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'Project Runway 7' Winner Talks About 'Bold, Graphic' Fashions

Kim Potts — 2010-04-23T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Project Runway, Celebrity Interviews

What's black, white and red all over (with some memorable splashes of yellow and purple thrown in for good effect)? Seth Aaron Henderson's winning collection for season 7 of 'Project Runway.'

Henderson's 1940s German and Soviet military-inspired collection beat out fellow finalists Emilio Sosa and Mila Hermanovski to net the self-taught designer a $100,000 cash prize, an editorial feature in the July issue of Marie Claire magazine, $50,000 worth of HP and Intel technology and the chance to sell his line at Bluefly.com.

In the middle of a busy Friday morning that included stops at 'Good Morning America' and 'Live with Regis and Kelly,' Henderson talked to TV Squad about his win, his appreciation for the feedback he got from 'PR' judges Nina Garcia and Michael Kors and how his plans for the future might include the cool alternative to frilly Easter dresses.

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'Project Runway' - 'Finale, Part II' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-04-23T00:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E14) It's the final episode of 'Project Runway' Season 7 and I'm more excited this season than last season. The collections of Irina, Carol Hannah, and Althea pale in comparison to this season, which actually had some original colors, shapes, and concepts. This season was apparently more important because they sacrificed an episode of 'Models of the Runway' for a reunion episode that didn't say much.

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'Project Runway' - 'Finale Part 1' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-04-16T00:28:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E13) It's crunch time for 'Project Runway' as the contestants make their ten piece final collection at home. While Seth Aaron and Emilio are sailing pretty, Jay and Mila had to face-off. Tim's visits are probably the best episode for Tim fanatics. He gets to interact with the contestants, but also becomes human watching him eat meals and ride bikes. I need to have a looped gif of Tim on the trampoline from this episode.

On the whole, I'm impressed by the unfinished collections of all the contestants; they all look like they were closer to finished product than previous seasons. The contestants have very distinct points of view so it will be very interesting to see how the finale pans out.

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What's On Tonight: 'Bones,' 'CSI,' 'Supernatural,' 'Real Housewives'

Rich Keller — 2010-04-15T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, Survivor, Bones, Supernatural, Celebrities, Project Runway, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free, Fringe, FlashForward, Vampire Diaries, Features, TV Previews, TV Schedules, TV News

Here's tonight's TV lineup (all times Eastern). All shows listed are new, unless otherwise noted.

8:00 to 9:00
ABC: 'FlashForward'
CBS: 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'
The CW: 'The Vampire Diaries'
FOX: 'Bones'
History: 'Modern Marvels' -- History of everything delivery

9:00 to 10:00
CBS: 'CSI'
The CW: 'Supernatural' -- 100th episode
FOX: 'Fringe'
NBC: 'Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again' -- Two hours. Retrospective on the last 10 years of 'SNL'
A&E: 'The First 48'
HBO: 'Treme: Beyond Bourbon Street' -- Making of the new HBO series
National Geographic: 'Secret History of the Atom Bomb'
TLC: 'Police Women of Maricopa County'

10:00 to 11:00
A&E: 'Fugitive Chronicles'
Bravo: 'The Real Housewives of New York City'
Food Network: 'Ace of Cakes'
Lifetime: 'Project Runway'
MTV: 'Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew'
National Geographic: 'Known Universe'
Playboy: 'Dropout Delinquents' -- Now, don't look at me that way
TLC: 'LA Ink'

11:00 to Midnight
Bravo: 'Watch What Happens: Live'
Lifetime: 'Models of the Runway'

Midnight to 1:00
Comedy Central: 'The Sarah Silverman Program' and 'Important Things With Demetri Martin'

Check your local TV listings for more information. After the jump, the late night talk shows.

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'Project Runway' - 'The Big, Top Designers' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-04-09T01:26:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E12) The contestants have finally reached the final challenge on 'Project Runway' before the final collection. The final dress has to be a high end dress inspired by performances from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. They had two days and $300 to create the best dress they could.

One effect that was used really well this episode was the montage of outfits the contestants used during judging. It made you realize that you went through twelve episodes already. Granted, they skipped several of the dud outfits, but it does show that people like Seth Aaron and Mila have a strong point of view.

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'Project Runway' - 'Sew Much Pressure' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-04-02T03:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E11) In a 'Project Runway' first, not only do we have one quitter, we have two. In the first fifteen minutes, Maya realized that she's still too young to be ready to show for the finale. I found it weird because the show likes putting a mix of designers together, including people right out of school like Daniel Vosovic or Jillian Lewis. While Maya may have been using other designs as influence during the show, she would have had several months to find inspiration before the finale show. With that being said, I respect her decision and wish her the best.

The second quitter comes from one of the models. Valeria gets a high end gig. As a model, that is probably the best decision. She had moderate exposure on a television show, and managed to get a gig from a high end clientele. Take the money and run.

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'Project Runway' - 'Hey, That's My Fabric' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-03-26T03:34:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E10) Designer Vivienne Tam visited 'Project Runway' this week. The challenge revolved around creating an original textile using HP computers. Along with the original print, the contestants had $100 to buy supplemental fabric at Mood and two days to complete the look. Maya has the most trouble because she isn't very comfortable using patterns in general.

The concept for the challenge was great. I understand that the time spent on the HP's was just shameless advertising for their sponsor, but it was important for the challenge. It looks like so much fun to run a paintbrush against a monitor and have very accurate responses.

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'Project Runway' - 'Takin' It To The Streets' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-03-19T03:34:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E09) Collier Strong makes his seasonal 'Project Runway' appearance to pimp out the L'Oreal makeup. Luckily, we're finally at the halfway point with only eight designers left. I can finally distinguish between all the contestants. This week they were paired up and had to use the culture, architecture, and trends of an area in Manhattan to create a day and night look for only $300.

Chinatown - Anthony & Maya
East Village - Jay & Mila
Upper East Side - Amy & Jonathan
Harlem - Emilio & Seth Aaron

All of the places have very distinct aesthetics, yet somehow Amy & Jonathan manage to botch the idea of a high-class, pale color paired with black.

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'Project Runway' - 'The Elements of Fashion' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-03-12T08:30:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E08) 'Project Runway' uses this episode to appease their sponsor Garnier. With one day and $150 the contestants had to create outfits based off of the four natural elements somehow making sure that their models hair was incorporated. While I was hoping that the contestants would have had the four seasons instead, they all strayed away from being horrendously literal like Season Five's zodiac challenge. Instead, many were vague and picked blacks and grays to represent their outfits. While it is daring to go so dark, it poses the question: are these contestants afraid of color?

The Elements

Air - Jay, Jonathan, and Seth Aaron
Water - Maya and Ben
Fire - Anthony and Amy
Earth - Mila and Emilio

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'Project Runway' - 'Hard Work' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-03-05T03:03:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E07) After a week off, 'Project Runway' returns with an unconventional material challenge. In this week's challenge, competitors had $150 to create an outfit from materials at a hardware store. While some competitors grab obvious things like sandpaper, sheet metal, and chicken wire, others were tempted by paint trays and washers. Luckily for Seth Aaron, he got to make something that was a bit boring, but was immune from the last challenge.

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'Project Runway' - 'A Little Bit of Fashion' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-02-19T03:09:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E06) There have been several memorable theme challenges on 'Project Runway,' including dogs, prom, and postal workers, but this week the contestants had to create an outfit for a little girl. Of course it wouldn't be 'Project Runway' without a twist, and Tim announced that the contestants would have to create a corresponding outfit for their models.

I was confused as to how all these children managed to get invited to the show. Unlike the prom girls that all went to the same high school in season four, we never got any explanation. We'll just have to accept how cute the girls are. After seeing this challenge, I hope a future challenge will be a 'Toddlers and Tiaras' childrens' pageant challenge.

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'Project Runway' - 'Run for Cover' Recap

Michael Pascua — 2010-02-12T03:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E05) With five challenges down, 'Project Runway' claims to have the biggest challenge ever. This season continues to sweep the previous season under the floor as if the last season was a hiccup. This week the contestants had to design an outfit for the cover of the April edition Marie Claire, which would be modeled by Heidi Klum. They had one day and $150.

Joanna Coles, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine, had a lot of specification for the dresses: the eye-catching design had to be above the waist, there will be text so there can't be black fabric or loud patterns, and they have to take into account that the April edition will have a spring-like feeling to it. Along with that, the contestants also had to consider a color palate that would match Heidi.

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Review: 'Project Runway' - 'Design Your Heart Out'

Michael Pascua — 2010-02-05T04:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E04) The models take a backseat on 'Project Runway' tonight with the first client-based challenge. With $100 and one day, the contestants had to create a gala dress for Campbell's Address Your Heart Program. Their clients were all impacted by heart disease in different forms. The winner gets a bonus of their dress getting a limited run, and it will be shown during New York Fashion week with the designer.

It was nice seeing an apples to apples comparison where one color was forced upon all the contestants. The Macy's blue challenge last season wasn't as much of a comparison because they got to use several shades of blue and were paired up.

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Review: Project Runway - The Hi's and Low's of Fashion

Michael Pascua — 2010-01-29T01:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E03) This week on Project Runway, the contestants finally get the opportunity to go to Mood. The contestants are divided into teams of two and have to make a high end signature look with $500 and two days to work on it. Tim announces a twist after day one: they have to make a look for less. The big twist was that the look for less had to be another team's dress.

We get one advantage of pairing up the high number of contestants: we finally see interviews from several contestants who have blended with the walls. Of course we're treated to Ping running around like a chicken with her head cut off announcing, "oh shoes!" and being convinced that hooker-wear is classy fabric.

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Was there an American Idol/Project Runway mashup last night?

Kona Gallagher — 2010-01-27T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: American Idol, Vs., Celebrities, Project Runway, Contestants, Features, TV News

American Idol is still marching along with its auditions, and last night's episode had us in Los Angeles. We had guest judges Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry, but those weren't the only familiar faces we saw. During a segment on contestants who were aping Adam Lambert, we saw a guy who said that he would be the product of Susan Boyle and Adam Lambert having sex. He seemed familiar, and now the folks behind Project Runway have figured it out: It was former Project Runway contestant Daniel Franco.

Franco appeared in not one, but two seasons of Runway, and was made out to be sort of crazy. He didn't win, and is apparently testing out other avenues in the realm of reality television. He doesn't mention anything about this endeavor on his website, but then again, he hasn't updated his blog since 2007. It doesn't appear as though Franco got a golden ticket, so we'll never know how his singing ability stacks up to his design ability. More importantly, we're missing out on the Project Runway/American Idol mashup that we never wanted.

Review: Project Runway - The Fashion Farm

Michael Pascua — 2010-01-22T01:30:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E02) This week's challenge on Project Runway fell under the unconventional materials category. The contestants had burlap potato sacks and a day and a few embellishments to transform it into a party look for their models. The models got to choose their clients, so there was a slight shuffle with a handful of designers. The model-as-client episodes are a reminder that while the models have opinions, it's ultimately up to the designer to know what is both visually stunning and matches their aesthetic.

There are still too many contestants, I don't think I heard a peep from Captain Jack Sparrow or last week's winner Emilio. We still get a lot of quirky Ping, including her pronunciation of "Buttocks." As for Anthony, I'm tired of him ending statements by announcing "period." The real question is, will these outlandish characters survive the long haul, or are they being focused on because they will be eliminated?

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Review: Project Runway - Back to New York

Michael Pascua — 2010-01-15T03:04:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway, Episode Reviews, Features, Recaps

(S07E01) As if last season of Project Runway was a bad hiccup, we're returning to New York with Michael Korrs and Nina Garcia permanently on the judging panel.

The show opened up on the roofs of the Atlas Apartments. The energy of the show felt back to normal in New York City. The first challenge was borrowed from season four: pick from a whole ton of fabrics to display the designer's point of view. The twist was that the contestants had to edit down to five fabrics. In the end, most of the designers edited down to two fabrics. They were given one day, which felt steep for day one.

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Best TV of the '00s: Reality Series

Kona Gallagher — 2009-12-31T14:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, The Amazing Race, American Idol, Survivor, Festivus, Project Runway, TV Squad Lists, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, Features

More of our best of the decade coverage, which started on Tuesday. You can read the other posts at the link above. Here, we talk about a major category that came of age in the aughts: Reality shows.

While I would never call myself a reality TV junkie, it really bugs me when people make blanket statements like, "I hate reality TV," or, "Reality TV is the bane of my existence." The genre has grown so much in the past decade that it has become just like scripted television, in that there's good and there's bad. Even though we're splitting this up into two lists, "Reality," and "Trashy Reality," you won't see a single show that starts with, "Who Wants to Marry" on either list.

This list is dedicated not to the guilty pleasures, but to the shows that you wouldn't be embarrassed for your neighbors to know you watch: the classy reality, if you will. So without further ado, here is TV Squad's list of the best reality shows of the decade.

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Best and Worst TV of 2009: Michael P.'s list

Michael Pascua — 2009-12-20T15:08:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Survivor, Project Runway, Contestants, Celebreality, Top Chef, Features

A year has passed and there has been a lot of best and worst lists here at TV Squad. I know tons of reality television shows have grazed my TV so I've compiled a list of the best and worst reality shows of 2009.

Finding the best shows are easy, but it's hard to pare down the worst list. I define "worst" as shows that had potential and never did anything with it. While shows like I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here and anything involving the words "Real Housewives" aren't mentioned, they aren't the worst because they started at rock bottom and had nowhere to go. Several of the worst shows I've mentioned could just go through some tweaking and it could have been amazing.

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All Kona wants for Festivus

Kona Gallagher — 2009-12-11T13:01:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, Festivus, The Office, Project Runway, 30 Rock, Dexter, Reality-Free, The Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreation, Glee, Community, Cougar Town, Modern Family, V, Features

I finally, and with great difficulty got the tree up, I've somehow gotten roped into holding a cookie exchange at my house this weekend, and I have glitter in places where glitter should not be. What's that smell? It smells like Festivus to me. While the main thing I want this year is to just lie very, very still in a dark room for a week or so, this is a TV blog, so let's talk about what TV could do to make me happy!

Stop with the long hiatuses already! I don't get to see a new episode of V until March, and I'm being forced into leading a Glee-less existence until April. Give it up already! If you have 3 months between new episodes, it's a new season, why not call it that? You know what I have been doing for the past 11 weeks? Watching the first 11 episodes of Dexter. This week, I will be watching episode 12, and then the season will be over. It's efficient and satisfying. The networks need to get on board.