As one third of 'Project Runway's judging panel, Nina Garcia has been a tough advocate for wearable womenswear, often ripping apart contestants' poorly executed designs with a blunt review -- on Season 2, she memorably told contestant Santino Rice his attempt at Heidi Klum-inspired lingerie was "not aesthetically pleasing" -- while reserving her hard-won praise for a small and select few. Without a body of design work to her credit a la co-judge Michael Kors or the supermodel qualifier of 'Runway' host, Klum, it's easy to wonder what gives Garcia the right to judge, but aside from the fact that the ELLE Magazine Fashion Director has spent more than a decade working with stylists and designers identifying runway trends women will actually want to wear, you'll be hard pressed to find the new mom and author of 'The Little Black Book of Style' looking any less than her best. We asked her how she does it.

With your position at ELLE, your 'Project Runway' taping schedule, and your newborn, how did you get this book done?!
Fashion plays an immense role in my life. Between my job as Fashion Director at ELLE and acting as judge on 'Project Runway', working on this book was really an extension of what I do everyday. Having a baby has definitely consumed a lot of my time, but fashion is a huge passion of mine and I am really excited to share my tips, experiences and knowledge.
What does 'The Little Black Book of Style' tell women that they can't read in ELLE or any other fashion magazine or book like Tim Gunn's 'A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style' for instance?
I know firsthand how overwhelming fashion can be so I really tried to teach the basics -- the fundamentals of fashion that every woman needs and wants to know. From a woman, editor and fashion-insider's perspective, it is truly Style 101. LBBS is not a heavy read and I made it this way so that people would be able to use it as a guide and reference it whenever they felt the need. It really encompasses basic tricks of the trade and is essentially the cliff notes of fashion so to speak.
