S13.E11: The Highest Bidder

[Surrealist]

Do they get some money for winning Fan Favorite?  Is there a prize, maybe a Red Robin gift card?  Bottomless fries?  A free Mary Kay makeover?  Or is it just bragging rights

 

Alexander gets a "walk on" role in one of RR's commercials. He can walk up, interrupt the woman and her partner while saying "I'M your burger daddy, lady."

[pasdetrois]

I can't get too worked up about Korina's bratty behavior. We've had so many obnoxious contestants over the seasons -- manipulated and encouraged by production - that my eyes just glaze over when yet another one appears. A few weeks ago everyone was frothing at the mouth about Sandiyah. The drama has ruined what used to be one of my favorite shows.

 

Korina made the mistake of thinking she actually had a chance to win. Or from a long-term marketing perspective she was trying to just make it to fashion week, which has its own rewards. In fact, I think many PR conestants are aiming for fashion week, not expecting to win. Because they know the show is rigged now.

 

Her rage was that a talentless hack like Char edged her out from fashion week, a talentless hack who was saved twice, to boot. I would be furious too. (Yes, Char has a bit of talent, but she's not PR-worthy.) Hopefully I'd handle it much better than Korina did.

 

Now production is bringing her back, in all her fury, and pairing her with Char because they like to poke the wasp nest for ratings. I'm pretty sure Korina must appear in order to collect her PR paycheck.

Edited October 5, 2014 by pasdetrois

[RealityCowgirl]

Sundance is a great example of a place for Korina (and, yes, maybe Emily) to take a *major* step forward. It's also an example of an opportunity potentially lost either because, a, her reputation might precede her or, b, she gets that opportunity and acts like the entitled little ass that she is and blows it in mid-stream.

I get a slew of other catalogs from similar companies, and I live in an area of the country filled with privately owned boutiques that would welcome her aesthetic. But not her attitude. Her potential to create those opportunities feels very low, based on what she's shown us. No one would put up with that on an ongoing basis.

Edited October 5, 2014 by RealityCowgirl

[terrymct]

Korina seemed pretty married to her vision, because it was based off of her anger towards Nina saying that she falls back on a southwestern motif.  

 

 

This.  Korina spent her hour bitching and being angry, rather than concentrating on her dress.  Char used what was available to her, including the whole hour and an assistant, to crank out a decent dress.  Korina did not.  She couldn't get passed being pissed off.   That's why she lost.

Sundance is a great example of a place for Korina (and, yes, maybe Emily) to take a *major* step forward. It's also an example of an opportunity potentially lost either because, a, her reputation might precede her or, b, she gets that opportunity and acts like the entitled little ass that she is and blows it in mid-stream.

I get a slew of other catalogs from similar companies, and I live in an area of the country filled with privately owned boutiques that would welcome her aesthetic. But not her attitude. Her potential to create those opportunities feels very low, based on what she's shown us. No one would put up with that on an ongoing basis.

 

 

Clearwater Creek.  The boutiques at the Sundance festivals and those upscale ski towns might want something a bit fresher.

[Beden]

 

The rag rugs Emily and Korina used as trim made me wonder if they washed any of this stuff before they put it on the models? If not, ew!

I find/buy old jeans jackets, bring them home and ditz them up with antique quilts, silks, satins, brocades--whatever--and sell them. The first thing I do when i get them home is toss them in the washer because, yeah--ewww. And yeah--the look is as old as Levi Strauss but people still love them, bless their hearts.

 

I spent 30+ years as a theater tech on the professional level and I'm tellin' you--don't piss of the techs. Just don't. They control too much, know too much. Cheese off the techies and your fate, your edit is in their hands. I'm wondering if Korina's pissiness extended to the crew. in which case she's not nearly as smart as she thinks she is.

 

Just saying...

[Broderbits]

 

Clearwater Creek.

Perhaps you mean Coldwater Creek, which is now out of business? One less opportunity for Korina to mess up.

[gingerormaryann]

Why was Vincent on the list of villains?  If anything, he resembled a clueless, wacky, slightly pervy uncle but definitely benign.  That season, the villain was defintely Jeffrey.  As for Wendy Pepper, I think time will be kind to her performance on PR.  Kara Saun, not so much.

[frogzapper]

Wow, this episode sure has generated a lot of comments!

 

Aside from Korina's deplorable behavior, there were several things I liked about this episode --

 

• I loved Amanda and Kini's entire collection!  I'm a big fan of both black & white and bold colors and I like fun funky style, so this collection really spoke to me.  I really liked the way Amanda used the pyschadelic yeti painting in both her look and the 3rd look, and I thought Kini's soccer ball dress was so creative and well-done!  I thought the pink & black fabric was a great addition to complete the collection.  It was great seeing them work together so well too.
• I really enjoyed seeing more of Sean's personality come through.  I thought it was so cute and hilarious the way he mimed being stabbed in the heart while Korina was trying to throw him under the bus on the runway!  And his talking head when he laughed at himself after making the remark about helping Char being like leading a sheep to slaughter made me smile even though it was kind of a mean remark, heh.
• I thought Char's 1 hr look was surprsingly gorgeous (doesn't hurt that I love that shade of blue) and impeccably executed (I'd like to know how much of that was Sean's doing!).  I think she was very lucky to make it through another week and very lucky to have Sean as her partner.  I agree with the person upthread who said that her 1 hr look was made even better with the use of Sean's gorgeous model and her rockin' body!
• I'm growing to like Emily a lot as a person.  She seems like such a kind, level-headed person (as she demonstrated both in this episode and the one where she was consoling Sandhya), but I find her designs very forgettable and/or dated, unfortunately, so I think she may be the next to go unless she really turns it around soon.
• Loved seeing Christian Siriano!  He's one of my all-time favorite PR contestants and I'm happy that he seems to be making a good career for himself.  I guess I'll try watching Threads, but I don't know how I feel about putting kids in a high-pressure competitive setting like PR.  I really don't want to see any mean kid talking heads!

 

Regarding Korina and Emily's collection, I didn't think the pieces looked too bad while they were working on them individually in the workroom, but when I saw them all together on the runway and in the judge's up-close look, I thought they looked like such a ridiculously overblown piled-on mish-mash of a hot mess!  Talk about a collection needing some editting!  And I have to side with Tim on Emily's look.  It just looked like a woman wearing a rectangular cushion.  I know that people are always bringing up the example of the Carol Burnett Show episode where she spoof's Gone With the Wind and the dress that Scarlett O'Hara makes out of the draperies, but that's honestly the first thing I thought of when I saw the shoulders on Emily's seat cushion look!  I was really surprised that most of the judges liked it so much, but then I've grown a lot more dubious of the judges' tastes over the last few seasons!

 

Finally, I think everything there is to say about Korina and Char has been said already, so I'll just add that I'm glad I won't have to look at Korina's weirdly plastic looking jaw and her self-important talking heads anymore!

 

[Ketzel]

Finally, I think everything there is to say about Korina and Char has been said already, so I'll just add that I'm glad I won't have to look at Korina's weirdly plastic looking jaw and her self-important talking heads anymore!

Well, at least not until next week, if the "coming attraction" is to be believed. Sigh.

Re: Christian, I enjoyed him in Season 4, and at the time, cut him some slack for his bitchiness due to his age alone. Ironic that he's now doing a show with children as the contestants. [Probably won't be watching - I get very fratchity around precocious children.]

Edited October 5, 2014 by Ketzel

[Totale]

I actually liked that the designers could decide what they wanted to make for this challenge, so theoretically everyone could act in their own wheelhouse. With that being said: the button bag did a pretty good job teaming up those with similar POVs.

 

Check the credits sometime, I'm pretty sure they say "Button Bag by Penn and Teller".  It certainly has been a constant source of magical "surprises".

 

In the previews we only saw "Korina, you're with Char", not how she gets there.  Maybe it's by default - all the other designers got to pick first and they all picked Not!Korina because wouldn't you? 

 

Considering all the energy and work Amanda put towards getting the Yeti painting for her top at the expense of everything else, I thought it was outright weird for her to have Hair Guy put an extension ponytail on her model to fall down and cover up the back so you couldn't see it.

[KimberStormer]

I meant to mention, I think Sean has completely relaxed because he's looked at the field and realized there's no way they're not taking him (and Kini) to Fashion Week.  Emily and Char are obvious cannon fodder, Amanda was eliminated once already, Korina was getting slammed on the runway--and out comes Silly Sean because he realizes he's got this in the bag.  (In every season making it to Fashion Week has been everybody's goal; he might not win, but he's achieving his goal.)  In addition to everything else, I think his being so relaxed helped him and Char.  Emily still has to stress about getting into the Wendy Pepper Memorial Distant Third Place slot, and Korina was her strongest competition for it--a difficult situation even if Korina wasn't flipping out.

 

BTW Nina, be careful girl, in fashion "dated" means "I'm old enough to remember this the first time" (if it's before you were born it's "vintage", then "classic") so calling something out for being dated when it's 70s-esque is saying more than you mean!

 

ETA omg Totale I said the same thing!  How could she hide Psychedelic Yeti??  Nobody puts Psychedelic Yeti in a corner!

Edited October 5, 2014 by KimberStormer

[Lurifax]

I'm afraid I shouted so many rude words at the tv that the dog went upstairs to sulk. Karina is a nasty vulgarian

Edited October 5, 2014 by Lurifax

[ichbin]

I can't get too worked up about Korina's bratty behavior. We've had so many obnoxious contestants over the seasons -- manipulated and encouraged by production - that my eyes just glaze over when yet another one appears. A few weeks ago everyone was frothing at the mouth about Sandiyah. The drama has ruined what used to be one of my favorite shows.

 

Korina made the mistake of thinking she actually had a chance to win. Or from a long-term marketing perspective she was trying to just make it to fashion week, which has its own rewards. In fact, I think many PR conestants are aiming for fashion week, not expecting to win. Because they know the show is rigged now.

 

Her rage was that a talentless hack like Char edged her out from fashion week, a talentless hack who was saved twice, to boot. I would be furious too. (Yes, Char has a bit of talent, but she's not PR-worthy.) Hopefully I'd handle it much better than Korina did.

 

Now production is bringing her back, in all her fury, and pairing her with Char because they like to poke the wasp nest for rating

I totally agree! 

 

Regardless of personal taste, Korina clearly is very passionate and dedicated to designing and creating actual clothing.  It must have killed her to have her work judged against Char's poorly executed hobble skirt and jacket...and that miserable jacket was the result of a lot of tecnical assistance from Sean and took up nearly all of her time allottment.  Char couldn't even fit the neckline and relied on sloppy tucking. It was a mess.  This coming as the culmination of seeing the judges fall all over some really questionable designs (Sandhya....) while repeatedly discounting more deserving designers like Fade and Emily.  Forcing Char and Korina to make a last minute outfit was like saying that their first outfits were equally bad.   I think even worse for Korina was that it suggested that their skill was comparable. 

 

As far as Korina thinking her stuff is great, how about Amanda who to me always comes off as the most self-satisfied one there during the runways.  She could wrench out an arm with all that self back patting.  They all have egos and most weeks every one of them thinks they have the winning look.  They all have things to say about one another as well.  We are only given what the production people decide to give us.  From some of the little snippets I suspect that nearly all of them could have received the villain edit based on what production decided to do this season.  Remember that scene with the guys in their apartment dishing on Sandhya after her pinwheel outfit?  I'm willing to bet that got a lot more dishy than we were shown. 

 

I think Korina's biggest problem was thinking this was still a show about fashion design and creation.  That ship has sailed.

Edited October 5, 2014 by ichbin

[terrymct]

Perhaps you mean Coldwater Creek, which is now out of business? One less opportunity for Korina to mess up.

Yes, and I didn't realize it had closed. Poor Korina!

[Dots And Stripes]

Korina was a complete brat. Char did not deserve to be on the receiving end of that. However, I will say the whole thing kind of make me like Korina more. Until now she's just been kind of bratty in an annoying way. This episode her made her bratty in an entertaining way. It also helped that she immediately received her comeuppance. I also imagine a lot of other designers would have resented having to compete again in that situation considering Char already had one save and extra time for the zipper. 

 

Char is the weakest designer left, IMO. She has received more than her fair share of passes. I totally think without Sean she wouldn't have pulled off that look and it was telling that when the judges raved about the cape, it was in large part because of Sean. I think Char has talent, but I don't think her skill set matches the demands of Project Runway. Char could probably do better work if she weren't under such a time crunch, but that's to what this show is about. She does seem like a lovely person though and I don't blame her for still giving her all to stay in the competition. If the show keeps passing her through each week, of course she's going to keep fighting to stay.

 

Sean showed himself to be very strategic this week. Of course he wanted to help Char for his own sake. It would have been interesting to see what he would have done if he would have been paired with the designer he saw as more of a threat. I appreciated his honesty.

[ratgirlagogo]

 

Why was Vincent on the list of villains?

I'm the poster who added his name (along with Ken and Sandro). The question as I understood it at that point in the thread wasn't PR villains so much as PR designers with difficult personalities - people you wouldn't want as roommates.  Vincent I included not just because of the creepy "it makes me HOTTT" stuff, but the freaking out and tantruming at the production assistants when they cleaned one of his shirts incorrectly.

[auntlada]

I think Korina's biggest problem was thinking this was still a show about fashion design and creation.  That ship has sailed.

 

I think she's lucky it's not entirely about fashion design and creation since she would have been gone long ago if it weren't for her attitude and drama potential.

[PepperMonkey]

KIMBER STORMER!!

I heart you forever for "Nobody puts Psychedelic Yeti in a corner!"

 

Also, I'm pretty sure Kini was in agreement with her over wanting that storage unit. If he wasn't, he is the classiest contestant they've had on PR in ages, because he never once bitched about it. They just put their heads down, used some serious imagination and turned out some great work.

 

Almost forgot to add: right now, I'm thinking Kini, Sean and Amanda for top 3 unless Amanda totally implodes. I like Emily's personality, but except for couchvest, her designs are super Hot Topic, IMHO.

They might be planning on taking Char, though, because Justin was a Tim Gunn save and went to finale so TPTB may be wanting to continue that trend.

Based TOTALLY on what we've seen on the show so far, though, I'm almost rooting for a Kini/ Sean/ Amanda final 3. I'm actually just pretty much ready for this season to pass into history so I can see my all time favourite, Helen, on All Stars 4. I hope she's only gotten sweeter since her original time on the show.

 

If PR makes it to season 14, I'm voting for Swatch, picklesprite's cat and Psychedelic Yeti to be the new judges. Heidi can stay if she foregoes judging duties on America's Got Talent.

Edited October 5, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[sofaslug]

I'm not sorry to see Korina go. I've thought her to be a passive/aggressive, narcissistic snot head for weeks. I thought her design this past week was awful. Did my eyes decieve me or did the top ( under the ugly coat) pucker in the front? I did, however, like that sweater in their 3rd look. I'd wear it on weekends, with jeans, while walking the dog.

She could get a chance to offer her southwestern designs to Coldwater Creek in the future. They plan to offer website shopping in November according to their Facebook page.

I think Char's time should be up soon. She seems to be nice and earnest about a designing career but doesn't seem to have the skills to continue forward.

[SSAHotchner]

I'm the poster who added his name (along with Ken and Sandro). The question as I understood it at that point in the thread wasn't PR villains so much as PR designers with difficult personalities - people you wouldn't want as roommates.  Vincent I included not just because of the creepy "it makes me HOTTT" stuff, but the freaking out and tantruming at the production assistants when they cleaned one of his shirts incorrectly.

Vincent made my skin crawl. He was also delusional about his "talent."

[Surrealist]

I'm not sorry to see Korina go. I've thought her to be a passive/aggressive, narcissistic snot head for weeks. I thought her design this past week was awful. Did my eyes decieve me or did the top ( under the ugly coat) pucker in the front? I did, however, like that sweater in their 3rd look. I'd wear it on weekends, with jeans, while walking the dog.

 

I agree. I didn't mind Korina's and Emily's 3rd look sweater. I looked at it and thought "I wouldn't mind wearing that because it looks comfortable, soft, and warm."

[sleepyjean]

Well, on the positive side, I'm sure blue-haired Carrie was there to commiserate when Korina checked into the loser's suite that night. I'm sure Carrie was a comforting shoulder to cry on. What with both of them being unfairly eliminated in favor of someone with significantly less talent, and all. 

 

Gosh, I can just imagine Korina storming in, ranting and raving about how she's been wronged. I would have loved to have seen Sandhya's reaction in particular as the meanest of the mean girls got taken down a peg or two.

[NYGirl]

Why do TPTB think we enjoy all this stupid drama?  We should take a poll and see exactly how many people enjoy it.  It makes me uncomfortable to see people arguing or being nasty to someone.

 

Mark me down as a No.  I don't like it.

[ichbin]

http://www.anneofcarversville.com/glamtribale/2014/8/24/karlie-kloss-in-dark-horse-by-mario-testino-for-vogue-septem.html  found a link to this on Korina's FB page.  There's more than a hint of sour grapes, but I can 't exactly blame her considering all of Nina's comments.

Edited October 5, 2014 by ichbin

[RealityGal]

Why do TPTB think we enjoy all this stupid drama?  We should take a poll and see exactly how many people enjoy it.  It makes me uncomfortable to see people arguing or being nasty to someone.

 

Mark me down as a No.  I don't like it.

I like drama on a reality show.  I don't know that I would want to watch a purely technical show, and if I just want to see pretty clothes I can find them online in less time.  Or I could just check "Rate the Runway" or just watch the runway show.

 

I think the runway is the most sacred thing on the show, so I hate them messing with that by giving the designer all one day challenges.  And no amount of drama makes up for a shitty runway.

[WicketyWack]

Damn, did Tim Gunn ever save Kini & Amanda or what! They were headed toward crazypantsville with their looks: 

a) soccer ball skirt + srsly hoochie bra top --TIM--> soccer ball dress and furry bomber jacket

b) Yeti top with high-waisted trashbag-esque pants --TIM--> Yeti top with voluminous ballgown skirt 

c) pink dress with very busy blue fabric as trim --TIM--> cigarette pants + top with (much less busy) Yeti print as trim

 

And once again I have to hand it to Kini for never bitching and never freaking out and being cool and just going with Amanda's weird psychedelic Yeti fascination ... and turning what appeared to be a major disadvantage (they were the only ones doing an Unconventional Materials challenge) into a Clear Win. When I saw the contents of that storage bin, I too was like WTF AMANDA WHY WHY WHY NO NOOO NOOOOOOOO ... and now I admit, she had the right gut feeling, and it paid off and go team Yeti! Although I too could not understand why she chose to have a long ponytail drape over his face. Free the Yeti, yall! Their final looks were all very good although the pairing of the white soccer-ball dress with the off-white fur bomber made me twitchy and agitated.

 

Sean & Char, wtf -- you had soo many options to choose from that you were crowing about during the auction. Clothes in the drawers! Leather! Colors! And then to go with that hideous moving blanket -- the tiered design of the coat was kinda cool I guess but it still.looked.just.like.a.moving.blanket ... and screen mesh? and black fabric and that's it? With that said I kinda liked the looks of just about everything they did; I really liked Sean's evening dress but the models' hobbled walk made you not take these outfits seriously. I don't understand -- could they not have used more mesh with a larger circumference so that it wasn't so restrictive? That was such a disservice to the garments.

 

Korina & Emily -- I had the exact same reaction as Nina did to the Mood fabric ... I thought it was appalling and looked like the first chenille blanket your mom ever made when she was just learning how to crochet, in 1976. I hated Emily's Spongebob vest, til she got it on her model, and she was right -- the model's teeny waist and great figure saved that whole thing from looking like she was poking out of the top of a couch cushion. Korina made her skirt out of a table runner and it didn't look like anything BUT a(n ugly, very ugly) table runner wrapped around the model. I also got a Coldwater Creek vibe from everything they did, and that is not a compliment. My ex-husband used to buy me Coldwater Creek shit because he wanted me to be more of a granola hippie chick than I was, and it was all so boxy and unflattering and fugfugfug and I never ever felt attractive in it, not once, not ever. 

 

Korina -- what can I say about her that hasn't been said here? Whether she's more talented than Char is debatable. I think Char's probably a very good designer but not at all right for Project Runway. Given the fact that Korina was thisclose to being eliminated a couple of times, I have no idea where all that hubris came from. Glad she was out and I took great pleasure in her showing her ass multiple times because the blowback from that kind of behavior right now is a very direct karmic reward.

 

And yes Sean saved Char's ass, big time, for the one-hour challenge. If they'd had to do their own work themselves, á la Christopher Palu and Korto's All-Stars elimination face-off where they had one hour, alone, and had to do it all on the runway right there, Char would have been toast. But it's very likely Korina would have been, too .... God, this crop of designers is a sucking suckfest of absolute suck. Can we please award Kini the win, Sean in a "close" (but not really) second, and Amanda the Wendy Pepper Trophy for Participation and bring this bad season to a much-welcomed end?

 

With that said I loved, loved, loved, all of Sean's snark. More, please.  

And bring on Korina's pissy bitch fit next week because hahahahahaahahahaHAAHAAHAHAAA.

 

 

 

 

[Surrealist]

I like drama on a reality show.  I don't know that I would want to watch a purely technical show, and if I just want to see pretty clothes I can find them online in less time.  Or I could just check "Rate the Runway" or just watch the runway show.

 

I think the runway is the most sacred thing on the show, so I hate them messing with that by giving the designer all one day challenges.  And no amount of drama makes up for a shitty runway.

 

I don't mind some drama on reality shows. I don't think any of them would do well ratings wise if there was no drama whatsoever.

 

I'd rather that these shows focus more on the talent and technical stuff. I'm fascinated enough by those things, but I guess every show needs a villain or two.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Surrealist

[Beden]

 

I'd rather that these shows focus more on the talent and technical stuff. I'm fascinated enough by those things, but I guess every show needs a villain or two.

I'm one who would actually like to simply see the competition, see the design transfer, evolve into a garment, see if it's a success or a fail. Obviously 'reality' is a bullshit name for what we're seeing, no matter what show we're talking about but in a genuine competition there could easily be enough going on of interest without having to resort to scripted (or even not scripted) filler and crap.

 

I find manufactured 'drama', whether it's in the workroom or in a Real Housewives setting to be an insult to the audience. We know it's lies, we know it's fake, we know it's demeaning to (usually) the women involved. I've basically stopped watching that stuff, PR was my last holdout but we'll see how long that lasts. Of course the last minute surprises are designed to further stress the contestants, add to the angst but to me it's simply a manipulation because the producers are running scared--ratings are down and the cash cow is in danger of going down the drain.

[BarneySays]

I think the ultimate reason why we see so much drama simply is because it is cheaper to edit.  The drama is easy to put together.  It would take much more thought and time to edit episodes around the actual work process, in the manner Beden would prefer.  I, too, would prefer more focus on the process and the actual competition, but this cheap enterprise isn't ever going to give it to us.  Ten to fifteen minutes of drama is a lot easier to pull together than 10-15 minutes of designing and executing, especially since they have to edit it to keep us guessing about how the challenge will eventually turn out. 

[WalrusGirl]

Yeah. That threw me off. I thought for some reason that Amanda, Sean, and Emily were the team captains.

I guess I'm more forgiving when the hamsters fight back against the bullshit. Yes, if you signed up for it, you should try to go along with it but I'm not going to get furious if you refuse to bow to Nina and her incessant use of the word "ethnic" to describe anything she doesn't understand.

Did she? Or did Sean make the better dress?

Exactly. I REALLY wish the judges hadn't given them helpers - granted, they want to be done with filming for the day, but just give them two hours instead of one OR have them re-work a look in the one hour. I loathe Korina, but Sean is the one who stopped Char from going for the same clingy dress they're tired of, and that it was finished in an hour was all him. Char did make the smarter fabric choice and Korina frequently mis-judges how long something will take her, but she still works much faster than Char.

Also, as much as I was beyond ready to get Korina off my screen (which I'm apparently not anyway), Char, it isn't a "testimony" to your talent that you're still in the competition. I like her as a person, but I think I was over it when Tim gave her extra time for the zipper without giving the judges a photo of how the dress would have walked in any other competition. I'm all for preserving the modesty of models who are "real people" and not the real models, but only the model's modesty and feelings should have been protected, not the designer. I was stunned when he didn't want to tell the judges what caused the delay, and he still hesitated even when Heidi pushed for an explanation later. That seemed above and beyond to protect the specific designer, which isn't the Tim I know and love. That's not on Char except for how quickly she (appeared to, at least) run for Tim for help, but it isn't helping my feelings towards her skating by.

Can't blame Sean this week, though - he was upfront about the weird position he was in, and strategically it was in his best interests to save her with the blue dress. Though maybe she's make a fine collection if this is one of the times they get weeks - will have to look up the collections and decoys if she isn't shown in the finale.

And yes - Nina's issues with "ethnic" designs makes me uncomfortable (like the season when she criticized bright yellow as "not being flattering on anyone" when the designer, model, and designer's inspiration were African American. The bright yellow looked GORGEOUS on the model, it just wouldn't on Nina or, say, me (my skin tone could be described as "very Caucasian"). I can't remember if she's liked any of Korina's earlier southwest-inspired designs, though - maybe for her it just was the repetitiveness, which came up earlier than for, say, Amanda because this look was in the bottom anyway. It wasn't her main critique, at least.

[RealityGal]

Exactly. I REALLY wish the judges hadn't given them helpers - granted, they want to be done with filming for the day, but just give them two hours instead of one OR have them re-work a look in the one hour. I loathe Korina, but Sean is the one who stopped Char from going for the same clingy dress they're tired of, and that it was finished in an hour was all him. Char did make the smarter fabric choice and Korina frequently mis-judges how long something will take her, but she still works much faster than Char.

And yes - Nina's issues with "ethnic" designs makes me uncomfortable (like the season when she criticized bright yellow as "not being flattering on anyone" when the designer, model, and designer's inspiration were African American. The bright yellow looked GORGEOUS on the model, it just wouldn't on Nina or, say, me (my skin tone could be described as "very Caucasian"). I can't remember if she's liked any of Korina's earlier southwest-inspired designs, though - maybe for her it just was the repetitiveness, which came up earlier than for, say, Amanda because this look was in the bottom anyway. It wasn't her main critique, at least.

 

Nina loved that long coat/vest that Korina made which seemed to have a southwestern influence.  And if I remember what Nina said, it was that she would have expected Korina's use of the southwestern motif to evolve.  The three to four times Korina has used a southwestern influence it seems pretty straight forward, she just uses a southwestern print/pattern or directly uses a southwestern theme (this is a thunderbird!).  I like Nina, although her need to try to sound like some 20 year old hip fashionista is inauthentic and beneath her IMO.  But, other designers have incorporated a theme into their looks without a direct reference.  As much as I did not appreciate Sandaya's work, she was able to do that.  She didn't directly use elements from her culture, but would somehow reference them in her looks.  Like her first dress, it wasn't a sari, it didn't use the same fabric, cloth, cut of a sari, but in its color and its even the use of the flower pattern, I understood that she was indirectly referencing her culture.  Korina's use of the theme was always more along the line of "here is a southwestern style pattern...on a skirt! on a vest! thunderbird!)  I think thats the evolution Nina was looking for, by all means, use the southwestern theme/idea, use the Native American heritage you're passionate about, but let it evolve into something besides just sticking a southwestern print on things.  Even some of Patricia's stuff, you would get a southwestern feel, but it wasn't as direct, and I didn't like Patricia's stuff either, but I remember her making that fringe dress thing, and some dress with roses on the front.  Both had a very southwestern/Native American/Spanish feel to me, but they weren't so direct.  

 

And as far as Char's dress goes, it still looked clingy to me, so I think  that Sean's input was probably relevant in that she ended up making the dress longer then she was intending to. 

[sinkwriter]

 

BTW Nina, be careful girl, in fashion "dated" means "I'm old enough to remember this the first time" (if it's before you were born it's "vintage", then "classic") so calling something out for being dated when it's 70s-esque is saying more than you mean!

 

I don't know that I agree with this. No matter what age, be it Nina's age or a 20-something new designer, I think a designer should be well versed in the history of design and all its incarnations over the centuries, not only for inspiration but to expand upon or take something in a new and exciting direction, or to steer clear of certain designs that are hideous. So it shouldn't matter how old the designer is, they should be able to call something "dated" because they've been a student of design.

 

When I went back to school for web design, one of the required courses was "History of Graphic Design." At first I thought I'd hate it, because I'm not a graphic artist, but it turned out to be pretty fascinating and I not only learned a lot but saw some fantastic designs and the evolution from one style to another. It definitely helped teach me to have a wider view of design in general and how I can apply it to my own work. I can see how the same would apply for a fashion designer. "The more you know" and all that kind of thing.  *GRIN*

 

Plus, I think there are certain designs that are simply "dated" and have never been "classic" or "vintage." They're just dated and ugly. LOL. Of course, it's all subjective...

Edited October 6, 2014 by sinkwriter

[WicketyWack]

I agree that the concept was both complicated and nonsensical. For me, though, nothing will ever top off-the-grid Angela from Season 3 and her description of a hideous, tasteless outfit as being for an art school teacher.

I didn't realize it was a PERUVIAN fashion photographer until I read these boards and at that point, yes, Emily & Korina were officially inducted into the Jubilee Jumbles Bizarrely Specific and Incredibly Improbable Runway Backstory Hall of Fame with Angela. Her "girl" was actually an assistant art director at a children's art camp in Paris called Jubilee Jumbles and she was throwing a birthday party for her dog. And she dressed like a slutty clown.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I still wish that Sandhya was still in the competition.  I actually rewatch seasons, and when I look back on this one, her elimination will be the most nonsensical to me because she was the designer I'd been favouring.  This season's Patricia, and I mean that as a compliment.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Ms Blue Jay

[RealityGal]

I didn't realize it was a PERUVIAN fashion photographer until I read these boards and at that point, yes, Emily & Korina were officially inducted into the Jubilee Jumbles Bizarrely Specific and Incredibly Improbable Runway Backstory Hall of Fame with Angela. Her "girl" was actually an assistant art director at a children's art camp in Paris called Jubilee Jumbles and she was throwing a birthday party for her dog. And she dressed like a slutty clown.

I think I know what I want to be for halloween!

[TaraS1]

Char really impressed me with her attitude when she was paired up with Sean.  Instead of saying, "Thank god I got Sean, he can do most of the work and the judges usually love him, so I'm probably safe on his team!", she commented on how she could learn from him.  I thought that was great. 

 

Korina's meltdown amused me until she did the whole, "Did anyone see this coming?!  Anyone?!?!!" thing.  Hello, Char is sitting.right.there, you heinous bitch.  So Tom & Lorenzo giving her the benefit of the doubt by saying that her, "This isn't about you!" comment was more about how production had screwed her instead of her not wanting Char to get in the way of her self-centered fit?  Please.

 

Also, Nina terrifies me.

[Beden]

 

Char did make the smarter fabric choice and Korina frequently mis-judges how long something will take her, but she still works much faster than Char.

I'd also like to point out that Char obviously knows that Sean was an asset and so could use him--as her assigned assistant--to make that simple yet effective dress work and get finished in the 1 hour allowed. I don't consider that anything other than the woman recognizing her assets and limitations and using them to advantage within the confines of the final challenge--and for that I give her full credit. Korina chose to throw away her second chance by pissing and moaning about the unfairness of the universe and making the somewhat ill conceived choice of trying to make a much too complicated dress for the time limits and using crap fabrics. If those were all she had to work with she should have come up with some design which might have shown them to advantage. Instead she decided to wallow in a self assigned well of pity and curse the fates while flipping the bird to the judges.

 

She chose poorly.

[FineWashables]

While I'm not 100% sure that Char is a better designer than Korina, I am absolutely certain that Char will be better at the business end of the design business because she knows how to interact with other people and respects the fact that they have expertise she can use and learn from. Korina lacks the humility it takes to survive in an industry where sometimes you do get knocked down.

 

Char won't win.  I was so surprised that Korina really thought she'd win the season.  Wow.  

 

So the next All Stars show -- will they cast both Sandya and Korina?

[needschocolate]

When Korina said, "Did anyone see this coming?" for a moment, I thought she was being sarcastic, then I remembered this is Korina - always delusional, too blinded by her own greatness. Still, when she asked the question, I hoped the others would shake their heads "yes"

 

I can understand being annoyed that Char came back and got to fix her zipper last week - it is not pleasant when someone seems to be getting preferential treatment. However, Char being saved was not related to Korina leaving.  If Char had not been saved, Korina still would have had the worst look.   

[picklesprite]

This ep was actually the first time I've enjoyed Nina all season long, and I'm sure the reason is that there was a moment when the expression on her face was pure Diane Lockhart (from The Good Wife). Fans of that show will remember that time when Diane fired the intern who was sobbing over Will's death. THAT'S how Nina looked at Korina for a moment, that perfect combo of wry, cynical outrage and who-do-you-think-you-are? Comedy! Here's an idea--have Christine Baranski come on PR as a guest judge--in character as Diane. At the very least, her hair, make-up, clothes and accessories would put everybody else to shame.

[KimberStormer]

I don't know that I agree with this. No matter what age, be it Nina's age or a 20-something new designer, I think a designer should be well versed in the history of design and all its incarnations over the centuries, not only for inspiration but to expand upon or take something in a new and exciting direction, or to steer clear of certain designs that are hideous. So it shouldn't matter how old the designer is, they should be able to call something "dated" because they've been a student of design.

 

Well of course, but that's what I mean, if you make a 20s flapper dress or a New Look-esque full skirt 50s dress people don't say "ew, how dated!", they just get the reference and move on to deciding whether it's a good design or not.  I just think the word "dated" is a funny one, and has something to do with how we are trained (by the aggregate mass of evolving culture which is Fashion) to like something, then to dislike it two years later...

[Julia]

It's interesting watching period hollywood pictures over the years, because as much as they try to be accurate about the costumes, you can absolutely tell the difference between what a designer in the thirties thought regency looked like and what another designer in the seventies thought regency looked like, just because their assumptions about what clothes look like (hell, what women look like) were different.

 

I do think Nina's age makes a difference, because I'm pretty sure mine does. My daughter likes at least some seventies style. I think the majority of it should go into a big bonfire, because I remember when everyone was supposed to wear it, nobody looked good in it, and I don't believe it'll ever come back for anyone who was forced to wear it the first time (I know Nina says she loved the seventies. I don't believe her). 

[lucindabelle]

Lol Nina is about 50 so she might remember it fondly as what she wore as a little girl. That's how I remember it. But those huge collars and polyester really did no good for anyone. Of course, like most decades, the number is misleading.. Early 70s look nothing like late 70s.

[RealityCowgirl]

While I'm not 100% sure that Char is a better designer than Korina, I am absolutely certain that Char will be better at the business end of the design business because she knows how to interact with other people and respects the fact that they have expertise she can use and learn from. Korina lacks the humility it takes to survive in an industry where sometimes you do get knocked down.

This. Neither will likely set the fashion world on fire. But for me, these qualities in Char - and Korina's utter lack of them - tip the scales in Char's favor.

That is assuming Korina doesn't get a clue and grow up sometime before she turns 40. Possible, of course. But I'm not holding *my* breath. She's not worth it.

Edited October 6, 2014 by RealityCowgirl

[Pattycake2]

If Korina really thinks she's so much more talented than Char, she should have been happy that Tim "wasted" his save on Char.

 

Absolutely!  The remaining designers should have been doing Happy Dances. If Tim had chosen Fade for instance, Korina could have been kicked out way before now.  By Tim choosing who everyone considers a less talented designer, the remaining designers should have been able to kick her butt to the curb easily.  Except Korina couldn't quite manage that, could she?

 

Emily's couch cushion thing had me thinking of "Chairy" from Pee Wee's Playhouse.  It looked like a chair cushion, not shoulder pads.

 

Chairy is much prettier.

[FineWashables]

And so is Spongebob!  I would have bet the bank that the judges would hate that jacket as much as I did but no.  Tim hated it too -- I know I'm far from the first to say this, but there is a tremendous disconnect this season between Tim's taste and what the judges like.  That jacket was ugly.  The shoulders were ugly.  The belt made zero sense from any point of view, and the collar just screamed homemade cheap.  

 

Sometimes, when we haven't seen something worn before, it doesn't mean it's fresh and inventive so much as it is silly.  If Korina hadn't presented the granny's afghan cape and that weird cheap fabric that she thought was a cape, that chair cushion jacket should have gone home.  Instead, Nina liked it?!?  Nina kinda hates everything!  What's up with that?

[Captanne]

Is her work Peruvian?  I thought it looked Peruvian Connection-y!  http://www.peruvianconnection.com/home.do

(Disclaimer, the owner and founder is a friend of mine.)  

 

ETA:  This comment may be equally appropriate in the designer's thread (ha! pun intended) but I'll leave it here because it is on topic about what Nina was judging during the episode.  Any more and I'll move over to Korina's thread.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Captanne

[FineWashables]

I've bought from the Peruvian Connection!  Their sweaters are gorgeous.  Going by what the judges were saying about the cape fabrics, Korina's pieces weren't made of the kind of quality materials that Peruvian Connection uses.  And while we agree that the outfit looked Peruvian, Korina kept saying that her aesthetic is Southwestern, no?

Edited October 6, 2014 by FineWashables

[picklesprite]

 I would have bet the bank that the judges would hate that jacket as much as I did but no.  

 

That jacket was ugly.  The shoulders were ugly.  The belt made zero sense from any point of view, and the collar just screamed homemade cheap.  

 

Sometimes, when we haven't seen something worn before, it doesn't mean it's fresh and inventive so much as it is silly. 

 

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and finally, yes! I'm still flabbergasted that Nina liked those "shoulders." My living room couch has lovely rounded shoulders, and they're even made of soft, buttery, pale yellow leather. Maybe I could sell them to her as a winter coat?

 

::Eyes armchairs. Armchairs shrink back in terror::

Edited October 6, 2014 by picklesprite

[izabella]

I still don't know what a psychedelic yeti is, no matter how many times Amanda said it.  It just looked like finger painting to me.