Friday, March 2, 2012

Project Runway---Designers vs. Designs

I just got home from my night class and flipped on the TV...agh!  I already missed the first few minutes.  Dang it!   Anyways, this is going to be a short post because I don't want to miss any more of this episode (plus my late night nachos are calling for me).

Here's something I've been thinking about this week.
Do the designers personalities affect how you feel about their designs?
(I think I know your answers.)
Last week I pointed out that Kenley has a definite style and that it bugs me that everyone is giving her grief for it.  And your comments were telling...so what if she holds true to her design aesthetic---she's annoying...you said.  Interesting.
Me...I doubt that Kenley and I would be fast friends.  But I respect her unwillingness to deviate and I like her designs. 

(I know!  I know!  Now you want to argue it's because she can't do anything else or that she should push herself harder or in different directions.  Is that because you believe it or because she is annoying?)
 Can the design be seperated from the designer? 
Being schooled in art and design I've heard this question argued from both sides and have my own opinions but am really interested in hearing what you think.

That said, I have to admit that this week I totally judged someone's work by how I felt about their character.  
A past contestant from Project Runway now commercially sells affordable items.  I saw some the other day and really liked them, and went to purchase them, but then I realized who the designer was and put them back.  I didn't buy them, I just couldn't do it.  The designer was self centered, attention seeking, and just plain mean to others and I didn't want to support that.
(I guess that makes me mean as well.  But I couldn't do it, not even for the sake of good design.)
Anyway what do you think?  Are you influenced by the character of the designers or do you judge on their designs and their designs alone?

PS---If you need more Project Runway talk you can go HERE and read exit interviews and other runway chatter.

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5 comments :

  1. I think I'm affected by both - but I also truly believe Kenley needs to make more than just one thing! Aside from the jacket she made tonight, the dress underneath was the EXACT same dress she's made at least two other times this season! Compare it with the giraffe print dress and it's the same silhouette almost exactly. The plaid print she did WAS cool, but the dress could not have taken that much effort. Then look at someone like Mondo or Austin, who both have very distinct styles - and yet they make completely different clothes every week. But when you look at a Mondo outfit you KNOW it's Mondo's. When you look at Austin's you KNOW it's Austin's - but it's a completely different design each time.

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  2. Well, even though people think Elisa (the first one to get out on All-Stars) is a little wack-a-do, I think she highlights an important point - artists and designers put themselves into their art and designs (maybe not all as literally as she does!). So yeah, the personality affects how I feel about the design, because even without knowing the designers, the personality is in there, somewhere.

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  3. Well, the producers of all reality shows do a lot of "creative" editing to cause dramsa, like tell one contestant someone said something mean about them.Then the interviewee gets riled up and says something mean about the other person and they then only show a part of the story. I think Kenley is probably nice but they are editing things to make her look like an idiot.

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  4. I try as hard as I can to separate the drama from the people and try to judge on how the person is when working and talking design, etc. For example-I didn't like Santino much at first but he turned out to be one of my favorites, but I loved nearly everything he did; on the other hand, I can't stand Wendy Pepper, but I did like a few of her designs-despite that, I would never buy her stuff because I just didn't like her strategies. This season, it's the same thing: I don't like Mondo's work, but I really like him, so his work grows on me. Kenley has been getting weirder, and her clothes have been stale, and I'm really disliking her. Art is an emotional expression and, just like the artist puts his/her emotion into the work, we bring our own emotions to the interpretation of the work--it's probably why the judges aren't in the work area at all...

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  5. I'm affected by it, but not to the point that I judge their work differently because of it. (I think, anyway)

    A few examples:

    Wendy Pepper: what a loathsome woman. And I didn't like a single thing she made.

    Gretchen: You know, when I went back and rewatched that season, I realized she didn't really annoy me as much as I remembered (I think my memory was colored by Mondo not winning). I think we could probably be friends if I knew her IRL. Her designs, however, were REALLY hit or miss for me. Some I really liked, but I didn't like anything in her final collection.

    Santino Rice: I never really knew what to make of him. He was one of those people who spent equal times being hilarious and annoying/full of himself. But he had a style all his own and I found myself being a bit more forgiving of his arrogant moments because of it.

    And there were MANY of the designers whose personality I just adored, and I wished I liked their designs better so they could have stayed longer. And then there are people like Christian Siriano who I think are hilarious, but so, so utterly talented in a way that is completely different from their hilarious personality.

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