Project Runway Australia
So the first (and so far only) season of Project Runway Australia has ended. A big Congratulations goes to Julijana Grbac of Brisbane!
The show has been highly popular, with millions of local viewers tuning in weekly to see the next aspiring fashion designer get booted off the show. Project Runway Australia follows the very successful original Project Runway in America. Twelve contestants are chosen to compete for $ 100,000 that goes towards creating a collection for Melbourne Fashion Week, a six-page spread in Madison magazine and a car.
In Australia, the show was judged by Sarah Gale and Jayson Brunsdon. Gale, a fashion buyer and trend forecaster, is a regular speaker at the Melbourne School of Fashion. Renowned fashion designer Brunsdon has over a hundred shops around the world and has dressed many celebrities including Linda Evangelista and Princess Mary. Both of the hosts had good chemistry on the show, and their judging criteria complimented each other well. Gale critiqued based on the commercial viability of the designs, while Brunsdon gave his opinions based on the survivability of the design in today’s fashion world.
Being the first season in Australia, Project Runway is expected to create a second season following its great success locally. However, as with anything good and popular, there are always criticisms that follow.
Comments have circulated in public forums about host Kristy Hinze. Although she portrayed the beautiful, glamorous host akin to Heidi Klum in the original Project Runway, she simply wasn’t as smooth or natural. Various members of the public complained about how stiff and practiced she seemed when talking. Towards the final few episodes, her tight-lipped smiles portrayed her obvious preference for certain contestants.
Nevertheless, overall, the show has seen a fantastic first season, and Australia is certainly looking forward to upcoming ones.
Designer fabric company d’Italia had the privilege of working with Petrova Hammond, one of the Top 3 Finalists of Project Runway Australia. Hammond used d’Italia’s material for some of her designs in the show.
