Project Runway All Stars

Blah. And more blah. Get some fun. Heide made it fun. Why not you?

This show is no project runway. It is sad and boring. The judges and mentors are boring and Alyssa Milano is dull and awful. Heidi Klume is fun and looks gorgeous in all the outfits she wears and jokes with the contestants..Alyssa is awkward and weird and hard to watch...

This is nothing like the project runway that we all know and love. All Stars this season just ruined it for me with its constant product placements and judges that were so easy to disagree with (with the exception of Nina who only appeared once as a guest judge). My major disappointment in the show was the over use and bad use of product placement. I secretly think that the contestant were being paid every time they mentioned Resource Water with statements such as; "where is my resource water?" Or does anyone have anything to drink, how about Resource Water". It couldn't have been any tackier if it tried. It makes me wonder if there was something in the Resource water that was getting the judges confused about what looked good and what looked bad. 9 times out of 10 they would pick something that looked badly constructed or just flat out the same thing they had picked last week as apposed to something that looked great. I don't think I'll ever bother watching the All Stars again, however, as for the original Project Runway, Tim and Heidi will always have me coming back for more.

(My review addresses the different seasons separately.) Let's start with the element that for me is the worst part of the first season: the hostess, Angela Lindvall. How on earth did she get herself cast in this role? She has no flair, no vivacity, no life. She is a big fake-sounding dud. (It is January 2024, and I am just getting round to watching this 1st season. I am very happy to report that she was only the hostess for the first season.) The next element that I found quite cringe-inducing was the mentorship of Joanna Coles, the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine. I had seen her in some guest appearances on the original Project Runway, and I always liked her. She seemed quite savvy, rather no-nonsense, and spoke both candidly and kindly to the contestants. But here on All Stars, she seems to be following some awful directive from the producers to drum up drama and anxiety among the contestants. "So, who are you sizing up among the other designers? Who do you see as your competition?" What the hell kind of question is that?! (She asked that question of Rami in Episode 2 of the 1st season.) And she did essentially the same thing to Austin Scarlett. Tim Gunn is incomparable in this role: he spoke to the designers as intelligent people and he always kept his focus on their designs. Christian Siriano has also made a good mentor, though I think that he tends to hover around the workroom too much and harangues the designers about what they are or are not doing. Anyway - I have found myself fast-forwarding through the workroom scenes in All Stars and just skipping right to the runway show. I love the creativity of the designers and their amazing end products. (Well, many of them.) (Update) I have just finished watching Season 6, and I am happy to see that changes were made to the show. First, I actually thought that Alyssa Milano was a fine choice as the host of the show. As an actress, she has a nice stage presence. Also, she seems genuinely nice. You need that in someone who is going to be axing contestants at the end of each episode. The next GREAT thing about the later seasons is the addition of Anne Fulenwider as the mentor. SHE IS WONDERFUL !!! She is a no-nonsense mentor. She has a singularly keen eye for good fashion, and she is also very kind in her candor. I love her as the mentor. She gives excellent feedback. So, all in all, I am happy with the show.

I think 3 stars is generous. The mental trip these designers make is, often, not interesting. The complaint I have, is also for the regular Runway.

Yes, I know the time & project is challenging.

They have a dress, outfit, on a 5'11" super thin, flat chested model & think a normal woman with breasts can wear it.

What bothers me most, is often, & these are "all stars", is unfinished, sloppy seam & hems, sorry tailoring comes first. AND the bust lines. I would say at least 75% have bust line issues. Some ill fitting or band of fabric, on tiny breats, &these empty unstructured tops with thin straps. Unattractive, unflattering, often the design is meant to be reproduced for real women. Heidi being a swims suit model has breasts. Also, the designs are often pedestrian & ill fitting.

These are supposed to be professional or at least out of design school.