fashion victims

Well, I've held off long enough, I think. I just can't wait any longer to post about my beloved Project Runway. I mentioned it briefly after the first episode way back when, but not once since. Pretty good, huh? But now my opinions have changed so dramatically, that I just have to write an update.

I'd like to rewind to two episodes ago when the designers had to create Prom dresses for real high school girls from New Jersey. In general, I did NOT understand this episode. It was like everything I thought I knew was turned completely upside-down. As a former wannabe designer myself, I did not get why everyone was so scared of designing Prom dresses. Some said it was because Prom dresses were ugly. Well, forgive me, but aren't they only ugly if you MAKE them ugly? You're DESIGNERS, for Pete's sake!! Some said it was because they had to design them for real girls with actual human proportions. Now come on! Don't they watch the show before being on it? Don't they know that there will be at least one challenge for real people, if not many more? And as beginning designers, shouldn't they be grateful for ANY chance to show off what they can do? Babies. And some people even said that they felt limited by the "age-appropriateness" aspect of the challenge. Yeah. Sorry, but that's why they call it a challenge, and not a cake walk.

During the challenge itself, I was absolutely shocked by how Christian reacted to his client's demands. I mean, this guy is such a diva, I would have thought they'd have their little diva-off, and then he'd basically say, "I'm the designer and you're not," and he'd crank out something wonderful. But instead, he pouted and whined and made the ugliest dress I've ever seen in my life. Some other blogs I've read about this episode have said they were surprised with how supportive the rest of the contestants were of Christian and how they seemed to really want him to succeed, even though he seems to have such a holier-than-thou attitude. Well, I have a new theory about his character that makes him much more likable to me and would explain this behavior. Sure, he's a little bitchy, and thinks he's God's gift to fashion, and voices his opinions about everyone else's work every time he gets a chance. But he's also tiny. And he has a squeaky little voice and funny hair. So I think that instead of being intimidated or annoyed by him, people see him as like one of those little purse dogs with spiky fur on his head and a diamond collar. Maybe a little yippy, but cuddly in a weird way, and generally nonthreatening. Regardless, his Prom dress was still hideous.

Which brings me to the judging. I did not GET the judges this episode. Either they're so old and out of touch that they've forgotten what it's like to be a teenager, or they were all on crack that day. Because their choices were so completely WRONG. They only picked two (Victorya and Sweet P) to be at the top, instead of the usual three, which was confusing because there were a couple other dresses that I thought were adorable and needed to be mentioned (Chris, especially). And the fact that Victorya won was absolutely disgusting. Not even taking into account my disdain for the bubble skirt/dress (okay, yes, I do own one, shut up), the dress looked cheap and flashy and bedazzled, and I don't think a high school girl would be caught dead in it. And it WON??! Ridiculous. Sweet P was robbed. Her dress was a beautiful, elegant Marilyn Monroe-esque number that all the other girls at the Prom would be envious of. And as for the bottom four, if Rami hadn't had immunity, I really hope they would have auf'd him. His dress made the poor girl look like she was 40. And even on a 40-year-old it would have been unflattering. Not to mention I am SICK of his draping, Grecian crap. We get that you have a signature style. Enough already! Out of the three that could actually be eliminated, I would have auf'd Christian! As much as I think he has some real talent (and I'm growing to actually like his personality), he totally bombed this one. I mean complete failure. But they let him stay and I'm glad, because I know he will bounce back. Ricky, oh Ricky. How many times has he been in the bottom three now? Eleventy billion? I think it's time to go, seriously. But once again, he squeaked by for God knows what reason, and he's still around to design more mediocre throw-aways. Lovely. So who gets eliminated? Kevin. Kevin!! Kevin who has infinitely more talent than so many others and simply made a couple bad decisions on this one. It's unfortunate that he decided not to hem the dress, but I understand why he did it. And the judges should have, too. Yeah, the dress made her look a little old, but I think it had nearly as much to do with the hairstyle, and her galumphing runway walk. The judges' opinions this episode really confused and angered me, but whatever. I'm no professional.

This past week's episode challenge was actually pretty cool. It reminded me of all those fashion shows I used to watch on TV when I was little, sitting there wondering who WEARS that kind of thing? They had to design big over-the-top avant garde outfits based on hairstyles, and the twist came in when Tim Gunn announced half-way through that they also had to design a ready-to-wear that reflected the style of the avant garde piece. They had to work in teams, which always makes for some drama. Of course Victorya made things difficult for her and her partner, and Rami again showed us that he can't play nice with others. The judging this round made a little more sense to me, and I agreed with their assessments, for the most part. The top two (or four) were definitely the best, and it was a very close race. (Personally, I would have chosen Victorya/Jillian just because I wanted to take home that long coat, and the ready-to-wear dress and add them to my own wardrobe straight away.) But I'm glad that Team Fierce (Christian/Chris) won because they worked well together and the designs were pretty cool. As for the bottom of the pile, I was soooo hoping that Rami would be auf'd, but I knew it wouldn't happen. Ricky got lucky again since he wasn't the team leader and the design was Kit's baby, but I'm kind of sad that Kit's gone. Her designs didn't particularly stand out, but I liked her. However, I think we're finally getting to a point where you can't just be in the middle anymore and merely hope to get by. We're at the go-big-or-go-home stage where everyone has to do their absolute best every single time and there really is no safety net.

As my final thought, here are my takes on the remaining 7 contestants:

Chris: When he was first given the opportunity to get back in the game unexpectedly after Jack had to leave for health reasons, I thought it wouldn't be long before he was eliminated again. I actually thought it would happen in his first challenge back. But it didn't, and it hasn't yet, and now I'm not so sure. I think he truly took the second chance as an opportunity to take the judges comments seriously and work on improving his craft. He's been doing really well, and I've always liked him, so I hope he continues doing well. Top 3? Probably not, but I would be happy if he was.
Christian: I think he has a lot to learn, and needs a lesson in humility to boot, but I think he's got some raw talent that will take him places. I think we could see him in the Top 3.
Jillian: She's been one of my faves from the beginning. I would wear her designs. But she's showing some signs of fatigue, and I think the competition is stressing her out. I really hope she recovers and gets her second wind. I'm always excited to see what she does, and I think she has potential to make it into the Top 3.
Rami: Rami started out at the top, and he showed some talent from the beginning. But it seems like he just can't get away from the draping thing. He's always tooting his own horn about how good of a draper he is, but the thing is, there is a lot more to fashion design. His Grecian style has gotten old, and he needs to prove that he can do more. I know he's kind of a powerhouse in this competition, so I wouldn't be surprised if he makes it to the top, but I'm kind of hoping that his spot goes to someone with more eclectic and varied tastes. Someone who I'd be excited to see a full collection from.
Ricky: Honestly, I can't even tell you why he's still here. He's a sweetheart and I'd want him as my best friend, but I wouldn't pay money for his clothes. Top 3? Not on your life.
Sweet P: I love her, but her designs are sort of hit or miss. (One of the designers said that in an episode and I couldn't agree more.) I'm not sure she has the constitution to make it to the Top 3, or much longer in the competition, honestly. I'd love to see her stay to the end, but I just don't think it will happen.
Victorya: I don't like her. She's a snob. Some of her designs have been good, and some not so good. She's a wild card. I think the judges like her, but I think that could change at any minute. I hope she's not Top 3 material, but I wouldn't be surprised if she made it ... just to make me mad.

So that's that. I could go into older episodes and discuss some more, but frankly, I'm exhausted. Talk amongst yourselves.

Later!