PROJECT RUNWAY: Episode 2, Potato sack races

The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.

0 comments

PROJECT RUNWAY: Episode 2, Potato sack races

POSTED: Friday, January 22, 2010, 6:30 PM

Filed Under: TV | ProjRun Watch

mylifetime.com

Jay's winning design.

Re-capping Project Runway, fashionably on-time.

In week two of the show that makes and breaks designer dreams, the cast was taken to a farm and greeted by Big G Tim Gunn and the models of the runway. Tim, as per usual, was in a suit (would he be caught dead in anything else?) but the models were all wearing potato sacks, which did nothing for their figures. The challenge this week was to create a party look with burlap.

In an attempt to switch things up a bit, the models got to choose their designers. Model Alexis ditched her old designer Mila to work with the always stunning, always charming, and forever near to my heart Anthony. Scandalous, I know. Mila, of course, was salty about the whole swap and dug herself a little grave when she told Anthony that switching designers was Alexis' loss. When she tried to put the claws away Anthony just replied, "That's okay, I left my feelings in Atlanta." Then in the confession booth he told the world, "Mila can kiss me and my entire family's asses." That's right sister.

To add insult to injury, the models doubled as the clients, which means they had input into the design and proves that just because you look good in clothes doesn't mean you should design them. This is a classic Runway ploy: Designers have to find the balance between their own vision and that of their clients. Gunn gave Jesus some serious advice that the kid decided to completely disregard, which ProjRun regulars know is a terrible idea. Jesus was trying to sneak burlap into his garment instead of showcasing it as the main fabric, sewing yard after yard of ribbon over the burlap, creating a lame-o green and brown dress that was later called matronly, and rightfully so. The zipper in the back was exposed, too, though that was hardly a concern after seeing what Ping's dress exposed on her model.

That's right: Batshit crazy Ping made some atrocious dress that left the model's ass cheeks hanging out. Yes, the boxy skirt didn't do much more for the model's shape than an unaltered potato sack. However, you can't deny that Ping, in all her weirdness, is creating pieces that are edgy and provocative.

Anthony, King of Southern Sass, dyed his burlap red and made a beautiful dress that had a fitted bodice and a skirt that was draped just enough to add some puff, but not enough to throw off the whole body shape, like his dress from last week. Ben also created a dress in red with one flirty off-the-shoulder sleeve, a high waist, and a tulip skirt but it gave the model a bit of prego-tummy. Emilio's dress couldn't have fit the model any better — the man knows how a woman's body should be dressed. I'm nervous, though, because the pattern of the dress is a little too similar to last week's, with the collage of multiple fabrics coming together to create one big, happy fabric. Let's just hope that he doesn't keep on this track, because it'll get real boring real fast.

Jay won this week with a dress that had a slim-fitting frayed top and a bottom reminiscent of a tutu. The skirt was made from burlap that he dyed, cut, frayed and added ribbon to in order to make it look like it was made from feathers. Jay left everything a bit rough around the edges, but the man was working with burlap. He really made that potato sack transform without completely losing the raw material.

Then, of course, there was a loser. It should have been Jesus packing his bags to head back home, but instead it was PA native Pamela. Okay, yes, her dress looked a little like something you could pick up at Rave or DEB circa 1998, but at least she followed the challenge, unlike Mr. Jesus. She dyed her burlap to look like faded denim, and unfortunately succeeded. Then she added some brown suede detail vertically in the front, and some zig-zag lacing that made the whole thing just scream trash. But did she follow the challenge? Did she do a killer job dying the fabric to look exactly like she wanted it to? And did she allow her material to be seen rather than hiding it under some putrid green ribbon? Poor, poor Pamela should have been given one more chance. The Drexel teacher said after losing that she would go home and continue teaching. It would be pretty sad if you lost ProjRun and went home to do nothing with your life but mourn the two weeks you spent on the show. Seriously, girl, you got a bum deal, but you just got to move on with your life. Project Runway is only the world to some people. Let it go.

Sossy

Posted 2010-02-11 21:27:55

I still can't get over how bad Ping's designs were - every single one of them.  It is true that Jesus is outclassed in the group, but at least his dress could have been worn in public. As mentioned, he didn't meet the criteria of the challenge. Ping's contribution was inexcusable, though. Her first design (Week One) was a sloppy, formless mess. But the judges thought it was oh-so-wearable. By Week Two, her true lack of skill was jaw-dropping. Her butt-bearing disaster was hideous in every way. At least they took a closer look by the third week. There's a huge difference between 'edgy and provocative' and immature & ill-conceived. Ping should have been gone, not Pamela. I am sorry we won't get to see what Pamela could have produced over the next few competitions.

Amy Kuhre

Posted 2010-01-22 23:35:58

Fucking yeah! Nicely done, Juletone. I seriously felt like you were re-capping this on my patio over smokes and gallons of Gallo! Miss you girl! Keep killin' it~

Posted by Julia West @ 6:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

0 comments

Comments (0)

PHILLY LOVE NOTES: An ode to Spruce Street
Q&A with SHARI SOLANIS: "The goal isn't pornography"
ICE CUBE: In Memoriam: Joe Tartaglia
CONCERT REVIEW & PHOTOS: James Blake @ TLA 5/11
What we're trying to do this weekend
SEXY TIME Q&A: I've never had an orgasm during sex with a man — and I'm 30!
Coming soon to Philly: Two cockamamie movie promotion schemes
Q&A with Tony Goldwyn: "Life is gray, and relationships are, too"
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: The Archbishop meets the Geator, the Mayor goes suit shopping, Le Bec Fin fin.

About this blog

Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

Follow Critical Mass editors Patrick Rapa and Emily Guendelsberger on Twitter:

@mission2denmark | @emilygee

Search this blog:

Topics:

Blog archives:

May
April
March

February
January

Past Archives: