7/27 - Project Runway 20 Show Discussion

Given something I'd heard/read (I forget which) about an emotional moment between Rami and Christian this season, I suspected Christian would use the Siriano Save on Rami this week, particularly after he really praised Rami's design in the workroom, only to have the judges tear it apart.

I missed some of what happened in the workroom due to a phone call, but seriously, what has to happen before Anna gets sent home? I haven't really seen anything from her this season that resembles the quality of the work in her previous season (given what they showed of it in this episode), and I didn't see what was so fashion forward about that dress she threw together in five hours because she screwed up her initial design. But then, while I appreciated the fit of Laurence's gown, I wasn't keen on the pointy bra business on the top half of it or the V-shaped piece over the crotch--it looked more like inner wear as outer wear than what she put together for last week's challenge. I also don't see how anyone could sit in that dress, and I agree about the spikes. Just, why? I'd echo that "Just, why?" sentiment for the head to head competition as well. What was the point to that? There was no way Kara Saun was going to win and Brittany wasn't going to lose either. They just got lucky/unlucky in their pairings.

For the next challenge, I'd also like the designers to have no critique from Christian at all because I feel like some of them end up being saved by his critiques. Time to let them live or die on their own, so to speak.

And I still love Mimi. Has a model ever won Project Runway?

If Rami doesn't outlast Anna, I really will lose it.  She's gotten so lucky, so many times already this season.  I don't know what's going on with her, but her looks they showed from her original season were much better.  I don't think it's any accident at all that Kara Saun, having first choice, immediately grabbed Anna as her one-on-one competition.  Likely anyone else would have done the exact same thing.  

I think they should have a challenge where Christian doesn't offer any suggestions to anyone, period.  I know he's trying to be helpful, but he's been overly helpful in some situations, and in others, such as last night's with Rami, he was the opposite of helpful.  He strongly encouraged Rami to do the skirt and that he was on the right track.  Then the judges hated it.  However, he did save Rami, as he should have.  But he's also basically saved Anna's butt a couple of times this season already.  If she'd done what she wanted to do originally in the unconventional materials challenge, she probably would have been gone then.  Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't recall Tim Gunn being quite so obvious about telling people what they should/shouldn't do.  Of course, that might also have something to do with Tim's personal style or that as an experienced teacher, he was used to trying more subtly to get the designers to think through their choices on their own.  

BTW, none of that is meant as a slam against Christian.  I think he's getting better at his job each season, and the fact that he's been a contestant may make it harder for him to resist trying to keep someone from doing something he thinks the judges will rip them apart for doing because he knows how it feels to be criticized by the judges. But I'd still like to see the designers left to their own devices for an entire challenge to see if it would make a difference.  Or maybe have them expect Christian to do the walk through, get a message from Christian that he couldn't make it but was sending a friend instead--and have Tim walk through the door.  Yeah, I know I'm dreaming, but still....

Of course, I also wish there was a contestant who could do a really great impression of Christian, the way Santini did of Tim. Hmm....if they can't get Tim, maybe Santini could just do the walk through as Tim.  

I did not like Laurence's dress. I hated the bra that looked almost like the cone bra from earlier...only softer.

It was ironic that the judges said that only the fit allowed Kara's dress to score higher than Anna's and that she was sent out as "safe" before the winner was chosen from the other three.

On the other end, it was clear that Brittany's dress was not really in the bottom in that they sent her out as "safe" before the bottom three were judged. I would guess that her look would have defeated some of the other looks if she has paired herself with a different designer.

Loved Christian's store...I am so glad that his success as a designer and businessman keeps getting better and better. I recall an interview with him after he won and was getting a lot of attention. He said that nobody was going to help him as well as he could help himself.

I was so touched by the part where Christian saved Rami. I loved the Christian-Rami interaction, but it was also so touching to see how much the other designers love him and how happy they were that he was saved.

LOL at them going to Connecticut to Christian’s Resortwear store and someone saying “It smells rich in here” lol. Also, LOL at Christian telling Kara Saun to pick someone she could beat in the head to head denim challenge and her putting a positive spin on it by saying she thought that both she and Anna were theater and put on a good show. I also think she wanted to avoid competing against those in the house she was closer to (which is the situation that Bishme and Prajjie were in). It’s a shame they decided to make this a one day challenge because I think the looks would have been more polished with another day. I also laughed at Bishme and Anna hoarding a good portion of the denim.

They really got into each designer’s process and approach to the challenge which I really enjoyed. I loved Korto and Rami’s banter and the fact that even though they were competing against each other there was an enormous amount of respect between the two. I can’t believe Anna lied to Christian and told him that she didn’t know about washing the bleach out of the denim when Korto blatantly told her the night before when they were both outside bleaching their garments and she chose to ignore her.

Willie and Julia Fox were great judges to have for this particular challenge, and as usual some designers did better than others. Somehow, Prajjie made that jumpsuit made out of straps work, and it looked great on his bigger model instead of bulky. Bishme had a great combination with a great retro inspired design plus the fabulous Mimi to model it. I liked it very much, and the fringed jacket was fun. Korto’s look was stunning and an excellent application of batik against the dark denim, my mouth opened when her model went down the runway. On the other hand, I also enjoyed the cage like details of Rami’s garment. Both Rami and Korto’s garments had top notch finishing on them so that one was a tough call. Anna had a “make it work” moment because the bleach ate through the garment she was working on previously and she had 5 hours to make a new one but I thought her look was really cute and slightly reminded me of something Guo Pei would have created if she worked in denim. However, her look actually looked like it was made in 5 hours, while the detailing on Kara Saun’s look and felt like it was more pulled together and more effort taken than Anna’s. Lawrence managed the hard task of making denim look elegant even with the cut out breasts, I was impressed. Britney’s look was also super cute, but not everyone could wear it and the fringe I’m on the fence about; it looked both like a design detail and sloppy.

Personally, I think all the designers served decent looks for this challenge, and it was really close who won each individual head to head challenge. I liked Laurence’s look and didn’t mind her winning but I was more partial to Korto’s look. And I’m seriously upset over who was going to go home because someone else should have left but YAY! Christian save!

The thing I found really upsetting about her ignoring Korto was the seeming disregard for the model’s well-being. Korto told Anna that it had to be rinsed so it wouldn’t burn the model’s skin, but didn’t seem to sink in until the next morning when multiple people told her that.

I suppose it’s possible that it was a lack of understanding the night before. English is her second language, and she was tired and stressed when Korto was telling her.

I liked the spikes too! Also loved Korto's. Who said that Mimi should win a prize for modeling? I was thinking the same thing watching the episode.

I was so upset that Anna's wasn't a disaster, I don't see her pov, I don't understand her aesthetic, and I feel her whole identity is being tied to being a mom. And I am sure that is interesting to a lot of people and relatable, but I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear about elongated drippy breasts and I sure don't want to see it on the runway. I also don't like her cutesy act and it even annoyed me that she's never worked with denim. How do you not know that bleach is a toxic substance?

I had a pair of 501s in my 20s that I altered with bleach. I put it in a spray bottle and "drew" all over the jeans. They turned out really cool. I was bummed when the bleached parts finally started wearing through because, yeah, bleach breaks down fabric. I can't imagine NOT rinsing it. Bleach reeks and is definitely not good for your skin. I also had a pair of black jeans that I literally just wadded up and put in a little cooler with bleach water. I thought it would make them gray, but they ended up sort of brown and cream. The pattern turned out super cool though.

I truly hope that's not it because people have gone home before her who really wanted to be there.  If, for whatever reasons, she'd rather not be there, then she needs to own that and leave.  People have left before for a variety of reasons, including ones having to do with feeling as if they needed to be elsewhere for family reasons.  The show and the contestants have been supportive of that, and I would hope if she really doesn't want to be there, she'd understand that she wouldn't be judged for leaving.  If she chose to leave because she felt she needed to be with her son, I think the other contestants would get that if she's never been separated from him for this length of time before, which is entirely possible, she had no idea how it would affect her to be apart from her son for an extended period of time.

I must have missed her saying that, but it's a silly statement.  Lots of women give birth. It doesn't mean all of them are suddenly capable of doing everything.  Same deal for the men who become fathers, of course.  It doesn't make them suddenly capable of doing anything else.

I think, if true, it's subconscious. The only person she will listen to, it seems, is Christian. Maybe because she knows the time with him has a better chance to end up on the show? So she's more conscious of her narrative and what she is displaying to the public?

Kao---Loved every word you wrote...