Tape-Gate Disgrace: Project Runway Keeps Failing Curvy Models – And I’m Sick of It

We have another episode of Project Runway under our belts and another controversy that highlights a much larger problem.

Bryan’s tape-gate incident is undeniably infuriating for a lot of reasons, from his inability to construct a proper piece within the time constraints to his refusal ever to acknowledge he went.

But the primary issue right now is how Project Runway has displayed such extreme regression in how designers create pieces for plus-sized models.

We’ve already discussed our general frustrations with Bryan as a designer and how it feels like the judges have favored him despite constant flub-ups that should have cost him the competition.

While all eyes have been on the bizarre humbling of Joseph McRae for having the audacity to be confident in his abilities, Bryan has sailed by as an arrogant designer with little direction, a mean streak under the guise of being entertaining, and little thought or care for the models.

And nothing illuminates that more than Project Runway Season 22 Episode 7’s unconventional challenge.

For reasons that still elude me, it had the current crop of contestants competing against a handful of last season’s contestants as full houses, because the series loves drama more than fashion these days.

Jeffrey, bless his gorgeous heart, is the latest person well-intentioned enough to talk Bryan through a design and offer some assistance to salvage it, as opposed to Christian normally doing this.

Still, mostly it felt like Jeffrey didn’t want glamorous model Liris to walk down the runway in something that doesn’t do her body justice.

Despite Jeffrey’s best efforts, that happens anyway. Liris got stuck walking down the runway with 50 lbs of copper spray-painted wiring around her neck (truthfully, the bronze coloring is the only saving grace of the ensemble, thanks, Jeffrey), and worse yet, tape.

Yes, tape.

The sound of that tape extending pushed me over the edge and kickstarted a string of expletives that didn’t cease until long after the credits rolled.

Because only after fan-favorite model Liris insists that Bryan actually create something, and stands firm on the fact that she would not be walking down the runway essentially nude, does Bryan decide that he’ll just tape her in — tape serving as a dress rather than him just making a damn dress.

And then it highlights how far the series has sunk, groundbreaking as it has become, in having designers who actually care about designing for curvy models.

Bryan does not treat Liris like a muse for his creation. She’s just a random body, worse yet, an inconvenient body, and there’s little care, consideration, or regard for her as a person.

If it’s not obvious that viewers watching aren’t the only ones gobsmacked by this, the entire room of designers is in a range of shocked and appalled, and the dehumanizing process of wrapping this woman up in tape like he’s FedExing a package across the country.

It’s even more infuriating when we learn later via socials just how awful of an experience this was for Liris, who had a full breakdown behind the scenes and sustained actual injuries, including burns, from the tape fiasco.

The frustrating thing is that this is the most egregious display of a designer just not giving a damn about how to design for a curvy woman properly, but it’s not the only time.

The previous challenge Bryan had him create a dress for Heidi that didn’t take into account at all that she’s busty, but even that was neither here nor there.

All season long, it’s been evident that when constructing and designing pieces, far too many of the designers hit a wall with curvier models.

Instead of rising to the challenge, they give up without even considering what it looks like, not even trying to get things right for someone beyond a thin stature.

Liris herself has walked down the runway multiple times this season, and most of the time, it was in ill-fitted, poorly constructed pieces that didn’t account for her curves.

The Viva paper towel challenge was another instance.

It threw Anna off so much during most of the challenge that she lost sight of even having a garment that took full advantage of this full-figured beauty in front of her, and it became a matter of constantly pivoting to have anything out there at all.

It results in a serviceable enough garment, but one that isn’t exactly flattering for Liris.

But it truly does go beyond just Liris, or even Bryan.

Project Runway Season 22 Episode 3 had Bobby creating a football-inspired piece that made her model look like a full-blown linebacker after she struggled the entire time to meet the deadline and gave up by the end.

It didn’t remotely celebrate her gorgeous model’s curves. It was an outright disaster, which is precisely what Law called it.

The model could barely mask her disappointment and frustration, let alone her discomfort, in wearing something that likely made her feel insecure and frumpy rather than beautiful.

Meanwhile, Chloe sent Liris down the runway in a drapey contraption that fell outside the theme of the challenge, was literally falling apart, and had Liris bursting out of the seams.

She opted for a sash with ribbons that pulled, and it was so noticeably bad that Tyra Banks commented on how much the model deserved better as a shapely woman.

Heidi outright stated that it looked like Chloe didn’t even try.

And that’s what it kept circling back to when it comes to the full-figured models. There’s an inherent lack of effort, of consideration, of vision.

For at least the past decade or so, Project Runway has been trying to make strides in shattering perceptions about fashion and body diversity.

I’d credit the series itself for allowing Christian Siriano to grow and evolve, becoming one of the most coveted designers in the fashion world because of how body-inclusive he is.

It exposed the fashion world to just how much people longed for pieces that made them feel and look good, regardless of how big, small, short, tall, or whatever else they are.

So, it’s infuriating that we’re backsliding on Project Runway now, and most of the designers can’t seem to design for anything beyond a size zero without much thought. But mostly, what’s enraging is the lack of effort.

The flustered reaction, the spiraling, the pivoting toward simply getting something on the runway rather than something that actually celebrates the aesthetic of their model — it’s absurd.

Contrary to how some designers may feel, the runway is a collaborative effort. A model isn’t just a canvas used to display work that can garner you praise.

They’re a living, breathing partner in this, instrumental in the entire process, a bridge not just between a designer and the judges but between the audiences and potential clients, too.

That matters, and it pains me that, somehow, along the way, it got lost in translation.

The sound of tape ripping is so much more than a fashion faux pas; rather, it’s indicative of dehumanization, disregard, and disrespect toward bodies, especially full-figured ones.

It’s a reminder that the series has somehow regressed to a place where designing for a curvier body is treated like an inconvenience rather than an opportunity.

A model shouldn’t have to stand on a runway wrapped in tape because a designer couldn’t be bothered to figure out how to make the garment work.

She shouldn’t have to wear something ill-fitting, uncomfortable, or unflattering simply because her body doesn’t conform to a sample size.

And viewers shouldn’t have to keep watching designers panic, pivot, and give up whenever they’re asked to create for a body that isn’t traditionally represented in fashion.

The runway is supposed to celebrate the clothes, the designer, and the person wearing them. All three matter, and somehow, Project Runway has forgotten that.

Project Runway helped push fashion toward a more inclusive future. We shouldn’t still be dealing with bodies not being designed for properly, respected, or celebrated at this stage.

Because Liris and the other models deserve better, and full-figured fashionistas and viewers deserve more.

And frankly, Project Runway should be better than this.

How did you feel about Tape-Gate? Have you noticed the regression in how plus-sized models are treated? Hit the comments below, Project Runway Fanatics!