whitfield, who came in third, and Althea Harper, the runner-up. The three women all showed strong collections at February’s fashion week in Bryant Park. The Lifetime show’s finale was shown Thursday night. The delay came because "Project Runway"—the cult series that transformed Bravo into a hot destination for addictive reality TV— lacked a home base. Trapped in lawsuit limbo, the series was mired in a dispute involving NBC Universal, which owns Bravo, the Weinstein Co. and Lifetime. Shabayeva’s collection was inspired by New York, right down to the detailed T-shirts worn beneath knitwear armor. Harper’s vision was a look toward the future, inspired by science fiction; Whitfield was somewhat dreamy with her soft draping and airy fabric.
