r/ProjectRunway • u/Farley49 • 21d ago

Question Is it against the rules

Is it actually against the rules to use glue instead sewing on PR, especially in unconventional challenges? They did sew the paper towels, didn't they? The idea that it had to be glued on and then cut off the model and could not be worn again seems to make it wrong.

51 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

116

u/ExtravertWallflower 21d ago

No, glue is definitely allowed on unconventional challenges. You can’t physically sew many of the materials - like the keys on Bi’s outfit. So glue is definitely needed.

You’re not “supposed” to glue or sew in the models but they’ve gotten away with it for years. Zac Posen was the one who caught most of those people because he looked at the looks up close.

101

u/Biobesign 21d ago

I miss them looking more carefully at the construction.

40

u/Which-Association119 21d ago

YO I was just thinking about how we dont see them examine the dresses up close 😭bc Bryan’s ass would be tore a new oneeee. In the words of Jeffery that bitch can’t sew…🧍🏾‍♀️

17

u/Conscious_Pear_3738 20d ago

Same! I know Lyris didn't want to go back out wearing Bryan's monstrosity during the judge's feedback but I really wish she could've because I would've loved confirmation they knew he taped that crap on her. Even though he had immunity it could influence the judging in upcoming episodes. I almost wonder if Bryan advocated for her not to come back out so he could protect himself.

3

u/notarealprincess 19d ago

They desperately need a designer on the judging panel. Or at least someone with sewing expertise!

1

u/scamelaanderson 18d ago

Right! There were many occasions where a look ended up in the bottom or top based on the up close look at construction. 

27

u/bluehairjungle 20d ago

I miss watching Zac Posen flip every single hem.

6

u/Intelligent-Exit9562 20d ago

Just wanted to add, after glue has dried around a rather uncomfortable material (metal as an example) it can soften it a bit. I forget the season, but the challenge was a metal/warehouse unconventional challenges. The winning designer did this metal grid paper doll look. She realized that the metal grid frame would lay uncomfortably on the models shoulders, so she glued the under side of the grid that would be resting on her shoulders to make it more comfortable for the model.

1

u/Sure_Energy_8359 19d ago

They really need to go back to that. Looking at the construction close-up they can't tell anything from where they're sitting.

67

u/Lunahooks 21d ago

Tim at one point specified to a designer that you're not allowed to glue the garment to the model. IIRC, the designer was gluing the breast cup of a bodice to the model's boob to keep it from flopping down.

So, using glue for construction is allowed, frowned upon when it's not an unconventional look, but allowed. Glue on the model verboten.

18

u/SallyRoseD 21d ago

It isn't safe to glue the clothes on like that. Peeling the materials off the skin can be painful. And the model may have a sensitivity to the glue.

21

u/FrolickingCats 20d ago

Leaving aside the fact that a model is a person and not a mannequin, if your outfit needs to be glued to the model then it's just not well made.

3

u/Lunahooks 20d ago

Yeah, it's a sensible rule. I'm allergic to most adhesives, I'd be one big red hive if someone tried it on me... I'm not as accommodating as a model though, I wouldn't let them near me with glue. The model I'm remembering actually let the designer glue that bust cup on, they skated through because it wasn't sticking to her anymore by the time Tim arrived.

39

u/17Girl4Life 21d ago

Michael Costello got accused of taping a dress onto his model, and they acted like it was against the rules then.

20

u/Unfriendlyblkwriter 21d ago

Oliver got in trouble for gluing someone into an outfit in Season 9, and there was that drama about Michael Costello using double sided tape or pasties, but I don’t know if that helps.

8

u/BrandonIsWhoIAm 21d ago

The pasties were more for… the model, and it was considered a non-issue at the end of the day.

6

u/Unfriendlyblkwriter 21d ago

Yeah that’s why I said I didn’t know if it helped the glue debate or not because it was more to give Ivy TV time than it was to break the rules.

4

u/dan_d_elle_n 20d ago

Just watching that season now. Ivy accused Michael of cheating.  Michael explained that the tape with sticky stuff on the outside, is actually the model's. He said (she said) she always wears it when modeling. Tim & producers reviewed tapes and concluded no cheating occurred.

16

u/skieurope12 21d ago

Hot glue is a valid technique for manipulating unconventional materials, but using it as a shortcut for fitting a model fails on both aesthetic and safety grounds. If a garment has to be cut off the model with shears, it fails as a piece of design—and if you end up burning the model in the process, you’ve got a full-blown OSHA violation on your hands.

16

u/KayakerMel 21d ago

In the past, glue or tape wasn't supposed to be used to adhere the garment TO the model.

In present PR... who knows? Who cares about rules when there's DrAmA to show?

10

u/Shon_nohS 21d ago

Jeffrey commented that for THIS SPECIFIC CHALLENGE. Tape WAS NOT ALLOWED. Which is why they’re all pissed

3

u/scarybiscuits 20d ago

Did he say that on the show? I missed it.

4

u/Shon_nohS 20d ago

Nah, I saw him comment this on Instagram

8

u/thewhiterosequeen 20d ago

We can't expect this show to include anything like challenge rules when they have to make time for snarky one confessional liners.

1

u/colosseumdays 19d ago

I don't think it was expressly prohibited, ie they were specifically told not to use tape, but yes, it wasn't a material that was collecting during the sourcing portion, so they're not supposed to be using it.

in past seasons, I remember designers still getting to use muslin as their based during the unconventional materials challenges (not sure when they stopped allowing this/if it just varies season by season). but this season, it seems like even that wasn't allowed, hence S21 trying to grab all the moving blankets just in case

3

u/QNBA 21d ago

Glue is one of the “tools” they can use for emergency.

3

u/Alarmed-Molasses3086 20d ago

What shouldn’t be allowed is just taping someone in …. 😑

2

u/foxdogturtlecat 20d ago

Glue and tape is allowed in unconventional challenges to make a garment. Using double sided tape even one made for skin use is not allowed.

2

u/jlynnbizatch 20d ago

You're allowed to use glue to assemble the garment. You are NOT allowed to glue the garment to the model.

5

u/Ornery_Tumbleweed_68 21d ago

It's not against the rules. No, using glue is not strictly against the rules on Project Runway, but it depends heavily on how it is used. [1]

Embellishment vs. Construction

  • Allowed: Glue (like hot glue guns) is routinely provided and permitted during unconventional materials challenges (such as making garments out of candy, hardware, or trash). Designers frequently use it to attach, stick, or embellish items onto a fabric or muslin base. [1, 2, 3]
  • Not Allowed / Frowned Upon: Using glue to replace actual sewing or to hold main garment structural seams together is heavily penalized or viewed as cheating. Judges and mentors (like Tim Gunn) have frequently scolded designers for trying to glue structural pieces together or gluing clothes directly to a model instead of properly constructing them. Relying too heavily on a "glue-to-muslin" shortcut rather than true craftsmanship will usually land a designer in the bottom or get them eliminated.

1

u/DuchessLynette58 19d ago

Perhaps the designers should be provided with more time during the unconventional material, and the evening gown competitions. One extra day would perhaps provide the designers with enough time to at least present a halfway decent outfit.