Project Runway Teams: Senior Fling

The non-traditional model challenge always makes me sad. The producers pick these women who we as viewers have some sort of compassion for--veterans, recent weight loss-ers, the elderly--then we have to watch while most of the designers utterly fail and make their hopeful clients look and feel bad.

I actually think that designing for elders is one of the most difficult customer groups to design for. Correction, fitting and tailoring for elders is really the challenge. Many times their bodies are so different from the median that unless the designer has had a lot of experience with custom fit and tailoring, they simply can't figure it out in a 24 hour period.

The best and the worst ended up all over the place because of the effect of team scores. The most painful designs were Patricia, Tu, Amanda, Benjamin, and, contrary to the judges' opinion, Layana.

Patricia and Tu were in a tie for the worst, and I wish one of them would have gone home, but both were saved by the quality of their respective team members' work. Patricia's model not only looked like a blob, but she looked uncomfortable to boot. To make something that looks so much like a sack yet so uncomfortable takes a special talent. It's not unlike stalling an automatic transmission car that is in perfect running condition. The fabric and color combinations are also unspeakable.

Tu, as Michelle so eloquently said, "can't sew for $%*!." The thing is, his design and fabric choice were completely appropriate. In the hands of almost any other contestant on the show, the design would probably have been in the top. But as it is, it is a tortured mess of a beginner seamer. He couldn't be eliminated because Kate had a more than decent look. But I didn't buy Kate's defense on the runway of "I only had ten minutes to spare so I couldn't help him." If you really work as a team then from the get-go, you make a plan together that is reasonable and has reasonable support built in if needed. I mean, if it were me, I would even trade on sewing and patterning skills. If my teammate could whip out a pants pattern in an hour and I could sew a skirt in an hour, I would offer a trade to save on time and up the quality for each of us.

Amanda and Benjamin were the losing team, and Benjamin went home. I've never been able to get behind Amanda, and this week I figured out why. Simply put, the way Amanda dresses is terrible, so I believe her taste level is not where it should be in her designs. Whereas Benjamin's personal aesthetic is sharp, so at least he has better taste level. And even though I like Benjamin a lot, I've never truly believed that either would make it to fashion week, so it's not that big of a deal, but there you have it.

Amanda's dress was wrong from fabric to silhouette to execution. She didn't think about her client beyond "bohemian," and there was nothing redeemable in it for her client.

Benjamin at least had the right color for his client (even though it was a difficult fabric to work with), and I don't think his design was a complete misstep, but his fit was horrific as was his execution. If that dress has an easier fit, it could have been great. Personally I would have made a shirt dress. It would have the same overall shape of nipping in at the waist with a kickier skirt, but it would have been an easier fit, and the fabric, styling, and accessories could potentially make it formal enough for cocktail wear.

I cannot fathom why the jufhrd said Layana had a high score. Her craftsmanship was subpar, her fabric was a misstep and looked tortured, the silhouette wasn't flattering, and the proportions were abysmal with a too short skirt and overly long bodice.

I also cannot fathom what they were loving about Richard's dress. I get what he was going for, and he almost made it, but missing with a design like this is a always a huge miss. There was too much volume overall, and the gathered panel in the front was so unflattering as was the length of the dress. I had a hard time even looking at it. Plus her hair? Get it out of her face already.

You may have expected me to put Samantha as terrible too, but I don't think it was as terrible as the judges said. Don't get me wrong, it is awful, but it totally fits into Samantha's and her client's aesthetics. The proportions of the silhouette were spot on, and I didn't mind the mix of "princess" with leopard, but I did mind the poor craftsmanship and the color of the top.

Michelle's was my favorite of the night. It was only too bad Patricia brought down their team score enough that she wasn't a winner contender. Michelle's design was so sassy, easy, and age appropriate. The proportions are perfect, and her client was exuding joy. At this point we can only hope that Michelle will have her day in the sun. I'm rooting for her to be in the top more and more.

Stanley's design was completely elegant, despite the crotch proportion and fit. It was the right color and the right design for his statuesque client. The judges thought so too, because he won the challenge.

P.S. I hate it in a designer's exit interview when they say they have "so much more to show." Why didn't you just show it then? I suppose I understand, because it's hard to do your most quality work in this kind of competition, but at the same time, just show your best work already.

Project Runway Teams: A Little Bit Country, a Little Bit Rock

This week the designers were broken into teams of two to design a red carpet look and a stage look for country music star Miranda Lambert. The designers were advised to celebrate Miranda's curves and to make sure that their designs were chic, young, fresh, and easy.

My absolute favorite look was the red carpet look from Benjamin, and I was sorely disappointed that he didn't win. The fit of the dress and the craftsmanship were impeccable--I barely have the words to do the dress justice. The foundation, which you don't even see, is really what makes the dress perfection and is a testament to his craft. The gown was elegant and classic, but at the same time fresh with just enough details to make the look pop. Plus, the color, amazing. Good on ya, Benjamin, for finally getting it together. Now lets hope he can stay together. (This picture does not do the dress justice.)

And his teammate, Amanda, also got it together this week after being lambasted by her teammates. Granted, this challenge was 100% in her wheelhouse, but at least now we know she is what she says she is. Some designers claim to excel in an area, then when they get the opportunity to excel, they bomb. Amanda's dress was great for stage with all the movement of the fringe. However, a slightly lighter color or maybe a little crystal on the ends of some of the fringe, would have made it stand out even more. (I'm not a fan of sparkle, but it makes a huge difference on stage. Like, for real.)

Team Richard and Stanley were the winning team, with Richard coming out on top as the winner with his take on fringe. Richard's dress will look amazing on stage, and that dude works well under pressure, but I was still slightly disappointed with his win. I can't even tell you exactly why. Maybe it's because he kept saying "It is everything" about his design.

Stanley's dress was more of a great idea then a great design. His hammered paillette belt was beautiful in shape and placement, but for the rest of the dress it was obvious that he didn't think enough about who he was designing for, nor was his craftsmanship of the bodice at his usual level. The main fabric was also a little lack luster and doesn't look expensive.

I don't even really want to talk about the bottom designs. I mean, first of all, both Daniel and Michelle put denim in their red carpet looks. DENIM. I don't care what world you are from, there is a one in a billion chance that a designer could even come close to making denim work on a formal red carpet. And I am emboldened to say that no one in the history of ever will make a long denim skirt chic, not even in a casual look. They are always, always a bad idea. Then Michelle put that finge necklace over her look that covered up any work she did on the vest. I actually didn't think the necklace was terrible per se, but it certainly was terrible with that outfit. I really like both Michelle and Daniel, so their designs were especially disappointing. Zac may have had it right when he said Daniel "might be amazing, but he might not be cool."

 

Samantha was extremely lucky in her immunity. Her look was boring and her construction was barely passable. So that meant that poor, sad Matt went home. I felt really sorry for him, because it's hard to get out from under the weight of self-doubt, especially when everyone around you is moving forward. But designers cannot stay based on their emotional state.

Lastly, special dishonerable mentions to Kate and Patricia. I don't think Kate's idea was the worst, but the color and fabrication mix may have been the worst. The dress fit well and was in good proportion, but the red leather with a different red chiffon looked classless and like a "sexy" 90s vampire. The model just needed black lipstick.

There was nothing redeemable about Patricia's look. The underdress fabric was horrific, and no amount of "gun belt finge" will change that. The only reason she wasn't in the bottom was that Layana's scores pulled them through. I'm ready for Patricia to go home now.

Red Carpet Review: Academy Awards 2013

There are only two things I will say about the hosting and show in general: there were segments that seemed to stretch out for eternity, and why can't Tina and Amy host everything, because MacFarlane was lame. Moving on.

I've been seeing and saying this for a while, but the 20s are and will be strongly referenced in fashion this year, and the Oscars certainly showed that. It's not the straight-up flapper references that you might expect, but instead Art Deco becomes the star. There was plenty of beading and column dresses to help stars look like charming versions of the Chrysler building.

Jessica Chastain and Catherine Zeta Jones were both in Deco beaded gold, but each having different success. Chastian's is subtle and lovely, and while Jones's beading was neat, it was not the best silhouette for her body.

Halle Berry's Deco dress was the most architecture-like. I love the minimal structured shoulder that has been more popular in recent years. It's strong without being 80s big or overly masculine.

Other Deco dresses included Stacy Keebler and Michelle Obama, and Nora Jones' and Nicole Kidman's dresses showed small winks to Deco.

 

Worst!
I didn't consider any dresses in my deliberations from red carpet interviewers or other stars who are always poorly dressed, bless their hearts. Aside from the usual suspects, my bottom three are Anne Hathaway, Kristen Stewart, and Renee Zellweger.

I know, Stewart should probably be one of the usual suspects, but she just looked so sloppy, from hair to dress to posture, that I couldn't not put her on the list. The fit is terrible and the dress looks like it's sliding down her body. Plus she cleared her throat into the microphone at least twice while she was presenting. Ew.

Renee Zellweger looked sloppy too. The color was wrong for her and the silhouette did nothing for her figure. She looked like she felt really uncomfortable.

My boo-iest boo goes to Anne Hathaway. I have to admit that the dress looks passable in this picture, but it was worse when she moved in it. It looked like student work to me with the odd fit, that tortured looking fabric, and eight different straps in the back, and I'm always disappointed when dresses don't have or don't facilitate bust support. However, I loved her necklace.

Dishonorable mention!
I have to mention both Jennifer Lawrence's and Amy Adams' dresses. While they both had lovely elements, they were simply too much dress. The ladies looked uncomfortable and cumbersome when they moved, and I can't even imagine trying to sit in a theatre seat for four hours with that much fabric to contend with.

 

Speaking of volume, Jennifer Aniston's dress had a better proportion of volume, and she looked lovely in that perfect red.

Best!
I wrote down a lot of dresses that were good to great, but nothing was a stand out for me. I suppose my four favorites were Jessica Chastain (pictured above), Sandra Bullock, Charlize Theron, and Naomi Watts. (Yes, Naomi Watts.)

I have been loving designer Elie Saab lately, and Bullock wore it well. Lace is rather a tricky medium, because it can quickly turn old fashioned and dowdy, but Saab has the magic touch.

I just love that Theron's dress is dramatic with exceptionally clean structure and lines. I could've done without the vee in the front, but it didn't ruin the look.

I will get flack for this, but I applaud Watts' dress. It was different from anything on the red carpet, it had those clean lines and asymmetry that I love, and it was a nice balance of classic with something unexpected. Not just anyone could've worn this dress, but Watts pulled it off in my book.

Honorable Mentions!
In no particular order, all of these ladies looked lovely. Octavia Spencer, Kerry Washington, Queen Latifa, Jamie Foxx's daughter in dark teal, and Daniel Day Lewis' wife.

 

Project Runway Teams: "The Ultimate Hard and Soft"

Welcome to the obligatory unconventional challenge. Sometimes these challenges produce amazing beauty and innovation, and sometimes they produce horror and gore. The beauty produced this time around was a bit overwhelming in awesomeness.

Each team had to make a cohesive line of six looks with items from a hardware store and a floral shop. As predicted, the teams also had a shakeup and were rebalanced. Stanley and Layana landed on Dream Team, and Michele was scooched over to Keeping It Real. Stanley really took charge of KIR; he dictated a theme of vintage Dior and a pastel color palette, and everyone fell in line and got it done. (Stanley's decisiveness and big picture mindedness might put him in the final three.) Meanwhile DT had no theme and it took a toll on their cohesion, meaning their line was not cohesive.

The judges decided not to pick a "losing" team, because both teams did well, which was a joke since someone still had to go home from the "second place" team, KIR. But it is true that both teams did really well.

DT's Dior theme really paid off for them. It was smart to create classic, familiar silhouettes with unconventional materials. Despite all the talk of creativity and thinking outside the box, the truth is that most people really want at least one familiar aspect involved. I believe it makes people feel safe and grounded in a small way.

Samantha won the challenge, but she didn't made it into my top three. The funny thing is that when she started struggling with her original design I thought, "She should just finish the top and make a simple pencil skirt to finish the outfit," which is exactly what she did. I really loved the look of the layered leaves under the skirt, but the hem should have been a baby hem (if possible), or at least no more than an inch. The overall silhouette was particularly lovely, but I didn't see anything particularly special about the bodice mix of materials. Nothing was bad, it simply wasn't for me.

The way Layana communicates with other people rubs me the wrong way. (We all know those people that seem sugary sweet, then one day you realize that they're just saying foul things with a sweet voice and out of a sweet face.) But the twig cage she built really was beautiful. The colors, silhouette, and proportions were all spot on, and the details were surprising and beautiful.The overlap of the textures on the bodice was particularly inspired.

Stanley's dress was meticulous without being fussy. Every piece of flora was placed carefully, thoughtfully, and in great proportion (even though my tastes call for the skirt to be a few inches shorter). Bonus, it also looks comfortable.

And I'm surprising myself by putting Matthew in my top three. That rope and mop bodice was structurally hard yet feminine. I can't say I'm crazy about the skirt shape, but somehow it all works in a pleasing manner.

KIR's too-little-too-late theme of "decades" didn't help them convince the judges that they had cohesion, but the effort had to be made. Nothing from KIR was crazy good, but they held up well enough.

Boy did the whole team throw Amanda under the bus. I mean, I'm sure Amanda's problems in the workroom were edited to be as dramatic as possible, and I didn't think it was dramatic at all, nor was she a burden on the other team members. Yes, she fairly could have gone home, because her dress was not super great, but it wasn't any worse than Joe's or Patricia's. I don't think Amanda will make it to the top, but maybe this kerfuffle will light a fire under her bum.

I didn't care for Kate's dress. Whatever treatment is happening at the hem is really distracting, as is the shape of the skirt made with chicken wire. I was also bored with her application of the unconventional materials. None of it was special or particularly well done.

I don't get Patricia. I just don't.

Joe went home for his pseudo sweater dress idea. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great, and someone had to go home. Often the fey, alternative perspective contestants are yet another scape goat for judges. I mean, the producers want the various design perspectives to make a more layered show, but the judges generally go for at least some adherence to the conventions of the "now" in the fashion world. Such is life.

Michelle and Richard's dress deserves a positive mention as well. Talk about a nice balance of hard and soft. It was a cool idea to have the greenery sort of pushing out of this cage-like dress (even though I'm not overly fond of the S&M look of the cage). They could have pushed the concept a little more, and I would've liked to see flowers in the midriff too.

P.S. Surprised I didn't say something about Daniel's hip bumps? Yes, they were kind of weird, but they were kind of interesting, and his construction was flawless. Plus those lambs ears are perfect.

Trailer Tuesday: Mental & Jack the Giant Slayer

Toni Collette back with creators of Murial's Wedding? I'm in. No more need be said except "I am the avenging angel of the perpetually humiliated."

Now, Jack the Giant Slayer isn't a movie that I'd normally clamber see, and the quality of the CGI giants already bothers me, but Ewan McGregor could persuade me to watch almost anything. Plus I rather like Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, Warm Bodies), and Stanley Tucci (Easy A, The Lovely Bones) is a highly underrated actor.