Project Runway with Miranda Lambert

[caption id="attachment_19679" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Country music star and Grammy winner, Miranda Lambert joined Nina Garcia, Zac Posen and Heidi Klum in the judges circle. "]

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Country & Rock collided on

Project Runway

when the designers were challenged to create stage and red carpet looks for country music star

Miranda Lambert

. For this episode, the designers split into teams of two and for the most part, I'd say they all played very well together. No big surprises. No big drama. Imagine that... a Project Runway episode about fashion and

it's

challenges.

Amanda crawled from under the bus her "team" threw her under to create this judge's fav fringed dress. It fit well and had great movement. Amanda didn't win the challenge but I was happy to see her kick butt.

Another judge's fav. Benjamin's red carpet look was beautiful but I just wasn't crazy about it. For some reason, the bedazzled fringe dangling from the bodice really bugged me!

Daniel got served a big fucking slice of humble pie! His cocky and overly confident attitude in the workroom was too much. Look at me, look at me. I'm so fabulous. This technique is the best. Look at me... UGH! Hopefully, being in the bottom put his ego in check and an abundance of talent is all we'll see from Daniel from this point forward.

*Sidenote

, does anyone else hate that ridiculous moustache?!!

Kate's red carpet look is a little much with the red leather. I like the dress and appreciate the effort but the hardness of the leather fights the flowy chiffon bottom. I would have used the red leather sparingly. Also, notice the gold stud work on the shoulders? Perhaps Kate ran out of time, but there just wasn't enough of them. They look like an afterthought. I want to see more from Kate. My advice to her: EDIT.

The ruching and structure of the bodice is very nice and I like that the belt adds a flattering touch of sparkle to the look. I am just not crazy about center slits AND why is the model holding up the dress?!! If she can't work a gown, she shouldn't be on the runway.

This was painful. Not the dress so much as Matthew's demeanor. The dress wasn't awful but it didn't scream Miranda Lambert. The real problem was Matthew's lack of confidence and self esteem. It was hard to watch him speak and question and doubt himself. He was sent home. Hopefully he'll get some help.

Are you kidding me? A denim skirt for a red carpet look! Like the judges, I have to question Michelle's taste. The leather vest was rockin' fab, Miranda like it and Heidi pointed out that they are judging the complete look, not individual pieces. The vest was painfully over-shadowed by the floor length denim skirt and bib necklace. Zac Posen said the necklace was so distracting it looked like linguini dangling.

The Native American-esque leather fringe is dramatic and fabulous. Now, all Patricia needs to do is create a dress to go with it... not this one. She needs a dress that works in unison with the fringed accessory. Right now I am seeing two, very distracting things happening. It's just not working. I think that Patricia is starting to get consumed with her heritage and is compromising good design.

Yay for Richard! He was so genuinely happy to win the challenge and he deserved it. Not only was it a terrific looking dress with plenty of appeal and movement, but Richard truly "made it work." [Tim Gunn should be very proud!] The dress was made of mesh making it too revealing. At the last moment, in a stoke of genius, Richard cut up the Mood t-shirts he bought with their budget money and created a lining. Perfect!

This dress is boring. Stanley struggled with it and it shows. Do I really need to say anything else?

Samantha's look was not a hit with the judges. I didn't love it, but I liked it. The colors are too dark so a lot of detailing got lost. The leather vest is HOT!

Poor Tim Gunn almost suffered a stroke or something in the workroom with Tu Suthiwat's dress. Thank God, Praise the Lord that the advice Tim offered was taken, otherwise the model would have looked like a balloon cartoon with the blowouts Tu Suthiwat wanted to make in the chest and hip areas. And though the final result isn't bad, he didn't really consider the client. This is not a look for Miranda Lambert.

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Flower Power on Project Runway!

Last week's

Project Runway

came up smelling like roses. And tulips, irises, carnations, chrysanthemums and daisies! The designers embraced the notorious unconventional challenge like no other group, ever.

Tim Gunn

delivered the criteria for the challenge, but of course, this wouldn't be Project Runway without a twist. Enter

Heidi Klum

. The designer teams had to incorporate hardware into their designs. So in addition to shopping for their materials at the flower shop, they also went to a hardware store. Both teams did such a good job that it's difficult to point out the "bad" this week. In fact, the judges were so impressed with the looks they decided that there would be no losing team.

The guest judges were the Divine

Bette Midler

and

Man Repeller

blogger / creator

Leandra Medine

. They were both great judges, very insightful. [*Keep using bloggers Project Runway

hint hint!

]

Amanda's dress was my least favorite. She was in the bottom two though we all knew she would be safe. She struggled with this challenge because she doesn't like flowers. Seriously? I can't wrap my head around this. I LOVE flowers.

There was something charming about Joseph Aaron. He was a little odd, but harmless and sweet. Unfortunately, he is too conceptual of an artist for Project Runway. 

Auf Wiedersehen...

A beautiful design by Samantha. The judges liked how she cleverly used the screening material as a sheer layer to expose the greenery on the skirt. The overall design and concept is terrific and was worth the win.

Thank you Project Runway for a fantastic episode. This is why I watch you! Keep them coming.

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A HEIDI-Licious Project Runway

[caption id="attachment_19406" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Heidi: "This is the story board to my new fragrance: Surprise." Tim Gunn: "Make it work Heidi, make it work." Heidi: "It's ALL about me Tim. It works.""]

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Last week's Project runway was all about Heidi Klum. And how is that different than any other week?? Well, the designer teams got to design for her as their challenge. Heidi wanted two looks for the launching of her new fragrance called Surprise. The looks would be used for press and promotional events. Tim Gunn advised the designers to use the packaging color scheme gold, black and pink as inspiration. 

TEAM KEEPING IT REAL

[Designer] Richard knew the second his model stepped on the runway that there was too much junk in the trunk... a ruffled overkill...

David was one the winners with this flowing jersey dress with black leather trim.

The ladies took the win. Kate and Layana struggled for a minute, mostly in the communication process, but once they agreed on the design choices, they came up with the killer gown. Its sexy, strong yet pretty.

TEAM DREAM TEAM

Slap on some black lipstick and Heidi can audition for a role in Underworld vs. Resident Evil... not gonna happen! Sorry Tu Suthiwat. Do better this week please.

Samantha had a good concept but fell a little short of "making it work." The illusion netting didn't do well on the model, though it may have worked on Heidi. There are fit issues too. Look at the sleeve.

OMG... where do I begin. Benjamin this is a mess. The sketch was so beautiful. What happened? I don't think the dress should have been so complicated for a designer with his experience and skill. I guess Benjamin didn't account for the fact the he just can't make decisions!

Cindy got to me. Yes she's been in the bottom every episode and yes this dress was not good. But she

did

listen to the judges about sexing up her looks and she's just so sweet. After elimination, when Cindy told Tim Gunn that because of him she became a fashion designer, I may have shed a tear.

Matthew should have gone home. This is terrible. Maybe he though the client was Party City?

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Stars & Stripes on Project Runway All Stars

Project Runway

must have heard me.

Last week

I said that the only way

Joshua McKinley

would stay on would be to win

this

challenge... WTF! He did! I didn't see it coming, did you??

Last week's Project Runway All Stars proved that the military needs its gays! The All Stars worked with service women in need of a little tlc is the fashion and style department. It was a tender and emotional challenge. Truly one of my favs.

This dress is classic Uli! The dress was flowy and flattering. It was so feminine and you could tell that the client/model felt great wearing it. Uli is a winner, whether it happens on Project Runway or not!

Emilio got nailed for his craftsmanship. There were fit issues and sloppy construction. He's great at what he does but just need a little more time to "make it work." I love the style and color of the dress probably as much as the client/model did. I wonder if in these type of challenges where a "real" person is involved and the dress isn't "perfect" if the designer fixes it or makes another dress? Would you want to wear a dress out in public that was on national tv and major fashion designer judges pointed out all that was wrong with it?

Golden Boy tarnished. Well, not really because gold doesn't tarnish, but he did get a slap on the wrist for not designing for real women! Anthony Ryan made a skinny girl dress. I loved his fabric choice and to be fair, the dress itself is beautiful, but as the judges pointed out, it accentuated the areas that the client/model wanted to hide. Like Emilio, if Anthony Ryan had just a bit more time, he would've gotten it right.

The big surprise came from Joshua McKinley winning since he has been in the bottom consistently. He really connected with his client... and what about that precious service dog!! The outfit was a total winner. It was cute, sassy and the client/model owned the runway. Congratulations Joshua!

[For me] the biggest surprise was yet to come... With Joshua's winning the challenge there was no way he was being sent home. [Yet] Carolyn Murphy stated "because this is Project Runway All Stars someone needs to go home..." So who was left? Emilio and Anthony Ryan who were both in the bottom two... and there was No way they would be sent packing...  a few minutes of real suspense on Project Runway...  Who would be sent home??? Try: no one! At the end, ALL four moved on to next week, which btw, will take place in PARIS!

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THE Unconventional Challenge: Project Runway All Stars with Kylie Minogue

[caption id="attachment_18524" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Guest Judge KYLIE MINOGUE!"][/caption]

When host Carolyn Murphy announced the guest judge would be Kylie Minogue, did anyone noticed how giddy the Project Runway All Star boys got??! Of course,"all the lovers" couldn't have made the Uncoventional Challenge popular among the designers. [Though] WE the viewer, love it. The designers had somewhat of a double challenge this time. They made all their supply purchases at a Christmas store BUT their garments had to 1) not look like they used unconventional materials; 2) not look like Christmas! 



The boys struggled with this challenge. Emilio had me quite nervous. HE was quite nervous himself, feeling defeated by the challenge. And even though he didn't make it work, thankfully Emilio was safe.



Its fair to say the Laura Kathleen ran out of time. The top of the dress looks great but it is evident that from the waist down she hurried.



Dammit Joshua McKinley! The top is sensational. The judges said so... Its dynamic and different. Its innovative and well constructed. TOO BAD the opposite was said of the shorts. Joshua didn't think it through all the way. He poured all his energy [and talent] into making the top cream "Wow" that by the time he was ready to create the bottom, he was spent. No more time, no ideas, no materials. No luck... well, Joshua was safe, so I guess he had some luck!



This dress, by Ivy, has the opposite effect of a wow factor. DULL... I had to yell it... DULL... so I wouldn't fall asleep while writing about it. I kind of like the fringe on the skirt but it starts and ends there... everything else about Ivy's dress is a sleeper.



Golden boy, Anthony Ryan, as usual got his butt kissed by the judges. This Uli-look-a-like dress is pretty damn good. I'll give it him. But he didn't take the win!



Casanova, who looks more and more like present day Mickey Rourke, failed and was sent packing. Casanova never pulled it together with this challenge and it cost him.



Deservingly, the winner was Uli! She used her trim and embellishing talents to the max and created a beautiful dress.

I predict the top three will be Uli, Emilio and Anthony Ryan... What do you think?

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Androgyny, Avant- Garde & Clueless Designers: Project Runway All Stars

Androgyny

is a term derived from the 

Greek

words ανήρ, 

stem

ανδρ- (anér, andr-, meaning man) and γυνή (gyné, meaning woman), referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics.

Avant-garde

(French pronunciation: [avɑ̃ɡaʁd] ); from French, "advance guard" or "vanguard" [1] ) is a French term used in English as a noun or adjective to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics.

[Thanks Wikipedia!]

Project Runway All Stars get a clue! Their challenge was to design and create androgynous and avant-garde looks. Obviously the All Stars haven't heard of designers 

Ann Demeulemeester

or

Rick Owens

or they would have understood the aesthetic being asked of them! Well, at least they are entertaining. And to be fair, some of the designers got it, kinda.

After a visit to Mood and about a day of construction,

Georgina Chapman

visits the work room to deliver a manly twist. Suddenly, and much to their horror, the designers found themselves creating a companion look for male models. I won't lie to you, it was a fun episode made sweeter by all the mancandy. 

Lets breakdown all the looks:

Althea did well. She wasn't on top or bottom. Safe is good. The layering contributes to level of androgyny by eliminating masculine/feminine shape. I'm not too crazy about the loose fitting trousers and the leather treatments, looks cheap. The male model does not need to be wearing lipstick!

Golden boy, Anthony Ryan, once again had the judges worshiping him. This week, I won't argue it too much because he

did

have one of the best designs. Personally, I'd like to see the train on the male model's shirt go away. Anthony could have used that fabric to give him sleeves. A number of the designers went sleeveless for the men. What was up with that??

OMFG Casanova, I don't even know what to say. Perhaps International Male is hiring???

Ivy nailed it... IF this were the Cirque du Soleil challenge. This is awful! I can't get past the ridiculous face painting to even speak about this intelligently.

I'm torn with Joshua's. I love the male model's look. It's modern, edgy and [somewhat] meets the challenge requirements. The female, however,  just doesn't do it. "Different" doesn't make something avant-garde. Luckily Joshua was safe. I like him on the show.

Uli gave us a rock / punk look that mostly worked. I actually loved both pieces, including the styling. The only issue I have is that Uli's designs were a little too costumey.

Laura Kathleen gave us another OMFG moment. Or is this more of a WTF? In full disclosure, she made it known that this was a very difficult challenge for her because her work is so far from androgyny and the avant-garde. BUT that's an excuse! C'mon Laura Kathleen, that just doesn't fly OR justify OR forgive the disaster and embarrassment you sent down the runway!

I love the over-size houndstooth but I would have preferred it stay on the bolt of fabric. Kayne, this was a fail. I can't get past the ruffled collar. The female model looks like a jester. And I haven't decided if the male model embraces androgyny or if he's just really really gay.

Emilio Sosa won the challenge. He nailed the androgyny factor but I'm not convinced his look was avant-garde enough. However, it did have incredible stage presence which is what wowed the judges.

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Project Runway All Stars Episode 1 Team Challenge

Meet the Cast

of Season 2 of

Project Runway All Stars

. The first episode started with a pretty serious, All Star-worthy challenge to design and create a mini-collection based on "attitude." For this, the designers split into two groups:

Team Bold

and

Team Confident

. The creations were a reminder that some designers got their a

uf wiedersehen

prematurely, while others made you wonder why they were asked back on the show. And speaking of coming back, I was happy to see

Joanna Coles

return to "mentor" and whip these designers into shape and though she is no longer with

Marie Claire

, and is now editor of

Cosmopolitan

, both publications are a part of Hearst Magazines - so it's still all in the family. Equally happy to welcome back

Isaac Mizrahi

and

Georgina Chapman

as judges. The new Heidi is '90s model

Carolyn Murphy

. (I've always liked her!)

[caption id="attachment_17786" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Joanna Coles & the Project Runway All Stars."]

[/caption]

So, let's have a look at the triumphs and trainwrecks of the first episode: 

TEAM BOLD:

WTF is this???

Andrae

, you are so lucky Project Runway knows you're good for ratings which is the only reason your ass is still in the competition. So what if this is a dog of a dress? Surely Andrae will have multiple meltdowns and outer body experiences throughout the season, making for fun entertainment.

This had the potential to be a good dress but apparently Project Runway designer

Emilio Sosa

confused the chosen "attitude" of "Bold" with "Whore." I don't know any stylish women who would wear this stupid dress.

One of the better looks from Team Bold came from

Joshua McKinley

. Okay, I'm not crazy about the exposed midriff, but everything else works. I especially like the rocker gloves. I'll admit to you right now that I'm a little biased. I like Joshua. I know, I know... he was a big bitch season 9. He bullied others and made girls cry BUT I believe he recognized that behavior and changed it. Our twitter interactions have been super sweet. So Joshua, don't be a bitch, except to Ivy!

Laura Kathleen

had the highest score for Team Bold which really isn't saying much. Laura, I like you, but if you give us Peplum all season like your first time around, I will hate you.

And then there was

Suede

... the Project Runway All Star whose design is as confused as his personal style. The shoulder cups, really? The napkin skirt? Yuck! Suede, dear, yes you are at Parsons but you are a designer on Project Runway NOT a fucking student!

The judges made cobbler out of

Peach Carr

. The horrified reaction from Joanna Coles upon learning that Peach is a tennis clothing designer was priceless! The judges hated this dress and while I won't disagree with them, in my opinion, Andrae's and Suede's designs were much worse. Peach was sent home.

TEAM CONFIDENT:

There are good elements to

Althea's

dress and some that need improvement. The shape, hem line and lace placement all work to flatter the design. I wish the black lace around the neck and shoulders weren't so wide and I hate the slit out front. Not a big fan of the black tights as well.

Guest judge and first season All Star winner

Mondo

, felt that

Casanova's

dress was a little boring. That it's strongest quality was it's tone on tone. The judges pointed out that the hem was longer than it should have been. Overall, it was a good design and everyone liked the leather & lace juxtaposition.

And next up, ready to "Lip sync for their life" is

Kayne

. Oops! Sorry, wrong reality series! Kayne, girl, this ain't no drag competition...

I love this jacket by

Ivy Higa

. The judges did too. The leather shorts, not so much. I'm with

Michael Kors

and would have paired the jacket with a skinny white pant. Ivy is clearly talented but wicked. Has she changed her ways? Time will tell.

Uli

has to be one of the most memorable Project Runway designers. This is a fabulous dress. The only thing I am concerned about is that we may see this dress throughout the season. The sophisticated maxi style dress is Uli's signature, I get it, but I hope she also gives us sleeves, separates and slacks.

The only thing troubling me with

Wendy Pepper's

dress is it's length which may be an indication of her styling aesthetic. Not good. However, the architecture of the top is fantastic and I even like the bow around the waist. Too bad the skirt's so short. What's that rufflely, shredded stuff at the crotch?!

Winning the challenge was

Anthony Ryan Auld

with a very wearable ensemble. It was good and the back lace surprise was great. The judges loved the lace back. I believe that's what got him the prize because it sure wasn't the baggy crotch. It was a smart move.

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