Project Runway: It's Back! (Finally)

After what has seemed like forever, Project Runway is finally back for its, as Tim Gunn puts it, 'lucky season 13.' 
Rather than a dramatic build up, the show started bizarrely with us meeting eighteen contestants auditioning in front of the judges for a chance to be on project runway. Three of them were quickly eliminated, and the rest were joined by Amanda Valentine (Season 11) to make up the final 16. 

The task was to create an outfit for a spring/summer collection, the twist being that they had to use the fabric provided for them (although they were allowed to swap fabrics). Here's what they came up with, and my thoughts on each outfit: 

Char
I really loved this outfit and the judges did too as it was in the top three. The top is flamboyant and draped to perfection, and seems to fit perfectly with the circle skirt. Up close it doesn't look quite as good as it did on the runway, but I'm excited to see what Char has to offer as this outfit as so much energy and charm to it. Definitely one to watch. 

Hernan
This one was really disappointing, there just isn't anything interesting about this dress and it seems so safe. Not sure what to expect from this designer at all, this says nothing about who they are. 

Fade
There is something surprisingly charming about this outfit that I love. Fade has just mixed the fabric in a really clever way, reminding me almost of one of my all time favourite contestants, Mondo. That said, I worry that Fade's aesthetic might be a bit too mature. 

Angela

I was really disappointed with Angela (who ended up in the bottom three) as I loved her simple chic style clothes from her audition. There's just too much going on in this outfit. The judges told her to 'Turn up the Volume' but she struggled to, resulting in a strangely elongated top, and provocative slits in her trousers. I'm on the fence about the slits or as Nina called them 'sluts', as I actually think they're pretty cool but the combination of the top and the trousers is just too much. Plus the fit on the back of the trousers was awful. However I think with a confidence boost, Angela could really start to shine in the competition. 

Carrie
This dress turned out to be futuristic, edgy and cool. However I do feel like I've seen something like it before. Nevertheless, it's a pretty amazing dress.

Mitchell
I don't think this was completely awful, it just lacked any real inspiration. The extra fabric by the sleeves just really killed the outfit for me and made it look crafty. Not surprising that it ended up in the bottom three. 

Sean
This one was interesting and showed at least something about who this designer is and where they want to go with their clothes. The graphic design is good but I'm not completely bowled over.

Korina
My first impression of Korina is that she's very arrogant, which shows as she didn't listen to Tim Gunn's advice to get rid of the belt from her outfit. I liked this at first, but looking at it again, I'm very underwhelmed by the way the fabric works.

Kini
This seemed very commercial to me and quite boring. That said, when you look at the details of the dress; the pleating on one side, the pocket on the other, it seems a bit more original. The fabric just lets the dress down, so I'm excited to see what they can do when they pick their own fabrics.

Kristine
This was OK, although the colour combination didn't really work well. 

Emily
The corset is pretty interesting structure wise, but the combination of it and the dress just looks sloppy. There's potential here, but just too many ideas thrown into one dress.

Jefferson
I have to admit that when I saw this go down the runway I actually really liked it at first, but when you look at it closely, you start to notice that the proportions of the dress are really off. I don't think he should have been eliminated though as his outfit showed some direction and creativity. 

Samantha
I'd actually completely forgotten about this outfit, but it does look pretty chic, well until you notice the crotch area... I do see real potential though.

Amanda
So Amanda has returned, someone who I was really underwhelmed by in Season 11, but she's actually made a big bold start to her next Project Runway journey. The top is really cool, and whilst I'm not the biggest fan of the trousers, they're cut to perfection. 

Alexander
The collar was too 'trying to be edgy' for me, it just looks really out of place.

Sandhya
Whether you liked it, loved it or hated it, Sandhya was crowned the winner of the first challenge to the surprise of most of the contestants who were convinced she was in the bottom three. Whilst I didn't LOVE this outfit, I loved the creativity of it. The frayed edges were really cool for one thing, but I loved her use of dye inspired by the festival of Holi. The shoulder detailing I wasn't so keen on but this dress really excites me as it has a touch of almost Alexander McQueen flare. Sandhya is one to watch, and I'm looking forward to more unique pieces from her! 

All in all, I was really pleased with this episode, even if I was disappointed that Michael Kors hadn't spontaneously decided to rejoin the cast (I still miss Mr Kors!). Julie Bowen (Modern Family) was also a great judge, although my view might be a bit biased as I love Modern Family. 

Anyway hoped you enjoyed this post. I can't wait to see what the contestants will make next week!

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