BEST CELEBRITY REDEMPTION

Denver’s own Mondo Guerra capped off the most recent installment of Project Runway All-Stars with a win in the finale, a vindication for the designer who narrowly lost the competition two years ago. With his victory, Mondo showed there are still potential diamonds to be found hidden in the rough of programmed television.

In the All-Stars competition, it was amusing to watch the other contestants frantically sketching away their designs, while Mondo admitted his drawings were so rudimentary he did most of the designing in his head. A true maestro, Mondo knew where he wanted to go before other contestants could finish their design—as shown during the finale when he took the first day of the competition off for mental health while Michael Costella and Austin Scarlett frittered about their workrooms henpecking the disinterested champ.

Not trained in any academy, Mondo is a true rags-to-riches story when it comes to the world of fashion. In fact, the designer started out locally by repurposing thrift store clothing before getting his break on the television show. His first appearance during season eight of the series was a catharsis of sorts, as Mondo not only was able to fashion his way to the finale, he came out about his HIV positive status that had been his secret for years.

The world of reality television injects so much drama and intrigue in order to try to stay fresh; it is no wonder that perceptions can get skewed. Reality tends to glorify under or untalented participants while simultaneously tempering the actual talent when it appears. That is why it was a pleasure to watch the diminutive diva steamroll his competition with not much more than his innate abilities.