During this week’s Project Runway Great Drape Debate — was Rami wrong to design yet another Grecian dress for the judges? — I resurrected an internal debate of my own. Should contestants on talent-based reality series be forced to do something that in no way represents what she or he will do in real life, post-show? I haven’t looked at the photos from last week’s Project Runway finale fashion show in Bryant Park because I don’t want the spoilers, but it’d be a shame if Rami designed his entire collection — an opportunity to establish his identity in the industry — without his signature look just to make Nina Garcia happy. Before you slap me, know that I, too, was bored by Rami’s dress this week. I just think there had to have been a way for him to stay in the Greek and Roman gallery and still wow the panel like he did with his first Runway dress (pictured, left).
Of course, I get that shows need drama for good TV, and most often, that involves pushing people outside their comfort zone. But sometimes it seems wrong to force them there, then turn around and say, "You suck." It bothers me infinitely more on American Idol, when I have to sit through a rocker singing a standard or a country song poorly, and then listen to Simon and co. say that it wasn’t his best night. Really? You could argue that true artists find a way to make any genre their own, and I can buy that. But these are not established artists we’re seeing. Occasionally, couldn’t they have the chance to perfect something, instead of being forced to try everything? What do you think?
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I TOTALLY agree especially where Idol is concerned. Would a rock fan really want to eventually pay to see their “idol” and watch them sing Celine Dion or something. Yeah it might seem to make for good tv but it’s not realistic.
I TOTALLY agree especially where Idol is concerned. Would a rock fan really want to eventually pay to see their “idol” and watch them sing Celine Dion or something. Yeah it might seem to make for good tv but it’s not realistic.
quite simply, i agree. no one should tell anyone how to hone their creative abilities. i personally love rami’s draping, and i think he should make it his signature, if he hasn’t done so already.
I agree, and I’ve often had the same thought on both PR and Top Chef. (Chefs often focus on a certain type of cuisine, but on that show, they get pegged for “always doing spanish food” or “too much with foams” or “you can only do comfort foods”.) Designers often go through phases – look at any designer’s collection and you’ll see that they’re into a certain shade of blue right now, or long skirts or something. But on PR, it’s a fault, because contestants are supposed to be versatile. (This even happens on America’s Next Top Model – is one model really going to be edgy AND commercial, good for print ads AND runway? Unlikely.)
Personally, I don’t mind so much that Rami has draped something in pretty much every challenge, and I don’t even think the judges mind that much (even though incoporating draping into a wrestling outfit is ridiculous)
It’s more that, he’s just not coming up with designs that are good, creative or dramatic enough. For example, Christian certainly has a propensity for retro-futuristic jackets, but every week his designs are innovative enough to stop them from becoming redundant and boring.
The problem is that I can pretty much imagine what Rami’s outfit is going to look like before he starts making it.
The old saying “Jack of all trades, master of none” ring any bells?
I dunno, I kind of like performers/creative people who have a variety of tricks and can change things up when one style gets tired. They never rest on their laurels — they are always learning and venturing into new things. Just think of the Beatles.
I looked, and Rami’s collection was by far the most boring. Even Sweet Pea’s was lovely. Rami and the dull draping dresses in the muted jewel tones. Ugh. I’m glad he got booted at the end. Chris March kicked his butt all over Fashion Week (color me shocked… and happy).
The fact is that this is a contest to find the person that best fits the parameters of the contest. Project Runway certainly has some out there and tough challenges, but a lot of the time, they *do* have a point and will help and influece the designers in the future. And, to be honest, being a dull and one-note designer like Rami might keep him making a few award show dresses and a modest income, but it won’t make an accmplished career (or the real $$$).
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Rami is soooooooooooooo fine
PR is supposedly looking for the next great American designer, and part of the job of a “great” designer is to use their talents and vision to inspire fashion and the folks participating in fashion – from the consumers to the next wave of designers. For a designer to keep doing the same things over and over again that have clearly been executed for thousands of years seems boring and off the mark. Yeah, he drapes really well, but he’s not adding much creative nuance or broad vision to the fashion community with his work. I think it’s perfectly legitimate for Nina to criticize him.
Of course, I say this as a person who wears jeans and cardigans and watches Project Runway in pajamas every week. I know nothing of fashion.
I would agree … except that Christian for example always does outifts that are very him and yet finds a way to fit them into the challenge and they always feel fresh. I guess that’s the difference between a good designer and a great designer (I am not saying that to shill for Christian … just saying he has succeeded at making new outfits that don’t feel like they are all the same all the while staying true to himself and his style). You can tell what it is he has done when you watch the runway but it doesn’t feel like you have seen it before.
Rami should find a way to mix it up. Even Jillian’s style is always recognizable and yet I never feel I have seen any outfit before. She is slightly less successful than Christian but she does it.
Which is why those two should be the final two.
However, regarding Idol, I sort of kind of tend to agree.
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I definitely think the judges are correct to want something more from Rami. His greek draping outfits all look the same and are so boring. None of his looks subsequent to the first challenge brought out a new or innovative way to drape fabric. To contrast, Christian always does a variation of tailored jackets, but each week his designs build on the theme and make it into something better and new. The same can be said about Jillian’s tailored long coats and girly skirts and dresses. They never feel stagnant; you get a feeling of progression from looking at them in succession. Having seen the final collections, Rami hardly used jersey draping at all And while his first 10 or so looks were middling, his gowns were breathtaking. And he did do a gown with braided bodice and draping that was lovely and took his previously boring aesthetic to a new level.
In the case of Project Runway, I think Rami deserved to get dinged for his drapiness. The judges are looking for great execution, great design, and great creativity. Rami has execution and design down but he gets an “F” when it comes to creativity. And Project Runway has always placed a premium on the creative aspect – a creative look that has execution issues is always rated more highly than a same-old look that is executed flawlessly. There’s a difference between having your own aesthetic (sp) that informs all of your designs (Christian) and literally having ONE look (Rami).
If there is a moderator readin gthese, the as*hole in the comment below spoiled the finale with information about the who gets to present their final collection, Rami or Chris. That totally sucks. They also described the collection. Can you please remove this comment so the outcome isn’t spoiled for more people?
Don’t sweat it- he didn’t ruin anything; both Chris AND Rami showed their collections (as did the rest of the top 5), but only one of them will be “competing”. Again, putting to test the debate of whether or not the runway show or the PR prize is truly tops, but ALL FIVE of the finalists showed at fashion week.
I definitely agree about AI, and a little less so for top chef. But in the fashion industry, more versatility is required for a long career. When Santino was on, he kept doing deconstructed outfits, which was fine for the time because that was trendy then. But if that was all he could do, he would be screwed now. As for Top Chef, if a contestant loves cooking spanish food, they will probably stay in that genre for all of their restaurants, so the ability to cut sushi may not be important. But knowing the techniques may help. Most importantly, getting people outside of their comfort zone makes for good TV. Fair? Maybe not, but these people know what they’re getting into when they sign on.
Actually, on shows like these the judges want to see versitility because any artisit who is going to have a long career in thier chosen profession, particularly an artistic one, needs to evolve. Madonna is a perfect example of someone who continued to make pop/dance music throughout her career, but experimented enough with her image and sound so she always seemed fresh. One could argue that a designer like Ralph Lauren consistently makes the same type of clothes, but there’s enough versitility from the clean, classic, preppy look from season to season to keep buyers interested.
Uli from Season 3 of PR is a great example. Remember when she made that short blue dress before Bryant Park? Yes, it was her crazy prints again, but she changed the silhouette and thus made it appear “fresh.” Christian showed that he can make crazy haute couture as well as an outfit for a wrestler and still be true to his style–although I’d love to see him come up with a line of swimwear or active wear!
I purposely avoid all spoliers and a description of Rami’s collection *IS* a huge spoiler.
Please, there were no spoilers in the comments you so rudely denigrated. Rami and Chris both show at fashion week, as did Sweet Pea, either one of them could be competing for the prize. Although, geez do you really expect Chris to have a chance here? And describing one gown as having a braided bodice in no way reveals what the gown actually looks like. Please tone the harsh criticism of your fellow posters!
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I don’t know why the judges are so hard on Rami. Christian makes the same outfit EVERY week. How many puffy sleeved shirt/jackets with pants has he put out!?! Poor Rami!!!
Yeah, that is not a big spoiler AT ALL. One portion of a dress that is like 1/12 of a larger collection?
SPOILER: Some designers use the color black!
I agree with most of what I’ve read here: I think there’s a way to stay true to your vision and tailor it so that it’s not the same old thing. There are ways of incorporating elements of draping without having to have the outfit mimic one from a previous week. As for AI – any song can be tailored to a specific genre. It’s not always executed well, but some stars are great at making a song sound like it was made for a completely different genre.
The thing about Project Runway is that it is a creative competition, and the designers are challenged to step out of their comfort zone and do something really fierce, that perhaps some of them might not really get the chance to do because it might be “too risky”. Or they just plain might not have thought about it. Case in point, the Hershey Challenge. Rami’s outfit rocked! And it wasn’t draped. Stepping out of your comfort zone is a good thing, sometimes. I think Rami has it in him to be creative and innovative, he is just too overconfident in his draping. Which is fine, but isn’t really going to get him anywhere in the fashion world other than where he currently is.
As far as Idol, I do think it is a little unfair when say a rocker has to sing a country song, or vice versa. Some people’s voices are better suited for certain styles, so it makes little sense to me to have them sing something that is going to make them sound bad.
I think it’s reasonable for the judges to expect the designers to push out of their comfort-zone and at least use their niche in new ways. Also, let’s not forget that since this is tv, the producers don’t want anyone to get bored, which is a fear when you see the same thing from the same designer all the time.
I like seeing the Idol and Project Runway contestants pushed to move out of their comfort zone. On Idol, when you see a “rocker” do well with a showtune or country song, it really makes you sit up and notice them, even if they will never record such a song. And sometimes you see a contestant discover a niche they never thought of for themselves. A prime example is that bald navy guy when he sang country. He was a good but boring rock/pop singer but lit up with country. It’s fun and exciting to see a contestant suddenly POP on a challenge.