Memo to PR: Changes We'd Like to See in Season 5

[MFWalkoff]

Here's a chance to give your thoughts on how to keep the show fresh, creative, and entertaining. It may not be broke just yet, but there's always room for improvement!

Suggest tweaks to the format, the casting, new kinds of challenges, or whatever else you think might keep the show on its toes. Be constructive in your criticism, and try to avoid getting too personal about the cast. Maybe we'll see some of our suggestions in the new season, which starts filming in June!

[PhoneGrrrl]

I'd like to see the following:

(1) Either they own up to having Michael and Nina as their usual stable of judges (like on Top Chef where it's always Tom and Gail/Ted) or switch up the judges regularly;
(2) Cast people with the same level of experience (either all people who have never shown at fashion week or all who have, but are still small time);
(3) A menswear challenge that is properly do-able in the time constraints--either give them more time for a formal look, or make it clear that it is a casual look that is to be designed;
(4) A design challenge for older (i.e. 50+ women);
(5) A rejection of corporate-sponsored challenges (Hershey's, Barbie, etc.);
(6) A real m'fin' walkoff;
(7) A challenge to design a look for either Heidi or Tim Gunn;
(8) More non-workroom/runway footage; the designers must eat, go out, chit-chat in their apartments, etc. and we only ever get to see about 1.5 minutes of that per episode. If the producers have forgotten, I've got two words for them: Project Drunkway;
(9) Either abandon the model "winning" something or embrace it and give the girls some semblance of a personality. Where's the "Morgan" from Season 1?; and
(10) Bring back "Road to the Runway" as a precursor to the new season.

I may have more if I were to think on it a bit longer, but this is what I can come up with at this late hour.

(BTW, Great topic, MFWalkoff! )

[Bunny555]

I agree with most of your suggestions PhoneGrrrl but I like it when they have designers with different levels of experience. We get to see the point of view of someone who has been in the business a long time and is a little burnt out yet still looking for that big break working alongside the recent fashion school grad who thinks they're all that and will be the next big thing. Add in everybody in between and it makes for an interesting mix IMO

[MFWalkoff]

I agree with most of your suggestions PhoneGrrrl but I like it when they have designers with different levels of experience. We get to see the point of view of someone who has been in the business a long time and is a little burnt out yet still looking for that big break working alongside the recent fashion school grad who thinks they're all that and will be the next big thing. Add in everybody in between and it makes for an interesting mix IMO

I think differing levels of experience are okay, I just have a problem with designers who already have an established business, like a Rami or a Chloe, going on in with the idea that if they win, they can take the money, go home, grow their business a little and that's it. The point is to find a great undiscovered designer who is a unique visionary, not the best businessperson. Give me a Jay or a Christian over a Rami/Chloe any day.

[MFWalkoff]

Here are a few of my thoughts:

• The catchphrases have started to show their age. "Either you're in or you're out" will never die and it shouldn't, but Heidi might want to play with how she introduces each of the inevitable segments: model selection, what the winner will receive, etc.
• Speaking of catchphrases, we need to see Tim Gunn leave the working designers with more than "make it work." That to me is the buzzphrase that is most ready to die, unless he at least explains it better.
• S1 was great for showing the designers at play, not just in the workroom. S4 was the worst for that. More trips to bars, clubs, and rooftops please! And not those fake, forced parties where Heidi summons them and pops a bottle of champagne to applause. Let them go out and blow off some steam!
• We lost the models in S4. We heard nothing about their stories, or their opinions of each other, or the designers. The show needs little detours like this in order to avoid being completely formulaic.
• PR Canada and Project Catwalk seem to do a better job of discussing the craft of fashion in detail during the projects. Our PR is starting to gloss over what these designers are doing with their eyes and hands to make their pieces evolve. Don't be afraid to educate the viewers a little.

Definitely more to come...

[Bunny555]

[*]S1 was great for showing the designers at play, not just in the workroom. S4 was the worst for that. More trips to bars, clubs, and rooftops please! And not those fake, forced parties where Heidi summons them and pops a bottle of champagne to applause. Let them go out and blow off some steam! [*]We lost the models in S4. We heard nothing about their stories, or their opinions of each other, or the designers. The show needs little detours like this in order to avoid being completely formulaic.

I loved Nick and Tarah's relationship on season 2 and really every season except this one has shown the dynamics of the designer/model relationship. I'm not into model shows but the bonds that are formed on PR are very real and I miss seeing them.

[holly71]

Less group challenges. It seemed like there were too many this season (I think there were 3, & two of them were very close together) And if they do have one, it's not fair if there's only 2 people in the group & one of them has immunity. In a case like that,the groups need to have at least 3 people, or wait until no one has immunity.

[Shoepie]

I think it is pretty perfect the way it is. The only thing I crave are more challenges that allow them freedom to create something fabulous. The candy store or florist type challenge is fun and should not be eliminated but maybe fewer of them. And certainly no menswear.

[MFWalkoff]

I think it is pretty perfect the way it is. The only thing I crave are more challenges that allow them freedom to create something fabulous. The candy store or florist type challenge is fun and should not be eliminated but maybe fewer of them. And certainly no menswear.

Agreed. After years of wondering, we finally saw what happens when you tell the designers to make menswear, after screening out hundreds of designers who make menswear more than womenswear. It's basically an embarrassment. Now that they got it out of their systems, we don't need to revisit it, unless they do a "design for a couple" challenge or something.

[brierpatch]

I'd like to see them do a from-scratch (not cutting down an existing garment) plus-size challenge for women who are at least a size 16. To put more conditions on it - the women would not be models version of plus size (i.e. a size 10 or 12) but the real world version of plus-size (16+), there would be no value judgement on the fact they the women were this size (i.e. there would be no stories about how they had all recently lost 100 pounds so they needed to show off their new figures), they would be designing fashion forward pieces rather than Lane Bryant clothing, and the garment would be appropriate for the professional workplace or for a dinner date (probably choose 1, but perhaps something that could serve both purposes). The designers would have to recognize that making something flattering to a plus-size woman is not the same thing as making a tent or enlarging a body-hugging garment that looks good for the size 2 woman.