Women's Wear Daily has an interesting couple of quotes for you to chew on:
"But past contestants at the party believe the show's producers should come up with a new formula. "Personally, watching it, they need to change the format or something to refresh the love people have for the show," said finalist Jillian Lewis, who felt the show could last, "maybe another season or two. I love the show, but now it feels it's easier to predict what's going to happen."
Even this season's winner, Christian Siriano, believes "Project Runway" needs a new project. "This was a really hard season to beat, and I'm kinda worried about next season, because I feel like it'll be compared to our season," he said. "I'm thinking they need to change it up, but I don't want them to change it for the better 'cause then I'll be jealous." Bravo is currently casting for season five's contestants."
One thing we feel needs to be pointed out to the show's producers: You picked a bunch of established designers who were far too concerned with their image to do anything of interest during the show and who won not only the competition but also the fan favorite prize? The least established and most willing to put himself out there contestant. PR producers? It's ALL about the "young raw talent." You would do well to remember that.
As for that young, raw talent, he seems to be lining up all his ducks in a row:
"And what next for this season's winner? Siriano's winning line may be showing up at Henri Bendel or selling on his Web site — "that is, unless Victoria [Beckham] buys the whole collection, which she very well might," the designer said of Posh, who guest judged on the finale and publicly declared she would like to wear his clothing. Siriano said he has an appointment to meet with Beckham next week. "It's all the prize I needed — though winning was fierce, too."
If the former Spice Girl doesn't claim the whole 12-piece collection for her own, Siriano plans to take special orders, including for "more sellable pieces" on his Web site, on which pieces will retail from $200 to $2,000. He also plans to create a separate line for Bluefly.com, a sponsor of the show, but that's not the final destination for the 22-year-old. "The line I showed at fashion week, I don't know if it's for the Bluefly customer — I would rather have it at Bergdorf and Barneys," he said.As for fashion week in September, he already has financing for a show, both from friends and a benefit in Baltimore, adding to the $100,000 award he got for winning "Project Runway." "Next season I want my show to be as special as possible and that will, sad to say, take more than $100,000," he said."
Good for him. Even if you didn't agree with his win, isn't it exciting that the judges picked someone who really seems poised to take it and run with it?
[Photos: WireImage/Getty Images]
96 comments:
Good for Christian. It will be interesting to follow him in the next couple years.
Do you think Ms Beckham will actually PAY for the clothes? Just wondering...
I completely agree with you. I have to admit that I chuckled about his assertion that next season would be compared with this one. I was waiting for him to call it "My season".
I'm really happy to see that he's got multiple customers (the VB type and the Bluefly) in mind. Christian is crazy talented, and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Go PP!
i dont doubt that christian will make an impact in the fashion world, i just dont know how long he will last. thouugh it was true during the show, the designers that made the most impact after the show werent really the youngest. so they will still need both the young and the somewhat established to add fun to the show while it is running and credibility afterwards.
"It's all the prize I needed — though winning was fierce, too."
Exactly, whether you like Posh or not, that is MAYJUH. Designers (including Duchess) would give anything to dress her for any event.
Did the production team/writing team change for this season? Did they make a conscious effort to choose the more mature, less edgy and untired folks this time?
Are they working towards a "seniors" project runway for the older demographic using more experienced designers and a junior set for the urban, edgy, younger crowd?
Bravo often tries things out on one show to see if it will work as a formula for a show in development.
Sorry... untired = untried
Henri Bendel??? NOOOOO, say it isn't so. My all time favorite store. Sorry, I just can't imagine PPS's designs there, unless he lightens them up a lot.
Henri Bendel and "funereal attire" just don't go together.
----StkrShock
This does beg the question...what will the PR gurus come up with for next season?
Isn't is sweet of Christian to be worried about next seasons contestants living up to this season? The one that many fans called the most boring season evah?
Good on ya, Christian! I can't wait to see what you'll do next.
err said... "Do you think Ms Beckham will actually PAY for the clothes? Just wondering..."
I doubt it. And she could afford to pay for 3 or 4 collections. The only thing I could see her paying for is to keep Christian on retainer.
Jillian's right about it being predictable. But last season was almost the same, and would have been if Mychael had not dropped the ball so spectacularly. All Christian had to do was not embarrass himself and he had it in the bag.
Good thing he changed those chicken pants into a gown.
The best way to mix it up would be to cast new judges. MK isn't even funny anymore, and although I would miss Nina facial expressions, we need a new take on the game. Nina, Heidi, Michael, we know what you're good at, we just want to see what else you can do.
Yes, young, raw talent is what it's all about, but I also think it's about talent that is really willing to pull out all the stops to WIN. Christian's aesthetic is not my own, but he's one of the few contestants on PR where the design talent matched the big attitude. And at the final runway judging, you knew he really, truly wanted to win the contest.
I hope that Christian develops a good head for business, because I feel that truly is where his longevity lies. "You're only as good as the people you dress" - if your business is still running. Galliano is masterful, but how many times did his house go bankrupt?
Anyway, it's good to see a winner with a plan. Let's just hope he can fulfill it.
I think Christian's comments prove that Tim was right when he told Mo Ryan that Christian was " . . . vulnerable, he’s sensitive, he’s ripe for being victimized. We all need to be watchful.”
If he honestly believes that Beckham wants to buy his entire collection (as opposed to having it comped), he's more naïve that one had thought.
WWD (ah, just one letter away from WWE!) makes it sound like it's always been about youth. But there's always been a wide range of age and experience among contestants, including many whose careers/businesses were well underway. Ironically, in this season in which we were told over and over that the designers were all at a higher level, there was no one who consistently stood out in the challenges the way some people did in previous seasons.
bitchesdye, I'm glad you mentioned the chicken pants; I wondered what happened to those. You think they ended up as that color-graduated cocktail dress?
Hows this for a new twist?
Totally blind judging. Send the piece down the runway, pick a winner THEN let the judges know who designed it. It would alos eliminate the whole silliness of having to "defend" the garment. I always find that to be a waste of time because it never makes a difference in the outcome.
Oh and Christian- if you think Posh actually plans on PAYING for those clothes.....well, think again.
This was the highest-rated finale on Bravo?
I hope Bravo is VERY VERY VERY good to you bloggers, because I think you're the ONLY reason they've had such success...especially with this season.
- Ignatz
Don't the collections actually belong to Bravo? I thought in seasons past the items were auctioned off on their site.
- Ignatz
Actually I liked this season a lot, at least it was WAY BETTER than season three. Still, my favorite season is season one. Why? Because it was full of raw, young, not-established designers (and fabulous Austin Scarlet).
The best thing that could happen to PR was Christian and Chris March. They made the season fun to watch and Christian's collection was the second best ever (after Jay McCarroll). I can not stop looking at the feather gown on my VCR.
Again, designers like Rami, Jeffrey, etc. should not be on the show. There was way too much arbitrary judging, especially when it came to Nina-Rami for example. So, new judges could work.
About the feather pants... I don't know, I would've liked seeing them on the runway. If Princess decided not to use them, he had his reasons. He definitely knows what he is doing. He is pure, raw, young talent.
Oh, and please TLo, could you please interview Princess Puffysleeves and then make a podcast with it. I would love to listen to you. Next season you should have a podcast as well. You are the best!!
Christos
I really like Suzanne's idea of blind judging.
However, I wouldn't like to dispose of the "defense" portion of the judging, because it's where I learn about line/fabric/esthetic choices. And it's ALSO the Land of Tense and Unguarded Moments!: tears, eyerolls, and arguments....who could give that all up???
- Ignatz
I would like to see random pairing of models with designers post-runway show - and have them say the best and worst aspect of the outfit they were matched with.
That way they could gauge their levels of taste and ideas about fashion.
First off, the kid's got more business sense (and understanding of the magnitude of his opportunity) than all the other PR designers combined! Good for him. He may be learning from those who have gone before him.
I love Suzanne's idea about blind judging. Although I think eventually the judges would be able to pick out individual styles.
I think we need new judges and to go back to fledgling designers. Find people like Laura, who come out of nowhere and then "knock our socks off".
Make the current judges guest mentors. Do something different with Heidi. Let the models judge one. Have Tim judge one. Have well-known stylists judge one. Give them each a little team of seamstresses. And for God's sake, GET A NEW EDITOR (the person who did the PRC editing would do very nicely, thank you very much.)
Christos' idea is shear genious. Do a blogcast TLo. DO. IT.
First, good on Christian. I hope it all works out, and Mrs. Superstud makes Christian her new well compensated tote gay.
I may be in the minority, but it's not the controversy or the drama that I crave. It's the artistic magic first, and the random funny moments second. The drama is a mildly amusing diversion at best. When PR leaves the air, what I'll remember most are Austin's corn husk dress, Jay's Chrysler building dress (which didn't win the challenge but almost single handedly secured him a spot at Bryant Park I'm convinced) and Christian and Chris's avant-garde gown...basically the wow factor of the reveal of those three pieces....coupled with Jay's collection inspired by his childhood influences, Christian's in your face bitches collection, and Chris's controversial decision to take a chance on Hair: The Runway Show. And that's why Season 1 and Season 4 are my favorites.
Tiffany
Christian is so great. I love when I see people my age with a head on their shoulders and a plan of action, because let's face it, many 21 year olds don't.
I think tht both Bravo and the Nina/Kors judges took such hits over their choice of Sebelia last year that there probably *was* a concious decision to (1) look for more established designers, knowing that they would (2) design for a more mature audience.
Christian, of course, designs for a younger audience (who has just a touch of an eating disorder), but he's also squarely aiming at ladies who lunch and who have the money to fly to Rome for the day to do it.
Can you imagine Victoria Beckham wearing a Sebelia rock & roll artfully torn and shredded rag?
Power to the Princess!
And I agree with Ignatz: It's true that Season 3 brought me to the RunGay site (it's all about La Laura!), but this year I largely watched the show BECAUSE of you guys! I hope Bravo can appreciate that.
Good for him! I love Christian!!!
If he gets Posh to wear one of his garments he will be in fashion heaven.
The show HAS to be about raw talent otherwise you're just watching a bunch of well-established designers parading their tired aesthetics and massive egos. It gets boring after a while. You want designers who have never shown at Bryant Park before, who have never casted a model before...to find and develop undiscovered talent...THAT should be the goal of the show.
CHRISTIAN ROCKS!!! Oh my god i'm so happy for him. That bitch Posh better keep her promise.
"thombeau said...
.... Season 3 brought me to the RunGay site (it's all about La Laura!), but this year I largely watched the show BECAUSE of you guys! I hope Bravo can appreciate that."
Me too! If it weren't for THIS site, I probably would have been watching something else. And then I probably wouldn't have gotten hooked on Top Chef too and checked out other Bravo shows. (closet MMAS watcher)
Aw c'mon! They've at least got to keep Nina for OUR sakes! You've all gotta admit that we all really, really enjoy TLo's segments of Nina screencaps!
Congratulations to PPS!! It was a fiercely fabulous collection. He obviously knows which direction he is heading in, but he needs to do 3 things.
If he is going to stick with the high-end stuff, rather than the more commercial, he should seek some advice from the Dutchess on client skills. Pronto, before he has that meeting with Posh. If a determined Prom Princess can inspire a Puffysleeves Princess to create a project which nearly got him ousted - that 80s thrift store reject, well then, imagine the star-struck PP with design direction coming from a millionairess fashionista, Posh. Of course she has better, ahem, taste, but client interface was not a high point for Christian. Adoration of the client does not make it any better; he is the one with the vision. You know Kors has client skills; he's dressed J-Lo.
Secondly, he needs to get a totally reliable business manager. He is so young and that money will go fast.
Finally, he needs to take his "Va-Cay" to Madrid and go to the Prado to really soak up a bit of Velasquez and Goya for even more 18th cent. Spanish inspiration!
I say our Princess should stick with his own visions as inspired by the Old Masters. He has a firm grasp on the zeitgeist. That trip to the MMA served him well!
I think the judges have gotten too cautious. I think they tended to start picking favorites and protecting them because they didn't want a repeat of the Wendy Pepper mess where there really was someone who didn't deserve to be at fashion week. Then I think in Season Two they avoided that, but actually had a really weak group of runway shows--Santino didn't have the skills; Chloe didn't have a strong aesthetic (though that girl can cut) and Daniel, the fav, just didn't make the right design choices at the end. Meanwhile, Kara Janx had the blow-out runway show that no one on TV saw.
So, the next season, they try to avoid that by letting four make it--it was really a way of letting in Mychael--who was weakening toward the end, but had done some great stuff mid-way. At the same time, they let in Laura and Uli who both had rather narrow design parameters (don't get me wrong--I like both of them.)
So by the time season four rolls around the judges are really wary of making mistakes--thus, the way-too-early segmentation of designers into strong-middle-weak. The only one who really fell from grace was VictorYA, who was clearly hated backstage and the only one who really moved up was Chris.
If Rami hadn't been *Rami*--he would have been out on the WWE challenge--that was a total mess, way more than Ricky's tame swimsuit. Christian's prom dress and handling of model would have have gotten one of the mid-levelers thrown out.
By not wanting to make the mistake of tossing out those they consider the most talented, the judges made the show too predictable. It did mean that the finale had some *terrific* stuff in every collection, but the price of this was some very cautious judging.
I don't think the problem was the contestants--the editing, we now know, was weirdly tame. I mean, VictorYA's bitchiness sounds like it rivaled the best. There's no reason the Walk-off shouldn't have been televised. I think the designers were an interesting group of people--so I'm not sure why so much wasn't shown. Elisa, in the reunion show, turned out to be even trippier. The whole PR editing was so darn polite.
So, more judge switcheroos--how about Donna Karan stepping in for Kors a couple of times? I pretty much liked all the designer judges.
How about another editor subbing in for Nina Garcia a few times? Enough so that it becomes less about the designer's reputation and more about the actual performance in a challenge. Right now, I think the judges are trying too hard to second-guess themselves.
1. My guess is that Posh will offer him a job designing her clothing line.
2. She definitely won't want to pay for the clothes he makes her. As we all know, the reason celebrities get free clothes is because they are the best advertisement for a brand. They are photogrqaphed constantly and get the designers a lot of exposure.
3. I think Michael Kors has gotten an entirely new lease on life because of PR. He's been around forever, but because of all the new exposure from the show, he has a whole new customer base. He ain't giving up this show anytime soon, believe me.
4. There should be an all-star season, or bring back the first 3 designers to be auf'd from each past season so we can see what they can really do, like a second chance season.
Lots of interesting comments...especially from Christian who is apparently full of himself enough to think *that* much of this season...
Kathy I think you nailed some important points, and I love the idea of a 'second chance' season! But maybe you forgot that Elle Magazine is a major sponsor and therefore Nina Garcia probably won't be going anywhere in the foreseeable future, either.
I think that this season was a big yawn in so many ways, that it was obvious that the judges made sure that Christian and Rami were two of the finalists even when they produced heinous garments. The editing was soooo predictable that I really did end up following along just so I would have more fun reading this blog. TLo saved the season for me, too.
I think the show was more enjoyable when there were more unknowns.
I'd personally like to see more of the design and judging process, as well as more closeups of the clothing...a little workroom drama is fun too, of course. :o)
Okay, if I were ruler of the world any other place than in my daydreams, I would have these ten commandments for Project Runway:
1. Eliminate the model competition because it is secondary at best and acts as an 'identifier' of the designers, since most seem to stick with the same model (see below.)
2. Assign the models randomly. Perhaps only the designer who won the challenge gets to choose. Even nastier, the winner get to assign all the models or chooses to have a random drawing.
3. Blind judge the work - when the judges see the models they don't know who has designed the garment as they score it. The designers can join the models and have a discussion about the work afterward.
4. Keep a cumulative score and one of the two lowest scoring designers each week goes home. The designers should know their score, so if someone is in the top tier they will have the freedom to take a risk knowing that one bad garment won't send them 'auf.
5. The judges should know nothing about the designers beyond their names. That way there isn't an expectation of 'lingerie experience' or a 'costume background' or looking like an established designer which the contestants may have worked for.
6. Give the designers more time for actually constructing the garments and criticize them less about things like hems, loose threads and safety pins. This is supposed to be a contest to find "The next hot designer" not the next speedy seamster / seamstress. I would clarify that the designers should still have limited time to sketch and buy fabric and part of their score should be how closely the finished garment resembles their initial concept.
7. Always have an odd number of judges to prevent another 'Cavalli'.
8. On challenges where the public votes, allow one vote per person linked to an email address so hordes of 11 year old girls don't skew the results.
9. Buy a fricking calendar, Bravo. Space out the episodes so there are no decoys at Bryant Park. Showing there is worth more in publicity than the $100K prize. The decoys just dilute the value.
10. Stop the nonsense where Bravo skips new episodes. Just play the series in order, once a week. Is that too much to ask? It should be easy if you buy that calendar from item nine above.
ms sangrail said, But maybe you forgot that Elle Magazine is a major sponsor and therefore Nina Garcia probably won't be going anywhere in the foreseeable future, either.
There were rumors floating around earlier that: a) Elle won't be a sponsor next season, and b) Nina won't be at Elle much longer. I've no idea whether there is any truth to either (or both) of these stories.
That could be a good thing, then, Lillithcat. Although I'd miss the Nina screen caps and captions here.
There are going to be two more seasons, because they will always have one more season after the show seriously starts to suck, and that season is going to be the next one. The show has already peaked: this year, overall, wasn't very good. The contestants were boring, and they were made even more boring by the terrible production.
There's no way they'll make the moves they need to -- like getting rid of Nina and Michael. I just can't stand to look at them anymore. Ugh. And watching established designers make safe, dull, JC Penney clothes is a terrible idea; they need to get crazier, and get people who will put it on the line. But they won't.
Next season is going to suck, but the last one, the one after that, is going to be duller than watching robots assemble circuit boards.
So very much agreed on the value of young, raw talent. I sincerely hope they cast a whole flotilla of 21-year-olds for Season 5.
As for Christian's future, I have to say I'm liking what I hear in his interviews to date. He just may have what it takes to make it very big. And as for Posh, if she's smart (and her ability to spin a lucrative career out of her limited assets indicates she may be quite smart), she'll invest in Christian.
It will be interesting to see if Christian's strategy works out. Few designers can make a profit doing couture. The WSJ had an article several days ago that only 20-30% of runway looks ever go into production.
And it's harder and harder for even established designers to get financing now. Roberto Cavalli himself is having trouble with that. Narciso Rodriguez (who once was a wunderkind) would have been out of business if Claiborne hadn't purchased a half interest. Isaac Mizrahi (who was quite the PR machine) couldn't make his high-end line work. Donna Karan had to be rescued with a buyout. Most of the designers are now owned by some conglomerate. Ralph Lauren is one of the few exceptions and that's probably because he was smart enough to widely diversify with different lines at different price points and lots of non-clothing merchandise. Giorgio Armani is another and he's selling at different price points with accessories and makeup and perfume and home furnishings as well.
Michael Kors is certainly trying to diversify. My most recent Nordstrom catalog not only had Michael Kors purses but MK watches! Plus his lower-priced line. And the Duchess makes it sound like he was on his own from the beginning, but the first time I remember hearing about him was an Oscar dress Sigourney Weaver wore years ago that was Michael Kors for Celine.
I'm hoping PPS does really well, but I fear he is putting all his eggs into one very shaky basket.
And Stubenville, I like your Ten Commandments.
How about some real people judges?
Design a business suit for a NY executive woman that has to go from office to evening out and have real business execs judge it.
Or a school day outfit for a teacher (hint - deep pockets, very washable, no cleavage, can be worn with very comfortable shoes)and have teachers judge.
Nurses, dogwalkers, photographers, journalists, the list goes on.
Throw in some real world stuff.
There should be an all-star season, or bring back the first 3 designers to be auf'd from each past season...
I would love to see Austin Scarlett come back, and will support any reason to make it so.
I think Posh would be a damned fool if she tries to screw Christian over financially. Of course, the "stars" expect to be comp'd by established designers, but if a person who lives with her equally golden husband in a McMansion in LA expects to have free stuff given to her by a 21-year-old person living in an itty-bitty storage closet in Manhatten and *that* gets out -- then that has got to affect her party-list status and paparrazzi-flung questions.
"rainwood said: Michael Kors is certainly trying to diversify. My most recent Nordstrom catalog not only had Michael Kors purses but MK watches! Plus his lower-priced line."
If what I've heard is accurate, he doesn't design the lower end lines. He just licenses his name.
--GothamTomato
As a 50-something baby boomer, I'm personally offended by the idea that only *young* designers should be on the show.
While I agree that a promising young, unestablished designer like Christian or Jillian makes for an interesting competition, I also like the idea of having older designers, like Chris or Ricky, who maybe have been successful in a "specialty" area (costumes, lingerie, or think of Emmett, didn't he do men's wear?) and who want to branch out and break into more mainstream women's wear.
I think that was also Jeffrey Sebelia's intention--to somehow use PR to help him expand from just his Cosa Nostra line to creating clothing that would be more accessible to more people (and ostensibly more profitable for him).
I also like designers of *all* ages who have perhaps a quirky or otherwise unique style, and a very definite clientele, but who are underfunded--or who live in Podunk, perhaps, or who have been busy just trying to raise a family--and have just never been able to pull it all together to get to that next level. Would Sweet P fall into that category? Whatever--I think those contestants are also quite interesting to watch.
The problem with Rami, from my POV, is that he didn't fit in the above categories. Rather, he was mostly trying to build his business/drum up more business without really take any risks that might make him look bad to existing or potential customers. He had an image to maintain. He had to play it as safe as he could and still stay in the game. He seemed to have a pretty established formula, and he didn't usually seem to care if that formula "wowed" the judges or not. (That's just my opinion, of course.)
I think it would be pretty sad if another Chris March or Laura Bennett could not get on the show because TPTB just decided to focus on younger designers.
Princess certainly has great ideas about where to take his business. I hope he finds a good, honest, solid business partner so that that can happen. A lot of great artists, with widely marketable product, go under due to business mistakes.
And now that he is instantly famous, he's going to have a lot of starfuckers trying to blow smoke up his ass. Hopefully he has the sense to be able to read them.
The skill set required to create is totally different than the skill set required to make a business successful. I hope he makes it.
--GothamTomato
From Christian's hometown of Annapolis, MD: Posh Spice bought the whole line!. This is the rumor coming from the stylists from the salon where he used to work here. I hope it's true.
MMM from Annapolis
Anonymous said...
From Christian's hometown of Annapolis, MD: Posh Spice bought the whole line!. This is the rumor coming from the stylists from the salon where he used to work here. I hope it's true.
MMM from Annapolis
AWESOME!!! I hope that's true.
" Stubenville said...
Okay, if I were ruler of the world any other place than in my daydreams, I would have these ten commandments for Project Runway:"
GREAT ideas!!
I agree whole-heartedly with Stubenville's 10 Commandments & Gotham Tomato and hope that Christian finds honest people to help him achieve his goals.
As for improving PR5, it all boils down to regaining credibility. For me, they crossed a line when they edited Tim's comments to Ricky to make them sound like Tim was praising his work. Look, I'm no reality show newbie and I'm fully aware that the production staff will work their magic to create drama, or whatever, when they see fit. Still, though, there has to be a kernel of truth to it all, IMHO. When, for example, the Survivor cast goes to sleep in a cave, I believe they are in the cave. I'd have a problem if they all went to a hotel once the camera crew shutdown for the night, as was the case with Man vs. Wild. If they, the PR production crew, want someone like me to trust them again, how about showing us the judges' score cards? That's right, throw a little bit of accountability into the process. I would imagine that this is too big a pill for Bravo to swallow, but, that's the funny thing about losing a person's trust: you have to jump through hoops to gain it back.
And for heaven's sake, unless you plan on increasing the prize money at least five-fold, get rid of the product placements. How greedy can you get?
chgo_john
Stubenville said...
9. Buy a fricking calendar, Bravo. Space out the episodes so there are no decoys at Bryant Park. Showing there is worth more in publicity than the $100K prize. The decoys just dilute the value.
...abso-freakin-lutely! Thank you for that.
(I'd be lying if I didn't say that there has been at least one decoy whom I felt deserved that catwalk...the one who likes cat prints ;) But Hell-to-the-Yes, please follow through with the challenge...3 finalists. Make it worth something again.
___________
ms sangrail and Lilithcat...re: Nina's longevity.
I've seen at least two women of her professional stature ($350k+ a year), walked out of the building by security guards carrying the contents of their desks.
It CAN happen...but it's rare to shit-can someone of that level. There is usually an announcement that So-and-so was offered an outstanding opportunity with another company...blah, blah...
__________
anon 8:54 re: including older designers
I wouldn't watch if they didn't have mature contestants who had been derailed by adulthood and wanted a true chance at bringing it!
There is already an over-abundance of youth based reality-challenge TV...and frankly I can't imagine anyone at this point buying-into the proposition that Heide, Michael and Nina has the slightest clue what young people actually wear as fashion. (rolling eyeballs in an immature way) snicker.
Michael and Nina has the
*have*
grammar check.
The one thing that I feel like Heidi , Nina and Michael (but not Tim) lack is any type of connection or feeling for the designers and that became glaringly obvious after watching Iman and Rita Silvan during PR Canada.
At the after party at the Bryant Park Grill I spent a good amount of time with Gail Simmons from Top Chef and we discussed the judging process and how heart wrenching it was for her sometimes. She said she would literally cry for hours at times over someones elimination.
I feel like our trio are all like "Auf Wiedersein...NEXT"...when someone leaves...especially Heidi. I never for one nanosecond felt even the slightest shred of feeling from her toward any designer. Iman, on the other hand- well her intense wanting for every designer to succeed was palpable. Her fire when she was upset was inspiring and genuine!
Two good friends of mine are very closely involved with another type of reality show that has contestants in a creative field whome they work with in some capacity week after week. These two people get themselves literally sick sometimes over some eliminations. Nina , Heidi and Michael probably go out for martinis afterward and laugh their asses off at the bad shit.
We can't make Heidi care and she holds the checkbook, but changing up the other two judges would be nice assuming whomever they bring in actually gives a shit. Was it me or did anyone else feel like Sarah Jessica Parker was totally into it??
As far as choosing designers I think they THOUGHT they had the most talented bunch yet this season....but there was no hunger in that group....no passion.
And I felt for the first time that they DESIGNERS were the ones being judged and not their work. I am ALL FOR the blind judging.
"The best thing that could happen to PR was Christian and Chris March."
Amen sistah!
Anyway, once again, hats off to Miss PPS, as I have no doubt he's got a lot of stuff coming for him in the fashion world.
I liked the variety of designers on the show this season. Made it much more interesting to me.
15 Christian's and I would of tuned out after day 1.
Chris was 44 years old and Elisa was older too. Rami and Kevin in their 30's. I thought they all brought something different to the show.
I hope they keep it mixed up and interesting again for next year.
It's mind boggling some of the complaints about this season. It's been the networks most successful PR season ever.
With this season 4 finale having Bravo's highest rated broadcast ever.
Ratings don't lie. Apparently they did something right.
Thank you so much for this blog. I never would have been as involved in PR if it weren't for you and all of your commenters. PR3 was my favorite because it as my 1st season watching it. To see Laura Bennett being pregnant w/child when I just had one was priceless to me. After renting the other 2 seasons from NetFlix, I feel educated in my assessment of other designers and their challenges. We all have a sense of the difference between designers, people who sew really well and costume designers. I think the producers of PR have to work from that. Don't underestimate the intelligence of the audience. We all know what happens to people who peak early and don't have the stamina to stick it out. Jay and Jeffery were considered the raw talent and nothing relevant has come from them since their wins. I love the contestants who have endured the cubicle existence (Jillian) or were worker bees all their lives (Laura, Chris March)and finally get their chance to shine. Their clash or cooperation with the young, raw talent can intrigue a viewer if it is played out in an interesting way. Can people really relate to a 21-year-old prodigy? Even the hokey America's Next Top Model changes their judges every few years. Why doesn't PR??? Just my suggestions.
--Frances Spencer
Re: The Rumor
How did vapid Posh buy the whole line when its up for auction and the auction does not close for several days? Seems like its more wishful thinking than anything else. He could recreate the looks but I would not imagine that she wants a copy of something that was won by some random fan. Anymore than I imagine she intends to "buy" anything.
Many of his comments show his immaturity and perhaps his gullibility (to which other contestants and Tim have eluded). It takes a long time to actually build up any business and its become very apparent that winning a reality show guarantees nothing.
I would eliminated him on the Bitten challenge or that prom challenge and certainly don't think he should have won - but he did -- so I do hope someone is helping him who has Christian's best interest at heart. And that he listens - because I think he is indeed at risk of being used.
Love the commandments Stubenville,
and Gotham Tomato's comments too.
PPS better be careful-- he may end up in the closet of his little apartment if the sharks start circling.
Mehh....
If not Chris, then Jillian.
Totally agree with Steubenville and as always the inimitable Gotham Tomato.
Tha saddest thing about this season was that as I watched the finale I realized, I just didn't care.
I say kidnap Iman from Canada and replace everyone but Tim Gunn. Then maybe next season will be worth watching. Until then, I can't wait for the next season of PR Canada.
Tom and Lorenzo, Many thanks for your wonderfulness. You two are the only reason I kept watching this season; you two and The Tomato !!
Just so ya'll know- they did a skit on SNL about PR4 tonight! It featured a Tim and christian look a like and was pretty awseum!
Bless his heart, but young Raw Talent dressed his model Lisa in raw fug for the finale party.
http://www.tresemme.com/project-runway/finale/photos/index.aspx
Lucky for him that didn't go down the runway on the first challenge. :p
Does anyone have the YouTube video of the SNL Project Runway spoof??? I missed it!
SNL's spoof of Christian is temporarily on YouTube
I am completely waiting for Christian's collection! I know it's gonna be fabulous!!
Aw, Christian will be okay. On to Season Five!
The PR-basics are okay, but...
1. Bring back Road to the Runway.
2. Better introduction to all the designers in first episode. Show designer audition-tapes.
3. More booze! At least one party.
4. Wacky challenge early in the season. (God, this season got off to a wretched start.)
5. Go somewhere fun!
(No airline sponsor to fly you to Paris? Take the van to Coney Island and make swimsuits out of whatever non-textile items they can buy on the boardwalk for $20. Or design for the freak show. Or the mermaid parade. Maybe you can get Nathan's to sponsor! You're in New York. Use it!)
(Scrabbling around a filthy warehouse for knockoff Levis fallen to the floor was not "fun". Hey, and they -- apparently-- went to a dockside place for lunch. That sounds like fun. Show us.)
6. Spend more money, Harvey Weinstein, ya bum.
7. Bring Michael Rucker back into production. (Maybe it was his choice to do post-production, but they just didn't get the coverage without him & I missed his production-blog.)
8. Include in the show those fun-moment semi-professional videos made by production assistants and don't leave the good stuff for people to maybe stumble upon on the website.
9. Fix the friggin' Bravo website. It's not exactly user-friendly.
10. More Tim Gunn. And bring back his podcast while you're at it.
11. More & better coverage of the clothes. How about some lights on that runway?!
12. Keep Heidi/Nina/MK and the critique & defense but SHOW more of the judging. (some great guest judges this season)
13. Shake up the format and ditch the fake morning wake-up/model selection/etc. (Don't pretend model selection is happening the next day when the models are sporting the same hair & makeup as the last challenge. Please... And the clocks going wonky all day, etc. It's stupid.)
14. Better indication of real-time. How long has the judging been going on? How long designers standing up there? When they've "got until midnight" is it really midnight? Show/tell how long the break between challenges.
15. Product placement. rhrhrhhrhrh. a little too obvious this season. Don't make Tim into such a cringe-worthy shill.
16. Challenges. Call-out to PR-fans for challenge-ideas. A little contest with deadline on April Fool's Day.
17. No stupid hiatus just as the season finally picks up steam.
18. Keep decoys, but incorporate that in the show somehow. (We wanna know what it's like to be a decoy & we wanna see their collections, too)
Well, I guess that's about it for now.
-- desertwind
I don't even care if the talent is "young" and "raw"--I'm just tired of the people who have been in the business for 5 or 10 years and are using this as a stepping stone. A small, local business (like Chloe) is one thing; when people read your customer list and say, "Oh, I know her, she was in {movie title}" (like Rami) is something else.
I'm glad for Christian, even if his designs didn't appeal to me personally. I just wish I had found the season as interesting as he apparently did. "Posh Spice" as a judge? Ye gods. After having Fern Mallis as a judge, that's an insult.
By the way, great list, Desertwind. Bravo & the Weinsteins should hire from PRG and BPR. 'nuff said.
By the way, great list, Desertwind. Bravo & the Weinsteins should hire from PRG and BPR. 'nuff said.
And furthermore... I'm not sure about the age/experience/success issue.
Christian was good because he was good.
If there were an age cutoff, we might not've had Chris or Sweet P or Elisa.
OTOH, a whole season of recent design school grads might be fun.
- d'wind
Sorry. Just one more thing.
I think the PR Canada judges appear more caring than our PR because we see saw so much more of their judging.
According to Tim (and Jillian's exit tapes) the final judging went on for hours and seemed to be down to Christian & Jillian. We don't get this in the edit we were shown yet this is something we're interested in seeing.
-- d'wind
The Fierce skit is now up on SNL's site.
I agree that they should look for less established designers for the next show. Raw talent sounds good to me. But please, this does not mean everyone has to be 21 - young doesn't necessarily mean better.
OMG That sketch!!
Hope they realize that MAKING Tim say "Make It Work" is becoming actually uncomfortable to watch. He even looks like in his head he is saying "ugh....I can't believe I have to say that again...."
Everyone keeps referring to PR Canada. I would LOVE to see it. Iman is my all time favorite supermodel.
Is there anywhere on American TV it can be viewed??
Thanks in advance!!!
-----StkrShock
Hey, chgo_john, I'd forgotten that "they crossed a line when they edited Tim's comments to Ricky to make them sound like Tim was praising his work"!
You're right; that was so WRONG. The funny thing is, the viewers would have found it more interesting if Tim & the judges disagreed so wildly on a look.
- Ignatz
What surprised me about the whole affair, Ignatz, was that Tim was "allowed" to be truthful about the incident before the season started and, again, once the episode aired. Say what you will about Tim, the man knows how to negotiate a contract.
chgo_john
You know that you've made it if SNL parodies you. Amy Pohler made a fierce Christian, but Bill Hader's Tim Gunn was eerily real.
I was happy with the finale outcome, but would welcome new judges to the program. Nina's and Kors' comments are too predictable. Nina, in particular, can't seem to mask that she favors one or two contestants. It shows early in the judging and is the one thing that's consistent about her. Michael Kors knows what has commercial value. There's got to be another designer who could provide a similar point of view.
Chgo_john: Yeah, I really have to laugh sometimes....Tim says just about anything he wants, doesn't he? And nobody takes offense! (Okay, except for Jay, I think).
Besides the fact that I feel mislead...I wonder how he felt about that little editing job? I'd have been PISSED.
-Ignatz
StkrShocksaid...
Everyone keeps referring to PR Canada. I would LOVE to see it.
I haven't checked recently, but the episodes were posted on YouTube during the broadast season. The official site is at www.slice.ca (the Canadian Bravo, eh?)
I loved the SNL portrayal of Princess Puffysleeves... it was FIE-RCE!
I am undergoing painful "Project Runway" withdrawal symptoms now... How will I SURVIVE without Project Runway for a while???
But I bet TLo are ready for a VAY-CAY! Have a good breaky-break!
Joan said...
"This does beg the question...what will the PR gurus come up with for next season?"
I'm guessing, Joan, that PR5's group will be asked to create a "design" - read costume - for the women of ballroom dancing. There's a wide range there, depending upon the dance style chosen, from Ballroom (i.e., waltz, etc) to Latin (i.e., rumba, etc) to American (i.e., swing, etc). There'll be sequins & feathers flying in the workroom. And, if you listen closely enough during the broadcast, you'll hear the echo of Chris March's laugh in the distance.
chgo_john
Thanks SO much for the info on PR Canada, Stubenville!!
I really appreciate it!!!!
----StkrShock
Just sat down with my Sunday coffee to read through this post. I am blown away by the incredible quality of the thought, depth, and breadth of the people who comment here.
Bravo needs to read every word of Stubenville's and Desertwind's lists AND TAKE THEM TO HEART. Then they need to carefully consider every other comment here. I think PR's life depends upon it.
Yeah, he really seems like he's going to take the most advantage of these opportunities of all the winners so far!
And I agree the producers should keep youth and raw talent in mind for casting the next season. The different ages and levels of experience has worked to some degree in the past but, if they want to change it up, I would love to see a season with contestants that all just graduated from design school. Why not?
At first glance I thought I thought the "On the Street" photo essay In the the NY Times Sunday Style section today was a tribute to Christian. The photos, taken in Paris, show almost nothing but little black skinny pants and jackets (although not so many puffy sleeves!). America's next great fashion designer will do well across the pond. Fierce (I love Christian).
While on vacation recently I picked up a copy of Radar magazine. There was an article in there about how there's a lot of animosity among the Elle staff towards Nina. The article said that the powers-that-be want her gone so badly that they're considering ending their affiliation with PR to get rid of her.
Great comments so far and if Bravo is smart they'll monitor these posts and take some suggestions to heart.
I'd love to see new judges (but MK and Nina ain't going anywhere without a fight), would love to see blind judging for an attempt at more fairness (at least for the initial round - then bring out the designers to defend their work), no decoy collections and better scheduling so decoys aren't necessary. I love the mix of ages and wouldn't be very interested in watching a whole cast of Christians.
While scripted tv can successfully run for years reality shows have a much shorter creative life. Once contestants figure out some of the tricks to staying alive, once Tim Gunn's catchphrases become overused to the point of inducing cringes, once we see one too many truly questionable aufings, it all loses a certain freshness and integrity. The show is clearly more successful than ever (hence the ratings) but I think most would agree that it's lost a certain something. It may continue to be successful for a few more seasons but I think from a creative standpoint it's moved into the inevitable downward cycle.
No one is reading this thread anymore, but I must share that my five year old walked along, looked at the screencap of Christian at the end of the runway, and said, "That looks like Harry Potter, all dressed up." Quite right.
-nancy
I also believe the producers really need to substantially increase the prize money. C'mon folks, $100,000 is chump change in the fashion world, and frankly the prize money needs to the closer to the $1,000,000 the winner gets on "Survivor". If they do that then we will truly see raw talent come out of the woodwork.
I agree that designers like Chris March and Rami Kashou, and Sweet P, etc, who already have storefronts and/or a modicum of success, should not be on the show! All of the contestants should be young and fabulous and androgynous! And fierce! Because only really young people wear the clothes that won this season anyway. Or something. I dunno. This whole season was kind of funny.
Several comments have been made that PR needs to focus primarily on young, untried talent, maybe fresh out of design school.
Well, these comments assume that such a bunch will make for great tv viewing. That we're likely to see some interesting,innovative designs because these folks are young and not yet locked into any formula and that they have a burning desire and exuberance.
Having a group of young folks does not guarantee that they will put out garments that will keep us watching. A youthful and exuberant "passion for fashion" doesn't necessarily translate into another Christian Siriano. Or even a sort-of Christian Siriano.
Just thought I should point that out.
Dallas
"Even if you didn't agree with his win, isn't it exciting that the judges picked someone who really seems poised to take it and run with it?"
Actually, yes. That's what always broke my heart about Jay's win - he never managed to capitalize it, and Christian is certainly at Jay's level of talent and vision (even if it's an aesthetic I don't personally care for). So now that I'm over my personal snit-fit over his win (haha), I look forward to watching him.
I think a really good prize for the winner would be more cash, maybe 250K, a gotham apartment for a year, and a business manager to help them with the business end of things.
Let's see, on topic A: In addition to talent, Christian seems to have a lot of chutzpah and drive. I hope that translates into big things for him in the future.
On topic B:
I so agree on the raw talent aspect, lots of promising up and comers, untested and hungry for the opportunity and open to just going for it with mad creativity. I want to see crazy artistic genius grow and develop before my eyes, a la Jay and Christian. That's the best thing that could happen during a season of Project Runway. A seasoned designer like Rami has already gone through that first major stage of creative exploration and for him, it was really about "Check this out, this is what I can do and I already get paid good bank to do it! Don't you want one of my designs?" A whole cast of Ramis and Kara Sauns would not be fun. And then give them challenges that actually challenge them. Make a prom dress? A PROM dress? The ones who designed something that looked most like 17 magazine did the best. Yawn.
If I could make one change to the format, btw, it wouldn't be to the judging. I don't actually like the idea of blind judging. Did this designer do A and change B like we suggested last challenge is an integral part of the judging, and that would go out the window with blind judging.
My one suggestion would be to chillax on the real people challenges. This season, the models sat out the prom, the skinny, and the WWE diva challenge. That's two real people challenges too many. The designers who get the more model-like real people models always seem to do much better in these challenges. Furthermore, I do not really enjoy watching teenage girls or someone's mom work the runway, and then have them stand there and be critiqued in their outfits and told they look dumpy or matronly. I much prefer the way they did the client-specific challenges in Season 1, where designs with one client in mind were made for the actual models to model, like the postal challenge or the Sarah Hudson challenge or Nancy O' Dell challenge or the wedding challenge, where the models were the clients. The postal challenge, specifically, would have been a whole other game if real poster workers walked the runway instead of the models in the redesigned postal uniforms. And not in a good way.
I agree with Phyllis- $100K is NOTHING. Considering after taxes it amounts to about $65K, and the designer also needs to support themselves while making the collection....
Bravo is pretty tight with the money, considering all the former designers have to get THEMESELVES to the finale yet Bravo cannot wait to interview them so they can air their comments.
So You Think You Can Dance offers the same,measly $100K for people who trained years and years and years. Makes no sense where other networks are handing out $1,000,000 if you can remember song lyrics or pick a lucky suitcase.
BTW tristessa, one of the "pros" of blind judging would be seeing if the judges can decipher who made what after a few weeks. For SOME people that works in their favor, for others it doesn't.
I can never figure out what they want, someone who has a "clear vision" and a definite style of their own or someone who creates completely different garments every week without any specific telltale signature things that identify it as their own???
"BTW tristessa, one of the "pros" of blind judging would be seeing if the judges can decipher who made what after a few weeks. For SOME people that works in their favor, for others it doesn't.
I can never figure out what they want, someone who has a "clear vision" and a definite style of their own or someone who creates completely different garments every week without any specific telltale signature things that identify it as their own???"
Ahhhh, I get it now! This makes more sense to me than promoting blind judging as a rule to counteract bias. I could envision maybe having one challenge mid way through the competition where the designers swap models with each other (because the designers would have favorite models which would clue the judges in as to who made what) and are told to create something that would communicate their unique POV, something representative of their signature style. The judges are not told who created what piece right away, with the assumption that at this stage of the competition, the judges should be able to match the designer with their work. The winning designer is the one who has best communicated their aesthetic, stressing the importance of having a clear vision and kind of giving a wake up call to someone who might have been a good mimic, adapting well to the challenges at hand but not really trying bring an individual POV to their work.
Not for Bluefly.com?
Ingrate
Post a Comment