Project Runway: the end in sight…
November 11th, 2009 by 
Mallory Jindra
Photo Courtesy of mylifetime.com
Well. I love to say I told you so, so I will. My predictions came true – woot-woot! And three women are heading to Bryant Park as finalists in Project Runway for the 2nd year in a row, thank you very much. Charles Frederick Worth – the first ever couturier- always claimed that it takes a man to dress a woman. And that IS when male designers first started stepping into the limelight, leaving nary a space for us girls. That’s why we (the masses, I mean) absolutely LOVE hearing about women in the industry like Elsa Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel and Diane Von Furstenberg.
A few thoughts on the remaining designers:
Althea’s designs are usually very cool, funky pieces for a younger crowd, and that’s what I enjoy about her. She has strong ideas, and if you give her the time, her looks come out very well-made. However, I do think she’s not as articulate as she needs to be to really cut it. She seems to have a lot of experience with designing and not much else; she shows this when she talks to the judges, or even the camera in her one-on-ones. Having great communication skills (which includes clearly articulating your vision) is an essential in the business side of fashion, and in this sense, Althea is limited.
Carol Hannah is practical, she usually knows what it is she’s trying to accomplish, she designs and makes her clothing very well, and she’s extremely articulate and well prepared in front of the judges. Her one downfall might be that she clearly does dresses, and only dresses. I’m interested to see what she comes up with for her collection, because she simply can’t let 12 dresses walk down the runway, no matter how beautiful they are. More prestigious designers can do whatever they please, but the judges are looking for versatility, and I Carol Hannah really needs to step it up in this category.
Nina Irina, bitchy as she may be, is looking like the strongest designer overall. She has vision, strong crafting skills, unique ideas (but with a definite personal point of view in every design she does), versatility and intense drive. The only thing I can think of that will set her back, if not in this competition, then in the real fashion world, is her collaboration reservations. She can’t work in a team, and she WILL suffer from that in her career. We know all about that from last season with Kenley; Kenley was a nightmare to work with, and…..uh, didn’t she end up in jail this past year? Yeah……
I really hope these last few episodes aren’t a disappointment. We all know that Project Runway hasn’t felt the same this season, and it may be on its last leg. Nina and Michael need to show up at the same time!
November 12th, 2009 at 9:04 am
The outcome of this year’s Project Runway was spoiled months ago, so I can’t really give anyone credit for “calling it.”
We are deluding ourselves if we think this season was anywhere near the peaks of seasons 2 and 3. The first two booted were the only two with any avant garde sensibility, making room for increasingly simple garments from Christopher, Althea and Gordanna.
This season also lacked a narrative removed from the runway–there was no journey for the designers, merely a Waiting for Godot style time-killer to see who would be serving as a judge for that round.
Simple.