Elena Slivnyak became the latest designer to be eliminated on Project Runway in Thursday night’s episode of the Lifetime reality competition, but she believes it wasn’t her time to go.
The 28-year-old from San Francisco — known for speaking her mind, which caused some clashes with some of her fellow competitors — was eliminated in the challenge that called for the designers to create a look that would be incorporated into host Heidi Klum’s Truly Scrumptious clothing line for Babies ‘R Us. Slivnyak’s look consisted of dark blazer that featured flower detail, an embellished pink T-shirt and light-green pants.
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Of the outfit, judge Michael Kors said it looked “a little bit like a baby sample sale.” He added: “It just looked like hand-me-downs. It was all over the place.”
Klum and guest judge Hilary Duff loved the jacket, with the host calling it a “showstopper,” while judge Nina Garcia disagreed, saying it had “no practicality.”
But Slivnyak told reporters Friday that she feels she didn’t deserve to be in the bottom.
“I thought there were much worse outfits there, and I followed what Heidi Klum asked of us,” she said. “There were designers there that didn’t follow that, so I was kind of shocked to be in the bottom.”
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She says Dmitry Sholokhov — with whom she was seen sparring throughout the season — had the “worst” design with his bright red one-piece boys’ outfit that featured a hood that unzipped to transform into a cape.
“I think he made something that didn’t really look like it belonged in the collection, so I think his was the worst,” she said. “I don’t know if he should have gone home because he’s such a strong designer, but I never won a challenge, so I think that’s why I went home.”
She said that after her elimination, she began regretting how stressed out she became during the competition, but adds “that’s the way I was feeling at the time.” Now, “I’ve moved past the regrets … now that it’s all over.” Overall, she feels like she was mostly portrayed accurately, but that she was not “truly who I am” during the competition because of the “high-stress environment.”
Slivnyak also has been the leading “fan favorite” on Lifetime’s website throughout the competition, something that has surprised her.
“There’s a lot of people out there that don’t like me and don’t like my personality,” adding that viewers might have responded to her blunt honesty. “I’m the type of person who speaks my mind — sometimes good, sometimes in a negative way — so maybe the viewers liked that.”
Slivnyak — who describes herself as an avant-garde designer — says her time on Project Runway taught her how to make “more sellable” clothing. The designer — who says her dream celebrity clients include Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna — now at work on an activewear line for her IIMUAHII brand that will available for sale on her website.
