Project Runway Canada had its first shocker-elimination last night as Montreal designer Baylor Orlando, 37, got sent home.
Orlando had frequently garnered praise as one of the show’s stronger competitors but the judges found his re-worked wedding dress, made from a sari, overly complex and unflattering.
For last night’s task, the designers’ usual size-zero models were swapped out for a batch of divorced women of all shapes, sizes and heights. Designers had to take the divorcees’ old wedding dresses and transform them into outfits that reflected their new single life.
While Orlando’s creation didn’t appeal to the judges, Vancouver designer Kim Cathers’ monstrous hodge-podge creation of slashed fabric and mismatched elements was horrifying even to Cathers herself and she said the dress was “ill-fitting and looked like a garbage bag.”
Despite the judges all agreeing that Cathers’ dress was a disaster, show host Iman convinced them she saw potential in Cathers and eventually Orlando got the boot instead.
For his part, Orlando isn’t one to feel sorry for himself.
“I never like to play the victim. As a designer you have to be able to take criticism because it makes you a better designer. You have to listen to critics, learn from them and move on,” Orlando said.
He is proud of the work he did on the show and says he was surprised the judges didn’t like his dress because he was confident about it going into judging.
“Sometimes, something you really like, other people won’t like. I love every piece I did and I have no regrets,” he said.
Orlando previously designed bridal and evening gowns in his home country of Venezuela before moving to Canada to pursue his career dreams.
“I left everything behind when I moved from Venezuela to Canada — this is the country where I want to succeed,” Orlando said.
Orlando currently designs handbags and accessories for a Montreal company and hopes to launch his own clothing line in the future. He says being on the show has been an amazing experience that proved he doesn’t shy away from adventure.
“The show has allowed me to confirm that it’s never too late to take challenges as a designer.”
When to watch
Project Runway Canada airs Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET on Global.
