Lifetime is partially moving production on Project Runway's sixth season to Los Angeles to accommodate host Heidi Klum.

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Project Runway's sixth season -- the first that will air on Lifetime following the network's acquisition of the show from Bravo last month -- will film in both New York and Los Angeles, a Lifetime spokesperson told New York magazine on Thursday.

Lifetime's clarification came after Entertainment Weekly had incorrectly reported that it had "learned" Project Runway would "move to Los Angeles for the series' sixth season" earlier in the day on Thursday.

"Project Runway is NOT moving to LA," the Lifetime spokesperson told New York Magazine.  "We are only splitting season six between NY and LA solely to accommodate Heidi Klum's schedule and the show will return to NY for the seventh season."

A spokesman for the Weinstein Company -- which owns Project Runway's rights -- confirmed the show's sixth season would partially film in Los Angeles to accommodate Klum.

"Heidi's been traveling a great deal and she wanted to be closer to her family," the spokesman told The New York Post, referring to Klum's husband Seal and her three children -- all of whom live in L.A.

Lifetime Networks recently agreed to an unexpected five-year deal to bring Project Runway to Lifetime beginning with the reality series' sixth season -- which is scheduled to debut in November. 

The fact that Project Runway's first Lifetime edition will even partially film in L.A. would seem to contradict the network's previous statements about its plans for the show.

"It will look exactly the same," Lifetime president Susanne Daniels told The Post after the network's Project Runway acquisition.  "[It will air] in the same time slot and the same day.  We're not going to fix what's not broken about it."

However Project Runway executive producer Desiree Gruber told The Post in a Friday report that since part of production will occur in L.A., they plan on capitalizing on it via the Weinstein Company's relationship with Tinseltown's film community.

"There's not a designer who has not been incredibly inspired by Hollywood," Gruber told The Post. "Season 6 designers will have a chance to be up close and personal with the Hollywood scene and see what they can do with it."

A source confirmed to The Post that some "very A-list" celebrities will serve as guest judges and participate in Project Runway's weekly challenges while shooting in L.A..

Since Bravo has scheduled its last installment of Project Runway to premiere in July -- with production already underway -- that leaves little room for Lifetime to film its first edition of the show in time for its November debut. 

Bravo plans to use next September's Fashion Week in New York as its fifth-season finale backdrop, according to The Post, with Lifetime beginning production on the show's sixth season "almost immediately" after the Bravo season has concluded.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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