Project Runway: Mad Dash Mayhem
August 8, 2015 9:05 AM - Season 14, Episode 1 - Subscribe

Project Runway is off to a running start for season fourteen. There are sixteen new contestants who in Tim Gunn's words are "the best of the best in fashion", albeit with big lumps of coal up their rear ends. And not everyone manages to produce diamonds.
posted by bjrn (17 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
At this point there are too many designers to keep track of, for me. And there was a lot of blah, poor fit and poor construction on the runway. I did like the winning look though.

Merline: "Tim Gunn is here for a reason. They call him Tim Gunn because he's Tim Gunn."
posted by bjrn at 9:33 AM on August 8, 2015 [3 favorites]


Can we all please have a serious discussion about what kind of critter might be living in Sporty Spice's hair? I'm thinking possum, or perhaps a stoat.
posted by phunniemee at 11:40 AM on August 8, 2015 [2 favorites]


So the judges tell the designers to show them who they are, they want to learn about them as a designer. Then one designer who showed exactly who she is ended up on the bottom and nearly went home. The garment she made represents her design aesthetic totally. It was hideous, but it followed the brief. The ones who played safe, stayed safe. Typical.

But the scene with Heidi and Tim trying to shoot a basket was hilarious. It reminded me of this.
posted by essexjan at 1:16 PM on August 8, 2015 [2 favorites]


I'm glad Ashley won this challenge - her outfit was my favorite of the 3 top scorers. I hope she sticks around for a while.

I thought for sure Gabrielle would be in the bottom 3. Her dress was ugly and not well-made at all. But she was safe! I would have put her in the bottom over Blake or Duncan.

I liked Duncan and am bummed he was first aufed - but I had a feeling he was a goner when he said that he was still trying to find his aesthetic.

Lindsey looks a lot like Taylor Swift. And Candice reminds me of someone but I can't think of who it is!
posted by SisterHavana at 8:02 PM on August 8, 2015


I am living for Ashley. Bring it, girl.

That horrific contraption with ghastly, asymmetrical, boob straps was an abomination.

I can only justify my continued viewing of PR because I like chatting with y'all! Yay!
posted by missmary6 at 10:00 PM on August 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


The business with the forgotten kits was ridiculous, number one. Three people all thought tools would be provided suggests the rules were not clear. They should have gotten a few generic tools. And the designers who snarked about it (Lindsey), suggesting the three were lazy or stupid, are idiots. Seems like a reasonable mistake that was made in to way, way too big a deal.

Then we have Merline the singer/chatter. Sorry, completely not acceptable to disturb an entire room full of people. Did no one take her aside quietly and politely? I'm sure the producers would be against that sort of thing, but this was just messed up.

I wasn't super wowed by anything, and many were poorly made. Was sorry to see Duncan go. I didn't think Edmond deserved to be in the top group but I hope he makes it through several rounds after trying out for so many years holy cow! He seems nice. Can we have nice designers, for a change?

Designers' pics (to remind yourself who's who)
posted by Glinn at 7:26 AM on August 9, 2015


Then one designer who showed exactly who she is ended up on the bottom and nearly went home

But she didn't go home! And that outfit really was poorly executed. The jacket hung so limply and the dress bunched and pouched in weird ways. The concept behind the dress wasn't a problem so much as how it came together. There's totally room for her aesthetic on project runway... just so long as it's perfectly executed.

Did anyone else get the feeling that Tim and Heidi were both kind of pissed off and uncomfortable throughout the whole show?
posted by meese at 8:28 AM on August 9, 2015


And Candice reminds me of someone but I can't think of who it is!

She reminds me of Krysten Ritter when she played Lucy on Gilmore Girls.

I was sad when Duncan was let go. I thought that the combination of his youth, accent, and the fact that he had never done women's wear would be an interesting enough hook to keep him on the show for a few weeks, even if his designs weren't that great. And, while I didn't think his dress was anything spectacular, at least it was interesting and didn't look like something off the rack of Forever 21 (cough, cough... half of the other dresses... cough...).

I'm pretty much just hate-watching this show from here on out. I wish they could go back to Bravo and be awesome again.
posted by Weeping_angel at 10:57 AM on August 9, 2015


I thought that the combination of his youth, accent, and the fact that he had never done women's wear would be an interesting enough hook to keep him on the show for a few weeks...

The moment he let gush out on the runway that he's never done women's wear before, I cringed, expecting him to become the So Deeply Earnest and Fragile Contestant That Suffers In The Bottom Three For Weeks and Weeks Before Finally Being Put Out of Misery. There's always one, and they always leave me with stomach cramps from the emotional contagion from their flop sweat.

Now I'm really worried Edmond is going to inhabit that role. He's so likable, and he's so damn committed, and I really really want him to do well.
posted by meese at 1:03 PM on August 9, 2015


I really liked the stuff from Duncan's portfolio, and if he'd stuck to what he knew, it would have made for some pretty fabulous women's clothing that still showed his 'esthetic'. He could have made some great pants and a shirt or jacket. But maybe with his inexperience, he knew he wouldn't have enough time for that?
posted by QuakerMel at 6:50 PM on August 9, 2015


(Though I just looked again and I would add in that ugly grey dress with the bottom ruffle as "not youthful." Which also: HOW WAS THAT SAFE?)

Oh I thought that one seemed okay, though maybe only something a model could wear.

I felt like a lot could have ended up at the bottom. The blue/grey formless bag dress.. the ultra boring nothing lavender skirt and generic floral top that just needed some geometric jewelry to be from the 80s. I have no idea what goes on with what the judges pick. I wonder how much of it is just them avoiding arguing with each other. Were they this mysterious and random when Kors was on the show? I forget.
posted by nom de poop at 8:47 PM on August 9, 2015


Did anyone else get the feeling that Tim and Heidi were both kind of pissed off and uncomfortable throughout the whole show?

Well, the crit that he gave the guy who ended up in the top 3 was about the harshest I've ever seen Tim Gunn give to a designer. That he managed to scotch his initial design and come up with that party dress with the lime green lining was pretty amazing and probably in a later episode would be made into a full storyline on the show.

Promising start to the season - seems to be a good pool of talent and some nice people. I did like the Kiwi and would have liked him to stick around, but otoh there didn't really seem to be any like, red shirt that you knew wasn't going to last the episode.
posted by Flashman at 8:12 PM on August 10, 2015 [1 favorite]


...seems to be a good pool of talent and some nice people

Mind you, they probably just haven't cast the villains yet. I just discovered UnREAL, so I'm now seeing Project Runway in a new light.
posted by Flashman at 5:59 PM on August 11, 2015


Like others (not here) have mentioned, I had no idea this was starting up again. I was all set to stream the debate comedy. Since I hadn't familiarized myself with any of the designers, no favorites or detestables up front, I was detached and a little bored throughout the show. The missing work tools--never referred to again--was bizarre. The producers are not going to change one iota of the tired formula and why should they? It's just got more Emmy nominations.

I am glad that Ashley won, her outfit was very striking if not original. She used the supplied fabric to good advantage. I also liked the guy who did the caftan; he did a good job combining those different colors. Most of the garments were uninspired/overworked. The only interesting story was how the TriedOutEverySeason guy fixed his dress. (Laughed when the guest judge said she didn't like using a contrasting lining on the train. Honey, that's the only interesting part of the outfit.)
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:43 AM on August 12, 2015


The missing work tools--never referred to again--was bizarre.

Was this new to this season? If this was some new switch to the rules ("This time, they have their own tools!"), then I would have expected...something more. Like, some set up. Some sort of "Here's why this matters!" speech from Tim or Heidi to explain why they did it. If this isn't some new rule, then I'm really surprised it's never come up at any point before now.

So.... yeah: just really bizarre.
posted by meese at 10:28 AM on August 12, 2015


re: missing tools. I just read Nick V's blog (linked above) and he said his contract was very specific as to what you could bring and what not to bring. It's possible that the producers decided to eliminate that section to see who would be caught out? Nah. We know why two of them didn't have tools (overweight luggage and foreign-born Indian guy thinking tools were provided)(After all, the first challenge had cloth provided...)

Did we ever hear a reason that David (?) the third guy, didn't bring his kit?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:29 AM on August 12, 2015


Mind you, they probably just haven't cast the villains yet.

I don't know, I smelled a villain in the anti-social hipster blonde girl.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:02 PM on August 13, 2015


« Older Farscape: Till the Blood Runs ...   |  Murder, She Wrote: Benedict Ar... Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

poster