S20.E14: The Finale

[BAForever]

Called Bishme's win and am happy. To me, it seems like Bishme struggles communicating his designs during judging. Maybe he designs then tries to make a narrative? Noticed it during the season also. Other designers could articulate their vision or design and he isn't as proficient at it. Anyone else see it?

[Thumper]

I’m not artistic, so when they go into their explanations of “ vision,” I usually sit there stupefied/impressed or start giggling.

I guess they can’t just say “ oh, I wanted to make a pretty dress,” or “ I wanted to make a comfortable loungewear set!” 😁

Edited September 8, 2023 by Thumper

[Jordan Baker]

While I've always been impressed by Mimi, I have really been taken in the last few weeks by the very, very tall model who walked in Bishme's gown (in this episode). I'm sorry I don't know her name. The way she posed was really breathtaking.

And, yes, the format of this finale was such a far cry from those of years past. I so enjoyed seeing the interviews with the designers in their own spaces. I wonder whether the rushed finale is simply a cost-cutting decision or whether Bravo has just given up on this show. 🙁

[SuburbanHangSuite]

So happy for Bishme!  Honestly, I would've been ok with any of them winning but I never believed they would seriously consider Brittany to win it all.  I liked every single look of hers.  Really loved the finale piece that Mimi wore.  And those wide-legged pants.  I hope she does well---there should be a big market for her pieces.

I loved Bishme's first and last looks the best.  Disliked the red and white checkered get-up and the vinyl gown that DeeDee wore.  But the Anxiety Gown was stunning and Jessica killed it on the runway.

Laurence's collection was impeccable as expected but I wasn't excited about any particular piece.  I hated that purple. And the green piece on the plus-sized model was just "meh" but I don't fault her for that. She is so talented, I think I take for granted how effortlessly she can tailor leather.  Zac kept emphasizing how impressive her work is and I appreciate his point of view so much more than any of those other judges.  Team Zac for sure. 

[njbchlover]

2 hours ago, MamaGee said:

I guess I am the only person in the room who doesn't appreciate Mimi and her skills. Her modeling is less "let the clothes do the talking" as it is Mimi doing performance art. Can you imagine any of the TRUE supermodels (Cindy, Christy, Linda, Naomi, etc.) pulling that crap at a designer's show? Those supermodels gave the clothes they modeled a great frame and walk, then let the clothes shine. And not through the arm movements, high kicks or back bends that Mimi likes to employ. I don't get it. 

I agree with you.  I would imagine that during a "real" runway show, that Mimi is instructed on how she should walk, whether it be a hip swinging gait, a slow stroll or a quick step strut.  I also imagine that she follows those directions, unless she doesn't want to work anymore.

I think that PR gives the models some leeway and a chance to showcase themselves a bit, so models with confidence take advantage of that.  Mimi seems definitely not lacking in confidence, and she can definitely walk a runway, albeit very dramatically and oftentimes, NOT showcasing the garment, as you mention.  She absolutely takes advantage of every time any camera is on her, and, imo, it is not used as an advantage to highlight the garment she is modeling.

However, I also think that Mimi is overly-dramatic and quite the attention whore.  She enters a room like everything should stop when she walks in.  She comes across, at least to me, as haughty and self-absorbed, but I think that all models must have some bit of those traits in order to be successful.

Edited September 8, 2023 by njbchlover

[stewedsquash]

I am up to where they are doing a second fitting on the models and am not peeking here. But I just can’t anymore and had to post an unpopular opinion. 
 

I can’t stand Mimi. All the other models are about working with the designer and then there is The Mimi Show. 
 

I really want Laurence to win. Back to viewing now.

[T Summer]

8 hours ago, Passing Strange said:

Brittany doesn't do couture. As much as the judges loved her work, and she is good, the show wants to be part of the couture, fashion is art mystique. The finale was as good as it was going to get for her.

I'm not saying Brittany should have won the finale  based on the collection she showed. It was just a huge turnoff knowing she didn't stand a chance of winning, no matter what she sent down the runway.

It  got very tiring week after week reading tons of posts saying Bishme would benefit the most from the CFDA mentorship, being a young designer.

So I thought I'd point out he and Brittany are both exactly the same age, 32.

 

In truth  no one really blew me away with looks the  likes of which we  hadn't seen during the competition. In a fantasy world where  budget and fitness were no obstacle I'd want Laurance's gray  leather pant with the ruffly midriff top that was reminiscent of wings, that's the only thing I'll remember from this finale.

...and that  will not  be for long.

 

Laurance's expertly tailored leather pants+ garments  really sing  on those extraordinarily tall thin models.  quelle surprise! 🥱

There's  not really the same effect  on the more normal to full figured models, they would require designs that aren't meant to be worn skin tight.

 

Bishme seems like a sweet person and I don't have anything against him but there were times he escaped elimination simply because the judges liked his previous look(s)

and his win on the Below Deck challenge was ridiculous! They're cruising to tropical locales and the challenge was to please the client and  make the look  suitable for their purpose. Brittany looses with a good looking cotton jumpsuit for a service person and Bishme wins with a good looking neoprene outfit for a greeter/ multitasker who asked that her outfit be breathable. Neoprene? Really? That's what they make wet suits out of! That's the exact opposite of breathable.

🙄

Do you think Brittany would've escaped elimination if her client asked for breathability in the garment and she used neoprene?

Edited September 8, 2023 by T Summer
typo

[pwdrpuff]

Laurence was so robbed. From having no vision to a high fashion perfect collection, come on! 

One last thing, everything Christian suggested and others have executed, have been winning and praised looks, which only cemented his talent. I didn’t even remember him or follow his work, but that was obvious this season.

[stewedsquash]

I loved Laurence's items and think if Christian hadn't gotten in her head about the purple she would have had a different look for it. Didn't like the cones. She has been wearing what appears to be her logo, Laurence Designs?, on a black shirt for a couple episodes now so she did manage to get herself out there. She will definitely get to make Porter something and that might be a springboard for her to start doing some more celebrities. Maybe Zac will hook her up. But while I wanted her to win, because I think she is a true craftsman and artist and lives an exciting life, I think this season did come down to the mentorship. It was right there the whole time this season, I just kind of glossed over it. 

Anyone got the scoop yet on why Brandon was not at the finale? If there is a next season I think they should have someone from the design school, Nina, possibly Brandon (I kind of get his humor and he has grown on me since I first hated him when he started) and if not him (he kind of seemed over it this season?) maybe Zac will come back or another designer, and then a model to be the host like the old days. Christian needs a Heidi like Tim had. And if Zac comes back I know! that they will start showing them inspecting the garments. I miss that part also!

The only thing I liked of Bishme's was his red white checked fabric, not necessarily the over proportioned design though, and the red black white patterned outfit. Can't remember if he used that material for two outfits. Maybe I just like both of those fabrics? His designs were not that good. But again, I guess he can use the mentorship the most so I am glad he won and hope he makes it big. He is so darn nice. Praiji made me love him when he spent most of his time helping him overcome his emotions. Such a caring thing.

I couldn't see anything but the House Gnome? when Fabio showed up. Is that the hilarious name someone came up with during his elimination episode? Brittany needs to do like the lady who got eliminated first. Get a good job in the industry. I don't see her making it in the big league designer group.  

Edited September 9, 2023 by stewedsquash
wonky site makes it hard to post correctly

[jcbrown]

I loved Bishme's red and white checkered look and liked his "anxiety dress." I thought Brittany's collection was okay, albeit not designed for me, but I also remember a couple of fails from hers: the pink corset that Did Not Fit and the short strapless body-con dress with the strap suspending a purse that attached to her model's right breast. Just no. I remember nothing of Laurence's collection, though I like her a lot.

[NoThyme]

Bring back Zac

[njbchlover]

20 minutes ago, NoThyme said:

Bring back Zac

I agree - just because I loved that when Zac was a judge, the judging was shown to be much more intense (i.e., the upclose views of the designs).  Based on the seasons when he was a judge, Zac is fair and constructively critical - he doesn't try to totally eviscerate someone with his comments.

I also loved that Zac was thinking "out of the box", and mentioning handbag and accessories lines from Bishme and, with Nina's prompting, Laurance.

I bet that either one or both of them would do amazingly well as handbag/accessory designers.  I would love to see a handbag line from Laurance, especially because she knows how to manipulate leather - I think I would definitely be in the market for a Laurance handbag.

[After7Only]

On 9/7/2023 at 9:52 PM, njbchlover said:

I'd like to know WHY Brandon didn't show. 

Nowadays when people are missing from a show with no explanation, I assume they tested positive for covid.   
 

I liked Brittany’s collection but it didn’t look much different from what she’s done all season.  Bishme and Laurence at least tried to stretch or elevate out side their typical looks.   

[MaryAnneSpier]

To those who are puzzled about the finale format: 

I've been rewatching the seasons in order, including the spin-off Project Runway: All-Stars. I've completed A-S three seasons, and they all created collections in a short timeframe, in the workroom, and had one assistant (a previous contestant who'd been eliminated) for a couple of days. The third season finale collections were modeled in the UN building (which I think is rather inappropriate personally), and I don't think the previous two All-Stars seasons did their finale at fashion week either. So I supposed since the 20th season of Project Runway was an all-star season, they just used the template of the now-defunct spinoff. 

[30 Helens]

Eight random thoughts about the finale:

1. Loved Mimi’s look to the camera as she walked away from the designers fighting over her. “… AND a bag of (kale) chips!”

2. Bishme did himself a disservice by placing his sister’s funeral program front and center. There is a time and place for grieving, and the finale of a career changing competition is NOT it.

3. Bishme had probably my least favorite runway. His draped looks were Rami Lite. His red-and-white checked thing was Picnic Table Run Amok. What got him the win was likely the dramatic (and admittedly gorgeous) final gown and the judges’ predispositions.

4. I liked Laurence’s the best overall. I even liked the purple suit. <shrug> I think it was just lacking a strong final statement piece.

5. I would never wear any of Brittany’s looks, even when I was in my twenties. I did like that black and cream fabric, though, and what she did with it.

6. Seeing Zac Posen just reminded me how much the show has suffered without real judges. I would kill to have either him or Michael Kors back full time. 

7. I was looking forward to the Christian home visits, and seeing him try to make pleasantries with the families. So, boo to that. And EIGHT DAYS? That’s not a runway-worthy amount of time. No surprise, then, that we didn’t really get runway-worthy collections.

8. I liked all these designers and wish them all great success. (Hope Laurence really did get BP’s number.) Looking forward to a new season with new judges. Or at least not Elaine.

[RoseAllDay]

13 hours ago, Jordan Baker said:

While I've always been impressed by Mimi, I have really been taken in the last few weeks by the very, very tall model who walked in Bishme's gown (in this episode). I'm sorry I don't know her name. The way she posed was really breathtaking.

And, yes, the format of this finale was such a far cry from those of years past. I so enjoyed seeing the interviews with the designers in their own spaces. I wonder whether the rushed finale is simply a cost-cutting decision or whether Bravo has just given up on this show. 🙁

Given that the home visits were the chance to provide the designers’ backstories, they would be kind of redundant this season given how much time was spent talking about personal issues in the episodes. I’d rather see the visits, because that often showed their diverse backgrounds, which I found interesting.

The finale struck me as being filmed in an event space somewhere with former castmates and family in the audience. Not the usual space or vibe for NY Fashion Week. (Maybe some had shows during FW, which would have made filming impossible then?) Nevertheless, eight designs in eight days is a mighty big ask, so a tip o’ the 🎩to them.

[RoseAllDay]

13 hours ago, njbchlover said:

I agree with you.  I would imagine that during a "real" runway show, that Mimi is instructed on how she should walk, whether it be a hip swinging gait, a slow stroll or a quick step strut.  I also imagine that she follows those directions, unless she doesn't want to work anymore.

I think that PR gives the models some leeway and a chance to showcase themselves a bit, so models with confidence take advantage of that.  Mimi seems definitely not lacking in confidence, and she can definitely walk a runway, albeit very dramatically and oftentimes, NOT showcasing the garment, as you mention.  She absolutely takes advantage of every time any camera is on her, and, imo, it is not used as an advantage to highlight the garment she is modeling.

However, I also think that Mimi is overly-dramatic and quite the attention whore.  She enters a room like everything should stop when she walks in.  She comes across, at least to me, as haughty and self-absorbed, but I think that all models must have some bit of those traits in order to be successful.

I liked Mimi, but yeah, she was getting quite the attitude toward the end, probably because she knew everyone wanted her. She is stunning, though.

Maybe Brittany told her to camp it up since she was the last one down the runway. Not sure why she wanted to call attention to the boot, since everybody else was wearing it. 

Getting into my Wayback Machine, I still think the prettiest and most elegant model was Daniel Vosovic’s in season 2. (Forget her name at the moment.)

EDIT: Rebecca.

Edited September 9, 2023 by RoseAllDay

[dleighg]

On 9/7/2023 at 10:37 PM, Madding crowd said:

Bisme had some great looks but his collection was not cohesive. I did like most of Laurence looks especially the ones with the sheer skirts. This finale bothered me a bit because it seemed like Bisme would win no matter what and this season seemed to be more about mentoring a young talent which meant people like Kortoe, Rami and Kara Saun had no chance

I completely agree. I was not impressed at all by Bishme's. The white drapy things did nothing for me, I didn't much like the vinyl picnic tablecloth, the dresses that looked like it was made from those inexpensive Mexican blankets you can buy, etc etc. I'll give him the "anxiety gown." That was cool with the female shape covering the important bits of her chest.

I LOVED Brittney's collection. So much fun and color. But yeah, she's "too commercial." I hope that means that she'll sell lots and lots of stuff going forward. 

12 hours ago, T Summer said:

Laurance's expertly tailored leather pants+ garments  really sing  on those extraordinarily tall thin models.  quelle surprise! 🥱

 

Ha Ha, exactly!

 

4 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Bishme had probably my least favorite runway. His draped looks were Rami Lite.

yup.

[Fake Jan Brady]

5 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

2. Bishme did himself a disservice by placing his sister’s funeral program front and center. There is a time and place for grieving, and the finale of a career changing competition is NOT it.

There's no time and place for grieving, especially after such a recent demise. He put the program there for inspiration [and it worked]. I expect he'll be grieving his sister for the rest of his life.

[DEL901]

In hindsight, there was a lot of praise for Laurence’s tailoring skills, but not as much talk about her creativity.  

[pasdetrois]

The show is all about gimmicks now: models; judges; frantic timelines; sob stories; mindless buzzword critiques.

I wasn't impressed with any of the final collections. I mean, there are lots of people who make frothy ball gowns, tailored leather wear, and sportswear.

I thought Brittany's 3D pants were fantastic. And Laurence's soft gray leather outfit with the pale ruffles was elegant. Her collection was more refined than Bishme's.

Edited September 9, 2023 by pasdetrois

[dleighg]

5 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

I thought Brittany's 3D pants were fantastic.

Could someone explain what was 3D about them? I kept hearing that but I wasn't sure what they were talking about.

I also liked that frothy top of Laurence's. A bit "Victoria Secret Angel" but in a good way.

[cinsays]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

Could someone explain what was 3D about them? I kept hearing that but I wasn't sure what they were talking about.

I also liked that frothy top of Laurence's. A bit "Victoria Secret Angel" but in a good way.

yeah, i didn't get the 3D idea either

[stewedsquash]

I thought the 3D comments were because the pants stayed in a cone shape, a complete circle at the bottom?

[potatoradio]

I actually kind of liked Laurence's purple "thing" and I would have given her the win based on the cohesiveness of her collection and how artistic her vision is. But when they started talking about what a great tailor she was...nope. You can win based on having a fabulous eye for fabric and style (*cough*Anya*cough*), but tailoring? For peons, I tell you!

I was so hoping Laurence would Bring. It., but I wasn't wowed by anything, so was disappointed. I did like the classic, romantic nature of her looks, but she'd really benefit from a mentor who could help her push the envelope from "good" to "holy smokes, where do I get that?" 

Oh, right. Fashion is for the young and the skinny. And old people definitely can't be mentored. 

I loved Britney's last two looks and, to quote Billy Porter, I want to go shopping and find her pants. She makes awesome pants. The first part of her collection I didn't like (I'm not a fan of straps, straps, dangly this and that everywhere because FUN!). But the pants she's made? Want. She and Dom Streeter should open a strictly fun pants shop. 

Bishme's collection had some stand outs, but was kind of a mess. I'm not mad that he won, but I am mad that it was a win that really seemed....Elaine-inspired? She does realize she's not doing him any favors by overlooking his design problems, right? Right? Oh, nevermind. She's a "journalist" and more into the "stories." 

Oh, Brandon wasn't there? Didn't notice. Didn't care. He and Elaine can go ANY day. 

 

 

[RealityCreator]

On 9/7/2023 at 6:06 PM, Straycat80 said:

Ready for a Bishme win, I feel they’ve set him up all season to win. 

There was no tension at all, because there has been no attempt to hide the fact that Bishme was TCO. Not that it bothered me. I think he's a deserving winner.  

I thought all 3 collections were very good, surprisingly so given that they only had 8 days. Laurence offered nothing surprising, but everything she's good at. Bishme did Bishme, and we knew it would be great. I thought his draped looks were derivative of...Rami, actually,  but that's OK too.  There are only so many ways fabric can be put on a body.

The biggest surprise for me was Brittany's collection.  I've surprised myself by liking Brittany all season.  I don't remember thinking about her one way or the other on her original season.  It was fun watching her discover what she is good at, what her signature style is, and how to turn that style into an original collection, a collection that had all the traits the judges have banged on about for years: cohesion, a point of view, and an ability to "see the "girl" who would wear that collection. I loved that Zac Posen pointed out that a signature style is a GOOD thing, and that repetition of that style is what makes a designer known.  

I was happy for all the designers, and even though I knew the win was in for Bishme (not a fix - a deserved win), I would have been happy with any of them winning.

 

 

[30 Helens]

5 hours ago, Fake Jan Brady said:

There's no time and place for grieving, especially after such a recent demise. He put the program there for inspiration [and it worked]. I expect he'll be grieving his sister for the rest of his life.

I get that, and I didn’t mean to sound callous. I just meant that having the photo there did not seem inspirational to me, in fact, it seemed to almost derail him. It made him focus on the grief rather than focus on honoring her through the work, which was his intent. 

Either way, it worked out. I’m sure she would be proud of him.

[stewedsquash]

2 hours ago, potatoradio said:

I loved Britney's last two looks and, to quote Billy Porter, I want to go shopping and find her pants. She makes awesome pants. The first part of her collection I didn't like (I'm not a fan of straps, straps, dangly this and that everywhere because FUN!). But the pants she's made? Want. She and Dom Streeter should open a strictly fun pants shop.

I kept thinking all season that she was hindering herself with her athletic mindset and you have nailed what she should have done. She should become known as the pants person. Her athletic stuff made no sense, was it for the gym or just a gym look? When she veered away from the straps and athletic aspect she really did design nicer things. I loved her modest sexy look and completely understood what she was going for. There was another outfit that worked. Several times when she did pants that kept away from athletics she did great looks. I think she was ultimately doing herself in.

And I kind of blame Christian for that.

I kind of blame Christian for several missteps among the contestants this year. Love him, but blame him.

[Wicked]

I really enjoyed this season but didn't love the finale.  I couldn't help but think why did they even bother inviting Britney back?  She did what she does and she not only did it well but elevated it.  But they weren't going to award her for that, because it's not high fashion (imo).  I honestly thought she had the best/most cohesive collection that was undeniably her.  I loved Bishme's red and white checked outfit but honestly can't remember anything else of his collection and the only thing I remember about Laurance's was the red outfit which I thought was awful

[carrps]

I'm fine with Bishme's win...especially so since it was basically the entire focus of this season, but I was seriously underwhelmed by his collection. Even his final look (which was his best) was very Christian-like and (dare I say?) referential. I hated the picnic table outfit, even if it had a attractive-to-me 60s vibe. But I called it the Italian restaurant tablecloth outfit. Instead of that instantly forgettable clutch, she should have been swinging a Chianti bottle from her finger. The drapy white things looked like shrouds and the slits were way too high.

Laurence did Laurence. She will have the Amazonian beanpole clientele. No one else will look good in her clothes. Whenever she had a plus model this season (including this finale) she made them look bad, and the clothes looked ill-fitted and poorly made. I also liked her first look the best. I thought I was seeing the model's panties in the final look, but it was that weird leather modesty panel. I didn't like the top that came with it because of the way it stood out from the body and moved separately from it.

I smiled all the way through Brittany's collection. No, it's not high fashion, but it entertained my eyes, and the colors made me happy.

Elaine is just ugh. If this show starts going the way of Chopped with all the sob stories, I'm outie.

 

[lgprimes]

On 9/7/2023 at 9:56 PM, TexasGal said:

 

Brandon couldn’t make the FINALE?  Mmmmkay

 

BWAHAHA I watched the entire finale days ago and it took this comment to make me aware he wasn’t there! Indicates how (un)important he is to the show I guess. Maybe he disagreed with the ordained winner? It is really odd.

[Salacious Kitty]

3 minutes ago, lgprimes said:

BWAHAHA I watched the entire finale days ago and it took this comment to make me aware he wasn’t there! Indicates how (un)important he is to the show I guess. Maybe he disagreed with the ordained winner? It is really odd.

Not really. He probably had COVID. 

Whatever the reason, it was to our benefit.

Edited September 9, 2023 by Salacious Kitty

[gorgy]

so comes the end of our Project Runway not All-Stars but technically All-Stars season 20. I basically skipped all pre-runway because I just did't have the time to watch, but it was nice to see some quick cuts of Kara Saun. Overall, all three collections were very good. None of them wow'ed me, but all three should be proud of their effort.

• Laurence is clearly her own muse, which I'm totally fine with. She reminds me a little of Laura Bennett from season 3 in that regard. She'll continue making garments for herself and if anyone else wants to buy them, that's cool. She really should consider a line of accessories. On the runway, I guess that one red/purple number fell flat. For some reason, when I first saw it, the model reminded me of Lena Dunham, which I thought explained my personal derision, but I guess the judges disliked it for other more appropriate to the contest reasons.
• Like Laurence, you can also say Brittany is also her own muse, but whose aesthetics/craftmanship is more varying for different body types. It all fit into her brand, but I think she could have elevated it a tad. Having said that, eight days for eight looks (I think that was the parameters) is a tough sell. It was all very Gwen Stefani circa 2006, but early 2000s is just about due for a renaissance.
• The editing pointed to a Bishmé win right after he said his sister died the first episode or so (I think he said transcended in the finale, which George Carlin has a whole bit about soft language, but I digress) I thought his collection was the least cohesive for eight pieces but would have made sense in a larger line, if that makes sense. more ideas than time allotted. I'm over the baseball cap gimmick.
• I didn't miss Brandon.

All in all, it was an okay season. I would rather it would've been an all-winners season (maybe non-elimination like Drag Race All-Stars season 7), but I'm pretty sure I'll never have to see Korto's sour face again, so I feel like I won, too.

Edited September 9, 2023 by gorgy

[RoseAllDay]

3 hours ago, lgprimes said:

BWAHAHA I watched the entire finale days ago and it took this comment to make me aware he wasn’t there! Indicates how (un)important he is to the show I guess. Maybe he disagreed with the ordained winner? It is really odd.

Yeah…you would think he’d clear his schedule for this. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, though, as to why he was a no-show. But frankly, with Posen there, was Brandon really missed?

Brandon really adds nothing anyway. 

12 hours ago, DEL901 said:

In hindsight, there was a lot of praise for Laurence’s tailoring skills, but not as much talk about her creativity.  

No, because they were constantly commenting on her demeanor, Nina especially, which was starting to piss me off. Just because a person isn’t bouncing-off-the-walls giddy 24/7 doesn’t mean they’re not enjoying what they’re doing, or are not happy in general. I’ve been on the receiving end of that bullshit plenty of times. Just pay attention to what they’re sending down the runway and cram the psychoanalysis.

[seacliffsal]

Okay, my post is going to be mainly about Elaine and her attempts to demean Brittany.  Elaine has been my least favorite judge because she seems to make it about herself and the designers' sob stories.  But, her reaction to Billy Porter when he stated that he liked Brittany's collection and gave her 8/8 really showed her biases.  She was incredulous when she (kind of accusingly) stated/asked 'you gave her an 8/8?'  Yes, she said that to Billy 'always fabulously dressed' Porter!!!  Elaine then went on to say that Brittany was following the athletic wear/athleisure trend and was that forward thinking and how in the world would Brittany ever be able to adjust her designs when that was no longer a trend (I obviously added the subtext that Elaine was implying to her words...).  What?  Athletic wear has been a 'trend' I guess since the 1980s.  And, if one wants to criticize designers for following trends-what about Laurence and her cone boobs (there was one design with that) that never caught on when Madonna wore them in the 80s?  What about the trend Bishme is trying with his (ridiculous IMO) hats and hat/veils?  Oh, and as a judge mentioned in a previous episode, his 'Mickey Mouse' shouldars.  Elaine was so demeaning Brittany by implying that she was only following a trend and wouldn't be able to adjust when the trend ends.  What in the world?  Project Runway needs to replace her with someone who at least pretends to be neutral.

Sorry about the rant, but obviously that comment to Billy Porter and her focus on Brittany following a trend really irked me.  

[jabRI]

I have to make one comment, that I think the CFDA mentorship could have benefitted any of them.  They are not amateurs, they are all equally in the fashion industry, which is ridiculously tough to make a name in.  I remember when Geoffery Mac won in his season, he was an 'older' designer that had lots of ups and downs over the years..  he has said that the mentorship was probably the best part of winning, it helped him get his business in order, theres more to just being a designer.  So just food for thought.

[DiamondGirl]

I think Brittany’s clothes are flat-out ugly.

Laurence is so one-note:  skin tight leather. Boring.

Bishme at least did a grand finale gown - I loved that reference back to the early seasons.

 

 

 

[sleepyjean]

One thing I realized after the finale is I don't miss Heidi and Tim. I very much enjoyed both of them on the show, but PR moved on without them and didn't skip a beat. Christian is great, and the other judges filled in Heidi's role seamlessly.  Is Making the Cut still on?

On 9/7/2023 at 9:04 PM, mbaywife123 said:

I have a feeling that Mimi will now be a very in demand, high dollar super model!

On instagram it looks like she's quite busy. https://www.instagram.com/mimi_tao/

 

On 9/8/2023 at 11:29 AM, RoseAllDay said:

Just started watching this on DVR, and I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that they had to make 8 looks in 8 days, when the finalists in other seasons had — what? — three months? 

PR used to be appointment tv for me, until the latter seasons when it seemed to be more about drama and personality, and the frequent one-day challenges and low budgets just resulted in uninteresting, glued-together messes. So I was pleased that this season seemed to be different - more creative, more time, more money. I have really enjoyed this season, and it was frustrating to get all the way to the end, only to find they were given 8 days. From what I noticed, the designers fell back to making garments similar to things they'd made prior to the season.  

On 9/8/2023 at 3:10 PM, Jordan Baker said:

While I've always been impressed by Mimi, I have really been taken in the last few weeks by the very, very tall model who walked in Bishme's gown (in this episode). I'm sorry I don't know her name. The way she posed was really breathtaking.

Jessica Millin. She's great. https://www.instagram.com/thejessicamillin1111/

On 9/8/2023 at 9:25 PM, jcbrown said:

I loved Bishme's red and white checkered look 

It reminded me of the plastic tablecloth in a pizza joint

On 9/9/2023 at 6:33 AM, DEL901 said:

In hindsight, there was a lot of praise for Laurence’s tailoring skills, but not as much talk about her creativity.  

I like Laurence's work, but there's a fine line between having a signature and being kind of one-note. She's veering toward the latter for me.

 

[pasdetrois]

17 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

But, her reaction to Billy Porter when he stated that he liked Brittany's collection and gave her 8/8 really showed her biases.  She was incredulous when she (kind of accusingly) stated/asked 'you gave her an 8/8?'

That comment was gauche and mean, knowing that Brittany would see it. Extremely unprofessional. Mean girl tactics.

Like everyone else on the show, Brandon has a contract. Either he negotiated an absence in advance, or he was quite ill. I doubt he had the right to disappear because he didn't like the chosen winner. He did seem "off" the entire season.

I watched Christian's aftershow with Bishme and was surprised that Bishme insisted on flirting with sexual innuendo. He only had a few minutes to make a final impression, and this is how he behaved? Maybe too much booze?

 

 

[Fellaway]

6 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I watched Christian's aftershow with Bishme and was surprised that Bishme insisted on flirting with sexual innuendo. He only had a few minutes to make a final impression, and this is how he behaved?

He directed a few flirtatious remarks at Christian early in the season, so maybe he's got a thing for him?  But, yeah, time and place, Bishme. Time and place.

[String Theory]

On 9/7/2023 at 9:56 PM, TexasGal said:

Brandon couldn’t make the FINALE?  Mmmmkay

No loss, so glad to see Zac.   A REAL designer.  Brandon was probably busy getting his new line for Walmart launched.......

I'm glad Bishme won.  IMO, Laurence is an impeccable tailor, but most of her collection is so leather centric, it seems like she has little desire to leave that.  I didn't see as much range in her show.  She's also pretty established, I don't see that she'd need or accept mentorship from CFDA.  Although I'm sure she'd take the $$$.

I liked Brittany's more formal black & white pieces, but the rest of her collection seemed like iterations of other pieces she's created earlier in the season.  Not bad, but weren't particularly unique or new. I love monarch butterflies & would love to have seen her incorporate some of her commercial fabric from her existing line into her show.

(Sigh, yawn) yet another season PR is finished.   I certainly hope for Season 21 that they will find  new judges.  Nina is alright, but Elaine & Brandon need to go.  I would love to see Zac return.

Edited September 11, 2023 by String Theory
Spelling

[RoseAllDay]

Did anybody other than the designers really give a damn about this season? You had Brandon miss the final, Nina out several episodes, Elaine with her bullshit clogging things up, and a final runway show that looked like it was held in a warehouse. Sure, you had Fern Malis in the audience, but otherwise it was just one more show…not the “exciting” culmination of a season. Christian seemed to be the only one genuinely invested in this.

“Eight designs in eight days” felt like “let’s hurry up and get this over with.”

This season should have been like all the others (with maybe some considerations if the designers had other projects going on), especially with the established talent that came back. They were owed that much. If you’re going to do an “all-star” show, do it right.

[theatremouse]

On 9/7/2023 at 6:56 PM, TexasGal said:

Brandon couldn’t make the FINALE?  Mmmmkay

On 9/7/2023 at 7:01 PM, Lassus said:

WTF is up with constant absences all fucking season?  Brandon couldn’t make the finale why exactly?

My understanding is "couldn't make it", "couldn't be here today" etc this season were all on-camera shorthand for "has COVID or has symptoms that could be COVID and no test result yet".

Bishme's red and white look screamed 1993 Papa Gino's tablecloth.

I was underwhelmed by most of the collections in the finale. Everyone had one or two looks (Laurence had more, probably) that were great and the rest I was like "really?" But when they do the All-Stars finale looks on the short timeline they're clearly not expecting anything groundbreaking. It's basically 8 one-day challenges. Yeah they have help, but it's still a time crunch both from the coming-up-with-ideas stage and the execution. 

I was somewhat confused by the "8/8" discussion with Elaine and Billy about Brittany. The way it came out sounded like he was rating on a scale of 8 and she was surprised he was giving top marks. But given he used the number 8, I thought he was saying he loved all 8 of the collection, and Elaine was incredulous there wasn't one look he thought was a miss - in a way that implied there was at least one look in Brittany's collection she thought he was forgetting/overlooking/was very surprised he didn't have problems with.

[vibeology]

On 9/9/2023 at 11:31 AM, RealityCreator said:

There was no tension at all, because there has been no attempt to hide the fact that Bishme was TCO. Not that it bothered me. I think he's a deserving winner.  

I too like Bishme but it was pretty clear who was winning when his finale storyline was a heartstring-tugger like grieving his sister while Laurence's was "what to do with that purple fabric?" and Brittany's was "making elevated athletic-wear just like all season long." The weight of those stories was so unbalanced that there was zero doubt in my mind who was winning.

On 9/9/2023 at 3:12 PM, carrps said:

I'm fine with Bishme's win...especially so since it was basically the entire focus of this season, but I was seriously underwhelmed by his collection. Even his final look (which was his best) was very Christian-like and (dare I say?) referential. I hated the picnic table outfit, even if it had a attractive-to-me 60s vibe. But I called it the Italian restaurant tablecloth outfit. Instead of that instantly forgettable clutch, she should have been swinging a Chianti bottle from her finger. The drapy white things looked like shrouds and the slits were way too high.

 

The big poofy tulle dress has been a fashion staple forever at this point. Christian has this one for sale right now. It's not a new concept in the slightest but I do think Bishme's was well done. The waist hit at a sweet spot proportionally, the tulle wasn't too big or too small and the bodice was interesting visually.

19 hours ago, sleepyjean said:

PR used to be appointment tv for me, until the latter seasons when it seemed to be more about drama and personality, and the frequent one-day challenges and low budgets just resulted in uninteresting, glued-together messes. So I was pleased that this season seemed to be different - more creative, more time, more money. I have really enjoyed this season, and it was frustrating to get all the way to the end, only to find they were given 8 days. From what I noticed, the designers fell back to making garments similar to things they'd made prior to the season.  

Eight days was way too tight for eight looks, model casting, the hair and makeup commercials/consultations and whatever behind the scenes stuff that also takes up time we don't see. It didn't leave any time to think about the looks, edit, start over if something wasn't working. I think everyone had a few duds in their collections and that was because there just wasn't enough time. Even if they'd given them two weeks it probably would have resulted in much stronger work. They had to go and buy everything on the first day. Who even had time to conceptualize at that point?

18 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I watched Christian's aftershow with Bishme and was surprised that Bishme insisted on flirting with sexual innuendo. He only had a few minutes to make a final impression, and this is how he behaved? Maybe too much booze?

They both have been joking around all season with a hint of flirting. I think they're friendly and they're both comfortable with how they interact with each other.

5 hours ago, String Theory said:

(Sigh, yawn) yet another season PR is finished.   I certainly hope for Season 21 that they will find  new judges.  Nina is alright, but Elaine & Brandon need to go.  I would love to see Zac return.

I would love to see new judges. I think Nina and Elaine are redundant. Two editors? They're coming at this from the same angle. Brandon just feels very disengaged. They need a new designer, only one of Nina or Elaine (and I'd prefer to keep Nina) and someone who works in a different area of fashion. Either someone who does construction, someone from the CFDA, a fashion photographer, someone in high end retail, an accessories designer. There are some real options out there who could bring something more to the table than judges who are often absent or Elaine who picks a favourite and then is a booster rather than a judge.

[TexasGal]

On 9/9/2023 at 7:15 AM, dleighg said:

Could someone explain what was 3D about them? I kept hearing that but I wasn't sure what they were talking about.

 

I think she stitched over the outlines on the pattern so it had depth.  I couldn't figure it out at first either, why they were saying 3D about the pants but not the "gown" which was the same fabric.

[RoxiP]

Like another poster said, if I remember correctly they have done the "speeded up" All Stars finale for several years now, where the designers are under pressure to compile a complete finale collection in an incredibly short amount of time.  Considering that I think they all did a wonderful job and created amazing things...except Bishme.  I am not mad he won - like most posters here that seemed preordained from very early on in the season - but I was underwhelmed by his collection and thought it was the weakest of the three.  He had some spectacular pieces (put me on the Italian restaurant tablecloth bandwagon - what the heck was that?), but I did not like those tweedy looking pieces at all, they didn't seem to fit well and did not fit in with the rest of the collection.  Honestly, I was surprised at how well Brittany's collection came together (although that pink atrocity on the plus-sized model showcasing her stomach was dreadful), but I thought Laurence's collection was fabulous.  Yes it was mostly leather - but she unabashedly says that leather is her thing and that is what she wants her business to be.  

I will always like Brittany also because she gave Fabio credit for the assistance he gave her during her pre-runway speech.  I thought that was a classy move and it does not appear any of the other designers acknowledged the assistance given by their helpers.

I was happy that I had forgotten Hester was on this season...LOL!  And I thought for a moment Kortu wasn't there but she had her hair done differently so I jut didn't recognize her.

Loved Zac.  You know they can't have many judges on the panel because Elaine's hair takes up double the space of anybody else's.

[Angeleyes]

I think the 3-D effect was in how the print lined up on the pants. I’ve had a few days to think about Brittany’s collection. I think for her personally it was a step forward in growth. Then I began to consider the question of can an athleisure line also be couture. The most direct line for consideration would be Beyoncé’s line Ivy Park. I think the argument could be made that they did manage to bring couture to an athleisure line. I think at its prime, the same could be said for Kanye’s Yeezy line. Brittany’s closest thing to couture looks were the printed pants and the dress that Mimi wore. While her line was fun, I don’t think she made the pieces look expensive. So I think it was theoretically possible for her to have won if she had created pieces that did that. Is it harder to make athleisure look expensive? Sure. That’s the path that she chooses to take. I think she just didn’t quite nail it yet. 
 

For those complaining about Mimi, did anyone catch Coco Rocha closing out Christian’s NYFW show over the weekend?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw-wRt-R0tj/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[Fellaway]

2 hours ago, Angeleyes said:

For those complaining about Mimi, did anyone catch Coco Rocha closing out Christian’s NYFW show over the weekend?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw-wRt-R0tj/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

That dress looks very much like one my old Barbie had (and which is still lurking in the dark recesses of my closet). But, wow, I don't think that "walk" was doing it any favors.

Count me as a Mimi stan, though. I don't know about other runways, but she elevates anything she models on PR's. If she can't sell it, it's hopeless.

[dleighg]

4 minutes ago, Fellaway said:

But, wow, I don't think that "walk" was doing it any favors.

I think even I (a 62 yo, not thin, woman) could "do" that "walk"

[MamaGee]

On 9/9/2023 at 1:01 AM, 30 Helens said:

Seeing Zac Posen just reminded me how much the show has suffered without real judges. I would kill to have either him or Michael Kors back full time. 

I just had a thought. I love hearing the judges' comments during the runway but I also wonder if it's made us respect them less. Back in the day, when we only heard what they had to say when they were discussing the designs during judging, they might make a snarky comment here and there, they were usually pretty respectful of the designers, critical of the designs but not over the top about themselves or their personal preferences. I think that has something to do with why I don't like any of the current judges. Their comments during the runway crack me up but in the end, make them look less professional and respectable!