Names and faces

— Zac Posen is in on Project Runway - he’ll be the new featured judge, filling the chair Michael Kors sat in for the show’s first 10 seasons. “This was an amazing opportunity,” Posen said. “I hope I’m here to give a new perspective to the designers.” Kors isn’t “out” - as host Heidi Klum likes to say to the fashion-design contestants who get the boot on the reality-TV show. His schedule didn’t allow a commitment, but hewill return as a guest judge for the season finale, according to a statement for Lifetime TV. Posen said he learned from Kors. “When I was a guest judge, I saw he was always a generous, warm mentor.” Posen said his best skill to offer the contestants is his sharp eye. Craft and construction are among his passions, he explained, so nothing gets past him there. It’s Klum’s role in the new lineup to bring the voice of the woman who might be the eventual customer. Nina Garcia, the fashion director at Marie Claire, has her editorial eye, and Posen analyzes the specifics of the design, he said.

Posen, however, also sounded a little jealous of Tim Gunn, who has the part of trusted adviser. “I wanted to be behind the scenes with Tim. ... I was seeing the clothes on the runway, but Tim had all the background interaction.” Another twist to the revamped Project Runway, in which the winners get $100,000 to start their own brands, is that the contestants compete as teams instead of individuals. “You can imagine the designers’ reactions when we first told them,” Klum, an executive producer, said, “but it resulted in some really interesting conflicts and partnerships. And that is how designers work in the real world - they do have to work on teams and manage teams - you get to understand their personalities more.” The Project Runway season starts Jan. 24.

Burberry has announced that Romeo Beckham - age 10 - is a new face of the clothing brand. Theson of soccer star David Beckham and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham is featured in ads for the London-based fashion house’s spring-summer collection. Romeo wears one of Burberry’s signature trench coats in the campaign, which also features models including Cara Delevigne, Edie Campbell and Alex Dunstan. Burberry’s chief creative officer, Christopher Bailey, said Romeo had been “a joy to work with and really stolethe show” at the photo shoot.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 12/19/2012

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