Project Runway, Episode 12…Nature Calls
October 2, 2008 by Cyndi Lavin
Filed under Project Runway, Wearable Art
The usual suspects, and my idol Tim Gunn
Finally! The episode where everyone ends up in tears! I had to pour a glass of WHINE before even beginning to watch this episode 
Spoilers ahead…don’t click unless you want to know the results of the challenge!
Desperately seeking inspiration at the Botanical Gardens
Wow. All I can say is Wow. I didn’t like any of the gowns. Not their best work by a longshot. Interesting that even though Jerell “won”, he will still be in the pot for elimination when they all come back with their collections. This is similar to the Chris/Rami walk-off last season, but this time eveyone’s neck is in the noose!
Do you agree with how the judges handled it?
Jerell, the “winner”
I don’t know what I’d have done differently. I didn’t like the gown made by the winner, and I thought each one had a good reason to be judged the loser. I personally disliked the costume that Kenley made the most, but only by a little bit. I’m trying not to let my personal dislike of her attitude sway me, but if I were going to do it any differently from the judges, I would have sent her home and told the other three that there was no winner for this challenge.
Back to the workroom for a moment. I am really feeling a certain pang for Kenley…she honestly doesn’t seem to understand why the rest dislike her. I know I’m not there, and there’s a lot more going on than we see, but I’d like to at least believe that I would have given her my extra tulle. Maybe she wouldn’t have done it for me, but then again, maybe she would. Being immature, rude, and self-centered isn’t the same thing as being a horrible person. The immature can grow up, and sometimes it starts with someone reaching out and being nice to them.
Fortunately for many of us, being difficult is not yet a criminal offense!
Kenley
I agree, none of the dresses were all that great, and I think the judges were right in making all 4 do collections before a final decision was made. Plus, I can’t wait to see what they make when left alone for a couple of months to work!
As for Kenley, that outfit was probably the worst I’ve seen her make and really had no “nature” feel to it. She is obviously a very talented designer to have gotten as far as she did, but her own attitude is going to sabotage her career in the long run – and this was a perfect example. The challenge was to make a dress inspired by flowers and then she felt complimented when she was told it looked like fish scales! If she is a designer and doesn’t listen to what a client really wants she is not going to be successful.
I see a bit of a Catch-22 going on as far as her attitude. She is opinionated and defensive of her work, which comes across as rude and is something she needs to work on. At the same time, the other designers only make it worse by excluding her and not reaching out to her as a person. I would like to think her attitude might have diminished through the season if they had been a little nicer to her as a person, outside of the judging and working.
I know it’s a competition, but they can still be friendly. I think the final scene of the show (where Tim was hugging Jerrell, Korto and Leeanne and Kenley was sitting by herself) was very telling of how Kenley makes herself the outsider and the others reinforce it by not trying to be nice. Sorry I kinda rambled! LOL
You didn’t ramble at all! You said a lot of what I’ve been feeling about the episode. I have faith that she can learn, and that her design talent will take her into a wonderful career. But only if she can learn to bridle that ego and defensiveness.