Saturday, August 22, 2009

Project Runway All-Star Challenge

Welcome to PR on Lifetime. It's been far too long.
The PR site on Lifetime has improved from Bravo's standards - definitely worth checking out. The fashion pictures are of better quality; but don't expect uniformity. Thanks to Lifetime for posting such great pictures for us bloggers.
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The combatants:
Daniel Vosovic - Season 2 Finalist
Uli Herzner - Season 3 Finalist
Santino Rice - Season 2 Finalist
Jeffrey Sebelia - Season 3 Winner
Sweet P Vaughn - Season 4 contestant
Korto Momolu - Season 5 Finalist
Chris March - Season 4 contestant
Mychael Knight - Season 3 Finalist

What's new with these crazy kids?
Daniel - He seems much the same - sweet and classy, like a young Tim Gunn. The judges think he has evolved a lot. He certainly seems focused, and it has been 4 years.

Uli - She seems unchanged as well, doing her dresses for a select clientelle. I don't know what her work outside runway has been, but for this challenge she did a different style then we're used to seeing from her.

Santino - Same old boastful asshole with a mean Tim Gunn impression. "Like a tornado wearing a hat" says Chris. Santino on Santino: I'm a "breakout star"; "Project Runway didn't make me - I made Project Runway".

Jeffrey - a lot. He left the mother of his son and has a new band. I was/am annoyed at the way he seemed to just be on the show to be a walking ad for this new band. Research informed me he was in a one "hit" wonder band in the 90s shooting heroin before he ever cleaned up and went to design school. That makes his music thing a little less annoying since he's not just parlaying reality show fame into a music "career" like a total douche. Also, a Fu Manchu mustache.

Sweet P - nothin'. I am wondering why she's here.

Korto - Still angry after all these months. Being the most-googled person in America after the Runway finale "told [her] that she should have won".

Chris - I love him, but I am wondering why he is here as well. He did make the special more entertaining.

Mychael - WELL. He did change his name from Michael to Mychael. Also, no braces and a 90s Fresh Prince fade instead of his old buzz cut and he looks fatter. Basically, not only is he unrecognizable, but he is still making the same tired, hoochie Miami nightclub designs. He seems to have let his reality show fame turn him into a mega douche. He SHOULD NOT have been here.

The challenge:
Design and create a mini collection with 3 looks - 1 red carpet worthy, with a budget of $1200 for the chance to win $100K.

-They have a Halston accessories wall which far surpasses the Macy's wall for the noobs.

-During the one hour for sketching, Chris is asleep with his eyes open? Is he a bear? I love his cat naps.

-The designers learn their dress will be worn by Nicole Kidman for the premiere of 9.

-More Mychael hate:
What is he talking about to Tim? He chose materials "randomly...but in a smart way"?
He's "all over the place" like it's a good thing?

-Jeffrey took a lot of drugs --> "in the hands of the wits of the models"

-Santino doing Tim on Sweet P: "Doesn't look a day over 53"

-The designers are invited out to STK restaurant in the meatpacking district and told to strip the restaurant's interior for raw materials for a fourth look. Chaos ensues. Luckily, 25% of the new look can be from existing fabrics from the other looks.

-Collier Strong is here from L'oreal doing makeup and Phillip Carreon from Garnier is doing hair. A question: Why do all t.v. hair dressers have terrible hair?

The judges:
Familar faces Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, and guest judge Diane Von Furstenberg

The results:
Daniel
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I don't care for either of the first two looks. The first top just looks like cheap athletic wear. The dress is fine, but not my style. Too modern art. The restaurant challenge is like a zombie fighting cop in Resident Evil or something. Very odd. I love him as a human, and am glad to see him succeed - but I don't agree with this choice. I think he's too "high art fashion" for people to relate to.

Uli
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I think this collection should have made it into the top four in place of Sweet P. I think it looked better on TV than it does in these pictures, so maybe it was much different in person. The first dress sucks and does look like it's strung with bowel. I love the second dress and I also like the third outfit - especially the skirt. The restaurant dress looks really cool to me.

Santino
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This is hooker wear. What horribly unforgiving fabric. Too bad Lindsay Lohan didn't judge this competition, eh?

Jeffrey
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LOVE the sequin dress. It rocks.
The second look has a nice jacket and an ugly dress.
The culottes suck.
The restaurant dress is poop.

Sweet P
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I think these look better in the photos than they did on TV.
I HATED all four when the walked down the runway. The first one is definitely growing on me. The rest are still crappy. The restaurant dress with the flowers and bows looks like a Harajuku costume.

Korto
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This and Mycheal's first dress are disturbingly similar, but Korto's is much better executed. I think the vest and pants is crap. The rest are good. Korto did not need to come in runner-up again. She's already so embittered.

Chris
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I have to say, I liked the second one better on the dress form. I didn't care for the restaurant dress. I thought that the dress at the end was the best. It reminded me of McQueen and seemed like the kind of dress that would end up in a Vogue spread - so dramatic and high fashion.

Mychael
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The first dress is cute but boring, and Korto does it better. The top on the yellow/teal outfit is fug. The restaurant challenge was lazy and sloppy. The fuchsia dress would be unflattering on any human.