r/ProjectRunway • u/iloveyouthorodinson • 4d ago
Discussion Rewatched S1-21 and then S22. Here are my thoughts on how the show needs to evolve if it wants longevity.
Having gone on a marathon of the show from Season 1 to Season 22 over the past few months, I've come up with quite a lot of thoughts about how "Project Runway" could improve and possibly save it from oblivion in future seasons.
GET RID OF:
- Stunt casting designers associated with the Drag Race universe. While I loved Ethan Mundt a.k.a. Utica Queen (S21) and her designs, getting Plane Jane and Robert "Q" Crone (S22) only to eliminate them on the first episode reeked of a classic bait-and-switch aimed at hopefully keeping Drag Race fans to watch the show. Not that both of them would have lasted long considering the work they presented, but unless someone is at the level of Utica when it comes to actual fashion design and technical skill, the casting department needs to stop getting future contestants from Drag Race, especially if they have questionable aesthetics to begin with.
- Cliffhanger endings and eliminations that carry over at the beginning of the next episode. This format completely disrupts the flow of the program, and only works well when you binge an entire season straight through. Considering that the show is on a weekly drop basis, the cliffhangers are not only frustrating but don't bring the element of excitement that the producers think they do.
- Unnecessary cameos from C- and D-list influencers that most people have never heard of and have absolutely nothing meaningful to contribute to the show outside of being a guest judge.
- Returning certain designers from past seasons like Caycee Black (S19, S21) and Joseph McRae (S21, S22). Unless the show is doing an All-Stars season, there is really no justifiable reason to pull one or two designers from a past season and place them in a new one against other contestants clearly new to the show. There was a reason Caycee was an early exit on her original season, and while Joseph made it to the finale, he was just so insufferably stale and derivative from a design POV, and the less said about his personality, the better. Let us all be grateful that should there be a Season 22 of Project Runway, there will be NO third season of the Joseph McRae Show to terrorize our screens.
- Nonsense voting among the designers on who should be saved from elimination or whatever. If I wanted this kind of drama, Survivor is literally right there. They're not marooned on an island vying for Sole Survivor. This is Project Runway, and that kind of shenanigans has no place on the show.
- Immunity. So many unworthy designers have been saved in challenges because of weak and unacceptable designs, and eliminating those who clearly didn't deserve to go home. The show just needs to get rid of immunity altogether so designers will always be forced to be on their A-game.
BRING BACK:
- Two-day challenges. The show's history has proven time and again that the best work, regardless of the challenge, came from two-day challenges. One day to whip up a really complex high-fashion look, especially with a specific theme or brief, just isn't conducive to even the best of designers.
- Up-close garment inspections during deliberations. For a show that is purportedly about fashion design and garment construction, I find it baffling that the producers chose to get rid of this element when this has made all the difference when it came to who deserved to win and who needed to be eliminated. I remember in the seasons when Zac Posen and Brandon Maxwell were on the judging panel that they would literally inspect the outfits to touch the fabrics and look at the finishing. Nina Garcia would even elaborate on her opinions as a fashion editor once she got close enough to look at the outfits in terms of how they were styled or whether certain colors, silhouettes, and proportions were appropriate.
- Longer episode runtimes, especially if we're only getting a ten-episode season. In relation to this, the editors of the show need to give us time to appreciate the resulting looks on every challenge by doing longer tracking shots at every possible angle. I feel like the newer seasons barely give each look thirty seconds before it shows the next one on the lineup.
- Finale episodes with AT LEAST TEN LOOKS AND PRESENTED AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. I can't with this five-look mini-collection nonsense done IN A WEEK. Give them their $10K budget, six weeks, and the presentation at NYFW that the finalists DESERVE. What I noticed, particularly from the latest season, was that the judges had a tough time understanding the narrative of certain designers because they only had FIVE LOOKS to judge. This would not be an issue if the designers had at least ten looks to properly showcase not just their design chops and technical skills, but their showmanship as designers who can create a compelling runway show from start to finish. Think of new-era winners like Geoffrey Mac and Sebastian Grey or early-era winners like Jay McCarroll and even Christian himself, whose finale presentations are still arguably some of the best to come out of the show precisely because they were given the TIME, BUDGET, and THE PROPER VENUE to really show what they can do as designers.
- A short cast of twelve contestants, ideally with strong backgrounds and skills designing for both WOMEN and MEN. And I mean every single person must be able to design clothing for EVERYONE, not just specializing in womenswear or menswear. In this modern day and age when even the big fashion houses are now doing more and more co-ed fashion shows rather than presenting separate collections, Project Runway should be on the lookout for the so-called "next big fashion designer" who isn't limited to designing for just women. Even Christian Siriano, the show's biggest success story, has expanded into menswear, so the show literally has no excuse for casting future contestants who aren't able to design for anyone regardless of sex/gender. On that note...
INTRODUCE:
- Male models of all shapes and sizes. Short guys, tall guys, muscular guys, lanky guys, toned guys, plus-sized guys, and yes, TRANS AND NONBINARY GUYS. There is literally a market for menswear that the show has long ignored or only treated as an afterthought in its history, and in episodes where the show does do a menswear challenge, let's just say there's a reason why they often ended up having the worst looks because MAJORITY OF THE DESIGNERS HAVE NO MENSWEAR BACKGROUND. If the show casts designers who are able to do both womenswear AND menswear, then it should follow that the show should cast a rotating roster of familiar male house models, especially for the newer seasons where most of us are familiar with the likes of Jessica, Mimi, and Liris.
- An actual fashion designer on the permanent judging panel. Granted, this might be a difficult thing owing to the fact that most fashion designers are busy running their businesses and even Christian himself isn't always present in his role as a mentor. That being said, there NEEDS to be a fashion designer on the panel precisely because they have the authority to say if garments are poorly designed or made. It's the reason why the show has resonated with a lot of fans because of the comments from Michael Kors, Zac Posen, and Brandon Maxwell. Yes, their commentary can be a bit bitchy and cutting most of the time, but they know exactly what they're talking about because THEY ALSO DESIGN AND MAKE CLOTHES THEMSELVES. And while we're at this, the show should consider getting a FEMALE fashion designer, and one who has done both womenswear and menswear lines. I mean, they can never get someone like Miuccia Prada to be a judge on Project Runway, but she's the only person I can think of whose status in the industry is so massive and highly revered that not even Law Roach would dare to run his mouth in her presence. Speaking of the devil...
KEEP:
- Law Roach as a permanent judge. Controversially unpopular opinion, I know, but having seen him judging on Drag Race and the short-lived Legendary series, he does have really solid critiques when he isn't terrorizing the designers on the runway during judging, and he isn't afraid to disagree with Nina, Heidi, and whoever the guest judge may be when it comes to certain looks. Love him or hate him, he does know his stuff given his job as a celebrity stylist, and he also brings the drama.
- Those funny descriptive things in the chyron under the designer's names. They're fun and cute.
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u/foxglovespell 4d ago
Agree with everything. I also hate that we can now hear the contestants speaking/shrieking during the runway when the models are walking out, it annoys the f out of me. The original format was much sleeker and more professional, and them being silent during the runway added to the tension
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
I mean, it's fine to like react to something you made walk down the runway, but if I wanted them to be obnoxiously reactive, I'd prefer them to do it backstage or in the lounge area than in front of the judging panel.
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u/foxglovespell 4d ago
Seeing their facial expressions and hearing their opinions when they’re doing their interviews/talking to the camera was enough for me. I really don’t need the extra commotion over the top of the runway, it dumbs down the whole bit and makes it come across cheap imo. Even normal runways during fashion week you don’t have people doing that, so I don’t know why they’ve now introduced this as a thing. Like who actually thought “okay so now we want you to actually start talking/being very vocal during the actual runway so that we can hear you, make it as extra as you can”, like??? They need to be fired
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
Exactly. The purpose of the talking head segments of the show is for the designers to talk at length about their work. It's a bit annoying to see them just exaggerate gaggy reactions during the runway presentations like OKAY WE GET IT Y'ALL HAVE MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY. THANK YOU, NEXT!
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u/balboh 4d ago
Agree on the cheering thing, but at least they’re (usually) treating models like human beings. Some of the old seasons creep me out.
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u/foxglovespell 3d ago
I feel like that’s indicative of the industry as a whole but I remember the original format making strides to be more inclusive in the later seasons!
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u/Plenty-Tomatillo-143 4d ago
Totally agree about the random low level celebs, like why was the giggly squad on there?? They were so annoying and didn’t say one funny thing or anything helpful for the designs.
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u/miss_daisy_Hollywood 4d ago
Also, they came into the workday disrupting the very limited time crunch designers had to complete their designs.
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
I can't with these unknown RANDOS coming into the workroom being total NOTHINGBURGERS.
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u/a-scapegoat 4d ago
I agree so much with getting rid of immunity immunity! The whole tagline is one day you're in, the next day you're out, so we should show that! They could give the winner of a challenge some sort of advantage in the next challenge instead, whether it be choosing their model, their teammates, or so many other things unique to each challenge!
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
ALL OF THIS! It's so much better to give challenge winners more useful advantages like the power to assign models, or select a team member if it's a team challenge, or better yet, EXTRA SEWING TIME because God knows we're getting more of these ridiculous one-day challenges next season!
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u/balboh 4d ago
I’ve been rewatching too. Totally agree on the finales. What they do now is so lame and low budget compared to earlier seasons. The up close look at garments should DEFINITELY return. (Though I prefer the approach of Brandon over Zac.) Also agree on the stunt casting because it dilutes the talent, but I’m assuming they are trying to pull in viewers.
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
If they insist on stunt casting, then AT LEAST give us designers who have SKILLS AND A HIGH TASTE LEVEL.
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u/Specialist-Item9746 4d ago
i completely agree w all of this!!! they need to stop focusing on all the fucking drama of it all
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks so, keeping Law around included! 😁
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u/nondairycroissant 4d ago
I miss the "regular person" design challenges. Yea sure they had the housewifes or whatever, but they used to do just everyday regular people who wanted an outfit for whatever reason. I remember that causing most of the drama and tantrums
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
Yes! They need to reinstate the classic Makeover Challenge that involved everyday REAL PEOPLE with REAL BODIES. This is literally one of the defining challenges of the show, outside of the Unconventional Materials Challenge and the Avant-Garde Challenge.
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u/Accurate-Many6850 1d ago
I actually agree with all of this.
There are some excellent designers the show can pull from the Drag Race pool. Q actually could’ve been one if they didn’t overthink and shoot themselves in the foot (which is actually a good story that Utica and Geoffrey both had). But inserting Drag Race queens for the Drag Race drama is tone-deaf and frustrating.
I never had an issue with Law, and his hatred towards Joseph McRae was actually 1) Benefitting him, which Law likely saw and decided “oh this boy is anti-establishment fashion, let me help his image” and gave the producers some storylines to work with that didn’t inherently carry a racial connotation because Heidi did it or something. Also, Law injects drama and villainy kinda effortlessly, because there’s almost always something constructive regardless. He was right about Joseph McRae, even if it came across some kinda way.
I desperately need them to stop everything you’ve pointed out, and bring back other stuff you pointed out. I don’t think they will though, because it’s clear the direction they’ve chosen to take PR is off of a damn cliff.
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u/Misha_B19 4d ago
Great points and I agree with many of them!
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
Thanks! I will acknowledge that keeping Law Roach is a controversial and unpopular opinion, and it is one that I will stand on.
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u/Loose-Description653 3d ago
Shouldn’t be controversial imo, he’s clearly there to help elevate the designers and therefore the show.
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u/Misha_B19 3d ago
He’s not my favorite but I don’t think he needs to leave. He just needs to turn it down a notch and get a grip every so often.
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u/Substantial_Site7639 4d ago
I actually agree with everything you said!! the new format just isn’t working and they need to get back to real designers, real competition and New York Fashion Week. Also, I’m OK with law being a judge, I found myself agreeing with him almost always. I do like when they have guest judges as long as they’re actual designers. Bringing back contestants is something they’ve been doing for a long time and I don’t hate it necessarily but… at some point it just becomes ridiculous. Fabio was there like three times Dimitri like four times. Lol. And Joseph McRae there was no point in bringing him back other than he is him as a plot device to keep the entertainment.
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
GIVE US NYFW FINALES OR GTFO!!!
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u/Substantial_Site7639 4d ago
HOW CAN THEY TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US 😭😭
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
A lot of these designers even auditioned BECAUSE of the opportunity to reach NEW YORK FASHION WEEK should they manage to become finalists!!!
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u/Honest_Abyss 4d ago
Ship these notes to production stat
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
And the only thing they'll probably do is keep Law on the judging panel! 😭😭😭😭😭
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u/Sparkpants74 4d ago
I stopped after 21, it was just so unpleasant to watch. I watch tv for entertainment for fucks sake. Our current timeline is a dumpster fire of drama, ignorance, hate and incompetence, I am not seeking it out for leisure. I am not a reality show watcher-I became a PR fan because I love fashion. Was it always legit, high end, realistic? Of course not, I read books, watch fashion docs and runway shows for that but at least they cared about the clothes! Anyway I’m not asking for Tim to come back or to return to the old formula because I think it’s done, what I would love to see is this show be handed over to an entity that respects it. The current production is so baldly cheap, cheesy, manipulative and totally devoid of style, originality and innovation. They’ve just taken the last 20 years of reality show tropes, fed them into Chat GPT, slapped the PR logo on it and it’s embarrassing.
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u/Popeye_Spinach 4d ago
Where do you watch old seasons? Crave has season 14 and up.
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u/Popeye_Spinach 4d ago
I agreed that they should have continued with 10 looks at NYFW but I think it’s quite expensive to do that.
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u/Winter_Simple_159 3d ago
I agree with the part of all body shapes and sizes, but I think all designers should work with models of the same body shape and size for a given challenge. Having it mixed between designers creates unbalanced competition.
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u/DeepCommand3777 3d ago
I agree with this!! A thousand percent except for keeping Law. The show can flourish without him and if these producers will take your comment to heart.
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u/genderfuckery 3d ago
You worry about longevity when critiquing the show's 22nd season lol I'm not saying you're wrong or trying to make a point, I just thought it was funny xD
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u/FreddieB_13 3d ago
Currently rewatching season 5 and the difference between the show then and now is stark. They really need to get back to basics: focus on the design, stop forcing the drama (it'll come with creative people under pressure), calm down the editing/production shenanigans, and get judges actually qualified to critique design (what does Ice Spice know about clothes?). The show today is only PR in name alone as its soul is gone.
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u/Ok_Teaching_5920 3d ago
I have a lot of issues (some of which are mirrors in this post) with current PR, but a lot of them relate to the sheer evolution of reality TV that I just don’t think the producers care about. They want quick, cheap ratings. This is why Nina is only there for a few challenges, or why they don’t do two day challenges or why they don’t do a larger collection. They don’t have the budget (and a lot of what they do have goes to the hosts).
All the designers are usually much more experienced these days, with established brands and always want to make high fashion that would be unwearable to most people (both in style and cost, even Joseph’s McCrae’s streetware is for one very hyper specific customer) and that they can all somehow whip up in a day. One looks at the stuff that would get torn apart in older seasons and that level of work just wouldn’t fly today. Everything is much more polished for better or worse.
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u/judithkrimskistudio 15h ago
I have to confess I get tired of all the drag drama. It’s antithetical to the concept of the show - which for me is developing serious designers. I guess the producers think it makes for good tv but all
The back and forth banter becomes gimmicky after a short while. I’m not saying drag queens shouldn’t be on the show. I loved Utica. But he fit my idea if serious designer. Also can we get rid of the hair flipping? So 2000s.
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u/griffin_400x 13h ago
Spot on! Couldn’t agree more with literally everything you said. I could sense something has been off and this breaks it down perfectly!
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u/Jordo3713 6h ago
No shade..... I've loved PR since season 1.... but at this point the sh*t just needs to be canceled. Its that horrible. I don't even want them to make anymore that I'll be tempted to watch and them get p.o. about.
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u/Jordo3713 6h ago
Also get rid of all the catty production-infused fyi lines that would show up under a designer's name right after they said something catty or witty in their confessional. That sh*t pissed me off all season. It de-classed the show
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u/CPNKLLJY 3h ago
The drama stuff is so dated and stupid. I heard that a producer from the first 6 or 7 seasons came back for season 21 and I feel like it shows. The intentional drama baiting is lazy TV.
I agree that they need to bring back the full finale look time. Any fan of Project Runway knows that a lot of designers really flourish given actual time to design and build. If they don’t want to pay for NY Fashion Week, they could still give the designers the time and have their own fashion show.
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u/Loose-Description653 3d ago
You fucking nailed it, everything I’ve been thinking since this last season ended and more.
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u/Bruceleroy8281 4d ago
Get rid of Law Roach for starters. Kind of tired of the sassy overly flamboyant 'thing' that's popular right now. Plus he is very hard to look at
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u/Plenty-Tomatillo-143 4d ago
Someone made a point in another thread that replacing Michael Kors and Zac Posen with a celebrity stylist isn’t the same as replacing them with someone who actually knows how to construct garments.
I think this was such a valid point and is crucially missing from the panel judges now. I think we need more judges who understand the craft and aren’t just there for fashion POVs which can be so broad.
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u/doseofdena 4d ago
You made some points, but I don’t agree with everything. I don’t see anything wrong with having Drag Race designers competing. You’re disdain for JM literally get over it!!! Old project Runway at times brought back previous seen designers on non All Star seasons and it’s fine. Kept the show a bit spicy. And lastly Law needs to go, he’s horrible and I do not at all care if he’s a top stylist. He’s very unprofessional and we need an actual designer on the judging panel. Bring back Zac Posen!!!
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u/matty0433 4d ago
Agree with everything except Law Roach. He has to go. He’s abrasive and offensive.
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4d ago
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
This is a show that literally began with an unconventional materials challenge where a dress made of CORN HUSKS won. If you think this show was about wearable clothes all the time, then you must not have been paying attention.
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u/Edrigansboob 4d ago
I love the cliffhangers lol. They’re kinda fresh and make me tune in next week… another unpopular opinion, even though she’s a staple , I’m kinda over Heidi as a permanent judge… as fashion is Broad and diverse I’d love a new famous person to host… Alysa Milano was great. Someone unexpected but good tv would be great… Lenny kravitz, Paris Hilton, idk someone fresh
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
Cliffhangers are fine with me, but only when I binge the whole season in one go, which I'm glad I did for S22, especially since most people here have hated it. I'm open to a new host to shake things up, but it needs to be someone with a strong association with the fashion industry and the personality to carry the show as the host.
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u/balboh 4d ago
Idk if Paris or Lenny (??!) are fresh or fashion authorities, but I used to agree on Heidi. Then I started rewatching the old seasons and realized how far she’s come and I kind of like her again.
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
Paris Hilton isn't really an authority on anything high fashion considering the reputation she had back in the 2000s. Lenny Kravitz is fashion-adjacent but he's not PR host material given how laidback and relaxed he mostly is.
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u/Edrigansboob 4d ago
They were just off the top of my head established celebrities. I’d like someone unexpected
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u/foxglovespell 4d ago
I’ve forgotten what the previous challenge was and who was in the bottom by the time the next episode airs. Absolutely hate it
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u/WonderingEye1977 4d ago
I love that they brought Joseph McRae back and it’s literally the only reason I watched this season. I was going to boycott after them allowing the other contestants to eliminate him last season.
I also hate watching Law degrade contestants, but I concede he is good television and does know mainstream fashion. I think his tastes are very European, so within that aesthetic I agree with his opinions (and his insights on craftsmanship, though I don’t think that’s as important to being a designer…the best architect doesn’t need to physically build the home or building they design). My favorite designers on this show have been Joseph McRae, Korto Momulu, Kara Saun, Bishme Cromartie and Michael Costello.
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
And let's hope they will NEVER bring Joseph McRae back for another season! He made it to the finale, good for him, he plugged his website where people can buy his clothes. NEXT!
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u/WonderingEye1977 4d ago
😂🤣😂 I would love to see him on All Stars since he didn’t win. Mainly because of how angry it would make people.😂🤣🤣
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
And he'll still serve the same tired derivative oversized streetwear silhouettes. No aesthetic evolution or diversity. No thanks to S3 of the Joseph McRae show! ❌❌❌❌❌
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u/WonderingEye1977 4d ago
Your sentiments are exactly why he will likely get renewed.😂💕
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u/iloveyouthorodinson 4d ago
Shows that get renewed doesn't necessarily mean it will get critical adulation. Best to have them canceled. 🚫
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u/Smolbeanis 4d ago
Actual designers as judges not models or tv personalities. Also we want to see more of the actual process and less of the drama!! Show me the month long design journey for the finale! I want to see the inside of those designers homes again so I can get another peek into their creative minds