We didn’t see that coming. Come on producers, we see right through you. I thought perhaps I was the only one who thought it was “suspect” that the last episode, with five contestants standing, was not deemed the one which “determines who goes to fashion week,” as it has been in the past, and that Edmond, a very strong early finalist contender, was eliminated over Ashley, who has had some highs and lows but is overall not as strong a designer as he is. Let’s not belittle the fact that Heidi was recently photographed on a red carpet wearing a sexy little Edmond dress, either.
So, last episode the producers REALLY left viewers hanging and in a quandary. Arms went up as Edmond was eliminated…yet he did not receive the usual Tim Gunn “clean up your workspace” cue. This episode opens with Tim coming into the holding room announcing he “feels numb.” He uses his “Tim Gunn Save” at last, and gets choked up as he tells Edmond it was very deserved, not just “kind of” as Candice suggested. Um, Candice honey, I’d be worried.
There we have it, the final four. Sorry, but it was not as big a cliffhanger as I think it had been intended. In fact, this whole sequence of events makes the show seem more scripted than ever. The “Tim Gunn Save” was not used on Swapnil because supposedly Tim couldn’t stand him and he was a lazy bum. God forbid he doesn’t use the save at all in the season, right? Look at Edmond’s profile: he has auditioned each and every season for “Project Runway,” finally he makes it on the show, he has talent, he seems likable, charismatic… perfect winning material. How could it be that he was eliminated?! Okay, so no one is controlling his design choices. We all make mistakes. He chose a somewhat gaudy fabric in the last challenge, so had no choice but to make a fairly simple dress with it. So simple that Christian Siriano could “make it in 10 minutes.” Think about judging a design competition. Critiques can be spun different ways. For example, the judges love Kelly. She takes risks. However, in the last challenge, I could have seen Kelly being criticized for her look. The jumpsuit is really hit or miss, and has a very limited clientele who can wear and get away with it. It could be great or it could be awful. Edmond’s design was similar in that it can have polarized responses. Some people love multicolored sequined minidresses, like Heidi! How much you want to bet she secretly loved his dress? I could have seen Ashley and Candice in the top two because Ashley went outside her comfort.
Anyway, not to to bring in last week’s designs, but I am trying to make the points that a) there are so many ways to spin design critiques, and b) at the end of the day, this is entertainment. No press is bad press when it comes to shows like “Project Runway.” The goal is to get people talking and to create buzz, so controversy is good, in the eyes of the producers. Why do you think Mondo came in second place? (Along those lines, if Swapnil agrees to do the next “All Stars,” I betcha he wins! Suddenly I am seeing parallels with “The Bachelor”!)
And now for some commentary on each designer, on what was shown so far for their collections, and/or on the home visits. After the home visits, the designers return to New York (to a much cuter hotel than the Best Western…sorry!) and must show the judges three looks for feedback and to determine who will move forward and show at NYFW.
Tim starts off in San Diego to check in on ASHLEY, who is tapping into her Mexican heritage in a collection which is predominantly hand-dyed cotton lace, accessorized with floral headdresses for each model. I was not moved by much here, sadly. In fact the thing I was most drawn to were the headdresses. I think a lot was lost in translation and just not executed quite to the level it could have or should have been. The three looks may have been cohesive, but there was nothing memorable. It is good that she listened to Tim and made her third (“new”) look out of a darker tone, a beautiful dusty aubergine, because otherwise the mini collection could have been even more one-note. The crop top bodice had a horrible fit, and the third look was totally expected and we’ve seen this before from Ashley. Nina had warned about using a floral crown on every girl, but frankly her collection needs that drama (not that that’s a good thing).
Next Tim visits San Francisco to see CANDICE, beginning with an awkwardly staged beach scene. I was so distracted by the cars in the background, lawn chairs, Mom sipping her thermos, and Candice in her black leather thigh-high boots. Why the beach?! Does Mom live there? Cut to: Candice (in a completely different outfit) and Tim, walking to her very nice studio where she shows him her rather theatrical collection which is underway, inspired by the “China Through the Looking Glass” exhibit at the Met, “focusing on the impact of Chinese design on Western fashion over the centuries.” Tim calls it “drag queen.” I could not help but think, “How is she staying within budget?” while watching this because Candice used some seemingly very luxe materials like laser-cut leather, lambskin, molded wood, and more. Not to mention the volume of fabric required for the giant skirt she is making. When I first saw Candice’s looks on the screen, I thought they were very costumey and dated, especially the first look with floral elephant bell pants, and the second look’s over-the-top, contrived hat. I liked look #3 the best, but my overall I was not impressed with anything.
Tim heads to the east coast to Springfield, MA, where KELLY from the Deli walks him through her “Studio 54 meets New Wave street” collection. There is definitely a distinct personality coming through on these looks, but I’m not sure I’m digging it. I happen to think the fanny packs are great, but perhaps it becomes comical when paired with disco elements. I’m not a fan at all of the print she used. It’s like “tire tread” meets “capsule.” I don’t think it makes a strong enough statement, and that it was a mistake to use so much of it in the three looks she showed. Why did she not dye some yardage so there was at least a different color way? Also I did not feel the print combination Overall, the three looks seemed overly simple to me, but with some good styling. (I happen to like the chunky-funky sandals.) We saw some of Kelly’s technical skill in previous challenges, but it is not showing here. The first look was a simple tank which didn’t fit great in the bust. It was a throwaway look that would possible be #16 in a 32-look collection. I also did not like her use of nude mesh throughout the collection. Sheer nude mesh goes Ice Capades or “Dancing with the Stars” really fast. Did you catch the glimpse of the 60’s-esque dress on the model during her fittings? Not bueno. In a nutshell, while I appreciate Kelly’s quirky POV, I found this looks to be a bit cheap. I did think it was super adorable that Kelly brought Tim to her Deli digs, and seeing the support of her coworkers. And the BIG GUNN sandwich! Now that is smart marketing.
Next up it’s ATL to see EDMOND. Tim helped him hone his direction, to be more eveningwear focused. In typical Edmond form, he had already made way too many pieces. Seems he had started off with too many ideas, too. I personally think his collection was pretty darn cohesive, and not “all about the ruffle,” although I couldn’t help hark back to Christian Soriano whose collection was extremely ruffle-centric. I quite like the slinky dress with high neck and asymmetric ruffle. LOVE the second look, a very Geoffrey Beene-esque a-line dress. The scale was fantastic. The look he made in a day was positively sublime, with the “waves” traveling down one arm. Both black and white dresses would appeal to a wide range of women, and would probably look good on many body types. The collection is sophisticated and elegant, yet has a playfulness to it. I don’t disagree that it could use a splash more sex appeal, but at least it looks expensive and well made, which is cannot be said of his opponents’ looks.
Funny/not funny that three out of four designers received rather harsh critiques, but then again how do we know this is not all staged…who thinks Edmond will take it all?
