S15.E01: Road to the Runway Season 15 / S15.E02: An Unconventional Runway

[SailorGirl]

7 hours ago, Albino said:

Gunn has been annoying me for several years now. How a professor at FIT became a self-appointed expert on virtually everything is beyond me.  "Make it work" was tired 7 seasons ago.  More often than not, the advice he gives to designers is their downfall. However I do appreciate his honesty about former seasons/contestants.  And don't get me started on the ill-advised "Under The Gunn".  Which was the show where Mondo showed his true, unflattering colors.

I still worship at the altar of Tim Gunn. A few years ago, he did a book tour and came to Annapolis. He was charming, humble, genuine and sincere. The care and concern he shows for the contestants is real. Who he is on screen is who he is in person. The book signing line was long and the signings took at least 3-4 hours, this after an hour-long fashion show and Q & A. He never missed a beat, he never got snippy or nasty, and he spoke personally to EVERY SINGLE PERSON who came up to him. The man truly is class personified. 

I agree that his critiques are sometimes off but they are in no way meant to shit-stir or put the contestant at risk -- his critiques are absolutely genuine and made with the best interest of the designer in mind.

I didn't watch Under the Gunn, so I can't speak to his actions on that show, but based on my personal experience and interaction with him, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the man and am a lifelong fan. 

Edited September 16, 2016 by SailorGirl

[Empress1]

I unabashedly love Tim. (I didn't watch Under the Gunn either.) He comes across as so warm, compassionate and caring.

[AZChristian]

I would pay cash money if I NEVER have to hear Nina Garcia say "It's VERRRRRRY 'editorial'" again.  

[PepperMonkey]

I have a lot to say but I'll try to reign it in... Show, I'm glad you're back. Mostly, I love to hate you in your Lifetime incarnations, but yesterday, before the premiere, because I could NOT bring myself to rewatch season 14, I re-watched season 1 and season 4. So, obviously, a lot of my residual love is leftover love from the Bravo seasons. Having said that, it's been gone a long time, and I am sincerely glad of its' return.

First impressions: honking laugh girl's laugh is fake or she is the easiest laugher on the face of planet earth. Must mute when she's on my screen, just in case she decides to let one rip. Mah-jongg Wing, or whatever, immediately lurched to the top of my dislike list when he practically knocked down Cornelius to steal the flowers from his hands. I noticed he gave them back and then ended up using wadded up magazine pages, so yay for creativity. Damage was done to his character for me, at that point, I don't care if he does have a child who's depending on him. This isn't Masterchef.

I'm with almost everyone else here: didn't like Ian from his R to the R package, so I'm glad he's gone. At least he seemed to own his douchbaggery by admitting to Napoleon complex and that he never listens to anyone on anything. Don't really think him NOT listening to Tim had anything to do with him leaving first. I think it's because Heidi thought it was boring and this is still her show. The last time she gave in was when Gretchen beat Mondo.

I love Tasha and I do not think she's going to be getting the "Ashley edit" or if she does, it will be a serious disservice to her. She hasn't said one thing about plus size and wanting to be an icon for plus size or anything remotely like that. No, her outfit isn't something you would see anywhere outside of the UMC runway, but that's not the purpose of the unconventional materials challenge anyway. Liked the big bird outfit fine and was fine with her winning; her deameanor is decidedly chill and that was kind of refreshing. I'm glad Dexter is still there because I like him, but I think he was put in second place because of STYLING and not because of the actual fashion. Having said that, he did listen to Tim and completely turned it around or he would have been gone with the upside down umbrella skirt and pillow casing with armholes.

Cannot believe there is such a diverse cast this year. It's an exciting change of pace!

[izabella]

I usually feel bad for the designers that is kicked off after the first challenge.  In this case, though, it seems Ian stayed true to "who he is as a designer" so we weren't going to see much from him beyond shift dresses and other simple things you can already buy, so I don't feel we will miss any greatness with his auf'ing.

I liked the Big Bird outfit.  Using that bold color paid off for her, and she did a meticulous job with the construction.  I did not like the yeti outfit, especially since it didn't seem well constructed considering he used fabric for the whole thing.  The hem was lopsided.  Or was that intentional?   It didn't look intentional, just wobbly, unevenly cut and lopsided.  Tasha's look didn't do much for me, and I for sure didn't think it belonged int he top.

There were other looks that were safe that I liked much better - definitely the silver dress.  I would have put that in the top, and would have liked a closer look at it. 

Overall, though, I thought this runway was a great start to the season, and despite all my bitching and moaning about this show's shortcomings, I've seen every season and am looking forward to the rest of this one!

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Wow, Tim was not holding back at all:

I'm loving Tim again after seeing how he felt about Ashley's plus sized designs.  He has redeemed himself to me!

[Pepper Mostly]

12 hours ago, nb360 said:

Tim Gunn: "Ian, we're going to miss your SPUNK."  

Translation: "That's what you get, b*itch, for not listening to me."

And it looked like there were no hugs exchanged, by mutual agreement.

11 hours ago, nb360 said:

What's interesting is that, in his casting audition tape, Alex said (paraphrasing), "I don't want to console people. Every minute I'm with you is a minute I'm not working on a design to win." How do we go from this to someone who is super supportive???

Right? Did he just do that to play the production (tm Jay McCarroll?). "I'll be a bitch to everyone! I'm not here to make friends!" Then he turns out to be kind, thoughtful and empathetic. I like that better and now I'm a big Alex fan!

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Remember when the unconventional materials challenge meant designing something that looked like clothes and the designers were chastised for using materials that were too similar to fabric (like tablecloths)? I still remember some of the crazy stuff from the early seasons like Chloe's leaf dress. Now it seems like the unconventional materials challenge is an excuse to glue gun a bunch of shit together and pretend that it's avant garde.

Similarly, Jenni just slapped some paint on the nylon backpack fabric. Tim's assessment of her "print" as an art project was correct. The boa jacket looked cheap and tacky. It looked like Big Bird got muddy. Hated the double French braids and those ugly ass shoes on her model too.

A lot of people thought Erin wouldn't finish in time, but I like that she thinks about what she wants to do first (as opposed to some designers we've seen in the past who just start cutting fabric without knowing what the hell they're going to do). And in her defense, she was prepping a lot of her materials (cutting the gumballs in half, cutting the faux fur into tracks to make fringe, etc) so it's not like she was sitting around doing nothing. Ian's concern about her model's coloring was the most legitimate worry. I also liked that she was so calm as she was finishing her outfit at the last minute (instead of freaking out and shrieking in the workroom). Even though it's not something I would personally wear, I liked it because it was different, she used some less conventional materials and she didn't just take the materials and glue it straight onto muslin, and it looked like a real dress. She made an effort to transform the materials. Hated the stripe of glitter on her model's eyelids though.

I wish that the first challenge of each season had the judges giving feedback to all the designers, even if it was just one quick comment.

 

@ElectricBoogaloo, sorry to edit your very insightful post so much, a couple of things jumped out at me! Chloe's leaf dress, while beautiful, was leaves glued to muslin, so not so different from Cory's paper plates, really. Something like Mychael Knight's coffee filter dress or Kara Saun's skirt made from cupcake tin liners seems more apt?Or of course Austin Scarlett's corn husk dress!

Once Jenni added the jacket made of boas, her model looked like streetwalker, hot pants and chubby jacket. Taste level, anyone?

I concur on Erin, I love how she stayed calm and believed in herself. I'm glad she won. I'm rooting for my whole Boston contingent! Kelly from the deli made her mark, I guess! Boston, represent!

And yes, give everyone a critique. We always know who's going to be in the top or bottom because no one else gets any screen time.

Edited September 16, 2016 by Pepper Mostly

[ElectricBoogaloo]

While Erin's hipsterness is bound to wear on me as the season goes on, I definitely have to give her props for the smart decisions she made this week. First she came up with a plan to choose her unconventional materials based on color (as opposed to just grabbing any garbage she could get her hands on during their allotted five minutes). Second she made a conscious choice to use both color and texture but keep a simple silhouette. I wish more designers on this show would think about that trifecta. 

[cpcathy]

What did he say about Ashley's designs? Anything negative about her I would LOVE to hear.

 

And I'm also loving Tim more, after seeing a Youtube video of him completely dissing Kim K and her selfie book. You be the voice of reason for all of us, Tim!

[Empress1]

5 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

While Erin's hipsterness is bound to wear on me as the season goes on, I definitely have to give her props for the smart decisions she made this week. First she came up with a plan to choose her unconventional materials based on color (as opposed to just grabbing any garbage she could get her hands on during their allotted five minutes). Second she made a conscious choice to use both color and texture but keep a simple silhouette. I wish more designers on this show would think about that trifecta. 

It's like that saying, before you leave the house, check the mirror and take off one accessory. I think Erin's ability to edit will serve her very well. Designers get told all the time (usually rightfully) to edit.

[backgroundnoise]

Tim still has a long way to go with me to negate all the negative points for being a what-me-give-bad-advice? tattletale, but last night was a good start. 

[AwesomO4000]

28 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Right? Did he just do that to play the production (tm Jay McCarroll?). "I'll be a bitch to everyone! I'm not here to make friends!" Then he turns out to be kind, thoughtful and empathetic. I like that better and now I'm a big Alex fan!

Ooh, that's a cool idea also rather than a hidden Wendy Pepper. And since even though Jay McCarroll turned out to be a sweetie, for me he still didn't lose his wit, that would be a good thing. I had work to do during the episode so couldn't always pay attention. I'll have to rewatch and pay more attention to Alex.

[alannaofdoom]

First: there is NO WAY that Laurence is 41. Inconceivable. The only possible explanation is that she's got a painting of an elderly woman hidden in her attic. You will never convince me otherwise. 

Erin really won me over - instant eyeroll at "I make clothes, and art" but then I came around when she said, "...and I'm smart - I think I'm smart." Her runway look wasn't my style at all, but it was an astounding amount of work (completed without any panicky BS) and I get what she was going for. She definitely deserved the win.

Who is Rik??? Why did we not even meet some of the designers until the runway? Anyway, I loved his undeveloped polaroid dress. 

Ian: "I think the palette is amazing. I could base a collection off of that dress." Yes, you could, because that dress is literally a swatch booklet pinned to a shapeless shift. Come on now. There's I don't do avant garde, and then there's I don't do anything. BYE!

Count me among those who loved Roberi's. The construction was gorgeous, and it wasn't even that short! I mean, sure it was short for day wear, but as a runway piece? It was perfectly reasonable. 

[yeswedo]

Reminder - episode threads are for episode discussion. This thread is for Road to the Runway and the first S15 episode.  Detailed discussions about other topics (Under the Gunn, What Tim said about Ashley, etc) don't belong here. Thanks.

Tim's thread

Ashley's thread

Media thread

[Pepper Mostly]

3 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I don't know how much time elapses between when you're notified that you're going to be on the show and when filming starts but in that time, if you haven't worked with unconventional materials, you need to practice. I've seen every single episode of this show and the unconventional materials challenge has been in every season. When somebody said "I've never worked with unconventional materials!" I was like, do you know what show you're on? You also need to practice making menswear and making clothes for a woman who isn't model-thin.

Laurence is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Stunning. 

Jenni threw some Adidas slides on her model. WTF was that? And that honking laugh is already on my nerves. I know she can't help it but GODDAMN.

I missed the intro of the guest judge so I had no idea who she was (I don't watch Good Morning America). She was fairly useless.

I really like Tasha. She seems like a warm, genuinely kind person, and I laughed out loud when she called Tim Boss Man. Drop crotch pants are still a thing - I was in a group with someone just yesterday who was wearing them. I wouldn't wear them, but they're on trend.

Agree. I don't wear yellow because it turns my caramel complexion green. (I don't wear shades of orange or green that skew toward yellow either, although I do like bold shades of those colors.) That model is gorgeous across the board but her complexion in particular really helped the dress along.

If I saw Brik's pants in a store and they were better constructed (as opposed to muslin with glitter attached) so I didn't have to worry about shedding a trail of glitter, they would be the kind of article of clothing that I would argue with myself about. "They're pretty!" "But where would you wear them?" "I'd find someplace!" Ultimately my practical side would probably win out and I wouldn't buy them, but I'd be tempted.

I am so sick of the phrase "who I am/you are as a designer."

Agreed on Ian's disdain for the unconventional materials. Dude, you are not all that. Take a seat. Anyone who goes on PR unprepared at this stage of the game deserves whatever he or she gets. Sheesh. 

Savannah Guthrie I did not like at all. She made it a point to tell Tasha that she would not be able to wear her design, then gushed over other pieces that she would never be able to wear either. Why do that? I love Tasha and wanted to give her a big hug when she was so nervous. Honey, you are going to be fine.

I am often told I have an infectious laugh. I do not sound like a goose with bronchitis who got stuck in a rototiller. And yeah, she can't help it, and you know that they are pissing themselves in editing dropping in the sound of Jenni's laugh endlessly, but dear me it will wear badly.

"who I am/you are as a designer." is PR's version of "its ME on a plate" from Top Chef, which completely skeeves me out and makes me stabby, all in one! Its a plate of food, you're not curing cancer! Get over youreself!

2 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I would pay cash money if I NEVER have to hear Nina Garcia say "It's VERRRRRRY 'editorial'" again.  

And what was with her saying so condescendingly "its what we call in the fashion business 'editorial'"?

Oh, and before I forget--Heidi at the meet and greet, in a normal pair of trousers and a blouse? She looked adorable. You can do it Heidi! You don't have to wear short, tight and shiny all the time!

Edited September 16, 2016 by Pepper Mostly

[Tara Ariano]

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

Project Runway Throws A Party, And Tells Designers To Dismantle It And Salvage Unconventional Materials

Season 15 starts in the deep end of the pool, after producers throw the designers in there. Who sinks and who swims?

[kat165]

Tentatively, his voice left scratches on my ear drums. So glad to not have to sit through a season of him.

Brik reminds me of Blaine and I wonder how long he'll stick around.

EB, who/what is Ginger Minj?

Lizzing, thank you for reminding me about the hideous plastic shoes!

"I loved the shady editing w/r/t the eco girl at the opening party...she's yammering on about leather and
renewable sources, and the camera pans down to her hideous plastic shoes."

Yes, I thought the same thing. Great editing there. She can go next, even before the bad laugh girl. She's
as precious as Mondo.

[NewDigs]

Good first epi. I'm hopeful that this might be the PR redemption-arc-season.

As soon as Roberi twisted the wires framing the lanterns I inwardly groaned and then rolled my eyes at a dress I've seen on PR numerous times. It was poetry? It was Fluid? It was way too short. And done before. I actually agree with Nina?

Loved BigBird and am surprised to be expressing that. Also liked the Yeti. Really fun.

Will never "get" drop-crotch pants. It can't still be HammerTime. And I really can't imagine what body types they might flatter.

Said, Buh-bye, to Ian after he dissed Tim's input. 

And, like an upthread poster, pictured Brik's pants leaving a glitter trail behind. Actually, leaving glitter everyeffingwhere. Some designer called it the "herpes of art and craft supplies". Too right.

Edited September 16, 2016 by NewDigs

[Seelouis]

1 hour ago, alannaofdoom said:

Who is Rik??? Why did we not even meet some of the designers until the runway?

I'm just realizing there is a Rik AND a Brik.  Seriously?? 

[Wandering Snark]

Another thing that bewildered me about Ian was how he turned his proverbial nose up in disdain and said 'I don't DO... volume.' He has so 'defined' himself by what he won't do that he ended up with, well, nothing. I also love people that are terrible in many ways, admit it, and then dismiss it by saying some form of "That's just who I am." No, you're a self-admitted asshole who should try to change.

[beaker73]

15 hours ago, Knuckles said:

Tim Gunn did an editorial in the Wash Post recently, in which he described past winner Ashley Tipton's clothes as the worst he has ever seen. He did not hold back...and described her win as a PC move, a nod to the audience that there are larger women in America...and that the quality of her designs and her workmanship was terrible. 

I was thinking of that while the judges fell over themselves in praising Tasha's clothes for their "street cred". Dropped crotch, exaggerated hips, and a Tim/Heidi bag...as Nina is sometimes wont to say, there's a taste issue here. Nothing special, nothing especially well done, it looks like stuff the junior high kids have been wearing for ages. 

There were better looks, that got a pass, but no special mention. Tasha may be in line for the Ashley edit.

I'm glad you mentioned that article because I read it too and was surprised by it.  Don't get me wrong, I totally 100% agree with him - I'm just shocked that he was that open about how terrible a designer Ashley really was.  I think he also mentioned that a female judge said she voted for Ashley because of what it represented or something to that effect. 

Back to the show--

I'm liking Alex and his personality.  Particularly that he said if someone needed help - he'd help them. Of course, this probably means he isn't long for this season. 

I liked Tasha's concept more than the final product. I think she was in the top simply because she was struggling so bad during the challenge.  Production likes it when a designer looks like they're crashing and then they turn it around in the end. See also: Erin...

...Erin--Oh, how I wish Kors was there so we could've heard his Big Bird jokes.  Not sure how I felt about her outfit. Bright yellow indeed was ballsy. I thought the wig hair was indeed muppet-like. It was good, but not sure it should've won. 

Happy to see Ian go.  His dress was boring as fuck and, dude, no one works with unconventional materials on a regular basis. You're on a reality show. A reality show that has this challenge EVERY SEASON. Suck it up. Buh bye. 

Not sure I had a stand out favorite. Some I didn't like.  A lot were just OK. 

5 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I would pay cash money if I NEVER have to hear Nina Garcia say "It's VERRRRRRY 'editorial'" again.  

And also " I question his/her taste level." 

Edited September 16, 2016 by beaker73
spelling

[HurricaneVal]

Based on last night's show, I'm going to be cautiously optimistic about this season.  Cautiously...

So far Alex is kind of like "Tim Gunn Lite" and I do hope he goes far, just because he seems amusing, is genuinely helpful, and has some design chops. 

Buh-bye, Ian.  Your dress was ugly.  And looked amateurish, and compared to the rest of the room?  Hard to believe you spent the same amount of time on that boring dreck as the rest of everyone else who had some pretty sophisticated and hard to construct looks.

I loved Roberi's dress.  NOT as a dress, mind you, but in appreciation of his creativity and vision.  To me, especially from certain angles, it had a very Van Gogh "Starry Night" motion and contrast to it.  The first time the model turned and I was struck with that impression, I nearly gasped.

[backgroundnoise]

I was happy to see that it didn't seem like anyone was trying to set themselves up a this season's Quirkiest Designer.  Or Mean Girl.  Or Littlest Cherub.  The stereotyping was pretty minimal.  Even the guy with nose ring, Dexter?, seems refreshingly normal.

No screamingly obvious cannon-fodder either.  Dare I hope for an actual competition, instead of production scripts?  Fingers crossed.

[dleighg]

7 minutes ago, backgroundnoise said:

Even the guy with nose ring, Dexter?, seems refreshingly normal.

 

exactly. When I saw him and his get-up I thought oh, no, another diva. But he came across as a pretty normal guy. 

[auntlada]

They're all so normal that because I missed Road to the Runway, I can't remember who is who.

[meep.meep]

Even Corinna seemed normal at first......

Alex surprised me, not just with his helpfulness.  He's 30?  He looks 45 at least.

I liked Big Bird a lot.  It was incredible to watch her still glueing at 5 minutes, and then at "We're going down to the runway!" help the model into the dress, and zip it up!  She put a zipper into an unconventional materials challenge dress. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

3 hours ago, kat165 said:

EB, who/what is Ginger Minj?

Ginger Minj was a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race during S7 and the second season of All Stars (which is currently airing). In her original season, she said upon seeing a hot guy (I think it was one of the guest judges, but possibly one of the pit crew guys), "I about flooded my basement." She now sells shirts with her picture that say, "I'm here to flood your basement."

[Shenanigan]

Quote

exactly. When I saw him and his get-up I thought oh, no, another diva. But he came across as a pretty normal guy. 

I liked in the "Road to the Runway" when he said "I don't want to be a famous person - I just want a JOB." 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved that too. So many designers in the past have come on the show with extreme delusions of grandeur so this is a nice contrast. It's great to be confident and to have dreams but it's also nice to see someone who has realistic expectations of life. 

I also loved that in Road to the Runway, he showed us an outfit that he was considering taking with him and then he wore it in the first episode!

Edited September 16, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo
Typo!

[seacliffsal]

Once again, I am surprised by the judges' decisions.  It was especially funny to me when two of the top three looks had the exact same pattern/fabric for the top.  Also that the abominable snowman outfit had uneven hems and was declared by Nina to be ethnic.  Really?  Other than a huge stereotyping of Inuit, what ethnic group was in her mind when she made that statement?  Also, Derek was very fortunate that he listened to Tim about the umbrella fabric.  Although I like Tasha I did not like her look.  I liked Alex's much more, and agree with Tim that it had an elegance to it.  

I am glad this show is back.  I may be warming up to Tim again.  So glad Ilan was aufed.  There are a couple of contestants that I anticipate not like in the near future.  But, it was an enjoyable premiere and I look forward to the rest of the season.

[SnarkyTart]

It's baa-aack.   So far, I'm cautiously excited about this season.   It's unusual to actively dislike only one contestant based on the intro packages.  For me, that was donkey laugh girl.  I don't care if she's the best designer ever on PR, I do not not not want to hear that stupid fake attention whore laugh one more time. 

Then it was a further (and pleasant) surprise to only dislike one of the designers during their time in the sewing room.  For me, that was Ian, and praise the gods!, he's gone now.  I found that especially encouraging, because often when a contestant gets an edit like that so early in the show it means they're keeping him around for the (unwelcome) drama factor.

Also unusual, I liked more than 1 or 2 of the runway designs.  Even though I disagreed completely with the judges' winning decisions, I agreed with them on the bottom three.  There wasn't anything that made me groan "wtf?!?" during the runway, but the closest to that was Brick, and at least he ended up in the bottom 2. 

My top three picks were:

1. Cornelius (flower plate dress)
2. Alex (napkins and placemats dress with poufy ruffled violet skirt)
3. Mah-Jing (newspaper dress)

Naturally none of my top 3 were in the judges' top 3, but at least none of them were in the bottom, as sometimes happens.

Onward!

[dleighg]

12 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

Also that the abominable snowman outfit had uneven hems

I noticed that too. I get frustrated when they sometimes trash someone for bad execution and other times totally ignore it.

8 minutes ago, SnarkyTart said:

• Alex (napkins and placemats dress with poufy ruffled violet skirt)

I liked that dress *except* for the top placemats. They seemed to look like exactly what they were, and I thought he would get the comment that "you shouldn't do a handkerchief dress" since that's kind of a throwaway.

[Steph619]

Wow, Maria Menounos laugh has always been annoying to me, but I would rather listen to it now than Jenny's laugh. I found myself cringing everytime I heard it this episode. 

I agree with Erin being the winner, but my favorite was Natalhia's (sp?) silver metallic look. I also liked Tasha's. In terms of the losing look, I agree with Ian going home. He wasn't open to doing anything that was out of his comfort zone and produced a very safe dress. I doubt he would've created something interesting had he stayed longer.

[kat165]

Thank you, EB. That is an atrocious name for anyone. Or maybe I'm pronouncing Minj incorrectly!

Yes, I liked Dexter too despite his looks. Loved that job part.

I use to watch/like Maria Menounos when she did the Challenge aftershow. I never noticed her laugh. hehe, maybe there wasn't much occasion for her to use it.

[awaken]

Overall an enjoyable first ep!  

Some of the glasses and hair on these people are actually assaulting my eyes.  Like, it's really hard to watch.  I hope they mix up their styles as the season progresses!  I do like Tim's new frames, though.  

I feel like there are always certain "types" cast- ie, the older woman, the red and blue haired woman is like Layana, the plus-sized designer, etc 

[SailorGirl]

3 hours ago, dleighg said:

exactly. When I saw him and his get-up I thought oh, no, another diva. But he came across as a pretty normal guy. 

agreed -- I was expecting diva too. All in all he seems pretty normal, but the Moe Howard haircut has GOT to go . . .

Edited September 17, 2016 by SailorGirl

[awaken]

Did anyone mention that Alex's voice sounds like "Bueller"?  All this time, I thought the weird laugh was his- didn't realize it was Jenni! 

[greenbean]

I agreed with the top two, though I would have given the win to Dexter. Both seem pretty cool personality wise, so they're currently my favs.

Ian's design was boring and he had an obnoxious personality, so goodbye.

I liked what Jenni, Tasha and Roberti created. Though I'm glad the judges said Roberti's was too typical because we have indeed seen that design many times.

Mah Jing was stupid for going ott over the flowers. He didn't even use the one that he got. Birk seems like a sweetheart, though not very talented.

It was a decent runway, so hopefully it's a sign that this season will have some good designs.

[KLovestoShop]

Why are so many designers freaky looking?   Do they think it gives them "street cred"?  

I like Ma-Jing. He seems so sincere. Jenni's big bird top was ugly. Sarah's two piece was decent-candy wrappers looked good.  J-Mag's was cool. Didn't like Dexter's outfit at all---sorry but he reminds me of an Amazon tribesman I saw on a cruise a few years ago.  His dress looked like the abominable snowman.   Rik's dress was boring and he reminds me of the devil.  Ian's dress looked like a piñata they sell at party city.  I didn't like the proportions on Tasha's pants. They made the model look huge. Erin's yellow dress---no, for me, but everyone loved it. I just didn't like the yellow fur.  Linda's lampshade dress was boring. I really liked Kimber's dress.  Laurence, herself, is stunning, but that dress was way too short. We don't need to see cooter.  Not sure if I like or dislike Brik's outfit. I don't think the top went with the pants.  I kinda liked Cornelius' dress. Loved the colors.  The model looked like she couldn't move in Roberi's dress. Didn't like it.  Also torn between like and dislike of Alex's dress. I would have liked it a lot if he left off the blue placemats and kept the purple skirt simple. 

Someone get Nina some sunglasses or sit her out of the bright studio lights.  Zac's hair?  What's with the curly Q's?

[Kitty Redstone]

I've missed PR!  It's been almost a year - I skipped the last All-Stars edition due to the presence of Helen and Ken - and I'm ready for some one-day fashion.

What a pleasant surprise that no one was immediately looking for the title of Show Jerk!  Surely there's a crypto-douche or two in the group, but so far, so good!  I'm also pleased by the level of talent and think we'll see some good stuff this season.

My one disappointment is that Nina Garcia is back.  I was hoping they would replace her and her dour face and the weird hate-on she develops every year for one poor contestant ... which this time appears to be Roberi.  Hopefully he'll be able to overcome her picking on him, because he's thoughtful and creative and I like him a lot.  The look on his face at the end said it all, though.  He knows he's screwed and that it will be even more of an uphill battle.

I'm happy that Brik was saved over Ian.  But, I was shocked that Heidi and Zac were able to override Nina and keep him.  Perhaps it was a trade-off, and they let her have her way with the big bird dress.

Laurence is indeed stunning.   Just gorgeous. 

Edited September 17, 2016 by Kitty Redstone

[texastootsie]

Enjoyed this episode and I am glad the show is back.  The lady who said the pacific trash vortex is her inspiration earned a big laugh and an eyeroll.  Loved watching Heidi eating her chocolate fondu and then Heidi giving Nina the side eye when Nina was bitching about the gorgeous paper lantern dress.  Dexter looked so familiar to me and it was driving me crazy and then I remembered that he was on that other design show - the one that was rock and roll and I think Rhianna was involved somehow? Anyway - don't remember how well he did just that he was on the show.  Also not sure how I'm feeling about Tim's new specs.  I think I like the wire frames better???

Edited September 17, 2016 by texastootsie
eyeball changed to eyeroll - stupid spell check

[Almost 3000]

All last nights designs are up for bid on ebay. Its also a good way to get a closer look because ebay has a magnifying tool. Anyway, have the clothes been up this soon on ebay before before?

http://www.ebay.com/rpp/project-runway/Season-15/?_trksid=p2050601.m1256&_trkparms=%26clkid%3D8314163480745978287

[hula-la]

I'm so happy to have this show back, since in Canada, we didn't get seasons 11-13 (I though we'd lost it forever). As I missed a few years, when did they start the anonymous runway show and was there an incident that precipitated it?

[Grandma Saracen]

Jenni gives me a Kelly-from-the-deli vibe, so I'll forgive her laugh for now. 

I loved Erin's reaction to winning, and her calm, thorough manner during the challenge. I wasn't sure about her on R to the R. Maybe because I can't wear anything with yellow tones unless I want to look seriously ill. 

I got what Roberi was trying to do, & I did love the artistry. 

I liked Tasha's attitude so much as she was working. I didn't like Nathalia in the least, which is too bad because I had a good feeling about Cornelius during R to the R. 

During the aufing, I found myself feeling that I wanted Brik to stay. I wasn't impressed with his design (but I do love glitter), so I'm glad he's still around. The right person left. 

Edited September 17, 2016 by Grandma Saracen
expanding ideas

[millennium]

On 9/16/2016 at 0:13 AM, Knuckles said:

Tasha may be in line for the Ashley edit.

Tasha looked like a homeless person.   Her design left me cold.  I can't get into looks made by designers who dress like bums.   Maybe it's wrong that I can't separate the art from the artist, but there it is.

Meanwhile the judges are apparently still addicted to crack if they think Dexter's "tribal" or "inuit" mess had any value.  But Dexter is this year's most flamboyant male designer, so he's going to get a LOT of latitude.

[Wandering Snark]

2 hours ago, Grandma Saracen said:

Jenni gives me a Kelly-from-the-deli vibe, so I'll forgive her laugh for now. 

Word. All she was missing was a fanny pack.

[dleighg]

7 hours ago, texastootsie said:

Dexter looked so familiar to me and it was driving me crazy and then I remembered that he was on that other design show - the one that was rock and roll and I think Rhianna was involved somehow?

Oh I know the one you're talking about-- Pharrell was on it too, right? (Embarrassed to admit I'd never laid eyes on the man before. But he had this awesome floral baseball cap with a kitty ornament that I coveted)

[Surrealist]

13 hours ago, texastootsie said:

Dexter looked so familiar to me and it was driving me crazy and then I remembered that he was on that other design show - the one that was rock and roll and I think Rhianna was involved somehow?

Styled to Rock

[azshadowwalker]

This season seems to be Boston vs Bay Area vs Louisiana. If it was Survivor, we might have a theme. 

[ratgirlagogo]

On 9/16/2016 at 7:41 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

 

Remember when the unconventional materials challenge meant designing something that looked like clothes and the designers were chastised for using materials that were too similar to fabric (like tablecloths)? I still remember some of the crazy stuff from the early seasons like Chloe's leaf dress. Now it seems like the unconventional materials challenge is an excuse to glue gun a bunch of shit together and pretend that it's avant garde.

 

This drives me NUTS.  Dexter made a dress out of a throw rug and a pillow cover.  And that's one of the TOP looks???!!!?  Those aren't unconventional materials, they're somewhat unconventional FABRICS.

 

On 9/15/2016 at 11:00 PM, Ms Lark said:

. I don't think the judges realized the pillow patterns were prefab and not pieced together by him. 

Zac and Nina, maybe not, but Heidi was right in the party room, as was Tim.  They both knew.

I did like the yellow winning dress - anybody working successfully with candy gets extra points from me in this challenge.  Which by the way, did you notice that they DID call it the "unconventional materials challenge" this time, and not the "unconventional challenge" the way they've been doing the past few seasons - another thing that made me NUTS so I'm glad about that.

This was a surprisingly good season opener - I actually have some hopes for a good season here, after the last few ho-hum ones.  And glad to see all of you back on this board.

On 9/16/2016 at 8:33 AM, Lovecat said:

Is she the one that uttered the phrase, "My inspiration is the Pacific trash vortex"?  That earned a big ol' snort from me.

I think so - she instantly became my least favorite with that one. Way to trivialize a serious issue.

[The Hound Lives]

On 9/16/2016 at 5:08 AM, candall said:

It was fun to pick out whose clothes I really liked without all the draaaama the PR editors pile on.  For example, I loved Linda, both for what she designed and for what she said, but the "Age 55" that's permanently stuck next to her name makes me wonder if she's too much of a mature adult to score any camera time.  I couldn't even find her Tim critique, although I was watching for her specifically.

(Her runway dress was no great shakes, but I'm still in her corner.)

I liked Linda, too. I don't think she is long for PR and not because she isn't talented but I don't think her "story" is as compelling. The camera will focus on those who bring big personality (Dexter) or emotional punch (Tasha). Not to take anything away from the former or latter but after the statement made with the Ashley win (per Tim Gunn), I think it's pretty clear this is what PR wants. A progressive story of defying the odds. Meh. 

On 9/16/2016 at 1:33 AM, azshadowwalker said:

Having this challenge sucks. Having it as the first challenge is absolute garbage.

I always feel bad for the person sent home for this stupid challenge. I feel really bad about someone not even getting to show a real design, though. That sucks. Overall, though, I did enjoy the episode. 

I totally agree. I am not a big fan of the unconventional challenge but it's a PR staple. But having it as the first challenge and then getting Nina Gracia commenting that she doesn't know who someone is as a designer is bullshit. Of course you can't tell what kind of designer they are! They had to use paper plates, faux fur and party decorations. Maybe it has been done in the past but I would love a first challenge where the designers can do whatever the hell they want, as a way to introduce their "brand". Sometimes we will see something beautiful emerge from an UC. A designer will grab the right mix of items to be able to turn out something cool but more times than not, it's a bunch of craft projects. It's just the type of challenge that I feel should be reserved for a while so we can actually rate these designers on real skills.