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"It'll be better next time" is a phrase that rarely brings the reassurance the speaker intends, but it's the best thing that can be said for Project Runway. The book is now closed on Season 6, which was beset by legal problems, second-rate contestants, uninspired challenges, inconsistent judging, absent judges, too many one-day contests, and the wrong venue. Let's pretend it never happened and hope that Season 7, back in New York and with Michael Kors and Nina Garcia guaranteed to be on hand for all the challenges, will induce a case of selective amnesia.
But first, the formalities: Thursday night brought the second part of the finale (and someone needs to tell the folks at Lifetime that "finale Part 1" is like "a little bit pregnant"—it is or it isn't the finale), and there was only one question left unanswered: Who would win? The collections had been out there since the Bryant Park shows back in February, and Tim Gunn had explained the meltdown shown in Lifetime's promos for the finale in a fabulous interview with the Los Angeles Times. After an avalanche of faint praise (Nina Garcia, "I thought they all put a lot of time and effort into their collections"; Heidi Klum, "It really looks finished"), Heidi named Irina Shabayeva this season's winner.
Despite Irina being the clear favorite going into Fashion Week, her victory was by no means assured. The judges praised Althea's coolness and her talent for connecting with "the street." They enjoyed Carol Hannah's impeccable draping and tailoring and her willingness to play with color (at least in comparison with the others—the whole show was like a scene from Pleasantville). What won it for Irina was that her collection was the most cohesive. Too cohesive, perhaps—every single garment was black, which doesn't photograph well. As Nina Garcia observed, "It gets very little editorial, black." Still, Irina had a story—"My collection is all about New York. ... What it takes to survive in this city as a woman. It's about comforting and shielding yourself"—and she paid attention to detail. She was the only designer who had made hats to accompany her looks, for example, and, overall, her pieces looked as if they belonged in Bryant Park rather than at a high-end fashion show in a suburban mall.
Still, there is one unresolved issue. As Tom & Lorenzo, the kings of Project Runway commentary, revealed earlier this week, the T-shirts that garnered Irina so much praise weren't exactly all her own work. The slogans were copied from "Reasons To Love New York," a December 2008 piece in New York magazine.
Oh, Gucci, maybe Season 6 isn't over yet after all.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12
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We all know that Law & Order rips its stories from the headlines--but which headlines? Every week, Brow Beat matches L&O's plot points to the events that inspired them.
Nov. 13, 2009: "For the Defense"
These Are Their Stories
The episode begins when Maggie Hayes is killed before she can testify in a murder trial. The detectives discover that Hayes' employer had mob connections and convince Paige Regan, a co-worker with whom Hayes was romantically involved, to testify against their boss. While Regan is in hiding, an attempt is made on her life. Eventually, the detectives and attorneys realize that the common element in these and other cases involving violence against potential witnesses is the involvement of defense attorney Marcus Woll. Woll, who started out in the ADA's office, was the lawyer whose drug-cartel-connected clients were freed after a witness was intimidated in the Nov. 6, 2009, episode "Boy Gone Astray."
This Is the Real Story
On May 20, 2009, the Newark Star-Ledger reported that Paul Bergrin, a former-federal-prosecutor-turned-defense-attorney, had been indicted for orchestrating "a racketeering operation out of his Newark firm that regularly intimidated—and, in at least two cases, plotted to murder—witnesses scheduled to testify against drug dealers and gang members" whom he represented." According to the story, Bergin's mantra was "No witness, no case." The charges filed against Bergrin included witness tampering, racketeering, mortgage fraud, and murdering a federal witness.
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We all know that Law & Order rips its stories from the headlines—but which headlines? Every week, Brow Beat matches L&O's plot points to the events that inspired them.
Nov. 6, 2009:
"Boy Gone Astray"
These Are Their Stories
In the first act, a female drug dealer is murdered by two 14-year-old American boys who learned how to use firearms at a training camp in Mexico.
This Is the Real Story
According to an April 2008 story in the Dallas Morning News, Mexican drug cartels operate military-style camps "to train cartel recruits—ranging from Mexican army deserters to American teenagers—who then carry out killings and other cartel assignments on both sides of the border." A June 2009 New York Times story described how Mexican cartels recruit American teens "with promises of high pay, fancy cars and sexy women."
These Are Their Stories
One of the teenage assassins seems completely unmoved by his actions; he laughs about the victim and sings a song about "la gringa brava" to his parents when they come to visit. The detectives discover that the song is a narcocorrido tribute to a Mexican gang so badass it has "hot Yankee blonds" selling its dope. On the day of the murder, a group associated with a rival cartel releases another song about la gringa brava's death, mentioning details the police had not released.
This Is the Real Story
Elijah Wald's 2002 book Narcocorrido: A Journey Into the Music of Guns, Drugs, and Guerrillas recounts the history of corridos from anti-colonial ballads to a sort of musical newspaper educating listeners about the drug world. In a 1999 New York Times story, an accused trafficker explained the purpose of the songs: "[T]hrough the corridos comes the philosophy, how the members of the cartel have to behave. They tell you what they did wrong. Why they were killed. You learn what you have to do so they won't kill you."
"Doped"
These Are Their Stories
Brenda Sawyer is driving four children—two of her own and two nieces—to a weekend getaway when she becomes disoriented. She drives erratically and enters the highway in the wrong direction, where she crashes head-on into an oncoming vehicle. Only her son survives.
This Is the Real Story
On July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler drove her minivan the wrong way onto an exit ramp and rammed into an SUV. She was killed, along with her daughter and three nieces; the three men in the other vehicle also died. Only her son survived. According to the New York Daily News, tests revealed that Schuler had smoked pot and drunk at least 10 ounces of liquor during the 90-minute drive.
These Are Their Stories
The detectives find alcohol in Brenda's system and in her car and assume she was drinking, but then they realize that her allergy medicine had been spiked with Propofol, a powerful anesthetic. They discover that Brenda and her boss, Zack Marshall (Mad Men's Harry Crane, looking just as ineffectual in a straight tie), had gathered evidence proving that a highly profitable but medically ineffective drug manufactured by the pharmaceutical company they worked for was being marketed illegally. Whistleblowers can receive a slice of settlements, and Brenda was threatening to donate their cut to charity, so Marshall poisoned her nasal spray and slipped booze into her smoothie. He had no idea there would be children in the vehicle.
This Is the Real Story
Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers are entitled to between 15 percent and 30 percent of recovered damages, and according to a Gannett story from Nov. 4, 2009, "Of the top 20 False Claims Act cases, measured by the amount of money recovered, 12 involved judgments or settlements against pharmaceutical companies, accounting for billions of dollars in recoveries." In September, a whistleblower earned $51.5 million from Pfizer as a result of a suit alleging the company had promoted pain drug Bextra and 12 other drugs for unapproved uses and doses.
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The final challenge involved a trip to the J. Paul Getty Museum, where the designers were told to create a look using the Getty Center as inspiration.
Only three of the five remaining contestants could go on to Fashion Week in Bryant Park, and they didn't make the judges' jobs easy. John William Godward's sexy 19th-century painting "Mischief and Repose" inspired Irina to create a dowdy below-the-knee dress in what looked like sea-foam crepe; an ornate French bed led Carol Hannah to design a full-length gold gown; and the Getty's architecture drove Althea to produce a pleated-pattern skirt that, according to Tim Gunn, looked like "a panel of puckering." Nevertheless, they won the right to show 12 designs in New York.
Christopher stared at some algae-spotted rocks and conjured a garment typical of his style: a cute top paired with an unnecessary corset and an absurdly heavy stiff long skirt. Gordana was inspired by Monet's The Portal of Rouen Cathedral in Morning Light to make a gorgeous dress in silk organza that everyone agreed was both beautiful and clearly connected to the original painting. They were the final designers of the season to hear Heidi intone the words, "You're out."
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": Tim was far too busy reminding the designers how much was on the line to utter those three little words.
Number of crying contestants: Even Irina got a catch in her throat. Who would've thought that Althea was the most tear-resistant contestant!
The Contestants
Gordana may have lost her grip on the fan favorite prize this week. She and Irina ganged up on Carol Hannah, and she didn't thank the judges when she bade them "Auf Wiedersehen." But her biggest error was to make too much of her humble origins in the former Yugoslavia. Believe me, I know very well that the race of life has a staggered start, but her rivals were a self-taught gay man from the sticks of Minnesota; an autodidact from Charleston, S.C.; a big-haired bottle blonde from Dayton, Ohio; and an immigrant from the Republic of Georgia. Not exactly the Harvard Sewing Class of 1999.
The Judges
Talk about womanpower! With Michael Kors absent, and only one male contestant in the final five, Episode 12 was an estrogen explosion. Fashion designer and former Design Star judge Cynthia Rowley and "supermodel and style icon" Cindy Crawford took their places next to Nina Garcia.
The panel didn't make much effort to disguise their true feelings. The praise for Irina's ugly dress was comically faint: "I liked the inspiration that she chose" (Rowley); "She had a very clear vision, and it definitely did refer to the painting" (Crawford). Nina didn't even dissemble, declaring it "very old lady." Irina is the clear leader of this year's middling pack, but if this had been a normal week, she would have made her first appearance in the bottom three.
I hear America screaming: When Nina confessed, "I don't know who Gordana is as a designer," you could hear Project Runway viewers across the land yell, "Maybe that's because you missed five weeks of judging!"
Did the judges send the right people to Fashion Week?: Yes. It has been a mediocre season, but the three designers who are heading to Bryant Park are the ones with the strongest points of view. I haven't liked a single outfit that Althea has made, but aesthetically and trendwise, she fits into the fashion world far better than Christopher or Gordana.
Bold prediction for who'll take the big prize: At this stage, the smart money has to be on Irina.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11
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We all know that Law & Order rips its stories from the headlines, but which headlines? Every week, Brow Beat matches L&O's plot points to the events that inspired them.
Oct. 30, 2009: "Human Flesh Search Engine"
These Are Their Stories
The first act of the episode, co-written by Slate contributor Matthew McGough, focuses on the murder of Sid Maxwell, the founder and CEO of Skintight Apparel, a company that "sells $5 T-shirts for $40." In the early stages of the investigation, the detectives suspect a former employee who sued for sexual harassment. (The company's lawyers countered that she should have understood she was working in "a highly sexualized work environment.")
This Is the Real Story
Sid Maxwell bears more than a passing resemblance to Dov Charney, founder and CEO of American Apparel, a purveyor of sweatshop-free skintight apparel. According to the New York Times Magazine, in 2005, "three former employees and an independent contractor filed three sexual-harassment lawsuits against Charney and American Apparel." Workers are now required to sign a document that acknowledges, "Employees working in the design, sales, marketing and other creative areas of the company will come into contact with sexually charged language and visual images."
These Are Their Stories
The detectives soon discover that a photograph of Maxwell texting while driving had been posted to Flashposse.net, a Web "forum for corrective social action," along with exhortations that he should be killed before he kills someone else. Flashposse community members identified the make and model of the car from the photo and hacked into DMV records to find the owner; Maxwell's address and his building's security entry code were also posted on the site. A schizophrenic Flashposse.net member used the information to enter the apartment and kill Maxwell.
This Is the Real Story
The episode's title is a reference to the Chinese nickname for "virtual mobs" that strike back at corrupt officials by bringing online attention to cases censored by Communist Party officials. According to a June 16, 2009, New York Times story, in several recent cases, "the Internet has cracked open a channel for citizens to voice mass displeasure with official conduct, demonstrating its potential as a catalyst for social change." As the article notes, some online vigilantes have posted personal information about alleged offenders.
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June Thomas is out of the office today, so Torie Bosch is filling in for this week's Project Runway recap.
Is it almost time for Bryant Park yet? Everyone seems to be running low on fresh material this week. The bad-tempered designers are accusing one another of swiping ideas, and the challenge itself is to "create a new look based on your best look." That's "best look" as defined by the judges, and a dreary collection of garments it is. There's not a single vibrant outfit, as each is gray, black, or brown. Surprisingly, no contestants quibbled with what the judges determined to be their best work of the season. I expected more whining.
Althea's high-waisted black pants, which bloused out before hugging the calf, gave her the win. Logan's attempt to complement his silver-and-black gown from Episode 1 resulted in something from a bad sci-fi movie, and he was booted.
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": Nada! Though we did get a clipped "Use your time exceedingly well." Maybe he's testing new catch phrases.
Number of crying contestants: None! Carol Hannah spent much of the episode looking on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment, but perhaps her eyes were just irritated by mounds of liner and eye shadow.
Was Logan shown sans shirt? Nope! The PR gang didn't even give us a chance to say goodbye to the pecs.
The Contestants
Each voices some variant of the phrases "The pressure is on" and "It would be awful to make it this far and be sent home," which is a bit of a head-scratcher. Hasn't the pressure always been on? In the early episodes, doesn't everyone say how terrible it would be to get auf'd before showing what they can do?
Our designers can barely stand the sight of one another at this point. Althea and Logan bicker about whether her pants look like the jodhpurs that got Malvin canned. (They do, a little.) Irina asks of Christopher's look, "Why is one dress throwing up the other?" Althea accuses Logan, without actually saying it to his face, of copying the zipper collar she created for the Christina Aguilera challenge. During a meal break, she and Irina engage in a low-voiced hate-chat about how much they loathe Logan while shoving food in their mouths, but Althea apparently realizes later that she overreacted. In a talking-head, the fury seems to have passed: "I was a little annoyed, but I personally like how I used it better anyway, so. ..." Later, Irina complains that Althea stole her idea for a voluminous sweater and refuses to help Gordana locate a hook-and-eye.
It's clear Gordana is going to be at the bottom from the moment pictures from her childhood in the former Yugoslavia are flashed on the screen. Those forays into the designers' personal lives are a clear indicator that someone's struggling. Touching back story = weakness.
The Judges
The game of musical chairs continues. Michael Kors is nowhere to be seen, but Nina is in town and cranky as ever. Sitting in for Kors is Season 2's Nick Verreos, whose orange face I'm happy to see again. And as guest judge we have actress Kerry Washington. Her critiques are thoughtful and on point, but she can't match Nick, who's been practicing his zingers. Gordana's black skirt and gray blazer, he says, would look right on "an office worker in Warsaw, Poland." Yikes.
In a heated exchange, Nina and Heidi disagree on Irina's luscious brown outfit, with a brocade dress and oversize cardigan. Nina thinks the dress is too tight, making it look a bit cheap; Heidi would beg to differ. While the exchange was perfectly polite, their faces were chilling. Perhaps the tension was merely an expression of how fed up they were with the crabby designers: Althea and Irina made veiled, passive-aggressive references to the Great Collar and Sweater Idea Theft of ‘09, and Logan committed the fatal error of admitting, before being asked a single question, that his look was "on the brink of costume." Have you learned nothing, Logan? Don't feed the judges their lines!
The Results
Garment of the week: Irina's. I'm a sucker for that warm brown, and the too-snug brocade dress was pretty. Plus, the other five looks were drab, ugly, or both. The fatigue from sleep deprivation, total isolation, and constant demand to come up with new ideas-and the awful challenge of revisiting old looks-is showing on all of them.
Should Althea have won? No, those pants were dreadful. While the judges praised Carol Hannah's little black dress as something "we all could wear," perhaps a dozen people in the world could sport Althea's look without appearing foolish.
Should Logan have been eliminated? While his look wasn't quite as "innovative and out there" as he claimed, Gordana should have gotten the boot for her "sad, drab, and dated" creation, as Heidi said.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Gordana. She seems to have given up-just let her go home.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10
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We all know that Law & Order rips its stories from the headlines, but which headlines? Every week, Brow Beat matches L&O's plot points to the events that inspired them.
Oct. 23, 2009: "Dignity"
These Are Their Stories:
Dr. Walter Benning is shot and killed in church. As one of the few doctors who performs legal late-term abortions in New York, Benning had been shot before and was wearing a bulletproof vest. The man who shot him is a loner unaffiliated with any pro-life groups.
This Is the Real Story:
On May 31, 2009, Dr. George Tiller, described by the Washington Post as "the nation's most prominent provider of controversial late-term abortions," was shot and killed while attending church in Wichita, Kan. He had been shot in both arms in 1993 and sometimes wore a bulletproof vest. Scott Roeder, the man accused of shooting him, is an unaffiliated loner. (Roeder's trial is set to begin in January 2010.)
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For the "Michael Kors challenge"—so named because the assignment was handed out in Kors' Rodeo Drive boutique—the designers had to choose one of seven possible locations and design a look that "embodies who you are as a designer and also embraces that locale."
Irina won for an outfit fit for an Aspen ski lodge—brown jersey pants; a knit top with three-quarter sleeves, a huge cowl neck, and an open back; and a faux-fur vest. Nicolas was eliminated for a wrapped white shirt and tight gray pants that evoked nothing whatsoever of Greece.
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": Zero. That phrase is, like, so Bravo!
Number of crying contestants: Christopher is perpetually on the verge of tears, but guest judge Milla Jovovich came closest—she broke down at the very thought of sending someone home.
Logan sex object watch: This week, there were way too many design disasters to waste screen time on a silly subplot.
The Contestants
The judges didn't see Santa Fe in Christopher's ensemble, but they also failed to spot the subconscious inspiration for the white shirt, blue top, and beige skirt that he produced: Snow White. Meanwhile, the contestants turned into the seven dwarfs: Bitchy, Peroxidey, Greasy, Raccoony, Sexy, Self-Deprecating, and Lost.
The Judges
Hallelujah! For the first time since Week 2, the dream team of Klum, Kors, and Garcia reassembled. In the guest spot, actress and designer Milla Jovovich was constructive and informed.
The designers must be physically and creatively exhausted, because many of them sent very basic, uninspired clothes down the runway. And the judges certainly noticed. Nina asked Nicolas, "Why would I want to go into a store and spend my money on this?" Faced with Logan's bland white jeans, tank top, and vest ensemble, Michael Kors declared, "They're clothes. They're not fashion." The same outfit drove Jovovich to declare, "Listen, if this was called Project I Didn't Mind It, he would win."
The Results
Garment of the week: Carol Hannah's Palm Beach look was striking, though I liked that dress even better the first 10 times Uli made it on Season 3.
Should Irina have won? Eh. Her symphony in camel was a very literal interpretation of Aspen luxe, but she produced three well-fitted and impeccably finished location-inspired pieces, which is at least two more than the other contestants managed.
Should Nicolas have been eliminated? For sure. He completely ignored the assignment. Michael Kors was right when he told him, "You got the wrong Greece. [This was] Grease the movie."
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Christopher. Even with this season's wackadoodle judging, a string of four consecutive bottom-three finishes has got to be considered foreshadowing.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9
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We all know that Law & Order rips its stories from the headlines—but which headlines? Every week, Brow Beat matches L&O's plot points to the events that inspired them.
Oct. 16, 2009: "Reality Bites"
These Are Their Stories:
Larry Johnson, the father of 10 adopted special-needs kids, comes home to discover his wife, Joy, dead in the living room. On the afternoon of the murder, a "bouncy Hispanic woman" was seen leaving the house; she is Belinda Alvarez, the mother of 10 children—three singles and a set of septuplets—and the Johnsons' main rival in the competition to star in a reality TV series about large families. Helped by the publicity surrounding the murder, Johnson gets the show, Larry Plus 8. But after the police discover that Larry was having an affair with one of his babysitters and that Joy had refused to sign the TV release forms, he becomes a suspect in the murder case.
This Is the Real Story:
If you need to be told what inspired this episode, your television, if you own one, must be stuck on C-SPAN. Indeed, America's most famous megaparents were name-checked in the episode. Belinda Alvarez (Nina Lisandrello), who bears a striking physical resemblance to Nadya Suleman, says the show she hopes to star in will be "like Jon and Kate, you know, only less depressing." She also confesses, "I was hoping for octuplets, but God decided to bestow that blessing on Nadya Suleman."
As of this writing, Jon and Kate Gosselin are both alive and well, though after revelations about extramarital affairs, their marriage is coming to an end. On Sept. 29, the Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Jon & Kate Plus 8 was also a thing of the past, to be replaced by Kate Plus 8. Late last week, however, the New York Times reported that Jon had "banned the camera crews from his property, effectively halting production."
Unlike the fictional Belinda Alvarez, Suleman got her reality show (check out the promotional materials for My Life as the OctoMom), though filming is currently on hold, pending court approval of the contracts.
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This week's challenge was to design an extravagant stage look "in the style of Bob Mackie" for Christina Aguilera. Mackie—the designer of over-the-top costumes for Cher, Tina Turner, and many more—told the designers to create a "staggering" look that could be seen from "miles away."
Carol Hannah won for a long black dress that combined sequins and feathers. Shirin was eliminated for a long black dress with white sheer and sequin inserts that Tim Gunn dubbed "Guinevere meets Vampira."
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": Zero.
Number of crying contestants: Zero. Shirin was too stunned to so much as sniffle.
Logan sex object watch: Carol Hannah admitted to being distracted by the man at the other end of her work table. She gushed, "Logan's my friend ... who's really hot." (If only he had a personality to go with those looks.)
The Contestants
Apparently, excessive exposure to sequins and shiny fabrics can be detrimental to designers' judgment. Only Nicolas and Irina seemed to realize that Aguilera's performances might involve dancing. Nina accurately pegged Christopher's bustier and sparkle pants as a tame retread of Aguilera's 2001 "Lady Marmalade" look.
Nicolas' first nondeluded observation of the season: "Irina's a really good designer. The problem is she's such a bitch."
The Judges
Qué alegria, Nina Garcia was back! Bob Mackie warmed Michael Kors' chair, and Christina Aguilera was a gracious guest judge.
Most passive-aggressive compliment of the evening: Nina to Althea, "It's a nicely made dress. I don't know if you thought if she might have to move and that a train might be cumbersome?"
Bob Mackie's philosophy in brief: "Onstage, a short dress can go right up to the crotch and be perfectly fine. Put diamonds on the crotch, and you're home free."
The Results
Garment of the week: This challenge played to Nicolas' costuming strengths. He clearly understood Aguilera's taste and needs, and after a parade of somber, black numbers, Aguilera seemed grateful for his "fun" outfit. Mackie praised Nicolas for making a dress suitable "for a singer who needs to get around the stage fast and dance and move."
Should Carol Hannah have won? No. Her dress was too dark, too heavy, and too figure-concealing. The combination of textures Mackie enjoyed so much wouldn't be visible three rows back, much less from the third level of a stadium.
Should Shirin have been eliminated? No. Her dress was completely inappropriate for Christina Aguilera, but this was her first stumble in the competition. Christopher's cheap, poorly fitting, ill-conceived ensemble marked his third consecutive appearance in the bottom three.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: All those bottom-of-the-pack finishes would suggest Christopher is doomed, but recent eliminations have been so random, the judges may as well be pulling names from the button bag.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8
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We all know that Law & Order rips its stories from the headlines—but which headlines? Today Brow Beat launches a recurring feature that matches L&O's plot points to the events that inspired them.
Oct. 9, 2009: "Great Satan"
These Are Their Stories:
The first act involves "virtual kidnapping," in which extortionists steal cell phones from well-dressed young people, then call up the parents and claim their beloved children are tied up in a basement. Next step: Demand a speedy ransom.
This Is the Real Story:
On April 29, 2008, the New York Times reported that "virtual kidnapping" was Mexico's "latest crime craze." One day in November 2007, "more than a dozen members of Mexico's Congress received calls saying that their children had been taken." (Stealing the victim's cell phone so that parents see their child's caller ID seems to be a smart L&O flourish.)
These Are Their Stories:
When detectives Bernard and Lupo interrogate one of the virtual kidnappers, they discover he has links to a possible terrorist organization. The perp, Sameer Ahmed, agrees to help the police gather evidence against a group of Muslims who are planning to bomb a synagogue in Queens. But after the sting operation, the authorities wonder if Ahmed egged on the conspirators rather than simply passing along information about their plans.
This Is the Real Story:
In May, four men were arrested after they parked cars that they believed contained explosives outside synagogues in the Bronx. As in the Law & Order version, the bomb-making materials, which the FBI had supplied via the informant, were fake. The Associated Press later reported that the alleged plotters claim they were "lured into the conspiracy with gifts including cash and fried chicken."
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Finally, the designers were untethered from their models. They were tasked with transforming the wedding dresses of recently divorced women into hip, cool outfits. (Tim Gunn's announcement, "Designers, I'm sending in your divorcées," was funny only the first three times he said it.)
Gordana won for a pieced dress made from the lining of her client's gown, which she dyed gray. Epperson was ejected for a garment that looked like a shortened wedding dress with a few strips of black binding sewn in the middle—it reminded one of the judges of "a pirate's wench."
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": Two. (Shirin said it twice, too.) This episode's theme was recycling, after all.
Number of crying contestants: One. Shirin, who had the least yardage to work with and a fabric that couldn't be dyed, wept through Tim's pep talk.
Logan sex object watch: This week no crushes were revealed or flesh exposed, but the only possible explanation for Logan avoiding elimination is that his pheromones befuddled the judges.
The Judges
Hallelujah, Michael Kors was present for the second week in a row! Marie Claire's Zanna Roberts and Jimmy Choo founder and president Tamara Mellon rounded out the panel.
Heidi must be feeling homesick: Epperson's and Logan's outfits both made her think of Oktoberfest.
The Results
Look of the week: The most striking outfit from this challenge was a bad one: Nicolas created green trousers, a brown top, and a white vest: an ensemble that would've looked passé at a Mormon Relief Society supper in 1975. He called his look "a hideous thing," and for once his self-assessment was accurate.
Should Gordana have won? Yes. As the judges said, her look was "edgy and chic," and her divorcée adored it. (So much for recent complaints that she's "just a dressmaker.") Shirin's dress, which used stitching to create a pattern, was creative and flattering, but her client found it a little too safe.
Should Epperson have been eliminated? No. His design was boring, but it was the least offensive of the bottom three. Logan's trouser look was poorly made and ill-conceived, and Michael Kors was dead on when he described Christopher's monstrosity as looking like "a metallic garbage bag tied in the middle."
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Nicolas. We're past the stage where contestants can be kept around for their loose lips.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7
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After a run of vague challenges, this week's assignment was pleasingly precise: Design two looks that are blue and consistent with Macy's INC International Concepts brand. The designers worked in teams of two—but unlike Week 3's tempestuous pairs challenge, the collaborations were relatively drama-free.
Irina won for a blue-and-white dress that Heidi declared "flirty and feminine." Louise was sent home after she and Nicolas—who had immunity—sent two ruffle-heavy garments down the runway.
The highlight of the show was the return of much-missed judge Michael Kors, which is a sad commentary on the bland designers.
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": Zero. That old, tired catchphrase is but a distant memory.
Number of crying contestants: One. Christopher was so verklempt that he couldn't defend his garments against Michael Kors' vicious onslaught. Louise's eyes were slightly damp, but she seemed relieved to make her exit.
Logan sex object watch: Mr. Neitzel didn't get much air time—but enough for Gordana to confess: "We all think he's hot. The boys like him as well." At this point, Epperson is the only human being in greater Los Angeles who hasn't declared his lust for Logan.
The Contestants
Strangest revelation: Louise makes chicken noises while she works.
Irina's audition for the role of "bitchy guest judge": "[Carol Hannah and Shirin's] stuff looks like it was bought in a discount store. It's very '$10 shirt on sale for $5.99' kind of thing."
The Judges
Michael Kors was back and oranger than ever! Sitting alongside the top American designer were Marie Claire's Zanna Roberts and Macy's executive Martine Reardon.
Those five weeks in spray-tan seclusion brought out Kors' mean streak. But give the man his due: Every barbed arrow was right on target.
How Kors saw the outfits: "looks like a bridesmaid's dress with a shower loofah ruched up the front of it"; "looks like a tablecloth"; "looks like a librarian's shirt dress from 1979"; "looks like a teal charmeuse disco pumpkin."
Not to be outdone, Heidi harshed out. Her most devastating critique was of a detail at the neckline of Christopher and Epperson's disco pumpkin top: "It's kind of like she was eating lobster, and she put this in there, and she forgot to take it out." (For me, it was more like the ruffs that Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg pulled from the Supreme Court accessories wall.)
The Results
Garments of the week: Althea and Logan were ignored in the workroom, so it was clear they were safe, but why? The tarty business suit with the skirt that slowly insinuated itself into the model's butt crack was the tackiest and most inappropriate outfit of the challenge, and their ill-fitting trouser look stretched the dictionary definition of blue.
Should Irina have won? Absolutely. She combined textiles and fabrics to create a gorgeous pattern, and she made a well-cut dress that looked fresh and seemed appropriate for the INC brand.
Should Louise have been eliminated? Yes. Her designs didn't reflect the brand aesthetic. After noting that the line was simple almost to the point of austerity, she produced a ruffle-fest.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Gordana. The "next week on Project Runway" teaser showed her on a tearful phone call with her family, which is often a foreshadowing of doom. Nicolas deserves to go, but the producers love his demon dishing.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6
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A Hollywood challenge! The contestants were asked to create a look inspired by a movie genre—action/adventure, film noir, period piece, Western, or science fiction.
In Nicolas' elaborate back story, his ice queen failed to gain control of the universe, but the white lace ensemble he designed for her managed to win over the judges. Ra'mon made a dress for Lola who "left her home planet, where all of her people are reptiles, and has come to Earth to ... quench her insatiable desire for men." The concept was sexier than the dress, and he was sent home.
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": Zero. Has he finally shed his tired old catchphrase?
Number of crying contestants: One. Louise seemed sadder to survive elimination than Ra'mon was to say goodbye.
Did Logan keep his shirt on? Yes, but that didn't stop Carol Hannah from mooning after him. The man has the power to bewitch models, judges, and fellow contestants.
The Contestants
Unsolved mystery of the week: Who is the bobbin thief?
Least convincing concept: Gordana claimed that her flapper dress was intended for a woman who "discovers oil, and this is the first time she's coming out in society." I think I saw that movie: There Will Be Fringe.
The Judges
Keeping track of this season's judging is like monitoring a kidnapping. It has been five weeks since the last Michael Kors sighting and three weeks without Nina Garcia. Their seats were warmed by designer John Varvatos and Marie Claire editor Zoe Glassner, who has worn out her welcome; the guest judge was costume designer Arianne Phillips. The critiques are a lot less fun without Kors and Garcia, but with such a conceptual assignment, consistency was less important this week.
The Results
Garment of the week: How to compare a slutty saloon girl to a pleather-clad action heroine? This challenge brought out the ugly.
Should Nicolas have won? Just as a stopped clock is right twice a day, a cheap-looking lace garment will eventually win a challenge. Nicolas deserves credit for creating a fully fleshed-out mythology.
Should Ra'mon have been eliminated? Yes. He pulled off an amazing last-minute save in Week 3, but his lizard-people creation was beyond redemption.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Gordana. The judges have pigeonholed her as a dressmaker rather than a designer.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5
Click here to comment on our Project Runway recaps.
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Praise Prada, finally a slightly unconventional challenge. The contestants schlepped out to a Los Angeles Times printing facility so they could gather materials to "create a design using newspapers as fabric." (Doesn't the LAT deliver anymore?) Unfortunately, as has so often been the case this season, the assignment was maddeningly vague.
Irina won for a stunning trench coat with a faux fur collar and sleeves made from crumpled newsprint. Johnny was eliminated for a lazy, last-ditch effort that looked like a less-chic version of Lisa Simpson's shift dress.
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": One.
Number of crying contestants: One. Johnny bawled through his valedictory video.
Was Logan shown sans shirt? We barely glimpsed Logan, much less his bare chest.
This Week's Drama
During Tim's visit to the workroom, the magnificent mentor told Johnny (accurately) that his dress looked "like a craft project gone awry. It looks like a bunch of kindergartners did it." Johnny immediately consigned the dress to the recycling bin but later told his model that his first attempt had been ruined in a freak ironing accident, a lie he repeated several times, including on the runway, where another flight of fancy led him to describe his original creation as Dior-like. An eye roll from Nicolas led to an excruciating confrontation on the runway. When Tim bade Johnny a chilly farewell, he was clearly infuriated, telling the other designers, "I'm incredulous at that utterly preposterous spewing of fiction."
The Judges
Put out an orange alert: Where is Michael Kors? The top American designer was AWOL for the fourth consecutive week, and Nina Garcia sent in a sub for the second time in a row. It's hard to know whether these key judges' absence was caused by distance (their working lives are in New York, 3,000 miles from the runway) or contractual issues (Lifetime and Bravo were locked in a legal battle while this series was being filmed), but it's a problem. The rotating cast of judges has robbed the show of consistency. This week's panel consisted of designer Tommy Hilfiger, Marie Claire senior editor Zoe Glasser, and guest judge Eva Longoria Parker, who was classy and constructive. The rotating cast of characters must make it difficult for the designers to get a sense of what the judges are looking for.
Judging is always subjective, but some of this week's rankings seemed downright random. Gordana had a fully fleshed-out design concept: to use "unconventional fabric to make a conventional look." Instead of rewarding her vision, the judges dinged her for making a wearable dress that Heidi claimed to find boring. The fact that the garment was flawlessly constructed, had an interesting color story, and had no muslin infrastructure counted for naught, and Gordana ended up in the bottom three. Meanwhile, Althea's dress, which used a repeated image to create an architectural feel, was wildly overpraised. It had an appealing silhouette, but it was poorly fitted in the bodice, and muslin peeked out from under the hem. Despite her creativity and superior sewing skills, 45-year-old Gordana has twice been up for elimination. Is it crazy to blame ageism for her low scores?
The Results
Garment of the week: Christopher's full, feathered skirt flowed beautifully--and offered a dramatic contrast to the stiff, armorlike bodice. While most of the models minced rather than strutted down the runway to protect the fragile fabric, his strode confidently.
Should Irina have won? I was hoping for a tie with Christopher, but Irina deserved her victory. The coat had that certain je ne sais quoi. As Tommy Hilfiger gushed, it was "Coco Chanel meets St. Laurent meets Givenchy in the '60s and '70s."
Should Johnny have been eliminated? Without a doubt. Still, it's fun to wonder if Tim would have intervened if Nicolas had instead received Heidi's Kuss of death.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Nicolas. The longer he stays, the more imminent his departure becomes.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4
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In a season of insipid challenges, this was the dullest yet: Create an "eye-catching look" for the models to wear at "an industry event." Lifetime's investment in Models of the Runway and the rule change that guarantees a lot more model-swapping this season scuppered the challenge from the start. Since the models now needed all the designers to like them, they weren't going to bellyache about the design process, which is traditionally the most excruciating—and fun—part of the "crazy client" challenge.
Althea won for a cheap-looking black suit over an ill-fitting gray top. Qristyl was sent home for a tasteful but boring black jersey dress.
Stats
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": One. (Is it just me, or does Tim seem so over that catchphrase?)
Number of crying contestants: One. Epperson made like the ecological Indian after a phone call to his family.
Was Logan shown sans shirt? You know it.
Why Contestants Should Leave Judging to the Pros
Nicolas on Epperson's third-place garment: "[He's] going to be at the bottom. That just looks like a rag."
Irina on Althea's winning outfit: "Althea's looked like crap. ... It would've looked nicer if she had stapled it together."
The Judges
Where in the world is Michael Kors? He was absent for the third week running and sorely missed (most worryingly, Heidi has dropped the "sitting in for Michael Kors" locution); designer Marc Bouwer, the love child of David Sylvian and Iggy Pop, took his place. Nina Garcia was also AWOL, so Marie Claire editor Zoe Glasser subbed. The guest judge, "costume designer and top celebrity stylist" Jennifer Rade, distinguished herself by sexually harassing one of the contestants, telling Logan, "You're really cute, and I like your pants and your sneakers." In a season when some of the judges' decisions have been wackadoodle, it was downright stupid of her to suggest that she was taking his looks into consideration.
Tim Gunn's cattiest caution: "It's just looking like she's been rolling around in bed."
How Heidi likes to see breasts: "For me they have to be perky, and they have to be in the right spot."
Klum line most likely to become a ring tone: "I'm obsessed with boobs. That's just my thing."
The Results
Garment of the week: Louise's beautifully constructed black silk dress.
Should Althea have won? No! Three garments, three eye-sores.
Should Qristyl have been eliminated? Yes, it was the merciful thing to do. The dress was chic, but Heidi was right: It wasn't youthful. No model wants to look like the oldest woman at an industry event.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Nicolas. The judges have clearly noticed his tendency toward the trashy.
Previous Project Runway Recaps: Week 1, Week 3
Share your comments, questions, and predictions in this week’s Project Runway Recap Fray.
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After three weeks in Southern California, Project Runway finally took a trip to the beach.
The challenge was to create a "fun and fashionable surf wear look,"
along with a coordinating avant-garde design. And—drama alert—it was a team
challenge.
The producers ignored Logan and Christopher, Shirin and Carol Hannah, and
Althea and Louise, so it was clear they were safe. Meanwhile, Qristyl and
Epperson squabbled all the way from sketching to judging, reminding viewers that
all unhappy couples are alike: awkward and no fun to be around.
The train-wreck pairing was Mitchell and Ra'mon. Mitchell—who had miraculously
avoided elimination in both previous rounds—seemed incompetent and lazy, a team
captain who left his partner to produce everything except a two-piece swim suit
that was hidden under other garments. Only 35 minutes before the models were
due down the runway, Ra'mon was in the bathroom dyeing fabric, but in a
shocking "first time on Project Runway" twist, Ra'mon was named the
winner, while Mitchell got the boot.
The Contestants
Designer superpower: Is Johnny a living, breathing Hairy
Gary facial hair toy? Every time the camera pointed at him, he seemed to
have sprouted an entirely new beard/sideburn combination.
The Judges
Michael Kors was mysteriously absent for the second week in a row, but Max Azria sat in the
"foreign-born designer who needs subtitles" chair. Rachel Bilson was the
guest judge.
Tim Gunn's cattiest caution: "I feel like I'm in a cartoon with a superhero and a
Greek goddess." (To his credit, Ra'mon immediately abandoned the offending
garment.)
Heidi's biggest dilemma: "On Project Runway, you actually have to design and create and sew. ... I
don't know how I'm supposed to judge someone if they don't actually do
anything."
Stats
Number of times
Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": 2
Number of crying contestants: Zero. This was a week for bickering, not blubbering.
The Results
Garment of the week: Althea
and Louise's avant-garde look, which featured a glittering bodice made from
zippers and pins with a beautifully executed cascade skirt. Unfortunately, it
got just 10 seconds of screen time.
Should Ra'mon have won? Not on the basis of his hand-dyed off-the-shoulder neoprene dress, which was bold but very poorly
finished. Still, he did the work of two, and the other design, a wave-inspired
blue, green, and brown beach look, was nice if a little gauzy for the
surf set. Johnny's
and Irina's
outfits, which both featured some form of macrame, were the only looks that seemed
coordinated.
Should Mitchell have been eliminated? Hell, yes! As he said himself, "I didn't try hard
enough," but after two weeks of playing the villain, he
at least came across as a nice guy.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Qristyl. The judges haven't had a nice thing to say about
her since Day 1.
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After a long wait, Project Runway is back on a new network (Lifetime), in a new city (Los Angeles), at a new time (10 p.m., which, as Hanna Rosin points out on Double X, is too late for the show's younger fans). Has the shift westward changed the show's sensibility? (A little.) Has the move to Lifetime matronized its aesthetics? (No, but there are way more bladder-related commercials.) And are the contestants any good? (It's too early to tell.)
In the early weeks of the season, so many garments fly down the runway that it's tough to judge the work. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to say.
In Week 1, we met the 16 designers and watched them fashion a "red carpet look showing innovation and point of view." Unschooled Minnesotan Christopher Straub won the first challenge with a champagne-colored dress with lots of texture and movement, while Samantha Ronson lookalike Ari Gold was sent home after she used "weird, bulbous hexagonal tesselation forms" to fashion a garment for the Video Music Awards "in, like, 2080."
The Contestants
Most cunning contestant: Johnny, addicted to mentioning his "addiction problem," had a crisis of confidence that earned an on-camera out-of-the-workroom mentoring session from Tim Gunn and pep talks from several other designers.
Most boring contestant: Anthea. Her introductory anecdote in full, "The best thing was when my boss came up to me and said, 'Althea, you're the best,' and I was like, ‘OK!' "
WTF statement of the week: Malvin's "I don't watch the red carpet. I don't differentiate between different colored carpets."
The Judges
Tim Gunn's cattiest caution: "Not styled correctly, this could go cruise-line-cocktail-waitress."
Guest judge's obsession: Lindsay Lohan singled out the back of a garment for praise three times—apparently she's an ass woman.
Michael Kors critique that could most easily apply to cheese: "It was elegant and sharp but still had some bite to it."
Most unconvincing review: Nina Garcia on Mitchell's mess, "Even though it is completely sheer and completely unwearable, there is an attitude about this that I liked, that makes me wonder what else you could do."
Stats
Number of crying contestants: 3
Number of times Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": 2
The Results
Should Christopher have won? It wasn't a complete travesty.
Should Ari have been eliminated? No. Her garment was a nightmare, but at least it was a garment, which is more than can be said for Mitchell's chokingly high-necked, colorless, shapeless slab of pantyhose.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next week: Qristyl. The judges are already muttering about her "taste level."
Project Runway photograph courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images.
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According to the Live Feed, the broadcast networks launched more than a dozen new TV shows this summer, and not a single one of them took off. Among the most spectacular failures: ABC's space drama Defying Gravity and its retro pro-am sports contest The Superstars; NBC's The Listener (a crime show), The Philanthropist (a globe-trotting do-gooder drama), Merlin (a British import), and Great American Road Trip (a reality contest); Fox's "scripted psychological procedural" Mental; and CW reality show Hitched or Ditched.
I haven't seen a single episode of any of these eight shows—and not because I'm a TV lightweight. I've been a shut-in all summer, killing my eyesight by soaking up new shows like Drop Dead Diva, Make It or Break It, and Royal Pains and returning favorites like Burn Notice, The Next Food Network Star, and The Closer.
It's one thing not to have watched the networks' new summer shows, but it does seem weird that I hadn't even heard of most of them. Well, The Superstars I knew because I was a big fan of its original incarnation; The Philanthropist was on my radar because a screener came in to the office (if I'd known that Law & Order alum Jesse L. Martin and The Wire's Michael Kenneth Williams—Omar!—were series regulars, I'd've given it a shot), and I heard about Merlin in the British press. Oh, and some sci-fi nerds I follow mentioned Defying Gravity on Twitter. Still, I had no idea of the shows' time slots or stars or selling points.
I suppose there are lots of explanations for my ignorance of network programming. Among the most obvious: Hulu and its ilk chipping away at "appointment viewing," the "they all look alike" quality of reality shows, and the rise of the mid-major cable networks. But I put the brunt of the blame on the failing print media. I read the newspaper carefully each morning, but I do so on an electronic device that doesn't even include the TV listings. I subscribe to TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly, where I take viewing suggestions from very brief capsule write-ups. I don't even look at TV Guide's listings pages—they're just recycling-in-waiting as far as I'm concerned. Between recommendations I get from magazines, blogs, and Twitter feeds, and my DVR's season pass recordings, I have more than enough shows to fill up my viewing hours without looking at an old-school "what's on tonight" grid. If the networks can't make a TV geek like me aware of their new shows, what hope is there?
Photograph of The Philanthropist star James Purefory courtesy of Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images.