Thursday is the season 8 finale of 'Project Runway' and Gretchen, Mondo, and Andy will show their spring collections for Fashion Week. All three designers have been winners in previous challenges, but all three have made missteps along the way. While Andy and Mondo look like they are gaining steam, Gretchen started high and has gradually plummeted.

We analyzed the designers' best and worst looks, then made our predictions on who will the 'Project Runway' season 8 winner.

Gretchen Jones

Best Outfit: Marie Claire challenge (Episode 2)
Worst Outfit: Bridesmaids challenge (Episode 6)
Number of wins: Two
Number of times in the bottom three: Two

Analysis: Gretchen started off as the know-it-all that went to other contestants and gave them unwanted advice. She had a bitchy nature and it didn't help that Ivy, her second-in-command, was around as long as she was. She never really listened to the judges' critiques and in several challenges, didn't adhere to the task. Gretchen rubbed Heidi the wrong way during the New Balance challenge with her snooty remarks and her crossed arms. In the first part of the finale, Gretchen was more humble because of a broken relationship. Conversely, she didn't seem to have as much passion as she used to. It almost looked like she wanted to get the show over with.


Last week, Nina complained that pieces of her collection were too "crunchy granola." Gretchen does have a nature/Southwest aesthetic and the biggest issue for Gretchen is to create "wow" pieces. She also had issues this season with using a wine/mauve color; luckily, she never touched it for her collection. Gretchen usually had a knack for accessorizing and doing hair, but her original necklace designs were flawed.

Gretchen straddles the line between fashionable and too commercial. She can easily create a small collection for a boutique because her clothes have that accessibility that women want. The lack of "wow" is what's holding back from winning the whole show.


Will Finish: Second
Should Finish: Third


Mondo Guerra

Best Outfit: L'Oreal Challenge (Episode 9)
Worst Outfit: Resort Wear Challenge (Episode 7)
Number of wins: Three
Number of times in the bottom three: One

Analysis: Mondo has the big emotional story this season. He started off as the outcast, but he eventually warmed up to the other contestants and then to America, admitting to everyone that he was HIV positive. Last week showed that Mondo never really conformed to social standards, and he should be applauded for not giving up.

Not since Uli in season 3 have we seen someone with such a strong command of prints and patterns. The difference, though, is Mondo's amazing strength with working in just black and white and geometrics. He probably had the most obscure concept for his final collection -- Mexican Circus/Dia de los Muertos -- but as seen in his mini-collection, he never gave up on the geometric shapes or black and white.

Mondo's issue is veering toward costume. Mondo seems to be insisting that his models wear poofy toppers on their heads in the finale and that could read too gimmicky for Michael Kors. He's succeeded with odd fashion choices like the mustache and hair blocks on the New Balance challenge, but will the hair toppers be a help or hindrance?

Will Finish: First
Should Finish: First


Andy South

Best Outfit: Party Glitters challenge (Episode 3)
Worst Outfit: HP Textile Challenge (Episode 10)
Number of wins: Two
Number of times in the bottom three: Three

Analyisis: Andy doesn't have a villain edit or sob story, he's just a strong designer who's created several memorable pieces. He's laid-back, with an Asian aesthetic. He was the first contestant to topple Gretchen's winning streak and since then, created many stunning pieces. Andy's biggest problem is that Kors is convinced Andy designs for a "Power Bitch Warrior Woman." Seeing that Andy is from Hawaii, I can understand where the Amazon references would come from.

Andy does well with blending textures of black. Most of the season, his clothes were either black or a shade of purple. From what we saw in the mini-collection, Andy will be playing with textures of grey and a very interesting shade of green. There doesn't seem to be any other color in the collection since his inspiration was Xieng Khuan in Laos.

But like Mondo, Andy is insisting on interesting headpieces comprised of what looks like shooting stars. While they're pretty and give his collection cohesion, the challenge is all about creating "wow" with the look, not the outlandish thing on the model's head. Daniel Vosovic (season 2) was adamant about his wood-carved bags, as was Korto (season 5) with her bone-handle bags and they both landed in second place. Will Andy's headpieces be his downfall?

Likely Finish: Third
Should Finish: Second


After Michael's elimination, it felt as though the producers or Lifetime wanted to make sure there was one female that made it to the final three. There has never been a season with an all-male final three/four, but there have been two seasons with an all-female final three (seasons 5 and 6). Both this season and season 7 arguably had three men in the final four that all deserved to be at Fashion Week. Either way, Gretchen now has a chance with her dyed diapers and Carmen Sandiego fedoras.

All three contestants have issues with their collections: Mondo's may be too costume; Andy's looks like a color theme and not a cohesive story; and Gretchen's fashion still screams flower child. It would be upsetting if Mondo didn't get the win after everything he's told us about his life.

Who do you think will win? Leave your comments below.