Thursday, August 21, 2008

9:54 AM | Fashion Design, Pinoy-style

I want to like Project Runway Philippines. When you're a great fan of the U.S. original, a local incarnation has to be part of your TV viewing life. And I do like it, albeit grudgingly and with an allowance for tolerance. There's drama naman -- put a bunch of attention-craving flamboyant gay men in a room, ask them to compete, and then watch sparks fly -- and some of the contenders do have a great eye for fashion, notably excepting the lola who was cut first and had no business being there in the first place. I do try to watch the weekly installments. But what's with the horrid lighting that makes everyone look cadaver-pasty? What's with the barriotic-looking SoFA that looks like a spiffed up version of a baranggay hall? What's with the echoing runway made obviously of plywood that booms with Teresa's every step? What's with the drab production design? What's with the barely-there editing? What's with the pulot-sa-palengke models? And what's with the zombie music (by Diego Mapa) that absolutely refuses to insert some much-needed thrill into the segments? If you remember, in the original, the music -- the fashion soundtrack and the dramatic segues that herald each pronouncement by Heidi Klum -- is a great part of its appeal. Here, it sounds like a monkey just had his way with a keyboard.

The overall impression: a galling undercurrent of cheapness -- like the vomitus Nesvita "colors" they lavishly draped over all the last episode -- that has absolutely no place in fashion television. And the judges, by the latest episode, look like they're all so tired and would rather be somewhere else. Jojie Lloren, with his cringe-inducing bangs, is no Tim Gunn who cuts elegantly both as a critic and as a mentor. Rajo Laurel is okay, but has yet to grow into the gravity that is Michael Kors. I can't say anything about Apples Aberin without rolling my eyes. This is our Nina Garcia? I told Myrza I'd rather see her as one of the judges. She sent me a smiley over text.

Labels: fashion, television

[0] This is Where You Bite the Sandwich

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