Following the Project Runway Pattern

So I'm kind of halfheartedly watching Project Runway this season -- it came on with little fanfare, they changed the air time (what the hell!), and for the first couple of weeks, it interfered with my other reality TV sweetheart, So You Think You Can Dance. As in, I would be watching SYTYCD and the little "Your other show is about to start and you can only watch/record ONE. CHOOSE. CHOOSE NOW." button would pop up in the middle of a dance routine and I would groan and choose SYTYCD. But now that only Project Runway's on the air, I'm... still not running to the TV.

That said, I will tell you that I'm pulling for Leanne this season. Every year, I tend to really root for the young female designer who never wins a challenge but always has a strong showing until she gets booted way too early, usually in her first time in the bottom two. Season Two I loved Diana Eng (the first thing I ever bought that was Project Runway related was a Fashion Nerd pin from Diana), Season Three Kati and I both adored Alison Kelly, and Season Four I picked Kit Pistol (plus she had my favorite model, too). So much teeth-gnashing and grumbling when my girls got sent home too early every year!

This season we've already lost three of our young-and-funky female designers -- Emily, Jennifer, and Kelli. I'm hoping that casting actually stacked the deck with them so that we can actually KEEP one this season... and it looks like it's Leanne.

Funny and true story: back in April, I read a blog post by Pequitobun where she wrote about the dress she bought off of Leanimal's Etsy. I showed Kati the shop, and we chatted about it, and I, naive little thing, went, "Oh, I bet you could custom-order something! She's in Portland!" I... don't think we can do that anymore.

Plus, I also really like her personality. Everyone's like, "Oh, she's so mousy," but when you get her in the interviews, she's got that dry sense of humor ("barfilicious", anyone?) that I love, but doesn't often play well on reality TV, especially on Project Runway which is so used to over-the-top personalities and catchphrases and people hoping to launch to personality-fame instead of design-fame.

All in all, I'm seriously crossing my fingers and hoping that Leanne makes it to Bryant Park, if just because all of her work (check out her sold items on Etsy) is all so beautiful, and since they're showing for spring this season, I think she'd have a gorgeous and cohesive collection. (I'm actually hoping for an all-female Bryant Park showing -- the only collections I'd be interested in seeing are from Leanne, Korto, and Terri. None of the guys have really impressed me this year, and maybe that's the producers' way of trying for another female winner. Who knows! I've watched far too much reality TV to be completely surprised when producers get the winner they want...)

Keep your fingers crossed! I know good things are going to keep coming for Leanne, even if she does get the too-early-and-suspicious boot, but I really, truly, want to see her showing at Bryant Park -- even if she's a decoy, but ideally with her still in the running. So go, Leanne, go! Even if your name is the reason why people think "Jeanne" is pronounced "Jee-anne" instead of "Jean-ee".

Are you watching this season of Project Runway? Did it sneak up on you too? Who's really impressed you this season, or are you pretty much underwhelmed? And have you figured out a pattern of who you tend to root for in reality shows?

image from bravotv.com