Project Runway: Season 8 or so

Total snoozefest. Gretchen is a bitch and Casanova has worn out his welcome. I dig Valerie and Mondo's personalities and aesthetic. Other than that, zzzzzzz...

That said, Kristin and Tim's laughing fit over the "wooly balls" was pretty great.

I'm actually kinda liking this season. But man, that Gretchen women is a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch. Whoa, nelly. Win a couple of challenges and you're Queen of the Runway? "We're going to stand together. It was totally all his fault." The way she bossed everyone around they should have sent her home. And it was awesome to hear Tim basically dress her down in front of everyone.

Anyone still watching? I love that Mondo finally won. I've been rooting for him ever since the beginning. Valerie has totally dropped off my radar. She seemed so promising before. Gretchen is still a cunt. I loved, loved, loved when Tim chewed her out for manipulating everyone. I've never seen him so mad. April could be a contender as could Michael C., whom the judges seem to love. Everyone else is okay. Other than tonight's dirty carpet shawl, I couldn't tell you what the other Christopher ever made, Andy guy (I don't even know his name!) seems a one trick pony, and Ivy seems like she'll crash and burn. The 90 minute format has to go. So useless.

I <3 Mondo! I was literally shaking and my heart was pounding when he talked about his inspiration on the runway. He was always one of my favorite designers, but now he's one of my favorite people.

This is Mondo's to lose (even if he is a bit Seth Aaron-lite... yes I'm a nerd). April is a crazy dark horse, though.
I want Gretchen to be eaten by a bear.

Mondo, April & Gretchen.

The editors in the marketing team have really been manipulative this season. Still waiting for this "There's been an accusation of cheating" scene...

What a lame pay-off. Ivy just came off as a sore loser bitch. And if "everybody" thought that was the case, why bring it up 3 episodes later?

In terms of Gretchen, I can't tell if I hate her because of the editing or if she's really a bitch. I mean, all the contestants talk about each others designs. But it seems that the show purposefully airs hers, and cuts it next to some other scene where it comes off particularly catty.

Andy is definitely a contender. He's in if Mike chokes again. But man, I totally want to see Gretchen blow a gasket if Mike makes final four.

You guys are making me want to start watching this show again. I gave up during the LA season.

I feel like at this point the judges are intentionally doing anything they can to make Gretchen blow.

I also thought it was a bit unfair to call out April for doing "the same thing every week" when the week before they were raving about it. Weird.

Michael C's was fine...but yeah, far, far too simple.

The edit from last week where Ivy talked about karma and then got hit in the eye was editing perfection. Also, hysterical.

Are they still doing Models of the Runway?

It....looks....painful.

Gretchen on Mike C: "He's either an idiot savant or just an idiot." Man, she has a way with words.

They made the right choice. April is young and has all the time in the world to start up her brand. The exposure alone from PR will do that.

The judges make decisions based on what is put out on the runway each week and Mike C's dress was the best. Simple is okay if you execute and he did. It was beautiful, slightly sexy, fit the model like a glove, and you could see his inspiration in the design. That combination will always make the judges rave. However, I think if Mike C makes Fashion week, he'll end up pulling a Michael Night where he regresses to Week 1 designs without the guidance of the challenge parameters and Tim Gun's advice.

Maybe minimalism is in.

I don't think the editing has done Gretchen many favors this season, but she's still a bitch. She's just so fucking full of herself it's insane. Contrast that with Mondo's words about Michael C when he picked him as one of the two to go to fashion week with him.

Personally I think April was robbed, she'd make a more interesting show than Gretchen and maybe Andy. I think Gretchen is still there because of ratings, plain and simple. The "bitch" has become a reality competition archetype and she's filling it nicely.

I'm really happy Mondo reworked his 11th look. I loved his use of color and print, and I loved the cut of the back of his polka dot dress.

I was not a fan of Andy's headpieces or his bikini piece, but really liked his other 2 looks even though they looked a bit stiff.

Gretchens was my least favorite of the night, actually. I hated the print combination on her little pant/top combo ... and with the bag. I was just not impressed.

What we saw of Michael C's collection, even with the grey, really did seem very monochromatic. And that feather-bottomed dress was not flattering at all, which is odd considering his fantastic talent of creating cuts and movement that simplistically emphasize a model's figure. He should have been holding a dying Sofia Coppola during his post-cut breakdown. Sucks about his parents. though.

Wrong decision. Gretchen should have gone home.

Not from a ratings/cash viewpoint. But from an artistic one? Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yeah, Michael's freakout was pretty epic. I feel bad for him, I really do, but that was pretty extreme. Clearly not all about the competition. My wife pointed out that he's really just a little kid, and it makes a lot of sense. That's not meant as a slight, it just explains how he reacts to things a lot.

I don't understand Gretchen's style in the slightest. That top and pants combo... just seemed to me like something you'd find in a boutique on Martha's Vineyard catering to 55 year old trophy wives or something.

Michael's meltdown was absolutely brutal to watch. I saw it coming for weeks. Ever since the mom episode where he was telling the other contestants about his kid photo (his was in his underpants because his mom made him take off his sister's skirt), I knew that he hadn't yet come to terms with his sexuality. And by that I mean, being strong enough to tell people who aren't supportive to fuck off - including family. It's hard because he has a child and you don't want your kids to lose out on their grandparents. But anyone who watched last night's episode now know what its like to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders because you are trying to live up to someone else's expectations. Michael is definitely inexperienced, both in terms of how he relates to people and in his design, but I am really impressed with the strength that it took to put himself out there by applying to the show. Coming in without any formal training, he had the most to gain or lose. I think he did the former. He should leave wih his head held high.

I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed with Mondo's line. Maybe it will sing on the runway, but I expected bigger and more wow. There was not a single piece that took my breath away. That said, his line was the best of the lot for sure.

Andy, yikes. I didn't like his collection at all. The bathing suit cape was embarrassingly bad, and his clothes are starting to feel like retreads of stuff he's done earlier in the season.

Gretchen's boho chic was missing the chic. She's been very explicit in her "confessionals" that she's only on this show for exposure. She doesn't really want to push herself to try something different. She wants to use the show to let the world see what she does. Unfortunately, what she does is boring.

I will say overall, I was not a fan of the 90 minute format. But aside from the cattiness - which got quite tiresome early on - it did give us some amazing personal stories. The contestants didn't feel like one-dimensional caricatures (save for Gretchen) and that goes a long way in helping the viewer feel connected to the contestant's and their outcomes. I genuinely want to know if Mondo told his mom about his HIV status or whether Michael got the social support he needed when he went home. In terms of design, this season doesn't live up to past ones, but I know more about these folks than any others and that's a good thing.

My finale prediction: Mondo wins.

Michael also mentioned that his partner outed him to his parents. Sounds like not a great situation.

Really bold choice, there.

I really like Mondo, but I'll say it again, it's really hard to be wowed by him when Seth Aaron did basically the same thing only better a couple (?) seasons ago.

My PR high point is Christian Siriano. He routinely stepped outside the box to create garments that just stopped you in your tracks. Seth Aaron did LA biker. He did it well, but his design aesthetic isn't new. Mondo's style is unique in the way he puts patterns and color together. And I think sewing-wise, he executes better than Seth Aaron.

I liked Seth Aaron, but yeah, Mondo blows him away. Gretchen's clothes sucked. I thought she was going home for sure. I felt terrible for Michael C. I hope Ivy feels like shit after watching that, and everyone who made front of him throughout the season...including Gretchen, despite her 180 on Michael (which I totally don't buy). His situation made me grateful to have the family I have.

ETA: Christian was talented, but I hated his personality. Hated. But he deserved to win.

I missed a few seasons. I don't know who Rami is.

ETA: Nevermind. I do. I found him to be talented, but he made the same dress over and over. It was that Grecian drapy look. He had no range.

ETA 2: Compare these pieces from Christian's finale to our current contestants'. No contest. Christian was fierce!

Rami was the bald Iranian dude, right? I liked him, but yeah, he was very "same-y."

Rami was making a killing before Project Runway. He already had a successful business and had celebrities rocking his clothes on the Red Carpet in LA. He just wanted more exposure, of course, the prize money to expand.

I guess this is all just matters of opinion, but I was really impressed with Seth Aaron and definitely think he did more than LA biker... (maybe you're thinking of Stella? "This is my boyfriend, Ratbones" LOL)
I dunno, I just found SA's overdall design style more interesting than Mondo's throw a random bright color into a semi-normal aesthetic. edit: I really love Mondo, don't get me wrong.
And I'm not really seeing a problem with SA's execution:


If I recall, the judges were consistently impressed with his technical skill.
haha that season was worth it just for Kenley's insanity. What an annoying twat.

Mondo < Seth Aaron < Christian

Which means Mondo isn't winning...? That's basically the only conclusion I can draw from that.

I'm definitely not highlighting that, but based on the tenor of your post I can pretty much guess lol. The previews are all like "the judges are diveded FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER" so I suppose it's plausible.

eta: I just highlighted it. Swipe for thoughts:How is that even going to be possible? One of the judges HATES her aesthetic.

I'm not disappointed. Gretchen stepped up her game. The judges always reward people who listen to them and Mondo didn't. But I also think the editing did Gretchen no justice. Yes, she is controlling and often speaks her mind. But the editors knew they could make a character out of her, and if April and Ivy are to be believed, Gretchen played up the bitchy side for the cameras. Gretchen doesn't do anything that isn't pre-planned. She was in on it. We loved her looks in the beginning, and she's been pretty solid throughout (save for the run of challenges where she just lost steam), so in all sincerity, congrats to her. As Mondo said, he won already considering the journey he's taken personally over the course of the show.

And just to be a diva, WTF was up with Jessica Simpson? Why was she talking like she just downed a bottle of cold medicine? And that outfit... ugh!

I was not a huge fan of her collection, but I couldn't deny everything said.

Jessica Simpson spoke like she had her jaw wired.

Simpson: recent botox session?

The judge smackdown was pretty awesome, though I agree with Heidi. Gretchen executed well, I just really don't like those clothes. If she's the "current now" of fashion, I'm glad a) I'm not really into FASHION and b) I'm not a woman.

Funny how Michael Kors said a black dress could have been Mondo's best friend and he cut it out.