THE season that never was: It never made it to air this season, but that didn’t stop “Project Runway” from staging a finale show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week yesterday, anonymously showcasing the work of its three designer finalists. Aside from the complete dearth of the usual Bravo reality-TV stars in the front row, the absence of nearly all previous winners and contestants, no celebrities – oh, wait, does Dina Lohan count? – and no celebrity judge, you’d never know anything was different.
Special guest International Herald Tribune fashion critic Suzy Menkes sat front and center for the three collections, all of which were somber
black-cream-gray and otherwise tonally drab.
Designer One showed a body-conscious knitwear and leather collection. The models strutted the runway, eyes rimmed in thick black kohl and hair wrapped in thick black headbands. The designer demonstrated spectacular technical talent, creating everything from delicate floor-length evening dresses to chunky huge-collared cable cardigans made of yarn.
The second designer’s collection exercised the patience of the audience with a parade of unflattering sack-style dresses and awkward designs such as stiff dangling braids and one particularly hideous upside-down, cone-shaped silver gown. The palette of teal, brown, pale gray, iridescent black and purple was an even greater sartorial mystery.
The third collection was far and away the best of the bunch. Save for the final two stiff-pleat sequin numbers, the designer did an admirable job of
editing his/her louche leather-knit biker-meets-cocoon sweater aesthetic.
The result was a modern interpretation of the way women want to dress now – both casual and sexy, comfy yet glamorous, cool and stylish.
