S13.E13: Finale, Part 1

[Maya]

Tim missed his calling, he should have been a tour guide!

 

I wonder how much say the designers really have in the makeup, or if they are just ignorant about makeup. They usually ask for "young and fresh", and the next thing you know they are troweling on orange eyeshadow. The designer nods and says, "That looks great!" I wonder how it works in the real fashion world -- does anyone know?

 

The only hair styling the judges ever like is the messy bun.

[slensam]

I'll be watching to see if Korina redeems herself.  If she shows some self-awareness, I wouldn't mind seeing her again.

 

For what it's worth, they showed a clip of the reunion show and what it depicts is both Korina and Char walking off the set. Fun times!

It's interesting that I kind of liked Kini's stuff the best. So that makes me a forty four year guy into "old lady". That's good to know.

[Wootini]

All season you guys have been complaining that this was the least talented cast on PR ever. And now I have to say that I have to agree. Looking at these final four collections, all I can think is "This is the cream of the crop? REALLY?"

 

Also, I had no idea this was supposed to be a spring collection. I'm sure Heidi mentioned it at some point, but looking at those clothes, you think fall/winter. Not spring! Where is the color? Amanda's heavy knits, Kini's crazy-heavy and dark denim… Sigh. I loved when they asked Amanda if she had any color in her collection, and she insisted she did before quickly adding the caveat: "Not a lot, honestly."

 

I love Char as a person, and her clothes are actually pretty nice when she has some actual time to work on them, but she's not terribly high fashion. Also, that bit where Tim was all "We need to fix this seam, and take it out so I'll come back and hold your hand and basically do it for you because we can't make it look like we used the save on someone who ended up making crap clothes." I never really thought the hand-holding was super blatant until that moment.

 

Sean's collection is potentially interesting, but why the hell would he put fringe on EVERY look? Especially like on that draped white dress where the fringe in the back just looks like an afterthought. Hopefully he has more outfits like that where he can just yank the bit of fringe off without affecting the overall look. But mostly I think I like Sean because he's cute and has an adorable accent. I guess I just want to make out with him. ;-)

 

Amanda's was the same bohemian chic thing she always does. And the heavy knits really don't scream SPRING to me. I guess it's a nice pattern, but not for spring. I do have to say that her jewelry is quite good, and maybe that's where she should focus her energies. Because those dresses were pretty weak. That final "showstopper" look would be nothing without that necklace. (On the plus side, this season did a lot for redeeming Amanda's personality as portrayed in her previous season.)

 

Kini is clearly a talented seamstress, but what is up with those designs? I get that he went with structure, which is fine, but the dark, heavy denim is all wrong for a spring collection. There's no color, no fun, no life. Ugh. I agree with those above who don't understand someone who comes from such a colorful culture and has such a bright, colorful personality can produce work this drab. But the judges were also on point regarding his styling. It was atrocious and basically made his dark heavy clothes look even darker and drabber. And like some of you, I'm hoping that he's just getting the misdirect edit and next week we'll watch him redo his collection in a flurry of activity and knock out 10 new pieces in a day for a triumphant win.

 

Honestly, I followed that link to check out Sandhya's collection, and it's quite wonderful. I also looked at Fade's (don't want to spoil the others) out of curiosity, and thought she was more successful at incorporating text into the designs. It may be just a decoy, but it's my favorite collection. (As I said, I haven't seen the others yet)

 

The trip to Rome was full of lovely scenery and tiny hotel rooms, and didn't seem to really influence any of the designers. I had no idea Best Western was international. Maybe next season they can stay at Howard Johnsons? A challenge based around fried clams? ;-)

 

I admit I'm looking forward to the reunion both to see if Korina has calmed down (from the commercials, it doesn't seem she has), and if she can have any sense talked into her. (I'm guessing not) Also, I'm really irritated that All-Stars is starting the very next week. This is how you run a good thing into the ground by not giving any breathing room between seasons to make people miss the show and want to come back for more. (Because I also kind of want to watch that PR Juniors show just to watch the little gay boys make clothes. It's so precious!)

Edited October 17, 2014 by Wootini

[dialyn]

I don't want to watch the episode again but I noticed that there is a Best Western Hotel Artdeco in Rome--is that where Amanda got the connection between art deco and Rome?

[Nidratime]

Kini had been stroked and encouraged during all of the competition, and Tim praised him at the home visit, so of course he was profoundly shocked at the critique. He's a sweetheart and a great seamstress, but the heavy dark denim has been so wrong all along.

 

 

In fact, didn't Tim like that second outfit -- the dress with Kini's own variation of fringe? They appeared to be harping on the bag the model was carrying, and didn't seem to say much about the dress itself.

 

They suddenly disliked the coat which was exactly like all the other coats he made and which they praised to the heavens throughout the season.

 

As for the skirt and blouse, I wasn't a fan of the skirt because of that strip around the middle which made her look like she had a little belly bump and wasn't flattering. The top was nice, but I don't think it was so incredibly better than the other two outfits.

 

Frankly, when they say this is old ladyish, I have got to wonder what the heck they're talking about. What *old* ladies would wear this and how old? Neither Heidi or Nina are spring chickens. Do they think his looks are too old for them? Do they think designers should only make clothes for women under 30?

 

Sean's collection is potentially interesting, but why the hell would he put fringe on EVERY look?

 

 

To me, the fringe ruins the outfits and makes them look like costumes. If he were designing for a stage musical, set in the 1920's, he'd be golden.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Nidratime

[Iboatedhere]

 

 

Sean:  I already have my collection thought out and it's orange, not red.  So Julius Caesar had orange blood, right?

 

 

Blood Orange, blood?

[gibasi]

I adored Char's family!  Her grandfather was so cute and I liked that he said he tried to discourage her from switching careers since she was such a successful hair stylist.  What parent wouldn't worry about his or her kid doing that?  And then he laughed and said he was wrong.  I also liked her stepmother and stepbrother.  They were just so proud of Char.

 

I don't understand why Kini's collection was all denim.  Denim can be easy to work with (as long as it's not the heavyweight denim) and not too expensive a fabric but for his entire collection? When he has a $9,000 budget?  It just didn't make sense to me.  And I agree the lack of color considering that he lives in the tropics is puzzling.

 

I don't judge the collections based on the styling but the judges always comment on it.  And then the designers put strange lipstick on their models at Fashion Week (Sandyha) or horrible white eye shadow (I forget which designer did that).  For the most part when I look at the Runway Shows on the Fug Girls website the makeup is really non-obtrusive so that the clothes stand out.

 

As far as the decoy collections went, I was upset with myself that I liked Korina's as much as I did.

[OakGoblinFly]

Well, you are not far off, judging by her decoy collection.   Clown makeup galore.

http://tomandlorenzo.com/2014/09/sandhyas-project-runway-season-13-finale-collection/

 

 

Oh good gosh, that "collection" is the very definition of "craft store project" ----- as boring as Char's collection is, at least she's producing clothes  - and really, what's so terrible about that?  Why must everything be about fashion with a capital "F"?

 

If the show wants designers to produce FASHION, then give them more than a single day to complete a garment and more than five weeks to create a collection.

 

That being said, I liked the mini-collection that Amanda showed and agreed with the judges that the print dress needed to go (or be altered).  I am a petite, busty gal and I would wear most of Amanda's pieces as they look comfy - the perfect thing to wear on a spring/summer day while hanging out with friends, going to a museum, or having lunch in town.

 

I like Kini's pieces (excepting that coat which was too busy and heavy looking) individual - the combinations were entire too much/too fussy.  And that styling was beyond hideous.  Clothes that serious should have less make-up (something similar to how Amanda styled her models) and NO clunky shoes or bags.

Edited October 17, 2014 by OakGoblinFly

[designing1]

 

What I really don't get is how Kini would be so drawn to such drab fabrics when he comes from Hawaii, which has such a color infused culture.  Is it a weird kind of rebellion on his part?  He seems such a sunny personality and yet his designs are so heavy and dark.

 

Thank you! How he can live in a tropical climate, surrounded by color, yet be consistently drawn to heavy, dark fabrics is beyond me. Forget being inspired by a visit to Rome; how can he draw zero inspiration from his everyday surroundings? He certainly doesn't need to be designing floral muumuus, but a bit of color and lightness would be a welcome change. That said, I do think he's the most talented of this year's sad lot, and I hope he steps it up and pulls off a win.

 

 

There's also something about Amanda that I find irritating, but I can't put my finger on what that is.

 

While she isn't as irritating to me as she was when this season began -- maybe she's changed, her edit has changed, my perception has changed, or some combination of the three -- last night it struck me: I think the vibe I've been getting is that she'd be happier landing The Amanda Show than the Project Runway win. In other words, I don't think her passion is fashion so much as it is hearing -- and having others listen to -- the sound of her own voice.

Edited October 17, 2014 by designing1

[Oldernowiser]

It just goes to show how subjective it all can be, but I hate clothing that people read. Okay, I realize it's partly from spending my younger years trying to get men to look at my face instead of my chest when conversing with me anyway, but seriously...just no to Sandhya's wordy collection on multiple levels.

Although kudos to her for using next year's sponsor's lipsticks--Wet 'N Wild's Glitter Ball Lip Collection.

The beating up of Kini is either setting Amanda up for a win or setting him up for the redemption arc--see? The judges aren't in fact useless and completely baffling! They know stuff! Really!

Fringe. Do any of these people actually do, well, anything? I can hardly deal with a long scarf when I'm trying to get through my day. Third time the fringe catches in car door the scissors are coming out.

Such a shitty little season. It's like if Anya's season and Gretchen's season had a baby.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Oldernowiser

[LuciaMia]

Agree with the judges that Char's three pieces didn't relate to each other. And they did look more like ready-to-wear than runway style.

Didn't see Tim's home visit with Sean. Do all his pieces have fringe on them?  Oh well, it seems like every season has one designer that the judges complain about being too same-y.  There was one who where they grumbled that he did too much draping.  And remember Leanne; she of that gorgeous wedding dress. I know one judge carped about her collection, 'I hope we're not going to just see a lot of petals.'

[Atony]

All season you guys have been complaining that this was the least talented cast on PR ever. And now I have to say that I have to agree. Looking at these final four collections, all I can think is "This is the cream of the crop? REALLY?"

 

I still think this title will remain in Season Nine and Season Six.  Very little talent to be found in those seasons.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Atony

[jackjill89]

So disappointing. They go to Rome (Amanda somehow gets Art Deco out of the visit???) and they all just produce the same collections that they would have produced if they'd never gone. 

 

Watching the mini collections made me nostalgic for PR finales of the past, when the designers had a real voice and you would see some truly amazing things come down the runway. My daughter and I Googled, and seriously, the show went way downhill when they went to LA and beyond. I don't know why I keep watching. I keep hoping for something like the show with Christian, Rami and Jillian. Now it's all so blah. Nothing jaw dropping. All so pedestrian. Nothing trendsetting. So sad. 

 

They aren't artists. They are one-trick ponies. I guess that's what passes for a designer these days.

Edited October 17, 2014 by jackjill89

[Wootini]

As far as the decoy collections went, I was upset with myself that I liked Korina's as much as I did.

 

Yeah. I appreciated she used color (only the decoys seemed to use much color) but like Sean's fringe and Kini's denim and Amanda's boho maxi-dresses, Korina's was full of leather jackets. Well-made jackets, to be sure, and I liked the colors, but there was a LOT of leather for a "spring" collection. Right? (I don't really know much about high fashion, but it seems wrong to me)

[Broderbits]

I was shocked at how horrible Kini's 3 designs were! Especially that coat-dress with the huge Frankenstein shoulders worn by the most sour-pussed model ever. It was sad to see how disappointed he was, but he has no one to blame but himself. Good construction on crappy designs is just a waste of effort. This whole season has been a waste; where has all the talent gone?

[backgroundnoise]

Didn't see Tim's home visit with Sean. Do all his pieces have fringe on them?

 

If I remember correctly, Sean wasn't going to put fringe on everything, but Tim advised him to.  Did I hear that right? 

[Primetimer]

It's the usual dullish first half of a Project Runway finale when the designers head to Rome and Tim heads to their homes.

Read the story

[dialyn]

If I remember correctly, Sean wasn't going to put fringe on everything, but Tim advised him to.  Did I hear that right? 

Half of Sean's runway looks did not have fringe (they were made out of big striped material) but Tim advised him that the two different kinds of looks (striped versus fringe) didn't look cohesive, and that he should go with the one that was more his style (those aren't the words Tim used but something like that).  I don't know that Tim meant Sean should put fringe on everything, but that's probably what Sean heard.

[Gulielma]

http://tomandlorenzo.com/2014/10/project-runway-rome-if-you-want-to/

[RealityCowgirl]

I felt that it was a direct takeoff of Laura's stuff from back in the day, though Laura would have taken that basic shape and made it sing. I also hate the yutz colors Amanda uses; mustard? Really?

You know, I can see that. If that's at all conscious or intentional, I have one thing to say:

Amanda, sweetie, you ain't no Laura Bennett.

Edited October 17, 2014 by RealityCowgirl

[knitorpurl]

If I remember correctly, Sean wasn't going to put fringe on everything, but Tim advised him to.  Did I hear that right? 

It seems that Tim didn't like such a stark contrast between the before- regal ruler looks and the after- betrayed and bleeding orange looks. And though I don't think he said put fringe on everything, it was sort of implied that Sean should go more toward the fringe side. I am curious to see if he just tacked fringe on all the cream colored striped "before" clothes, changed them entirely and if he is going to start hacking fringe off now. That black jumpsuit could stand having no fringe and it looked like he could just remove it and re-hem where it is attached. 

 

Char is a nice person with pedestrian designs- yes, your 'girl' is fly but she's not fashion week ready. 

 

I'm not sure how Amanda got stuck in the 70s, but she is never going to leave that era. And the "Roman art deco in the 70s" is just too much. Having said that I didn't mind her collection, other than the heaviness of the print fabric. The jewelry is nice and adds the spark the clothes need. 

 

Kini- demin is an interesting fabric and having a few pieces in his "signature" fabric would be a great idea. But the unrelenting dark, heavy, overwrought look is certainly not bringing spring to mind. The white top was my favorite thing in his preview and it definitely needs a new skirt. As soon as he started announcing that he has decided he is a "fussy" designer I thought "That's not good". But his designs bore him out. Fussy and heavy. No one in Hawaii is going to be walking around in that!

 

This whole series just struggles so much with the shorter time constraints. There is no way to produce quality fashion with 1 day challenges and a 5 week window to produce a Fashion Week worthy collection. When you count the Rome trip and the packing up everything and traveling to NY to return for Fashion Week- we are really looking at 4 weeks and that includes coming up with a concept, sketching, shopping and sourcing your materials, then finally sewing something.

 

I really want Zac, Nina and Heidi to have to try this sometime. Even if they had a seamstress since I've pretty sure Nina and Heidi have never touched a machine and they had to sit next to the seamstress sewed their design I would love to see their results. Maybe that is what it would take to make them get it.

[teebax]

The best moment of the episode, for me, was the designers' completely unimpressed reactions to the BW hotel. Does that hotel not have suites? They just all seemed completely underwhelmed by their rooms. I think BW missed an opportunity there.

 

Speaking of sponsors, I don't begrudge any sponsor that helps keep a show I like to watch on the air. And since no one else will admit it, I will. I've worn Mary Kay for years and really like it. My cousin even has a Mary Kay Mustang, which is really cool. Anyway, I'm allergic to a lot of makeup, so I was thrilled to find makeup I could wear without my skin reacting badly to it. That being said, I don't apply it with a paintbrush. I think the makeup issues this season have more to do with the makeup artists than with the makeup itself.

 

I don't know much about Aldo. I have a pair of ankle boots that they, apparently, made. I can't even remember where I bought them. They're cute boots, but they're uncomfortable so I rarely wear them. From what I've seen on the show, I still don't know much about Aldo. Meh.

 

I love Red Robin. They make one of my favorite chain restaurant turkey burgers. Their fries are fine, but I've never been able to take advantage of the "bottomless" aspect. I'm usually too full to even finish one basket, much less multiple ones. I don't understand why they chose to sponsor PR but, like I said before, I'm cool with any company that wants to help keep PR on the air.

 

Except Samsung. My 50 inch Samsung TV died a month out of warranty and they refused to help me. So Samsung is DEAD to me right now.

[phoenix780]

Actually there is much I don't get.   Char who clearly knows how to dress herself with style doesn't seem terribly successful at doing the same with her designs.

 

I don't really get the comments about Char's great personal style because she reminds me too much of Kim Wayans playing a character on "In Living Color" back in the day.

 

One thing I enjoyed but forgot to mention in my initial post: Heidi explaining that Tim was going to sit through judging in part so he'd know how best to help the contestants fix their collections.  However she worded it exactly, to me it was an admission that his mentoring is way out of sync with the judges' tastes.  Maybe they should reconfigure his role so it's centered on construction only, not design.

[gibasi]

 

Top Chef has had, for years, a team led by Season Three chef Sandee Birdsong, that executes proposed challenges to determine their feasibility/fairness. 

I didn't know that and I can see it for Top Chef but really don't think it is necessary on Project Runway.  Because it is obvious that the quality suffers with their silly 1 day challenges and 4 weeks to Make a Collection!  It is ridiculous really.  There have been a few designers who are very quick at sewing but they are the exception.  And even they could benefit from more time to actually design.

 

Every season I say I am done but then for some mysterious reason I will tune in again.  I think it benefits from starting in the dog days of summer.

[meep.meep]

Knew Kini was in trouble when he sent his model down the runway with the blue purse from the top shelf of the Aldo wall - there's a reason why no one else ever used it!

 

I don't think sending them to Rome was that horrible - they could use a vacation.  I don't know why Tim spent so much time showing them the antiquities (which I love to visit) vs. taking them to where the fabulous Roman women were hanging out so they could get a sense of their fashion style.  Not everyone gets their inspiration from Roman ruins.

 

And what in hell was Tim wearing on the runway?  A green suit with polka dot socks?  He wants to be taken seriously for fashion advice?

[dialyn]

I don't know why Tim spent so much time showing them the antiquities (which I love to visit) vs. taking them to where the fabulous Roman women were hanging out so they could get a sense of their fashion style.  Not everyone gets their inspiration from Roman ruins.

This was the same group who couldn't (with one exception) find anyone in New York from which to draw inspiration. Whatever you think of Sean as a designer, he seems to be the only one that actually listens to the challenge and follows through. Then he tacks the fringe on and that's that.  Anyway, I think looking at Roman ruins was as useful to these four as looking the real women of Rome.  My bet is that they could have been in any city and we would have seen the same looks we had with this episode.

 

I don't really get the comments about Char's great personal style because she reminds me too much of Kim Wayans playing a character on "In Living Color" back in the day.

For myself and myself alone, I meant that Char's personal style is generally better than her designs....and part of this has nothing to do with her clothes but her overall attitude about how she wears those clothes.  But this isn't a contest about how likeable she is or how well she wears her clothes but on the fashions she creates and that's where she lacks a bit. But so do the rest of the four.

[NY2TX]

Tim's advice to Sean had nothing to do with adding fringe to every garment, or even including more pieces with fringe in the collection.  His observation was that Sean had two completely different collections, which was absolutely true.  Had Sean included both sets it would have been disastrous, and IMO he would have finished last among the four (yes, even behind Char).  Tim's suggestion to leave the pieces out altogether is the single best piece of advice he gave to any designer during their respective home visits.

 

As usual, they captured everything I'm feeling, especially this (emphasis mine):

 

Quote

 

And we have to say, we really hated the idea of telling the designers where to take their inspiration from for their collections. That’s kind of bullshit, actually. Whatever else we may think of these designers and their abilities, they worked really hard and have dreamed for a long time to show a collection at New York Fashion Week. Who are they to tell them at the last second what to be inspired by? How anti-creativity can this show get anymore? It’s like the producers are so focused on twists, turns and product placement that the idea of people designing, expressing and creating never even enters the equation.

 

I don't necessarily agree with this, and no doubt the designers were thrilled with the opportunity to visit Rome (whatever the reason behind the trip).  And I don't think any of the designers altered their original plans to any great extent.  Rather I think they re-worked their individual narratives to fit the newly introduced twist, or so-called inspiration. 

 

I don't get all of the criticism regarding product placement; that is always going to be a huge component of this type of show.  Personal likes and dislikes are to be expected, but some of the comments seem silly.  Like the person who referred to Belk as "a store I've never even been to."  Well, guess what, it's one of the largest department stores in the country, and millions of people do shop there.  We're in Season 13 and it's only natural that we're going to see a wide range of both sponsors and products featured.

[sinkwriter]

 

For what it's worth, they showed a clip of the reunion show and what it depicts is both Korina and Char walking off the set. Fun times!

I thought it was Korina and Emily, not Char. Unless I missed a different clip?

 

Had Sean included both sets it would have been disastrous, and IMO he would have finished last among the four (yes, even behind Char).

 

I don't know about that. I like Char, but her collection seems to be very random, not cohesive at all. At least Sean's first five outfits that he showed Tim had unity, even though they didn't fit with the orange and white fringe outfit. Still, Tim was right to instruct him to make his collection more cohesive because it did feel like 2 different collections. I just hope it doesn't turn out that he took Tim's liking of the orange fringe outfit and went overboard with fringe on everything. I didn't think he would do that because even Tim seemed to caution him to be careful, but with time constraints and an inability to stand back and look at one's own collection with an objective view (like Kini seemed to struggle with as well), I worry about what we'll see in next week's episode.

 

Nevertheless, I'm still very curious to see their runway shows!

[Special K]

Didn't they used to have three months to put together their final collections?

 

On the subject of the sponsors, I have watched this entire season and I still have no idea whether Aldo is a shoe/handbag manufacturer or just an accessories retail store.  And I have never seen a Red Robin anywhere except on TV.  It must be regional.

[Surrealist]

What on god's green earth does Italy have to do with art deco, and what does art deco have to do with the sixties and the seventies and the intersection of bohemian and mod? That was seriously the weakest fable Amanda's come up with so far to explain how the challenge relates to the latest iteration of the only garments she knows how to make.

I did a double take as well.. She was reaching there.

[susannot]

Ugh, I thought Sandya's collection was beyond awful.  What is this fad for putting words and letters on clothes?  Where did it come from and why, oh why?  The final two dresses looked like hamster cages draped over the models.  I get that high fashion needn't be wearable but isn't it supposed to suggest new directions for the apparel industry?  I don't see Nina putting cage dresses on the cover of Marie-Claire anytime soon.

[Atony]

Heidi explaining that Tim was going to sit through judging in part so he'd know how best to help the contestants fix their collections.  However she worded it exactly, to me it was an admission that his mentoring is way out of sync with the judges' tastes.  Maybe they should reconfigure his role so it's centered on construction only, not design.

 

It is impossible for anyone to predict how each judge will react to every garment.  Tim Gunn does what he always does, gives the best advice he can from his experience.  Having him sit there was smart, now that he knows exactly how the judges feel about the collections he can give accurate advice to help the contestants impress them.

 

 

 

Didn't they used to have three months to put together their final collections?

 

Season 1 they had a little over 5(!) months.  After that they had three months I believe for a couple seasons, then two months for a couple seasons.  The last few seasons it has always been about a month which is too short.

 

ETA:  This was off memory, see post below for correct information!

Edited October 17, 2014 by Atony

[backgroundnoise]

It has to do with whether or not the finale is for the Fall/Winter shows in February, or Spring/Summer in September.  They used to film in either June or August.  I watch S1 through S5 every now and again.

S1  5 months

S2  7 months

S3  2 months

S4  5 months

S5  2 months

S6  ?

S7  Was a Fall/Winter show so probably 5.

After that they are mostly Spring/Summer shows, but for some reason don't even have 2 full months anymore.  Seems to be about 5 weeks.  Except for that weird season (11?) where the 8 finalists had collections but no one at FW knew whose was whose. 

 

On topic:  Taking the (at least) 5 days lost to the trip to Rome, this season might be the shortest time yet.

Edited October 17, 2014 by backgroundnoise

[Pattycake2]

One thing that bugged me was Nina going on about Kini changing up his collection to reflect a range of items such as shorts.  I live in a large urban area and have never seen anyone wearing a designer shorts outfit on the street.  Casual shorts on the weekend or after work, yes, but a real shorts outfit?  Never.  The designers have been including them in their collections for years and it has never transferred as far as I can see to the general public.  Time to stop the shorts.

[English Teacher]

Question on timelines because my memory is not what it used to be. Did the finalists always only have 5 weeks to created a collection..... And did they always only have 1 day to do the preliminary fashion show / get feedback?

Sorry backgroundnoise....just saw your post.

Edited October 17, 2014 by English Teacher

[beaker73]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually agreed with the judges' critiques last night. 

 

I liked Amanda's, but agreed that she needs to lose some of the maxi looks.  I liked the fact that she used some architectural details as an inspiration for her black and white textile. 

 

Sean's was fine.  He regurgitated the white top from the last challenge and the fringe bottom from the Heidi red carpet challenge, but he won both of those so who can blame him I guess.  I'm anticipating he cuts the fringe off the black jumpsuit (which was soooo unnecessary) and off the white grecian dress.   

 

As Char's came down the runway I thought, "Wow. This isn't cohesive at all."  I loved the fabric she bought in Rome and wish she had done something a bit more interesting or dramatic with it.  The black/white dress was OK, but nothing about that said edgy.  I forget what the 3rd look was... 

 

Kini.  Goodness. When I saw the white blouse/skirt combo come down the runway I immediately thought it was just too much and that the blouse paired with skinny pants or shorts would look great.  He should be able to whip out a pair in about 20 minutes.  I do understand what the judges were saying about ditching the coat.  It's a dramatic piece.  If Kini indeed has a gown then he doesn't need two big, dramatic pieces.   Too much. 

 

I did feel for him though--he looked devestated.  He's either going to crash and burn or we're in for some huge redemption arc where he pulls new pieces out of his ass at the 11th hour.  We shall see. 

[FineWashables]

 

kudos to Project Runway for 1) not manufacturing conflict with an extra look or crappy eliminated helpers, and 2) using the mini-collection runway for helpful critique instead of eliminating one of the final four.

This, very much.

 

I'm wondering if they didn't eliminate one of the final four this time because Kini was the one on the bottom.  I think that if the designer on the bottomt had been Sean, or maybe possibly even St. Char, they would have cut someone.  I'm not saying that the ending is fixed, though I know posters have been saying that for years, only thinking that they wanted some strong collections at Fashion Week and Kini and Amanda are the two most likely to produce professional looks.

 

Char seems like such a sweet person, somebody I'd love to hang out and laugh with, but she's been over her head for several weeks now.  At least.  

 

The red tassel on the back of Sean's dress looked like a used tampon.  Wrecked the whole thing.  And enough with all the tassels already.

 

Amanda's collection didn't move me, especially the skirt that the judges all drooled over, but I haven't understood her aesthetic all season.  Doesn't make me right, just doesn't make me a potential customer.

 

Kini was great all season.  I felt the same way about the coat, though, that Zac Posen did.  The worst part was the styling.

 

Although this show is intended to showcase Mary Kay Cosmetics, the awful makeup all season has certainly convinced me not to buy any.  Kini's models looked absolutely dreadful.  Nobody looked really good.  Aldo shoes didn't pair well with any of the looks and I'm pretty certain that one of the judges told a designer (Char?) how bad the shoes looked.  As for sponsor Best Western, there was nothing about those little hotel rooms that suggested Rome.  It could have been filmed in Peoria.  No way I'd choose that over a hotel with some local ambience.  Honestly, I thought better of all three sponsors before seeing their products showcased here.  

 

And finally: what the hell did Rome have to do with anything we saw on the runway???

 

 

[Beden]

 

I too am baffled by Kini's dark, heavy aesthetic when he's from Hawaii.  I also am wondering if it's even possible to spend $9000 on the denim fabric he used for his collection.  What happened to all of his money?  When he was moaning about having to redo everything he said he had no extra fabric to use.

Perhaps he thought that his collection was essentially finished and left any extra fabric back home. Plus we only saw three looks (okay, I was watching last night while reading a book and may have missed some stuff)--I'll withhold judgement til I see the whole thing.

 

And yes, I thought that it was Korinda and Emily walking out. Of course, they could have just been going to the bathroom and TPTB decided to mess with the audience.

[LBFilmBuff]

I wanted to rip off Sean's little red tassel thing and either turn it into a necklace (hanging off a choker) or a belt (to give some shape to that white sack). I really, really hope that Sean hasn't overused the fringe but we'll just have to see.

When Kini's came out I thought it was "more of the same" but when he was lined up against the other designers his looked really dark and heavy. Almost scary. I thought that model in the coat looked like an updated wicked witch or something.

Char I truly don't get but I seriously liked her new hairdo. It took five years off her age.

I think Amanda is going to win and that makes me sad, though I suppose it's not undeserved. I just think her "vision" is so limited. Even more than Kini (gowns and denim) and Sean (crisp white and fringe).

[cpcathy]

No, not my little Kini!

 

I was okay with his looks until my husband pointed out how they seemed to need more sex appeal, and then I looked closer. I don't think it's a huge overhaul, I think he needs to tweak a few elements and he'll be okay. However, I do think the winner will be Amanda. She can't come this far, after two seasons, and not win, even though I'm only meh on her outfits. She's got that redemption edit everyone seems to love so much. Plus she's coming off much nicer than last time.

[ChelseaNH]

Kini, you're allowed to use other fabrics besides denim.  In fact, you're allowed to use more than one denim.  That was just overwhelming.  How is any one outfit supposed to stand out in a sea of dark denim?

 

I like Char's striped outfit, but yeah, she's a sportwear designer.

 

Jay's season 1 collection is one of the best things to ever come out of this show.  Can you imagine if he'd only had 6 weeks to work?  On the other hand, look at what the season 3 designers pulled off in 8 weeks.

[backgroundnoise]

I had never heard of either Belks or Aldo before this show.  Thing is, nothing I've seen from either would inspire me to go check out their stores.  In fact, Aldo is coming off very poorly as a place to get accessories, which is hilarious.  They got more bashing last night.    It's almost negative advertising.

Edited October 17, 2014 by backgroundnoise

[Special K]

I have an irrational fascination with and love for 70s style, and I am continually puzzled by Amanda's clothes.

 

I loved the aspect of 70s style that was similar to the 50s in silhouette -- fitted waists and A-line skirts.  Remember the prairie aesthetic?  Or DVF bringing back the dress and creating the wrap dress as an icon.  Things that honor the feminine silhouette.  It was the golden age of feminism!

 

Also: the skinny-sexy stuff and androgeny, like a Halston pants suit on a woman, or all those skinny white rocker boys like Mick Jagger.  

 

Disco!

 

This is not the 70s that Amanda lived through, I guess.  (I suspect she did not live through it; not sure of her age.)  She seems to have lived through the same era as Mrs Roper!

[Calamity Jane]

I've tried to "like" several posts here (concerning Char's hideous romper amongst other nastiness), but more often than not the "thumbs up" button doesn't work. The mods aren't answering my question about this bug, so I just wanted you all to know that anyone who would like a thumbs up is welcome to a virtual virtual one.  I know how we all look for validation of our posts :-)

I have that same problem when I am using my iPad.  On the MacBook or PC, it works fine.  

[twilightzone]

Kini was over confident, which is a big trap at the point.

 

Char has to be the weakest designer ever make it to fashion week.  I think Emily deserved that spot.

 

The winner will either be Amanda or Sean.

[Calamity Jane]

Echoing the puzzlement over Kini's dark colors.  It's so strange to me that someone from the land where, according to my son who lived there, even lawyers wear aloha shirts (except to court) would choose such a heavy, dark palette.  Kini himself seems like such a light-hearted, joyous person, but his designs do not radiate the same energy at all.  I've been curious about that from the beginning.  

[NikSac]

Tim missed his calling, he should have been a tour guide!

 

I wonder how much say the designers really have in the makeup, or if they are just ignorant about makeup. They usually ask for "young and fresh", and the next thing you know they are troweling on orange eyeshadow. The designer nods and says, "That looks great!" I wonder how it works in the real fashion world -- does anyone know?

 

The only hair styling the judges ever like is the messy bun.

 

I don't know if this qualifies as "real fashion world" insight but my little sis is into modeling and they do some really wacky stuff with her hair and makeup. The designers always love the way she walks and shows off their clothes (she's awesome at it!), but sometimes it seems like they're looking at her funny when it comes to the makeup in particular. I imagine something pretty similar happening earlier in the day where the designer says "looks great!" and later thinks "umm, we talked about this, what happened?"

[Special K]

How a company brands itself, or targets its marketing, is not necessarily the same thing as who shops there.

[Bosman]

Can we just go ahead and declare this the worst season of PR ever?

So Amanda was inspired by Rome to create the same look she's done all season? It was drab, drabbier, drabbiest. And how the hell can a max dress have construction issues, but hers were incredibly sloppy. Cute cat, though.

Don't get the Sean love. Never did. His fringe-fest in search of a reason for being was a mess, and not even a hot one.

Char is an incredible lady with a not very focused design aesthetic. But god help me, I loved her print shorts outfit. At least it has some life and youth to it.

I actually liked Kini's looks, but think it was the horrendous styling that really let him down. Working with the Also Accessory Wall of Shame can't be much of a help.

[ichbin]

 I think the vibe I've been getting is that she'd be happier landing The Amanda Show than the Project Runway win. In other words, I don't think her passion is fashion so much as it is hearing -- and having others listen to -- the sound of her own voice.

Yes!  I've been thinking this too.  For weeks now I have felt like she has been auditioning for a role like Heidi's or even Tim's.  All her talking heads seem very rehearsed and deliberate.  Oh, and those exagerated rubber faces too.  I guess someone bought what she's been selling considering she was on Nashville a week or two ago.