In season 2 of Project Runway, Chloe Dao walked away with the grand prize of $100,000 in seed money to help launch her own line, a 2007 Saturn Sky roadster, a spread in ELLE magazine, and a mentorship with the Banana Republic Design Team. After winning, Chloe went home to Texas to continue developing her boutique, Lot 8. Last year, she debuted a 13 piece collection called Simply that sold out on QVC and she also introduced a line of cell phone accessories for Verizon. Her wholesale line, DAO Chloe DAO, was introduced this year and is available online. This week, she debuted her fall ’08 collection, that is said to be a line that turns heads and impresses.

“For fall, I used a lot of different textures,” Dao told Louisiana newspaper, The Advocate. “I like to showcase a range of styles because as women we want everything.” In her collection, Dao showcased several gowns, using her two favorite fabrics, silk charmeuse and chiffon. The dresses featured bare shoulders, lowcut backs, and even pockets. “I love pockets,” she explained. “They make you look cool and chic and together. As a woman, you need pockets.”

Being on Project Runway brought her boutique, Lot 8, international attention. “Since the show, I think we’ve had customers from 37 countries, from as far away as The Netherlands,” she said.

Project Runway’s season 4 winner Christian Siriano also continues to find success, debuting his spring collection at September’s New York Fashion Week. This year, he also signed on to design a collection for Puma. Since winning season 2 of Project Runway, Jeffrey Sebelia has launched Good Vig, a contemporary women’s line as well as maintained his edgier line, Cosa Nostra. He continues to design for celebrities and rock stars. This year, season 1 winner Jay McCarroll launched his online blog and boutique at www.jaymccarroll.com.


- Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: The Advocate
(Image courtesy of The Advocate)