'Project Runway' guest judge Stacy Keibler talks competition, fashion

From professional wrestling valet to Dancing with the Stars sensation to the girlfriend of George Clooney, Stacy Keibler has come a long way in the world of entertainment. Adding to her resume, the leggy blonde will appear as a guest judge on Project Runway: All Stars in an episode that will air on Lifetime this evening at 9:00 PM. With only five designers left in the running to win the second season of the fashion reality competition, Stacy sat down with The Hollywood Reporter before facing this tremendous responsibility.

Although she was a fan of the show before being chosen as a judge, she found it very difficult to judge the designers. "It was hard because all the designers are so talented," Keibler gushed. "It was hard to choose someone to go home, but I really had such a great time, and the contestants were just so great." When asked about the competitors' challenge for the episode, Stacy unintentionally described a fantasy for men across the country. "The contestants had to make a ready-to-wear dress that was between $500 and $700," she explained. "There were some dresses [the designers made] that I would have loved to take off the models and wear on the red carpet later that night."

If you couldn't already tell, Stacy had a great time working on the show. It helped that she was already familiar with All Stars judge Georgina Chapman beforehand. "I've known Georgina for some time. I wore her dress to the Oscars last year, and there was a lot of fitting for that," she recalled. "She is so sweet and beautiful and talented. Elie [Tahari], who I had never met, was just wonderful. And Isaac [Mizrahi] and I had a really great time together." Taking her job seriously, Keibler also discussed her criteria for judging the competition. "For me, it really ended up being about hanger appeal, so I was really trying to connect to the dresses they created, rather than the person, because they were all so nice and talented."

Turning to fashion in general, Stacy was asked about her favorite designers. "I have to say, right now I'm in love with Isabel Marant," she admitted. "I love Chloe and Stella McCartney and, for the more casual stuff, Rag & Bone. I can't walk in that store without buying something. I am lucky I get to work with so many different designers. I love learning about fashion." As for her favorite red carpet look, she looked back to the 2012 Academy Awards. "I would have to say I loved my dress and whole look for the Oscars last year," she said. "It was so elegant and timeless and a bit retro with a modern twist that I loved."

Not even the lovely Stacy Keibler could get me to watch Project Runway, but as a lapsed wrestling fan, it's neat to see how far she's come in her career. She always seemed like one of the truly nice people in the business. Will you be watching her guest appearance tonight?