Review: Project Runway Finale, Part 1

Well... it's finally here -- the season finale of "Project Runway"... part one, that is. And befitting the fourth season, we entered the finale with four finalists: Christian, Rami, Chris, and Jillian. When Chris and Rami were told that they would have to compete for the third spot in fashion week, I felt awful for them. How terrible it will feel to have worked for so long to create a line and then be turned away when it's all done! Also, it almost seemed like a cruel publicity ploy at the expense of the good-natured lovable Chris, whose talents have always seemed more appropriate for Broadway than the runway. Rami seemed like a shoe-in for the finals, despite being repeatedly critiqued by the judges for not diversifying his clothing enough. I think the judges just wanted to make Rami sweat enough to stop the incessant draping (that man loves to drape!).

When Tim Gunn went to see Christian, I was a little disappointed at what Christian had to show him. It wasn't all bad--and really, some of it was very cute. I loved Christian during the show--thought he was great (he's "kind of a big deal," as you know, if you watch the show); I thought that his clothes were really creative and chic. BUT, wow... he had a couple of things that just seemed way too out of the box--a shirt that exploded up to the nose, full of ruffles and rouching, and a pair of pants that looked like they were fashioned out of Big Bird's tan-feathered cousin. As Tim Gunn would say: "I'm worried... make it work!"

Jillian's duds were winner-worthy, in my opinion. Honestly, I loved everything. The detailing was incredible--very "designer" looking. Tim described her pallet as "a cloudy day," but I didn't see her line that way at all. Yes, the colors weren't explosive, but I didn't think that they were drab either. I just hope that she doesn't try to change her clothes too dramatically to accommodate Tim's opinion! His words carry a lot of weight with the contestants, but I do think that at this point in the competition, Jillian needs to trust her gut instincts.