S13.E11: The Highest Bidder

[sleepyjean]

At the beginning of the show, I wondered which way it was going to go. Because although Korina was bragging hard about how she was going to win, I seem to recall Amanda saying she and Kini were going to win. And after all, in the past when Korina has been basking in the anticipation of her own glory (most recently with the ugly blue motorcycle jacket) she won. I couldn't tell which team was going to get the boot.

 

I thought it was interesting that when Korina went for the jugular with Sean and Char ("TWO dresses you can't walk in, actually"), the show cut to a reaction shot of Amanda. Sloppy sloppy sloppy editing. Amanda left the runway long before the judges critiqued the other two teams.

The whole time Korina was ranting about how much better she is than Char, my mind kept going back to the hideous green dress she made for Heidi.

TWO hideous green dresses, actually.

 

Loved this moment:

Nina: Korina you seem upset
Korina: (huff) YEAH.
Nina: I'm sorry.
HA! Least sincere apology ever! At one point there was a look of such disgust on Nina's face, I had to rewind and pause a couple of times. It was hilarious.

As was Heidi snapping her fingers and saying "dang." It was a great way of indirectly calling Korina out on her immature behavior AND letting Korina know that Heidi at least wasn't taking the bitchiness seriously.

 

I imagine the producers sitting around the table discussing whether the "Korina as everyone's nemesis" arc has played itself out and now would be a good time to intorduce the dramatic finish, or if they should keep her around longer to see if she can stir up anymore drama. Happy to see they came up with a compromise. Kick her to the curb, then bring her back for one last hurrah.

Edited October 3, 2014 by sleepyjean

[Wootini]

And that top was supposed to be her SHOWSTOPPER!!! The piece that was going to give her the edge if it came down to a tie in the winner's circle. It was her Ace in the Hole!!! Heh! (sigh) Poor Korina.

 

That's right! Didn't Tim comment in the workroom about how amazing her top was and how she shouldn't cover it up with the cape/poncho? Did it look better then? HAHAHA!

[AZChristian]

Emily's couch cushion thing had me thinking of "Chairy" from Pee Wee's Playhouse.  It looked like a chair cushion, not shoulder pads.  I didn't think the source material was transformed enough.

 

Watch the first 15 minutes of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" . . . Professor Slughorn wore that very outfit!!!!

[roctavia]

I've never been a huge fan of Christian, especially in his orignal season, but seeing him back as a judge he wasn't so irritating... so that's a positive thing :)   I thought the judges were pretty on point this week.

 

Korina belonged in the bottom, and I would have had no issue with her being sent home prior to the dress-off.

 

I agree with some of the other posters who have mentiond that Char isn't so un-talented, especially compaired to Korina..Korina has made some horrible stuff, and so has char and just about everybody else. While I know sean was helpful for Char in the 1 hour challenge, I wonder if Char gets stuck in her own head on the regular challenges and that's why she ends up so slow. She was firing on all cylinders with the one hour dress. She knew right away what kind of fabric, and one word  from sean about short/tight and she was rethinking- which still, the dress was form fitting....  But with just one hour, she didn't have time to hem and haw and change her mind a million times...

[sleepyjean]

There was some weird editing when Zac took Sean and Char to task for making dresses the models couldn't walk in. You could infer that's what he was talking about, but he didn't actually SAY that. He basically said "I have to criticize you for that, you should never do that. It makes us feel bad for the model" but didn't actually say what the "That" was. It was strange.

[roctavia]

That's right! Didn't Tim comment in the workroom about how amazing her top was and how she shouldn't cover it up with the cape/poncho? Did it look better then? HAHAHA!

 

 

The judges did like her outfit way better without the cape... so maybe that green shirt wasn't so bad.... or they were all speaking to how horrible the poncho/cape thing really was....

 

That 'collection' was terrible... I'm sorry... it was just bad... way too busy and not at all something I wanted to look at.

[dialyn]

 

I watch Project Runway online, so the whole business of driving a Lexus and picking out items from a flea market was not there. Instead they bid on items in storage boxes, so I assume they are bidding on items they already picked out in the alternative universe of picking out items from a flea market. It makes no sense to me that they have two different versions.

 

There was no picking out items from a flea market, we got them bidding on items in storage units the same as you saw.  There weren't two different versions.

Thank you for clarifying that. The description of the episode was so different from what I was watching.  At least now I don't feel as if I missed out on something.  The flea market might have been more interesting, if time intensive.

 

 

....I wonder if Char gets stuck in her own head on the regular challenges and that's why she ends up so slow. She was firing on all cylinders with the one hour dress. She knew right away what kind of fabric, and one word  from sean about short/tight and she was rethinking- which still, the dress was form fitting....  But with just one hour, she didn't have time to hem and haw and change her mind a million times...

That is a real possibility.  Sean  may think she is easy pickings but at least he didn't try to sabotage her--his comments were useful and he helped with the hemming.  The resulting dress was so much nicer than her original version that it made one wonder a little. 

 

Kini would be the most fun to be on a team with, just from the little I've seen. He is so agreeable and yet he managed to maintain his own style.  I hate to agree with Nina about anything, but I liked the little fur coat better with the pink outfit then I did with the soccer dress.

Edited October 3, 2014 by dialyn

[gingerormaryann]

I also think that there is a concept of Char designing for a very specific audience, the way Michael (from the Laura season) did.  It's a distinct niche but not necessarily high fashion and she doesn't have the talent to bridge the gap the way Kara Saun did.

 

As for Korina, Emily spoke the truth when she said that all that negativity she was spewing would eventually come through in her garment.  From the start of the season, I was pretty shocked at how many confessionals she did where she essentially trashed everyone and everything.  While the editing had something to do with it, at the end of the day, she gave them the material to work with.

[roctavia]

At the beginning of the show, I wondered which way it was going to go. Because although Korina was bragging hard about how she was going to win, I seem to recall Amanda saying she and Kini were going to win. And after all, in the past when Korina has been basking in the anticipation of her own glory (most recently with the ugly blue motorcycle jacket) she won. I couldn't tell which team was going to get the boot.

 

I thought it was interesting that when Korina went for the jugular with Sean and Char ("TWO dresses you can't walk in, actually"), the show cut to a reaction shot of Amanda. Sloppy sloppy sloppy editing. Amanda left the runway long before the judges critiqued the other two teams.

The whole time Korina was ranting about how much better she is than Char, my mind kept going back to the hideous green dress she made for Heidi.

TWO hideous green dresses, actually.

 

 

 

The editing defintely threw me off this week, since I always think they are showing us one thing and are going to do the other, so i feared they were going to save Korina for some crazy reason and send Char packing for the great blue dress.... so color me surprised when they didn't do the bait and switch.

 

Actually, i think all of the designers were still on the runway for that full critique. They didn't send anybody away this time, they just brought out the models one group at a time. So Korina was complaining about the not being able to walk thing when everyone was still on the runway, because it was during the critique of their outfits (I think... at least... but I don't care to watch again :P) and not later when it was just Char and Korina duking it out before the final dress off.

 

The funny thing is that the model could actually walk in the long dress, but it made a loud noise when her legs hit the lamp shade, so she was taking tiny steps instead... Heidi was saying that she should have just let it "clackity clack" and she could take much more normal strides in it.

 

It was also unconventional materials, so I think there can be some slack for lack of movement... you can't make a screen door suddenly be a stretch fabric, you know? and it would have gotten goofy if they flared out the mesh.   I don't think Char and Sean had a winning collection, but I didn't think it was THE WORST either.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Jjrmt

[Alison]

While I, too, found Korina's behavior abhorrent last night, Tom and Lorenzo have an interesting take on things:
 

 

To pit [Korina and Char] against each other in such a humiliating way had to have been a really hard pill for her to swallow. We really can’t blame her for being angry about the clear manipulation going on. Which is why she said “It’s not about you,” to Char. Of course she sounded silly saying it, because she’d spent the whole hour insulting Char, but we believed her when she said it, because her anger was clearly directed at the judges and the producers. Char was just caught in the crossfire. She’s got a mouth on her, and an attitude problem to go with it, but it seems to us she saw quite clearly what was going on: the producers do not want to let a Tim Gunn save get sent home again and they’ll do just about anything to help her make it to the finals. And they obviously couldn’t resist making the mouthy girl with the attitude problem pay the price for it. Char didn’t deserve to be vilified like that, but Korina really didn’t deserve the treatment she got from the producers and judges. And since they would never allow footage of anyone criticizing the producers or openly questioning the judges’ integrity (which, if you read between the lines, was exactly what Korina was trying to say), they edited out any references to that and just kept in the parts where she pointed out that Char isn’t as good a designer as her and doesn’t deserve preferential treatment. In other words, what you saw last night was a designer struggling to come to terms with the fact that this show is not about talent at all.

It got ugly, and she didn’t exactly cover herself in glory, but she absolutely had a point.

[stafford]

I do not understand all the griping about the Tim Gunn save this season. He saved Justin from last season (who I thought was a weak designer but very nice guy) and Tim basically did the same thing with Char this season (weak designer but a very nice woman). I don't recall any outrage over Justin's save from either the other designers or from people on the forums.

I can't even blame the editing monkeys for giving Korina a villain edit because from the very beginning Korina showed she was a nasty person. Hell, she bitched about Amanda being brought back and then told Amanda she couldn't stand her to her face while the cameras were rolling. I've never liked Korina's design aesthetic and I don't think she is a great sewer. The cape was awful with no design elements except to cover up the poorly sewn and ill fitting green top and blanket skirt. The styling was atrocious (felt hats...really?). Although I like Emily (what little we have seen of her) I thought her chair vest was terrible too. The whole collection sucked.

What Korina doesn't seem to get is that she would have been aufted immediately if Char had not gotten the TG save. She had a chance to show the judges something good but wasn't up to the task not, as many have speculated, because she was filled with rage but because she is devoid of any real fashion or style. How many times this season did we hear her say "I don't know what to do" after she was told by TG her outfit wasn't working?

I was surprised that Sean got off so easily because his lampshade hem was a fashion crime. Hell, I have a blue quilted coat that I got at T. J. Maxx several years ago and I could actually sit in a chair without the lampshade digging into my back. How the heck was anybody going to be able to wear that? I didn't think Char's jacket and dress were that bad, in fact compared to Sean's dreck I thought Char's outfit was much better.

Korina if you think there is a ground swell of support for your self righteousness you are sadly mistaken. I can't imagine she would be in demand in a fashion house or with her own label. Maybe she's a product of her generation where everybody gets a ribbon for showing up but she, sadly, doesn't have the talent to even get an honorable mention. I hate that she's back next week. Enough.

[backgroundnoise]

If Korina does stalk off next week, I'm hoping it's because Char told, "If you're going to act like this, go sit in the lounge.  I'd rather have no help than help from you."

 

But Char took it as a chance to save her ass. Korina took it as a chance to show her ass.

 

Hee.  Thanks for the chuckle.

 

The most hilarious -- and telling -- part of the episode for me was Korina sitting in the designer's lounge saying, "Did anyone see this coming? Did anyone think that this is what would happen today?"

 

The most hilarious thing were the crickets afterward.

 

Did Korina's model actually say anything on camera?  I remember Emily saying the model was chiming in, but I don't remember hearing the model actually say anything about Char.

[PinkSprinkles]

Korina's behavior was truly vile, but I can understand her frustration and antics. I don't condone her behavior, however, as she is a professional and should have acted professionally no matter the outcome. 

 

I hated when they did this same "sew for your life!" thing last year and I hate it now. The judges should have left the decision to the outfits in front of them and not issued the challenge. All this did was make an already tense situation even worse, in my opinion. They also should have allowed Char and Korina to pick their helpers and not left them to their partners. Of the two helpers Char got the better ones in terms of skill and timeliness. All this did was make the situation even worse because, in Korina's mind, the only reason Char was going to win was because of Sean's help. I liked the idea that someone had mentioned earlier about giving them two hours on their own with no help. I think that would have helped a bit in calming everyone down and made sure that everyone was relying on their own skill and not the skill set of their partner. 

 

I think the challenge was issued to incite more drama and it did its job. There's no way if it had come down to Char vs. Sean/Kini that they would have risked either of the boys if Char produced something so excellent that they couldn't justify sending her home for it. 

[kaydub]

what an episode. i was thinking the whole time, when it seemed like korina was going home, that it was almost too good to be true and they'd find something to justify keeping her over char because she's been pegged as the villain this season and wracked up the drama. and then for her to be eliminated, i was happy because i couldn't stand her. mind you, i thought char also should have gone home, but obviously they weren't going to do that, especially when they said neither were out and guess what? make another outfit - in an hour!

and then, in a way, i get it why korina got so upset. a part of it was obviously stress, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, believing she truly had a better design and outfit than char, as well as feeling as though char didn't deserve to be there. char's a nice lady, but i agree in a way that char is the weakest of the designers left, and the frustration over knowing she was being eliminated over a designer she felt was weak and not deserving of being that, and has had not one, not two, but now three "saves" that helped her stay. i get that, i would be frustrated. hell, even alexander said something similar to what korina spent the whole last half hour of the episode bitching about, that he got eliminated over a saved designer that had another save that helped her (zippergate). but notice alexander wasn't a huge bitch about it. he handled his elimination 100% better than she did. (mind you, alexander, to an extent, probably knew his outfit last episode was bad and that he was probably going home, whereas korina thought her outfit was the sun shining out of her ass). my thing was mainly her attitude and the overall way she behaved in this episode. she was just plain rude and mean and bitchy. if she'd just stopped it for that hour to make the outfit, she could have maybe still been there. but nope. sean was right that her negative energy and negative attitude was her undoing and showed in her outfit. but man, that was just a pure meltdown happening right before our eyes. it kinda reminded me of gretchens backpeddling during the episode where her entire team threw michael c under the bus in season 8.

char definitely benefitted from having sean as her teammate. he helped with so much, showing her what to do, and we all know that dress would not have been produced, and produced as well, in the time frame given, without sean's help. but alas, korina is now gone. not really looking forward to the continued "drama" between her and char next episode. damn producer meddling.

Edited October 3, 2014 by kaydub123

[terrymct]

While I, too, found Korina's behavior abhorrent last night, Tom and Lorenzo have an interesting take on things:

 

 

I think Tom and Lorenzo are giving Korina too much credit regarding her "It's not about you, Char" comment.  By that point, Korina had been ranting a good long while.  It was crystal clear what she was talking about and that she was in full meltdown.   She wasn't making indirect comments about the judging and producing to get around long standing traditions of not trash talking those groups.  She was hurt, angry, shocked, and lashing out at who she incorrectly perceived as the source of her pain and disappointment...Char.  Korina was feral in that moment, not crafty.

char definitely benefitted from having sean as her teammate. he helped with so much, showing her what to do, and we all know that dress would not have been produced, and produced as well, in the time frame given, without sean's help. 

 

But that's the game.  That is the big twist with partner competitions on this show.  Do you get partnered with a good designer or someone who will hold you back?  Are you able to collaborate with your partner or do you fight and waste time?  Do you take advantage of your partner's talents or do you try to act you're in this alone?

[Surrealist]

Honestly, is there something in the water in Portland that turns designers into hipster chic supervillains? First Gretchen, then Michelle, now Korina. Yeesh.

 

It was pretty obvious that the two on the top, and the one on the top, belonged there. I'm not so sure about the bottom. Char's original garments weren't particularly functional or attractive, and I have to agree with Tim, Emily's shoulders were awful. Korina's original outfit wasn't terrible once the awful cape came off. Char's runoff dress was more impactful, but Sean had more to do with that than Char did, JMO. 

 

I'm still OK with the outcome, though, because Korina put herself everywhere she ended up with her own bad decisions. Choosing a lumpy eyesearing knit to show with upholstery fabric garments. Terrible cape hiding the garment underneath and seventies styling. Really stupid backstory for their "girl". Mouthing off to Nina. Being so ungracious about her competitors that the judges didn't have the option of saying they didn't know there was hostility going on. Going after another designer and not their work. Taking the Heidi Save she was handed on a platter and stomping all over it on the runway by telling the judges they were wrong about her original garment. Knowing her do-over dress was the only thing standing between her and the street and telling the judges it was crap. If there was a list of things to do to get yourself eliminated, she hit every one.

 

I think Sean brought out the elephant in the living room in his talking head - Korina's not wrong about Char's construction, and her taste is not as sophisticated. On the other hand, Korina was raised in a fashion-forward city and had four years of design school. Char is a self taught designer from the rust belt. I kind of suspect that with half of Korina's advantages Char would be producing far better clothes. Or, at least, not as derivative.

 

Exactly. I think Korina is the better designer. If she had conducted herself in a more appropriate fashion, then I probably would have ended up on her side. She's just so angry about who knows what. She was pissed at Char and The Save, but I think it goes much deeper than that. I don't think the show brought out her nastiness and ego. I think those things are part of her core personality.

 

I also agree that if Char had had Korina's design school advantage, then she might be better off at construction. 

 

I go back and forth on whether I think Sean's an asshole. I want to like him. Then again, it's difficult for me to like any of the contestants this season.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Surrealist

[Guest]

If Korina does stalk off next week, I'm hoping it's because Char told, "If you're going to act like this, go sit in the lounge.  I'd rather have no help than help from you."

 

Hee.  Thanks for the chuckle.

 

The most hilarious thing were the crickets afterward.

 

Did Korina's model actually say anything on camera?  I remember Emily saying the model was chiming in, but I don't remember hearing the model actually say anything about Char.

 

It was hard to tell who was talking until Emily clarified in voiceover that it was the model, but the model replied to Korina's comment about what Char/Sean were making with something like, "Yes, they're making an ugly blue dress," in a judgmental, sneering tone as she walked out to the hall.

 

I kept telling my daughter they must've paid Korina to be the villain in the 'diary room' sessions.  But she kept it up during the whole thing-- runway, after, everything, so it must be really her personality or she was totally on board and pre-prepped to play the villain.  Which I do think happens, though I know Tim has denied on camera before that there are any shenanigans.  There are too many reality tv super-villains who get invited back.  Though maybe they do really take it on themselves to gamble on that route working out for them.  I personally would rather flip burgers for life than self-assassinate my own character on reality tv.  

[backgroundnoise]

I think Tom and Lorenzo are giving Korina too much credit regarding her "It's not about you, Char" comment.

 

ITA.  If Korina was directing her anger toward the judges and not personally at Char, I bet Char would not have been reduced to such tears when back in the lounge.  Even if she was ranting about the judges/producers, the message is that they are protecting a vastly weaker (in Korina's opinion) designer, which is directly about Char.

 

I do agree with TLo that the Tim Gunn save needs to go, though.

[Ketzel]

Korina has a rancid attitude but I do think Char is being given too much credit. I can't "commend her" for staying "professional" and all that in her place of undeserved privilege. It's easy to be classy and cool when you're the one being propped up.

But Char doesn't think she's being propped up. She thinks she got the Tim Gunn Save for the reason the Tim Gunn Save was originally designed -  when he believed a designer had been auf'd  unfairly and/or prematurely by the judges.  She's under no obligation to think she didn't deserve it, no matter what the other designers think. 

[tender elf]

Wow, what a massive opportunity for personal growth Korina has after being on Project Runway! It is actually a rare gift for people to get an opportunity like this to see themselves through other people's eyes. We should all be so lucky!

 

If she can use this experience wisely, she can attempt to grow beyond her current emotional/spiritual "level of being." Korina isn't a bad person, she just needs to develop more awareness about and compassion for the feelings of others. I wouldn't be surprised if Korina saw this behavior from one (or both) of her parental figures during her childhood - constantly blaming others and the "outside world" for their own inner shortcomings/challenges. I was raised under these sorts of circumstances, myself, and it took me quite a few years into my adulthood to develop beyond these personal limitations. 

 

At this point Korina is indeed immature and self-centered. But very few people get to see themselves, objectively, under such a bright spotlight. I truly hope she takes advantage of this opportunity to "grow up." Cheers.

Edited October 3, 2014 by tender elf

[Latverian Diplomat]

Just some random thoughts, all just IMHO:

 

I thought the challenge ended up being weirdly unbalanced, in the sense that Kini/Amanda got very little fabric, and ending up doing more of an unconventional materials challenge and perversely got a lot of credit from the judges for that. For the record, Kini's soccer ball dress was amazing but I found the tablecloth skirt to be quite drab and ugly.

 

It's alarming to me that Sean's idea of a "sporty" look is an outfit the model can't move in.

 

Yes, Korina was not a good sport, but I could relate to some of her frustration, when she was being criticized for bad presentation next to a team whose outfits left the models barely able to walk. And, I have to believe that each of the designers thinks they are the most talented person there. In a way I found Korina's comments refreshingly blunt. Sean's remarks about Char as "an easy sheep to the slaughter later" is a lot meaner than what Korina said, and yet in full agreement with her.

 

ETA: Oh and if they had had two hours and no help instead of 1 hour with help, I think Char would have gone down in flames.

 

Lastly, I thought that Emily's seat cushion shoulders looked awkward and ugly and most importantly lazy. I'm with Tim that that's the look that should have gone home.

It was hard to tell who was talking until Emily clarified in voiceover that it was the model, but the model replied to Korina's comment about what Char/Sean were making with something like, "Yes, they're making an ugly blue dress," in a judgmental, sneering tone as she walked out to the hall.

 

I wouldn't be too hard on the model. She was trying to support her designer in a way that was influenced by Korina's emotional state. She probably didn't even realize she was on camera at that point. As immature as Korina is, her model is probably a lot younger still.

 

And if Emily wanted to be the mature one, she could have told Korina, "forget all that, focus, and win this" instead of internally moaning about "negative energy" dragging her down. 

Edited October 3, 2014 by Latverian Diplomat

[Nutjob]

There's a way to tell the truth without being downright mean to the other designers, and Korina couldn't do that.  I don't have an issue with designers talking about the others' looks (like Amanda rightly pointing out that Korina's was "a lot of look") or even truthfully commenting on their skills. Korina was being plain nasty to Char, though, and in a very personal way.

 

It's no surprise, though, because Korina's behavior was just the apex of what has been building all season. Every time she got a bad critique from Tim, she cried like a spoiled brat being told "no" for the first time. She was mean to people both to their faces (Amanda) and behind their backs (EVERYONE). And even if Char didn't deserve the TG save (and I agree that she didn't), those are the RULES. Char did not ASK to be saved, and seemed as shocked as anyone that she was. Would Korina have turned it down if she had gotten it instead, because it's not faaaaiiiir to the other designers? Absolutely not! I just cannot stand that level of hateful behavior, especially when she was directing her frustrations at Char for things that Char did not initiate. I was thrilled they gave Korina the boot.

 

I also loved Amanda's psychedelic yeti top, and thought their whole collection was awesome.

[40Love]

They also should have allowed Char and Korina to pick their helpers and not left them to their partners.

 

IIRC, they were allowed to pick their helpers. I'm pretty sure Heidi said something like "You can have a helper, your old partner or whoever you choose to help you".

[terrymct]

Wow, what a massive opportunity for personal growth Korina has after being on Project Runway! It is actually a rare gift for people to get an opportunity like this to see themselves through other people's eyes. We should all be so lucky!

 

If she can use this experience wisely, she can attempt to grow beyond her current emotional/spiritual "level of being." Korina isn't a bad person, she just needs to develop more awareness about and compassion for the feelings of others. I wouldn't be surprised if Korina saw this behavior from one (or both) of her parental figures during her childhood - constantly blaming others and the "outside world" for their own inner shortcomings/challenges. I was raised under these sorts of circumstances, myself, and it took me quite a few years into my adulthood to develop beyond these personal limitations. 

 

At this point Korina is indeed immature and self-centered. But very few people get to see themselves, objectively, under such a bright spotlight. I truly hope she takes advantage of this opportunity to "grow up." Cheers.

 

 

There's a wonderful poem by Robert Burns called "To a Louse" where he's watching a louse crawl on the hat of a fancily dressed woman.   The last few lines came to my mind as I read your post (it's in a Scots dialect):

 

O wad some Power the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see us!

It wad frae mony a blunder free us,

An' foolish notion:

What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,

An' ev'n devotion!

[Guest]

My issue with Korina's gripe about the save is she doesn't have to agree with Tim's choice but she should at least respect that he's the one in position to use it and if he sees something in Char worth saving that she doesn't see, that's how fashion works or how any art works.  

 

She doesn't get to be the judge of who is the better designer.  She's a contestant.  Even the actual judges recognize taste varies and don't get insulting if say Heidi loves something Zak hates.  

 

If she's bashing Char's sewing skills, well this isn't about sewing skills, it's about design skills.  

[Latverian Diplomat]

IIRC, they were allowed to pick their helpers. I'm pretty sure Heidi said something like "You can have a helper, your old partner or whoever you choose to help you".

Nope, They had to use their partner from the challenge. No other option. Honestly, that was wise, otherwise they'd both be fighting over Kini :-)

[Surrealist]

terrymct: I wasn't wow'ed by Sean's jacket either. I wouldn't wear it. Sometimes I question the judges' tastes, although I do like the way Zac gets up close to the fabrics. I appreciate his construction critiques.

 

Amanda isn't one of my favorites. She's been slightly less annoying, but the neon yeti?! Her aesthetic makes me want to slam my head into a wall. Honey, get your head out of the 70's! The clothing from that time period was not that outstanding. I remember wearing it.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Surrealist

[Julia]

terrymct:Amanda isn't one of my favorites. She's been slightly less annoying, but the neon yeti?! Her aesthetic makes me want to slam my head into a wall. Honey, get your head out of the 70's! The clothing from that time period was not that outstanding. I remember wearing it.

I took the Yeti as a sort of rave Keith Haring kind of thing.

[RedHackle]

 

 It's jumped the shark so hard that we cannot even SEE Fonzie in the rearview mirror

Heh!  Good one!

 

Yeah, the show aggravates me too with how contrived it's become - it's so glaringly obvious when they're pumping up the drama, and I hate it.  I think when you have a show with fashion designers, there's just going to be drama, and you really don't need to inflate it.  But I think since this show moved from Bravo to Lifetime, they see themselves in competion with shows like Dance Moms or whatever the hell all those shows are that are just about people behaving badly. Clearly design and talent are secondary now.

 

Having said that, and also having defended Korinna previously, (as we know they do edit the bejeesus out of these shows to make people people how they want them to)  her behavior last night was reprehensible.  And that second dress was ghastly.  It looked something that Mondrian threw up after eating bad shell fish.  Whatever clever editing the producers did, it was the words that came out of that hateful cakehole of hers that hung her up; and oh, yeah, the pitiful excuses she made about why her dress was so hideous because there was no good materials to work with left in the studio.  And yet the designer she dismissed as utterly untalented was able to come up with that lovely blue cocktail gown in the same amount of time? 

 

I do think that it's just revolting that the producers are going to bring back Korinna next week and pair her with Char. I guess they couldn't figure out a way to have her burn down an orphanage on camera. Come on, folks, even vieweres who like fake drama won't by that.  The plot thins. 

[Former Nun]

Liked the simplicity of Char and Sean's stuff, but that  lampshade skirt was awful.

 

 

If only something could have been changed so the model's walk was easier (possible!), I think it might have been a hit.  Such a moderne look.

[dialyn]

 

And yet the designer she dismissed as utterly untalented was able to come up with that lovely blue cocktail gown in the same amount of time?

If they were using material left over from the challenge, Char had that blue available to her and Korina did not. 

 

Thank you to the people who pointed toward Tom and Lorenzo's comments.  They were very interesting and insightful.

 

About that lampshade skirt...the model might not have wanted having that stiff thing banging against her leg.  It might not have been the most comfortable thing to have hitting your leg and some people bruise easily.  Sean surely could have cut part of the lampshade down, couldn't he? If the bottom was left for the stiffness, she would have still had room to walk more gracefully.

Edited October 3, 2014 by dialyn

[cpcathy]

What's funny is, we all know that if Korina had been eliminated earlier and then saved by Tim, her attitude would be completely different. "I deserve to be here!" Go take a long walk off a short pier, Korina. Buh Bye.

[Surrealist]

I took the Yeti as a sort of rave Keith Haring kind of thing.

 

I'd be kind of surprised if Amanda knew who Keith Haring was.

 

 

 

Having said that, and also having defended Korinna previously, (as we know they do edit the bejeesus out of these shows to make people people how they want them to)  her behavior last night was reprehensible.  And that second dress was ghastly.  It looked something that Mondrian threw up after eating bad shell fish.

 

Hee!

Edited October 3, 2014 by Surrealist

[wait.what]

I thought I heard Korina making a swipe at Kini and Amanda. Didn't she say something like, "I never had any indication that there was something wrong with my design." With a side eye to Amanda and Kini? I took that to mean: "Tim Gunn warned you two that your design wasn't working and gave you a chance to change and correct. Tim falsely led me to believe my design was great." Like she felt she was set up?

[Former Nun]

Then again, it's difficult for me to like any of the contestants this season.

 

 

Oh, nooooo!   Even Kiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii???

[LilyoftheValley]

Korina at age 28 really should have a bit more wisdom than she has.  I forgive the designers who are 22 who come on this show thinking that they are the greatest person ever, and because they really, really, really want to win that means that of course they will win.  A 28 year old woman should know better.  She should know that even being better than someone else might not mean you will win on PR.  

 

Also, even thought I think Korina is definitely one of the better designers from this season, she does not stand out to me the way some of the designers from seasons past have.  She's no Christian Sirano.  

 

Actually I would say she is just like the vast majority of the designers that come on PR - she has talent and skill, but she has not yet found her own voice as a designer.  

[Surrealist]

Oh, nooooo!   Even Kiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii???

 

I like Kini. Since this is the episode where we're all in agreement (for the most part) about Korina and her attitude, I liked the last episode(?) where Korina bragged about how most of the designers wanted her winning jacket and Kini was like "I don't!"

 

His response warmed my cold black heart.

[roctavia]

If only something could have been changed so the model's walk was easier (possible!), I think it might have been a hit.  Such a moderne look.

 

 

Aren't there designers clamouring all the time that it's "fashion" and doesn't have to be wearable?  Yes, it was hard for the model to walk, but is it "editorial" that would look good in a fashion spread or whatever?

 

While I found Sean and char's stuff kind of boring, there were some interesting elements, in addition to some use of unconventional materials in an interesting way.

 

 

Even without the extra dress challenge, I would have sent Korina (or Emily even) packing over Char, since I thought Korina's collection was awful and her solo poncho outfit was hideous.... even without the attitude, she should have been sent home for that terrible look.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Jjrmt

[wait.what]

I just re watched this part. ("cause I have little to no life)

Korina says, "Like at any point, if I thought I was making a mistake, like you guys (she looks at Amanda & Kini), I would have changed it." "Did I ever feel that way? No." "Now it's like a little bit of shock."

 

Is she insinuating that Tim should have warned her like he warned Kini and Amanda?

[roctavia]

If they were using material left over from the challenge, Char had that blue available to her and Korina did not. 

 

Thank you to the people who pointed toward Tom and Lorenzo's comments.  They were very interesting and insightful.

 

About that lampshade skirt...the model might not have wanted having that stiff thing banging against her leg.  It might not have been the most comfortable thing to have hitting your leg and some people bruise easily.  Sean surely could have cut part of the lampshade down, couldn't he? If the bottom was left for the stiffness, she would have still had room to walk more gracefully.

 

 

They could use any material left from this challenge and all the previous challenges... Korina could have used the blue fabric if she'd gotten to it first... And whatever fabrics were left over from the previous 10 challenges... so there surely had to be something to work with. The blue chiffon didn't look like something from this challenge... though I FFwd a lot, so I could have missed somone purchasing it...

 

heck, there was probably a bunch of that ugly green left... she could have made a third terrible green dress.

[lorikauai]

I loved what Kini and Amanda were able to do with so little. Really amazing. I knew Korina and Emily would be in the bottom when Amanda said it was too much. Amanda loves too much. Korina's attitude was disappointing but unsurprising.

[Former Nun]

Korina is a deeply unpleasant person and an extremely bad sport and I'm glad that she was eliminated.

 

 

Surely there are people reading these forums who know Korina personally...maybe from high school.  C'mon and tell us she was a Mean Girl....

[meep.meep]

Korina has missed the entire point of the show for the contestants.  It's not necessarily to win, but to present themselves as someone who could succeed in the fashion industry.  To do that, you need connections.  What would be better than to have a top designer, a top editor, and well known model on your side?  She's burned her bridges pretty successfully at this point.  She signed up for a game show, complete with producer shenanigans, and that's what she got.  But that's what they all got, no one was out to especially get Korina.

 

Interesting how Tim's critiques worked this episode - he talked Kini into a winning design, and tried to talk Emily out of a design that the judges loved.

[roctavia]

Well... you could say that about any designer who comes on the show self-trained vs. one who's been to design school. And a lot of talented, self-trained designers have put those with formal training to shame over the years. But this isn't about "what if's" with Char, it's about what is. There's just not a lot of design talent or skill there. 

 

As to the question of why there was no outrage about Justin, it didn't get to the point of outrage because Tim *only* saved him once, per the "Tim Gunn Save" (how I hate that term) parameters. It didn't become, Tim Gunn Saves You Once and Has to Keep Saving You Until Finals.

 

But the outrage now is that Tim (and the producers) clearly "saved" someone who can't cut it and subsequently has required additional "saves" to stay alive. As mediocre as this pool of designers is, that's a sad comment on Char's talents. It's the least impressive group I've ever seen and Char still is at the bottom. 

 

 

I guess I don't see Char as being saved over and over again.... zippergate... well that was a thing that happened... and I think any designer, given the real world models, would have been given the same "save" had they had a similar problem, so it doesn't make me think that they are intentionally trying to keep Char around. And honestly, i think even if they'd safety pinned that outfit and let her walk that way, Alexander's ill fitting mess would have still been far worse.

 

I also don't think this week's extra dress was an attempt to save Char... if anything, if this was manipulation beyond the judges being completely split on if they should send Char or Korina, I'd think they were trying to save Korina... but her bad attitude and ugly dress ensured that she'd be eliminated. But really, personalities aside, I'd have agreed with the judges if they'd sent Korina home for the first looks in that costume collection she and Emily made.   Char's outfit wasn't terrible, and she contributed important design elements to the other collection piece- which the judges called the best thing about the long dress, which was the blue back Char suggested.

 

I don't think Char has a chance of making it to the finale, but I don't think she's some talentless hack who doesn't belong on PR. Nobody this season has made anything that great aside from maybe Kini, but his stuff isn't the most innovative either... Korina isn't some design goddess, she's made plenty of crap and sent it down the runway this season.

[Darian]

And if Emily wanted to be the mature one, she could have told Korina, "forget all that, focus, and win this" instead of internally moaning about "negative energy" dragging her down. 

Emily was the mature one. She was mature and smart enough to know that anything she would have said besides slams against Char and her design would have made things worse (for Korina and herself). Korina was too wound up. Her meltdown would have been more spectacular had anyone tried to squelch it. The other designers were smart enough to just let her rant after she'd been aufed, too. Emily kept her head down and worked hard for Korina, keeping her personal feelings out of it.  

[phoenix780]

Heidi ruined my illusions of an anonymous runway when she referenced Korina's expression.  If she can see it, she can see their reactions- and the designers always have big reactions- so she knows whose design is whose. 

 

I think the eye rolling from Korina came when their "one hour challenge" dresses walked the runway.  I don't think that runway was a blind runway.

 

 

 

What I meant was if Heidi could see faces during the one hour challenge runway, it made me think she could during the normal "blind" runways.  

 

The comment from the T&L blog- I'm all for a good reality show conspiracy, and I've watched enough to understand producer manipulation.  I don't really see it here the way they described because I don't get why they'd need to continue to prop up the Tim Gunn save at this point.  My take was that this season they did the smart thing and essentially threw the save away by using it early on someone because they're nice and add diversity to the cast.  It's really the best option with a judges' save in general, imho, because it's tricky to use effectively, and I've yet to see one used properly (in my opinion, of course).  And, Char has been around for a few weeks since then- more than enough time to not make him look foolish, even if she went out last week when the zipper broke it'd have been fine  Though, again, I think they deliberately burned it off so I don't think care much about that.  

 

I think what happened is that production used what Korina gave them.  She set up a rivalry with Char in her comments (she spoke the words, they merely edited them).  She set up the fall-from-grace with her overconfidence.  It was a classic reality scenario with a bully vs. an underdog.  How could production not use that gift?

 

So I guess my point is I see the hand of production here, but not any differently than I usually do.  Frankly if I'm going full conspiracy theory I think they sprang a trap that was to be used in a different scenario- it makes more sense to face-off members of a losing team, and I think it was going to be for Kini (the speedy) vs. Amanda (desperate for redemption).  It'd have been a dramatic moment, especially since they like each other.  Korina and her instability gave them a different, easier path.  That her outfits weren't great was a bonus.  

 

It's not really about Char, imho.  Though she played her part brilliantly.

Edited October 3, 2014 by phoenix780

[Surrealist]

Korina has missed the entire point of the show for the contestants.  It's not necessarily to win, but to present themselves as someone who could succeed in the fashion industry.  To do that, you need connections.  What would be better than to have a top designer, a top editor, and well known model on your side?  She's burned her bridges pretty successfully at this point.  She signed up for a game show, complete with producer shenanigans, and that's what she got.  But that's what they all got, no one was out to especially get Korina.

 

Yes. Yes. Yes.

 

Obviously people enter a competition with the hope of winning it. I'm fine with that. I get it. 

 

However, being on the show is a big enough deal because of the visibility it brings. I would not go out of my way to bring drama and make myself look like a jerk to thousands (even millions) of viewers. I'd be shooting myself in the foot for choosing that route.

 

Not all of these contestants will continue to enjoy a high profile post-season, but I'd imagine they could parlay their appearance on the show into something better for their career. At least, better than it was before their appearance on the show. Take proper advantage of the opportunity.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Surrealist

[Julia]

Emily was the mature one. She was mature and smart enough to know that anything she would have said besides slams against Char and her design would have made things worse (for Korina and herself). Korina was too wound up. Her meltdown would have been more spectacular had anyone tried to squelch it. The other designers were smart enough to just let her rant after she'd been aufed, too. Emily kept her head down and worked hard for Korina, keeping her personal feelings out of it.

I think Emily was in an impossible position. She had to help Korina, and not associate herself with the nastiness Korina and her model were spewing within earshot of Char, without doing anything to turn the focus of Korina's rage onto her. I think Char's tears were a reaction to that rather than what was said on the runway. She was just too busy sewing to deal with it while it was going on.

[Primetimer]

Project Runway meets Storage Wars. Uh, FINALLY!!!

Read the story

[backgroundnoise]

Korina says, "Like at any point, if I thought I was making a mistake, like you guys (she looks at Amanda & Kini), I would have changed it." "Did I ever feel that way? No." "Now it's like a little bit of shock."

 

Korina's whole argument to the judges seemed to be that since she loved what she made, they had no right to pan it.  She never really acknowledged that the judges really didn't like her outfit.  She even said during her rant (while making the one-hour dress) that she should have been judged on the original outfit, not this one-hour dress.  But she was judged on the original outfit.  She just never seemed to get that.

 

[Tim] tried to talk Emily out of a design that the judges loved.

 

I thought Tim's advice at least had Emily decreasing the width of those shoulders.  I could be wrong, but when she first had it up on the form, it looked like someone wearing a chair cushion.  I didn't get that impression from the final result.