10 Things You Don't Know About Project Runway Winner Gretchen Jones

That is Project Runway winner Gretchen Jones sort of giving you the evil eye.

Why?

Well, Marie Claire magazine, that being the magazine where Project Runway judge, Nina Garcia, works, produced a video about Gretchen Jones in which she tells you 10 things you don't know about her.

Choice bits of fascinating information. Like one time Gretchen says she "got busy in a Burger King restroom." Choice bits like that.

Now it really did not matter to me that Gretchen beat Mondo for the win on Project Runway. Gretchen really needed the money bad, while Mondo had already won a cash stash. And, in the end, I'd grown to like Gretchen's particular brand of weirdness.

Others have not been so okay with Mondo not winning.

Like the person in the above photo. Protesting Mondo's Project Runway loss at Jon Stewart's Rally for Sanity last weekend in Washington, D.C.

Apparently there are a lot of people in and out of the fashion industry who have been questioning the sanity of Nina Garcia and Michael Kors and their reasoning as to why Gretchen should be the winner of Project Runway. A lot of their reasoning had something to do with Gretchen being trendy, or trending forward, or fashion forward, or something like that.

Well. There are a lot of clothes designers in the world. Many of them are famous, at least to those who pay attention to such things. I've heard few of the names.

But, these guys named Tom and Lorenzo, they do pay attention to the fashion world and seem to know what they are talking about. Their blogging analysis, with photos, of the Project Runway finale is both interesting and funny. And they have a lot of pictures of other current designers, who's stuff, at least to my untrained eyes, looks a lot like what Mondo is making.

Here's a blurb from Tom & Lorenzo's Blog about the raging trendy controversy...

"You could argue that Gretchen's collection was equally as strong, but THAT'S NOT THE ARGUMENT THE JUDGES MADE. Despite the fact that they literally could not describe Mondo's collection without using the kind of language reserved for winning designers ("He's incredibly creative and talented.") the ONLY arguments made in support of Gretchen by Nina and Michael were "It's on trend" and "I can sell these garments." Pardon us for being purists, but what appalling arguments to be making. This is what happens when a show goes from ELLE Magazine and the Banana Republic accessories wall to Marie Claire and the Piperlime accessories wall. Project Runway was never cutting edge even on its best days, but the dumbing down of the brand has been a distressing thing to witness."

Now on to the Gretchen Jones video, brought to you courtesy of marieclaire.com. I suspect this video may not be long for the world, due to the fact that it is generating a lot of none too flattering reactions, out there in Internet World.

Project Runway: Part 1 of Season Finale Sends Michael Costello Home

I don't remember when I've seen such devastation on a Reality TV Show as what we saw when Michael Costello realized he was out on Project Runway.

I think among the sobbing I heard Michael say that this setback would have his family demanding he get married again. So, that is where the kid came from? He'd been married?

Anyway, Tim Gunn checking in on the final 4 at home was interesting.

Andy South, in Hawaii, was the most likable he has been. But, I totally don't get why he was not the one who was out, what with the bizarre bikini. Andy's back sob story caused me to find him a little less annoying. Apparently they'd escaped from Laos. And now operate a farm where catfish are grown among other things.

Hawaii made Andy seem like much more of a macho man than New York City did. Andy horrified Tim by picking up a live catfish and made Tim scream like a school girl when Andy suggested handing the catfish to Tim so he could have fun holding it. Andy was also very adept and breaking open a coconut.

I  think next up was Mondo in Denver. Mondo's family seemed nice. Funny dialogue between Tim and Mondo's mother about the raising of Mondo. Apparently Mondo was forced to place baseball (short stop) if he wanted to take piano lessons. His family seemed quite proud of Mondo now, especially his sister.

And then it was to Palm Springs to check in on Michael. Michael had a lot of friends there, all male, and his little boy. And his live-in boyfriend. Apparently Michael's family have long given him a hard time about his lifestyle choices.

And then it was off to Portland to check in on Gretchen Jones. Well, Gretchen has been a Reality TV Show Goldmine. I've gone for really disliking her and wanting her to have a humiliating comeuppance, to sort of liking her and sort of feeling sorry for her. Apparently Gretchen returned to Portland to find her life destroyed,   abandoned by her significant other (was not made clear what gender. I suspect male.), her bank account wiped out, no place to live. I forget what else was in Gretchen's litany of woe.

Then it was back to NYC where each had to put 2 things from their collection and one new item on the Runway. Andy's was the one among the 4 that seemed really really bad to me. But, what do I know?

Michael Costello just seems like a much better one to keep around, just for the making good TV factor. Andy is really not made for TV.

Tim Gunn and the others were eventually able to get Michael's hysterical sobbing to stop and get him back laughing. In the end Michael really did win everyone over. Except, I suppose, for Ivy.