Project Runway All Stars

[DouglasE]

Time to have some fun. Let's discuss Project Runway All Stars!

A new season emerges with old and new faces.

"They were judged once. They'll be judged again."

A collection of returning contestants from previous seasons are gathered to try to jump start their careers and be named fashion's next superstars. They got so close before (well most of them), this is a second chance. Americans tend to love giving a second chance.

What is new?

NO immunity. Each challenge they will need to pull something out to keep in contention.

An unprecedented amount of prizes for the winner.

• Their own exclusive boutique in Neiman Marcus stores and online.
• Fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine
• Guest editor at Marie Claire for one year
• $100,000 in technology and office space
• Cash prize of $100,000
• All of this adds up to close to a half million dollars worth of prizes!

New host: Angela Lindvall. She's thankfully engaging. Hopefully more of her own personality will emerge throughout the season. Far better than Molly Sims who is like a wet dish rag. She was just awful on Project Accessory.

New judges: Georgina Chapman (Marchesa), Isaac Mizrahi They seem to really enjoy their roles. I'm looking forward to see how their personalities will emerge. Who will be the catty *****?

New Mentor: Joanna Coles, Editor In Chief of Marie Claire magazine. Tim Gunn was like an uncle/father figure who cheered you on and tried to bring the best of you out. This is not Joanna. She is here to push these designers. She is not warm and fuzzy. She does ask some good questions to get more out of the designers.

New Facilities: 1407 Broadway is the new workroom and the show definitely has a whole lot more money than when Austin Scarlett was a contestant. He must be floored. They have upped the ante with tools and facilities and housing.

One thing that I did enjoy was seeing some of the horrific creations that some designers ended up producing. This All Star cast have their act together and I really didn't see the tragedy that would sometimes emerge. I don't think I'll be cringing during this season. The initial runway created excitement about what these designers can do.

The returning contestants:

1. Mondo Guerra
2. Michael Costello
3. Mila Hermanovski
4. Anthony Williams
5. Jerell Scott
6. Elisa Jimenez
7. Austin Scarlett
8. Kenley Collins
9. Rami Kashou
10. Gordana Gehlhausen
11. Sweet P
12. Kara Janx
13. April Johnston

Who are you rooting for? Who are you lusting for? Who are you missing and wish were competing?

I must say after watching two episodes, I am shocked that I was in complete agreement with the results. The winners of the first two challenges and the ones who went home were exactly what I would have picked. Am I in more synch with this group of judges than Nina Garcia and Michael Kors? Or is the fact that we are dealing with a greater talent pool making things more clear for me?

Tonight Lifetime will be airing episode 3. I won't be watching because I no longer have cable tv. I'll see it tomorrow as I stream it online.

What are your thoughts?

 

[joanjett1976]

Also watched the first two episodes. Every time Austin (and his new 'stache) appear on screen, I just have to giggle.

I must say I miss the usual pannel of judges. And my Tim Gunn.

 

[DouglasE]

I truly miss Tim Gunn. He brought a warmth and humanity to a situation that was fraught with stress.

The mustache needs to GO! It just looks ridiculous. At least now it is a full fledged mustache which is better than the kind of peach fuzz on the upper lip he sported years ago. Ugh! Just shave already.

I just don't know for whom to cheer on to victory. I'm torn between Rami, Mondo, April, Austin, and Jerell. Although, I only know Jerell from what I see in All Stars since Season 5 is the one season I have never seen.

 

[wallyb]

All stars?
Who on this show ever really got any play beyond the show?
Even the "winners" made hardly a splash in the fashion pool.

 

[vaDisneyGuy]

I Love Anthony Williams

 

[DouglasE]

All stars?
Who on this show ever really got any play beyond the show?
Even the "winners" made hardly a splash in the fashion pool.

I think your comment just illustrates how extremely difficult the fashion business is.

Side note: One of my favorite shirts of all time that I own was designed by Season 1 winner Jay Mccarroll.

 

[joanjett1976]

I gotta agree with Wally on this. As with most 'talent' based reality shows, winners have a hard time making it in their designated fields (ANTM, singing competitions, etc...). But I will watch em all anyway of course. I did the math the other day: I have given Tyra Banks 221 hours of my life as I,ve watched all episodes of ANTM. I believe shw owns part of my soul now.

Back To Project Runway, I really would have loved to see my absolute fave Laura Bennett come back. And crazy Wendy Pepper too. For the trainwreckage.

 

[DouglasE]

Back To Project Runway, I really would have loved to see my absolute fave Laura Bennett come back. And crazy Wendy Pepper too. For the trainwreckage.

I, too, would have loved to have seen Laura Bennett. However, I think she is one of the few designers whose career has taken off as a result of PR. I don't think she probably saw the benefit of taking that much time off away from all of her projects and family.

Wendy Pepper I would assume was asked. The producers probably love her. I think she would have been in over her head in terms of dealing with the competition. The caliber of designers in All Stars is much higher than that very first season.

 

[DouglasE]

Let's discuss Episode 3: Patterning for Piggy

A theme that emerged during this episode is the interpersonal connections and the chit chat that goes on in the work room and elsewhere. How do you think you would be if you were in this situation? I believe that I would be in competition mode. I most likely would be like Mila and April. Talk to me when it is all over. If I have work to do, leave me the heck alone. Although, for the first time I realized if you are a strategist, it might work to your advantage to form a "team". If you could have your team mate give you advice that you could trust, having that outside eye might help refine your vision and design. Could the Kara-Kenley connection propel them further than if they were to not help each other out?

This week I disagreed with who won. I actually preferred Rami's design over Michael's. My preference for Rami is not based on the fact that I'm in heat every time he appears on screen, either. I thought Michael's color palette was a tad bit too dark. I did like the ribbon aspect of his design, however.

It definitely was Gordana's time to go. I think her inclusion to begin with was a choice by the producers to create diversity of contestants.

Joanjett1976 (love your screen name) mentioned some designers she missed not on the show. I personally would have loved to have seen Nick Verraros and Uli back in addition to Laura Bennett.

 

[joanjett1976]

Let's discuss Episode 3: Patterning for Piggy

This week I disagreed with who won. I actually preferred Rami's design over Michael's. My preference for Rami is not based on the fact that I'm in heat every time he appears on screen, either.

Joanjett1976 (love your screen name) mentioned some designers she missed not on the show. I personally would have loved to have seen Nick Verraros and Uli back in addition to Laura Bennett.

I can def. see Rami having throngs of male admirers. Being hoisted up, Cleopatra style and being fed grapes.

 

[DouglasE]

Let's Discuss Episode 4: Good Taste Tastes Good

SIX hours!?! Design and execute a look in only six hours!?! That is just craziness. I think its' crazy when they only have two days and now they have probably as little time as humanly possible. I am sure the producers were hoping that the strain would cause some fighting and we would see the ***** slap heard round the world. This was not to be. The All-Stars seem to get along fairly well in the work room. I find it interesting that this season for the first time we see the designers considering the accessory wall for styling needs. In episode 3 we saw a bit of contention with everyone wanting the same pink gloves. In episode 4 it looked like they were setting us up for the same thing, but it was not to be. I loved the brief shot we got of the work room after everyone left for the runway. What a mess! Scraps of melon and cherry and lime all over the place.

The results:

Anthony Williams did not deserve to be in the bottom three. I bet VaDisneyGuy agrees with me. This is a contest about design. He designed something. Did Kenley? Couldn't you buy something like what Kenley made on the rack somewhere? When is Kenley going to break out of her mold? Oddly enough I thought Anthony's dress was one of the best. Why oddly? Frankly, Anthony as a person gets on my nerves. I find his work inconsistent.

I disagreed with the decision to send April home. While the back of her hemline was unfortunate, once again I think the design was more successful than Kara Janx. Kara took a pencil skinny ***** and made her look fat and pregnant. Is there a bigger no-no than that!?! I was sad to see these two on the bottom because they are two of my all time favorites. But then, aren't all the designers of All-Stars supposed to be my all time favorites?

I agreed with the choice of winner. Michael's design definitely was the winner for me despite questionable choices in color and fabric. He seemed to score some points with both Diane Von Furstenberg and the Australian supermodel whose name escapes me at the moment. I thought Mila was great. She really broke out of her mode of color blocking with black, white and grey. Her designs tend to be hard and cold. This was more feminine and flow-y. Good for her. I found the wavy lines of the cherry and milk interesting. Mondo must have done a good job because I don't know how you can put a woman in a caftan and not make her look fat and big. But he made a caftan and the model looked modern and elegant. My ex should be happy. He has a huge crush on Mondo which I just don't get.