Project Runway 4 - Christian wins!

Just before Heidi announced the winner of Project Runway Season 4, Christian Siriano's eyes were spilling tears. After watching him all season carry himself with a charming brand of arrogance, I was surprised to see him vulnerable. Christian, at 21 the youngest Project Runway contestant, was up against Rami ("I'm passionate about draping") Kashou and I thought the judges were going to disappoint me for the third season in a row by giving the prize to the more established designer. "Christian," Heidi said, "you're the winner." Cheers, applause, and cries of joy broke out at my house.

Throughout the season Christian's excessive self-confidence rubbed more than one fellow designer the wrong way. Even I was put off by it in the early episodes. But he was fun and funny, and incredibly talented. A caliber of talent that warranted forgiveness for his attitude. Christian commanded a little more than his fair share of screen time. His signature adjective -- "Fierce!" -- became such a catchphrase that to hear anyone else use it, including Heidi and Tim Gunn, made it sound overused coming from their lips.

This is how self-assured Christian is:

When Tim Gunn visited Christian to check on how his collection was progressing, Christian took a pair of pants made of feathers off the rack. Tim Gunn, brow furrowed, said nothing as he looked at the feathers. Christian declared the pants "amazing." Tim Gunn still didn't reply. Christian said, "What's wrong (beat) with you?"

Notice he didn't say, What's wrong with the amazing pants I made? He said instead, What's wrong with you, Tim Gunn, for not seeing how amazing these pants are?

And that's how cocky Christian is, this petite guy who'll get to vote for President for the first time in his life this year.

He wanted to win so badly he was crying on the runway. I wanted him to win. Fifty percent of the audience who texted their vote wanted him to win. And there is justice on Project Runway because Christian Siriano is the winner!

Project Runway 4 - Rami vs. Chris

I love the season's penultimate Project Runway episode for one primary reason: Tim Gunn visits each designer in their home environment and meets their families. Reality television does the meet-the-family gimmick well when it's down to the finalists and Project Runway has been touching and surprising in the past. (Another reality show that does this well is American Idol.)

This season around, Tim Gunn doesn't travel all that much. It's three stops in New York and one cross-country trip to L.A. The rundown:

Christian in NYC
Inspiration: romantic gothic look
Tim's comment: "It's a lot of look." Needs editing eye.
Family time: We don't get to meet Christian's family. Instead Christian points to photos of his sister, his parents. There's no explanation for this and this makes the segment disappointing. I disliked Christian at first, but he grew on me. Apparently I wasn't the only one because at last week's reunion episode, Christian won the $10,000 cash prize for being voted the Fan Favorite. But couldn't he get a posse together to introduce to Tim Gunn? Doesn't Christian have any friends?

Jillian in NYC
Inspiration: continuing with the museum idea by using 15th century armor, etc. for inspiration
Tim's comment: "Your palette is a cloudy day."
Family time: Tim Gunn is invited to the Long Island home where Jillian grew up. We meet her boyfriend, her mom and sisters; they are all good-looking. A sharp contrast to the disheveled man in a trucker cap and unkempt facial hair. It's not clear if this is Jillian's father or stepfather, but it's delightful to see that they've all rallied around Jillian with pride.

Rami in L.A.
Inspiration: Joan of Arc
Tim's comment: "Pull it back a bit." The heavy clothing looks put together with hammer and nails.
Family time: Rami introduces Tim to his best friends, an attractive young couple. Rami told a story about growing up with the compulsion to keep his designing talent a secret because he was in an Arabic culture and because it wasn't masculine, etc. But his brother, father, and stepmother supported him. "They've always known this is what I wanted to do."

Chris March in NYC
Inspiration: beauty with a quirk - 95% fashion and 5% costume
Tim's comment: Human hair doesn't work. "You've been living in the monkey house."
Family time: Chris takes Tim Gunn to a friend's home that is decorated in opulent Rococo and Baroque style where his "New York family" of friends have gathered. He mentions that his four brothers have relegated each of his achievements as yet "another thing Chris is doing." This includes dressing in drag, having a career in costume design, and getting on television via Project Runway. Chris didn't speak of any pride or support from his family. It struck me as sad.

In this season's gimmick of having a run-off between two designers for the chance to show at Fashion Week, Rami and Chris present their three strongest looks. All Rami had to do was make something that didn't look like a Grecian goddess. Chris created innovative designs, but the use of human hair made every judge cringe. Chris is out.


I preferred Chris's designs over Rami's, but a costume designer can't beat a red carpet designer. Certainly not on Project Runway.

Chris had already gone farther than he deserved. He was already eliminated once and if it wasn't for Jack's medical emergency and the judges' decision to bring Chris back, he would've been a footnote to Project Runway. Did they bring him back for entertainment purposes only?

So it's Jillian, Christian, and Rami as the final three. Having seen glimpses of their collections, I'm guessing the judges will give it to Christian. We'll know by next week.

Project Runway 4 - ep. 11 - The Met

Project Runway taught me two lessons tonight: even if you have one look such as draping in your designs, you can still be in. And if you can bring the drama, you can be in even though you were already out in an early episode.

The elimination challenge: Design a look that showcases your vision as a designer using artwork from The Metropolitan Museum of Art as inspiration.

I envied the remaining five designers and Tim Gunn for having three rooms of the Met all to themselves. To document their inspiration, the designers took photos with provided digital cameras. How I'd love permission to take photos in a museum!

Rami chose a statue of Aphrodite and justified making yet another dress with draping.

Chris, inspired by a painting of a noblewoman, seemed more inspired by the avant garde dress he co-designed and co-executed with Christian a couple of weeks ago. Guest judge Roberto Cavalli never saw that dress so he didn't see the echo so obvious to the rest of the judges and to those of us in the audience.

Christian wins. Rami and Chris were in the bottom two, but the judges deem Rami and Chris good enough to stay in. Huh? Yes, once again, Project Runway changes its own rules for determining the final three. Once again, we don't even have a final three! Last season they weakly declared, "You're all good enough for Bryant Park so you're the final four!" This season it's: "We don't want to make a decision yet so you're the final four!"

Sweet P is the only one eliminated in this episode. It's a cruel move.

Jillian, Christian, Rami and Chris will take time off to design a collection. But before showing at Bryant Park, Rami and Chris need to show their three strongest pieces and the judges will eliminate one of them.

Favorite quotes:

• "I'm passionate about draping." - Rami's defense for his design
• "I sew fast. Get over it." - Christian while making several individual pieces for his look

My prediction for the big finale:

Rami to be eliminated, Chris to make the final three. Jillian to win, Christian to place.

Project Runway 4 - ep. 10 - WWE

The most exposed busts and booty in a Project Runway episode ever!

What I thought was an overly gimmicky challenge -- create an outfit for a World Wrestling Entertainment diva to wear in the ring (can you feel my eyeballs rolling into the back of my head?) -- turns out to be an interesting way to weed the designers down to five.

For who would want to get sent home for failing this challenge? The closest similar challenge in Project Runway history was designing an outfit for an Olympic figure skater. But WWE? Instead of going to Mood for their fabrics, Tim Gunn took the designers to a place called Spandex House.

Rami seemed bewildered that he couldn't drape anything. Sweet P couldn't wrap her head around the entertainment value needed for the design. Chris and Christian easily adjusted to the costume aspect of the challenge. Jillian and Ricky had moments of self-doubt.

Fittingly, Chris wins the tackiest challenge this season, but his green leopard hoodie was truly a scene stealer. And finally, FINALLY Ricky is out! The judges criticized Ricky for designing an orange bathing suit. I'll miss Ricky's crying, but not really.

Favorite quotes:

• "It's the classy sexpot, not the whore sexpot." - Candace describing her style to Sweet P
• "It's like Eva Gabor in Green Acres!" - Tim's horrified reaction to Sweet P's design
• "I feel like the Pope at a sex club." - Michael Kors on seeing all the WWE divas in their outfits

Tim Gunn with the Funny Man!

Did you see Tim Gunn on The Daily Show the other day? He was so funny with the funny man. My friend Wella reviews Project Runway on here, check it out! Project Runway is great as Jon Stewart says here in this interview because people actually make something.

Project Runway 4 - ep. 9 - Levi's

Down to seven designers, Project Runway gets interesting again. The conflicts are rising to the surface, although nothing like what we've seen in previous seasons where designers actually clashed.

This episode the product tie-in was Levi's. The designers were asked to design an iconic denim look using their selections of of 501 jeans and white cotton. Conflict #1: Victorya and Jillian both designed coats for this challenge. There were sly peeks at each other's work across the workroom and the remark, "It's just really annoying actually."

Ricky voiced how discouraged he was by being in the bottom so often. Christian badmouthed Ricky for not getting eliminated yet. This set the stage for Ricky to finally show off his experience working in lingerie. He won the challenge for his chic denim dress. And, of course, he shed tears throughout.

Victorya lost. Turned out both coat designs didn't impress the judges, but Victorya's was worse. Michael Kors observed that her design looked like a reconnoitered denim jacket with a party skirt added to the bottom.

My favorite designers to root for are Christian and Sweet P. And so far, they're still very much in the running.

Favorite quotes:

• "If I had hair on my head, I'd want to tear it out." - Rami, on putting up with Christian's immaturity
• "Very Joan Cusack in 'Working Girl.'" - Michael Kors on Chris's dress

Project Runway 4 - ep. 8 - Avant-Garde

We're almost halfway through the fourth season of Project Runway and things are getting... well, boring.

This week's challenge -- making an avant-garde outfit. Twist? Teams of two. Stress twist? Make a second look.

Yawn!

The one saving grace is that every week there's a new runway show. This time around I was rooting so hard for Christian, the youngest designer among the lot. Also the most petite one as well. He was paired up with Chris and together they barely beat the elite team of Victorya and Jillian.

The irony of this episode's theme was that Elisa, the leading avant-garde designer in America, was kicked off last week.

Project Runway 4 - ep. 7 - prom dresses

Project Runway goes back to its senses. Tonight's challenge was to design a dress... for a teenager to wear to her prom. Throughout the episode, the designers mentioned what their own prom experience was like and a photograph from their prom night was also shown. Sadly, Rami had no prom growing up in Israel. Sadder even was Chris who said he didn't go to prom. Instead he stayed at home, watching old movies, and getting drunk.

This challenge, unlike last week's Hershey's silliness, provided these benefits: the designers were forced to work with and please a client; the regular models weren't used; everyone had to make a dress; and best of all, the girls picked their designer based on seeing their portfolios.

This episode showed Christian struggling to work with his outspoken client who also fancied herself a designer.

While it was interesting to see Christian spooked by someone who sassed back at him at every turn, he got so discouraged, he was ready to get eliminated.

Victorya won -- I personally didn't like the dress, but I'm no longer in high school either -- and Kevin got kicked off for the cheap-looking red silk dress he designed for a Filipina.

My favorite quotes:

"I was voted off." - Chris's statement ending a debate about who among the current contestants have fared the worst in judging to date

"When I had a girlfriend, I made her prom dress. That should've been a clue there, right?" - Ricky Lizalde

Project Runway 4 - ep. 6 - Hershey's

I was sick in bed and couldn't blog when this episode premiered last week. And this episode was so dull and boring, it's not worth of a season 4 episode.

The designers were brought to a Hershey's flagship store in Times Square and given 30 minutes to grab their source materials to create a new dress. Ugh!

It's not the blatant product placement I disagree with, it's Hershey's itself. The brand has nothing to do with chocolate. And (my pet peeve) Hershey's isn't very good chocolate!

So most of the designers grabbed kitschy junk like stuffed toys shaped like Hershey's kisses and pillows shaped like Hershey bars. Only Jillian made the effort to design a dress made of edible items (she made a red dress out of Twizzlers).























Anyway Elisa, the avant garde designer, gets eliminated while Rami wins. Snore, snore.

As my co-worker Catherine said, they could have at least designed uniforms for the staff of Hershey's!

Project Runway 4 - ep. 5 - Everyday Women

Tonight's challenge: to design a new look for an everyday woman who's just lost a lot of weight. These women would be the designers' client and model. They lost anywhere from 50 lbs. to 140 lbs. each. It's a clever challenge that incorporates aspects of what's worked in previous seasons: making new clothes out of old clothes, using "normal" women as models, designing for a client.

But this episode will be most remembered for a never-before-happened event. Jack voluntarily leaves Project Runway! This storyline has been teased to us for three episodes. Though spoilers are all over the Internet, tonight was the episode where he quits. Jack, who's HIV-positive, developed an infection that required him to seek medical treatment. Last week's losing designer Chris March gets a second chance. He's brought back to take Jack's vacated space and embarrasses himself by continuing to design costumes.

Chris March's design, a blue top over a black skirt with red trims, is hideous enough to elicit two of my favorite quotes this episode:























"It's a little Shirley MacLaine when she played a hooker with a heart of gold." - Michael Kors
"That was so Paris hooker 50's." - Michael Kors

The judges had to select between Kevin's and Christian's designs. I like both designers and Christian ends up winning. His design not only fit his client/model very well, it was also praised for being "commercial" in its look. Significantly, the guest judge was the head designer from Gap Inc., someone who knows the value of a commercial look for normal, everyday people.

Project Runway 4 - Episode 4 - making the out in again

FADS! We didn't like them the first time around, but they're bringing them back. Horrible fashion trends such as overalls, baggy sweaters, neon, and shoulder pads!

The designers group themselves into teams of three to create a collection of 3 looks that incorporates all 3 outdated trends, but is relevant and cohesive for today.

The teams:

Jillian, Kevin and Rami - overalls, poodle skirt, 70's flare
Ricky, Elisa and Victorya - neon, cutouts, underwear as outerwear
Jack, Kit, Christian - zoot suit, pleather, fringe
Chris, Sweet P and Steve - shoulder pads, dancewear, baggy sweater

Kevin, Jillian and Rami won. Jack, Kit and Christian were in. These six designers are distinguishing themselves as the upper crust. Jillian has won twice already.

During the show Victorya railroaded Ricky. I thought Ricky was dead meat -- he didn't do well last week. But in the end it was Chris who was out for being a poor leader and for designing a jacket with shoulder pads that still looked trapped in the 80's.

I'm developing a fondness for these designers:

Christian, for being young and cocky. These happen to be the two qualities that made a poor first impression on me, but four weeks into the show and Christian's youth and self-assuredness are endearing.




Sweet P, for being older and plaintive. She's also been able to hold her own with her designs. I cheered for her when Donna Karan praised the dress she designed, an update of the baggy sweater.




Elisa, for being kooky and yet having integrity. Like Sweet P, she also emerged as a blameless member of this challenge's worst half. I'm intrigued by how accomplished she is pre-Project Runway and I expect her to kick ass.



Though I still don't have a favorite that I want to see win.

This episode was all about the conflict between Victorya and Ricky. There was enough going on between the two of them to overshadow all else.

My favorite quote:
"You never know, the judges might die over it. Or they might die because of it." - Christian on Team Ricky's and Team Chris's collections

Unfortunately Michael Kors didn't come up with a memorable quote this episode. I'm disappointed.

Project Runway 4 - Episode 3 - Tiki Barber menswear challenge

The show start includes a shot of half-naked, tattooed male designers in the bathroom at the start of their day. The theme for this episode is set. MEN! The challenge is to design and create an outfit for NY Giants running back and Today Show correspondent Tiki Barber. And, in a first for Project Runway, MALE MODELS were used for the runway show. Beautiful, hot, sculpted male models...finally.

When Tiki Barber was introduced, Kevin Christiana was the only male designer in the group who recognized him. Kevin reminded us again this episode that he's also the only straight man among the designers.

Any pro football player would be a challenge to fit into a suit. Tiki Barber admitted his own peculiarities are his big neck, big butt, and skinny waist. But the fact that almost all of the designers had no experience with menswear was the true nature of this challenge.

Freelance designer Sweet P, who's been receiving plenty of screen time for the third episode in a row, has never done men's clothing and yet she tried to make a suit. Her shirt's collar couldn't stand up and she never got to make a jacket.


Former model Carmen Webber was worse off. She had no shirt for her model and draped a piece of cloth around his neck to cover his nakedness.


Lingerie designer Ricky Lizalde made a three-piece suit, but ran out of time to sew the jacket. It was held together with pins.



There was a funny bit where Elisa Jimenez played demure and averted her eyes when her model disrobed in the room to try on the outfit. Ha ha, Elisa!

All in all this episode wasn't as funny as last week's. The designers were freaked out and it was a little agonizing to watch. The male models, however, were a nice visual relief. (Don't look, Elisa!)

Jack Mackenroth wins and Tiki says he'll wear the design on the Today show. Hetero Kevin Christiana comes in second.

My favorite quotes:

• "After almost being eliminated, I'm not as confident as I was before..." - Christian Siriano
  
• "The menswear has brought forth the claws." - Kit Scarbo on the tensions in the workroom
  
• "What was it that they had on the Titanic before it sank? Oh, yeah, PANIC!" - Steve
• "If that wasn't a navy fleece, like, give me a Xanax and I'm asleep." - Michael Kors about Kit's jacket
• "I can't be on the air looking like an idiot." - Tiki Barber

I'm a little confused about one thing. Last week the preview for today's episode showed Tim Gunn saying that Jack had an announcement and the other designers were crying. I didn't imagine this. I thought tonight's out-of-the-blue talking head soundbite from Jack who revealed he's been HIV-positive for the last 17 years would have something to do with this. But there was none of it tonight.

Some websurfing provides some clues, or rather spoilers. You don't want me to skip too far ahead so I'll stop here.

Project Runway 4 - Episode 2 - Sarah Jessica Parker

After a week of wondering which "fashion icon" would guest on today's episode, Tim Gunn introduces the remaining 14 designers to Sarah Jessica Parker. I myself was shocked when the actress made her appearance. Chris March wept in the presence of the "Sex and the City" star who was as famous for being the lead in the HBO series as she was for dressing in designer duds in each episode. At least the Project Runway fashion icon for this season is a real person and not a toy like the Barbie doll.

The challenge was to pair up with a partner and spend only $15 on materials for a two-piece outfit that could retail for $40 on the Bitten line. Details like this on Project Runway inform the audience about how much of the cost of clothing goes to the labor of the design, not the materials nor the production.

Having the two-person-team episode this early in the season reveals a lot about how the designers esteem one another. There's the top tier of designers, the ones who carry themselves above the indignities of being on a reality show by not exhibiting any extreme emotions or controversial quirks.

The top tier thus far: serene Victorya picks Kevin, Rami (who has immunity) selects Jillian. Recall that Victorya and Rami were in the top two last week.

The middle tier with the quieter contestants: blonde Kit takes the weeping Chris, Marion pairs up with Steven.

The wacky ones: emotional lingerie designer Ricky goes with tall-dark-and-handsome Jack. I'd put Jack on the middle tier, but Ricky Lizalde keeps crying! Not a meltdown under stress a la Andrae from PR3, mind you. Ricky cries during his interviews!

Also wacky is the asymmetrically-hairstyled Christian. He picks as his partner ex-model Carmen, who'll spill tears of her own on the runway. Multimedia artist Elisa is left with Sweet P and she declares that's who she wanted all along.

Elisa continues to shock the audience. In this week's episode we learn that she spits on the fabric as a way of marking it and because "I want to imbibe it with energy..." Now that we're all grossed out and biased against her, I took a peek at Elisa's bio on the official Project Runway website. Guess what?

Vogue discovered Elisa and acknowledged her as the forefront of the new avant-garde, as well as one of the top 10 American Designers in the independent realm. (all boldface mine)

The bio also says Elisa's celebrity work includes Sarah Jessica Parker and "Sex and the City." Ugh, I'm getting frustrated with how seasoned and well-established this season's designers are! I feel manipulated... but I keep watching anyway.

This week's winner is Victorya. The judges love the shirt dress and the unusual vest she executed with Kevin. Surprise second-placers are Elisa and Sweet P. Despite all indications to the contrary, the polymorphic dress and the cape are beautiful pieces that drape very well. But now I know to expect more from the avant-garde Elisa who's already one of the top designers in the country, apparently.

Marion and Steven's potato sack of a dress -- or was it a top and skirt? -- and Christian and Carmen' overly-retro dress and jacket invoke two great quotes from Michael Kors this week (see below).

The last two designers on the runway are Christian and Marion. And the Project Runway judges consistently boot off the designer with the poor construction -- Marion. They can tolerate a badly designed dress, but not a badly sewn one.

My favorite quotes:

• "Fashion shouldn't be a luxury and quality shouldn't be a privilege." - Sarah Jessica Parker
• "Basically I'm on planet Earth and Elisa is on some happy planet, I'm not sure of the name." - Sweet P
• "It looks a bit costume-y, like Pocahontas..." - Michael Kors about Marion & Steven's dress
• "Next thing you know, you have big button earrings and you're on 'The Facts of Life'!" - Michael Kors about the dress by Christian & Carmen

Project Runway 4 premieres!

Hey, there! I'm a friend of Juls and though she and I may have different tastes in television, we both enjoy watching it. I'll be guest blogging about the latest season of Bravo's fashion reality show Project Runway.



This new season I'm a little irked that many of the contestants have established careers. Like Rami, who's already worked with Jessica Alba. I resented Jeffrey Sebelia, winner of Project Runway 3, for being in a different league than everyone else that season.

The first episode of any reality show is always the most crowded one, but...

Who I like so far: Kevin, for boasting about being straight... Sweet P, because I saw a photo of her years ago in a magazine from back when she designed flowery wallpaper...

Who I like to dislike: 21-year-old Christian, the egotistical guy with the asymmetrical haircut and whiny tone of voice... lingerie designer Ricky, who almost cried when talking about Project Runway and LIFE... Elisa, the wacky multimedia artist and "accidental fashion designer"...

My favorite quotes:

• "I think there's some hand-sewn crap up in here!" - Christian
• "M. O. B. Mother of the bride." - Michael Kors
• "Her model looked like she was pooing fabric." - Heidi

The challenge was to create a garment that says who you are as a designer using whatever you could grab from $50,000 worth of Mood fabrics arrayed in tents you had to race to. The winner was that highly experienced Rami (ugh, just what we need -- a frontrunner from the get-go).

And I was surprised that the judges got rid of Simone for her poorly constructed dress instead of fish-out-of-water Elisa who got her model tangled up in the overly conceptual blue dress. But that gives us next week's episode to see how she'll embarrass herself next.