Project Runway Philippines is Fierce!

To tell the truth, I’ve been itching to post an article on the show Project Runway Philippines for some time now. Good thing I’m doing this while there are still contestants left. Haha!

So here’s what’s up:

Jaz Cerezo, 25, who’s into designing wedding dresses and evening gowns left the runway tonight. Albeit being a consistent high scorer throughout the competition and besides the fact that she has never been in the bottom two before, she failed to wow the judges tonight in her attempt to turn indigenous fabrics into avante-garde fashion.

The contest is presently down to four Pinoy designers: Mara Reyes, 21, winner of tonight’s challenge and is a costume designer in the more real world outside “reality TV”; Philipp Tampus, 36, an evening and bridal gown designer in Saudi Arabia and Dubai; Aries Lagat, 25, a teacher in Fashion Institute of the Philippines, and Veejay Floresca, 23, a mini-fashion tycoon on his own—he has won prestigious fashion competitions and has been dressing up celebrities for a while now.

This is the show’s tenth episode, and it’s the third one I saw on TV. The other seven I watched through Youtube. (Clueless pa ako kung paano ko papanoorin ito when I was in SG. But—duh!—syempre meron sa Youtube! I needed Benz pa to tell me where I can catch it! Anyway, thanks again, Benz, for shedding light to my shunga moment!)

I am not a follower of the Project Runway series with Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, but I watched it whenever it was on (and I wasn’t doing anything). That’s how I know Christian Siriano and “his” word, “fierce!” However, the teasers for the Philippine franchise for the show, which I managed to catch before I left for SG last June, were quite inviting. I was struck by curiosity. I just had to see how our version will live up to the American version which has already completed four seasons and which, I think, has started with its fifth.



So far, I find the local show fierce! Unlike other franchised reality shows, this one does not disappoint. It manages to keep its class and is has rather been proudly signed, “Pinoy.”

Teresa Herrera, although partly looks stifled at times, effectively handles the show. To think I didn’t know who she was prior to her stint here, but she has a way about her that exudes enough authority which makes her the rightful host for the show. Meanwhile Jojie Lloren is perfect for the “mentor” role. I mean, who wouldn’t agree that he almost always reminds us of our own personal mentors? And I am just glad he and Teresa are not copycats of their counterparts from the original show. They save our Project Runway from turning cheap. On the other hand, judges Rajo Laurel, Apols Aberin-Sadwhani, and all the previous guest judges throw in their share in keeping the competition as intense as it should be. They are not afraid to give their honest opinions, and the harsh ones they do their best to relay constructively without sugar-coating their point too much. (Comments of Pinoy Idol judges were too sweet, I almost threw up.)

I especially appreciate the sitners, featuring local sceneries which set the mood for the show and fill the gaps in between change of settings. Such style somehow promotes Pinas and I’m all for it!

The challenges are well-thought and the objectives for every challenge are well-defined. Also, they have their way of inspiring the contestants to flaunt their Filipino roots in their designs. They make the “Philippines” in the title work.

About the contestants, they are not bad at all. There is subtle backstabbing here and there which ultimately helps spice up the competition. We can’t really expect Pinoys to be blatant in criticizing their rivals especially when they know that they’re on TV. Yet the contestants are stepping up. We certainly get an idea on the contestants’ characters—who protects herself with sarcasm and endless excuses, who saves his face with a faux disappointment from the judges, who loves himself too much, who plays it cool and manages to help others along the way—that sort of things.

However, I still wonder if the contestants were required to speak in English because, although some do it effortlessly, majority of them consistently fumble with their words. I just want to click their translate-to-Filipino-buttons to save them from their pain and the viewers'. Grammatical lapses are always distracting. I commend those who voluntarily speak in Filipino.

Still I look forward to seeing this series through. I am keeping my fingers crossed and I am hoping that this show will remain consistent with its quality, if not rise above it.

Why do I say that Project Runway Philippines is fierce? Because unlike Philippine Idol which was resurrected to Pinoy Idol, Philippine’s Next Top Model, and those easily forgotten reality show franchises, this one definitely deserves a second season!

* * *

Wikipedia has an helpful episode guide for the show. It is even more comprehensive (or, should I say, juicy?) than ETC's website.