‘Project Runway’ Season 13

Airs 7:30 p.m. Thursdays on Lifetime

Last week, the "Project Runway" designers met up at Manhattan’s American Girl store where each was matched with an American Girl doll and the child model carrying the doll.

Hawaii designer Kini Zamora proved to be lucky because his doll Samantha’s back story is that of an orphan adopted into a wealthy household, offering plenty of potential to showcase his upscale couture style.

Right away he started working on a houndstooth coat of boucle fabric and a white dress. During a weekly critique session, mentor Tim Gunn worried the two together looked "too mature" for a little girl, and although Zamora said he doesn’t do "flirty," he changed course, using the red check fabric provided by American Girl.

Even though Zamora was designing an outfit for an elementary school-age girl, he couldn’t give up his structured aesthetic.

During a break from work, the designers talked about their own experience with dolls, and this is how we learned the genesis of Zamora’s hairstyle. He said he played with troll dolls — a fad from the 1960s through the ’90s — and their hair, and he revealed that they are the inspiration behind his punky tuft of blond hair.

The judges were won over by Zamora’s pieces, which were appropriate for his poor little rich girl doll whom he imagined as having no one to play with — but she does have a credit card. Designer Zac Posen described Zamora’s classic ensemble as "Chanel meets Vivienne Westwood," and guest judge Elisabeth Moss of AMC’s "Mad Men" asked whether American Girl will be re-creating the pieces for 31-year-olds.

He was the unquestioned winner and said he’s happy to be on a roll that may lead to another win, and another, until, he wished aloud, "I win the entire season."

Sandhya Garg finally got offed for a look the judges described as a Teletubby onesie.

More photos and weekly recaps of Zamora’s progress appear on my Fashion Tribe blog at www.honolulupulse.com/fashiontribe.