Project Runway: Come As You Are

Welcome Designers!

Are you in or are you out?

Let's meet the new cast.

Welcome to Season 9 of Project Runway! I love Project Runway, but like a lot of other people felt that last season lost it's edge and excitement. I think most people blamed the move to Lifetime, but I like to blame Gretchen just cause she sucked.

Blech.

The pre-show was the chance to learn who the top 20 designers were as they would all be invited to New York and immediately be narrowed down to 16.  There was a lot of season 7 winner Seth Aaron who I remember mostly for being annoying and for creating this adorable kid's outfit: 

OK back to the actual episode. The contestants are first asked to show their designs to Nina, Michael, Heidi and Tim so that they can determine who the top 16 will be. David Chum (who I liked), Selena (who changed her wedding for this), Gunner (21, a little too confident) and Amanda (who hates rompers) all get cut right away. The remaining 16 move into their apartments and are woken up at 5am by Tim Gunn telling them to get up, remained dressed as they are and grab one bed sheet. What the f?! As much as I would like being woken up by Tim Gunn I would be pissed if someone made me leave my apartment in the clothes I slept in unless it was because something was on fire.

They are taken through New York in their sheets and a favorite of mine emerges - Kimberly sees a Red Lobster and asks is they can get cheese biscuits [I can show you my cheesy biscuit!]. At Parson's they are given their challenge: Create an outfit using only the clothes you have on and the one sheet you brought with you. I'm assuming a toga wouldn't be good enough for the judging panel. :(

Not too much drama ensues in the workroom. I love the first few episodes of PR when everyone loves each other. I like to see who shares moments together because inevitably some of these people will not like each other in a few weeks when the snark comes out. Tim makes his rounds and the most dramatic thing is he criticizes Beiber Goat Gruff (Rafael Cox - that hair - facial and head were awful) and lets him know he was extremely close to being eliminated:

Just no.

Other revelations: we learn Anya doesn't really know how to sew - or so she says, Kimberly continues to convince me she should be my best friend ("Nut juice!"),  and Bert seems a little weirded out by all the young kids.

Details on the runway show and find out who got sent home after the jump!

Christina Ricci shows up as guest judge and the runway show begins. Here are my thoughts on the contestants and what they brought to the runway:

Julie: She's very into outwear. Her stuff looks like something that Vanessa on Gossip Girl would wear during winter in New York. That is not a compliment. A lot of browns, military greens and heavy materials. Poor Julie gets stuck with the most hideous material for the challenge. She makes what look like snow boarding pants with a one shoulder shirt that could've been cute if it weren't for the awful material.

Viktor: He won me over in the pre-show when they showed a matador jacket he made that was amazing. He doesn't make much of an impact personality wise in the first episode. The dress he presented to the judges disappointed me. It seemed way too bland for Project Runway.
Fallene: She's adorable with her bright auburn pixie cut. Her style seems a little quirky. She was sleeping in a t-shirt that had a clown puking rainbows into a toilet. I LOVE that she decided immediately that she had to use it in her design. The dress she made showed promise but I can't tell if the stripes were crooked on purpose.
Danielle: She seems bland (reminds me of previous winner Leanne), but her words show she's in it to win it. I liked her shorts and top combo ok.
Joshua M. (Bronze Josh): Has very tailor eyebrows but after staring at him for awhile I decided he is a very pretty man. His runway design was simple but chic and looked well made. He is also very bronze.
Cecilia: Came across as a bitch on the Road to the Runway special, but seemed to reel it in a little after her first meeting with the judges. Her outfit was also one of my favorites shown. I think it was different than everyone else's and was very fashionable.
Rafael (Beiber Goat Gruff): Awful. That is all. The pants he showed the judges made even a 12 pound model look fat and ill proportioned. He thought Nina Garcia was looking at him with sex in her eyes. He is apparently delusional.
Bert: The resident old guy comes in with a very strong background - he worked for both Halston and Bill Blass - and has a tragic past of losing his partner and two friends to AIDS and turned to drinking. He's sober now and turned back to designing. I worry about the stress this show will cause him. He comes across as reserved but I think that will fade as the contest moves forward. He presents a dress on the runway incorporating his nut juice soaked boxers. I loved the bow in the front and the slight curve of the hemline.
Anthony Ryan "I Rock One": Adorable. He's likes to have fun with patterns and is color blind which I would imagine would be a difficult thing to deal with in the world of fashion. He Rocks One because he was diagnosed with and survived testicular cancer. His runway outfit is only ok in my opinion. It was cute tank top with applique that I would definitely wear and a short skirt with black detailing down the front. Thank goodness Tim Gunn talked him out of the feather crotch he wanted to put on the skirt.
Anya Ayoung: A former Ms. Trinidad and Tobago [oh shit! I googled her and apparently she has a sex tape too. No link to that here, but I'm sure you could find it if you really wanted to] who says she just started sewing 4 months ago. She's rocking the side shaved head (how on earth does that grow back?). Her runway outfit wins praise from the judges and she says it's the first time she's made pants and sewn silk. I am not a fan of the top, but her pants are awesome.
Bryce: He wears hipster glasses. That's all I remember about him. His runway outfit was so blah. Mini skirt and top with GIANT sleeves.
Becky: I didn't learn much about her in the episode. She seems like a nice person and seems to have a quirky style, or as she describes it: artsy, girly and edgy. Her runway outfit was actually one of my favorites. She didn't like the color, but I liked the contrast.
Oliver: He has a faux British accent and works mostly with men's wear. I think his accent and calm personality are why the judges kept him. His outfit was a men's inspired blazer and mini skirt. I don't think he got any interview time this episode.
Laura Kathleen: Pretty pretty princess. She is a little nuts but is friendly to everyone. The most dramatic thing that happens all episode comes from her telling Danielle she wants to steal her model. When Oliver and his model are talking in Italian she asks, "Are you speaking foreign?" I think she'll be full of hilarious lines. More laughing at her than with her. I'm ok with that. She had some of the best material to work with and made another of my favorite outfits on the runway.
Kimberly: She likes bows. She is funny. Her runway outfit was one of my least favorites. That top was terrible and I am surprised she was not in the bottom three.
Joshua C (Mormon Josh): He is mormon and wants to find a [multiple?] wife. He makes a "square neck v-neck"? and ill fitting shorts. The hoodie he created with his sweatpants is cute but everything else is just too small.

My favorites this week: Laura, Becky, and Cecilia
My least favorites this week: Rafael, Kimberly, Mormon Josh
The judges' top three: Bert, Anya and Anthony
The judges' bottom three: Rafael, Julie, Mormon Josh

Bert ends up winning. I'm glad for him. I hope this win, like Taye Diggs, helps him get his groove back.
Rafael is OUT. Poor guy. I really hope he reconsiders his billy goat/Jafar facial hair. Good luck to him.

Until next week :) Follow @haikutv