Manolo says, ayyyyyyy! The newest season of the Project Runway, it has begun!

With it comes the return of the smartest man on the television, the magnificent Tim Gunn! Celebrate!

And with him comes the beautiful Heidi, and the crabby Nina, and the Michael Kors, looking as puffy and day-glo and as bitchy as ever! Celebrate again!

As has become traditional, the first night of the new season, it is filled with too many characters and too much confusion to be fully comprehensble in the single sitting, and so the Manolo he will have to again watch this episode before he can fully sort out the various personalities, however, here are the first impressions of the Manolo.

The Front Runners

Keith: The Keith he has it all, the very strong design sensibility, the difficult and arrogant personality, and he looks like the Jude Law. Look for him to be there near the finish.

Laura. The Manolo loves the Laura and her impeccable, refined taste in the clothes, although he has his doubts about her hair color, which may best be described as heirloom tomato red. She would be the Manolo’s favorite to win, except he is worried that her style, it may be considered too derivitive and restrained for the judges. In the fact, he thought her design should have been the winner on the first show.

Robert: The Manolo’s favorite to win. He has the mostly calm, wry personality and the super fantastic Barbie experience.

Second Tier
Angela: There is intelligence behind the artsy-craftsy-woodsy-folksy work of this Ohio organic girl. The Manolo also reminds you that the outsiders of strong individual vision do well in the Project Runway. She is the dark horse of the Manolo.

Kayne. The Manolo loves the Kayne, if only because he is so perfectly comfortable in being the huge flaming cliche, although the Manolo suspects he is actually quite savvy, and will be quite good at adapting to the game.

Michael: One of the Manolo’s early favorites, if only because the Manolo thought his dress was quite good, and the use of the coffee filters was clever. He is another outsider with the strong, eccentric personal vision. And if only the Michael Knight could use his secret weapon, the K.I.T.T., he would be the sure winner.

Uli: Mmmm, krauty and intelligent and possessed of the experience the Manolo believes will help her to do well.

Plot Devices

Malan: Or as the Manolo likes to think of him, Lord Valdemort Lite. His strong artistic vision and possibly malevolent personality will allow him to compete until near the end.

Jeffrey: It is not often that one sees aggressive neck tatoos on the person who is not locked into the maximum security prision. The Jeffrey he will be around for many weeks, because of the personality. As for his style, it would be perfect if you are treking alone into the irradiated, post-apocalyptic wastes of the Forbidden Zone.

Cannon Fodder

Vincent: Is the Manolo the only person who sees the Vincent and thinks he looking is the “kooky” character being played the late and great Dick Shawn? Gone by the third week.

Bradley: Duuuuuude, the Manolo expects Bradley to later give us the semi-coherent lecture on the virtues of hemp.

Bonnie: Pleasant, sweet, gone soon.

Katherine: Quirky, but in the usual and predictable ways that such peoples are quirky.

Alison: The best of the cannon fodder, which should allow her to make it about half of the way through the season.

Gone Already

Stacey: Possibly the competent marketing expert, but not the designer of the clothes.

The Manolo loves the Project Runway! As do the Manolo’s friends at the Blogging the Project Runway, the indespensible blog for the fans of this wonderful show.