(Photo: Patrick McMullan)

Is it hard for a Project Runway alum to sit at home and watch the new cast? Not really, insists Season 2 runner-up Daniel Vosovic. “I really want to be jealous of someone,” he said of the new season at a benefit for Charity:Water. “I really want to say, ‘Gosh, I wish I would’ve designed that!’ ” But he’s just not that into the current competitors. “I’m still waiting for that really big, wow moment,” he said. The show was better, he insisted, back in the old days. “Everyone now is so damn professional. I want that young, raw talent where it’s more of a risk.” And he doesn’t like the gimmicks, like a challenge to design a dress inspired by Hershey’s candy. Vosovic also was quick to point out that he’s doing just fine since the show. “I’m working,” he said. “I have clothes you can actually buy.” And he’s still enjoying the perks of his Runway fame, like scoring an invitation to Marc Jacobs’s holiday party. The Arabian Nights theme made for its own sort of design challenge. “I didn’t wear a lot,” Vosovic said. “Just strategically placed pieces of fabric.”

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• Archive: “Intelligencer”
• Articles by Amy Odell
• Table of Contents: Jan 14, 2008 issue of New York | Subscribe!