Project Runway Prediction: Right On, but Feeling Wrong

In November, when I wrote the review of the premiere episode of season 4 Project Runway, I predicted that Jillian, Christian and Rami would easily make it to fashion week. I watched their fashions over the season and each show brought them closer to being the finalists.

There were close calls and tense moments for each of them when it looked like they just might not be able to go on. The dog of a dress that Christian put out there for the prom challenge comes to mind right off. Albeit, he was working with a very fussy client who wanted a super tacky dress; he is the designer and sometimes it's all about the editing. Give some glitz without going over that line of taste. Lead that client to the right design, whether they think they want it or not. After jumping through hoops for her, he still produced a dress that failed to impress the judges and failed to wow his client.

Rami presented draped after draped fashion every episode. I was so sick of seeing the window covering like creations that I thought he was bound to be bounced out any minute. He wasn't showing range or vision for the most part. He seemed to be stuck in a mold with no hammer in site.

Jillian was putting out some great designs despite her sometimes anxious moments where she just seemed about ready to break down. She would pull it all together at the end and present something wonderful that still represented her, but rose to the challenge. The only episode that let me down where she was concerned was when she created a coat for the second time in a row and it just fell short a bit. The team challenge coat was amazing and she decided to pull an encore and it just didn't work for the judges, or the fans.

When it came right down to it, Jillian and Christian had straight up spots to fashion week. They both presented consistently "them" designs throughout the season and in my opinion they deserved the chance to show at fasion week. This year two designers had to create collections for fashion week and go head-to-head before being granted a spot to show. Chris and Rami were in the running for the last spot available on the catwalk.

After being voted off once and returning when Jack had to leave for medical reasons, Chris really began producing some great designs that were a bit more reined in than his costume pieces that he is known for. His collection for fashion week featured heavily on dark gothic pieces that had an interesting and unusual twist...human hair incorporated into the designs. While not your typical fashion material, he certainly put himself out there and made a statement. The judges were baffled as to the material used.

Rami presented his three fashions and while he pulled away from doing only draping, I felt his collection, while good, lacked a cohesiveness. It certainly wasn't as dramatic and intriguing as the fashions Chris put out. It seemed that the judges were more concerned with whether or not people would buy the designs, than with the artistic statement and vision of the pieces.

While we have to recognize that a commercial appeal is definitely a plus to being a successful designer, it would seem to this viewer and fan that the creativity involved in the line, the cohesiveness and the construction know-how and difficulty should have played a bigger part in the judges decisions. Project Runway is supposed to be all about finding the next big designer, and sometimes big designers have less than practical visons and designs, but they translate those larger than life pieces into more wearable, commercial versions as with the hairstyle challenge that Chris and Christian won this season. A larger than life piece is made into an everday wearable look.

I personally feel that Chris would have made the audience ooh and aah at fashion week, while Rami's designs will be lovely, but lack that amazing punch.

Resources
Associated Content Article, Season 4 of Project Runway Premieres the Best Group of Designers Yet, M Reynolds

Project Runway Website and Shows