RUNWAY SUNDAY | Project Runway Recap | Season 15, Episode 1

I’ve had the premier of Season 15 of Project Runway marked in my planner for weeks. It looks like this group of designers is extremely talented, and I’m excited to see what’s in store!
 
Let’s meet the designers really quick:

Nathalia JMag

Nathalia has a zero-waste sensibility to her design process and is an eco-friendly designer. Her personal style is really edgy and cool.

Erin Robertson

Erin is clearly a quirky and whimsical designer. She loves to play with texture and color, and she likes to make statements with her art.

Sarah Donofrino

Sarah has a very “ModCloth” aesthetic. She loves vintage inspired ready-to-wear, and her eye for mixing prints and color is unique.

Mah-Jing Wong

Mah-Jing’s design muse is his wife, and he has a good eye for what looks good on women’s bodies.

Roberi Parra

Roberi is from Venezuela, and he came to the U.S. with $2 in his pocket after his design studio was robbed multiple times. His design aesthetic is extremely artistic and meticulous.

Rik Villa

Rik has been working in the fashion industry for the past 5 years. His aesthetic reads utilitarian and menswear inspired.

Alex Snyder

When Alex auditioned for Project Runway a few seasons back, and Tim Gunn called him “half-baked,” which motivated him to return to school, get his degree, and now he owns a business and teaches design at a college.

Kimber Richardson

Kimber postponed her design passions to raise her family, and has since gotten her degree and pursued her career. She frequently uses a Japanese dying technique.

 Linda Marcus

Linda, like Kimber, also gave up her career to raise her kids. She auditioned last year, but has since developed her aesthetic and technique.

Tasha Henderson

I’m a little bit in love with Tasha because she brought baked goods for the judges during her audition. She designs for the woman who wants to look good but isn’t too girly, and enjoys everyday, relaxed clothing.

Brik Allen

Brik is a nice southern boy who likes women to look put-together, strong, and confident.

Jenni Richetti

The audition judges said Jenni’s aesthetic was “Instagram Boutique-ey,” and I’d have to agree. She likes minimalist street style and chunky textures.

Ian Hargrove

Ian is a Chicago-based designer, and his aesthetic is super minimalist, which is surprising because he has a very loud personality. His inspiration is based on the Olsen twins.

Cornelius Ortiz

Cornelius uses a Japanese cutting technique, which “eliminates seam lines to create new ones.” Not quite sure what that means or how he’ll be able to use it on the show, but we’ll see!

Laurence Basse

Laurence went to design school, but postponed her career to pursue modeling with Kate Moss. Now in her 40s, she’s returned to designing and has a cool, modern vibe.

Dexter Simmons

Based on his audition interviews, Dexter is probably the diva of the season. He loves color and pattern and Native American inspiration.

THE CHALLENGE:
Use unconventional materials found in the Season 15 launch party room to create a look that represents your aesthetic.
 
It’s always rough when the designers are forced to do an unconventional challenge right at the beginning of the season, but as far as unconventional materials challenges go, there weren’t any looks that were so bad that they obviously deserved to go home (I’m talking bad, like Emilio’s washer bikini from season 7…still haunting my memories.)
 
Because there are 16 designers I’m not going to go through everyone’s designs, but just as the judges pick their Top 3 and Bottom 3 designers, I will do the same. HERE WE GO.

My Top 3:

1. Erin Robertson
It was clear in Erin's audition that she liked to use yellow, and obviously, she really likes to use yellow. I was a little concerned for her time management, and she slipped this on her model with less than ten minutes to spare, but I can't argue with her results. This look had major runway impact and her technique was incredible. Definitely a well-deserved win!

2. Roberi Parra
So artistic. I cannot.
The fact that Roberi twisted and manipulated paper lanterns to make this look is remarkable, and his on-the-fly creativity will get him far in this competition. I don’t get why half of the judges didn’t like this look, because it’s one of the best uses of unconventional materials I’ve ever seen.

3. Brik Allen
Brik almost got sent home for this look, and I don’t think that was very fair. Granted, his styling was off and the bell bottom pants were a little too short. HOWEVER. The judges called his outfit “Lady Gaga meets Disco” as if that was a bad thing…as if Lady Gaga wouldn’t put on those glitter pants and wear them for days. The look might have been seen as more cohesive if he had made glittery hot pants instead of glittery bell bottoms, but I saw where he was going and I appreciated his technique. He made a top out of BASEBALL HATS, for goodness sake. Give the man credit where it’s due.

My Bottom:

1. Ian Hargrove
Honestly, I don’t think this was the worst look. I didn’t think he really deserved to go home, and I will always want to root for a Chicagoan. But his attitude toward Tim Gunn and the judges? Absolutely not. If Tim Gunn tells you your outfit lacks runway impact, you add more to your outfit. If Zac Posen tells you your outfit was blah on the runway, you don’t argue with him. You can argue when you’re Tim Gunn and Zac Posen, but you aren’t Tim Gunn or Zac Posen yet, which is why you’re on Project Runway and you aren’t already a famous designer. A lack of humility always irritates me to no end, and for that I agree with the judges on sending him home.

2. Sarah Donofrino
The judges voted this look as safe, but it just looked too crafty to me. Maybe she was thrown by the unconventional materials, but it looked like I could have made her outfit with construction paper and hot glue. I don’t think it was up to par with the Project Runway skill set, and she's going to need to step up her design game.

3. Dexter Simmons
…how on earth was this voted in the top? IT LOOKS LIKE A NATIVE AMERICAN ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN. This seriously couldn’t be more ridiculous. Sometimes I think the judges must be on the crack pipe. That is all.

Overall, the show was great, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the designers put forth in the coming weeks.

...and CONGRATS, Erin! You've set the bar pretty high this season. Keep it up!

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All photos from www.mylifetime.com

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