S01.E01: Welcome To New York

[Wings]

I enjoyed this show.  I like all of the judges including the new one.  

 

I love Kelly's style and her hair bun is current.  She is not into setting a style as much as playing with what currently calls to her.  She will change her color at some point.

 

I adore Sirano and always have.  I love his new mature presence. 

 

I trust PR to handle the kids well.  They knew when they signed on theywould be eliminations every week.  After the initial sadness, they will be fine.  I think they will all get along, too.  The kids on Master Chef Junior do very well together. 

 

Loved the winning look.  I bet she will be a favorite throughout.  She has a good personal style and point of view.  I also like the blonde who did the long blue dress.  In her packet they showed her relaxed CA style and I liked it.  It reminded me of Uli whose clothes I loved.  

[Fishy]

Why does it look like Mr. Style Tim Gunn's suits just don't fit him correctly!!!  Drives me batty!

[MrHufflepuff]

I'm assuming the kids get more downtime than the adults on the regular show because they're kids, so they probably aren't as sleep-deprived and stressed out as the adult designers on the regular show.  And I'm not sure, but it looked to me like they gave them plenty of time for this challenge, probably so as to not over-stress the kids, like they do to the adults on the regular show.  And the judges weren't throwing out zingers, probably so the show doesn't come off looking mean to the kids.

 

And the show was much better.  Suck it, producers!  Your gimmicky "kids" idea has made you throw all your other stupid fake-drama inducing gimmicks out the window.  It'll be interesting to watch the season and see how the show is forced to alter all the usual PR producer-induced nastiness for this show.

[leighdear]

I think most reality shows that jump into a "Junior" version probably have to contractually do a lot of things differently from the adult versions: more supervision, reduced work hours, access to more nutritional food, maybe additional medical and psychological services, etc.  Depending on how these little cash calves are viewed by the IRS and a slew of government agencies, in addition to the network, the producers probably have to do things radically differently.  But you know they also have a ton of disclaimers and exemptions in the contracts to protect the almighty Lifetime.  

 

And we've seen that all the judges in these shows are a lot nicer to kids than adults.  And use cleaner language. 

Edited November 14, 2015 by leighdear

[BW Manilowe]

Especially if it was produced during the school year, & even if it was produced during a normal school system's vacation time, I would guess the junior designers would also have to put in the required amount of on set school time governed by Child Labor Laws in NY state, or wherever they're filming.

Not sure the producers could get that waived because, like, they only have 1 day to complete the assigned "look" for the next runway show & that's "more important".

Also not sure minor children working on reality/competition shows (vs. other types of TV shows/TV movies or theatrical films) are exempted from the on-set school requirement.

I know the minors who've, say, competed on American Idol have had to fulfill the on-set school requirement around all their rehearsals, wardrobe fittings, recording sessions for the iTunes downloads of their performances, etc. So I don't think the minors participating in PR Juniors (or PR Threads, for that matter) would be any different.

And they'd have to have a parent or guardian with them on-set, even if the parents/guardians didn't help them/otherwise participate in the show, like they apparently did in PR Threads (which I'd forgotten about).

[MrHufflepuff]

Even aside from contractual or legal requirements, though, my guess is the producers aren't going to intentionally mess with the contestants heads the way they do on the regular show, just because it would cause a huge amount of bad publicity.  I'd be surprised if we saw the usual dumb stuff they inflict on the contestants in the real show (like the "who should go home" question or the "everybody needs to do something physical for this challenge even though that has nothing to do with fashion design").    And since the producers have all these constraints, whatever the source, we'll probably get a better show out of it.  That's my point.  In choosing this "juniors" gimmick, the producers have boxed themselves out of a lot of the stupid gimmicks they usually use on the regular show. 

[millennium]

That Matt kid can't go soon enough.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This was a huge improvement over Threads, which sucked so hard. Almost everything I hated about Threads has been eliminated (the parents helping, the surprise challenge that involved gluing shit to an existing dress, the "advantage" where someone got to take away someone else's time). And no Vanessa Simmons - yay!

 

One thing I like is that all of these kids seem genuinely excited to be on the show (unlike some of the PR contestants who seem like they think they're too good to be on the show but have deigned to grace us with their presence). I also like that Tim Gunn seems to be straightforward but gentle with them in his critiques. I'm not sold on the host but we'll see how she does.

 

It seems strange that there are 12 contestants but we didn't get some of their names until what felt like the runway show. Can we sit them down and teach them all how to pronounce the word "aesthetic" correctly? It drives me crazy on regular PR but these kids are young and moldable - correct them now, Tim Gunn!

 

One thing I hate is when designers say that something has never been done before because most of the time when they say that, it isn't true. Case in point: Bridget's design. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen but it wasn't as unique as she wants to believe. That criss cross top has been done a million times, as has the high waisted skirt. It wasn't bad or anything but don't try to sell it to me as unique.  I can't decide if I like her lavender hair or not.

 

As soon as Peytie's model came down the runway in that flowy print dress, I immediately thought of Uli. It actually makes sense that Peytie's southern California beach aesthetic resulted in that dress. From a distance, the pattern on the fabric looked like tie dye which cracked me up since earlier she made it a point to say that her style is flowy but not hippie.

 

Zach's red dress fit his model really well, but it looked like a regular old prom dress from the mall circa 1990. I really hope he loses the Debbie Gibson hats.

 

Victoria's black outfit with the pleather car wash strips was not my favorite. I'm glad that Tim told her to move them up from the hemline, which was definitely an improvement but I still hated the strips. They were just stuck onto the skirt like huge pieces of black duct tape which made them seem like an afterthought. I also disliked that they were only on the front of the skirt. When her model turned around on the runway, the skirt was noticeably shorter in the back. Does this mean that those ugly carwash skirts from the early 90s are back? Say it ain't so! And is Victoria the one who said her model was boobalicious? She looked pretty flat chested in that top so I don't know if her top flattened everything down or of Victoria doesn't know what big boobs really look like.

 

I liked the criss cross detail on the Ysabel's top, but I didn't like the strappy detail on the back of the top. Yes, I'm fickle that way. I am also so tired of neoprene. And come on, kids, use some color!

 

Matt's black velvet dress did nothing for me. It was a plain black dress with chains added as faux necklaces in the back. And velvet? That is a very dated look to me.

 

Samantha's outfit was one of the few that looked like it could have been on regular PR (mostly because the majority of the designers this week created very junior or amatereurish looking outfits). Props to her for making pants. I loved the contrast of the tall model and tiny Samantha only coming up to her shoulder.

 

Jesse's cocktail dress was cute but nothing special. I liked the angled piece at the neckline to make it a little different from the run of the mill little black dress.

 

Sami chose a nice flowy fabric for the runway, but the waist on that dress was horrendous. It made her model look like she had huge hips. Tim warned her about needing to flatten the waistline but she didn't listen. When the gathering started coming undone in the workroom, I was hoping she would take that as a sign to change it but nope! The circles on the back were interesting but that wasn't enough to save the dress for me.

 

Maya's mauve dress turned out pretty well. I'm with Tim - it's not a color I would normally love but she made it look good. I really liked the black cutout she did for the back and the waistband. The sharp angles were a nice contrast with the flowly dress. Heh, on regular PR this is where the designer would make sure to point out that they like to combine hard and soft. This was another one of the few designs this week that looked like it could have been on regular PR.

 

Jaxson's design didn't do it for me. I didn't like the black crop top with the grey skirt. Something about the two pieces together was incongruent to me. I also didn't like the geometric shapes at the bottom of the skirt. I didn't like the grey buildings on the front (they looked like bar graphs to me) but I really didn't like the colored buildings on the back. The tall green one with the pointy roof looked like a crayon pointing at the model's butt.

 

I loved Zachary's skirt but I wasn't crazy about the textured material he used for the top and the top of the skirt. It reminded me of the classic 90s crushed velvet.

 

I'm not surprised that Sami went home. Her dress was a mess. The top was not very flattering. The bunched up waistband was terrible (i loved that when one of the judges said she liked the raw edges on the waist, Christian pointed out that it was probably because she didn't have time to finish the edges). The hem was totally crooked. On regular PR, I think Sami would have stayed and Debbie Gibson hat would have gone home.

 

I noticed they didn't show the kids outside of the workroom/runway so I wonder if they each have a parent staying with them. They must have some kind of supervision since they're minors and the show doesn't want to have a bunch of teenagers running around like they're at summer camp.

Edited November 15, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[RemoteControlFreak]

Especially if it was produced during the school year, & even if it was produced during a normal school system's vacation time, I would guess the junior designers would also have to put in the required amount of on set school time governed by Child Labor Laws in NY state, or wherever they're filming.

It was filmed during the summer and there is no requirement for on-set school time.

 

And here's Tim Gunn talking about PR: Junior, and bashing PR Season 14 again while also calling one of the Junior contestants a "mean girl":  http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/12/project-runway-junior-tim-gunn-interview

Edited November 15, 2015 by RemoteControlFreak

[Callasin]

I did not plan to watch this but I did and I was pleasantly surprised.  I was so happy that the first challenge was a chance for them to pick their own fabric and show what they can do.  This is what I want to see at the beginning so I get to know the designers not an unconventional materials or pre-picked fabric challenge.  Those challenges can be fun but I like them to be a little later in the competition. 

 

I loved the winning look, especially the top.  Lengthen it because I look terrible in a crop top and I would buy it.  At first I wanted Tim to use the save and give everyone a chance to compete again.  But now that I think about it I am glad he didn't.  I am afraid there would be accusations of them being to soft on the younger designers. 

 

Can we just get over lavender hair please?  I love hair color and have worn my share of crazy colors in my younger punk days but I don't like lavender.  It always looks dirty or faded and in need of a touch up to me.  I find myself paying more attention to the hair than the person.

[still hoping]

I did not expect to like this so much! I could not watch Threads with it's choppy "Chopped" format but this Junior was good..

 

and the fashions were better IMHO than the past season

 

I loved the guy with glasses city dress - gray front and party in the back!

 

I liked the hostess and liked Sirano as judge

 

I loved when Tim made a "lilac" dig - doesn't like the mauve color but loved the 13 yr old's take on it - Hello Ashley this one is for you (no talent fake PC "winnah")

[retiredviewer]

I think most of them were previously on PR Threads, I definitely recognized few boys and even few girls looked very familiar. I remember noticing back then that most of the Threads contestants were from California, I guess because it was convenient to find kids thru FIDM as that's where the show was taped. So glad this is not repeat of that show, hated the parents involvement and stupid mini challenge.

It was taped in New York City. They were on  a rooftop looking at the skyline.

[BW Manilowe]

It was filmed during the summer and there is no requirement for on-set school time.

And here's Tim Gunn talking about PR: Junior, and bashing PR Season 14 again while also calling one of the Junior contestants a "mean girl": http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/12/project-runway-junior-tim-gunn-interview

OK... They wouldn't have had to have mandatory school time during filming, but they still would've had to have a parent or adult guardian on the set with them.

[still hoping]

I am sure they had a parent or guardian...we have not seen their living arrangements,I  would think they share a room with parent

Summer time - school break - perfect

 

 

I for one am glad the parents are not being shown....I disliked that on Threads....if we had parents shown we would see "Dance Mom" type drama...I think the producers are doing a good job of focusing on the fashion as these kids seem to be capable of designing - and sewing- at a pretty amazing level. 

[ava111]

It was taped in New York City. They were on  a rooftop looking at the skyline.

Sorry but I thought it was clear from my post that I wast talking about PR Threads show that was taped in FIDM.

[Wootini]

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some behind-the-scenes jiggering as far as the time they're allotted to work. My husband and I both noticed when the kids were like, "It's time for us to return to our product-placement hotel!" They didn't show the clock. 

 

They're keeping the format, where Tim tells them they have "one day" to work on their project, but I'm guessing that might be broken up a bit and they're just editing it together to make it seem like the same day, telling the kids to wear the same clothes and stuff. ;) Because you can't put a minor through the grueling hamster wheel of regular Project Runway. That would be too much.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Project Runway: Junior Showcases Tiny Teens And Big Ambitions
It's the same Project Runway format, now with downsized designers.

[izabella]

I liked this kinder, gentler, less frantic PR.  It felt like a breath of fresh air, and the young designers had more talent than I expected.  Even better, they seemed to all have good attitudes. And Tim is being helpful and mentoring,  The hostess isn't working for me, but I like the rest of the judges, including the woman from Seventeen/Cosmo.

[grumpypanda]

I'm also jealous of the little gay boys. Not that I would have been that flamboyant when I was 15 or 16, but the idea of being able to be myself was terrifying when I was a teenager. It's nice that the world has changed to the point where gay boys can be as gay as they want to be. Or well, as gay as their town/school/family will let them, but it's still WAY better than when I was a kid! I couldn't come out until college!

There is a lot of talent on display here, and it's making me feel terribly inadequate. Thanks, Project Runway: Juniors!

I've never been a gay boy but I can imagine how difficult it must be for a young gay boy to be out and proud in society. It makes me really happy to know that these boys found a place where they're accepted and celebrated for who they are.

Anyway, I wasn't going to watch this because I'm generally not a fan of kids on reality shows but I actually really enjoyed this episode. This seems like a really cool and talented group of kids and no one it too annoying yet.

I really liked all three of the top looks and none of the bottom looks were horrible either. I'm interested to see what these kids come up with next.

My only complaint, does it seem like most of the designers are from California? I know Maya is from Ohio, Jaxson is from Kansas, Zach is from Kentucky, Samantha is from New York and someone else is from Massachusetts but I believe the rest are from California. It's not really a big deal but I think it's interesting when more of the country is represented.

Edited November 18, 2015 by grumpypanda

[April Bloodgate]

As soon as Peytie's model came down the runway in that flowy print dress, I immediately thought of Uli. It actually makes sense that Peytie's southern California beach aesthetic resulted in that dress. From a distance, the pattern on the fabric looked like tie dye which cracked me up since earlier she made it a point to say that her style is flowy but not hippie.

Yep. I thought this too. Totally Uli in terms of aesthetic. And they're already calling Zachary the new Kini, but that's more to do with speed and personality than style.

So far I'm liking Jaxson, Samantha, and Zachary (mostly on personality; I wasn't crazy about his dress). I'm curious to see more from the ones that didn't get much screen time, specifically Bridget and Jesse. I'm not a fan of Matt's THs or his design. He feels a lot like Blake Patterson from this last season.

 

I like Christian and Kelly as judges in this, and I think this is a much better venue for Tim. I'm not a fan of the host (very stiff). Not sure yet about Aya.

[April Bloodgate]

My only complaint, does it seem like most of the designers are from California? I know Maya is from Ohio, Jaxson is from Kansas, Zach is from Kentucky, Samantha is from New York and someone else is from Massachusetts but I believe the rest are from California. It's not really a big deal but I think it's interesting when more of the country is represented.

Bridgett and Jesse are both from MA. And there are 2 from Ohio: Maya and Victoria. So 5 out of the 12 are from California, which does still seem like a lot, I guess.

[Indy]

 I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.  The kids are quite talented and a nice breath of fresh air compared to original recipe PR. The clothes the kids put out were really good, especially for a first challenge.  Nobody totally blew it, which was nice to see. I'm sure there will be some disasters in future episodes, when challenges get harder and stress grows, but it was nice to see a really successful first go for them.

 

Christian is fantastic, he seems to have grown up a lot where he's still fun but not quite the scripted character he often was when he was on his season of PR.  I was afraid he'd be too snarky but he was really good. He's also in a great position to mentor these kids since he had so much success at a young age and he's a hot, current designer.  I don't really care for Kelly Osborne much, but she's fine.  The other judge seems pleasant as well.  Tim seems to be enjoying himself with the kids too.  Hannah is kind of dull but she's innocuous and better than Alyssa Milano hosting All Stars.  I imagine she'll get into a grove as the episodes go on.  

 

All of them seem to have figured out a way to be constructively critical without being flat mean.  They're not coddling the kids, but nobody is getting ripped a part (at least in the first episode).  Christian was spot on when he commented about Sami's "raw edge" fabric being due to lack of time not a stylistic choice, but he made his point as kindly as possible.  

[CraftyHazel]

It was filmed during the summer and there is no requirement for on-set school time.

And here's Tim Gunn talking about PR: Junior, and bashing PR Season 14 again while also calling one of the Junior contestants a "mean girl": http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/12/project-runway-junior-tim-gunn-interview

As much as I am genuinely loving this version of "PR", I loathe Tim Gunn with a passion these days and really think he needs to be muzzled. Fresh off the reunion show for Season 14, where he tells the designers he loves them and they are very talented, he gives an interview grousing about the poor work ethic of not just Swapnil now, but many of the designers and talks about how much he hated the season, and then goes on to out one of this show's contestants as "a mean girl"! Whichever girl he is talking about...and I don't really care who she is...she's a minor, a child, there to learn and compete, not to have her character assassinated in print by Mr. Gunn. He's an ass, plain and simple...judgmental, cocky, and fake as hell.

The Juniors version of "Project Runway" is delightful! No product placement, no "thoughtful" accessory wall, no catty judges. I adore Christian Siriano, and he is as snarky and catty as can be at times, but he has it toned down here and is being very helpful in his critiques. Tim Gunn is fine mentoring these kids, but he needs to watch his mouth in interviews...I liked him better when he had his kindly persona and protected it zealously. Now he seems proud to let his inner bitch flag fly, and I don't care for the change. It seems two-faced.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Marmiarmo

[Calamity Jane]

Too bad Tami didn't say she wanted to design for junior plus size. Her bunchy waistband would have been just the thing!

Wasn't that waistband exactly what Ashley did for her first runway on Season 14?

To my utter astonishment, I really enjoyed this first episode.  We seem to have original flavor Tim Gunn back, the young designers have a lot of genuine talent and personality, and Christian, as usual with younger designers, is on point but gentle in his critiques.  I might end up loving this!

Edited November 22, 2015 by Calamity Jane

[Guest]

I didn't think Sami's was the worst.  Though it also wasn't better (or in the same galaxy) as Edmund's paintball winner dress, which Tim claims in that EW interview.  I think he's a little prone to hyperbole.  He doesn't work with that age group, he works with college students.  Tim is 62, and he's acting like 13-19 is worlds away from 18-24 to him?  

 

I wonder if all his self-professed hate for season 14 was from media/viewer backlash over the Ashley win.  Maybe they're trying to distance themselves.  Funny that he also trashed their guest judges, though!