Project Runway 4, Episode 1 Unbuttoned: Thanks For the Memories

When Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn appear on my TV, I know something great is about to happen. Last week was no exception - Project Runway returned for its fourth season, and everything I’ve missed during the break between seasons was back to make me happy again. Each week I’ll discuss those happy-making things, as well as the little annoyances that pop up and, of course, the wackiness of the designers and the challenges.

Some of the designers are already much more memorable than the others. Steven, for example, barely registers for me. All I really remember about him is that he kind of reminds me of Emmett from Season 2. Let’s hope he grows a personality quickly, because Emmett bored me so much that earlier this week I actually thought his name was Elliott and had to look it up. The suit Steven made was equally unmemorable, but at least it looked like it was well-made.

Carmen is almost as unmemorable to me as Steven, except at least I can remember she’s in the competition, unlike Steven. So far I can’t get a good read on her. As for her outfit… no. Just no. There was too much going on, and the model looked like a genie crossed with a matador. Unless that’s what Carmen was going for, in which case, good job!

I think I like Marion, but he’s just so meek that I can’t tell. He reminds me a little of Bradley from Season 3. So far he just hasn’t shown much personality. Marion’s dress was okay, but I don’t like the fabric he used for the skirt, and that really distracted me. It didn’t look that well-constructed to me, but it got him through to the next challenge, so I guess it was better than I thought.

Kit (who I know I’m going to start confusing with Sweet P) seems fun, and from the little we’ve seen of her, I think she did the best job of showing herself through her outfit. She was able to do what Ricky couldn’t - she paired a simple dress with something more creative to give it a different look. I think Kit also lucked out by getting a model who looks like she would wear the clothing Kit makes.

Sweet P made a cute little dress, but I think she went too safe. However, I think I’m going to really grow to like her. She reminds me of someone’s kind, welcoming mother - the kind of woman who will make you lemonade and cookies when you come to visit. Let’s hope we don’t see her alter-ego, Mean P.

I didn’t like Victorya’s dress as much as the judges; I thought it was boring. Actually, I thought Victorya was pretty boring, too. Part of being on reality TV is showing your personality, especially in a competition where the judges always want to see the contestants’ personalities in their designs. Victorya needs to work on that.

Other than being hot, Jack strikes me as a nice guy. So why the heck did he wear that ugly sweater? Oh, well. I forgive him since he made such a cute dress.

Jillian bugs me already. I think she’s full of herself and she comes across as fake. I won’t be surprised if we soon learn that she doesn’t have a very pleasant personality. As for her dress, she had me with the color and the top, but the skirt drove me crazy. Maybe because it made me think of Angela from Season 3. Shudder.

Kevin is a cross between Jeffrey from Season 3 (except less annoying… I hope) and Kevin from the Backstreet Boys. I hope that his one mention of being straight in the first episode will be his last, because if he keeps harping on it, it’ll get annoying. Like Kit, I think he did a good job of showing himself through his design, but I was distracted by his model’s poor posture and had a hard time looking at the dress itself. Maybe his model could use a few lessons from America’s Next Top Model’s Ms. J.

I loved Ricky, so I was happy he survived being in the bottom three. I thought he was in danger, but when the judges noted that at least his dress was well-made, I figured he wouldn’t be booted over that. I think he’s realized that he needs to bring his A game and not do anything safe. I hope he sticks around for a while because he cracked me up.

Chris’ dress was my absolute favorite of the group. I’m glad he was still able to get the fabrics he wanted, even though he was the last person to get to the tent. Not only was the color gorgeous, but he did something very different and creative with the top, making it stand out. Add to the beautiful dress the fact that Chris seems like a nice, funny guy, I think he’ll become one of my favorite designers.

I liked Rami’s dress, but his model distracted me - I didn’t think she looked comfortable. She looks very athletic, rather than a high-fashion model; I see her kicking a soccer ball around, not walking down a runway in a couture gown. Still, Rami did a terrific job and has cemented himself as a definite front-runner in the competition. That means he needs to keep up his game or the judges will think he’s being lazy.

Christian struck out twice with me, both for his outfit and for his personality. The fabric of his skirt looked really uncomfortable and I couldn’t stand the top. I also didn’t like how he brushed off Tim’s comments that the top looked asymmetrical. He realizes that this competition is a big deal, right? If the judges don’t think he’s paying enough attention to detail, they’re not going to cut him any slack. And Christian is quickly shaping up to the be the villain of the season, with his snide remarks about the other designers. The less seen and heard of him, the better, I say.

When it came down to Elisa and Simone, I was actually crossing my fingers that Simone would be the one to go home. Simone was boring, but Elisa is ten pounds of crazy in a five-pound bag, and that makes for great television. She’s like Angela from Season 3, but less annoying and… even crazier. Plus, she does know how to design, so she could be with us for a while.

So far the designers seem like a good group, and I think we’ll get a good balance of personalities and attitudes. The group challenges will be especially interesting, and I really hope Christian and Jillian are put together so they can annoy each other as much as they annoy me. I’m looking forward to some wacky designs, and I don’t think these designers will disappoint.

Jenn Brasler is an Associate Editor of Reality News Online and an aspiring writer from Falls Church, Virginia. By day she works for a court reporting firm, and by night she’s a spy for a covert branch of the CIA. You can e-mail her at luckyjenn@hotmail.com. Jenn shallowly appreciates the shot of Jack getting dressed.

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