Customer Reviews

Project Runway - The Complete Third Season

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As I said on my reviews of Project Runway - The Complete First Season and PProject Runway - The Complete Second Season, this show had me hooked immediately, and Season 3 was no exception. Thanks to this season's designers, I actually enjoyed this season more than season 2. Some of the creative challenges include: creating an outfit made out of items found in the designer's living space; designing a gown for Miss USA in the Miss Universe Pageant; making matching outfits for a dog and its owner and creating a background story for the owner (actual dogs modeled the outfits on the runway!); and one of my faves, using materials from a recycling plant in Jersey!

Yes, there is some drama on this season (two designers accused of "foul play", one designer being rude to another's mother), but as before, the drama does not overtake the creativity that is this show's hallmark. Another wonderful thing about this show is how there is also a nice age range of the contestants (one of my faves is a 40-something mom of 5 children with another on the way during the show!).

Extras on the DVD include:
1. "WEAR Are They Now?" featurette: curiously, this time they eliminated one of the Project Runway Season 3 winners, with no explanation of why there is no update for the missing designer (I will not reveal the names so as not to spoil the series for anyone).
2. "WEAR Was He Then?: Tim Gunn, Making It Work" featurette: a nice mini documentary on Gunn (can you believe this very formal guy was inspired by pop-up books as a kid?!?). Gunn definitely seems more human after watching this.
3. Tim Gunn's Season 3 Blog: contains Gunn's commentary on the individual designers/episodes
4. Designer Bios
5. Outtakes presented by L'Oreal Paris

Project Runway is an incredible show that attempts to find the next big fashion designer. Contestants have a design challenge each week, ranging from making clothing out of cast-off mail packaging to designing outfit for each others mothers to creating a look for a beauty queen. The worst designer is kicked off each week until there are three finalists who create collections to show in New York's Fashion Week.

This season has a talented cast, each with their own very distinct styles and entertaining personalities. For example, there is Jeffrey, the tattooed, rock-and-roll oriented designer who has a rough past. Michael Knight has an affinity for designing for the female body. Laura is a classy, sophisticated mother of six. Kayne is a pageant designer who loves sparkle. Vincent is a designer who flourished in the 80s and is making a comeback to the field he loves.

The personalities make the show, but the challenges are entertaining, the work the designers do is beautiful, and the judges always have something sharp to say. For anyone who loves the fashion world, and even for those who don't, this is a highly entertaining show, and a reality show in the true sense. There are no scripts and the prizes have a real impact on the winner's life.

I love seeing the beautiful (or sometimes hideous), innovative pieces of clothing come together piece by piece, and then either admiring or laughing at the finished product on the runway. I don't think the social dynamic of the group is quite as good as the last two seasons, too many jerks and not enough fun and friendship, which is why I didn't give it five stars. If you like pretty clothes or are interested in sewing or clothing design, it's still worth the price.

Okay, I love Project Runway. Who doesn't?? Even Oprah is a fan (did you hear she sat in on the audition judging panel for Season 5?)

Although Season 3 was not my absolute favorite (Come on, create fashion from recycling materials? Ewwww...where's the silk?) I had to have it- if only to re-watch the episodes with the Moms. Funny how meeting the moms of Michael Kors and Jeffrey Sabella really gives you a different perspective on the guys. To balance the trip to the Waste Management Plant, we did get to go along on the trip to Paris... Tres magnifique. And don't forget the Dogs, and creating a pageant gown for Miss USA... (was there anyone who thought Kayne WOULDN'T win? I doubt it...)

Like the first two, Season 3 has sew much to love (sorry).

I try not to miss any episodes of this show. I love the various challenges each week and enjoy watching how the designers interpret their tasks. I own all three sets of the series and highly recommend them - they are even fun to watch more than once! You can see how each season this show gets better and better. Season 4 is the best by far - more accomplished designers, more feedback from Tim Gunn, and constructive judging. The judges may make some negative comments but I feel that they do not insult the contestants. I like the twists included in the show such as Season 3 allowing 4 contestants to go to Fashion Week and in Season 4 - a runoff between Romi and Chris to become the final member of the team to go to Fashion Week. The challenges are becoming more interesting too - not so much with recycled garbage as in some earlier seasons. This show is one of the best on TV - I'm addicted. I encourage you to try it too! You will love the boxed sets - no commercials. I would like to see some bonus material included in the sets such as background on the designers, out-takes, and more comments on each design. Buy these DVDs - you won't be disappointed.

I have to admit that when I first saw this show a few months ago, I thought it was going to be another American Idol-like show...only with designers, not singers. I am SO glad that I was wrong! I must say that Project Runway is a standout show from other reality shows. The drama is there, but it's not over-done. Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn really make the show worth watching. I am now addicted to it and own the first two seasons (I'm waiting for the third one to arrive). I didn't think I was into fashion, but it is the designing that really got me addicted. I never knew just how much work goes into each piece of clothing!! All in all, if you like fashion design, you'll love this show!

I love watching Project Runway - and this third season is fun to watch. I have watched Project Runway since the second season and pick up the DVD's when I can. I keep watching them over and over and over - I love Project Runway.

This DVD was shipped quickly and nothing was wrong with it. It was in perfect shape when i received it. Amazon does really ship items quickly.

What I most enjoyed about Season 3 was the project to make a matching dog outfit to go with a ladies garment. I'm not a dog owner, but was very curious to see the outfits the contestants would sew up for these little dogs. Some of the outfits were cute, the dogs were all small-sized. Aside from that project, there were a number of other interesting projects, one of the most interesting was making outfits inspired by fashion icons (Cher, Katherine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, etc.) There were some really beautiful outfits and some dreadful ones too. Also, for one of the competitions all of the contestants were flown to Paris, and it was interesting to see the scenes filmed there.

One thing that I did not like about this season was the conflict between some of the contestants. I know that since this is a "reality show" that conflict and arguing is part of the formula, but I watch the show just to see the sewing and finished outfits, and I fast-forwarded through the arguements. Some people enjoy watching that kind of thing, but I could do without the conflicts, and I thought a lot of the personal conflicts should have been edited out so that we could see more of the sewing techniques the contestants were using. In this season, one of the contestants was disqualified when he was found violating rules, and a finalist was unjustly accused of violating rules but his name was cleared and he stayed in the competition. Those two parts were very relevant to the competition, but the personal conflicts and arguements were extraneous.

Overall, I gave the show five stars because the filming was lovely and very entertaining, the show was very polished, the designers/contestants talking about their sewing was interesting, the runway shows were fun, there were some nice clothes (and some terrible ones too!). Tim Gunn is the mentor to the contestants, and he's got an utterly charming manner---very distinguished-looking and offers good opinions about works in progress.

Finally, I thought that Season 4 was outstanding----and Season 3 was very good. With Season 4, in every episode I understood why a garment was judged and labelled as "out", and I could see why the ultimate prize-winner was selected over the other designers, and I saw more sewing details (which is my primary interest in the show). With Season 3, there were times that I couldn't see why a garment was selected as superior to the others, and I didn't understand the judges reasoning as to the ultimate prize winner. There were some beautiful clothes in this series, and I was gratified to see that one of the garments I liked the best won a competition near the end of the series. This show is so entertaining. If you like the "reality show" approach to fashion, you'll like Season 3. If you're more interested in sewing techniques, see Season 4. (I also wrote a review of Season 4).

With only a few days until my mother-in-law's birthday, we finally thought of the perfect gift: another season of Project Runway! But no where in town had the seasons we wanted (and I didn't want to pay full-price, anyway), so we turned to Amazon. The only downside was that we knew there was no way it would arrive in time (in 4 days, I think). But, wait: It did! Great price, great season of Project Runway and delivered to our home in amazing time!

We can't get enough of watching this show, no matter how many seasons we have rented and watched all at once. It is mind-boggling how anybody, semi-professional or otherwise, can design and produce these outfits within the time and monetary limits they are given. These people are phenomenally talented, every one of them! Some of the choices and comments by the judges seem forced -- they almost always completely agree with each other, and that seems suspicious. But the credits do tell us that the "producers and Bravo TV have input" into the decision-making process, so that explains a lot.

Suggestion: Wish they could just rate each piece from each contestant every week -- assign a point-score to each one, and then choose the winner at the end of the whole season by the number of points he or she has.

Criticism: Heidi doesn't have to be so dramatically cruel at the end. You wouldn't be surprised if the loser ran back into the workroom and hung him/herself from the tallest dressmaker stand.