Thursday 28 June 2012

I Miss Project Runway, Even Though It's Apparently Still A Thing

I had literally erased all knowledge of Project Runway from my brain until I saw a tweet about the upcoming season from Jezebel the other day. Its content "Stressed-out contestant runs away from Project Runaway set, another suffers a breakdown" (cheery stuff, right?!) plunged me back into the crazy crazy wonderful land of budding fashion designers, because OH! The fun I had watching that programme!

I should explain something right off. There are basically only two seasons of Project Runway that I've seen in full, which is something I've only just realised- I stopped watching it when they went to L.A., partly because what's the point if they're not in New York, but mainly because nobody seemed that interesting, but that's ok because I'm fairly convinced that I watched it at its peak, and that there's nothing that could top Season 2, aka clearly the best season of Project Runway. (Feel free to contradict me. I will fight you to the DEATH.)

Because, really, let's consider this rationally. I mean, if you saw this season, I'm positive that you'll know exactly who I'm talking about (and if you didn't, I'm so sorry. There'll be something here for you tomorrow, promise!) because the personalities? Amazing. There was Santino who's such a fucking star and whose impressions of Tim Gunn were completely hilarious; there was Nick, who I still get excited about seeing in this one episode of The Hills he was in (he is/was a teacher at FIDM, where Lauren Conrad was a student) and who my mum, kind of misguidedly fancied; and, well, everyone else was clearly awesome too! There was this one episode where this designer called Andre (who was, obviously, really sweet and awesome too!) went missing, and Tim was worriedly going 'Where's Andre? Has anyone seen Andre?' and this is still a thing that you can say in my house, and everyone will know what you're talking about. And this was like 7 years ago! Season 2: clearly the best.

And it was also the best because, well, there was hardly any bitching. I don't know how true this is of later seasons, but I know for a fact that in Season 5, there was this one contestant (I don't remember her name, because I think this is a season that was on when I was at Uni/away from the satellite TV) who it seemed to me was getting horrendously bullied by the other contestants, which I was just not cool with at all. And this just wasn't something that happened back in the halcyon days of season 2- there was drama and tension, sure, but it wasn't dependent on people being mean to each other, but just on the contest itself. Unless, you know, I'm just romanticising it all in my brain and everyone was just mean to each other at all times...

Interestingly, (or not, depending on how you're finding this post... I already dismissed you if you didn't want to talk about Project Runway!) my favourite contestant wasn't in season 2, though: he appeared in Season 4, and as far as I can tell, he's really the most successful winner of Project Runway, or at least the only one whose name I've ever heard mentioned again. Christian Siriano was clearly the standout designer basically the whole way through the season, but he was also the cutest little ball of energy with a whole lot of confidence, very little modesty, but also not very much arrogance. He was just the awesomest awesome, and in the two seasons that I partially watched after his one, there were really no personalities to match up to his. EVERYONE WHO IS NOT CHRISTIAN SUCKS, OK?!
So. Basically, it's good to know that Project Runway is still around, and that there's the potential for such amazingness to happen again. Having now been reunited with my memories of it (that I have, as you can see, so kindly shared with you!) I feel like I might have a look out for it if/when it returns to British screens, and also when I figure out what channel it might possibly be on... This is definitely a plan, and one which is solidified by the fact that it went back to New York after just one season in L.A., which proves that they must know at least something about what they're doing still! So... yeah. Project Runway. It is/was good. Look into it.

12 comments:

  1. I..have never watched this. In my recollection. I don't have cable, so my tv-watching is very focused, usually in the direction of NBC comedies that I watch on Hulu. But yayyy for family in-jokes! That's what I have to say. My brother and I still quote one random episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun that we've seen a billion times.

    I will try to remember this Christian person's name.

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    1. It's on... I want to say some kind of fox channel, but that's almost definitely wrong. I have no idea. But family in-jokes are the awesomest :). Also Christian is adorable, and he still makes clothes, I'm pretty sure... whenever the Go Fug Yourself people write about New York Fashion Week he always seems to have a collection, so I'm just proud of him and his adorableness!

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    2. It's on Lifetime now! How embarrassing for those of us who associate Lifetime with movies such as "Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?"

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  2. SANTINOOOOOOOOOOOO! I miss that guy. Season 2 has my heart. Also, I am stealing these memes. Just so you're aware.

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    1. SEASON 2 WAS THE BEST EVERRRRR! I think my mum is still in love with Nick, and I don't know how to tell her that he doesn't swing that way... hehe. Santino was SO wonderful though!

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  3. I used to be super into it too, with season 3 being my peak interest. Since then...yeah, my love has just waned a bit. I'll still watch it if it happens to be on tv when I'm looking for something to watch, but that seems to barely happen. Maybe it's on at a weird time?

    Oh, and I met Tim Gunn once at a book signing. He was the NICEST GUY EVER. Love him. He stayed way longer than he was required to, and he made really sweet, nice small talk with everyone. It was ridiculous, and I love him forever.

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    1. Maybe it *is* on at a weird time! I don't know, I just know that I really haven't seen any adverts for it in the LONGEST time, but then we hardly ever watch the channel that it always used to be on now, so... I don't know if I've just missed like 4 seasons or they don't show them anymore or what!

      Tiiiiiiiim! I am so jealous cause he's clearly the best part of Project Runway! Aw, I'm so happy that he's lovely IRL as well as on the telly! :)

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  4. OK so I LOVE Project Runway. Despite myself cos I never watched Season 1 because I decided I was above it or something stupid. And then I saw season 2 and Santino and HOW COULD I NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS SHOW? Obviously they come back to NYC. Why they ever left in the first place is a mystery. And if you can you should watch last season because while the season itself wasn't the most interesting Seth Aaron is my favorite designer. In the "I want to wear all of the clothes you make" kind of way. And he was so up beat all the time.

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    1. I just completely missed Season 1, but SEASON 2 OMFG! I really can't imagine why they left NYC (no disrespect to LA, but, come on! It worked SO well in New York!) Santino rules everything, and there would have been a Santino gif if I'd found one, but, no luck there. I may look for the last season of Project Runway online, sometime, maybe. We'll see. But I trust that Seth Aaron is awesome (although... I really have no idea how you dress. Hmmm... interesting dilemma! Hehe)

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  5. I am shamelessly addicted to project runway. I can't help myself. Christian was my absolute favorite and I just love Tim Gunn.

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  6. I agree with your Christian Siriano love, but he has been replaced in my heart by Mondo. If you didn't see last season or the all-star season that just ended, then you have no idea who Mondo is...but he wears little-boy trousers and bow ties and is JUST the cutest.

    But I didn't finish the all-star season, because there was no Heidi OR Tim Gunn and, therefore, no point at all.

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    1. Oh I forgot about Mondo and you're right he is all kinds of adorable. So wonderful.

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