"Project Runway"'s Blayne Walsh tans his own way

AE: Keith's behavior, both before he was eliminated and after he returned for this last challenge, came across pretty poorly. How much of that was editing and how much was real?
BW: I'll just say that one of his critique, I forget which one, but it was like he just took a turn. You probably saw me on the show just being like, "Man, what's with his attitude?" He definitely did change a little bit. I think that goes into personal things, and I don't know enough to say anything one way or the other. I don't know what he was going through. We're just two different people and we handle things completely differently, so maybe that was just his way to react. I felt like it was ill-timed. There was no need for acting like that.

You saw how he was like, "If anybody gets on this machine, don't f**k it up." Really? Like, really? There's no need for that. You have to keep a level of respect between all of the designers there. It's not just about you. Some things he said were really frustrating to me. Like, "I'm the one who actually and truly deserves to be here," and all that stuff. I was like, "You don't know us. You don't have the right to say that." He could be frustrating and offensive, but [it's a] good thing I'm not that kind of person. I'll just do what I want to do and fly around and be happy. I've always been that way. I'm always the one to make it light-hearted and bring it back around and say, "Remember, everyone! This is fun! This is stuff that we love to do! You don't have to be crazy!"

Terri, Keith

AE: What about Terri? Several times people made comments about how untrustworthy they thought she was, and she seemed to have a lot of personality conflicts with the other designers. How much of that situation with Keith was him and how much was her, or was it pretty evenly split? BW: Man, that's tough. I really do feel she really changed towards the end there, too. Once it gets down to fewer and fewer designers it gets a bit more cut-throat, but you didn't see me trying to backstab anybody. I remained neutral and true to who I was. I think true colors started to come out further down the line you get.

She didn't want to be with Keith for that challenge, but listen, you may not always like who you're working with but you have to remain respectful. Even though it may have been 50/50 on the way they treated each other, but come on. You're the leader! You have do it. Step up! If you're the senior designer for your company or whatever and one person isn't pulling their weight, you can't just throw everything on them. You saw that when it came down to me and Stella. You have to take responsibility. I wasn't about to be like, "Stella didn't do this!" Show some integrity.

AE: Who would your picks be for the final three to show in Bryant Park?
BW: I can tell you who I like. I adore Leanne. I think she's going to go far, far, far. Jerell is also a good friend of mine. I think he's a brilliant designer. I think it's going to be a tough decision because there are some brilliant designers left.

Jerell

AE: So what's next for you?
BW: What's next for Blayne? More tanning! [Laughs] Just kidding. No, not really. I'm working on a line right now, focusing on men's wear. It's more true to who I am, so it's more urban, more streetwear, bright colors. That's kind of my clientele, more out on the street, not this crazy, mass-production they're trying to do. I'm trying to make an influence on the world, not just make money. So I'm doing that, and I'm doing a lot of appearances and stuff. As much as I love designing, I'm also very social, so I'm out and about and trying to do different things. If people want to know more, they can go onto my MySpace. I'm always posting stuff and what's coming up. I have a couple shows coming up. I'm out there. This is definitely a weird time just because with the show and stuff, you're at their beck and call. You're trying to do stuff, but you're also holding it, waiting for things to pass over. This is the calm before the storm, but definitely keep an eye out!

AE: Great! Well, we look forward to seeing more from you. Thanks so much for talking to us, Blayne, and good luck with your career.
BW: My pleasure!