Surrealist

I think that's a fantastic opportunity for any person. I would love to visit Shanghai. I have heard the smog is really bad there. :(

. Of the top four, I think Kini should get it. Of all the shows, I'd give it to fade, who actually produced the (colorful, playful, smart) designs the judges pretended to see when they looked at Sandhya's work, only well sewn and wearable and in attractive colors. I wish Fade hadn't melted down because he might have made it to the Finals. I think it'll be Kini. I hope it's Kini because the rest are Meh to me.

That's because 99.9% of the time Alexander looked as if he had been dragged out of bed and into the workroom.

You have a point about Char's connection to Korina. I think, to an extent, you are the company you keep. For what it's worth, I'm not the biggest Korina fan, but she didn't bother me on last night's episode. I'm not a fan of bringing back dismissed contestants to help their competitors. This goes for every reality show that employs this method. I think it's unnecessary and a way for producers to try to stir up b.s. drama. I like Char. I do think she has talent. She has interesting ideas. I think she needs to work on her construction, but maybe she will once she's no longer on the show. I hope so. I wouldn't mind seeing what she can do. That said I don't think her output last night should have been enough to keep her in the competition. I would have given the edge to Emily (who I also like) or eliminated both Char and Emily. I haven't seen every season of PR. I missed Amanda's first run on the show. My feelings toward her are based on her output this season. My mind was a clean slate. ;)

I was thinking the same. Kini gets on well with the rest of them, but I feel like he's in his own bubble. I think that's the smartest thing he can do at this point.

I don't understand it either. People here are talking about producer manipulation with Char and Korina, but Amanda coasts under the radar with her crappy looks. I, too, don't know anyone who would wear her clothing. If I saw someone wearing her stuff, I'd feel secondhand embarrassment. She remains true to her aesthetic and that's admirable, but it's unappealing to me.

I've been bagging on Korina for most of this season. Now that I've had time to think about it, Sean really is no better than she is. He's a little more passive aggressive, but he's been just as critical of his fellow contestants as Korina has. I think this might be why I've been on the fence about him. I wasn't taking his behavior and comments as a whole. I think that Sean feels as if he's on a higher level than his competitors and to some extent he is, but he's not outstanding. I haven't seen anything from him that wows me. I guess it's great to be a legend in your own mind, but if you can't translate any of that "talent" into a usable and salable product, then you're going to flame out pretty quickly. I can see this happening to Sean. I also question the judges' taste if they think Sean's waitress-line cook-nurse-cult member white outfit is the bee's knees. This season leaves me feeling "meh" overall. I'll watch the season to the end, but I'm kind of over caring about who wins.

Yes, they do, but I think it's kind of pointless. Not that the producers of Project Runway care what I think. They'll sink their ship on their own. ;)

WHOA. Why wasn't Alexander Fan Favorite? Disappointing, and yet he ended up being Char's assistant. I laughed out loud when Tim brought him in as Korina's replacement. I don't like Korina, but I didn't have a problem with what she told Tim this evening. It was shitty of producers to have ex-contestants' losing looks up for a re-purposing challenge and then bring back those losing designers. Way to rub more salt into their wounds. Kini: I didn't like the skirt. It was too bulge-y for that coat. Actually, I didn't care much for the coat or the shirt either. Less would have been more in that look. However, I really loved his red dress. The judges called that one correctly. Sean: I didn't like either outfit. I've seen cutouts before and they don't impress me. That white outfit. It bowed out just below the hips, which isn't flattering. I'm not a fan of head-to-toe white. Besides, that outfit looked like something you'd buy at the mall. The pink fringe atrocity? Just. NO. Not even as a joke. I really want to like Sean, but I get the sense that he thinks he's cleverer and more talented than he actually is, which is a familiar theme among most of the designers from this season. Amanda: I don't care for Amanda's aesthetic, but at least she stays true to it. I wouldn't be caught dead in that street look dress. It looked like something a pregnant yuppie mom who thinks she's Bohemian would wear. I didn't mind her re-purpose of Fade's dress. Maybe if she had more time to adjust it. I liked that she used black leather. Emily: I like Emily. What a class act when she was eliminated! That's how you exit a competition. She was genuinely happy for the others. I hope she finds great success off the show. I almost wish she'd design clothes that look like those she wears. I like her aesthetic, even though I can't pull it off. I'm jealous of those who can. :) I didn't mind the coat/cardigan/hoodie. I'd probably wear it because it gets super cold here in the winter. I actually liked the entire outfit. I thought it seemed closest to what I'd consider a street look. I might have liked it a little better, like Shay said, if it had been in black. I thought Emily's Samantha dress was all right. Again, another mall look, and she knew it. Plus it wasn't her aesthetic. Char: I like her. I think she has interesting ideas and can't always execute them well. She sticks to her aesthetic as well. I completely agreed with Tim and the others: that pocket on the bow skirt was a horrible idea. I think Char should not have been so stubborn to keep it on. I liked the black/white patterned top. The re-purposed Korina dress would have been great if that bunching hadn't been there. Based on her output this evening, I would not have sent her through. Also "Fan Favorite and Sewing Extraordinaire" Alexander was of little help to Char. I'm kind of surprised that they didn't take Emily over her. Or they should have cut both of them. I felt kind of bad that Emily was the only one who didn't go through. I had expected a double elimination. In general, I'm just not that wow'ed by these designers. If I had to pick a winner, I'd still go with Kini.

Me too! I just started watching this show last week because I watch Lisa Ling's show after. This show made me want to head to Shanghai to find those restaurants and food stalls. And yeah, it's nice to see that China's nouveau riche are just as obnoxious as ours are. Julia: How lucky for your daughter to study in Shanghai. That sucks about the expensive cuisine. I guess it'll be years before I try to visit if it's that expensive. ;) What else did she say about her residency?

I agree. This is the biggest reason I continue watching. And well, because of the New York backdrop. After 200 years, I'd hope Henry would have been intelligent enough to save a ton of money. Also, doesn't it cost a nice chunk of change to run an antique shop? I'm guessing that Abe's done well for himself too. The only thing I know about him is that he went to Berkeley.

I think that person is referred to as the art director. That's what Jay Manuel called himself on the show.

In the end, maybe Fade didn't care for everything that came with being on a reality show. Sure, you have an idea (from watching other reality shows) how they operate, but once you're fully immersed in the environment, it takes its toll fast. I think the stress got to him and he tuned out. Unfortunately, it was during a challenge you'd think he'd have in the bag. I don't know if he'd do the All Stars show, but I'd like to see him make a comeback.

Exactly. Their definitions of "over-the-top" vastly differ from mine.

So, for an All Stars cycle? I could live with that. Kini, Shan, Fade, and Natasha? I liked Natasha. She was easily stressed, but came up with interesting ideas. Like her crank dress for the Steampunk challenge. Plus Tim, Mondo, and Asha treated her horribly. I'd like to see her get redemption, but this is a discussion for another thread. I'd love to see Kini and Shan in a workroom at the same time. Hilarious.

I fixed it. Better now? ;) Actually, I had debated whether to include it. Kini reminds me of Shan from UTG. They finish all their work in under 90 minutes and spend the remainder of the day cleaning up the workroom and breakroom.

I was waiting for the judges (at least, Nina) to tear apart Emily's jacket and it never happened. I enjoy praising likeable people for a job well done, but that jacket was bad.

Slighty OT: Reality shows do employ non-union writers. People who work on reality shows (except for the producers and a few "stars") get paid squat.

Over the summer, I saw a few Aztec-influenced designs at some of the mall stores. But the Southwest look overall? No. I remember some things last year. I don't like Korina, but she has a particular aesthetic she feels comfortable with (they each have their preferred aesthetic) and that's what works for her. There's a definite market for her aesthetic. She just has to rein in her attitude. I like Emily, but I didn't care for her couch cushion jacket at all. Even after her alteration, it still reminded me of a couch cushion.

Tell me about it. A tagline is even better. There's no need for a designer to give a dissertation on why (s)he chose a particular design. Designer: "Our girl is proud of her Southwestern roots, which is why we created a denim/Southwestern blanket blocked sheath dress. But she's also the consummate jetsetter with an eye toward the bright colors of Mumbai, so we took the leftover pinwheels from Sandyha's work desk and stapled them to the back of the suede tan duster. We decided a bolo tie would be too 'over the top,' so Kini flew to Easter Island and carved a stone pendant out of the volcanic rock used for the Moais. The volcanic rock represents how 'hot' and stylish our girl is."

Get out of my head. I feel the same way when I see his clothes. I would love to wear most of it, but I wouldn't be able to do it any justice. I'm jealous of any woman who can wear the hell out of his clothes. When I see Seth, his style reminds me of Post Punk/New Wave. Seth kind of makes me think of Morrissey.

I don't understand it either. It's an unconventional industry. I don't understand why anyone who is super conservative, super religious, or is a bigot would want to work in the fashion industry. I mention religion because of the openly Christian contestants who go on this show and refuse to pose nude or in bikinis. I don't think they quite understand how the industry works. The fashion industry is not going to conform to their religious or spiritual beliefs.

I don't mind some drama on reality shows. I don't think any of them would do well ratings wise if there was no drama whatsoever. I'd rather that these shows focus more on the talent and technical stuff. I'm fascinated enough by those things, but I guess every show needs a villain or two.

I agree. A designer who returns from an earlier season for a second chance makes sense to me. Seth's personality is goofy, but I like his clothes.

Adam was too frat boy for me in the beginning, but slowly, I've been warming up to him. I was happy that he brought up the past incident of using a homophobic slur against another man at a party (although the incident was more than just a slur). Not only that but he admitted the incident had affected his employment. I wasn't aware of that part of the scandal. I sense that Adam genuinely feels bad that he screwed up because it affected him long after the incident was over. Not to mention that it probably affected the victim long after as well. I like that he defended Will. You said it better than I could have. Adam coming forward like that is a start, even if he didn't give the entire story. I would agree that it was an odd moment. Maybe he decided to tell it because (in his weird way) he wanted to come clean about how he used to be an asshole (like Denzel is) and since has learned the error of his ways. Then again, maybe I'm a sucker for the edit? ;) I feel guilty in saying this, but I was thrown off track when Keith mentioned that his mother is a lesbian and he's had many gay men mentor and look out for him. I was expecting him to take Denzel to task more for what he said. You're right. His stereotype is wrong. Fashion designers and stylists, perhaps. Actually, I think most male models are straight, but they probably suffer the "dumb pretty boy" insult more than anything. For once, Tyra didn't annoy me this episode. Her wigs though . . . Mirjana can go home at any time. She's cute, but every time she opens her mouth, I'm embarrassed on her behalf. Not all 18 year olds are that dense.