Project Runway "Makeover My Friend Challenge"
 

Did anyone watch yesterday's episode of Project Runway? I don't know what part of Ven's rude remarks/behavior ticked me off more: The fact that he acted like his size 12-14 "real woman" model was so large (She was perfectly fine and looks like the average woman) he couldn't possibly design an outfit for her or the fact that he was so delusional as not to be able to relate to having a few extra pounds. In fact, he could stand to lose as much if not more weight than his model so WTH??? :mad:

You're so right. I watched the show and found his attitude offensive. He made what should have been a wonderful experience quite painful for his client.

I was not happy watching the show last night.

I felt really bad for the client.

He's not exactly slim himself. I felt they should have sent him home.

I don't like Gunnar much but I loved the way he was with his client. So nice.

I was thinking the same thing the whole time, and I lost all respect for him. I hope he gets kicked out soon!

To Ven's defense (sort of). First, well, OK, a size 14 is a plus size woman. Plain and simple. And she was definitely a plus size woman.

I agree with him that it was harder for those with differently shaped clients to make outfits that looked nice on their 'models'. Look who was on the bottom - the shapeless, short, athletic type. The overweight, busty woman (Ven's client) and then there was one hottie in a hoochie mama outfit.

And I believe Ven is right to feel that he had a harder task than many of the others. It IS a different kind of design and to switch gears from size 6 model to size 14 model is a HUGE adjustment for a ONE DAY challenge and he's right, it does put him at a disadvantage. I can tell you right now that Michael Kors is designing for size 6 model. He is not a plus size designer and probably never has been. I don't see that's reasonable to think that a designer is designing EVERYTHING for EVERYONE. They aren't. They find their style and client and design for that. If they ever make it big, they have staff under them that make tweaks to their designs to work the same outfit for a larger figure.

Where Ven failed was that he was insensitive to his client. He should try to make the client feel good about her body. But really, was it his fault taht all the accessories he had available were too small? NO, but how he handled it was. Though it would be easy to say, "he should have checked first". Yes, if he had days to do the outfit - he had ONE DAY.

Honestly, I think he just doesn't have good client skills - whoever he would design for, but I cannot deny that he (and Gunnar) were at a disadvantage - but most of all Ven.

When I was wearing a size 14, I had plenty of Michael Kors in my closet. He has a whole plus size line at Macy's that includes 2X and 3X sizes. The fact of the matter is that many fashion designers today know that they must broaden their appeal and design clothes beyond those for size 2-6 models so Ven needs to get with the program. I'm not saying that a plus size model may not present some additional challenges but so do petite individuals. A talented designer that wants to win Project Runway should have the chops to pull this off and he did a terrible job. His model actually looked heavier with his outfit. BTW, I think Terri (his model)tweeted she typically wears 10-12.

The difference was Gunnar embraced the challenge and did a good job with his client and his design.

Oh man... I finally had time to watch this today and I was FUMING at that guy. he did have a harder challenge but he should have shut up and made that woman feel like a million dollars... Instead he just *****ed, complained, made her feel like **** and made himself look like a jerk on television. That was so ridiculous. I wanted him out SO BAD.

I know he has a line. I also know he has a staff. THEY are doing the dirty work.

And if that girl is a 10-12 then I'm a 2. Whatever her clothing size, she was plump. No one can deny that. She had quite a bit of fluff to her. And that is much harder to design for. Clothes move differently on fat than on bone and any of us who have been fat know that. How our waistbands feel, etc.

Gunnar also had a woman who was self-confident. She had fun AND she wasn't as fluffy as the other gal. Ven's gal, you could tell from the very beginning, lack of self-confidence - ultra sensitive. Marry that to Venn's style of talking with people and people skills, a disaster.

I totally agree he was not great to work with, but I think he would have had similar problems with any client who wasn't a perfect model - too short, too tall, too busty.

If you all recall from season's past, NONE of the designers liked working with plus size or busty women because of the added challenges.

This is true but Ven took the cake with his behavior and he's one of the chubbier designers the show has had so I felt he should have been more sensitive. Project Runway has done these "non model" challenges for several seasons now, I don't know why these designers act surprised or complain. They should be practicing and preparing for this type of challenge. They don't have family members they could design for? I'm guessing Ven has some fluffy people in his family.

I kind of wished they had done an all plus sized women challenge just to see how they all think. Ven's comments were so whiney for an adult I wanted to fast forward!

Lifetime has continued to blow it with this challenge. It always has some woman in tears, it always has some designer being a jerk, it is always hard to watch.
How many of Lifetime's viewers are willowy model types? How many are women who wish to lose some weight or a lot of weight? How many of their viewers like to hear designers sneer about their size?
Lifetime you are insulting and dissing your target audience. You think I am going to shop L&T online or buy your makeup and hair products used on the show or pick up a Marie Claire magazine???