On April 14, 2009, Project Runway Canada Cycle 2 came to an underwhelming close with the crowing of it's winner, Sunny Fong. While Sunny absolutely deserved to win the title, production could have perhaps done a better job of masking the all-too-evident discrepancy of talent within the cast. From Episode One, it was all too clear what the outcome of the highly anticipated second season would be.
Runners up Jessica Biffi and Jason Meyers presented relatively fresh and innovative collections for their presentations at L'Oreal Fashion Week; however, the similarities in their chosen colour palettes failed to distinguish one from the other. Simply said, there was a lot of black and gold. Perhaps both should have left that glam contrast to the legendary Donna Karan - she already does it very, very well! On a positive note, highlights of the runners up included Jessica's gold chain minidress and billowing, patterned jumpsuit/dress, as well as Jason's... Jason's... Well, considering the difficulty in conjuring a Jason Meyers highlight from the show's finale, we should perhaps leave the runner-up highlights at Jessica Biffi.
The Brightest Star in the Sky
And then there was Sunny. Modest, charming, and wildly talented, Sunny Fong. Sunny shone (pun intended) throughout the course of PR2. Winning the majority of the challenges in the season, his prevalence over the competition was undeniable. Some might argue that Sunny already had his shot at fashion fame and fortune with the (failed) launch of his line, Vawk. After all, contestants in the Idol franchise are shunned in the case of having a past record deal, are they not? In the case of PR2, Sunny could do no wrong. So Vawk failed on the business side of fashion! The key here is that his clothes were, and always are, wearable pieces of art that showcase the level of skill his target demographic seeks out: impeccable tailoring, a uniqueness that somehow escapes being contrived, beautiful juxtapositions between femininity and masculinity, as well an overall fresh approach to glamorous dressing.
The question posed here is: with Sunny's undeniable and unapproachable skill level in comparison to his competition, could production not have masked the divide with a few easy editing tricks? It was so amazingly apparent that Sunny would win, it left viewers feeling as though they were being duped: "It's so obvious the judges think Sunny's the best... he can't possibly win", said a confused viewer. Well, it looks like the codes of reality tv have turned on us! For once we were primed to fall in love with, and root for, a reality tv contestant who -- wait for it -- ACTUALLY WINS! Could this be refreshing after all?
Last Minute Dress Rehearsal
On an altogether separate note, what was extremely alarming in the Season Finale of PR2 was the ill-fit of EACH and EVERY one of the dresses created for Cheryl Hickey, Entertainment Tonight Canada Host. Granted, at last minute, the three finalists were instructed by mentor Brian Bailey that on top of the arduous task of creating an entire collection to present at Fashion Week, they were also to create a red carpet dress for the television host. That being said, there was very little time or creative energy left over for Ms. Hickey. The poor woman walked the finale runway looking all too much like a "non-model": Stepping one foot in front of the other so awkwardly on the runway, one could have been tempted to change channels mere moments before the winner reveal. Thankfully, Cheryl's cameo was short-lived and the audience was able to settle back in to what they tuned in for: Skinny girls walking in fabulous clothes. Phew!
Let's hope that Sunny's soon-to-emerge (and anxiously awaited) line (Vawk 2?) as well as pieces from Jessica, Jason, and the rest of the contestants, fit real women just as well as they do the 34-24-34's they're used to draping! It's a real woman's world, after all. And real women, of course, are what inevitably determine the success - or failure - of any and every emerging designer.
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