it's time for new judges or new rules

There's no point going on too long about the travesty that was Project Runway last night. Gretchen is talented, but c'mon. Kors and Garcia have been stacking the deck in Gretchen's favor for weeks. There was so much contradictory bushwa being spewed during the judges' deliberations that it became impossible to take any of it seriously. The only redeeming factor of this show is that you get to see glimpses of the creative process. The competition is rigged, and it becomes more obvious every year. All three guys—Mondo, Andy and Michael—had more going on in their work than the declared winner. Tan, drab, floppy shirts with over-sized dyed-to-match old lady undies? That's what's happening now, Nina? Heidi should have kicked Kors' and Garcia' asses. Jessica Simpson even has more taste than Kors, who just seemed to want to punish Mondo for daring to send his polka dot dress back down the runway. Papa Gunn could only say, "Wow," at the verdict. Indeed. Yeesh. Mondo, you seem to have a really strong sense of self. I wish you great future success.

Related articles

• "‘Project Runway’ Finalists Mondo Guerra, Gretchen Jones, and Andy South Preview the Finale For Us" and related posts (blogs.wsj.com)
• Live Blogging Project Runway: The Season Finale [Project Runway] (gawker.com)

raw talent, raw emotion

On last night's Project Runway ...

Everyone's favorite student adviser, Tim Gunn, visited each of the four designers at their homes. They all happen to live west of the Rockies, which was interesting, for this NYC-centric show. The home visit shows are always the most emotional, the most interesting, as you finally get to see each person out of their workroom and New York hotel that they could never afford bubble and back in their own environment. Last night did not disappoint. Tim got to probably do some of the most interesting traveling of his Project Runway career.

Top: From the Aloha Update: Andy South
Second from Top: From the Wall Street Journal: Mondo Guerra
Third from top: From Zeitgeist Studios: Gretchen Jones
Bottom: From Fashion Fame: Michael Costello
 
Tim saw Andy in Hawaii at his mother's farm. A beautiful location, but also a place of hard work and struggle, and not affluence. Andy wanted to use his Laotion background as inspiration for his designs.

Mondo lives in Colorado, and wanted to use his Mexican background (via day of the Dead iconography) married with some funky circus imagery for his looks. Totally Mondo.

Gretchen was in Oregon, living out of boxes after a shattered relationship. With all the confessionals on the show, Gretchen remained cryptic about what she had recently gone through, which is her right, but it was still a little off-putting. Just like Gretchen. She said she wanted her clothes to represent the Southwest where she comes from, but they just looked drab to me.

Andy, Mondo and Gretchen all had a parent with them and shared a meal with Tim. Gretchen's had some "homeless" stress, but was clearly gathering strength from her mom. Andy didn't have any of his designs completed, as his fabric had just arrived from Laos, but he positively beamed when his mother said she would support him in whatever he would do. Mondo seemed very cozy and happy with his sister, boyfriend and parents—clearly he had hurdled his "don't ask don't tell" dilemma from earlier in the season. No matter what their stresses, they all had the strong family backbone to support them.

And then we came to Michael's visit. Michael introduced his boyfriend, who seemed very supportive, but then over the shared meal with Tim Michael said how his boyfriend had "outed" him to his parents. Hmmm. Michael's boyfriend proceeded to then not exactly badmouth Michael's parents, but complain that they have never been supportive of Michael's career choice or orientation. Michael is the only one of the four contestants who has a child, who is responsible for supporting someone besides himself, so he has that added stress as well.

When they got back to New York with the inevitable last-minute create-a-garment challenge—c'mon guys, you've watched the show, you can't possibly be surprised by this—they all freaked out and then all rapidly knocked something out. But it was clear when Tim came to do his rounds that of all the four, he felt  most uneasy about Michael. Michael, as usual, was waffling about what pieces to send down the runway.

Michael always has the talent to whip something up, something usually quite lovely, but he lacks conviction and vision. He really has no idea of what he wants to say. I don't think that makes him a bad designer or a bad artist. He just doesn't know how to articulate what he feels into what he creates in a any clear, concise way yet—a la Mondo, who couldn't be clearer. It was clear all along, however, that out of the four, he was the least ready. I personally don't get or admire Gretchen's aesthetic, but I do believe that she has a vision. It's just one that I hope never makes its way anywhere near my closet.

The show was all a long build-up to, of course, Michael being the one cut. He sent three color-matched looks down the runway with no clear explanation of why he chose them. He should have remembered—Heidi told him once before that she hates "matchy matchy"—it's not fashion. He clearly wasn't ready.

And then he fell apart. Completely. It was excruciating and quite emotional to watch. Some might feel, inappropriate. But he was expressing pretty much what every single person in his position on this show or any close competition must feel. Just on camera. What was most upsetting about his heartfelt sobbing was the fact that he didn't feel he could go back and face his family. The family that doesn't support him. It brought me back to harsh critiques and obstacles and heartbreaks that I have faced in my life. I have had my moments of falling apart, thankfully, not with a video crew standing by. But I have never let whatever it was—a broken romance, horrendous painting teacher—stop me for long. I have never let anyone else dictate how I should be perceived. Maybe it's because I have the strong family base that the other three designers also have.

My heart goes out to Michael. He eventually pulled himself together, and Heidi saying ad nauseum "only three will compete" aside,  he did get to show his stuff at fashion week. He is talented. Maybe he isn't the right type of designer to front his own line. Not yet, if he doesn't have a clear vision. But I'm sure his amazing draping talents could get him quite a nice career at a fashion house. I hope that he realizes this. And I hope that he isn't too embarrassed by his outburst. He should read Tim's book. Tim certainly hasn't hesitated putting his most vulnerable moments out there for the world to see, in print.

Say what you will about reality television programming, but it does sometimes touch the real, raw nerve of life. Life is full of real pain and disappointment. The "only three out of the four shall compete at fashion week" construct that Project Runway has had from the beginning has always been stupid and cruel. It is pointless and it hurts people. But it's part of the show. And like life, it isn't always fair. Hang in there, Michael Costello. Don't worry so much about what others think about you or your work. I know that's not an easy thing, especially with a kid. But try. Don't overthink your designs, either. You didn't need all those feathers to say "luxe." That last, easy dress you whipped up was smashing. You're a good designer. Hang in there, kid.

the man with the golden Gunn

I recently downloaded Gunn's Golden Rules, Tim Gunn's latest book, which is a mix of etiquette, gossip, behind-the-scenes at Project Runway and some very personal revelations. It was an enjoyable read, if a bit of a mish-mash. The much-vaunted gossipy put-downs of fashion personalities like Anna Wintour and Isaac Mizrahi were hardly surprising. Vain, overinflated, nasty folks in fashion? Shocker.

Tim Gunn worked in the Parsons admissions office when I was an art student back in the day. I wish I could say I had a wonderful, personal memory, but I just have a vague recollection of a pleasant, laid-back office.


But Gunn is a pleasant force to be reckoned with, and there are some lovely little passages in the book of Gunn-wisdom:

With a certain amount of maturity, we can set up our own constraints. That's a lot of what education is about—letting people set those assignments for us so that when we graduate we can start to set them for ourselves. even now that I'm in my fifties, I still face certain situations where I have to admit that I need some rules to help me figure out what I should do.

I know that someone thought that fashion world gossip would be the selling point, but lots of folks like myself simply love Gunn and the sound of his voice, and I think the book suffered from not having a consistent and clear point of view—something that designers on Project Runway are frequently criticized for. The most interesting revelation was Gunn's personality—he simply cannot lie. His quest for honesty and integrity is fascinating, and I respect it, especially in the industry he has found himself in. His ideas of etiquette and desire to always "take the high road" are refreshing, and it would be nice if some of his colleagues made the same choices. I respect him for being so honest about his feelings about love and sex. I'm not sure I really felt I had to be on such a "need to know" basis—at times I was almost put off by the level of revelation, almost embarrassed. There were some excruciatingly detailed passages, mostly about his youthful love life and bout with depression. Some of his relationship stories just broke my heart—the decisions he made, the roads he took, or more accurately, didn't take. But Gunn puts his money where his mouth is—he said he believes in honesty and he means it. If he's going to tell a story, he's going to tell the whole story. Considering how hard it still is to be young and gay, Gunn's personal stories take on an even stronger meaning—if he can get through a failed suicide attempt and turn his life around time and again, even become a huge success in his fifties—then anyone who is having a hard time should know that it truly does get better. Bravo, Tim Gunn.

That is one thing I try to keep in mind when I talk about people's behavior. I believe very strongly that we should all try our best to treat another well, but I also know that some people who are difficult are doing their best, only their best isn't all that great.

After reading this book, spending time with Gunn, I was drawn again to watch him on Project Runway. I know, I know, I have said in the past that I was done, done, done with the show. Everyone falls off the wagon from time to time. I feel a bit like Pacino in The Godfather, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." I don't know if Gunn's self-realizations and revelations have given him a softer edge, but he really seems more the den mother and mother hen for the designers this season than ever before. He actually seems wounded when some are sent home. I started watching about mid-way through the season and couldn't believe the amount of back-biting and bitchiness that was going on in the workroom. There's always diva-like behavior and trash-talking—emotions run high in an artistic environment—but these contestants were re-damn-diculous with their attitudes. Especially bee-otchey were the women. The guys also wanted to dish the dirt, but no one seemed to get as down and dirty as the women. And not just critical, but nasty.

The mob mentality picked a whipping boy this season, Michael Costello. I'm not sure what set it all off, as I said I had missed earlier episodes, but from everything I could see Costello, although possibly not the most talented of the bunch (that's Mondo, without a doubt), at least was trying to do his best and didn't seem to want to engage in the nastiness. I'm sure a lot of the worst offenders will claim that they look bad in "the editing," but the show's editors did not make Gretchen and April consistently say derogatory things about whatever garment Costello was working on, or pull disdainful expressions whenever the judges praised his work.

What was great was when it all came to a head in a recent episode when queen bitch (and ousted former contestant brought back for one episode) Ivy started throwing around accusations of Costello cheating, in a pretty obvious attempt to get some camera-drama-time. Papa Gunn swept in, and in his inimitable, unflappable, style put a quash on all the nastiness, saying that whatever was said (by the girls in the girls' room!) was a non-issue. Taking the high road again, discussion over. High school's over, bitches, get used to it. Thanks to the positive force that is Tim Gunn and the upbeat designs of Mondo, I am enjoying watching Project Runway again, cattiness notwithstanding.

Fashion and art can be fun and uplifting. Even nice, sometimes.

Related articles

• Katherine Fung: Gunn's Golden Rules: Surprisingly, It's in the Self-Help Section (huffingtonpost.com)

the end of project runway

Emilio wuz robbed. I love Seth Aaron, and am happy for him and for his family, but the "good guy" winning, was still . . . unfair. The judges telling Emilio that he made a clothing "line" as opposed to a collection. Oh really? And what were Seth Aaron's storm troopers and color-blind Mila's 60's chicks? Those were collections?

Emilio may not have been the most loved by Tim Gunn or the audience. He was cocky. He was a diva. He's a fashion designer, big woop. He also consistently made the best clothes, bar none, except my other fave, Jay, who was completely overlooked and inexplicably dissed.

All of the drama is way too reminiscent of my actual days at Parsons. I started watching Project Runway because of that connection, and because it was a show about creativity, the designers' challenges structured much like the weekly assignments I used to have to muddle through at art school. But the show, post-Siriano, has gone downhill. I swore off it last year, only to be sucked in this year mid-season by one of Jay's spiffy pleated skirt ensembles. But I think this is really it. I quit you, Project Runway. Your "competition" is a farce, as so many of the designers actually make it (off camera) to fashion week (and BTW - Anthony's designs were fun and fabulous - just like him), and your pandering to whatever you think will make "good television," rather than great design is too much. The half-hour after-show was especially hateful, as Tim Gunn showed clips of the exhausted designers and models bitchily tearing each other apart in their "confessionals" and then asked them, "What do you think about ___ calling you a ___?" Give me a break. I quit you, Project Runway.

auf wiedersehen

I watched my last Project Runway. I'm done. Tim Gunn may still be under contract to stick around (without any bon mots or pretense of caring), but I'm not. I tried to look the other way with the (stoopid) location change (hey, if it ain't NY, then maybe Paris or Milan, but L.A.? Puhleeze.) But with the too-obvious stunt casting choices and the attempt to be shocking by keeping the loud-mouth "good-TV" (but crappy talent) and letting go of the actually creative (Ra'mon)...I'm done. Heidi et al - you're out.

rock 'em sock 'em runway

So we didn't get to see Kenley get "auf'd" last night. Oh well, it's coming.

What is it about Project Runway that is so fun? I'm not even sure why we call shows like this "reality" shows anymore. They are long-format game shows, with a dash of soap opera thrown in. Runway is the only one I watch, for a variety of reasons.

1. It's about creativity. Some of its imitators may be, too, but Runway's got Tim Gunn and fashion is something we all participate in, on some level, unless we live in a nudist colony.
2. It's set in New Yawk.
3. It takes place at my alma mater (Parsons). What really adds an extra-special punch to watching this show is how accurately Project Runway captures the (my) art school experience. From the crushing deadlines, the low budget, the limited supplies, the competition. The bitchy critiques from both the judges (teachers) and other designers (students). It's like I was right back there. The only difference between art school and the world at large is that at art school (Runway) the critiques are public and out there for everyone to see and hear. This same sort of stuff goes on in our regular jobs too, it's just usually behind closed doors or your back.
4. Did I mention creativity? Everyone has had creative experiences, if just when they were a kid with crayons. Trying to make something from nothing is very human. And fascinating to watch.
   
5. It's about success and failure, something that obsesses most folks these days.

I refuse to peek ahead at the collections, as I'm enjoying my art-school-episodic-soap-opera, so please don't ruin it for me. I know you can just see the clothes, on the 'net, not who's the winner, but I don't even want to see that yet. I can wait. And it looks like next week will be a Babwa Wawa cry-a-thon. Tears at critiques? Yep, that how it was then. And still is now. Look out, Kenley...

This ain't no Mudd Club, no CBGB, I ain't got time for that now...

Contrary to popular opinion, there is life outside of the Big Apple. But man oh man, that city is still and will ever be, a part of me. I tried to stay away, I really did, but the pull was too great. And what did I find when I returned? Basically the same city, with a shiny digital veneer, but one I could still navigate, fiercely (both Project Runway's and the Webster's version of the word).

I was a lot younger when I first lived there. This was pre A-Rod Yankees, people. CBGB's was still open for business, and it had probably the most terrifying restroom I'd ever seen. Now NYC is kid-friendly to the extreme. Every store is a theme park, with large ferris wheels and costumed characters inside, waiting, and ready to give you an "experience."

Times Square both repels and fascinates me. What used to be a sleazy area to try to walk through as swiftly as possible on your way to somewhere else is now the ultimate tourist destination. The Blade Runner-ification of New York is simply amazing. Everywhere you look there is a digital screen, talking and pulsing at you. And as New York leads the way, I'm sure the rest of the country will follow suit. D.C. already has a mini-me version in its Chinatown Verizon Center.

I love technology. I'm no Luddite. But there is something about the talking cabs, talking subway posters, talking, talking, talking, everywhere that freaks me out. Do we really need all this stimulation? How about a little quiet space? There is actually some terrific architecture to look at too, some of the greatest art in its museums, a cool walk through Central Park...OK, excuse me while I check how long the line for the Iphone is...