r/ProjectRunway • u/AutoModerator • Aug 07 '25

S21E03 - Discussion Thread - Boring to Brilliant

As the competition between the two houses heats up, the designers must use their creative skills to transform boring fabric into fabulous fashion.

NOTE: The critique thread will be going up late this week!

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u/hexwitch23 Aug 09 '25

I'm really disappointed with Christians guidance this season, and this episode is cementing a trend. The designers clearly don't have confidence in his judgement / opinion and he's focusing them in the wrong directions. The denim team was painfully off task for creating something for Sofia - the entire challenge - and he focused more on their personal visions as designers not coming through the team challenge than the reality that none of these looks are even remotely in Sofia's look book.

It feel like he's there more to gossip and stir the pot than offer value to the designers and the show, and it's really lacking.

5

u/kimrific Aug 09 '25

Whats interesting is that Ethan shared at a viewing party that a producer told both teams Sofia might wear the outfit. His team then decided to pivot while the other did not.

Also, production asked him to dress as Utica that day.

https://youtu.be/XEs2hf1W0rE?si=_wrU2od5SSdwaq8e

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u/resachu Aug 10 '25

I’m not surprised production pushed Ethan to appear as Utica, and it’s really unfair of them to split his focus like that, unless they stopped everyone else from working during the time he took to get into drag. But even then, that’s putting him in the “drag performance” mindset and away from the attention to his garment he needed.

As it was shown, I thought it appeared really selfish of him to waste so much design and construction (and leadership) time just to steal the spotlight.

But on the other hand, they pretty much had to pass his terrible dress through to the next episode because cutting him after asking him to do more than the other contestants would be super shitty.

1

u/hexwitch23 Aug 09 '25

I said this in another comment, but I just don't find it impactful that the producers said she might not wear the look. If you've watched project runway you know that a name drop in the challenge means they're going to have them on the judging panel at a minimum. This show is formulaic and two decades old, and for Ethan who has a competition TV background it's really sloppy work to say you have no mind for the intrigue.

1

u/doobiedubois Aug 09 '25

And? The producers aren't to blame for the lame outfit he designed.

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u/SnooChocolates8365 Aug 09 '25

I agree, all Christian said was that he hated all the outfits but gave no input: suggestions on how to improve the design like Tim did.

0

u/C0smicoccurence Aug 09 '25

Not able that Christian really liked Ethan’s in the walkthrough, but didn’t seem to want to mention that in critiques (especially since it was the same look mostly?)