S16.E00: Road to the Runway Season 16

[dleighg]

28 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

I don't like the term "gender fluid" because when I see it I think of "bodily fluids" except specific to gender. Androgynous and unisex are fine terms.

LOL. And now I won't be able to unthink this :)

[ChiefWiggum9-1-2]

How is the Muslim lady going to fare in the "blind" judging?  Also PR hasn't really had this many contestants with out-there POVs.  Time constraints, challenge restrictions and group challenges will certainly interfere with their "vision" and "passion."

[susannot]

On ‎8‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 1:52 PM, justawatcher said:

Some of them will be kept on to set up the team challenges. I see lingerie with the Muslim modest designer paired with the fetish boy. The older woman professor with Care Bear. I want to see Penis Pocket design some women's lingerie and then make it gender fluid.

That button bag is never random.

If they were able to build some of the challenges around the designers, it could be interesting.

Yes, they are diabolical enough to do this.

[tobeannounced]

Did that one guy say "pussy bow"? What the hell is a pussy bow? And since when can you say "pussy" on TV? Or did he mean like a kitty? If so, I still don't know what a pussy bow is. 

[AZChristian]

2 hours ago, tobeannounced said:

Did that one guy say "pussy bow"? What the hell is a pussy bow? And since when can you say "pussy" on TV? Or did he mean like a kitty? If so, I still don't know what a pussy bow is. 

It's also known as a pussycat bow. That's probably why it's okay to say it on TV.

[tobeannounced]

3 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

It's also known as a pussycat bow. That's probably why it's okay to say it on TV.

Thanks, AZ. He was talking about cock rings too, so I figured he meant something else. Lord, did I just type that? This is going to be an interesting season. 

[jcbrown]

A "pussy bow"--which term I despise--is one of those stupid 80s bows that are integrated with a shirt. As in, a shirt made of flow-y material with ties in the front that you tie into a bow. Emulating men's fashion in a way inasmuch as it gives you a tie-like structure but non-threatening and "feminine." Come to think of it, I hate not only the term but also the fashion.

[Blissfool]

I learned the term pussy bow after Melania Trump famously wore one to a Presidential Debate following the great "Grab 'em by the pussy" debacle of 2016.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Based on the pieces that they brought to the auditions, most of the designers who are in the cast seem like cannon fodder. Between the pieces they brought and their closet videos, it seems like most of them are into loose, flowing, oversized, easy things which is all well and fine but I think will be too simple for the judges.

Amy, the older woman who's a professor, had impeccably made clothes but I can already hear the judges saying, "This isn't Project Seamstress! And I need to see some color!" What I really like about her is that she seems very comfortable with who she is and confident in herself. She seems like the kind of person who knows that she is competing with herself, not the other designers.

Aaron is not long for this show based on what he said in his PR profile: "I think one of my weaknesses is not working with too much womenswear since my mindset is wired differently. Actually, my biggest weakness is cutting fabric and patterns. I blame that for being left-handed." If you aren't good at women's stuff and cutting fabric, how long do you really think you're going to last on this show?

I like that Ayana's more modest designs are different from the usual sleeveless shift dress we see on the runway, but I agree with whichever past designer (Aaron?) said that he was concerned with her fabric choices. I think that the fabrics combined with the more covered up aspect of her clothes is definitely going to elicit the "matronly" word from Tim or the judges. Can you imagine what they would say about that floral blazer and matching joggers she had in her closet? I like that she was not embarrassed to show us a shirt in her closet from H&M (some designers are label snobs and would never admit having something from the mall, let alone a store like that), but the grammar nazi in me was cringing at the grammatical error on it ("I'm not in to you").

I like Batani if for no other reason than her presence guarantees we will get some bright colors and prints on the runway this season. She seems very upbeat so hopefully being on the show won't beat that out of her.

Chacha aka Butter Care Bear Boy seems like he mostly repurposes garments so I'm not sure how creative his designs will be when he is faced with just bolts of fabric. But I still had to laugh when he said he gained weight when he came to the United States because he loves hamburgers, there are free refills, and butter is delicious. I mean, I can't argue with any of that. Even though his taste is too twee for me, I will give him points for knowing what he likes. I prefer that to the designers who don't know who they are yet.

I don't understand the point of having the twins on the show. Their designs didn't look distinct from one another so the cold hearted part of me wishes they had cut one of them. If you take pieces from each of them and put them side by side, can you even tell the difference between Claire's hand pieced leather jacket vs Shawn's hand pieced leather jacket?

So far my favorite thing about Deyonté is that he said the challenge he wishes PR would bring back is the stilt challenge. But he lost points from me for saying that rolling up the sleeves of his blazer gave it an edgier look. Did he get that tip from YM magazine in 1986?

I really liked some of the pieces that Kentaro brought to the audition. I always find it weird when the show decides to subtitle someone with an accent, but only some of the time (especially since there have been some designers in the past who mumbled, enunciated poorly, or mispronounced things who needed subtitles more than Kentaro does). I didn't have a problem understanding anything he said.

I love Kenya. She seems very bubbly and fun, and I liked many of the pieces they showed in her portfolio. I was cracking up when she said she likes peplums because they hide your stomach.

I think that of all the S16 designers who favor androgynous clothing, Kudzanai has the best chance to make it to the end because his clothes have a point of view beyond simply flowy and can be worn by both men and women. Some of the stuff he had in his closet looked a little crafty so I hope he doesn't use that kind of stuff on the show.

I like Margarita because she seems very straightforward and honest. Bonus: she loves color and glitter!

Part of me likes that Michael's designs are a deliberate effort to normalize more fetishy stuff. As one of the designers pointed out during his audition, sometimes those details are so subtle that you don't notice them right away. I can't tell if the judges will love it or hate it. He got extra points from me for admitting that he loves wearing hats because he's lazy and doesn't want to deal with his hair.

I like Samantha. I especially liked some of the answers she gave in her PR profile: "80 percent of my dresses have pockets. I’ve been between sizes eight and 20 as an adult, so I learned early how to dress all frames. I listen to my clients." At least we know she won't be whining if she gets a model who's bigger than a double zero.

Sentell's permanently angled hats will probably drive me crazy after two episodes, but I love that he found something he loves to do after a career as a dancer. Many professional dancers have dedicated their lives to dancing from a very young age so when they are forced to retire in their late 20s/early 30s, they have no idea what else to do.

On 8/10/2017 at 7:19 PM, Nonnie said:

This group looks terrible!  Maybe they will seem a little better after the design challenges, but right now I could care less about their sexuality...which is what they seem to care more about!

The only two examples I remember are one guy saying he's a virgin and one of the twins saying that she liked her twin more than she liked her boyfriend and that the boyfriend's mother thought the twins were incestuous. I don't think anyone focused specifically on their sexuality for long amounts of time.

[leighdear]

On 8/14/2017 at 2:44 PM, ChiefWiggum9-1-2 said:

 Also PR hasn't really had this many contestants with out-there POVs.  Time constraints, challenge restrictions and group challenges will certainly interfere with their "vision" and "passion."

Exactly.  This season is going to be full of weirdos.  Heidi's been phoning it in for about 4 seasons, Nina's crack habit is getting alarming, and Zac just seems to want to grope the models.  I just don't see this ending well. 

It's scary and fascinating and disturbing and laughable and exasperating and eye-rolling all at the same time.  But I'm still watching.....*sigh*

[treestar13]

On 8/11/2017 at 7:54 AM, Koalagirl said:

I must be getting old (well, ok, I am many years past being a millenial), but I had way too many WTF moments last night with some  of the designers and their garments.

I'm in your boat.  WTF???  Gimmicks, crazy crap and I was shocked at how bad some of them were.  I feel that this season is the politically correct version.

[chitowngirl]

On August 15, 2017 at 4:01 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Aaron is not long for this show based on what he said in his PR profile: "I think one of my weaknesses is not working with too much womenswear since my mindset is wired differently. Actually, my biggest weakness is cutting fabric and patterns. I blame that for being left-handed." If you aren't good at women's stuff and cutting fabric, how long do you really think you're going to last on this show?

I'm left-handed. Cutting out fabric and patterns has nothing to do with which hand is being used. 

And while I'm glad that many different model types are being used, I will be really put out if the tall skinny model consistently wins.

[dleighg]

8 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

I will be really put out if the tall skinny model consistently wins.

it does seem to work out that way a lot, doesn't it?

[LennieBriscoe]

chitowngirl,  Lefty here,  too.  My guess is it isn't Aaron's handedness that's the problem with cutting; it's the scissors (and serrated knives). Blades are normally designed and sharpened to cut in the direction of a right-hander's usage. Of course,  a pro would use scissors designed for his needs.

http://www.lefthandersday.com/products/what-difference#.WZWRg1kpDqA

Edited August 17, 2017 by LennieBriscoe

[dleighg]

18 minutes ago, LennieBriscoe said:

chitowngirl,  Lefty here,  too.  My guess is it isn't Aaron's handedness that's the problem with cutting; it's the scissors (and serrated knives). Blades are normally designed and sharpened to cut in the direction of a right-hander's usage. Of course,  a pro would use scissors designed for his needs.

isn't it almost impossible to use scissors designed for the other hand? I mean, I've tried using my rightie scissors with my left hand and they just don't work (and not just because I'm clueless with my left hand). So I would think a leftie would need to always use leftie scissors.

[PepperMonkey]

Guys, guys, guys.... okay, I'm of the "PR, why can't i quit you" school also and I hate myself for it.

But before this all kicks off, whatever happened to Project Runway All-Stars? Did I completely miss it? Cause I can't even find any news for it and I don't have a new season on my share site. I feel weird because we didn't have another PRAS before this season.

Kind of hoping this might be the last season for all of it.

To season 16: the twins will annoy, there's no question. Those leather jackets were fabulous, though. I'm excited about the diversity as well. Holding out hope that it's an actual contest and not the fiasco from last year, where they started with Erin winning and finished with her winning the whole thing.

[chitowngirl]

25 minutes ago, PepperMonkey said:

Guys, guys, guys.... okay, I'm of the "PR, why can't i quit you" school also and I hate myself for it.

But before this all kicks off, whatever happened to Project Runway All-Stars? Did I completely miss it? Cause I can't even find any news for it and I don't have a new season on my share site. I feel weird because we didn't have another PRAS before this season.

Kind of hoping this might be the last season for all of it.

To season 16: the twins will annoy, there's no question. Those leather jackets were fabulous, though. I'm excited about the diversity as well. Holding out hope that it's an actual contest and not the fiasco from last year, where they started with Erin winning and finished with her winning the whole thing.

There was no All Stars this cycle. I don't think there was anyone left!

[slaterain]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

There was no All Stars this cycle. I don't think there was anyone left!

Which I am glad for - I think they need a longer break between all star seasons - to help replenish the crowd! They did a few way too close together. 

[Broderbits]

On 8/15/2017 at 4:01 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

If you aren't good at women's stuff and cutting fabric, how long do you really think you're going to last on this show?

Oh he's probably sure that his "outrageous wit" and "scintillating personality" will force the producers to keep him on despite what any mere judges think about design skills. From past seasons we've learned that design skills are not necessarily what this show is looking for.

[dleighg]

3 minutes ago, Broderbits said:

From past seasons we've learned that design skills are not necessarily what this show is looking for.

yeah, when a glue gun is as important as a sewing machine, there's something wrong.....

[tawny411]

56 minutes ago, Swim mom said:

I've been thinking about the use of all sized models, and I don't like it. I think maybe, they should all have the same size model, perhaps a 12. I started sewing in the 60's, so I have some experience.  It's much harder to fit a size 12 than a size 4. It's more than just fitting the bust, although that can be a challenge. It's the armholes, the backs, the weight of the fabric, the finish of the fabric, the design on the fabric, the closures used. 

You also have the "taste" issue. A size 16 usually doesn't look tasteful in a spaghetti strap mini dress. YMMV. The judges like young! fresh! I predict problems. 

I anticipate the designer with the largest model going home every week. Isn't that what always happened in the "real women" challenges?

Edited August 17, 2017 by tawny411

[poeticlicensed]

Those twins are super annoying. That is all.

[enoughcats]

Editing is a fun thing, if you have a really warped sense of humor.

One of the contestants was born in east Tennessee and his edited story appeared, fresh from the PR minions at PR, on a local TV station. (Not surprisingly it doesn't seem to be on their website.)  The edit he was given for local audience is so very, very different from the one on Road to the Runway.  His hair is the same and that's about it.  I'm not sure that it's a good thing to mislead your audience.  Editing misleads.  But we sort have come to expect it, even if our acceptance is grudging.

[Avon.Blakes7]

What a collection of characters! Is it Michael who's going to storm off all PO'd about things not being fair! He's in the wrong business if he's looking for anything to be fair in something like fashion where the judge can absolutely hate an aesthetic if they choose; then you're done unless Tim saves the designer as he has in the past! Love Kenya's mermaid white dress! ;-)

[mamadrama]

14 minutes ago, enoughcats said:

Editing is a fun thing, if you have a really warped sense of humor.

One of the contestants was born in east Tennessee and his edited story appeared, fresh from the PR minions at PR, on a local TV station. (Not surprisingly it doesn't seem to be on their website.)  The edit he was given for local audience is so very, very different from the one on Road to the Runway.  His hair is the same and that's about it.  I'm not sure that it's a good thing to mislead your audience.  Editing misleads.  But we sort have come to expect it, even if our acceptance is grudging.

So what is the other version of his story?

[enoughcats]

11 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

So what is the other version of his story?

Young man early life in east Tennessee eventually to NYC.  Mens wear designer.

Used up his county's daily  allotment of the word 'Like" in a two  minute video. 

Missing: wears skirts, that odd pocket in the front, that penis tab on several styles,  full of himself.

Edited August 18, 2017 by enoughcats

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, enoughcats said:

Young man early life in east Tennessee eventually to NYC.  Mens wear designer.

Used up his county's daily  allotment of the word 'Like" in a two  minute video. 

Missing: wears skirts, that odd pocket in the front, that penis tab on several styles,  full of himself.

Not that I'm defending PR's editing, but he is the one who chose to bring the pieces with the penis tabs and describe them as penile. Same goes for the crotch pocket piece. He decided to bring those pieces AND present them that way. 

[enoughcats]

Just now, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Not that I'm defending PR's editing, but he is the one who chose to bring the pieces with the penis tabs and describe them as penile. Same goes for the crotch pocket piece. He decided to bring those pieces AND present them that way. 

Except that side of him was totally missing from the 'local guy makes good' PR piece released for local consumption and that was from Project Runway.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Well, as Heather B from The Real World said, they can't show it unless you give it to them to show. 

The other thing I noticed is that they  they listed some of the contestants  as being international (ChaCha's profile says he's from Taiwan) even though they live in the United States (as opposed by to coming here specifically to audition for PR). I wonder if that's the producers or the contestants making that call. I still remember Candice's profile saying she was from Sam Francisco even though her studio was in Oakland and she lived somewhere outside of SF. I always wonder who makes those choices for the profiles and chyrons. I guess it's different if there's only one big city within a four hour drive of where you live (although I know we've seen other designers who listed their small towns as where they're from).

Edited August 18, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[slaterain]

19 hours ago, Swim mom said:

I've been thinking about the use of all sized models, and I don't like it. I think maybe, they should all have the same size model, perhaps a 12. I started sewing in the 60's, so I have some experience.  It's much harder to fit a size 12 than a size 4. It's more than just fitting the bust, although that can be a challenge. It's the armholes, the backs, the weight of the fabric, the finish of the fabric, the design on the fabric, the closures used. 

You also have the "taste" issue. A size 16 usually doesn't look tasteful in a spaghetti strap mini dress. YMMV. The judges like young! fresh! I predict problems. 

I just wrote basically this on the first challenge episode thread!!! aka I totally agree. I think they should all have the same parameters every challenge. they can even mix up the sizes - 12 for a couple challenges, then 8 then 4 then 18 or something...

[2727]

The show is certainly going for edgy and (ugh) fresh this season. It should be fun to watch but made me wonder if someone like Nick Verreos or Laura Bennett would have been given the time of day, seeing as they design well-tailored clothes for adults.

She seemed like a sweet person, but I understood why the women who tried out 6-7 times had never been selected because her designs had nothing new to offer. Going personal with those ugly black and white splotches made her "interesting," I guess.

Edited August 18, 2017 by 2727

[Diane Mars]

3 hours ago, slaterain said:

I just wrote basically this on the first challenge episode thread!!! aka I totally agree. I think they should all have the same parameters every challenge. they can even mix up the sizes - 12 for a couple challenges, then 8 then 4 then 18 or something...

For my part, what I find really interesting in that mixed size models, is that everybody has to follow the same challenge and find a way to translate it, whatever the model size !

[still hoping]

Just catching up...

I despise twins on any reality show....been there, seen that, can't stand them....hope they go

The virgin person with his pleasure pocket..GROSS! Fetish guy? Yuck to them and their puddy bow

Care bear?? yikes

Maybe a talented nun if there any left can be on next season or an Amish gal? (and yes my Irish great aunt and Irish born aunt were nuns haha)

I find the "modest" stuff a joke for this show just as it is stupid on ANTM when a devout Churchgoer won't pose nude/lingerie

Maybe next season we will see a delusional person who has undergone body modification to be a tiger or? Or a nun

I like Margarita...Kenya.. Samantha. and Deyonte

The rest? eek....hate the twins hate the twins eewwww