This morning, a few minutes before the Project Runway show got under way, several alums of the series were mingling on the plastic-covered catwalk at the far end of the tent. In the midst of all the anticipatory mayhem, we caught up with Ricky Lizalde, the last designer to be auf-wiedersehned from the show.

Mr. Lizalde, 35, whose considerable background in lingerie design probably kept him on the show for longer than most (including he) expected, came across like, as he put it, “a big crybaby.” But that stigma, he insisted, can be chalked up to the magic of sneaky editing.  read more »

Victoria Beckham (a.k.a. Posh Spice) had chosen a clear winner by the time all five of Project Runway’s finalists—Chris March, Christian Siriano, Rami Kashou, Sweet P and Jillian Lewis—finished showing their collections in the Tent at Bryant Park this morning. But while speaking to the Daily Transom, the singer and Marc Jacobs muse revealed a bit too much.

Read through for, well, it's not really a spoiler so much; but if you're obsessed with the show and want everything to be a secret, don't read through.  read more »

Some fashion week models are wearing T-shirts backstage that tout Angelina Jolie's Global Action for Children to attract attention to the cause as they get their pre-show hair and makeup done. [WWD]

Amy Winehouse was denied a US visa to attend the Grammy Awards, but she may appear via satellite. [Us]  read more »

Few of Fashion Week’s most anticipated shows are held at Bryant Park’s tents (Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, and Thom Browne, for example, are all off-site), and last night’s Zac Posen show made clear the reasons.

Security guards demanded invitations or credentials at the entrance, despite the fact that the Daily Transom had breezed through all week with neither. “There are a few shows that are huge, and everyone tries to sneak in,” said one sentry apologetically. “And everyone tries to sneak in.”)  read more »

A cluster of British fashion students huddled before the 3 p.m. Reem Acra show at the Bryant Park Promenade on Thursday, Feb. 7, holding fashion trade magazines and strategizing about how to sneak inside. They fanned out, walking with purpose.

"It's a chance to see designers," one told the Daily Transom, before seeing a group with latch-on potential walking by, apologizing and walking after them.

Hamming it up inside for the pre-show flashbulb onslaught were the actresses Sophia Bush and Aisha Tyler, the latter in a cocktail dress, and news anchor Rita Cosby.  read more »

Francisco Costa, the Brazilian-born creative director of Calvin Klein Collection, was all boyish grins—he somehow manages to make dental braces look cool—after his fall 2008 collection debuted yesterday evening. As soon as all the attendees had taken their places in an I.C.U.-clean, boxy space at 205 West 39th St., sounds of approaching footsteps and solitary piano notes entered the room through mounted speakers—a kind of sensual contrast to Mr. Costa’s pragmatic pieces and warm demeanor.  read more »

Today’s—air quotes—1 p.m. Rebecca Taylor show in the Salon at Bryant Park had three distinct, carefully orchestrated parts. One involved folks sitting in chairs and watching Ms. Taylor’s clothes go back and forth. Another section was comprised of models wearing the clothes and stomping on a gold-sequin runway. And the third component, of which we were an integral part, included some 50 people holding meaningless purple flashcards for 45 minutes in a fountainside corral.  read more »

Backstage at Milly by Michelle Smith on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 6, the slim brunette designer, wearing one of her own sparkly creations, explained the vibe of her new collection. "It’s unapologetically Uptown Girl. A lot of people are uptown trying to be downtown, with kind of a downtown edge. I’m just being Uptown Girl."

 In the past, Ms. Smith has been influenced by other locales.  read more »

The densely-packed 3.1 Phillip Lim show at the Bryant Park tents on Feb. 6 was, according to several breathless Chatty Cathys stationed behind the Transom, “almost three times bigger than last season.”

It was also, owing either to the unseasonably warm weather or the attendance of Conde Nast’s entire payroll, approximately 92 degrees in the Promenade (not quite as bad as last season’s Rodarte show in a West Chelsea loft, which devolved into a very well-dressed steamroom, but tonight’s sea of flapping programs did cause momentary déjà vu).  read more »

Becki Newton, the 29-year-old actress who stars as Amanda, the sharp-tongued receptionist in ABC's Ugly Betty, was poking around backstage after Monique Lhuillier showed her fall collection on Tuesday in Bryant Park.

"All of the girls sitting in the front row are going to have a fight over those dresses," she said, "because they are all amazing and flattering and beautiful."  read more »