 |
| I admit, I'm a total Christian Siriano fan girl. I've been following his fashion for years and actually get phone notifications when his latest Runway showing is on-line. He doesn't hit with every outfit, but he's got some good stuff in his collections. |
I admit that I was worried when the season began. There was no more Heidi or Tim or Zac. It seemed as if the foundation had been ripped from the show and the fires of scandal had burnt the franchise to the ground. But out of those ashes rose a phoenix, and I think the show weathered the flames and came out stronger than ever.
 |
| Karlie Kloss came to Project Runway from a highly successful modeling career. She's got friends and relatives in high places, so you never know who she might be able to get into or onto the Runway. |
The host of the show sets the tone of the show and Heidi ran things with a gloved, iron fist. Karlie Kloss has a bit softer tone but she's highly respected as a model and very in-touch with today's social media and audience. I think she's settled into the host position very well and works smoothly with the judges.
 |
| Brandon Maxwell is a character and he isn't afraid to voice his opinion, even when an outfit is walking the runway. He's a lot of fun. |
There are three standard judges this year, and occasional guest judges. That format hasn't changed, but the composition of the judges has. Instead of Zac Posen, we have Brandon Maxwell, a designer who has been at the forefront of recent fashion, especially with his four different outfits for Lady Gaga at the latest Met Gala. The other new face in a judges chair is Elaine Welteroth. She's young, edgy, and I always look forward to seeing how she's wearing her hair - different every week. They are joined by long time judge Nina Garcia who is now the editor-in-chief of "Elle" magazine. A definite step up from "Marie Claire".
 |
| Elaine Welteroth was a complete unknown for me, but I'm liking what she brings to the show. She's edgy, unafraid to express an opinion, and pushes the designers to be open for more possibilities and interpretations. |
The mentor may have been the most controversial move but it's the one that I think worked extremely well. Instead of Tim Gunn - a wonderful mentor and guide, we have Christian Siriano - former contestant and winner of Project Runway, and successful fashion designer. He has a more rounded look at the show and the fashion industry, having been a previous contestant who went on to success. He can advise the designers not only on their look, but also on the little touches that will make a garment marketable or walk the runway successfully. He's also not shy about pointing out previous criticisms that should be taken into account by each designer.
 |
| I've been a Nina Garcia fan for a long time. She's to-the-point, articulate, checks every detail, and is the judge you most want to impress because she doesn't impress easily. I'm delighted she moved over to Bravo along with the show. |
I declare the re-vamp of Project Runway a success. It took a little bit to jell, but the judges are working well with each other, and Siriano is "making it work". The mandate of differently sized models and even a trans model (who ended up being the most popular model), was also great. It's about time fashion catches up with its end-audience. I'm looking forward to tonight's finale, but I'm also looking forward to Season 18 whenever it airs. Project Runway isn't dead, it's survived and grown stronger and more relevant. I'm not the only one feeling positive about the changes. If you're interested, here's a link to an analysis by "E! Online".
I'll be back tomorrow with the final episode of Season 17 and the announcement of the winner. In the meantime, have a wonderful Thursday and be fashion forward today - just for the fun of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment