S14.E10: Crew's All In

[Bebecat]

I did not mean to say a wrap dress suits everyone either, but surely more body types than what Ashley served up...

[Nonlinear]

All the clips showing Swapnil smoking outside of the building and taking breaks to paint him in a bad light was quite ridiculous. This is the first time they have shown a contestant do this outside the building, right? Tim came off cruel in his interaction towards Swapnil. And the way he exited with the model out the door was overly dramatic. I felt uncomfortable to watch that. I thought Swapnil came across as a gentleman in all this. Bizarre episode.

 

And what horrible designs down the runway from every single one of them.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Nonlinear

[BennyB]

Not sure why Ashley had such a melt-down this time.  In her portfolio, she has some lovely dresses which would have fulfilled her model's objective (maybe some minor adjustments).  Much better than putting a big, old ruffle around the poor girl's mid-section!

 

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/photos/ashley-nell-tipton-past-work-pictures#id=13

 

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/photos/ashley-nell-tipton-past-work-pictures#id=16

[ChelseaNH]

This is the first time they have shown a contestant do this outside the building, right?

 

No, I definitely remember some shots of Jay McCarroll smoking back in Season 1.  But once the show established its formula, they pretty much stayed inside the workroom or the apartments.

[Freckledbruh]

No, I definitely remember some shots of Jay McCarroll smoking back in Season 1.  But once the show established its formula, they pretty much stayed inside the workroom or the apartments.

There has also been footage of Andrae smoking outside with other designers as well.

[PepperMonkey]

Probably off topic, but DEAR GODS the Lifetime web site is such a piece of crap.

 

Either that or my internet is crap. Or both; either way, it takes forever for me to get anything from Lifetime to load and it's the only site with which I have that much trouble so I'm choosing to blame Lifetime.

 

I'm a rabid ex-smoker and even I thought the whole "evil smoker" edit of Swapnil was ludicrous. Especially as I thought back to all the times we saw Jay outside smoking, hell, he had to beg for a model on the street while he was out smoking when Morgan or someone didn't show. There were numerous shots of Jeffrey smoking and quite a few others, so the only thing I can figure is that they couldn't come up with much NEGATIVE about Swapnil so it was "evil smoker."

 

I, too, have noticed that most of our comments have to do more with the designers rather than the fashions, which obviously speaks to the quality of the designers from the past 2 to 3 seasons.

 

Regardless, as much as I piss and moan and complain about it all, I will watch Project Runway until it rides off into the sunset. I really wish they'd sell the concept to someone, get producers and all new judges, hosts, and especially a new MENTOR and try to keep it going. I'm always rooting for any other reality design contest that comes along, but sadly, no one has been able to capture the lightning in a bottle that once was Project Runway. I'll miss it when it's not around for us to bitch about anymore.

[Honey]

Did Swapnil's very first shirt have sleeves?  If so, does anyone have a screencapture of it?

[Freckledbruh]

Did Swapnil's very first shirt have sleeves?  If so, does anyone have a screencapture of it?

I don't have a screen cap but, yes, it had long sleeves, a V neck and a semi open back with twisted fabric across the shoulder blades to accommodate a bra (although that would need to be confirmed after a proper fitting).

[Honey]

I don't have a screen cap but, yes, it had long sleeves, a V neck and a semi open back with twisted fabric across the shoulder blades to accommodate a bra (although that would need to be confirmed after a proper fitting).

I'm having a discussion on another board about this.  I really need a picture.  Can someone help?

[Kromm]

So mean girl Candice was viscously picking on Ashley again, eh?

 

Okay, not.  I'm kind of shocked the editors actually bothered to show anything that contradicted their earlier bullshit though.

On another topic.... Swapnil looks better without that beard, IMO.  But again it shows a weird bit from the editors.  It's a tacit admission that the Talking Heads are shot at a totally different time, since Swapnil uses the usual Present Tense in what he's saying about the fitting, but clearly he was saying it at a totally different time.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Kromm

[slothgirl]

So mean girl Candice was viscously picking on Ashley again, eh?

I'm not usually the "grammar police" and I know it's a just a typo, but I had fun trying to picture a "viscous" attack... like maybe she was slinging taffy or jello at her. Thanks for the giggle.

;)

[Calamity Jane]

I'm not usually the "grammar police" and I know it's a just a typo, but I had fun trying to picture a "viscous" attack... like maybe she was slinging taffy or jello at her. Thanks for the giggle.

;)

English teacher here - me, too. 

[novhappy]

The most complete explanation for the swapnil/Tim issue to me is that swapnil was getting high and that pissed Tim and producers off. "Being lazy" and " taking smoke breaks" was the cover story.

[RCharter]

.

Edited October 14, 2015 by RCharter

[izabella]

High?  I really don't want to ascribe illegal drugs to someone just because Tim got a bug up his ass.  It doesn't seem fair to Swapnil to speculate that far.  I think Swapnil didn't play the producers' game and got dinged for it.

[anonymiss]

So mean girl Candice was viscously picking on Ashley again, eh?

 

Okay, not.  I'm kind of shocked the editors actually bothered to show anything that contradicted their earlier bullshit though.

On another topic.... Swapnil looks better without that beard, IMO.  But again it shows a weird bit from the editors.  It's a tacit admission that the Talking Heads are shot at a totally different time, since Swapnil uses the usual Present Tense in what he's saying about the fitting, but clearly he was saying it at a totally different time.

They haven't contradicted anything with regards to Candice and her bullshit. Mean girls, the ones with brains, don't put their mess out in public. It's all done in a gossipy, spineless way. She would never say to her face or cameras that she's discriminating against her, but she'd just do other things like not pick her, dismiss her points, and arguably lead a scapegoating of her.

 

Yes Swapnil looks better without the beard--I can agree with the "Swapnil is hot" stuff now, though I'm not attracted to him.

Edited October 14, 2015 by anonymiss

[RCharter]

 I really wish they'd sell the concept to someone, get producers and all new judges, hosts, and especially a new MENTOR and try to keep it going. I'm always rooting for any other reality design contest that comes along, but sadly, no one has been able to capture the lightning in a bottle that once was Project Runway. I'll miss it when it's not around for us to bitch about anymore.

I totally agree.  I wish they would either sell the concept, or just end the show.  I think if there was no more PR, other shows would come along to fill the void.  I know for a while there there were a few shows that tried and failed (Fashion Show, Fashion Star).  But I feel like they all had to try to do a twist on PR because they didn't want to directly copy the concept.  

 

I think Fashion Star had some fairly interesting ideas -- but the potentially good things were dwarfed by all the bad stuff -- the hinky team mentor format, the absolutely over the top ridiculous runway shows (seriously, if you have good fashion, I don't need acrobats, strobe lights, a live singer backed by techno music, a kabuki troupe and a live elephant on stage).  But I did like the idea that fashion buyers from big companies at three different income levels were part of the program.  The idea that you could walk into a Macy's the day after the program aired and get a modified version of the dress that won the day before was sort of cool.  And it was good exposure for the designers.  They didn't have to win the entire thing or a particular challenge to see their designs featured at a big retailer.  And if it works, its a built in sponsorship that will allow a show to not have to go low budget the way PR has.  The problem with that, of course, was that it didn't encourage the best designers, it encouraged very consumer driven design (there were a lot of "well if you unzip here, now you have a convertible dress!") and not always the most creative deigns.

[OakGoblinFly]

I am hoping it's something like that, because otherwise, she appeared to be extremely unreasonable.  She was freaking out because the sleeves only came to her elbow and her forearms were bare.  I was yelling at the tv, what is it about your arms?  Track marks or something?  But her arms looked fine.  And then she didn't like the long sleeves that Swapnil had on his first two outfits.  The sleeves were plain, but otherwise seemed fine so what did she hate about them?

 

I also don't get why the judges are so mad at Swapnil for not being better.  So he had a couple of good outfits early on and has been on a steady decline.  Happens to a lot of designers.  What made them think he is so much better that they are mad at him now?

 

I didn't like anything on that runway.  Not a thing.

 

Wasn't the client upset because the arms were too tight?  She kept asking "can you let it out" and then in the judges' second look you could see where the arm seams ripped at the elbow because the sleeves were entirely too small.

 

I do not think the client was unreasonable in asking to have her arms and legs covered;  if I was given the opportunity for a custom-made garment I too would request that my arms and legs be covered. 

 

To me, it seemed Swapnil got stuck on ‘I design for bombshells’ and ‘I like structure’ that he couldn’t meet the client’s requests.  Why didn’t he design a beautiful off-the-shoulder, long sleeve, top and a fitted skirt with some interesting ‘structural’ detail?  The final look would have been tailored, appropriately ‘bombshell’ and met the client’s request to cover her arm and legs.

 

It seems all to easy to blame the client for the failure; I think the designer is to blame as well; moreso since the designer should be able to communicate why something would work or why it wouldn't and then make suggestions for compromise.

[backgroundnoise]

The most complete explanation for the swapnil/Tim issue to me is that swapnil was getting high and that pissed Tim and producers off. "Being lazy" and " taking smoke breaks" was the cover story

If Swapnil was using drugs (and I am not endorsing that idea), Tim and the producers would have had a legitimate reason to ask him to leave the show, and it would have actually enhanced the show's reputation.  I can't believe they wouldn't have been all over that.

[RCharter]

If Swapnil was using drugs (and I am not endorsing that idea), Tim and the producers would have had a legitimate reason to ask him to leave the show, and it would have actually enhanced the show's reputation.  I can't believe they wouldn't have been all over that.

It would have been the easiest thing to do without Tim having to deal with any potential backlash.  No one is going to fault Tim or the show for kicking off a designer who is abusing drugs.  And that would have been an even more dramatic situation without any of the backlash.  It just doesn't make much sense to me.  And I haven't seen any workroom footage that suggests that Swapnil was on abusing any drug, he was always kind, courteous, good-humored and well-mannered.  Even in the face of Tim's tirade.

Edited October 14, 2015 by RCharter

[OakGoblinFly]

Count me as among those who might be perceived as lazy, or wasting time, when faced with a big project. My school work was done last minute (straight A student) and my best ideas career-wise (I'm a graphic designer) often came after I'd put the project aside, "wasted" a bit of time, and then gotten back to work. (Alternately, in the shower or right before or after sleep.) It's pretty darn common amongst creative types, and if it's truly the reason for Tim's anger -- though I believe there's more we're not being told -- it's ridiculous that he isn't aware of that type of work process. And I'm not sure anyone could have pleased Sleeves McGee.

 

And if Swapnil consistently turned out well made, impeccably finished, beautiful garments I don’t think his ‘taking a break’ would have been an issue. 

 

I believe that Tim Gunn and the powers-that-be fully understand people have different processes; some needing ‘thinking time’ while others need to play with the fabric.  The only commonality is that there is no commonality.

 

The issue, as I see it, is that after turning out a few stellar pieces earlier on and NOT winning, Swapnil stopped creating well made, beautiful garments and basically MacGyvered his way to have something to send down the runway.

 

Frankly, if Swapnil would have stuck with his first design, modifying it to add a full back and remove the zippers (they were pretty hideous and did not seem to work with the overall design) I think he would have created a lovely design while being mindful of his client’s concerns/requests.

[Calamity Jane]

And if Swapnil consistently turned out well made, impeccably finished, beautiful garments I don’t think his ‘taking a break’ would have been an issue. 

 

I believe that Tim Gunn and the powers-that-be fully understand people have different processes; some needing ‘thinking time’ while others need to play with the fabric.  The only commonality is that there is no commonality.

 

The issue, as I see it, is that after turning out a few stellar pieces earlier on and NOT winning, Swapnil stopped creating well made, beautiful garments and basically MacGyvered his way to have something to send down the runway.

 

Frankly, if Swapnil would have stuck with his first design, modifying it to add a full back and remove the zippers (they were pretty hideous and did not seem to work with the overall design) I think he would have created a lovely design while being mindful of his client’s concerns/requests.

He seemed to think once the client didn't like it that he had to start over.  Modifying it was probably a better idea, but I guess he panicked in a way.

[anonymiss]

He seemed to think once the client didn't like it that he had to start over.  Modifying it was probably a better idea, but I guess he panicked in a way.

He definitely panicked and was grasping at threads. I don't blame him since he was overworked, sleep-deprived, and getting zero suggestions from his style-challenged, narrow-minded client or guidance from his so-called mentor.

[OakGoblinFly]

He seemed to think once the client didn't like it that he had to start over.  Modifying it was probably a better idea, but I guess he panicked in a way.

 

Is that not the flaw of most of these contestants?  They hear some criticism of their garment and instead of modifying the look they completely scrap it.

[OakGoblinFly]

He definitely panicked and was grasping at threads. I don't blame him since he was overworked, sleep-deprived, and getting zero suggestions from his style-challenged, narrow-minded client or guidance from his so-called mentor.

 

Part of scripted/competitive reality shows is the ‘drama’ that occurs due to contestants being sleep-deprived and/or overworked; still, I think that is harsh and unfair assessment of the client. 

 

During the first fitting/walk through Swapnil had nothing to show to his client or try on except a few pieces of fabric barely pinned together which were supposed to be a top (with no back).  The client commented that she didn’t like the backless look because she couldn’t wear a bra/would feel uncomfortable.  She also questioned the tacky, gigantic, gold zippers; however, I think she would have been fine with the zippers if she had something to try on to see how the zippers would look (sometimes things do not have ‘hanger appeal’ yet look fantastic when worn – though I dislike zippers on sleeves unless it is a jacket sleeve).

 

After the first fitting/walking through Swapnil had enough time to really create something beautiful that would meet the challenge parameters while covering his client’s arms and legs.   For some reason he didn’t and kept heading down the wrong path. 

 

For the past few challenges I felt that Swapnil was over the competition, no longer cared about what he was created, and was ‘punching a clock’ until his eventual demise.  It’s sad because I think he showed so much promise.  After not winning, despite being top looks, it appears that he just stopped caring.

Edited October 14, 2015 by OakGoblinFly

[anonymiss]

Part of scripted/competitive reality shows is the ‘drama’ that occurs due to contestants being sleep-deprived and/or overworked; still, I think that is harsh and unfair assessment of the client. 

 

During the first fitting/walk through Swapnil had nothing to show to his client or try on except a few pieces of fabric barely pinned together which were supposed to be a top (with no back).  The client commented that she didn’t like the backless look because she couldn’t wear a bra/would feel uncomfortable.  She also questioned the tacky, gigantic, gold zippers; however, I think she would have been fine with the zippers if she had something to try on to see how the zippers would look (sometimes things do not have ‘hanger appeal’ yet look fantastic when worn – though I dislike zippers on sleeves unless it is a jacket sleeve).

I don't think it's an unfair assessment because, as you describe, she only shot down what he did manage to show her. He already was struggling at the challenge of making something that wouldn't compromise his aesthetic and yet please her highly restrictive one, and then he had zero guidance or support from client/mentor at the time he needed it most.

[slothgirl]

And if Swapnil consistently turned out well made, impeccably finished, beautiful garments I don’t think his ‘taking a break’ would have been an issue.

 

The issue, as I see it, is that after turning out a few stellar pieces earlier on and NOT winning, Swapnil stopped creating well made, beautiful garments and basically MacGyvered his way to have something to send down the runway.

 

 

Part of scripted/competitive reality shows is the ‘drama’ that occurs due to contestants being sleep-deprived and/or overworked; still, I think that is harsh and unfair assessment of the client. 

 

During the first fitting/walk through Swapnil had nothing to show to his client or try on except a few pieces of fabric barely pinned together

 

For the past few challenges I felt that Swapnil was over the competition, no longer cared about what he was created, and was ‘punching a clock’ until his eventual demise.  It’s sad because I think he showed so much promise.  After not winning, despite being top looks, it appears that he just stopped caring.

I'm not sure I agree that he stopped caring, but I agree that his looks deteriorated. Everyone on these shows is sleep deprived and exhausted. Anyone who has watched even one season will know that it is going to be hell, although many past contestants say that it is not possible to FULLY understand just how bad it is until you are there doing it. Some people rally and improve, some people go to pieces. It's reality TV, not a classroom with the expectation of a certain level of care and concern for a "student".

 

The India inspired look Swapnil did with Laurie was my favorite look all season. (It was also right in his balliwick and didn't require much of a stretch beyond what he does outside of PR) I also liked his hallmark card look and if you read his pre-season interview on the PR site, he said he was looking forward to the Unconventional Materials challenge.

 

It's interesting to me that his best look of the show came in a TEAM challenge where he had to work with a partner. He also turned out a good look for the (blue) team challenge. Although I never found Laurie to be all that outstanding, perhaps having to answer to someone else, or have someone else to bounce ideas around with gives Swapnil direction that he can't achieve on his own. Some people are far more motivated by partnership and teamwork than by competition. Maybe the smugness I felt from him was a defense mechanism from being forced into the role of competitor against people he liked and cared about.

 

Whatever the reason, he definitely got worse as the season went on and has only turned out 2-3 looks that I liked, two of which were done as part of team/partner challenges. I am surprised he flamed out, but I don't think his looks justified him staying any longer.

Edited October 14, 2015 by slothgirl

[OakGoblinFly]

I don't think it's an unfair assessment because, as you describe, she only shot down what he did manage to show her. He already was struggling at the challenge of making something that wouldn't compromise his aesthetic and yet please her highly restrictive one, and then he had zero guidance or support from client/mentor at the time he needed it most.

But Swapnil is the professional designer here, not the client.  The only restrictions given to him were to cover his client's arms and legs - that's not highly restrictive.  Swapnil wanted to make ‘bombshell’ (clothes that women wear to make men want to have sex with them) regardless of what his client asked; and that is where the problem started. 

 

 

If Swapnil had stuck with the first design, modifying it to a full back and fixing the large, heavy zippers on the sleeve and created a beautiful, tailored skirt or trouser with an interesting structural detail his client would have been pleased.  That looked could have been very glamorous and sexy; still showing his aesthetic of ‘bombshell’ (be it a subdued version) while meeting the request of his client to keep her arms and legs covered.

 

 

Swapnil needed to find a way to elicit better responses from his client; the more successful looks belonged to the designers who could do that (even if their first garment missed the mark).  Merline’s first look was not at all what her client requested; however after her first fitting and a few pointed questions later she was able to find a way to modify her outfit to meet her client’s requirements.

 

 

Part of this challenge is learning to communicate with a client.  If I were afforded the opportunity to have a custom made garment I don’t know if I could go in there with more than “please cover my upper arms and nothing shorter than knee length.”  I would hope that my assigned designer would begin with simple questions like: do you like solids or prints; what colors do you like; do you prefer dresses, skirts/trousers and a top; and so on ….once you start with questions of that vein you get a pretty good idea of what the client is and is not comfortable with and can start making suggestions.

 

 

I am someone who regularly works with clients (not to mention being a former teacher and lead trainer of work based, professional seminars presented at corporate offices) and the hardest part of the job is trying to figure out what the client was thinking/wanted.  I used questions which helped me gage the comfort level of my client as well as focusing the client toward what they really wanted.

[anonymiss]

But Swapnil is the professional designer here, not the client.  The only restrictions given to him were to cover his client's arms and legs - that's not highly restrictive.  Swapnil wanted to make ‘bombshell’ (clothes that women wear to make men want to have sex with them) regardless of what his client asked; and that is where the problem started. 

 

 

If Swapnil had stuck with the first design, modifying it to a full back and fixing the large, heavy zippers on the sleeve and created a beautiful, tailored skirt or trouser with an interesting structural detail his client would have been pleased.  That looked could have been very glamorous and sexy; still showing his aesthetic of ‘bombshell’ (be it a subdued version) while meeting the request of his client to keep her arms and legs covered.

 

 

Swapnil needed to find a way to elicit better responses from his client; the more successful looks belonged to the designers who could do that (even if their first garment missed the mark).  Merline’s first look was not at all what her client requested; however after her first fitting and a few pointed questions later she was able to find a way to modify her outfit to meet her client’s requirements.

 

 

Part of this challenge is learning to communicate with a client.  If I were afforded the opportunity to have a custom made garment I don’t know if I could go in there with more than “please cover my upper arms and nothing shorter than knee length.”  I would hope that my assigned designer would begin with simple questions like: do you like solids or prints; what colors do you like; do you prefer dresses, skirts/trousers and a top; and so on ….once you start with questions of that vein you get a pretty good idea of what the client is and is not comfortable with and can start making suggestions.

 

 

I am someone who regularly works with clients (not to mention being a former teacher and lead trainer of work based, professional seminars presented at corporate offices) and the hardest part of the job is trying to figure out what the client was thinking/wanted.  I used questions which helped me gage the comfort level of my client as well as focusing the client toward what they really wanted.

I agree (and so does he) that he is the professional and he failed at satisfying her, but again, she did not suggest alternatives. She only said "no" to everything he showed her. No showing her arms, legs--or back, as we learned later. What else might she have said no to had he shown her?

 

Oh, and I forgot: no zippers or leather, either.

 

I should add I also agree with you that he didn't assess her needs properly but it was on both of them. He told her what he envisioned for her--and she WENT ALONG WITH IT despite her visible discomfort. I think she only later told Tim all her misgivings and then feeling backed up by his public shaming of Swapnil, was finally able to assert herself by saying no to everything and crying in frustration. It's very passive aggressive what she did, IMO.

Edited October 14, 2015 by anonymiss

[slothgirl]

I don't think it's an unfair assessment because, as you describe, she only shot down what he did manage to show her. He already was struggling at the challenge of making something that wouldn't compromise his aesthetic and yet please her highly restrictive one, and then he had zero guidance or support from client/mentor at the time he needed it most.

They all had the same challenge: make something that the client wants without compromising your own aesthetic. He was unable to figure out how to do that. To me, that says far more about his abilities as a designer than about the client.

 

When the clients are too specific about what they want, it's even harder for the designer to meld with them. This client was particular about having her arms and legs covered, but there are MANY potential designs that could accomplish that. He seemed stymied by making an attractive and comfortable sleeve and/or making an attractive fashion forward outfit that had sleeves. She was picky about the sleeves and he was totally stymied by having to have them. It was a bad match, but I fault him as a designer for having so much trouble with designing around the parameter of "SLEEVES" without coming up with bad sleeves. (and they were bad.. they really were)

 

I agree that he should have gotten better guidance from Tim, but it's not the client's responsibility to design the outfit FOR him, turning him into a tailor. She told him what she wanted and he couldn't deliver because he got stuck on "bombshell" and "sexy" and couldn't figure out a design that wasn't that, which is ludicrous since the majority of what real people wear would be the sort of thing she asked for.

Edited October 14, 2015 by slothgirl

[slothgirl]

I agree (and so does he) that he is the professional and he failed at satisfying her, but again, she did not suggest alternatives. She only said "no" to everything he showed her. No showing her arms, legs--or back, as we learned later. What else might she have said no to had he shown her?

 

Oh, and I forgot: no zippers or leather, either.

She gave him specific feedback on what to tweak, and he scrapped his tops altogether and started over instead of tweaking.

 

Even Merline (as pointed out upthread) who started with something that was EXACTLY what her client DIDN"T want (and SAID up front that she didn't want) managed to use it as a jumping off point and turn it into something the client loved.

 

I think Swapnil is just more limited as a designer at this point. Whether that is a permanent issue or one that will change as he gains more experience in a cut-throat industry, I don't know. But at this point, I think he has a beautiful, but limited personal design aesthetic (as judging from his runway collection that I spoiled myself on). The people who buy what he does, love what he does, but he can't come up with ideas for people who want something different from that.

[ChelseaNH]

There are plenty of competent professionals who just aren't suited to reality show competitions, and it seems Swapnil is one of them.

[proserpina65]

I think the only way Swapnil could've even come close to satisfying his client was to go in the sari-inspired direction of the cruise challenge.  And even then, she probably would've hated it.  That said, it's his own fault for wasting time the way he has over the last few challenges.  Maybe if he'd had something for his crew member to try on, he could've tweaked it enough so that she'd at least pretend to not hate it on the runway.

[slothgirl]

In the comments on Nick's blog on the PR site, someone mentioned that in one of the "outakes", Swapnil says "I don't design for people like her"

 

Does anyone remember this or the context in which he said it?

[proserpina65]

To me, it seemed Swapnil got stuck on ‘I design for bombshells’ and ‘I like structure’ that he couldn’t meet the client’s requests.  Why didn’t he design a beautiful off-the-shoulder, long sleeve, top and a fitted skirt with some interesting ‘structural’ detail?  The final look would have been tailored, appropriately ‘bombshell’ and met the client’s request to cover her arm and legs.

 

There's a sketch in his "previous work" portfolio on Lifetime's site which might've worked, and a finished look with a long-sleeved top and long, flowing ombre skirt as well.  So clearly he's done work which could've satisfied her known parameters if he'd not gotten hung up on the bomshell thing.

[Calamity Jane]

There's a sketch in his "previous work" portfolio on Lifetime's site which might've worked, and a finished look with a long-sleeved top and long, flowing ombre skirt as well.  So clearly he's done work which could've satisfied her known parameters if he'd not gotten hung up on the bomshell thing.

And perhaps there was the pressure of knowing he had to knock the judges' socks off or he was done for, hence "bombshell."

[Kromm]

Remember... on this show the judges will always criticize you by claiming you should have done the exact opposite of whatever it is you actually did! Except when Heidi and some guest judge take one position and Nina The Meaner and Zachy the Wacky take the opposite end.

[backgroundnoise]

The issue, as I see it, is that after turning out a few stellar pieces earlier on and NOT winning, Swapnil stopped creating well made, beautiful garments and basically MacGyvered his way to have something to send down the runway.

Which would have bitten him in the ass if his output suffered enough.

 

It's funny, but if I had not heard anything about Tim's complaining and if Tim hadn't blown up and been so smug, I would not have had a problem with Swapnil being eliminated because his garment was the most boring.  Not the ugliest, but the most boring.  As it is, I'm firmly on Team Swapnil in the matter.

[RCharter]

Swapnil was put in an impossible position by Tim.

 

Swapnil's best work was for the first 4-5 challenges when he was in the top three.  During all of those challenges he worked his own way and produced winning looks.

 

Tim didn't like his work process and went whining to the judges and told them he wanted him booted.  Not for his actual work product, but for his work process.  He was frustrated because he felt like the judges were rewarding him for not working the way TG wanted him to.  He seems to have gotten to Zac, because Zac made that comment in the UM challenge (the first challenge where Swapnil was not in the top three, and the first challenge where Swapnil was in the bottom) about how he was "tired of giving Swapnil a pass."  A pass for what?  His work was always in the top three.

 

Even during the UM challenge, Heidi said she liked the look and even liked the muslin bottom even though she thought it should not have been muslin.  Nina didn't seem to have much of a problem with the look either.  The only judge who seemed to really have an issue was Zac who then made his out of the blue comment about "being tired of giving Swapnil a pass."  But a pass for what, up until that challenge Swapnil's work was top three.  Even during the UM challenge, Heidi commented that Lindsey needed some Swapnil juice because she wasn't nearly creative enough.  He was also the first of the three "bottom" looks dismissed.  And I don't think that even a person who didn't like Swapnil's work would think that Laurie's mouse pad disaster was somehow a better look.

 

So, to me, it seems like it was Zac's scores that brought down Swapnil's overall score and put him in the bottom.  Because Laurie's look was far, far, far worse.  It was literally full mousepads bouncing around as a skirt.  There was almost no real manipulation of the unconventional materials.  And it looked terrible and didn't show any particular imagination.  

 

In the next challenge, Tim basically tells Swapnil that he hasn't won because he hasn't given 100%.  Swapnil capitulates and changes his entire work process.  He stop taking his breaks, he cuts down on his smoke breaks.  He pushes and pushes himself.  And he lands in the middle.  I thought his look was great, it was a mix of hard and soft, it was perfectly tailored and well executed.  Somehow Kellys simple black dress with a sequined piece of fabric is in the top, but how much design was there, and how much of her look depended on having a nice fabric.  However, given Zac's behavior it makes sense that his scores would be low for whatever Swapnil is sending out if he has bought into Tim's idea that Swapnil needs to go home because he is so lazy.

 

Swapnil was in an impossible position.  He did his best work by working his own way, but he was forced to work Tim's way because Tim went whining to the judges.  It makes sense that Swapnil's work product would go down the tubes, he created his best work by working his own way.  Be it at 60%, 52% or 85.4%, and taking his breaks.  But if Swapnil went back to working his own way, he risked Tim going back and complaining to the judges, and it seems to me like Zac was more than willing to allow his score to be effected by Tim's whining.  But if he worked Tim's way, he wouldn't make his best designs.

 

Maybe if Tim had just butted out and let Swapnil work his own way without intervening with the judges it would have been different.

[film noire]

Why didn’t he design a beautiful off-the-shoulder, long sleeve, top and a fitted skirt with some interesting ‘structural’ detail?  The final look would have been tailored, appropriately ‘bombshell’ and met the client’s request to cover her arm and legs.

 

Because unless she works in a Flashdance Simulator -- what a feeling! -- off the shoulder doesn't meet the client's requirement of day-to-night :)

 

The mess Swapnil had to deal with aside, it was a terrible challenge, with unfairness built right in. If one client wants a leather dress and the other wants a raincoat suitable for a bicycle ride, how the fuck is that fair?. 

Edited October 15, 2015 by film noire

[Minicatfall]

The mess Swapnil had to deal with aside, it was a terrible challenge, with unfairness built right in.

Paraphrasing Tom and Lorenzo,

In the real world, designers don't choose the client, a client CHOOSES the designer - would you go to Chinese restaurant and expect/ask for/demand a taco?

I agree with you and it was certainly unfair to all of them. It seems Swapnil had the extra burden of having a mentor who wanted him gone.

[mansonlamps]

Wow, I can hear my parents' heads exploding at all the talk of fairness.  "Who ever said life was fair?"  is ringing in my ears.  Not to mention a reality show competition!  Fair or not, it was the same for all of them.

[izabella]

Paraphrasing Tom and Lorenzo,

In the real world, designers don't choose the client, a client CHOOSES the designer - would you go to Chinese restaurant and expect/ask for/demand a taco?

I agree with you and it was certainly unfair to all of them. It seems Swapnil had the extra burden of having a mentor who wanted him gone.

 

I would add he also had a client who didn't really want to be a client, since it was her co-workers who thought she needed a makeover - she wasn't a volunteer.   That would never happen in the real world because the client would be paying for an item to be designed.

 

In the real world, a client would also have a reason for going to a designer because they want a specific item, such as a dress for a specific event.  They wouldn't go to a designer with no idea of what they wanted the designer to design for them.  Can you imagine?  "Hi Designer!  Yes, I love your clothes and want you to make something for me.  No, I have no idea what, just that it needs sleeves!"  In that situation, I imagine they would just browse a boutique and see if anything strikes their fancy rather than shelling out money for a designer to make something when they don't have an item in mind.

 

And to be fair to the other designers who were working with odd constraints, a client also wouldn't go to a designer asking for a raincoat they could wear on a bicycle to work, lol - that's what the Gap is for!

[slothgirl]

of course life isn't always fair.  The difference in a show like this and real life is that real life has choices.  If I have a teacher or boss I don't like, I can choose to quit a class or leave the job (there may be good reasons I don't, but I always have the choice).  Anyway, in real life, a designer can choose whether or not to work with a client, and there might be reasons why you would work with someone disagreeable but sometimes it's best to cut your losses and let them go.  Project Runway is a different story. For one thing, the designers are more or less trapped in a confined area and they have few choices other than quitting the show--the silly challenges are picked for them, the ridiculous time restraints are imposed on them, the judges are arbitrary, the choice of clients extremely limited, and the one person you'd think you could turn to (your mentor) is untrustworthy.  It is set up to frustrate, intimidate, and bring out the worst in a creative person rather than the best.

 

Oh, I can already hear someone saying "but they chose to be on the show."  Yes, they did, but they may not have been completely aware how difficult it would be for them.  You don't know until you are actually in a situation how you will be in it....you may thrive, you may not, but you don't know until you are there.

 

Apologies ahead for any typos...I have a cat on my lap.  He has cancer. He gets to sit wherever he wants.

Yes, that is exactly what I was going to say.

 

And I think because they have had the opportunity to watch over a decade of this show, they know FAR more about what it will entail than someone taking a job. I think quitting this silly show is probably much easier than quitting a job if one is the sole supporter of a family and likely also has their health insurance for the whole family tied to the job. It's probably not any harder than quitting a class that is required for your major in a highly competitive program like Med school, where being tossed from the program is a real concern for many perceived infractions and has life altering consequences.

 

These people DO have a choice. They aren't slaves. It's reality TV and if they don't know that going in, then they aren't bothering to prepare themselves, and they are going to struggle in life with far more than this show. They also can make design choices and often make really bad ones (cough... Ashley, cough,cough). Seriously, even when a win is all but handed to them (Ashley with a plus size client) they make really bad choices.

 

Saying they can choose whether to work with a client in the real world is like saying the best part of freelancing is working when you want to... No. You work when there's work. You take everything that comes along, because you don't know when you might get more work. I'd be willing to bet the house on the fact that Siriano is the ONLY PR alum who might be in a position to turn a client away because he doesn't want to work with them. EVERY business owner works with clients they wish they didn't have to and may not like AT ALL.

 

I agree that Tim's backstabbing and manipulations were reprehensible, and I haven't enjoyed him on the program for quite some time, but Swapnil is not the 1st person Tim disliked. Emilio famously just ignored him. This is first and foremost REALITY TV. There's no excuse for the the contestants to not know that at this point. If they have been paying attention AT ALL, they must know that this isn't a springboard to success anymore, if it ever was, and that it will be like being in a pressure cooker. The only thing that Swapnil couldn't have known was that Tim would make it a personal mission to get rid of him. And on that subject, I agree that it was reprehensible. But I don't agree that Swapnil had no choices.

 

I hope your cat does well... I've been through cancer with a cat, and you have my prayers.

Edited October 15, 2015 by slothgirl

[slothgirl]

I would add he also had a client who didn't really want to be a client, since it was her co-workers who thought she needed a makeover - she wasn't a volunteer.

Yes... when speaking of unfair, that crew member REALLY got put in an unfair position. I wonder if she had any possibility to say "No, I don't want to do this!". How awkward to be given a "job requirement" out of the blue that you will go on national tv so that you can be told that you are badly in need of a makeover, and then have fans of the designer you got assigned (and never wanted to work with) trash you for not being a bundle of joy! She was in a no-win situation AT LEAST as much as Swapnil. He could go home to India and put this behind him. She has to keep working there or find another job.

 

Unpopular opinion here: Ven's real world client had a similar attitude. Her friend got her on the show. She was unhappy to be there and be told she wasn't ok as she was, and she radiated antagonism from her first entrance. Although I'm not excusing Ven's attitude, the client was unhappy and resistant from the start, but there was NOT ONE post (back on TWOP) that said anything at all negative about her.

 

A "real world" client has NEVER been reamed the way this poor woman has been, and she didn't even want to BE there!

[Agnes Bean]

My thought on the fairness issue is that it matters not because of the designers and their feelings, but because if the AUDIENCE perceives a situation as unfair, it's going to have a negative impact on the show. We all know this is reality TV and things are manipulated, etc., but in the end it's supposed to be a competition of talent, where a bunch of people are faced with the SAME challenge, and live or die by their abilities. That's what I'm here to watch, anyway. So if a situation seems like it vastly handicaps one contestant more than others, that's bad because it makes me, a viewer, annoyed at the setup (and clearly at least some other viewers are also annoyed, based on comments here.)

 

So basically, I don't care that life is unfair in general, and I don't care that the contestants CAN quit -- I want the show to provide challenges that give people an even starting ground, because that's what I want to watch. And other competitive reality shows manage to keep things fair, or at least make it seem that way. 

 

Of course, at this point we all just have to be used to the fact that some of the clients in the real women challenge are going to be pickier than others. I think the real misstep the producers made this time was not even PRETENDING it was randomized via button bag. That makes it a lot easier to feel like the situation was manipulated to make Swapnil fail, which I think is just bad TV.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Agnes Bean

[Calamity Jane]

of course life isn't always fair.  The difference in a show like this and real life is that real life has choices.  If I have a teacher or boss I don't like, I can choose to quit a class or leave the job (there may be good reasons I don't, but I always have the choice).  I once had a supervisor say to me that I was lucky to have a certain job and my response was that she was lucky I showed up every day (and irritatingly, I often said to her, "I showed up today; I must want to be here" or something similar).  I didn't lose my job, by the way, and she quit trying to intimidate me (wouldn't have worked with everyone; wouldn't advise it as a strategy; I knew the personality I was dealing with).   Anyway, in real life, a designer can choose whether or not to work with a client, and there might be reasons why you would work with someone disagreeable but sometimes it's best to cut your losses and let them go.  Project Runway is a different story. For one thing, the designers are more or less trapped in a confined area and they have few choices other than quitting the show--the silly challenges are picked for them, the ridiculous time restraints are imposed on them, the judges are arbitrary, the choice of clients extremely limited, and the one person you'd think you could turn to (your mentor) is untrustworthy.  It is set up to frustrate, intimidate, and bring out the worst in a creative person rather than the best. Now, yes, there are breakouts and I think they are people who decide the rules aren't going to confine them, and that maybe Tim doesn't know what he's talking about half the time (for every example of good advice he's given, there is an example of bad or useless advice), and they stop trying to please judges who change their requirements more often than they change their underwear.  Kelly, for example, I think did better when she decided she was going to have own good time.  Life is not fair. Project Runway is even less fair than life.

 

Oh, I can already hear someone saying "but they chose to be on the show."  Yes, they did, but they may not have been completely aware how difficult it would be for them.  You don't know until you are actually in a situation how you will be in it....you may thrive, you may not, but you don't know until you are there.

 

Apologies ahead for any typos...I have a cat on my lap.  He has cancer. He gets to sit wherever he wants.

I often have a cat (or two or three) interfering with my typing, so I get it.  So sorry your kitty is ill.  :-(

[sinkwriter]

 

A "real world" client has NEVER been reamed the way this poor woman has been, and she didn't even want to BE there!

 

I agree with everything you said, but... did she have to agree to participate in the challenge? Was her daily job contingent upon participating in this challenge? Couldn't she have said no, I'm not comfortable with it? Didn't they have other crew members somewhere within the PR organization that would have been happy to participate in her place? I don't buy that she had no choice in the matter, and she certainly had no issues speaking her mind when she got frustrated with Swapnil, so I'm thinking she had plenty of guts to say no if she really and truly did not want a makeover.

[BananaRama]

I think Tim Gunn is just as sick of this show as we are, and that is why his attitude is so horrible. Maybe he is stuck in a contract and is just counting down the days when he can be done with this show and go back to teaching.

[LeapDayBaby]

I just spent 15 minutes wandering around YouTube trying to find the 1980s musician whose costumes reminded me of Merline's original jacket ... thought it might be Morris Day or Kid Creole. No luck, but it was fun to watch the "Endicott" video again. 

 

The combination of " '80s musician" and Merline sent me to YouTube to find the group that Merline would have been a perfect addition to, with her hats: The Belle Stars, in their "Sign of The Times" video. Classic.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdH0nIsd-B4