Thursday, August 14, 2008

Project Runway Episode 5: Bungle in the Jungle

Well, product placement is the name of the game with Project Runway, but promoting Lipstick Jungle? I thought that show was doomed!

Anyway, Brooke Shields is just lovely, and I'm glad she's back to work... although when I saw her do that hands-together, Namaste move as she exited the room after explaining the challenge, I rolled my eyes skyward.

So!

Pairing up the designers this early was interesting, to highlight the personalities and see how people do under pressure.

If it were the winter Olympics, I'd compare this to pairs skating.

You know, where one team member is holding the group together and the other is the artistic yet emotional wreck of a human being?

Or the two are high-energy showstoppers, like some hell the Energizer Bunny hath wrought?

Or they're stone-faced and stoic, methodically plodding along to the end of the routine where you wonder how the heck they got here?

Alas, it's not winter, it's summer Olympics time, and all the team summer sports just don't inspire the same metaphors in me, so there goes that...

Anyway, it warmed my heart to see Jerrell welcome Stella with no pity, just open arms even though he had last pick and she was the one nobody wanted on their team for kickball again. (Sorry! Schoolyard flashback!) Something about the way Jerrell totally rah-rahed up as Stella sidled up to him, noting that he had leather in mind and could use her skills? "That Jerrell is a good egg," I thought to myself.

After his laughable, Annie Get Your Gun meets Holly Hobbie ragdoll getup for the Olympics last week, I really thought he was a goner. But while he juuuust squeaked by last week, his design this week should have won the challenge, hands-down. The colors were sumptuous, and that belt around the middle was just divine.

I'm thinking Brooke simply doesn't have confidence in her own post-baby midsection and shrank back at the thought of cinching the waist. But Jerrell? Well done!

Keith's design, I don't know. Those angel-wing sleeves in that drecky print? (Kudos to Tim for steering them away from the sing-songy Kohl's blouse print that Kenley was gunning for - awful!) I just don't see what were the judges oohing and ahing over, with this dress. I just don't get why a skirt of shreds looks modern.

When I see unfinished, shredded chiffon, I think, "How long will that take to unravel?" But then, I'm practical, that way. (And what is it with all clothing taking on that planned obsolescence, made-like-crap so you can toss it after a season business? Who has time or money to constantly replace their clothes? I have a shirt I've worn three times that I noticed the collar was already coming apart - as in shredding away from the seam!)

It strikes me that Terri is the type of control freak who will simply self-destruct if she has to work with others. Heck, at least Suede was honest about his hesitancy to cut a blouse free-form when he knew the fabric was at a minimum - and all she did was berate him for it when it didn't turn out well (I guess it was she who saved the day with the gathered neckline?). While I don't like Mr. Third Person, I think Terri needs to take a chill pill. Outfit score? Just eh.

I'm going to call Korto the Volumizer - everything she makes has gigantic quantities of fabric. This jacket looked like a leftover costume from the local dinner theater performance of The King and I, while the dress was totally ill-fitting. With a plain-Jane sheath, it's all about the fit.

Oh, Kelli-Kelli-Kelli. True, that leopard-trimmed getup for a show with the word "Jungle" in it was way obvious, and the execution was a little mall-diva-wear-ish. But I think Michael Kors was a bit strong with the "Slutty, slutty, slutty!" reference. I've seen sluttier on this show - at least it wasn't short. At least she made Daniel re-do the skirt. At least she made a jacket (although this show's photography is awful when it comes to black; the light is just absorbed by the fabric and you can see Zero details over the tube). She would have done better leaving the leopard in the pile at Mood, and finding inspiration in the teal and black fabric.

Blayne should have gone home - they kept him simply for his weirdo-ness. His outfit was inappropriate for day at a high-powered office or for night. And sure, Leanne should have spoken up. But what makes a good designer isn't necessarily their ability to commandeer and direct and steer a group project in the direction that they solely want it. But at least he had the ethics to stand by his design and insist he'd be the one to go home if voted the losing design.

Personality trumps design, yet again.

5 comments:

fishwithoutbicycle said...

I'd had 2 glasses of wine when I watched this past weeks episode and still I couldn't enjoy it. I hate to say it, but I think Proj Runway and I need to part ways!!!

Anonymous said...

Oh noes! This last episode restored my faith in the show just a smidge... but then they had to go and show the preview for next week, what with Chris March leading the drag queen extravaganza. Talk about giving too much away?!

It's definitely been a struggle to watch this season.

Hang in there, fish!

Kitty said...

aahh....!!

I can't read your post til I have some time to myself to watch the episode (when Mark is not around, lol)

til then!

Lorrie Veasey said...

Totally agreed with your take; you so know how to make it work.
I found your blog through your comment on Dooce. I know how much you enjoyed viewing her movie about cooking and eating edamame. You can view the East Coast video response to that cinematic masterpiece at www.ournameisblog.blogspot.com We hope you will leave a comment...we welcome snark or sentiment.

Anonymous said...

Welcome, Lorrie, and thanks for the "make it work" comment. Your Eggo waffle response to the edamame video was dead-on!

I was just saying to someone how few people buy toasters anymore - and there you have one, playing a starring role, no less!