<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  &amp;quot;Don&amp;#039;t forget to use the accessories wall, designers!&amp;quot; That phrase has become a familiar Tim Gunn-ism, almost as recognizable as &amp;quot;Make it work.&amp;quot; They&amp;#039;re his parting words to the Project Runway contestants as they scramble to dress their models before sending them down the runway. But during this season&amp;#039;s Marie Claire challenge, his reminder was not needed. The task at hand was to create a look inspired by a pair of shoes, a nod to MC&amp;#039;s Shoes First special. &amp;quot;When getting dressed in the morning, for me it starts with the shoes,&amp;quot; says MC Creative Director and PR judge Nina Garcia. &amp;quot;It makes putting an outfit together so much easier.&amp;quot; Designers were allowed to select a pair only after answering a question correctly from a quiz conducted by MC Editor-in-Chief Anne Fulenwider in the magazine&amp;#039;s fashion closet. The questions ranged from &amp;quot;What design school did Marc Jacobs attend?&amp;quot; (answer: Parsons) to &amp;quot;Who invented the contemporary stiletto?&amp;quot; (answer: Salvatore Ferragamo). The challenge winner, 25-year-old Helen Castillo, took home her first solo win, beating runners-up Alexandria von Bromssen and Ken Laurence. &amp;quot;I have never taken inspiration from an accessory,&amp;quot; says the Fashion Institute of Technology grad. &amp;quot;More often than not, I don&amp;#039;t think about shoes at all.&amp;quot; She had her eye on the pair she wanted from the start. &amp;quot;The whole time I was thinking, Please, please, please don&amp;#039;t let me get those metallic combat boots,&amp;quot; she says. Upon answering the fifth question \u2014 &amp;quot;Which singer-actress-designer did Women&amp;#039;s Wear Daily coin &amp;#039;Fashion&amp;#039;s Billion Dollar Baby&amp;#039; in 2010?&amp;quot; (answer: Jessica Simpson) \u2014 Castillo picked leather Emy Mack booties with silver studs at the tips. With those in mind, she created a wool-rayon-crepe LBD with a matching cape. &amp;quot;I was going for editorial, chic, and classic,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;It could have been hit or miss, so I knew I had to execute it perfectly.&amp;quot; Her design was a hit even with judge Zac Posen, whose reaction surprised Castillo. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s surreal to have such a well-known, established designer say that he is impressed by my work. That just pushes me forward.&amp;quot; \u2014Jessica Minkoff  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/project-runway/a8169/project-runway-in-her-shoes/>