Designer Maya Luz chooses to leave “Project Runway”

Maya Luz (22) has chosen to leave the seventh season of Project Runway.

The freelance designer from Santa Fe, NM, made the announcement during last episode of the Lifetime competition. She entered the work room with Tim Gunn, who told the other five designers that Luz had something important to tell them. “I’ve decided to leave the competition. I feel like I am not really ready to go all the way yet,” she explained.

“At the beginning I thought I had what it took. I do think I have great ideas, but I just got out of school & feel like I am not fully developed as a designer yet.”

Tim Gunn then revealed that eliminated contestant Anthony Williams would be returning to take Luz’s space on the show. “We are desperately sorry to lose you Maya,” he added.

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Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are usually restricted in time, materials, and theme. Their designs are judged and one or more designers are eliminated each week.

On April 7, 2008, the show’s producers, Weinstein Company, announced a five-year deal that would relocate the show to Lifetime Television, beginning with Season 6. In response, NBC Universal filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein Company for violating its contract rights. A September 2008 court decision granted NBCU’s request for an injunction, preventing Lifetime from promoting or exhibiting “Runway” until further notice.

On April 1, 2009, the lawsuit between Weinstein Co. and NBC Universal was settled, with Weinstein agreeing to pay NBC an undisclosed sum for the right to move the show to Lifetime. Season 6 began airing on Lifetime on August 20, 2009. It premiered on the Slice channel in Canada September 12.