'Project Runway 3' Fashion Week finale rocked by cheating accusation

For the second time this season, one of Project Runway 3's designers may have been disqualified for violating the show's rules.


Jeffrey Sebelia, one of the season's four remaining finalists, was accused of outsourcing some of the sewing for the clothing collection he presented during the show's recently taped New York Fashion Week finale -- a violation that would have been against the show's rules.

According to New York Magazine, it was fellow Final 4 finalist Laura Bennett that first accused Jeffrey of cheating on his collection. "We took the accusation very seriously, and we did a very intense and thorough investigation," Project Runway star Tim Gunn -- who declined to reveal the outcome of the investigation -- told the magazine.

Laura reportedly based her suspicions the fact that, only three weeks earlier, Tim had commented that Jeffrey still "had a lot of work to do" when he visited Jeffrey at home and checked in on his progress.

While Tim wouldn't disclose the outcome of the investigation, his comments do appear to imply that the show found Jeffrey guilty of some type of subterfuge. "His collection was very ambitious," Tim told New York Magazine. "I wasn't born yesterday."


Project Runway 3's final challenge episode -- which is expected to reveal which of the four finalists that recently presented New York Fashion Week collections were mere decoys and which are actually part of the season's finale -- will air Wednesday, September 27 at 10PM ET/PT. After an October 4 reunion show broadcast, Project Runway 3 will air its special two-part finale on October 11 and 18.

Earlier this season, Project Runway's producers disqualified Keith Michael from the competition after fellow contestant Kayne Gillaspie informed the producers that Keith had several fashion design books among his personal possessions.