Season 3 Discussion

[yeswedo]

Discuss all things season 3 here. Designers and episodes listed below.

 

Originally aired from July 12, 2006 - October 18, 2006

 

Designers:

• Alison Kelly
• Angela Keslar
• Bonnie Dominguez
• Bradley Baumkirchner
• Jeffrey Sebelia
• Katherine Gerdes
• Kayne Gillaspie
• Keith Michael
• Laura Bennett
• Malan Breton
• Mychael Knight
• Robert Best
• Stacey Estrella
• Uli Herzner
• Vincent Libretti

 

Episodes (TVDB):

1. Road to Runway: Season 3 - Casting Special
2. Wall to Wall
3. Fit For A Queen
4. Designer's Best Friend
5. Reap What You Sew
6. Iconic Statement
7. Waste Not, Want Not
8. Everyday Woman
9. High Flying Fashion
10. Couture Du Jour
11. Black and White
12. What the Elle?
13. Reunion
14. Finale

[HyeChaps]

Ugh!  Angela's signature "fleurchons".

[Lamb18]

Season 3 was the first season I saw. I was home on Christmas Day 2007 - I'd had surgery a few weeks earlier and wasn't up to the family gathering - and was flicking through the channels and saw this lady taking a dress out of a trunk, expressing concern that the big puffy collar had gotten flattened during the trip back from Paris. I thought: What is this?? and watched the rest of the episode and the rest of the Season 3 marathon. Of course this was Laura Bennett taking her couture black and white gown out of the trunk. She was on the bottom that episode, then the next episode she made the little black and white Josephine Baker dress and won. I was hooked. Season 4 was running at that time and there was a mini-marathon of the episodes that had already shown. I didn't mind Jeffrey that much because the Paris trip was after the Moms challenge, but I loved Laura.

[Indy]

Ugh!  Angela's signature "fleurchons".

And Angela "imbuing" the fabric with her spit or whatever she was doing

 

I liked Jeffrey much better when he was on All-Stars than on Season 3.  Laura was great, loved her clothes and how she dressed herself (always a little too ridiculously put together).  Kane with his pageant gowns.  Uli's beautiful flowy dresses.  And Mychael Knight - I loved him from the minute he made that coffee filter dress from the challenge where they had to rip apart their apartments.   

[PinkSprinkles]

Elisa (Season 4) was the spit marker. However, Angela, like Elisa, had zero self-awareness and that's we love them. :-) 

[Indy]

Ah yes, I stand corrected. That is too much crazy for one package.  I forgot about Elisa.  

[PinkSprinkles]

Angela and Elisa on one season would have broken the season. Laura alone would have cut these two! (I wish we had emoticons!)

Edited August 8, 2014 by PinkSprinkles

[Indy]

Just finished my rewatch of Season 3.  I still loved Uli, Mychael, and Kane.  Laura was more of a bitch than I remembered her being. I liked Jeffrey more the second time around.  Milan was so wonderfully cartoony, with his accent and crazy laugh.  And oh Angela, what a nut job.  

 

I truly forgot how creepy Vincent was.  I said this on another thread but seriously, he was like call Human Resources creepy with his "it gets me off" talk.  I feel sorry for the models that had to work with him, that had to be super uncomfortable. And his freak-out about the laundry was like a tantrum straight out of the madness that was Season 12.  

[larapu2000]

For me, the worst Vincent moments are:

1) Gluing trash to a piece of paper and saying it got him off

2) Gluing an ugly upholstery flower to an ugly upholstery dress and saying it got him off.

[Lnmop]

Just finished my rewatch of Season 3. I still loved Uli, Mychael, and Kane. Laura was more of a bitch than I remembered her being. I liked Jeffrey more the second time around.

I thought Jeffrey was just HORRIBLE! He was extremely misogynistic toward Angela, Laura and Angela's mom during the Everyday Woman challenge, telling her he didn't appreciate her standing by him, claiming that he would make what he wanted, not what she wanted (which was part of the challenge!), and armchair analyzing her supposed misperceptions about her own qualities. His dress looked like a nun's habit! He really fit the definition of a "dry drunk".

Laura was a newly-pregnant mother of 5 boys who didn't suffer fools gladly. Just because she stood up for herself (and Angela) doesn't make her a bitch in my eyes.

[raven]

Ugh. Laura was an elitist snob.  She just seemed to look down on everyone.  Could not stand her and did not like her aesthetic, though it was well made.

 

Uli was my favorite this season; I would have given her the win. 

 

Mychael Knight was a nice guy but wow what a disappointing collection.

 

I remember Bradley the squid without an ocean but don't remember much about anyone else. 

[larapu2000]

I think Laura would love Jack Donaghey.  "Are you wearing a tux?"  "It's after 6.  I'm not a farmer."

[Oholibamah]

I know the Bravo seasons have demi-god status around here, but I hated Season 3.

 

The atmosphere was uncomfortable and tense throughout almost the entire season. Jeffrey was abominable, Vincent was disgusting, and Angela was obnoxious - and to top it off, the former won and the latter two were brought back.

 

Top it off with Uli, the one shining beacon of positivity in this glum season, losing, and we have the recipe for one of my lesser-favorite seasons. It still ranks pretty high above Seasons 8, 9, 11 and 12, but that's largely because they lacked a shining beacon like Uli.

Edited August 28, 2014 by Oholibamah

[PrincessEnnui]

I never got creepy, disgusting, or anything like that from Vincent. He came across as socially awkward and struggling. He at least tried to push himself and he finished 6th overall, not bad..

 

Keith on the other hand, now there's creepy and disgusting. He was extremely forward with Tarah Connor in the Miss USA challenge. The way he touched her and then said he wanted to see her legs. You could tell she was grateful there were cameras around. She honestly looked harassed. I am shocked by how off putting Keith is in retrospect. He is totally used car salesman (the bad kind) and snake oil salesman all rolled up into one.

[Oholibamah]

I never got creepy, disgusting, or anything like that from Vincent.

 

His penchant for saying that things "got him off" was completely unnecessary. I may not have squicked out as much if Uli or Alison were the ones saying it, and maybe that's not fair of me, but it really, for lack of better words, "turned me off".

[backgroundnoise]

He [Keith] is totally used car salesman (the bad kind) and snake oil salesman all rolled up into one.

 

I agree.  He had the kind of getting-away-with-it-justifies-doing-it, smug personality I personally loathe.  I could see him becoming a judge's darling with his "bad boy" (barf) ways, and was delighted when his own dishonesty got him booted.

 

Re Vincent:  He was a little creepy to me during the season, but I was more frustrated with the judge's keeping him around after his truly horrible (IMO) designs.  I didn't even mind him telling Laura to shove her Harry Winston's up her nose because she was unfairly chastising him for Alison's elimination--yes, he should have been out, but he had no control over that.  But his crazy rant about the laundry shown during the reunion really made me think he's not just creepy, but dangerous.  Seriously, if I had to share living space with him after seeing that rage, I would have asked to move, fearing for my safety.

Edited September 7, 2014 by backgroundnoise

[kaydub]

hence why michael and kayne immediately left the room when the rant began and went onto the balcony to smoke. they were probably used to it, and just wanted to stay outta the way of the crazy guy. i will admit to chuckling though, when vincent left the apartment, screaming, the scene switches back to michael and kayne outside on the balcony and kayne's like 'is that vincent screaming down there?' and they both look down at the street. not sure why it was funny, but it was.

i recently rewatched this season, as i have it on dvd, and the mom episode is an uncomfortable episode that i can't watch even after all this time. i can't believe how rude jeffrey was to angela's mom. someone help me out here, i recall a scene where jeffrey's mom is comforting angela's mom when she's in the lounge crying, but did that really happen?

[HyeChaps]

Jeffrey should have been auf'd for that.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Remember Mychael and Laura's bromance/friendship?  They were so adorable.

 

Remember when Mychael said something like, "I'm not trying to play Captain Save-a-ho" (I know that there's a song about this type of person, LOL) -- one of the all time great moments of Project Runway history.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Ms Blue Jay

[kaydub]

omg i loved laura and michael (mychael?)'s friendship. they were so cute.

"there is some serious ugly going on" is still one of my favorite sayings.

Edited September 17, 2014 by kaydub123

[Ms Blue Jay]

Wikiquote has amazing quotes from the first four seasons.

 

Just found this:

 

Laura: (about being pregnant with her sixth child) Five, six, seven...I'll just throw it on top of the pile with the other ones.

 

Throw "it".... Omg... hahaha

 

Michael: I even made a white girl look like she had some ass. That's how damn sexy my dress is.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Ms Blue Jay

[KFC]

I know the Bravo seasons have demi-god status around here, but I hated Season 3.

 

The atmosphere was uncomfortable and tense throughout almost the entire season. Jeffrey was abominable, Vincent was disgusting, and Angela was obnoxious - and to top it off, the former won and the latter two were brought back.

 

Top it off with Uli, the one shining beacon of positivity in this glum season, losing, and we have the recipe for one of my lesser-favorite seasons. It still ranks pretty high above Seasons 8, 9, 11 and 12, but that's largely because they lacked a shining beacon like Uli.

 

I agree, not one of my favorite seasons either. Vincent was a terrible designer and a creep. Keith won the first unconventional materials challenge using FABRIC! I enjoyed Laura but her design repertoire was pretty one-note. That woman was a smart cookie, but her designs were always one sequin short of a bedazzler. Even Uli, whom I loved, grew a bit tiresome with her flowy print (albeit beautifully made) maxi dresses. Jeffrey's final collection was pretty underwhelming to me (although I did enjoy his couture challenge piece). 

 

I just rewatched the pageant episode and was reminded of how awful Angela was. From bothering Kayne during the sketching session to throwing the one-on-one with Miss USA, there was something so bottom-feeder about Angela. I've always disliked the contestants who play-not-to-get-eliminated rather than playing to win. See S2 Marla.

[Glade]

I've just been watching this season for the first time, and absolutely can't stand it.  I find Jeffery and Vincent completely creepy and repulsive, it's really sad that the former was saved from elimination so many times despite his poor skills and toxic attitude.  I couldn't believe how much he verbally abused Angela's mother and then made that dowdy middle-aged librarian outfit for her.  I can certainly beleive that he was once a homeless junkie; he obviously never left most of that persona behind.    I was also creeped out by the woman who kept having children that she apparently didn't want and didn't care about it.  Having been spoiled about who the winner is, I'm going to skip the last four episodes.  I liked a few designers (including Uli, who actually showed a lot of creative growth on ALl-stars), but don't want to watch most of these people ever again.  I hated when Jefferey and Seth Aaron were brought onto All-stars too; I have no interest in their ugly egos. 

[kaydub]

And if memory serves, not long after winning the season, Jeffrey and the baby mama broke up and he and Marilinda became a thing. Gross. Everything about Jeffrey was just ugly and gross.

 

wow, really?! i'd never heard that! was it a rumor, or did it ever get confirmed as truth? i liked his model marilinda, i thought she was really pretty. they had some pretty good models on this season.

[PepperMonkey]

I was devastated when Malan was eliminated so early in this competition. Of course, I didn't know much about him at the time, but I instantly loved his portfolio, personality and laugh.

He also had a genuinely tough upbringing and backstory so he was easy to root for. That he was sent home (and yes, that tree trunk dress was fug) while people like Angela, Vincent, and so many others were allowed to stay, was an injustice of the first order.

I'm so glad he's had a wonderful post-show career.

[Julia]

I was devastated when Malan was eliminated so early in this competition. Of course, I didn't know much about him at the time, but I instantly loved his portfolio, personality and laugh.

He also had a genuinely tough upbringing and backstory so he was easy to root for. That he was sent home (and yes, that tree trunk dress was fug) while people like Angela, Vincent, and so many others were allowed to stay, was an injustice of the first order.

I'm so glad he's had a wonderful post-show career.

 

The irony is that while PR is desperately chasing the next new thing, this guy has become huge, and Project Runway appears in his CV towards the bottom of a list of TV appearances.

[Linderhill]

this was the first season of Project Runway that I watched and only started to watch because of Robert Best (yes, I'm a Barbie collector).  I was imensely disappointed  when he was eliminated before that hack Vincent and that idiot Angela.  

 

Season three did have one of my favorite challenges though, the one that the designers had to create a fashion for their model and a toy dog.  I'll never forget hearing Laura speculating, while they were walking to Central Park, that there might be horses.

[backgroundnoise]

Yeah, I liked the dog episode too.  I just wish this response was heard:

 

Keith:  Morgan is such a cool dog.  He doesn't need any silly costume.

Someone:  A good designer could come up with one appropriate for him.

Keith:  (crickets)

 

Also, check out the TLo Archives for this episode to see their caption under Angela's dog.  The dog was particularly mean-looking and the caption said something like "If she puts me in a bubble skirt, I'll rip out her jugular."

 

Remember when TLo used to do captions and imaginary conversations?  I miss that.  They were hilarious.  Now they just put up pictures of anybody wearing anything anywhere.

Edited October 14, 2014 by backgroundnoise

[BathKol]

I didn't like Jeffrey at first, but the scenes at his house with his son broke my heart in a good way. Granted, I'm an emotional person to begin with, but the way Jeffrey held his son so gently and quietly made me cry. Yes, I cried, laugh at me if you want, but I could tell he really did love his son.

I can understand Jeffrey from having had an awful relationship with my father and being a disinterested, difficult girl in junior high and high school. usually when you have no one to temper aggression or arrogance from abuse you end up a swipe like Jeffrey. But I guess underneath the tattoos and hats and other assorted crap, he strikes me as a person who is still hurting deeply. I really do hope he is a better father to his son than his dad was with him, because I see a good person there.

And plus, you have to admit Jeffrey does have a beautiful speaking voice.

I'll never forget hearing Laura speculating, while they were walking to Central Park, that there might be horses.

I'm a horsewoman myself so I'd be right along with her looking for a stable, though they've moved the Nationals to either the Kentucky Horse Park or one of the other big venues down south.

[ChelseaNH]

Doggies!

 

Season 3 had some good challenges.  I particularly liked the episode where the models chose the designers, for a change.  A lot of great pairings came out of that episode.

 

I also remember Marilinda just storming down the runway in Jeffrey's plaid couture dress.  Kinda opened my eyes to what a model can contribute to a designer's work.

[backgroundnoise]

Season 3 had some good challenges.  I particularly liked the episode where the models chose the designers, for a change.  A lot of great pairings came out of that episode.

That was the one where they updated a look from a fashion icon.  It was uncanny how perfectly the icons fit with the designers, e.g., Marilyn Monroe for Kayne, Katharine Hepburn for Laura, Jackie O for Robert Best, Madonna for Jeffrey, Pam Greer for Mychael, etc.

[piedmontgirl]

Just watched season 3.  Laura is a self-righteous bitch!

[Sesquipedalia]

Season 3 produced my favorite and least favorite designers of all the Project Runway seasons I've seen. My favorite is Laura. She's so gorgeous. I love her attitude and style. She's the only PR contestant whose clothes I'd actually wear. She is extremely confident, yet vulnerable and not egotistical. I LOVE her and her work.

 

I also love how Laura gets pissed off when she feels other women are being treated unfairly.

Allison being aufed was blatantly sexist. They straight up told her that they expected more of her because she’s a woman. I think that's why Laura felt so strongly against Vincent's outfit, which his model literally could not walk in.

 

Jeffrey is my most hated designer. He's not mean and entertaining like Santino and some others. He's just mean and ... a jerk. If I knew him in real life, I'd stay as far away from him as possible.

 

Vincent is creepy but not nearly as bad as I'd been led to expect. Yes, he's obviously cray cray, but we don't really find the extent of it until the reunion episode. Once I saw the laundry video, Laura's assessment of his mental state made a lot more sense.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Sesquipedalia

[NowVoyager]

Sadness...

Project Runway's Mychael Knight suddenly dies at age 39 http://dailym.ai/2yxLsR1

[beagletime]

4 hours ago, NowVoyager said:

Sadness...

Project Runway's Mychael Knight suddenly dies at age 39 http://dailym.ai/2yxLsR1

I just saw this in the news.  So sad.  Much to young to be gone.  I really enjoyed him on his season.  He was nice, no drama and quite talented.  I hope Project Runway does some type of tribute.

[Indy]

That makes me really sad. He was one of the shiny stars of this season for me, and one of my overall favorite PR designers (he had my love from the start with that coffee filter dress). i appreciated his skills and his lack of drama. 

[Souris]

53 minutes ago, beagletime said:

I just saw this in the news.  So sad.  Much to young to be gone.  I really enjoyed him on his season.  He was nice, no drama and quite talented.  I hope Project Runway does some type of tribute.

This news really makes me sad. He was so young. One of my faves. Talented and seemed like a really nice person. I will always remember his coffee-filter dress.

[Quilt Fairy]

Something seems very odd about his death.  People do not die from irritable bowel syndrome. 

[chitowngirl]

Season 3 is marathoning on Bravo today. Hated the winner and some of the personalities, BUT such better challenges and prizes.

The fashion icon challenge-why is Farrah Fawcett a fashion icon? A famous hairstyle, sure. 

[raven]

Turning it off now because I'm not going to watch that ass Sebelia make Angela's mother cry again.  His mom seems like a nice person though.

I also can't stand that elitist Laura Bennett (an UO, I know). 

My heart breaks watching Mychael Knight.  So talented, though I recall his finale collection was not up to his regular challenge standards.

Uli was robbed; I loved her finale collection.

At least I got to hear "a squid without an ocean" and "Captain Save-a-Ho" again, hee.

2 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

BUT such better challenges and prizes.

I was thinking the same thing, the challenges were so much better.   I haven't watched the last few seasons because the challenges and talent really went downhill IMO.

[NowVoyager]

I was, like: "Huh? Why are they re-running this old season?"

Then I tuned in to "High Flying Fashion" Ep9--- it's so good. Designing outfits for themselves & flying to Paris!

[sarasue59]

Spoiler

 

Couldn't stand Sebelia, that "Rawk and Roll" outfit he made himself for the jetsetter challenge was ridiculous.  I would have checked his body temperature after 16 hours on a plane in that get up.  I know he thinks of himself as a stah, but he is a nasty little clown, and it showed especially in this challenge and in the challenge with the mothers.   I wasn't a fan of Angela, but Jeffrey's little vendetta, along with the fact that he kept gloating about her leaving, just made this show hard to watch. And to have him declared the winner against two people of the skill of Uli and Laura(I know she could be elitist, as someone has already said, but I got a hoot out of her) made this a throwaway season for me.

[chitowngirl]

Still hating Jeffrey, loving the challenges and seeing real good fashion being made. I’d love to see Season 2 reshown. 

 

OT-Are all the Real Housewives interchangeable? I see promos for different locales. But the Housewives all look the same.  And don’t get me started about the use of “Housewife”!

[enoughcats]

35 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

And don’t get me started about the use of “Housewife”!

Ever since ads appeared for the first of the series, I've just substituted the work "Fishwife". 

Let's just go with definition 2 on Merriam-Webster

Quote

Definition of fishwife

1: a woman who sells fish

2: a vulgar abusive woman

[TexasGal]

Ah, season 3 which spawned my dream to fly first class to Paris with Tim Gunn, sipping champagne.  Which somehow has never come true.

I forgot how much I loved Kayne, in all his over the top tackiness.

[mwell345]

I forgot how much I miss Michael Kors!!!!!!

[CrazyInAlabama]

Laura's husband died of cancer in 2012 (I think 2012), and a few years later she took up archery on the tournament circuit.    I didn't know she was originally an architect also. 

Here's an article that's a few years old about her:

     https://www.huffingtonpost.com/brandi-megan-mantha/from-project-runway-to-archery-fame-laura-bennett-shelton_b_7521456.html

I forgot how much I loved this season until I saw the reruns today.     I still can't stand Jeffrey.    

Edited September 3, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[Fiero425]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Laura's husband died of cancer in 2012 (I think 2012), and a few years later she took up archery on the tournament circuit.    I didn't know she was originally an architect also. 

Here's an article that's a few years old about her:

     https://www.huffingtonpost.com/brandi-megan-mantha/from-project-runway-to-archery-fame-laura-bennett-shelton_b_7521456.html

I forgot how much I loved this season until I saw the reruns today.     I still can't stand Jeffrey.    

 

People kvetch about Laura being elitist not realizing she's without a doubt one of the most accomplished person to ever set foot on the PR set; Heidi included! She did things while Heidi was pretty much handed most of her digs! Having her name spread around over several different areas of entertainment, fashion, mentoring, etc. means little to me with what's done to make "a brand!" ;-)

Update: Jeffrey was another designer who got out of women's design! The last costume made for Margaret Cho before going exclusively into production of kid's clothing; maybe inspired by his son! Anyone! Season 8's Gretchen also left design and started business making accessories! The winners of this show have been real disappointments beside MC and CS! The rest have been rather obscure; even if they make it to HSN selling a line or winning All-Stars! Wha happin'd to dese peeps? ;-)

Edited September 3, 2018 by Fiero425

[CrazyInAlabama]

Kayne Gillaspie had a reality show for a while, and it was producing pageant gowns for the state and national pageants for adult women on the big name circuits.     I liked it and it was interesting to see the entire creative process, and how you have to hide creations from competitors.   

He and Joshua McKinley, who met doing the PR All Stars season in 2012 do a line of evening dresses, and shoes that are still marketed around the country.   He does a lot of the Nashville crowd dresses for red carpet.      I'm glad he's doing so well, he seemed like a really nice person.  

http://johnathankayne.com/info/about-johnathan-kayne-designer/   He goes by Johnathan Kayne now, and is based in Nashville.    

Edited September 5, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[TexasGal]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Laura's husband died of cancer in 2012 (I think 2012), and a few years later she took up archery on the tournament circuit.    I didn't know she was originally an architect also. 

Here's an article that's a few years old about her:

     https://www.huffingtonpost.com/brandi-megan-mantha/from-project-runway-to-archery-fame-laura-bennett-shelton_b_7521456.html

I forgot how much I loved this season until I saw the reruns today.     I still can't stand Jeffrey.    

Wow, she looks amazing in those archery pics.  She rocks.

I missed the first half of the marathon, I forgot this was the same season that the guy got booted for having books.  The first few seasons were SO GOOD.  Sigh.  I miss it being good.