S13.E13: Finale, Part 1

[NikSac]

Best Western's not that bad (IMO and all), but this show probably did them no favors.

 

I do get hungry for Red Robin every time this show is on though. Funny enough I don't care for their fries, but love their burgers. Maybe they are regional? It surprised me they were foreign to anyone. Although I've never heard of Belks or Aldo before, so I guess there must be regional differences.

 

I almost started liking Tim again on this episode. Watching him with the families was fun. And who doesn't love watching a seemingly fairly stuffy guy in a suit try to learn hula?

 

Pretty much okay with any of them winning, or not winning. I agree with those who've said they're mostly very like-able though, I just don't have strong feelings one way or another about any of their designs. It didn't seem to actually honestly inspire any of them, but I'm glad they got a trip to Rome out of the deal.

[yeswedo]

Reminder to keep the discussion civil when disagreeing with other posters' opinions. And once you have stated your opinion move on from the discussion.

 

I've hidden a few posts regarding sponsors that crossed the line. If yours is missing and you don't know why PM me.

Thanks!

[Jodithgrace]

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

 

C'mon..you mean you've never heard of Orange Julius? :)

[sinkwriter]

 

C'mon..you mean you've never heard of Orange Julius? :)

 

Okay, that totally cracked me up.  :D

[Boilergal]

The one thing that came up all season was Char's inability to sew and poor poor construction.  So I wonder who she had sew her collection...thought it was a little strange that she didn't have ANY drawings when Tim asked for them.  I smell something fishy there.

 

I think Kini wins - it's the old - you need to change your entire collection in the last 24 hours...and miraculously he is able to pull an AMAZING collection out of his heiny. 

 

I Love this show, but I think I'm most disillusioned with this year.

[Yokosmom]

I would look like a fat chicken in fringe, but I do think that Sean's clothes are the only ones with any movement or life to them. I like the fringe in his collection, though the orange is a pretty strange color choice. I mean, I like orange, but it isn't a color that is going to appeal to a vast swathe of the population I'm guessing. When Nina was telling Sean that he couldn't have his collection dedicated to one schtik, all I could think of was Leanne, the winner of season 5, and her petal pleats. Apparently, it isn't always a problem, though, to be fair, Leanne hadn't been putting pleats on everything the whole season.

Kini's clothes just look so heavy--and why, in heaven's name, would you think that bringing a collection made almost entirely from black denim was suitable for Fashion Week?

I agree with the posters above about the use of the save for Char when it probably should have been used for Fade. His clothes were much more interesting than Char's. I did like her little striped outfit--the two others were meh to me. And I do hate the short shorts, though I assume that most designers throw a pair of shorts into their shows to prove that they can be versatile.

Amanda is a one trick pony--can't she do anything that isn't 70s/boho? She has a very narrow niche. I didn't understand the judges' dislike of her middle look.

Don't any of these designers watch this show? The judges want to see: Versatility-not just dresses, but skirts, pants, evening wear, day wear, (and yes, shorts) etc. Also color--although some mostly black collections have won in the past, the judges would like at least some relief from all that starkness. And finally, imagination--go for broke, with one, over the top, piece.

Of course, it's the producers' fault if we get mostly boring collections--it all comes down to not giving the designers enough time, though, to tell the truth, I'm not sure how much an extra month would have helped this lot.

[roomtorome]

The move to Lifetime sucked all the spunk and life out of this series.  What a dull bunch - the whole thing - dull as dishwater.  

 

Rome is my favorite place on earth beyond NYC where I live and I spend a lot of time there and they even made Rome dull, which is really difficult to do.  It's a special talent they have to kill any energy that might percolate up - 

[ThatsDarling]

I hope that Amanda started preparing herself for her loss when Heidi told her that women would love to wear her clothes. Uli, Korto, and Alexandria got that same critique and it brought them straight to the runner-up spot. 

 

I really liked Sean's collection when I first saw it in September, but now I think he's a one-trick pony. His clothes have a luxe, editorial quality that I respond well to, but I question his level of creativity.  

 

Surprised that Kini was so confident in his three looks. They were awful, and not just because of the styling. 

Edited October 17, 2014 by ThatsDarling

[dialyn]

The one thing that came up all season was Char's inability to sew and poor poor construction.  So I wonder who she had sew her collection...thought it was a little strange that she didn't have ANY drawings when Tim asked for them.  I smell something fishy there.

One question they always ask the designers is if they prefer to sketch or to drape. Char responded that she prefers to drape....I don't think a lack of sketching means much in that case. Several designers seem to prefer to layer their designs on the mannequins rather than reference a sketch.  Her second dress (the one the judges wanted eliminated, the center one) didn't look particularly well made from the viewpoint of my computer screen. Of course I could be wrong. I often am.

 

I was hoping they stayed at the Best Western Artdeco hotel in Rome, which would so help explain part of Amanda's explanation of her runway looks so I watched the beginning again.  There is a sign that says Best Western Premier but I didn't see anything else. Pity. It would have been so tidy.

 

I read Nick's blog on the Lifetime webpage and it gives a couple of insights into this episode...no spoilers.

Edited October 17, 2014 by dialyn

[Beden]

 

thought it was a little strange that she didn't have ANY drawings when Tim asked for them.  I smell something fishy there.

It's a bit unusual but it happens; not every designer sketches. I know designers who just drape and stop when they get what they want. And, not to defend Char in particular, it's also possible that she's--as she's often admitted--not a fast sewer. She could be one of those people who are okay if given enough time, which PR doesn't do.

I'd give her the benefit of the doubt since this season is a clusterfuck anyway. I'm also glad that I didn't have to partner with her on a team challenge where every minute counted.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Beden

[Tippi]

I wish Kini had used that fab soccer ball dress as his inspiration.  The denim is so limited in its appeal and so heavy for spring.

 

I'm wondering why Tim was full-tilt boogie with encouraging Sean to go all out with the fringe, but did not warn Kini about how his collection was skewing old and its over reliance on denim.

 

I don't think I have ever liked any designer's handcrafted jewelry and accessories. 

 

(Caveat: I too fell asleep during this episode.  If Tim did advise Kini of these factors, please ignore this remark!)

[seacliffsal]

What really summed up my feelings about this season was the choice of clothing that the designers wore while in Rome.  Italy has some of the most fashionable women in Europe.  Whenever I traveled to Europe (and Asia), I always tried to dress in a way that would emulate or blend into the culture I was visiting.  I used to take students to Europe during summer break and we would even have a sort of dress policy (and yes, they did have requirements for Cathedral days...).  So, these fashion designers are in the midst of fashion friendly Italy and can't be bothered to look...oh, I don't know....fashionable.  Already then.  

 

I'm really glad that the judges previewed the collections and that Kini will have a chance to improve his collection. 

[dialyn]

So, these fashion designers are in the midst of fashion friendly Italy and can't be bothered to look...oh, I don't know....fashionable. 

Did they have that much choice of clothes?  It looked like they were packing out of their closets which would seem to give them a limited range. If they really were only told a few hours ahead that they were going to leave for Rome, that wouldn't given them time.  (Marking Rome off my places to visit; I don't have the clothes for it.)

[mwell345]

 

I had never heard of either Belks or Aldo before this show.

Belks is big in the South -according to Wikipedia: 306 stores in 16 states.  Sort of like a Macy's (although  I have not been in Belks in years).  Still (as far as I know) owned and operated by the Belk family).

 

On to the episode:

 

I think either Sean or Amanda for the win, although I wouldn't discount Kini just yet.   What bothers me still is the bringing back of past contestants.  I just think it's wrong- they have an advantage in that they've already been through the process once, and are familiar with judges, etc.

 

In the past, when they've brought back designers, they never made it this far.  Amanda has a good chance of winning, and I just don't think its  fair and I don't even know what the point of bringing back past designers is. Put them on All-Stars.

Edited October 17, 2014 by mwell345

[Julia]

In the past, when they've brought back designers, they never made it this far.  Amanda has a good chance of winning, and I just don't think its  fair and I don't even know what the point of bringing back past designers is. Put them on All-Stars.

 

Either way her run turns out, I don't for a single moment doubt that Amanda is going to be one of next year's All Stars.

[millennium]

I could easily skip next week's finale and go straight to the reunion show.   The preview showed Korina, running away, crying  "I can't wait until all of this is over!"

 

Oh yeah, I'm in.

 

Drama's all there is this season.

 

Not a drop of true talent anywhere.

[Texasmom1970]

Was it just me or did Heidi look pregnant on the runway at the start of the show when they were announcing the Rome trip?

Maybe it was just an unflattering dress but she had a lot of pooch going on!

[WicketyWack]

I had to take to the Twitters to declare my hostility over this show and its neverending descent into the sinkholes of suck. I'm sure that @ninagarcia and @projectrunway are wringing their collective hands over my outrage.

 

I don't want to repeat what's been said above so I'll just confirm that ITA with everyone's specific criticisms regarding the designers, their final collections, their level of talent/skill, Rome as an "inspiration," the time frames, the shitty Best Western rooms, the fugly Aldo shoes ... all of it. 

 

This feels like a super fun friend suddenly found religion and turned into a boring, judgmental, insufferable shell of their former self. PROJECT RUNWAY. WHERE DID YOU GO.

 

[cafe au lait]

After briefly browsing through some of the 2014 Fashion Week designs and trends, It appears that Sean and Char are smack dab on trend. 

Rodarte

http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rodarte-spring-2014-18.jpg

Anna Sui

http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/anna-sui-spring-2014-38.jpg

Lacoste

http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/lacoste-spring-2014-7.jpg

Tommy Hilfiger

http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tommy-hilfiger-spring-2014-15.jpg

Vera Wang

http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/vera-wang-spring-2014-6.jpg

This Vera Wang looks quite similar to Char's storage unit design.

Micheal kors

http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/michael-kors-spring-2014-34.jpg

Rodarte

http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/v2_article_large/public/2013/09/11/rodarte_1.jpg?itok=hjx7ZYiV

Helmut Lang

http://iuliaharsan.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/helmut-lang-summer-spring-2014-new-york-fashion-week-32.jpg

Rebecca Minkoff

http://cdn.idesigntimes.com/data/images/full/2013/09/06/20579-rebecca-minkoff-spring-2014-new-york-fashion-week.jpg

 

The Tim Gunn criticism reminds me of Santino Rice and his Tim Gunn jokes regarding Tim's concern for Andre. "Where's Andre?"  That was one of the highlights of that season. I absolutely love Tim and I forever will. He can do no wrong in my book. He seems to genuinely equally care for each designer. He takes his role as a mentor very seriously. I think teaching was right career choice for him and like many teachers, he treats his students like his children. He also treats the contestants like his children. He treats each as if they are his absolute favorite. He sees something great in each one and works to bring it out. He always hates to see the designers have to go home and before leaving after the home visits, he always tells them that he loves them. Tim is a great guy.

Edited October 18, 2014 by cafe au lait

[farmgal4]

Was it just me or did Heidi look pregnant on the runway at the start of the show when they were announcing the Rome trip?

Maybe it was just an unflattering dress but she had a lot of pooch going on!

I thought the same thing, Texasmom! It must have just been the lighting or bloating, water retention, etc., because I saw her on The Ellen Degeneres Show yesterday and she is definitely NOT preggers.

[farmgal4]

I could easily skip next week's finale and go straight to the reunion show.   The preview showed Korina, running away, crying  "I can't wait until all of this is over!"

 

Oh yeah, I'm in.

 

Drama's all there is this season.

 

Not a drop of true talent anywhere.

I don't recall there ever being a reunion show before. Is this the first one or did I just miss the other ones? I'm looking forward to this one too!

[farmgal4]

Either way her run turns out, I don't for a single moment doubt that Amanda is going to be one of next year's All Stars.

Part of Amanda's appeal is the fact that she just comes across well on TV. She's articulate, physically attractive, smart, level-headed, even-keeled, mild-mannered, personable, etc. Although I don't think she's that great of a designer, she's got what it takes to be popular with the viewers and the judges alike, which is really what it's all about when you get right down to it. JMO, of course. :-)

[farmgal4]

Belks is big in the South -according to Wikipedia: 306 stores in 16 states.  Sort of like a Macy's (although  I have not been in Belks in years).  Still (as far as I know) owned and operated by the Belk family).

 

On to the episode:

 

I think either Sean or Amanda for the win, although I wouldn't discount Kini just yet.   What bothers me still is the bringing back of past contestants.  I just think it's wrong- they have an advantage in that they've already been through the process once, and are familiar with judges, etc.

 

In the past, when they've brought back designers, they never made it this far.  Amanda has a good chance of winning, and I just don't think its  fair and I don't even know what the point of bringing back past designers is. Put them on All-Stars.

I didn't see the first two episodes this season. What WAS the reason for bringing her back? How was it explained or was it? Have they ever brought anyone else back before?

[farmgal4]

I hope that Amanda started preparing herself for her loss when Heidi told her that women would love to wear her clothes. Uli, Korto, and Alexandria got that same critique and it brought them straight to the runner-up spot. 

 

I really liked Sean's collection when I first saw it in September, but now I think he's a one-trick pony. His clothes have a luxe, editorial quality that I respond well to, but I question his level of creativity.  

 

Surprised that Kini was so confident in his three looks. They were awful, and not just because of the styling.

I did like the white blouse that he paired with the skirt.

[farmgal4]

The move to Lifetime sucked all the spunk and life out of this series.  What a dull bunch - the whole thing - dull as dishwater.  

 

Rome is my favorite place on earth beyond NYC where I live and I spend a lot of time there and they even made Rome dull, which is really difficult to do.  It's a special talent they have to kill any energy that might percolate up -

They need some designers who have the flamboyant, eccentric personalities like they used to have way back when. Nowadays the designers are just, for lack of a better word, boring.

[millennium]

Hey Tim, C-3PO called.   He wants his hula dance moves back.

[RealityGal]

I haven't watched the last 3 "reunions" and have no desire to watch this one.  I'll be opting out.

 

When I saw Kini's coat, I thought serious Steampunk.  I thought all of his looks were horrible.  He was understandably upset, but I thought the judges were absolutely right about his styling.

 

I liked Char's dress that Nina hated.  I'm positive she'd question my taste level. 

 

I also loved Amanda's jewelry.  He husband seemed really great.

I liked Char's middle dress too, but I see how it doesn't really go with the other two "girls" looks.  I think the first and third of Char's looks represents her "girl", she wants you to look at her!  The second girl had a dress that I liked but that would fade into the background.

 

to me, it was Kini's skirt that was the worst offender.  The judges love to talk about what a real woman would want, I can't think of a real woman that wants a waistband and then another band right below her belly.  That seems to just announce "hey, look at my gut!  have you seen my gut?  Its right here, between these two pieces of fabric!!!!"  His coat looked like one of those old timey detectives, like Inspector Gadget, he should have styled his model with some go go gadget aldo skates.

 

Amanda's necklace was awesome

 

Best Western lady looked like a conservative politicians wife from the early 90's.

 

FRINGE! DENIM! Who will win that epic battle for the ages.

 

Tim really needs to cool it with the hyperbole. I am waiting to see the "Phenomenon" that is Kini.

 

Those Mary Kay eyes. Nothing says spring like raccoon eyes.

 

Funniest line was when the first MK makeup guy was like "lets just let the face speak for itself...." which is code for "lets just not use a lot of this crap on her"

 

I liked Sean's idea about Julius Caesar. I thought that out of all of them, he had the most "Rome inspired" idea, and I liked his approach to it as a storyline of designs.

 

 

I did like that he had a story that went with the trip.  I liked the first dress, but I didn't really understand the point of the fringe in the back.  The black outfit was beautiful though.

 

I believe that Char brings an interesting point of view to the finale. She and Sean both bring color and a sense of fun to the runway. Had the judges chosen Emily; we would have dreary drab Emily, dreary drab Amanada, deary drab and frumpy Kini. It would have been the dreariest PR finale ever. The entire audience would have fallen asleep. Last week we saw Chat add a welt pocket to a skirt. Welt pockets are a tricky application. Char certainly is no Kini but she's not the complete train wreck that she's being made out to be either.

I actually liked Char's pieces, and I'm okay that they aren't art.  I really liked the sleekness of the romper, to me, the dress in the middle didn't belong, but the other two looks I could see belonging to the same "girl."  And I think its the girl that Char describes, a fly girl.  I think the styling fits with that image.  When I think of fly girl, I think of Jennifer Lopez, back in the day.  It's a certain type of woman, but I think that woman has just as much of a voice as Amanda's boho chic 60's chick, or Kini's heiress party girl, or Sean's woman.  

[PepperMonkey]

Random and deep thoughts not already expressed by me about this episode:

 

I am a little bored with the denim, too, but I thought the WORST thing about Kini's mini show was the styling with hair and makeup and some of those apparently godforsaken Aldo accessories. I'm sure they have better looks, so why hasn't Project Runway got anything but the same 5 or 6 pairs of shoes and 2 bags in 3 different colours?

 

And, I also didn't see ANYTHING in anyone's collection except, marginally, Amanda's that could have been inspired by their trip to Rome. I guess that's subjective, of course, but I kept thinking, especially regarding Char's that instead of being inspired by ROME, it was inspired by that fabric she found in the fabric store there. Well, that probably counts.

 

I keep feeling a big part of this season has been to redeem Tim after UTG, but they haven't really done a very good job of it, imo. There's the taking credit on the runway when the judges liked something but NOT saying anything when they didn't yet he had been the one who most directly influenced the designers, on more than one occasion, helping them get a bad critique.

Also, there's the constant and eternal hand holding of Char. I don't hate her and I'm sure she's an okay person, but I can't see how the designers who were around long enough would NOT notice the special treatment. I resent that if you get the Tim Gunn save, you seem to get an automatic pass to fashion week.

And even though I enjoyed some parts of all of the home visits last night, except for Sean's, Tim's suits are just a tad too small. He needs to have everything let out just a scosh.

 

OH!! And I wondered what Sean was talking about in Italy when he said he kind of wanted to buy fabric but he only had 9K and he had a bunch of set up expenses because of his new studio? I mean, can he spend the Project Runway money for that? I guess he could if it was to buy thread, closures and other stuff that had to do with his collection, but it sounded like just set up in general. I've got to rewatch and pay attention to exactly what he said there.

 

I will be so glad when this season is over. I hope season 14 is, at the very least, better than 12 and 13. *hopeful*

Edited October 18, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[millennium]

I liked Sean's idea about Julius Caesar. I thought that out of all of them, he had the most "Rome inspired" idea, and I liked his approach to it as a storyline of designs.

 

 

I too was inspired by Rome.   The Coliseum especially.   I am calling my collection, "Throwing Christian Siriano to the Lions."

[RealityGal]

What really summed up my feelings about this season was the choice of clothing that the designers wore while in Rome.  Italy has some of the most fashionable women in Europe.  Whenever I traveled to Europe (and Asia), I always tried to dress in a way that would emulate or blend into the culture I was visiting.  I used to take students to Europe during summer break and we would even have a sort of dress policy (and yes, they did have requirements for Cathedral days...).  So, these fashion designers are in the midst of fashion friendly Italy and can't be bothered to look...oh, I don't know....fashionable.  Already then.  

 

I'm really glad that the judges previewed the collections and that Kini will have a chance to improve his collection. 

When I travel, I know I'm going to be walking all day because I'm going to try to fit in everything I want to see, and then I'll go to the hotel and dress for dinner.  So during the day, I want to dress mainly for comfort.  After getting blisters in a pair of wedges, I decided super soft, worn pair of Vera Wang Lavender ballet flats (which I can't find to buy another pair!) do the trick.  A pair of jeans, or shorts or a summer dress and a light jacket/coat work for me.  The weather in some areas can change on a dime  I like my own style, and don't really work to emulate anyone.  And I don't necessarily think anyone does it here, and I sort of like that.  In the summer you can see all these different tourists and how they dress.

 

Given the situation, I could understand dressing primarily for comfort.

[RealityGal]

Personally, I generally think that makeup is makeup and that it probably is all made in just a couple of factories like nail polish.  It's the makeup artist who creates a good or bad look. 

 

I can't agree with that.  I used to wear drug store make up, and it was okay, but there is a difference between an eyeshadow from Cover Girl and and eye shadow from MakeUp Forever, Tarte, or Urban Decay or gasp! Marc Jacobs (pretty stuff, but too spendy for me).

 

There are certainly differences in pigmentation, how well the makeup goes on and the subtle tones of the colors.  

 

Handlebar seems like a good makeup artist, and when the makeup sponsor was a little more high end, he created pretty looks, but the makeup right now just isn't high end.  Which is fine, but its too harsh for TV, and I think maybe its not as pigmented, won't go on as well and so you have to keep packing it on to create the impactful looks that they want and then its just too much.

[sinkwriter]

 

Personally, I generally think that makeup is makeup and that it probably is all made in just a couple of factories like nail polish.

 

Actually, you're not wrong in some ways. There are makeup companies that own more than one brand. For example, the same company that owns Lancome also puts out L'Oreal, so some of L'Oreal's products are similar formulations, only cheaper price. There's a woman named Paula Begoun ("The Cosmetics Cop") who talks about this kind of thing, and whether or not some products are just as good as the higher end products, and the rest is just marketing. She deconstructs makeup and skin care products (and some hair products) and rates them according to their ingredients and whether or not those ingredients are really doing what the marketing says they're meant to do, and whether or not the products are overpriced or unimpressive or living up to their claims based on ingredients, size of product versus price and if there's a cheaper version of it (sometimes even sold by the same company) that will do the same job as the more expensive version. Her basic point of view is that there are good and bad products in the cheap end of the scale and there are good and bad products in the higher end brands; you just have to find what works best for YOUR skin and decide whether or not you want to pay for the higher priced stuff when there might be something in the mid to lower range prices that will work just as well. It's pretty fascinating. I highly recommend her books ("The Beauty Bible" and "Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me"). She's saved me a lot of money over the years! She also saved my skin. I tried something by a department store brand once (Estee or Lancome, I forget now), and I broke out terribly. A couple years later I came across Paula's book and out of curiosity I looked up her rating for that particular skin cleanser. Color me surprised when she gave it a terrible ranking because it contained an ingredient that is apparently known to cause breakouts. And it was a cleanser marketed for oily/combination skin! 

 

I wonder what she rates Mary Kay products. Hmmmmmm... curious.

[RealityGal]

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?

 

 

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.

 

I thought Kini's skirt looked like something out of an 80's teen movie, all she needed was a headband and a volkswagen rabbit convertible.  But I thought overall they liked Kini's pieces, but hated the styling, and said that he didn't need the jacket since he would have another wow piece in his collection and didn't really fit with the other pieces

 

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.

 

He said denim is his thing, so he is sticking to it.  Who knows, the jacket in a different fabric might have worked.  I did like the high waisted skirt though.

 

Actually, I thought the judges said they liked his pieces, just that he should pretty much make a short or legging to go with the top, get rid of the jacket, because he has another "wow" piece in his collection and change the styling.

 

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

 

Don't even put that in the universe!

 

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.

Personally, I don't mind product placement per se, but it does start to bother me when the product doesn't fit, so there has to be extra time devoted to trying to make the placement work with the show, or they have to make up a totally odd challenge to fit the sponsor in.  Yoplait was a sponsor last year, or the year before, and the "Yoplait" challenge was that the designers had to go around asking people how eating Yoplait new yogurt product made them feel, they then had to take those words and translate them into an outfit.  It was eye rollingly awkward.  Lexus has done a good job as a sponsor, at some point the designers drive around the city in a Lexus, they can say a few nice words about the Lexus.  That fits.  A makeup sponsor fits the show, but I'm not sure Mary Kay is the right makeup sponsor, their makeup doesn't translate well to TV, and so I don't think its going to get them a lot of new customers.  

 

I look at a show like Top Chef, and how they have maintained their relationship with Whole Foods (a high end grocery store) for years.  Many people would argue that Krogers or Ralphs sells the same food, but there is some connection between the quality of the show and the reputation of the sponsor.

 

And I'll tell you the problem with the Belks sponsorship from my POV.  A lot of people, myself included, have never been to, or heard of Belk's.  I understand that they are looking to expand, and so they were probably using Project Runway as an opportunity to introduce themselves to a lot of new people, so that, if a Belk's opened up in your town, you would want to go.  

 

Where Belks was concerned, I was a totally clean slate.  But, the accessory wall they had was AWFUL, and so I don't have a positive image of Belk's in my mind, because of that, and it tarnished the Belk's image.  

 

 

 

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.

Both, they make shoes (I have a pair of evening heeled sandals from them that I wayyy overpaid for) and they have retail outlets.  Their target market seems to be very young people, and girls looking for a pair of shoes for "da club"  According to my banner ad and the accessory wall they also carry clunky boots, glitter velcro shoes which I have never seen in store (although, I'm mostly passing it to get to Sephora)

[Kitty Redstone]

I don't recall there ever being a reunion show before. Is this the first one or did I just miss the other ones? I'm looking forward to this one too!

 

There have been reunion shows before but not for every season. When PR was on Bravo, the reunion specials were aired before the finale. The reunions on Lifetime aired after the finale.

[RealityGal]

There have been reunion shows before but not for every season. When PR was on Bravo, the reunion specials were aired before the finale. The reunions on Lifetime aired after the finale.

 

I want to see the preview for the reunion, can anyone tell me where to find it????

[Beden]

 

I don't recall there ever being a reunion show before. Is this the first one or did I just miss the other ones? I'm looking forward to this one too!

No, there have been previous reunions. My favorite was the one a few years ago (Don't recall the actual season) where a contestant--forget his name, sorry-the one who was booted off the show for cheating. He'd hidden pattern books under his bed, walked away when the contestants were supposed to be sequestered and a few other things. He was there, sitting at the reunion, pissed at the injustice and made snarky comments about how awkward it was for the others who'd outted him. Jerk. Great stuff; Heidi was not impressed by him.

 

As I recall, Sean liked the fabric but declined to buy any. It was very expensive and he hadn't even begun to sketch so had no idea what he'd need. It makes sense, though he could have used the material as inspiration if he'd wanted. He may have erred on the conservative side but with reason.

[keti]

Maybe I'm losing the plot but when I saw some of Kini's pieces it reminded me of Christian Siriano, just, you know, nowhere near as good.  Maybe the connection in my head is based purely on that Levi's task where they had to make new clothes out of jackets and such and Christian produced those fabulous (biker?) pants and crop top jacket and Kini is also using denim in his collection.

[mwell345]

 

I didn't see the first two episodes this season. What WAS the reason for bringing her back? How was it explained or was it? Have they ever brought anyone else back before?

 

They have - either last season or the season before, or maybe both.  Who was brought back escapes me - they were not that memorable, I guess.

[backgroundnoise]

I didn't see the first two episodes this season. What WAS the reason for bringing her back? How was it explained or was it? Have they ever brought anyone else back before?

 

The producers seem to think fans want this kind of thing.  I think this is the second time and Kate was the first one brought back last season.  Ratings ploy.  Fans vote for their "favorite" on the Lifetime website before the season films.

 

This might have worked back in the day for, say, Austin Scarlet, Elise, or Santino (maybe), when the designers had a memorable personality.  The choices for the past two times were either insulting (Ken) or bland (Amanda).

Edited October 18, 2014 by backgroundnoise

[cattykit]

Both this season and last, it was explained that the Save should be used for situations where Tim disagreed with the judges.  Remember when he used to do the blog and he would go apoplectic over some of the aufings?  That's what the Save should have been for.  Instead, he seems to have used it for people he either liked or felt sorry for.  Char's aufing dress was no better than Sandhya's, and it could have gone either way.  I do wonder if it had, whether Tim would have saved Sandhya. 

 

I'm just kinda sad that Char has turned out to be so mediocre, when, based on her audition clothes, I thought she was going to be one of the favorites.  I'm also annoyed that Tim and the judges always address her as Charkita, when it's likely that's the name she heard when she was late to dinner or in trouble.

Edited October 18, 2014 by cattykit

[LeapDayBaby]

Random thoughts and musings:

 

- I'm glad I'm not the only one catching a bit of a Gretchen vibe from Amanda's preview collection, especially the jewelry. With that said, I don't feel the same blind rage over Amanda that I did with Gretchen. I'm not as enamored with Amanda as the judges seem to be, but she's growing on me.

 

- Dear Judges: Way to go with waiting to dump on Kini at the last minute. I get that they were trying to offer constructive feedback, but to see all of the bouncy enthusiasm sucked out of that poor man was painful to watch. I wanted Swatch to jump up on Kini's lap and lick his face until he started giggling. I hope Kini can snap out of his funk and send an inspired collection down the runway.

 

- Another Kini observation: I thought his coat was very architectural, and could easily have been described as being influenced by the columns and arches of Rome. YMMV, of course.

 

- Oh, Char. Your preview collection wasn't full-on hootchie-mama, but those shorts? No. Just NO. You're a lovely woman with a great attitude, but the Tim Gunn Save would have been better used on Fäde. 

 

- Sean's collection as seen during Tim's visit was disjointed; his choice to set aside the striped looks was a wise one. I'm sure he'll have a non-fringy surprise for the judges in his final collection.

 

- I'm not overwhelmed by anyone's final collections as yet, but I'm hoping for a Kini win. 

[Calamity Jane]

RealityGal, you heard the judges the way I did -- lots of criticism of the styling but overall positives about the designs.  I was surprised at Kini's devastation because I just didn't take their words as all that negative at all.  Admittedly I was watching tired, but to me it sounded like the critique you give the best presentation, to make it even better.  

[picklesprite]

I've now looked at the finalist collections several times, and I've got to stop doing that, because repeated viewings don't improve them or my mood. Earlier, I said I thought Sean would win, and I thought that because of the color and because I didn't have anything against fringe, but now I think I was crazy and the rest of you are right. He's gone several fringes too far. Considering Nina's reaction in this episode, there shouldn't be any fringe in his final collection AT ALL. Why in the world would you deliver a collection you already know one judge will loathe? If he wins, maybe she can submit a furious Minority Opinion, as on the Supreme Court. My latest and almost certainly wrong opinion is that Char actually could win, even despite the total lack of cohesiveness in her collection.

 

Ugh to black and white. And cut-outs and gaps. And fringe! And color blocks. And designs that emphasis a woman's hips. And make-up that calls too much attention to itself. And to Nina's sour attitude, although who can blame her, really.

 

[PepperMonkey]

In the fabric store in Italy, Sean definitely said (and this is not verbatim, but I rewound a few times so I have the gist)... I'm really nervous about buying fabric right now BECAUSE I haven't got a sketch yet AAAAAND I have major set up costs when I get home so I'm trying to be cautious with my money.

So I'm still wondering how he could set up his studio with that money; and obviously, it hasn't been an issue unless it rears its' ugly head next week.

 

I guess my point is (besides that you all know I think Sean is not without talent, but FAR from exceptional) there are just shenanigans from start to finish in this season, or that is how it appears.

Edited October 18, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[sinkwriter]

 

They have - either last season or the season before, or maybe both.  Who was brought back escapes me - they were not that memorable, I guess.

 

They even brought someone back years ago, that guy who kept saying "Follow your Bliss" or "Find your Bliss" or whatever. He had already been on one season and then he re-auditioned or something and they actually let him come back another season. I think he made it a little farther than he did the first time, but not much.

 

But in his case I'm not sure it was a producer idea to bring him back; I think he just wanted to audition again and it was an unconventional situation but they decided to let him in again.

Edited October 18, 2014 by sinkwriter

[cafe au lait]

Actually, you're not wrong in some ways. There are makeup companies that own more than one brand. For example, the same company that owns Lancome also puts out L'Oreal, so some of L'Oreal's products are similar formulations, only cheaper price. There's a woman named Paula Begoun ("The Cosmetics Cop") who talks about this kind of thing, and whether or not some products are just as good as the higher end products, and the rest is just marketing. She deconstructs makeup and skin care products (and some hair products) and rates them according to their ingredients and whether or not those ingredients are really doing what the marketing says they're meant to do, and whether or not the products are overpriced or unimpressive or living up to their claims based on ingredients, size of product versus price and if there's a cheaper version of it (sometimes even sold by the same company) that will do the same job as the more expensive version. Her basic point of view is that there are good and bad products in the cheap end of the scale and there are good and bad products in the higher end brands; you just have to find what works best for YOUR skin and decide whether or not you want to pay for the higher priced stuff when there might be something in the mid to lower range prices that will work just as well. It's pretty fascinating. I highly recommend her books ("The Beauty Bible" and "Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me"). She's saved me a lot of money over the years! She also saved my skin. I tried something by a department store brand once (Estee or Lancome, I forget now), and I broke out terribly. A couple years later I came across Paula's book and out of curiosity I looked up her rating for that particular skin cleanser. Color me surprised when she gave it a terrible ranking because it contained an ingredient that is apparently known to cause breakouts. And it was a cleanser marketed for oily/combination skin! 

 

I wonder what she rates Mary Kay products. Hmmmmmm... curious.

 

There is a similar trend in the food industry. A handful of mega corporations own absolutely everything. For example Con Agra Foods owns Blue Bonnet Margarine, Fleischmanns Margarine and Parkay Margarine. Unilever owns Popsicle, Bryers (whose recipe they changed), Good Humor, Klondike, Fudgsicle and Ben & Jerry's. 

Edited October 18, 2014 by cafe au lait

[cafe au lait]

Both this season and last, it was explained that the Save should be used for situations where Tim disagreed with the judges.  Remember when he used to do the blog and he would go apoplectic over some of the aufings?  That's what the Save should have been for.  Instead, he seems to have used it for people he either liked or felt sorry for.  Char's aufing dress was no better than Sandhya's, and it could have gone either way.  I do wonder if it had, whether Tim would have saved Sandhya. 

 

I'm just kinda sad that Char has turned out to be so mediocre, when, based on her audition clothes, I thought she was going to be one of the favorites.  I'm also annoyed that Tim and the judges always address her as Charkita, when it's likely that's the name she heard when she was late to dinner or in trouble.

 

I've mentioned this before. If you look at this season's eliminations prior to Char; each contestant was eliminated on their 2nd low score (the exception being the 1st 2 contestants). Char was eliminated on her 1st low score. Essentially everyone else including the always popular Fade had the chance to fuck up 2 challenges before being eliminated. Char did not which is why I think Tim saved her. I don't believe that he brought her back because he wanted to see a "nice" person fail. If he were going to bring someone back strictly for the purposes of manipulating viewer heart strings; he would have brought back perennial fan favorite Alexander. 

[cafe au lait]

RealityGal, you heard the judges the way I did -- lots of criticism of the styling but overall positives about the designs.  I was surprised at Kini's devastation because I just didn't take their words as all that negative at all.  Admittedly I was watching tired, but to me it sounded like the critique you give the best presentation, to make it even better.  

 

Kini's styling was not the judge's central criticism. His collection read old. Kini mentioned that he had come to the conclusion that he was a fussy designer. The last thing that the judges want is a somber fussy old lady collection. They want young, sexy, joyful.

[BarneySays]

Thank you! How he can live in a tropical climate, surrounded by color, yet be consistently drawn to heavy, dark fabrics is beyond me.

It could also make sense.  If he is surrounded by so much color, dark colors, etc. would be different, a change, unique.  I think he may also want to not be seen as a regional designer or a resort wear designer, like Anya. 

[Beden]

 

The last thing that the judges want is a somber fussy old lady collection. They want young, sexy, joyful.

Because, god knows, old ladies never buy clothes or spend money on anything other than orthopedic shoes and support hose.

 

I'm hardly a young filly but I know good design and quality when I see it--and am willing to pay for it. Kini's stuff, overall seems to veer to the conservative side of things, something a large number of people prefer and would, IMO, be a success in many venues. Good quality, wearable with a nice design esthetic and creativity.

 

Idiots.