S13.E07: Priceless Runway

[lilwhitelion]

With the large, obvious pattern Korina chose, I was astounded she had first pieced it together without caring that the pattern wasn't meeting at the seams and it wasn't symmetrical.  Tim had to point it out to her.  

 

Kim Kardashian would love Amanda's jumpsuit and negligee robe.  That is not a good thing.

 

 

[slensam]

I think Tim uses the Save just for designers he thinks are nice in the workroom. He lucked out with Justin, I'm not so sure this time. Laughed my ass off when I saw Alexander's photo as fan favorite. Again! Pretty funny.

 

Kim Kardashian would love Amanda's jumpsuit and negligee robe.  That is not a good thing.

Her hips would probably look pretty huge in that. I guess that's normal for her

[Sarnia]

Tim wasted his save on Char.

Well at least it's done and we are saved from this particular drama for the rest of the season. I think the Tim save is an unnecessary twist, and now he doesn't have to use it on Amanda or Korina (assuming one of these two ever gets aufed. If they are both in the final, it's going to be incredibly unpleasant, to put it nicely).

[seacliffsal]

I think that the designers are as confused about the Amanda love as many of us viewers are.  They loved her sheer overlay, but didn't like Kini's...I seriously thought she was in the bottom when they went to the judges' comments.  As for Korina's coat-I wore similar looks in the early 1970s.  It isn't a new look, and I felt it totally overshadowed her necklace.  Oh well.  

 

I do agree with others that Tim wasted his save.  There really wasn't anything redeeming about Char's look that got her cut.  I was surprised when he used it on Justin in the previous season, but Justin really grew and was amazing by the end of the season.  It was telling when Tim told her he was worried and that she needed to step up.  Her resulting white dress looked like so many other dresses already in and out of the stores.  She does seem nice, but she did make mocking faces, etc., at Amanda last week, so who knows...

[Finikiwi]

I started to worry about how I pronounce Jewelry, but then I remembered we actually spell it Jewellery here in New Zealand, so if it was Sean messing it up, you probably have to let him off a little :)

Can I just say after watching this show for however many years, I am pretty excited there is a fellow kiwi on it, and he is doing pretty well!

Agree his dress tonight was a Princess Di snoozefest though.

[Oldernowiser]

The Amandification of the term WTF continues...my current conspiracy theory is that Amanda is telling the producers she can get Maroon 5 to play for free for the finale episode.

As for Korina's coat...it was beautiful at first glance. It was also totally unwearable and after five minutes of dragging that thing around a crowded, hot room it would be going into coat check and maybe into the trash.

Go ahead, Nina, piss off the interns. You're going to be getting spit-based espresso for the rest of the year.

I missed much of this episode because I had other things to do, like stare vacantly out of the window and think about errands to run today. Did Sandhya actually get away without a feminine hygiene product reference for that truly ugly thing she created?

Samantha's dress would have been perfect for Sean's necklace--it would have let the joolry shine. I'm surprised she went home--but then I'm consistently wrong every single week of this freaky season.

Oh, this show.

ETA: I forgot Alexander. I always forget Alexander. I got a Chris March vibe from his dress, actually...Chris would have made it so impeccably that it would have worked but still I thought it looked great on the model.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Oldernowiser

[terrymct]

I think bring Char back was a mistake.  She seems like a really nice person, but her skills are limited.   On to the outfits:

 

The Good:

 

Korina:  I don't like her, but this outfit was WOW.  I figured she'd be auf'ed when she was picking that fabric at Mood, but she really made it into something jaw dropping.  Got to give credit where it's due.  She was the clear winner this week.  I don't have confidence that she'll be able to keep this up, however.

 

Sandhya:  She was on the cusp between Good and Meh.  It's a gorgeous dress.  I love how she worked the pattern and solid color to good effect.  Very nice, but not jaw dropping.  I'm not sure it was red carpet, either.  A very nice upscale cocktail party perhaps?  That said, it was beautiful and I'd like to wear it.

 

Sean:  This, too, was a WOW dress.  As the judges said, he did the right thing is not having the dress outcompete those jewels.  The velvet was a brilliant choice.  this deserved to be among the top, for sure.

 

The Bad:

 

Alexander:  He was on the cusp between Bad and Meh.  No, it didn't work out well but he had an interesting idea that COULD have been amazing.  Maybe it was the fabric.  Maybe he didn't have the skill to carry it out.  While it WAS an interesting idea, it wasn't exactly a novel one.  We've seen many many dresses on red carpets with the same idea.  Alexander gets the "at least he tried something" award for the week.

 

Amanda:  Good grief, she HAS to have blackmail photos of the judges.  That was a fugly outfit and a variation of another fugly outfit she'd recently sent down the runway.  How on God's green Earth was she in the top?  That was an embarrassment to P.R..   She should have gone home.

 

Samantha:  Banal.  Looked well made enough, given the time consideration, but I was surprised that she thought a couple of folds on the skirt would be enough to carry her through.  As the judges said, the bottom of the pack has been sheared off and the middle is now the bottom.   She needed to go home, but it should have been Amanda leaving.

 

The Meh:

 

Char:  This dress was fine.  You can see something like it in stores around the country and it's been on the racks for years.  She does a nice job.  Not a great job.  Not an innovative job.  A nice job.  Just as she's done in most challenges, other than the tweety bird one.

 

Emily:  Lovely and flattering.   Not jaw dropping, but well done.

 

Fade:  Not Fade's week.  Just nice enough to keep him out of the Bad category.  I think his first incarnation, the one Tim said looked like an elastic bandage, was much better.

 

Kini:  This dress looked between when the model was walking than when she was standing.  As the judges said, the bust didn't fit well.  I did like that he tried something different and it's not a standard gown you could buy off the rack.

I hated that jumpsuit/nightgown that Amanda made, especially for a gala look. It looked like something Peggy Bundy would wear if she was trying to look more demure.

 

I had it pegged as something for Kim Kardashian, assuming that Amanda made it a bit more low cut.

[Suzysite]

 

Oh and I see Alexander won fan favorite again.

All I can figure is he must have a huge family and each of them are convincing/coercing/paying their friends and neighbors to power vote for him.   His blank, cow-eyed, open-mouthed stare make me want to shake him.  He looks not very bright.

[stafford]

Buh bye Samatha. Who in the world picks a watch and a ring to "showcase" at a gala? I have never seen a woman's watch on a red carpet unless it's a man's jewel encrusted forty pound watch (and that would be at the VMA's or Grammy's).

You go Zac...Amanda's outfit would be on the worst dressed list (RIP Joan). In fairness to Alexander didn't Tim say the designers would not be able to touch the jewelry and that security would put on the jewels right before the runway? I guess Alexander could have measured the drop on the necklace but it's always a crapshoot where it will fit a model so the little tuck suggested would have come too late for Alexander to do anything.

I hate necklaces that are half on the bare chest then spills over onto the dress material. I think it looks tacky so I didn't like Sean's dress. To me, probably the most stunning display of jewelry was when Eva Mendez who wore a plain strapless white dress with this huge turquoise necklace on the red carpet. I think Rachel Zoe styled her and it was on everyone's best dressed list. Now that's how you showcase jewelry.

[twilightzone]

Amanda in the Top 3 - AGAIN???  I don't get it at all.

 

Alexander should have gone, not Samantha.

 

Sean should have won, not Korina.

 

I am glad Char was given the Save.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Samantha: Sean and I's fabric are pretty much a clear match.

 

This quote made me want to take a red pen to my tv screen. How many grammar mistakes can you fit in one sentence?

 

Ugh, what is with the matchy matchy obsession? If Sean knows he used navy blue in the last two challenges, why choose the sapphire necklace? Or why choose a fabric that matches the jewelry he selected?

 

When Korina said that the red southwest print velvet was the most beautiful fabric she had ever seen, I wondered if she needed her eyes checked or if she needed to get to more fabric stores. That was butt ugly. I was so annoyed at the beginning of the episode when she said she didn't want to design ANOTHER GOWN. Has she never watched this show before? Wah, I came on a show known for making dresses and I don't want to make any dresses! So of course she found a way to avoid making a dress by making a sofa dress.

 

I don't think Tim Gunn should have had to point out that the huge pattern on her fabric would need to match at the seams. To me, that's obvious. It's okay if the pattern doesn't match perfectly with a really tiny print, but something that big? It would be so distracting to have pattern mismatched at every seam. As Brian Krakow said, "In my room, one seam is a little off and I stare at it constantly. It's, like, destroying me."

 

Amanda annoyed me when she talked about how Charles James was so punk rock. First of all, no. I would never look at any of his designs and mentally label them as punk rock. But of course Amanda can't like anything that ISN'T punk rock. The way she said it reminded me of Frankie on the first San Diego season of The Real World or Avril Lavigne. All these girls like to pride themselves on being rebellious punks when they are just as mainstream as the girls they abhor. Heh, I was cracking up when Kini pointed out that the judges already criticized Amanda for how crappy her organza top was and then she chose organza again.

 

Dear Shar and other designer (Alexander?), there's no such thing as having your A game on. You bring your A game.

 

I hated that Korina put that black necklace on top of a black dress. The jewels would have popped a lot more if she had used any other color for the dress or lowered the neckline so there was some skin underneath the necklace or something. As someone with dark hair, I always LOATHED when the photographer for school picture day used a dark background because all you could see was my face floating in the picture, so this dark on dark thing is pet peeve of mine. I hated the front of the black dress. It was way too simple with a fug neckline that looked like a turtleneck got caught in a wringer. The coat was so ugly too. It looked like a cat mangled a blanket you left on the sofa. Considering how much I disagree with the judges, I'm not surprised that they liked this. I did like the back of the dress though.

 

Fade's dress was too simple. While I liked that he didn't do a strapless dress or use a sweetheart neckline, the one he chose was a little too 1998 prom dress for me.

 

Char's was also too simple in the front. It was just a white dress with peplum. The back had a little too much going on, but none of those things were interesting to me. I also didn't like the length. If looked like it should have either been a few inches longer or shorter.

 

I really disliked the bubble skirt on top of the longer skirt on Emily's dress. I wasn't crazy about the color but the bubble skirt was worse than the color. The necklace did look great with it though.

 

Samantha's dress was like the most boring prom dress ever. It looks like something you would find on the sales rack in the junior section at Macy's marked down to $40. And it wasn't even made well. When the model turned around, the material was all scrunched up around the waist like she didn't fit it properly.

 

I thought I would like Kini's more but it didn't do much for me on the runway. I think the white fabric caused all the details to get washed out. I hated the boob area. He should have draped some of that fabric over the exposed cup because it looked janky.

 

I didn't like the color/pattern of Sandhya's dress but at least when they were combined, it looked different from the other dresses on the runway. Tim's advice to lower the back was good too. Part of me is glad that she didn't go matchy matchy with the fabric color and the jewelry but part of me wishes she had because I love that shade of pink.

 

Amanda's sheer white organza robe over the black unitard was just fug. No, Amanda, that is not what a badass looks like. I'm with Zac Posen. I couldn't understand why all the female judges liked it. I couldn't believe that Nina said it looked elegant. I thought it looked cheap and tacky. I also hated the greasy helmet hair on her model.

 

I had mixed feelings about Alexander's dress. I know it is really time consuming to hand drape and tack an entire dress like that so I give him credit for doing all that in one day. But dude, you can't design a dress that hides the humongous solitaire on the zillion dollar necklace!

 

Sean's dress had a simple silhouette but it was very beautiful on the runway. I liked that he used the darker velvet on the neckline. I didn't like it as much on the bottom of the dress, but I can live with it because the model looked so elegant.

 

When Heidi said Nina managed to look good even with her foot being in a cast, I was like are you looking at her jacket? That is like the exact opposite of chic, youthful, modern, and any of the other words Nina always uses to describe what is desirable in fashion. It looked like the kind of jacket an old lady would wear to bingo night.

 

 

I think most of Amanda's aesthetic seems to be 1960s by way of costuming for the first Austin Powers movie, which I don't know why that's a thing a person would cling onto. She even said something about it the other week about her dress being something like when the 1990s did the 1960s. It's like making a photocopy of a photocopy.

And as Michael Keaton's character said in Multiplicity, "You know how sometimes when you make a copy of a copy, it's not quite as sharp as the original?"

 

 

she wanted to show the judges something they hadn't seen before after saying she was doing a look from the 60s. Think Laura Petrie from the old Dick Van Dyke Show.

I thought it looked like something that Aunt Tabitha might wear on Bewitched. It also looked like something you would see in the winter catalog for Delia's.

Edited September 5, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Day2Day]

                          IMHO....

[terrymct]

                          IMHO....

 

 

The outfit is a POS.   Maybe if she kept her tacky robe and put it over a long, slim, graceful dress in an interesting color?  As it stands, it's fugly and it's the same kind of fugly she was called out for a couple weeks back.

[CherryMalotte]

I'm just...wow, so not into this episode.  Loved the jewelry, understand why Samantha went home, though I would have sent Sean back to the Kankakee homestead.  Not feeling it at all.  

 

Honestly, now that Korina has had her Aren't-I-Wonderful status reinstated perhaps she'll take her southwestern groove stick and shake it a bit too hard on the next few designs which will have her seeing Aufland. I can hope anyway.  

[pally]

This is Amanda's look in doll version (just scroll if not at top).  Just flip flop the colors.  Lucy doll did it better.  Sean's dress may not have been the most creative but he did the best job of showcasing the jewelry.

[Seelouis]

Thank the gods for this site.  Because I honestly thought last night that I had entered some sort of alternate universe.  But, I can't really imagine any universe in which that piece of crap Amanda sent down the runway is interesting, beautiful, or any of the other adjectives the judges used.  What the hell?  It was supposed to be for a gala.  You can't tell me Nina or Heidi would be caught dead at a gala in that monstrosity.  They are trying so hard to be hip they are coming off as ridiculous.  I can't stand that smug Amanda smirk.  She is sending crap down week after week and they are falling over themselves to praise it lest they look like they are not cool.  The emperor has no clothes.

[Qoass]

Was Korina wearing her winning jacket in her talking heads?

 

Cheer up, Kini.  Consider this a dry run (hah!) for next week when Neoprene would be a reasonable option...

[PepperMonkey]

I guess I'm okay with Korina's win; this season is so lacklustre anyway, it's kind of like, "who cares?" However, her designs are not innovative. I guess Nina and Heidi have never skied the great southwest; otherwise, they would have seen a version of that coat every year for the past 20 years. It was fabric that was right in her wheelhouse so, of course, she was successful. I liked the coat fine; I own a version of it that doesn't drag the ground. I liked the dress better, except for the neck in the front. It had some kind of high, floppy effect that was bothering me. I knew she was going to choose that necklace because when I saw it, I thought, ooo, it's kinda squashblossom-y.

Amanda's was horrible, but most of them were so Idc if she was in the top.

I don't like Sean. I liked his dress okay but I was really glad he didn't win immunity for the 3rd week, especially since last week's immunity should have been Kini's.

I have yet to see what Tim saw in Chark so far that he was moved to tears to retroactively Tim Gunn save her. I haven't seen her do anything that (as someone else said above) you can't see in malls across the country. And I still can't blame Sandhya for Char's offing last week because if it had just been colour that sent one of them home, but Char's was executed well, Sandhya would have gone. Char's was a mess and would have been a mess in ANY COLOUR.

I still love Fade but this week's dress, not so much. However, based on the lack of sheer talent and even any compelling personalities, I'm rooting for him to take it all.

I'll add more later on rewatch; we just moved and I'm exhausted and have been offline for over a week. I fell asleep during parts of the show last night so I need to watch and catch the whole deal. I missed you guys!! :)

 

[Wootini]

Speaking of Kim Kardashian, I feel like I've seen her in that dress that Char designed tonight. Not sure Tim felt great about using his save when Char's dress came down the runway. She's cool, but her designs have been decidedly "meh."

 

But the real shocker is Amanda, yes. When she was up there at the end, I naturally assumed she was in the bottom because it was so dreadfully awful. So when they revealed she was in the top, I was flabbergasted! Okay, the jumpsuit was fine (if not necessarily appropriate for a gala event), but that sheer duster? Ugh. What an eyesore! I honestly thought she would have been better off leaving it off and just having her model wear the jumpsuit. It was also hilarious that she was all "I'm going to show the judges something they've never seen from me. I'm going to do 60s instead of 70s!"

 

I don't mind Korina's win because she did fix the pattern in the coat so it matched up better (Tim was right that it was awful when he looked at it), and when she took off the coat, the dress underneath was a lot prettier than I was expecting it to be. She'd spent so much time on the coat I thought she was just going to sew together a simple tube dress or something so the model wouldn't be naked underneath it. 

 

Not sure why Kini thought neoprene would be a good idea. He should have saved that fabric for next week's "rainway." 

 

Oh, and this isn't the first time PR has done a weird runway. Remember the stilts a couple years ago?

[jennylauren123]

Qoass, yes, yes Korina was wearing the winning look, in sweater form, for her talking heads. I noticed that, too. 

 

I thought her design was terrible for three reasons:

 

1. The very large print
2. The strangulated look of the high neck of the dress tangled with the jewelry
3. The thought of wearing that hot coat at a gala event (I guess if the gala event were in an ice house, it might work.)

 

If the dress underneath had a different neckline, it might have worked, but no way did that work with the necklace, and no designer can convince me otherwise.

 

I have to admit, I find Korina so heinous that I was happy that she picked upholstery fabric, thinking that of course it would be her downfall. Of course!

 

Char was not very likable when she was ganging up with Korina, mean-girl style, against Amanda. Not that I am an Amanda fan, but Char and Korina should have outgrown that kind of behavior after high school, if not before.

Edited September 5, 2014 by jennylauren123

[Gulielma]

I don't think Amanda has pictures of the judges in compromising situations. I think she's buying the crack they smoke before the runway show.

[Lamb18]

I actually liked the episode, mainly because it was about design instead of personality conflicts (real or producer-induced).  I thought Sean should have won. If you add in the criterion that the look has to showcase the jewelry, I thought his look did that the best of any. Plus it was beautiful. I wonder if the Chopard lady will use his dress w/jewels as a catalog cover. I actually liked Fade's more when you took his jewelry into account.  He designed his dress so it wouldn't overpower the smaller, delicate pieces he had.  I thought the silver fabric went well with the jewels. I liked Samantha so I was hoping Alexander would go home, but I could see why the judges saved him.  I could see what he was trying to do, but he's no Chris March who excelled at it in season 4. Alexander's looked like a bunch of wrinkled trash bags on top of each other.

 

I liked Emily's and Sandhiya's better than Korina's. I wasn't sure if Korina would be top or bottom. It was visually stunning, but like others have said, black on black doesn't show up too well. The necklace got lost in the dress.  I had Amanda's marked as bottom 3.  I stared at it, trying to figure out what the judges saw that was so wonderful.  Well at least she can use her sheer jacket design for one of those plastic raincoats you can roll up into a little ball for next week's Rainway challenge. (Which I think might be kind of cool.) I do have to admire her response to the judges' question, "Do you think you're on the top or on the bottom?" She calls their bluff: "On the top!"

 

I wonder if the designers had scale photographs of the jewels so they could take measurements. The necklines would be tricky if you didn't have measurements, as Alexander learned.  I liked Samantha wearing the paper watch, so they must have had something.

[Beden]

 

Amanda annoyed me when she talked about how Charles James was so punk rock. First of all, no. I would never look at any of his designs and mentally label them as punk rock.

Charles James was fashion forward, ahead of his time but punk? Not so much. Among other things he's credited for making (of all things) the first down jacket back in the 40's--white satin and topping an evening gown. I saw that exhibit at the Met--he was incredible. The reason the Met used computers to deconstruct his garments at the exhibit was to show just how unique his patterning was and how complicated.

 

I'd also add that James likely had more than 24 hours to produce a dress from sketch to finish garment.

 

And yeah, Amanda's POS sucked the big one...as does this show if this kind of BS continues to carry over to next season. It looks to me like the producers are 1) saving $ by shortening the challenges--saving on hotel rooms, meals and have the added bonus of insisting on the drama of not enough time then complaining that the garments are unfinished and 2) running out of ideas so are dredging the rejected crap ideas out of the button bag.

[Calamity Jane]

My frequent comment to my daughter is that the judges need to improve the quality of the crack they're smoking.  Ha!

[picklesprite]

I really, really miss getting to see beautiful, imaginative, well-constructed clothes sashay down the runway. And speaking of sashay, these models--except for Sean's last night--all look as depressed as we are this season. With few exceptions, they're not "selling" the clothes. Personally, while I understand they have shoddy merchandise to sell, I also think this is their opportunity to shine, and I think for their own sakes they could try harder to put some zest and zing into their walks and expressions.

Even the dresses I liked last night--Sandhya's, for instance, and Fade's--made me shake my head and wonder, "Gala?"

I think for the rest of this season, I'll watch the show as a Monty Python skit. Zac looked at the other judges' reaction to Amanda's "gown"last night as if he were thinking, "That's a dead parrot!"

Edited September 5, 2014 by picklesprite

[TexasGal]

Alexander's dress looked like a rumpled up bedspread.

I thought it was more wrapped up in a sleeping bag chic.  

 

Agree with the comments about Korina's black dress not showcasing the black necklace.  I also have a pet peeve when people match clothes to jewelry really literally - so the blue dresses for sapphires, red dresses for rubies thing was making me nuts.  

 

Nina said something about Korina's look - like it was really ethnic or something like that - that made me want to punch her in the face even harder than usual.  Duh, you think Nina?  You think a Santa Fe print evokes something ethnic?  

Edited September 5, 2014 by TexasGal

[LuciaMia]

 

I guess I am in the minority but I thought Korina's look was stunning

No, I'm with you. I really liked the contrast of the coat with the softer, drapey gown (Didn't think the coat looked heavy or stiff at all.) Was certain one of the judges was gonna snark something like 'belongs on an Indian reservation, and surprised they didn't.  Thought it complemented the jewelry perfectly.

And speaking of which, to pile more on Amanda's outfit,  just what the heck did a catsuit have to do with that delicate, red gemmed bracelet?

 

 

Alexander should have gone, not Samantha.

I think Alexander's was at least an interesting attempt. Samantha's was just....a badly sewn basic gown.

Edited September 5, 2014 by LuciaMia

[LisaBLingLing]

In defense of the "something an assistant" would wear comment, I took it to mean "a dress for someone who was trying to stay in the background", which at a gala event is what an assistant is supposed to do.  Any assistant that outshines the celebrity they are there to support/promote will get themselves fired pretty fast.  So, instead of a knock on what underlings can afford, I thought it was just another way of saying boring.  Which is what it was, pretty, but boring.  

 

Amanda's was awful.  I have defended some of Amanda's winning looks around here before because I found something redeeming about them.  Her clothes tend to walk well.  Not this time.  I was shocked (shocked!) when they told her she was in the top, at least Zac wasn't on the crazy train.  I do think Zac sometimes tries too hard to be clever, but I mostly agree with his likes/dislikes.  

[Qoass]

Did anybody else get the AARP commercial with Tim Gunn?  I thought that was interesting given PR's supposed concentration on youth.

 

And I thought Alexander's fabric looked like that twisty crepe paper ribbon you get at craft stores to add bows to grapevine and dried flower wreaths but I admire his attempt.  Risk trumps boring when comparing two failures but he should have waited for the challenge brought to you by Michael's Crafts.

[wovenloaf]

I thought Amanda's was stupid for a gala gown/showing off jewels challenge, but at least I liked it better than the craft projects she's been spewing out so far this season. 

 

And I thought Fade's was a snoozefest...and I thought the back looked folded up in a weird way. 

 

Total waste of the Tim Gunn save! I do not understand!

 

Re: Korina's coat. I did not hate it, but I think it would work way better as a shorter coat. Perhaps knee-length? I think with it being floor length, the "that is a too-bright couch" effect got a little overwhelming. I can imagine that thing must be heavy though, and the model must have been roasting in it. 

 

Alexander's dress was a hideous monstrosity! Samantha's was boring but at least people would actually put it on (only lowly interns though, of course). I hated Alexander's fabric and hated what he did to it. What a mess. Also, somebody said in one of the other episode threads that Alexander looked like a Peanuts character and now I think about that every time I see him on the show, haha!

 

Am I the only one that thought a lot of that jewelry was kind of cheesy/gaudy looking? That dumb heart bracelet Amanda had? Ugh. I thought Sean's jewelry was kind of guady when he picked it, but I thought he did an awesome job actually fulfilling the challenge (rather than designing, say, a jumpsuit for a gala challenge...) and the jewelry looked better on her with that dress. 

[sleepyjean]

I don't understand why Char was brought back. Or why Tim was practically moved to tears over it.

 

Fade's was very mediocre. Seems he was less inspired after going to the museum.

Sandhya should've been in bottom simply because the red of her dress clashed with the red of the jewels. On my tv, the dress came off as a tomato-ish red, while the jewels were a cool red that was almost magenta.

 

The motif on Korina's garment reminded me of giant razorblades.

I would've put Emily in the top over Amanda, as Emily's gown really showed off the necklace.

[mwell345]

That jumpsuit thing contraption that Amanda designed was hideous and not even "well-executed" as they say. I was fully prepared for her being in the bottom and shocked they loved it (except Zac).

 

The could snark about Sam's dress all they wanted - I would wear that to an event before I would wear that jumpsuit to wash my dog.

 

The coat - in the end, it turned out ok, and I liked it, but it could have gone either way.  She got lucky.

 

The judging is way beyond my comprehension this season. And I'm getting tired of the nastiness.  I like a little snark, but Heidi, NIna and Zac are getting mean.  Not appealing at all.  I get that it's a show and some of it's for tv, but it means alot to these designers.  It was the first time Sam had ever done a gown - I thought she did fine.  Compliment her on that at least - let her have some dignity. 

 

Ugh.  Getting over this show. 

[proserpina65]

I liked Amanda's jumpsuit, and I liked the idea of the dress over it although the execution left a lot to be desired, but no way in hell did it fit the challenge.

[izabella]

I would have given the win to Sean, and Amanda should have been in the bottom.  Who exactly would wear that to a gala?  Or anywhere, really? 

 

Korina's coat was so overwhelming - long, heavy, giant pattern, and the shoulders were exaggerated just enough to make it look like the coat was too big for her.  It didn't sit right at the shoulders or neckline, either - it looked like one side was listing and drooping.   At the same time, it was too tight to actually close in the front, so it didn't even meet real coat requirements.  So I'm not even sure what it was since coats don't hang open.  Then when it got to the dress, I thought the fabric, whatever it was, looked awful under the lights.  It almost seemed brown, but maybe that was just next to the jet black of the necklace.  Whatever it was, the fabric looked cheap.  The color of the dress, and especially the floppy mock turtleneck the dress had going, swallowed the necklace as well.  I couldn't have imagined how to make that huge necklace practically disappear but she did it.

 

I also have no idea why Tim thought his save should go to Char who has done nothing memorable (though I did like her ticket dress in the unconventional challenge).  I like how all the designers were so delighted that Char was back, until it dawned on them that there was no Tim save to save any of them anymore!

[Captain Asshat]

To quote Michael Kors, I was underwhelmed by most of these designs. I will say, though, I loved Sean's design, but I knew there was no way they'd ever let a designer win three challenges in a row. I had no problem with Korina's win or design. The coat makes a statement upon entrance. Whoever wears the outfit will remove the coat after entering. The underlying dress was really pretty and worked well with the necklace.

 

The judges' infatuation with Amanda's designs can only be attributed to:

• rampant use of hallucinogens
• blackmail
• being replaced with fembots and a Zacbot programmed by Amanda

 

That said, while I wasn't impressed with Samantha's design, I think they sent the wrong designer home. Going head to head with Alexander:

• The challenge was to showcase the jewelry. Neither of the designs did so, but Alexander's design partially hid the necklace. Worse, his design hid the "wow" factor part of the necklace.
• Alexander has been at the bottom numerous times, all for taste or construction issues. Samantha hasn't wowed the judges so far, but she hasn't been consistently called out either.
• Alexander's design was unfinished and still pinned. Samantha's design, while apparently boring, was finished.
• Even if Samantha's design would have been "worn by a PR intern," Nina's and Heidi's comments, though tacky, indicate the dress would have been worn on the red carpet. We can't say the same for Alexander's.

Boo-urns!

[teebax]

I'm glad the Tim Gunn save is out of play. As others have said, I at least know it won't be used on Amanda or Korina. And I am beyond tired of Amanda and her rock & roll schtick. Has she gone an episode without saying rock & roll? 

 

I thought Sean's dress was as boring as Samantha's dress. (I will admit, I had to scroll up to previous comments to find her name; she was really forgettable!) I liked the way Kini's flowed on the runway, but the boob part was a complete mess. As much as I dislike Korina, I was okay with her winning this challenge. I'm sure she will take it like a true champion and win gracefully - who am I kidding? I can't even finish typing that BS.

 

My jaw dropped when Sean asked Kini when he was going to win a challenge. I was so hoping Kini would have pointed out that he may have won one had Sean given him credit for his work last week. 

[Ketzel]

I think the only moment that I liked during the judging was when Heidi asked the Chopard director how much one of the necklaces (I think?) was. And the director leaned over and said, "For you?"  It felt like a moment when Heidi simply forgot the cameras were there, and the director reacted like the saleswoman she is, faced with a price inquiry from a woman who could actually afford to buy the piece she was asking about. Too bad they both snapped out of the moment before the Chopard director could actually utter the number! I can just imagine her offering a "special price" to a "very special woman."

[wovenloaf]

Is that the one where he's droning - err, going - on about how it's never to late too change course in life? I must have zoned out before the end every time, I had no idea that was for AARP. 

 

Oh? That thing? I also didn't realize that was for AARP. I just thought it was another round of trying to convince the viewers that TG is amazing. 

[libraryone]

I'm with everybody else on Amanda's outfit being on top. It wasn't an interesting design, nor was it well put together. What qualified it as a top look, I have no idea.

 

Here's Nick Verreous's take on his blog:

 

 

But for some reason, the judges also loved Amanda’s look. I did not. Inexplicably, Nina was gushing on and on about it. By now, I surmised her pain medication was kicking in and she was in a design haze, perhaps. The judges kept saying that it was something they’d “never seen before." Really? A stretch jumpsuit and sheer organza housecoat? Never?

 

It did look very much like a housecoat.

[PinkSprinkles]

I love Char, but I'm in the camp of once you're out you're out. If they insist on this Tim Gunn save nonsense then there needs to be stipulations. Give them half the money the rest of the designers get for the rest of the challenges, send them home two hours earlier, or make them last pick for every challenge where you get to choose stuff. It's sad when the Amazing Race is the only reality show where if you are saved by a non-elmination they make it tough on you. 

Edited September 5, 2014 by PinkSprinkles

[backgroundnoise]

I pretty much disagreed with the jewelry lady judge regarding what colors went with what jewelry. 

Kini:  White for diamonds?  No.  Boring.

Alexander:  I thought the grey color perfectly set off the red/white of the necklace, when you could see it, that is.

Korina:  That sparkly black necklace almost clashed with the matte black dress.  When you could even notice it, that is.

 

I figured Samantha was a goner as soon as she picked the most boring, non-inspiring jewelry for a gala.

JMHO.

Edited September 5, 2014 by backgroundnoise

[leighdear]

Anybody that wants a coat like Korina's can just get this instead....(scroll down)

https://www.etsy.com/listing/101120313/vintage-70s-unisex-bathrobe-aztec-navajo

Edited September 5, 2014 by leighdear

[phoenix780]

I think the judges are trying very hard to support designers who take some kind of risk, not caring so much about execution.  Hence Amanda in the top, and Korina for the win.  Maybe if they gave people more than 6 hours to make something they would get both.

 

They need to be careful with their "Play Along" games.  This week they almost spoiled the Tim Gunn save by popping it up early.  And, their "who do you think has the most promising look" question telegraphed the top designs.  I mean, they included Amanda in there when she literally had nothing started at that point. 

 

Speaking of Amanda- I love her.  I didn't see her original season, I may revise that later, but I enjoy her as a character on this show, and while I didn't think her look was in the top I was glad she was safe. 

 

Korina's coat...I have a question about that.  Korina has consistently complained about challenges not catering to her aesthetic/design style.  She found this fabric and declared that it was more what she loves to do- a pattern inspired by, according to her, blankets of the Northwest.  So, if this fabric reminds her of what she loves to do, which involves the use of pattern, why was she unable to match up the pattern properly?  And when Tim pointed out that it was off, why wasn't she inspired enough to fix the whole garment and not just the front?

 

It bugs me that she was rewarded for this, 'cause I'm starting to see her as lazy in addition to her sense of entitlement.  I was also annoyed seeing her so happy in the back with other designers being supportive given the bitchface she's thrown when certain people won in the past.  It seemed totally undeserved, but I guess the judges love coats (didn't Helen win like 5 challenges last year with coat-dresses?).

 

On another note- am I the only one who loved the inclusion of expensive jewelry on a show with a prize package sponsored by Red Robin and Best Western?  I thought that was kinda awesome.

[anonymiss]

I love that Korina won. Sean's look was generic--like the replications Korina used to do and brag about like they were the foremost in fashion. This time she DESIGNED and went back to her roots. Well deserved.

Edited September 5, 2014 by anonymiss

[Day2Day]

Oh my !!! The missing photo in my posts above was a shot of Alexandra's  stunning **snort** gala-NOT-worthy creation.  Maybe its just as well it vanished.... IT WAS UGLY.

 

For Captain Asshat,  heeeeeeere's Michael...

Edited September 5, 2014 by Day2Day

[scarletregina]

Very few of these designs looked gala-worthy to me. So many of them were short. You don't wear a short dress to a gala. I don't know why the designers didn't get called out on it.

 

I liked Amanda as a person, but I just can't with her designs.

[RedheadZombie]

I like Char too, but I'm not sure Tim should have wasted his save. Then again, I'm not exactly wow'ed by any of them this season, so you could feasibly argue that Tim would be wasting his save regardless of which designer gets sent home.

 

Was I the only person insulted when Nina dissed Samantha's dress as being something that a PR intern would wear? I think Heidi followed it up with a star's assistant. They're such snobs. I was put off by that comment. Hey, maybe if the fashion industry paid its interns . . .

 

Regarding Tim's save - he makes his decisions emotionally.  He saved the deaf designer last year when everyone was crying, and many seemed to think that was a wasted save as well.

 

Regarding Nina's comment - I interpreted the comment differently.  I thought her point was Samantha's dress was to be worn by someone on the sidelines at an event (an intern/assistant) not by the person walking the red carpet.  I'm sure an intern/assistant who wore clothes that stole the spotlight would not be in their position very long.

 

Not to play conspiracy theorist, but, oh, what the heck, they deserve it:  quick, somebody hire a detective to find out which person(s) in production Amanda is BFF with or otherwise connected.  At this point I suspect even cats and dogs suspect there's something insanely fishy with the way Amanda's being treated this year.

 

I like Amanda, I always have.  I know Kate labeled her a "mean girl", but then I didn't like prissy Kate.  I'm not saying I like Amanda's designs - they're not my style.  But I wouldn't put her in the Gretchen granny panties category yet.

 

Zac Posen shadily going, "Well I didn't even see it" in regards to the lower part of Alexander's necklace may be one of my favorite moments of the season.

 

And he had such a sly grin on his face when he looked at the other judges.  It was like he wanted to make sure they knew Alexander had failed the challenge of highlighting the jewelry.

[Captain Asshat]

For Captain Asshat,  heeeeeeere's Michael...

Thanks, Day2Day! I actually miss the Oompah Loompah-skinned dude.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Captain Asshat

[Haberdasher]

Samantha we hardly knew ye.

 

Agreed, and it's a huge problem to me. Seven episodes in, and at least one designer has been a non-entity the entire time. I don't expect to get to know the first couple of eliminated designers, but we're far enough along at this point that we should have a good grasp on each remaining designer's personality and aesthetic. Instead we have Project Runway: The Amanda Edition.

 

Speaking of which, I did really like Amanda on season 11, and I thought she shouldn't have been eliminated in the particular challenge she went out on. But she's been so overpraised by the judges this time around that it's grating on my nerves.

 

As for the Tim Gunn save, I agree with everyone who's said that he makes that decision emotionally, not critically, and that there are more deserving designers. Having said that, I hope that Char takes this and really runs with it. This season has been so lackluster that I want to be proven wrong on this.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Haberdasher

[terrymct]

I like Amanda, I always have.  I know Kate labeled her a "mean girl", but then I didn't like prissy Kate.  I'm not saying I like Amanda's designs - they're not my style.  But I wouldn't put her in the Gretchen granny panties category yet.

 

 

And he had such a sly grin on his face when he looked at the other judges.  It was like he wanted to make sure they knew Alexander had failed the challenge of highlighting the jewelry.

 

 

Speaking of highlighting the jewelry, how did Amanda's outfit highlight or compliment that bracelet?   The judges discussed the jewelry for the other contestants but didn't mention it much or at all for Amanda.  The answer is that the outfit had nothing to do with the bracelet at all once Tim told her that those shapes on the back didn't look like hearts.   Yes, the red of the hearts goes with the black and white of the outfit, but most colors do.