S13.E02: Unconventional Movie Nite!

[Toni]

I watched Under the Gunn and I did not think that Tim was a bully. I saw him in his instructor role (which is different than mentor). I don't get all of the Tim hate from that show.

[RealityGal]

I watched Under the Gunn and I did not think that Tim was a bully. I saw him in his instructor role (which is different than mentor). I don't get all of the Tim hate from that show.

As an instructor I would have expected him to put a stop to both Mondo and Anya being so vicious to Natalia, and I would have expected him to stop Asha being vicious towards Natalia.  And those are just the things that my mind can't block, the rest of what I consider his poor behavior I have tried really hard to forget about.

[auntlada]

They have the same makeup artist it seems for every company, the guy with the handlebar mousetache.  I wonder how he feels working for Mary Kay?

 

Happy he has a job and is getting paid?

[RealityGal]

Happy he has a job and is getting paid?

True dat!  Although he seems to work for every makeup company that sponsors project runway, so I'm not sure who actually pays him.  But hey, I'm sure he is smiling under that handlebar mousetache.

[Julia]

True dat!  Although he seems to work for every makeup company that sponsors project runway, so I'm not sure who actually pays him.  But hey, I'm sure he is smiling under that handlebar mousetache.

I just assumed he works for Project Runway.

[backgroundnoise]

I didn't completely hate Angela's dress and I'm sorry but I think what Heidi said to her was totally crappy.

 

I thought so too.  While I agree that the judges are within their rights to give feedback, they should either evaluate the worst on each team or none that aren't in the top or bottom.  To pick out only the one most vulnerable person is just shit-stirring and reduces my respect for the judge, producers, and the show.

 

But this show stopped caring about being respected ages ago.

[needschocolate]

I think an unconventional materials challenge should never be a team challenge.  The point of an unconventional materials challenge (UMC) is to see how creative the designers can be.  In a team challenge, they always have to make cohesive designs, which really limits their creativity.  What you get from an unconventional materials team challenge is to see the creativity of the most forceful person on the team. 

 

The only way I would want the UMC to be a team or group thing is if they had each person grab one unconventional material, then put them in groups of three (either on their own or with the velvet bag) - each one had to make a garment using all three of the materials picked, but the garments don't have to be cohesive.  The judges would pick a best and worst from each group, and then determine who wins and who is aufed.  Less drama, since they are not really working together, but I prefer less drama. 

[Mabinogia]

I agree with the above. UMC should NEVER be teams. I love the UMC because I love to see what crazy shit these designers can do. I don't hate team challenges because it really shows who these designers are, who can work with others, who can't, who is a dictator, who is creative enough to work within someone else's vision. But I do not like it when the two combine. They've got enough episodes that they can spread the crazy.

 

Amanda is hilarious with her "insider intel." Like, really? I know Kate did it too, but I feel like Kate's was a bit less...obvious. Amanda was basically giving them the deep insight that it's best to put toothpaste on your toothbrush when you brush your teeth. Of course I never cared for her so I'm biased. Don't hate her, just find her non-descript in every conceivable way.

 

Angela is not the first person in a team to have been told "your team would have won if you didn't suck so much," so, just because she's a delicate flower doesn't make me think she was being singled out any more than anyone before her. Given that she's graduated college and held a job I feel like half of her timid schtick is just that, made up for the cameras. She didn't have any problem steamrolling her opinion over her teammates so she is not the delicate flower she is pretending to be. Over her.

 

Wasn't wowed by any of the actual designs. Some were okay. The winning team was not the best. The winning look was one of the worst in that there was no actual design or creativity to it. It was a bunch of shit tacked onto a slip. I don't get it. What was the judges reason for selecting it as the best? I missed the ending.

[KimberStormer]

Team challenges in PR are always pretty frustrating, and I agree the unconventional materials challenge is a terrible time to do one.  I say this as someone who loathed working in groups in grade school, but I think the teams thing just never works on this show.  Tim hyped up the Project Runway Teams season by saying in fashion you never work alone, which is true enough, but the difference is that in a professional setting the role of each person in the team is well-defined.  I don't think there is a fashion house on earth where 3 people make 3 garments with a vague mandate of 'cohesion' and no direction from above.  Because it's a ludicrous way to make a 'collection'.  I think @needschocolate totally nailed it: the team aspect crushes the creativity necessary to a successful unconventional materials design.

 

I think the thing with Angela would bother me a lot less if they hadn't hammered her design last week.  Their critiques were inane and there was a lot worse walking down that runway.  (Angela's was probably my favorite, I can't remember entirely, but it would probably be between her and Fade for the win if I were the judge.)  It comes off as Bunim-Murray smelling blood in the water and trying to push her to the breaking point for "drama" to me.  Hopefully she will buckle down and make some good work, but I don't think we'll get that if her spirit is broken by arbitrary critiques.  Maybe we wouldn't get it at all--it certainly seemed this week like she has a limited well of techniques and is inflexible in her thinking--but I'd much rather they make it more likely to have good design than bad.

 

Having written that down, I think I've found my problem with PR in general over the years: they seem to go out of their way to make bad design more likely than good.  But if I want to see bad clothes I can just go to the mall.

[Mabinogia]

Having written that down, I think I've found my problem with PR in general over the years: they seem to go out of their way to make bad design more likely than good.

 

 

I completely, and depressingly, agree with this. PR was my favorite reality show when it first came on because OMG talented people getting a chance to show the world what they can do. How wonderful is that. Plus, some crazy, creative clothes. Win/win.

 

But year after year it became more and more about drama, about pushing them too far to make anything good. I don't want to see some halfassed dress slapped together in ten minutes out of gum and toilet paper. I want to see what these designers are really capable of. I want them to be given unconventional materials and told...you've got enough of time to come up with something amazing. Wow us! That's it. That is the challenge. To stretch your own imagination, use crazy materials to come up with a design that reflects your personal vision and style, not someone else's and not what crappy thing can you make with too little time.

 

I would like to know if Amanda could have come up with something better had she been given more time and less restriction because she basically came up with nothing. I'd like to see what Sandhya would have done if she didn't have two other people trying to reign her in. I'd love to see what Fade could do with no other restriction than using unconventional materials because right now, he is the designer who's work I am most excited in seeing. I think he's got a good combination of unusual and wearable so far.

 

In short, I want to see what these talented people are truly capable of when they aren't jumping through all these stupid hoops. Show us actual design show, that's what most of us fell in love with in the first place.

 

This challenge disappointed me because I so look forward to the UMC and they went and muddied it up with teams and not enough time. Boo

Edited August 3, 2014 by Mabinogia

[Calamity Jane]

SleepyJean, thanks for posting the pictures.  Emilio's was far worse than I remembered it.  And Justin's much prettier.  Interesting how the memory works.  

[picklesprite]

  because OMG talented people getting a chance to show the world what they can do. How wonderful is that.

Raise your OMG to OMFG, and toast you. Yes. That is almost exactly what I tell people who raise their eyebrows when I say I love some reality shows. PR, Top Chef, even Chopped, because chefs who can create on the fly are AMAZING. I love seeing people who are good at what they do DOING those things at which they are good, and I don't want to see stupid obstacles put in their way. Obstacles aren't always bad things; sometimes they bring out the best in people. But stupid ones r stupid.

For the doubters, I liken these reality shows to the Olympics. What a thrill it is to get to see people who have devoted themselves to excellence in one thing actually getting the chance to show their excellence. Shall we start weighting high jumpers down with bags of sand? Shall we make hurdlers jump clown cars? Shall we pin swimmers' ankles together? No, we let them jump and run and swim! But PR gives designers the fashion equiv. of sandbags and clowns, and then laughs at them.

Edited August 3, 2014 by picklesprite

[treestar13]

Too bad our comments can't change the rest of this season.  What's done is done.  Does anyone think the challenges are only one day to save money?  So far, two episodes and no Mood = save money.  One day challenges save on accommodations for both those still in the competition and those who get auffed and are still there waiting around to avoid spoilers.  

 

I agree that the producers twist the designers like pretzels trying to throw every curve ball they can think of.  I just wanna see them design clothes.  I hate the stupid curve balls.

 

On another note, I really wish they would spend more time on the runway itself.  After watching over an hour of drama, it would nice if they spent more time on the clothes themselves so we can really see them.  

[magpye29]

If there are only going to be one-day challenges, then I challenge the producers to find a way to make them two-parters: Day One for one part of the challenge, Day Two for another part..  I'm not entirely sure how to do that, but I'm tossing it out there for you more creative types to flesh it out.  Maybe the first day have them make something that would be the jumping-off point for the second day.  Like, maybe the first day, make an evening gown.  Then choose the top and bottom competitors provisionally, as in, if you don't wow us in Part 2, you will definitely be up for the elimination, but you can redeem yourself if you make something stunning.  Then Part 2 could be to make some sort of wrap or evening coat for a glamorous outdoor event. If there were no eliminations in Part 1, there could be a 2-part elimination in Part 2.

 

Or, they could have to make a vest for Part 1--send someone home, and have the second part be to convert the vest into a suit jacket complete with sleeves.  Because frankly, I think they should have to make sleeves sometimes.  Or pants.  Anyone can make an A-line sleeveless dress.  I want details, I want elevated design.  I don't want something I could do with a pattern I bought at Walmart (if I could actually sew, which I think I could if I ever tried).

 

And I may now have strayed off topic.  I think too much about this stuff, and I'm always in here checking to see if anyone else has posted.  I miss you guys when you're not chatting!

[Calamity Jane]

You wouldn't need a pattern from Wal-Mart to make Anya-style dresses, for instance.  

[Oldernowiser]

You wouldn't need a pattern from Wal-Mart to make Anya-style dresses, for instance.

You wouldn't need SCISSORS to make an Anya style dress. Just a swathe of fabric and a stapler. Or possibly a glue gun.

(I really, really should let this go...I just can't believe they went from the stunning complexities of designers like Jillian, Chris March, and Rami to this Home Economics 101 shit Anya threw down in five short seasons.)

[PinkSprinkles]

You wouldn't need SCISSORS to make an Anya style dress. Just a swathe of fabric and a stapler. Or possibly a glue gun.

(I really, really should let this go...I just can't believe they went from the stunning complexities of designers like Jillian, Chris March, and Rami to this Home Economics 101 shit Anya threw down in five short seasons.)

 

I need to let it go too, but the blatant special treatment blew my mind. I have never seen such producer intervention in my life! And I watch Big Brother! 

Edited August 3, 2014 by PinkSprinkles

[yeswedo]

Collier was the 'consulting makeup artist' for L'Oreal IIRC and would only appear once or twice each season. The handlebar mustache guy does the makeup for the regular runway scenes. I wasn't sure if it was the same one for this season as previous. Like @Julia I assume he works for Project Runway and not the various makeup companies.

[crowsworks]

 

You wouldn't need SCISSORS to make an Anya style dress. Just a swathe of fabric and a stapler. Or possibly a glue gun.

(I really, really should let this go...I just can't believe they went from the stunning complexities of designers like Jillian, Chris March, and Rami to this Home Economics 101 shit Anya threw down in five short seasons.)

I need to let it go too, but the blatant special treatment blew my mind. I have never seen such producer intervention in my life! And I watch Big Brother!

 

 

But she 'looked' like a designer. They actually said that....

[ub40fan]

Isn't handlebar  mustache's name Patrick?

 

[RealityGal]

Isn't handlebar  mustache's name Patrick?

is it?  I haven't seen a caption with his name on it.  I prefer to call him handlebar, but I suppose I can live with calling him Patrick ;)

[tv echo]

When I see someone like Angela who clearly shouldn't be on a reality TV competition because she can't handle the stress, I blame the show's producers.  They want drama to boost ratings so they cast a mixture of personalities that will clash with each other and they cast people who they know will cause drama.  They want someone to break down on the show.  They want designers to fight with each other.  They want catty confessionals.  They amp stress by giving the designers deadlines and difficult challenges.  Next, they'll have the designers run an obstacle course and shoot arrows before they can use a sewing machine - just kidding, but Top Chef did something like that two seasons ago which brought down the integrity of the show.

 

Almost all reality competition shows seem to be like this now.  Producer manipulation of results seems to be prevalent as well because they're thinking of which winner will make them the most money after the season ends.

Edited August 4, 2014 by tv echo

[needschocolate]

Almost all reality competition shows seem to be like this now.  Producer manipulation of results seems to be prevalent as well because they're thinking of which winner will make them the most money after the season ends.

 

The two exceptions I have found are Face Off and Jim Henson's Creature Workshop, where the contestants get along well, help each other when they need it (someone has to get stitches, his competition will do their best to continue his project), and there is extremely little snark in the talking heads (they are more likely to compliment each other's work or show concern that someone else may not be able to finish on time). Sure, it isn't always peaches and cream, but the few "drama" moments comes from people acting like normal people, the same as it would be in any real life workplace (someone cries then gets over it, someone in a team takes charge but if they end up on the bottom he is the one sent home). Most of the "drama comes from whether they will get done on time or be able to get something to work, not from the interactions with the other contestants.  Face Off and Jim Henson's Creature Workshop are both like a breath of fresh air.

 

is it?  I haven't seen a caption with his name on it.  I prefer to call him handlebar, but I suppose I can live with calling him Patrick ;)

 

Maybe Patrick deserves his own emoticon   :-})

[MortysCleaningLady]

 I just thought the green outfits looked tacky compared to some of the other designers' work.  I also thought of Emile Sosa when seeing Amanda's design.

 

Yes,  I said to myself -- she's ripping off the hardware tankini look that Emilio did on his first season.  Emilio's model sold it though!!!

 

My favorites were the straw dress, the crying girl's origami dress, and the fish scale CD top with the film strip skirt.  I didn't hate the CD dresses, but they were too short, shiny and tight for my taste (totally Heidi, though). 

 

Based on the six designers lined up at the end, I thought Hernan won - great use of the film strips and either the marquee skirt or the 1960's hippie top over muslin were going home.  What do I know, though?

[LeapDayBaby]

Color me horrified that Amanda created a look to accompany Emilio's beach ensemble. Not surprised, just horrified. Can we trade her in for Alexander Pope now?

 

If we hadn't had to look at so much workroom drama during this episode, perhaps one team would have been declared safe after the runway show, with the end result being much more feedback from the judges on the remaining looks. I would have liked to hear a detailed critique of Sean's work and Char's ticket dress, if nothing else. It's hard to care about these people when we don't see that much of them. Alas.

 

Since Scott Patric (aka Mustache Man) finally made an appearance this episode, perhaps we're easing into the usual PR routine and will be treated to a trip to Mood and a look at Swatch next week? Here's hoping!

[leighdear]

Sadly, the best clothing is definitely at the end.  The finalists, having several months and a budget for actual fabric, usually can pull off what they talk about at the very beginning.  And sometimes even more.  But rarely do we see more than just little glimpses of their talents during the show's "interior".  Too much other crap inhibiting and shouting over the creativity. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The two exceptions I have found are Face Off and Jim Henson's Creature Workshop, where the contestants get along well, help each other when they need it (someone has to get stitches, his competition will do their best to continue his project), and there is extremely little snark in the talking heads (they are more likely to compliment each other's work or show concern that someone else may not be able to finish on time). Sure, it isn't always peaches and cream, but the few "drama" moments comes from people acting like normal people, the same as it would be in any real life workplace (someone cries then gets over it, someone in a team takes charge but if they end up on the bottom he is the one sent home). Most of the "drama comes from whether they will get done on time or be able to get something to work, not from the interactions with the other contestants. Face Off and Jim Henson's Creature Workshop are both like a breath of fresh air.

The Great British Sewing Bee and the Bake Off series (British, Irish, Australian, and to a lesser extent the American version) are the same way. People ask/answer questions about technique in the workroom, give advice, and help when someone needs it. There is no drama or cat fighting or obvious mental unstablility. It's just a bunch of people who enjoy what they do doing their best at the challenges. They manage to be gracious and mature when they're eliminated instead of having temper tantrums and blaming everyone else for their bad choices or bad luck. In other words, they act like grown ups instead of spoiled toddlers who need a nap.

[Miasmomma]

I get why there was frustration about the outcome but come on these are the rules of the show.  Someone from the losing team goes home.  This is hardly the first time that someone was on a team that wasn't the losing team and had the worst design and didn't get sent home.  Also, when a contestant has immunity it doesn't get taken away just so someone else can stay.   Carrie might have been the one to stay if she could have accepted her lumps and played nice.  Her attitude did nothing to help her.

[Kromm]

Color me horrified that Amanda created a look to accompany Emilio's beach ensemble. Not surprised, just horrified. Can we trade her in for Alexander Pope now?

Don't even joke!  One bad choice replacing another is no victory!

Honestly, one of these days, I expect to hear that someone on the show killed someone during production.

Maybe it's not during production, but I believe there are at least a few cases of former reality show contestants coming to some pretty bad ends.  In a way that's just representative of the whole population though (because we're always just a few "degrees" away from someone with depression or some other mental illness).

[RealityGal]

I get why there was frustration about the outcome but come on these are the rules of the show.  Someone from the losing team goes home.  This is hardly the first time that someone was on a team that wasn't the losing team and had the worst design and didn't get sent home.  Also, when a contestant has immunity it doesn't get taken away just so someone else can stay.   Carrie might have been the one to stay if she could have accepted her lumps and played nice.  Her attitude did nothing to help her.

 

And here is my thing too, maybe Carrie would have had a leg to stand on if she had produced something just so over the top amazing and incredible that it just couldn't be ignored.  But she pretty much produced a "meh" dress, so why should anyone break the long standing rules just for her?  And I don't see Tim Gunn using his save in the second challenge, come on now.  Immunity plays into someone's game plan so it really shouldn't be taken away.  If immunity can be revoked its not really immunity, and I would assume that if Shandaya knew her immunity wasn't a sure thing she might have rightfully fought harder to do her own thing, or would have insisted that they all have a unified voice in the beginning.

[KimberStormer]

I'm almost certain they've eliminated someone from the winning team before.  Can anyone remember?  I don't say it to defend Carrie, but just to note that the rules are fundamentally arbirtrary. 

[catray]

I really wish the unconventional materials challenge (and these always happen within the first three episodes, so why is everyone so damn surprised?) was not a team challenge. First of all, team challenges suck. And secondly, the judging would have been a lot more interesting if it had been individual, as I think every team had some highs and some lows. This challenge again came down to what will produce the most drama (Sandhya has immunity and Carrie is pissed! Angela cries a lot and is called out on the runway! Amanda is redeemed!)

 

Personally, I really disliked the designs produced by Amanda and her group, so I'm definitely confused that they were the winning team and Amanda ended up winning the whole thing. I mean, Sandhya/Carrie/Hernan's collection wasn't amazing, but I'm not sure if it deserved the bottom place. I personally was not a big fan of Emily or Fade's garments either, but again, the drama was pretty served by doing groups.

 

I liked Mitchell's disc dress a lot and Samantha's skirt/top-- they were probably my favorites this week. Sean's straw dress was nice, but way too reminiscent of Justin's pipet dress from last season.

[RealityGal]

I'm almost certain they've eliminated someone from the winning team before.  Can anyone remember?  I don't say it to defend Carrie, but just to note that the rules are fundamentally arbirtrary. 

I vaguely remember that, but I can't remember if it was one where tim had been so clear on the rules.  "there will be one winning team, someone from the winning team will win the challenge, there will be a losing team, one member from the losing team will go home"  and I also can't remember if it was one of those where two people got eliminated because they had saved someone the week before....

[RealityGal]

I really wish the unconventional materials challenge (and these always happen within the first three episodes, so why is everyone so damn surprised?) was not a team challenge. First of all, team challenges suck. And secondly, the judging would have been a lot more interesting if it had been individual, as I think every team had some highs and some lows. This challenge again came down to what will produce the most drama (Sandhya has immunity and Carrie is pissed! Angela cries a lot and is called out on the runway! Amanda is redeemed!)

 

Personally, I really disliked the designs produced by Amanda and her group, so I'm definitely confused that they were the winning team and Amanda ended up winning the whole thing. I mean, Sandhya/Carrie/Hernan's collection wasn't amazing, but I'm not sure if it deserved the bottom place. I personally was not a big fan of Emily or Fade's garments either, but again, the drama was pretty served by doing groups.

 

I liked Mitchell's disc dress a lot and Samantha's skirt/top-- they were probably my favorites this week. Sean's straw dress was nice, but way too reminiscent of Justin's pipet dress from last season.

 

I just would have loved to see them each independently take on the unconventional materials, and interpret the challenge without the constraints of having to agree with two other people.  I wish it didn't have to be a cohesive collection.  Even if it was two people working on one design I think it would have been better, but I would have really much more enjoyed it being an individual challenge, with two days to complete.

 

I feel like Justin's dress was for the final runway, that wasn't the unconventional materials.  and it had a beautiful story to it.  I liked Seans because it was something more thrown at him in that it was unconventional materials.  And not those tinkly tubes that Justin used, by crappy paper straws.  Of course I would have liked it much better as a coat, but this is what happens when you give people one freaking day!

Someone else's memory may say differently, but I can't think of a time when a winning team - which is by definition, safe - has had the judges eliminate a member. Besides "Movie Night," I do remember an instance during the "teams" season when the judges made a point of telling Patricia her team would have won but for her low score. Sandro was safe in S12 E04 ("Tie the Knot"); however, his rule breaking resulted in self-disqualification. There were also two instances in Season 11 when the judges declined to declare a winner ("The Thunder from Down Under," "Europe, Here We Come") and left everyone up for elimination.

maybe thats what I'm thinking of

[KimberStormer]

I feel like it was in an earlyish episode in the season, and it was a dude.  But it's true they were unusually clear on the rules this time.  So they probably wouldn't do it this time.

 

Ah yes I've got it, it was Elena's season.  The episode where she had an awesome flip-out over the photoshoot and I fell in love with her.  Raul was in the top team with Elena, Dmitry, and Melissa, but got eliminated anyway.  According to Wikipedia, "This challenge had no winning and losing team, and any designer had the chance to be the winner"...but then why were there teams?  I think this is a post-hoc rationalization of the unprecedented move of eliminating someone in the winning team.

 

Now I'm wondering if the emphasis on "one of the losing team will go home" was also post-hoc to make it clear Carrie was in the wrong.

Edited August 4, 2014 by KimberStormer

[Ketzel]

I feel like it was in an earlyish episode in the season, and it was a dude.  But it's true they were unusually clear on the rules this time.  So they probably wouldn't do it this time.

 

Ah yes I've got it, it was Elena's season.  The episode where she had an awesome flip-out over the photoshoot and I fell in love with her.  Raul was in the top team with Elena, Dmitry, and Melissa, but got eliminated anyway.  According to Wikipedia, "This challenge had no winning and losing team, and any designer had the chance to be the winner"...but then why were there teams?  I think this is a post-hoc rationalization of the unprecedented move of eliminating someone in the winning team.

 

Now I'm wondering if the emphasis on "one of the losing team will go home" was also post-hoc to make it clear Carrie was in the wrong.

I remember this episode, because I was confused at the time by the outcome. So I went looking for an explanation and found Mondo's blog, where he explained "Team 6 wins the challenge and will have their designs featured on the pages of Marie Claire at Work. But since both teams’ scores were tied, the designers are judged individually.In the end, Melissa was named the winner while Raul was bid auf wiedersehen." So I think that was somewhat different from a situation where a team had an overall lowest score, like Sandyha, Purple Hair and The Other Guy. And I don't think there's ever been a time where someone's work was considered so heinous, the judges stripped away a previously granted immunity.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Ketzel

[KimberStormer]

And I don't think there's ever been a time where someone's work was considered so heinous, the judges stripped away a previously granted immunity.

 

That's definitely true.  And you can tell they've really, really wanted to before.

 

I'm not sure I buy that the scores were tied--if so I would be pretty upset if I were in the other team and didn't get the Marie Claire spread, since that was a team prize.  It wasn't just Melissa who got that.  Anyway, it's definitely a different situation; I'm just saying, the judges seem to have a lot of leeway if they wanted.  But they didn't even like Carrie's dress so there was no reason to bend the rules this time.

[RealityGal]

That's definitely true.  And you can tell they've really, really wanted to before.

 

I'm not sure I buy that the scores were tied--if so I would be pretty upset if I were in the other team and didn't get the Marie Claire spread, since that was a team prize.  It wasn't just Melissa who got that.  Anyway, it's definitely a different situation; I'm just saying, the judges seem to have a lot of leeway if they wanted.  But they didn't even like Carrie's dress so there was no reason to bend the rules this time.

I don't ever remember them stripping immunity (and you're right, many a times it has seemed as though they really wanted to) but I do vaguely (my memory is not what it used to be) remember them saving two designers that were on the bottom because they really wanted to see what each would bring the following week.  Although that was either preceded by someone eliminating themselves (a la Sandro) or by a double elimination the following week.

[Ketzel]

I think after Purple Hair Girl's blazing Rant of Excuses and Entitlement, the only thing any of the judges wanted to see was the back of her. See, Tim's air kiss good bye. If he'd been any further away from her actual face, he'd have been kissing another designer.

[Julia]

And then there was Michelle, who they didn't even pretend they were following the rules to keep (according to him, the very first Tim Gunn save). And that worked out well, because she parlayed her second chance, her opportunity to design for a major fashion retailer, a televised fashion week show and a Project Runway win into an Etsy store and interviews with tens of regional fashion bloggers.

[sleepyjean]

I prefer to call him handlebar, but I suppose I can live with calling him Patrick ;)

I'm just glad I don't have have to ever hear "welcome to the benefit pretty room!!" again. He tried so hard to make that happen, and I cringed every time it came out of his mouth

 

perhaps we're easing into the usual PR routine and will be treated to a trip to Mood and a look at Swatch next week?

Hey, now no dissing of Swatch. He's one of the few highlights of the season.

 

I think after Purple Hair Girl's blazing Rant of Excuses and Entitlement, the only thing any of the judges wanted to see was the back of her.

To be fair, she did have one redeeming quality: a portly pug who smiles on cue. Tell me you didn't find that adorable.

[Ketzel]

Eh, I'm a ketzel, so not a dog person. :-)

[NikSac]

Amanda is hilarious with her "insider intel." Like, really? I know Kate did it too, but I feel like Kate's was a bit less...obvious. Amanda was basically giving them the deep insight that it's best to put toothpaste on your toothbrush when you brush your teeth. Of course I never cared for her so I'm biased. Don't hate her, just find her non-descript in every conceivable way.

 

I like her overall but I agree, it's hilarious watching her with the "insider intel."  In fact I just went to brush my teeth and I was cracking up when I went to put the toothpaste on the toothbrush just because of your post... call me easily amused if you must ;). 

[NikSac]

Swatch!  I'm excited to see Swatch again. Is it sad that I'm more excited about the dog than any of the designers?

[NikSac]

Honestly, I'd be down for Swatch as a guest judge at this point :)

 

haha same here.  I feel like Swatch probably has good taste... and what a fun unconventional materials challenge!  Can't wait to see the Beggin' Strips dress.

[PepperMonkey]

In Season 6, the guy who was partnered with Ra'Mon for the "resortwear" challenge was eliminated when that team won. I keep thinking his name was Mitchell also. He was eliminated because he had been on the bottom every challenge and then at judging, he freely admitted that he let Ra'Mon do all the work. I think Heidi even made a big deal about how "never in project runway history" had a designer on the winning team been eliminated. He really did deserve to go though.

Edited August 5, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[April Bloodgate]

 

I feel like Justin's dress was for the final runway, that wasn't the unconventional materials.  and it had a beautiful story to it.  I liked Seans because it was something more thrown at him in that it was unconventional materials.  And not those tinkly tubes that Justin used, by crappy paper straws.  Of course I would have liked it much better as a coat, but this is what happens when you give people one freaking day!

Justin's was for the final runway, but in season 12 the 4 finalists were asked to include a UM garment in their final collection.

[RealityGal]

Justin's was for the final runway, but in season 12 the 4 finalists were asked to include a UM garment in their final collection.

Oh...okay.  His was very beautiful.  I can't remember were they given any constraints in terms of what unconventional materials they could use?  I still feel like Sean's may have been a bit more of a challenge given the time and material constraints.  But Justin's was beautiful, and with such a wonderful story.  It is the one thing I can say about the Tim Gunn save....he used it well to save Justin.

[Sarnia]

 And I don't think there's ever been a time where someone's work was considered so heinous, the judges stripped away a previously granted immunity.

 

What would be the point of immunity anyway if it could be acceptable only if the contestant doesn't need it? Immunity is useful only if the immune contestant is actually in the position of being sent home. So if you make rules including an immunity you accept that a contestant who would deserve to be eliminated won't go.There was a similar issue in a recent Top Chef edition where the judges tried to coerce a contestant into giving up his immunity because he failed in the elimination challenge. Well that's the whole point of having immunity... You can't give someone immunity and then complain when he/she actually uses it.

It sure makes for good TV drama though.

[Julia]

+1

 

I think Sandhya deserved to go home more than anyone else on her team did (although arguably not less than the winning garment did, but she's not in a position to object to inexplicable wins). All the same, she did win the first week, and she won a prize. She didn't stay because she deserved to. She stayed because she won the right to send crap down the runway last week.

 

I think it's worth noting how she behaved when she was in a position of safety and putting others at risk, but this is not a competition that's ever shied away from having ungraceful winners.