Jeffrey Soars Over "Runway"

Rock 'n' roll forever, baby.

Rising above a traumatic past, allegations of cheating and a whole lot of people who just thought he was a jerk, 36-year-old Jeffrey Sebelia was the last designer standing on Project Runway Wednesday night.

For his efforts, the founder of the L.A.-based fashion label Cosa Nostra scored a spread in Elle magazine, a mentorship with INC International Concepts, a year of representation from Designers Management Agency, a Saturn Sky Roadster and $100,000 to start his own—or, in Sebelia's case, another—label. 

Sebelia, who was accused last month by fellow finalist Laura Bennett of bringing in outside help to complete the final task—design 12 separate, yet cohesive, outfits to show at Olympus Fashion Week in Bryant Park—summed up his experience on the show in one word: intense.

"Intense happiness, intense fear, love, passion," the heavily tattooed family man said after Project Runway host Heidi Klum gave him the good news. "My brain's trying to figure out exactly what's happening.  

"The volume on everything has been turned up all the way. It's all just a bunch of vibrations."

While designer guide Tim Gunn obviously cleared Sebelia on the cheating charge, he did find that the eventual winner had gone $200 over the contestants' mandated $8,000 budget. The spiky-haired Sebelia found an easy solution, however—ditching the wigs his models were originally going to be sporting—and he ended up coming in $400 under budget. 

Meanwhile, the winner of the series' sidebar contest was Sebelia's model of choice, Marilinda Rivera, who also was awarded a spread in Elle.

But although Sebelia was one of the more consistent innovators in recent weeks, he had stiff competition from Bennett, Uli Herzner and Michael Knight, who won $10,000 earlier this season in the BravoTV.com Fan Favorite contest. 

Knight, however, despite being able to do no wrong with the fans (42 percent of voters were gunning for him Wednesday) lost his edge at Bryant Park, trotting out a safari and 1970s-inspired collection that "didn't stand up" to his crowd-favorite status, according to guest judge Fern Mallis, the founder of Olympus Fashion Week. 

"We believe in your future as a designer, but you need time to mature," Klum told the 28-year-old Atlanta native. 

"I'm still learning," Knight said after being dismissed from the runway. 

Next to go was Bennett, a 42-year-old architect who's currently pregnant with her sixth child. She showed a set of evening wear that beautifully exemplified her masterful tailoring skills (a $30,000 collection on an $8,000 budget, Michael Kors said), but which the judges felt lacked surprise. 

Dismissed. 

That left Sebelia and Herzner, who's originally from East Germany but now resides in Miami. Herzner says she gleans much of her inspiration from the tropical climate.  

"Her clothes are terrific," Elle fashion director Nina Garcia said. "They will sell. Women will like them, and women will buy them."

But in the end, Sebelia's innovative, edgy-yet-elegant brand of rocker chic inspired by Japanese ghost stories and demons were it for Klum, Kors, Garcia and Mallis.

"You pushed yourself and made a beautiful collection every woman would want to wear," Klum said. "We want to see more of you."

And with that, Herzner was getting " auf Wiedersehen"-ed off the runway.

Referring to Klum's European-style double-cheek kiss goodbye, Herzner said: "I never wanted to get that kiss."

Oh, and in case you haven't seen enough people stabbed in the back with pinking shears lately, Bravo is rolling out a Runway spinoff in January. Top Design will feature interior designers battling it out, presumably for a spread in Elle Decor magazine, considering editor-in-chief Margaret Russell is along for the ride. Fashion-turned-home furnishings guru Todd Oldham will host.