“Project Runway’’ judge Tim Gunn (left) and designer Jesse LeNoir. The popular fashion competition returns to New York this season and debuts tonight at 10 on Lifetime. LA wasn’t a good fit for “Runway.’’
(Barbara Nitke/Lifetime Television)
Can this show be saved?
‘Project Runway’ began to unravel last season. Here’s how to piece it back together.
“Project Runway’’ judge Tim Gunn (left) and designer Jesse LeNoir. The popular fashion competition returns to New York this season and debuts tonight at 10 on Lifetime. LA wasn’t a good fit for “Runway.’’
(Barbara Nitke/Lifetime Television)
Season six of “Project Runway’’ was about as damaged and dull as contestant Althea Harper’s overprocessed dye job. The show’s ratings slipped as a crop of easily forgettable designers tried to make the most of their Los Angeles surroundings. It left us wondering why Bravo was fighting so hard to keep the show from airing on Lifetime. Fortunately, we’re already feeling more optimistic about the upcoming season thanks in part to arty Boston contestant Maya Luz. But the only way viewers will stick by the show, which debuts tonight at 10 on Lifetime, is if there are real changes. Season seven is primarily in the can, but this is what we’re hoping to see more - and less - of this round. Let’s hope they can make it work.
1. Stop playing musical judges: “American Idol’’ wouldn’t dream of subbing out the top judges every week, and “Project Runway’’ should make sure Michael Kors and Nina Garcia are planted firmly in their chairs when the cameras are rolling. While it was fun to see folks like Bob Mackie and Cynthia Rowley guesting, the ever-shifting roster lacked continuity. By the final week, I was expecting to see the phone operator at Marie Claire filling in for Garcia.
2. Guest stars are great, but . . . : “Runway’’ has always been guilty of declaring someone a “fashion icon,’’ even when they’re not. Season six, however, was chockablock with starlets who showed up, pouted on cue, elicited overexcited coos from designers, and generally detracted from the task at hand. The presence of Nicole Richie tonight has us nervous this may continue into season seven, but let’s hope it ends there.
3. Make the challenges more challenging: They may have felt silly, but contestants really showed their stuff when they were required to make outfits from groceries or garbage. Last season, challenges were a tad dull (maternity wear for a supermodel? A red carpet dress?) and vague (a dress inspired by the beach?). Only two challenges were actually fun: Reworking wedding dresses for divorcees, and making dresses out of the Los Angeles Times.
4. Men wear clothes too: Menswear is generally MIA from “Project Runway,’’ but that was especially the case last year. The lack of men’s outfits allowed Carol Hannah Whitfield to coast along making nothing but dresses (and googly eyes at Logan Neitzel) through 14 shows. Its time to challenge them into making men’s duds as well.
5. Stop smacking viewers in the face with sponsorship deals: We know the makeup is by L’Oreal and the hair is by Garnier, because we hear the names ad nauseam. Sponsorship should end there. Handing over an entire challenge to a sponsor borders on infomercial and takes away from the credibility of the show.
6. Say “Auf wiedersehen’’ to Los Angeles: Given its disastrous time on the West Coast, “Project Runway’’ should stay firmly planted in New York. We’d rather skip a season or two than see the scary Marc Bouwer subbing for Kors again. The show needs to be centered in a city that is known for its hustle, not its mellow pace.
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
