I'm so disappointed with the judging this season. It just seems like there was so much hypocrisy. One episode they criticized something, then completely overlooked that same problem later on. Or, they would tell the designers to stay true to their aesthetic, then bash them when they stood behind their design on the runway.
Knowing how it ends, it makes sense that they edited it to villianize the winner. I try really hard to be objective when it comes to the editing, because I know that reality TV tends to pick their good guys and bad guys and then creatively edit their footage appropriately. I have to wonder one thing... when they are talking amongst themselves about the other designers, don't they even stop to think, "oh wait, there is a camera in the room... do I want what I am about to say to be on national television?" Maybe it's just me, but it seems like people would be more careful with their opinions.
Gretchen: The winner. I have disliked winners before, personality wise. Irina comes to mind just two seasons ago. She was nasty. But she knew it and admitted to it, and she had the skills to back it up. Her collection was amazing, even if I didn't like her. But Gretchen's collection? OH. MY. GOSH. Ugly.... Ugly... UGLY. I live in the desert, so I should get it right? But I can't see how her collection was worthy of a New York City fashion runway. Honestly. But I can't blame her. The judges made the final decision.
Andy: His collection was my favorite. I would be most likely to buy pieces from his collection. I was sad they didn't like it as much as I did. Not really a fan of the bathing suits, but overall I liked it the best.
Mondo: He was ROBBED! For challenge after challenge after challenge they told Mondo they loved his aesthetic, his color matching, and textile choices. He was clearly the most creative and his construction skills were amazing. It's my understanding that the collections at Fashion Week are supposed to be kinda over the top and show-worthy. Mondo did not disappoint in that regard. Would I ever buy and wear Mondo wear? Probably not. It's not my personal style. But I have friends who would. I don't know anyone who would buy pieces from the winning collection.
Michael C: I hope they never pick two designers with the same first name ever again. The whole Michael C and Michael D thing started to bug me after several episodes. I never could figure out what to make of the Michael C drama. The other designers had such big issues with his methods in the workroom, but he won a fair number of challenges. I wish we could have seen what he did specifically to make them hate him so much. And to have Ivy come back in one of the final episodes and launch a cheating accusation was not only catty and mean, but unprofessional. She is the worst personality I've seen on that show yet. She wasn't going to rest until she took him down, no matter what it took. I'm glad she didn't succeed.
Michael and Nina: I know that you think your careers are established, but remember the slogan of Project Runway. "As you know in Fashion, one day you are in, the next day, you are out." I think Michael and Nina need to be reminded of this. Why on earth do they think women want to wear the Gretchen shorts that look alarmingly like April's heavily criticized diaper shorts? And I'm sorry, the average women is not going to wear a sweater with an open back. Open backs are well and good for evening attire, but not ever day casual wear. If fashion is headed in the direction of Gretchen's line (like they said), then we are in big trouble. But whatever... I totally think the producers picked who they wanted to win early on and paid the judges to go with it. It just seems like they gave Gretchen too many free passes.
Tim: He is my fashion hero. I first saw Tim Gunn on an episode of the Biggest Loser. He was brought in as a special guest to help the contestants with their makeover episode. He took each person through the store and helped them pick out clothes that were both flattering and attractive. He gave them the pep talk they needed to help them feel good about their bodies and the progress they'd made towards their weight loss goals. I bawled like a baby watching the segments with him and each contestant. The next week I set up my DVR to tape PR. Even when I am unhappy with the judging and the contestants and the challenge, I love Tim. At the beginning of the season he got a lot more screen time. They could cut some of the behind the scenes gossip and give us more Tim and I'd be perfectly content. And when he bawled Grethen out for being a bully, that's when I knew there must be some truth to the editing she was getting. I dont' believe he was coerced into doing that. It was genuine. If I could have one fashion guru by my side for a day at the mall, I would pick Tim, hands down.
I hope we get a good long break between the next season of PR. It's going to take a lot of time away for me to be able to be excited about watching this show again. Based on Internet feedback from this season, I hope Lifetime is doing some seriously strategizing on how to make this show credible once more. Because right now it's on the slippery slope headed for the likes of The Real Housewives of ... (insert your favorite version here).
