I can easily write a novel regarding my final thoughts on any given Project Runway finale; however, I’m going to try to do my very best to keep it short and sweet.
Why This Has Been One of the BEST Seasons of Project Runway…
What made this season an exceptionally stellar season (for me personally) was the fact that the talent presented this season was pretty equal across the board. I honestly do NOT appreciate when one (or two) designers dominate the entire season. I just don’t like when it’s so predictable! This season really kept me guessing and I enjoyed seeing most of the designers win at least one challenge.
There’s always going to be some sort of drama and interesting personalities amongst the cast of designers along with a dose of jealousy here and there; however, I’d say overall, the designers seemed to truly connect and be respectful towards one another. Don’t get me wrong, there were some episodes that displayed an excessive amount of emotionalism; but this is reality TV and with high levels of stress the designers are put under, it’s only natural for them to be behave the way that they do.
Who I wanted to win Project Runway…
I had expressed early in the season that I was strongly rooting for Anthony Ryan Auld; however he eventually got eliminated towards the later half of the season which was fairly devastating to watch (because he clearly was talented, just didn’t perform consistently with the challenges given). I’m not going to lie, I definitely shed some tears during his departure. It’s amazing how a show revolved around fashion can evoke such an intense emotional response, but fashion is seriously my life and embedded in my soul. As dramatic as that may sound (especially to people reading this and don’t even know me personally), it’s just coming from within and then expressed into words.
Over time, I grew to LOVE Joshua McKinley. His work at times may had been harshly critiqued for being too over-the-top and “not edited enough,” but to me, isn’t that what fashion is all about?! I greatly admire designers that aren’t afraid to take a risk and who not only present visually aesthetic work, but fashion that is thought-provoking. By that I mean, it makes me think and it makes a statement in some way. I love when I can look at fashion and it gives me chills.
There were times I wasn’t completely in love with Joshua’s work, but at the end of the day, he was always true to himself as a designer and knew how to capture his creative voice in fashion which made him a true winner in my eyes.
My Favorite Collection…
For starters, I was thoroughly impressed by everyone’s collection one way or another. Typically, I find there are Project Runway finales where the final designers showcase some not so amazing collections. By that I mean they lacked cohesion in some way or the quality of work was just not up to par in my opinion in terms of Fashion Week standards. However, I was very pleased with what everyone had created for Fashion Week. So congrats to the final four: Kimberly, Joshua, Viktor, and Anya.
In terms of favorite collection, it was really a toss-up between Kimberly and Joshua with a little more of a strong favor towards Kimberly. She presented a collection that I could most relate to in terms of the type of girl that would wear her clothing. They were beautifully constructed with unique styling details and completely feminine, modern, and a little fierce.
Take this look for example…
Is this not exquisite? This was one of my favorite looks from her collection. I'm obsessed with the cream white high waisted pants and sheer top tucked underneath. It looks exceptionally beautiful against the model's complexion and tastefully styled with neutral makeup and side swept hair. (Yes, I'm in love).
Joshua’s collection consisted of some hit-or-miss looks, but overall I ranked his collection as one of my favorites for its individuality and for making bold fashion statements (which his designs always seem to do). His style aesthetic is just very intriguing.
Viktor’s collection definitely showcased some show-stopper material, but overall, I’ve just never been a fan of his designs. Yes, they were constucted impeccably, but I didn’t really get a true sense of who he was as a designer and many times I felt his work lacked taste. Really, I can’t think of anything throughout the entire season that he created that really WOW’ed me.
Anya’s collection had some really interesting pieces and she definitely has great taste in style, BUT I did NOT value the fact she presented things I’ve already seen her do a million times and it mainly just consisted of long, flowy dresses with a bold print. I would have liked to have seen more creativity in terms of the silhouettes she presented. It’s kind of boring after awhile when you see it done in excess. I don’t want this to take away from her talent, she definitely possesses a natural gift (especially for having the least amount of experience in the fashion world compared to all the other designers), but her collection definitely bored me (sadly, was my least favorite).
Anya (Really)?
It was pretty predictable that Anya had the strongest chance of winning Project Runway this season being that she did collect the most wins throughout the season and her strong taste in fashion made up for her lack of sewing experience.
However, based on the judges final critiques, it really sounded like they were most impressed with Joshua’s collection. So when they announced Anya as the winner of Project Runway this season, I was thoroughly disappointed. (I’ll just leave it at that).
Final Thoughts:
Although I was not thrilled with the overall outcome this season, it was still enjoyable to watch and I do believe Anya is a wickedly talented designer with a beautiful soul.
[Did you have a favorite collection? Who do you believe deserved to win?]
I really love the ruffle styling detail and the unicorn heels makes this pair of heels a truly unique piece. They also came out with a peep-toe version of this shoe but I honestly like the closed toe much better.
stylebymeli
