I want to give him a hug, he comes across as super charming :-)

I second Usman.

Even though I was frustrated by what he was putting forth, he always seemed like such a sweetheart and genuine in what he was doing. For that, I'm glad he made it as far as he did.

Great interview!

kudos for the lack of trash-talking. he seems very sweet.
Christopher, we never disliked you as a person. We were just confused by your work.

It is difficult to edit when you only have one day for a challenge. Season 7 needs to have more two day challenges. If the designers have more time, we will see better designs and better executed garments.

TampaBay

I rooted for him because he was from Shakopee (we Minnesotans have to stick together!)... But looking back he really did have a great personality. I didn't always like his designs, but he obviously has a good heart, it seems like, and I hope now that he has the exposure he can get a job doing what he loves. I'm excited to see what he comes up with.

very sweet indeed but i agree with beautifulmonday that we were confused by your work.

good luck christopher!

Thanks, TLo, for a great interview! While I wasn't always a fan of Christopher's work (tho his first, winning look was one of my favorites of anyone's this season), he seems like a really good guy and I respect that he is comfortable with being who he is whether it's understood and appreciated or not. I think the guidance of savvy business and creative people to put out a collection will be beneficial to him. Good luck, Christopher!

He's a sweet guy, and one of my favorite personalities in the history of Project Runway.

He seems to be a genuinely sweet kid. That said, he deserves all of the more negative observations made here concerning his certain lack of skills, color sense and/or ability to see a train wreck in the making.

Best of luck to him!

Great interview! Christopher seems like a genuinely sweet guy. I wish him the best of luck in his career!

He seems like a very sweet guy. Best of luck to him.

Great interview, TLo! Christopher is a very nice guy and he'll go far.

What a sweet guy. I feel bad how he got trashed for what was the judges and production's fault. What was he supposed to do? Auf himself? I actually liked a lot of what he made on the show and the bad looks don't diminish the good.

Aw Chrissy, we love you! :) Thanks for the positive attitude.

I think it's an interesting interview because of the number of times he didn't really answer the question you two were asking. He would start to, and then track off (usually) into his positive-attitude-appreciation-gratitude spin.

I would love to know if that is his true nature or if it's his technique for keeping things positive - he does say that he went into the show determined not to allow the cameras to capture footage that would allow him to be portrayed as a jerk.

If it's his true nature - that his conscious mind just doesn't go to the dark side - it could just be that's why he seemed unable to critique his own work effectively.

But I suspect he's just a sincerely decent guy who's decided that being "dumb like a fox" (as my mom used to say) works for him.

Say what you will, he came off as likable and he showed twelve outfits. Something worked for him that didn't for Ra'mon or Epperson or Shirin.

There were some designers on former seasons of PR who went futher in the competition and maybe had better skills as a designer than Christopher, but who were so obnoxious and nasty that I would go out of my way to avoid buying anything they made, even if it made my thighs look slim.

Better to be Christopher, in my opinion.

It's refreshing to see a competitor who treats others with dignity and respect. I would much rather buy from him than a trash-talker. I'm heading to his website now to see what I might be able to pick up!

Great interview.

The part about how he couldn't bear to read the blog comments and about receiving hate mail are upsetting.

Hate mail?? For being a designer on a reality show? Shows how divorced from reality some people are.

As for the people who post cruel comments here, I hope they'll read the interview and will finally understand that there's a difference between criticizing a design (etc.) and attacking the person. In fact, I wonder if some posters really do understand that these are actual people on their TV, not fictional characters; I have to assume they don't get it - otherwise, how could they be so careless and cruel?

formerlyAnon, I was just coming to say that. He seems like a sweet guy, but I sort of feel like this *validates* the fact that he's, well, I wouldn't say delusional- he's not very self-aware (but thinks he is).

He looks so cute in those photos!
You know, this makes me so angry at the production of this season (AGAIN!). He's a perfectly professional, nice, talented, passionate guy who was forced into a stupid charachter role.
Good Luck Chinstrap! I only wish we could have gotten to know you better.
PS you should TOTALLY name your bag/accesorie line CHINSTRAP.

Good for him. He seems to have a good perspective on it all. And when I met him at that screening event, he seemed very nice then as well.

There's another of this year's designers, that I ran into not too long ago, and asked about what it's like to deal with all the stuff (the blog comments, etc); This designer answered that it didn't bother them at all, that they understood that all these people were talking about the person that was on the TV show, not them really, and so it could be brushed off. I'd hope that Christopher gets some of that.

--GothamTomato

"Brooklyn Bomber said: Hate mail?? For being a designer on a reality show? Shows how divorced from reality some people are."




Yeah, and I don't think it stops at the designers. I remember reading that, in the first season, Nancy O'Dell was bombarded with hate mail after she picked Wendy Pepper's design - thus knocking Austin out of the final. And I'd bet money that the judges who knocked Gordana out this year, have gotten hit with something similar.

--GothamTomato

BTW boys, did you ask Christopher what he thinks of the knickname 'Chinstrap'?

--GothamTomato

He does seem like a nice guy. But I do wish he would reconsider this statement:

As a real-life designer, if I was going to try and get a job somewhere and design for them? Absolutely, 100 percent. The advantage that I have is that I just sort of come up with my own way of doing things. There’s a market out there for the odd. I loved Ari, I was surprised she was gone by the second episode, but I loved her and appreciated what she did. On as show like this, the fact that I didn’t go to school was to my advantage because it helped me get cast

When you work for yourself, you are a real life designer. Coming up with your own way of doing standard operations is very costly (and foolish). Having no schooling may have helped him to get cast, but surely his goal is to be a successful designer. He does not need to enroll in a 4 year school at this stage in the game, but some education is construction, technique, and pattern making would be very helpful to him.

Do you think you would have fared better if you had schooling or training?
As a real-life designer, if I was going to try and get a job somewhere and design for them? Absolutely, 100 percent.

This? I don't get?

Does this mean he went on the show for exposure to his work? Go get tv/entertainment exposure?

Does that mean he has no intention of going into the fashion industry? Isn't the whole goal to advance further in your chosen career and hope to get exposure by working for someone like Vivienne or Alexander or Vera or Ralph?

(Unless you're a PPS or Rami or Chris March)

Is that what PR has become? A sewing show for those w/entertainment aspirations? (And judging by most of Althea's work, I would question the sewing part).

Am I the only one who mis-read this?

Very bestest of wishes. It takes a lot of courage to even think about being on a reality show!

Not that I think he doesn't have a future designing fashion apparel -- I do, but I'm really excited to see these accessories. But no belts? I would have traded my dog for the one he designed for the Southwest inspiration dress.

Christopher's fatal flaw was that he wasn't really able to - or didn't want to - listen to the critiques from the judges. Instead, he seemed to block everything out with a "think positive!" attitude and thus couldn't really zero in on the information he received. That is why he went on to make the same mistakes over and over again (volume below the hip!), challenge after challenge. In the end, it finally caught up with him.

Best of luck Christopher! You are a true gentleman.

I like that you were always authentic. You seemed to enjoy what you were working on and that speaks volumes of who you are and where you go as a designer!

Good for Christopher. I hope he does well and becomes very successful!

Hutchlover: "Am I the only one who mis-read this?"

I agree that it's not clear. But I think when it comes to the reality show phenomenon, a lot of people aren't clear about their own motivations. And at Christopher's age, people aren't always sure about their career paths and are trying things out. On top of that, being on TV has in itself become a kind of career path (which for those of us old enough to remember the original Hutch is just odd).

I don't pretend to know what motivated Christopher. I'm just saying he might not yet know exactly what direction he wants to take, career-wise, and this opportunity (to audition for and then to be on PR) came along, so . . . there you are.

Haha I JUST figured out the Chinstrap nickname. I'm an idiot.

But he seems very sweet and deserving of any success that comes his way.

Aw, man. After reading that and thinking back to me hating on him for most of the season and I feel like I kicked a puppy.

Buckup, Chinstrap!

Oh, and I love your bags. (Seriously)

Yes Chrsitopher has always come off a nice likable guy. The man has talent. His winning garment held so much promise and that ultimately is the source of frustration in the commentary.

At least during the run of the show, he came across as a limited as a designer either in his vision or his skills. This has a lot less to do with talent or passion and more to do with training. Attending any decent fashion school or fashion program who do Christopher a world of good. My roommate took evening classes for a year at a small local school run by an experienced designer. That year made a huge difference in his output.

Chirstopher needs to broaden himself to succeed. Case in point I think he did very little in the way of sportswear. Most of what he did was voluminous evening wear that became repetitious. Most of the other designers seemed more capable of producing daywear

Frank

I just took a look at his website. I LOVE the wallets!! Might buy one...

Miss Heather said...

I just took a look at his website. I LOVE the wallets!! Might buy one...

I know, right?!?!? I think their kinda fabulous.

Christopher....

Did you see that on the Lifetime website you were voted the Favorite Designer every week?

It's on the bottom of the page...hope that brings you a smile!

I liked Miss Crissy. Always thought she was a sweet and funny gal who just needed a little schooling.

But it is telling from this interview how seriously these designers take this blog. That says a hell of a lot.

This site proves that it is the OFFICIAL site for Project Runway.

"Hutchlover said: This? I don't get?"




I would think that he meant that if he was going to try to get a job working for someone else, one of the prerequisites would be a degree. But since he's working for himself it doesn't really matter. No one is going to ask for it before they buy his clothes.

To a large degree, I'd agree with him. In the arts, a degree (that piece of paper that says you went through school) doesn't matter. But what does matter is the opportunity that education affords to you to learn fundamentals that help you create your vision (if you take advantage of it - and many students don't).

You can get all those fundamentals on your own, with out a formal education, but it takes you longer and it costs you more. And it doesn't follow that those who went through the formal education have that education. The reality is lots of kids party their way through school & get a degree anyway because as long as daddy's check clears, you get that degree.

--GothamTomato

Going to design school probably involves reading, writing, and lots of critique and analysis. While it might be helpful, school may not be Christopher's thing. On the other hand, all aspiring designers should continually study design on their own, both past and present, which takes some work, natural curiosity and passion. How many times are we all blown away at the things the PR designers don't know?

By the way, I'll second the comment about Christopher making more belts. People often thought his belts were the best part of the garment.

Aw, I just love looking at him. He reminds me of a dark-haired version of my husband. Just adorable.

But he kind of sucked on the show.

Lovely guy. More importantly, great blog. So interesting on a social media level what is happening here: the medium of television is being forced through the prism of the Internet, and we now discuss, dissect and disturb to a greater degree even than the original production. It's like the "Blogsphere" and this terrific blog in particular, have become their own, wonderful, piece of art. Add the taking down of that third wall between the "stars" and the public by having sites like this interview and develop relationships with those people and you have fodder for many a PhD thesis, as well as a damn fun world.

Welcome to the melded media.

So glad to see he's making accessories! I thought after some of the belts, broaches, etc. that he'd be great at accessories, if not full looks. Hooray!

He seems like a total sweetheart and a genuinely nice person, but I disliked the Chris on the runway because he seemed to be completely.blocking anything that was negative about his garments, whether they were constructive or not, and kept making the same mistakes, produced some horrible stuff that he defended (and still defends?) and refused to admit could be bad. And then he cried whenever the judges didn't like his look, even though he did absolutely nothing to improve himself or his work.

I hope he gets the success he desires, but if I were to provide funds (in any capacity, even as a customer) to the designers from this season, Chris would be one of my last choices.

I feel so conflicted about Christopher. I have no doubt he's a super nice guy, and that he has a lot of innate talent. The frustrating part is that, like others, I don't see a lot of drive to improve his technique or fundamentals.

Let me draw a (NOOOOO!) sports analogy: When Tiger Woods started on the PGA Tour, he was already a phenomenon. When he was doing well, he was unstoppable. But his unconventional technique meant that he had little margin for error, and so any mistakes he made in his swing were disastrous. After a short time he decided he needed to retrain himself, melding the classic ideas about technique with his own experience. For a year, his game regressed, but once he perfected his new technique he became the All-Time Great (for an analogy in a slightly more gay-friendly sport, Pete Sampras and his one-handed backhand).

Christopher, all I am saying is that classical training is not an admission that your personal training has failed, it's a way to make it even more useful than before!

Sewing Siren,

I echo your sentiments. A little training makes you more efficient and focused. You waste less material and execute your vision more accurately.

It was very clear from "The Best of the Best Episode" where they had to create a companion piece, that Christopher simply couldn't create the idea he drew.

It's telling that he is offering accessories. You don't have to fit accessories to a body. If he continues to focus on accessories, then he's probably fine to train on the job. But if he wishes to become a credible garment designer, training would make his path so much easier. It's simply an investment in yourself. Christopher's designs are certainly interesting enough for him to invest in a little training and/or coaching.

Aw, what a sweetie. I may not have liked everything he put out there, but he definitely seems like a nice guy, and he could have a strong future with a bit more experience and/or training.

He earns points for trying to stay positive and not wanting to look like a jerk. And even more points for his Looky-Lu wallets. I love them.

Good luck, Christopher. You're a sweetie.

Fidel,
That is a super analogy.

Thanks for the insightful interview. Christopher seems like a thoughtful person, and such a nice guy. I hate to see him fail, but I think whatever happens he will take it as a learning experience, or at least I hope so. His charm will only take him so far. So let's hope he takes this exposure and milks it because the buzz will only last for so long.

Well, he seems smart, and likeable.

14 minutes, 59 seconds and counting...

oh my, i can't say i like his designs on his site. at all. that one handbag for over 300 dollars? no thank you

Hutchlover (11/11/09 11:05 AM), I think what Christopher meant when he talked about getting exposure was getting his name as a designer out there. Personally, that's what PR is about to me. When I see designers getting upset about not making it all the way to the finals, I think, well, making it this far is so important because we now know your work and your name. Exposure is also about making goodwill with the public (or fashion watching crowd) so people like Jeffrey may have made it to the finals, but they would have done themselves a disservice because the exposure they created for themselves on the show was more negative.

I have none of the skills that would get me on a show like PR, but I would NEVER have the openness to go on a reality show. So, I have to admire a person who is willing to put it all out there.

Christopher was very disciplined in the way he selectively exposed his feelings. He was given the opportunity to dish and he determinedly (but politely) declined. So, again, I have to admire the steeliness it took to not gossip and vent.

It sounds like Christopher feels like he can go on with his head held high, and that alone is an accomplishment. I guess I imagine that I'd be apologizing for the rest of my life if I ever went on a multiple episode, sleep deprived, hot-house of a show like PR.

My long (sorry) point here is that Christopher is somebody who has the kind of discipline, and grit combined with chutzpah that it takes to succeed in a business like fashion.

So, Christopher, FWIW, I think you shine. You have got a lot going for you that no one could teach you. I think you must have a well-functioning life compass to have gotten you this far, so I don't worry that you'll be able to see what you need to do to go forward or that you'll have the humility to seek help when you need it. You certainly have courage and grace under pressure.

Good luck with all you do.

Fidel, I love your post. So true.

Christopher does seem the nice guy. I'm a little amazed he went as far as he did,... but hey he did.
One concern with Chris, and its the same with Gordana, is having never been to design school they could not take criticism.
Shirin, Irina, Althea, and Nicolas could stand there and take it, as well as assess where their garments fit in the contest. Both Chris, and Gordana were constantly sure they had a 'winning' garment, only to find out they were mid-pack, or worse bottom of the pack. This comes from the fact they never had teachers that critiqued them. They were used to people that were paying for their designs, so they were unfamiliar with someone saying this, or that, didn't cut it.
Case in point, Nicolas got the same 'luckily you have immunity' speech that Gordana got, and said he deserved it, yet Gordana felt Heidi had it out for her. Neither of them could respond to the judges telling them to step it up.
Both in my eyes were slightly delusional about their skills, and their place in the competition.

This kid is so sweet. I talk trash about his clothes and actually worry that he'd read it and feel bad, because he's such a nice guy.

Must pass on the big laugh I got, TLo, when my friend who loosely follows "Runway" and this site couldn't remember which designer was Christopher, but when I said "Chinstrap" she immediately said "Oh, that guy!" Haaaa.

Christopher - I think you're great! It is ridiculous and disappointing that you've received hate mail (seriously, who has the time, and of all people, why send hate mail to YOU?).

You are clearly talented and I'm confident that you'll succeed and go far in the field! Keep you chin(strap :) up!

Fuck,Fidel!

One of the best comments Ivee
ever read!

Not very sympathetic to Christopher. He has been told by all to get an education or mentoring to get his "A" game. No one wants him to walk around being told he is delusion by Tlo or anyone else. But he won't believe us...I looked the web site - no clothes.

Chris, your work was costumey and had no direct application to anyone living in this century. Best of luck.

Christopher does seem to be a nice man. Now, I'm off to check out the handbags!

Ohh, Christopher, not *quite* so happy happy talk on his blog (on his website):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This is about the time when I get this off of my chest: I HATE when the judges base their decisions on whether or not THEY would wear the garment. When they say something like “I want that” or “I’d never wear that” it really bothered me. If I was trying to dress Heidi every episode I, certainly, would not need as much fabric as I’m buying."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That last sentence, despite its low occurrence of polysyllabic words, reminds me of the Master Gunn in its seemingly innocent understatement.

I guess I understand why you don't see more folks on these shows who "can't take criticism" say to the judges, look, I'm not being "defensive", you gave your opinion, I don't agree with it or it wasn't as useful as you think, now move on! But I'm guessing I would get the shocked faces preview the week before I got kicked off one of these shows...

Christopher Straub, PR Season 6 designer, said:

"I really didn’t have an issue with the judges because it didn’t matter to me who was judging it or if I was top and bottom because it was just about me wanting to tell my story and present my vision with every piece. I always used to say back when I was just a fan of the show and watching it, “If it was me, well first, I would prefer to be at the top, but if I can’t be at the top, I’d rather be on the bottom before being safe.” Because if you’re safe, you’re forgettable."

A stunning disclosure in this interview. In a nutshell, Christopher's strategy was "Get as much face time before the cameras as possible. To do that, be either really good or be really bad. Middle of the road is unacceptable."

OK, he definitely accomplished that goal.

But was it the smartest goal?

No. Definitely not.

Yeah, we saw a lot of him, but the last times out were of him not doing so well. The last garments you could also be what stick in the minds of the viewers as their overall impression of you as a designer. Did he understand that we could be taking away a negative impression because his trajectory, as far as critiques from the judges, was downward rather than upward as the season progressed?

Also, I'm struck by his insistence on telling his story and presenting his view in every piece. The words sound ok, but, combined with his statement, later in the interview, that "I'm the whacky oddball that [sic] doesn't listen to the judges," it seems that Christopher came in with a single goal (face time) and with blinders on about the rest of the process.

In particular, it meant that he was going to ignore the good advice and encouragement (if any) from the judges, because he'd already decided he just had to be fabulous or really suck. Had he listened to the judges, he might have learned a lot more from this very rare and valuable experience and challenged himself to excel to gain their respect and approval. And ours, too.

Christopher believes that anybody who lands in the middle of a challenge is "forgettable" because they don't get screen time. WHAT? I think this is a core misconception of what impression the audience takes away from this show.

Because, I'd remember him a lot differently if the only times he was being critiqued by the judges is when he was in the top three. And anything below that, if you're told you're "safe"? Forgettable, yes, but GOOD. That's the whole POINT. Remember the good stuff, forget the rest! But being kept on screen because you're in the bottom three? BAD. Viewers associate him with the bottom, and it becomes a label that we attach to the quality of his designs when he lands there. Yeah, it's memorable, all right, but not in a good way.

I just don't think he fully thought through the implications of his strategy.

Also, if his goal was to be either really good or (when looking around and realizing it wasn't possible for that challenge)to deliberately suck when that was beginning to look unlikely, so that he would still get on camera in some form with the judges, was stupid. It gypped us as viewers, because we didn't get to see his best effort each time. More pointedly, he also gypped himself. He could have taken more advantage of the workroom to try more innovative techniques and looks.

And what would be the harm in that? We'd remember that he gave it his best, and was "safe." As in, not BAD.

As it is, he came not to play the game, but to play his own game.

So, we remember him as the guy who deliberately and intentionally sucked to get more camera time.

Unbelievable.

MouseAnony, you've completely twisted his words around to get them to mean something he never said. The point wasn't to make deliberately bad outfits in order to get more screen time; it was to make the kind of outfits that, no matter what, people would talk about. His ultimate goal was to just not be boring.

Christopher's work was more honest and consistant than the judging.

I've said it over and over again. Christopher is a lovely young man who has a fatal case of bad taste. Look at his accessories. It's just sad.

If he were a good designer who was an oddball who didn't listen to the judges that would be one thing, but he is not.

He needs to find another venue to express himself in. I feel tremendously sorry for him and wish him all the best.

Christopher is really one of my favorite contestants, because I really appreciated his honesty and positivity and the fact that he didn't spend all his time trashing the other designers, and, most of all, that he didn't get upset or whiny when he was criticized. He seems like a truthfully good guy, so good on him. :-)

Yeah, I actually stopped even looking at the comments sections on different Project Runway sites because it was upsetting to read the awful things that some people were saying about him. I'm sorry he had to go through that. But he comes across as a great guy--keep it up, Christopher!

Great interview, guys! Thanks! I wish Christopher the best. He created one of my favorite dresses this season (first challenge).

bla bla bla

give me some good design, i don't need to know your life story, and whether you're a good person or not

unfortunately, since this season lacked real talent, we're making interviews because design wise...there's nothing to talk about really

same applies to gordana...and to jerell's god awful collection

Christopher does seem nice, but for some of his answers, why do I get the sense that he's not really answering what T Lo are asking him?

Fascinating, a day ago it was off with his head. Now because he comes on here, and people are buying his wallets.
The venom that Chris, Althea, and Nicolas have faced from you guys surprises me. You guys claim to be fans, then you just tear into these people like they have no worth. It isn't enough that you comment on their work, it them, as if you are so superior. What great things have you done, to be so condescending?
It really is sad.

this boy is something else. it's funny how no talent but a little bit of charm will take you such a long way. Christopher should have never been on project runway - and has no business being in the world of fashion until he learns a thing or two - whether it's in school or somewhere else. apprentice.

Anonymous said...
this boy is something else. it's funny how no talent but a little bit of charm will take you such a long way. Christopher should have never been on project runway - and has no business being in the world of fashion until he learns a thing or two - whether it's in school or somewhere else. apprentice.

...

i totally agree, and it's not bad to be an apprentice. seems like someone else deserved that chance but not him.
i hope they have better casting for season 7
had he presented the garbage bag dress in another season with more talent (1, 2), he wouldn't have made it past the first challenge

Fan Favorite voting on BPR:

http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/2009/11/please-select-your-project-runway.html

My last post on this issue.

From the Q&A:

"A: Well, I showed twelve pieces and I was really only safe twice. After that, I was always either in the top or the bottom. So I really got a lot of runway time, whether it was defending myself or just telling my story. I got a lot of exposure and that was really the reason I wanted to do the show; to get the exposure."


It was exactly the runway time that Christopher wanted. "Exposure" was THE reason he gave for wanting to do the show. Not the big fat cash prize.

Apparently, he viewed any runway time as [positive] exposure, even if he was on the runway because his garment was being criticized.

Being safe is "forgettable," in his words. And, surprisingly, Christopher's observation is actually spot-on. The designers walk in, are immediately excused as safe, and we don't see any more of them until the next episode, except maybe for a very brief condolence scene in the workroom with that week's auf-ee.

So, yes. The person on the top OR the bottom does, in fact, get to stay out there in front of the cameras, getting "exposure" while explaining and defending his/her work. And a designer faced with an imminent aufing can get pretty darn creative in explaining his or her philosophy and approach in an attempt to convince the judges that the outfit doesn't suck so much that it deserves the auf. It is exactly prime time camera time to squeeze in as much as possible about who you are as a designer and why this oddball garment you're presenting is, in fact, a true vision of creativity and genius, if they could but see it. Knowing that you may never get the opportunity to show a collection at Bryant Park, you "seize the moment," push back strongly, and sing like a canary. And sometimes the designer's passion is so overwhelming that the judges back down and give the poor designer points for effort. Santino, for example, was both riveting and masterful when his back was against the wall.

Contrast that to being a top three candidate. As a contender for the win, the judges already LIKE your garment and you don't have to do Custer's last stand to defend it. Bottom three is much more serious challenge. It's do or die time and you really have to make a strong and compelling case for your garment right then and there or get the boot. Your reputation is literally on the line.

So, Christopher had a unique approach. If he couldn't be in top three, he wanted the garment to suck enough that he made bottom three so he would have that singular opportunity to tell the whole world his philosophy and what an astounding feat of artistry that garment actually was.

Uh, ok, good game plan. More face time on camera while being eviscerated by the judges for what the cat dragged in, er, what your model is wearing. It's the moment we as viewers wait for eagerly, the crescendo that the show has been building up to. The audience is riveted on your every word.

Exposure, indeed.

And, as Christopher said, that's why he came - to get exposure.

But to say that "exposure" as one of the bottom three is better than being "safe"? As in, camera time trumps garment quality? It still runs the very real risk that we will remember the designer exactly for being on the bottom, or for the unforgettable comment from Kors or Garcia instead (e.g., "Granny Pants!")

To quote Jay: "That's just nutty!"

MouseAnony
11/11/09 8:15 PM

...

i agree with everything that you said
christopher obviously knows how to sell his design (which to me is garbage, is a different story)

some people do real well at playing victims and exposing themselves like he did...and some really good people, do not market themselves well, and fail...

Every designer who ever appeared on the show did it for the exposure. Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive.

Christopher seems like a nice, upbeat guy who is grateful for the opportunity PR gave him. I can't tell if some of his answers (like being in the bottom is better than being in the middle because of increased TV exposure) reflect his actual strategy or are just another example of him making the best of the situation.

I didn't see any evidence that he's learned the real lessons that PR could have taught him about the benefits of additional knowledge and experience. There's a difference between rose-colored glasses and rose-colored blinders, and I'm afraid Christopher might be wearing the latter.

I'm not sure that I'd go as far as MouseAnony, but at the very least Christopher would seem to be eager to embace that old adage which seems to have gained new coinage in the last decade or so of explosive and expanding media : "There's no such thing as bad publicity." I suppose you could see that as being "positive",
though on the other side of the coin, if he was actually using it as a ploy, it could seem opportunistic in a rather manipulative way. I really do wish him well, but that doesn't mean that I have to approve of his methods, understand his limited design aesthetic or his stubborn determination to ignore criticism, or buy his merchandise.

Anonymous - Well, thank you.

But TLo is right. It's HIGHLY unlikely Christopher was trying to intentionally make bad clothing, even if his interview could be interpreted to imply that (at least to me, anyway).

This is most likely just Christopher's official ex post facto spin to explain his performances on the show. The logical flaw in it - apparently wanting the clothes to be bad if they couldn't be good, so that he could get that precious airtime one way or the other - doesn't mean he actually deliberately TRIED to make bad clothing in the challenges. His distress and tears during judging, which this story completely glosses over (so deftly, in fact, that I completely forgot about that part), would suggest otherwise. So I apologize to Christopher for saying or implying that. The counterintuitive logic is just plausible enough, however, that he actually had me going for a while. Duh. Thanks, TLo, for slapping me upside the head.

Christopher tried to make the best of a bad situation by putting a truly innovative positive spin on six bottom bottom three appearances in a row. First time we've ever heard that one!

It's his story and he's stickin' to it.

And this is my apology to Christopher and I'm stickin' to it.

TLo, I'm dropping this comment in here because it's a more recent post. I would love to read a post about who YOU think should have won the last challenge, and who you believe should have shown at Bryant Park. I misunderstood and felt you were advocating for Gordana and her dress to win the challenge and, therefore, for Gordana to go to BP. But I'd love to hear what your opinions truly are! You aren't usually shy about letting your minions know them!

Signed,
"Curious Kitten"

MouseAnony-I don't really think Chris had that plan, but how is Chris' exposure really any different from Gordana? Week in week out all we heard is these two running on about their hard luck stories.
What school did Shirin go to? No idea, well neither do I.
Logan, how did a 'guys, guy' end up designing women's clothes? Damn if I know.
Althea, what was it like to be 19 alone, working for Zac Posen in NYC, or at 20 living in London?
Irina, what was it like in Denmark, how did that influence you? Any clue?
But I do know Christopher's story, and I can quote verbatim Gordana's story.
Whether it was the producers going for the easy story, or a couple of camera whores I don't know; but don't stone Christopher, when Gordana did the exact same thing.

P.S. Christopher is a young dude and talented, but needs a bit of seasoning and maybe even some book l'arnin' to achieve his potential.

IMHO

Boy, I almost feel bad that I always referred to him as Christopher Sobbin.
Almost.
No, seriously, he seems like a perfectly sincere and kindhearted young man. Just needs to get a bit of perspective, maybe, and a little schooling.

I agree with everyone that's said Chris has an amazing personality, but am I the only one that thought he was more fun to look at than Logan?

Christopher, are you single? ;)

Capp, he is a cute guy, but he looks like he's had some sort of cosmetic surgery (nose job?), which freaks me out since he is so young.

I never liked Logan's weird cap or 'do-rag or whatever it was. Talk about a bad accessory!

Anonymous 10:05--you make a great point. CH, Althea and Logan were especially underused. I believe that they may have been more interesting than they were given a chance to demonstrate. At least they weren't whining and/or snarking all the time (Althea a little bit, but not the others).

[From what I have heard about what they put people through on these "reality" shows (from sources like Nick Verreos and Chloe Dao), it is amazing they aren't at each other's throats or dissolving into tears all the time. For instance, I think it was Nick who pointed out that they never interview them unless they've been working 12 hours straight and it is 3 a.m. Face it, they want to show people at their worst, and it usually involves crying or lashing out at others.]

"Mouseanony said: So, Christopher had a unique approach. If he couldn't be in top three, he wanted the garment to suck enough that he made bottom three so he would have that singular opportunity to tell the whole world his philosophy and what an astounding feat of artistry that garment actually was."





That's not what he said. That's just your warped FoxNews-like interpretation of what he said.

--GothamTomato

Ellen M - I met Christopher when he was 19 or 20. He's looks the same now as he did then. He's always had that nose... and he certainly couldn't afford plastic surgery then. He's a natural cutie, and just as sweet and sincere as he sounds in the interview. I never heard him speak an unkind word about someone... even when annoyed, he'd always say something positive about that person, too.

suzq
11/11/09 12:45 PM
It's telling that he is offering accessories. You don't have to fit accessories to a body. If he continues to focus on accessories, then he's probably fine to train on the job. But if he wishes to become a credible garment designer, training would make his path so much easier.




I think that all it tells is that he needs to sell these things to pay bills, not because he can't cut it as a clothes designer.

Like the rest, its agreed that he needs formal training, and he's off to a good start.

A very, very sweet guy. All the best to him!

Christopher made one of the best outfits this season and its the red carpet dress. I love the texture and the attitude of it. But he made one of the worst ones and that's the INC challenge piece. The bib on that outfit is just hideous and at the same time laughable. I think he have the goods he just needs to have the knowledge.

HAS ANYONE ELSE SEEN THIS?!!!

In his TVGuide.com exit interview, Christopher accidentally slips up and says he was a PLANT on the show....this is scandalous.

Watch for it at about 1:09....

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Project-Runways-Christopher-1011962.aspx

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!

-WishIWasJoan

I love Christopher! I wish him all the best!

I am only disappointed that I didn't get to see him and Logan making mad, passionate love on the show.

I loved that Christopher didn't smack-talk his cohort. I think he contributed to making it a more watchable show.

THAT SAID -- I think he's actually Santino Rice's twin. Constantly repeating the mantra of getting his vision out there, and completely and totally Aspergers-esque with any feedback he received. Where Santino was relentless in his "I'm not here to make friends" abrasiveness, Christopher was equally relentless in his "Everybody is great" positivity. But both seemed somewhat unplugged from reality and lacking in the responsiveness category.

I watch a lot of reality TV, and PR is one of the very few shows that I don't miss. Through the many hours and episodes of reality TV, I have come to despise two things: (1) stars or sports figures who insert themselves further into the national consciousness AND (2) assholes. Just focusing on the assholes issue, I am delighted when someone (an average joe/jane) comes along who is nice, polite, and doesn't trash-talk their competition. Thank you Christopher. I enjoyed watching you this season. I don't know squat about fashion...the only taste I have is in my mouth. But I know a good person when I see one. Good luck...

holy crap!!! I watched it!!! I couldn't believe it!! He did admit to being a plant on accident! ! http://www.tvguide.com/News/Project-Runways-Christopher-1011962.aspx

Great interview, guys! Thanks!

He's a nice guy and I wish him the best.

He's still completely clueless and not self-aware. Sigh.