(S06E12) It's the trend for most contestants on Project Runway to cave during the final challenge; this season was no exception. This season's final challenge was to be inspired by the Getty museum. The contestants had two days and $300 to design the dress.
Inspiration:
Althea - Overall Architecture Christopher - Rock Fountain Irina - Mischief and Repose by Godward. Gordana - Rouen Cathedral by Monet Carol Hannah - Bed - French, Paris (circa 1775 - 1780)
There was so much to be inspired by in the Getty Center, and I feel like the show rushed its way through.
(S06E11) Project Runway finally explained why different people won challenges this season instead of just Irina and Althea winning all of them. This week's challenge was to make a companion piece to the contestants' winning looks. Unfortunately, Logan has never won a challenge. With one day and $100, they had to make it work.
On paper, the challenge sounds like an interesting way of thinking of cohesive collections. Most of these designers have an aesthetic (Carol Hannah doesn't like pants, Christopher likes full skirts). For Gordana, Christopher, and Logan, the companion pieces that they made neither complimented, nor improved on their original outfits.
(S06E10) This week on Project Runway, the challenge was to become inspired by several locations that Michael Kors loves. They were given $150 and the day to make a pretty outfit. Why does it seem like there's always one contestant that gets a topic they know nothing about and makes something not even close?
There are only a few challenges left, and I have to admit that other than Irina, the rest of the competitors' outfits have become more and more boring. Production really needs to give these contestants one or two days off between challenges to recharge their batteries.
(S06E09) This week on Project Runway the contestants are given a very interesting challenge: design an extravagant stage look. Their inspiration has to come from world renowned Bob Mackie and pop superstar Christina Aguilera in mind. They had two days and $300 to make a sequin/feather extravaganza.
Unfortunately for us, Gordana had the last immunity of the season and couldn't be eliminated. I guess what she made was better than a sequin sweater. If I had immunity, I would have made a sequin one piece bathing suit with feather accents. It probably would have been better than Gordana's dress.
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(S06E08) We finally get a challenge this season of Project Runway that doesn't involve models. I blame Models of the Runway for making so many model-centric challenges this season.
The designers had to make divorcee dresses out of wedding gowns. They had only one day, and the winner got the last immunity of the season. To make it worse, the contestants were only given $25 and a two yard maximum at Mood.
The designers should have remembered Steven Rosengard from season four and used the wedding gown as trim. Luckily, no one ended up making a funeral dress.
(S06E07) Project Runway finally got down to ten contestants, a number where I could finally tell the difference between Shirin and Irina. This week we welcome the return of Michael Kors. He quickly used the term "bridesmaid," and his sharp opinions were missed. Let's hope the eliminations will be less erratic.
This week's challenge revolved around the color blue. The outfits had to be two Macy's-inspired, commercial-friendly outfits. The reward is an ability to design a dress for Macy's collection. The teams had one day, a $100 budget, and no immunity for the next challenge.
(S06E06) For the first season of Project Runway in Los Angeles, production has been trying their best to use their surroundings for themes. This week Project Runway finally gave the opportunity to make a Hollywood based costume challenge. Unfortunately, the designers didn't realize that the challenge was just a façade for L'oreal Paris to play with the model's hair.
The designers were given a genre, $150, and a day to design a visual masterpiece representing their genres. Somewhere in that day, they lost time to consult with Collier Strong to make sure that L'oreal (and not Garnier even though they are in the same family) was represented.
(S06E05) I have a problem with this season of Project Runway. The contestants seem to focus on how much they hate other designs instead of being friendly and helping or saying that the outfit looks like a hot mess to their face. They hope that the clothes will sink the competitors, so they stay silent.
The drama continued this week when Tim Gunn revealed that the challenge was using newspaper as fabric. The unconventional material challenges lead to a lot of failures (fat paper Minnie Mouse from Season Three's Garbage challenge comes to mind), but overall, the contestants stepped up their game.
(S06E04) Project Runway loves messing with their designers. This week's challenge was that the models were their clients. It's not groundbreaking (season one's Wedding Dress Challenge comes to mind), but the real challenge is trying to tell these girls that they're delusional and not designers. Epperson's model Matar wanted an orange, punk, flowing, tiger dress. Thankfully, he took pieces and translated it correctly.
Tim announces that this is the first one-day challenge. This group has it easy; season five's first four challenges were all one-day. They probably wanted to make sure Johnny didn't have another mental breakdown and quit.
What's old is new again. Marvel Comics is dusting off a group of characters created in the 1960's called Models, Inc. and will be revamping them for a modern audience. The twist is that Project Runway star Tim Gunn will be featured in one of the comic book storylines called "Loaded Gunn."
It's a very clever way to reintroduce a group of characters that could be considered somewhat dated and make them relevant again. Since the storyline involves the theft of some superhero costumes, there may even be some crossover appeal between the genders. Hopefully, the comic will not be confused for that other Models, Inc. from way back when.
Apparently the group will be pursuing supervillains who commit "crimes of fashion." In which case, they're going to have to go against half the superpeople in the Marvel Universe. So who should they go after? Which superheroes or villains have committed the greatest fashion crimes at Marvel?
(S06E03) Early episodes of Project Runway throw me off. There are too many contestants, and a lot of them get lost in the shuffle. A lot of the designers have five seconds here and there, but the editing team chooses which ones we get to know.
This week was a team challenge where everyone was paired up in a school-yard pick. Who is Irina anyway? The designers had the chance to talk to locals, but the information they gave was useless. If someone didn't know beach wear was influenced by tropical colors, comfort, and functionality, they deserve to lose the challenge.
(S06E01)Project Runway is back! With few exceptions, the show seems remarkably unchanged by the move to Lifetime, so those who were fearful that without the Bravo touch Project Runway would cease to be... Project Runway, your fears should be allayed. The one significant change, one I'm still not sure about, is the move from New York to Los Angeles. New York just screams fashion to me, the rag trade, and the buzz of Seventh Avenue. L.A. doesn't, but we shall see how it plays out.
Meanwhile, Heidi, Michael, Nina and Tim were there, the touchstones of the show, and as the new contestants were unveiled, PR was off and running.
In a smart programming move, Lifetime ran a Project Runway: All Stars edition before the Season Six premiere. Seeing familiar faces from the Bravo years immediately sent a message to viewers that this was the same Project Runway.
In preparation for its big August 20th season premiere on Lifetime (and, evidently, to interrupt me when I'm trying to watch a few episodes of Frasier and Will & Grace), Project Runway has been running endless ads, loud and proud. I'm sorry, did I say "loud and proud"? I meant "weirdly sentimental and full of slow-mo."
The commercials featuring individual designers from the upcoming season were almost touching enough to confuse me. I mean, I'm used to the super-catty "I didn't come here to make friends, I came here to be the snarky queen bee" sort of ads. Are these just to reel in the average Lifetime viewer, or is this an early indication of Project Runway's slightly new voice?
So the new season of Project Runway premieres on August 20, on Lifetime after a legal battle with Bravo and a long wait (filming ended nine months ago). But there isn't just one Project Runway this season, there's two, if you include the spinoff Models of the Runway, which will show the models they use on the show talking about what went on behind the scenes.
Coming next season: Gaffers of the Runway, where the crew that works on the electricity/lighting on the set will talk about the models, and then Project Craft Services, where the people who supply the food to the cast and crew will talk about what the models eat (or don't eat) and which of the designers eats the most.