The winner chosen from the latest installment of Project Runaway was a bit of a shocker, igniting a lot of controversy amongst the show’s fans. The judges, which included Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Jessica Simpson (who acted as a guest judge) and Michael Kors chose Gretchen Jones as the winner. Not all of the judges agreed that Gretchen was the best designer but they were ultimately out-voted.
The Gretchen Jones pick was surprising and polarizing amongst some fans. Not many people felt that she was worthy of the win. There were those who were not overly impressed with her final collection. Others felt that, overall, her body of work was fairly weak. She hadn’t won a challenge all season. In fact, she barely hung on from week-to-week.
During the reunion show, many of the other designers spoke negatively of Gretchen, though not all of them. There were some who had some positive things to say, even taking up for her.
Regarding the judges who weren’t crazy about her collection, Gretchen stated that her goal was to reach only two judges, Nina Garcia and Michael Kors, which she ultimately did. Jones went on to say that both her own and her competitor, Mondo’s futures were bright and that he was a worthy opponent.