Project Runway 3, Week 10
Manolo says, this week the producers of the Project Runway decided that it would be amusing to bring back the Angela and the Vincent for one more week to torment the other designers and to remind us why we were happy when these two lunatics were sent away in shame, not that they would have noticed, as both are so convinced of their own genius.
And now the Manolo will pretend that this never happened.
And so the five desginers who remain were set to the task of producing the black-and-white dress of the cocktails, only they had to use ALL of the fabric they purchased, as if this were your poor hillbilly granny, who survived the Great Depression in the Kentucky, and would never consider not using every piece of scrap in her “box of notions”.
Nothing says “sophistication” to the Manolo like the forced frugality.
But such is the crazy make-the-couture-in-two-days world in which our television friends reside.
So it was goodbye to our regal Queen Kayne, who when forced to “edit” himself, decided that the best way to do so was with the little black dress with the sneaker lacing up the back. Better if the Kayne had stayed true to himself and made the crazy-sexy, spangly black-and-white pageant cocktail gown, all decolletage and rhinestones with the long train.
Jeffrey produced the design he described as “hip and young”, yes, maybe if this is the 1983 and you are the Jennifer Beals. Michel Kors keeps seeing the Gwen Steffani. The Manolo keeps seeing Rosanne Arquette in the Desperately Seeking Susan.
Uli…boring…boring…boring. You know it is almost over when the judges begin to viciously mock your accent. What next the tomatoes and the rotten eggs?
Michael produced the very pretty dress, although the Manolo was not especially fond of the belt, which savored of the wickety-wack. But the girl worked it and thus Michael is almost certain to be one of the fashion week three.
Finally, the winner was the Laura, perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones talking, but the Manolo has never seen anyone who seemed less able to take the criticism, and at that moment he was hoping that the producers had hidden from her all of the sharp objects.
Ayyyy! The Ice Queen, she has melted into the puddle of tears!
Although to the credit of the Laura, she did listen to what was said, and she benefited from it, producing one of the best things the Manolo has seen this season. Bravo!
Now it is on to the fashion week, where we will find that the final three are (and here the Manolo guesses) Michael, Laura, and Jeffrey, with the Uli as the decoy.
Andiamo!
September 14th, 2006 at 12:56 pm
Oh Kayne! How we will miss you. Personally, I would rather have had Jeffrey out. Kayne has at least made some beautiful clothes and has a fun personality. The only thing I have liked that Jeffrey made was the recycling challenge dress. I thought his couture dress was hideous. I hated the yellow plaid material - it screamed golf pants at me. He is definitely all edge and no elegance. Seeing Victor and Angela back made me really wish that Robert and Allison had won a challenge, because I would have preferred to see them come back. I love your comments Mr SuperFantastic Manolo, and look for them every Thursday morning after the show.
September 14th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
I’m actually wondering if Jeffrey will be the decoy - but if it isn’t him, it will likely be Uli. I was concerned she wasn’t going to make it this week when she said that she was getting a great print to make a hippie dress for a warm climate again. As the Manolo so uproariously said, “One. Trick. Psychedelic. Pony.”
And this week the judges seemed to be frustrated with Jeffrey’s one “L.A. rock” trick too. He may be the pony on his way to the knacker’s faster than he thinks.
September 14th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Erm, that is, “One. Trick. My. Pretty. Psychedelic. Pony.”
I will endeavor to quote the great Manolo more accurately in the future.
September 14th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
Manolo, could you not see the homage to the Guggenheim Museum in Vincent’s top? To use White Trash vernacular, Kayne showed that he has all of his taste in his mouth, with that batwinged horror. And Jeffrey-the-Shmoo made pleatherette thigh-highs, in which the most delicious Gwen Steffani would never, ever be caught dead. When will that ridiculous man with his shaved eyebrow and silly neck tattoos leave?
September 14th, 2006 at 1:14 pm
Oh Manolo, I couldn’t agree with you more. I wanted to scream “No Mas! No Mas!” when Uli picked out that print. And as for Jeffrey……….His creation looked like Daisy Duke meets Madonna in a head on collision. I shudder to think what an all Jeffrey collection would look like, but I fear that’s what we will be treated to as it appears he will almost definitely be a finalist along with Michael and Laura (if she can hold it together). I fear there is no justice in fashion.
September 14th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
I am compelled to leap to Laura’s defense here. Last week, she was blindsided by the NY judges. Catherine Malandrino had loved her dress, and the collar in Paris was light and flirtatious,and did a lot to make the dress less matronly-looking. If Michael Kors had seen the dress in Paris, he never would’ve made that French maid’s outfit remark. The dress did not travel well — and neither did Laura. But it had to be very hard for her, getting such praise and high marks from Catherine Malandrino, to come back, completely exhausted, and then be ripped up on the runway in NY.
I’ve had 3 children, and there is nothing like the exhaustion of early pregnancy. The little one sucks all the life and energy out of his mother in a frenzy of growth and development. I think Laura is an amazing woman, a fantastic designer, and a great role model for 40-something moms like me. I was so happy that she won last night. She certainly deserved it.
September 14th, 2006 at 1:49 pm
“as if this were your poor hillbilly granny, who survived the Great Depression in the Kentucky, and would never consider not using every piece of scrap in her “box of notions”.”
Hahahah, as my friend Tiffany (http://quelquechose.wordpress.com) pointed out — Anything larger than a postcard MUST BE USED. Or else. There are starving designers in Africa who would love to have that fabric, you know.
September 14th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Did anyone notice how the Heidi was not very amused with the snide imitation of the accent of the Uli?
September 14th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Aaaay Manolo! The stuff Laura makes can all be seen in your nearest Macy’s department store. For this reason, I must question your comment that her dress was one of this season’s best things. Come on!
This season is full of boredom.
September 14th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
Manolo,
It makes me sick to think that Jeffrey will be in the final three. His so-called cocktail dress looked like a K-Mart special for pre-teens. His rocker look was founded by Mick Jagger and company before Jeffrey cut his first tooth. He is crass and has no class. Why would anyone root for Jeffrey.
Uli’s dresses are tiresomely the same. Now that Kayne is gone, my hopes lie with Michael and Laura.
September 14th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
“Jeffrey produced the design he described as “hip and young”, yes, maybe if this is the 1983 and you are the Jennifer Beals. ” I thought it looked more like one of the Ladies who prowl the entrance to the Holland Tunnel!
September 14th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
The bringing back of former contestants was wasted on Angela and Vincent . Who cares if they won past challenges? Both produced shoddy work almost consistently. The opportunity would have been much better used had it been given to audience favorite Alison. She actually had a shot to get back in there and stir some things up. As things went, it was plain that TWICE, Angela and Vincent shouldn’t be there. And how sad was the SILENCE that greeted Angela’s return? Ouch. Both were auf’ed a second time- and this time, without even s kiss from Heidi. Dissed hard!
Kayne, sugar, The front of your dress was so sedate, and classic. But then… there was the back. Well, even before that, there was that horror of a prostitute’s belt. So awful one could use it to frighten children of the fashion-forward: “See kids, this is what happens to people who shop at Ross.”
September 15th, 2006 at 4:56 am
Uli, Uli, Uli. You can make the halter dress. WE KNOW. Now do something else!
September 15th, 2006 at 10:47 am
Which would be worse at Fashion Week - a collection of hooker-wear by Jeffrey, or a collection of wild-print halter dresses by Uli? At least with Uli’s collection there might be actual wearable clothing.
September 15th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
Hello allI will continue to visit enjoyed the reading thanks
September 15th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
The Twistygirl knows her rock and roll. The Twistygirl knows and has lived (and continues to live) the rock and roll lifestyle. And the Twistygirl will state emphatically that the only thing “rock and roll” about Pinheaded Jeffrey’s getup this week was that it might be worn by those sad girls who hover outside of the tour buses hoping that their oral skills will win them a backstage pass. Gwen Stefani, I think not!
I will miss Princess Kanye, if for no other reason than he reminds me of my manic hick cousin Susie who also had a penchant for dumpster diving as a child and talks a mile a minute.
September 16th, 2006 at 10:07 am
My favorite moment was Kane, slugging back the champers after Vincent and Angela came back out.
September 16th, 2006 at 3:38 pm
This show has jumped the shark, and in no way is about who has the most talent or is truly creative. It is simply the producers creating a drama,remember that none of the previous winners have done anything of interest since winning. Spending your time working on your craft and finding a mentor would do all of these aspirants far better than pining their hopes on a fleeting moment in a second tier magazine or designing bridge sportswear for a department store. The product placement has gotten out of control (does anyone ACTUALLY use Tresemme?)
I am the same age as Laura and have worked in the clothing industry for 16 years, it’s a hard road, and there aren’t any shortcuts, very little glamour, but a lot of satisfaction in having something you made being worn by someone who loves it.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
Kayne, you will be missed you truly were the “sunshine” of the show.
I hope Uli is the decoy because I’m so tired of the crazy prints and halter dresses, I’m from LA and even here we don’t wear those dresses year round, how about some variety Uli….
Congrats to Laura she deserved this win, I love her dress and can see myself buying it.
September 16th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffrey, if you are going to rain trash on everyone else’s work, you’ve got to show us something as dazzling and edgy as you think you are!!! I’m just not seeing anything that justifies all your verbal thunder and finger flashing. I remember wearing that exact mix of prints for forays to New Wave Wednesdays at Neo in Chicago twenty years ago. I’m rooting for Michael or Laura, I enjoy the way they problem solve each week and back it up with real tailoring skills. IMO they are actually designing rather than taking the Ego for a walk each week. So sad to see Kayne go, loved his spirit and his snarks. Thanks to everyone, I’m really enjoying reading all your opinions.
September 16th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
Laura will be decoy..Why??????Because she had a fall collection and no bathing suit,which the other 3 designers had…..
September 16th, 2006 at 11:05 pm
The Joel Griffith, he has asked if anyone has used the Tresemme. Miss Nell, she has used it. She attributes this horrible lapse in judgment to post-partum sleep deprivation. The product in question made her hair turn sticky, as if it were the remnants of the wax candle.
The Head and Shoulders of the husband of the Miss Nell, it is to be preferred to the Tresemme.
September 17th, 2006 at 6:14 pm
All the comments above are so incredibly intelligent and perceptive, I am convinced that the average viewer/fan of Project Runway is so much smarter than the producers and judges. This show HAS jumped the shark big time-something was missing from this season….Not one of these designers seem like a “nice” person or at least an interesting person. The work is so derivative..Jeffrey’s designs have all been done years before by rockers a lot more innovative than him. I have seen Uli type dresses in Florida area boutiques for years and overall there just hasnt been any real striking and original ideas. Frankly, although her taste left something to be desired, Angela had the most alternative and original point of view. The whole season just reeked of the producers clumsy attempts to create drama by poor editing. And please, the mulltiple scenes of Laura boo hooing…..if she hadnt been so snarky to Angela earlier, I might have felt a little sorry for her. It would be nice if there would have been at least one or two talented designers left who were able to refrain from making bitchy or negative comments about the other designers. If the last five were so sure of their talent, why were they so threatened and nasty when Angela and Vincent came back? Michael has shown the most maturity but because of the editing who really knows what any of these people are like? I want to see more of the designs and the process of creating them and less drama.
September 18th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
wouldn’t the decoy be the one with no family/friends there? i mean, Bravo will only pay for so much, right? we know Jeff’s girlfriend (in full mohawk) was there, as was michael’s mother… but what about Laura and Uli?
i like michael, but it looks like he went wild with the Pam Grier challenge. Jeffery’s looks more like an actual collection… like a real colllection, as does laura’s. i’m not sure what to say about Uli’s…
September 18th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
I don’t know Dawster because uli said herself she had not seen her mother in four years. Laura’s hubby was probably with the 5 children, although he could have gotten a babysitter. I love Michael I just wish he had included some classier pieces, but he was innovative. I hated his swimwear. LOVED THE WHITE PIECES!!! What was he thinking. personally I would have been thinking Macy’s shoppers.
If they take into consideration what the designers have been doing during the challenges then Michael has been really banging it out. Jeff went hooker on us and should have lost the last challenge. uli and Laura do the same pieces over and over.
I can not wait to find out who is the decoy. THERE MAY NOT BE A DECOY.
September 18th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Wasn’t that Nazri walking the runway in one of Uli’s dresses? Did she steal her away from Michael in the final challenge? Ahhh, the intrigue!