S13.E14: Finale, Part 2

[Calamity Jane]

theatremouse, actually that top-button-only trend has been a longtime Latino gangsta look.

It needs to stay in that realm, IMHO.

We banned that look at school (6th-8th) because the sheriff's gang task force said it was gang attire.  

[RealityGal]

We banned that look at school (6th-8th) because the sheriff's gang task force said it was gang attire.  

In my day, they had to ban the Aqua Net to keep out the Latina gangsta look

[DHDancer]

In my day, they had to ban the Aqua Net to keep out the Latina gangsta look

 

OK, had to think about that for a second..... hairnets, got it.

 

Most of my comments about the runway show are on the live chat thread, but one thing I wanted to reiterate was how different it was to watch the clothes "walk" vs the static photos.  Sean and Char's collection walked a lot better, while Kini's was worse (he really needs to lose his love of horsehair ruffles AND denim because of all the wrong side views we could see, as well as the stiffness)  Amanda's collection wasn't any worse, but it was much more obvious how the models were framing the clothes.

 

For those who have said that Sean's "shiny" fabric looked cheap, I have to disagree:  To me you could tell this was ultra-lux silk from drape to flow.  Would I wear any of it? No but then they're runway clothes, to be coveted but not for practical reasons except for the very rich.

[auntlada]

Hippies did wear suede and fringe. I remember suede boots with fringe, not that I was a hippie. Just remember the days.

 

You're right, although I think most of the people wearing that look now are also anti-fur, anti-leather, or at least the ones I know -- although admittedly, I don't hang around with a lot of modern hippie types. I think I'm too old for them.

[leighdear]

Looks like one of Amanda's dresses has the highest auction price so far.  Even more than either of Sean's Orange dresses.  Though if it was my clothes up there, I know my mom would spend a fortune to buy them...*LOL*

[car54]

For me, there was no obvious real winner, as long as Shar was out first, I was kind of meh on the three others.

Amanda's collection seemed the best to me in terms of being fashion that I could see women wanting to wear in many circumstances, but I know Runway often includes things that are not wearable by many women—they are high-fashion and so extreme that it is hard to picture seeing them on regular women. I thought Amanda's work had all the elements I would want to see in a collection. Her style is not always my personal style but I definitely saw her perspective, and it seemed the most complete.

I could definitely see the design concept for Sean's work—but I only thought a couple of the pieces were things that looked like clothing and not costumes. I just had issues with all the shiny fabric and fringe, and there was just a one-note-ness to the materials that bored me a little. The same pieces in a more diverse palette of materials with some dimension and texture would have been interesting to see. I think that exploration of the details will come for him with the opportunities he will get from the show—he's very young and seems to have developed a lot just during the show's filming. I think the rain dress with the dye is possibly the most brilliant thing I've ever seen on the show—just so driven by the challenge, so technically well executed, and so stunning when it walked the run-way that I want to see what he grows into.   That said, I cannot see real women picking many of his looks in his show for real occasions--maybe individual pieces paire with other garments, but only a couple of the show pieces looked like things I'd see anywhere in real life but the runway.

 

Kini lost perspective. My background is in costume design, and I have a similar tendency to get lost in the details—and lose the big picture. There were a couple of pieces I felt were ready to sell, but most things seemed like an exercise in techniques—and I just did not see the big picture direction and who the overall customer would be for his line. I love him and he was my favorite because he is such a brilliant technical sewist, but he has to begin to work from the concept down—-so you find your story and then find the technique that supports that story instead of the other way around. I hope the show moves him to a place he has the opportunities to grow—he is so good at what he does, I could see him being hired to work for a major design house and that would be a great learning platform for him.

I'm left with a lot of negative feelings about the way in which the production used Shar—there is no way she was ever up to being in the final four, and altho I am sure she has learned a lot from being there, it really made me angry how they manipulated the situation over and over to keep her and use her for drama. I pretty much lost my respect for Tim during that whole Under the Gunn fiasco, but now I'm done. He did offer her a lot of direction and support—maybe more than I've ever seen him give any designer ever—but in the end, she was not ready to be there, and I felt they used her lack of skills to create drama over and over again just to make for controversy.

 

I gave the following "Threads" about 1/2 hour and bailed. I just can't. Christian...why you do this thing?

[Calamity Jane]

In my day, they had to ban the Aqua Net to keep out the Latina gangsta look

There will always be something new.  I preferred the neatly-ironed, plaid, button-up shirts to the previous trend of wife-beater T-shirts.  

[dialyn]

You're right, although I think most of the people wearing that look now are also anti-fur, anti-leather, or at least the ones I know -- although admittedly, I don't hang around with a lot of modern hippie types. I think I'm too old for them.

I live in a neighborhood with a lot of old hippie types, but they mostly wear tie dyed t-shirts, beads, and blue jeans.  Must be a regional thing.The women who wear dresses almost always wear something that is pretty light weight (I live in a warm weather state).  No one wears anything as heavy looking as what Amanda designs.

[Linderhill]

 

Looks like one of Amanda's dresses has the highest auction price so far.

Actually, it looks like one of Sean's, an all orange, all fringey one, is also at $300.  It looks like most of his are in the $100 to $200 range.  Surprisingly enough, one of Char's is over $100 and several of Kini's.

 

I can't stand any of Amanda's fugly, shapeless dresses/outfits and her jewelry is anything but original.  Very craft fair to me.  I couldn't help but notice that the poor girl's butt looked HUGE during the runway.  

 

I wasn't super fond of Sean's fringey, shiney line, but it moved beautifully and popped on the runway as opposed to the the drabness of Amanda's.  That royal blue she threw in there didn't due much to alleviate that drabness.  The only one of the finalists that really used a lot of color is Char.  Sean was all orange, black and white, Amanda beige, brown, black and blue, Kini with his dark denim and white and Char colors all over the place, completely non-cohesive.

 

I still can't help but think that one white dress of Sean's is an all white, shiney version of Amanda's fugly dress from the last challenge.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Linderhill

[sinkwriter]

 

Looks like one of Amanda's dresses has the highest auction price so far.  Even more than either of Sean's Orange dresses.

 

I don't get why anyone would want to buy any of them... how many out there could fit into them, given those skinny models' proportions and heights?

[dialyn]

I don't get why anyone would want to buy any of them... how many out there could fit into them, given those skinny models' proportions and heights?

Is it possible people don't buy the outfits to wear but as a kind of investment that might increase in value over time?  I realize that may sound like a long shot but it's a thought.

[theatremouse]

Or it's just bragging rights. Some people don't mind throwing money around if they consider themselves super-fans.

[RealityGal]

I live in a neighborhood with a lot of old hippie types, but they mostly wear tie dyed t-shirts, beads, and blue jeans.  Must be a regional thing.The women who wear dresses almost always wear something that is pretty light weight (I live in a warm weather state).  No one wears anything as heavy looking as what Amanda designs.

You know, I had never thought of the weather element.  Makes sense as to why I see nothing like that out here in southern california.  We have maxi dresses, but the material on most seems much more lightweight as do the designs.  But generally, its not so much the hippie/bohemian girls wearing maxi dresses, its everyone because its such an easy dress to wear.

 

 

I don't get why anyone would want to buy any of them... how many out there could fit into them, given those skinny models' proportions and heights?

 

You know, that sort of boho-chic has to work for some real women or else no one would ever be able to sell it.  Maybe there is some ex-model that wants the look.

[blaase]

Actually, it looks like one of Sean's, an all orange, all fringey one, is also at $300.  It looks like most of his are in the $100 to $200 range.  Surprisingly enough, one of Char's is over $100 and several of Kini's.

 

I can't stand any of Amanda's fugly, shapeless dresses/outfits and her jewelry is anything but original.  Very craft fair to me.  I couldn't help but notice that the poor girl's butt looked HUGE during the runway.  

 

I wasn't super fond of Sean's fringey, shiney line, but it moved beautifully and popped on the runway as opposed to the the drabness of Amanda's.  That royal blue she threw in there didn't due much to alleviate that drabness.  The only one of the finalists that really used a lot of color is Char.  Sean was all orange, black and white, Amanda beige, brown, black and blue, Kini with his dark denim and white and Char colors all over the place, completely non-cohesive.

 

I still can't help but think that one white dress of Sean's is an all white, shiney version of Amanda's fugly dress from the last challenge.

Didn't the designers spend 9,000 dollars on their collection, so about 900 dollars per look. It's pretty sad the highest bids are just 300 dollars. 

[Oldernowiser]

I don't get those heavy maxi things either, mostly because I remember those long dresses the first time they were a thing and wearing them in winter weather was a giant PITA. They got dragged through puddles, got caught in car doors, and it was a constant battle to keep them up out of the mud/salt/slush and not looking like crap.

To me, the only place they make sense is in warm-weather climes, so I do not get what Amanda's going for here at all.

[Julia]

You know, that sort of boho-chic has to work for some real women or else no one would ever be able to sell it.  Maybe there is some ex-model that wants the look.

 

Ironically, when you consider how graceful and attractive the dresses were that got the young muslim designer sent home the first week, the women I see wearing Amanda's kind of clothes are largely orthodox [some abrahamic religion] and have modesty restrictions. Michelle Duggar, for instance, has at least one outfit that would have fit right in.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Julia

[RealityGal]

Didn't the designers spend 9,000 dollars on their collection, so about 900 dollars per look. It's pretty sad the highest bids are just 300 dollars. 

And, while I give credit where its due, I also take debit where its due as well.  The fabric on at least two of Char's looks is well over $100, so  you could be buying that for that Italian print fabric alone.  And I say that as someone who liked Char's collection, but the $100 is basically saying its worth nothing because the fabric alone is worth more than that (wasn't it like 80 euros a yard or something?)

[dialyn]

And, while I give credit where its due, I also take debit where its due as well.  The fabric on at least two of Char's looks is well over $100, so  you could be buying that for that Italian print fabric alone.  And I say that as someone who liked Char's collection, but the $100 is basically saying its worth nothing because the fabric alone is worth more than that (wasn't it like 80 euros a yard or something?)

But once she cut the fabric, it's not worth the same as it was before it was cut and sewn into the garment (I'm not debating whether it is worth more or less, but it wouldn't be the same).  I might like the Italian print, but I couldn't necessarily use it as something else if I didn't like Char's design (I realize taking apart her design would defeat the purpose of buying the garment).  Theoretically, you aren't buying the value of the fabric alone but the fabric, the creative design effort, and the time it took to actually make the item, but one could take a beautiful fabric, make something hideous out of it, and make the fabric worthless as a result (I am not saying that's what Char did).  I can see how a garment could be worth less than its expensive material components if the garment itself is deeply flawed.

[RealityGal]

But once she cut the fabric, it's not worth the same as it was before it was cut and sewn into the garment (I'm not debating whether it is worth more or less, but it wouldn't be the same).  I might like the Italian print, but I couldn't necessarily use it as something else if I didn't like Char's design (I realize taking apart her design would defeat the purpose of buying the garment).  Theoretically, you aren't buying the value of the fabric alone but the fabric, the creative design effort, and the time it took to actually make the item, but one could take a beautiful fabric, make something hideous out of it, and make the fabric worthless as a result (I am not saying that's what Char did).  I can see how a garment could be worth less than its expensive material components if the garment itself is deeply flawed.

 

That I didn't know, I have always seen the designers have to repurpose their looks and other losing designers looks so I had assumed it wasn't too hard to reuse the fabric and repurpose it.  My bad!

[dialyn]

That I didn't know, I have always seen the designers have to repurpose their looks and other losing designers looks so I had assumed it wasn't too hard to reuse the fabric and repurpose it.  My bad!

I think it depends on how much they cut it up and how you could repurpose it.  Some fabrics are fairly fragile...once they have been sewn, they lose integrity where the thread has gone in.  I can't see someone bidding on a garment just for the fabric unless they really, really loved the fabric and it was a large enough piece to make it worthwhile to repurpose it. But I don't design or sew so anything I write is pure speculation on my part.  I suspect people bid on Project Runway fashions because they love the item and/or they want it as memorabilia (perhaps with an eye toward reselling it) and/or they are a superfan (as someone else suggested) or they are a friend/relative and want to support the designer.

[meep.meep]

I liked her collection well enough, but yes.  I really strongly noticed how badly she dressed for her runway show!  This is the biggest day of your fashion career.  All I could think was "Biatch!  (Farmer Biatch!)  What the F are you wearing!"

Jay McCarroll strode the runway to win season 1 in fuscia sweat pants, fuzzy red slippers, and a striped knit cap with chin straps hanging down. Amanda was practically wearing Gucci compared to him.

As an old hippie, we wore fringe, leather, and suede (remember him?)

[SlackerInc]

I have watched this show for years, and the dresses Amanda showed in the first part of the finale were the most beautiful collection I remember seeing, ever. I actually thought she did them a disservice by cutting some of them short; but I still think her collection was clearly the best and I was shocked when she did not win – and really felt for her.

[Jobiska]

The most remarkable thing to me was the first truly kind comment I ever recall seeing Nina Garcia make--when Amanda had just been cut and was leaving the runway, she called out "You'll still be in Marie Claire!"  (Amanda had expressed that as part of her desire to win).  

[Lamb18]

I was scrolling down the Forums home page and saw a possible alternative title to Sean's collection: "Orange Is the New Black."

[Beden]

 

Hippies did wear suede and fringe.

And still do where I live, a cold climate northern state. I also recall my parents bringing me back a suede shoulder bag with fringe on the  bottom which made the thing floor length. I was the envy of my highschool. Currently the local hippies seem to be in the jeans, home-made sweaters (if they can get them), thrift store look and pea jackets in winter. In summer you get the usualo tie-dye and sometimes men in kilts, long hair in place.

 

To me, the only place they make sense is in warm-weather climes, so I do not get what Amanda's going for here at all.

Hippie is one thing, though I don't personally like the baggie/maternity/heavy look she's selling. Plus, to me, her palate was dumpy, dirty and boring. Black and tan? Really? If she's going for the hippie vibe or free spirit or whatever the hell it is she's going for, where's the joy? Comfortable is fine, comfortable is good but if I wanted to wear drab colors I'd likely hit the army/navy store. Bright, pretty, happy colors are a better sell to me than what my army colonel father used to refer to as 'shit-brindle'. Going back, the colors you'd see most at Woodstock were bright, cheerful--okay, until the rain started then you got your basic mud.

 

Maybe Amanda was channeling the last day of Woodstock when everyone was filthy?

 

And I speak as an old hippie.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Beden

[Miss Scarlet]

I felt really bad for Kini. I thought he was the best overall this season and wanted him to win. They did give him an impossible task, having to re-work his collection so soon before the show. 

 

I thought it was very smart that Amanda said she wanted to build a brand. She's probably a very good business woman. I liked her clothes, but there was nothing in there that I hadn't seen before. People (on the show and these boards) have commented on her being inauthentic. I think it has to do with the really sloooow over-enunciated way she talks. I think she let it show a bit when she was talking about the mess Kini was in and she had a big smile on her face. We never really got a resolution to Korina saying to Amanda that she thinks Amanda is fake. Maybe at the reunion show?

 

I don't think I've ever seen a designer as mediocre as Char make it to Fashion Week before. If this is what's going to happen with the Tim Gunn Save then it should be dropped from the show. Also, I still dislike her because of how rude she was to her model in the real people challenge where they got models off the street and then she blamed her model for "busting" the zipper. That was so rude of her.

 

Sean. Sigh. So the judges really are just interested in having a young, male winner. There was nothing in his collection that was exciting and I don't like fringe. He seems like a nice guy and some of his talking heads are pretty funny, but I don't think he should have won. Also, the judges referred several times to the risk he took in his avant-garde challenge dress. It was risky, but one thing I thought during that episode was, could he not have made the design of the dress avant-garde in addition to the dying idea? I don't understand why he sent out what was basically a white sundress and then thought, even with the dye, that it was avant-garde. Making the design more avant-garde would have also helped him in case the dye didn't work.

 

I thought it was nice that these designers all got along so well and there wasn't that much drama between them. 

 

This show needs to stop focusing on having everything look "young". I get that they do understand when designs look too young and will comment on that, but I think a better goal would be aiming to make clothes that are "age-appropriate" rather than young. Not everyone wants or needs to look like they're in their 20s all the time and we need to stop perpetuating ageism and the idea that old = bad (and I say this as someone in their 20s).

[Oholibamah]

I felt really bad for Kini. I thought he was the best overall this season and wanted him to win.

 

I don't know what it is about Fashion Week that trips so many designers up, but it feels like the most consistent designer week-to-week rarely clinches the win in the finale. I would argue that Kara, Daniel V, Mychael, Emilio, Mondo, Christopher, Bradon and Kini were the odds-on favorites going into the finale (deserved or not), and some of them spectacularly messed up, while the rest just narrowly missed out on the top prize.

 

IIRC, Irina and Anya are the only two that were most consistently winning/on the top who ended up winning their seasons. Korto v. Leanne and Michelle v. Stanley were pretty evenly matched going into the finale.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Oholibamah

[RedheadZombie]

Didn't Christian win a lot of challenges?

 

I'm looking forward to the reunion.  My mom has watched this show for the last five years or so.  She doesn't get into the melodrama.  I've never heard her say a bad word about anyone - including Helen or Bridget.  She's never watched the reunions because she's just not into that drama.  This year, she saw the preview of Korina waling off the set again, and proclaimed she will watch the reunion because she can't stand that girl.

[RealityGal]

Didn't Christian win a lot of challenges?

 

I'm looking forward to the reunion.  My mom has watched this show for the last five years or so.  She doesn't get into the melodrama.  I've never heard her say a bad word about anyone - including Helen or Bridget.  She's never watched the reunions because she's just not into that drama.  This year, she saw the preview of Korina waling off the set again, and proclaimed she will watch the reunion because she can't stand that girl.

 

Ugh...Helen

[Bebecat]

I liked Sean best overall in this season. I like his personality and his daring to go up against Nina and stick with his fringe, lo..

Not many of these designers, even winners have exactly gone on to become stars, so he may as well develop his style and vision the way he wants to and have his moment. He is very talented, Imo. Kini is a speed sewer with big ideas but they do not translate into modern styles. Amanda is a bore and I love "boho". But I don't care for those awful colors she puts together, her dresses seem very depressing to me. And all of her dresses are just like sacks. There is a market for the looks, though. But I also find her extremely annoying and kinda phony, lol.

Very happy Sean won. Glad Char had her chance to show her collection but it was not for me, and she pushed the theme of "fun" and "do your own thing" right overboard. To me that means she just makes a bunch of clothes she wants to wear, lol.

[ratgirlagogo]

 

Helen or Bridget

Who was Bridget?

[DisneyBoy]

I just binged my way through the whole season after not having seen much of the show the last few years. When did they start taking a trip to a foreign country with the final designers?

I was really surprised that Kini basically designed a black-and-white collection. He had so much more to offer than that and I think it definitely shot him in the foot.

The only thing that made his losing worthwhile was that incredible hug he got from his aunt and the way she sang to him. That was so beautiful.

Sean's collection had a nice story but not much else. I feel like this was the season of The Fringe and I was kind of over it, even though his choice of orange was very interesting.

Char really didn't put her best foot forward, did she? I think if she had continued along the path with that great Italian fabric she would have had something. Too many looks seemed like a solid color or the same piece of fabric head-to-toe and I don't know why she went in that direction. That blue number she opened the show with was really sloppy looking. The shirt with the word FLY written on it was pandering a bit. They really hit the nail on the head when they told her every look had to be something she would wear. I'm glad she made it to the finale but I'm really disappointed she couldn't think up something more cohesive for her collection even if it did put it in a bit more of a box. Tim nodding and smiling as she finally put that blue dress in out of desperation was really sweet. He knew it didn't fit into the collection but didn't want to hurt her feelings at that point since there was no other time for her to make something better. I wonder why he ended up being such a mentor to her. I don't think it was by design - in spite of what Korina suspected - but one can't deny she wouldn't have made it as far in the season without Tim behind her.

And speaking of Korina - wow! What a villain. I was wondering why out of nowhere Amanda stated that Korina had made a nasty remark to her off camera at the start of one episode. At first I thought I had missed an episode but clearly they really felt the need to include that mention as a setup for her nastiness towards others, Char especially, later on. Her attitude during her second chance challenge was especially infuriating. They could have immediately eliminated her and given it to Char. They didn't! They gave you another chance and you spent your time making catty remarks and whining instead of putting together something that looked good. Char's look was stunning and really blew me away. It's a shame they didn't give her two days to do her entire 10 piece collection. We might have ended up with something better.

I've actually known girls like Korina who are all smug and condescending when things are going their way and then sour and entitled when they aren't. I definitely don't think this show needs a villain every season to be interesting, but it was interesting watching her self destruct all the while thinking she's better than everyone else including the show and Tim Gunn indirectly.

Was there a reunion special? I wonder if she would even show her face. I couldn't stand her at the final fashion show. I wonder if she showed up in attempt to improve her image or simply because she was contractually obligated.

Her rant against Char with something else. "You were already eliminated!!!" suggests....what, exactly? That nobody except Korina deserves to get the Tim Gunn save? That the Tim Gunn save isn't fair at all?

I was even a little bit bothered by everyone getting in a huff because Tim asked for them to grant Char 10 additional minutes to fix the zipper. It wasn't going to be perfect in those 10 minutes and it obviously was not her fault that the thing busted when it was put on a regular woman's body. If it had been any other challenge her model would have had to deal with it but this obviously wasn't going to be one of those times so...who cares? A zipper wasn't going to make or break her design.

I was really impressed by how much Amanda improved. Her final runway show was really quite good even if I don't particularly think the clothes are all that stunning. I just think she has a great sense of style and a cohesion that is appealing.

Aside from Korina I also felt that Amanda and Sandhya were putting on a bit of an act for the cameras. Sanshya seemed a little too serene and perky and self-involved and Amanda seemed almost self-conscious in her desire to let everything roll off her back. It was like both were determined to come across as perfect to the viewers at home and that irks me a little bit. Man was Sandhya's prospective weird. I liked some of her stuff but I really couldn't understand some other things. I'm glad the judges sent her home early if only to send the message that not every kooky thought that comes out of her head is genius. That little girl's outfit was terrible.

I guess it's important to remember to always listen to the critiques no matter how harsh they are. There was a bit too much arguing and a bit too much "well I like it and I don't care if you don't" from the contestants. That never goes well.

I would still consider this season a bit of an upset. Sean was innovative and smart throughout the competition but Kini should have been the winner for my money. If only he'd tried to be a bit more clever about the story of his show and used a bit more color I think he would have had this one in the bag. Instead it felt like he was designing evil villainess clothes for Willamina Slater or something. He did a good job with creating a few more youthful pieces at the last minute but the overall impact was a bit too serious.

Edited May 29, 2017 by DisneyBoy