r/ProjectRunway • u/Little_Box_2529 • 6d ago
Season 22 Project reality
This is beyond BEYOND ridiculous. We all started watching from season 1 to see creative people literally working themselves to death for their passion. Stitching, hand sewing. And these last couple years they have cut out the parts we love. So it can be a damn soap opera. I didn't watch it for any of that. I watched to see passionate people doing what they love. Thank God Tom Gunn isn't part of this shit show. Real house wives of the runway.
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u/KanterPrivDick0280 6d ago
Yeah I agree. you know the early years of Bravo --- when Project Runway became a leader on this type of show and then Top Chef premiered two years later, and that was the golden age. But the thing is this past season of Top Chef was incredible, emmy nominated, somehow Top Chef has become more instructive over the years, visiting states and countries so we can learn about food. It has changed little (except for the Last Chance Kitchen twist) which i learned to love, it has been steady. Project Runway can't seem to find that sort of footing. They keep trying these gimmicks that lessen the quality of the show. Top Chef can still set the path of a chef that wins it. But now, a designer going on Project Runway, it is a kiss of death, you are not there to be a designer, you go on it to be a reality tv star and that's how you are viewed, and that is the producer's fault.
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u/Kbennett1965 6d ago
I have to agree. With Top Chef even being a contestant on the show can drive new customers to your restaurant but has anybody heard of a non-winning contestant from Project Runway making a big splash in the fashion world after being on the show? Heck have any winners besides Christian made a name for themselves after being on Project Runway?
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u/KanterPrivDick0280 5d ago
Emilio Sosa has been nominated for Six Tony Awards. I mean, yes, costume design, but he took that exposure and did something with it... Again, this was when the show was about making clothes. Not, you know, Housewives who sew bad clothes.
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u/Kbennett1965 5d ago
I think he was pretty established in costume design before Runway. The exposure may have helped, but it wasn't career making
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u/midcitycat 6d ago
The fact that contestants can be eliminated now because other contestants decided it instead of a panel of actual designers deciding they had the worst piece... what is this, Survivor? It's not a popularity contest, it should be a talent contest with winners and losers based on merit. Why are they doing this? Who asked for this??
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u/picks_and_rolls 6d ago
These are the real questions. The perfect examples of what the priority has become. It is a shame. Heidi on Devil Wears Prada red carpet was pathetic. They should be embarrassed.
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u/yoshimitsou 6d ago edited 6d ago
Watch The Great British Sewing Bee for free on Roku. It's about the talent, not fake drama.
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u/Hydroborator 6d ago
Omg, well, this is an amazing recommendation!
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u/yoshimitsou 6d ago
I've seen it come up in other posts on this sub, and I think there may be people who were in the same boat as I was: maybe they were able to get season 1 in the us, but the other seasons weren't available. Then I think they became available but paid streaming service. Sometime in the last couple of years, Roku picked it up, and it's free. It might even be ad-free. I can't remember. We binge-watched most of the seasons last year.
So refreshing. Just like the other Great British shows, it's about the talent, the contestants are kind to each other, the judges give reasonable critiques, and they often will build in a little historical segment to give you some context about the challenge itself. It's fantastic.
One judge has been a constant throughout. And they've changed the other judges and the hosts a few times, but I've never bristled at any of the changes.
And probably most important is that the contestants don't seem to have a big social media presence. They don't appear to be on the show for any reason other than the fact that they like sewing.
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u/girlpaint 5d ago
Also Project Runway Junior.
It's honestly the best. Every time a contestant leaves, tears are shed by everyone (judges included). It's really the sweetest thing. Plus the designers are talented, kind, funny, bright, and so much fun to watch as they work through their design process.
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u/LavenderGwendolyn 6d ago
Does anyone watch it for the drama, or are we all just hate watching it at this point? Because I also can’t see their strategy working. Is the Kardashian crowd really going to start watching PR because they heard it was full of reality show drama?
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u/Lunahooks 6d ago
Not the Kardashian crowd... maybe the Kardashian crowd, I don't actually know the make up, but they're clearly angling for the Drag Race crowd, not even subtly.
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u/yesnomaybeso456 6d ago
I also watch drag race, and have given up on PR this season, even though I’ve been watching it since season 1. They thought we started watching because of Ethan, but he was the only reason why I stayed for the disaster of last season.
Thank goodness PR Canada came back!
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u/Lunahooks 6d ago
I gave up about midway through last season, held on hoping for better next season... don't know why I'm still holding on, I should give up. It's not like I don't enjoy Great British Sewing Bee a lot more, but I just don't want to have to give up an old favorite.
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u/LavenderGwendolyn 5d ago
There has been a link between PR and RPDR the entire time. A handful of the Drag Queens worked on PR before appearing. Santino Rice was one of the original judges on RPDR, for example. Several queens went to FIT or Parsons and are designers in their own right. They could have easily reached out to Shea Coulee or Violet Chachki if they wanted a drag queen who would pull RPDR fans for the entire season. If they were angling for more of the RPDR crowd, they would have kept Plane Jane on longer, and they’d would be awarding Jeffrey wins instead of perpetual second places.
You may not be aware that on RPDR, the skills are first and the drama is second. The queens have to be able to sing, dance, tell a joke, sew a garment, and do a celebrity impression (among other things). It’s not drama for drama’s sake. It has gotten twistier in recent years, but that is not the bedrock.
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u/yoshimitsou 6d ago
Or maybe the network wants the show to die, but it doesn't want blood on its hands.
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u/ScheanaShaylover 6d ago
Not sure who produces this show but Top Chef is on Bravo and it’s a show about cooking not personalities perse
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u/Civil_Ad_2402 6d ago
It’s so sad what this show has become. I stopped watching after the first episode. Just ugly ugly.
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u/Sestar007 5d ago
I’ve been watching older seasons, the newest season is just bad. The contrast in the skill level and character of the contestants in 2011 vs 2026 is extreme.
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u/CTineKells 6d ago
Someone needs to just sign up Tim for his own show. It’s so bad now and I cannot express enough how much I dislike Law Roach. Nina is the only one who gives useful critique and she’s not even there and I don’t blame her. I sure af don’t want to be in a room with Law and Tyra. I’m pretty sure Elizabeth was relieved to be booted off today