Project Runway: Hello Crazies!

Was anyone else disappointed? I'm not sure what Tim was saying there at the beginning, but here is what I heard:

"In season's past the designers had to create a garment out of unconventional materials. This season...no. Boring fabric. Just like a normal fashion designer. Because we don't want to push to tooo much, it's only a reality show after all...oh right. best designers to date. that has to go in...it's in the contract."

As much as I complain about how 'not fair' making a dress out of grass or coffee filters might be, that's why I watch the show! Maybe my recent fascination with Top Chef has hardened me for other reality competitions. That show took contestants to a GAS STATION and expected French cuisine...

...but then again, looking at these outfits, maybe the producers felt the need to hand-hold the designers when the was the best outfit produced was THIS:



While nitpicking over the dresses the judges liked and disliked is all well and good, I think it's a little more interesting to examine the ones in the middle. This goes back to Michael's first dress (coffee filters) and my friend has a theory they edit out the ones that do really well in order to save those juicy clips for the end (think about it--when did Michael and Laura start getting air time...midway into Season 3?)

I noticed last night they spent even last time on the dress details and more on the designer reactions. I DONT WANT TO SEE some designer looking smug about his or her work, I want to see the craftmanship. It's hard enough I have to work with a 13" non-HD TV that periodically loses color...but that's no excuse for the judges who were there in person. I mean, how did this dress get by the judges scrutiny:
That looks like carpet scraps tied together in some sort of faux-lingerie style...how did this get past the judges? Maybe it moved better, because I honestly don't remember it when it walked, but jesus, it makes me cringe now.

As for my favorite non-picks, they all have varying degrees of inspiration. But again: THE WINNER WAS A TOGA!

First I have to give a shout-out to my new favorite designer. I'm pulling for Jillian until further notice. She's got that Michael feel to her: she's not some overpowering character foil so the cameras are shying away from her, yet her dress seems well-executed and beautiful. That color is fantastic, and it's such a flirty dress, you could see this actually in stores.

The Others:

Finally, if a winner HAD to be chosen out of the ones the judges singled out...I'd go for the slightly S&M dress over a toga any day:

My God, it's that time again already !?

Season four of Project Runway starts tonight!!

For some reason this season snuck up on me. I kind of fell off my usual blogs over the past few months--without the show to blog about, I kind of got tired of all the fabulous-me commentary that filled the void.

But today it's all come back! Here's a video from Bravo of a kick-off runway show. Each designer this season shows three items, which makes me wonder if this was the first challenge a la 'bring three outfits that define you'.



My favorites, strictly based on how I liked all THREE outfits as one singular statement are:

Favorite: Jillian Lewis
What can I say? I like the colors, I like the embellishments, I like the risk (especially on that coat). They are all different, yet all well made. It makes me think she can do a lot of different things, which is always a plus in this competition.




Second Favorite:
Elisa Jimenez. Sure, it's neutral, but at least it has a singular theme to it. It's also well made and I love that two-piece hoodie.





Honorable Mention: Jack Machenroth
I really don't like the pink dress. It screams Uli...but the other prints I think are very sophisticated. It always seems that PR has certain 'characters' that evolve each season. The Santino who didn't win was transformed into the Jeffery who did. Wendy who was a good seamstress/bitch transformed into Angela who could sew rosettes until the apocolypse. Could this be a non-beach crazed Uli evolution?




Hated-it, but was Intrigued: Ricky Lizalde
He did lingerie...the pig. But I'd wear it, so.....


Single outfits I liked as well:
The First is Victorya Hong. It won't win the show, but I'd definitely buy that color.


The second is Carmen Webber. I'm a sucker for large hooded coats, what can I say. I'll admit it's still a little fuggly, but someone's gotta take risks.


Lastly, there is Christian Siriano. With a name like that, you've got be a winner. I love the big scarf, saves from dragging a coat around with you.

Why TV can strike and the news can't....

So I've been following strike news very closely because in my fantasy world I became a writer and develop plot lines on all my favorite shows like Lost and Mad Men.

BY the way, this was my idea first, but then I realized I was the only one who reads this blog, and striking against myself is a way of letting the man win!

My comment is about CBS News' possible strike of their own writers. While I wholeheartedly support writers receiving their fair share of benefits and compensation, striking against a failing medium seems a little risky.

Here's how it will play out:

Writers at CBS will strike. Shows like 60 Minutes and 48 Hours will stop producing new content. (Not really sure if the strike also covers the news, news....here's hoping it doesn't...I'm pretty sure the networks would thank writers for kicking the ratings-troubled Katie Couric off the air)

Without the news programs, networks will replace these shows with classics like "Meet Your New Babby Daddy" or "America's Psychic Challenge" (Okay, the first show I made up, but the second is actually airing on Lifetime).

Once they realize these reality programs get higher rating than the news, adios Mike Wallace. Welcome to Armageddon.


Network news shows are in a pretty sad state right now. I mean, they're no print media, but their lack of viewership is pretty pathetic. Striking, it seems, would only worsen the situation.

W's turn at a multi-cover issue

I'm sure everyone heard about the W dueling covers: Angelina and Jen competing for revenues:


Glossed over peaked my interest when they mentioned apparently nine covers were shot for the issue.

While the two covers didn't really seem that creative to me, considering it's a two-year-old story, somehow, looking at all nine, I'm a little more impressed? It makes sense now, seeing more current headline-hoggers in the mix too. Adding in more of the shots clarifies the style and theme of the design a little better.

I still think it's a dumb followup to last year's award nominee.

Here are the shots [Slideshow on W here]