Friday, February 26, 2010
By Diane Lee
Contributing Writer
Lifetime’s hit reality TV show, “Project Runway,” came back for its seventh season on Jan. 14, only two months after the colorless sixth season ended. Only a few episodes in, the new season shows much improvement and proves that “Project Runway” is not yet done for.
The sixth season failed to deliver interesting drama. There weren’t many unique designers and interesting talents. “Project Runway” seemed to have lost its spark.
The viewers’ discontent was reflected in the ratings of the seventh season, which dropped about one-third from the previous season. However, the new designers are bringing the spark back to the show and really “make it work,” as the show’s design expert Tim Gunn often tells contestants.
With 16 new designers, “Project Runway” is back in New York and in Parsons. Hostess Heidi Klum, judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, and Gunn all have returned.
As was the case with previous seasons, the 16 new designers are thrown into a series of chaotic and difficult challenges. For example, in one challenge, the designers made garments for industry parties out of burlap potato sacks.
These challenges help introduce viewers to the designers. Some designers have pure talent and good personalities, while others are brainless, bossy, unsociable and just plain bizarre.
The main attraction of “Project Runway” is the funky, unique designers who liven up the show rather than the sometimes-magnificent designs that are produced. Bickering partners, mental breakdowns, and out-of-this-world craziness are all part of the fun. This season succeeds in delivering these.
Despite the small number of episodes in this season that have aired so far, the show displays drastic improvement. The child-like, quarrelsome partnership between designers Ping Wu and Jesse LeNoir is hilarious. Ping is such a peculiar, abnormal person she seems from another planet.
Also ridiculous, but understandable, is Mila Hermanovsky, 40, who gets overly aggressive with Anthony Williams, 28, when her former model chooses to work with him instead.
This delightful bunch of designers has talent in addition to attitude. For instance, the dress Amy Sarabi made out of potato sacks was cute and chic, but it kept the organic feeling of the burlap that none of the other designers’ garments had. Mila’s futuristic and sporty coat in the third episode was innovative and gorgeous.
If there is one thing lacking in the new season, it is the fact that this season started so soon after the last season’s finale. There should have been a longer break before this season because the bad memory of the poorly-received sixth season still remains. It can get repetitive and boring to watch the same thing again, since “Project Runway” never changes its format.
This season proves to be more lively and drama-packed than the season before. It is not yet up to the standard set by older seasons, but compared to the last one, the seventh season is like the sun shining brightly after a rainstorm.
The new and improved season of “Project Runway” airs every Thursday at 10 p.m. on Lifetime.
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