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A few days ago I saw an episode of What Not to Wear from 2007, featuring Erin, the Florida vegan with a funky art school style. She got some pretty sweet shoes, not to mention a great short haircut, so I tried to track down some info on her purchases and maybe more photos of her haircut in order to replicate it.
In my search, I found her MySpace page. As this is one person on one episode of What Not to Wear, and there were also some pictures only someone who was actually Erin (or knew Erin) could have taken, I was fairly convinced it was really her. So I sent her a message. And she replied!
People on the TV are real!
This is obviously an idea that many of us only partially grasp, if grasp at all, given the sort of faceless internet commentary on peoples’ personalities, skills, looks, and so on. Case in point, all my Project Runway raving in Kenley’s general direction. She’s a real person. But because she’s on TV, and maybe a little crazy, and has definitely been edited, that makes it okay – and easy – to pretend she’s not.
And before, I really wouldn’t have cared, because I didn’t believe in a million years (and really, still don’t) that she or anyone she knew would ever read this blog and be affected by what I said. Also, because I knew in my head I was commenting on limited-in-scope and carefully-crafted-portrayal-TV-Kenley, not the real person who existed in the real world, it was okay.
But tonight, Petrova Hammond may have commented on my blog. I am not sure if it was really Petrova Hammond or an (extremely bored) internet impersonator, but if there is even a chance that a designer from Australia could come across my American blog (which, to be fair, comes up 7th if you Google “petrova hammond lady”) then anybody could. The internet works in mysterious ways.
So I’m sorry, Kenley, or friends or family of Kenley, if you ever in a million years actually read what I wrote. I know nothing about you as a human being. I am just commenting on how you’re shown on TV, which, after editing, may or may not remotely resemble you. I have a personal preference that is not in line with some of your work. Also, you shouldn’t give a damn about me.
So all that aside.
Petrova Hammond (might have!) commented on my blog.
:D
There are no other words.
My commentary on the Project Runway: Australia finale has been notably absent for a week now. All I can say is I was woefully disappointed. Deep down, I knew Petrova would not win, she was too brilliant, too bright, too fanciful for this show’s inaugural season. It would be better for them to go with the safe designer. So they did. When it was down to the final three, Petrova was the first to leave the stage, which, pardon my overuse of the phrase but it is apt, a joke. It had been between her and Julie the moment Lui was out of the competition, and to send her off the stage first just meant the winner was announced all the sooner.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked Julie’s collection. But the judges said it themselves. She played it safe, and she didn’t do anything different than what she did on the show. Petrova showed a real range, real innovation, and took real risks – and her only criticism was that people might not ‘get’ the little tricks (a dress that can clip in the front for one look or unclip for another, a dress whose train is attached to a belt and can be taken off). Are people who buy high fashion really so dumb they don’t know what to do with some buttons?
Well, no. Don’t answer that. But regardless. Petrova Hammond will always be a winner to me. If I ever get a chance to go to Australia, her shop, Lady, will be my first stop.
As I am not, in fact, in Australia, I can neither liveblog this show nor apparently post on it in a timely fashion. But it’s really hard to be timely with Australian media when it broadcasts while I’m asleep. Anyway, on to the good stuff!
I still find it tragic, tragic, tragic that Leigh is in the final three while Lui is not. Yes, fine, Leigh won the last challenge, but surely they could have done some fancy penalization for playing it so safe and taken overall work into consideration. Because like this? An obviously weaker designer was rewarded while an oft-proclaimed design genius got the boot. But then PR: A judging is clearly a little whack, with Helen making it as far as she did.
I think Petrova unwittingly expressed the same sentiment when she said, “I’m so so happy it’s me and Julie. … and Leigh.”
Visiting designers’ homes is always fun, and this was no exception. Julie’s mom was darling, and her furious home cooking gave a nice balance to Julie’s 40 grand worth of shoes. I haven’t spent that much on anything except, you know, college. She has a massive design space, especially if one harkens back to the work room Christian from last season’s American Project Runway. That boy had just enough space to turn around, and Julie has a friggin’ warehouse. But clearly one does not have to have superior facilities to succeed – and I’m sure Christian can get himself a warehouse or two now.
Leigh’s apartment is so. sweet. Julie’s house was nice, too – but it also belonged to her parents. And yes, fine, with the first look at Leigh’s collection, he’s redeemed himself somewhat. But I still think Lui was robbed. ROBBED. But moving on.
I don’t just want to go to Petrova’s shop. I need to. And I need to buy everything. Of all the Project Runway designers across all the continents, I think she has a design aesthetic closest to the kinds of things I want to wear. (Jeffrey, winner of season 3 in America, is probably tied, as I would have worn every piece in his final collection. Petrova’s final collection is sometimes a little too out there for me, so it evens out I s’pose.)
Apparently you can say ‘fucked’ and the variations therein on Arena. Good to know! Also, the designers seem to be forced to make an 11th look out of one (or several?) of their past pieces. God reality TV is cruel. But there was so little drama (much to my enjoyment, but probably to other’s disappointment) they had to ramp it up somehow.
Finale next Monday, 8:30pm… in Australia! I will no doubt be rolling out of bed as it airs.
