S14: Kelly Dempsey

[yeswedo]

31 from Boston, MA

[magpye29]

Is it just me or does Kelly have a ginormous goiter?  I've been so distracted by it, but once I (I think) identified it, now I can watch her again.

[mansonlamps]

Well I didn't notice it until you pointed out out. Is that what a goiter looks like, I don't think I've ever seen one before? Anyway, I really like her, she's kooky yet very charming somehow.

[NewDigs]

I like her too.

She seems older than 31! But still one of the "elder" contestants. Hopefully not cannon fodder.

:::mustnotlookatneckmustnotlookatneck:::

[slothgirl]

I hope she is successful in bringing back fanny packs. Fanny packs are great, I hated the fact that they became a target for self-appointed fashion police!

 

And all fanny packs should come with tea!

[auntlada]

I hope she is successful in bringing back fanny packs. Fanny packs are great, I hated the fact that they became a target for self-appointed fashion police!

 

And all fanny packs should come with tea!

 

If all fanny packs came with tea, I might wear one.

[Indy]

I hope she is successful in bringing back fanny packs. Fanny packs are great, I hated the fact that they became a target for self-appointed fashion police!

 

And all fanny packs should come with tea!

 

I wasn't sure how I felt about her with her sort of busted Katy Perry aesthetic, but once she started going through the contents of her fanny pack, she has me sold.  I'm also a tea addict and I would totally rock a tea-filled fanny pack.  I loved that the fanny pack was obviously very full too so it's not like she keeps just one or two spare tea bags in there like I do with my lunch bag, she's got like a whole miniature tea store in there.  And that's awesome.  

[Shelby]

The way she styles herself, I just see Boy George every time she's on the screen.

[Julia]

Is that not a thing now, though? Every time I visit my kid at (NY area liberal arts) college, there's a whole lot of eighties walking around. I have no idea why that should be - the eighties were only less horrible than the nineties because the seventies hadn't come back yet - but it seems to be out there.

[woodscommaelle]

I like her.  Her voice reminds me of Ashley Johnson, who I know only from the movie What Women Want and as DJ's bossy little girlfriend on Roseanne.

[Rahul]

Kelly reminds me of Mel C from her early Spice Girls days. It's a combination of the dark hair pulled back in a high pony, nose ring, personal dress style favoring sporting apparel and a smidge of the tough chick attitude. Am I alone?

[PepperMonkey]

I like Kelly's personality a LOT, but OMFG I hate her hair.

 

I can't tell if it's just uncombed, or if she doesn't part it, or if she colours it and the roots are showing a tiny bit, but I just hate it.

 

I lived through the eighties though and everything about it, fashion-wise, was pretty abysmal. I think it's worse than the REAL 70s because I remember having "some" clothes in the 70s, when I was a teenager, that were kind of classy with their dramatic lines and muted earth tones. Of course the bells were HUGE and some of the fabric was polyester, but in the context of fashion at that point in time, it wasn't so bad. Okay, it was bad, but at least it wasn't the 80s!!!!!!

[guilfoyleatpp]

LOL! I loved the 80s and I see Kelly's aesthetic as more 90s.  She's got the spice girls thing, for sure. 

[Silly Angel]

It's been bugging me from Episode 1:

 

[TudorQueen]

She's grown on me and I enjoy both her personality and her designs. She takes feedback well, and she's delightfully self-knowing.

 

And yes, she does sometimes come across as a mixture of Boy George and a "Jersey Shore" gal, though she has a lot more substance than the latter.

[still hoping]

I like Kelly a lot....I can totally see her with her own line and maybe a line of accessories in a mall store or something? 

 

she is sweet and talented and unique

 

she tweeted about her thyroid problem - sounds like it will hopefully be fine 

 

Kelly Dempsey Retweeted Omar Rosa. I have a thyroid nodule that has been checked and it is non cancer! I will be getting it removed soon!

https://twitter.com/_kellydempsey_/status/633054769414864896

[143Time]

So Glad to hear she had it checked!! Just saw the "Finding Neverland" episode and cannot believe how obviously enlarged her thyroid gland appeared!! I LOVE her on PR!! I am from Boston, many generations, and am an RN...went online immediately to make sure she knew she had a problem. TEAM DEMPSEY:)

[PrincessSteel]

Kelly from the deli has grown on me like no past contestant. I would wear zero of her designs but her complete lack of ego about her work and her commitment to her own kook-balloon look have charmed me no end. The scene of her eating pretzels and butter- heh! My Dad would regularly work his way through an entire bag of Rold Gold and a whole stick of butter during a Sunday afternoon of sports TV. Dad is 85 with the arteries of a newborn, so go figure.

[Pepper Mostly]

Kelly eating the pretzels was gold. She was so typically adorable--"is this butter? I think its butter, not creamcheese. I'm enjoying every bite" She is a breath of fresh air.

[mansonlamps]

I know, I really want to try this pretzel/butter combo, but I'm afraid I would become addicted. My dad used to eat the restaurant breadsticks with butter way back in the day, I suppose that's similar enough, but oddly I was never tempted to try it back then.

[Wings]

I hope she is successful in bringing back fanny packs. Fanny packs are great, I hated the fact that they became a target for self-appointed fashion police!

 

And all fanny packs should come with tea!

 

 

Donna Karan was on WWHL the other night and she was wearing a fanny pack; she calls them belt bags.  She loves them and wears them everyday.  Hers was beautiful and not the typical as you would see on a cruise ship or like they used to be.  

 

http://fashionista.com/2010/02/donna-karan-wants-us-all-to-wear-fanny-packs

 

https://www.dkny.com/leather-belt-bag/DK2500-LB.html

 

They come in many styles

[Julia]

Maybe if she just called it a sporran, which is kind of what it is, it would get more play.

[Kromm]

She's ridiculously appealing, but ultimately NOT that great a designer.

 

That said, she seems to have a good chance of winning. They may crash and burn her next episode to counteract her "winning arc" of the past few episodes, but at the same time they may also have her narrowly escape elimination only to come back and win the finale.  Why?  Because this show is FAR from insulated from occasionally wanting someone ridiculously appealing to win (whether the talent level lives up to how likable they are or not).

[leighdear]

I always use my fanny pack when my mom & I hit the casinos.  VERY convenient!  And since the median age there is about 93, I don't have to worry too much about being unfashionable. 

 

I love saltines spread with a little soft butter.  But you have to spread it on the salted side, not the unsalted side.  Very important. 

Edited October 18, 2015 by leighdear

[ByaNose]

Kelly reminds me of Working Girl & whole lot of Ann Cusak with a little bit of Melanie Griffith thrown in for good measure. I think she would be really pretty if she had her hair done with something more current & didn't wear the gaudy 80's jewelry. She's so retro but not in a good way. That said, she seems very nice.

[Kareem]

It doesn't bother me that she looks like Boy George. The night they went to the play, she had less going on and I thought she looked really pretty. Every time she opens her mouth, I like and admire her even more. I've officially bumped her up to Grace Slick. What a cool girl...

[still hoping]

I like Kelly a lot......she has truly grown on me.

 

I so hope she wins. I actually think she has a chance of becoming one of the most successful designers from this show..maybe the most successful

 

At this point it seems that the dream of finding a true high fashion/couture designer is not gonna happen...but I can really see Kelly become a popular designer for young trendy people, maybe tacky or cheaper stores....she could have a whole line of clothes, shoes, jewelry, and much more....accessible, maybe silly but popular, using social media, mass marketing. 

She is very likable and I think she would do well on the talk show circuit and maybe have her own reality show following her fashion career

Edited October 25, 2015 by still hoping

[bilgistic]

Kelly reminds me of Working Girl & whole lot of Ann Cusak with a little bit of Melanie Griffith thrown in for good measure. I think she would be really pretty if she had her hair done with something more current & didn't wear the gaudy 80's jewelry. She's so retro but not in a good way. That said, she seems very nice.

She's really stunning: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/604019789711810560/tngaCoTS.jpg Edited November 3, 2015 by bilgistic

[ByaNose]

Kelley should have won. I was so certain she would since she was in the Final 2.

[zxy556575]

I started out being aghast during the casting special but grew fond of Kelly. I don't understand her "girl" in any capacity but sincerely wish the best for her. It's not for everyone but I think she'd benefit a great deal from going to design school. It might broaden her perspective, which can be kind of insular and overly derivative of her own experiences and surroundings.

Edited November 7, 2015 by lordonia

[mansonlamps]

Isn't she 31, though? How long could she wait to enter? If she hasn't gotten some formal education by now, when would she? I personally hate her aesthetic but wish her all the success in the world as she seems like not only a pretty nice person, but a hard worker as well.

[NewDigs]

Kelly's website.

Her fanny packs have sold out.

[Julia]

Good for her. I think the big unspoken truth about the way this season played out is that a working-class woman like Kelly is just as alien to, say, Nina's or Zac's or Tim's experience as a plus-sized woman like Ashley. I hope she's the rare contestant whose life gets better from doing this.

[Kromm]

If this shitty show can actually lead to a nice genuine seeming person like Kelly succeeding?  Good.

 

Heh, on her brand name "Rack Addik". It really is a terrible name. Sounds like a reference to breasts and drugs all in one. 

[slothgirl]

I agree with that.  I hope she is able to get a scholarship or somehow fund further education.  Her instincts aren't bad, but she could use some rounding out of her knowledge.  She is one of those people I think was in the contest too soon (well, actually, I think the same of Ashley but Ashley had better timing).

I think Kelly was in it at exactly the right time for her. She blossomed on the show. If she hadn't been on the show, she might never have unleashed herself to step it up. I doubt continuing on the way she had been would have stimulated her growth the way being on the show did, and if she had been any older when she competed, she might have been less willing to take real risks. If she had competed sooner, she might not have had the personal confidence to be herself through to the end.

 

I think this worked out perfectly for her. She gets all the exposure, fan base, and press about being "robbed", without having to spend the entire cash prize on taxes for the other less useful prizes, plus signing away part of her future to a PR stake in her earnings. Coming in 2nd may be disappointing at the moment, but I think it's absolutely the best thing that could have ever happened to her professionally and came at the perfect time.

 

I fully expect her to be on an All Stars soon (and if they want to amp up the drama, they'll have Ashley on as well).

Edited November 10, 2015 by slothgirl

[BrianJ62]

Kelly was my favorite.

[Kromm]

Ashley wouldn't stand a chance in an All-Star season, even against people who lost.  They wouldn't dare baby her in judging twice in a row either, so her goose would be totally cooked.

 

As for Kelly?  She wouldn't win one either, or even get into the final 4 or 5, but the extra exposure might be good for her.

[Indy]

I loved Kelly. I wouldn't wear anything she designed, and I don't know many people who would, but I loved her genuine enthusiasm and personality. She always seemed just happy to be there. Her final collection was strong and very much true to her crazy Katy Perry/Boy George love child aesthetic. And anyone that wears a fanny pack full of tea is my girl. I hope she has lots of success in the future with blinged out fanny packs or whatever else she chooses to sell.   

Edited November 10, 2015 by Indy

[slothgirl]

I still think Kelly coiuld benefit from some additional education...it would fill out the gaps.  Now, if you think she has no gaps, she needs to learn nothing new.  I'm over 60 and I'm still learning new skills so I guess I think everyone benefits from that, but it may not be true.

Well, that isn't at all what I said.

 

All the contestants have gaps and need more education and/or skills (let's not talk about needing more talent, cause they're kinda screwed there). As you point out, there is life-long learning, so no matter WHEN they appear on the show, they still have learning they can do afterwards, which means the idea that she needs to get all her learning out of the way BEFORE appearing makes no sense. The whole reason they are competing is because they aren't there yet, and they need this prize (and exposure) to further their chances.

 

My point was that Kelly was on the show at the perfect time in her development to encourage her to continue to grow, and for viewers to see some of that growth, and then for her to expand on it after the show. She now has a better idea where her shortcomings are, and she also might now be in a better financial position to get some formal training.

 

I certainly wasn't saying that she had achieved the pinnacle and I'm not sure how you could have gotten that from my post. I was saying (in response to the idea that she was on the show too soon) that it played out really well for her in most every way at this time. Even coming in 2nd rather than 1st is something of a blessing in disguise. This is one competition where winning really isn't everything and can actually be a bit of a curse.

Edited November 10, 2015 by slothgirl

[auntlada]

I agree, slothgirl. I hope someone saw her and thought Kelly has talent and wants to help her learn. Maybe provide a scholarship or some mentoring.

[Julia]

I agree, slothgirl. I hope someone saw her and thought Kelly has talent and wants to help her learn. Maybe provide a scholarship or some mentoring.

 

On her site, she said she's going to launch a kickstarter, which sounds like a great idea.

[savannah1985]

Forgive my ignorance...what's a quickstarter ?

[Kromm]

Forgive my ignorance...what's a quickstarter ?

kickstarter

[ThatsDarling]

Ashley wouldn't stand a chance in an All-Star season, even against people who lost.  They wouldn't dare baby her in judging twice in a row either, so her goose would be totally cooked.

 

As for Kelly?  She wouldn't win one either, or even get into the final 4 or 5, but the extra exposure might be good for her.

These days, All Stars is all about recrowning previous winners in an attempt to validate past judging decisions and make the champs look more accomplished. If Kelly didn't lose to Ashley again, it would be to Gretchen or Dom or Anya. 

 

She was very smart to have those fanny packs ready to go after the finale; it seems like she's going to take this platform and run with it. Hope she finds an investor or a great job in the industry.

[mansonlamps]

These days, All Stars is all about recrowning previous winners in an attempt to validate past judging decisions and make the champs look more accomplished. If Kelly didn't lose to Ashley again, it would be to Gretchen or Dom or Anya.

 

 

Wow, really?  I'm so glad I never bothered with All Stars (on this or any other reality competition).  I think once a contestant has had his or her chance, the show should move on to the next competitors to give the most people chance.

 

She was very smart to have those fanny packs ready to go after the finale; it seems like she's going to take this platform and run with it. Hope she finds an investor or a great job in the industry.

 

I wish Kelly all the best, but fanny packs is a trend that has come and gone.  If there is a newly emerging market for them, is Kelly Dempsey from Project Runway really going to drum up enough business to sustain herself with this one product line?  Don't get me wrong, I loved fanny packs and was very sorry to see them go by the wayside...still own a bunch if they do come back.

[jrlr]

I wish Kelly all the best, but fanny packs is a trend that has come and gone.  If there is a newly emerging market for them, is Kelly Dempsey from Project Runway really going to drum up enough business to sustain herself with this one product line?  Don't get me wrong, I loved fanny packs and was very sorry to see them go by the wayside...still own a bunch if they do come back.

Trends come and go and then come back again with slight variations (think peasant blouses or platform shoes), so I think Kelly can/will bring back the fanny pack as a fashion item.  Don't forget that Kelly's demographic (style-wise) is mostly young enough to have missed the fanny pack trend the first time, so this is a whole new look for them.  Her glittery style is certainly different than the rugged nylon fanny packs of the 80's - or was it 90's?  Anyway, I can definitely see club kids going crazy for them the way she makes them, and what woman doesn't love the idea of a hands-free bag for i.d., lipstick and money?  I know Kelly uses hers to keep tea in, but I think younger buyers will see them as a cute and comfortable way of carrying necessities.  

[Kromm]

Likely nobody on Project Runway is going to bring back a trend, start one, or cease one.  What Kelly CAN do is carve out a niche, which is different. Sometimes you can carve out one big enough to support you, sometimes not. With the Internet it helps I suppose, especially with an item small enough to be easily and cheaply shipped anywhere. People may seek out her website because they liked her on the show, or because perhaps later she could get some media coverage pimping her stuff.  Of course the glow from being on the show fades soon enough, so hopefully she does.

[NewDigs]

I was hoping that someone in the biz might step up to mentor or even employ her.

She's shown a pretty neat point of view, takes direction well and knows she's still a work in progress.

When I most recently googled her that's the news I was hoping for. A fanny pack sell-out was way down the list but it's something.

But I can see a fanny pack comeback if she just amped up the volume. I was hoping she'd make a more attractive adjustable belt, like chain or braid or something.

I loved my fanny packs. In the late 80s and early 90s. They certainly are useful.

[Julia]

Well, belt bags are already back.

 

I'm a little surprised if people are going to keep returning to the brackish well of the late seventies and early eighties they don't bring back leather-belted tweed jackets. I used to see these worn with those.

[ThatsDarling]

Kelly's GoFundMe page is live. She's looking to raise $75,000 to launch her brand (there are over 700 people on a waiting list for one of her fanny packs). 

 

I will be contributing. I think she's got the skills and the vision to break out of the PR bubble and do something interesting.