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May 06, 2008

A legitimate look

I had a belated look at the surprisingly good Project Runway Canada.* I add the sneering "surprisingly" by way of confession and apology, there was much to think about that equaled the first season of the original and was in some ways more coherent than the British Project Catwalk. Toronto being the big fish in a far smaller pond than south of the border, the show's cast of characters lack the immediate name recognition of a Michael Kors** - the reason I first tuned in to Project Runway Season 1. Our Canadianity was more than made up for, however, by series host and icon Iman, our reply to Heidi Klum.

Full force fanboy warning for this Flea-edit of a gothic runway manifestation; Iman tells them what for in the ultimate goth-or-not-goth. "Goth," she explains, "is a legitimate look." And quite right too.

A question of academic interest to many Flea-readers, perhaps. But consider this: Iman's nebulous foreign accent calls to mind my favourite hards as nails Minbari ambassador. Triumphant and terrifying.

* The official website of Project Runway Canada for Flea-readers untroubled by series spoilers. If I had had advance warning of a Project Runway Canada, I would have imagined a Canada Council (i.e. taxpayer) funded identity-fest in which participation - as opposed to competition - was awarded on the basis of encouraging under-represented voices in Canadian fashion while the structure of the show would serve to deconstruct hegemonic femininities. Standing instead on the same ground of ruthless dedication to beauty as its Manhattan counterpart, the Toronto edition runs counter to Canada's establishment ethos. A welcome and desperately needed tonic, in other words.
** Speaking of whom, Project Runway's impending move to Lifetime means Season 6 is to feature Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum but not necessarily Michael Kors - who should hold out for more money - or recently ex of Elle editor Nina Garcia.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at May 6, 2008 06:27 AM