Who's In and Who's Out: Stacking the Odds on "Project Runway"

I don't know about you but I've totally been going through Project Runway withdrawal since the most recent episode aired nearly two weeks ago.

Fortunately, Bravo will air a new installment this week (huzzah!), but in the meantime, I thought I'd take this opportunity to take a look at the contestants still in the sartorial showdown and who I'd like to see head up their own runway show during New York's Fashion Week.

Chris
Already eliminated once, it's simply amazing that Chris is still in this competition but he's added a level of humor and wackadoo designs that had been missing in the wake of his departure. His designs tend to just slightly but consistently miss the mark but his collaboration with Christian marks a high point for both designers--and the entire season-long competition--as it was just so drop-dead gorgeous that it almost made me wish these diametrically opposite designers would work together all the time. Still, it's only a matter of time before Chris fails to make the cut... again.

Christian
It's rare that I fail to be impressed by the impish and, well, bitchy Christian, whose holier-than-thou attitude towards the challenges can grate at times (we get it: you're a serious designer), but who consistently manages to turn in ensembles that are thoughtful, elegant, well-constructed, and often visionary. While he's got the raw talent, Christian definitely needs some maturity and humility. Still, I can't imagine a season of Project Runway where he wouldn't get the chance to have his own show, so to me it's a foregone conclusion that he'll make it all the way to Bryant Park. (And rightfully so.)

Jillian
Oh, Jillian. I really wish I liked her, but there's something about her that just totally irks me in ways I can't articulate. Maybe it's the icy glare, the overly stressed-out panic attacks, or the fact that she wore those overalls in that one episode. Whatever the reason, I do feel as though she's hanging on for dear life and really can't handle the stress of this competition. Her survival really will depend on how poorly her compatriots do, if she hopes to make it to the final three. Still, that apocalypse-inspired trench from a few episodes ago was a major coup for her.

Rami
I like Rami. I think his designs are sophisticated, elegant, and, yes, well-draped. But he definitely needs to move beyond the little jersey-strewn pigeonhole he's created for himself and wow the judges with something different and extraordinary, something unlike the elegantly draped dresses he's given us all season long. I do think he shows exceptional talent and skill but he hasn't given us that commitment to reinventing his own aesthetic (while also remaining true to his own sense of style) that Project Runway demands from its participants. Still, I'd love to see him put on his own runway show, so I say, send him to Bryant Park.

Ricky
Good God, what can I say about Ricky that I haven't already said ad infinitum throughout this competition? I'll be blunt: I don't think the crybaby lingerie designer should be there. I think Ricky should have gotten auf'd way early into this season and I find it baffling that he's managed to fall into the bottom three time and time again but still escape by the skin of his teeth. What voodoo powers does this tear-prone designer have over the judges? At least there's less than a slim chance of him making it to the final round.

Sweet P
Sweet P is another designer that has somehow made it extremely far in the competition solely on the basis of one or two reasonably thought-out designs. I am never all that impressed by the quality of her work, which often is rushed and unfinished (don't get me started on the menswear challenge) but she has at times turned in some ensembles that aren't half-bad. Still, I think she's definitely at the weaker end of the talent pool right now, so I would be mighty surprised if she made it as far as Bryant Park.

So my pick for the final three: Christian, Rami, and Jillian. Who do you think will make it into the final round? And who should walk away the winner of Project Runway 4?