Elie Tahari challenges Project Runway

[caption id="attachment_18626" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Joanna Coles and designer Elie Tahari are relieved to learn that All Star Joshua McKinley wasn't finished with the dress!"]

[/caption]

From winner to loser, there were absolutely no surprises in last week's

Project Runway All Stars

. Nonetheless, it was a great episode. I love when the designers have to wear their business hats and consider marketability and manufacturing. A soft spoken and inspiring

Elie Tahari

delivered the challenge which had an amazing opportunity attached for the winner. The winning design will be sold in Tahari stores with proceeds going to the

Save the Garment Center

organization. 

The scoring placed Emilio Sosa in the bottom three but that was all. He was safe, whew. His dress lacked runway appeal, though it was well made. Emilio is great about listening to the judge's comments and is especially good about receiving workroom criticism. Perhaps it backfired this time because the original design featured color-blocking [way more exciting] throughout the dress which he changed based on Elie Tahari's feelings/comments.

Unless if Project Runway decides to host a top four in the season finale, Joshua McKinley is done. He would have to win next week's challenge to get in the top three. Maybe.

She loved the textile's pattern, as did I. It was gorgeous! But Ivy fell in love with it too much and wouldn't hear Tahari's advice to make it a short dress. After all, the winning look would be carried in his stores so he definitely gets a say so in the matter!

Anytime a Project Runway designer feeds you that bullshit about "staying true" or "being true" as a designer OR to their design, they are committing runway suicide. She was a goner... yet I'll give her props... Ivy left the show gracefully.

When

Tim Gunn

coined the phrase "

make it work

" he must have had Uli in mind. She is my fav and I want to see her win... Her biggest obstacle wont be the challenges, it'll be golden boy who can make a dress made of shit and the judges will say it smells like roses.

OMG! Anthony Ryan was the winner...

What a surprise!

NOT!!! I haven't figured out why I dislike him so much because Anthony Ryan is a very good designer. Perhaps its the judges I should be pissed with who are playing favorites? Or maybe its just his ridiculous hair style which I hate and I'm just being petty? Regardless of my feelings, when Anthony Ryan creates a good dress, I say it. And he did! Congrats golden boy!

join

fashionado

on

facebook

&

twitter

Speakeasies, Soirées & Garden Parties; Project Runway All Stars

[caption id="attachment_18549" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Golden Boy Anthony Ryan in the Project Runway workwroom."]

[/caption]

Kudos Project Runway for conceptualizing a great challenge. This was a creative and truly competitive one, fitting of an All Star. The inspiration was 1920's. The categories were "Speakeasies, Soirées & Garden Parties." How the challenge was detailed is where it got good... the designers were paired off to compete against each other per category. A fashion "face-off!" The 1920's served only as inspiration for the final design which had to be modern, not '20s! The designers were given $250 and went shopping at Mood. As much as I enjoyed the episode, I

do

have a bone to pick with you Project Runway... 

[caption id="attachment_18550" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Emilio Sosa"]

[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_18551" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Joshua McKinley"]

[/caption]

Emilio Sosa and Joshua McKinley "faced-off." Emilio's design was the judges pick but I think it was very close to a tie. Their category was Garden Party. The judges liked both dresses very much but felt Emilio's seemed dated. Joshua's brooch was a fail and the judges felt his dress didn't take a big enough risk. At this point in the competition the remaining designers are all so skilled and talented that the judges (usually) have little choice but to be extra picky.

[caption id="attachment_18552" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Uli"]

[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_18553" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Laura Kathleen"]

[/caption]

Uli's and Laura Kathleen's girls went to a soirée. The judges loved both looks. They felt Laura Kathleen's was better without the fur vest and they agreed that this was a challenge made for Uli.

[caption id="attachment_18554" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Ivy"]

[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_18555" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Anthony Ryan"]

[/caption]

There was no competition between Ivy and Anthony Ryan. In the workroom, mentor

Joanna Coles

asked them to rate one another on a scale of 1-10. Golden boy gave Ivy a strong 7/8 and she gave him a 5! Seriously Ivy? Well, that made for good TV because Anthony Ryan won the overall challenge and Ivy was in the bottom two. The feather caplet, btw, was fabulous!

Here is the issue I have with the show... Feels like Project Runway is up to their dirty tricks again... When you compare the criticism given to Ivy and to Laura Kathleen, who was the loser, it was a no brainer that Ivy had the weakest design. Clearly Ivy should have gone home on the basis of her critique. Did you notice Ivy's facial expression when she realized she was safe? Even she thought she was being sent home. The only reason I can imagine the producers kept Ivy is for ratings. I bet she'll have a meltdown which Project Runway will sensationalize and capitalize on... ahhh... "reality" TV!

join

fashionado

on

facebook

&

twitter

Project Runway takes the Highline; Diane von Furstenberg judges.

[caption id="attachment_18416" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Guest judge Diane von Furstenberg, DVF with Isaac Mizrahi, Georgina Chapman and Carolyn Murphy."]

[/caption]

Project Runway All Stars

Host

Carolyn Murphy gets to wear the winning design to a red carpet event -

poor thing!

I bet she's regretting it now after seeing the dresses. Okay, so I'm exaggerating just a tad, but not entirely. CFDA President,

Diane von Furstenberg

was the special guest judge last week. The episode was all about embracing eco-friendly fashion design. The All Stars learned of the challenge while taking a stroll through NYC's Highline. They were given environmentally friendly textiles to work with and the task was to create a red carpet look.

[caption id="attachment_18417" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Project Runway All Stars on the NYC Highline."]

[/caption]

The designers worked with reversible fabrics. Joshua was safe with his toga-esque look. Not my favorite but not the worst.

Casanova's dress may have been the best design of the group but his mistake, in my opinion, was choosing pattern over solid. If the dress had been bright red with the pattern appearing only in the accents, like the ruffled wave trim on the bodice, his dress would have been an elegant and modern show-stopper. Casanova was safe. BTW, how much does this model look like a young

Naomi Campbell

?!

Anthony Ryan created a tent. Isaac Mizrahi felt there was too much fabric on the sides, agreed. The problem came in that Anthony had to double-up the chiffon because it was too sheer. He solved one problem yet created another.

This was one of the ugliest dresses I've seen in a while. Ivy's sketch was GORGEOUS but sadly, overly ambitious. She had the vision but not the skill to deliver the sketch. Ivy knows she messed but lucky for her, someone messed up greater, keeping her butt safe!

Emilio ran into trouble. More specifically, he ran out of time. Technically, the gown was not up to his standard of construction; i.e. too long, not hemmed, etc etc... He's a good designer and I predict we'll be seeing him in the top three.

In the spirit of recycling, the All Stars had to incorporate trim from past challenges into their design. Well, that was like music to Uli's ears. Girl loves her trim and knows how to work it. I was uncertain as I saw this design come together in the workroom. I kept chanelling mentor Joanna Coles, is it hideous or fabulous? When it came down the runway, it was anything but hideous. Uli has a real gift for working trim in the most aesthetically pleasing ways.

Althea went home. I didn't like the style of the dress or the color but I liked her. And Althea goes home with bragging rights. It's not everyday a fashion icon (DVF) compliments you. While Althea's design was lacking, her skills weren't, as pointed out by Ms. Furstenberg.

The winning design went to Laura Kathleen. I wasn't crazy about the look but didn't hate it either. Did anyone else notice how much time Project Runway spent letting us know what a huge fan Laura Kathleen is of DVF?? And then she wins... hmmmm!

join

fashionado

on

facebook

&

twitter

Project Graffiti - Project Runway

The

Project Runway All Stars

took to the streets with their host

Carolyn Murphy

for last week's challenge. They learned about graffiti and I learned a new art term: aerosol art. I can't wait to impress all of my snooty, intellectual, politically correct friends with this term ... aerosol art ... look ma I'm pretentious! 

The designers were given all the tools they needed including the windiest day in NYC, which they didn't need, to create a

graffiti

aerosol art pattern/print. The Project Runway challenge was to produce a wearable art piece.

Andrae is communicating with the Mother Planet. They're saying "make it work!" and he's replying, "huh?"

Winner and loser, hmmm...

The Bottom 3:

I'm with judge

Georgina Chapman

about there being two dresses here. The top is the beginning of a beautiful and chic outfit and the bottom is a fail, especially with that eyesore of a hemline. To make matters worse (not pictured)

Laura Kathleen

added a trim of piano fringe to the back which was awful. She tried to hard to be different and to be creative. I knew Laura would be safe and I'm glad. Not ready to see her go.

A halter, mermaid gown... so original and innovative... said no one, ever!

Kayne

dear, the judges are beginning to question your taste level.

Suede cut out circles. Suede made a girlie dress. Suede Suede go away...."

Suede

out."

The Top 3:

The most significant advice/criticism from one of the judges was

Ivy's

bad color choice of white for the bottom of the skirt. The guest judge suggested she use a color like red [I thought yellow]. Either one, even orange, would have been a better choice.

This was a smart and sassy look from

Anthony Ryan

. The judges complimented the scale, proportion and wearability. It's a good dress, I like it too, though I hate the pompadour hairdo. It's distracting, dated and overdone. Yet not surprising. Have you noticed the designer's hair style? Yuck.

The clear winner was this creation by

Emilio Sosa

. It was sophisticated and artful. Emilio allowed himself to be inspired by graffiti rather than to try and replicate an art form that he's not a master of and it worked. The only minor issue the judges had was with the belt. They felt it seemed unresolved. No big deal. Easy fix.

join

fashionado

on

facebook

&

twitter

Finale Pt. 1: Project Runway

What an incredible

Project Runway

Finale (pt.1)! Every designer sent out "wow" factors, only! Oops, sorry... wrong season. Yep, sadly, it was an underwhelming episode. Nothing was truly bad but unfortunately, nothing stood out either. And what baffled me mostly were the missed opportunities. Have these designers never watched an episode of Project Runway before? [Not the first time I've posed the thought, btw!] Why, tell me why, wouldn't they send their best, their most striking looks down the runway for the judges? On the other hand, seeing that they all got a spot in New York Fashion Week, everything I just ranted about is kind of a moot point. 

Christopher Palu what were you thinking?! From the scenes I caught, he had great pieces on hangers and yet he sent shorts, two pairs, down the runway! The bigger issue I had was the patterning concept. Seriously Christopher, with all due respect to your mother, why would anyone want to wear a pattern of her x-rays on their clothing??? YUCK! EWWW!! To be blunt, it seemed more like a desperate ploy for the sympathy vote from the judges.

Dmitry Sholokhov chose to present only black & white even though he had a little bit of color in his collection. Tim Gunn expressed the concern but Dmitry was adamant about his choices. The judges were mostly critical of his styling: too much going on and some of it seemed dated they said. And they were correct. I do think Dmitry is the best designer. SO make it work!!

Fabio Costa grew on me about half-way through the season. He is a good designer and of the group, has the strongest point of view. He is an artist making clothing. The issue with this collection (and hopefully he took note of Nina Gracia's comments) is that it looked cheap because his fabrics were cheap. Perhaps he dug them out of the trash, who knows. Fabio's avant-garde aesthetic will function successfully when he uses better textiles, more luxurious...

Melissa Fleis

channelled her inner goth. Heidi pointed that out. I however, get more rock-n-roll from this collection. My favorite line in the critique came from Nina when she asked Melissa to roll down the white jacket sleeves and "cut them off!" YES... here are the scissors, make it work Melissa! The other problem, and now that it was noted, better not reappear, were the cheap, synthetic wigs on the models! OMG... Melissa, they were horrendous!

*

Tonight it all comes to an end when the designers compete at New York Fashion Week. Tune into Lifetime for the Finale of Project Runway Season 10!

join

fashionado

on

facebook

&

twitter

Project Runway [uh-vahnt-gahrd] Challenge

Avant-gardeuh-vahnt-gahrd; noun: is a term used when talking about something that is pushing the limits. Something that is going well above everything else usually used when talking about the arts, politics, and culture.

Even though the designers usually don't "get it" the avant-garde challenge is one of my favorites. With only five of them left, things are getting thick on Project Runway. So, lets breakdown these garments; who made it work and who didn't. 

Dmitry

produced good work. His biggest breakthrough was creating separates rather than the usual dress. He is obviously listening to the judges and pushing himself. Once again, Dmitry was praised for his skills set. That will take him far in this competition. Was his suit avant-garde? Not really. But it was different enough to stand out, well designed and of course, beautifully constructed. The collar piece, however, did not work. Not only was it hideous, it was so costumey that it served more as a distraction to the outfit than good. Edit Dmitry, edit!!

Oh

Christpher

. Sweet, young, pretty Christopher. About 20 years ago,

Vivienne Westwood

created a collection that featured exaggerated hips. The difference between hers and yours? She committed to the design and substantiated it with references, confidence and intelligence. You were probably wearing pull-ups then. Look, its a beautiful dress and the feathered arms gave us runway drama but this is not enough to make a garment avant-garde. But, hey, your safe so who cares.

Irony at it's best.

Fabio

did not win this challenge and was criticized for his look. Why is that ironic? Well, as

Michael Kors

pointed out [to Heidi], the avant-garde designer got flack for being too avant-garde...

Seriously judges

... Michael was the only one who got it right apparently. Clearly, the multifunctional coat- a showpiece- was innovative and experimental. The black shear outfit complemented it. He should have won ! Fabio was the only designer that understood the challenge.

Auf Wiedersehen

Sonjia

.

This is when Project Runway gets really tough. This was a good dress but someone had to go home. Okay, so I wasn't crazy about the color or the moiré pattern and the nude-esque fabric on top wasn't sheer enough. It was distracting. Still, I liked the dress and Sonjia is a good designer.

Melissa

! Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats called. He want's his Rockabilly chick back. OKAY judges, explain yourselves! How is this outfit more avant-garde than Fabio's?? Maybe you guys need to brush up on history. Melissa was the winner. Yup.

...and there you have it.... Tune in Thursday to Lifetime for a new episode of Project Runway!

join

fashionado

on

facebook

&

twitter

Project Runway with the Rockettes!

Tim Gunn

and

Heidi Klum

high kick it with the NYC

Rockettes

- how cute is that! The seven

Project Runway

designers met up with them at Radio City Music Hall to learn of their next challenge which included sequins, spangles, beadwork, fringe and two visits to Mood...

Debra Messing

served as the Project Runway guest judge.  The winner of the challenge will have their design produced and worn by the Rockettes.

Now that's worth a few high kicks!

The two big problems with Sonjia's outfit are functionality and the lack of sex appeal. The feathers would not survive a season of wear and the costume, overall, was kind of blah. It lacked sparkle and pizazz. Sonjia was in the bottom, but safe.

Fabio was safe. I really like the metallic shimmer of his costume but didn't care too much for it's style. It looked more Gladiator than Rockette.

Elena came very close to going home with this shiny blue majorette -esque looking outfit. The judges said it was too matchy matchy and looked cheap. Elena wept.

I didn't care for Melissa's costume at all. The judges didn't give her the lowest scores but they too had their issues with it. Take away: model looked like a "cigarette girl."

Michael Kors

said if you dropped the skirt long, Dmitry's outfit could be a red carpet dress. The judges loved it [as did I]. It was very sparkly, provided outstanding movement from the beaded fringed skirt and had loads of visual appeal. Dmitry didn't win the challenge but it was a very close call.

Goodbye! Adios! Auf Wiedersehen!

YES I am happy to see Ven Budhu go home! Now he's free to design all the "origami" rose corsets for super skinny women, forever if he wants...

Christopher Palu, who was adorably star-struck with guest judge Debra Messing, was ecstatic to win the challenge. The judges unanimously agreed that his costume was stunning, beautiful and sophisticated. They especially loved the concept of integrating the iconic NYC skyline into the design. Perfection.

join

fashionado

on

facebook

&

twitter