The fourth season of Bravo's hit series "Project Runway" kicks off Wednesday, and if the first episode is any indication, it is going to be a doozy. The challenges are brutal, the judges funnier and meaner than ever, and the contestants -- a motorcycle mama, a nature nut and a slew of designing divas -- give new meaning to the word kooky.
But Long Islanders, no doubt, will be rooting for Jillian Lewis, 26, who is none of the above. Lewis, who grew up in Selden, was chosen from thousands of applicants as one of 15 finalists on the show. Her goal, natch, is to be one of the last three designers standing, meaning she would get to strut her stuff on the runway during New York Fashion Week in February and perhaps win the whole shebang -- an editorial feature in Elle, $100,000 seed money for a business and a 2008 Saturn. -- BY ANNE BRATSKEIR
Click here to see Project Runway videos and to learn more about this Long Island do-it-yourselfer.
