By The Wiz
guest post by Sue, who blogs here.
My husband thinks it’s totally hilarious that I’m trying to recap Project Runway. I don’t know what his deal is. I mean, I’m TOTALLY KNOWN for my fashion sense and personal style. Oh. WAIT.
Here is what I know about fashion:
- Do not wear capris and knee socks unless you have no other choice.
- It’s good to wear something on the top, and then also, on the bottom.
- Nylons and sandals are usually wrong.
I don’t know what my husband is talking about, I’m totally qualified for this post.
Still, last night I instant messaged my good friend Azucar for help (since she has things like “outfits” and “jewelry” whereas I just have assorted pairs of jeans and t-shirts and a plastic Cars ring my son gave me off of his cupcake) and she spent an hour online with me live-blogging the show and hitting it OUT OF THE PARK with truly hilarious quips and comments. I was so excited to totally take the credit for her brilliance today, but this morning when I went to retrieve the chat transcript it was GONE. GONE GONE GONE.
So now I have to hurry and write something, and it must talk about fashion in a semi-intelligent way, and oh holy crow, the PRESSURE, the PRESSURE! (I think I might be forming a new fashion post related brain clot. If I die for fashion, I’m going to be SO TICKED OFF.)
Therefore, in the interest of preserving my brain, I give you: A bullet list, by Sue.
TODAY IS CLEARLY YOUR LUCKY DAY.
- My personal theme for the week was this: BURN THE JACKETS
- KENLEY. Kenley, Kenley, Kenley, Kenley. I wanted to like her, I really did, but tonight sealed the deal for me. She is a brat. Her total lack of self awareness was astonishing. Laughing on the runway, again. Her strategy is to ignore the judges? Tim doesn’t know what he’s talking about? HERETIC! BURN HER.
- P.S. I didn’t like her dress (the belt over the vest – ugh) and the giggling with her little mini-me of a client totally creeped me out.
- I love Korto, love her aesthetic, love her stuff, but - this is another outfit I didn’t get. The dress was cute, but I thought it was way too short for work and I didn’t understand the jacket. It was very well made, but seemed out of proportion to the dress. I thought it made her client’s body look strange. Luckily for Korto, the judges (and Azucar) disagreed with me.
- You guys. I LOVED SUEDE’S OUTFIT. The shiny ribbon on the pockets was just to DIE for. And that print! I wanted to see more, more, more! It was so current, so trendy, so now! LOVED IT!
- O.k., even I’M not that fashion blind. As Azucar said last night: “This is personally offensive to me. PERSONALLY OFFENSIVE.” I love it when the outfit is so awful that it renders Nina speechless. “I have a lot of problems with the jacket. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. I will say no more.” Ooooooh, BURN.
- Oh Joe. I knew Joe was gone way before the runway. They totally gave him the loser edit. Anytime a contestant you’ve barely seen before starts talking about his family, you know they’re going home. And - oh dear. Two words: Pocket Square. Jerell was exactly right when they were leaving the workshop that first night, “Come on, Joe. You can work on Nancy Reagan tomorrow.” It was definitely his time to go.
- Leanne bugs me. I know she’s usually a very good designer, but something about her attitude bothers me. She’s always so ticked when she doesn’t win, and she’s always looking around with a very school-teacherish air of disapproval. I kind of want to hide her scissors, just to mess with her. Her saving grace is that she’s usually a very smart and talented designer. Not this week though. I thought her outfit was awful. Not only was it inappropriate for the job, it made her client look like a big old square. If she was teaching football, I could see it, otherwise? No. Leanne had one of the cutest girls, and she put her in something frumpy and boxy and ugly. FAIL.
- I liked Jerell’s outfit. The jacket, in a nice change of events from the rest of the night, totally made the outfit work. We must not be distracted by his outfit, however. We must focus on the important issue: his hat. He was photographed for Elle wearing that hat. Why? Why? Why? He looked like a crazed extra from a high school production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was mystified, until I checked my email and read this from Tim: “By the way, the chapeau that Jerell wore for the judging had been intended for Caitlin (his client). Had she worn it, do you believe that the outcome would have been different?” Why yes. YES I DO.
- OK, fine, Tim didn’t email me, that’s from his blog.
That’s it, my fellow PR freaks. I can’t wait for next week. Kenley is getting a well deserved smack-down. BRING IT ON.









I said “totally” a lot in that post. It kind of makes me want to slap myself.
Comment #1 by SueSeptember 18th, 2008 at 10:57 amAnd all of those capitals.
Comment #2 by SueSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:04 amCan’t. Stop. Talking. To. Myself.
Comment #3 by SueSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:04 amgreat review sue!
Comment #4 by rychelleSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:05 amyou pretty much nailed it!!
i am SO sick of kenley.
and i can’t believe the judges didn’t call her out on the fact that she laughed at contestant on the runway AGAIN.
can’t wait for the smack down next week!
also, korto’s dress was TOO SHORT, but i loved the jacket.
overall the outfit was very organic looking and i liked that.
anyway, i will count you as my new style guru!
When I see Kenley I want to slap her so hard TOOOOO! OH my gosh if I see one more obnoxious rude giggle come out of that girl I will lose it. The Dress that suede made looks like it came from Walmart. I think Korto sounds so not grateful when she says thank you to the judges. even when she wins it like Debbie Downer “Thanks guys” and all frowny. weird.
Comment #5 by ShellieSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:06 amI would wear anything Kenley made, in a heartbeat. And then I would punch her in the face. In a nice, polite way, of course.
And wow, those pictures of the models are really awkward. I’m a bit embarrassed right now.
Comment #6 by KristinaSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:15 amFrankly, I didn’t think any of them hit it out of the park, but I do think Korto should have won.
I can’t BELIEVE Kenley is still there after that purple plaid monstrosity last week, and yes, we know, you can make a 40’s dress. MOVE ON.
OK, I guess my 3 are now: Korto, Leanne, and Jerell. (Suede canNOT be in the finals!!)
Comment #7 by The WizSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:23 amAm I the only one who thinks the belt over the vest looks like it’s actually bare skin? (The color of the belt, then the color of the legs. Bad.)
Comment #8 by Molly DoeSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:29 amMolly Doe - I thought that TOO! I was like, “what’s with the mid-riff baring outfit?”
Comment #9 by The WizSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:32 amAnd can ANYONE tell me why Joe’s Nancy Reagan outfit has those strange shoes on with it? ANYONE??
Comment #10 by The WizSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:32 amgreat post… lots of laughs…
ooooo I am worried kenley may sneak into the finals…. I really thought Suede would leave… because Joe is better but NO… so is it Suede or Kenley next to be ‘auffed’
kenley is a great seamstress it seems… but we keep seeing the same sort of outfit.. and to top it off she ‘doesn’t care what they think’ uuuggghh
excitement each time…. does it seem like there is not as much talent this year… or is it me getting tired of the putting down of each other sooo much that it is hard to root for one designer… ??
thanks again for the laugh..
Comment #11 by nancySeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:34 amnancyw
Here was my assessment of Suede’s outfit…
Grroooove is in the heeeaaarrt, grooove is in the heeeiiiarrrt.
I don’t care how many purple ribbons you slap on that thing, Suede, it doesn’t go! The flutter sleeve with the Pucci-esque print? The world has gone mad! Nina, called it the tip of the iceberg? Yes, it’s the iceberg that swallowed the Hindenberg, that’s the kind of catastrophe we’re facing. Personally offensive.
Yes, Korto’s skirt was a titch too short, but the girl is young enough to pull it off. And that jacket was divine. If you’re going to show that much leg you need to be covered up top otherwise you look obscene. I loved the fit, high on the hip, 3/4 sleeves, tailored perfectly. Korto hits it out of the park (again.) She’s criminally underrated.
Leanne? Purple? AGAIN? The jacket is cute, the dress is cute, but together? Terrible.
I didn’t hate Kenley’s dress like I thought I would. I love the belt, I just didn’t like the color. You don’t want people to think, “Is that her stomach? Oh…that’s a belt? I love the fit on the girl, and the belt makes her legs look so long.
Jerrell, the judges were in love and so was I. His look is feminine, but edgy, and that’s so hard to pull off. Female Jerrell worked it. I love the oversize buttons, the cardigan was really witty. Hot. Hot.
Joe’s look is the kind of thing that Ralph Lauren pulls off with aplomb. With the right tailoring and the right model, it could have been amazing. However, the execution and the severe lack of age-appropriateness sunk the ship. He’s like Lauren through the looking glass, the bad, 80s side of the looking glass. Heebies. Oh, and wearing pinstripes in solidarity with your model? BAD IDEA, Joe.
Comment #12 by AzucarSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:34 amI don’t like Jerrell, but I did like the outfit.
The Nancy Regan shoes are gross- the trend on elfin boots needs to die. Unless you have Carrie Bradshaw legs, they make you look like a stump.
Korto is continually undervalued. She is always always released with congrats first, but only came in first once. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Leanne bugs me. She’s insipid, like tepid milk. Blah. Monotonous, in voice, palette, and personality. Blah. Mlalm.
Kenley needs to be spanked and sent to her room. First Heidi’s boobs are in the wrong place, now Tim GUNN doesn’t know anything? Good greif girl, get some perspective!
Poor Joe. Only straight guy among them, he was doomed from th start.
Comment #13 by Tracy MSeptember 18th, 2008 at 11:49 amSue,
Comment #14 by tftcarrieSeptember 18th, 2008 at 12:13 pmyou are dead on about Korto’s outfit. The proportion of jacket to dress was 1:1. Never flattering. Shorten the jacket or lengthen the dress and it would have been a great outfit. I sometimes wonder if these comments get edited from the judges assessment.
I LOVE Project Runway but I’m so tired of watching it through peoples windows (I don’t have cable) Sue will you PLEASE invite me in next week? Or at least turn the volume up so I can hear it better.
Comment #15 by marySeptember 18th, 2008 at 12:23 pmOh, you guys crack me up. Kenley does need to be sent to her room. She has been bugging me even more than SLC Keith, and I didn’t think that was possible. She strikes me as the type who totally gets by on her image, know what I’m sayin’?
Also, I do think this season is a tad boring. I was thinking about it before I fell asleep last night, which is when I come up with my best ideas, of course. I think they should do something like top chef for each episode: have some sort of speed competition, like make a pair of pants in less than ten minutes, or take this tee shirt and make it into something sexy and cool with no sewing machine, or tailor this outfit to this model in the shortest amount of time. Something quick and exciting at the very beginning of the show. then whoever wins would get like, thirty more minutes to sew at the very end, or they would get to spend a little bit more money at Mood, or they would get first choice at the Blue-Fly fashion wall. Just something to make it exciting, you know?!
That is all.
Comment #16 by mellocelloSeptember 18th, 2008 at 12:48 pmlove the recap!
Can’t stand Kenley. She’s been buggin me for a while but when she laughed… AGAIN… that was it for me. I don’t care if I like everything she puts down the runway. I DO NOT want to see her at Bryant Park. I do look forward to the reunion though after she’s seen how she behaved… and the people she laughed at response to her giggles on the runway. I’m surprised they don’t say anything to her on the spot.
I liked Joe. I’m sad he left but that was an ugly look. However, I think they were harsh about it being cliche that he did a suit… like suits are bad or something. Women of all ages wear suits. Yes, his was bad but the idea of wearing a suit is not bad… Just my two (and a half) cents.
Comment #17 by DoubleLSeptember 18th, 2008 at 12:50 pmOh, ditto to what everyone else has already said. I have nothing new or insightful to add. It’s nice to know what the featherhathair thing Jerrell had on was.
Out of curiosity (and completely sort of off-topic), since I adore knee high socks (particularly stripey ones), and they are, as Sue mentions, not okay with capris, what are they okay with? I need to get some clothes that I can actually wear my sock collection with. Also, shoes. Finding shoes to show off your socks is ridiculously difficult for me. What can I say, my fashion sense sucks.
Comment #18 by kaduseySeptember 18th, 2008 at 12:56 pmI didn’t really love any of these. I was all excited about this challenge, “Finally, clothes I would actually buy!” but Jerrell’s is the only one I’d wear. Leanne’s and Korto’s were my next favs, but without those jackets. Both of them covered up the cute dresses too much.
I really did not want Jerrell to grow on me - especially after such an undeserving win last week - but he did on this episode. I liked his design and he was pretty funny - his whole “pocket square” moment had me laughing out loud. Thanks for clarifying what was on his head during judging…so glad his model decided against wearing that.
Kenley’s outfit? AGREED - that belt was way too close to that girl’s skin color - it looked like she had a muffin top hanging out. And Kenley is just so SO immature. Can’t wait for next week when Tim chews her out! I did not like Suede’s either, especially for a photographer to wear.
I’m a little too obsessed, yes, but anyone else been reading about Jennifer Lopez backing out of the finale? She was all lined-up to be the guest judge at Friday’s taping, then claimed a “foot injury” and backed out…yet competed in a triathlon that weekend?! Tim was replaced last minute in her spot - which I’d personally rather watch over JLo.
Comment #19 by amelioratemeSeptember 18th, 2008 at 1:20 pmYeah, tell Chanel that suits are bad…
Comment #20 by Tracy MSeptember 18th, 2008 at 1:42 pmNot that Joe’s suit was Chanel- but a suit is not necessarily a bad thing, is all I was getting at…
Comment #21 by Tracy MSeptember 18th, 2008 at 1:43 pmJoe’s suit was sooooo bad and i just didn’t get Koto’s jacket with the dress. Seperate they were good, but I just didn’t think they went together. I was expecting so much more from Kenley but she does that same thing over and over. And please…..if you can’t recoginize the fashion genius that Tim Gunn is…it is time to get off the runway!
Comment #22 by CindySeptember 18th, 2008 at 2:18 pmMy jaw literally hit the floor when I saw what Suede was doing with that jacket. That has to be the WORST THING EVER sent down the PR runway. I think he should have gone home instead of Joe, but I think it’s only a matter of time.
Comment #23 by LynnetteSeptember 18th, 2008 at 3:25 pmJoe’s suit - he deserved to go home because of it. Sorry Joe. Graphic designers don’t do wall street wear.
Suede, yeah pants were wrong for a photographer. They never need to get themselves in awkward positions to “get the shot”. Purple ribbon???!!!
I loved Jarrell’s outfit. It was perfect.
Kenley smackdown. I can hardly wait.
Comment #24 by chroniclerSeptember 18th, 2008 at 4:21 pmGreat review! I am totally with you on the ‘wanted to love Kenley but can’t’ bandwagon. I thought she was going to be cool at first, but it turns out she sort of sucks. Also I couldn’t believe she laughed like that during judging, even if she did think that. Immature.
I kind of wanted Joe to stay instead of Suede, but dude… Joe’s suit sucked. The shirt was totally ill-fitting and it didn’t make that girl look like a hot up and coming anything.
I liked Korto’s jacket, but agree the dress was too short and I didn’t really get them together. I think that jacket would have looked AWESOME with a pair of dark denim trouser jeans.
Comment #25 by RachaelSeptember 18th, 2008 at 4:45 pmI am hoping Kenley learns some humility next week. She doesn’t seem to appreciate this huge opportunity; she seems to think she is entitled to it and that is not fun to watch.
But I liked Suede’s dress. I couldn’t figure out why he covered the back. The jacket was awful but the dress made shorter with a pair of skinny pants would have been so much better-and more appropriate for someone sitting on the floor.
More than anything what I couldn’t figure out is why almost all the models were slouching. Can they not stand up straight? It makes the clothes look so sloppy! Just because of her posture it made the winning design look dowdy.
Comment #26 by BeckySeptember 19th, 2008 at 4:52 pmAnyone else struck by the similarities between Jerell’s outfit last week and this week? This week I like, not last week. And I want that cardigan and when I get it I will never take it off.
I liked Leanne’s. If the jacket would have been fitted at the waist, giving a ‘nice silhouette’it would have been better. Sue you made me laugh with this: “I kind of want to hide her scissors, just to mess with her.”
Goodbye Kenley, we knew ye too long. I think the dress was not flattering to her client, made her look dumpy. or frumpy or slumpy or one of those dwarves.
And hats off to the clients- who wants to volunteer to be told how ghastly you look on national television? I think that is why Nina didn’t have anymore to say about Suede’s outfit, not to spare his feelings but to spare the client’s.
Kadusey- I have a fashion solution for your knee socks- go to girls camp, anything goes. My daughter saw clear Converse at the mall, they would show off your socks.
Comment #27 by jendoopSeptember 19th, 2008 at 5:44 pmI now know for sure that I should skip the show and go straight to Azucar for fashion advice.
Comment #28 by RynellSeptember 24th, 2008 at 10:13 pm