Glamatron

Okay, every holiday season, I get overwhelmed and disappear for a while into the ether.  I notice this year, or, rather, last year, I did it earlier than usual.  But fashion’s been on the mind the whole time, so belated Happy New Year!  At least it’s still January.

So, I am one of the many, many fashion bloggers with a thing for Project Runway.  Until a year ago, I’d never had cable and, thus, wasn’t sucked into these darn reality shows.  Then I caught a Project Runway marathon and was totally and thoroughly hooked.  I mean, when the powers-that-be held off for two weeks over Xmas vacation, I was down in the morbid depths of purplish-gray withdrawal–beyond mauve, as it were.

So, anyway, I’ve been mentally blogging Project Runway for months, but I held off and, as a result, the world missed my posts on the wonders of Elisa Jiminez–portrayed as this seasons whacky free spirit–who’d gotten into clothing design through making clothes for teeny-tiny and humongous *puppets*.  She fascinated me because she really thought like an artist.  I loved watching her outweird the other contestants, who despite their numerous tattoos, wild hairdos and flamboyant get-ups just couldn’t quite handle a true nonconformist.  Elisa was different because she was really different–even with a nice version of the standard-mom haircut.

Alas, though, Elisa was offed (or “auf’d” as the fans say) a few weeks ago–for worthy reasons, alas–but Project Runway just seemed a little too flat and listless to inspire blogging.  None of the other designers interested me in quite the same way. 

Until two weeks ago, when there was an avant-garde challenge.  At which point, the designers still didn’t interest me, but I was impressed by the winning design–a dress with a giganto standing ruff and composed of 45 yards of chiffon circles–and the number 2 design–a sort of cross between an 18th century overdress and a trenchcoat.  Lined with a wild pink tartan.  Mind you, both items were made in two days.

And I succumbed to Project Runway again–because, dammit, when all’s said and done, you just don’t see that kind of effort, the love of the craft, right out there on TV all that often.