Runway(s)

Project Runway, the least annoying reality show on television, already had me as an unashamed member of its fan club even before last week's episode. The ironing board was set up in front of the TV and I was happily, compulsively multi-tasking when the delightfully starchy Tim Gunn announced that the designers' challenge was to create a garment using only materials available at the Hershey store in Manhattan. They had 5 minutes to load up anything they could carry, from Kisses to window decorations, in a mad "Supermarket Sweep"-style dash through the store. The chocolate icing on the peanut butter cake? Hershey will donate all proceeds from the auction of the fashions to the Young Survival Coalition and the Tour de Pink.

I'll take a competition that hinges on talent and creativity over one that relies on deceitful antics and the fickle fingers of teenaged text messengers any day. And the fact that this one involves fashions judged by snarky-cum-constructive designers, editors and models? All the better.

And some of the fashions were indeed delicious. Irritatingly smug and dramatic though Christian can be, his Reese's peanut butter cup wrapper dress was chic and fun (although I can do without the off-center beanie). I loved Chris's sophisticated, graphic strapless dress that is both familiar and yet could also be a fun dinner party game if you did not immediately recognize the materials. Rami's ultimate winner is the kind of bold, high-fashion dramatic piece I dream of wearing to a party, if only I had the balls (oh, and the size 0 figure).

Here's to their successful auction once this season of Runway is over, and to raising lots of (chocolate chip cookie?) dough for the YSC. It would be great to hear that some of the dresses even managed to get worn out in real life once or twice.

Despite the January date, it's just about warm enough for these to pass muster as seasonally appropriate in my current location - Chicago, where I am briefly in town for a business trip, is a balmy 64 degrees at midnight. Hence the plural title of the post, which was mostly written while I waited out Hour 3 of what was ultimately a 4 hour delay, parked on a plane that had just pushed back from the gate at the airport due to the bizarre midwestern tropical storm. Thank heavens for portable WiFi. American Airlines, I'm sorry, but as Heidi would say, you are Auf.