Empire of the Cat

The third season of Project Runway Australia has finally started.  It’s been two years between Season 2 and Season 3 and it’s been a looong wait.  A number of problems from what I can remember including finding a new host for the show has caused the delays but we now have Megan Gale as the host, Alex Perry as the mentor.

Both of them work for David Jones and it does seem like a David Jones sponsored show with the accessories wall being stuffed with David Jones product and Megan being the face of David Jones and Alex being a David Jones designer!  Bothered?  Not really, I’m just glad it’s back.

I love Project Runway – all of them – but one thing that does annoy me is how scripted it is.  Sure it’s great to have catchphrases but this show takes it to another level!  Anyway, on to the show.

• Amanda McKenna, 36, from Western Australia
• Anna McEachran, 31, from Western Australia
• Anthony Allars, 34, from New South Wales
• Claire Hocking, 24, from Victoria
• Craig Braybrook, 45, from Victoria
• Dylan Cooper, 21, from New South Wales
• Gabrielle Stephens, 40, from Victoria
• Johnny Schembri, 23, from New South Wales
• Matcho Suba, 27, from Victoria
• Nerida Bourne, 21, from New South Wales
• Rachael Perks, 21, from New South Wales
• Timothy Godbold, 42, from Western Australia

12 new designers, all desperate to prove themselves, hog the camera and bitch about the rest.  First impressions of the designers at the beginning of the show – you know, when they met each other and choose their rooms etc, and give us a snapshot of themselves – Anthony, Gabrielle, Johnny, Matcho, Nerida could have potential based on first impressions.  Pink-obsessed Rachael is on my off list immediately due to all the pink and her attitude “watch out I’m sneaky”.  Really?  How about just winning by working hard and showing us your design qualities and not because you’re sneaky.  The hair looks like straw too, and she reminds me of a pink anime waitress or something.  Harsh?  maybe but this is first impressions time.  Not sure about Nerida, I don’t think I like her attitude too but I’d like to see more of what she can do.  Craig = bitchy queen.  Don’t like his attitude at. all.  Timothy “I haven’t sewn anything or done any pattern-making for 25 years” hmmm if that’s true then he did an awesome job with his dress.  It looked flawless.  The other 4 were forgettable in this first episode.

The task:  choose your model – all models dressed in shortie black robes – and then surprise surprise they take the robes off and the big reveal is that they are draped in the fabric you will have to use – satin, wool, chiffon – each in a different colour.  The challenge is to make a cocktail dress – some of these colours don’t really lend themselves well to the idea of “cocktail”.  I felt sorry for Anthony getting the yellow!

I don’t know why these shows are so bitchy.  I watch Masterchef Australia and that has a totally different atmosphere, people are even giving up their spots so someone else can follow their dream, but these guys all are all stab you in the back whilst smiling at your face.  I wonder if it’s a requirement of the show though, that they have to show that.  All the PR shows are the same so maybe it’s in the format.  Masterchef US is also bitchy so maybe that’s what people want to see?

Anyway, there’s a scene where Anthony is struggling to get finished and Craig is finished and says to camera that he could have offered to help him finish but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.  Poor old Anthony turned up on the runway with an unfinished dress pinned together and was the first fashion victim.

However, with Craig’s attitude I did expect something spectacular from him, but instead he gives us this hot mess:

I’m sorry but what is this?  A cross between a Pretty Woman wannabe and a bad bridesmaid dress?  Yikes!  I do wonder what Anthony’s dress would have turned out like if Craig had helped him.  Anyway I think the unfinished yellow dress looks much better than this.

So that’s the worst, now on to the best.   Johnny’s purple dress was very well made, well sewn and looked like it filled the brief perfectly. It was also the winning dress! First impressions of Johnny are positive so far. He didn’t seem bitchy and he just got stuck into the job at hand and did a good job of it too.   Johnny has his own women’s fashion label “By Johnny” which is currently stocked in boutiques around Australia – not bad for a 23 year old!  Last year he won the Peroni Young Designer Award.

I thought Gabrielle’s dress was very pretty and well made but perhaps had missed the mark as a cocktail dress.  I liked the dress though but I would have to tidy up all those threads as that would drive me nuts.

Gabrielle is one of the more mature designers at age 40, and has studied Design and high fashion.

The third dress they liked was this one by Dylan.  The judges really seemed to like this one and I thought they might have picked it at the winner.  I don’t like it at all.  It’s probably well made – I couldn’t see any details – but I don’t like the shape, the cap sleeves, and the way it looks like a top and skirt rather than a dress.  The light top and dark bottom cut the model in half and makes it look like separates.

NEXT WEEK:  looks like they’re recycling old clothing to make something fabulous!  Love those challenges, really separates the creative from the non-creative.

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