Minicap: Project Runway – Fat People Aren’t Always Jolly

39 Comments

1. 1
   Andyourlittledogtoo
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 4:30 am

   Well, to be honest there was the one woman that Heidi said, to the designer while the woman stood there happily in her new look, that ‘she looks like a slut’. And the woman’s entire demeanor dropped and she had a sour puss on the rest of the time on the runway. I think that particular critique would have served better outside the ‘real woman’s’ hearing. No one wants to hear they look like a slut, even if it is the dress that is the problem. HEIDI.

   Skunk was delightful. Elena was delightful (as Dmitri dryly noted ‘about time’. LOL ) All the designers except ole ‘ein Berliner’ (thank you for that!) were pretty nice to their real women. Although Ven said he thought he got the short draw in his ‘real woman’ I think Nathan did (I think that was Nathan, right?) Who had the wanna be R&B singer who wanted ‘classy, tight, with a midriff cutout’ — I thought she was a poor choice for a makeover because she was less of a blank slate and more controlling and completely without any tasted at all. She, IMO, was a nightmare client to get for this challenge.

   Can’t wait for the full recap. And I have to go find a donut now.

2. 2
   Em Pathetic
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 4:45 am

   Venn Buddha-belly. Inspiring eat disorders one insensitive comment at a time.

   Funny, I seem to remember one of Buddha’s earlier designs seeming to add a few donuts and a six-pack to his little waify model. Is that the problem? Only the Great Buddha can create the illusion of weight–there cannot be any ACTUAL weight to stand in the way of his AMAZING designs?

   If he wins, I hope there is rioting in the streets. Yes, over Project Runway results.

   Anyway, Venn is lucky that his “ginormous” client (OMG, sizes GO UP TO 14!?!?) didn’t give him a taste of his own medicine. Has he seen his hot-dog-bun-like neck fat?! I pity the designer who makes HIS clothes (Mossimo for Target? George for Walmart?). What a horrible silhouette on which to display the fruits of your inspired mind!

3. 3
   Em Pathetic
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 4:46 am

   Argh. EatING disorders.

4. 4
   Andyourlittledogtoo
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 4:55 am

   It seems it is always the fattest most disgusting men who are hypercritical of women who are not size two. Watching Ven dog his client while carrying the weight of an entire ‘nother person on his bloated body was a little rage-making. Suck it Ven!

   As a plus-ish woman myself I am always amused/annoyed by shirts I buy that apparently made in countries with tiny little people in them, people who are not used to seeing large people walking around apparently. Because the larger the blouse, the longer the sleeves they attach to it. It’s as though they think one’s arms grow longer along with your middle. And I’m not talking about stylish just-over-the-wrist kind of length, I’m talking about a good foot longer than a real person’s actual arms could ever be unless they were horribly misshapen. Or a chimpanzee perhaps.

   So many times the designers act like they are designing clothes as an art project and no one who isn’t anorexic will ever wear them. Which is fine as long as they can shift to actual people with real proportions when they need to. Which clearly Ven couldn’t. He really is a one way monkey.

5. 5
   Em Pathetic
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 5:03 am

   Applause all around @Andyoutlittledogtoo for bringing in one-way monkey!

6. 6
   Lils
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 5:09 am

   I agree with everyone above and also note that size 14 is not even really plus sized as Tim pointed out!!!

7. 7
   snowshoecat
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 5:15 am

   @Andy2, same here on the one-way monkey! Also, you don’t have to be a plus size to get the feeling that the third-world workers/designers must think the US is populated by Orangutans.

   Those poor real people having to do the cat-walk. I have a feeling it must suddenly shrink to 6 inches wide the moment you step out on it. I’d face-plant immediately.

8. 8
   wasabipeas
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 5:25 am

   @Andyourlittledogtoo – you are so right! I was lying on a beach once listening to two men behind me analyze the body of every woman that walked by. They were so critical. I finally got up and turned around to look at them and they were BIG FAT GROSS guys!!! Like Ven, if you know what I mean! STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!!!!

9. 9
   Enrique's Mole
   Posted August 24, 2012 at 6:05 am

   I’m sure I’ll go back to hating Skunk shortly, but I thought he was absolutely lovely to his real woman, and actually seemed to get the idea that the point of being a designer is that someday he’ll need to dress and sell his product to *gasp* real women and not mannequins. It takes talent to dress real curves rather than a ruler.

   I had been rooting for Ven, but it’s a sad day when even Elenniss displays a better attitude. Down with Blorp!

10. 10
    timgunnssister
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 6:55 am

    When DesigningWithWolves loses respect for someone, considering she has no real respect for ANYONE, that’s bad. Really, really bad.

    I, too, found myself liking Skunk. I wonder if his MeanGirl was all just a front to cover his nervousness or because he was hoping to get more airtime. He made his client feel beautiful. All in the top did that and many in the middle.

    Ven was just beyond disgusting. He treated her the same way he treats and speaks to his models, as if they weren’t really there, like they are truly just a clothes hanger. What a jerk. He better get his little one way monkey under control or that way’s gonna be headin’ home.

11. 11
    JHart610
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 7:07 am

    Agreed that it’s super annoying when overweight men are so judgmental about women’s bodies. I think this is the challenge that is the best because it really shows if these people have what it takes to be a money-making designer. Every designer has to make clothes in all sizes or they won’t make any money. Just ask Michael Kors, one of the things women (myself included) like about his clothes is the size 2 looks the same, and just as good, as the size 12. THAT is what real designing is about. I love when Heidi was so appalled by Ven saying he’d never worked with a “real woman,” as though models are just fake, or designers actually have the option of only dressing people who are size 2.

    Sadly, to designers, a size 14 is HUGE – in modeling, “plus size” models actually start at a size 12, which is really the “average” size of a woman who isn’t overweight. That said, there are a lot more size 14 in this country than size 2, and if someone wants to make it as a designer, they better be able to dress both!

12. 12
    Jaime Sommers
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 7:36 am

    Jesus you fat Mr. Clean: “There isn’t a belt big enough” That’s funny: Is that what your very own closet says EVERY DAY? I don’t think someone who looks like he swallowed one of those clown dolls you punch that spring back up should talk about “plus size”.

    My favorite by far on this show is Dimitri. I love Russians anyway, because they just don’t ever seem to give a F, but he is a particularly witty, icy, sexy man.

13. 13
    lindaw205
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 7:56 am

    I thought Gunnar was an absolute delight and someone who would be fun to hang out with. This episode certainly changed my opinion of him.

    And Blorpheus should have been sent packing. His design was awful and he didn’t even try to please his client. So, I call shenanigans.

    Fat Heidi needs to shut it, that girl was liking her dress until she called her slutty looking.

14. 14
    timgunnssister
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 8:24 am

    Well, if anyone know how to dress slutty, it’s Miss Heidi.

15. 15
    carol
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 10:00 am

    Ven was a complete twat. It was great to see his client’s friend stand up to him even though it did nothing. I wonder what type of contract these clients signed. If I had been treated like Ven’s client, I would have walked out. She is there for a make-over not to be treated like she is being hazed by a sorority. I also didn’t think he had the largest client. His client was tall, but some of the other clients had bellies and booties.

16. 16
    aaarrrggg
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 10:56 am

    skunk has been growing on me ever since he stood up to meana-irina in defense of pokemon. he isn’t josh 2.0 at all it turns out. his taste and construction skills are still a little iffy but he and his client together were a delight.

    blorph-bot is not only completely without social skills, his design sucked ass. that shirt and skirt were fugly with a capital fug. blorph is busy defending himself on twitter. bad edit, he was set up by the producers, none of the nice things he said to/about his client made the cut. blorph’s a bitter old queen projecting his fat insecurities onto a curvy but certainly not fat client. she was style challenged but he actually is a terrible designer and should have be auffed. unfortunately many top designers share his attitude and borderline mysogyny. something “empire” on his client would have looked dope.

    the auffee was an unmemorable hack himself who was quite dickish and stuck-up in the last epi so not sad to see him go. that dress he made was so hideous it hurt my eyes.

    I actually like what dreads designed for once. Thought her client looked cute and sexy and not like a sloppy boy.

    Winner was good but Dimitri got robbed.

17. 17
    timgunnssister
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 11:08 am

    “none of the nice things he said to/about his client made the cut”
    *snort*

    I suspect Ven’s idea of a nice way to say something is “Hey, I’ll use black. It’s quite slimming”.

    How can he not realize that’s the equivalent of “Hey, you look fat. I’ll use black and hope it makes you look less fat”. That and the going on and on about them not having any belts in her size – sheesh. No belt could have saved that monstrosity of a design. I loathe designers who attempt to make it seem as though their poor design is somehow the clients or models fault.

    And really, I just loathe Ven. He’s never wrong, his designs are always the best and he simply doesn’t understand why he doesn’t win every challenge. I think we should expect a “The judges made a mistake – my aesthetic is simply too highbrow, fashion forward, insert inane fashion word here, for them to truly appreciate that I’m all that and a pack of crackers” speech in the very near future.

    And, musing about last week. When Nina said they’d love to use the photo from Team 5 if they could only crop out Gunnars dress, Heidi said “That means Gunnar goes home”. When she said that, Kors looked horrified and I have no idea why. Is he a new darling? Was he not scheduled to go that soon?

18. 18
    JHart610
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 11:10 am

    Agreed that Dimitri was robbed!

    However, as a size 12 myself, I have to disagree with people saying Ven’s client isn’t overweight – she is. In this country we have a severe obesity problem, and being a size 16 (she looked at least that size) isn’t OK. for health reasons That said, Ven didn’t have to be a jerk and call her fat, I’m sure she – like ALL WOMEN – was self conscious enough and it took a lot of guts for her to go on the show. He should have done his best to make her look her best, no matter her size.

19. 19
    NotwithoutmyTV
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    Every season has a real women challenge, and every season has a designer who thinks they’re too good to design clothing for normal (fat) people. I’m surprised anybody who watches PR still gets indignant.

20. 20
    polk8dot
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 12:59 pm

    ‘As a plus-ish woman myself ‘…

    Oh, @Andyourlittledogtoo,
    You just created a beautiful new description for women of ‘above average size’. Screw the ‘Plus’ moniker, from now on I’m using PLUS-H !!!
    Fucking Ven will never understand what a size critique means to a woman. He might have thought he was just dryly professional, but any person with a beating heart knows it was cruel, mindless and needless.
    I hope this poor woman remembers that she is beautiful, sweet, loved by many, and what some asshole of a fat bloated pig ‘designer’ thinks is just rubbish.
    All hail PLUSH women!!!

21. 21
    TalldrinkofH2O
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    Sizing in women’s clothing is so arbitrary anyhow. What really is a size 14 or 16? How is there even a size 0? Or how about the women who claim that size zero is too big on them??
    Women’s vanity and the pressure put on women about how they look has created the issues we have with clothing size and the mind games around it. We should just cut the tags out of all clothing and let people eyeball things and try them on rather than put a size on it.
    I’ve worn everything from a size 6 (department store, not designer size – that’s another issue) to a size 12 on the bottom half of my body while trying on clothes in the same store.
    Sizing for pants is totally ridiculous because there are so many variables. There’s waist, hips, rise (front and back), inseam and then, of course, where you want the top or waistband to be – high-rise, low-rise, mid-rise. For shirts, blouses or dresses, look at the variation as to where a women’s breastline falls in relationship to her waist or underarm opening (and it’s not about whether she is wearing a good bra or not.)
    When Ven said black was so slimming, his client or the client’s friend should have shot back, “Really? Why aren’t you wearing all black then??”
    The hair and makeup changes in this episode were truly good; too bad that the clothes didn’t come up to par with them. Agree that they should have given them more than 1 day to give these women a truly memorable experience and let them have something that wasn’t pinned or glued together.

22. 22
    timgunnssister
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 1:24 pm

    I suspect that a major part of Ven’s issue with his model had to do with the fact that he had to please her and make something she would like as oppossed to the judges – who seem to think (or did until last night) that he’s fabulous.

    If she varied an inch from the undoubtedly size four 6 foot model he usually has, he would have deemed it unfair. I got a bit of a girl crush on Alicia when she commented to the effect that a truly talented designer can make flattering stylish clothes for anyone.

23. 23
    polk8dot
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    Blorpheus now appears to have become the greatest/quickest/farthest fall from grace ever ‘in Project Runway History!’ (there, Heidi)
    From seeing the ‘special preview’, he was my absolute favorite. I was mesmerized by the clothes and the design book he brought to the auditions. I thought, for sure he is the one to watch, the one who will blow my mind this year, the one whose season this is to loose.
    But then, each week my astonishment at his talent was lessening, until I finally accepted that he was only and forever just a One-Way-Monkey (undying thanks for this gem, D). With some overblown ego and bloated mug thrown in.
    Last night was something else, though. That challenge put the kibbosh on the whole Ven/talent self-perpetuated story. HE showed himself to be a complete failure, in several areas. A failure as a designer – of course it is my fault that I don’t look good in your shit, not that your shit does not look good on me. You did not fuck it up by making the custom! clothes not fit my body, oh on, it was I who fucked it up by not having a body that would fit your custom! made clothes. A failure as a stylist, with the shiny fabric resembling a housecoat or bathrobe, with a horribly vulgar thick and heavy zipper that only implified the woman’s problem areas. A failure as a competitor, where his slowness and lack of progress were not the fault of complete absence of any inspiration and concise design choices, but instead flowed from him having to use ‘much more fabric than everyone else’ because his client was ‘huge’ (asshole!).
    And a complete and utter failure as a human being, whose selfishness, delusions of grandure, self-adoration and stunning inability to face, accept and process criticism while dishing it out by bucketfulls, exposed him as incapable of courtesy, understanding and simple human compassion.
    He may, at some point, make something of himself as a designer, if he stops being so close-minded and averse to even an inkling of advice/critique/comments. But I think he has zero chance of ever succeeding as a feeling, caring human being. Enjoy being a first class asshole, Blorph.

24. 24
    wasabipeas
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 2:21 pm

    I know, right? He could have made his model an empire waistline with drapy bodice and it would have been fab. The idea that black is slimming is so old fashioned and untrue – CUT and fabric choice are slimming and many plus size women wear vibrant colors that make them glow. He moaned and groaned from the very start about not knowing how to design for a larger woman – auf weidersein one way monkey!!!

25. 25
    ww
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    TalldrinkofH20 – I do costuming for local community theaters and I actually do have to cut out the size tags before I have teens/ younger women try things on, because they all insist that they are a “size 2 or 4″ and if they see the tag says “size 8″, etc. or is a size bigger than they think – they either won’t try it, or they insist it is too big even when it is a perfect fit.

    And am I the only one who heard Ven say to the judges something along the line of “I didn’t have enough time”….and they usually jump on that kind of comment. What a horrible person he was. And Heidi – when it comes to “hoochie-mama” dresses or “looking like a slut” – pot meet kettle.

26. 26
    TalldrinkofH2O
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    ww,
    Good to hear the voice of experience speak about the nonsense of size tags or sizing!!
    I was in the military and wore a different size top, skirt, pants in the various seasons/styles of the “uniform” (no, no irony there.) If the U.S. military can’t get suppliers to make things in “uniform” sizes, how can we expect the entire world of fashion to??
    I’m 6’1″ with an athletic build. I worked in a Tall Shop for over 2 years, and our biggest sales were in size 16 and up. I was on the “smaller” size compared to most customers. Sooo, the 6-foot size 4 model is really way, way, out in the Six Sigma of the population in terms of proportions. Most of those girls do NOT look good in person – TOO skinny!!
    Ven’s “model” last night was beautiful. She had really nice curves that he could have done so MUCH with.
    I say that Stacy and Clinton prove every week that you can take someone, no matter his/her shape, and make them look really good with the right clothes.
    I sooo appreciate when a person with some flesh on him/her knows how to wear clothes that are flattering. And, as someone once pointed out, the only time that black is “slimming” is if one is in the dark or a dimly lit room. Otherwise, it makes a person’s silhouette/shape even more obvious.
    Skunk and Elena really did redeem themselves in my eyes. Alicia might the the “sleeper” of the show. She managed to make a dress that her client wanted, even though it was pretty hoochie-mama. The fact that she was “safe” instead of in the bottom 3 talks to her skills.

27. 27
    blueberryPancake
    Posted August 24, 2012 at 7:08 pm

    Ven was unbelievable..no matter what “bad edit” he claims he got ..he said some pretty nasty things that can’t be contrived with editing.

    Skunk was sweet this week…even elena and doom and gloom dimitry managed to seem like the life of the party.

    I think Dreads girl is lucky to be floating in the middle…that pink dress was just is bad IMHO as the ” 90′s back up fly girl on a casino boat” dress that got the boot.

28. 28
    2muchbravo
    Posted August 25, 2012 at 8:35 am

    Ven was a pig! I’m a ‘real’ woman and naturally took offence at his comments. I liked him up until this epi. He needs to find a way to be a little more sensitive to client’s. They’re not all going to be a size 2.

    Maybe his model was shy or there was a lot of pressure we didn’t get to see. I may be mouthier than her but I would have said something to him along the lines of , “Look here Brad Pitt. Sorry you got the short straw but just do your job and kindly keep the fat comments to a minimum. The sooner we’re all finished the better. Fuckyouverymuch.”

29. 29
    kthxbai
    Posted August 25, 2012 at 8:54 am

    Ven’s girl didn’t start out fat. But she sure looked like a butter tub when he got through with her.

30. 30
    cattyfan
    Posted August 25, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    Size 12 at Walmart is not the same as size 12 at Lord and Taylor. Whereas I am a 14 at Walmart, I am a 10 at Lord and Taylor. The more money you have, the thinner you are allowed to feel.

    Was Fat Boy’s model overweight? Yup…a little bit. But any designer worth a fig should have been able to make her look and feel beautiful.

    And instead of bitching about the belts, Ven should have said, “These belts they gave us aren’t quite right for this outfit. I guess I’ll take some of this extra fabric and braid something that will look spectacular.” But he decided it would be better to insult her and beat her over the head with the fact that she isn’t the same size as the anorexics he normally dresses.

31. 31
    chicagoslut
    Posted August 25, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    If you look at a commercial pattern from JoAnn’s you will notice the sizing is completely different than what you see in stores. At Macy’s I’m a size 14. According to any one of the different pattern manufacturers size 14 has a 36″ bust, 28′ waist and 38″ hips. A size 14 at macy’s is about 34″ around the waist.

    This is why I started designing for larger women, I am one and I hate that I have to buy different sized tops and bottoms. Even the commercial patterns don’t make the larger sizes right. I spent years perfecting my skills just so I could make women feel good in anything.

    I hated the way Ven treated his client. However, when I was in school we spent most of our time making clothes in size 8 (31″ bust, 24″ waist, 33″ hip). So I can understand his frustration. But since he has all but tattooed “I’M BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU TIMES 10″ you would think designing for a size 14/16 would have come easy for him. I don’t think he has designed for any real women or at least he has a tailor do it for him.

    He knew he was being taped so why all the hate. He will just be voted least favorite for personality. I call BS on his tweets saying he got a bad edit. The friend stood on the runway and cried! The client cried in the sewing room! That alone should have gotten him kicked off. You can be a great designer but it takes a lot of ass kissing and marketing to get people to buy your clothes.

    Oh and his client looked 3 sizes bigger in his dress.

32. 32
    kthxbai
    Posted August 25, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    @chicagoslut It looked like he put padding in it.

33. 33
    Andyourlittledogtoo
    Posted August 25, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    I really was absolutely astonishing how horrible his client looked in his clothes – it was as though he sabotaged her subconsciously but himself along with her. And I couldn’t understand why, if he needed a belt and there was none in her size, he didn’t just whip up a fabric one and be done with it. The whole thing from start to finish was just so unnecessary. She seemed like a pretty cool person and her hair makeover was fantastic. All Ven had to do was talk to her for a few minutes, get a feel for who she was, and then design something that fit that. But he was so focused on HIMSELF and being all pouty and feeling ‘disadvantaged’ by his client selection that he had no interest in finding out who she was. She was just a puzzle piece to him, not a person.

34. 34
    chicagoslut
    Posted August 25, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    @kthxbai it did look like he added padding. Maybe he thought the padding would make her look better. Dumb ass! Models now need padding, just ask Vivian Westwood.

    She was my size and I thought she looked better in the before pic except the hair and makeup was really nice on her. At least she got flattering attention from the Loreal people.

35. 35
    Jennx
    Posted August 26, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    We have seen Vens’ meanest inner mean-girl. Through the whole episode I was shouting at that Vogon to tell us who he thinks makes HIS clothes. And I half expected Angela to show up throwing stone rosettes at him while crying about the way Jeffrey dressed her mother! Keep up these great recaps Mrs Mia!

36. 36
    maryedith
    Posted August 26, 2012 at 8:03 pm

    I agree that Ven was horrible, but if the other clients think that “this will bring out your curves” and “this will accentuate your waist” aren’t just tactful ways of saying “this is slimming,” they are very easily flattered clients indeed.

37. 37
    Jason
    Posted August 27, 2012 at 8:24 am

    I wonder what Tom Ford would say if he had to drape Ven in “slimming” garb.

38. 38
    NotaNJHousewife
    Posted August 27, 2012 at 8:49 am

    We all agree that Ven is an asshole, so I won’t reiterate. It reminded me of Oliver freaking out because his real life client had boobs! except that Ven was meaner.
    But did anyone notice that of the 3 top designs, 2 of the women had the bodies of models? The third, Gunnar’s client, was a plush lady, but honesty, I don’t think the dress was that great AND it was black. Only her attitude and walk on the runway got that dress to the top 3.
    I loved Dimitri’s dress the most (and wish he’d win a challenge already) but it makes you wonder- IS it easier to design for a tiny person? And when all is said and done, depite all the blathering about celebrating a woman’s curves, aren’t the skinny girls of the world still the ones with the most choice in front of them when they walk into a store, whether it’s WalMart or Saks?

39. 39
    LAC
    Posted August 27, 2012 at 9:44 am

    Uggh, Ven – I wish her friend took a belt and made him eat it. (Slather some gravy on it and that old baldy queen probably would have) Look, Michael Kors looks like an citrus orange in a black suit, but his clothes have a range of sizes and are flattering. This isn’t climbing Mt. Everest, this is designing and marketing 101. There is only so many lollipop heads and skeletons in manolos in the front row of a fashion show that you are going to get clothes on. There are a lot of fashionable women in the world of various sizes who don’t think mummus and peasant skirts are the only options out there. A really successful designer knows that.

    The problem with that bloated cueball is that he was pissed that he didn’t have a size 2 to pleat around (one way monkey!) and he set himself up for failure and finger pointing. Of course that meant verbally abusing that poor woman and making her feel like shit, but in his myopic world that was collateral damage. Given that woman’s biography, she deserved a moment in the sun. If he had anything inside him other than an overdeveloped ego and a “fourth” meal at Taco Bell’s, he would know this.

    Loved Dimitry’s dress – if he could do it in an A line, that could translate for larger sizes too. Fingers crossed for his first win, if only to hear him say again “Finally!”