Episode 314: Finale (10/18)

Project Runway 3, the Finale, Part 2: Under the Gunn by Betsy Wasser -- 10/19/2006 It’s the final episode of Season 3 of Project Runway, and there are lots of questions to be answered. Can Michael pull together what looked like a disappointing collection? Can Laura design something other than beaded cocktail dresses, or Uli something other than print halter neck dresses? Did Jeffrey cheat? And who will be the winner? Get reading! Welcome to the exciting finale of Project Runway! I’ll be filling in for recapper C. Brian Devinney, who was tragically trapped under a giant pile of fleurcons and was unable to write up this week’s episode. But don’t worry, fair readers: I’ll make it work. Last episode, the four finalists gathered in New York to put the final touches on their collections. Laura and Michael found themselves a bit suspicious of the high quality of Jeffrey’s work, and Laura in particular wondered if he had outside help with the sewing. She brought her concerns up with Tim Gunn, who promised to investigate. The episode begins with a day and a half remaining before the show. Uli says she wishes the controversy with Jeffrey hadn’t happened. Michael says that the leather jeans really were impressive, so he can’t help but wonder how it all happened. Uli suggests it doesn’t really matter. I take it to mean that if Jeffrey actually designed the clothes, a fact that no one is questioning, then who cares who sewed them? After all, Michael Kors doesn’t sew all of his clothes. Laura says that it does matter. “He’s like the athlete on steroids, and we’re not.” I agree with her. If Jeffrey did have outside help with the sewing, then it gives him an unfair advantage and was outside the rules that they all agreed on. But without knowing what happened, I really can’t judge. Besides, it’s time to stop talking about Jeffrey, because he just walked into the workroom. Awkward! Laura tells us that Jeffrey, in his business, works with the kind of people who could have helped him. Laura talks to Jeffrey and says that, according to the rules, if he sent out leather to be worked on, that’s totally legal, so he’ll have a receipt and there shouldn’t be a problem. Everybody remember the tangled rat’s nest of receipts that Jeffrey pulled out last episode? Bookkeeping might not be this guy’s strong suit. Jeffrey says that what bothers him is that Laura questioned his integrity. Laura denies it, but Jeffrey says she absolutely did, then walks away from her. Um, Laura? Love you, but you did question Jeffrey’s integrity There are five hours left in the day when Jeffrey gets a call from Tim Gunn. Tim says he’s gone through the receipts and only found two from Park Pleating. He asks Jeffrey to call them and have them fax over missing receipts. If he can’t get them, Tim says, they’ll deal with it. Jeffrey sighs, “It’s like Sanford and Son over there.” In an interview, Jeffrey seems pretty resigned to them not finding the receipt. Nonetheless, the gets on the phone and hopes for the best. He’s afraid that, “for the want of one receipt, I’m not going to be showing at Bryant Park.” The next day, the designers wake up early and head to the workspace. Jeffrey leaves a message for Tim, asking to talk. In an interview, he talks about how hard he’s worked and how “tragic” it would be to be disqualified at this point. He starts working on a new project, explaining to Uli that if he can’t use the shorts, he’ll have another option. Tim arrives and gathers the designers. Uli stands next to Jeffrey, and Laura and Michael stand behind him, which tells you a lot about the dynamic that’s going on. I think Uli really just wants everyone to get along. Tim tells everyone that they’ve reviewed the concerns carefully and are confident that Jeffrey followed the rules. Uli gives a sobbing Jeffrey a big hug. Tim says that Jeffrey received legal help with the pleating, but because he doesn’t have the receipt for the shorts, he won’t be able to use them. Tim continues that all of them are within their budget except Jeffrey, who is over by $227.95. He’ll have to remove an item of his choice from his collection, and Tim will notify the judges that Jeffrey went over. Tim, who sounds a bit shaken, concludes that they take integrity and fairness seriously, and that he’s confident that they can have a fair runway show. Laura gives Jeffrey a hug and says, “Meet you on the runway.” Michael shakes his hand. In an interview, Jeffrey says that he is “ecstatic and satisfied.” Uli tells Laura that she won – she made Jeffrey cry. Maybe Uli wasn’t as neutral as I thought! Laura says that’s not what she wanted to do. Jeffrey says in an interview that Laura’s accusations came from her inexperience, but he seems to be over being upset. Laura says she never wanted to not compete against Jeffrey. She’s happy with the outcome and the opportunity to “compete fairly against him.” I agree that this was resolved fairly. As Tim said last week, Jeffrey was innocent until proven guilty. There was no proof that he received unfair help. He couldn’t account for the shorts – which he never claimed to have finished himself – so they were removed from the collection. That seems reasonable, and it looks like all of the designers are, more or less, moving on. Laura’s probably off Jeffrey’s Christmas card list, but I think that would have happened anyway. What’s interesting to me is that Jeffrey went over budget by a pretty decent chunk of change, especially considering that the 200 some dollars he was over didn’t even include the work on shorts. The challenge, of course, is mostly about designing and executing a collection, but it’s also about doing it within the confines of the rules. Don’t you think if you were in a contest like this, you’d pay close and careful attention to your budget? Wouldn’t you hang on to your receipts and keep track of things? Jeffrey obviously didn’t. I think we can assume that in his future as a designer, he’ll hire someone to handle finances for him. This contest should be on the runway, not in the receipts, but it’s still disappointing that Jeffrey, probably due to carelessness, didn’t quite abide by the rules. I wonder what he’ll eliminate. Michael says that he’s been working hard and is confident. Things are falling in place. Uli feels good too. She thinks her collection is strong. Jeffrey decides to save on his budget by getting rid of the wigs. Well, that’s an easy choice! The shorts are gone, and he has the skirt that he made earlier, but he also has a pair of leather pants that he brought, not planning to use, that are back in play. Tim returns and gathers the designers once more, for their “last gather round.” Tim gets a little teary at the magnitude of what the designers are about to do. He says he’s very proud of them. No matter the outcome, Tim says, they’re all winners. Everyone hugs Tim. The designers are up at 4:15 the next morning. Jeffrey says it’s the biggest day of his life, and he’s facing it on about two hours of sleep. Laura is glad Jeffrey will be there, because she wants to “beat him on the runway, not in the accountant’s office.” Michael is trying to dig deep to feel calm. Uli says that walking up to the tents, it really hit her that it was real. The runway is huge and surrounded by chairs. Michael says that he used to watch runway shows and dream of being there. “No words can describe it,” he says. Laura does some turns on the runway and thinks about the show ahead. Jeffrey feels like he needs to prove that he belongs there. Michael says that they are all amped and ready to work. Setup begins for the show. Jeffrey reworks his styling, Laura talks hair, and Michael preps his models. “Everything has to be right,” he says. The models get prettied up, and the designers begin dressing them. We see Bonnie, Malan, and Allison in the audience. The room starts to fill up. There’s Angela! The designers’ families are in the audience as well. Heidi hits the runway and welcomes the crowd. She introduces Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, and their final judge, Fern Mallis, the creator of Olympus Fashion Week. Jeffrey is up first. Jeffrey leaps onto the runway like a rock star. He wishes his girlfriend a happy birthday and says that his son Harrison is crying “with glee.” He introduces his parents and hopes everyone loves his collection. Each designer will have 12 different looks, so I’m not going to describe all of them in detail – I’ll just share some quick impressions. The first model walks out in a red print deconstructed dress. It has a very pretty flow to it and looks more romantic than Jeffrey’s usual designs. Next up is a bathing suit in the same red print. It has some weird string things hanging from it that I don’t love, but the cut of the suit itself has a classic, ‘40s feel to it. The next dress is short, with more of the red print, a sort of sheer overlay, and a very sweet neckline. It reminds me a bit of the dress that Jeffrey showed in the last challenge. Jeffrey says he feels like he put together the most comprehensive collection. The next outfit takes a decidedly less sweet and romantic turn. It’s a red top, cropped very short, with rings of fabric along the torso and the white leather jeans. The next dress is a halter dress made of black striped and red striped fabric, pieced together very well. The next outfit has a great looking denim deconstructed vest. The judges take furious notes, and believe me, I can relate! The next outfit looks great: white pants, silver top, sort of futuristic looking white vest. It looks high fashion, but not crazy. Our next model is in a short, silver party dress. There’s a wide band of satin along the bottom that really stands out. The next dress looks very different from the rest of the collection so far. It’s another cocktail dress, this time in blue satin and chiffon. It doesn’t look as much like a Jeffrey outfit as the others. And the next dress really looks like something Uli would design. It’s a flowy halter dress in, you guessed it, a print. I like the dress a lot, but it doesn’t seem to fit. It’s followed by a green striped blazer over a silver sequined tank. The two don’t really work together, in my opinion. Marilinda, Jeffrey’s usual model, is next, wearing a dress made of the same green and silver striped fabric. It’s the one that Tim admired when he visited Jeffrey. I’m glad we saw the dress up close, because many of its details are lost on the runway. The crowd cheers as the models make their final walk. Jeffrey waves to the crowd and gives Harrison a kiss. I haven’t been a big fan of Jeffrey’s work, but I must say, this collection really impressed me. Jeffrey managed to make punk look sophisticated, no easy feat. The collection looks cohesive and shows an impressive range of looks. I am impressed. Uli comes out next, all smiles. She says that this was the best experience of her life. She came to the United States with a dream, and it’s come true. Uli’s first outfit is a very safari looking dress of animal-inspired prints with a detailed neckline. The next outfit has a bone-detailed belt over a khaki dress. A silver and khaki halter dress follows, then a fabulous short silver dress with a mock neck, long sleeves, and a really fun necklace. It’s a great dress, my favorite of hers so far. The next dress is not so exciting, basically fitting the model like a towel. Sure, a silver towel with a bone closure and some serious cleavage, but a towel nonetheless. It’s followed by a silver lame top and some really cute little shorts, modeled by Kayne’s former model Amanda. Ooh, and the back of the tank top is really cute – loose and gathered with a big ring. Next is a dress in what looks like a jersey fabric that moves beautifully. Now we’ve got a classic Uli dress on the runway. It incorporates several bright blue prints and reminds me a lot of the dress that Uli did in the final challenge, only longer. Uli’s next look is a bikini in yellow and brown prints. It’s sexy, but it looks like you could actually swim in it if you wanted to. Again, very Uli. The next dress is a purple print dress with a droopped waist and chiffon skirt. Then we’ve got what looks like a longer version of the towel dress, this time in the animal inspired print we saw at the beginning of the show. Finally, Nazri hits the runway in a stunning emerald print dress with a sexy open back. It’s strange to see her in someone’s clothes other than Michael’s. Uli gets cheers as her models walk out, but I think the cheers for Jeffrey were louder. Going into this, Uli’s collection was the one I was least excited to see, but wow did she deliver! I think she found the right balance between not showing too many prints and eliminating them altogether. While we didn’t want to see 12 hippie print long halter dresses walking down the runway, Uli really has an eye for combining unusual prints, and it would be a shame if she hadn’t used that talent. The clothing she showed was very wearable and would appeal to a wide range of women. Laura hits the runway, looking pretty…. and hugely pregnant. She jokes that she made it big in the fashion world. Her first model is in a short gold dress with a turtleneck, long sleeves, and gold beads. It’s followed by a gold sequined dress with a black belt at the bust. Laura says her collection is intended to remind American women to be fabulous and to take care of themselves. If a woman with five kids wants us to tak care of ourselves, we should probably listen. Suddenly I am feeling not so fabulous in my Elmo pajamas as I type this. Sorry, Laura. I’ll wear velvet tomorrow, okay? The next dress is really fun – short and gold with lots of detailing at the hem. Laura’s next design is youthful, with short sparkly black shorts and a gold satin jacket. Then there’s a very sexy black lace dress with black leggings under it. Very cool. Next up is some serious glamour – more lace, this time with a fur shrug. We saw Laura working on the next dress a lot. It’s short black lace with lots and lots of feathers at the hem. We’ve got more feathers next, this time on the shoulders of a black diamond print dress. The feathers continue on to the next model, whose bust and halter neck are completely covered in feathers. The next dress is adorable – short, with flapper beads. I’d totally wear it. Laura’s next model wears a glamorous black lace suit. Finally, we see Camilla in a long silver dress intricately covered in beads with chartreuse belt. It’s gorgeous. The models and a grinning Laura take their final walk. Laura did not show much variety. She loves to design eveningwear, and that’s exactly what she did. The collection was extremely well executed and really spoke to her style. Because her focus was so narrow, I don’t think she’ll win, but I do think she showed the world what she can do. Ultimately, that might be better for her. Last but not least is Michael, whose parents look thrilled. His collection is called Street Safari, inspired a woman on the search for who she is. Michael tells the audience that the result is sexy, sophisticated and… Michael roars like a tiger. The crowd loves it. The first model is wearing a white dress with a lace up top and gold belt. Next is a short pair of white shorts with a breezy linen top. The next model is wearing a white lace up dress with a gold belt and big camp style pockets. Here we have the outfit that Tim Gunn told Michael to work on. The white pants look good, but there’s no hope for the gold sequined patches on the blouse. Michael’s next model wears a short green halter dress with a keyhole neckline. She’s followed by a model wearing an outfit that is way too sexy if you’re not, say, Beyonce. But if you are Beyonce, call up Michael and buy yourself this short yellow print dress, because it’s pretty hot (but only if you’re Beyonce). The next model has on a short orange skirt and an orange top tied above the waist. She is followed by an outfit that reminds me of Michael’s Pam Grier outfit: hot pink hot pants, this time with the lace-up top and a gold belt. The next model looks like a Bond girl in her gold lame halter neck swimming suit. It’s a suit for lounging by the pool, definitely not swimming. That’s followed by a very short dress in animal prints, which is pretty cute. Michael has more swimwear, this one very sexy. Finally, Michael has an Uli dress in his collection as well – brown prints, an open back, and lots of flowy fabric. Michael was my favorite designer going into the finale, but I have to say, his collection was my least favorite. He excels at designing sexy, body-conscious clothing, but in this case, he was too sexy. This collection didn’t show the sophistication that we got during the challenges. The show is over, and Michael says he feels great. Jeffrey is thrilled. Uli says she doesn’t care if she wins at this point, because she saw that people loved her work. Laura has no idea if she’ll win, but she thinks the crowd loved it. Brandy is in the audience and says Uli’s collection is her favorite. Last season’s winner, Chloe, agrees. Lisa Cappareilli of L’Oreal Paris favors Laura. John Fleming of Wal-Mart liked Uli’s collection, but Michael has been his favorite. Raymundo from last season liked Laura, and Malan agrees. Katherine Ross from LVMH loves Jeffrey’s passion. Kayne loved Uli, as does Bonnie. I really, really wouldn’t want to be one of the judges. All four designers really did an excellent job, and their looks were so different that I don’t know how you could say one was better than the others. But don’t worry; I’m not going to sit on the fence, because what fun is that? Laura’s collection was beautiful, with incredible details. It did not, however, show a lot of variety. Michael’s collection was really hit or miss. There were some great looks in there, but some of the pieces were too revealing. I was most excited by Jeffrey and Uli’s collections, and if I had to choose one, I’d go with Uli’s. She had a comprehensive look without being cookie cutter and really created some gorgeous and wearable fashion. Of course, it’s not up to me. The real judges are gathered at the runway to talk it out. They are all very happy with how things went. The designers return to their usual spots. Heidi reminds them of the prizes at stake, most excitingly $100,000 to start their own line. Heidi then tells the models that the winner will get a spread in Elle. I have to tell you, I am just really never interested in the parallel contest for the models. Every episode, we have to spend some time picking models, and I just really don’t care that much what happens. The only time it was really exciting was when Uli stole Nazri from Michael, and even then, it wasn’t that big a thing. If I wanted to watch a model competition, I’d watch America’s Next Top Model. Laura is on the hot seat first. She says she wanted to do eveningwear, to show something romantic and luxurious. Heidi is amazed at what she did for $30,000. Laura did the beading herself on Camilla’s gown over the entire two months. Michael says he wanted a “surprise factor” and didn’t get it. Nina agrees and says that Laura should have known that would be their chief complaint. Laura says that she tried to change things up a bit in the details and styling. Fern has no problem with Laura’s focus, saying that people tend to like simple black dresses for evening. Michael says that he found who he was as a designer on the show, which inspired his safari concept. He felt inspiration from the ‘70s. Fern says he was the crowd favorite, but the collection didn’t stand up to his prior work. She liked pieces of it, but was disappointed. Michael Kors says he turned the volume too far up – a print, body conscious, beaded, big bag – too much. Michael says he wanted a strong, confident look. Nina suggests he crossed the line. Michael says he’s still learning. Michael Kors thinks the clothes were made beautifully, and Nina likes the range. Heidi says there was an outfit for everything. Jeffrey tells the judges that he was inspired by Japanese ghost and demon stories. Fern loves Marilinda’s dress. Michael says Jeffrey dressed his models for every occasion in her life. Jeffrey notes it was hard to show a range with just 12 looks. Fern thinks the sportier clothes were better than the long dresses. The long dresses felt like the odd ones out. Hey, it wasn’t just me! Heidi brings up his budget problems. Jeffrey says that without the wigs, he’s $400 under. Uli wanted to show that she could do more than colors and prints. Nina thinks her clothes would sell, and that she likes her solids as well. Heidi says she’d wear every outfit that Uli designed. Michael loves the dress Nazri is wearing, but felt that the connective thread of color was disjointed. Uli says the colors inspire her. She wonders aloud if she should leave Miami and move to New York. Fern says no, that Miami is a good inspiration for her. Heidi and the judges deliberate. Michael says that Uli’s clothes are very wearable. Fern likes the details. Heidi thinks Jeffrey is the most innovative. Michael loved the variety and thought Jeffrey’s collection looked cohesive. They agree that the gown was way off. All of them make faces over the fact that Jeffrey went over budget. As for Laura, Michael says that “meticulous should be her middle name.” He’s amazed at the work that went into her clothes. Heidi says the clothes would last forever. Nina isn’t sure if she’s innovative. As for Michael, he understands a woman’s body, but everyone thinks he was too sexy. Fern liked the safari concept. She says all four of them have a future in fashion. Nina says people are already asking how to get in touch with Uli. The judges have made their decision and bring back the designers. Heidi says that by showing at Fashion Week, one dream has come true.. but who will win? The viewer poll picked Michael. Heidi tells Michael that he needs time to mature. He’s out. In an interview, he says that he believes in what he’s doing and will keep going. Laura created a beautiful collection that was too limited. She thanks the judges and leaves the runway. In an interview, she says she achieved a lot with her collection and is fine with the judges’ decision. Jeffrey and Uli exchange a nervous hug. Jeffrey, Heidi says, was innovative, cohesive, and showed range. Uli pushed herself, made a beautiful collection that women will want to wear. The winner is… Jeffrey. Jeffrey looks disbelieving and happy. The judges congratulate him and Uli gets her kiss goodbye from Heidi. Uli is fine with being second. Jeffrey says, “I f*&kin’ did it!” Marlinda, Jeffrey’s model, is happy, too. Jeffrey says he’s in shock. He gets a big hug from Melanie and Harrison. Jeffrey says the whole thing has been intense, and that the volume has been turned up. He is speechless, happily tossing Harrison in the air. He gets a big hug from Tim Gunn and poses triumphantly in front of the screen. It’s funny – from the beginning, I really didn’t like Jeffrey. He’s arrogant, rude, and can be abrasive. He puts down other designers, and he made Angela’s poor mom cry. There were several of his designs that I really did not like (his winning couture design comes to mind). But at the end of this episode, I’m fine with the results. Jeffrey may be a jerk, but that’s not what he was judged on. He was judged on his collection, and it truly was impressive. I would have chosen Uli, but I can understand why the judges preferred Jeffrey. The other three designers were given the respect that they were due for their accomplishments, and all of them were able to walk away feeling like winners, Saturn roadster or no. And with that, I’ll bid you auf weidersehen.

Project Runway 3, The Finale – Who’s In and Who’s Out Part 1 by Kevin Otten -- 10/27/2006 We finally have our winner! And to the surprise of many, it ended up being Jeffrey, who teetered on the verge of disqualification in the eleventh hour. Why was Jeffrey IN, while the other three designers were OUT? Based on this outcome, the rules will have to be changed! Read the first half of a two-part article to find out why… And then there was one. Jeffrey is IN! For the final task, the designers had to design a collection of twelve looks in only a couple of months with a limited budget. They were given total creative freedom for their source of inspiration and the direction each one would lead the judges throughout his or her final masterpiece. After reviewing the last episode, I concluded that any of the designers could have emerged victorious, but after viewing the collections it clearly came down to a close call between Uli and Jeffrey. Reviewing the important fashion tips for Project Runway designers one final time will show us why! But first, we have to look at the other two designers – Michael and Laura. Why did they finish fourth and third respectively? Who’s OUT: Michael With the last challenge, Michael’s longstanding string of strong designs started to unravel. He did so well for so long, but then just seemed to miss the mark with the most critical task he faced. Where did he go wrong? Why did he, America’s favorite, end up placing fourth, instead of winning or even placing second or third? The rules will tell us… 1. Stand out! Be original, creative, and show a unique, strong point of view in your designs. Michael showed he was original and creative throughout the entire season. Cumulatively, he had some of the most interesting and well-thought-out garments of any contestant. From his two wins with the Pam Greer makeover and the recyclable materials dress, he excelled in creating sophisticated designs with an intellectual appeal that the judges loved. However, we started to see problems with the one final part of this guideline in the second to last challenge. Michael lacked a strong point of view which guided his designs, which would also fuel the direction of his collection. When given total freedom in the Elle challenge, he confused the judges with his sexy/sensual concept, and the dress was equally confounding. Right away I began to wonder if this season’s fan favorite really had the foundation on which to construct a strong collection in the end. Though he did have a noble concept – finding and discovering one’s self, and the hunt which this involves – it was not executed in a way that appeased the judges. They questioned his taste level and felt his collection lacked consistency. 2. Demonstrate flexibility and versatility with each challenge. This rule was one where Michael never had a problem. He was never one of the bottom designers in any challenge, and a lack of versatility and flexibility did not hinder him in the finale. This was actually one of his greatest strengths; he was perhaps the most flexible of the four finalists. But Michael showed he had a difficult time adapting to a design task in which the parameters were ambiguous and wide open; judge Nina Garcia noted that this is how fashion is in the real world – no one is there to tell you what to do or how to do it. 3. Be resourceful and utilize every opportunity at your disposal to make your designs successful. Michael was also very resourceful throughout each challenge and did a good job using his resources in the final collection as well. From fabric choices to styling, he always impressed the judges with his decisions. The one area where he seemed to be a little bit off in the very end was with the taste level of his garments; the actual silhouettes and contours of his dresses seemed a little too suggestive for the judges’ tastes. 4. Actively sell yourself, your vision, and your designs. Here again, we have another area where Michael did very well. He consistently seemed ready and able to explain his designs to the judges, sell them on the high points of his designs, and minimize criticism of their weaknesses. He even did a good job selling his work for the final collection, explaining the concept and inspiration behind the group of garments. The only real snafu Michael made with this rule was when he seemed to back pedal a little bit while stating on the judging runway that he was young and new to the industry, still figuring out who he was. This was likely perceived as a weakness by the judges, a defense or excuse for the things they saw as flaws in his collection. He could have better sold himself by stating exactly what he did, but then immediately proclaiming that winning Project Runway would be the perfect next step to assist him in actualizing his potential. It is a minor point, but it could have made a difference. 5. Take your role as a designer seriously, and be professional both on and off the runway. Once again, we have no problems here. Michael was very professional in every challenge and in the finale. So let’s move on! 6. Think carefully about each challenge and do what it requires. Michael made excellent strides with this tip, carefully wrapping his mind around each design task and producing a flawless execution. But, again, once we saw him with wide open territory and no parameters to help guide him, we saw him struggle. Just as he had difficulty with the Elle challenge when there were only four designers left, he also had a difficult time developing a strong concept which was evident in each of his final designs. 7. Take risks – push yourself and your designs to new levels. Risk-taking was something which Michael also demonstrated throughout the season; the two wins he earned were due in large part to taking risks. He also took risks in his final collection, by “turning the volume way up,” and making clothes which were provocative and edgy. He was not afraid to show a little (and in a few cases, a lot!) of skin with his models, and he used vibrant patterns and prints that gave some of his pieces a truly feral quality. So where does that leave us? It appears Michael did well with virtually every criterion! He was innovative, creative, versatile, professional, resourceful, and took risks. So what happened?! It all comes back to Rule #1. Michael did not have the strong point of view necessary to win Project Runway. This rule is the first rule because it is the most important – while Michael was the most flexible of all the finalists, he was perhaps too flexible in that he lacked consistency and a strong, solid series of concepts and viewpoints which could be seen in his designs. He even admitted that he was green to the industry, and that designing the collection was new territory for him. The judges saw great potential in him and the makings of astounding designer. But they also felt he needs more time to come into his own, to continue to figure out who he is, and to better articulate his design philosophy. Who’s OUT: Laura 1. Stand out! Be original, creative, and show a unique, strong point of view in your designs. On the other hand, Laura clearly had a strong point of view. Her clothes were sophisticated, elegant, classy, and glamorous. She came up with creative ideas, such as the rosette button compromise when she was the team with Angela. She also designed the playfully youthful dress in the challenge that she won. Her wit and sense of humor came out in the recycling challenge, and the judges were impressed with her designs even as far back as the very first challenge. With each task, the judges could recognize every garment she made in each challenge, and they lauded her meticulous details and finishing touches. Her clothes, in a word, were impeccable. She was also creative, and her designs were new and fresh – she did a good job keeping with her own sense of style while still creating successful designs for each challenge. However, she was not very innovative. There was nothing particularly earth-shattering or unconventional about her work; it was a little bit too predictable in the eyes of the judges. Which leads us right in to Rule #2… 2. Demonstrate flexibility and versatility with each challenge. Laura’s main (and really only) problem was that her point of view was so focused, so singular, it was a little on the boring side. The judges could easily anticipate what she would produce for her collection, and they yawned a sigh of dismay when she failed to wow them. Laura was like the inverted foil to Michael in that she too excelled in virtually every category, but she was far, far too narrow, where he lacked focus and point of view. What he had too little of, she had too much of – and vice versa. What’s worse, Laura was even admonished - very harshly - by the judges about this exact problem in the last challenge before the finale! They told her they wanted to see a broader range, and she just didn’t deliver. This rule explicitly instructs the designers to listen very carefully to what the judges say, and to adapt as needed to succeed. Laura was criticized for being too limited as the season progressed, and in the final moment when she could have completely turned things around, she kept on heading in a downward spiral. 3. Be resourceful and utilize every opportunity at your disposal to make your designs successful. This guideline was one Laura followed throughout the entire season, up through to the very end. She chose exquisite fabrics and made styling choices which were flattering and elegant for her models. She also made excellent use of her time, attentively adding numerous meticulous details to all of her garments. The judges may not have been at all surprised by her overall collection, but they were dazzled by her impeccable craftsmanship. The beading and handwork on her final garments was astounding. 4. Actively sell yourself, your vision, and your designs. With this rule, we saw Laura perform satisfactorily. She never won over the judges with her charm or showmanship, but she was also never at a loss for words to explain and defend her designs. This guideline was somewhat of a moot point in her final performance; she was ready for the judges’ critiques of her work, and she gave the best responses she could, but this did not overpower the fact that the judges were not happy with the limited scope of her final garments. 5. Take your role as a designer seriously, and be professional both on and off the runway. As with most all of the finalists (with the exception of Jeffrey) Laura was professional and followed all of the rules. 6. Think carefully about each challenge and do what it requires. As with Michael, here again we see Laura was strong. All of the finalists were with this area, really. In each task Laura was able to wrap her mind around the challenge, rely on her expertise and strengths, and pull off a successful garment. The problem was she failed to realize that with this last challenge, part of what she had to do was turn over a new leaf and take the judges on a new and unexpected journey into a side of her designs that they had never seen before. Rather than compensate for her weaknesses and show more versatility (which could have secured the win for her) she instead fell back on the same strengths we had all seen before. Whether this was something she misunderstood or something she was just incapable of doing is difficult to tell, but it really doesn’t matter in the end – the judges wanted a broader range, and this was her chance to show them. She did not. 7. Take risks – push yourself and your designs to new levels. Somewhat in line with the comments made above, we didn’t see much risk-taking on Laura’s part. To do something else besides eveningwear, or even through in a few pieces which departed from this preferred area of hers, would have intrigued and impressed the judges. Though Laura did take risks in the level of ambition in the detail-work in her final collection, this was something the judges already knew she could do; they had already seen her excellent craftsmanship in prior challenges. They did get to see this talent exemplified to the fullest extent in her collection, but Laura had to prove to them that she had more than one trick up her sleeve. She did not take enough risks and push her designs to new levels with her final collection, and this decision tragically harmed her chances of winning. Laura is an excellent designer, and did a great job throughout the season. For having no professional training, she impressed the judges early on and continued to design garments which they enjoyed and found wearable and appealing to a mass market. However, they wanted to see her do more, something different, something unexpected and unconventional. Laura showed she was far too limited in her perspective to be versatile enough to win Project Runway. So that leaves us with the final two – Uli and Jeffrey. What made them the two best, and ultimately what made Jeffrey the winner? Check back later this week for the final article. This was probably the closest call we have seen in three seasons, so a much more through analysis is necessary. In the end, I think I will need to reevaluate my criteria based on the judges’ decision… In the meantime, dear readers, I would like to know what YOU think. Was Jeffrey the rightful winner? Why or why not? Does his performance stand up against my criteria? Does his win warrant some changes in the rules I have applied? I have my own opinions and I’m finalizing the second half of this article, but I’d like to hear your thoughts first. I will include feedback and responses I receive in the final article. Email me at kevin.otten@gmail.com to share your thoughts.

Who’s In and Who’s Out: Project Runway 3 - Finale Part 2 by Kevin Otten -- 11/01/2006 After reviewing the criteria, the finale episodes, and YOUR input and feedback, here is the final article! Why did Jeffrey come in first, while Uli placed second? Should Kevin’s rules be re-evaluated? Regardless of the guidelines, was Jeffrey’s win fair and deserved? Read on to find out all of this and more for this season’s final article! First, thanks to all of you who wrote in with your comments and feedback! It took longer than I expected to sift through all of them, but here we go! Last week we looked at why Laura and Michael placed second and third in this season respectively. For nearly opposite reasons, they both fell off the edges of two extremes. Both were resourceful, creative, innovative, professional, and to an extent, risk-takers. But Laura was too myopic in her approach, and lacked the flexibility and versatility to win Project Runway. Conversely, Michael was flexible and versatile, able to succeed in numerous challenges throughout the season; however, he lacked a strong point of view and had difficulty when he was not given clear parameters or guidelines to work within. So now we have Uli and Jeffrey. Let’s review the important fashion tips for Project Runway designers one last time and see what made Jeffrey come in first, and Uli come in second. I’ll also include your feedback and a final critique of my own guidelines to see how they stacked up with the judges’ decisions this season. Who’s OUT: Uli Starting strong, fizzling a bit, and then ending strong again, Uli was definitely this seasons’ comeback kid award winner. She impressed the judges early on by winning the dog challenge, but then faded into the background, usually placing in the automatic-IN group. Then, at the end, in the final challenge before Fashion Week, she was the only designer to excel in the Elle challenge. Let’s take a closer look at how she performed according to our criteria. 1. Stand out! Be original, creative, and show a unique, strong point of view in your designs. Uli definitely had a point of view, which was evident early on the show. She preferred to use vibrant colors, prints, and all of her looks were lively and dynamic. She enjoyed using long, flowing, airy dresses which were whimsical and playful. Uli also employed a great deal of creativity in each of her designs. Though the judges eventually became tired of the degree of repetition in her work, she was never criticized for the construction, execution, or concept behind her designs. Overall, she was very strong in this criterion throughout the entire season, including her final collection. She maintained her creativity and point of view while still using outfits with no prints, muted or neutral colors, and more variety in length, texture, etc, than her prior designs. A few of you who wrote in commented that you felt she was just as creative as Jeffrey (one of you said she was even more creative). I’m going to agree with those who said it was a fair draw between the two. 2. Demonstrate flexibility and versatility with each challenge. Though she did show something a little bit different in the finale, Uli did not present the degree of variety and versatility that the judges were looking for. Still, they found the looks in her collection which stood out most were the ones which fit in her traditional mold. (And if you look back and count, roughly half (six) of her looks were in fact vibrant, flowing print designs.) In order to secure a sure win, Uli needed to show more versatility – she could have had trace elements of her signature in each of her designs while still pushing herself to entirely new levels, as Jeffrey did. This rule explicitly tells the designers to listen carefully to what the judges say, and to adapt and change the direction of their designs if they are hearing the same feedback over and over again. Most of you who wrote in said this was clearly the one area which did Uli in – lack of versatility. I agree. 3. Be resourceful and utilize every opportunity at your disposal to make your designs successful. Uli never had a problem with being resourceful – throughout the season she was able to find the fabrics, prints, and materials to actualize her visions. She also made good use of her time, never pressed for last-minute alterations or changes which compromised the quality of her work. Uli could have been slightly more resourceful throughout the season and in her final collection by using more varied fabrics and materials, but this is more of an issue of her flexibility/versatility than a lack of resourcefulness. She did demonstrate on numerous occasions she was resourceful – from her playful use of her dog as a living accessory in the dog challenge which she won, to her brilliant use of the metallic piping in the recycling challenge. Uli was also one of the only designers to work with a plus size model in the Every Day Woman challenge, and succeed admirably in the eyes of the judges. She did so because she was able to make good use of her resources and customize her decisions to her client. Though being resourceful played a key role in her good performance throughout the season, it was really a non-issue in her second place finish, so we can move on… 4. Actively sell yourself, your vision, and your designs. Uli sold herself well, but for the most part, this tip did not play a large role in distinguishing who did well and who did not among the four finalists; none were particularly stronger than the others in this area, so little time needs to be spent with this guideline. (In fact, of all of you who wrote in, no one commented on this criterion for either Jeffrey or Uli!) Suffice to say, Uli did a fair job in this arena, but so did everyone else. 5. Take your role as a designer seriously, and be professional both on and off the runway. Ah and now we come to the rule which seems to be this seasons’ castaway, being a total non-factor in anyone’s win or loss, save for cheater Keith, who was axed for this reason only. Uli was professional and took her role seriously. But like tip #4, so did the other four finalists (except Jeffrey, who we will get to shortly). 6. Think carefully about each challenge and do what it requires. Here we have another area where Uli did seem to stumble a little bit. Only once was Uli in the bottom three, in the Jet Setter challenge, but it was not because she did not understand the challenge, it was because her design lacked versatility (see #2 above!). All of the other times, Uli received the automatic-IN or was in the top three. Where Uli went wrong with this rule was in the finale, designing her twelve-look collection. She did not give the judges what they wanted, even though they told her what they were looking for! They said they wanted to see more variety, fewer prints, more complexity, less crazy colors, broader range, less tropical paradise. She did push herself a little bit, but not far enough. The majority of her collection was not a great enough departure to show the judges she was really capable of escaping the niche market she had pigeonholed herself into throughout the season. Her collection was not a bad one at all. It was beautiful. She received no criticism for the cohesiveness, execution, concept, or use of materials in her final collection. Nearly all of you who wrote in commented that she deserved no less than second place, if not the first place victory. Her only real flaw was the lack of versatility, but this was a particularly glaring blemish because it was something the judges had commented on several times – if she failed to deliver the goods in this arena time and time again, she judges likely concluded it wasn’t because she was unwilling to do so (after all, she didn’t seem like Santino of Season 2) – instead, they likely concluded that she wasn’t able to do so. Regardless of whether the reason was ability or willingness, she failed to produce the end result the judges explicitly told her they wanted. In this respect, she did fail, at least in their eyes. A few of you who wrote that she should have won noted that Uli did give them what they wanted, while not abandoning her own point of view; that is, she did go outside of her comfort zone, but the judges did not give her credit for balancing this venture with maintaining her own style. I see merit to this argument but don’t find it particularly persuasive, especially when compared against Jeffrey, as we will see below… 7. Take risks – push yourself and your designs to new levels. For Uli, this rule blends in with #6 above; Uli’s lack of versatility and failure to give the judges what they expected showed a lack of risk-taking on her part. For the most part, with each design task, Uli took reasonable, moderate risks, many of which pleased the judges, or at least spared her their criticism. She remained true to herself, but still did push herself a little bit here and there. Witness the final challenge, in which she alone succeeded, where she completely scrapped her design and started over from scratch, with an entirely new concept. Definitely risky! And the judges loved it. In her collection, Uli also took some risks, by departing from her comfort zone and designing a variety of tops, bottoms, skirts, and gowns which looked like nothing we had seen from her before. However, these looks did not constitute the majority of her collection, and were subdued by the pieces which fit more with her typical aesthetic. Uli made a strong showing this season, and succeeded in most all of the rules highlighted above. She was resourceful, very creative, she clearly had a point of view, and she was professional and sold her designs well. However, she was not a risk-taker, and did not demonstrate the versatility the judges were looking for. Who’s IN: Jeffrey What a surprise, as the designer who wins is the one who appeared as though he may have been disqualified in the eleventh hour! Based on the cheating allegations, and his horrendous failure to be professional, most fans of the show picked Jeffrey to place fourth, or maybe third at best, hands down. So what happened? How did this underdog victory occur? 1. Stand out! Be original, creative, and show a unique, strong point of view in your designs. Like Uli and Laura, Jeffrey demonstrated a strong point of view. His design aesthetic was edgy, provocative, raw, rough, and dramatic. The judges saw consistent elements in his designs throughout the season, and they liked what they saw. Jeffrey was also creative, producing some very creative results, such as his winning couture dress in Paris, his team design with Alison in the Macy’s challenge, and his extraordinary newspaper dress in the recycling challenge. Jeffrey was creative and innovative, probably far more so than any other finalist. Though Michael was definitely creative, he lacked the point of view which Jeffrey had; Laura was the opposite, and Uli had both, but a little bit less raw innovation than Jeffrey. The result? Overall, Jeffrey was ahead of his competition with this category. Even his final collection showed sides of him that we had never seen before, which impressed the judges and demonstrated his versatility, while preserving cohesion. 2. Demonstrate flexibility and versatility with each challenge. And what a perfect transition into our second guideline… Jeffrey did show he could adapt well to many of the challenges; placing high in many. However, he did have the spottiest record of all of the finalists, being in the bottom two or three designers during four different occasions. But Jeffrey pulled ahead of both Michael and Laura in the finale collection, doing exactly what I indicated he needed to do in my article before Fashion Week: “To win at Fashion Week, Jeffrey must do exactly what the judges commented about in their deliberations: show elegance, class, and sophistication in his collection while maintaining his rough, raw point of view. Like all of the other remaining designers, he must also show he is versatile and flexible, demonstrating looks which the judges are not expecting but which flow together harmoniously in a cohesive collection. I think Jeffrey is the biggest wild card for the finale – he could pass with flying colors, baffle the judges with a failure, or come out somewhere in the middle. Only time will tell!” Could these words have rung truer in the finale? A wild card indeed, Jeffrey barely escaped disqualification, but then became the winner! And he did exactly what none of the other designers did, by showing far more versatility than he ever had before. His collection demonstrated elegance, class, and sophistication, but retained the Jeffrey aesthetic. The judges were very pleased with his results. 3. Be resourceful and utilize every opportunity at your disposal to make your designs successful. Jeffrey made excellent use of his resources throughout the season, which resulted in his strongest work. In the recycling challenge, he used color in a way that no other designer did, and his newspaper dress astounded the judges. Lacking a team leader in the Macy’s challenge when Keith was booted, Jeffrey and Alison collaborated and produced a fashion-forward look that the judges loved. Jeffrey’s selection and use of his materials and accessories in the Jet Setter and Paris couture challenges were instrumental in his back to back wins in Episodes 8 and 9. In his final collection, Jeffrey also explored different fabrics and silhouettes, making use of the freedom he was afforded to surprise the judges. Some of you who wrote me said you thought this was Jeffrey’s greatest strength, and what really made him the clear winner among the final four. Others of you indicated you thought that he seemed to have a hit and miss record with this, and his weakness in this area should have placed him second to Uli. I think my perspective is midway between these two; yes, being resourceful was one of his strengths, but in this regard Jeffrey was not that much better than all of the other three finalists. And though he was spotty in his track record, his successes do seem to outweigh the failures. 4. Actively sell yourself, your vision, and your designs. As with Uli, Laura, and Michael, this guideline did not play a huge role in Jeffrey’s ultimate win. All four of the finalists did well with this tip, so we can move on. 5. Take your role as a designer seriously, and be professional both on and off the runway. Alas! For the first time in two seasons and a couple dozen episodes we find a snag in my rules, a flaw in my system. Jeffrey was more unprofessional than any other designer we have seen in three seasons. Though Season 2’s Santino makes a close second, at least Santino reserved most (but not all!) of his immaturity and antagonism for his interviews or for judge Nina Garcia. Jeffrey on the other hand proved he was difficult to work with both during team challenges and individual challenges. His behavior when working with a client (Angela’s mother) in the Every Day Woman challenge would have gotten him fired in a second from any job in the real world. He also seemed to take great joy in tormenting the other designers on the show he did not like or get along with. In an interview early in the season, Heidi Klum that this season things would be interesting because for once they had a real villain. It did not take long to determine who that person was. Jeffrey’s lack of professionalism stayed with him until the very end of the season; in the finale episodes we didn’t see him bringing anyone to tears or tormenting his competition at the sewing machines. Perhaps it was the humbling experience of being accused of cheating which tamed the beast, but at that point it was too late. Even in the reunion show, Jeffrey was at a loss for words when questioned by Tim Gunn, Heidi, and Angela about why he never apologized to Angela’s mother. Though Jeffrey did not fly off the handle and go on a rampage when Laura questioned the integrity of his collection, this minor showing of professionalism and maturity doesn’t really seem to outweigh the numerous occasions in which he behaved like an angst-filled child, joyfully lashing out at those around him. And let’s not forget he made other mistakes in his finale collection. He did misplace the receipts for one of his pairs of shorts, and thus it had to be removed from his collection. And, he went over budget, by nearly $230. Though Heidi did bring this up in the final deliberation, we never actually saw any of the judges comment on this mistakes. How they factored into the final decision, if at all, is a mystery to me. But it wasn’t to you, dear readers! All of you who wrote in (even those who agreed with Jeffrey’s victory!) commented that with this rule, Jeffrey was a complete and total failure. I agree one hundred percent. 6. Think carefully about each challenge and do what it requires. With this rule, Jeffrey had a mixed record, which makes sense given his random placing in the top and bottom tiers in many challenges. He was the only finalist to be in the bottom two more than once. In fact, he was there four times. With many challenges, Jeffrey seemed to wrap his mind around them, devise a unique and innovative solution, and execute it well. With other tasks, he seemed to completely miss the mark and deliver results which the judges found confusing or distasteful. But the final collection was where his performance really counted; Jeffrey needed to show the judges something new, a departure from his predictable looks. Something fresh, and different, like his couture dress in the Paris challenge. And that is exactly what he did. Both Heidi Klum and Michael Kors noted that his collection was more elegant and sophisticated than anything they had seen from him before, but it still had his touch. More than any of the other finalists, Jeffrey seemed to understand how and in what way he needed to prove himself with his final collection, and he did it. The judges were pleasantly surprised. 7. Take risks – push yourself and your designs to new levels. We finally come to the one criterion which was new this season and which ironically played the greatest role in determining who the final winner was. Jeffrey was more of a risk-taker than any of the other four finalists, by far. This attribute of his personality and design philosophy did likely play somewhat of a role in the many times in which he was critiqued by the judges, for going a little bit too far in his own direction and not reigning himself in enough to deliver what some of the challenges required. In all of the challenges he won, Jeffrey’s risk-taking was what really propelled him forward: the recycling challenge, the couture challenge, the Jet Setter challenge, etc. In his final collection, Jeffrey also took risks. His collection was the most diversified, but he still managed to keep consistency across the looks by using fabrics, patterns, and silhouettes which in some cases were similar, and in other cases were harmoniously complimentary. He also pushed himself and his designs to a whole new level, by showing an elegance and sophistication that the judges wanted to see from him but never quite did before. He took some major risks in the Elle challenge and tried to deliver these results to the judges, but just didn’t hit the mark. In the finale, they finally got what they were looking for. Jeffrey fans who wrote me commented quite accurately that Jeffrey took more risks than virtually any other designer this season. Before we look at the final comparison between Jeffrey and Uli, let’s first look at the criteria and who well they have served to analyze the designers this season. Rules #1, #2, #3, and #6 were all relevant in every challenge. It is obvious that the designers must use their resources well to create and successfully executive creative and innovative designs. Having a point of view is necessary to make a lasting impression, but this perspective must be balanced with the ability to adapt to new situations. Rule #4 was minimal this season, especially toward the end – however, I think this is due in large part to the fact that none of the finalists had great showmanship as one of their great strengths or weaknesses; each of them were able to explain their designs well, but didn’t necessarily dazzle the judges with personality. As I mentioned above, Rule #7 (risk-taking) was completely new this season based on Chloe’s win over Danny V. last time, and ironically it was one of the key factors in distinguishing Jeffrey from his finale competitors. For the next season, Rule #5 will definitely be discarded like one of Angela’s unnecessary rosettes. It just never seemed relevant this time around, as many of you noted in your emails to me. If someone like Jeffrey, whose behavior demonstrates the epitome of unprofessional, can win Project Runway, it is hard to think that there is much room for this quality to be one of the important pieces of criteria for the designers to adhere to. Even Keith, the lone designer this season besides Jeffrey who gave me anything to write about with Rule #5, didn’t do much to be “unprofessional.” He just broke the rules and was kicked off the show. Besides this one exception, nowhere else this season did professionalism seem to factor in who won and who lost. Perhaps something as simple as not cheating doesn’t need to be a criterion on which the designers are evaluated, given that it is an all-or-nothing deal and requires mere common sense to follow. We’ll wait and see for next season, but in the meantime I think this one will probably be crossed off the list. So where does that leave us? Returning to the analysis of Jeffrey and Uli, really the only area where Jeffrey was weaker than his counterparts in the final collection was in the area of professionalism. He was the biggest failure the show has ever seen in this regard. But somehow, he still won – the lack of professionalism just didn’t seem to matter to the judges. When compared to one another, both Jeffrey and Uli sold themselves well, were creative, and had distinct points of view. However, Jeffrey was far more versatile, more innovative, and a much greater risk-taker. And these factors all must have been more significant in the eyes of the judges than his lack of professionalism. It was a close call, but in the end Uli was OUT, and Jeffrey is IN.

View Full Version: Episode 314: Finale (10/18)