This season's "Project Runway" finale was all female -- Irina Shabayeva, Althea Harper and Carol Hannah -- but it was the 27-year-old New York City-based designer who walked away with top honors for her modern collection.

This season of "Project Runway" -- once the legal battles allowing it to switch from Bravo to Lifetime TV had been resolved -- was one of the least controversial. There was no Santino Rice, Jeffrey Sebelia or Christian Siriano to spice things up.

Truth be told, it was Irina who provided the most controversy. She implied that Althea had copied one of her designs, and her attitude had the other designers labeling her "Mean-a Irina."

Now, ET talks to the designer to find out if she felt she was portrayed accurately -- and, more importantly, to find out what she is going to do with her $100,000 prize.

ET: This filmed like a year ago, how did you keep the secret for so long?

Irina Shabayeva: I just threw myself back into work. I pretended it never happened. It was hard for my family, too, but I reminded them we were under strict legal [guidelines]. We couldn't say anything.

ET: One of the things you expressed concern about on the show was your father. Does he understand now that you need to do this career?

Irina Shabayeva: He is extremely proud and, I think, he couldn't be happier. I think now he sees it is an attainable goal, where before he was skeptical. I think he has definitely had a change of heart.

ET: What do you plan to do first with your prizes -- the trip to Paris and the $100,000 to start your own design company?

Irina Shabayeva: [The latter] is most what I am looking forward to. I am going to get a showroom in the Manhattan garment district, get a studio space going and start building with building blocks -- and maybe even have a shop in the city.

ET: Do you want to be a designer like Michael Kors -- using him as an example because he is on the show -- or like Chloe Dao from season two, who is doing her own thing in Texas? Do you have an idea of what you want to be?

Irina Shabayeva: I want to be global because I am from the Republic of Georgia, but I am also American. I think it is important to be global. I want to build a brand. I don't want to be a little shop owner. It is more than just clothes. It is about a whole lifestyle. I would love to expand into doing home goods and even a fragrance when I am ready. It is a whole style of living, as opposed to just clothing.

ET: After Michael and Nina Garcia came and spoke to you about the Bryant Park show and Nina mentioned you shouldn't do all black, you still went with that. How hard was it to make that decision, and did you ever waver?

Irina Shabayeva: It wasn't hard. I didn't go all black just for the sake of going all black. The collection was so detailed and there were so many different textures of black and layering, I thought if I throw color in there, it is going to stick out like a sore thumb and all that detail and craftsmanship is going to take a backseat when the collection was really based on that. I wasn't worried about the color issue. I thought, "Once they see the whole collection in its entirety, they will understand why I chose not to use any color."

ET: What was it about your designs that made the difference? Was it the touches like the hats and the bags? Your show was really dramatic.

Irina Shabayeva: I think it left an impression on [the judges]. I think that is important with fashion. It is like when you go to a movie, you want to leave with some sort of impression. That is what shows are for. It is showing off clothes in a poetic way with the hat, the bag and the whole ensemble. It is about the feeling that you are trying to bring across with that particular collection. I think they really appreciated that.

ET: What is your design ethic now? Your show was dramatic, but do you think the average woman can really wear those clothes?

Irina Shabayeva: I got a great response on the coats. I have gotten hundreds of e-mails from people asking me to make coats for them. I am, "I can't make all these custom-made coats, but stay tuned for fall 2010, there will be a great selection," and those I will produce and sell.

ET: Are you going to expand into more casual clothing? You mentioned you want to be global.

Irina Shabayeva: I think there is plenty of casual out there. I will do some more casual, but I want to design the special pieces in a woman's wardrobe.

ET: I have to ask. Now that all the emotion and the drama is over, do you still think that Althea copied from you?

Irina Shabayeva: Who knows? Nobody really knows. It is inconclusive. We were questioned about it. That is why it is an issue. Had I not been questioned, I wouldn't have brought it up, but the judges definitely questioned us and it blew out of proportion.

ET: Now that you have watched it back, do you feel you were portrayed accurately? [Note: The other designers, according to Logan, called her Mean-a Irina.]

Irina Shabayeva: I understand it was a show and it was a competition we all wanted to win. The only thing was toward the end, I am, "We all got the memo, we get it … what my character is." We were all very competitive. I wasn't the only one out to win it. All of us were. I think it would have made for a more dynamic environment, if they had showed a little bit more of everyone.