'Project Runway' projects into the future

Lifetime photos
Hawaii designer Kini Zamora at the cutting board. On the wall are photos of the designers as they looked 20 years ago, reflecting the time travel nature of this week’s design challenge.

‘PROJECT RUNWAY’ SEASON 13
Episode 3: Welcome to the Future


This week, the designers were tasked with coming up with a look that might fit the pages of Marie Claire magazine—currently celebrating its 20th anniversary—20 years into the future.

Hawaii designer Kini Zamora expresses his excitement about going fabric shopping at Mood to pick their own fabric for the first time since the challenges began. His design for the one-day challenge is ambitious, comprising a blouse, skinny jeans and cape-style houndstooth jacket.

Zamora’s three-piece ensemble.

As I tried to imagine what we might see in the future, I think we will be doing more covering up with jackets. I have a pretty dim view of future and breakdown of society made more violent by scarcity of basic resources such as water, so I imagine some cross between “Mad Max” and “Barbarella” with a mix of clothing that protects us from ever more lethal elements such as increased radiation, pollution and perhaps the stray bullet, combined with tech fabrics that might provide temperature control and basic computer processes.

Zamora’s design shows off his technical skills and how quickly he is able to work, and once again he ends up safely in the middle of the pack.

I love Emily Payne’s hoodie ensemble that also has judge Zac Posen dancing in his seat, but Sandhya Garg emerges as the winner the second time for a gimmicky piece with elevated, jet pack-like detail that looks more cheap, homemade Halloween costume than futuristic. Even so, the judges appreciate the originality and color.

Sandhya's pieces may be entertaining the judges for now, but I don’t see her winning the competition because her taste level is so low and in the end, no woman wants to dress like a clown.

I liked Emily jumpsuit and “Ewok” hoodie that also wowed the judges, but it didn’t push the envelope far enough for the win.

Sandhya’s winning look. The “Star Wars” makeup likely helped a lot.

Angela Sum was finally auf’ed for her ragged stewardess-look uniform.
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Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her coverage in print on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.