Project Runway has been the beacon of hope for budding fashion designers for years. Even as someone who knew that design wasn’t her calling, I often found myself idolizing the designers and hoping that maybe one day I could create something as beautifully innovative as they did when watching the show with my mom. However, as I have gotten older and started my rewatch, some questions started to form. Is this truly a good depiction of the industry? How does the subjectivity of the field impact the winner of each season? It’s time to pull a Tim Gunn and break down all of the make-it-work moments that make Project Runway.
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If there is one thing that is consistent about fashion, it’s inconsistency. The industry is constantly growing and changing. Trends come and trends go and that is the beauty of it. In fashion, there is always a place for your art, but with that in mind, is that conducive to deciding who is the “best of the best”? If you are unfamiliar with the show, Project Runway is a show where 12 designers are put against each other in a battle of artistry. Each week there is a new challenge the contestants have to tackle, whether that is designing an outfit out of unconventional materials like trash bags, creating an avant-garde look, or, my personal favorite, creating looks for real women. These competitions are to sift out the weak and, ultimately, find the best designer. However, there is one prominent issue with this system. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Week after week, my mother and I would find ourselves rooting for the losing looks. This was not out of sympathy, but because we genuinely thought they were prettier or more impressive than the winning.
While, yes, neither of us are fashion icons like judges Heidi Klum, Zac Posen, and Nina Garcia, we still had strong feelings towards the pieces which is the mark of a good design. But a good design does not always sell. A big allure to PR is that they choose funky, bold, trendy garments as their winners. For example, season 13 aired in 2014 so a lot of the designs were influenced by the chevron and teal trend. You also can’t discount the influence that established designers had on the budding contestants. If the judges saw a piece that emulated but didn’t copy an acclaimed designer, oftentimes, that design would win. Now, I won’t say that the decision making was formulaic. Of course, there were “upsets” and just objectively good pieces that won. But a lot of the time the winners were what fit the trend.
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Another valid point to mention is how the show paints the industry. The contents of the episodes are edited together highlighting the drama the designers experience in the workroom. This could be a horrible thing for the industry because it paints it very negatively. The fashion space could be seen as petty or negative. Instead of focusing on the beauty of the work, the viewers may be turned off from the show because it focuses so much on catty drama. On the flip side, the show also illustrates the complexity of the industry and how much thought and work gets put into garments. During these scenes, we see the thought process of each designer and how protective they are of their designs. When another contestant creates a piece that is too similar to another designer's previous design, the claws come out. The show illuminates how a design is more than just a sketch on a piece of paper but an extension of the artist. By copying a design not only are you saying you don’t have an original idea, but you are also saying that you can essentially do it better than your fellow contestant. Designers are so protective of their pieces because they are often emotionally charged. Fashion is nothing if not living art and many designers take that incredibly seriously.
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I could ramble on and on about the show, from the impressive judges and their complex relationships with both the fans and the designers, to what type of person is made for this type of show. But the most important thing to take away from this is that Project Runway is more than just challenges or pretty dresses. It is a physical expression of creativity that encompasses the societal culture of the time. It encourages generations of young designers and inspires people to work with intense determination. It is more than just measurements and models. It is an important pillar for all who love fashion. Now, until next time, as Heidi Klum likes to say, auf wiedersehen!
By Abigail Moynihan
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