Step off, Santino. In a surprise victory, Chloe Dao was crowned the winner of Bravo's "Project Runway" in the fashion-competition show's finale Wednesday night.

And Dao, in an interview with The Associated Press, directed some sharp words at fellow finalist Santino Rice, who had questioned her design pedigree during a tense elimination round. He had told her he thought she was a "brilliant pattern-maker" but an average designer.

"I can only say that I guess you're wrong!" Dao, 34, shot back in the recent interview. "I can't help it if I had skills, honey." Dao snagged the title after she, Rice and Daniel Vosovic, considered the favorite, staged presentations during New York Fashion Week in the season's last showdown. The runway show was taped in February. "I'm still shocked that I was chosen," said Dao, who has a pattern-making degree and 13 years of design experience.

The Houston native wowed supermodel-host Heidi Klum and judges Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Debra Messing with her elegant runway collection, which she called her "baby."

"I think my collection was the most cohesive, and I think I did step out of my own boundary," Dao told the AP.

--I was rooting for her all along. Her stuff was totally wearable, and her men's collection was to die for.

Source: Yahoo

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Posted by Lawren at March 9, 2006 08:12 AM | Trackbacks (0)

You Said

Agree totally, Mills. Her stuff was great. She is not the most risky designer, but like everyone kept saying, she knows how clothes fit on a body.

And I SO want that suit with the pink backed vest she designed!

Says: chuck at March 9, 2006 10:38 AM

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That was my favorite too, Chuck. She needs to do a woman's suit kinda like it! :)

Says: Lawren at March 9, 2006 11:34 AM

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Yeah, I wanted her to win as well! Very nice!

Says: Jennifer at March 9, 2006 02:25 PM

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I think Chloe is a good designer but in all fairness I believe Santino should have won. I think Santino was the best he was different and creative and after this is 2006 who wants to look like everybody else?

Says: Lashawn at March 15, 2006 11:19 AM

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