Project Runway: 16 — Page 2

"Did they say that FOUR out of the five will go to fashion week?"

That's what I heard too.

A woman who lives down the street went there in a text to me earlier. She wrote, "who the hell wants to be bothered with those god-awful straps when entering/exiting cars, buses, trains, or planes...cute on a model I suppose but not practical for an everyday woman. His tomboy chic line of crop tops does nothing for me. I've pushed out 3 babies and got stretch marks to show for it".

About that blue dress. While I don't find Kenya the most innovative designer out of the lot this season, I gathered from the episode that she has many years designing for full figured women in her family and it shows. She made her very curvaceous model Liris look like a million bucks. From the choice of fabric to the intricate detailing, that dress on her model was a knock out. In contrast, Kentaro has struggled mightily all season long whenever he's been paired with a a model with any meat on her bones. I have nothing against the bros but it's time to separate the wheat from the chaff akin to how the twins were dealt with first and later Michael & Margarita.

What has drawn me to Ayana is her taste level, craftsmanship, absence of a need for a bunch of hand-holding from the other designers or Tim, and ability to make a woman look very stylish without showing all the goodies. If she shows at fashion week, I predict that she will pull off a huge upset. Brandon will send a Neapolitan ice cream box-inspired collection down the runway with the models tripping over each others' straps. I'm baffled by Nina's unwillingness to call him out for producing garments week after week that scream "junior". He's immensely talented but so far hasn't produced a single bodycon garment or anything with vibrant colors or anything with a dazzling print.

Updated On: 10/28/17 at 05:22 AM

I really didn't like the blue dress, especially the fit. It was puckering all over the place, especially as she walked. I appreciate that she put a lot of work into the pleating, but to me, it really didn't look that great, especially against Ayana and Brandon's designs. Up close, Brandon's outfit did look really good, but Ayana deserved that win. Her outfit was perfection on perfection. Kentaro should have been voted out, but it wouldn't have mattered. Tim was going to save whoever was eliminated. It was pretty obvious.

I actually like Brandon's looks, overall. And I'm usually more of a bright color kind of guy. His garments this season already look like a cohesive collection, which is going to be to his benefit whether he wins or not. The straps are visually interesting. Practicality really doesn't matter unless it's a ready-to-wear challenge. 90% of the outfits on Project Runway would never be sold in stores. But Ayana has a level of taste and versatility that is way beyond the other designers. She'll have to blow it in a big way to lose this season. Or Zach and Nina will have to gang up and predetermine a winner as she often did with Kors in the past. Nina Kors was a toxic combination that was more interested in dictating fashion than judging contestants. I'l bail on the show if it starts going down that path again.

I knew the Tim Gunn save was coming....as soon as it was apparent who the bottom 2 were. I think the only person he wouldn't have save might have been Kenya. And while she's very sweet, she seems to miss the mark pretty often.

I thought Tim should have used his Save on Michael.

Season 16 featured one of the most dramatic finales ever. Congratulations to the winner. Tough luck to the other 3 finalists.

On to somber news...Season 1 contestant Wendy Pepper died earlier this week. Her obituary appeared in WaPo yesterday. A few of you will recall that she was one of the most controversial contestants in PR history. My condolences to her family and friends.

‘Project Runway’ Contestant Wendy Pepper Dies at 53

I rated both women higher than Kentaro. Granted, it looked like a true designer fashion show, but to me, it wasn't distinctive at all. Nicely tailored and chic, but pretty boring. Margarita surprised me the most and her collection was pure joy. That swimsuit reveal moment was, quite appropriately, the high point of the entire season. While I wasn't in love with every piece from Ayana, I thought she truly had the winning edge in design and innovation (and that finale dress was probably my favorite look in Project Runway history). But what I truly loved about both women was the fearless individuality of self-expression. Something I haven't seen or felt as strongly since Mondo's first season (when he lost to that awful Gretchen). And I put Brandon firmly at the bottom of the four. It looked like he couldn't escape the tunnel vision of his concept, which was less interesting than everything else he made all season. It was a leap backward. Kentaro made some modern conceptual stuff for the Manhattan MoMA set. After the awful first piece that nobody would wear except on a runway, I think there was one thing I really liked. The rest were either yawn or yuck. His music was...appropriate, I guess. To me, it didn't feel trend-setting or "forward" or emotional or personal. It felt cold, technical and lifeless. I'm disappointed he won.