Project Runway 4 Premiere Prime Cut

Project Runway 4 Premiere Prime Cut by Roxanne McDonald

Project Runway 4 Competing DesignersTop Back, Left to Right: Jillian, Carmen, Marion, Simone, Elisa, Jack, Chris, Steven, Rami, and Kit.Front and Hunkering, Left to Right: Kathleen, Ricky, Christian, Victorya, and Kevin.

Oooh is “Project Runway” gonna be fuuun, she says, rubbing her hands together in sweet anticipation, rolling tape, and hearing and seeing the familiar, long-awaited sights and sounds: “Alrighty, then.” “One of you will be the winner; the other will be OUT.” “Make it work.”

The tough thing is watching the teaser re-runs of the previous season (season 3), and thinking how you are going to miss sedulous Michael, eccentric Vincent, quirky Kayne, freaky deaky Angela, or the awesome winner—Jeffrey Sebilia! Aww.

But then season 4’s premiere episode changes your mind, settles all your hesitations:

Heidi Klum is just as beautiful and brusque; Tim Gunn is even more dignified and debonair; and from snappy to snooty to downright silly are the returning judges.

But of course what makes the show are the “central characters,” the contestants—clueless, cutting edge [er, yeah, weeeak pun], classic, camp, and, well, on the verge of coo coo:

Elisa snatches up some airy fabric, throws to the ground, and knees it—to grind it into the grass and hence “feed” the material natural color/characteristic.

[Tim has pegged her aesthetic as one which struggles with being between “fashion and wearable art.” Her first piece was gorgeous, and yet not functional as a runway design.]

Christian, in a haircut that can’t decide if it wants to be Victoria Beckham look-alike (on one side) or a Beatle who hasn’t had a trim since, well, the Beatles were on tour, decides Elisa is the weird one of the group.

[Tim at one point has already called him a “fashion prodigy,” though, so just ignore his pre-emptive cattiness for now.]

Kit, aka Kit Pistol, does edgy. She dresses edgy. She speaks to all of the above. But for some reason, I don’t even remember her 1st runway piece—never mind one that was abyss-teetering or ground-breaking.

[Tim, however, points Kit Pistol out as not only experienced but a risk-taker. So okay, maybe she will go to greater extremes as the weeks wear on.]

Kevin seems like an amiable, mind-his-own-business-until-irritated type. He of course got less air time than the kookier types, but he also brought on one of the coolest designs.

[Tim has determined Kevin to be serious, “too serious,” even, so let’s hope that doesn’t translate to tendentious tantrum type.]

Jillian seems serious, too, in a keep-to-herself so she can create stunning, high-end couture that is really expertly executed. [Did you SEE that perfect red dress?] I always appreciate the quiet, darker types, despite how my mom admonishes that “still water runs deep”—in a BAD way—whatever that means.

[Tim confirms Jillian has a “girly, flirtatious” aesthetic and is “her own muse”…ala Diane von Furstenberg and Betsey Johnson.]

Simone is/was [first one sent packing her knives—oh, no, wait; that’s another Bravo wonder] attempting to marry two eras or times, using vintage colors and vintage-looking fabrics [ though what the hell was up with that “jacket” without sleeves?] with modern colors and fabrics. A bit too ambitious, Simone sent her design onto the runway unfinished, sewn onto the model, and unfortunately lacking to the point of being offensive to the judges.

[Tim had said of her that her textile aptitude was excellent, right on. Shame she didn’t have or account for time to pull it all off.]

Marion, for some reason, goes against the bias for me [clothing designers and seamstresses at home will appreciate that metaphor]—but not in a good, color-outside-the-lines, iconoclastic way. A floral shop owner who now does clothing design in his shop (complete with roses and big fat flowers on a number of the pieces, of course), Marion seems to have something just a little off about him. I have to see him more to figure out just what.

[Tim says, and okay, I appreciate the implication, “Designers design.” So it doesn’t matter what or where—flower shop to flower suits….]

Victorya, whom you just know will have some unique streak just by seeing the specialized spelling of her name (which I still can’t help but think is the equivalent of the heart where the dot should be over an ‘i’), let’s those of us non-thinkers know that when the challenge is to design your signature silhouette (1st challenge) by defining who you are that that is a philosophical question. Thanks Vic. We needed help interpreting that.

[Still, Tim hands out the adjectives…, along the lines of “dogged” and “determined.” Aww, you’re just being nice, Tim.]

Jack is, pardon the cliché, the boy-next-door type, already bonding with the buds, yucking it up, and making his mark with a playful but eh plain piece.

[Tim decides that Jack is “very adept at tailoring,” so maybe his mad skills will help him endure if his saccharine but seemingly accepted personality doesn’t.]

Kathleen is a tough designer to characterize or even classify, it seems—having now seen her (all body art tats and aging hippie composite) and her first design (so not what the person appears to promise as output but rather a baby-dollish, poofy deal that was, well, pretty unremarkable…and not living up to her original presence or our impressions of what her designs might do).

[Tim acknowledges that the “biker” and “rabid Sonny and Cher fan” will make us guess from week …all depending, he says, on who she ‘is going to be.”]

Ricky is waaay too emotional way too early in the “game”, but who’s to fault a designer with such sensitivity and skill and who brings us the much called for lingerie look?

[And Tim agrees—about the understanding and being sensitive to the details. That’s where God is, someone once told us.]

Carmen, one I plan to watch closely this season, has a bold, sassy, and edgy style that I would wager will trump Kit Pistol’s on more than one occasion. Carmen even changes it up with the Prince back-up singer hairstyle, so you can trust she will not stay locked into one signature style all too soon, either.

[Tim suggests her huge personality could only be more intimidating—my word–if there were fifteen Carmens in the competition.]

Rami is another we will not be able to help but keep our eyes on—following his gorgeous form as well as his sleek, classic, beautiful designs.

[Tim agreed, calling his first piece, in workshop, “stunning”, though Tim early on pegged Rami as a most egotistical designer. I don’t care: every good reality competition should have—indeed does have—one hunk. It helps that he can perform at optimum levels, too.]

Steven is also making his first impressions as not only one who with his infectious, endearing wide-mouthed grin will be a likeable, no-nonsense over bickering type but who with his keen eye and superb tailoring skills will deliver high-end, classy clothing. Absolutely pristine in design, creation, and overall execution.

[Tim points out that Steven and his levity will or can cut the tension in any room. Good thing, cause you know there will be some and some more on top of that. Hell, the promos for next week are already promising it.]

Last not because he’s least but because he’s my favorite thus far, Chris is funny, fun, and has a larger-than-life approach. He was the slowest to the tent of fabrics (where the other fourteen were greedily pigging up much more fabrics than they needed or would ever use in thirteen hours), but found the perfect two pieces waiting for him…which he turned into a lovely shapely piece with clean lines and humble but popping contrasts.

[Tim comments on Chris’s repertoire—being an outrageous costume designer—by questioning the “line between fashion and cstume.”]

And as I commence with the annoying alliteration and weak analogies, I just add that this line-up of designers will surely do as Tim Gunn mentors them to do…to make it WORK.

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