For the first time, I didn’t watch one second of Project Runway this past season. I guess I was just over it; the Seth Aaron season broke me.

Besides, reading the recaps at Project Rungay is far more entertaining.

It looks like I got out just in time. Season 8’s winner Gretchen Jones caused quite a ruckus. Tim Gunn was verklempt. Heidi Klum even showed her support for fellow contestant Mondo Guerra by wearing a sort-of-goofy-but-sort-of-fun bubbly dress designed by him.

Gretchen spoke to Marie Claire about the season and her win.

“I’m the bitch!” she laughs. It’s a perception she’s ready to disprove — and have a little fun with. “I got an evil purple lipstick,” she notes of a rare stray from her signature reddish-orange lipcolor. “And I’ve started wearing heels. I’m 5’11” and already considered a bitch — I may as well take it up a notch!”

The 28-year-old’s ability to laugh at herself seems out of step with the serious, all-knowing competitor seen on Project Runway‘s eighth season. “All of my sarcasm got stripped away on the show,” she says. Still, the striking designer from Portland, Oregon, takes responsibility for what did make it on air. “I have a strong voice, and I communicate my tastes in a manner that you either like or don’t,” she admits. “But there’s a difference between critique and taste. My tastes aren’t for everybody — that’s what fashion is.” Fair enough. Yet for many, such rationale does nothing to lessen the sting of Jones’ triumph over crowd favorite Mondo Guerra. Both designers presented strong finale collections — strong enough to split the judges straight down the middle.

…”My next moves have to be about creating my own character rather than the character I played on the show….The only adjective for a go-getter woman seems to be bitch. You get categorized so quickly, and it’s hard to strip away.”

[Marie Claire, print edition, January 2011]

Gretchen has a point that “bitch” is the go-to term for an aggressive woman, but it’s annoying when aggressive women use that as an excuse to be bitches.

The clothes Gretchen and model Millana Snow are wearing in the Marie Claire photo spread, designed by Gretchen, are neither goofy nor fun, but just plain fug.

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