Project Runway: Season...who cares

[Lisa]

Wow! Guess I'm not alone in my turn-around to loving the big lug. The fans over at the TWoP forums are furious that he got eliminated over Ivy. His outfit really wasn't that bad - in fact, I thought it was flattering and pretty. Ivy's was just really ugly. And if you want to talk about past performances, Casanova has at least won a challenge, while Ivy has largely resided towards the bottom.

Oh, well - homeboy is from Astoria, so maybe I'll run into him around the 'hood!

EDIT: Oh, and you'll love this one - first of all, the judges sent him home because his design was, as they put it, too matronly. It wasn't - it was a really kick-ass pretty blouse and wide legged slacks. Very feminine and simple, and no one over at TWoP thinks it was matronly. But here's the kicker - next week's challenge? They have to emulate outfits based on Jackie Kennedy's sense of style. Are you kidding me? They send the guy home for a so-called "matronly" design, and then they have the nerve to have a Jackie Kennedy challenge the next week! One guess who could have knocked THAT one out of the ballpark and racked up his second win?

You know, Tim Gunn did a pre-season interview where he confessed - without being able to go into detail - that he disagreed with much of the judging this season. Most of the TWoP posters figured he was alluding to the team challenge a couple of episodes back. But this morning, many of them are thinking that Casanova being eliminated over Ivy is what Tim was hinting at.

[Matt]

I'll admit, Casanova AS A PERSON grew on me. I still think that he was all over the map as a designer, but yeah...he was a fun character. Ivy is a bitch, though...it's funny how they've shifted the contextual HATE THIS PERSON NOW focus from Gretchen to Ivy.

I also really enjoyed the Mondo/Michael C. dynamic last night. Seeing Mondo go from OH MY GOD ANYONE BUT MICHAEL C. to HEY THIS GUY IS ACTUALLY PRETTY COOL to I WAS A JERK I LIKE HIM NOW was really quite cool.

The three top designs were all fantastic last night. Any of them could have won.

[Lisa]

I LOVED that Mondo admitted "I was a dick to Michael C., and I was wrong" last night, plus apologized to him for being rude, PLUS Michael C. accepted the apology graciously - jesus, how many reality TV contestants do you see doing that? The two of them sitting in the workroom at the end with their arms slung around each other's shoulders was adorable.

Know what all the fans are loving this morning? "Am I deesapoyntahd? Maybe a quart." I'll miss him, but that was awesome.

[Matt]

Michael and Mondo were both great during the defense of Mondo's garment. I truly think that the glowingly positive interplay between them helped save Mondo's from the chopping block.

[Lisa]

I truly think that the glowingly positive interplay between them helped save Mondo's from the chopping block.

True. But isn't it funny how Ivy still was spared after she trashed Michael D. up and down the runway? I thought for sure she was burying herself for both making an awful outfit AND trashing her partner, AND being rude to the judges.

[Matt]

I think that Ivy was spared because of the stellar work that she did in Michael D's dress.

[Lisa]

Matt, take a look at this!

http://projectrungay.blogspot.com/

Project Rungay was updated this morning, and this is very cool: They put up the Fashion Week/Lincoln Center photos of all the collections for all the remaining designers (as of yesterday) from Casanova going forward. They always do "decoy" collections plus the final three, so nothing has been spoiled, because Tom and Lorenzo don't know who the final three are. In order to show at Fashion Week, they kind of have to show with whomever is left on the show when Fashion Week rolls around, so it's pretty much everyone who was still there as of last night's episode. Great, great stuff!

[Matt]

Lisa, did you watch last night's episode?

[Lisa]

Yeah, that was bullshit. All four judges hated Andy's outfit with a total white-hot hate, and Michael Drummond got sent home instead? What the fuck?

[Matt]

That's what I was wondering. I mean, I THINK that Andy is more talented overall than Chris and probably deserves to stay MORE, but that doesn't change the fact that Andy's outfit was WAAAAAAAAAAAAY off base for what the challenge called for. Based on meeting the parameters of the challenge itself, Andy should be gone baby gone.

I think it'll be Gretchen, Mondo, and Andy for the final three.

[Lisa]

So the new recap at Television Without Pity is up, and I'm putting up this post because I wanted to share just a really nice piece that the recapper said about designer Valerie Mayen (who I love to bits). Here's what Jeff Long - who's been recapping "Project Runway" forever - had to say about our gal Val:

He (Michael Drummond) wonders aloud in the workroom if maybe the judges will find his work too expensive, which gets a big laugh, especially from Valerie. She interviews that he is quick-witted, which is the kind of funny that she wishes she were. I love Valerie, not only because she just complimented my boy. She's always quick with a compliment and I feel like that's a good thing. I just read this book The Happiness Project (I swear I don't have a shelf of self-help books) and there's this comparison of how different people view the success of others. Some see it as a zero-sum proposition, where there's a limited amount of success to be had in the world and they're discouraged when people near them experience it, because that means there's less for them. There are others who feel that success happens in clusters, so being near success means that they are closer to being successful themselves. I think the latter philosophy is a much happier place to be and Valerie, with her nurturing, supportive spirit, seems to feel that way as well.

Isn't that great? I mean, seriously, I freaking love that. It's such a nice, positive thing to acknowledge about a person. Actually, I love that part so much that I'm going to link this post to my signature, so that anytime I need a boost, I can read that part of the recap as a reminder that there are still plenty of nice people in this world. It's a nice thing to remind yourself of once in a while.

[Lisa]

Speaking of Valerie...

Jesus that was close! That was the second week in a row they nearly sent her packing. It's a shame, because she is a GREAT designer, but the last couple of weeks seem to have taken the confidence and the fight out of her. I hope she gets it back in time to make the finals.

[Matt]

Ivy is gone! YES! Only 1 bitch left to get rid of, but she's gonna make it to Fashion Week.

I love how Mondo has blossomed into THE BIG CONTENDER now. He has a P.O.V. and he has the tailoring skills to bring his visions to fruition.

[Lisa]

You know, I love Mondo, and I'm thrilled that he won, but the fit on that couture dress was a little wacko. That bustier he re-did was way too big. But, his ready-to-wear was lovely.

Can you believe Gretchen was in the TOP three? I mean, come the fuck on! Her couture look was hideous, and the RTW wasn't anything special.

Know who's I actually liked, though it pains me to say it? Andy's, and I can't stand that snotty little bastard. His couture look was beautifully done and over the top, which is what couture is all about. And his RTW look was REALLY pretty.

But it's just as well, because since $20K was on the line, I can't think of anyone I would love to see get the money more than Mondo. I just adore him - "Mondo, what would you do if you won?" "Gotta have some drinkin' money..." And I love his little interview when he said that when he left for the show, he had $14 in his checking account - and now he has $20,014! Haah! Love that guy!

Plus he looked totally sharp in the fashion shoot with his model.

[Matt]

Gretchen's outfits were dogshit but they were at least made well. That couture dress was HIDEOUS...it looked like a rug. She should have been in the SAFE group with either April or Chris, not in the top 3.

The dress of the night was Andy's RTW dress. Even my wife was like I WANT THAT DRESS IN MY CLOSET NOW NOW NOW NOW.

Mondo totally rocked the fashion shoot. I've grown to really like the goofy little guy.