Reality television is anything but. It’s a supersaturated microcosm where time is eschewed as is each contestant’s personality. Everyone, and everything, in a reality show becomes hyper real, an exaggeration of the world beyond. And that’s why we love it – because no matter what manifestation the reality takes, it’s sure to invoke blood, sweat and darn good television. Project Runway is one such show, a fast-paced fashion frenzy fuelled with a goldmine of talent, inspiration, ingenuity and outright cattiness.
The premise is simple – 12 designers from across Australia are brought together in one design studio. Each week they are given a brief and have to provide an outfit which embodies said brief. The twist? They usually have less than a day and a bit to make their outfit. When it comes to catwalk time, there are some shockers among the frockers, so much so a person is eliminated each week. The prize? The chance to present a debut collection at Australia’s Rosemount Fashion Week with the aid of $100,000 backing. Now… you can buy a serious amount of sequins for that kind of cash.
Overseeing the tulle and tribulations is hostess Kristy Hinze and mentor Henry Roth. But sitting off to the side of each episode are the judges, among them the steely eyed visage of international fashion buyer Sarah Gale, a woman who has a 25 year pedigree of fashion trend forecasting and commercial buying for some of our nation’s biggest brands.
‘I definitely bring in a commercial eye,’ Gale said of her role as judge on the show. ‘I look at the [garments they produce] and can really appreciate the design element, but if those designers really want to get out into the world and make a business of what they are doing, it has to be commercial. A commercial eye is always about hitting the brief. You need to know who your customer is and tailor to that.’
It’s a hard line but Gale tows it fabulously, her inscrutable eye for detail – and knack of picking out even the most well concealed faux pas’ – garnering her a tough reputation on the show. But in reality she sounds as excited as a teenager when talking about this years’ batch of contestants, her hard facade dropping just for an instance.
‘We’ve got the most fabulous band of designers this year,’ she cooed down the phone from Melbourne. ‘They are extraordinary. Their workmanship is amazing. I’ve been blown away. We’ve certainly gone up a notch. They’re a varied bunch. We’ve got lots of different aesthetics. They’ve each got their distinct style and I think that’s what I love about this group, is that they are each staying true to their own signature and style.’
Last year saw Julijana Grbac take out first place, her feminine frilled collection of frocks and formal wear both distinct and department store in nature. She pipped openly out Leigh Buchanon to the post, a boy who took haberdashery to the next level. He created a collection reminiscent of post-Regency that was part haute couture, part haute curtain, his showstopper a baby doll dress rendered completely out of tulle.
But while last years’ winner hasn’t really made her mark, the show has certainly proven a springboard for some. Last season’s dark horse was Melbourne’s Lui Hon. He might’ve only made it to the final four but his label is now stocked locally at North Perth’s S2 and Zekka Design For Men, as well as nationally and internationally, his deconstructed garments combining the softest cottons with the most ambiguous and androgynous shapes. It’s fashion for the forward thinking masses, his appearance on Project Runway exposing his aesthetic to a fashion savvy following ready for the next big thing… which Hon has certainly proven to be.
But what makes up the next big thing? What, fundamentally, goes into making a great design? ‘A good design needs to be creative,’ enlightened Gale. ‘We always have to see a creativity coming through. It needs to be forward, not back. So even if you’re looking at a design that has an element of a past era, which most the designs do, it still needs to be brought into the contemporary market of now, and the designers must have their own signature in their design. So it’s got to have creativity, adaptability, its signature and then a commercial aspect as well.’
Easy? Not really, although as the season progresses the benefits of hot glue guns and safety pins will inevitability come to the fore. And as the designers are culled, one question lingers: who will sew the distance?
Watch Project Runway on Foxtel’s Arena every Wednesday at 6.30pm to find out!
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
DESIGNER PROFILE: ANTHONY CAPON
Aesthetic: Avant-garde.
Fashion Idol: John Galliano. The man just is fashion.
Favourite Labels: Yohji Yomamoto, Comme Des Garcon, John Galliano, Alphaville and Etal, the business I work for in Melbourne.
Earliest Fashion Memory: My favourite outfit when I was younger was this little sailor’s suit and I used to wear it all the time and every party I ever went to I would wear the sailor suit. I was very partial to the sailor suit… and also little skirts… back when I was four.
Fashion Aspiration: I really want to push the boundaries and make everyone aware of how amazing and fun fashion can be.
Passion in his Fashion? I love dressing up. I don’t see enough people doing it in Australia. You go to Paris and people are just dripping style, so my passion is that one day Australia will be just like that.
Makes: Interesting clothes that are showstoppers.
