S13.E15: Season 13 Reunion

[BusyOctober]

Who did Emily's makeup for the reunion?  She looked like a vampire zombie with the orange-y eyeshadow around her whole eye!  It made her look as though she were crying and had red swollen puffiness under her eyes.  Colored shadow at the lower lash line = yes; circling the entire eye socket to give the appearance of a losing prize fighter hit with a left hook = NO. 

 

I think something must have happened or been said before the cameras rolled too, because Emily looked very uncomfortable and annoyed throughout the show, even during the intro.  Of course, Tim barely acknowledged her existence, so that might be a contributing factor. Her posture, her facial expressions, everything just read "I'm over it" to me.  I think Emily was one of the more level headed, emotionally mature contestants this season, so her negative vibe really stuck out for me.

 

And speaking of things to be "over"...Korina, Char, Tim's Save and "Bitch" as a term of endearment.

[RealityCowgirl]

My goodness, I totally forget Samantha even existed! How fitting that she appeared only by letter.

I looked away for a second, missed the opening to the letter, and spent far too much time trying to remember who was missing. Your comment this morning filled in the gap.

Blue Hair Girl. Still as forgettable as her fashions.

Edited October 31, 2014 by RealityCowgirl

[seacliffsal]

So, Char was all about Korina's words reflecting her heart and that she (Char) can't allow that energy into her space.  Yet, when Amanda starts talking about things Char said, Char's first response is 'it's not fair to talk about things that happened off camera...'  Wow.  Just wow.  Double standard much?  So, because Korina said things on camera she should be help responsible, but since the worst things Char said were off camera they shouldn't be considered.  Later, Char told the other designers that while this experience was hard, it was hardest for her.  I think that she needs to get over her self-righteousness.  I wish one of the designers actually would have told Tim that HE put them in a no-win position when he asked them to give Char 10 extra minutes.  I was glad that Sean told Tim that they all should have had 10 more minutes-at least that got put out there.

 

I still love Kini.

[Aging Goth]

My take on the reunion.  Korina just kept serving up wormed over bullnuggets to me.   The crying trying to elicit sympathy then when that didn't work, the hate mail she received came up and for extra measure, she turns up the waterworks, she just can't go one, and after Tim 'persuades her" she can now go on.  BULLCRAP!

 

Char did acknowledge she was also throwing shade Amanda's way but she did apologise and didn't put on a show to do it.  Hence why she didn't believe the apology given by the blubbering Korina who made it all about her more than apologising for her behaviour.  Should Char have been saved? No.  But she was and competition is not always fair so no Korina gets no pass from me

 

Amanda really grew on me this season.  Didn't like her in her own season and didn't like at first this season either.  However, she showed another side of herself and I like her now.

 

Sandhya was basically ostricized and it was unfair to minimalize her feelings at the reunion.   However, I also did not get her design asthetic

 

it is a shame that the other did not impress me enough to remember them or even care

 

I do like Kini.  He's the Chris March of this season

[Beden]

 

Thats the thing, an apology is just that, an apology, it doesn't come with a promise that the person has to accept it.  You should apologize because you feel bad and the apology reflects what you feel.  If someone doesn't accept your apology, that sucks, but they don't owe you to accept it if they don't want to.  The apology starts to feel insincere if you were just doing it so someone would accept it and forgive you.

I kept thinking about Eleanor Roosevelt's comment years ago; 'All of us are constantly forgiving and being forgiven, but how do you forget?'

 

I--likely almost everyone--has had things happen which I've forgiven and moved on from, but I'm damned if I've forgotten. That may well be  a fault in me but I also think it's human. Yes, this was just an immature woman on a reality show venting her frustration but she presented herself badly, unprofessionally and cruelly. I'm sure that she is sorry; sorry for being presented in a bad light, sorry for hurting a friend, sorry for the unwarranted threats generated.

 

Fair? Her elimination wasn't fair? When has that ever been part of the world?

 

She made her own bed and hopefully she'll learn from it. Does that make me unsympathetic? I don't think it does. I think it makes me a realist.

Edited October 31, 2014 by Beden

[dialyn]

 For an industry that can be sooooo demanding and critical, the contestants often demonstrate such fragile egos. Its embarrassing to see such weepy whiney women who can turn on the tears when the camera comes in for a close-up. Graduates of the Nancy Kerrigan School of Design...

 

You mean Nancy Kerrigan who was clubbed in the right knee with a police baton?  Yeah, if she was any kind of woman she would just have stood up and skated on, right?  And she did go back to skating once she recovered which had to take some courage.  Frankly, I would have cried too if someone hit my knee with a police baton.  That  has to be one of the poorest analogies yet on this forum, and that's saying a lot.

 

I don't know what we expect of people.  If they try to change, or apologize, they get criticized.  If they stay the same, they get criticized.  If you don't like someone, you won't believe a word they say.  If you like someone, you won't believe anything anyone else has to say.  If any of them had any common sense, they would refuse a contract that demanded them to participate in the reunion.  It is a no win-no win situation for most of them, and just gives outsiders another chance to jump on the mean train. And that's why I didn't watch the reunion, and why I won't be watching the reunion.  I don't know any of these people, and I don't know what really happened except for heavily edited snippets.  I'd rather evaluate them on their designs than their looks or how they act for the camera, but that ship sailed a long time ago.  Now I have to decide if it is worth risking my blood pressure on the All Stars.  Well, it is entertainment, of a sorts.

Edited October 31, 2014 by dialyn

[backgroundnoise]

Sandhya was basically ostricized and it was unfair to minimalize her feelings at the reunion.

I'm sorry, but I just don't see this.  In the second episode where Sandhya went complaining to Tim that she was being "picked on", her teammates were not picking on her, IMO, but rather frustrated with her complete lack of trying to coordinate a cohesive collection when she had immunity.  We were really given no reason why she was crying in bed that morning, but her roommates seemed caring and concerned, if a little confused as to what was wrong.

 

The other designers didn't like her designs.  Guess what, designers rarely like anyone else's designs.

 

The editing was so wonky this season, I'm just as willing to believe cultural or linguistic differences played a part, e.g., her statement about Emily being the last to support her is open to either a good or bad interpretation, and Sandhya being a little thin-skinned, as to think she was ostricized.

Edited October 31, 2014 by backgroundnoise

[FineWashables]

I'm making a point here again that I've been making for years.  The audience for this show enjoys the creative process, the problem-solving, and the design.  We find that fascinating and it brings us back every week, even to a show has passed its peak.  The bitchiness, the meltdowns, the manufactured drama -- all these things take camera time away from what the audience really wants to see.  If that was all we cared about, we'd be watching Tori and Dean.  I wish TPTB had some confidence in the premise of their show.  Maybe then they could actually deliver what their audience enjoys instead of this sobfest crap.

[Day2Day]

Well said,  FineWashables.

[Julia]

I feel like I've said enough about Korina for one lifetime, which is a comforting thing.

 

Here's my take on Sandhyagate:

 

Sandhya came into this as teacher's pet. This has never been a competition where incompetent construction won because there was such a brilliant conceptual framework, and the contestants who did what they were supposed to do - made viable clothes - got hosed. OK, so, fine, the judges get to do that, and Sandhya wasn't responsible for the judges' collective loss of mind.

 

However. She went on to throw her team resoundingly under the bus by insisting on not cooperating with her team when she was the only one not at risk, and when they tried to speak to her _about her design_ (and they actually showed a clip where Hernan tried to talk to her about her design and she directly interpreted it as a sneak attack on her personally) she went running to Tim Gunn snivelling and told him that she was being horribly bullied. She was not being horribly bullied. It was, however, a perfect setup for the rest of her team, who expressed perfectly understandable frustration at being sandbagged (Sandhyabagged?) and fed right into the poor, poor pitiful Sandhya narrrative.

 

Are there a lot of catty people this season? Yes. Did Sandhya's [nonexistent social skills/condescension/unwillingness to engage her competitors in a collaborative and respectful way] leave her isolated? That too. But then, this isn't project kindergarten. Nobody is required to be Sandhya's friend. What they're required to do is not engage in personal attacks, which (unless there's something they didn't show us) they by and large did. People resented her preferential treatment in judging, and they didn't appreciate her - idiosyncratic? - personal esthetic. They're allowed.

 

So then we get to Emily, in this episode. Back in the day, pretty much everyone else was avoiding Sandhya, because she's a great big drag who whines a lot and insults people, is my take. Emily took some of what very little personal time they had in that pressure cooker and sits with Sandhya, who's melting down because somehow her steamroller behavior on behalf of her own esthetic - because no-one else has any integrity as a designer, so they should be willing to compromise themselves on her behalf - has made her unpopular. Go figure. So, anyway, Emily points out that she tried to engage in exactly the connection Sandhya was insisting that she wanted and wasn't offered at fashion week and Sandhya snubbed her.

 

Here's where I think things went off the rails. Because Sandhya started to say, and garbled, that she was really traumatized at fashion week because she was being flooded by reporters asking her questions about how unpopular and disliked she was, and that was why she didn't connect with Emily. Then she tried to say that she recognized that Emily was the only remaining designer being kind to her before she left. Unfortunately, Sandhya appears to be spectacularly inept in any conversation which is not about how totally awesome Sandhya is, and what she actually said out loud in words was an insult.

 

I think everyone talking about how much they love Sandhya was bullshit, but they were put in an awful position by the narrative about Sandhya being bullied. Whether she as much as they is a victim of the producers, I couldn't say, but frankly I think the blank expression on her face when she was asked about her bullheadedness is a dead giveaway that she's if at all possible even less concerned about their feelings than they are about hers.

Edited November 1, 2014 by Julia

[Linderhill]

sorry to hear that Sammantha had to have emergency surgery, I hope she's alright (and I do wonder what the cause was).   It was cute when Emily (who really seems to have been the mother figure for most of the group) read Sammantha asking Alexander for grocery money from all of his fan favorite wins.  

 

Very good to find out that Kini has and plus size collection.  

 

 

some need to bring Kate Pankoke back for a third try.

I couldn't believe it when I saw that she was back yet again. Ugh.

[RealityGal]

 

 

I don't know what we expect of people.  If they try to change, or apologize, they get criticized.  If they stay the same, they get criticized.  If you don't like someone, you won't believe a word they say.  If you like someone, you won't believe anything anyone else has to say. 

I think it was fine for her to apologize.  Where she loses me is when she expects the other party to forgive her simply because she has apologized.  No one owes her forgiveness, and if thats the reason you're apologizing it doesn't feel like you're sincerely sorry and it feels more like a manipulation.  She seemed upset that Char wouldn't accept her apology, but Char doesn't owe her that so she had no grounds to be upset with Char for not accepting her apology.

[Pepper Mostly]

Well. That was.....awkward.

 

 

I think of "bitch" as a term of endearment.' Ugh, Tim. I think that was the straw that broke my back.

 

That put me right over the edge. They were so invested in telling Sandhya that she was wrong wrong wrong in EVERY WAY that they interpret Hernan's very obvious use of the word bitch as a stinging insult as an endearment? It wasn't like they were buddies and he know he could get away with it. He meant it to hurt. Poor Sandhya. I've been there. I'm usually really popular in groups and work places. One time after a work reorganization I ended up in a work group that ostracized and marginalized me, misinterpreted what I said, and took offense at the most innocuous things I did. It was awful. I really felt for her. I'm really glad all this is over. I never thought I would say that about Project Runway. Bleh.
 

[tobeannounced]

I'm making a point here again that I've been making for years.  The audience for this show enjoys the creative process, the problem-solving, and the design.  We find that fascinating and it brings us back every week, even to a show has passed its peak.  The bitchiness, the meltdowns, the manufactured drama -- all these things take camera time away from what the audience really wants to see.  If that was all we cared about, we'd be watching Tori and Dean.  I wish TPTB had some confidence in the premise of their show.  Maybe then they could actually deliver what their audience enjoys instead of this sobfest crap.

Amen!  This is exactly how I feel.  I love shows like PR and Top Chef because it requires talent, hard work and dedication to a craft.  It's not just people whose only goal in life is to be infamous.  Maybe PR is just jumping the shark because this franchise has run out of steam.  It's a shame.

[Pattycake2]

During the reunion, we were reminded that folks thought Amanda was phony and told her to her face and that Char constantly took crap.  Frankly, I got good and tired of Sandhya whining about how she was being bullied and she was STILL doing it at the reunion.  Seems like most people got into it with others and they all spoke shit about each other.  Sandhya, you had a chance to see this while watchng the show.  Get over yourself.  You didn't lose because people didn't like you.  You lost because because some of your stuff and the vision you defend was simply terrible. 

[phoenix780]

The reunion emphasized how this show is not about fashion.  They spoke about it for about 4 minutes, and tried to say it was a season of vagina and fringe based on what appeared to be 5 outfits and Sean's collection.  That's not a trend, imho.

 

I feel for Korina.  I don't think she's a bad person, but I also think she's too self-centered to ever be a really nice one, if that makes sense.  I'm fine with discussing people on reality shows, but I don't understand contacting them, or telling them to kill themselves over a fit on a tv show.  That's just...insane. 

 

I appreciated the reminder that Char wasn't simply a victim, she was kind of a jerk at first.  She just had the opposite experience of Korina.  I wonder if she'd have flipped on Amanda if she didn't get the save.  And the zipper-fixing time. 

 

In any case, they hugged and it looked genuine so I'm over it, too. 

 

Sandhya is exhausting to watch.  I wish Emily had gotten a chance to speak- the blue hair and 5 minutes of airtime she got this season made me think she's cool.  Wish I could've found out.

 

The one thing I came to like about this show was that they brought out the first eliminated at the very end, so they didn't have to sit there awkwardly the whole time. 

 

Also- does anyone understand why they filmed this in front of a live audience when the audience had 0 interaction?  There weren't even really reactions (boos/cheers). 

[sinkwriter]

 

That put me right over the edge. They were so invested in telling Sandhya that she was wrong wrong wrong in EVERY WAY that they interpret Hernan's very obvious use of the word bitch as a stinging insult as an endearment? It wasn't like they were buddies and he know he could get away with it. He meant it to hurt.

 

Yeah, that's where I was thinking, "Tim, you really messed that up." I mean, come ON, Tim. You've got to know there's a huge difference between the kind of "endearment" saying "What up, bitches?" to your buddies versus what Hernan said to Sandhya. His expression was an insult, with no affection toward her. So everyone piling on Sandhya like she shouldn't have been offended by him talking to her that way was ridiculous. I think Sandhya has an unusual personality that might make it difficult to connect to her on a personal level, but no one deserves to be treated viciously or like they're crazy for hearing the cruelty in such a statement and standing up for themselves to say, "Don't talk to me that way ever again."

[After7Only]

Anyone who watched Tim Gun's show, Under the Gun, would not be surprised of his 'interpretation' of Sandhya's PR experience.  He took the same approach of siding with the 'mean girls/boys' against Natalie (I think that was her name) on that show.  Natalie was bullied personally  and berated for her designs, and Tim Gun joined right along with them. 

[Julia]

Which is ironic, because in this case Sandhya took advantage of the show's hypersensitivity to accusations of bullying after Under the Gunn to disadvantage her opponents and arguably get better treatment from the judges, because if I recally correctly, that conversation took place _after_ she accused them of bullying.

[sinkwriter]

 

It was also telling to me how Char kept saying that her talent wasn't shown yet, or however she phrased it.  She had more than 10 challenges and a FW collection to show her stuff.  If it wasn't shown, it doesn't exist (at least in this setting) and the PR audience shouldn't be palmed off with questionable future potential as justification. 

 

I don't think Char always expresses herself well, and in this case, what I heard her saying was not really that she didn't get the chance to show it but that she's still learning what her personal style is. (And that's why she hasn't "shown" her talent yet.) I get the sense that as someone who hasn't gone to design school she feels she's learning from everyone and still learning how things work, and this became an opportunity for her to learn a little bit more. She learned (to her own surprise) that some people (including Tim) liked her and liked her designs and made her feel like she could do more than she herself thought she could. It seemed that she thought she'd go through this competition and maybe make it to a certain level, but she never expected people to really like anything she did because she's still learning who she is as a designer. To have some people believe in her gave her more confidence. 

[Darian]

While I personally don't use "bitch" as a slur or term of endearment (I try not to use gender-specific insults at all), I know some people do both. But in the specific case they showed, Hernan clearly was NOT, imo, using it kindly or affectionately. That said, I think Sandhya could use a bit of self-awareness. She had her tactless, combative, uncooperative moments. Maybe she did learn, since she was good-natured about her "devil baby" outfit not being chosen, but being left over.

 

Korina. Ugh. I don't lack empathy, as has been alleged. I get that Korina feels terrible about how she came across, but I'm not sure she really gets what she did wrong yet. She made herself the victim, she made it about herself, again. Her rants are always about how she's been wronged, and last night was just more of the same. I hope she does grow from this, but she sure did seem pleased when the issue of whether Char should have been there was raised. 

[sinkwriter]

 

I hope she does grow from this, but she sure did seem pleased when the issue of whether Char should have been there was raised.

 

And that's another reason why I felt for Char. I can understand Tim (and the reunion showrunners) bringing it up once, to discuss the Char save because it had become such a contentious decision. However, I felt like they just kept bringing it up and bringing it up in different ways throughout the reunion and that was cruel. Let's just browbeat Char into the ground, saying, "You're not good enough! You're not good enough!" I wanted to say, Enough already!

[tpplay]

 

 

You mean Nancy Kerrigan who was clubbed in the right knee with a police baton?  Yeah, if she was any kind of woman she would just have stood up and skated on, right?  And she did go back to skating once she recovered which had to take some courage.  Frankly, I would have cried too if someone hit my knee with a police baton.  That  has to be one of the poorest analogies yet on this forum, and that's saying a lot.

I don't know what we expect of people.  If they try to change, or apologize, they get criticized.  If they stay the same, they get criticized.  If you don't like someone, you won't believe a word they say.  If you like someone, you won't believe anything anyone else has to say.  If any of them had any common sense, they would refuse a contract that demanded them to participate in the reunion.  It is a no win-no win situation for most of them, and just gives outsiders another chance to jump on the mean train. And that's why I didn't watch the reunion, and why I won't be watching the reunion.  I don't know any of these people, and I don't know what really happened except for heavily edited snippets.  I'd rather evaluate them on their designs than their looks or how they act for the camera, but that ship sailed a long time ago.  Now I have to decide if it is worth risking my blood pressure on the All Stars.  Well, it is entertainment, of a sorts.

 

Just.  I love this post.

[eurekagirl mOo]

And guess whats in Marie Claire this month? A "Nina Loves" page FULL of 70's type styles (hi Amanda), a photo shoot featuring (the dreaded) fringe (hi,Sean), and an "Ask Tim" column.

[atticdrama]

Well this season ends with a "cathartic" reunion. How fitting.

 

It struck me as ironic at the time, and even more now, that Korina told Char "it's not all about you" when she was eliminated, because Korina strikes me as pathologically self-centered. And like many such people, she has the ability to gain sympathy even when she is being terribly unsympathetic. I know they were coached, but the offstage designers making cooing noises at her during one of her staged crying jags was gross.

 

I was made deeply uncomfortable by the fact that Char was pressured into accepting her apology and hugging her in the face of Korina's sniveling. What a load of nonsense. Put on your big girl pants and deal with yourself lady. Also, I have no doubt Char received plenty of social media hate herself. 

[txbowler]

Working with a lot of workers of Indian decent, which is clearly where Sandhya comes from, they had us attend a cultural seminar to explain the differences in how people are raised in those cultures and the effects in the workplace.  I won't spend paragraphs writing it up here but some of her issues comes from that.

 

We (Americans) think she should just understand how we behave in the workplace and she thinks we should understand how she behaves.  The 2 types actually clash in a lot of ways.

[millennium]

Yep, Korina lost her composure, and she lost because she let her emotions get the better of her. Honestly, I think Korina could have sent down the perfect dress and she would have still lost to Char. I don't like saying the fix is in, But im this case, I think the producers had a hand in keeping Char in the competition.

 

I think this theory is undermined by the aufing of Alexander.   He was THE fan favorite.   If there were manipulations behind the scenes, common sense dictates that Alexander above all others would have made it to Fashion Week.

 

But he didn't.

[dialyn]

I think this theory is undermined by the aufing of Alexander.   He was THE fan favorite.   If there were manipulations behind the scenes, common sense dictates that Alexander above all others would have made it to Fashion Week.

 

But he didn't.

Common sense.  Project Runway.  Does not compute.  Error, error, error.

[slothgirl]

Frankly, I would have cried too if someone hit my knee with a police baton.  That  has to be one of the poorest analogies yet on this forum, and that's saying a lot.

Thank you! I fell hard on my knee last winter and it might have been the worst pain I've ever been in (and I'm a tomboy who got hurt a lot!). I was distraught thinking of how much it was going to suck if my kneecap was fractured, and I wasn't a short time away from the biggest event of my career that I had spent my whole life preparing for. The flak she got for actually being in pain and crying was absurd.

 

Kinda reminds me of some of what we are talking about here concerning people's reactions to things. (just trying to bring it back around to topic)

[Ms Blue Jay]

deleting

Edited November 1, 2014 by Ms Blue Jay

[Nonlinear]

I don't mind the drama if they bring on the talent and wows us with their designs and creativity. But it feels like they are only banking in on the drama factor.

 

I am always surprised when Tim insists this is the best season and the most talented designers by far. Why does he keep saying it over and over again? Is he forced to say this?

[RealityGal]

I don't mind the drama if they bring on the talent and wows us with their designs and creativity. But it feels like they are only banking in on the drama factor.

 

I am always surprised when Tim insists this is the best season and the most talented designers by far. Why does he keep saying it over and over again? Is he forced to say this?

Well, it must be true this year, because he got a total stranger from the streets of new york to agree with him.  *insert sarcastic eye roll here*

 

And I totally agree with your first point.  The most important thing is, and has always been the runway, when the runway suffers thats a death blow to me.  I don't mind the drama at all, and in fact, I like a little drama, but not at the expense of the runway.  I need the runway to be the most important thing.  

[lucindabelle]

I cannot stand char. No she didn't have to accept an ology but who the hell is she to say you have a bad heart to Korina? And in my book, you are a bad person IS way worse than saying you are a bad designer. Korina didn't express that thought well but that is what she was saying. The clips of char talking smack early on showed that she is a first class mean girl herself. Her runway show was pitiful and the judges were merely kind in saying a lot of girls would want to wear her look.l. Yeah, because it already exists and exists better at strawberry and forever 21. She had no idea what a collection is or how it has a story, she always just described attitude. Freedom? What kind of collection story is that? I mean Ralph Lauren has a style but every year he has to do something g different. And so on and so on. The point of project runway is not that you can do so much if given the opportunity. It's to wow the judges and audience with your vision and talent. Who cares if she's self taught? I wasn't impressed.<br /><br />As for kini, I thought he had no particular taste or style. Left to himself, he made a stodgy and dull collection. He needs a partner or judges to give him feedback and then yes, he can turn on a dime.<br /><br />Amanda and Sean at least had their own voices.<br /><br />I suspect Tim told Sean to use all that fringe in hopes it would benefit his pet.

[PepperMonkey]

I'm with you, lucinda. I tuned out on this early because it was WAY TOO MUCH frakking Char. I swear to Swatch, it was Project Runway Season 13 Reunion: It's all About Char.

I hope I never have to see her on my screen again, but I am sure she will be surfacing to show how she STILL hasn't shown us what she can do on a future season of All Stars.

 

I want Tim out of the franchise at this point. He's always been a closet mean boy himself, but it didn't bother me as much as it probably should have because I had so much residual love for him from the early seasons of the show. But he's gone round the bend now and he needs to move on... if we could only get Nina to take a much needed break, too, the show might be able to win back some of my love.

 

It was nice to see Amanda, Kini, and Fade, and well, that's about it. Glad this season has passed into history.

Edited November 1, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[RealityGal]

I cannot stand char. No she didn't have to accept an ology but who the hell is she to say you have a bad heart to Korina? And in my book, you are a bad person IS way worse than saying you are a bad designer. Korina didn't express that thought well but that is what she was saying. The clips of char talking smack early on showed that she is a first class mean girl herself. Her runway show was pitiful and the judges were merely kind in saying a lot of girls would want to wear her look.l. Yeah, because it already exists and exists better at strawberry and forever 21. She had no idea what a collection is or how it has a story, she always just described attitude. Freedom? What kind of collection story is that? I mean Ralph Lauren has a style but every year he has to do something g different. And so on and so on. The point of project runway is not that you can do so much if given the opportunity. It's to wow the judges and audience with your vision and talent. Who cares if she's self taught? I wasn't impressed.<br /><br />As for kini, I thought he had no particular taste or style. Left to himself, he made a stodgy and dull collection. He needs a partner or judges to give him feedback and then yes, he can turn on a dime.<br /><br />Amanda and Sean at least had their own voices.<br /><br />I suspect Tim told Sean to use all that fringe in hopes it would benefit his pet.

It was her opinion, she has every right to her feelings, IMO.   Korina has behaved in a way that makes it easy to form the opinion that she is a bad person with a bad heart.  Should only Korina be allowed to say what she is thinking?  Korina's own behavior towards Char made it personal, and beyond the "well, I just don't think your clothing is my style."  And to say you don't respect someone, in any capacity is mean spirited and sounds way more personal to me than just saying "I don't like x's clothing."  TH are littered with everyone talking smack about everyone else's clothing, but saying you don't respect what a person does, to me seems more personal.  And her behavior made it personal.  I think Korina meant it exactly how Char took it, which is why she didn't bother to show her any respect at all.  To someone she said was her friend, if you can't even respect your own friend, then yeah, you're probably a bad person with a bad heart.  Or at least its not out of line to make that statement or feel that way.  If any of my friends said that they don't respect my work, I would take it personally because my work reflects who I am.  I can understand designers saying that they don't get a certain aesthetic or a certain look, or that its just really not their thing, but Korina went beyond that, and I would have taken those comments personally.  And then the entire commentary to the rest of the room saying "well did anyone see that coming, who thought I would be up for elimination today" was clearly aimed at Char and getting the rest of the designers to disrespect her too.  And that was her friend!  Her friend who was under just as much stress and pressure and was probably falling apart on the inside, and to do that to someone in that way is evidence of a bad person with a bad heart.

 

Furthermore, everyones look has already existed in one form or another.  I was watching a Q-Tip video from the mid 2000's the other day, you know what was going on in that video.......fringe.  Demin in almost every iteration has been done before.  So has boho chic.  So, its all been done before, and is probably still being done to this day.

Edited November 1, 2014 by RealityGal

[A Beaverhausen]

I cannot stand char. No she didn't have to accept an ology but who the hell is she to say you have a bad heart to Korina? And in my book, you are a bad person IS way worse than saying you are a bad designer. Korina didn't express that thought well but that is what she was saying. The clips of char talking smack early on showed that she is a first class mean girl herself. Her runway show was pitiful and the judges were merely kind in saying a lot of girls would want to wear her look.l. Yeah, because it already exists and exists better at strawberry and forever 21. She had no idea what a collection is or how it has a story, she always just described attitude. Freedom? What kind of collection story is that? I mean Ralph Lauren has a style but every year he has to do something g different. And so on and so on. The point of project runway is not that you can do so much if given the opportunity. It's to wow the judges and audience with your vision and talent. Who cares if she's self taught? I wasn't impressed.<br /><br />As for kini, I thought he had no particular taste or style. Left to himself, he made a stodgy and dull collection. He needs a partner or judges to give him feedback and then yes, he can turn on a dime.<br /><br />Amanda and Sean at least had their own voices.<br /><br />I suspect Tim told Sean to use all that fringe in hopes it would benefit his pet.

Well said, and I couldn't stand her either. But unfortunately I think we'll see her again on All Stars.

[Julia]

I may be wrong, but I think the Nancy Kerrigan reference was meant to be a Tonya Harding reference, specifically about the way she bawled when her shoelace broke during her program. Sort of a mean girl can't take it thing?

Edited November 1, 2014 by Julia

[stafford]

So just how exactly does someone get Korina's email address and if you were getting threatening emails wouldn't you, say, block the person or people sending out their garbage or, I don't know...change your email address? Perhaps she's reading COMMENTS on websites, which can be brutal, but I'm not buying "I'm getting threatening emails" bit because I wouldn't put it past her to combine all the comments into a story that better fits "poor me...I'm the victim" scenario.

Frankly, I'm just glad this season is over. I thought all of the designers were mediocre to bad and giving them one day challenges only ensures we will never see anything spectacular ever again. Hell, the finalists only had four weeks to design their collection which rarely produces anything new, modern, or well executed as they have little to no time to fit ten models. I was shocked that the best tailor Kini's fit was the worst. Amanda was smart to only produce items that didn't need to be tailored but then again she didn't win, did she?

[AZChristian]

The whole reunion show had  my head spinning, but there's one thing I saw differently from what I've seen expressed here.

 

When Hernan said that he used the "b" word as a term of endearment, Tim followed up with a comment about he uses it that way, too.  BUT . . . I think Tim was being a little sarcastic.  In other words, what I think he MEANT was, "I use it as a term of endearment, too.  NOT!"

 

JMO.  YMMV.

[WORKSHOPTSL]

What was most disappointing (but not wholly unexpected) was that this last episode focused on drama and interpersonal baloney when the show, one would think, is supposed to be about FASHION. There was virtually no discussion here about particular challenges, how designers felt they evolved as artists or craftspeople, or what they're all doing now professionally.

Project Runway, IMO, plays with the viewer's mind a little, in that you see all the backroom drama and interpersonal BS when all that matters is what comes down the runway. I have to remind myself not to want Kini to win just because he's so doggone cute and not to hate Korina because her emotional toolbox is a few items short.

It would be nice to put all the drama aside for at least this one episode and just have designers talk about CLOTHES.

[One Tough Cookie]

Korina. Ugh. I don't lack empathy, as has been alleged. I get that Korina feels terrible about how she came across, but I'm not sure she really gets what she did wrong yet. She made herself the victim, she made it about herself, again. Her rants are always about how she's been wronged, and last night was just more of the same. I hope she does grow from this, but she sure did seem pleased when the issue of whether Char should have been there was raised.

 

Let me start out saying I really don't like Korina.  But she's was what--21, 22? And if I'm not wrong char is what--40?  Char should have done the mature thing an nipped this thing in the bud "Korina, I know you were tired and emotional, I know you didn't mean to hurt me, I get it, lets' move on" and spared us 20 minutes of senseless drama, but no, she sat there, even after a imo, an undeserved fashion week, with a giant stick up her ass and fed into Korina's  ego driven performance.  Poor Sean, the winner, was overlooked it wasn't funny.  And Tim, Hernan wasn't using bitch as an endearment to Sandyha and you know it.  But you've fallen so far in my eyes nothing can redeem you.



[Darian]

Let me start out saying I really don't like Korina.  But she's was what--21, 22?  

She may act like she needs a juice box and a diaper change, but, no, she is 28. A bit old for the age card.  

[needschocolate]

When Hernan said that he used the "b" word as a term of endearment, Tim followed up with a comment about he uses it that way, too.  BUT . . . I think Tim was being a little sarcastic.  In other words, what I think he MEANT was, "I use it as a term of endearment, too.  NOT!"

 

JMO.  YMMV.

 

That was the way I saw it too.  I think he was going for levity.  I thought it was a poor choice on his part, because, given how much trouble Sandhya seemed to have interpreting other people, she probably wouldn't get the sarcasm.  

[RealityGal]

Let me start out saying I really don't like Korina.  But she's was what--21, 22? And if I'm not wrong char is what--40?  Char should have done the mature thing an nipped this thing in the bud "Korina, I know you were tired and emotional, I know you didn't mean to hurt me, I get it, lets' move on" and spared us 20 minutes of senseless drama, but no, she sat there, even after a imo, an undeserved fashion week, with a giant stick up her ass and fed into Korina's  ego driven performance.  Poor Sean, the winner, was overlooked it wasn't funny.  And Tim, Hernan wasn't using bitch as an endearment to Sandyha and you know it.  But you've fallen so far in my eyes nothing can redeem you.



But, she really doesn't know that at all.  She is under no obligation to protect Korina's feelings or to make her feel better.  Korina made no effort to spare Char's feelings so why should she be suddenly treated with kid gloves?  The idea that if you start crying and demanding that someone accept your apology you somehow deserve to be pacified is not something I agree with.  And it may be something that Korina has encountered all her life, if she behaves poorly, there aren't any consequences if she just apologizes and cries.  Well, the lesson now is thats not always how it works, sometimes when you behave like this, sometimes when you "keep it real" you don't get forgiven and people aren't going to be impressed with the fact that you can cry on demand.

Edited November 1, 2014 by RealityGal

[magpye29]

Well, all the lead-up to the Tim Gunn Redemption left me disappointed and sad.  Tim really is a mean little bitch (I mean that as an endearment, of course), who's desperately trying to bully his way into the Mean Girls Club. 

 

Maybe he just needs to get laid.

[One Tough Cookie]

She is under no obligation to protect Korina's feelings

 

 

I didn't mean she should do it to protect precious Korina's feelings, just to stop the circular argument had no resolution.

[BarneySays]

I think this theory is undermined by the aufing of Alexander.   He was THE fan favorite.   If there were manipulations behind the scenes, common sense dictates that Alexander above all others would have made it to Fashion Week.

 

But he didn't.

But the show was already taped before he won any fan favorite vote. 

 

I cannot stand char. No she didn't have to accept an ology but who the hell is she to say you have a bad heart to Korina? And in my book, you are a bad person IS way worse than saying you are a bad designer. Korina didn't express that thought well but that is what she was saying. The clips of char talking smack early on showed that she is a first class mean girl herself.

Did she really say Korina has a bad heart?  I thought she said she doesn't let people like that into her heart.  I know Korina kept repeating that Char said she had a bad heart, but I don't recall Char actually saying that.  Did I miss something?  (I can't be bothered to wade through that mess again to find out.)

 

I think the difference you raise is merely semantic IMO.  From my perspective, Korina was disrespectful to Char as a person, not merely as a designer.  She denigrated Char as a person, treating her as unquestionably lesser than.  It wasn't presented as an opinion, but as a statement of fact.  That's why she tried to enlist the others to her side- we all know that Char is lesser than, don't we?  She either intended to harm Char personally with her tantrum or acted with a callous disregard for Char's basic humanity.  It went far beyond a critique of her designs.  YMMV.

 

As for Char being a mean girl, I didn't see it.  Yes, she made that comment about Amanda, but owned it and apologized.  I think that is the opposite of mean girl.  I found her comments to be respectful of the other designers throughout the season.  (See, eg, her defense of Sandhiya collecting all of the extra funds on that one challenge.)  The thing I liked about her on the show was that she always seemed to have a mature perspective on the whole endeavor, as did Emily. 

 

The purpose of an apology is to express remorse for one's bad behavior/words.  That's all.  Expecting forgiveness merely for apologizing is selfish and manipulative, which is a pretty apt description of Korina IMO.

[Malbec]

As for Char being a mean girl, I didn't see it.  Yes, she made that comment about Amanda, but owned it and apologized.

 

Yes, this was where Char really differentiated herself from Korina for me. It was pretty cringeworthy when they showed her bagging on Amanda after complaining about her own treatment -- but she owned it, showed some willingness to eat some humble pie, and didn't play the victim or act like it was unfair that she was getting called on her own behavior.

[LotusFlower]

I cannot stand char. No she didn't have to accept an apology but who the hell is she to say you have a bad heart to Korina? .

The person on the receiving end of Korina's bad heart.

I didn't mean she should do it to protect precious Korina's feelings, just to stop the circular argument had no resolution.

I would use RealityGal's reasoning here, too - she was under no obligation to end the circular argument. First off, I think that's Tim's role; and secondly, while we at home can see easily, with hindsight, that the argument is going on and on, it's different when you're there and engaged in it. Lastly, it's also different when its your credibility that's being challenged. It's natural to want to defend yourself, or at least defend your point of view. It might be boring or annoying for viewers, but it's not to you.

[dialyn]

The person on the receiving end of Korina's bad heart.

I would use RealityGal's reasoning here, too - she was under no obligation to end the circular argument. First off, I think that's Tim's role; and secondly, while we at home can see easily, with hindsight, that the argument is going on and on, it's different when you're there and engaged in it. Lastly, it's also different when its your credibility that's being challenged. It's natural to want to defend yourself, or at least defend your point of view. It might be boring or annoying for viewers, but it's not to you.

Not everyone enjoys the endless (or circular) argument. When I find myself in one, I shut down and walk off rather than continue on endlessly.  Some pretend the person who gets the last word wins (as long as her or she is that person), but that isn't true. No one actually changes their mind. It is just that people get tired of the stupidity of arguing on without resolution.