So what did you think of last night's Project Runway?

I like our snarky local guy, Christian, who impressed the judges with his bold and trendy outfit. And I wasn't surprised at all that Simone ended up being auf-ed -- bad construction, boring design and two pieces that the judges thought made it look like the model "got dressed in the dark"? Yes, even over Elisa, who, while clearly nutty and living in her own world, at least sewed like crazy.

Meanwhile, fashion reporter Tanika White reports:

Many of Christian's former instructors at Baltimore School for the Arts gathered at the Pikesville home of his former drawing teacher last night to cheer on their local star. There were snacks and champagne, wine and other goodies, as Christian moved confidently through the first episode.
According to Stephen Kent, head of the visual arts department at the school, Christian's confidence is not a put-on for the cameras. That's how he always is.

"Oh absolutely," Kent says. "He's always been just very quick and very confident."

What he hasn't always been is so technically sound, Kent says.

"The show that he did here as a senior was very good, but the one thing that concerned me was the construction," says Kent. "I don't know anything about fashion, but I know when something is well made. And so I was real curious to see what he's learned where that's concerned, as fas as sewing and construction goes. And I was really impressed with how that came together. And they (the judges) even commented on that on the show. They said it was well-constructed. So I said, 'Thank God!'"

His instructors were sure Christian would win the challenge -- even taking friendly bets that he would beat out the other contestants. Even though he didn't win, the teachers screamed and whooped and hollered when he wasn't voted off. "We carried on," Kent says.

The show's judges did seem very impressed with Christian's Euro-style plaid jacket with puffed sleeves and collar.

Michael Kors called the jacket-and-skirt combo, "quirky, tailored. It's not just another dress." Guest judge Monique Lhullier was pleased with Christian's "pleating, tucking and twisting." And Nina Garcia, of Elle magazine, said the whole look was very polished.

Christian himself seemed surprised that the jacket turned out as well as it did.

"The jacket fit her (the runway model) so well; I don't know how that happened," he said on the show. But he admitted, "I felt really accomplished."

And well he should. We can't wait to see what he does next episode!

Classic Christian quote of the episode: "I think there's some hand-sewn crap up in here."