Project Runway

Project Runway is not your usual "reality" television program. Unlike most shows today, where the characters are either straight out of the local Wal Mart or straight out of acting school, the Project Runway cast comes off polished, but not fake. Funny, but not forced. Combine that with the excellent editing by the producers, you get entertainment that you eagerly look forward to week after week. The "challenges" for each week are not nearly as interesting as the comedic outbursts and bizarre dialogue that goes on between the contestants. You couldn't write a script this funny! Often times, watching an episode again and again will allow the viewer to pick up on things that you miss the first time around. The panel of judges are rather non-professional, which makes this show even more hilarious, as the comments they make about each designer's outfit that week are the topic of much conversation. The show also includes guest judges each week who often don't know any more about fashion than the man in the moon. This combined with over sensitive designers makes for one side splitting show. If you've never watched this show, or if you have no interest whatsoever in the fashion industry, you may want to take a look and see what all the flap is about.

I love this show - got hooked on it last year, and this year it's even more fun, what with the challenges being even more, well, challenging. If you ignore all the overblown ego crap - and there's a lot of it (not naming names, but you know who you are, Santino) and just watch it for the creativity factor, it's very inspiring.

My favorite challenge so far was when the designers had to design outfits for each other - that was particularly creative, especially when they had to model them on the runway.

This year, I especially admire Chloe, who never participates in any of the cattiness or ego games, she just stays high-minded, focused and sticks to her work, turning out brilliant outfits week after week. I think she deserves to win, hands down.

8/10/08: So Chloe won, then Jeffrey Sebelia the next year and Christian "Fierce" Siriano last year, and we're well into the new season now, the fifth. Some contenders shaping up, looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.

This new season 21 format is horrible. It seems to have left all its respect for both the viewers and the artists with the past seasons. It's favoring drama and personalities over the fashion and honest critique.

Gone are the days of seeing the artists dream up their designs, laboring over choosing fabrics at mood, honest fittings and struggles over construction.

And most importantly, gone are the days of honest critiques that send home the worst designs. The judges are clearly choosing the largest personalities to stay and sending home the more subdued contestants who just want to design and let their work shine.

So disappointing.

I used to really love this show and I still do but a lot of things have changed in the new season and it just isn't working. The new judge Law Roach is obnoxious and rude and the show is generally without class and originality, just provoking reactions from the designers to have something going on for the viewers. It lacks quality.

Glad the show is still being produced, but I'm not impressed by the new hostess or with Christian as mentor (liked him as a designer though). It's just not the same. I miss Tim; he's great.