When the producers of a show like Project Runway prefer rounding up old contestants to scouting the next Christian Siriano, it’s safe to assume that the end is near.
Still, just as America’s Next Top Model managed to rope us in with its lackluster (but ultimately controversial) All Stars edition, Project Runway’s tenth season, replete with some of the most memorable designers, was too tempting to pass up.
But despite relying on folks from seasons past, Project Runway: All Stars almost feels like an entirely different show: Angela Lindvall, model and poor man’s Heidi Klum serves as host, while Klum, Nina Garcia and Michael Kors have been replaced by new judges Georgina Chapman and Isaac Mizrahi (which is funny considering the Runway ripoff he did for Bravo after losing the series to Lifetime). Worse, the exceedingly loveable arbiter of words like “caucus” has been reimagined in Marie Claire editor-in-chief, Joanna Coles; yes, Tim Gunn is gone – hmph.
The One Who Got Away
Yet somehow, through the simultaneous act of dredging up and doing away with the past, Project Runway captures our attention much in the same way that a massive car accident would – we wanna know how it came to this, but we’re too consumed by observing the wreckage to be bothered with particulars.
On one hand, the decision to usher a new team of judges makes sense: With prior knowledge of the designer’s aesthetics leaving an indelible impression, Klum, Kors and Garcia would be far from unbiased in their opinions. The injection of a fresh judging panel puts returning designers, who’ve likely grown some in the ego department since their initial appearance, back in the position of being evaluated by people who truly don’t care what they’ve done before.
Unfortunately, the same logic raises serious questions about why fan favorite Tim Gunn isn’t in the mix. Serving as articulate and generally spot-on mentor since the show’s 2004 inception, his buttoned up critiques have rightfully earned him the adoration of a Runway loving fan sect. Most important, he knows the designers like a teacher knows its students – their tendencies, strengths, foibles – and would offer genuinely well-informed advice as a result.
Joanna Coles
In his place, former guest judge Joanna Coles tries her best. Described by Adweek as decidedly “anti fashion,” the British journalist turned fashion editor is a cold and unyielding fish. Lacking the verbiage to sufficiently pinpoint for designers where they may be faltering, Coles’ positive feedback takes the form of insightful observations such as “I like the color scheme.”
But maybe we’re over-thinking this whole thing – after all, Project Runway: All Stars is touted as a spin-off of the original (at least according to Wikipedia). And given that the returning designers are presumably more experienced than a brand new set, perhaps the aloof mentorship provided by Coles is all they need.
Mondo's Turn?
Of course, in keeping with the theory that the end is near, it’s possible that Lifetime is attempting to right its wrong in asking previous contestants back: After a consistent string of unique, funky pieces during season eight was followed by an equally inspired final showing at Fashion Week, Mondo Guerra was, by most accounts, the expected winner. Ultimately, he lost to Gretchen Jones – an outcome that Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn were blatantly opposed to, but unable to change.
For longtime fans who remembered edgy Jeffrey Sebelia winning season three, it signaled that an innovative viewpoint had lost its cache on the Runway. Lifetime played it safe.
So while the warily curious tune in haphazardly for the tenth installment of Project Runway - a show that almost never was, a show that lent validity to reality TV and a show that never seemed to fully rebound from major changes in ownership and production - they’ll realize that the show they loved ended some time ago, and what is left in its wake operates on an entirely new definition of what it means to ‘make it work.’
Project Runway: All Stars airs on Thursday nights at 9pm EST.
