Uli Herzner

• Name — Uli Herzner • Born — 23 April 1971 • Occupation — fashion designer • Television — Project Runway season 3 (2nd) Project Runway All Stars season 2 (2nd) • Website — https: uliherzner.com/

Herzner, a 35-year-old physical therapist and stylist at the time from Miami Beach, Florida, first competed in the third season of the series. She originated from East Germany, whose "communist-era fashion" had been insipid. Rather she used "colorful fabrics in bold prints" for her fashion works, especially throughout the season. Herzner won the season's third challenge, designed outfits for a selected dog and a person carrying it. Jen Chung of Gothamist praised other contender Alison Kelly's high-rated outfits more and wrote that Alison "was robbed!" In the fourth challenge, she was part of a bottom-rated three-person team, led by Bonnie Dominguez, who was eliminated after the challenge. Jen Chung of Gothamist praised Herzner's dress made for the mother of Kayne Gillaspie in the seventh challenge and wrote that Uli "was robbed", i.e. more deserving than Vincent Libretti, who "won [the challenge] for his boring black dress for Uli's mom." The USA Today picked the following as the "best decision[s]" of the weeks: judges' criticism in the eighth episode toward Uli's repetitive uses of "the same printed sundress over and over"; Uli's choice of "a pearl-gray charmeuse fabric" in the subsequent ninth episode in response to the judges' feedback, despite not winning the challenge. • Illustration — Uli's winning halter mini Before officially becoming a finalist, Jill Radsken of Boston Herald named Herzner and Laura Bennett "both letdowns", noting Herzner's "monotonous animal-print dresses". On the week when she became one of four finalists, Herzner, despite being a "weak link", won the final regular challenge for her "adorable halter mini", wrote Michele Parente of The San Diego Union-Tribune. In contrast to her prior works shown throughout the season, Herzner designed her own Fashion Week "muted" collection using "brown, beige and silver metallic fabrics with few prints." She eventually finished the first runner-up to eventual winner Jeffrey Sebelia, whose range of collection the judges found "more impressive." In November 2006, Liz Langley of The Orlando Sentinel in her column found Herzner "totally robbed" from the season win and the judges' decision "arbitrary". As Langley further noted, "[T]he best designs often didn't win", and runners-up like Clay Aiken "often supersede" competitive reality television winners.

Herzner designed her clothing works sold exclusively via HSN program Scoop Style in mid-May 2007. By late September 2007, she had not operated a traditional physical store but still had designed and sold her own clothes via her eponymous official website.