PR 17 Ep 1:New Day, New Runway

Well well well, Project Runway has come home to Bravo, but left Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum behind to do a pseudo-PR for Netflix or something. I was dubious, because, while Heidi I could take or leave, I need me some Gunn. Needless to say, I was dubious about host Karlie Kloss or mentor Christian Siriano—a former PR winner—and judges Elaine Welteroth, editor of Teen Vogue, and designer Brandon Maxwell. But, there was also the return of the Fabulous Nina Garcia, Editor-in-Chief of ELLE so maybe it would be okay.

And it was.

As the show started, we met the designtestants who gave us a peek at their design style with a quickie fashion show featuring just one look ... from above:

Row 1: Afa Ah Loo gowned us with a ginormous train. Bishme Cromartie presented a leather structured look that had Nina saying, ‘That’s my outfit.’ Cavanaugh Baker’s style was UWS bland. Frankie Lewis designs Big Girl Drama.

Row 2: Garo Sparo’s look seemed sort of dominatrix costume. Hester Sunshine gave us quirky crazy. Go figure. Jamall Osterholm showed The Puffy Coat. Kovid Kapoor got a smile out of Nina, who called his look, ‘Bold!’

Row 3: Lela Orr’s look gave me the blahs. Nadine Ralliford made a statement piece; she’s here to show. Rakan Aldeen is all about the sculpture. Renee Hill is some fierce drama styling. 

Row 4: Sebastian Grey presented a modern, very tailored piece. Sonia Kasparian gave me some Goth costume, or as I will now call it, Gothtume. Tessa Clark seems very modern urban future. Venny Etienne looks to create modern sportswear. 

I already have my favorites, and the ones I want to see leave first.

For the challenge, each of the judges shows a photo that represents the moment when they realized fashion was their calling.

Karlie’s is her first runway at age 13; Brandon is a phot of his mother rocking some 80s design in a fashion show at his grandmother’s clothing store. Nina shows a photo taken during her first shoot—it’s black and white and on a yacht and everyone is wearing wide-legged white pants and it’s totally Nina. Elaine gives us the first cover she worked on at Ebony ­with Serena Williams in a blue bathing suit.

The designtestants are broken into four groups, each assigned a different judge’s photo and we begin …

THE SAFES

Row 1, left to right

Afa’s look is nice, but kind of boring, except for the king-sized sheet train bringing up the rear.

Bishme’s is nice, modern, edgy, but monochromatically dull.

Garo’s features a tiny, tiny waisted model, in what I thought of as slutty sailor.

Hester’s is a mishmash of structure and volume and faux neckline and sleeves. It’s crazy.

Jamall’s is kind of superhero, though the model’s nipples were not needed.

Row 2, left to right

Kovid’s look was goddess and flowing and, well, done before.

Nadine gave us bike messenger negligee.

Rakan. The high point was the shoes.

Sebastian also went sailor, but modern, edgy constructed sailor. I liked.

Sonia’s look was very elegant and chic. I’m watching her.

THE TOPS

Renee

Renee is Muslim and so I think she’ll give us covered up looks, which I love because I think they’re harder to make appealing to some people. I did love how Renee, when the designtestants arrived at their apartment, said she couldn’t share a room with a man because she’s Muslim, and Sebastian assured her that he was ‘not a straight.’

WHAT SHE SAID

It says everything about what I was envisioning.

WHAT I SAID

Yassss. This is drama and chic and versatile and I love it.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Karlie loved all the details while Brandon loved its quiet strength and really reminded him of his mother in the photo. Nina was a fan of the versatility, while Elaine said she went for it all and there wasn’t a thread out of place and Brandon ended with Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Tessa

Her parents wore aprons. That’s what she said; Dad worked in a mill and mom made pottery. So, Tessa will give us an apron-esque look, with flowing straps down the back and shell buttons—or, as Nina calls them, ‘but-tons.’

WHAT SHE SAID

I really went very minimal.

WHAT I SAID

From the front, it’s safe, but turn it around and there’s some fun and some whimsy and some sexy.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon dubbed it a chic fisherman, especially with the netted handbag. Nina scared Tessa by saying it didn’t look like $250 … it looked luxe and expensive, comfortable and confident.  Elaine loved it up close, and Nina, also a fan of a pocket, loved that detail Karlie said it was the kind of dress no one would notice when you entered the room, but when you walked passed them and saw the back, it was all over.

Venny

I like Venny, he seems fun. But he loves a kitchen sink. During the critique, Cristian looked at his outfit inspired by Brandon’s mother and said to edit it down … there was black and white and silver and leather and feathers! Oh my.

Luckily Venny listened.

WHAT HE SAID

C’mon Brandon! Crack a smile!

WHAT I SAID

There could have been a further edit … and then he might have added that other sleeve.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon called it confident and powerful while Nina said it got a great reaction on the runway; she added that it was a lot of look, a risk, but sometimes more is better than less. Elaine asked where a real woman might wear it—Venny said on a night out with the girls—but did love the one-sleeved jacket. Karlie agreed and said it was very well constructed.

THE BOTTOMS

Lela

She was given Karlie’s photo and noticed the other designers were going very silver and muted in their color palette and so she opted for some red.

That might not have been good.

WHAT SHE SAID

It’s very glamorous, very colorful.

WHAT I SAID

I don’t see the glamour and I see just two colors and some ugly shoes.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Karlie liked the simplicity of the look but noted that the execution was bad. Nina liked it as Sporty Karlie but also noticed the lack of skills and the “unfortunate” fabric. Brandon wondered if the long red piece was intended as Kleenex and said you could see the mistakes from space. Elaine loved the asymmetry but Karlie got in the last dig, “It’s not the worst.”

Frankie

Frankie’s a crier; and she may have good reason seeing that she’s homeless and her boyfriend dumped her and she screwed up the measurements on her body suit and had to create this mess in a couple of house.

But there’s something about Frankie that the others like and many rallied around to encourage her and help her …as in physically help her sew it together at the last minute.

WHAT SHE SAID

I feel sick.

WHAT I SAID

I feel you, gurl.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina hated the fabric because it didn’t offer the support of a true body suit. And when Frankie tried to point out that there was some stretch to the fabric, she literally pulled a piece of it off the model. Elaine noted that you only get one shot to show your stuff, and this showed no craftsmanship at all. Brandon said she had design but no real POV. Karlie tells Frankie that she has "questions about her taste level."

Cavanaugh

This is the snob of the bunch. She whined about a twin bed at the apartment because she hasn’t slept on a twin since she was in Europe and they pushed two twins together to make her a king. She declared that$250 was not enough to shop for fabrics at retail prices; duh, bitch, it’s the PR! She worried she couldn’t design for a curvy model …and she couldn’t. She whined that Frankie got help sewing her look right after she asked her model to help sew hers.

She tried for a simple black dress and a cool jacket but didn’t measure the jacket right and so all that was left was the dress. Big mistake, huge.

WHAT SHE SAID

I’m not feeling so hot.

WHAT I SAID

WTF kind of Target off-the-rack, I-could-make0-this-myself is going on here?

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon called it basic … ouch … and couldn’t believe she spent all her money Nina said it could have been better …perhaps with a designer with skills? Elaine gave Cavanaugh props for knowing she had a horrible look, but couldn’t connect it to Brandon’s photo. Karlie noted that even the accessories couldn’t save the look.

I was pulling for Renee, but Tessa got the win.

I was pulling for Cavanaugh, to go home, and I got the win. And when she left she said, “I wasn’t expecting to ho home on the first challenge. My garment was flattering and had detail, while other garments … were thrown together without thought. I’m so ready to wash my hair and to sleep on a real bed with a real pillow.”

Bye Felicia.

Hester made the rookie mistake of picking a fabric she’d never used before and almost screwed herself. Luckily, she tossed it in the trash.

Christian is no Tim Gunn, but I liked his mentoring style, and the fact he said he was so excited he was about to pee.

Mimi, Kovid’s model, is the first trans model on the PR and I loved Kovid’s reaction to her story:

“I’m so honored.”

He then told who he and his boyfriend were outed to the police in his home country and had to flee to safety. Oy, this world.

Lela called herself eco-lux; I’ll hold the verdict on that one.

Kovid was, at first, annoying, and then he turned delightful and sweet and lovely.

I hope Frankie doesn’t cry every week because I’m over it already.

I loved Afa’s face as he watched Cavanaugh put her model to work. Oy, the grimace.

Karlie? She made me miss Heidi, but she may improve over time. Brandon? I need some snark from him and I know he’s got it. I did love how, every time someone took off a jacket, he squeeed, “Ooooh, a reveal!” Elaine? Okurr. Nina? Yassss, queen. Keep in mind that Cavanaugh lost because she broke Rule # 1 of Project Runway: Don’t.Bore.Nina.

The Hotties, after just one look? Garo, Sebastian and Venny.

What did YOU think of PR 2.0?