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Not a particularly riveting Project Runway this week — still solid reality programming, but not a lot in the way ruffled feathers (though that wedding dress did have some ruffles of its own, if I’m not mistaken). The big news would have to be Jack’s premature exit from the series for health reasons (though it appears Dale from Top Chef has helped him land on his feet), and Chris’s resurrection from out-ness to keep the competition (and number of episodes) intact. Everyone seemed pretty excited for Chris to come back, though I have to say, if I was there I’d be kind of pissed that it kind of negates the entire previous week’s competition. Alas. Large jolly men are really in right now.

As for the challenge itself, I really enjoyed this week’s offering. Anytime the models are nontraditional and the clothing more commercial I tend to pay closer attention. That being said, it also eliminates a lot of the risk taking that you want to see from high-end fashion designers. Poor Chris was in the bottom three again because everything he designs looks like it has come right off of an actor in Chorusline, but Steven was deserving of being out as he was the one contestant who regularly couldn’t hit his deadline.

I don’t think that necktie is fitting properly.

Suits! Being my first go-round with Project Runway I wasn’t sure if menswear was something the show has ever tackled. So I called my friend Kim to ask if this is something they’d done before, to which she said, “Um… not sure. I don’t think so though.” Good enough for me. Either way it was to my great enjoyment this week the challenge was not only to make something for a guy, but to make something for a specific guy: Tiki Barber — who only Kevin (the straight one) seemed to think was cool. The use of male models, however, well that had the rest of the group pretty damn excited. More after the jump…

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What ever happens, don’t stare directly at the fashion icon.

Here are some brief and belated thoughts on last Wednesday’s Project Runway, strategically marinated like many a Thanksgiving turkey. The big news was that the celebrity judge, billed as a “fashion icon” was none other than Ms. Carrie Bradshaw herself, Sarah Jessica Parker. Initially I thought this was an ironic choice, meant as something of a wink or nudge to those of us raised on television and well aware that she was most often seen on Sex and the City wearing what one could only really describe as various degrees of Swan Lake. It turns out this wasn’t the case as her first appearance though the doors at Parson’s elicited what felt like hours of praise gushed out by the contestants. More after the jump…

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I’m new to Project Runway. For the past five or six years I’ve mostly avoided reality fare based on some high-falutin assumption that the entire genre is dreck and does little outside of taking up a timeslot that could have otherwise gone to scripted show that I would love (but which would ultimately be cancelled). I held out for as long as I could, but let’s be honest, reality isn’t going anywhere (and given the current WGA strike will only get more plentiful in the coming months). Plus, what makes me so damn high and mighty? Thanks to Top Chef I learned that reality can be more than idiots eating testicals for money — those testicals could be braised in a white wine sauce and served with shallots. Project Runway is as awesome as Top Chef but with the personality quotient amped up about 300%. I had only watched the series’ fourth season premiere for seven minutes before someone was crying. Sign me up! More after the jump…

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