S13: Nzinga Knight

[yeswedo]

Age 33, Brooklyn, NY

[Frisson]

In theory, her point of view was interesting, if a little judgmental. Seeing her dresses though, made me flash back to the 80's and old ladies.

[TudorQueen]

I liked her and her aesthetic and really wanted to see more of her. It would have been interesting to see her apply her POV to the various challenges. I happen to agree with her that 'modest' designing can be extremely becoming.

 

And at least Nina wouldn't have called her a slut.

[BluBarbi98]

I too am disappointed that Nzinga wasn't selected to particapte. I don't think she stated what her religious beliefs were but seeing a designer create modest fashion would have been interesting to watch, process and discuss. Ultimately I think that is the reason she wasn't chosen. The judges are forever looking for young, edgy and/or sexy. It would have been too much of a mental strain for them to actually think about modest and fashionable as two harmonious components.

[TudorQueen]

Or that a 'modest' outfit could possibly be sexy, too.

[BradandJanet]

I think she said her family was Nation of Islam. The audition judges pointed out that all the samples she brought were the same dress in different colors. I wish they had asked her what shapes, styles, and lengths she could use in her designs, or even better, she had brought some different examples with her. If her ideas about modesty included different styles and variations, she would have made an interesting contestant. 

[Indy]

I was bummed that she got cut.  I wanted to see what she could do with the different challenges while sticking to her modest aesthetic.  Modest doesn't have to be drab and boring, and I think some of the stuff she showed in her audition proved that.  She could have been a very interesting addition to the cast, something we haven't seen before.  

[ExplainItAgain]

I'm honestly surprised they did not choose her - just for the storyline itself. How she would respond to some of the less-modest challenges (like designing for Heidi, as the producer suggested)? I think they could have built a real narrative around this so it's a shame that they didn't give someone with a new, different POV (for the show, anyway) a chance.

[Lamb18]

I wish they had chosen her, too.  Besides adding an extra dimension to the cast, I think a demand for her product really exists.  Not everyone is about hot and sexy.  And there are young women who want to be covered, too.  I hope that her brief appearance will be enough exposure for her so she can get more clients and opportunities.

[ratgirlagogo]

I'm glad they didn't cast her.  She would have been an early elimination, the same way that the vegetarian chef on Top Chef a few seasons back was an early elimination. 

 

Also her stuff looked dowdy as hell  both in terms of colors and fabrics compared to what I see Muslim women wearing here in Queens.  I live by three big mosques (two mostly Egyptian, one mostly Indonesian) and those chicks are really stylish, often head-turning.   Beautiful colors, amazing draping.