Wednesday, October 1, 2008

5/12 NATURE CALLS, NO ONE ANSWERS

Yay. Boo. Once again Project Runway judges, who tonight included Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman -- her dramatic evening gowns virtually rule the red carpet these days -- could not make a decision. It’s déjà vu all over again – remember last season when they couldn’t auf Chris March?

So here it is Runway followers: Jerell, Leanne, Korto and Kenley will all make final collections (we know this because we’ve already shown them to you), but one of them will be out before the show at New York Fashion Week. We always feel sad when someone goes…but you gotta make a choice and that should have been tonight.

This show did nothing to enhance our opinions of any of the designers. As Michael Kors noted, “I don’t think this was their best moment.” The challenge was to create an evening gown inspired by flowers at the New York Botanical Garden. They had a budget of $250 and two days to work their magic. And honestly, if this had been last year’s crew, Rami, Jillian, Christian and even Chris, it would have been a total wow. But instead it was mediocre at best.

Jerell won the challenge with an empire gown of plums and purples that was badly constructed though somewhat interesting. Trust us, anybody with more than A-cup would have had to figure out another way to harness the girls. Leanne came in second with a lavender and blue job that had a pleated embellishment. The judges thought was soft and pretty but again, not well made (as in what the heck was the blue dust cloth aka bustle hanging off the model’s rear?) Korto’s gold and lace number seemed inspired at the start but turned out to be what Kors called a pageant dress, not even good. Kenley, who refused to take any mentoring from Tim Gunn, created an old-fashioned siren dress of snakeskin fabric with leaves hanging off the bottom…the Muppets meets creepy.


The underlying theme of the night? Hate-fest. Leanne, Korto and Jerell ganged up on Kenley, whose nasal whine, annoying cackle and inappropriate defensiveness almost, but not quite, made her deserving of their abuse. She’s an easy target, and we would hope that since they’ve all fought their own life battles (they all cried at one time or another), maybe they could have shown a little restraint in the meanness department. That said, she is hard to like. She behaved so horribly on the runway that Heidi chastised her, and Michael wondered allowed, “Imagine if a buyer says, ‘I don’t like that sleeve. What will she do? Take out a knife and kill them?” In the end, Kenley broke down too and you had to feel a little bit sorry for her, like when all the finalists had a group hug with Tim…except her. She sat in a chair by herself and watched them. Fashion can be pretty ugly. – Anne Bratskeir

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the judges made a dreadful mistake by allowing Kenley to continue her participation in the competition. Her talent is very one-note and she refuses to take constructive comments from anyone without becoming defensive, rude and simply ugly. She has bashed the judges to their faces and been unspeakably rude to Tim Gunn, the most gentlemanly individual who truly mentors the designers with love and concern. Maybe the judges kept Kenley on because they like the drama but there should have come a point when her blatent, nasty attitude should have counted even more against her than her 50's designs. Her apologies were too late and insincere. I hope she is eliminated before Bryant Park, as she should have been much earlier in the show.

Anonymous said...

I might have felt sorry for her during the group hug except that Kenley chose to isolate herself. Tim tried to extend the olive branch, but she pretty much snubbed them all again. Moreover, she seems to think there's nothing wrong with her behavior and how dare the other designers be offended or put off. It's their fault that they don't tolerate her childlike behavior, not hers. When her design fails to impress it's another designer's fault (i.e. blaming Leanne for not selling the outfit) or the judges for not understanding her aesthetic. Never hers. Any apologies she made at the end were excuses, not true apologies.

I liked her early in the season until she turned into bratzilla. What I wonder is if she doesn't respect the judges' or Tim's opinions then what is she doing on PR anyway?

Anne Bratskeir said...

Anonymous, thanks for writing. I agree. I think Kenley's behavior is mainly despicable, and you are so right about Tim being the most gentlemanly individual -- he's a fine man. I happen to dislike the mob mentality however. The other kids were not playing nicely, so instead of Kenley winning the bad behavior award for the night (and man, she should have) they shared the prize which is too bad because it takes away from them. But 'tude aside, how about the clothes? Not so good either.

Anonymous said...

Kenley started off the episode refusing to speak to Leann. I'm sorry but the childishness started with Kenley.

I really wasn't wowed by the dresses but I agree with Jerrell as the winner. I think based on clothes alone Korto might have been out this time. However I think Kenley should have been out last time based on design. She has stayed because unfortunately, the producers think contention makes for great TV.

Anonymous said...

WOW.....Kenley needs to go.

Anonymous said...

As this episode started I was really excited because I thought the challenge was great and expected beautiful creations coming from the four of them. However, as you have already said, the dresses were quite disappointing and just "off the mark". They could have been great. Maybe, as one of the judges (don't remember which one, maybe Michael) said, they just needed more time. I think they all need to grow up a bit and get over the attitude thing. REAL life is all about getting along despite personal and personality differences. They were all being childish. Hopefully, that will change. Loved Michael's comment about how Kenley might react if a potential buyer wasn't happy with an outfit...he's pretty funny! Let's hope they all learned something from this show...

Anonymous said...

i believe the show that i saw did not have everyone bashing Kenley. Korto did not say anything about her when asked who should stay. she said that she believed that Jerrel, Leeann, and herself should stay. she never said anything about Kenley until they went back stage and I feel Kenley deserved it because of what she said about Korto. even when the show started Kenley slammed everyone's designs as if she is the only true designer. confidence is one thing but arrogance is a horse of a different color.

Anonymous said...

there is no excuse for being rude to people. she (kenley) should be off the show regardless of her designs. if she did that to people in the general public then we would not patronize her establishment so why reward her now. let her know what the real world is going to be like. so what she cried i can cry on demand also. her not joining the group hug was just another way of her showing her ignorance. especially right after she apologized for her behavior. give me a break.

Anonymous said...

I feel Kenley is a brat and rude but she is not any worse then some of the guys I have seen on that show. Christin from last season and the other guy who won a few seasons ago from LA, were the two rudest people I have seen. The guy from LA was not only rude he had one of the most unpleasant attitudes I have ever seen on TV. I am not sure why guys are getting a pass for the way they act. And women like Laura and Kenley don't. But rude is rude no matter what.

Anonymous said...

personally, I think that Kenley is rude, and some of her defenses are uncalled for. Even though though the judges wanted to see what her 50's style would bring next, I think she has clearly shown in the past challenges that she is un worthy of continuing. In the past few challenges her taste has lacked, and she's show the same thing over and over again. I really didn't need that sob story at the end. "I've had to fight my way through life" Boo hoo! It's a competition and people are going to not like you, mainly because your difficult to like. Her one'note designs are getting old, and so have been done before. I think that if Kenley wants to win, shes going to have to take reality for a drive, and step up her game. Kenley needs to show us a new side of her, and by that I mean a nicer, more tasteful side. PS- go Korto!! I want you to win!! Jerrell and Leanne, you are also amazing designers. Project runway is an amazing show, and I can't wait until finale time.

Anonymous said...

hey, I left the last comment, and I forgot to say how much I love Tim Gunn, and I DO NOT appreciate any one who says ANYTHING bad about him, or is disrespectful to him.

Anonymous said...

Certainly, Kenley is a very difficult person to get along with. She has behaved in a rude manner on a number of occasions. She is decidedly immature. Perhaps it's because I can remember being an immature young woman with an enormous chip on her shoulder, but I did feel enough sympathy for her to write this post.

I was pleased to see someone else take note of the fact that other past designers (notably, Christian and Santino) were every bit as rude and obnoxious as Kenley, but whatever criticsms were levied against them did not carry anywhere near the same unholy glee that has been in attendance at Kenley's vivisection. Apparently, rude and obnoxious behavior is still more forgivable in a man than in a woman and we apparently do love taking an uppity woman out to the woodshed, just like she deserves. For me, the bottom line is that, however obnoxious, rude and immature Kenley might be, she hardly merits the degree of venom that's been dished out. It's over the top, piling on and whatever other argot phrase you care to apply. The last episode, as a whole, stank to high heaven of grade school playground tactics.

I don't think the overall talent level of this season's designers is on the level of last year's. That said, I think Korto should win. I've enjoyed Leeann's work a great deal but I believe Korto is the only designer who has any inkling of how to design for real womens' bodies, her range is the deepest and her artistic vision the strongest.

It has been a dramatic season, but if I wished to watch sharks in a shark tank, I'll turn on Animal Planet, thank you very much.

the dogs' mother said...

It just seems wrong that Jerrell won the challenge and still has to go back into the talent pool for the right to be one of the final three.
The judges could have chosen to have no winner.

Anonymous said...

does kenley deserved to go? i personally think yes..at the start of the season, i think that im beginning to be in love with this girl..with her appearance, voice and well made clothes..she was ok..until she started to laugh at daniel's clothes..i mean come on..you dont laugh at your friend in front of the judges..and then she was rude to tim..tim is like super nice to everyone..and his comment is for the designer's own sake and in the end it's the designers' choice whether to take seriously on his comment or not..and kenly choose to be rude and sarcastic..not only that..she did it in front of the judges..what was she thinking? and blaming leanne for not selling her worst design? i dont think that's appropriate...yup she should be eliminiated big time in this show..for not carving a good gown, for making the gown look somewhat idiot..and making herself look like a child in front of the designers and the judges..oh yeah you have a hardtime during your childhood? big deal..i mean who didnt????

Anonymous said...

Uinterview.com just posted a new interview with Korto, which you can read at www.uinterview.com/style. Check it out, she's an interesting woman.

Susannah said...

actually it's www.uinterview.com/style.php

Benigna Torviso-Marko said...

Glad to see a winner. She was good. Benigna Marko

espow said...

I like to be here.

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QHYAPPLE said...

His talent is very one note and refuses to take the constructive comments of any person, without being defensive, rude and obnoxious single plane. She broke the judges in the face and unspeakably rude to Tim Gunn, the knight who mentors the designers really love and concern. Maybe the judges kept Kenley because eden gold
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summermobile said...

The other kids were not playing nicely, so instead of Kenley winning the bad behavior award for the night (and man, she should have) they shared the prize which is too bad because it takes away from them. But 'tude aside, how about the clothes? Not so good either.
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