Taking creative cues from Bravo's megahit TV show "Project Runway," the local ladies of Lela Boutique have fashioned their own design competition, Milwaukee style.

Project Lela, as it's dubbed, began in late June, pitting 10 hopeful artists -- each eager to make a mark on the Milwaukee fashion scene -- against each other. Over the course of six weeks, fierce eliminations have left just three local designers in the running.

Kate Cullen, Erica Fox and Kristy Schomberg have designed their way to the top, but come Saturday, Aug. 25, only one of them will walk away with the chance to sell their line at Lela (which is co-owned by the wife of OnMilwaukee.com president Jeff Sherman).

Through a series of challenges, the project's results highlight the designer who can best execute a unique and well-structured garment -- and do it under pressure. Judged by a panel of fashion moguls, the artists are individually critiqued on task achievement, originality, wearability and construction.

For challenge one, "Trash to Treasure," contestants were given a bag with one pant leg and T-shirt, and using up to one square yard of their own fabric were told to construct an outfit for a 20- to 30-year-old woman to be worn during the day and into the evening. Seven designers advanced.

Challenge two was slightly more complicated, as the artists were to design a garment from two yards of muslin and then show it on the runway during the Milwaukee Public Market Day's Fashion and Beauty Day fashion show on July 14. Arriving at 10 a.m., each was given the appendix to challenge two: embellish the garment with $20 worth of goods from the market in time for the 12:30 p.m. runway show.

"The second challenge at the market was super difficult," says finalist Cullen, who designs under her label lovekate (and formerly for LadyLike Wonderwear.) "We had about three days to make our outfit out of muslin, which is the worst fabric, functionally. Then we had 20 minutes to spend $20 on items to add to the outfit. I have never had a hard time spending money until that moment."

Schomberg, who has been designing clothing for her label BILL for three years, says the Public Market challenge really jogged her creativity.

"I decided to stamp my dress with espresso coffee rings and circular cut outs from a T-shirt. It was a really fun, creative release. I really enjoyed the earthy, '60s vibe my dress transformed into," she says.

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