S18.E13: Finale, Part 1

[milner]

Never thought I’d say this but Victoria should have stuck with her asymmetrical pieces in fitted styles and random cutouts. Nancy should have given her wheelchair model some serious colour. Maybe even that liquid red.  Disabled people tend to be pushed into the background and that colour coming down the runway just looked like a big rock or as if she had all her laundry piled in her lap.  It took plus size designers a long time to start using colour instead of always grey and black. Nancy’s model needed something loud and flamboyant.  “Hey look at me!  I am here And I am fabulous!”

[BlackberryJam]

Since they showed a bit of Christian's line, I'll link this here. His entire show was 68 looks.

https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2020-ready-to-wear/christian-siriano/slideshow/collection#1

So when they are talking about cohesion for a 10 look show, it's a totally different thing.

Edited March 6, 2020 by BlackberryJam
typo

[Cotypubby]

So far from what we’ve seen, Nancy is my favorite! I loved the liquid gown DD was wearing and I think it looked great with the cowl! The way it was bouncing in slow mo when DD walked the runway was gorgeous. I’m shocked the judges made her get rid of it. 🤷‍♀️

I really like Geoffrey, I think he’s  adorable. I’d put him and Nancy in the top and Victoria and Sergio in the bottom. Victoria’s stuff actually looked better before Christian came. The looks she showed were so blah with all the beige.

Sergio made a collection for the characters of “Frozen.” This episode yet again shows just how full of crap Sergio is. He is the epitome of a “slacktovist.” All of his talk about issues and causes is just air. “This collections stands for Global warming.” “This dress refers to immigrants.” “This dress represents trans people.” He is nothing more than empty words. Compare him to someone like Nancy, who is actually doing good things with her work instead of simply saying words. I loved how the judges called him out on flitting between the cause of the day and how it just makes him look shallow. I honestly don’t think he actually cares about any of these issues, he just likes to look like he does. 
 

I’m sure all four will move on to the finale.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Cotypubby

[Yours Truly]

I caught the end of the previous episode when tuning in for this one and I just wanted to point out something that I didn't notice and since it's about Geoffrey's tendency to be so kind (loved how he checked on Nancy) I have to say that I loved how, when they were toasting each others win Geoffrey genuinely thanked Christian for his critiques and advice and how it's saved his ass on more than one occasion. Like he really made it a point to express his gratitude and I just think that is such a gracious way to be. It's like Geoffrey is the type of person that really and truly likes to make it a point to let people know and feel that they truly matter. It's in his overall demeanor which I find absolutely beautiful. Not many people try that hard to be such a positive source of energy for others and truly care about the mood of the people around them to that extent. 

[Cheyanne11]

10 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

  I'm so glad that the head of the CFDA told Sergio he wasn't buying the 'message' bullshit. 

And I think Elaine told him to pick ONE cause and stick with it.  Every week it's something new he feels "passionate about."  

[TexasGal]

I'm glad Nancy made and got some praise for that tailored suit, but she couldn't sub in a solid for the top under it?  Too much pattern.

I really thought Christian might roll around in Geoffrey's coat a la Violet.  I guess Geoffrey wouldn't have found that amusing.

[Impromptu]

I didn't love any of the collections, but if I were picking someone to be out, it would definitely be Sergio... yes, the final dress was pretty, but google "grey ombre gown" and you'll find dozens of similar dresses, many of them prom gowns. Nothing new there.

[Pepper Mostly]

Well all I can say is THANK GOD Sergio is there to bring climate change to the forefront and get people talking about it!

Seriously, does he even hear himself?

[Vanderboom]

11 hours ago, Lady of nod said:

I hope Christian gets the red eye back from the Oscars because these designers all desperately need help. 

Absolutely. I hope he manages to get them to be less underwhelming. None of them seem to be a worthy successor to Sebastian. 

 

11 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

There really is an embargo on photos from the finale. It’s annoying as hell. I want to see all ten collections. How else will I be able to rail about the better collections from eliminated designers?

The more I think about Sergio’s melting glaciers, the more I hate it. Sergio manages to cheapen every cause that he attempts to champion. 

I want to ban Nancy from using black and gray. 

The one article I read about the finale said that only three designers showed as finalists. 

 

So much. I loved his gray dress and I know he has serious technical skill, but his pretentious posturing makes Sergio so unlikable.  Let's say he wins. Would he really benefit from the CDFA mentorship? You can't help people who think they know it all and are never embarrassed for themselves. If Sergio put more effort into updating the vintage silhouettes he favors, he wouldn't have to tack on a "The More You Know" message to make his fashions worthwhile. 

 

1 hour ago, milner said:

Never thought I’d say this but Victoria should have stuck with her asymmetrical pieces in fitted styles and random cutouts. Nancy should have given her wheelchair model some serious colour. Maybe even that liquid red.  Disabled people tend to be pushed into the background and that colour coming down the runway just looked like a big rock or as if she had all her laundry piled in her lap.  It took plus size designers a long time to start using colour instead of always grey and black. Nancy’s model needed something loud and flamboyant.  “Hey look at me!  I am here And I am fabulous!”

Excellent idea about Nancy's design. I thought it was my tv that made me rather indifferent to the skirt/cape reveal, but it probably would have been better in a more vibrant color.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Vanderboom

[mightysparrow]

12 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Well all I can say is THANK GOD Sergio is there to bring climate change to the forefront and get people talking about it!

Seriously, does he even hear himself?

Well said.

Sergio's is a legend in his own mind.  Self-confidence is a good thing but Sergio is bordering on meglomania.  He's going to 'save the world, one dress at a time'?  Sergio is a contestant on a REALITY SHOW!  If he was cutting such a swath with the middle-aged ladies of New York, he wouldn't need to be on Project Runway. 

This has been such a sad little season.  The fact that at least two of the contestants are front runners because people think they're 'nice' is pathetic.  Taking off the cowl on Nancy's dress was a perfect example.  Without the cowl the dress is nothing.  You could get a Simplicity pattern to make the exact same dress, just like you could get a Kwik Sew pattern to make Nancy's signature pants.  I thought the model in the pantsuit looked exactly like Geena Davis in a movie from the 80s.  And the most special thing about the differently-abled model was that she was a beautiful woman in a wheelchair.  Nancy USED the model for her disability to score brownie points and then put the poor woman in some drab, boring frock.

Gregory should go home.  He's milked his bad relationship with his father for the entire season, only to find out last night that actually he and his dad are getting along quite well and his dad is really proud of him. So what were all those tears about, Geoffrey?  He's replaced drama for design and it's a poor substitute.

The best thing about Victoria is her lovely husband.

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by mightysparrow

[Pepper Mostly]

11 hours ago, njbchlover said:

BUT....those hats - just NO, NO, NO!!!!  Talk about "dated" - they screamed 1980's!!! 

I actually emitted a small scream when I saw those hats.

It was hilarious when the judges dinged Nancy for the big hair on her model, while Victoria and her huge hair were standing right there. Snerk.

 

[KATBOW]

Nancy's collection was my favorite.  I loved the suit and pictured Zendaya wearing it especially with the model's hairstyle.  The dress DD was wearing was also fabulous.

I couldn't stand Victoria's collection and thought it just looked busy and basic.  

I've like Geoffrey this entire competition, but didn't like the three pieces he showed, thinking he may be out if someone is eliminated.

I kept picturing a sexy version of Lovey Howell of Gilligan's island wearing the first white look.  I don't think that's a good thing!  Loved his last look though.

 

 

[Lady of nod]

Victoria's beige and those hats - ugh. Nancy I love black but it was so dark I couldn't even see the designs, hated the suit the liquid one was pretty though. Sergio's two white dresses looked like 50's lingerie. Did like the dark one though.  No wonder Geoffrey is constantly in tears. His collection is awful. There was not one wow outfit from any of them  Very disappointing.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Lady of nod

[Lamb18]

Geoffrey's collection reminded me of this:

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Lamb18

[Samwise979]

Victoria: what is this word, cocky?

Geoff: it means you're confident. 

Sergio: no, it's a bit different than confident. 

Victoria: well, people call you cocky (points to Sergio) so, what does this mean? 

Five second pause. 

Sergio: it means you think you're better than everyone else. 

😂😂😂

[mightysparrow]

1 hour ago, Pepper Mostly said:

I actually emitted a small scream when I saw those hats.

It was hilarious when the judges dinged Nancy for the big hair on her model, while Victoria and her huge hair were standing right there. Snerk.

 

Victoria's got big hair.  I love the fact that she wears her hair the way it grows out of her head.  Maybe it's because I'm a Black woman and have been told my whole life that my hair wasn't good enough. 

The problem with the Nancy's model hair is that she looked like she was a back up singer for Bon Jovi.

[hoosiermommy]

I was made to read The Great Gatsby in school and like so many of us (I assume), I had a teacher who wanted to infuse symbolism into everything.  Sometimes, the flashing light at the end of the dock just means don't hit the dock.

I feel like this is Sergio.  Not everything has to be symbolic.  Sometimes a beautiful dress just means you made a beautiful dress.

What's worse is that I don't believe that he gets inspired by his causes.  I believe he creates his fashion and backs into his cause.  He liked the blue and white palate, and the dripping of the fringe.  Since Victorian Saloon Girl isn't a cause, he had to look for something....like.....melting....GLACIERS!  I got it!

The one thing I do appreciate about him is that, despite his arrogance, he was kind to Nancy, who had been "mean girled" by the younger, "hipper" designers (Brittany, Marquise).

I actually liked the white sweater (or eyelet lace) dress Victoria made but didn't show (it was on the mannequin). 

I like Geoffrey, tears and all.  But I think his looks were the weakest.  The poster upthread was right...the yellow look made the model look like he was melting.  In fact, that outfit said global warming more than Sergio's entire collection put together.

[Ellaria]

On 3/6/2020 at 10:39 AM, Vanderboom said:

So much. I loved his gray dress and I know he has serious technical skill, but his pretentious posturing makes Sergio so unlikable.  Let's say he wins. Would he really benefit from the CDFA mentorship? You can't help people who think they know it all and are never embarrassed for themselves. If Sergio put more effort into updating the vintage silhouettes he favors, he wouldn't have to tack on a "The More You Know" message to make his fashions worthwhile. 

Agree 100%. The CDFA mentorship - awarded to the appropriate person - could be the most valuable (and life changing) aspect of the Grand Prize. (Yes - of course - the money is nice, too.) The mentorship seems best-suited to a designer with raw talent that is trying to hone their aesthetic and establish a unique place for themselves in the world of fashion. It also requires that designer be accepting of constructive criticism and demonstrate a willingness to make changes.

Sergio is NOT that person, from what I have seen. He is talented. He can construct intricate designs in a short amount of time. Many of his looks are lovely, appealing to a very specific clientele. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with focusing on a particular clientele, especially if you have success with it as Sergio has.

However, he is resists critiques and is shocked when he isn't showered with praise. He doesn't seem interested in growing and adapting his skills. A designer will benefit from the mentorship only if they are committed to getting better. While he seems to be a good guy in his interactions with other designers, he is obstinate when being critiqued.

I'd rather see the mentorship go to a talented designer that needs guidance and is willing to listen. Geoffrey seems ideal for it. The winner of PR is always deemed to be the "best" designer of that season. I'm not sure that the mentorship prize is well-suited for the winner. Perhaps it should be a separate prize that is awarded to a different designer. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Ellaria Sand

[BlackberryJam]

So...anyone notice the Thom Brown/Rick Owens big shoulder, weird proportion jacket Sergio was wearing at times? I wonder if he made it himself to represent the danger self-surgery extreme body modification.

Also, in the previews Chelsey is so happy with the winner, so neither Sergio or Victoria, right?

[Pepper Mostly]

2 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

Victoria's got big hair.  I love the fact that she wears her hair the way it grows out of her head.  Maybe it's because I'm a Black woman and have been told my whole life that my hair wasn't good enough. 

The problem with the Nancy's model hair is that she looked like she was a back up singer for Bon Jovi.

I'm not being critical of Victoria's hair at all, so we're clear. I love her hair. I love big hair. I had a curly perm for years, (not 80's big hair, just really really long and curly). The bigger the better. I just thought it was funny that the judges called Nancy's model's hair dated and awful while Victoria stood there in all her big hair'ed glory. A perfect illustration of the judges' Victoria shaped blind spot.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Pepper Mostly

[sempervivum]

After seeing Christian briskly directing hundreds of people as he put on his runway show, I'm convinced giving Geoffrey the win would be an act of cruelty. He is absolutely not emotionally capable of bearing the stress, and mentally, he's too disorganized. Also, if you're going to show giant puffers, you're going to be compared to Moncler, and Geoffrey's were nowhere near that standard.

Victoria's only good piece was the pink coat, but the pantsuit under it was not that color she couldn't pronounce ('khaki'), it was nude, and that's what it looked like. What she showed was the usual collection of strappy bands and cutouts, embellished with her bogus 'logo' and topped with hats that would have been kind of cute worn with tshirts and shorts, on a beach.

Sergio is ridiculous, but a very good craftsman. The only thing interesting about his stuff is hearing his tortured explanations for how they illustrate his cause of the week. However, I was really impressed at how the tubby little dweeb became a demon on the soccer field!

Wasn't Nancy's wheelchair design almost an exact duplicate of the one she did last episode-black/grey with some sparkle, skirt/cape interchangeability? The only thing interesting about the pantsuit was the print; well, and also that it didn't have her 'signature' giant pant legs. The only thing interesting about the cowlneck dress was also the fabric. Unless she MADE those fabrics, I'm not sure she should get a lot of credit for the otherwise unremarkable designs.

I can't say I'm really interested in seeing what any of these people do going forward, and I don't really care who (if anybody) gets eliminated next week.

[stacyasp]

If you apply to this show and actually get on, you must have at some point thought about what your collection would look like if you got to the finale!!!!! I feel like none of these designers did that! Sergio picks a political statement based on the fabrics he likes...I mean does he care about EVERYTHING there aren't enough hours in the day.  Victoria got on here to push her stupid brand (ugly logo btw).  Her clothes look like some cheap stuff you'd find at Forever 21 from China ESPECIALLY crocheted hats...HELLO looks like something granny crocheted and gave you for Christmas and you throw into the back of your closet cause you don't want to hurt her feeling and tell her it looks like shit!  Nancy more of the same BLAH. Geoffrey I had the highest hopes for him but I think hes to wired (sniff sniff) to focus and actually produce up to his potential.  WHO wants a dress with sleeves coming out everywhere!!!!  Worst season ever..although as bitter as she was I feel like Brittany could have done something with the  $10,000 and had a cohesive collection of nice wearable clothes.

[DEL901]

3 hours ago, milner said:

Never thought I’d say this but Victoria should have stuck with her asymmetrical pieces in fitted styles and random cutouts. Nancy should have given her wheelchair model some serious colour. Maybe even that liquid red.  Disabled people tend to be pushed into the background and that colour coming down the runway just looked like a big rock or as if she had all her laundry piled in her lap.  It took plus size designers a long time to start using colour instead of always grey and black. Nancy’s model needed something loud and flamboyant.  “Hey look at me!  I am here And I am fabulous!”

I agree.   I thought her line looked ready-to-wear, not high fashion.  Also, her logo... Kheops?  When Kim Kardashian originally named her shape-wear line "Kimono", she was called out for cultural-appropriation.  Think the same might happen to the Victoria.  Why on earth would she use that name?  

3 hours ago, Yours Truly said:

I caught the end of the previous episode when tuning in for this one and I just wanted to point out something that I didn't notice and since it's about Geoffrey's tendency to be so kind (loved how he checked on Nancy) I have to say that I loved how, when they were toasting each others win Geoffrey genuinely thanked Christian for his critiques and advice and how it's saved his ass on more than one occasion. Like he really made it a point to express his gratitude and I just think that is such a gracious way to be. It's like Geoffrey is the type of person that really and truly likes to make it a point to let people know and feel that they truly matter. It's in his overall demeanor which I find absolutely beautiful. Not many people try that hard to be such a positive source of energy for others and truly care about the mood of the people around them to that extent. 

Same when he's getting runway critiques.  He really tries to take in and understand the critique, not just reject it out-of-hand.  And then he thanks them.

[Samwise979]

^^^ I noticed that too. Especially last night's runway. All the other designers were saying thank you and I agree as well but the looks in their eyes were saying I don't agree but I'm not going to argue. Whereas Geoffrey seemed to really listen to his critiques and even asked follow up questions. I think he'd benefit the most from the mentorship but like others have said, can his nerves take it? Maybe the mentorship would also teach him how to calm down....

Edited March 6, 2020 by Samwise979

[Jobiska]

The fashion:

I too liked the cowl and especially how it bounced up and down.

I can't think of any designer whose logo I'd want to wear in the quantity that was on Victoria's pieces.  I'm not keen on logos in the first place.  I did like its font.  

I wanted to hear more about how Nancy's stuff was zero waste.  I gathered from observation that her purses and whatnot were made out of all the leftover scraps.  Which reminds me of a challenge I've often thought would be a good unconventional one--designers have to make something out of all the scraps that are left over from the previous challenges--but not their own scraps.

The rest:

I did love how Geoffrey checked on Nancy as noted above.  He is a very caring person.  His crying doesn't bother me.

I hope FeatherGate cancels out StickyIronGate and we're all good. 

I guess Nancy's husband felt that one video call was enough screen time, and he didn't want to be in the home visit.  Based on the shot of the Art Museum from her window, I know exactly what building Nancy lives in (and interestingly, FB has already thrown her into my friend suggestions, heh).  I could walk to it from my house in 15 minutes, and I'm a very slow walker.  She probably gets great views of the 4th of July fireworks...and can hear all of the Made in America festival when Jay-Z closes down the Parkway for his $$$ event and makes everything rough for all of us locals.   Now I think I'm going to run into in Whole Foods which is just across the street from her building.  

For the other visits, baby Christian was cute, nothing wrong with driving a truck and I don't see how Dan will be able to stop working forever but whatever you say, Victoria, Sergio's husband seems nice, I loved Sergio enticing Christian to soccer with the lure of guys in short shorts, loved Christian being over it pretty quickly and wanting a scone, and so sorry that Geoffrey had a breakup and a bum knee.  Oh, and Sergio's cat was really cute and it was funny how she started to come back and then turned away again.  It's good she looks old and sedate enough not to randomly jump into bathtubs.  Can you imagine cleaning kombucha slime off a terrified kitty?

I am very conflicted because the one thing I unconditionally liked about Victoria was her hair, and then she lightened the top layers and I felt like I should hate that because I really loved her hair, but I didn't hate it. I just wish she could have both, LOL.  I'm weird. Oh, but I laughed when she was sitting on the backyard swing and her hair took up the whole space between the swing ropes.

I like how they've cut the home visits down to critique and one quick thing (art museum stairs, backyard chat, soccer--did Geoffrey have one?) and it's not like how Tim would always go out with the families and friends and talk and talk about the designer.  Though it was fun to see Dom in a restaurant I've been to, where she worked before winning.  I felt that got kind of tedious.
 

[dleighg]

15 hours ago, buttersister said:

Egyptian Moldavian what??

and Christian didn't blink an eye at that (though I noticed he was really trying to reign in the eyerolls with Sergio's global warming thing). So she's mixing traditional Moldavan embroidery with a pharaoh of Egypt. Ok...

[30 Helens]

It’s not Sergio’s fault that his fabric was so sheer. It started out as heavy brocade, but the top layer melted away with the polar ice caps.

I wish they hadn’t told Nancy to ditch the cowl. I loved the way it bounced up and down! It reminded me of a Slinky. I wanted to see if it would walk the model down the stairs. 

Geoffrey, Geoffrey. Those giant Michelin Man coats looked ridiculous. I was kind of hoping one of the models would trip and fall, just to see if she would bounce right back up.

I have nothing to say about Victoria. All that beige just put me to sleep.

For anyone wanting to see more of Christian’s collection, that was the focus of the PR after show, which is on the BravoTV app.

[dleighg]

I'm confused about the choosing models just before the show-- are they all close enough to the same size that the garments can be altered easily?

[Gloriosa]

34 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

I have nothing to say about Victoria. All that beige just put me to sleep.

That's not beige.  It's "cocky."  Hah!

[dleighg]

That first outfit of Geoffrey, from the back, looked like she had a giant larvae attached to her back. I think the male model looked better with no shirt. The way he did it looked like he had a ratty old tank top on. (not gonna call it by it's very un PC name)

[kicksave]

Less than impressed with any of them.

[carrps]

15 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

Without the cowl, the dress on DD was nothing but a basic halter. While the material was gorgeous, the cowl was the only real design element. UGH. That suit was a hot 80s mess and the other dress had a print that looked like greasy tar. NO. Just NO.

Sergio’s nightie was terrible, I don’t recall the middle look and the final dress, while gorgeous was another flipping circle skirt. STOP. 

Victoria’s might have interested me if they weren’t all tan. If a yawn had a color, it would be that shade of tan. 

I got a “Moncler goes metallic” vibe from Geoffrey. And well, at least it was something. 

Agree pretty much. Victoria's color was so ugly. Not even tan really. Kind of like that crayola crayon called "flesh." 

 

9 hours ago, Kaiju Ballet said:

I totally get his injury and choice to work on a Disney show with Zaldy setting him way behind. It also seemed like he lived in a walkup building, and if his torn meniscus was bad enough to require a stabilizer, I'd be minimizing my trips up and down those stairs too. I also felt for him--the other three were shown to have the support of loved ones, and Geoffrey mentioned that he was going through a breakup. And was speechless when Christian ragged him about not having any female friends who could try on his clothes.

This. Every other designer had someone supporting them, so they could concentrate on their collections. Geoffrey had to work, or he'd be out on the street. They also had partners who could calm them down. It's hard when you get in your own head and have no one to talk you out of it.

When Sergio was talking about his inspiration and showed the photographs, I had really high hopes. I was thinking of Daniel's denim looks from Next in Fashion. But then what he showed was so frumpy and boring and done. Big ol' nope.

Nancy's a nice person, but I hated her collection. Most of the pieces looked like they'd been dipped in an oil slick. Off-putting, shapeless, and ugly. Without the cowl, DD's dress was a big nothing and not especially flattering. The wheelchair dress looked like a ragbag. Like she had a trash bag molded to her chest. Why so dark? It was depressing, not dramatic. When I saw the pantsuit on the model and how she was styled, I immediately flashed on Joe from The Facts of Life.

Those bags of Victoria's were ugly and clunky. They're only good for a runway, because can you imagine going through your day with one hand "trapped" inside the handle? But the pieces that weren't same-old-same-old were ugly, bland and boring. The fully crocheted piece in white (that she didn't show this week) had a vaguely Chanel vibe, but still not that interesting.

 

[RoxiP]

And if Sergio is from Austin, Texas why was he designing in New York?

[mightysparrow]

2 hours ago, stacyasp said:

If you apply to this show and actually get on, you must have at some point thought about what your collection would look like if you got to the finale!!!!! I feel like none of these designers did that! Sergio picks a political statement based on the fabrics he likes...I mean does he care about EVERYTHING there aren't enough hours in the day.  Victoria got on here to push her stupid brand (ugly logo btw).  Her clothes look like some cheap stuff you'd find at Forever 21 from China ESPECIALLY crocheted hats...HELLO looks like something granny crocheted and gave you for Christmas and you throw into the back of your closet cause you don't want to hurt her feeling and tell her it looks like shit!  Nancy more of the same BLAH. Geoffrey I had the highest hopes for him but I think hes to wired (sniff sniff) to focus and actually produce up to his potential.  WHO wants a dress with sleeves coming out everywhere!!!!  Worst season ever..although as bitter as she was I feel like Brittany could have done something with the  $10,000 and had a cohesive collection of nice wearable clothes.

I Know exactly what you mean.

I think a mentorship would be wasted on Geoffrey because I don't believe he has the discipline or the work ethic to take full advantage of it.  He should have more to offer than being a 'sweet guy' who's nice to Nancy.

I missed a lot of the other designers when I saw what the top four had to offer.  Sergio, Nancy, Victoria and Geoffrey aren't anywhere near the most talented designers this season.  They're just the ones with the best stories and the most drama.  It's a sad state of affairs. 

I remember that we didn't hear Chelsey speak for 2 or 3 episodes.  I kept wondering who that cool looking Black woman was in the background but the producers were more interested in drama.  Delvin committed the capital crime of daring to say something mean about Miss Nancy but he did have talent.  I remember him saying that he was dealing with some mental and emotional issues.  If he had only thrown himself on the floor and wailed  about his painful past, he might be in the finale.  Marquise had a very interesting story about being self-taught and coming up in the ballroom scene but he was too quiet and dignified, so bye bye Marquise.

[JenLily]

I'm not particularly fussed about Sergio touting himself as a political designer. Let him have that. If he was inspired by the polar ice caps melting, great. I'm looking forward to seeing if his collection bears that out. His mini-collection did what it was supposed to do, at least for me, and that's make me want to see the rest. A few alterations to that first look (make it sleeveless, nip in the waist, get rid of the train) and I'd wear it over a bandeau and a pair of skinny jeans. I liked the top half of the second look but not the bottom. And I loved his last look. To me it was the clearest representation of his inspiration as the shiny bits gave me the impression of shards of ice glinting in a pile of snow under the sunlight.

Nancy's collection was all right. I think what bothered me the most about the first dress was the skirt-into-a-cape thing. What woman wears a cape? Especially one that ties around your neck like Supergirl. I would've much preferred if the skirt was somehow manipulated into a cowl similar to the one in her third look. It would've been a really nice thread tying the looks together. I really liked the pantsuit. To whomever upthread who said it reminds them of something Zendaya would wear, YES YES YES. Hair and all, I absolutely and immediately envisioned her rocking that. The judges did Nancy a disservice by encouraging her to remove the cowl in her last look. I'm betting they were expecting something more interesting under it and when they saw it was just a basic halter dress, they were backed into a corner of having to insist that it was much improved without it. They were wrong. I hope she ignores them and puts it back on because without it, the only thing speaking for that design is the fabric.

Victoria's mini-collection did the opposite for me that Sergio's did: I'm no longer interested in seeing what else she has to show. Of all the opportunities for her to go balls to the wall with the aesthetic she was so proud of during the competition and she decides to send down a bunch of pieces that you could find at any Ann Taylor Loft. The only thing I liked of hers was that sparkly jumpsuit but it was nowhere near special enough to make me want to see if she had anything else of interest in her collection.

I think Geoffrey made the right choice in sending those particular looks down the runway, for no other reason than he really needed their feedback. I hope it doesn't backfire on him and get him eliminated as I'd like to see what his whole vision was. The skirt in the first look moved beautifully, and the puffer jacket didn't bother me that much as it seemed more artistic than functional. I thought the idea of the second look was kind of cool but the execution was a little off. If it was longer and fit tighter around the waist, I think I would've liked it more. As it was, it just seemed ill-fitting to me. I wasn't keen on his third look. The fit of the coat bothered me (too long? too puffy? not puffy enough? I don't know) and the dangly things reminded me too much of that other dude from a few seasons ago that had a penchant for straps. If he can afford to, he should scrap it altogether.

All in all, with the exception of Victoria's I'm looking forward to seeing their collections.

Oh and before I forget, Christian was a damn delight in this episode. From his amused reaction to Nancy's cutout of him to sashaying around the workroom in Geoffrey's huge black coat, he utterly charmed me.

[dleighg]

2 minutes ago, JenLily said:

What woman wears a cape? Especially one that ties around your neck like Supergirl.

You nailed what I didn't like about it but couldn't quite put my finger on!

[carrps]

2 minutes ago, JenLily said:

The only thing I liked of hers was that sparkly jumpsuit but it was nowhere near special enough to make me want to see if she had anything else of interest in her collection.

 

I was trying to think why I didn't like it, and what it reminded me of, when it came to me. It looked like a homeless street person in a hoodie with an old trashed jacket over the top. The only thing that would have added to the image was one of her baseball caps under the hoodie hood.

[DaphneCat]

Because Sergio REALLY just can't help himself, he was trying to justify the first look.  He knew damn well it came out A LOT more sheer than he had anticipated - he just didn't have time to alter another look to use instead.   Rather than just admit that, he tried to go with it.  I'm betting it will be a lot more opaque the next time we see it.  His second dress, though not my personal style moved really well - it was good for a runway.

In other seasons, we've seen the judges totally rip someone's collection.  Remember Kini(?) he basically remade everything in a few days.  This time around, it was more about styling than anything else along with a few suggestions to take a few embellishments/details off the completed looks.  The only designer they really criticized was Geoffery - and yes, that second dress was very unflattering.  The bust was kind of cool but the rest just hung there like a shower curtain.

[carrps]

Aw, just heard the Pocket Rocket passed away. I'm so sad. I loved Henri Richard.

Er, fashion? I loved the Habs' jersey.

[Foxglove]

31 minutes ago, mightysparrow said:

I Know exactly what you mean.

I think a mentorship would be wasted on Geoffrey because I don't believe he has the discipline or the work ethic to take full advantage of it.  He should have more to offer than being a 'sweet guy' who's nice to Nancy.

I missed a lot of the other designers when I saw what the top four had to offer.  Sergio, Nancy, Victoria and Geoffrey aren't anywhere near the most talented designers this season.  They're just the ones with the best stories and the most drama.  It's a sad state of affairs. 

I remember that we didn't hear Chelsey speak for 2 or 3 episodes.  I kept wondering who that cool looking Black woman was in the background but the producers were more interested in drama.  Delvin committed the capital crime of daring to say something mean about Miss Nancy but he did have talent.  I remember him saying that he was dealing with some mental and emotional issues.  If he had only thrown himself on the floor and wailed  about his painful past, he might be in the finale.  Marquise had a very interesting story about being self-taught and coming up in the ballroom scene but he was too quiet and dignified, so bye bye Marquise.

Fashion is subjective, and people have varying opinions about what they like and don't like. But personally, I do think that Geoffrey has more to offer than just being a nice guy. I've really liked a lot of his designs this season. He has a certain style that is "him", without being repetitive like Victoria. His construction looks very good, and he has taken some risks. I think he's quite accomplished, and deserving of being in the final four just on the merits of his design skills.

I do agree that the show seems to focus on the more "dramatic" designers while often ignoring the quiet but talented people who are just working hard and getting things done. It's like they think the audience feeds on the drama, when most of us just want to learn about the designers' creative process and see some beautiful clothes! 

[dleighg]

16 minutes ago, DaphneCat said:

Because Sergio REALLY just can't help himself, he was trying to justify the first look.  He knew damn well it came out A LOT more sheer than he had anticipated - he just didn't have time to alter another look to use instead.   Rather than just admit that, he tried to go with it. 

Oh man, yes. What a load of BS that was, as he did some sort of stream of consciousness about the "nakedness of nature... her pure female body .... just like nature is female"

Yeah, Nature wears a thong.

[leocadia]

When they were trying to explain the difference between "cocky"and "confident"  to Victoria, I wish that one of the designers had said "Cockiness would be like an unproven designer creating a collection with massive logos on it for self-promotion."

I had a hard time finding "cohesion" between Sergio's cause and his aesthetic.  The last thing I think of in regards to the Old West is melting ice or water.  Perhaps he should have found an endangered tumbleweed to tout instead.

Edited March 7, 2020 by leocadia

[Tabbygirl521]

17 hours ago, hula-la said:

I have to laugh at Sergio’s kombucha fabric in his tub. I tried making some with my students last year.it stunk something awful, and could hardly sew it.

I kept thinking of a pudding skin. 

[TexasGal]

1 hour ago, carrps said:

When Sergio was talking about his inspiration and showed the photographs, I had really high hopes. I was thinking of Daniel's denim looks from Next in Fashion. But then what he showed was so frumpy and boring and done. Big ol' nope.

I thought of Daniel too, and how his explanation and technique made sense while Sergio's didn't.  For folks who didn't watch Next in Fashion, there was a denim challenge, and one of the contestants used the others' scraps to make a statement about how damaging denim was to the environment.  He made a dress using the scraps that looked like glaciers.  (If you haven't watched, it's a great show!)

Even Nancy with her "no waste" collection seemed more committed to making an environmental statement than Sergio.

[carrps]

4 minutes ago, TexasGal said:

 He made a dress using the scraps that looked like glaciers.  (If you haven't watched, it's a great show!)

And it was a pretty dress. The different blues created a gorgeous textile.

[cinsays]

18 hours ago, njbchlover said:

When DD took off the cowl, that gown just looked like any other gown we've seen a million times before.  The cowl made it interesting.  I loved the way Nancy manipulated the fabric to make it.

Maybe Nancy can re-work it to some kind of shrug or bolero-type thing, instead of the cowl.  

yes, the cowl could just maybe be trimmed down some and then not worn like a chin mask when walking the runway, but it was definitely needed

[Cotypubby]

1 hour ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I kept thinking of a pudding skin. 

I had flashbacks to The Silence of the Lambs with a skin suit in a bathtub.

[ichbin]

7 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

I thought the model in the pantsuit looked exactly like Geena Davis in a movie from the 80s.  And the most special thing about the differently-abled model was that she was a beautiful woman in a wheelchair.  Nancy USED the model for her disability to score brownie points and then put the poor woman in some drab, boring frock.

OMG, yes!  I couldn't put my finger on who the model in the pantsuit reminded me of you nailed it.

I agree about Nancy's use of the model in the wheelchair but I would like to go further by saying it in addition to the drab color it was also not an attractive outfit.  I tend to agree that the idea of being the "first designer in Project Runway history" was probably an influence in her decision.  She strikes me the same as others I have come across her lament being an outsider all their lives yet have always done all they can to set themselves apart.  Those types always seem to share that same kind of OTT earnestness.  She does appear to have some skill so it is a shame that she continued to send pretty much the same thing down the runway for most of the competition.  

1 hour ago, leocadia said:

"Cockiness would be like an unproven designer creating a collection with massive logos on it for self-promotion."

LOL!  I am so glad she was called out about that. 

Her collection looked too provincial chic to me.  As much as Sergio is impressed by himself, I think she is worse.  Sergio seems nice otherwise. She seems totally self-absorbed. If the judges disliked his work he stood up for it and got on with it while she didn't appear able to handle criticism well.  

None of what we have seen of the collections impressed me much to be honest.   I usually root for someone at this point, but not this season.

[Jextella]

Elaine Welteroth says the finale is the most "elevated" she's seen from Project Runway contestants.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/project-runway-season-18-finale-spoilers

I'd be surprised if they cut one.  I feel they really need 4 from a quantity perspective, and they are all so good - and so different - that it would make sense that they all show. 

The designers were pretty happy with their own work, and at that level, that means something.  I think the collections will be good and it will be a good show.

 

[heavysnaxx]

20 hours ago, susannot said:

Nancy's liquid dress for  DD was my favorite.  I love her inclusive aesthetic.  No other designer has ever done that.

Given that I don't know of any other PR designer who has not just tolerated working with disabled people but enthusiastically centered us and drawn energy from doing so, Nancy is my all-time favorite. Her values become concepts that are then made tangible, functional.

Pointing out that I see her no-waste value extends to not wasting disabled models and potential clients.

That's why Sergio is such a painful contrast: He may be 100% sincere but there is just no connection between his Issue of the Week and the garments themselves.