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Modest designs on the future

NEW YORK - The newly anointed next great American designer isn't sure if that's what she is.

"People are going to hate me (for saying this)," said Chloe Dao, the winner of the second season of Project Runway, "but I'm really happy with my life, and I'm really happy I'm the winner, and I'm really going to try to make something out of it, but am I going to be the next Vera Wang or Ralph Lauren? I don't know."

Dao's victory over Daniel Vosovic and Santino Rice was a surprise in Wednesday's finale of the Bravo reality TV show that says it's out to find the country's next great fashion talents. The heavy favorite had been Vosovic, 24, a recent graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology.

"I'm still shocked that I was chosen," said Dao, 34, who has a patternmaking degree, has 13 years of design experience and owns a boutique in Houston.

Dao was chosen in a show taped after the three finalists each presented a collection of 13 outfits at New York's fall fashion week last month. Twelve of the outfits were put together on a budget of $8,000 in the five months after Project Runway finished taping all but the finale last year.

The 13th was the finalists' last challenge: They had to do it in about two days before their fashion week shows on a budget of $250. Each was allowed to choose one of the eliminated contestants to help with it.

Dao impressed supermodel-host Heidi Klum and three other judges - designer Michael Kors, Elle magazine fashion director Nina Garcia and Will & Grace star Debra Messing - with a collection of dresses that she called her "baby."

Her presentation featured dresses heavy on puffed sleeves and sleek silhouettes with open backs. One gown was a standout, with a detailed pattern of five slender cutouts in the back.

"To me, it was a very classic line, but definitely edgy and structural, still flattering to the female form," Dao said.

After the finale aired, Dao directed some sharp words at Rice, 30, a designer in Los Angeles. He had questioned her design pedigree during a tense elimination round in a previous episode. He had told her that he thought she was a "brilliant patternmaker" but an average designer.

"I can only say that I guess you're wrong!" Dao said. "I can't help it if I had skills, honey."

As the winner, Dao receives $100,000 in seed money to help launch her own line and a mentorship from the Banana Republic design team.

Dao said she plans to stay in Houston, where she hopes to expand her boutique and design her own line.

"It's about me figuring out how to do this right, where I can balance having a life also," said Dao, who was 8 when her family moved to the United States from Laos.

The finalists' collections can be seen through Wednesday at http://projectrunway.auction.shopthescene.com All the pieces are being auctioned; part of the proceeds go to the Garment Industry Development Corp., a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen New York City's apparel industry.

Times staff contributed to this report.

[Last modified March 10, 2006, 02:18:30]