So wait, is Santino part black and did I miss that completely until this ep? Becase if so I am feeling a teeny bit less proud to be black.

In seriousness though, i did like santino's stuff. mostly becuase i love pink and i love dresses. danie's stuff was cool but it looked like stuff you could get at kenneth cole. not all that cutting edge.

Chole was cool too i guess. I think last season's shows were a lot better.

I am so heartbroken this season is over. Ed Hill, if you create the Tim Gunn alarm clock, I will be your first buyer! Does anyone know when the next season is starting? I am getting the dt's already!

Santino should have won. They penalized him for doing exactly what they wanted him to do. Fuckwads.

Did everyone else think that all the speeches by the designers were unprofessional and shitty?

Hey how about removing the talking ad on the home page? That would be swell.

Santino got robbed..
Debra Messing is often in fashion police..how is she s judge, if this were a la American idol, Fried onions boy would have made it..
you go santino, BR finds Dao more malleable

Thanks for all the recaps, EdHill- thoroughly enjoyable. Even though I'm female, I may not be the best judge of women's clothing (I prefer to wear jeans and t-shirts) but I thought much of Chloe's collection looked awkward. I think The_Svan is right about Santino. They always complained when his stuff was too "out there" then he does a fairly nice collection and they complain he played it too safe. Make up your minds, people! (Though Heidi was right about the boob placement.) I also agree about the talking ad- it's kind of annoying.

I saw Santino at Lucy's El Adobe in LA having margaritas with a ladyfriend last weekend. Alas he was too far away to get a good whiff.

I haven't even finished reading yet but I felt compelled to comment. EdHill, I know you have a long standing thing going on with LizardQueen (and God knows I love her and wouldn't hone in on her man) but if you keep making Peter Pan/Tinkerbell references in all your recaps I'm gonna have to scoop you out from under her.

OK - read it. Now someone sign me up for a Tim Gunn Alarm clock - I can not imagine a better way to wake up. He was so cute in this episode.

It finally dawned on me why Santino's voice has sounded so familiar to me. The other night I was watching "My Name is Earl" and they had a character that had to put one of those vibrator things up to his voicebox in order to speak. That electronic hummy voice is EXACTLY the way Santino sounds.

Btw, congrats on having your model win Ed - she looked better tonight than she has all season. She should get to keep that blue dress, it fit her like a dream.

EdHill, you are my muse. I read about your Alfness. Bring it on baby. Bring. It. On!
I do believe the job Kors was offering Daniel was what the kids call a "B.J."
Chloe's stuff was a disaster. Very 80's prom queen. Though, I want the chance to rock the devil out of that hot dress Grace was wearing. I detest shrugs. It may be just because I don't have the sack to wear that garbage, or maybe because it's hideous.
Daniel, you already know how I feel about your 8th grade wood shop ass. Or is it domestic arts?
Ah, Santino. It's ok that you screamed "My mom's the shit, yo!!" into the mike. The judges were lame beacause this was truly the first time the designers had a clean slate. The challenge was to build a 12 piece collection. No famous buyer. No leaves and fern party. No clothes off your back. Straight up, 12 pieces of your desire. + 1. How are they gonna hate on Santino for that?
Finally, we all hope, has anyone seen Kara's fashion week designs? Bizarrely, this was my favorite collection. Minus the queer sherpa hats on all the models. I would wear 90% of her garments. That seems like an unusually high percentage.
Ugh, Debra Messing. What the devil was that about? At least get Madonna or Chloe Sevigny or some other ubiquitous fashion whore.

PS-EdHill et al. I am now offering to comp as your editor. Really. It's three o'clock and I'm barely awake. How'd I do? I'm also offering my modeling services to any TVgasm'er who is going to NYC to try out for PR3. I'm 5'10" and a size 6. Make it work, people.

Listen to The_Svan, people!
The talking ad bothers us all.

If Chole had included separates I fear there would have been stirrup pants and belted man-shirts. Her collection was definitely copied from a circa 1985 Soap Opera awards show.

Betcha Santino gets more famouser than anyone.

I will miss you, Tim Gunn.

(Dammit LQ! 5'10"? Damn you!)

I think Chloe's collection looked like a bad 80s prom, but that's just me. Santino was robbed...!

I knew Daniel was dead the second I saw that white pleated skirt on the hanger.

I'm a little sad Daniel didn't win, but at least it wasn't Santino!

I agree with the_svan....I thought the speeches were totally unprofessional.

There seemed to be a little less drama this year, where was the arguments over shoes? Maybe a Bravo person saw this and stole Daniel's handbags for a little bit.

And sign me up for an alarm clock, there's no better way to wake up than to the lovely voice of Tim Gunn!!

I have to agree with The_Svan. They complain about Santino all season, and when he finally does what they want, they hold it against him. IM SORRY NINA, but you suck! I would strangle you too. Also, his models did not show up for fitting- how is that fair? Debra Messing? WTF?! That's the best they could do?
I must have a Tim Gunn alarm clock. In addition to "Time to make it work" and "This bothers me", the snooze button could say "You've got 30 minutes to sketch, and then we go shopping."

Is the Tim Gunn alarm clock a metal rendition of Tim? Or is his face on the face? Love the two snooze button options already offered. God I wish Tim Gunn would show up at my house and take me fabric shopping. Can there be a "What happened to Andrae?" bonus offering?

Okay, some of you may think this sounds freaky, but I'd prefer to wake up with the real Tim Gunn's voice. I do not know why, but that man revs my engine.

I wouldn't mind the talking ad half as much if it was Tim Gunn's voice. However, since a large majority of us read these recaps at work (shh don't tell the boss) these ads are screaming for us to get busted. Now if we then lose our jobs for reading recaps at work, we can't pay our internet bill and then you lose your audience. Wouldn't it be easier to lose the ads instead?

Make it work.

Great recap as usual Edhill. Yea, can there be a "where is Andrea?" cuz I'd love to have that clock.
Daniel's line sucked ass, Chloe's had a few good outfits, but i think Santino should have won.
Oh and if what Tink says is true, then i'm totally jealous of LizardQueen.

Yes Dasher, I find it very freaky.

i think santino shot himself in the foot over the course of the season.

he brings these outrageous outfits out every challenge almost as a challeneg to the judges. then when he does his runway collection, he produces something that is the antithesis of everything he has done heretofore. what else were the judges supposed to say? it WASNT him--or the him he led us to believe. his collection was nice though.

daniel is totally banana republic/calvin klein. very clean and i liked the colors and prints and hated HATED HATED those breastplates.

chloe was stunning in execution, awful in fabris selection. like i said on the last post, her big poofy sleeves and whatnot are very much what is on the way in from the bigger fashion designers--even santino had an outfit with those billowy (awful) sleeves.

i partially believe they chose chloe because she is a business woman and they were guaranteed she would take the money/mentorship and run with it unlike the winner from season 1. i mean think if you were banana republic and the winner didnt take the money from the show you so overtly sponsor. AGAIN. would you sponsor the show a third season? i wouldnt. this is just a theory however and she really was better in styling and execution than daniel.

AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WE HAVE ALL HAD IT WITH THE GODDAMN TALKING AD! whoever invented ads with noise SHOULD BE LEFT FOR DEAD IN A CROATIAN PRISON CELL.

I just realized that Chloe's 13th design for her collection looks scarily similar to Santino's winning design in the first episode! Compare them here:

http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway_2/Episodes/Episode_14/Rate_the_Runway/Chloe_7.shtml

http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway_2/Episodes/Episode_1/Rate_the_Runway/Santino.shtml

Good recap. Overall, I thought the runway show was far less interesting than last year's, but oh well.

However, I must point out that it's "Nuke" LaLoosh, not "Duke." I get the whole "just because I'm recapping Project Runway doesn't mean I'm gay" thing, but throwing in a sports reference every other line is a little gratuitous. Again, we get it.

Incidentally, it's good to see that the Project Runway producers haven't lost their golden touch with Top Chef. Oh wait, that show is actually a steaming pile of dung. Nevermind.

patti-i thought about that too, but then realized it is a 'baby doll dress' which pretty much always looks the same no matter what.

to the tune of "project runway" the musical.

tim gunn... tim gunn... if he praises your work you're done.... what happened to santininioooooo....?

yeah like i said before screw klum, korrs and garcia. {also messing} the f&^ked up judges setup santino by bitching all season about his designs to get a reaction for the show. then when he hits a homer they shoot him down to get even because he told them all to f^%k off. DISAPPOINTING!

I was, in the immortal words of Michael Kors, "underwhelmed" by all three designers' collections... Chole's reminded me of the horrendous prom dress Molly Ringwald made in Pretty In Pink... Daniel's was simply boring... and Santino's was completely sanitized. I almost didn't want anyone to win!

However, I think they probably made the safest choice with Chloe. She'll be perfect for Banana Republic.

jash, while it's true there will be similarities because the style is babydoll, it doesn't mean the cuts will be as similar, or the necklines, or the fullness of the dress or the way the hemlines fall (longer in the back). I wouldn't even think it would be anything but subconscious on Chloe's part. But I do think the dresses are very, very, similar.

I have to say, I loved Chloe's collection. While watching Santino's and Daniel's collection, I kept thinking that I have seen the same sort of clothing in TV ad's now being broadcast for JCPenney, Nordstroms, etc. Nothing new. I think the judges got it right when they said that Chloe knows how to design and fit a garment for a real woman. I am actually going to buy the Elle issue with Grace modelling Chloe's designs. There were several pieces that I would love to have in my closet for a special occasion.

herkxena, good luck in finding that issue. The Svan thinks EdHill will buy them all up.

I too liked Chloe's collection and am happy she won. But then I've been a Chloe fan all along. I do think it's unfair the way the judges said Santino was "too safe" after telling him the whole season that he went too far and needed to self-edit. However, they were on point when they said that the clothes didn't fit. Maybe he only used forms because his models didn't show up but it was a costly decision. As for Daniel, his clothes were very blah although well made. All in all, I think the right choice was made, although immediately after watching the runway competition, I thought it was anyone's to win.

Good recap, EdHill & sign me up for the Tim Gunn alarm clock immediately!

This was really Daniel's to lose ... and he did. Like Tim Gunn said in his podcast, they couldn't choose Santino as the winner, because then it would look like Project Runway just chooses lunatics (don't get me wrong, I love Jay).

Too bad, though, because Santino did a good job with his collection, even if it turned out a little bland. He cost himself this competition too, with his self-hate and hysterics, but hopefully he'll make it work in the long run.

the judges complained that santinos designs did not fit properly. "HE has not seen these clothes on a person",""the boobs were in the wrong places," the way i remember it his models showed up a day late. chloes models were the only ones that showed up on time. and guess what? chloe won. sounds like sabatoge to me. further proof of a SETUP! project runway YOU GUYS SUCK!

also judges. shut the f^&k up about what the 13th project was. big damn deal

oh, i totally agree with you , EdHill- i HATE how celebrities (either A-list, like debra messing, or Z-list, parker posey)think they know everything about fashion, just because they wear designer clothes..that their STYLISTS pick out!

All season long the judges beat up Santino for coloring outside the lines with his outfits, nearly getting voted off three or four or more times for it. Then he follows there freakin advice and they dare tell him we were expecting to see more of the real Santino. WTF? They totally mind-f*cked him. But at the same time he is totally not Banana, which would require typical lame, boring, uninspired clothing, so really Marla should have won.

Since when is Debra Messing A list? I hate her. Any red head cracks a joke and she thinks she Lucille Ball.

Any comedic actress can play that role on W&G. She brings nothing to it.

The hole is not a fan of Debra 'Missing-Talent'.

KH

KatiesHole- haha very true..but remember: A-list does not equal talented. A-list means expensive designers throwing free shit your way and being way too overpaid for work that, most times (in messing's case, it's ALL the time), is utter crap

You make me sad I haven't watched this before. I will try to catch the seasons on the repeats AND I will definitely watch the next season. Definitely!

I didn't like the whole debra messing thing either. My roommate & I got into a discussion about who should be a finale judge. I understand they want a "NAME" to blow up the last show, but I'll take joan & melissa any day!
More importantly, what will be twist for next season?!? I would love to see the designers having to do both mens & womens wear--now that's talent!

They picked Chloe because she was consistent and interesting to watch the whole competition. Her runway show was daring, well made, and the collection actually looked like a collection. Not only that, she has business sense.

I was surprised by Santino. I actually thought he was going to win. His collection was toned down, but didn't have the Santino-esque quality we all know and love. I guess he took the criticism he recieved too far. He didn't balance it out enough.

Daniel is young and although very tasteful he doesn't have enough of that point of view he so boldly confessed he had. He needed to take more risks. He's a great designer and very versatile (as evidenced by winning practically every challenge), but he follows directions a little bit too well. I couldn't help but feel I had seen his stuff, and although his creative vision was an interesting concept, he didn't realize it the way Santino could have if given the idea.

Anyway, I'm glad Chloe won. I was rooting for her.

I agree, please ditch the talking ad -- it startled me almost to death...

BOOOO to Chloe's win -- I thought the entire idea was to "help someone start a line and give them money to get their business going." SHE ALREADY HAS A LINE, *AND* HER OWN STORE!!! Was I watching the same show as everyone else? Nice job, guys. Santino made himself temporarily homeless with the failure of a first line, so HE was the one who really needed the help. And lemme see, Daniel (scratching his way through New York) versus Chloe (lives in Houston with a massive family with a massive house as backup...) Not impressed. Last season was much better. I hope they go back to different-model-every show format again, this was really unfair to the models as well.

Hope that I did, I knew it was all over for Santino when he brayed "My mother is the sh*t!" to a crowd full of industry professionals (AND his mother)...I'm sure she wasn't mortified by that...

Here's an idea for next season - have the judges rule on some of the oufits without knowing who the designer is. Switch out the models and have a blind judging. The integrity of the competition will go way up.

dojean, I love that idea. That way we would be spared some of the imbecilic commentary. "I was just trying to make it very feminine. Very Hollywood and glamourous." Wow, I've never heard that before. Feminine, for women? Who'd have thunk it? It was getting as bad as post victory sports interviews. "How'd you win that game?" "Well, we just tried to take it to the hole. Play tough D. And come out with the W." Brilliant. It's almost as if you tried to play basketball.

I finally experienced the annoyance that is the talking ad (speakers have been off). The TVgasm peeps need to be inundated with e-mails about this if it is really bothering people. Send your hate to staff@tvgasm.com. Also send an e-mail to the people that made the offending ad. Assure them that you will never visit their site or buy their product (what's it even for?). I come from the land of annoying advertisements and have called businesses many times to let them know their ads make me want to throw an anvil at my TV. Some of my most despised ads have been for Nationwide Warehouse, which screamed it's entire commercial, and Ruby Vine from Railroad Salvage, he being the president of the bad toupee club of America. Both of these are blessedly now out of business. Now if I could just do something about that damn Bob's Discount Furniture. Since I am probably the only person still reading this thread I may post this suggestion again somewhere else.

LQ - I'm still reading it and will email the website. No one needs the white noise of chatty ads.

Ed...I want a Tim Gunn alarm clock!

I wish I could buy a Tim Gunn alarm clock that would would wake me up telling me to make it work!

Well in Canada, we're just about to have the makeover episode. I really hope they're in synch next time, this sucks ass. I sooooo was rooting for Santino.

As for that ad, I'd be happy if there was just a mute button on it (have I missed it?). I like to listen to music while I'm on the computer, means I have to turn it all off. Plus, I have a slow connection at home so it buggers that up too.

I read the recap and then watched the episode this weekend. First of all, does it not seem fishy how Chloe didn't have anything to show for work when Tim showed up? No sketches, just fabric. BTW, she only used 4 different fabrics. Those fabrics had better been $2000 a piece. I am sure she put her seven other sisters to work and then Houston had it's very own Laotian sweatshop. Then when she goes back to New York for the 13th piece, she had a sketch! I think she is a liar and a crook. Then the judges went all stupid complaining that Daniel's collection didn't tell a story. Could someone please tell me Chloe's story?

Here's another buyer for the Tim Gunn alarm clock. He's fantastic.

Overall this season has been kind of meh... for me. I don't feel like the challenges were as intresting as last years, and with the exception of Santino, no body was a real out of the box thinking. Almost every design was pretty safe/boring. Chloe's exploding couch collection was the pinacle of that.

The judges and models didn't do Santino in. He did himself in way back when he set the pattern of making crazy clothes and being kept around only because of his "point of view." Yes, he was criticized for being so extreme, but the only reason he was in the final 3 was because of his point of view. If he had shown the judges the more refined look earlier in the competition, they wouldn't have felt that he lost himself in the end. If you're kept around only because of your point of view and then you give that up, you've shot yourself in the foot.

As for the models not showing, I think Santino just got unlucky. His clothes didn't fit as well as Daniel's and Chloe's, making them look less well-made. We've seen plenty of models not show up in the past (remember Austin stepping in a model last season?) so I don't think it was something the producers deliberately did to Santino. It's a risk of the fashion world.

I liked Santino's collection, even though it didn't fit the models perfectly. I'm fine with Chloe winning the whole thing though. I will never forget dear Santino :P

I have to admit, I'm exhausted. After the finale, I was all hopped up and couldn't sleep, but that's no surprise, seeing as my Wednesday night insomnia has grown more persistant as the competition has become more intense. The only difference was that this week I had the ill-conceived Top Chef to "entertain" me after my beloved PR had expired. Top Chef is pretty much a nightmare. That Katie Lee Joel has all the personality of a sock puppet and none of the smarts!

But anyway, I'm happy that Chloe won. Even though I actually, surprisingly think that her final collection was the weakest, I've loved everything she's done all season and would definitely wear her stuff. I thought Daniel's final colection was lovely. That white pea coat ruled, as did the wrap sweater with the pants. Loved it. Clean lines.

The thing that killed me about this episode though was that Nina Garcia had the f-ing gall to say that there wasn't enough Santino in Santino's collection. Nina, please. You spend all freakin' season eviscertaing the man and then you wonder why he's "worn down," as you said, by the end. It was total b.s. Shame on you, Nina Garcia.

And Debra Messing had no business being there. She looked like a trainwreck and had nothing of any interest to contribute. She sucks. I've always thought Will and Grace was a suck show, but now this appearance just confirms that Messing really has little or nothing going for her. Annoying.

i have been obsessed with chloe since day one, so i am pumped with her win.

honestly, i would have put santino in second. his dresses were beautiful. but heidi was right - his tops WERE all kinds of messed up. the bust line was either too short or waaaaaaaaaaaay too low for the style and cuts he had working for him.

i liked Chloe but i thought her final collection was awful, regardless of the perfect seams ---really quite ugly. she produced e'thing from 4 different fabrics---that awful satiny coral, the green print, the blue satin, thn the gold satin---where's the imagination & range in that? She presented the same fabrics 1 rite aftr anthr---lame.

Daniels collection seemed Ban. Republic-friendly, relatively wearable, despite being a li'l boring. I would buy that wrap sweater & can picture buying it at BR. But generally it ddn't wow, no'in new about it. I liked Santino's the best, even tho i ddn't want him 2 win---he had way too many awful creations during the season 2 deserver the win(that 'Turkey Skating' outift, the 'Reindeer Lingerie', that unfinished, ripping at the seams jumpsuit?? How & why they let him get ths far is beyond me. perhaps they had him in mind as ths season's Wendy P.)

I hope the winner at least keeps the $$ ths time---i know Jay stood to make more $$ but i thnk that kinda thing is unfair to other contestants who could've really used the $$$.

maybe it was the editing, but from what we were shown, the judges never mentioned santino's 13th garment. I thought that was odd. Eventhough I would have liked to see Santino win, he is better off not being stuck with BRep., Daniel's desighns look like they should be/ (probably already have been) on the shelves there.

I want a TIm Gunn clock- really Edhill, you should market this one, just don't forget us

Having waited almost a week to read this re-cap, I don't really have much to add. I agree w/the comments about Debra Messing - as well as the fact that Chloe's line was simply ICK, in my opinion, BUT I can't see Santino working for BR - so there's that.

On another note, did it stand out to anyone else that there was all that hoopla about Daniel's bags missing yet when it came to runway time, they had them. I thought that odd - I mean we didn't even get a voiceover of Daniel saying he found the bags or whatever.

And I'm so w/EdHill about it being the bset comment when Tim said "some things happen for a reason".

Thx for another excellent recap.

Can't wait for PR3!

livemusicjunkie, we did get a bit of explanation about the bags being found. They showed Daniel thanking someone for finding them and he told her that she'd saved him. They didn't explain where she found them, though.

Yo Abby -- probably in the trash can. Daniel should actually PUT things in his innovative bags and then try carrying them around all day. I have carpal tunnel, it pained me just "looking" at them! Whoever did the woodshop comment was right on.

I knew the judges made the right decision when I saw Chloe's designs. Did any of you fashionistas recognize the "evening wear with pockets" from the Golden Globes where THREE stars were sporting that look? Chloe may be a smidge vanilla but unlike Jay, all of the women on this site might actually wear something of hers some day.

avamarie! good point what was the story of chloes designs? the fabrics were extremely stiff. what season would you wear that crap? you know she had her entire business which is probably her 30 sisters and mommy and daddy finish the grunt work.did you see how sad and tired her mom looked? she probably sewed the whole damn collection. i hope she had to split the $100.000, 30 ways with her gigantic family.
WAY TOO MUCH credit being given tim gunn. what good did he do santino? he was all part of the scam. pump up santino, cut down danny v then watch chloes crap win! THANKS FOR NOTHING TIM GUNN! btw, i am still pissed at you for beating up rachel. THAT WAS NO CLASS! She may have gumby legs but you didn't hear her make any wise cracks about your balding head, duck walk and sissy accent. she is a hot piece of ass... you aren't, even in your gay dreams. SO BACK OFF CUPCAKE!

Wow.. I'm a little late, but I feel the need to commiserate.

I threw a pillow at the TV at the end of the show. Compared to last season, the collections were really terrible. Everything was so bland, and it seemed that even the worst of last year's crowd could have beaten these guys.

I really thought they were setting Santino up to win. They really worked the whole "reformed butthole" angle, contrasting him with Daniel's and Chloe's apparent arrogance in the first part of the end. True, Santino was the Wendy of the gang, and although I would have much preferred Andre or Nick to have made it to the top three, Santino's collection was much better than Daniel's (bland and awful) or Chloe's (reminded me of Gem dolls). Surprisingly, if you watched the footage from Kara's collection, her's was probably the most inspired. I prayed for her to get booted off sooner, but I think that she did exceptionally well once she was showing there (probably because she knew she had nothing to lose by actually being creative.)

Overall, I thought the first season was much better. I remember being excited for the designers and thinking that it was really a great opportunity for them and being excited for the next season.. but watching this just made me upset, since I know a number of people who would have killed to show at Fashion Week.

Anyway, I'm done, and add another order for the Tim Gunn alarm clock.