'Project Runway' judges push Zamora to point of tears

Lifetime photos
Kini Zamora is advised to change up the styling on his finale collection.

'Project Runway' Season 13
Episode 13: Finale Part 1

This week, the final four designers—Char Glover, Sean Kelly, Amanda Valentine and Hawaii’s Kini Zamora—were told they have $9,000 to spend and five weeks to create a 10-piece collection for New York Fashion Week, which in reality took place Sept. 5.

Co-hosts Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum announced that they will be setting them up for success on the global stage by giving them some inspiration, and with the help of the Best Western hotel chain, the designers—none of them well-traveled—are sent jetting off to Rome.

Duly inspired, the designers retreated to their homes to create before Tim arrives for his critique. During Tim’s home visit with Kini, he marvels over the quality of Kini’s designs. Kini said his collection was slow coming. I think with all the pressure over Fashion Week, he was probably overthinking it, which tends to stifle creativity.

Gunn finally had the opportunity to meet Kini’s family, and he and his mother Valerie explained that he was destined to make his family proud. Valerie said, “That’s how he got his name.” His full Hawaiian name, Kini’okahokuloa, means “king of the morning star.”

Then Tim is in for a treat, with a full luau with music, hula and food, in the family’s back yard. It isn’t over before the usual starchy Tim performs a series of ‘ami, or hip rotations. Lol! Combined with his adventures with Ari (then Andy) South, he’s becoming well versed in living local!

After Gunn completed all his home visits, it was time for the designers to return to New York. As soon as they saw each other, they were eager to see all collections and they are as different as the personalities involved.

Eventually, Tim arrived to report that the judges want to get a preview of three looks from their collections right away. In the past, this has meant that the low-scoring designer would be eliminated … but not this time. Before starting the runway show, Klum tells the designers that the critiques will help them present their final show.

There’s much praise for Sean and Amanda’s collections. Char’s is the weakest. But I was shocked when the judges save their worst criticism for Kini’s collection. I thought they were well-suited to high-end designer stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Sak’s and Neiman Marcus. But, I guess the bulk of the population does not shop high-end designer, and they are seeking wider appeal for populist relevance. The judges deemed the styling “old lady” and advised him to change the styling and some of the pieces.

Given the time crunch and the feeling of overwhelm of making changes this late in the game, Kini was reduced to tears.

But I have the feeling it was a bit of a subterfuge for storyline, because his collection was strong, and can only get stronger with a few tweaks, including losing the "all bells and whistles" coat as the judges suggested.

I really liked Sean’s pieces. He is the most cerebral of the designers, the sort who appeals to smart women, the handful of man repellers out there. His collection tells the story of the fall of Caesar, from godlike white to darkness of betrayal to his bloody death by the hands of his peers.

Amanda’s pieces were lauded as looks most women want to wear. That may be so, because they’re easy pieces, but they are way too “ethnic” for my taste. The best aspect of her collection is the custom jewelry she created.

Char may have cohesion in her final collection, but it wasn't apparent in what she chose to show. There was no cohesion at all.