Gretchen was just on Good Morning America. Unfortunately I was in the kitchen at the time and didn’t hear most of the interview.
But I thought, “Hmmm…talk about pandering to the demographic.”
Who was it who kept saying that Gretchen mostly designs for herself? Maybe it was Heidi or Michael…or maybe Tim? I don’t remember.
True, but it’s more “friendly” than Mondo’s.
[sub]I can’t believe I’m defending Gretchen’s collection here in trying to make a point. I really can’t :shakes head:[/sub]
What I’m trying to say is, compared to the other two collections, Gretchen’s was the least threatening. Her color palette, for example. True, a lot of women wouldn’t look good in her clothing as it appeared on the runway, but most of them could be easily altered to fit a wide range of shapes (I mean, really, can you see a lot of women wearing Mondo’s plaid leggings? REALLY?!? And as lovely as Andy’s was, his vibe is very specific and perhaps a bit too “exotic” for middle-of-the-road).
Let’s put it this way: I have some $ saved up. I’m looking for a few nice pieces to wear, say, to work or perhaps dinner out.
I walk into, say, Nordstrom’s. Or pick your favorite department store. Because they’re the first places where I’d look because the mall is a few miles down the street from me.
Look, there’s Michael Kors! There’s So-and-So! And Who-See-Whats-Is!
Then I turn and see three mannequins. One is wearing a Gretchen outfit. One is wearing Mondo. The third, Andy.
I’m instantly drawn to Mondo. I love, love, LOVE his colors and patterns and the fun. There’s no question he’s talented. I love Andy, too – his fabric, the Asian vibe, even the silly headgear.
HOWEVER…I’m looking for work-to-dinner-out clothes. I’m not looking to stand out because, frankly, Mondo’s colors/patterns in my office would probably raise eyebrows and I honestly can’t see myself wearing any of Andy’s tops during the day – dinner out, certainly, but they’re too formal for day wear.
So I take a second look at Gretchen’s.
Her colors, yeah, may be a bit blah, but they’s unobtrusive. Nobody’s going to be offended by them. They’re down-to-earth and practical for the most part.
There’s some shapes/silhouettes I KNOW I cannot wear or would want to wear, like those granny pants or perhaps that top because I’m too full-chested. I can say the same for any designer. But look – here’s a skirt I could wear! And there’s this top! Plus with that hippie-without-being-hippie vibe…you know, I actually COULD wear this to the office AND to dinner out!
They’re stylish (aka the hippie vibe), but not in the in-your-face kind of way.
The colors go well with my coloring.
Moreover, I know I can get a lot of wear out of them, compared to, say, Mondo’s, which would be good in dashes, but not for everyday.
And OK, she has no filter and drove me nuts for most of the season, but I never once questioned her talent. She DOES know what your average woman who watches Lifetime wants. I think that alone is what’s pissing more people off than most people realize.
[sub]Although I’m smack in the middle of Lifetime’s demographic, I’m definitely not a Lifetime fan – never have been, never will be. The only other time I watch it is for the occasional “Wife Swap”, but that’s it.[/sub]
If they are now designing for the Lifetime viewer, they should advertise that. I wouldn’t have bothered watching.
I don’t want to watch a show where the point is to create something for middle America, where the only real consideration is the bottom line and creativity, innovation, and imagination are somehow seen as black marks, rather than the very elements that need to be celebrated. I don’t watch Top Chef so I can see chefs make food that everybody will like–I leave that to Food Network. I watch Top Chef so I can vicariously experience the best, even if it’s something that would never, ever appeal to my palate. Similarly, I watch Project Runway because I like design, not because I give a fuck about what everybody is wearing or who’s “on trend” or what will “sell in department stores.” That shit is boring. But if that’s what Project Runway is going to be now, I’ll leave it to the people who want that sort of competition, like I leave Next Food Network Star to people who don’t really care about food.
I worry about Mondo’s health. He looks skinnier than he did and he has some marks on his leg that look a bit sus. I hope he is ok. 
Didn’t love Gretchen’s look- very Ralph-Lauren-does-safari-1970s. The jewelry would have been cool with edgy bodycon dresses- not so much with the burlap and leopard print things.
I think Nina has baby brain (seriously Nina- the judging cards stopped hiding the bump a while back) and La Kors seemed to have hit the champagne harder than usual.
Finally got around to watching the finale and avoided spoilers so I wouldn’t know the winner but I was so certain it would be Mondo.
Totally the biggest WTF moment in reality TV this year for me and I have to admit that I watch a lot of junk TV. Project Runway has totally jumped over the shark at this point. The increase of the length of the episodes was a total misstep and now the choice of the winner is just fucking crazy. Gretchen’s collection was a bunch of bland crap that all looked the same and it was all totally uninspired.
Also, I agree with the comments about Jessica Simpsons strange, awkward, and lumpy face.
Worst Project Runway finale ever.
irishgirl - It looked like Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions to me. Which might mean Mondo has AIDS, not HIV.
StG
They could be altered to fit, but would they be the tiniest shred flattering? Not on most people–if an article of clothing can make a runway model look schlumpy, it’s going to make my fat ass look like Elsie the fucking Borden Cow. And if you’re envisioning changes to Gretchen’s clothing to make it more suitable for more people, it’s only fair to do the other designers the same favor.
There is one piece in that whole collection that I consider appropriate for the office if you don’t want to draw attention to yourself. One. That fugly-ass giraffe print dress. Everything else is backless, or leather, or has one sleeve notably longer than the other, or has a fucked-up crotch, or is ass-shorts. Whereas I could wear three or four of Andy’s tops with some black slacks and go office-to-dinner, ditto several of Mondo’s tops. And those clothes would actually be, you know, attractive.
Yep- I though KS, I just didn’t want to you know, put it out there in case it isn’t true.
But I did watch for that lesion on his right shin every time he wore shorts in case it was a bruise and would fade. It didn’t and was there in the finale.
If he does have AIDS with KS being open about it now would make sense, and is, of course pretty much a WAG.
I can’t find it now, but I could swear I read that dress was a Kors. Which shoots any crediblity he might have had left after that fiasco of a judging session.
My favorite of the comments posted on TLo’s site (http://projectrungay.blogspot.com/ - best recaps EVER) was something like, “It’s not that Mondo was designing too young. Nina was just feeling old.” Which made me laugh hysterically until I discovered that Nina’s only about a year and a half older than I am.
Watching on Lifetime,
Woooo Woooo woooo I would wear that hat, love those prints, she has vision, she knows what to do next, she’s a planner and true to herself. The Bitch Won!
“Hello read a magazine, fashion’s changing”
Mondo still has 25k he won in a challenge, the trip for two and the media buzz, I don’t think he needs to be pitied fer crissakes…Fuzzy balls on handbags and shoes, crazy tights and lime green accents against Mondo prints is all Fun and Cool, but for whom? buskers in paris?
Andy’s was beautiful too…
Season 9 can’t come too soon!
The bottom line is that this should be a show about who is the most creative, not who you could sell to the public at large.
If this were Project Painting would you give the award to the person who would sell the most paintings to hotels?
The latest Project Runway post on the TLo blog brings up a very valid point. When the show started, it was design competition - “design a new uniform for the post office”; “design a red carpet dress for 2058”, etc. Now, it’s a fashion competition - make a red carpet dress/photo shoot/Heidi Klum outfit, etc. This seems to be where the disconnect is for long-time viewers. I agree, I want a design show, myself.
I hope the producers take their advice…but I doubt it.
Well said, that is the most succinct description I’ve read of the current mis-focus of Project Runway.
What on god’s green earth are the people at Marie Claire smoking, to think this was a good idea? Or, as Tom and Lorenzo of Project Rungay put it, “JESUS CHRIST ON A CHOCOLATE-COATED BANANA”
Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Gretchen Jones:
That was so NOT funny that it actually hurt my feelings.
(watches video) :vomit smiley:
It could never watch that whole video.
BLARGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHHGHGHGHGHH!!! :smack:
Wow. Was that supposed to actually make people like Gretchen?
And I find it funny that even Craig Ferguson, on an episode of his show this week, said he thought Mondo should have won.
THIS.
(yep, I read it too.)
Fashion cares only about trends – what is hot, how can something be branded, will it appeal to the greatest number of potential customers, all that stuff. It’s very much “in the moment”. One day you’re in – the next day you’re out.
Somewhere between Bravo and Lifetime the producers lost that fine line between design and fashion. But remember, too – this is Bunim/Murray we’re talking about, they of “The Real World” and countless other reality TV shows. That alone should say it all.
Oh, I couldn’t bring myself to watch Gretchen’s video. I hate witnessing the slippery slope of self-denial.