A while ago, I wrote about my feelings about Project Runway. I have mixed feelings about the show, but I have a confession to make. Last season, I applied to be on the show and I made it to the Finalist round. Meaning, I was one of the last 28 or so left out of which they picked the 16 or however many contestants for this season.
It was an interesting process. I went into it viewing it as a career move, a means to gain more exposure for myself and my line. The way the process worked this past season was you submitted an application with a long questionnaire, photos of yourself and your work, and an audition video. When I found out I made it to the semifinalist round, I was invited to the New York audition, where I met a panel of judges including Tim Gunn and season 6 winner Irina Shabayeva. Also there to say hi was season 7 winner Seth Aaron. In the waiting area, one of the people I met was Casanova, one of the season 8 contestants.
I went into the audition, where I was asked questions (in addition to the panel, there were a bunch of producers and casting directors there to watch) and basically given a hard time, as you'd expect from watching the show.
Later, I found out I made the finalist round, which meant a longer on-camera interview as well as a psych screening.
I can't say I wasn't disappointed when I found out I hadn't made the show. The casting process was intense and quick, and the time between the casting and filming of the show was so brief that I had prepared for the possibility of being out for the several weeks during which they film the show.
The casting director told me that it was all about the chemistry and fit of the cast, and that one of the previous winners had auditioned several times before making it, and that if I didn't make it I should try again. I probably should have made an effort to seem a little more crazy on-camera, but one of the things that bugs me about the show is how the producers shape the designers into caricatures.
I watched several of the episodes (some in the beginning, and some towards the end). I tried to imagine what it would have been like to be on the show, which designers I would have been friendly with, and which designers I would have wanted to kill. I found it interesting that a lot of them get along -- from what I saw I could only imagine being annoyed with everyone after being in such close quarters for so long.
I have to say that I was disappointed that they picked Gretchen to be the winner. I actually never got to see the Season Finale, and missed a lot of the middle episodes, but from what I gathered, she was the most consistent? However, I didn't feel like her designs were particularly interesting, and even the episodes I saw where she won, generally didn't see her as a clear winner. Also, I just found her personality to be annoying. If I had been on the show, I probably would have been giving her dirty looks half the time. Christian Siriano, clearly the most successful Project Runway winner, had a great combination of personality and talent which will be hard to replicate.
Personally, I liked Andy's aesthetic the best, although I could see that he was a little less consistent than say Gretchen. Mondo was also clearly very skilled and more interesting than Gretchen, but some of his work was a little clowny for my taste.
The question remains: would I audition again? The way things look right now, the answer is probably no (I also always feel turned off by the reality aspect of the show), but I wouldn't rule it out completely.
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