Project Runway returns to New York with Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn,
Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and sixteen new designers as they stitch
and sew their way to Fashion Week, premiering Thursday,
January 14, 2010 at 10 PM ET/PT on Lifetime Television.
Photo Credit: Lifetime Television, 2009. T to B, L to R:
Mila Hermanovski, Jonathan Joseph Peters, Amy Sarabi,
SethAaron Henderson, Pamela Ptak, Jesse LeNoir, Emilio Sosa,
Christaine King, Jesus Estrada, Janeane Marie Ceccanti,
Jay Nicholas Sario, Ben Chmura, Anna Lynett, Ping Wu,
Maya Luz, Anthony L. Williams
Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 10 PM ET/PT on Lifetime Television
So, we have finally made it through enough seasons of Project Runway to start getting look-alikes. That woman on the end, Mila Hermanovsk, is a dead ringer for Louise Black. There is an Angela Keslar, Victorya Hong, and even a Kenley. I also see a Daniel Franco there in the back. It leaves one wondering if there will be any Campbellesque quotes to go along with him...or crying.
My sources say that the new season is a welcome pool of amazing talent housed in the familiar, and much missed venue of New York City, Parson's and the Atlas Hotel. Nina Garcia is back, as is Michael Kors, and of course Tim, and Heidi—pregnant again. Heidi, you are amazing. You go girl. I can only thank the gods of we-have-no-litigation-to-dance-around for the return to sanity. This time we get to see what the folks at Lifetime can do with no artificial constraints.
There are some style changes to the show. It's a bit more "cinema verite", as Tom and Lorenzo call it, and there is some new product placement that seems to be fun. Winners and losers are announced differently, and that change seems to have gone over well.Yes, there is crying. There is a lot of crying, so I hear. Please, can we stop with the crying? There is no crying in fashion. While we are at it, can we hope to keep the word "edgy" down to a minimum? Edgy is not necessarily a recommendation for a design, and frankly, I am really tired of it being a standard to aspire to on Project Runway. It's just old and worn out.
As promised by my sources, the talent level is even higher than last year. From what I can see, the personality level promises to be at an all time high as well. The average age is a bit older, with not as many fresh-out-of-school designers, and, excitingly, the field is filled with foreign-born designers. Christiane King, age: 30, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Emilio Sosa, age 43, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Jay Nicolas Sario, age 31, The Philippines; Jesus Estrada, age 21, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico; Ping Wu, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. That's five wildly different points of view for us to indulge in. Call it "Team World". And yes, I am curious as to why Miss Wu does not have an age listed.
That leaves Maya Luz, age 22 from Santa Fe, NM; Amy Sarabi, age 26 from Plano, TX and Anna Lynett, age 23 Whitefish Bay, WI to round out Team Fresh Face. Anthony Williams, age 28 from Birmingham, AL; Ben Chmura, age 30 from South Meriden, CT, Janeane Marie Ceccanti, age 28 from Willows, CA, Jesse LeNoir, age 25 from Painesville, OH; Jonathan Peters, age 29 from Woonsocket, RI making up team, "It's Time for My Big Break", and only Mila Hermanovski, age 40 from Dallas, TX, Pamela Ptak, age 47 from Pittsfield, MA; Seth Aaron Henderson, age 38 from San Diego, CA to populate "Team This is It". So we have a bell curve on our ages here, with most of the field at about the right time in their career for Project Runway to do the most for them. "Team World's" ages are balanced as well, with Miss Wu somewhere in the middle.
There are a few standouts that have made themselves obvious watch-ables if you go by their home visit videos. Anthony "Stacked, Packed and Ready to Attack" Williams promises to be a great source of amusement with his flamboyant nature. His work speaks of a restrained architectural bent that ends up being rather Presidential Ball in feel. It all seems very bi-polar, and intriguing. Please, just don't cry, Anthony.
Christiane King is adorable, and her past work portfolio is chock full of floaty, whimsical geometric and modern takes on Hollywood glamor. I want to wear what she makes all the time,and I want to wear it to Home Depot.
Ben Chmura's robot lamps promise a sense of whimsy in his work. I covet those lamps. Indeed, he lists comic books and science fiction as his inspirations. His work looks quirky, and fun, but from what I see in some of the pics, I worry that he may have issues with fit. The looks are intricate and avant guard, so it may not matter too much.
All in all, this season ought to shine. Lifetime is free to be what it needs to be to make this season a hit. The designers promise a lot of personality and talent, and we are back in New York, where fashion is born. I'm counting the days until January 14th. I need my Project Runway fix!
Comments