NEW YORK (AP) - Let the sew-off begin: After a massive delay,
"Project Runway" is revealing its new batch of aspiring fashion
designers.

Until now, they lurked in the shadows, prematurely sidelined by
a legal battle over the popular design-challenge series, which
began on Bravo but ended up in the hands of Lifetime.

As the female friendly network prepares for the Aug. 20
premiere, the 16 contestants' diverse faces and backgrounds are
ready for launch. Three of them - Nicholas Putvinksi, Gordana
Gehlhausen and Irina Shabeyeva - hail originally from Russia,
Bosnia and the Republic of Georgia, respectively.

Yet another contestant, Malvin Vein, lists his favorite designer
as "himself" and inspiration as "the farmers of rural China."
Another, Louise Black, claims the first garment she ever sewed was
her very own wedding dress.

Nearly half call New York City home.

Season six takes place in Los Angeles, where celebrities such as
Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan will make cameos during
challenges. The panel of chic remains: Heidi Klum as host/judge,
flanked by mentor Tim Gunn and judges Nina Garcia and Michael Kors.

"Look out for the girls," Klum said Wednesday, during a break
from filming the show's seventh edition in New York. "The girls
are very strong on season six. There's a lot of crying, there's
fighting going on, there's a lot of drama going on - but especially
with the girls."

As it happens, the finale was taped - months ago. In February,
the three top finalists trotted out their designs at the Bryant
Park tents, but unlike previous seasons, they were not able to show
themselves because the season had not yet aired. The crowd of fans
and fashionistas clapped politely during the taping but lacked
enthusiasm for anonymous designers they were not personally
invested in.

That was because "Project Runway" - the cult series that
transformed Bravo into a hot destination for addictive reality
television - lacked a home base. Trapped in lawsuit limbo, the
series was mired in a dispute involving NBC Universal, which owns
Bravo, the Weinstein Co. and Lifetime.

The dispute began in April 2008 when NBC Universal sued
Weinstein after the production company made a reported $150 million
deal with Lifetime for "Runway." In a settlement announced in
April, NBC Universal said it would be paid by Weinstein for the
right to move it to Lifetime.

Lifetime has since announced a spin-off, "Models of the
Runway," which looks at the reality competition from the models'
perspective, slated to debut following the new "Runway" premiere.

"We did it almost a year ago, so you do kind of forget but it
was definitely a great season, and we all had a lot of fun," Klum
said. "We laughed a lot and we saw some great fashion."

The "Project Runway" contestants:

Shirin Askari, 25, of Garland, Texas.

Louise Black, 32, of Dallas.

Ra'Mon-Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Milwaukee.

Rodney Epperson, 50, of New York.

Ari Fish, 26, of Kansas City, Mo.

Qristyl Frazier, 42, of New York.

Gordana Gehlhausen, 45, of San Diego.

Mitchell Hall, 26, of Savannah, Ga.

Althea Harper, 25, of New York.

Logan Neitzel, 25, of Seattle.

Nicholas Putvinksi, 27, of New York.

Johnny Sakalis, 30, of Los Angeles.

Irina Shabeyeva, 27, of New York.

Christopher Straub, 30, of Shakopee, Minn.

Malvin Vein, 24, of New York.

Carol Hannah Whitfield, 24, of New York.