In case you missed last night’s episode of Ugly Betty, Christian Siriano — the reigning Ms. Project Runway — worked it out like he owned the set. His over-the-top campy performance is one to be remembered, for sure. You could tell he was having a great time, and it really worked. The show even featured a cameo appearance by Nina Garcia, which also was quite a hoot.
You voted. Holly Kiser won. Make Me A Supermodel ended tonight with the crowning of Holly, who beat out the other three finalists — Ronnie, Ben and Perry.
Holly was awarded a $100,000 prize and a contract with New York Model Management.
“All my dreams have came true,” Holly said at the end of the show. “… It finally happened for me. I can’t believe it.”
Honestly, I thought Ben should have won. And when it came down to Ronnie and Holly, I was certain Ronnie would take the prize. But I was wrong. Holly really was the last contestant I figured would win the top prize. But she probably deserved it, despite her rough attitude and often negative talk about the other contestants. They, too, were none to pleasant with her.
It appears America didn’t see that negativity — or at least they saw beyond it. The people who didn’t seem surprised with the judges, including supermodel Tyson Beckford.
“You’re strong, you’re here,” Beckford told Holly as silver confetti fell onto her at the end of the catwalk.
Now we just have to wait — and hope — for a second season. Because, the way I see it, you never can have too many model-based reality shows.
This week’s Top Chef elimination challenge was the most interesting of the season — even if it’s only in the fourth week. Manuel, who was partnered with Spike, was eliminated after he failed to give enough of himself for the challenge.
Contestants — or “cheftestants” as they’re called — were paired off and forced to create one portion of a mutl-portion meal that was inspired by a movie. Spike’s Vietnamese inspiration played into what ultimately had his team in the bottom two. The result was Manuel, a chef more known for his Mexican flair, being asked to pack his knives.
I have to say Top Chef hasn’t been as exciting this season as I expected. Of course, I think that’s all about to change … did you see Jennifer get angry in the previews for the next episode? I think we’re about to have a foodie fight!
In a first for a reality series, Project Runway was announced today as one of the winners of the much-respected Peabody Awards.
Presented by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, 35 awards will be given out as part of the 67th Annual Peabody Awards. Aside from Runway, other winners include 30 Rock, Mad Men and Dexter. The presentation of awards, hosted by Brian Williams, will be June 16.
The awards are decided on by the 16-member Peabody Board, which includes TV critics, industry executives and arts experts. UGA students, faculty and staff also are part of the process, serving on special screening committees prior to the selection.
The Peabody Awards are the oldest honor in electronic media, and they honor TV shows, documentaries and individuals without placing restrictions on categories or by pre-determining a certain number of awards for specific areas of focus.
It’s one of the better reality shows on Bravo. And that’s all thanks to its star, Jackie Warner, and the entourage she keeps. Work Out returns April 15, and Jackie has been out on the town promoting the return of her sexed-up reality series.
The third season of the show appears to have just as much drama as the first two — more girlfriends and relationship woes for Jackie and some disputes with some of your favorite trainers are on the horizon, if the previews have anything to do with it.
On Sunday, Jackie was out a the Tan for a Cause celebrity mixer at Sunstyle Tanning in West Hollywood. The picture above is one of the more modest views of Ms. Warner. Let me just say the photos taken from the front show a little more than her curves.
For a group of women who seem to think they’re on top of their game, the five cast members of The Real Housewives of New York City certainly are trying to be someone else — at least if tonight’s episode was any indication. Each week, I find these women more and more entertaining. It’s just almost too ridiculous for words. But I’ll try.
First you have Bethenny Frankel, my personal favorite, who wants to be some kind of Rachael Ray … only maybe without quite so much girl-next-door quality. It seems she’s trying to land a wedding ring, not because she loves her boyfriend, but because she’s at a point in her career where it seems best to be married. Of course, this may not really be the case … it could have just been the booze talking tonight.
Alex McCord, who spent much of her childhood growing up in Kansas, has struggled to find her place in the mainstream acting world. She and her husband, Simon, both are trying so hard to be anyone but themselves. Really, it appears Alex wants to be fellow Housewives castmate Jill Zarin … or at least have Jill’s connections. That way, at least her children would be guaranteed a spot in a top Manhattan school.
Speaking of Jill, she may be the most sure of herself and the most comfortable in her own skin. I think she probably looks at herself in the mirror and says things like, “Wow, I’m perfect.” She does, after all, only vacation in the hottest spots when hotel rooms cost $2,000 a night. She’d never only spend $300 … that would just be tacky. (Sorry, Jill.)
Countess (I can’t get enough of that) LuAnn de Lesseps proved tonight she wants to be her 23-year-old niece. Why? Because when you have a housekeeper at home to raise your own children, you can go downtown and watch hip bands with people half your age and not have to face the fact you really should grow up. This is, of course, why I watch this show — for the comedy.
And, finally, there’s Ramona Singer. I’m not exactly sure what’s she’s trying to prove, other than the fact she thinks celebrity is everything. She clearly wants to be her daughter. Her daughter, clearly, wants to be a regular kid. She doesn’t want to miss school so that her stage mom can be satisfied by having her working as a child actor. No, she wants to get an education … and clearly that’s wrong. Right Ramona?
Maybe I’m wrong about these uptown gals. This is, after all, reality television. And, if you know anything about the creative editing that can go on behind the scenes, these would could all be being cast in a completely different light than what it appears … of course, it’s pretty hard to choreograph this kind of jealousy.
Real Housewives of NYC, Ramona Singer, Bethenny Frankel, Alex McCord, LuAnn de Lesseps, Jill Zarin
If you haven’t been to Houston lately — and you probably haven’t — you may not know what Project Runway Season 2 winner Chloe Dao is doing.
During a recent trip to the city, I took a trip by Dao’s boutique, Lot 8, which is in the midst of one of the city’s many shopping districts. The shop was buzzing with women trying on the latest designs from Dao’s multiple collections, which include a variety of purples and whites for the current seasons.
Dao wasn’t at the store when I was there, but at least one of her sisters was running around helping get customers in fitting rooms to try on their finds. Lot 8 opened in 2000, and it continues to be a favorite spot for Dao fans and those just looking for something to wear to some of Houston’s hottest nightspots.
After winning Runway, Dao continued to grow her fashion collections, and she even recently sold some styles as a special collection on QVC. But buying something online can’t compare to walking into the Houston boutique and salon — after all, there were a few talking Tim Gunn dolls for sale behind the counter. And Runway-related magazine clippings are framed and decorate the walls. It’s clear Dao hasn’t forgotten what really got her career moving.
Even though his statistics — four times in the bottom three and only one win — would suggest otherwise, there’s no doubt Ben DiChiara should be crowned the winner of Make Me A Supermodel.
The first reason? America has saved him four times, which also is how many times they have saved fellow finalist Ronnie Kroell. Even if he hasn’t been at the very top of the first 11 challenges, he certainly has enough fans to put him in front of Ronnie (or at least even with), as well as Perry Ullmann and Holly Kiser, the show’s other two finalists. While the judges only put Perry and Holly in the bottom three one time each, that also means America only has had one chance each to eliminate those contestants.
The rest of the reasons? Ben has a great story. He’s a 22-year-old from Nashville, Tenn., who left his job of two years as a prison security guard to pursue his chance on Supermodel. He’s improved throughout the season. And, most important to this contest, he has a look that actually works for a variety of modeling platforms — runway, print and other campaigns.
This Thursday the contestants gather for a Supermodel reunion. Then, the next week, we’ll see what happens. So, who do you think should win?
Make Me A Supermodel, Perry Ullmann, Holly Kiser, Ronnie Kroell, Ben DiChiara
She’s Bethenny Frankel, and she may be the least offensive of all the Real Housewives of New York City. And here’s why she’s my favorite — she has the best one-liners of all of the ladies.
On tonight’s episode, as she and Alex were getting ready for the Pamella Roland runway show during New York Fashion Week, Bethenny delivered this classic line — “Tell him he’s in a deep homosexual depression, and he should go with his instincts.” I’m still laughing at that line.
Bethenny delivered the punch after Alex’s husband sent her a text message debating what kind of boots to wear with his outfit. It was certainly the best line of the episode.
The newest episode of the NYC Housewives further proves these East Coast ladies are a little more sassy than those gals from the other side of the country. With a stage mom in training, a cranky gal or two and at least one woman who’s trying entirely too hard (c’mon, Alex, pull yourself together!), this season of Housewives is guaranteed to continue bringing joy and entertainment to my life.
So, do you have a favorite?
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t seen the premiere episode, some surprises will be ruined if you read more than the first few sentences of this post …
Chicago, otherwise known as the Windy City, is the culinary centerpiece of the Midwest. The city is known for many styles of cuisine — the most casual being the deep-dish pizza. So what better way to start off Top Chef Chicago than with a Quickfire challenge where the 16 contestants make that signature dish?
For these chefs, who came from around the world to compete for this season’s title, making a pizza would seem easy, right? Well, as with many Top Chef challenges, it proved a bit more, well, challenging than even these experienced chefs expected.
Each took their own spin, and many of the pizzas fell apart. Some had issues with the crust overgrowing the pan. Others had crust sticking to the pan. In the end, it was 26-year-old Nimma who came up short in the Quickfire challenge.
For the Elimination Challenge, contestants were put up against one another to make classic dishes, including things like lasagna and Eggs Benedict. There were some amazing-looking dishes in the end — it makes you want to reach into the TV and taste what they’re making — but the judges ultimately came to the decision Nimma would need to pack her knives.
“Unfortunately, no one will know I’m a very good cook,” Nimma said before leaving the show. “… I’m not going to stop cooking. This is what I love to do. I know I have a God-given talent …”
Even though Nimma already is gone, you can get to know her by watching her introduction video from bravotv.com:
The first challenge winner was … well, I’ll keep at least one surprise in case you didn’t have a chance to see the premiere you recorded on your DVR.
Alex? Bethenny? Jill? Luann? Or Ramona? Perhaps you’ve fallen in love with the Real Housewives of NYC just like you did with the women on the East Coast. But which one would you be?
Among the many features at the Bravo Web site is a 10-question quiz that will help you determine the NYC housewife you would be.
Chances are, if you’re watching the show, you can’t get enough of the women getting at one another. They’re all trying to get their time in front of the camera. Whether they’re sending their daughter to detox (health detox, which happens to be kind of boring it turns out), hanging out at parties or taking on one another in a “friendly” tennis match, they always have some of the most ridiculous things to say. It’s perfectly mindless TV.
I’m not certain this pack of high-class (or so they think) ladies have the name-dropping down as well as the Orange County ladies that came before them, but they certainly have some interesting lives to follow. If you’re into that kind of thing.
So, which housewife did you turn out to be?
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, you already know the always fierce Christian Siriano won this season of Project Runway. If you ask me, there’s no question the designer will be able to turn his talent — and personality — into a successful career.
We could argue for weeks — and we probably will — about whether Christian should have won the show. The truth of the matter is this: He was amazing. His collection was incredible, and there’s no doubt he’s held his own and made a name for himself throughout the season. And he’s 21. So, what did you expect?
But enough about that week-old news. Today Bravo released the winner of the “It’s Sew Not Over” contest, where fans of the show could vote on special collections to help determine a $10,000 winner. And that winner was not Christian, who also took home the fan favorite prize a few weeks ago.
This time around, though, the fans voted on Jillian’s collection, earning her the cash prize. You can check out Jillian’s special collection at the Bravo Web site.
Chris March used human hair — as in human hair — in his wacky design collection to compete for his chance at a spot on the Project Runway catwalks at New York Fashion Week. Rami Kashou used a little draping — as in a little — to win the third spot up against Christian Siriano and Jillian Lewis.
The judges seemed a little creeped out by the use of human hair as a new kind of “fur” for Christian’s goth-inspired designs. I, too, have to admit it was a little strange. But the innovative idea really did look pretty incredible, especially considering it was hair. You know, the stuff from your head. Sorry, I can’t get over it.
One of the skirts Chris showed on the runway for his fashion-off against Rami also was made from safety pins, another unusual material. As a collection, it turned out a lot better than I think much of his earlier work from the season. While I think Chris has a lot of talent, I also believe a couple of other contestants were let go a little too early this season.
As far as Rami’s collection, the three-piece preview shown to the judges seemed to be a lot more expansive than the drape dress after drape dress he created throughout the season. Clearly, the judges saw something in Rami I did not see from my couch. The blue coat he put together as part of his final collection seemed a little too crazy — and not in a good way. The thing had poofy sleeves and extra fabric at just about every turn. The cuffs, the collar, you name it.
So, for those of you who haven’t been checking out the pictures online, what are your thoughts on how things are going to turn out? Will Christian, the fan favorite, have the best collection? Or Jillian? Maybe Rami? Someone else who maybe doesn’t get mentioned in this post?
I’m excited to see how it all plays out next week when Victoria Beckham sits with the judges to help critic the final shows. It’s going to be “maja,” as she would say.
Project Runway, Christian Siriano, Jillian Lewis, Rami Kashou, Chris March, Victoria Beckham
Project Runway alumni Daniel Vosovic has been one of the show’s favorite contestants. And why wouldn’t he be?
The up-and-coming designer is featured with some of his latest work in a feature as part of the online magazine BonfireMagazine.com. If you’re a fan of Lipstick Jungle, the new hit NBC series, you know the magazine is part of the show’s developing plotline. One of the characters, Nico Reilly, works at Bonfire on the show.
The current issue of Bonfire features some 1980s-inspired designs as part of the cover story, which is where Daniel V. comes into the picture. Check out the magazine to read the complete fashion scoop.
Project Runway contestant Jack Mackenroth attends a fashion show in New York.
After this week’s reunion show on Project Runway, I’m convinced Jack Mackenroth will be back next season.
Jack, who was open about his HIV-positive status on the show, chose to leave the show earlier this season, after he got an infection. He felt it was best if he left, sought out treatment and took care of himself. It turned out to be the best decision, he said at the reunion show. It turned out he spent a week in the hospital before recovering from the infection.
Before Runway, Jack had a successful career. He attended Parsons School of Design after earning a dual degree from University of California at Berkeley. He then opened his own shop, Jack, in New York and later worked for Tommy Hilfiger and designed for Slates, a division of Levis.
When the question came up about Jack returning in a future season, he didn’t give a definite answer. But, being a favorite earlier on this season — some even said he was one of the obvious top designers and a possible winner — he definitely has some fan support. Not as much as that wacky Christian, though. That kid has more attitude than anyone I’ve seen in a long time.
Who will pack their knives and go this week? Will Jackie Warner ever break up with Mimi? Who is in and who is "auf"? Is Lauri Waring fighting with Jo Del La Rosa? Will James Lipton interview your favorite star next?
Find the answers to all of these questions and more at Reality on Bravo. Polls, pictures, and only the juiciest gossip grace this webpage, and if you still can't get enough of the Fab Five or Andy Cohen, you can subscribe to the RoB monthly newsletter.
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