Dear Project Runway - Teams and Unconventional

Dear Sandro,
I don't know why you came back.  I mean, I guess because you realized storming off looked bad on camera, but the passive aggressive I was mean to you because I like you so much and I couldn't believe you thought something I did was out of line really didn't help. 
Dear Ken,
Oh Ken.  There's this thing that happens.  People learn language that can be employed to navigate difficult discussions.  But then they cast themselves as the victimized one, and don't realize or appreciate that the whole, well, I was talking so now it's my turn to talk but I just want to talk to tell you that you should probably just not talk to me, that's not better communication, that's bullying communication.  And I sort of see that in your head you were stuck with two teammates who didn't listen, but unless they magically edited out all the parts where you offered helpful suggestions instead of that's a terrible idea, I'm done talking to you, and...even if they did - you were part of the problem.  So, yes, you thought everyone else was the problem and not you which was why it surprised you that Alexandria actually found you problematic to work with.  So now you think she should have mentioned this sooner.  In one of the times you let her speak. 
Dear Sue and Alexandria,
This strategy of get through this challenge and make it to the next, um it rarely works.  It works less the farther you get along. 
Dear Sue,
I understand that it frustrated you that people were saying you couldn't sew when what they should have been saying was you cannot operate a sewing machine without serious handholding.  But, you got yourself into this by showing up here without that skill, and then using materials that even the most cursory glance through the "Project Runway" prior seasons would have shown you that using the unconventional materials does not equal curtains.  So you had to start again, by which point your team was already under the gun and less able to assist you. 
Dear Alexandria,
It's hard.  The thing that's hard for us on out couches to remember is that if the team doesn't gel right away, you don't have a day or two to sort that out, it's just bad.  And you were trying, but you were also trying to get along a lot, rather than trying to fix things. 
Dear Justin,
I'm worried about you. I think you kind of let your team carry you on this, and hope you have plans to do something really awesome very soon.
Dear Dom,
I am really liking you.  Keep that up. 

Three Interesting Things

1. I devoured Orange is the New Black (the book) over the weekend.  (Show is on my list.) So, I enjoyed this interview with author Piper Kerman.  The interview to a certain extent and the book itself juggle a tricky balance in recognizing the fact that she had committed illegal acts that were deserving of punishment; that her circumstances and support system before, during, and after were not the norm; and that it was an interesting society. 
2. As I look around and discover I swear I had more August left a second ago, I found this post about glowsticks quite poignant. 
3. My lovely chapter mate Hope Ramsay is hosting a knit-along to collect hats for the Hatbox Foundation. 

Who's That Girl?

I had read a few weeks back about stores implementing facial recognition technology so when a celebrity pops in, they could take note.  I had mixed feelings since, while I agree that to a certain extent celebrities are accepting a certain lack of privacy, I never thought that included their ability to buy lipstick in peace.  But, in light of recent Oprah sized events, I could see why stores might wish to do this.  Of course, ideally stores would simply treat all their customers with respect, celebrity or no.  NPR's Code Switch team made use of #myoprahmoment and the stories people shared were heartbreaking. 
I have been in high end stores as a teen where they assumed I had no money to buy their things (and, okay, they were right, I was usually with my sister who had high end tastes before she had such a budget) but the things is, I didn't buy anything that day, but I also didn't buy anything later when I had that money.  Now maybe I wouldn't have anyway, but the overwhelming theme of many of the #myoprahmoment stories was that they not only didn't get what they had hoped to purchase that day, they didn't shop at that store later, either ever or for decades.  And, in a perfect example of how many times people will relate a bad customer experience, they were naming names. 
I don't wish to suggest that these are only old stories, and bad retail isn't always about perceived race or socioeconomic status.  The Code Switch story about the Oprah incident has some of the tweets mentioned.  And we can pretend this only happened because it was Switzerland, but I think it's more likely that Swiss folk were just less likely to think it was Oprah, just some other well dressed black woman. 
Retail is often a thankless job. And I don't know how many people may have asked that salesperson to take down that bag only to gape at the price.  But in the end, that was still her job, to show customers the merchandise they wished to see. 

Dear Project Runway - Week the Insane

Dear Project Runway Producers,
One of my biggest pet peeves is the storytelling device where you start with something heated or emotional or what have you, then cut it off and back up 36 hours.  I hate it when TV shows do it (even the ones that had that as it's standard framing device, I often fast forwarded to the real start).  I hate it when books do it.  I'm not saying it's never been done well (please see "Out of Sight") but it is done badly very, very often and this was no exception.  There was nothing here that happened that wasn't just as interesting if you had followed your normal chronological* format. 
Dear Miranda,
I imagine that sound you heard was a giant "Ha!" from an eliminated designer when the judges said, well, you made us another pencil skirt.  So maybe work on that.  Also, I get that gender bending is a big inspiration for you, but when you are presenting a pencil skirt with a jacket and crop top, it's not a piece of background that makes sense. 
Dear Helen,
Oh, I had hopes for you.  But if you are unable to proceed with designing after receiving criticism, what ever made you think this was the show for you? 
Dear Jeremy,
Your family tree is not necessarily my business, but um, color me intrigued.  As it stands, you have my sympathies, because while from a design perspective it was not the best choice to go vintage, I can't imagine being away from your family when you and they get unexpected news like that. 
Dear People Who's Names I Still Can't Remember,
Some of you I'm already planning to forget because what little I remember of you is not good.  Others I have hopes. 


*Look, we all know chronological is a bit of a myth even in competitive reality. 

Three Interesting Things

1. I find swans elegant looking, and I could see how you might think, I want one.  However, I have seen what swans who feel threatened do (by seen, we understand that I mean, on TV, I try to leave swans I find in the wild alone) so I have to find the idea of attempting to stuff one in a duffel bag an interesting choice.  Hopefully the swans are fine.
2. Did you know that elephants can play instruments?  In fact, some of them are in an orchestra. 
3. And to finish out the animal theme, here is a story of a woman who has turned her home into an animal shelter, where she has, among other animals, a few hundred cats.