I’ve got a new secret passion: “Project Runway” on Bravo. I sort of stumbled upon this show, flipping through channels and I got sucked in. Yeah, I like the lighter side of reality television, like “Dancing with the Stars” or “Skating with Celebrities” but I’m not sure that “Project Runway” fits that category as the participants are inherently interesting and they are aspiring to something real.
The premise for the show is that aspiring clothing designers are pitted against each other via various challenges (e.g., design and make a party dress for Nicky Hilton) and are judged by fashion industry insiders. Each week, one or more of the designers may be sent packing if their design or quality of the garment doesn’t make the grade. In the end, the designer who wins gets some nifty prizes including a spread of his/her designs in Elle magazine.
What fascinates me about this show is the sheer volume of knowledge that these designers must posses to be successful, skills and gifts that I don’t posses. In addition to being creative and visionary, a designer needs to know about fabric, sewing, pattern-making, and be able to put their ideas on paper via sketches and drawings. Often the designers are only given 30 minutes to design, 30 minutes to shop at the fabric store and 10 hours to make the pattern and sew the outfit. How is that possible?
I suppose If I were on a television program like this I would do better on a show like “Iron Chef” where I’m in my element of cooking. Give me a quality ingredient and a well-stocked pantry and I can usually put together something pretty tasty. That seems straight-forward to me but I guess not everyone has the same love of food and cooking.
The small peek into the world of fashion design via “Project Runway” has been eye-opening for me as there is so much about clothing industry that I’ve never known. I am impressed by these designers who have a passion for what they do and possess the self-confidence to reach for that goal, in front of millions of people nonetheless. Most reality TV stars become famous for just being on television, but I believe that whoever wins this competition will eventually be famous for more admirable qualities: talent, skill, ability to work with others, and vision.
If you’d like to see a bit of the original “walk off” from Zoolander, here’s a link . The designers on Project Runway did a walk off at a party for Nicky Hilton in episode 5. It was great.
I’ve been watching this one since the beginning, and I find it fascinating as well. Now I want to dust off that sewing machine in the basement. Who do you think will win? So far, I haven’t been surprised by or disagreed with any of the eliminations.
Santino is the designer I love to hate. He’s talented but so full of himself! Self-confidence is good but his arrogance over the top. Althought I’ve only seen a few episodes, I really like Daniel V. I like his designs, he seems to work well with others and he just has this cool, chic, sensibility. Nick is cool too. Poor guy has to keep working with Santino though!
I think Daniel V. has a real chance at winning, and I think he will be one of the final three. I really like Nick’s personality. I haven’t liked all of his designs, but I think he could make the final three. Santino’s days are numbered in my opinion. His arrogance is starting to affect his creativity. I think Chloe could be one of the final three, or maybe Zulema. It’s hard to say. Can’t wait for Wednesday night!