I’m quite enjoying the new Project Runway, which is basically the old Project Runway, with some different faces and a workroom that has windows. I can’t tell if this is because it’s a good season, or because I had quit watching — as if we had a long enough breakup that I now nostalgically remember why we dated in the first place. It’s just a good concept. Karlie Kloss isn’t perfect, but neither was Heidi; she does bring actual fashion-runway cred, though, which I think is important, and she feels less kitschy than Heidi became. Nina is Nina. Brandon Maxwell is a lot like Michael Kors was, in the sense that he’s unafraid to be snarky, but he also occasionally dings people for stuff that reminds me of things he has done. (This is not an unexpected quality; we all do this. I basically professionally complain about people’s footwear and yet sometimes also underwhelm my own self with my shoe choices.) Elaine Welteroth, to me, comes off by far the best and looks fantastic in every single episode, and I would not be mad if at some point Nina left and it was just the three of them. And Christian is, for me, a great replacement for Tim Gunn. This may be sacrilege, but: While Tim is clearly a very kind and caring human, I’m not always sure how useful I thought he was, beyond a frown and a pat on the shoulder and the suggestion that they make it work and be thoughtful. Christian tends to give actionable feedback and might care less about hurting people’s feelings; they need the “tough” just as much as they need the “love,” and I think I prefer his balance of the two. Plus the designers seem to respect his success and the fact that he’s been exactly where they are and won it. So! I like the show. I do NOT love hearing the judges whisper asides to each other while the outfits are coming down the runway, but maybe they were instructed to be the anti-Wintours. Are you watching? What do you think?
