Lifetime threw us quite a few curve balls while shooting Project Runway All-Stars — first, casting the leggy blond supermodel Angela Lindvall as host in lieu of Heidi Klum, a smart move since the two are practically interchangeable in terms of physical appearance; benching judges Nina García and Michael Kors, with whom many viewers had grown frustrated (particularly after they chose Gretchen to win over Mondo in Season 8 and since Kors stopped doling out his side-splitting zingers during critiques), and swapping them with Marchesa co-founder and designer Georgina Chapman and Isaac Mizrahi (the former an enormous coup); and giving the ever-nurturing Tim Gunn a breather, inviting Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Joanna Coles to function as the designers’ mentor and the workroom mother hen (an unwise move given Coles’ unapproachable, standoffish demeanor, which makes her feel as warm and motherly as an iceberg). Ch-ch-ch-changes indeed. Then again, given that they brought back some of the most talented, comical, and memorable characters of previous seasons, the potential ratings success of All-Stars was never in question.
Thus far, Project Runway All-Stars has managed to reignite our passion for a TV franchise that was quickly losing its luster, reminding us of why we tuned into the show in the first place. And, aside from a Muppets-themed challenge that felt redundant and passé, the feats posed to the contestants have been a healthy mixture of new design tests and of recycled but reinvented prior challenges.
We’ve been tuning in religiously and, of course, scrutinizing every pleat, seam, and drape. But we’ve also been studying what Angela Lindvall has donned on camera. And, since the very first episode, we noticed her appreciation (or her stylist’s appreciation) for Dannijo jewelry.
Since I’ve loved Dannijo assiduously since I first discovered the New York-based brand, I’ve been quick to recognize the pieces gracing Lindvall’s neck, so I’ll break down the main three featured thus far.
In the first episode, when Lindvall introduced herself to the Project Runway alumni, she was wearing the Dannijo Zsa Zsa necklace pictured above at top ($995 at Dannijo.com), a 16″-long necklace with diamond-cut triple links and H-shaped chain links along the collar area and, at the center, three medallion-shaped, oxidized brass plate stations with pink, tangerine, and emerald green Swarovski Elements crystals in rectangular, teardrop, and square shapes at their center. Oxidized brass snake chain strands encircle these crystals, rimming the periphery of each circular plate, completing the rocker-worthy effect.
Minutes later, when Lindvall announced the 99 Cent Store challenge, she again wore a Dannijo piece — this time, a multi-tiered bib necklace like the Soraya necklace ($495 at Dannijo.com) pictured above, second from top. Though Lindvall’s version incorporated some chartreuse green stones, the silhouette was identical to that of the Soraya (which probably means hers was custom made). This statement-making necklace features five rows of oxidized, silver-plated round links with sparkling spherical beads positioned at the center of each link and, dangling from the bottom row, bulbous teardrop-shaped and smooth, horn-shaped beads and stones.
After hitting us with the Dannijo 1-2 punch during the season’s premiere, Lindvall seemed to steer away from the New York-based jewelry brand — and then, in Episode 4, she again turned to Dannijo to spruce up the red dress she donned during the runway show. Before the designers showcased their gelato-inspired frocks, then, Lindvall graced the catwalk wearing the Dannijo Cota Necklace ($795 at Dannijo.com), a tribal-flavored, three-level silver necklace juxtaposes crescent moon, triangle, diamond, trapezoid, cylindrical, and circular shapes and which features faceted fuchsia and orange Swarovski crystals, along with turquoise and white cabochon stones. U-shaped shackles jut out of the top station with its three conjoined cylindrical tubes, along with the crescent moon-shaped center station. The necklace’s pendants yield a total drop of 7″, making this a bold chest piece.
We might not know who’ll be going home this week but, at the very least, we can predict Dannijo will endure until the very end, adding some razzle-dazzle to Lindvall’s ensembles.
