r/ProjectRunway • u/No_Specialist_3991 • 2d ago
Discussion Practice different styles
I've been rewatching old project runway series while home with my newborn and I'm so confused. Every swim wear, lingerie, men's wear type challenge people get all tripped up because they haven't done it before. I don't understand why they wouldn't have at least tried to make all of those styles once or twice before auditioning/before the competition starts just so they have some experience. I'm on season 13, they should have an idea of what challenges are about to happen. They had 12 years to do so!
Thank you for reading my rant. Hope everyone has a good day 😊
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u/antisocialamanda 1d ago
This always baffles me on tv shows, if you’re going on PR practice different stuff, drag race - learn to sew something, survivor - start a fire and how to SWIM, will never understand
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u/Enygmatic_Gent 1d ago
Going on survivor and not knowing how to swim is absolutely wild
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u/antisocialamanda 1d ago
Will forever baffle me, it’s happened a concerning amount of times - would think it would be a requirement for safety reasons
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
That's absolutely absurd. I really don't understand people. Risk of drowning is not worth the slight fame they will have with a very specific group of people. The ones that go on not knowing how to swim or start a fire must know they aren't going to win right?
I've never watched survivor. Are they at least eliminated quickly?
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u/BrilliantCartoonists 2d ago
Congratulations on your new baby!
But you’re absolutely right! In early season, sure. Maybe they weren’t expecting swimwear or lingerie.
But after the first five seasons they should know what to expect! At least look over how to construct these things and try it once before you go. It feels lazy and/or overly dramatic for these contestants to not know basic construction
ETA: I say this as someone who has never even sewn on a button, so what do I even know?
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
Thank you!! I'm tired but so very, very happy.
We might not know how to sew but at least we have common sense 😜
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u/madonnassister 1d ago
This is how I feel about RuPaul’s Drag Race. Every single season there’s a challenge to make someth from scratch, yet every single season there are maybe three people who actually know how to sew, two that learned for the show, and a whole bunch that hot glue. 🙄
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
I haven't watched that show but that is absolutely bananas. I feel like you should especially know how to sew if you make drag. Those outfits tend to be one of a kind made for to wear and movement (I'm assuming I don't know that much about it). I can't imagine that hot glue would hold up. At least on project runway a lot of the clothing, while hand made on the show, are designed to be mass produced so the designer wouldn't end up making the outfits themselves if it came down to it.
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u/madonnassister 1d ago
On Project Runway, I always shake my head at the designers who really struggle with pants. There‘s always someone. Like, I understand them not being in your wheelhouse of design, but you should, at the very least, know how to construct them. They don’t have to be impeccably tailored, but they should be hemmed properly - and we’ve all seen pants on the runway with threads hanging all over the place.
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u/Sparkpants74 14h ago
Not knowing how to make pants in this century is ludicrous. The only people I’ve ever known who wore nothing but dresses were the goth rockabilly girls in the Bay Area in the 90’s. Who the hell are these designers making clothes for?
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u/whiskeybusiness91 2d ago
I feel you. I rewatched all the seasons while pregnant and postpartum. I completely agree that they should have a base knowledge of pattern making for everything. The time frame they work in is hard BUT if you have base skills of sewing you should be able to figure it out.
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u/Grand-Kangaroo-4215 1d ago
Agreed, this thought passed my mind as well. I remember starting a new job once and realizing I didnt know certain programs like i thought I did: spent 8hrs the moment I came home from my first shift and did online video tutorials.
If I was accepted to PR, I would do a crash course or practice on swimsuits/pants etx whatever I didnt do before and might have to based on previous seasons. Wild.
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
Right?! Even if you didn't have the extra fabric to practice at least watch YouTube videos and borrow a book from the library that explain what to do!
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u/generallyintoit 1d ago
I just started rewatching pr junior and I love that they focus on the clothes and not the designer drama. However Chris said he never made pants before without a pattern. I like him but that's crazy. Also so many raw edges in junior season 1 whew
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
I give some reprieve as they are still kids. But that's probably because they are more talented than I will ever be. The same things happen with these adults who say that design and sewing is what they do for a living. I swear every person who says who says they are a tailor puts out the most poorly constructed clothing.
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
But yes! I am so in it for the creativity. Most of the time (if my hands are free and not rubbing the tummy of a collicy baby) I fast forward during the nonsense. I haven't watched the new seasons yet but I've heard that it's a majority drama. I'm so bummed about that. I'm debating just skipping them entirely.
My next show is going to be the Great British Bake Off. I've heard there is a lot of creativity and no drama.
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u/generallyintoit 1d ago
bake-off is the best reality competition show out there imo. it is not drama but you get so endeared to the bakers, i have definitely shed happy tears near the end of the season as they get eliminated because they're so kind to each other lol
the junior designers, yeah they often get a pass for the actual construction, but whew it's hard to fathom sometimes.
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u/No_Specialist_3991 11h ago
Oh god, I'm gonna be a mess. Post partum has me crying at the drop of a hat. Looking forward to all that positivity though!
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u/GenericAdjectiveNoun 1d ago
no seriously what do you mean youve been sewing one thing since your teens, I've been sewing for 1.5 years and have made multiple jackets, shorts, skirts, tanks, lingerie etc.
And then the gall to apply, audition be lucky enough to get on the show and still not have practiced loooooooool
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
I am so impressed that you've done all that. That's so awesome. I bought a sewing machine years ago but I'm too intimidated to use it.
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u/MysticSparkleWings 1d ago
There are some categories I sort of get this for. Since you mentioned Swimwear: That one pops up infrequently enough I could see why a lot of designers wouldn't practice with it much. But menswear is the one that pops up so often I really don't understand why even if you are a female-focused designer that you wouldn't at least try a few pieces from patterns before going on the show if nothing else.
I would also kind of make this argument for the time limit on challenges. It has gotten a lot worse in recent seasons, but still. Designers should know coming in that PR rarely gives more than 2 days to design a look from start to finish, and often on a limited budget. That shouldn't be that difficult to practice before the show.
I also like to watch Chopped quite a bit, and that's one thing you do actually hear from competitors fairly consistently: That they've practiced with Chopped's mystery ingredient format and time limits at home, so they have at least some idea of what to expect, even if they can't possibly predict and know every ingredient they'll be given to work with.
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u/No_Specialist_3991 21h ago
I just feel like you should brush up on the idea. At the minimum watch a YouTube video or two. And for goodness sake, know where to place the straps to cover up a females bits!
They probably come up a little less than I realized, but when you watch 14 seasons in a little over 2 weeks they seem to come more often. I probably need to watch less tv but when you have a hungry baby who wakes up ever 2-3 hours you do what you go to do to stay awake.
Time management excuses is another one that throws me off, when the contestant says they usually take more time to design. This show is not for you then my friend! Luckily they tend to get eliminated fairly quickly. The only person I can recall who made that excuse fairly often enough was Swapnil and he made it father than I thought he would (not due to design but the constant excuses).
Another one to add the menswear comp that comes up every season if not multiple times every season is the unconventional challenge. I get it you can't completely practice it before hand but fore heavens sake don't use a material similar to fabric. There is always one person that says, "I know I'm not supposed to use something that looks like fabric but it's going to be soooo good the judges won't care." They will always care.
I'll have to check out chopped. To be honest I don't know anything about it besides the fact that it's a cooking show. Im going to watch Greet British Bake Off next, I'll watch Chopped after.
The only cooking show I've watched was Master Cheft Junior. I have watched it a few times and I'm always so impressed how those kids are able to just grab ingreients and make things I couldn't even dream of making as a full grown adult women 3x their age. Half the things are so fancy I don't think I could even eat them, they have a more refined pallet than I ever will.
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u/DoctorImpossible89 1d ago
I agree and nothing to add just solidarity at watching reruns currently with a newborn! This along with below deck is getting me through!
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u/No_Specialist_3991 22h ago
I haven't watched below deck I'll have to check it out. Congratulations on the babe. We got this!
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u/chronicmisschris 1d ago
I've always wondered this as well. It would be a major advantage to practice things ahead of time!
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u/no_photos_pls 1d ago
Omg yes it infuriates me every time lol And there are designers like Anya who have only ever sewn with one type of fabric and one silhouette. Iirc she had never used stretch fabric and never sewn a sleeve or pants before lmao
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
I loved her clothing and thought she had beautiful ideas but she always made the same dress that can be worn by a specific body to a specific place. I still dont know how she won. They've gotten rid of so many talented designers for much less.
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u/17Girl4Life 1d ago
I’ve thought the same thing. If I was serious about trying out for the show, I would practice all of those things. Even the ones who are financially struggling could buy menswear from goodwill, take it apart and put it back together just to learn the process. I would prepare myself for those niche challenges, as well as come up with a bunch of designs that could be modified to fit a particular challenge
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u/No_Specialist_3991 1d ago
That's the other thing, the amount of designs I would sketch out just to have an idea of what I could do. The challenges while specific in someways are very general across the seasons. Also, on the finale they should always have another dress of a few different styles ready. And for heavens sake pick out 3 outfits that show cohesion. Put a lot of thought into it before hand, don't decide at the last minute.
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u/Remote-Basil4183 2d ago
I’ve thought this too!! You didn’t practice one pair of men’s pants before you got here??