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By Dennis Michaels
So yes, I love PR and am anxiously looking forward to seeing this season's finale and to finding out who will win. [Note: This issue of BOI went to press before the the final show aired on March 5th .] Of the final three contestants (Christian Siriano, Rami Kashou, and Jillian Lewis), my personal favorite from a design perspective is Jillian, who has impressively shown a bold and ingenious stylistic point of view. However despite my appreciation of Jillian as well as my fascination with Rami's signature draping style, I fully expect the often hysterically funny and immensely talented Christian to win it all in the end. At only 21 years old, he's technically sound (which means he can sew his ass off); presents fashions that are full of flair and creative style; and has those intangible qualities that make for a superstar high-end fashion designer. If he does not follow in the footsteps of Jay McCarroll (Season 1), Chloe Dao (Season 2), and Jeffrey Sebelia (Season 3) as this season's PR winner, I will be very much surprised. Windy City Runway
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Bravo-TV's
"Project Runway." This reality TV show, featuring
up-and-coming fashion designers from all across the country,
has been delighting me and millions of other devoted fans as
it brings the world of high fashion, along with plenty of drama,
into our homes. A multi-week competition to determine who has
what it takes to be the next top fashion designer, Project Runway
(PR) has become a pop culture phenomenon and a cable TV ratings
hit. Whittling down contestants with a friendly "auf Wiedersehen"
dismissal, super model Heidi Klum ably tackles the host duties
while designer Michael Kors and Elle Magazine's Nina Garcia serve
as judges. And then there is Tim Gunn. Over the four seasons
of the show, the handsome silver-haired Gunn has been a mentor
to the contestants and become the voice of the show with phrases
such as "Make it work!" and "Carry on."
One
of the main reasons why I like PR so much, and why I think it
has resonance with so many in America, is that it's a reality
show that ultimately showcases and rewards talent, not bad behavior.
Unlike so many other shows in the genre that rely mostly on
vacuous pretty people being bitchy and devious with each other
in an effort to simply gain fame and celebrity, PR actually takes
folks who have found their life's passion that being high-end
fashion design and gives them a platform to demonstrate
their abilities. Now don't get me wrong, there's plenty of bitchiness
and human drama on PR, but they're more like Thanksgiving creamed
peas and cranberry side dishes to the turkey and dressing main
course that is the actual designs that walk down the runway each
week. The designers and the fashions are what propel this show,
and that in my mind is a very good thing. 