A fresh litter of contestants for Season 9!
Oh good lord… after last season’s tragic ending, I was fully prepared to walk away from Project Runway like it was a burning barn. But now, with a brand new season only days away, I’m staring down that shotgun barrel once again. At least it isn’t as bad as that stack of awful that Bravo had going – that low-rent copy of Project Runway wasn’t watchable. At all. Poor Isaac Mizrahi – oh, how the relevant have fallen.
Season 9 starts Thursday evening, at 9pm on Lifetime. At the moment, on the Lifetime site they have all of the requisite audition tapes (eek!) and in a twist of evil, they’re starting the season with TWENTY designers – which can mean that they’re killing off pairs more frequently, or there will be a massive bloodletting in the first episode (can they purge 5 at a go?)
Let’s meet these poor sheep that have led themselves to slaughter – AFTER THE JUMP…
Here are the Season 9 contestants, and my probably unfair first impressions:
| AMANDA PERNA, 24
New York, New York Unfair First Impressions: Maybe a bit too obsessed with the “vintage” thing. Could be more innovative. Most Likely To: Be overshadowed.
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ANTHONY RYAN AULD, 28
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Unfair First Impressions: Cute accent, not much personal style. Most Likely To: Be completely overwhelmed by the New York experience. |
| ANYA AYOUNG CHEE, 29
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Unfair First Impressions: Former Miss Universe contestant, does good structural pieces. Sexy with a rock ‘n roll aesthetic. Most Likely To: Go batshit crazy on someone at some point during the season, because they touched her stuff. |
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BECKY ROSS, 38
Portland, Oregon Unfair First Impressions: To obsessed with being quirky and “different”. Uses the word “crazy” a lot when describing herself and her space. Her one example would not be an example of something I’d want to see more of. Most Likely To: Get kicked off mid-season after getting the audience to really, really like her. |
| BERT KEETER, 57
Los Angeles, California Unfair First Impressions: This dude has some secrets to hide. Former New York fashionista, recently worked retail… now lives in a small apartment in Los Angeles. Dull personal style. Most Likely To: Have some deep personal reveal a third of the way into the show… if he survives that long. |
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BRYCE BLACK, 26
Portland, Oregon Unfair First Impressions: Personal style is very Pacific Northwest. His design work is at least reasonably innovative. Most Likely To: Whip out something brilliant and surprise us. |
| DANIELLE EVERINE, 26
Minneapolis, Minnesota Unfair First Impressions: Just a little too precious for words. Collects skulls = weird, in a genuine way. Dull color palate, but amazing structure. Most Likely To: be commercially viable. |
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CECELIA MATWANI, 34
New York, New York Unfair First Impressions: Gorgeous Argentine – strong graphics don’t scare her. Needs to get more innovative. Most Likely To: Have something to prove. |
| DAVID CHUM, 29
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS Unfair First Impressions: Kind of adorable, a little too hip in personal style. Most Likely To: be overestimated. |
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FALLENE WELLS, 29
Denver, Colorado Unfair First Impressions: Too cute. Love the bordello design to her workroom. Doesn’t seem to have a strong style sense of her own. Too enchanted by Anthropologie. Most Likely To: Be unable to focus and get shitcanned early on. |
| GUNNAR DEATHERADGE, 21
Louisville, Kentucky Unfair First Impressions: Really wants to be Christian Siriano. VERY young – in every way. Most Likely To: Have an emotional breakdown that no one will be able to sympathize with. |
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JOSHUA CHRISTENSEN, 29
Snohomish, Washington (Go, SnoHo!) Unfair First Impressions: Actually designs menswear – very tailored sensibility. Wonder how it’ll translate to women’s wear. Most Likely To: not be mad at you, but be mad at the dirt. |
| JOSHUA McKINLEY, 25
Sunnyside, New York Unfair First Impressions: Is a re-builder more than a designer. Loves to talk about himself – his vanity will be his undoing. Most Likely To: be gone before you can remember his name. |
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JULIE TIERNEY, 35
Grand Junction, Colorado Unfair First Impressions: Quirky and funky, but in an actually interesting way. Understands illustration, but a little too Old West in her style. Most Likely To: panic about a lack of turquoise jewelery on the accessory wall. |
| KIMBERLY GOLDSEN, 35
Brooklyn, New York Unfair First Impressions: Brilliant personal style – not overworked, comfortable but interesting. Designs are clever, if not a bit too simplistic. Most Likely To: get called out for tailoring problems. |
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LAURA KATHLEEN, 26
St. Louis, Missouri Unfair First Impressions: Personal style is pretty cheap (she references watching Real Housewives…ugh) and sounds like an insufferable cheerleader. But she knows how to design. Most Likely To: be the “bitch” of the show. |
| OLIVIER GREEN, 22
New York, New York Unfair First Impressions: Inexplicable, vaguely Euro-trash accent – reminiscent of Malan Breton. Let’s hope he has Malan’s skill. Most Likely To: be made fun of relentlessly by the other designers. |
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RAFAEL COX, 27
Atlanta, Georgia Unfair First Impressions: Bitch can work a flat iron! Semi-interesting ideas in his designs, good tailoring. Not big on draping… Most Likely To: get frightened by and ultimately auf’d during one of the “wacky” challenges. |
| SERENA da CONCEICAO, 31
Brooklyn, New York Unfair First Impressions: Really understands texture, and draping. Really innovative women’s wear. Most Likely To: freak out on the menswear challenge, but scrape by. |
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VIKTOR LUNA, 30
New York, New York Unfair First Impressions: Very innovative – understands that design is more than sewing. Most Likely To: end up in the top three. |
