Project Runway Canada Episode 12: 'Sunny the Great' Crowned King
Source: By BRIAN COULTON
Posted: 04/15/09 12:14PM
Filed Under: Project Runway Canada
Last week, Project Runway Canada champions were left with a light at the end of the tunnel in a dark season - a potentially damning controversy in which juvenile Jason might have been called out for replicating formerly ousted assistant Brandon's look: a triple-bubble bottomed dress.
But, expectedly, this altercation proves to be little more than hype. At the start of the PRC finale, Brian calls the designer out on his possibly copycat look. But, the storm is weathered by the fact that a bubble-bottomed dress is apparently a norm in fashion design, not a brilliant Brandon idea, salvaging the design Jason is crafting for finale guest model Cheryl Hickey.
Season 2 Contestants |
Oh, come on. You knew he was going to win this one from the beginning. Sunny was like the seasoned veteran in a competition of newbies. No one else's work held a candle to his - and it showed when he won a bazillion challenges in a row. Congrats, Sunny! You earned it. |
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PHOTOS |
With no drama to quench the thirst of fans, the finale takes a traditional turn, first observing each designer's stab at dressing the entertainment host. Biffi aims to complement her collection with a number accented with gold chains. Brian warns not to over-do the detailing, a stock recommendation from stocky Brian.
Sunny's garment, on the other hand, takes shape in an off-white layered piece, which Brian only suggests could look too bridal. "I'm concerned," the mentor so predictably spouts. Hey, they have to chide Sunny about something.
But the true judge is Hickey herself. When she enters for a fitting, she lauds the work of Sunny and Jason, only lamenting Biffi's loose fit. "I feel like one of the girls is going to come out," she quips, with a frown.
And while Hickey's breast unrest appears to bring the lone lady down ("Jason's done, Sunny's is perfect, and mine if ghetto f---ing awful," says Biffi), Kim unexpectedly reassures Biffi, reminding her of her own motto - "Screw up, fix it and win." Apparently, Kim does have a soul.
But the waterworks aren't over yet. Brian returns to bid au revoir to the designers, in a moment of heightened emotion, where he so confusingly says, "All three of you are a sparkle in my eye." What does that even mean? That they're all going to crash on the runway?
If so, it's only true in the case of Jason. By my assessment, the Cashmere toilet paper contest-winning dress featured all-too-repeatedly in commercials, by Carol Ching, was better than his baffling collection. He says his inspiration for the final collection is his family and global glamour. I guess Jason's family is boring, poorly constructed (in comparison) and undeserving of a Toronto Fashion Week show.
Sunny, on the other hand, cites Alexander the Great as his inspiration. The boy wonder's collection screams Ancient Greece, with versatile and varied pieces sporting fur lining and ample use of leather.
Biffi's intriguing fusion of Greta Garbo 1930s film with hip-hop swagger is surprisingly very well-executed. She marches out 30s materials like silk and wool but adds modern flashes with the use of gold detailing. A sharp observer will spot Canada's Next Top Model Cycle 2 winner Rebecca, who shows off a Biffi original with sharp shoulder spikes toward the onlooking cameras.
After the designers show to an audience including PRC 1 designers, judges, media darlings (this author included) and other fashion-conscious crowd dwellers, it's time for judging.
As if anyone had a doubt, Sunny's cohesive collection wows the judges. Rita calls Sunny a "superstar", in a word, complimenting his amazing talent and taste and the versatility of his garments. Guest judge Evan Biddell, winner of PRC's first season, says he's glad Sunny wasn't in his season because his collection is so solid. And while Iman had concerns that such a specific theme could come off as too costume-y, she says Sunny is Alexander the Great, a mark of his successful communication of his inspiration.
Jessica is criticized, mainly by Shawn, for the divisiveness of her collection. He says it looks like she walked two separate lines down the runway, but Biddell comes to the rescue, saying he knows that cool girls would wear the pieces, and even says he wants to be her friend.
Finally, Jason's L.A. cocktail party-inspired collection is appropriately censured by the judges. Sloppy and gaudy, the collection causes Rita to say his collection is unsophisticated because of the profusion of sequins used throughout. Meanwhile, I maintain it's unsophisticated because Jason himself is… well… sloppy and gaudy, too. And let's not forget that, oh yes, the majority of his models couldn't even move in the ridiculous pieces, made for size zero models, apparently with no ass or leg fat. It suddenly reminds me why I'm still so livid that Addy was back-doored.
In an expected moment of no tension, Iman announces, "Honey, forget about Alexander. As far as we are all concerned, you are Sunny the Great." The words seal Sunny's victorious fate, marking him as the winner of Project Runway Canada. We may have predicted it from the start, but the confirmation not only bolsters our prognosis but finally hammers the final nail in the coffin that is PRC 2.
Until next season...if there is one!
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