Gretchen Jones Steals Everyone's 'Thunder' To Win Project Runway 8 Finale

Gretchen Jones’s collection was called 'Running Through Thunder.' And it was aptly named, because the Northwest-based designer did just that, and took home the title of Project Runway 8 Finale winner last night on the popular Bravo reality show.

The two-time challenge winner and always controversial contestant Gretchen, designed a collection featuring quiet, brown-toned African prints and shiny, chevron-shaped necklaces, that she showed off at NYFW's Spring Collection.

She narrowly beat out fellow contestants Mondo Guerra and Andy South with her bohemian-inspired collection, one that guest judge Jessica Simpson remarked, was clothing 'too loose' in its fitting, but a line that slender sister Ashlee Simpson-Wentz would wear.

It wasn't an easy victory for Gretchen Jones. Head judge Heidi Klum sided with Jessica Simpson while arguing strongly for Mondo and his loud, eclectic prints collection against judges Nina Garcia and Michael Kors. It was a lengthy and impassioned debate. And in the end, Heidi Klum had to give up her fight for the 'costume, circus-like designs' of Mondo Guerra, and crown the more 'wearable collection' of Gretchen Jones.

Hey, what can we say....Michael Kors and Nina Garcia are indeed fashion elitists, and even supermodel Heidi Klum could not convince them otherwise. By the way, we were rooting for contestant Michael Costello all along, and thought he should have been in the trio finale. We thought most of his designs were quite beautiful.

And today, the fashion debate continues. Blogs and tweets everywhere are putting in their two-cents, most folks figuring that Mondo got short-changed, and should have walked away the winner. Meow-meow.

Can't wait for Project Runway Season 9!