dialyn

Actually this isn't the first time this has happened. Patricia, who was often innovative with her textile manipulation but not so strong a designer, was passed through several times because she had potential. I think it is the sign of the times. I heard a radio report announcing "Millennials are the next greatest generation." It may be true, but how can anyone be declared "great" ahead of time? That's something that's assessed after they've had a chance to actually accomplish something. If this were a contest about finding individuals with potential, then it would make sense to push people forward who don't have the skills now but may at some future time, but this is supposed to be a contest of people who are already proven. And I think Char does have her skills, but she struggles with time management, and she might benefit from some additional training and travel (if she could afford it). I thought I read she was self-taught, and there's nothing wrong with that, but that can be self-limiting. Kini,on the other hand, from Honolulu Community College’s fashion technology department with an AAS Degree in Fashion Technology and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he tried six times to get on the show. I really admire tenacity and the fact he no doubt improved his skills each time. Yes, he may be stuck in a dark color zone and, yes, he may not be the most creative, but he certainly studied his craft (and I think he studied the show as well because he knows he has to be fast). So, it is great that Char has potential (and I would agree with that) but I'd rather the win goes to someone who displays the actual ability now. Unfortunately, Kini, Sean, and Amanda all have skills but they are pretty uninspiring so far (from my point of view).

Amazon.com has some but not all the seasons as well, but they charge for the streaming even if you have Amazon Prime (go figure this, they have seasons 1-3 and 8-13 but not season 4 - 7 as streaming). I imagine what you are looking for are free sources for them and I don't have any bright ideas for that (not legal ones, anyway). Netflix used to have some seasons available for streaming, but now they are all DVDs (seasons 1-12). Hulu has seasons 9-13. I've seen all the seasons between one source or another...I am surprised how little I remember about Season 8 (Gretchen) though that seems to be one of the more infamous seasons. Some of the seasons that were available on YouTube no longer are there (including Season 8). I'm almost tempted to get Season 8 a second time just to nudge my fading memory, but do I really want to do that to myself?

Is there any way to quit labeling everything drab and unflattering as "old lady" clothes. No lady of a certain age I know would wear Kini's or Amanda's stuff...I live in Southern California and the clothes tend to be light and bright....well, except for the very young ones who think showing their butt cheeks is attractive and squeezing into sizes too small is flattering (they are clearly advertising for different attention than my group is). Us old ladies also don't all put make up on with a trowel (in fact, I don't wear make up, so be terrified of me, but most of the women who wear make up in my group use a very light touch). And we don't all chase Botox and surgical answers to the aging process. Really, these stereotypes need to go away. They are manufactured in the media but don't have much to do with the real life around me. The problem with the designers is not the woman they are theoretically designing for, but their own mindset. None of the older women in Kini's family dressed in dark, heavy clothes. He may be in rebellion against them, but his lively elders looked as if they were having a lot of fun in their colorful garb. Amanda's fascination with the 60's and 70's continues to mystify me...I lived through those periods and not a time I'd care to revisit (except she's sucked all the color from the eras, which is odd). I seem to be getting less excited by the last episode rather than more. I admit I don't know fashion so it isn't as if I expect them to reach down to my taste levels, but I do expect to have something that shows they tried, a little. I'm tired of the excuses. Yes, they are tired, they are stressed, and they didn't have enough time...but they couldn't produce just one garment that was a little special? Just one?

As people grow older, one finds women want to feel sexy and joyful no matter what their age. It isn't something limited to the young. When some of the age snobs pass a certain line on the timeline, they will find their disdain moderates, unless they try to cling to their youth which often results in sad and unflattering choices. Unfortunately the judges on Project Runway seem to be stuck in their time delusion where everyone else ages but they do not. I know, for myself alone, given any choices I would pick the colorful side of Hawaii rather than the dark side Kini has chosen, I would rather have the flowing colors of Uli than the drab shades of Amanda, I would rather have a nice fitting and flattering pant rather than the too tight shorts of Char, and I definitely would not want Sean's fringe that would attract the attention of cats. P.S. I have cats. They would love the fringe. It wouldn't last long.

Did they have that much choice of clothes? It looked like they were packing out of their closets which would seem to give them a limited range. If they really were only told a few hours ahead that they were going to leave for Rome, that wouldn't given them time. (Marking Rome off my places to visit; I don't have the clothes for it.)

One question they always ask the designers is if they prefer to sketch or to drape. Char responded that she prefers to drape....I don't think a lack of sketching means much in that case. Several designers seem to prefer to layer their designs on the mannequins rather than reference a sketch. Her second dress (the one the judges wanted eliminated, the center one) didn't look particularly well made from the viewpoint of my computer screen. Of course I could be wrong. I often am. I was hoping they stayed at the Best Western Artdeco hotel in Rome, which would so help explain part of Amanda's explanation of her runway looks so I watched the beginning again. There is a sign that says Best Western Premier but I didn't see anything else. Pity. It would have been so tidy. I read Nick's blog on the Lifetime webpage and it gives a couple of insights into this episode...no spoilers.

This was the same group who couldn't (with one exception) find anyone in New York from which to draw inspiration. Whatever you think of Sean as a designer, he seems to be the only one that actually listens to the challenge and follows through. Then he tacks the fringe on and that's that. Anyway, I think looking at Roman ruins was as useful to these four as looking the real women of Rome. My bet is that they could have been in any city and we would have seen the same looks we had with this episode. For myself and myself alone, I meant that Char's personal style is generally better than her designs....and part of this has nothing to do with her clothes but her overall attitude about how she wears those clothes. But this isn't a contest about how likeable she is or how well she wears her clothes but on the fashions she creates and that's where she lacks a bit. But so do the rest of the four.

Half of Sean's runway looks did not have fringe (they were made out of big striped material) but Tim advised him that the two different kinds of looks (striped versus fringe) didn't look cohesive, and that he should go with the one that was more his style (those aren't the words Tim used but something like that). I don't know that Tim meant Sean should put fringe on everything, but that's probably what Sean heard.

I don't want to watch the episode again but I noticed that there is a Best Western Hotel Artdeco in Rome--is that where Amanda got the connection between art deco and Rome?

I don't disagree that there are some likeable people on Project Runway (though I can't say I feel strongly about any of them since I really don't know them), but I didn't see any fashion designs that were that inspiring, certainly not these final looks. It will take more than that for Tim to resurrect his reputation...he just looks like he is playing favorites again. They saved some money on the Best Western rooms in Italy...they looked pretty low rent to me, especially compared to the suite they ended up in when they returned to New York.

What I really don't get is how Kini would be so drawn to such drab fabrics when he comes from Hawaii, which has such a color infused culture. Is it a weird kind of rebellion on his part? He seems such a sunny personality and yet his designs are so heavy and dark. Most of the judges' remarks seemed pointed more at his styling than his clothes, though. I do think he is stuck in a rut...he wants his denim, he wants his dark clothes, he wants masses of detail, but the results are repetitive and heavy looking. Of all the designers, I would have anticipated more from him but the results seem so sad. Actually there is much I don't get. Char who clearly knows how to dress herself with style doesn't seem terribly successful at doing the same with her designs. I still don't understand Amanda's fascination with the 70s but if we have to have an all maxi dress collection, I would much rather look at an Uli collection than an Amanda collection. It's not that it is so bad but it is so boring, and the colors are terribly drab (which is where the resemblance to the 70s end; I remember much more color then). And Sean, Sean, Sean....basing his idea on an assassination doesn't seem like a great idea. Fringe as a blood, really? And is it a good idea to use make up greatly resembling a zombie? Trendy, maybe; attractive, not so much. I understand the judges being hard on Kini. I don't understand why they weren't equally hard on the other three. I'm not into fashion so I probably missed something here, but I can't imagine giving a second look to any of the looks they trotted out. In a way, maybe five weeks was enough because I don't think an additional two months would have induced these four to come up with anything remarkable. There is just a deficit of imagination here. Maybe it is a time restraint thing, but I'm not so sure of that anymore.

The advantage Dina has is that she is used to look for food solutions to her problems....remember her veining in the first episode? Flexibility in using materials in original ways has to be an asset. (I actually do know chocolate has been used to substitute for blood before, but Dina wasn't creating blood...she wanted a wet mud look and she took an experimental approach to figure out how to achieve the effect...it's not that she was completely original, but she was creative in using what she had on hand in the workshop.) Looking at the preview for next week, I'm only going to say there are some animals that are not particularly frightening no matter how large they are. Anyone ever see "Attack of the Lupus?" Giant bunnies are just not scary. It looks as if Drew got the of challenge of making a not very scary creature look threatening (anything I can outrun is not frightening to me), which makes me worry for him. As for why is Drew still in the competition, how soon we forget his emo faun which was a win for him (and a nice little nod to one of the judges). He got a top look, though not a win, in the Serpent Soldiers challenge. Not without talent, but perhaps not as consistent as some of the others. One reason I have some doubts about George is that he said this episode that he still thought his Zeus from last episode was great. It is one thing to have confidence in your design; it is another to be blind to its imperfections (and that Zeus was a bit weak). On the other hand, he did follow Mr. Westmore's suggestions for the fairy and I think that helped him push his character up a level. I hope that's true. That would just reaffirm what I like about this show....the camaraderie of the group.

I also noticed the model gave him a hug (and a kiss?) when they left the center stage. I think he has such a good rapport with other people he is working with....if I were on a work project, I would want him on it because he has talent, a good work ethic, and he is a nice guy.

I know his fairy wasn't the strongest but it was considerate of Drew to take into account how his model would be able to function once the make up was applied, and he, yet again, offered to help out when Stella found herself in trouble. This is such a nice group of people (at least what we see of them) that I hate to see any of them dismissed (yes, I know that isn't a criteria for judging). Dina once again pulled in her knowledge of food science in order to help create her make up (and what a perfect teacher she had in Anthony Kosar)--I appreciate her creativity. George was smart to listen to his model about how to overcome the problem with the crack in his makeup...that wasn't even mentioned as a flaw by the judges. Cig definitely broke out of his yuck box and did something that was beautiful for a change (his model was the perfect selection for this make up, I thought). This just wasn't Stella's day. She seemed to be struggling from the very beginning and I'm not sure why. She is very talented and I'm sad to see her go (though surely she'll return as a helper in the finale). I'd like to see Dina go through to the end because she has been so consistent (with the exception of that reindeer in Episode 8), but, truly, I'd be fine with any of them going on to the finale. At different stages of this contest, I believe they have all shown ability. Now it is down to who can work under the pressure of being so close to the end.

Actually, based on how Amanda dresses, I wouldn't hire her as a stylist either, but, from some of the comments on this forum, I guess Amanda's style has a following. (not me--I'm not a fashion person. She seems to favor a style that was popular when I was a teenager and she just seems too young at 32 to be stuck in an era that predates her.) To me, Char and Emily have both come up with more interesting looks for themselves than they designed for other people. I tend to agree with that. I think Char and Kini would be an interesting team (were they paired at one point...my poor brain is not remembering this season very well). I keep hoping that Kini really does have creativity but he is holding it in check, but I think I'm just being optimistic since he is so likeable (not a criteria for winning Project Runway, obviously).

I'm assuming Marcus puts some kind of hold on his checks until he figures out whether or not the deals are solid....doesn't seem like your debtors would appreciate getting their money and then having it pulled back. A million dollars is a heck of a lot of money to throw at a business so poorly run. I don't know where the stubborn brothers were coming from....well, actually I do. They wanted the money without having any strings attached. Apparently they never actually watched the show. I was amazed that Marcus accepted a 30% share instead of his usual 50%+. Maybe they were too invested in making that episode to walk off early, but all the signs were there from the beginning that the brothers (and father) were not willing to change anything. I just started watching this show (binge viewed six episodes in a row) and I am amazed at how immature some of the business owners act, but, of course, the nuttier the participants, the better the drama for the camera. As with all reality shows, does it never occur to these people that there is an audience watching them, and among those viewers might be potential customers or investors? The worst one, in my mind, was the woman who tried to chase Marcus down for a date, but this pair of brothers came close. Just amazing.

It's kind of hard to tell from the previews, but I already spotted a couple of garments I liked better than anything I've seen this seen on the regular Project Runway (at least, well enough that I'd like to see it in more detail). Yeah, the young people are going to be precocious and possibly annoying (one I can already see is going to be hard to take in too big of doses) but, if they have the talent to back up their words, I'll probably watch anyway. If this is anything like the youngsters who participate in the cooking shows, they usually are high achievers who actually do well in school as well actively pursuing their current dreams. The problem is not usually with the teens and tweens (as Project Runway refers to them) but in parents who leap to think their child is a genius. I have a friend whose daughter has written a couple of short stories, and the mother has already got, in her mind, her child being a world famous novelist and screenwriter. Maybe the daughter is great; I don't know, but I also wrote short stories when I was that age and I can guarantee greatness and fame was not in the cards for me (on the other hand, my mother never thought I was hot stuff either so let's blame my lack of success on her, shall we?). Anyway, I'll probably watch at least one episode just for the change of pace. I can't resist a little guy in a bow tie, what can I say?

You are probably right. Must get pretty boring for the contestants who get kicked off first. And frustrating because you could be a good designer who gets kicked for having a bad day, and you see another designer with fewer skills move forward. That would happen with any of these shows, of course, I give this much credit to Project Runway that they do keep their secrets pretty well (or I just don't care enough to search out spoilers).

My bet would be that they always have an extra person (maybe two) in case someone else either refuses to play or has an accident/illness or other reason for not being able to participate. That just makes good sense to have a spare person (or two) on call in case of emergencies. Tim needs new glasses.

I have to agree...I don't really care much one way or the other. Even though I don't think he is necessarily the most creative of the group, I prefer Kini to the rest. I rather wish he would branch off from ruffles and denim, but he has the best overall skills of the group.

Don't the decoy collections walk in front of an audience? Whether or not they are in the final three or four of Project Runway, would there be no value to being one of the decoys and having their collection shown anyway? I agree this doesn't seem like the greatest group of designers, but there some outfits among the decoys that seem like they might perk someone's interest, or at least give the designer permission to say they appeared on the runway there. Maybe I've misunderstood the whole decoy thing, but it seems to me there is some value (not monetary) to having your outfits shown. The best thing about this video is watching Fade break loose and dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTvGcHMV7As . I apologize for the video embedding. I can't seem to just put the link in without it showing the video. If that's not permitted, my apologies to the moderator....perhaps they could explain how to fix it?

I'll grant that Tim Gunn said to make Kini's skirt less simple, but did he really say to put a big ruffle around the hem? He may have had something less intrusive in mind. Surely there was something between a straight skirt and a ruffled hem that could have been done in the same amount of time (especially given Kini's skills). There are people who can wear white and stay pristine throughout the day. I'm not one of them. The first time I eat or drink something, whatever is in my hand will leap to the white as if a magnet was in the fabric. And it is always something that stains. I never wear white if I have any choice at all because I know it will end up quickly spotted. I don't have a problem with Sean's outfit but I don't see it being all that brilliant. But that's fashion. Most of the stuff I wear, I don't think any of the judges would be caught dead in.

Not sure if this qualifies but, after watching the first three episodes in a binge, this series confirms every negative thought I've ever had about the law profession. Yes, I know it is fiction. I may have missed it, but I haven't seen one admirable character in the whole thing. I don't think I'm going to last with this series. After three hours with morally bankrupt characters, I honestly don't care what happens to the lot of them.

We don't know that, do we?. We only see the edited clips. What is said by anyone, including Tim, is only part of what they actually say. I didn't say that. I said we don't see everything, and that includes comments Tim may or may not have said to the judges. Clearly he has made suggestions to the designers that the judges didn't agree with, but that's to be expected. He is a mentor, not a mind-reader.

The only way Tim Gunn could redeem himself after the debacle that was "Under the Gunn" is if he admitted he participated in the bad behavior. He wanted Mondo to win (that was very clear) and it was only Heidi's interference that changed the course of his predetermined effort. In this season of "Project Runway" he has given advice that don't agree with the judges but he has also given advice that would have helped designers had they listened to him. That is the fate of a mentor. He's not really there to help a certain person win (unless that's the role he's chosen to take, which is exactly what happened in "Under the Gunn"). It appears everyone was glad to see Korina leave early (she must have been fun to room with), and everyone seemed genuinely sorry to see Emily go. As one of the few who actually liked Emily's hoodie (it looked cozy to me), I'm sorry for her exit. If they kept Char, they certainly could have changed the rules (again) to keep Emily. I really think a double elimination of Emily and Char would have made sense since they seemed to have the least successful looks overall. The problem for me is that no one really seems wow worthy. I like Kini and he produces a product that looks polished, but not really "wow" for the most part (I did like the bottom of the red dress more than most people...it looked like liquid even when it was standing still). Sean made Heidi's fringe dress that moved so beautifully, but now he just obsesses with fringe and I've had about enough of it (pink fringe on a pink outfit did not make things better this episode, though I agree that given what he had to work with, he made it about as playfully absurd as he could). I've looked at the photos of the finals runways but I really want to see them in motion before I think too much about them. Something can look great in a photo, and then look pretty sad when it is in motion.