Project Runway rocks out

If there's anything that seems to have defined Project Runway since its move to Lifetime, it is an inability to define itself as something separate from its incarnation on Bravo and every show that followed in the same format. Many of the shows challenges have been either sad copies of Bravo-era challenges and shift to greater focus on commercial design has really hindered the quality and appeal of the designs presented. There has also been an over-focus on team challenges (probably with the hopes of creating conflict). In this current season, there have already been four team challenges, while past seasons have rarely exceeded three.

Thursday night, however, I saw a glimpse that Lifetime may be finally working out how to make the show their own, although it was in yet another team challenge. The designers were tasked with creating outfits for The Sheepdogs.

For some background on The Sheepdogs. They are a "boogie rock" (never heard that one before, though I think it's essentially roots-blues rock) band from Canada. Rolling Stone magazine recently held a contest to place an unsigned band on the cover and The Sheepdogs won! It seems as though the team challenge was in some way a collaboration with the magazine, which I honestly think was a genius idea.

The execution, though, is another story...

Like I said, I really liked the idea of collaborating with Rolling Stone to further publicize the band and this actually is a unique and interesting challenge idea. Most of the designers' creations, however, felt costume-y. It's like they listened to the band's music, heard the '70s roots rock feel and decided to the bandmembers in the bastard children of bad '70s fashion. Think Lynyrd Skynyrd's flower children.

Here is the winning look:

Yes, that is epic fringe.

Horrible outfits aside, this was actually my first introduction to the band, and their music is quite good. You would think asking the public to pick their favorite band for the cover of a major publication would lead to the choice of some questionable pop, but America chose good!

Listen to "Who?" below, which the band performed twice on the show:


Also, if you want to watch the episode, it is posted over at Lifetime's website.