'Project Runway': Did the Right Girl Win?

The first season of Project Runway on Lifetime came to a close last night as the final three designers strutted their stuff on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week. While the winner was almost as predictable as rain in Seattle, some fans aren't sure the right girl took home the top prize.

All three of the final contestants deserved the honor of taking their collections to Bryant Park. Althea, Irina and Carol Hannah consistently put out some of the best designs on this season of Project Runway. Irina seemed a shoe-in for the final three right from the start, with only a few missteps along the way. Althea and Carol Hannah wobbled a bit more throughout the season, but still landed in the top of the pack more often than not.

Carol Hannah Whitfield quickly charmed viewers with her quirky grin and bubbly personality, making her a strong fan favorite. Althea Harper didn't seem to inspire the same kind of fan devotion, but overall she seemed to be one of the more liked contestants this season. Irina Shabayeva, on the other hand, established her role early on as the resident bitch. Her self-involved attitude and constant put-downs of the other designers rubbed quite a lot of Project Runway fans the wrong way.

Viewing photos of the final three designers' collections in advance of last night's show, it seemed rather obvious who was going to end up the winner. Unfortunately it wasn't the girl I - and apparently a large portion of viewers - wanted it to be.

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