Project Runway Finale Recap: We Have a Winner! And a Problem
The big day arrives. The collections are finished. The hems are even. Mondo's suspenders are hung by the chimney with care. Andy's wearing Missy Elliott's garbage bag outfit from "Supa Dupa Fly." Gretchen dons her finest tepidness. It's time for the final runway show.
We arrive at Lincoln Center where the crowd fills every seat, titters wildly, and hopes to wipe the smug little grimace from Gretchen's face. Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, and Heidi Klum take their seats in the front row and try to forget every single outfit guest-judge Jessica Simpson has ever worn. It's Gretchen's turn to display her 10 looks.
All of Gretchen's greatest hits are back and remixed into a bedraggled homage to Bohemia: There's beige! Oh, and brown! Look, she even brought back shiny! Nice to see you too, creepy midriffs! Hey, four or five zigzag prints! And pants! Word, pants. Oh, and this is actually pretty boring. But you know? She didn't blow it. She sexed up her oatmeal palette with auburn and pointy craft-fair jewelry (for stabbing misbehavin' rural folk). She's on the brink of resortwear, representing sportswear, and even qualifying for Heidi Klum's definition of "activewear." One day an evil, divorced dalmatian owner will need to visit an art museum, and she will require Gretchen's fashions for the trip. It's a niche market, but life is that way, or so Gretchen would claim in a huff.
Next is Andy, who should not introduce his collection by claiming it's inspired by Laos, the land of his ancestors. Because it is a shock-silver, occasionally olive collection of cropped jackets and tiny, repetitive cocktail gowns. It's a wash. It is not a stunning tableau of Laotian patriotism. It is tinfoil, alien antennae, and the glare of a thousand Miami moons. There's a silvery dress with flapper chains swishing around, but Laura Bennett made one of those in season three while five of her kids suplexed her. Sorry, Andy, but this "Asian"-influenced collection is the color of American currency while not looking particularly expensive or standout. Your mohawk galloped into the fence this time, dear.
Mondo comes last but (obviously) best. Bubble skirts and mile-high waistlines mix with all sorts of checkered prints: picnic cloths, NASCAR flags, Western checkers, you name it. If it was checkered, it was here -- and it was paired with an equally strong and compelling second print. He also throws in some small multicolored belts that look like Tropical Skittles and Bubblicious flavors, which is clever because "mondo" is the term that bridges those worlds. Clever. Effing. Dame. Oh, and by the way, bitch: He kept the polka-dot Morticia gown that Michael Kors thought was a clown dirge at a whore funeral. Mondo is an artist, thanks. He will have his kook and eat it too. You will have your ultraviolet ceiling lamps and dreamy gazebo full of black blazers, Michael Kors, and Mondo will have his Lava Lamp blobs and googly splendor. Enjoy, honey.
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Other times when a designer made simple "wearable" clothes, they always came out a loser. Now we finally have Mondo who is not only creative, interesting, but he designs very wearable pieces and he loses. I would wear any of his pieces on any day and I am middle aged! I would especially wear his polka dot dress!!! Kors and Garcia were total hypocrites and totally clueless. They have no idea what women like or would wear. They should look for other jobs. I lost all respect for them.
1) The fun, party atmosphere of Project Runway - that I have watched from the very very first show - has been completely absent since leaving Bravo. 2) Yes, the "future of fashion" of most aging women is literally granny diapers but no one wants or needs to be THAT literal. 3) The show should allow fewer constraints for the designers (less jumping through hoops) to have more opportunities to really shine. 4) Gretchen's clothes couldn't have sucked harder. 5) The show of Austin Scarlett and Santino that follows PR is about as retarded as it gets. 6) The old queens of the show (Michael Kors and Nina Garcia) need to step down and into Gretchen's diapers. Heidi, take heed.
I agree too. I'd given up on PR several seasons ago, but watched this time to cheer a hometown designer (who wasn't in the last three).
Mondo should have won; I don't get why he didn't.
Michael Kors? What is wrong with that man? He's old enough to be a grandfather (51) and yet he talks about "old women in shopping malls" with distaste. Who does he think can afford designer clothes? He really came off as an unpleasant person and I'll not buy anything with his name on the label.
Do I think? I say let's not do it next season. I
done with his sham.
Oh yeah, and Nina should have to wear one of Gretchen's diapers every episode of season 9!
Just saw the finale and think Jen is right-Mondo lost because he sent the polka dot gown down the runway after Michael Kors said he didn't like it and, apparently, M.K.'s ego can't handle that. And to say that Mondo's collection was entering into "teenland" and that Grethcen's is what women want is absurd. I'm 53 and I actually WOULD wear some of what Mondo made. And I would never wear what Gretchen made-I'm not THAT frumpy yet!
Let's not forget Nina's Miss Guatemala comment
What a well-written article! Thanks for stating everything so clearly! Schizophrenic is a very good term to describe this season of Project Runway. Clearly Nina Garcia and Michael Kors did not choose a designer to win for her designs. They had other issues and motives. If I ever watch Project Runway again, Michael and Nina will have to go. This is such a travesty! I dare Nina Garcia to wear one of Gretchen's granny diaper designs in public. I DARE her!
I never liked Mondo's clothes. Too Hot Topic. And as for his personality/backstory, Onjina did it first and better.
I do agree that the judging was notably meaner this season.
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"Other times when a designer made simple "wearable" clothes, they always came out a loser. Now we finally have Mondo who is not only creative, interesting, but he designs very wearable pieces and he loses."
Irene, honey, your argument's right there.
I didn't watch the last show because I had heard that Wretchen would win. I was naturally shocked that they would awarded the win to a no talent...I don't think I'll ever watch this corrupt show again. Very disappointing.
I used to believe Michael and Nina's opinions were, at least, understandable even if I didn't agree with them, which by the way, I usually did. But this season? No. Their opinions of the collections had to have been scripted by some network executive crunching numbers in an office somewhere. I don't know anyone who would wear Gretchen's dull clothes. I'll only believe it when I see Nina in them at some red carpet event! Or Michael in the male version the next time he's interviewed. Come on Lifetime! Do you think we're really that stupid?
Everyone has an untapped reservoir of knowledge. Put yours to work for you as an independent consultant by teaching your skills to others.
Amazing! I've been looking for this information for an hour and then it's right here
This show is ridiculous and so are the "judges". Most of which couldn't dress themselves to save their lives. Great designers! Now we can ship your ideas to some third world country to have them manufactured and sell them at a hugely inflated prices to cardboard people like the judges and most of the audience. It's ashame that good human beings can't be on this show. Disgusting people.
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Every girl is beautiful, just takes the right guy to see it.
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