S01.E01: Heidi and Tim Are Back

[raven]

Quote

27 Mar. 2020

Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn welcome 12 designers to New York City and tell them to pack their bags because their first fashion show will be in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris. In their first assignment, the designers must create a two-look brand snapshot. One designer lets self-doubt get in her way, while another has to make a new dress from scratch with only a few hours remaining.

 

[hurrrz]

I love the subtle stabs at Project Runway:

- 1 million dollars! 

- you're here to design, not sew

- if you want to do fashion, you gotta be in Paris

 

I am sure there are more. 

[SemiCharmedLife]

It was good to see Heidi and Tim again.  This new format will take some getting used to, especially the judging.  But, I liked some of the changes:  less frenzy with fabric choice and time limits, seamstresses, exciting locations...

I was surprised to see Martha having such a difficult time cutting her fabric.  C'mon! It was a large rectangle!  Hopefully she has some skills that we are just not privy to at the moment...

Also, I was disappointed to hear all the whining Esther was doing over the seamstress not sewing her dress, but not being able to understand what was wrong with it and why/how she started over.  If it is that big of a deal, give us the scoop!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I find the concept of seamstresses very interesting only because before Project Runway began, they wanted to provide seamstresses for the designers and Tim Gunn told the producers not to do that, partly for exactly what happened with Esther when she said that the seamstress didn't sew something properly.

The huge budget upgrade between PR and this show was obvious which was a nice change after the bargain basement Lifetime years with the Belk accessory wall and Avon makeup. If I recall correctly, there was no mention of a budget at the fabric store so I wonder if there was an upper limit or if they were allowed to spend as much as they wanted. Heh, part of me liked that the store wasn't shut down for the show.

I liked that they can eliminate multiple people per episode. Cut the dead weight!

Heidi's bangs were driving me crazy. Just seeing her hair in her eyes was making me blink constantly.

Heidi's personality was driving me crazy at the beginning of the episode when they gathered all the designers to talk about the competition. She totally reminded me of Amy Poehler's "I'm a cool mom" in Mean Girls. Like, seriously, calm down, girl.

Megan's runway look was cute but it looked more like a prom dress than a runway look. Her ready to wear look was just an animal print jacket and pants, but I liked the ruffled detailing on the collar/shoulder. I understood why she added the yellow tuxedo stripe to the pants but I just didn't like that color. Her model in the ready to wear look was awful though.

Ji Won's black and white ready to wear look was very striking. The white trim was really bold. Her white and red runway look was similar but different enough that they didn't look like carbon copies in different colors. They were both great streetwear looks.

Rinat's ready to wear look was just a little black dress, and not a very flattering one at that. The neckline looked like it was unintentionally asymmetric and the gathering did no favors to er model's body (so imagine how unflattering it would be on a non-model). I didn't like her runway look because it reminded me of those 90s Victoria's Secret catalog "business" looks that were basically a blazer without a blouse/bra/skirt underneath. I remember looking at those pictures in the catalog and wondering where in the hell do you work, lady? I also hated that the asymmetric shoulder was almost sliding off the model.

Will's runway look looked great on the model, but between the short length and the pleather looking material, it seemed more like something to go clubbing in. Heh, it was short and tight so I knew that Heidi would love it. His gold ready to wear look was terrible. I just couldn't get past that cheap looking gold fabric. It also looked like it didn't fit the model very well. It was sweet to see Will get so emotional though.

Jonny's runway look was so plain and boring. You're competing for a million dollars and your opening look is a white cotton long sleeved dress that looks like it should be worn underneath a Catholic school jumper? I liked his ready to wear look a lot more. It wasn't the most innovative thing I've ever seen but it looked a lot more interesting than that boring white dress.

Jasmine's blue ready to wear look was simple and a little too loose. I'm all for dresses that more than one body type can wear but it just needed something more. I liked her green runway look better but wow was it cut high.

Josh's black runway look was too simple. If you're going to do a little black dress, you have to do something to make it different or interesting. The most interesting thing was the belt. His ready to wear look was the same. It was a dress. The only thing that made it all memorable was that he used two different colored prints. But the dress itself looked like to pieces of fabric draped over the model with a belt. There was no design there.

Troy's runway look gets credit for having multiple pieces. It was smart to use a print for the shirt underneath. The ready to wear look seemed like it didn't fit the model at all. Maybe that was an optical illusion from the print but it just looked like a giant robe.

I had no sympathy whatsoever for Martha aka Sparkle Princess Glitter Unicorn when she stood in front of that fabric for lord knows how long. I get if you are a designer who has seamstresses at your disposal but I don't get why anyone would come on a show like this and think they wouldn't have to do at least basic patterning and sewing.

Her runway look was awful. The print was really juvenile and adding a giant bow just added to the immature/juvenile feel. That particular shade of light blue looked like the color of a baby's nursery which did not help. On top of all that, there was no shape to the dress which made her model look wide. I also didn't think this was a runway look. Remove the giant bow and it's just a boring shapeless unflattering dress in a childish print. Her ready to wear look had no design in it. As Naomi Campbell said, we can all tie a piece of fabric around our bust. I HATED what Martha wore on the runway too. Ugh, she is going to be my Hester Sunshine, torturing me with her constant presence and LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME antics. And to hear her defend her second look as something that would be flattering on so many different shapes just made me roll my eyes. Yes, all the different shapes that are flat chested without an ounce of belly fat.

Sabato's runway look was simple but really beautiful and sophisticated. It just flowed beautifully. His ready to wear look was just as gorgeous. I found both looks to be deceptively simple.

Sander's blue runway look with the stick in the shoulder was confusing to me. It looked like his model's outfit got stuck on the hanger while it was still in the closet. His ready to wear look was very different from anything else on the runway so I really liked it. Yay for using color in such a bold way too. I liked the way that the red cut across the huge ruffle in front. That was a really dramatic look.

Esther's ready to wear black dress was simple (which I understand since she made it in two hours) but chic. Her runway look was interesting but I wish the camera had shown some close ups of the details, which are hard to discern on black outfits. Interrupting is a pet peeve of mine so I was already shushing Esther, but DO NOT interrupt Naomi Campbell!

I loved that ALL of the designers got to hear the judges' feedback. One of my least favorite things on PR was when the top and bottom designers went into the stew room and then they immediately rehashed what the judges JUST said. Please don't waste my time repeating what I just saw five seconds ago!

Speaking of wasting time, this episode was over an hour long but the introductions to the designers at the beginning were mostly blink and you miss it. Maybe we could have cut some of those unnecessary shots of Tim's shoes or Heidi's vocabulary lesson so that we could have had more than half a second of the designers at the beginning of the episode. They also need better shots of the runway shows. I don't need to see what an outfit looks like from 50 yards away, people!

[Fake Jan Brady]

How the hell does Heidi spend thirty years working as a model in fashion/show business and never hear the word titillating? Even as a smutty joke?

8 hours ago, hurrrz said:

I love the subtle stabs at Project Runway:

- 1 million dollars! 

- you're here to design, not sew

- if you want to do fashion, you gotta be in Paris

I am sure there are more. 

We see your Hester and we raise you one Martha.

[Aulty]

Its a firm "No, Thanks" from me, I'm afraid.

I didn't miss Heidi Klum and clumsy articulation and I've never been that charmed by Tim Gunn's collection of concerned facial expressions.

They do have a nice mix of judges, I'll give em that, and some good designers. I don't believe for one second that the judging 'conversation can change everything' - its theatre. And Tim pitching in from the sides?

[dleighg]

The addition of seamstresses who don't actually interact with the designers is interesting. You certainly have to have a clear idea of what you want them to do-- no getting to wing it, or fix their confusion if you weren't clear!

[hurrrz]

Yeah, there's a lot of shenanigans going on here. The seamstress thing is good in concept, but it's also not executed well. So this is the normal way designers work usually? That seems strange to me. 

 

The location of the runway was cool. I don't like the judges. The designs were okay, but not presented well in the runway. Why do the judges up take more screen than the designs? I feel like they waste a lot of time showing the designers (and Heidi and Tim) hanging out in Paris as opposed to the actual work that happens. 

 

I find it odd that they kick people off early in the critique. It's somewhat refreshing to not have the "omg it's 2 people left who'll leave?" type of thing, but it's just strange how they do it. 

[Straycat80]

I just watched episode one. I’m on the fence about watching more. I missed Tim but not Heidi, she always bugged me anyway, too much chirpy, fake excitement. And now she keeps mentioning the million dollar prize, like in your face Project Runway.

The judges, I like Nicole Richie, I’ve never liked Naomi Campbell, I couldn’t understand the woman with the giant eyebrows. I wasn’t impressed by the runway show except that it was in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I hated the split screen with the judges talking, Tim and the designer talking, it was hard to concentrate on the model. I wasn’t impressed by the designs so far, so much black. I do like that they can voted off more than one designer at a time. No more choosing between two crappy designers, get rid of them both. 
 

Martha reminds me of Paris Hilton from The Simple Life days. I kept expecting her to say ‘that’s hot’ to Nicole Richie and I hated her juvenile looks. I’m afraid the judges are going to like her and if that’s the case, then I really will not continue watching.

So it’s true in real life the designers don’t sew and have seamstresses do it. The problem I have with this is what happened with Esther, she blamed the unseen seamstress for her dress being sewn wrong. Is everyone who gets their design criticized going to do that? Oh, that’s not my fault, it was the seamstress’s. Esther ended up sewing her new dress anyway so why not have the designers sew. But then again some of them, like Martha, can’t sew or even cut material which really confuses me, they don’t teach that stuff in design school? 

 

[dleighg]

9 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Heidi's bangs were driving me crazy. Just seeing her hair in her eyes was making me blink constantly.

I agree. And it reminds me of an ad for some office service that has this red-haired twenty-something woman with sharp clipped bangs EXACTLY at her eyebrows. All I can think is that a haircut like that would take every-other-day trimming!

[Gloriosa]

Of course I'll keep watching.  I can't help myself, I really like Heidi and Tim (but also love Siriano as his replacement on PR).  Ms. French Vogue looked insane with that makeup.  Oof.  Too bad Martha didn't get eliminated - I hated her clothes on the runway and the ones on her body.  I'm OK with Richie and Altuzurra; Campbell's hautiness is sometimes just too too much for me, but she's soooo gorgeous.  I kind of thought Esther's problem was that she wasn't able to communicate exactly how she wanted her sewing done - which was unfortunate, but I didn't think she was whiny about it.  She just started over, and it certainly worked out for her in the end.

[dleighg]

1 hour ago, Gloriosa said:

Ms. French Vogue looked insane with that makeup. 

yeah that was bad

[leighdear]

6 hours ago, dleighg said:

The addition of seamstresses who don't actually interact with the designers is interesting. You certainly have to have a clear idea of what you want them to do-- no getting to wing it, or fix their confusion if you weren't clear!

See, I really like this.  It mans you have to KNOW how to sew, the different techniques and concepts, you just won't be doing it yourself. 

Which means NO Anya 2.0 winning the million dollars!

Hatehatehate Martha. As soon as the Skype-the-hubby-and-baby came up on screen, I muted it and went to the bathroom.  Personal lives should NEVER ENTER THE WORKROOM!  She's ridiculous.  I can see her clothes as re-treads of Sandhya in Season 13 with the clown suits, peplums on everything and Pepto Bismol pink in half her garments.  

As soon as Esther's plans started going sideways, I knew she would be last to walk the runway, and would win.  

After watching EVERY season of PR, somethings you can just spot a mile away.  

Edited March 27, 2020 by leighdear

[Samwise979]

Idk why you wouldn't take a beginner sewing class before coming on. Just in case. 

I'm sure most (successful) designers don't sew their own clothes but there's collaboration between them and the seamstresses. How the seamstresses know what you want without interacting with them is beyond me. 

Loved when Martha was whining about being nervous to cut her fabric and Sabato went over and was like, in the real world we have access to pattern makers and seamstresses but, we still need to know how to pin!

I'm not sure if I'm loving the show overall. The first 2 episodes are up so I'll watch the second one as well but idk if I'll continue. 

Is "seamstress" a gender neutral term? I'm sure there are men in the profession too. I guess because of the "ress" on the end (eg. waitress, actress etc.) I automatically think woman when I hear the word. Anyone know?

Edited March 28, 2020 by Samwise979

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, Samwise979 said:

I'm sure most (successful) designers don't sew their own clothes but there's collaboration between them and the seamstresses. How the seamstresses know what you want without interacting with them is beyond me. 

Designers who know construction and technique can easily leave instructions for the seamestresses to follow because they understand how the garments are put together and they have the vocabulary to describe what they want. Designers like Anya who don't know how to sew would not be able to put together a tech pack.

To me, it's kind of like a chef being able to leave a recipe for someone to follow. If you know techniques and have the vocabulary to say you need to chiffonade the herbs and braise the meat, anyone else with training will be able to follow the instructions easily and come up with something pretty close to what the chef made.

[Tess23]

Random thoughts:

- I miss Christian. Sorry, Tim.

-Paris! Eiffel Tower! It was a little too in your face for a first episode - like a meal consisting of only dessert.

-NO, random designer guy, you do not get to use the word 'fierce.'

-Did Heidi grab Tim's butt on the runway?

-Wasn't digging the designers all randomly huddled in the corner during judging.

-Learning a bit about each of the designers would have been helpful. 

-I know nothing about the fashion world but have watched every episode of every season of PR - I miss seeing them sewing and making quick changes to a design when something wasn't working. Stuffing a bunch of fabric and a list into a garment bag is about the most boring thing I can imagine for a design show.

- Based on the first episode, I give Making the Cut a C-. It didn't keep my attention and I kept hoping it was about over. Will watch the next episode and see if that changes my decision (see what I did there?).

[KnotsLanding]

I love Heidi and Tim in their respective roles which is why I watched, but I'm not sold. I felt the first episode they were trying too hard to tell us this was edgy, different and grand. SHOW, don't tell. The constant mugging for a bigger reaction turned me off and made it feel cheap. 

I also HATE HATE HATE the execution of the seamstress idea. With Martha for example, how is she a designer if she doesn't design anything? I may have missed her sketch, but I didn't see a sketch just heard her mention an idea. On Next In Fashion they had seamstresses to help with the collection, but they could only execute what the designer said and I believe the designers made the patterns for them. With this I just didn't understand. If you can't make a pattern OR sew, how are you designing? It also makes the episodes feel looooong and boring. I wish the sewing was more of a collaboration with the seamstress more as a backup to help tailor and with time constraints. 

Now the positive for me was the judging panel. They were absolutely stunning and what I wouldn't give to take all of them and put them on Project Runway (perhaps with Naomi as the host). After the boring first half of the show I felt it came alive with the runway and I loved the casual nature of the judging. 

[Megan]

How is Tim wearing such an ill fitting jacket?!

Netflix`s Next in Fashion is so much better

Edited March 29, 2020 by Megan
stupid sexy autocorrect

[StrictTime]

1. I mean, I understand that they can’t put all those seamstresses on camera ($$), but to have them not collaborate at all with the designer is just dumb.  

2. SO MUCH FILLER! 

3. SO MANY SPOKEN EXCLAMATION MARKS!

4. I am a fan of the quiet, older Italian guy. His vibe is so refreshing in reality TV land. Sort of Great British Baking Show-esque.

Edited March 28, 2020 by StrictTime

[GaT]

Hmm, not sure how I feel about this yet, they seem to be trying too hard not to be Project Runway. 

I have never heard of a tech pack, why don't designers actually talk to the seamstress instead of sending them notes?

A million dollars is a huge prize.

How is Martha not eliminated? Her clothes look like she's designing for Jojo Siwa.

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

18 minutes ago, StrictTime said:

I am a fan of the quiet, older Italian guy. His vibe is so refreshing in reality TV land. Sort of Great British Baking Show-esque.

I like Sabato so far for the same reason but I was yelling, “Don’t help Sparkle Princess!” when she was moaning about not knowing how to pattern or where to cut. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 minute ago, GaT said:

why don't designers actually talk to the seamstress instead of sending them notes?

Probably for the same reason that I prefer emails versus phone calls when dealing with people at work - I want a written record of what you told me to do. If the designers were allowed to talk to the seamstresses, they could always claim, “I told this person to do XYZand they didn’t,” which gives them someone to blame for their garment. Having the designers provide written instructions for the seamstresses means that the onus is on them to make all of their instructions clear (as opposed to giving verbal instructions to the seamstresses which would put the responsibility on the seamstresses to write down or remember everything that the designers told them). I’m totally fine with the tech packs being done this way. If you are a designer, you should have the ability to accurately give instructions to your seamstress. 

[tunajune]

10 hours ago, Samwise979 said:

Is "seamstress" a gender neutral term? I'm sure there are men in the profession too. I guess because of the "ress" on the end (eg. waitress, actress etc.) I automatically think woman when I hear the word. Anyone know?

If it's a man, he's usually referred to as a "tailor."

I'm not getting how Martha was selected for this show, or why so much time is devoted to her.  Many of the other contestants seem more interesting.  How can Martha claim to have been passionately interested in fashion since childhood, yet never learned how to sew?  How does she even sell anything?  Her "designs"  are more for young girls than women.  I sympathize with the seamstress at the other end of Martha's tech pack.

Edited March 28, 2020 by tunajune

[Lois Sandborne]

Is this the Martha show, or ... ?

I mean, she got so much screen time.  And the show definitely seems to be taking several opportunities to stick a thumb in Project Runway's eye. I think I'm in though. Several of the designers seem quite talented, and several more of them are rather personable and charming to boot. Plus Paris. There's no real down side so far.

I could do without the "did you change your mind?" moments though.

None of the looks from this first show really stood out to me as being exceptionally good. Naomi's little gold midi ensemble was my favorite piece of fashion from the week. I was reminded of good old Minju from Next in Fashion when the South Korean woman started sketching out her billowy white cape thingy.  I didn't mind the winner, but I think she'll hear about her all black everything sooner or later.

[Michichick]

12 hours ago, Megan said:

How is Tim wearing such an I'll fitting jacket?!

Netflix`s Next in Fashion is so much better

Agreed about Tim; I was so surprised that his jacket at the beginning of the show didn’t fit him at all. Normally he’s so well tailored!

[BusyOctober]

Likes: the amped up budget, the production quality, the onsite seamstresses, Tim Gunn, Esther, Sabato, Ji.

Meh: Heidi....she looks different around her eyes.  Not sure it was her bangs, her makeup or a recent procedure that hasn’t settled.  Also meh on Nicole Ritchie.

Hate: French judge’s monstrous eyebrows...OMG!  So distracting and unattractive.  They were 3x’s the thickness of even the most overworked, colored in eyebrows.

HAAAAAATE: Martha Twinkle Starlite Glitter Girl. She is exhausting and I will be fast forwarding through her scenes and manufactured drama until she gets CUT.

 

 

[Emmeline]

Why in the world do these fashion editors, ie: Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld, have to look like bitches?  You can occasionally find a photo of then cracking a smile, but my lord, Carine Roitfeld looked frightening at the judging.

Edited March 28, 2020 by Emmeline

[Omeletsmom]

17 hours ago, Samwise979 said:

Idk why you wouldn't take a beginner sewing class before coming on. Just in case. 

I'm sure most (successful) designers don't sew their own clothes but there's collaboration between them and the seamstresses. How the seamstresses know what you want without interacting with them is beyond me. 

Loved when Martha was whining about being nervous to cut her fabric and Sabato went over and was like, in the real world we have access to pattern makers and seamstresses but, we still need to know how to pin!

I'm not sure if I'm loving the show overall. The first 2 episodes are up so I'll watch the second one as well but idk if I'll continue. 

Is "seamstress" a gender neutral term? I'm sure there are men in the profession too. I guess because of the "ress" on the end (eg. waitress, actress etc.) I automatically think woman when I hear the word. Anyone know?

It's archaic, but the male form is sempster.  I suppose tailor could be used, but it has a different connotation.

 

[Lois Sandborne]

6 minutes ago, Omeletsmom said:

It's archaic, but the male form is sempster.  I suppose tailor could be used, but it has a different connotation.

 

I started thinking of them as seamsters.

[dleighg]

9 minutes ago, Omeletsmom said:

I suppose tailor could be used, but it has a different connotation.

Yeah I associate tailor with someone who measures you carefully and constructs a garment "just for you" or modifies an already-made garment to fit you better. More than a seamstress, who "just sews"

[qtpye]

9 hours ago, tunajune said:

If it's a man, he's usually referred to as a "tailor."

I'm not getting how Martha was selected for this show, or why so much time is devoted to her.  Many of the other contestants seem more interesting.  How can Martha claim to have been passionately interested in fashion since childhood, yet never learned how to sew?  How does she even sell anything?  Her "designs"  are more for young girls than women.  I sympathize with the seamstress at the other end of Martha's tech pack.

I was horrified that she was on the show. My eight year old can actually design, sew, and give instructions much better than she can.

The woman could not even cut a RECTANGLE from the ugly fabric she chose.

Het fabric looked like the cheap flowered underwear they would sell at K-Mart back in the day.

[Eolivet]

This was fine, but my god, the pacing dragged. One hour and nine minutes felt like two hours. Totally suffered from streaming bloat. And not sure I love judging inside the workroom?!

And the fact Tim advised against the use of blue, Martha did it anyway and nobody seemed to call her out on it made me fear he's losing his touch as a mentor. He's a nice person, but it highlighted how useless he seems to be in terms of advice (especially compared to Christian Siriano on OG Project Runway). Is "Make it work" trademarked?

I appreciated Esther's no-nonsense work ethic. The dress was not sewn to her standards, so she fixed it. No hemming and hawing required.

[nb360]

I like having another fashion design show -- I just love the whole process of creating a look and this gives us another side to the process. The first episode did tend to drag -- it could have been shorten by 5-10 minutes.

Martha bugged me. Her style, both on herself and on her models, did not look effortless. She was trying too hard. Someone called the look juvenile and I think that's a good term for it. Her work would be in the "juniors section."

I kind of like the green sheer design that was voted off. I would never be able to wear it, but with more fabric, it would be beautiful on some thin person.

I wish we could see the seamstresses interacting w/ the designers.

I looked online for Esther's dress. It's on the site but out of stock? Or will it be available later this spring? I couldn't tell.

[nb360]

Also... I love the music!

[dleighg]

41 minutes ago, nb360 said:

I looked online for Esther's dress. It's on the site but out of stock? Or will it be available later this spring? I couldn't tell.

I'm guessing they only made a few, not knowing how this thing would go over. If they are smart they will start making more (but can they, given the current state of the world?)

Anyway, they were priced quite reasonably. Of course the fabrics aren't super high end, but still...

[SuprSuprElevated]

15 hours ago, GaT said:

How is Martha not eliminated? Her clothes look like she's designing for Jojo Siwa.

Yes!  Monumentally disturbing, lol.  Aaaand once again, judges keep it going, so very much like PR.

[gorgy]

3 hours ago, Omeletsmom said:

It's archaic, but the male form is sempster.  I suppose tailor could be used, but it has a different connotation.

 

I was to believe that a male seamstress was called a stitcher, but having no experience with a needle or thread, I could be mistaken

[Sesquipedalia]

I found this not nearly as entertaining and Project Runway. A lot of the things on PR that make it unrealistic compared to what designers actually do--sewing everything themselves, having only 30 minutes to buy fabric, etc.--are a big part of what makes it exciting.

The unsystematic elimination process also lacks drama. Why do we care if the judges changed their minds if we don't know what their minds were in the first place?

I think it will get more interesting as we get to know the designers better.

[SuprSuprElevated]

I wasn't bowled over, and like others, found Heidi extremely annoying with the faux excited affect.  And bangs. 

Is it me or is Tim's quivering voice and noticeable almost tremor worse?  I hope he doesn't have a neuro issue.  I didn't really see a benefit of Tim's presence, other than he's a very likeable human.  I suppose being an EP gives him the right to do whatever the hell he wants, lol, plus mentorship might be inappropriate for this group, being they have brands already.

This separation of designer/sewer is interesting but difficult for me.  When Esther was laboring over the instructions for her tech pack, the control freak in me was just itching to chuck the whole idea, and sew it myself, which would take much less time and agony.  It's what she ended up doing anyway isn't it?

I was bugged that the show was at night, with so many black garments, I felt like I couldn't see well enough.  I realize the lighted Eiffel wouldn't be as impressive at 4pm. <eyeroll>

I'm going to presume that different designers will be more featured (ala Martha this episode), on different episodes.  Not sure I care that much, lol.

Overall, I'd give it 3.141592 stars out of 5.

 

  

 

[Omeletsmom]

3 hours ago, gorgy said:

I was to believe that a male seamstress was called a stitcher, but having no experience with a needle or thread, I could be mistaken

Stitcher is a job title in the theatrical costume industry (I'm related to a professional stitcher.) They can be male or female.  IDK if the same terminology is used in the fashion industry.

[buttersister]

Paris is the biggest draw for me. Now something has clearly changed because my love for Tim Gunn isn’t what it used to be. Everything he says and does feels forced. Something’s off. Full disclosure: Christian Siriano makes PR for me.

Martha is insufferable. She should have gone (MORE THAN ONE can be eliminated, I understand), thought the scene with her kids signaled she’d be aufed.

Like many of the others, so if they keep showing me Paris ...

Did you know one of the prizes is ONE MILLION DOLLARS? Put down the vin, Heidi. 

[Ashforth]

The opening scene with Tim in a horribly ill-fitting suit and Heidi wearing the ubiquitous-on-PR's latest season side-mullet jacket was WTF?

Tim doesn't seem well and I hope that he is okay.

It was indeed (INDEED! LOL) strange to get the designers all to NYC only to immediately fly them to Paris. Why? Why not say congratulations! Get on a plane to Paris from your hometown?

I was stunned that Esther won. Her dress looked a lot like the cheap polyester one that I was required to wear as a waitress in a club in the 80's.

I like this kind of competition show and I liked a lot of the designers, so I'll keep watching, but I'll keep bitching, too. Ha!

[Mystery]

I was so looking forward to this, but I didn't like a lot of it. The only reason I could put up with MarthaMarthaMartha at all was that I was sure she'd be gone, the second she chose her material. So I'm bummed that she's still there. I agree with someone above that Esther caused her own problems by not knowing what to tell the seamstress. I wish she had mentioned Rinat's help. Especially after the judges were so impressed that she had done her dress in two hours, alone. (Or did Rinat help with the other piece?) 

I kept feeling like my own bangs were in my eyes, just looking at Heidi. And I will never again think that my eyebrows are too thick. 

I'm hoping that the pacing will be better in the second episode. 

Edited March 29, 2020 by Mystery

[Jessa]

This felt long for me, but I’m still here for it. Also here for all of the shots of Paris. 

Speaking of, what a waste of carbon emissions, flying everyone to NYC just to turn around and fly them to Paris for some lame attempt at drama. 

I don’t mind the seamstress angle, but I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around a designer that can’t sew at all. Maybe that’s normal. I’m not into fashion at all, but I’m all about all of these shows. 

Good thing I’m not there with all of those fabric shears. I’m not sure I could keep myself from lopping off the butterflies on Martha’s shoes, or Esther’s hair for that matter. I know - shallow and immature, but hey - at least I can acknowledge my shortcomings. 

I haven’t seen all of the PR seasons since I did not get the channel it was on for a while. When I found it again just this last season, I was so happy to see Christian as the mentor. It was reinforced by seeing Tim, who I used to think I liked. Maybe if he still said “make it work” it would be better? His over the top declaration about the next big designer/brand being in the room was just about too much for me. 
 

In spite of it all, I’m looking forward to more. Just keep the aerial shots of Paris coming. 

[ethalfrida]

Snoozefest for me. This show tried  too hard. Snappy dialogue and both Tim as Heidi personalties on steroids. I don’t think any of the designs were executed very well so hiring seamstresses didn’t make a difference. 

[Ashforth]

3 hours ago, Jessa said:

This felt long for me, but I’m still here for it. Also here for all of the shots of Paris. 

Speaking of, what a waste of carbon emissions, flying everyone to NYC just to turn around and fly them to Paris for some lame attempt at drama. 

I don’t mind the seamstress angle, but I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around a designer that can’t sew at all. Maybe that’s normal. I’m not into fashion at all, but I’m all about all of these shows. 

Good thing I’m not there with all of those fabric shears. I’m not sure I could keep myself from lopping off the butterflies on Martha’s shoes, or Esther’s hair for that matter. I know - shallow and immature, but hey - at least I can acknowledge my shortcomings. 

I haven’t seen all of the PR seasons since I did not get the channel it was on for a while. When I found it again just this last season, I was so happy to see Christian as the mentor. It was reinforced by seeing Tim, who I used to think I liked. Maybe if he still said “make it work” it would be better? His over the top declaration about the next big designer/brand being in the room was just about too much for me. 
 

In spite of it all, I’m looking forward to more. Just keep the aerial shots of Paris coming. 

It is not normal, to have a designer who cannot sew AT ALL. Unlike many, I thought Martha was quite likable despite my dislike of her style, but she didn't belong on this show, and that's on Heidi and Tim.

Esther's hair. Finally someone else has said it. That side pony-ish long trailing ick of hair is driving me crazy. I have wondered whether her whole "hair" look is a wig attached to the ever-present hat.

I loved Tim for a long time. "Don't defend the shoe to me" will never not be classic (RIP Wendy Pepper). He seemed to lose his touch as an adviser to the designers over the years, but I do think that was compounded by the ridiculous challenges on PR (make an evening gown from a pile of garbage!). So far on this show, I'm not seeing a return to his original verve.

I think all of the talk about the next big designer being in the room is because this is all just a ramp-up for Amazon to sell whatever (probably a ringer) winning designer's clothing line online as an Amazon exclusive.

Oh, and I think it's so long Paris, they are jetting to Tokyo next.

Edited March 30, 2020 by Ashforth

[Sesquipedalia]

Thanks to those in this thread who recommended Next in Fashion. It's also more entertaining than Making the Cut. The $250,000 prize, along with no prizes for weekly wins, is a little sad by comparison though.

I'm happy to now have two mindless fashion reality shows to watch.

[Lamb18]

I liked this first episode, especially how nearly all the designers are professionals and good at what they do. Nearly all - like many of you, I felt Martha did not belong in this competition. If she knew more about sewing, it would be OK, there's a place for her point of view, but she came across as amateurish and someone with a hobby rather than a profession.

Carine's eyebrows - looked like she had a mascara brush accident between her eyelids and eyebrows. 

I didn't like how the judging was done - the designers standing awkwardly among the chairs and the judges on stools. PR does that piece better. The judges are OK, I kind of like hearing their different points of view, especially when they disagree.  I like Naomi the least but I like seeing what she wears.

Tim seems out of place with this group. He talks to them like he does to designers on PR, but this group is advanced. I'm not sure how much they really pay attention to him.

[TexasGal]

In addition to her overly excited moments, Heidi seemed to take glee every time she talked about someone not making the cut.  Cracked me up that Little Bo Peep and her exaggerated bows didn't understand at first that she was still in.

I'm with everyone else being confused that they don't get to talk to the seamstresses.  I guess the designers will get better at the process over time though.

I was sad there was no judging discussion shown of the designer who had the stick on the shoulder blue dress.  It was so interesting.

[ethalfrida]

I am not sure that designers in real life actually talk to the seamstresses.