PR on the RC

That's "Project Runway on the Red Carpet," for those of you not up on our hep cat lingo.

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PR: On the Road Again

We think for Season 8, PR should have an animal mascot, don't you? They make everything cuter.

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God Bless Tim Gunn and His Big Mouth (Updated)

Sing it, sister!

You can always count on Tim to bring the bitchy and blunt to an interview and still come across as sweet as a cane sugar Coke. He sat down with Entertainment Weekly and, like he always does, told it like he sees it.

EW: Let’s be honest. Did you hate last season?
Gunn: Well, we all need to be truth tellers about it. My response is so filled with selfish dimensions – having to leave my own apartment and camp out in a strange place for 5 weeks, piling into a van to go to Mood which would take up to an hour one way. I have so many feelings about season 6. This has nothing to do with the individuals Carol Hannah, Althea, or Irina, but I was disappointed that our three finalists were three women in their 20s.

EW: If you could go back, what would you have done differently?
Gunn: Upon reflection I think it was not advisable to have that season be in L.A. And I missed Nina and Michael. I engage with the designers in anticipation of what Nina and Michael will say and I know them well. It’s hard when it’s Heidi and 3 guest designers.

[UPDATE: Heidi, for her part, has this to say:

"We like to change it up, we like to go back and fourth,” Heidi told Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush on Wednesday. “So, the [next season] will probably be back in LA again.”

Bitch.]

EW: Do you cringe when a contestant, like Anna Marie Lynett, talks so pretentiously about being an “artist”?
Gunn: Yes. Yes, I do. I wasn’t at auditions last season but I was for season 7 and that was one of my roles in the auditions – to beat back at the producers when they’re seduced by personality. My role was to make certain who moved forward had the fashion credentials.

EW: I really hope Anthony has credentials because he is such a love of a character. He’s this season’s Chris March.
Gunn: He really is who he is. We didn’t make him up.

Read the entire interview here.


Source:
Tim Gunn Q&A: How does he really feel about the L.A. season and what makes him cringe? [EW]
Heidi Klum: Next Season Of ‘Project Runway’ ‘Back In LA Again’ [AccessHollywood]


[Photos: myLifetime.com]


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We Saw PR7 Episode 1!

And you didn't! Neener neener!

Even better, for once we got the whole screener, straight through to the elimination. Obviously, you want to hear all about it but obviously, we can only give you snippets.

Commence snippets:

- Start spreading the news, bitches. NEW YORK IS BACK! It felt like coming home and we don't even live there. Shots of the skyline, The Atlas Apartments, Parsons - it's all back and it's very fucking welcome. Never leave, PR. We're begging you. Also...

-THE DUCHESS AND LA NINA IN THE HIZZOUSE! GOD, you have no idea how wonderful it was to hear real criticism again. Constructive, on point, and coming from a place of real knowledge rather than "I would TOTALLY wear that!" Which reminds us, Nicole Ritchie wasn't that bad.

- It's no skin off our nose, but man, women must hate Heidi because somehow she manages to look more gorgeous and sexier when she's pregnant.

- You'd really have to be a PR scholar to notice, but there are some very slight stylistic changes to the show and they're ones that we really welcome. It feels a little more raw, a little more cinéma vérité. There's a slight change in how the winner and loser are announced. Nothing major, just that it's done in a way that it catches you slightly off-guard. Even though we had both the winner and the loser pegged ahead of time, we still went "Oh!" when Heidi announced them. Also, there's a new bit of product placement on the show, but it's really, really cool and it adds something a little new and modern to the design process.

- We really love the designers so far. All of them, believe it or not. It feels a bit like Season 1 in that they're all loaded with personality and don't seem to care that there are cameras on them. Plus, there's some major talent on display and unlike the last season, each designer has a very distinct point of view.

- A new World Record for PR was set. Not only did someone burst into tears in the first THIRTY SECONDS of the show, but this someone also managed to cry TWO MORE TIMES over the next hour.

- Bunim/Murray: please, please, please show us more of that scorching hot makeup artist that we saw for only a few seconds. Now there's a phrase you don't hear every day: "scorching hot makeup artist."

-We've seen this challenge before but they added a twist this time and it was staged in a really cute way. We don't want to give anything away, but trust us, Tim looked adorable.

And finally, just to leave you salivating for more, some choice quotes:

"I don't really care for Miss America."

"We're like fat people at an open buffet in Vegas."

"Ping, Ping, Pong."

"I'm sweating like a Baptist preacher!"

"She looks like a Hershey's chocolate bar."

"In a lounge in Las Vegas in 1972, that would have looked glamorous."

And finally, the one that's bound to pique your interest:

"I said 'in.' Before I change my mind, Auf Wiedersehen. Leave the runway!"

[Photos: myLifetime.com]


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Happy Holigays!

Spreading the cheer, Runway style.

So we get this email from Susan S.

Susan sez:

"Tim was in DC this weekend hosting a Liz Claiborne, Inc. fashion show at the Tysons Galleria mall on Saturday. I went with some friends and then got the chance to meet Tim after the show. He is so wonderful in person - he complimented my shoes and wished me a happy birthday (it was my b-day). I can't imagine a more gracious celebrity. It was such a fun experience - it made my birthday to meet Tim! Everyone who went to the meet & greet got a special holiday gift - a set of 5 Christmas greeting cards featuring illustrations of Tim. They are hilarious. Maybe you've seen them before, but I thought I would pass along the images anyway."

How fabulously adorable is that?

And to all our bitter kittens, we just want to wish you happy holidays and once again, say thank you, thank you, thank you for your support, for your wit and bitchiness, for your generosity, and for coming back day after day. We are, to our astonishment, right on the cusp of our 30 millionth visitor. Can you believe that? You did that! Not only do you rock, but your shoes and bag are fabulous. Love ya, bitches!

We'll be back on Saturday with a return to bitchiness in re: Launch My Line.



[Illustrations: www.cwatersny.com]


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Sir Tim of the Gunn

When Tim speaks, we all listen. That's just the way it is.

In an interview with the L.A. Times (that desperately needed a copy editor), Tim lets loose on a variety of topics.

On the finale show:
"Owing to the fact that we couldn't reveal to the audience who the finalists were, we wanted to tape their introduction before the audience came in. We had to do a pre-fashion show, and we taped the whole thing. Through the miracles of editing, it's going to look as though the designers are speaking to the audience, but there isn't one."

Okay, that is the lamest thing we've ever heard of.

On Heidi in season 6:
"Well, I felt really bad for Heidi during most of Season 6 because, with too much frequency, she was the only common denominator, since she was the only one who had seen all the previous work of the designers."

Hunh? He felt bad for her because she'd seen all the previous work? We felt bad for the designers, not Heidi.

On Irina:
"Irina is tenacious. She really wants it. We had a very long lunch with Irina and her family, and, oh my God, talk about the nut not falling far from the tree. Her mother was saying things like, "If Irina doesn't win, she better not come home," and I could say she's already a winner. "

That explains a lot.

On Season 7:
"I will say that in Season 7 there are a number of designers who throw me under the bus, and Heidi says at one point, "I want a stool next to my chair with a red phone so I can call Tim Gunn," and I called out from the back, "I want a red phone to call you!" That will probably be edited out, though. [...] It's also the season of the sashay — no one other than me moves with any degree of urgency."

Thankfully, Tim has learned to stop declaring each season's crop of designers as the best ever in the history of the universe.

Read the entire interview here.


Related : 'Project Runway': Tim Gunn carries on (to Season 7) [LA Times]


[Photo: Mike Yarish/myLifetime.com]


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Tim Gunn is tired of your bullshit.

Anyone else notice how crispy Mr. Gunn has been lately? Don't force a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker to spend time in L.A., kittens. The results ain't pretty.

"Designers, I'm here and I've only had about 3 hours of sleep. Let's get on with it."

"You. Accessories Boy. Talk to me."

"Hi Tim. I envisioned this look --"

"JESUS. ANOTHER one?!"

"We're all getting sick of skirts that look like potscrubbers, Chinstrap! Fix that shit before Nina sees it."

"You. Bitchy girl. Let's hear it."

"Basically, I'm doing a --"

"Were you high when I told you what the challenge was? When I said 'Bob Mackie,' did you hear 'Ice Capades?' Who did you think that old queen was standing next to me? Brian Boitano? "

"You. Lesbian. What's this?"

"Hi Tim. I'm working on--"

"The fuck? It looks just like that shitty ice queen dress those bargain basement judges loved so much!"

"And were you and the bitchy girl smoking from the same pipe? Did Christina Aguilera start working double axels into her stage show or something?"

"Tim, I'm having problems."

"You and me both. Your dress makes me want to vomit. On it. It would be an improvement."

"Tim, I don't know what I'm doing and I had an idea but then I thought it looked stupid so now I'm not sure if I should start over with another design or maybe I should try and fix this one but I can't decide because I'm so tired and I don't know who Bob Mackie is anyway and this dress is starting to look like Lily Munster's bridal gown and I don't want to go home because this means SO much to me so basically I'm freaking out!!"

"Here's some advice, Princess. No one gives a shit. Fix it."

"Designers, I'm leaving now to go to a bar where I will attempt to wash away the memories of these horrible dresses with at least a gallon of expensive vodka. I'll see you tomorrow. And I better see some Mackie-ass dresses when I get back."

"Good morning, designers. You have five min--"

"..."

"None of y'all motherfuckers listened to a word I said yesterday, did you?"

[Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]


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Gunn Shot

The man sure does give juicy interviews.

Our pal Mo Ryan sat down with Sir Tim and once again, the goods were gotten. Highlights:

On the new season:
One challenge in the first half of the season will set the "Runway" blogs on fire. He called the outcome "unprecedented in 'Project Runway' history and even I will not fully believe it -- that it really happened -- until I actually see it.

People will be surprised as the show unwinds, people will be very surprised by who wins and who goes home. I shouldn’t say that because the way that the show is edited [can sometimes make it easier for the viewer at home to figure out who is leaving]. For me, when I am looking at all of these people and I know what is going on in the workroom and I hear the five, six, seven hours of [runway Q&A with the judges] and [judges'] deliberations, my head is spinning. I am seldom correct about about who is going home or who is winning.

On the designers:
"We have a really interesting mix of youngsters and more mature people with a lot of experience. And make no assumptions about the experience being an asset. There have been people who've been asserting that it's not fair, that these people with more seasoning have an advantage. Not necessarily the case at all. And frankly, I'm as surprised as I believe the viewers will be by the deftness and the agility of these younger people because I was thinking, "Oh, these kids are going to burn out." But they've stayed with us. And I'm not saying the more mature people leave right away but it's a very interesting season to watch. Very interesting."

On the models:
"We have drama to beat the band, including a model who refused to wear the garment. I’m in the sewing room begging her -- well, not begging her. I’m quite firm in saying, 'This is your responsibility. It’s not a matter of personal taste -- you are a mannequin basically. A walking mannequin. Put it on,'" Gunn said.

On the All-Star Special:
"We taped that show over the course of six days while we were taping Season 7. I was as close to a psychotic breakdown as I’ve ever been."

But the worst part of the "All-Star" special was dealing with Season 2's Santino Rice: "I don’t want to give him anymore press. He doesn’t need it. But that Santino Rice -- I was ready to take a cyanide capsule. I mean, he just sucks all the air out of a room."

"The crew was driven to despair, the producers -- I don’t know how they’ve edited it. I don’t know because Santino was a whirling dervish, 24/7."

On Season 7:
Season 7 of the show is already in the can, aside from the finale, which will be shot at New York Fashion Week in February.

Check out the whole interview here.


[Photo: Mike Yarish/Lifetime Networks]


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Getting Our Nerd On

Like you, we read the following and jumped with glee and clapped our little gay hands:

"On Aug. 26, Marvel will release the first issue of “Models Inc.,” a sartorially minded mini-series that unites some of its fashion-friendly supporting characters and pushes them into new starring roles.

The runway divas include Millicent Collins (a k a Millie the Model), Patsy Walker, also known as the superheroine Hellcat, and Mary Jane, the model-turned actress who is the sometimes wife of Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man.

Enter Tim Gunn of “Project Runway.” In the debut issue’s second story, Mr. Gunn becomes an action figure — jumping into Iron Man’s suit of armor to save a fashion exhibition from evildoers."

"It’s certainly a departure from Mr. Gunn’s usual role as a mentor to aspiring designers, but there is a connection. Mr. Gunn said he remembered comic books with Millicent, who first appeared in 1945. She was a comic romantic figure, who worked as a model for the Hanover agency.

Mr. Gunn will grace one version of the first cover of “Models Inc.,” drawn by Phil Jimenez, a popular comic book artist who also illustrated the cover of “Amazing Spider-Man” No. 583, which paired Spidey with President Obama. A sales analysis on the Beat, the comic blog of Publishers Weekly, estimated that more than 520,000 copies of the issue were sold."

But perhaps unlike you, we had a second reaction. "Phil Jimenez is drawing the cover! How perfect!"


You see darlings, it's well documented that we are fabulous. It is perhaps not so well documented that one of us is a hardcore nerd of the comicbook variety (Tom) and the name Phil Jimenez was very familiar to him from his work on ... oh geez, you name it. He's drawn everyone from Spider-Man to Wonder Woman (which he also wrote for a while) and because of the nature of this little corner of the blogosphere, it's notable that he is one of a very small number of gay comics creators working in the mainstream industry (which is code for "super-heroes"). All of the artwork in this post (with the exception of the vintage Millie and Patsy covers) are from his hand. As you can see, he's got quite the knack for drawing voluptuous kickass women.

We figured we could use our combined powers of nerdiness and fabulosity to offer a take more interesting than the bland NYT writeup, so what did we do? Well, we got in touch with BOTH Phil AND Tim to give us their thoughts on the upcoming book. First up, Phil:

A little birdie told us that you're friends with Tim. How did you two meet?
In one of those fantastic twists of fate, Tim used to work with my boyfriend Joe at Parsons. I'd had the good fortune of socializing with Tim in the past, and several friends of mine and I even threw him a Project Runway dinner party, replete with fried food and ornaments from Red Lobster (where we cornered him for hours and drilled him on behind the scenes secrets of the show), to celebrate his TV success. I've only seen Tim a couple of times in the past two years -- he's famous now, you know, or so I heard -- but we like to think back and dream about those days "we knew him when..."

Are you a fan of Project Runway? Are you into fashion?
Project Runway is one of my favorite TV shows ever; a group of my friends and I get together every week and watch a slew of reality shows with Project Runway and Top Chef always primed on the DVR. I'm obsessed with reality competition shows, especially ones where talented people have to perform on air, under extreme time constraints and bizarre circumstances, and make something amazing. Further, so many of these shows hinge on casting, and Project Runway is cast EXTREMELY well.

I'm waiting for the comic book version of such a show. Talk about casting --!

I love fashion, but I'm not into fashion. I have some favorite designers, but I wish I knew more and I always wish I was more experimental with my own personal fashion. I also think it's incredibly important to at least be aware of trends and designs, especially outside the United States. Not only are these looks inspirational, but are crafted with a point of view often so different from my own. I love that. I think artists of all types should look to inspiration beyond their limited circle; you never know what sort of wonders you might find. Beyond that, fashion trends tend to tell us about the tenor and mood of a season, a nation, a people. Fashion's a wonderful barometer for tracking social and political trends, and so I try to keep up with it when I can.

I also send my drawing students to see fashion shows and exhibits when I can, so they can see how garments hang on real people, especially women.

It should be said that I do use a lot of fashion designers as inspiration for character costumes, trying to mix and match traditional super-hero tropes with some of the more fantastic aspects of modern fashion (the new Kraven in the Amazing Spider-Man is an example of that).


As an artist, what's the one trait you have to nail in order to portray Tim? Or is there more than one? Did he pose for you?
Tim was actually very easy to draw. Part of this is knowing him from the show, part of it is having met him in real life and knowing his persona, his mannerisms, his body language. The trait that was easiest to go for was that, "I'm concerned" look Tim does so well, with one brow raised and his lips slightly pursed. That's just so...HIM.

Tim didn't pose for me; I found numerous pictures of him online and in magazines, and used two or three to make the portrait.


You also drew the much-reported cover to Amazing Spider-Man #583 with President Obama. Which real-life person was easier to draw, him or Tim?
TIM! Talk about pressure with Obama! And least if I f***d up Tim's drawing, I could apologize in person! Nobody wants to mess up a portrait of the new president, especially one with such a high approval rating!

Will we see Tim in spandex?
I'm not sure about spandex (it takes a special type to pull spandex off in the light of day), but I'm told Tim might end up sporting some pretty fancy armor...

There was a time when characters like Millie and Patsy headlined their own books. Do you think mainstream comics can still branch out from superheroes and highlight other interests, like fashion? Is there an untapped fashionista market for comics?
You tell me! I have a hard time believing most Vogue editors would go to a comic book store every week to pick up their comics. However, I do think that if you could make comics for and about them, and provide them in a platform they would enjoy, they could make them. It's a constant debate in our medium which, like the rest of publishing, has shrunk considerably as we compete against the internet for attention. Will anyone read comics if you just make ones for them? Will they read them in the standard format? If you make lots of comic books about models and fashionistas, would they support them? Comic reading is an acquired skill and language. Some people get them. Others don't. I'm not sure -- I have no answer -- that it's simply a matter of making comic books for a target audience. I think the audience has to also be inherently interested in the medium. This is why I think we need to get more kids/teens reading comics -- get them young, and develop their interest early!


In a similar vein, as one of the few openly gay creators working in mainstream comics, do you think there's an untapped gay market out there? We're living proof that there are plenty of gays reading mainstream comics, but there aren't many comics (none, really) that are openly courting the gays. How can we get our brothers and sisters interested in this medium?
There's an substantial segment of comic readers who are openly gay -- I see it every year, and belong to groups like the GLA, an organization of gay comic fans, and at the Gays in Comics Panel at the San Diego Comiccon, our industry's largest event (which is so well attended it has, in the past, been spread over two days). And wow, there are lots of gays behind the scenes, actively trying to shake things up and bring their point of view and sensibility to this kind of work. I see it every day, and it's wonderful.

However, mainstream super-hero comics still cater to a very particular audience and still tell a particular kind of story. Many super-hero comic readers are actually quite conservative, and I'm not sure how they'd accept, or not accept (and therefore purchase in quantity) comic books about gay male leads (lesbians are a little safer, as long as they're hot, like Batwoman). On the other hand, a lot of my gay friends just love a good super-hero yarn, and read Green Lantern or Avengers as voraciously as straight folks, with or without gay content. I think mainstream super-hero comics court a certain kind of reader -- gay or straight -- who appreciate a particular kind of power fantasy. Developing more fully rounded gay characters within those books, though -- that should be a major priority for creators, and should always be a demand from progressive-minded consumers.

However, there's wonderful material out there for gay readers from independent companies, and some terrific gay themed material in DC Comics' Vertigo line. And there are certain characters that always seem to appeal to gay readers (Wonder Woman, the X-Men) because of content, camp value, child-hood love, etc. If I were in charge of these companies, I'd definitely target that material to the gays, and advertise quite heavily to them (and maybe generate comics in easier to find formats that the gays could get to, and then invest in!).

Thanks Phil! If you're interested in finding out more about Phil's work, you can always start at Amazon, but chances are your local bookstore has a couple collected editions of titles he's worked on, like Wonder Woman and X-Men and Invisibles (buy it for the Brazilian drag queen/voodoo witch character) and Infinite Crisis. Also, Models, Inc., co-starring our very own Tim Gunn will be in your local comic shop on August 26th.

Next up, Sir Tim! We caught him in the middle of doing something whirlwind, since that's all he ever does anymore and he was typically funny, polite and deviously gossip-y. We can only print the part where he talked about Phil and the comic:

"The Marvel comic book is too surreal for words. I’m in a state of awe. What’s more, do you know how fabulously talented the great Phil Jimenez is? He’s a legend of the industry. I never dreamed that Phil would do the cover. It’s such an incredible honor. (And did you meet Phil? If not, then you need to know that he’s one of the few men I would ever describe as being simultaneously stunning and adorable. He is!) So, August will be some month: Project Runway 6 launches on the 20th and the comic book on the 26th!"

And then he dropped some hints about how excited he is about the season and how he can't wait until we see this ONE THING that happens that's apparently going to drive us crazy. He's such a little tease.

[Photo: Getty Images?Phil Jimenez/DC Comics/Marvel Entertainment/Wikipedia]


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PR Season 6: Date Confirmed!

Darlings, Lifetime has finally released the start date for Season 6.

Andrea Wong, President and CEO, Lifetime Networks; Tim Gunn, Mentor on the hit reality show Project Runway; Nina Garcia, Project Runway Judge and Fashion Director of Marie Claire Magazine

"Lifetime Television sews up the summer with the highly anticipated Emmy®-nominated and Peabody® Award-winning hit series Project Runway, premiering on Thursday, August 20, at 10PM ET/PT. Produced by The Weinstein Company and Bunim-Murray Productions, host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors (leading fashion designer) and Nina Garcia (Fashion Director of Marie Claire Magazine), will guide sixteen new contestants as they show off their design skills to see who makes the cut for Fashion Week. Filmed in Los Angeles and New York, Project Runway also features influential guest judges from the worlds of fashion, music, film and television."

"Models of the Runway, an exciting new companion series, will air at 11:00PM ET/PT, beginning August 20, immediately following Project Runway. Each 30-minute episode will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality competition – from the models’ perspective. Viewers can experience the drama, anxiety, joys, tears and frustrations as the models themselves face elimination each week and compete for a cash prize and photo spread in Marie Claire magazine. "

We're liking the sound of that models show. Who wouldn't want a behind-the scenes take on things?

Tim gave us another of his patented tidbits:

"What can we expect from Season 6?

"It's a great season. I'll say there's a big-time shocker, some purported cheating . . . The blogs will be clogged. They won't be able to vent enough about it.''"

You know who we miss? Nina. We can't wait to do more NinaCaps. It's been far too long, kittens.


Source:
Lifetime sets 'Runway' bow [Variety]
Tim Gunn makes it work [MiamiHerald]
Project Runway Returns to the Catwalk with August 20 Premiere on Lifetime Television [PRNewswire]


[Photo: Thos Robinson/Lifetime]


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PR Season 6/7 Update

Let's get caught up on the latest Project Runway news, bitches.


Tim Gunn got cornered by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and had this to say, among other things:

"You want to know what's really holding up the start date," asked Gunn. "Bravo has a new show on called The Fashion Show. And Lifetime doesn't want to start until that is over with. I guess they think people won't watch two fashion shows. I don't know why. I would."

(So would we, Tim!)

"There is one challenge where the outcome will send the blogs reeling. It is unprecedented in Project Runway history. I am still full of incredulity about the whole thing - about who wins and who goes home. All I can tell you a certain judge says she would like to wear the winning dress. Well, you know we auction off the winning dresses at the end of the show for charity. I am going to bid and get that dress and make her wear it. I don't care how much it costs, I'm going to get it. This challenge is spine-tingling. You will be spellbound. My jaw was in a slack state."

E! Online tells us:

"Project Runway will return to New York City for its seventh season. Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer."

In a story entitled "Heidi Klum: Pregnant With Fourth Child!"

Okay, that last bit isn't exactly PR news, but if we didn't post it, we'd NEVER stop getting emails telling us to post it. Anyway, Yay! New York!

There. Consider yourselves caught up. Discuss.


Source:
Heidi Klum: Pregnant With Fourth Child! [E!]
Project Runway's Tim Gunn goes behind-the-scenes for season six [SunSentinel]


[Photo: Getty Images]


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