Project Accessory is an American reality television series, a spin-off of the series Project Runway. It began airing on Lifetime on October 28, 2011.[1] On the show, 12 contestants were given challenges in which they must create various fashion accessories (ranging from jewelry and headpieces to handbags and shoes) with restrictions for materials, subject matter, and time.[2] One or more contestants were eliminated each episode after appearing before a judging panel. Brian Burkhardt won the show and the $100,000 prize.[3]

Project Accessory
StarringMolly Sims
Kenneth Cole
Ariel Foxman
Eva Jeanbart
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Running time40-42 minutes
Production companiesThe Weinstein Company Television
Addington Productions
Goodbye Pictures
Original release
NetworkLifetime
ReleaseOctober 28 (2011-10-28) –
December 22, 2011 (2011-12-22)

Judges and mentor

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Contestants

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Source:[4]

Designer Age Place of Residence Finish
Cotrice Simpson 38 Georgia 12th
Kelly Horton 32 Pennsylvania 11th
David Grieco 40 California 10th
Nicolina Royale 30 California 9th
James Sommerfeldt 29 Illinois 8th
Shea Curry 38 California 7th
Adrian Dana 41 Georgia 6th
Christina Caruso 33 New York 5th
Diego Rocha 36 Illinois 4th
Rich Sandomeno 40 California 3rd
Nina Cortes 26 Florida Runner-up
Brian Burkhardt 40 Florida Winner

Progress

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Source:[5]

Designer Elimination Table
Contestant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Brian HIGH HIGH IN HIGH WIN WIN LOW WINNER
Nina WIN IN IN IN HIGH HIGH HIGH RUNNER-UP
Rich IN IN HIGH LOW LOW LOW WIN 3RD PLACE
Diego HIGH IN HIGH WIN HIGH LOW OUT
Christina IN IN WIN HIGH IN HIGH OUT
Adrian IN LOW LOW IN LOW OUT
Shea IN IN LOW LOW OUT
James LOW WIN IN OUT
Nicolina LOW HIGH OUT
David IN LOW OUT
Kelly IN OUT
Cotrice OUT
  The designer won Project Accessory.
  The designer won the challenge.
  The designer was in the top two, or the first announced into the top 3, but did not win.
  The designer had one of the highest scores for that challenge, but did not place in the top two.
  The designer had one of the lowest scores for that challenge, but was not in the bottom two.
  The designer was in the bottom two, but was not eliminated.
  The designer was eliminated from the competition.

Elimination process

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The judges announce the safe designers. The remaining designers are labeled as either the highest or lowest scoring designers. These designers are given critiques and are then told to leave the runway. Once they are brought back, the other designers that aren't in the top two are announced safe. Then the winner is announced, and the remaining top designer is in the top 2. The remaining designers are the lowest scoring designers. The people who aren't in the bottom two are announced safe. The bottom two remain, and one is then eliminated.

Episodes

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Episode 1: Accessorize This?!

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The 12 designers were welcomed by host and mentor at a storage facility in which they had to make a necklace, a belt and another accessory of their choice using materials found in the storage facilities. Original Airdate: October 27, 2011

WINNER: Nina Cortes
ELIMINATED: Cotrice Simpson

Episode 2: Sole Searching

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The remaining 11 designers were sent to the Swarovski Crystal store where they picked a piece to inspire them. They had to make a pair of shoes as well as two accessories. Original Airdate: November 3, 2011

  • Guest Judge: Nadja Swarovski
WINNER: James Sommerfeldt
ELIMINATED: Kelly Horton

Episode 3: Bling It On

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The designers are given 24 hours to complete their next challenge, but Eva drops a surprise on them. Original Airdate: November 10, 2011

WINNER: Christina Caruso
ELIMINATED: David Grieco, Nicolina Royale

Episode 4: Its in the Bag

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The designers are matched with an eBay customer featured on the site for their unique fashion sense. Original Airdate: November 17, 2011

  • Guest Judge: Kara Ross, Rebecca Minkoff
WINNER: Diego Rocha
ELIMINATED: James Sommerfeldt

Episode 5: Beach Blanket Blingo

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The designers go to the beach for a challenge. Original Airdate: December 1, 2011

WINNER: Brian Burkhardt
ELIMINATED: Shea Curry

Episode 6: Fall for Kenneth

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The designers go on a field trip to a fashion magnate's headquarters and discover a coveted prize. Original Airdate: December 8, 2011

  • Guest Judge: Alexa Chung
WINNER: Brian Burkhardt
ELIMINATED: Adrian Dana

Episode 7: Bugging Out

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The designers search for inspiration at a curiosity shop to create a signature accessory. Original Airdate: December 15, 2011

  • Guest Judge: Brian Atwood
WINNER: Rich Sandomeno
ELIMINATED: Christina Curoso, Diego Rocha

Episode 8: Finale

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The season concludes with the final three designers presenting their creations to New York's fashion elite. In a plot twist, each of the three finalists is allowed to choose a partner to help finish their collections. Brian Burkhardt enlists shoemaker James Sommerfeldt, Rich Sandomeno chooses handbag designer Diego Rocha, and Nina Cortes picks handbag designer Kelly Horton. Later, the winner is selected by the judges. Original Airdate: December 22, 2011

  • Guest Judge: Lorraine Schwartz
WINNER: Brian Burkhardt, with shoes and accessories made by James Sommerfeldt
ELIMINATED: Nina Cortes, Rich Sandomeno

Reception

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In a mixed review, Common Sense Media's Elka Karl wrote, "While this competitive reality show is a bit rough around the edges, Project Accessory is worth a look, especially for teens who are interested in jewelry making, sewing, or other creative, crafty endeavors. Fans of Project Runway will likely tune in, and while the show benefits from the relationship with the original program, it also suffers from the inevitable comparisons. Neither Molly Sims or mentor Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti are anywhere near as charismatic or helpful as Heidi Klum or Tim Gunn. Luckily, the designers are engaging and represent an eclectic mix of styles."[6] In a negative review, Brandon Nowalk of The A.V. Club stated, "As television, this is some pretty uninspiring stuff, the point of which, apparently, is to see how far a successful model can take an entirely different show."[7]

References

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  1. ^ Paschal, Jan (October 25, 2011). Michaud, Chris; Tourtellotte, Bob (eds.). ""Project Accessory" seeks fashion's next big name". Reuters. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  2. ^ Martindale, David (October 27, 2011). "'Project Accessory' star knows the little things do matter". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Volpe, Gianna (January 5, 2012). "Former Greenport resident wins 'Project Accessory' show". The Suffolk Times. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Project Accessory Designers at official site Archived from the original on December 18, 2011.
  5. ^ "Project Accessory Scorecard - myLifetime.com". Archived from the original on November 23, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  6. ^ Karl, Elka (February 25, 2022). "Parents' Guide to Project Accessory". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  7. ^ Nowalk, Brandon (October 28, 2011). "Project Accessory: Project Accessory". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
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