- Lifetime
- Samantha Plasencia and Tim Gunn on Project Runway
With 12 seasons under their belts, the folks at Project Runway have turned what was once a statement piece—a reality-competition show based on discernible talent—into a cable TV staple (once on Bravo, now on Lifetime). I’ve been a fan of the show since season four, and was pleased by the enhanced role for Tim Gunn last season. The latest season promises more of the same, which means sartorial disasters, lots of running with scissors, and deconstructing looks—and contestants.
There are certainly some talented and likeable contestants. Detroit’s Charketa “Char” Glover, a self-taught designer places third with her circle skirt and draped crop top, which hint at the coherence of the overall collection (which was part of the challenge). Samantha Plasencia, of San Antonio, showed some great pieces during the audition process, and places somewhere in the middle. And I’m already kind of pulling for Sandhya. She incorporates profanities into gorgeous patterns and prints, as a form of protest against the treatment of women in India. She also jokes that she voted for Amanda “because her brother [James Valentine of Maroon 5] is a rock star.”
