Project Runway Season 6: Meet Irina Shabayeva

Posted on Jul 14, 2009 in Fashion

Moving right along (because we’ve got a lot of ground to cover) …

Irina Shabayeva
Age: 27
Birthplace: The Republic of Georgia
Current Home: New York, NY
Favorite Designer: Jean Paul Gaultier
Style Icons: Sophia Loren, Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth
Favorite Past Project Runway Designer: Rami Kashou, Season 4

Though an immigrant from the former USSR, Irina would never be mistaken for anything but a full blown New Yorker. Currently living on the Upper East Side, Irina attended Parsons The New School of Design, where she first realized her true design potential. Her aesthetic is focused on sexy and ultra-feminine designs with a European flair. She describes her biggest weakness as her desire for instant gratification.

Why she’ll win?
Irina says she’ll win because she is “the best” and will “save the world, one dress at a time.”

Tim Gunn: “Her models look as if they’ve been in for a dozen fittings, and they haven’t.”

Y’know, Tim was right about that, because it’s true, looking at these pictures from her S/F ’08 collections, we have to say that every look is particularly well-fitted. Still, it’s not exactly to our taste. Who knows what she’ll be like on the show and whether or not her style has changed since these collections, but we’re seeing an awful lot of ’90s-esque lingerie-inspired looks. Lots of shiny-shiny. Not really our thing.

We have no predictions as to what she’ll be like on the show but we’re kind of hoping she’s a huge bitch and a pain in the ass. Why?

Because we’ll have the utterly unique experience of being able to pick up the phone after an episode and yell at the two people who cast her on the show. “What were you THINKING?!”

Alas…

She seems kind of sweet. Damn. Nice apartment too.

If this wasn’t enough Irina for you (and remember, the goal is to COMPLETELY prejudge these bitches before we see a minute of S6), by all means, head on over to her myLifetime.com page for a tour of her apartment (and closet) or even fashion tips, Georgian-style.

Tim Gunn’s Quote: Meet Project Runway’s Newest Designers! [People]

[Photos: myLifetime.com/FashionLedge.com - Videos: myLifetime.com]