Na.Be by Victorya Hong The Altman Building 135 West Eighteenth February 1, 2008 Written by Wendy R. Williams Photographed by Al McCotter

The invitation was mysterious; it coyly stated that I was invited to a fashion show by a Project Runway designer, but did not specify which designer. And when I first got the invite, no one had been eliminated who I thought was capable of putting on a decent show. But then suddenly Victorya was gone and the mystery was solved.

But.....hmm! If Victorya was so busy with Project Runway, how did she have a line ready to go up that quickly? I had wondered what was going on when Victorya was eliminated in the Levi challenge for designing a jean coat dress that was way below her normal level of talent. Why didn't she just knock out a cute little jean dress with perhaps a vest or jacket?

Well.... I think Victorya may have thrown that challenge the way a philandering husband accidentally lets his wife find lipstick stains on his underpants. If Victorya had won the contest, she would have been under some financial obligations to the show from then on. So perhaps she stayed on just long enough to NOT be in the final three, getting as much Runway exposure as she could and then bolting to finish preparing her own show.

Perhaps she is just as much of a Runway renegade as first season winner, Jay McCarroll, who famously refused his Runway prize money (and accompanying obligations). Jay, coincidentally, was sitting in the front row at Victorya's show.

So how did Victorya do? Two words - simple and smashing. She did what she did so well on Project Runway; she designed eminently wearable dresses and separates that were modern, fun and sophisticated. And by keeping it simple and doing what she does best, she did not stumble. She made it work.

For more information about Victorya Hong and her Na.Be line, log onto: nabeny.com

Project Runway's Christian Siriano and Carmen	Sylist David Evangelista