Project Runway 3, Finale, Part One
Manolo says, ayyyyy, the Green Eyed Monster raises it’s red head, bringing the expensive Louis Vuitton luggage with it!
This complaint by the Laura against the Jeffrey was perhaps the most unseemly example of the rampant jealousy the Manolo has ever seen. To complain to Tim and the producers, like the crybaby, because your opponent’s garments are too good seems to the Manolo to be the acme of insecurity.
“Waaaaaah! Jeffrey’s clothes are better than mine, please disqualify him!”
Yes, the Manolo does not doubt that the Jeffrey’s final garments were finished to the higher degree of perfection than he had demonstrated during the regular competition. How could it be otherwise? The weekly challenges of the Project Runway are to be completed in the mere hours, while Jeffrey had two months to prepare his final garments.
This episode, it has greatly lowered the Manolo’s opinion of the Laura, and much worse, it has also diminished the Manolo’s enthusiasm for the Michael who went along with this unseemly accusing.
Also bothering the Manolo, was that this was the second time this season when the Tim publicly confronted the contestant with the accusation. Declassé… the Manolo would have hoped that such disciplinary actions would be taken in private, with only the Tim, the accused, and the cameras in attendence. Certainly this is how Tim would handle this as the academic dean at Parsons? But apparently such common sense things are not possible in the world of the reality television.
Aside from this needless controversy, what is there to say about this first part of the finale, other than that the Bravo TV is begining to seriously alienate the warm affections of the Manolo, if for no other reason than that they have been dribbling out these final episodes. The Fashion Week was more than the month ago, and the ardor the Manolo has felt for the Project Runway has begun to dim.
What is that the Manolo hears in the distance…the faint sounds of the shark preparing to be jumped?
Although, it is certainly not too late to restore this beloved show to its former glory. The Manolo demands that the producers ditch the senseless drama and petty gamesmanship and focus again on the manifest joys of making the fashion.
October 12th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Well, to be fair to the Tim Gunn, the first time he confronted a designer in public, it was because Keith insisted on doing it there. He wouldn’t meet with or talk to Tim anywhere else. Also, while I’m sure “jealousy” is part of Laura’s response to Jeffrey’s clothes, I wouldn’t attribute it only to that. Michael wouldn’t have jumped on the bandwagon as he did if it was simple jealousy. IMO.
October 12th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Cry not my beloved Manolo! I think ye be a tad too harsh on Laura. For the first time in 3 seasons, a designer shows up without so much as a hook to move despite having 3 fewer months to prepare the clothes? Said designer just happens to be the only one with an existing production facility filled on most days with semi-legal aliens working their fingers to the bony bones? And the finishing, it happens despite an admission that he was working on another line entirely for his existing business and enjoying his impossibly cute child and mohawked gf? Alas, in context it was right for the Laura to raise the question, and she did so without a lot of malice if you ask me. She said she didn’t doubt the design influence, just that he did all the sewing himself. The producers could have blown her off if they didn’t think there was the weensiest bit of merit in the allegation. Fact that they didn’t, and the previews for next week, could mean they found some, if not complete, merit in it. In any event, I think it means Uli wins. Because as Kara Saun learned, the cheating, or even the allegation of cheating, it can hurt you.
October 12th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
I agree with wannabe. Not a hook, not a seam, not a button needed to be worked on. Not a single designer in 3 seasons could say that. Not a single designer had a football-field sized attelier filled with, as wannabe puts it, semi-legal aliens working on an existing line of clothes.
I think that the questions were valid. I think that Tim and the producers thought they were valid. Whether Jeffrey wins or loses, he is still one of the most odious things I’ve ever seen on my teevee.
And maybe, just maybe, that is the splash of shark jumping you hear in the distance.
October 12th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
So you believe that people should not say anything if someone else is cheating?
How about a game of Texas Hold’em? If you think I’m dealing from bottom of the deck you can’t protest. That would make you a whiny, jealous crybaby, now shut up and hand over your money.
October 12th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
On the podcast, Tim claims he told Jeffery to have everything as finished as possible to avoid Daniel V problems…and he did it. Now this heffa, w/ her baseless accusations, goes and accuse the man of cheating? Seems that when the judges or Tim suggests something to a finalist always gets the crap ebd of the stick (thinking of Santino last season too).
To accuse someone of something WITHOUT evdience is the lowest form of sabotage, IMHO.
October 12th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Forgive the spelling…this whole thing just makes me mad. Nobody would be so cavalier if they were in his shoes.
October 12th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
I happen to agree with the Manolo’s take. My favorite thing about this show was that out of all the reality crap out there, this one was really about skill and talent, and not backstabbing and “alliances”. This melodrama, first with Keith, and now with Jeffrey, really bugs me. Especially the way the preview was edited to make it look like Jeffrey is going to get kicked to the curb, which I don’t think is going to happen. I think the show stands on it’s own without all the cliffhangers.
I am not a Jeffrey nutswinger, but I also totally believe he could have sewn twelve (?) outfits in two months. Plus, if he hand sewed all his rock star outfits for clients like Steven Tyler I am sure his skill was much better showcased for Fashion Week than when facing a two day challenge.
I now heart Uli after hearing her discuss her childhood in East Germany and her coming to America story. I still don’t love her clothes but I’d be fine with her winning. I have championed Michael all season long but his clothes for Fashion Week are BAD, and not the good kind of bad at that.
October 12th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
Well put, Manolo! I too have grown less interested in the show the more the producers drag it out.
October 12th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
It is apparent to all contestants and the viewing public that Jeffery had his work farmed out. Therefore, it had to be addressed. As Michael said,”It is the elephant in the room.” I say Bravo for Laura who is hands down the most talented, for brining it up.Lastly, drama is what reality tv is all about.
October 12th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
If Jeffrey gets kicked out over Laura’s accusations, I will be finished with PR. There’s already too much to watch on Wednesday anyway.
I agree, focus on the fashion!!!
GG
October 12th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
I am too sick of this show. Making me wait for 2 weeks to watch one episode during this season and now all of this discussion and suspicion, and drama. Ugh I don’t think PR gives two you know what’s for any of these designers or the people who watch the show. This is sickening. And this is the first and the last season that I will ever watch.
October 12th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more Manolo. I think it was churlish of Laura, though I think we can cut her some slack because it can’t be easy turning in a new direction in your 40’s, while pregnant, in the pressure-cooker environment of reality tv. Her insecurities and stress-level are probably through the roof right now, and she just went a little berserk momentarily. Michael, on the other hand, has lost my respect for his character. And that was the only thing I liked about him, as I think he is a mediocre designer. I would have preferred Allison in Bryant Park instead of him.
Jeffrey created an elaborate and complex hand-sewn coutoure gown in two days. Michael’s looked like garbage and Laura’s was exceedingly simple. Also, Jeffrey has a professional space to work in, while Michael and Laura are working out of their homes, and Michael in particularly cramped quarters with sub-par machinery, so it’s entirely possible that their own insecurities are causing them to project their own difficulties creating their lines, which aren’t complete yet, onto Jeffrey. And the fact that Jeffrey is done threw them for a loop. It shows how amateur they are as designers to project their own working timeline onto someone else’s work and expect everyone to have the same problems they have. Jeffrey has more advanced skills than they do and a better space to work in, and a mature designer would assume that these factors could explain why he was done before they were. It’s not like Jeffrey has a history of time-management issues. He was never down to the wire during the show, so why should it surprise them that he isn’t now? How about we get back to designing and creating on Project Runway, and less stupid drama? I suggest everyone record next weeks finale, fast-forward to the runway show and judging, and make sure not to support any of the sponsors for the show until the producers stop playing these stupid games with us. So no Tresseme and no Saturn automobiles. Both products are crap anyways so it won’t be difficult I’m sure.
October 12th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
So we know all four of them showed at Bryant Park, so really the drama on PR is just the drama on a reality show gone retarted. From the looks shown on the Olympus Fashion Week site, I honestly think Jeffrey will win. I hate that but I can almost hear Nina say, “It’s so fresh!” I’ve been a strong Michael supporter all season, but the images I’ve seen of what he ended up showing…YIKES! Laura’s fashions are great, I think they are pretty, but they are not going to appeal to the judges because a lot of the looks have been done before. And if not done before, the details she’s added to be inovative, were just wrong, what was with the tule coming out of the top of that fabulous satin jacket!? Uli should stay in Miami. I lived in south Florida for a long time and yes, that is what the chic wear and she parades it on the runway, over and over and over again. It’s not bad, it’s just not great either.
October 12th, 2006 at 6:07 pm
The Manolo, he has totally hit this one on the (shark’s) head.
October 12th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
I think Laura made a good point. It is odd that Jeffrey had nothing to do. With that being said, I personally was not impressed with his line at all. There were some good pieces but if I were the other designers, I would not be concerned at all.
Wasn’t his reaction shocking? I thought he would be his typical asshole self and cuss Laura out or something (not that I would have blamed him in this context.)
This is such a wast of time since we all know he presented at Fashion Week. Anyway Is this a fashion contest or is it a damn soap opera. Project Runway is a ratings whore.
October 12th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
If the producers kick Jeffrey off because of Laura’s accusations, it means that they have good reason to do so. I love Jeffrey’s clothes, but I just don’t think he could have completed them in only two months, especially since he really didn’t have that much done when Tim visited him. This compounded with the rumors that he read Keith’s pattern books really make me think that Jeffrey’s a cheater, and I’m no Jeffrey-hater, either. Actually, Jeffrey was one of my favorite designers all season, and Laura one of my least favorite, but in this case, I have to say that she did the right thing.
October 12th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
I agree with Manolo, why do we have to wait over a month to see the outcome of the runway……..they are just milking it.
I also agree that Miss thing, Laura, has issues with her stongest opponet. Go Jeffery.
October 12th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
right on manolo gurl.
enough blatant reality-drama-editing.
get on wif the fashion.
fierce.
October 12th, 2006 at 8:32 pm
Rumor has it that Laura’s mother and Jeffrey’s mother stayed in touch after the mom challenge, and that Jeffrey’s mother said something about him sending his work out to be finished. If this were the case, it would help to explain why Laura was immediately suspicious of Jeffrey’s clothes, even before she looked closely. Although, if it is true, I don’t know why they would keep the info from us during the show. Unless Laura didn’t want to tattle on Jeffrey’s mom?
AND, did anyone notice the shadiness when it was time to hand in the receipts? Everyone else easily tossed them over to Tim, but Jeffrey was fidling around for a while. Hmmmmm….
October 12th, 2006 at 9:29 pm
tales-within-tales, stories-within-stories and reading between the lines…..
Manolo, on the one front, I agree, enough with the ANTM-esque lowest-common-denominator, demeaning, cry-baby drama. I just want to see more skill, design, substance, more fashion; ……less of the yawnable d-list circus-freakery. The things one see’s when one hasn’t got ones gun with one….
That said, I wonder if the laura would not have been so bold without the sure knowledge and the serious hints of which we are unaware. Why would the Gunne not have sniffed dismissively at the alledged infractions, if he did not smell the badness (surely not a producer-operatated marionnette?). There was that pre-hint when he turned apoplectic at the extent of the Cardasians established sewing operation.
On a diferent note, I’m (predictably) unimpressed with jefffrey’s Santino-esque, nauseating, self promoting “Although I may have seemed like a bit “rough’n'tumble”, u gotta feel sorry for me: I was a junkie, and my boring competitors just have had normal productive lives” BS jeff.
October 12th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
You are truly wise, Samurai!
Ono-Jeffrey’s mother said he had lots of work to do-not he’s sending work out.
October 12th, 2006 at 11:20 pm
Fashion? What’s that? You mean Project Runway isn’t a soap opera? :*
October 12th, 2006 at 11:49 pm
It’s a little bit dumb to show all this cliffhanger!drama about “OH NO WILL JEFFREY BE KICKED OFF ZOMFG???” when we’ve already seen from the newspaper that all four of them show their (rather unimpressive) lines.
And besides, I doubt Jeffrey would be so stupid to cheat.
October 13th, 2006 at 1:36 am
i think laura had a valid point and it was actually both uli and michael, not just michael, who wondered about it, as well. uli is jeffrey’s buddy and simply seemed more reluctant than the others to raise the issue. i think that for her part laura handled it as well as could be expected by at least being up front with jeffrey. i don’t mind the drama and cliffhangers at all, this is entertainment, people, not c-span. the producers have to try to predict not only who will make good clothes, but who will be fun to watch and how the personalities mesh and clash. it’s a crapshoot, really, and some seasons are going to feature excellent design, and some seasons are going to fall short in that department, but the entertainment factor is what will keep the show on the air and i think that they probably just do what they can to squeeze as much juice out of what they have to work with as the days unfold. on balance, i still like the show quite a lot and i’ll miss it when it’s over.
by the way, am i the only one who thinks it’s interesting that the jeffrey of the tattoed neck chose hanging as the way to, uh, go?
October 13th, 2006 at 7:58 am
If you notice, it’s all in the editing. If you review the tapes, Michael and Uli are suspicious as well, but the focus of the editing is on Laura. I did not like them pawing through Jeffrey’s clothes. It was a little akin to a suspicious wife rifling through her husband’s wallet to find evidence of wrong doing. However, on second viewing, Uli was the first to approach Jeffrey’s rack.
To give Laura her due, she was honest about her feelings, though she should probably have talked to Jeffrey first, not Tim.
Manolo, once again you have hit the nail on the head. The excitement of watching PR has waned. For me it was all about the clothes and the creative process. The producers (wrongly) assume that all we want to see is drama.
If you’re reading this, producers, na-ah
October 13th, 2006 at 9:32 am
Just wanted to point out that Jeffrey could have shown at Fashion Week (decoy-style) but not have been judged on Project Runway.
October 13th, 2006 at 9:34 am
I think everyone should boycott Laura’s future work and her future employer for being such a crybaby.
October 13th, 2006 at 10:46 am
I think it is hilarious that everyone in jumping on the bandwagon to dump all over one or the other designer. We all know that there are three sides to every story and editing on a reality show will most likely barely even get one of those right. I’ll wait and see how things work out in “real life” and then make my judgement. If anybody has the right to be pissed at Laura, its Jeffrey…and condsidering that he watched the reunion special at her loft (which aired weeks after OFW), I’m considering the matter to be much ado about nothing.
October 13th, 2006 at 11:35 am
You know, I can really see both sides… if I thought someone was cheating, I’d speak up, regardless if it made me look like a bitch (and I’ve done so in my everyday life). It takes a lot of cojones to do so.
OTOH, I’d be willing to believe Jeffrey did it all himself. He had room to sleep in his workspace, and he seems like the kind of person who would throw himself into it and just meet his girlfriend and child for dinner and get back to work. Ex-junkies are like that, angry workaholics. Additionally, while I was surprised that he didn’t need fitting and adjustment on the woven and leather peices, it appeared that a good portion of the line was knitwear (correct me if I’m wrong) and fit is less critical with knits.
In the end however, I have to agree with the esteemed Manolo. The level of “reality TV drama” has risen to unattractive levels and the producers would do well to bring the focus back to the clothes.
October 13th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
I’m disgusted w/ big Red myself, oh the nerve of that stuffy Park Avenue biatch(*slaps Red across the face*).
Jeffery (luv him or not) has a big business in LA, I saw his business website and they sell his clothes in Europe as well as USA; the boy really does have mad skilz, we just only got to see perhaps up to 50% of those skilz -due to PR’s severe time constaints. Laura’s clothes on PR during the season were mainly high waisted dresses and a pair of high wasited pants (icon challenge), so she’s not the bad arse of sewing; I know Jeffery has more intricate skills cause his clothes demand that style, look at his clothing line to see the proof.
Red knows she fu#%* & up in turning over Jeffery, no wonder she kisses his arse during the reunion (coming to his aid over the Darlene issue -which beleive me she wouldn’t do if he did cheat). Plus the fact that Jeffery watched final ep 1 at Laura’s house speaks volumes, she’s butt kissing and he’s letting her. I just hope big Red gets hers after next week, the media is going to thrash her for those unfounded allegations.
October 13th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
[…] I’m not sure I have much to add beyond what Manolo the Shoe-Blogger has written about the first half of the season three finale. Laura seems to be stirring up trouble out of jealousy and a desire to win, Jeffrey is acting shifty, while Michael and Uli should be minding their own beeswax, not backing Laura up. Jeffrey and Laura’s stuff looks the best. Uli’s looks the same as it always has, barring her recent win. And Michael, who I was certain would win, seems to be buckling under the pressure. The previews made it look like Jeffrey was going to be eliminated because of Laura’s accusations of cheating. Therefore, I suspect it won’t happen. Generally, they merely hint at things that will happen. Strong telegraphing usually means a red herring or surprise reversal. It feels like a disappointing end to this third season. […]
October 13th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
I’ve no earthly idea,
but what I first thought when viewing Jeffrey’s OFW photos was “hmmm. a few kinda interesting things from the angry peanut”. Later, closer viewing (before the controvery) “hmmm. not very well-made or fitted, is it?”
October 14th, 2006 at 9:18 am
“Oh, I only watch it for the clothes.” Why are the majority of the above comments about personalities? Maybe the producers understand something, like what really catches us up in the show.
That said, I skipped last weeks episode, it was boring last year.
If the designs are uninteresting next year, I’ll probably lose interest. Reality shows aren’t my thing. I don’t watch any of them.
Did some of the challanges seem mean this year? The producers added on unexpected elements at the last minute. I thought that was harsh.
Just my opinion.
October 16th, 2006 at 3:39 am
Jeffrey farmed out his work. Laura, Michael and Uli all suspected it. It’s ashamed that Laura is made into the ‘tattle tale’.
And, considering Jeffrey’s abhorrent behavior and constantly reminding anyone who’ll listen that he’s a recovered junkie…….I doubt he’s clean and sober. He doesn’t behave as if he’s made that profound transition. He’s immature, enraged,deceptive and cruel.
If Jeffrey wins I won’t be watching a 4th season of the show.
GO ULI!!! Love her clothes….they’re feminine, sexy and sensual. And, impeccably made.
October 18th, 2006 at 11:30 am
We’ll all find out tonight, but I suspect that Jeffrey did actually farm out more than “a bit of pleating” to his employees or others. Not too much more than what could be charged up to the $8000 limit on the line, though.
Looks like (or was edited as if) Jeffrey was a bit sloppy in his receipts. Seems odd for a guy in the business a while to not keep better track of his underlying costs, but the producers probably had the resources to track down the true costs, and figured out a way for Jeffrey’s line to come in (with the finishing help) under the cost limit.
My guess is that the disappearance of the blond wigs (and their associated cost) from the Olympus Fashion Week show is the compromise that is reached to meet the limits on the cost of the line.
The fact that Jeffrey and Laura could get along afterward (the reunion show, and watching the airing of it together at Laura’s place in NYC) seems to show that the resolution was satisfactory to all the contestants.
More than a tempest in a teapot, but not actually cheating.
Love your blog, Manolo.
October 19th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
The bonus videos on the Bravo site show show the four getting back together at the Atlas. Jeffrey describes a visit to his sample maker. That was enough to raise my suspicions. All the contestants had a right to be concerned, but Laura was the only forthright enough to act.