S18.E06: There Is Only One You

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, little black cloud said:

 

So I might be wrong about this, but I don't think the designers knew it was a flash sale challenge until well into the day, after they'd come pretty far with their designs. I found that frustrating on their behalf -- they might have made very different decisions had they known that the judges would surely be considering whether their design could be mass-produced.

Right after Christian told the designers the this was a flash sale challenge the editors cut to Sergio saying he was going to change his design to make his "evening gown" more wearable to the masses.   He knew and continued with his political statement.  

[Lamb18]

I just watched the show and haven't read any posts yet. I wish Dayoung had won, I felt her garment expressed her heritage more and was better made. But I'm glad Chelsey won, I like her and her glasses.

Sergio is such an ass. I suppose he really does feel bad about the children, but I couldn't help feeling he was using their tragedy as a way to emotionally sway the judges into overlooking his garment. As it was, his dress reminded me of something Ashley, season winner from a few years back, would make. She used that kind of fabric quite a bit, and I think in her final collection. The embroidery was tacky looking, too.

The two I liked best, Nancy's and Brittany's, were safe. Maybe the judges thought Brittany's might be too literal, but I liked the dress she made out of denim. It didn't look and move like denim. 

I'm glad Delvin is safe. I like Victoria, too. She can join Elena (Ukrainian) and Dmitry (Belarussian) in the eastern European favorites group. I think she might be better than both.

Now I haven't read any posts so if you've already discussed this . . . But what would you have designed for this challenge? This type of challenge is tricky because you might think you have to make make something representing your ethnicity or other element of your heritage and get stuck in those weeds, but I feel you really need to examine your background and go with what calls to you. For example, I am German and Norwegian from the upper midwest but I don't feel called to make anything particularly German or Norwegian-inspired or Minnesotan (if there can even be such a look). But I do know what speaks to me - I was a child in the 60s and as I grow older I feel more drawn to the clothing my mother wore during that time. She was in her 20s then. I recently bought a dress that had a similar style and pattern to one she had. Maybe I'd go with a paisley print. Of course this is all theoretical since I can't sew. Anyhow I'd be interested in reading what you would make.

[Josiemae]

On 1/16/2020 at 9:32 PM, WaltersHair said:

One question though. Had the Korean look won, would it be 'cultural appropriation'?

I thought the same thing.  Elaine lectured us all about that last season. I guess that's all forgotten now.  $$$

Edited January 18, 2020 by Josiemae

[kicksave]

Just have to make some commentary on Christian Siriano and Karlie Kloss...I really am not warming up to Christian as a mentor for the designers. He seems extremely judgmental most of the time and all the eye rolling and weird facial expressions he makes when he's disapproving of what a designer is doing is just so immature. He's no Tim Gunn, that's for sure. He has no kind gestures for the designers that are booted off...just a send off to the workroom. Tim seemed to really care about each designer and and would hug them goodbye and say some kind words...even if he was less than enthusiastic about the designer leaving. Christian acts like he's doing Bravo and the audience a favor for doing the show. 

Karlie is OK...she dresses better than Heidi and isn't plugging her own line of clothes...for the time being. She seems to be holding her own with the likes of Nina Garcia and Brandon Maxwell. 

Edited January 18, 2020 by kicksave

[oceanview]

On 1/16/2020 at 10:35 PM, Nidratime said:

I absolutely hated the winning look, with the huge initials and name on the back. Who's going to buy that? I wish the lady from South Korea had won.

I am also absolutely thrilled the woman who made the blue outfit didn't because it didn't make any sense in regards to the challenge.

 

I could not like a lot of the comments so far, and know it will be like that for all 4 pages written to date, but only because I like Chelsea and that outfit just turned me off.     I agree with most everyone about Victoria.  Loved some of her things, but she is a one note in my book.  Not a good quality for a future.   I did like Dayoung (?) Korean outfit a lot.  Did I hear the male guest judge make a comment while it was walking the runway that the colors did not match or go together or whatever.  I loved the jacket and was glad she was safe.     Did not get to see much of Nancy's design, but liked it a lot.   Not sure I agreed with her story, but hey, it made more sense than Victoria's.    Sergio can go anytime, he is a stealth  manipulator IMO.   He could have left the first week.  

[phoenix780]

On 1/17/2020 at 3:06 PM, Tabbygirl521 said:

I agree, and when he talked about wanting to see women wear this dress to PARTIES because the message is important...UGH. I don’t see people getting into in-depth convo about serious social issues at parties so I’m picturing people saying, “what’s your dress say? Oh really.  Sad. Anyway...”

I feel like Sergio's dress reflects something interesting in contemporary culture because I think you're absolutely right about how that conversation would go if someone wore it. To me, it's almost...the fashion equivalent of a retweet. Minimal effort, and the real goal is showing someone that you care about something, not actually engaging with that topic. Like, you buy the dress so someone can ask you about the writing on it and you can take 20 seconds to show that you care about something important by telling them the one or two names you remember and a quick "so sad" version of what happened to them.

I kind of feel bad for him though, because I didn't think his tears on the runway were fake. I don't know if he's capable of what he wants to do, with the political commentary aspect of his work. I think he's too self-focused- the whole thing with Christian not being Latino and therefore not being able to understand until the design was closer to completion was insane to me. If you're trying to communicate a message about your community, why not get feedback from someone outside of it to see if your message is being received?

I can agree that Victoria is riding along because of her character and sewing skills as much as her designs, and I'm also strangely OK with it. It's early enough that I don't feel like anyone else is being cheated, and, if I'm honest, I'm kind of mesmerized by the amazing hair, accent, and the way she seems to me like she's from another time. 

I'm also mesmerized by Nancy. I find her inspiring, and it's not just her age. She's one of the first reality TV contestants in a while that I just flat-out like. 

Edited January 19, 2020 by phoenix780

[Kdel1079]

Victoria’s was weird, but at least it was different? I kind of got what Nina was saying about liking how it was a surprise. Definitely a risk, but I like that Victoria stays true to herself.

i thought Dayoung’s was so beautiful and I would wear that jacket every day, just for it’s beauty and luxury feel. I wish she had won. 

i would also definitely wear Geoffrey’s. Loved all his commentary too, like loving Nina and her efficient summary when criticizing sergio’s look, and that he thought Dayoung was adorable.

i felt for Shavi saying he wasn’t used to being around people all the time. I understood and am the same way and think I’m sane mostly because I’ve lived alone for so long. Solitude is important for many people. Especially after a long, stressful day at work.

[oceanview]

22 hours ago, Brookside said:

Some of the designers have such terrible personal style, I would never have them design for me:

Brittany and her potato sack dress the first day;

Delvin and his pretentious lab coat;

And worst of all, Jeffrey's ridiculous backwards leather man bra and his awful jewelry.

 

Agree.  Not just about them in particular, but over all 18 seasons.   I would think the designers would realize what an opportunity this is and dress themselves better, in something they designed even.    I recall a few times a judge said "Did you design what  you are wearing" and it was usually when the competition piece was awful or did not meet the challenge/

[Brookside]

50 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

 

Sergio is such an ass. I suppose he really does feel bad about the children, but I couldn't help feeling he was using their tragedy as a way to emotionally sway the judges into overlooking his garment. As it was, his dress reminded me of something Ashley, season winner from a few years back, would make. She used that kind of fabric quite a bit, and I think in her final collection. The embroidery was tacky looking, too.

 

Tim Gunn later wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that the Ashley win was basically a producer-driven travesty.

This season, something different happened: Ashley Nell Tipton won the contest with the show’s first plus-size collection. But even this achievement managed to come off as condescending. I’ve never seen such hideous clothes in my life: bare midriffs; skirts over crinoline, which give the clothes, and the wearer, more volume; see-through skirts that reveal panties; pastels, which tend to make the wearer look juvenile; and large-scale floral embellishments that shout “prom.” Her victory reeked of tokenism. One judge told me that she was “voting for the symbol” and that these were clothes for a “certain population.” I said they should be clothes all women want to wear. I wouldn’t dream of letting any woman, whether she’s a size 6 or a 16, wear them. A nod toward inclusiveness is not enough.

30 minutes ago, kicksave said:

Just have to make some commentary on Christian Siriano and Karlie Kloss...I really am not warming up to Christian as a mentor for the designers. He seems extremely judgmental most of the time and all the eye rolling and weird facial expressions he makes when he's disapproving of what a designer is doing is just so immature. He's no Tim Gunn, that's for sure. He has no kind gestures for the designers that are booted off...just a send off to the workroom. Tim seemed to really care about each designer and and would hug them goodbye and say some kind words...even if he was less than enthusiastic about the designer leaving. Christian acts like he's doing Lifetime and the audience a favor for doing the show. 

 

Although Tim Gunn has championed designing for "plus size" models, I didn't like him as a mentor, especially after his Under the Gunn show.  He was downright nasty on that.  On Project Runway I found much of his advice off the mark, and quite often if the designers followed it, they were dinged on the runway.

I like Christian and his dry manner.  Mileages vary of course!

[MinorL]

I liked 3 of the safe designers’ looks so much more than Victoria’s. 

[oceanview]

9 hours ago, TexasGal said:

Ok so I maybe got a little stalkery after reading that.  It's a good thing he didn't marry his creative partner I guess...

https://fashionweekdaily.com/laura-kim-fernando-garcia-interview-2019/

I thought he was a little too serious or rude or something, but his comments were on target.   The interview with he and Laura Kim you show above was truly interesting!.    I appreciated you giving us the info

[hoodooznoodooz]

That yellow dress Victoria was wearing during the judging was awful. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

They all seem to think that Victoria can really tailor clothing well, but in my opinion that zipper could have been cleaner.

[hoodooznoodooz]

I think one reason Victoria’s design impressed the judges is because of Jessica. She really elevates everything. I really don’t think any other model could have made it look so good. 

[Ilovepie]

12 hours ago, beaker73 said:

When they announced the safe designers I felt like I was in some sort of bizarro world.  I was CERTAIN they were going to be on top.

I know how you feel. My favorites were Nancy, Geoffrey and Brittany in that order. I would wear Nancy’s pants and coat right now. Love.

I am with Brittany - flabbergasted by the judges love of Victoria. Absolutely hideous. It’s starting to feel like a broken record......

Out of the top 2, I liked Dayoung’s jacket better than Chelsey’s fancy letterman coat. I just don’t get it at all. Maybe I would like it more without the letters. I agree with the guest judge that Dayoung’s jacket would look better with a skinny pant. But that skirt was probably easier to make for a one day challenge.......

Sergio should have gone home and taken his old fashioned frumpy clothes with him. Shavi crying from embarrassment over his janky dress was more moving than Sergio bawling over Immigration issues. It’s hard to hear what you’re saying when we can’t see past the hideous dress we’re looking at, Sergio!

[Ilovepie]

3 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

Now I haven't read any posts so if you've already discussed this . . . But what would you have designed for this challenge? This type of challenge is tricky because you might think you have to make make something representing your ethnicity or other element of your heritage and get stuck in those weeds, but I feel you really need to examine your background and go with what calls to you. For example, I am German and Norwegian from the upper midwest but I don't feel called to make anything particularly German or Norwegian-inspired or Minnesotan (if there can even be such a look). But I do know what speaks to me - I was a child in the 60s and as I grow older I feel more drawn to the clothing my mother wore during that time. She was in her 20s then. I recently bought a dress that had a similar style and pattern to one she had. Maybe I'd go with a paisley print. Of course this is all theoretical since I can't sew. Anyhow I'd be interested in reading what you would make.

I thought about this. My ethnic heritage is Hungarian. I have no idea fashion wise what the hell that would be. I think I would have to go more with where I was raised. I’m from central California which is very agricultural based. I would probably focus on that.

[SSAHotchner]

On 1/16/2020 at 11:06 PM, Cotypubby said:

I can’t with Sergio. His whole thing this episode felt really exploitative. It did not feel natural at all, it was like he was using the story of the kids to prop up himself as a designer and it came across really icky. Like he thought the judges wouldn’t be able to auf him because that would be like they were against the kids or something. His tears felt fake as well. Gross. 

I was sure he'd be the one going home. I swear they only kept him for drama because his stuff sucks week after week. Frankly I'm tired of contestants in any type of reality contest show trying to win or stay safe by giving a sob story. The contestants should be judged solely on their work and not their past. While it's admirable to come from nothing and really work to make something of yourself, that's not what this is about. And Sergio is just a jerk with an inflated ego. Fortunately the judges not only saw through his "performance" but also in a very diplomatic way let him know that his story wasn't going to affect their opinion of his design. I hope that he and the other designers take heed of that and don't try to rely on a sympathy vote going forward.  

[SSAHotchner]

3 hours ago, Kdel1079 said:

Victoria’s was weird, but at least it was different? I kind of got what Nina was saying about liking how it was a surprise. Definitely a risk, but I like that Victoria stays true to herself.

i thought Dayoung’s was so beautiful and I would wear that jacket every day, just for it’s beauty and luxury feel. I wish she had won. 

i would also definitely wear Geoffrey’s. Loved all his commentary too, like loving Nina and her efficient summary when criticizing sergio’s look, and that he thought Dayoung was adorable.

i felt for Shavi saying he wasn’t used to being around people all the time. I understood and am the same way and think I’m sane mostly because I’ve lived alone for so long. Solitude is important for many people. Especially after a long, stressful day at work.

I thought that they might have given the win to Chelsey and then say they would also sell Dayoung's jacket because they all really seemed to like it. I agree with the judge who said it would have been better with some skinny pants. I kind of wish they would have because Dayoung is really sweet and humble. But I do think that Chelsey's was better and it was great to see her win. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

6 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

I was a child in the 60s and as I grow older I feel more drawn to the clothing my mother wore during that time.

My mother's Pendelton wool plaid jackets!  

[dleighg]

6 hours ago, oceanview said:

Did I hear the male guest judge make a comment while it was walking the runway that the colors did not match or go together or whatever. 

Re: Dayoung-- he said the top and bottom were not for the "same woman." I agree that the top would have looked better with some skinny pants-- the skirt was very generic-women's-suit-skirt for me.

[dleighg]

16 hours ago, carrps said:

I don't think she's had a plus-sized model yet.

(that was re:Victoria)

Which brings me to my point-- we have seen zero grumbling about getting a "curvy" model-- in fact in this episode it looked like they actually were choosing among the cards, and it didn't seem like the "sticks" were the ones everyone wanted. It's almost like there was an edict from above that we are not to hear a word about stuff like that. I would assume that designers still generally prefer tall sticks, if only because it makes pattern-making easier.

[Gummo]

Insisting that a "heritage" challenge can only mean your ethnic heritage is too reductive -- for some people, their ethnic heritage may not mean much to them but an ancestor's profession or beliefs or interests may have influenced them more -- i.e., Chelsey. I liked that she and Nancy went in a different direction than merely ethnic heritage -- it was about what does this challenge mean to you and they thought seriously about it and produced nice, meaningful designs.

[bugsmum]

I don't think Nancy's outfit, which I really liked, was particularly meant to reflect an ethnic heritage at all - that was pure growing up in suburbia back in the day.  As a woman of about the same age as Nancy,  I laughed and had a flashback when I saw it on the runway.  

[dleighg]

I agree with someone upthread-- I liked all the "safe" outfits. Though Geoffrey's model looked SCARY!

 

[Samwise979]

Which was the fan favorite outfit? 

[BlackberryJam]

Count me as someone who grew up in a family where cultural heritage just didn't matter. My mother's mother was pure Native American, a fact which she denied to her dying day. From grandma's perspective, she married out of that and wanted to leave all of that behind and move up in the world. So she married a Scotch Irish immigrant  who had come to America to escape a prison sentence.

 Then there was dad's side of the family which came to the US via Ellis island from Eastern European countries, mostly Catholic with a little bit Jewish.

The one thing all of my ancestors had in common was the desire to leave their home countries behind and move on to America where they could have better lives, or so they thought. I didn't grow up in a family which celebrated cultural heritage. So that would have left me with something like Nancy, designing and outfit that was all about mid Western suburbia.

That's why these challenges are so difficult. Some families just aren't about a cultural heritage. I think that's why Delvin struggled so much. He doesn't even know anything about his father and he was not raised with an appreciation of that heritage. He would have done better to just go the Victoria route and design something he wanted and pretend that it related to his heritage.

Shavi struggled as well without truly knowing and understanding his aunt's heritage. And that's OK. The stories of our families become diluted and confused and quite frankly historically inaccurate overtime.

I appreciated that Chelsey celebrated her family's dedication to education as part of her heritage rather than looking at anything ethnic or cultural. I think that gave her a much clearer vision.

 

 

Edited January 18, 2020 by BlackberryJam

[auntlada]

10 hours ago, kicksave said:

Just have to make some commentary on Christian Siriano and Karlie Kloss...I really am not warming up to Christian as a mentor for the designers. He seems extremely judgmental most of the time and all the eye rolling and weird facial expressions he makes when he's disapproving of what a designer is doing is just so immature. He's no Tim Gunn, that's for sure. He has no kind gestures for the designers that are booted off...just a send off to the workroom. Tim seemed to really care about each designer and and would hug them goodbye and say some kind words...even if he was less than enthusiastic about the designer leaving. Christian acts like he's doing Lifetime and the audience a favor for doing the show.

I was sure I'd heard Christian say something nice to the designer every time and he's really sorry, but he has to send him or her to the workroom. He told Shavi that he (Christian) sees Shavi's passion and hard work and that not everyone has that. He told the first two designers kicked off that it was a hard one and that they were both talented or they wouldn't have been there. He told the third designer that her outfit was different and he liked it. He told Alan, "You drove me crazy, but I'm really going to miss you." He told Melanie that he got to know her aesthetic and he loved it, and her technical skills were amazing. The only one he didn't say anything to (that was shown) other than, "I'm going to send you to the workroom," was Tyler.

To me, his words mean more than Tim Gunn's because he knows what it's like to design and create clothing. When he says Melanie's technical skills are amazing, I think he knows what he's talking about more than Tim because he understands what those skills are and how they work.

[njbchlover]

13 hours ago, oceanview said:

I could not like a lot of the comments so far, and know it will be like that for all 4 pages written to date, but only because I like Chelsea and that outfit just turned me off.     I agree with most everyone about Victoria.  Loved some of her things, but she is a one note in my book.  Not a good quality for a future.   I did like Dayoung (?) Korean outfit a lot.  Did I hear the male guest judge make a comment while it was walking the runway that the colors did not match or go together or whatever.  I loved the jacket and was glad she was safe.     Did not get to see much of Nancy's design, but liked it a lot.   Not sure I agreed with her story, but hey, it made more sense than Victoria's.    Sergio can go anytime, he is a stealth  manipulator IMO.   He could have left the first week.  

I think he said that the jacket/top and the skirt were made for two different customers.  I kind of agreed with that statement.  I think that the jacket would have looked amazing with a well-fitted pair of cigarette pants.  I didn't like the skirt - I thought it could have been just a few inches shorter - it seemed to hit the model at an awkward place on her legs.

Oh - and I agree - I really like Chelsey, but was not crazy about that varsity jacket - I thought that some of the safe designs (especially Marquise' and Nancy's) were better and more interesting.  But, when you take into consideration that they threw in the "flash sale", Chelsy's win makes the most sense, because it was easy to manufacture.  

Edited January 18, 2020 by njbchlover

[kicksave]

3 hours ago, auntlada said:

I was sure I'd heard Christian say something nice to the designer every time and he's really sorry, but he has to send him or her to the workroom. He told Shavi that he (Christian) sees Shavi's passion and hard work and that not everyone has that. He told the first two designers kicked off that it was a hard one and that they were both talented or they wouldn't have been there. He told the third designer that her outfit was different and he liked it. He told Alan, "You drove me crazy, but I'm really going to miss you." He told Melanie that he got to know her aesthetic and he loved it, and her technical skills were amazing. The only one he didn't say anything to (that was shown) other than, "I'm going to send you to the workroom," was Tyler.

To me, his words mean more than Tim Gunn's because he knows what it's like to design and create clothing. When he says Melanie's technical skills are amazing, I think he knows what he's talking about more than Tim because he understands what those skills are and how they work.

Tim is a teacher by profession...he has taught for years...I think he relates to the designers more like students and less like colleagues or future competitors in the business. I don't dislike Christian but he lacks some warmth IMO...the eye rolling is juvenile however...also IMO. 

[meep.meep]

7 hours ago, dleighg said:

(that was re:Victoria)

Which brings me to my point-- we have seen zero grumbling about getting a "curvy" model-- in fact in this episode it looked like they actually were choosing among the cards, and it didn't seem like the "sticks" were the ones everyone wanted. It's almost like there was an edict from above that we are not to hear a word about stuff like that. I would assume that designers still generally prefer tall sticks, if only because it makes pattern-making easier.

To give Sergio his due - he willingly chose one of the larger models because she is Hispanic.

Victoria needs to get to work with one of them soon.

[Empress1]

22 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

Was Nancy's sister completely unclear on where Nancy was, and what she was doing?  It sounded like she thought Nancy was on a cooking competition show, like Top Chef or Chopped rather than a fashion design show.

When Nancy said "I know, but this is fashion," I howled. Like, you could see all their sisterly relationship in that exchange. That coat was dope and she made it in a day!

I really liked Marquise's look, including the styling - I loved his model's shoes.

I thought Elaine handled Sergio very well. Like, yes, this political issue is important, but as for the garment ...

Dayong's model's lipstick is perfect - I gotta look up what it is, although she and I have totally different skin tones. Loved the top, didn't like the skirt. I liked the suggestion of pairing the jacket with a slim pant.

Chelsey's mama told her to win, and she did! I love it. I might start keeping a glasses tally for her. I've counted four pairs so far, I think.

[Ashforth]

4 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

That's why these challenges are so difficult. Some families just aren't about a cultural heritage. I think that's why Delvin struggled so much. He doesn't even know anything about his father and he was not raised with an appreciation of that heritage. He would have done better to just go the Victoria route and design something he wanted and pretend that it related to his heritage.

Shavi struggled as well without truly knowing and understanding his aunt's heritage. And that's OK. The stories of our families become diluted and confused and quite frankly historically inaccurate overtime.

I appreciated that Chelsey celebrated her family's dedication to education as part of her heritage rather than looking at anything ethnic or cultural. I think that gave her a much clearer vision.

I think Delvin's heritage story is about trusting himself and his talent and striving to succeed despite challenging circumstances. He has the opportunity to shape his own future. That's why the small piece of his instinctive idea that made it to his finished garment - the muslin corset with his design notes - made such an impression on the judges. I would like to have seen the dress had he stuck to his idea of the entire corset being that "work in progress." I can't recall who it was who talked him out of that, but it's a pity, because the dress as a whole was not good, not good at all.

What is it with the "one breast covered, one breast not" this season? Please don't tell me that's the future of fashion. If it is, does one cover the bigger breast or the smaller one? Asking for a friend.

Shavi - oh, Shavi - I wish he could have executed his ideas as beautifully as he described them. He seems to be a lovely person and he did indeed (INDEED!) leave in a way that made me respect him completely.

I loved Chelsey's look and wholeheartedly felt it deserved the win.

[Ohiopirate02]

12 minutes ago, Ashforth said:

What is it with the "one breast covered, one breast not" this season? Please don't tell me that's the future of fashion. If it is, does one cover the bigger breast or the smaller one? Asking for a friend.

 

Hate to break it to you but, this is a current trend.  Just look at Charlize at the Golden Globes

[DAthene]

2 hours ago, meep.meep said:

To give Sergio his due - he willingly chose one of the larger models because she is Hispanic.

Victoria needs to get to work with one of them soon.

I’m sure she will complain that just like all women in Moldova all dress beautifully all the time, she will claim that there are no plus size women there either. 

[lovinbob]

 

On 1/17/2020 at 8:57 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

For me, that was the major fail of his attempt to make a statement. You aren't making a statement if people don't know what it is. Even from close range, the judges couldn't tell what it was. During the runway show, Karlie asked if Brandon could tell what was written on the skirt because she couldn't read it. If kind of defeats the purpose of your message if people can't read it or tell what it's supposed to be.

Did Sergio even once say out loud the names of the children he was highlighting? 

22 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I agree, and when he talked about wanting to see women wear this dress to PARTIES because the message is important...UGH. I don’t see people getting into in-depth convo about serious social issues at parties so I’m picturing people saying, “what’s your dress say? Oh really.  Sad. Anyway...”

Picturing Cecily Strong's Girl at a Party You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With.

 

[carrps]

14 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

I thought about this. My ethnic heritage is Hungarian. I have no idea fashion wise what the hell that would be. I think I would have to go more with where I was raised. I’m from central California which is very agricultural based. I would probably focus on that.

I'm Hungarian, too! Well, half. But my mom left Ohio for California in her early 20s, and I had little contact with her family. On my dad's side, he said he was mostly Scottish. As I started investigating his background, that was actually true (with a little sliver of German, some English, some Irish),  but I have no US immigrants on his side after the 1830s! I have no real personal connection to my ethnic heritage at all. I think I would have had to go with a more abstract concept for this challenge, as Chelsey and Nancy did.

[Brookside]

2 hours ago, Ashforth said:

I think Delvin's heritage story is about trusting 

What is it with the "one breast covered, one breast not" this season? Please don't tell me that's the future of fashion. If it is, does one cover the bigger breast or the smaller one? Asking for a friend.

 

When you find out will you pass it on please, so I can tell MY friend?  (Something to do with breastfeeding apparently . . . .)

Edited January 18, 2020 by Brookside

[TattleTeeny]

On 1/17/2020 at 2:03 PM, dleighg said:

The pants on Victoria's look reminded me of those awful stretch polyester pants that were popular in the 70s and the seams were stitched in. Anyone remember those?

I do. I didn't wear them because I was a baby in the '70s, but '70s vintage is my favorite clothing to wear--but not those! But Victoria's (which I didn't hate) actually reminded me more of the '90s version. We called them "sorority pants," haha--they were slightly stretchy, form-fitting flares, always made of a somewhat scratchy fabric, and a staple of Mandee, Joyce Leslie, and stores like that at the time (and a staple of "whoo girls" in bars!).

ETA: Speaking of '70s-inspired, that dress on the judge that isn't Nina or Karlie! I want it!

Edited January 19, 2020 by TattleTeeny
EARLY '70s, I mean--I was obviously not a baby throughout the entire '70s!

[sasha206]

On 1/16/2020 at 10:15 PM, nb360 said:

Am I being too cynical (shout out to the "Pilot Erasable Pen" commercial)?... but is Sergio pretend-crying?

That's what I thought too!

[HelloOutThere]

11 minutes ago, sasha206 said:

That's what I thought too!

Sergio’s crying reminded me of how people cry on “Shark Tank.” Speaking totally normal, then spontaneous burst into tears slash sob story. 

Sergio is really bad at being a stealth bitch. I think he has a great drive to succeed and do his parents (who looked very sweet) proud. He is overcompensating and shooting himself in the foot. He needs experiences like being on the bottom and being essentially called out for using his “cause” as a shield to show him that he’s not as clever as he thinks. The dress he designed looked like what Ricky Ricardo’s MOTHER wore on “I Love Lucy”!

[oceanview]

13 hours ago, dleighg said:

Re: Dayoung-- he said the top and bottom were not for the "same woman." I agree that the top would have looked better with some skinny pants-- the skirt was very generic-women's-suit-skirt for me.

Thanks, I could not remember what he said

[oceanview]

Thank you.   Well said.  I did not find CS said anything negative, but maybe short compared to TG, whom I loved.     I found all his comments to be kind.   Everyone has a different presentation to say goodbye and it has to be hard to do it.   

[oceanview]

4 hours ago, Ashforth said:

I think Delvin's heritage story is about trusting himself and his talent and striving to succeed despite challenging circumstances. He has the opportunity to shape his own future. That's why the small piece of his instinctive idea that made it to his finished garment - the muslin corset with his design notes - made such an impression on the judges. I would like to have seen the dress had he stuck to his idea of the entire corset being that "work in progress." I can't recall who it was who talked him out of that, but it's a pity, because the dress as a whole was not good, not good at all.

What is it with the "one breast covered, one breast not" this season? Please don't tell me that's the future of fashion. If it is, does one cover the bigger breast or the smaller one? Asking for a friend.

Shavi - oh, Shavi - I wish he could have executed his ideas as beautifully as he described them. He seems to be a lovely person and he did indeed (INDEED!) leave in a way that made me respect him completely.

I loved Chelsey's look and wholeheartedly felt it deserved the win.

I totally agree about Shavi

[SuprSuprElevated]

To the poster that shared the link/s about the guest judge, Mr. Garcia, thank you!  I really, like the designs that were featured for his Monse line.

I found this one ... interesting and sort of eerily familiar, perhaps a worker bee/conservative version of a Victoria original.

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by SuprSuprElevated

[Andyourlittledog2]

22 hours ago, auntlada said:

On Nancy: This is what I don't like about these heritage challenges. What if you are white and your family has lived in this country for generations? I mean, part of my ancestry is Scottish (or so we've been told), but they came here in the late 1700s. So, technically, I guess I could claim it as my heritage, but I've never been there and probably don't really have a lot in common with the Scots of today. I live in the middle of the country. My family ended up here after moving from various parts of the South. I always try to think about what I'd do for my heritage, and I don't know.

I feel you. My entire family, both sides, immigrated here from 1633 to 1740s and all were English except one lone Irishman (1740s guy). They were pilgrims/pioneers/farmers until the 1930s. I always wonder what on earth I would do with a challenge like this.  My dad ran away to join the circus and became a trapeze artist - but I don't think a take of circus wear would be looked upon with much favor. Those who have a more recent immigration connection have a clear advantage on these challenges IMO.

Dayoung's was lovely but it was an easy reach for her. 

And although Victoria's was horrible I do empathize with her dilemma also. Moldovan would be difficult to use as a heritage. Native Moldovan dresses would be OTT and current Moldovan is just Eastern European streetwear.  The interim Soviet period would be bland and colorless midcentury workers unite! (I think of that old commercial of a Soviet fashion show for those who remember it). So I think she may have just been overwhelmed with the idea of 'heritage' there. It was still horrible though.

The whole thing is a problem in that you can wind up being too literal or lose the heritage thread entirely - the line is very thin.

I thought the varsity jacket looked like a artist's apron.coat from the 1950s or the maternity coat worn by Lucy Ricardo, same decade. 

[nb360]

One thing I haven't seen commented upon: How Delvin and ShaVi comforted each other as Delvin was leaving the runway:

Delvin: "It's not the end." 

ShaVi: "It's not the end."

I loved this!

[auntlada]

1 hour ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

The interim Soviet period would be bland and colorless midcentury workers unite! (I think of that old commercial of a Soviet fashion show for those who remember it).

That's exactly what I was thinking of:

I almost wish she'd done something with it, maybe something that was half and half -- like what Delvin seems to have been aiming for -- with something colorful and elegant coming out of something drab and gray.

[Brookside]

4 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

To the poster that shared the link/s about the guest judge, Mr. Garcia, thank you!  I really, like the designs that were featured for his Monse line.

I found this one ... interesting and sort of eerily familiar, perhaps a worker bee/conservative version of a Victoria original.

 

I love this.  When my grandma died in the early 80s, my dad asked if I wanted to keep her suits.  She had maybe three suits, probably made in the 50s/60s, and while the family was far from wealthy, they were in the wool industry and the suits were made back in the time when quality meant something and they had access to the best, both in terms of materials and craftmanship.  I still kick myself for saying no to those suits.  Stupid teenager.

[heavysnaxx]

On 1/17/2020 at 11:03 AM, dleighg said:

The pants on Victoria's look reminded me of those awful stretch polyester pants that were popular in the 70s and the seams were stitched in. Anyone remember those?

I regret to inform you I wore such pants when I was a Wee Heavysnaxx in the 1970s. My legs got itchy just watching that Maalox-colored monstrosity. Also: I feel like I've heard about the storied beauty/fashion of Moldovian women so many times now from Victoria that I suspect she grew up in the VIP room of a night-club.

Then again, I can empathize, given what a look based on my own heritage would be limited to.

[buttersister]

Sergio acts cynical AF. He can leave next.