Season 5 Discussion

[yeswedo]

Discuss all things season 5 here. Designers and episodes listed below.
 

Originally aired from July 16, 2008 - October 15, 2008

 

Designers:

• Blayne Walsh
• Daniel Feld
• Emily Brandle
• Jennifer Diederich
• Jerell Scott
• Jerry Tam
• Joe Faris
• Keith Bryce
• Kelli Martin
• Kenley Collins
• Korto Momolu
• Leanne Marshall
• Stella Zotis
• Stephen "Suede" Baum
• Terri Stevens
• Wesley Nault

 

Episodes (TVDB):

1. Let's Start From The Beginning
2. Grass is Always Greener
3. Bright Lights, Big City
4. Rings of Glory
5. Welcome to the Jungle
6. Good Queen Fun
7. Fashion That Drives You
8. Double 0 Fashion
9. What's Your Sign?
10. Transformation
11. Rock n' Runway
12. Nature Calls
13. Finale

[KimberStormer]

Leanne is, as I've said before, by far the best designer the show has ever seen in my opinion; Korto is also amazing, and maybe I'm the only one in the world but I love Kenley.  It was a real slog to winnow down the talentless 'characters' like Blayne and the people who were cast to lose, like Stella; but this season was worth it for those three women.

[KimberStormer]

Also, people talking about model drama in another thread reminded me of Leanne's baffling decision to dump poor Karalyn, who was killing it for her, for Tia, who just seemed so bland to me. 

[larapu2000]

I remember a lot of singular designs from this season-LeeAnn's car dress and her Orient Express look along with her awesome Zodiac avant garde dress; Kenley and her 50's dresses and her work with prints-I always liked her work, I just hated her guts, Korto's amazing finale collection and that seatbelt coat!

 

I was never the biggest fan of Jerell's work, and I'm not sure why.  His last dress before the finale looked like the models' boobs were vomiting fabric.

[PepperMonkey]

I just don't get all the Leanne love... I actually liked her and I even liked her final collection but I honestly thought it was kind of one-note. It was a cool technique but I harkened back to it when Ven kept doing those damn roses over and over.

Now people have different tastes and different opinions and thank the gods for that. My favourite season 5 finale collection was Korto's and even though it wasn't as cohesive as Leanne's, I thought it was stunning (TM Gordon Ramsay). I loved the colour and you could tell she designs for women of all shapes and sizes, so that was refreshing as well.

Edited August 7, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[ThatsDarling]

My favourite season 5 finale collection was Korto's and even though it wasn't as cohesive as Leanne's, I thought it was stunning (TM Gordon Ramsay). I loved the colour and you could tell she designs for women of all shapes and sizes, so that was refreshing as well.

Season 5 had the strongest final two in the history of the show, IMO. Korto's collection was fabulous (with the exception of a green dress that was cut, like, a millimeter below the model's good china) and easily could have won in a different season. I loved Leanne's, too. These days it's rare to see one Project Runway collection that looks like it belongs at NYFW, but they both knocked it out of the park. I wish they could have crowned two winners and spared Korto her years-spanning mission to get the PR crown.      

[ShellSeeker]

I was never a big Kenley fan but she did have some great looks. The wedding dress she made for her final collection was really beautiful. I thought the judges were too hard on her when they always said her designs were too much like other famous designers' work. They never failed to gush about Christian Siriano being inspired by Vivienne Westwood, and I didn't understand what the difference was.

Maybe because Christian went to design school and Kenley didn't? I think I remember her saying that she was self- taught. So if you've been to school, you're inspired. If you haven't, then you're just a hack?

[Oholibamah]

Season 5 had the strongest final two in the history of the show

 

*three.

 

Not actually - that honor would go to Season 7, but it's close. I think Kenley was an excellent designer and deserved every inch of her spot at Fashion Week. Her collection ultimately lacked cohesion, and has been aptly referred to as "Kenley's Closet", but it was her through-and-through and had some really stunning pieces. I think it's one of the strongest third-place collections to appear on the show (although obviously no third placer will ever top Jillian, and I would rank it below Mila's).

 

I thought Season 5 was a lot of fun. I loved the Top 3 and thought Jerell was a real hoot, on top of loving a handful of his looks - I secretly wish he hadn't returned as such a snob on Allstars. Joe, Terri and Kelli were also fantastic designers who I would've liked to see more of, but ultimately this season had enough talent that the parade of loonies - Blayne, Stella and my personal least favorite PR contestant of all time, Suede - couldn't even ruin it.

 

My favorite looks include Leanne's Planter Skirt, Marlene Dietrich, Car Parts and Zodiac, Jerell's Lipstick Jungle and Zodiac, Korto's Seatbelt Coat and Marlene Dietrich, Kenley's Green Fabrics and Marlene Dietrich. In short, I agreed 100% with the Top 4.

[KimberStormer]

My favorite thing about Kenley is that she grew up on a tugboat.  And she was great when she came back to All-Stars--you could tell she totally knew that she had no chance, so she was just taking it easy and having fun.  And in my opinion, out-designing pretty much everyone there.

 

 

(although obviously no third placer will ever top Jillian,

 

Did Jillian really get third place?? Rami's collection was a total pile of crap, with one amazing dress.  God that's frustrating if it's true.

[Oholibamah]

Did Jillian really get third place?? Rami's collection was a total pile of crap, with one amazing dress.  God that's frustrating if it's true.

 

Unfortunately, yes. Which is why, despite thinking Rami was a great finalist, Christian/Jillian/Rami is only my third-favorite Top 3.

[SSAHotchner]

I loved Leanne's stuff. I didn't mind some of Kenley's creations, but I couldn't stand her. It's not just her constant whining, but her tone of voice just grated on my nerves.

[TudorQueen]

I loved Kenley - although even for me she occasionally went a little too far in her attitude - and thought her final collection was terrific. Not a huge Leanne fan, so her win left me feeling 'meh'. But I've said on other threads, and say again here, that Kortu was one of the most consistently ripped off designers on the show. IMVHO she deserved to win her season, then inexplicably lost the one-off "All Star" special episode that preceded PR:AS to Daniel Voskovic, then came back to All Stars to lose again. On TWOP I initiated a long thread discussion about my perceptions about PR's 'western-centricity' and I do think Kortu, to some degree, fell victim to that, since her African influences were so crucial to her design aesthetic.

 

Loved Stella, even though I knew she didn't have a chance in hell of winning - and didn't think she necessarily should - but she brought the leathah, and she brought something very earnest and real to the show.

[Xazeal]

This season is such a weird one for me. I enjoyed it, and there were tons of memorable looks, but I never want to watch it again. There was so much fodder, and some of them (Stella, Blayne, SUEDE) made it way, way further than they should have.

 

I had no problem with Kenley and her hysterics, though. Sometimes I do wonder if Rachel Reilly studied Kenley extensively while coming up with her character. I would never want to meet them in real life, but I find them highly entertaining. "I wasn't going for elegant, Heidi!"

 

Leanne kicked all kinds of ass and her collection is one of my all-time favorites. This was one of only five seasons where I thought the best collection (including decoys) won. 

 

I don't know, as much as I enjoyed it, I feel like this was the first season that felt sort of bland. I think season four was the last season that was truly great, and this one is just the best of the rest.

[Bees]

One of my favorite Project Runway lines came from this season. It was Jerrell talking about Terri: "She has two faces and four patterns" man what a fantastically bitchy line. 

[pivot]

This is by far my favorite season of the show. It had great characters, distinctive designs, designers to cheer for and great villains. And it was the last season before the show became dull IMO. Lastly, the final 3 was the only time I got the final 3 I wanted. Loved Leeanne's win.

[backgroundnoise]

What I like about season five is that so many of the designers seemed to actually be having some fun.  Except for Daniel, there wasn't so much whining, "I don't DO that." 

 

I just rewatched S5; it's my second favorite to rewatch after Season 1.  I loved the variety of challenges.  They had a DRAG QUEEN challenge, how much fun was that?  The Olympics, Diane Faustenburg(?), car parts, "hip hop" (hee), Botanical Gardens.  To me that's the last season that hasn't been a continuous string of "make an outfit of your choice vaguely inspired by (insert product placement of choice)."

[PepperMonkey]

With Mr.Monkey in New York this past week, I was able to marathon my season 1 through 5 DVDs. I'm actually just finishing up season 5... It's been ages since watched 5 and I cannot believe how many of these designers I did not remember.

I've made some comments about Leanne's pleats (some of which ARE lovely - me) but wow, that was a total bitch move sending her model Karalyn home so close to Fashion Week. Karalyn worked really hard for her all season long, and seriously sold some of the weaker looks, and for her to dump her because she thought Suede had an advantage with Tia was cold. I guess he did have a small advantage, but he was never going to make it to fashion week, with OR without Tia.

Also, I seemed to recall liking Teri when I watched the show live, but I'm disliking her quite a bit on rewatch.

 

Kenley should have been out before fashion week; Jerell should have had an automatic IN by winning the last challenge before the finale. So there were probably some producer shenanigans even back then, but Elves were so good at it, we barely noticed.

 

I've kind of enjoyed rewatching this one; Korto and Leanne both had strong final collections and they did have some fun challenges... they should revisit that drag queen challenge every season. LOVED it!

[larapu2000]

Yeah, I'm not sure why she went with Tia, either.  She had several chances to change up models after winning challenges, but kept Karalynn.  It was weird.

[TaraS1]

I will always love this season for giving me my favorite Project Runway quote of all-time, from Jerell, in response to who should go to Bryant Park (and after getting attitude from Kenley that he didn't pick her):  "Yeah, so, Korto, Leanne and Jerell at the tent is what I'm trying to say.  AT THE TENT."  I still randomly say "AT THE TENT" and do the little shoulder-dip LOL

 

I wanted Nina to quite literally disembowel Kenley on the runway.  God, how I hated her.

[Lamb18]

Remember when Jerrell was the last man standing, alone and lonely in the apartment, so he drew faces on the grapefruit and talked to them?

[mansonlamps]

Strangely, I remember Kenley, Leanne and Korto quite well, but have zero idea who Jerell is.

[ShellSeeker]

I thought he made it to the final 4, and was the last one eliminated before Fashion Week.

 

The one designer I remember from this season, apart from the top 3 or 4, was Joe Faris, who was the designer from Detroit whose designs had a kind of motocross (I guess) theme. And I remember him because he won the drag queen challenge, and was laughing about the one straight guy in the group designing the best look for a drag queen. Which was pretty funny -- I remember the judging for that and Ru Paul complimenting him on how he hid the "candy." LOL.

[Sesquipedalia]

Yes, I just watched this season, and JerelI, Kenley, Leanne, and Korto were all in the top four, and all four made collections, but Jerell was eliminated right before Bryant Park. I thought this way of doing it was kind of mean. He spent months working, and then they eliminated him without even looking at the whole collection. I can't remember any other seasons where this has happened. Is this the only one where a designer has gotten cut right before Bryant Park?

 

Another reason it left a bit of a bad taste for me is that Jerell, Leanne, and Korto were clearly and consistently the top three designers in the competition. They won the most, and Jerell won the final challenge. Who got out before Bryant Park should have been between the bottom two of the last challenge, Kenley and Korto. Kenley was consistently in the bottom, not to even mention her horrible attitude. That being said, Jerell's collection was not good, and he didn't listen to Tim to improve it, so in the end the best three collections ended up getting shown at fashion week.

 

One thing I noticed about Season 5 is that it belies the common claim about PR that they used to have more two-day challenges in the early seasons. Almost all the challenges were one day only.

[savannah1985]

I loved Leeann's final collection, because of her colors.  She also had a blue formal gown that in addition to her wedding dress, was absolute gorgeous, my favorite dress of all the seasons.

[crazyirishlady]

Unpopular opinion alert.

I loved Kenley.  Anytime a person tries to defend their point of view people always call them rude.  No, she wasn’t the sweetest person, but she stuck to her esthetic...I’d rather lose sticking to my own ideas than leave after capitulating.

GO KENLEY!