Monday, July 23, 2012

#ProjectRunway is back! #TeamVen

I know I used to recap every single Project Runway episode, but now I watch them online... so it's not a regular, weekly thing!

Lifetime
This year is the 10th Anniversary of Project Runway, and the latest contestants were thrown in headfirst!  The 16 designers were forced to do a  runway show in Times Square right off the bat.

I think that weird hair is a theme this year in designers (afro, dreads, long in front, leopard, partial shaved, etc.); it's like they are really trying to make themselves stand out from the get-go, versus their designs.  First-episode strategy?  Intimidating their fellow designers?  Perhaps.

My questions always is, CAN THEY SEW?  (Despite whats-her-face Anya who won despite her inability to sew last year.  VIKTOR WAS ROBBED!)

My first impressions of each designer (because in the first episodes you barely get to know them):

  • Buffi wants to be Betsey Johnson.  Her designs all looked like Betsey.
  • Gunnar's designs look very Marc Jacobs, with a minimalist flair.
  • Lantie looks like a Real Housewife of someplace.
  • Elena will find a job at House of Gaga.
  • Kooan is a goober who could dress a harajuku drag queen.
  • Melissa loves black... but I am sure they will force her to use color!
  • Ven's homework pantsuit was stunning and tailored, wearable... will he be my Viktor this year?  I think he may be a contender, off the bat.
  • Christopher is the nervous, sweet college dropout with some stunning, classy sketches. If he can really sew like that, I see potential!
  • Alicia will be the menswear as womenswear person... if she can make good pants, she'll wow them like Kimberly did last year.
  • Beatrice lacks sewing skills, and she's nervous about it. She says design comes naturally to her.  She loves knits, which if you can sew them can do great things.  Maybe she can drape?
  • Raul does menswear, but I love his feminine looks.  They look very antique-y.
  • Andrea calls herself the grandma at 58, a fashion professor.  
  • Sonjia didn't really make an impression on me.
  • Fabio is a "freegan" who dumpster dives for his food at supermarkets.  Huh?  "Freegan"?!
  • Dmitry called Buffi "loud, like her look"!  Ha!  Quiet and a former ballroom dancer.  Designs seem architectural but simple.
  • Nathan made no impression on me either.

Oh, I missed Tim Gunn!  And I wanna go to MOOD!  And this token bitchiness between Christopher and Gunnar?  Dmitry called Buffi's look "diarrhea".  Yup, we're back in the workroom.

And now, the runway...

Overall, Ven is my favorite.  I like wearable clothing, and his clothing is not only beautiful but well-made.  He comes off as critical of the other designers, but really he's just being honest.  Maybe that's why I'm so bad at picking Project Runway winners; I am not going to wear avant garde.  Fashion Star is a successful show because everything HAS to be wearable for those buyers to put it in stores.  Is Project Runway trying to differentiate itself?

Lantie and Beatrice were in my bottom from the start... even Kooan seemed like more of a designer.

Lifetime
Christopher makes excuses.  The machine ate my fabric?  That's "the dog ate my homework" in fashion.  If you don't know your fabrics and your machine, that's YOUR fault.  But since Christopher has some skills, I have a feeling I'll have to listen to his whining for a while longer.  And Gunnar is obnoxious.

For this challenge in particular, I picked Christopher as the winner of the runway and Lantie as the loser.  Lantie's first dress looked like doilies.  Beatrice was right behind her in sadness to me.  And Andrea's black and white dresses looked bizarre.  I liked Ven's concepts, but his dress looked poorly executed.  Same with Christopher's first dress, but his second dress was stunning and redeemed him.  Dmitry surprised me, and I definitely put him in Top 3.  Gunnar surprised me too; I would wear his second look.

I wasn't surprised by the results; I think the judges and I were pretty much in agreement!  And I hope Ven steps it up next episode... I've officially declared myself Team Ven.

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