S14.E13: Finale, Part 1

[film noire]

You know? I think if Candace took the black jacket and put in with red outfit and vice versa, she might have gotten a less harsh critique.

You're right, they likely would've seen that as less contrived, but I still think the red is a problem, period (no pun intended) because as a colour story for a collection, red and black is garish and cheap -- pack of cards time.

Edited October 31, 2015 by film noire

[sinkwriter]

I highly doubt that Candice decided to just tell the world that her parents were drug addicts without talking about it with her mom first. They seem like they have a close relationship now, and Candice has said that her mom is doing really well and has been for a while. So - while I don't always love everything about Candice - I think this is one of those times when she thought it would be 1) an interesting story about her life and previous hardships she's gone through to get to Project Runway, and 2) a potentially inspiring story because her mom's doing better now.

 

To hide that kind of information seems silly, especially if her mom's okay with it being divulged. All the pearl-clutching about it reminds me of Mare Winningham's mother in St. Elmo's Fire, always whispering the words she can't handle saying out loud:

 

 

Maybe if more people talked about the struggles they have with addiction, there'd be less stigma and more compassion for their struggles and triumphs. Candice can be a major pain in the ass about a lot of things, but this is not something I think she should be condemned for.

 

That was her aunt.  She said her mother couldn't make it.

 

It was Kelly's aunt that met with Tim, Kelly, Kelly's cousin and Kelly's dad. Candice's mom was on the beach with her.

[millennium]

I highly doubt that Candice decided to just tell the world that her parents were drug addicts without talking about it with her mom first. They seem like they have a close relationship now, and Candice has said that her mom is doing really well and has been for a while. So - while I don't always love everything about Candice - I think this is one of those times when she thought it would be 1) an interesting story about her life and previous hardships she's gone through to get to Project Runway, and 2) a potentially inspiring story because her mom's doing better now.

 

To hide that kind of information seems silly, especially if her mom's okay with it being divulged. All the pearl-clutching about it reminds me of Mare Winningham's mother in St. Elmo's Fire, always whispering the words she can't handle saying out loud:

 

 

Maybe if more people talked about the struggles they have with addiction, there'd be less stigma and more compassion for their struggles and triumphs. Candice can be a major pain in the ass about a lot of things, but this is not something I think she should be condemned for.

 

It was Kelly's aunt that met with Tim, Kelly, Kelly's cousin and Kelly's dad. Candice's mom was on the beach with her.

 

I don't think it's "pearl-clutching" so much as a reflexive disdain for people who air their family's dirty laundry on a reality show, or worse, use their parents' weakness to try to cast themselves in a more positive light.   You've heard the expression "She'd sell her mother to (insert objective)?"   That's what occurred to me.

[sinkwriter]

Fair enough.

[millennium]

 

 

 

Until you posted this I didn't realize Candice's belt was a billboard for herself.   I know designers do stuff like that, but it strikes me as uber tacky.

Edited October 30, 2015 by millennium

[Julia]

To hide that kind of information seems silly, especially if her mom's okay with it being divulged.

 

...

 

 

Maybe if more people talked about the struggles they have with addiction, there'd be less stigma and more compassion for their struggles and triumphs. Candice can be a major pain in the ass about a lot of things, but this is not something I think she should be condemned for.

 

Or it's possible that the reason it's striking some folks as off is precisely that it is her mother's struggle with drugs and not Candice's. Candice clearly has quite a complicated life of her own, and chose to take mom's inventory on national television instead of discussing it. Poor form.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Julia

[TexasGal]

Did I imagine it, or did candace's pants have the pattern doubled up, and not matching, so there was a double pattern going on when the model walked? It added to the unfortunate menstrual accident look for me.

[KLovestoShop]

Ashley has totally disappointed me with this collection. Who the hell is she designing for, because I don't know any plus size woman who would wear those things. We don't wear bare midriffs, we don't do Kartrashian see through lace with granny panties, and we don't wear backless to show big back fat. You can design fun, pretty, sexy plus size clothes, but you have to follow the rules about what big women can, and cannot wear.

Kelly's three outfits looked cheap and nonsensical. I thought fanny packs were a no-no for at least the past 20 years. Back in the day, even Louis Vuitton and Gucci had a fanny pack, but that was in the mid 1990's. And you certainly don't see them now, except for little old men touring Europe in their plaid shorts, and sandals with socks, or the old ladies wearing a parachute fabric one, while sitting at a slot machine in downtown Vegas.

I didn't mind Candace's outfits at all. I didn't think they looked as bad as the judges made them.

With the exception of the long black gown, I liked Edmond's collection. And unlike the the judges, I thought his collection had cohesion.

[izabella]

This!  I don't know why I was surprised by how unflattering her collection was to plus size women considering the clothes she chooses for herself don't exactly do her any favors.  Designing well fitting and flattering clothes for plus size women is not exactly the same as just making something larger.  Many plus size women carry excess weight around their middles, so why even consider a full, gathered skirt and a bare midriff?  Thighs are another problem so why cover that area in peekaboo lace?  Really odd choices that are usually covered in most lists giving fashion flattering hints.  Seeking to look good by flattering the good bits and drawing attention away from problem areas does not mean you do not love or accept yourself. 

 

Every woman looks for clothes that do that, not just plus-sized.  That's the difference between a dress, and a dress that makes you feel great.  Heidi can shop based only on how great she thinks an outfit looks.  Most of the rest of us shop based on how great an outfit looks on us, no matter what our size.

 

That's what a lot of these designers miss.  They can love their own designs, but if women won't wear them because they are unflattering, those clothes will not sell.

Edited October 31, 2015 by izabella

[MortysCleaningLady]

oy vey!

 

Candace sent Carmen SanDiego down the runway (bear with me while I sing the Rocapella theme song...put the Miss in Misdemeanor....)

Kelly -- I love Kelly and want her or Edmund to win based on story -- she wasn't kidding about Studio 54, is she.  I feel like I should start dancing to Staying Alive

Edmund -- judges were right; that's a lot of ruffles.  And, much like my fashion influence, Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, I love ruffles.  Best of the night, honestly.

Ashley put Baby right back in the corner.   I'm a fairly fit size 10-12 and there is no way I am wearing a lace overblouse over just my bra.  I might wear one of those Carmen Miranda flower hats though.

[njbchlover]

All of the discussion of "plus size" here has me thinking and wondering about that term.  So I did some googling on the subject, and it's interesting.  Some articles say that "plus size" is anything over a size 12, some say size 16.  Robin Lawley, who appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue was considered a plus sized model at a size 12.  I don't necessarily consider size 12 or size 14 to be plus-sized, but I guess in the high-end fashion world, that is the norm.

 

I have friends of all shapes and sizes, from size 0 and up (I've never asked any of my friends what size they wear - small or not - just my observation and guesstimates).  I have several friends who I estimate to be size 12 or size 14, and they talk about shopping in Lane Bryant, so I'm assuming they would be considered plus size in the fashion/clothing design world.  These women, while large framed, are in amazing shape, and they rock a bikini (they are in better shape than I am, and I am a size 6/8).  They work out, they run in marathons, and are very active.  Those couple of friends of mine would definitely be able to wear crop tops and some of Ashley's other designs.  One friend of mine will and does consistently wear low cut tops and backless, very short mini dresses, and she wears them with confidence.  I realize that these women are in the minority of the overall group that would be considered plus sized.

 

So, if that is the plus size woman Ashley is designing for, good for her....but, that is NOT the normal plus sized woman.  

 

Not only that, MOST of what Ashley has designed would not look good, even on my fit, fabulous friends....the clothes are just not flattering for most women, unless you are Aube the Magnificent, who is probably one of the best models I have ever seen on Project Runway.  As others have said here, Ashley herself, is plus-sized, and given the clothes she wears herself, she does not understand her own body, and how to accentuate what should be accentuated and disguise what should be disguised.  

 

Isn't that what true fashion is - interesting clothing that looks good, based on expert tailoring and innovative design?  

 

I applaud Project Runway for attempting to show some understanding of the American woman, and wanting to showcase someone who claims to be a plus-sized designer.  I think they jumped on the bandwagon of "wow-let's see if we can highlight a plus size designer", without taking into consideration that designer must also have a good eye, a higher taste level and expert tailoring skills.  Ashley's box pleated skirts, drindle skirts, peplums and poor taste in fabric choice is not the answer, unfortunately.

Edited October 31, 2015 by njbchlover

[njbchlover]

oy vey!

 

Candace sent Carmen SanDiego down the runway (bear with me while I sing the Rocapella theme song...put the Miss in Misdemeanor....)

Kelly -- I love Kelly and want her or Edmund to win based on story -- she wasn't kidding about Studio 54, is she.  I feel like I should start dancing to Staying Alive

Edmund -- judges were right; that's a lot of ruffles.  And, much like my fashion influence, Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, I love ruffles.  Best of the night, honestly.

Ashley put Baby right back in the corner.   I'm a fairly fit size 10-12 and there is no way I am wearing a lace overblouse over just my bra.  I might wear one of those Carmen Miranda flower hats though.

 

I think at one point, I heard Ashley say that she hoped she wouldn't get called out by the judges for that, because she didn't have time to make a bandeau bra for under the lace top.  

[kelslamu]

thought i was replying to a post and it didn't work. sorry

I highly doubt that Candice decided to just tell the world that her parents were drug addicts without talking about it with her mom first. They seem like they have a close relationship now, and Candice has said that her mom is doing really well and has been for a while. So - while I don't always love everything about Candice - I think this is one of those times when she thought it would be 1) an interesting story about her life and previous hardships she's gone through to get to Project Runway, and 2) a potentially inspiring story because her mom's doing better now.

 

To hide that kind of information seems silly, especially if her mom's okay with it being divulged. All the pearl-clutching about it reminds me of Mare Winningham's mother in St. Elmo's Fire, always whispering the words she can't handle saying out loud:

 

 

Maybe if more people talked about the struggles they have with addiction, there'd be less stigma and more compassion for their struggles and triumphs. Candice can be a major pain in the ass about a lot of things, but this is not something I think she should be condemned for.

 

It was Kelly's aunt that met with Tim, Kelly, Kelly's cousin and Kelly's dad. Candice's mom was on the beach with her.

I guess I disagree in that I know some people who've had problems like that.  I know they wouldn't have it announced, but to each their own I suppose.

Edited October 31, 2015 by kelslamu

[sleepyjean]

Here's what I don't get: Kelly and Candace both designed for themselves. I don't know who Ashley is designing for, because it's obviously not herself.  I can't imagine her wearing one thing she showed last night. Or anything she has designed all season. There is a huge disconnect between her personal aesthetic and her designs, and that perplexes me.

 

I also find it strange that she's getting all this "credit" for being a plus size designer, because her designs clearly aren't meant for plus size women. They are meant for plus size models, and as others have pointed out, it's not the same thing. The judges are continually patting Ashley on the back for making clothes for full figured women, when real full figured women, who jiggle, who have rolls, chafing, cellulite, and stretch marks, wouldn't be caught dead in her stuff.

Edited October 31, 2015 by sleepyjean

[mansonlamps]

Or it's possible that the reason it's striking some folks as off is precisely that it is her mother's struggle with drugs and not Candice's. Candice clearly has quite a complicated life of her own, and chose to take mom's inventory on national television instead of discussing it. Poor form.

I disgree, a parent's struggle with drugs or alcohol impacts the whole family to its core and Candice's complicated life has everything to do with that struggle. I don't see why protecting her mother's reputatIon is more important than Candice talking about her difficult childhood and her apparent ability to overcome it. Especially in a show where Candice is the focus. I hate the secret keeping mentality when it comes to children of addicts, they are the victims. And yes I do know what I'm talking about.

I think the difficulty of the plus sized industry, which has been alluded to many times on these boards, is that the larger the body, the more varied the shapes that the designer has to cater to. Apple, pear, hourglass and all the shapes in between are likely much more pronounced in individual bodies as sizes get larger. Anything fitted and flattering would be a nightmare to create for the masses. Which I had honestly never thought of before. Hence all the flowy, tentlike garments that are offered in the largest sizes.

[kitten59]

I always questioned Kelly's taste and her collection most definitely sealed the deal for me. That was absolutely hideous, cheap looking, and unflattering. I can't imagine anyone sending that garbage down the runway at NY fashion week. I won't even get into Ashley's lace doily and flower explosion. Ugh.

[Bebecat]

Yes, dirndle skirts, lol. They are the worst and look good on no one, ever. About as fashion forward as an apron.

[anniebird]

 

Am I the only one who thought the red/white pants Candice showed the judges looked like the model had a menstrual accident?

That was ALL I could see. She should have been dinged by the judges for cutting the fabric badly -- with more careful placement of the flowers, she could have avoided that.

[shksabelle]

FWIW, my take on Ashley:  She SEEMS (I don't know, of course) like she might be part of the "fat acceptance" movement.  Therefore, her philosophy would be that you can wear whatever you like and should not be constrained in any way by size.  That's the only rationale I can come up with for her plethora of crop tops, open backs, etc.  IMO, most people, regardless of size, want to wear clothes that flatter them and hers do not.  Her clothes. however, do say, "This is what I want to wear and if you don't like it, that's on you."

I do agree with the people who say PR kept her around to male a political statement. I just hope they don't take that all the way to giving her the win because she simply does not deserve it - regular size, plus size, petite, whatever.

[nb360]

I really liked Ashley and her designs for most of the season. But I have a hard time overlooking the zippers in her collection -- why didn't any one (Tim or her castmates) tell her that the zippers did not look good?

 

I'm also over the pink and purple. There are other colors in the rainbow. I think women of any size should wear whatever colors they want -- but I think Tim was right about getting more (saturated?) colors. 

[Kromm]

I don't understand, why would fairness come into this competition?  Things need to be fair for Candice?  The judges seem to earnestly want the 4 to create the best collections possible for the NYFW.  They don't want to be embarrassed by how bad their 4 PR designers are showing.  So they gave them what I found to be good criticisms.  The format of the competition is stupid in my opinion - of course 2 days is not enough to redo or redesign a collection.  For me there's no question about that.  However, this is the format of the show and to win the contest you have to work within the parameters.

I think "fair" in this instance means consistent. If they are inconsistent in their suggestions--telling them to do one thing and then later the opposite--that's what's being called unfair.

[farmgal4]

I always questioned Kelly's taste and her collection most definitely sealed the deal for me. That was absolutely hideous, cheap looking, and unflattering. I can't imagine anyone sending that garbage down the runway at NY fashion week. I won't even get into Ashley's lace doily and flower explosion. Ugh.

I think Kelly had a gigantic lapse of judgment when she picked that fabric and designed those clothes. I feel like maybe she has dual personalities and the Kelly that knows zilch about clothing must have been the one in charge during this debacle. That entire collection, from start to finish and from head to toe is absolutely, positively HIDEOUS! WTF was she thinking? I've never been so disappointed. IMO it's the worst collection EVER shown on Project Runway.

Edited October 31, 2015 by farmgal4

[still hoping]

snipped and quoted...

 

 

Ashley. While I wasn't loving her collection, I did think it felt like a collection, but I do hope she loses the flower pieces on many of the models. That shouldn't be tying the pieces together because they feel a bit distracting. What I loved most though about her collection was the way the judges seemed to respond to it. Ashley's not my favorite, hasn't been for some time, and maybe this is my imagination, but Candace to a large degree and Kelly to somewhat of a lesser degree felt extremely dismissive of Ashley's collection and I felt like it might be because it's plus size, not because of the designs. And it felt like that's exactly why Ashley actually does need to get to Fashion Week and show even if the road has been a but murky because, while Ashley's aesthetic is not mine, can we not be so dismissive of the plus size collection? They went onto the runway thinking they were golden and she was toast and she got the best review of all of them and they have some thinking to do and a lot of work to complete.

 

Maybe I just took it the wrong way, but yeah, I was like, what's up with being so dismissive. When Candace said Ashley's hair pieces were gorgeous without mentioning anything else, and skipped over to Kelly's designs, it felt like she said Ashley has a pretty face...So, I definitely could have taken it the wrong way, but yeah, wasn't a fan of anything she said after that really and I was open to giving Candace a shot during the finale.

 

 

??? Ashley seldom has anything good to say about anyone else
Candace said that sincerely and who knows she may have said more...and it might have been cut

Imagine if all these clothes were shown with NO backstory, sob story....Ashley's mess of a collection would not even make it to the runway

sob story sob story....I have had enough of it. I think Ashley does not know how to sew, contruct....how to make flattering clothes for plus size...her personal style is horrible...I can't stand the washed out colors that IMHO only look good on very faded blondes, those with lavender dyed hair ....oh and gray hair yes gray, sliver etc

The washed out colors have nothing to do with Mexico IMHO

Her clothes do not flatter most women IMHO...I am larger (size 12-14....sometimes plus size in bras to get fit) and no way would I wear something with bra hanging out. I am large up top...the dirndl skirts would make my boobs look horrible....crop tops? No just no

IMHO the politically correct stuff is just annoying...if you didn't see weeping Ashley herself who would even look at these clothes

I just hope she does not win but if she does she I doubt she will be a successful designer...maybe she will be on more reality shows..where she can cry some more JMO

[morakot]

I liked Candice's collection and saw the Asian inspiration in it. (Yes, this isn't new -- fashion has been inspired by China since the time of Marco Polo. McQueen was one of a very long line of Western designers who used that influence.) I loved the laser cut leather kimono and am looking forward to see the wooden overskirt. (Not Chinese but that reminded me of some of Issey Miyake's work.)

 

She has mentioned being brought up by parents who were both addicts before - as a fact of life, and not, IMO, as a way for the viewer to feel sorry for her.

[WearyTraveler]

A while ago, I watched a few episodes of Cutthroat Kitchen (just bear with me for a minute).  On that show 4 chefs compete against each other for money.  Each chef gets the same amount of money at the beginning of the competition; then, during each round chefs get the opportunity to bid for different objects and perks while they are cooking their dishes.  These objects could be something to make life easier for them (for example an extra ingredient, or piece of equipment), or something to hinder a competitor (for example, the opportunity to make a competitor stop working for a few minutes, or cook with child size implements, etc.).  At the end of the competition, the winning chef gets to keep all the money he/she didn't use to bid.

 

After each round another chef who has not been privy to the shenanigans during the cooking portion (i.e. the chef doesn't know who had less time for cooking, or was hindered by another competitor), tastes the food and declares a winner.  The contestants are not allowed to explain to the judge why their food is not up to par, other than describing their dish, they can't say anything else.

 

I wonder what would happen in Project Runway if contestants and judges didn't meet each other until Fashion Week.  Imagine that the judges only judge the clothes, with no commentary from the designer, much like it happens today in the fashion world anyway.  We see pictures and fashion shows but we don't get a detailed account of what every garment represents.  People critiquing / reviewing these collections may say things like "this dress pays celebrates nature because of its color" or something like that, and then the designer gets to say something in interviews, but not much before.

 

So, PR could do a completely anonymous season.  The designers never talk to the judges, and they watch the runway through a TV screen, getting the critiques that way.  They can call out top and bottom looks right after the runway with all the models standing there without the designers, the models can then immediately walk down to the judges for the closer look portion.  Winners and losers can then be announced.  They can keep all their workroom "drama" and the TG save if they want, the judges wouldn't necessarily know that a designer was saved.  We wouldn't get sob stories trying to sway the judges, and we would eliminate any biases (conscious or unconscious) on the judges' part.

[RemoteControlFreak]

I really liked Ashley and her designs for most of the season. But I have a hard time overlooking the zippers in her collection -- why didn't any one (Tim or her castmates) tell her that the zippers did not look good?

Her castmates are her competitors. It's not their job to tell each other what looks bad. 

[farmgal4]

My favorite moment of this episode, hell, maybe even the entire season, was when the judges raked Candace over the coals!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

One thing that I always love about the home visits before the finale is that Tim Gunn is unfailingly gracious to the designers' families and no matter what their work spaces look like, he always has a compliment about them (whether it's how big and great they are or how impressed he is that they created their collections in a closet).

 

Another nice moment was when Ashley stopped working on her new dress to help Kelly get the stain out of her dress (which made it even funnier when both Candice and Edmond said the very next day that it was very quiet in the workroom and it was each designer for themselves).

 

Although Kelly's collection wasn't my favorite, part of me was annoyed when one of Nina's criticisms was that it wasn't luxurious. No one ever said that was a requirement for the finale! I mean, I get what the judges were saying because it seems ludicrous to give a designer $9000 dollars and then her collection looks like a bunch of pieces from Forever 21. But at the same time, no one ever said that the finale collections have to be full of ballgowns. Kelly's collection looks like the stuff she's been doing all season so it seems silly that suddenly the judges think her stuff looks cheap.

 

What I hate about presenting mini collections is that it's two days before the show. How much can they really change? Sure, they can change the hair and makeup if that's a huge problem. And they can cut long skirts so that they're shorter. But aside from that, there isn't a whole lot you can do in two days (especially since they still need to do fittings with all of their models). When Nina said she wanted Ashley to use more prints, I thought well, is she even allowed to do that? Can she take any extra money she didn't originally spend, buy prints at Mood, then rip apart her dresses and substitute some prints? Probably not, so what is the point of telling her that? I think that Candice might be able to change up her collection a little by mixing up the red and black pieces, and she can definitely change the hair and makeup, but saying that it's too costumey looking (which I don't disagree with) isn't really something she can fix in terms of the clothes themselves because she can't start making more pieces now.

 

This is the best use of the Tim Gunn Save - ever.  Edmond deserved it - especially after auditioning 13 times.  I'm glad he has the opportunity of showing at NY Fashion Week.

To be honest, I was kind of rolling my eyes at the end of last week's episode when Edmond was talking about how he wouldn't be showing at NYFW because they have had decoy collections from eliminate designers for years. Fine, your collection won't be shown on the finale episode, but your collection will still be seen at NYFW and there will be pictures of your pieces all over the internet. You might not be in the running for the "hunnerd thousand dollars" (it still cracks me up every time I hear Heidi say that a the beginning of each episode), but you ARE still showing at Fashion Week. Edmond knew that being eliminated last meant he would still show at Fashion Week so it seemed a bit disingenuous for him to say that he wouldn't be showing a collection at NYFW.

 

Kelly's collection DID look a little Studio 54, BUT those styles were meant to be seen in motion, under strobe lights, and the influence of heavy drinking/drugs. In the cold light of day the runway becomes the walk of shame the morning after.

Similarly, if you have ever seen a club in the cold light of day, it's really depressing. Without beer googles and a mostly dark atmosphere, it's a sad sight to behold.

 

So obviously Springfield is not Boston, not even close. So we know Kelley doesn't live where PR says she does.  What about the other designers? Candace met Tim in San Francisco, but doesn't she say in her early home visit video, "welcome to my home in Silicon Valley?" 

Also of note: Candace's work space was not in San Francisco or Silicon Valley. They specifically showed shots of Berkeley after they left the beach and before they showed her huge dress frame outside. One of the articles about Candice (I can't remember if it was in the media thread or a previous episode thread) said that she lives in Oakland. I'm pretty sure someone said one of her kids goes to school in Piedmont.

 

I can not believe Candace told the world her mother was a drug addict!  Geeze lady your mother is right there!  Get some class would you? 

There were several comments about this so I just wanted to say that I have no problem with Candice mentioning it. Why is it okay for people to say that their parents were alcoholics but it's terrible for Candice to say that her parents were drug addicts? Addiction is addiction. She mentioned it earlier in the season too so I don't know why she wasn't criticized for it before but now she is being criticized for it. But as a previous poster mentioned, drug addiction affects other people besides the addict. Candice mentioned very early in the season that she had a rough childhood because of her parents' addiction so she wasn't saying it to shame her parents but because it affected her. In her home visit, she mentioned it because she said she had always wanted a close relationship with her mom but that her mom's addiction prevented that and that she's grateful that they now have a good relationship, so again I don't think she was saying it to shame her mother but to talk about how much their relationship has changed. I don't see why the child of an addict needs to keep a parent's addiction a secret. That whole idea that families need to protect the addict and keep their secret reinforces the idea that it's something to be ashamed of instead of getting help. Anyway, Candice's mother was right there when she said it and didn't seem bothered by it.

Edited October 31, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[theatremouse]

I always wonder about the mini-selection they choose to show the judges. I wonder both: what the contestants were thinking strategically and what they should have been.

ie Do you choose the three (or in this case two since one was the made-day-before) you're least sure about, to make sure you get that judge feedback on those pieces?

Do you choose the three you feel most strongly about? Hoping to wow them in advance?

Do you choose the three that covers the most ground from the collection, giving the best sense of it as a whole?

Other?

Because if some, or even all of them went with the first possibility, then it makes sense they'd get raked, or at least be prepared for the possibility. If they went with the second and got thrashed, they'd be potentially devastated, and possibly toast. We didn't really see too much of the collections as a whole, but did see some glimpses. So far I couldn't tell which approach they were taking. Not that each contestant necessarily took the same approach. Also it's possible if I looked at the whole collection and decided on one approach the three I'd pick are not necessarily the same the designer would, even if we were both picking "3 weakest" or "3 strongest" etc.

That's always something that rattles around in my head when they get to this episode each season: why'd you pick that? What did the designer want to get out of the early critique? Or was the designer not thinking about what they would gain from this one; maybe they were thinking about what they thought the judges wanted? There's a big difference between "give them what I think they want to see" vs "get the feedback I need".

[Day2Day]

   What the hell????  Isn't that skirt on backwards?????  Besides being poorly constructed, and unevenly hemmed, those look like hook & eye closures at the middle of the front "waist band", and that dreadful exposed zipper !!!!  This three piece collection was truly horrendous !!!

[Tony]

Mediocre final collections to end a mediocre season. Ashley's is just plain embarrassing and should be laughed out of the building.

 

They should declare that there's no winner and wrap up this circus act.

[Julia]

Kelly's collection looks like the stuff she's been doing all season so it seems silly that suddenly the judges think her stuff looks cheap.

This is an ongoing problem with this show lately. They're desperate for the next new thing to the point where it can be both poorly-conceived and badly made but they'll privilege the thing they've never seen before over something that shows some skill. Which there are two major problems with, JMO.

First, if nobody in any culture has ever made butterscotch scallops before, there's probably a reason.

And second, they seem to feel as if their guidance is going to lead to Sandhya or Asha or Kelly or Candice or Tim Gunn save girl from last season taking their money and making bespoke fashion informed by their unique perspective, which why would you even? They're not making those clothes every week because they've spent their lives in a closet without access to television and the internet. I'm pretty sure they know what the clothes in magazines look like. They're making those clothes because that's the little eye shape on the venn diagram where their taste and their skill meet. The contestants aren't betraying you by making the best version of the clothes they want to make they're capable of. They're giving you exactly what you've been rewarding them for all along.

Kelly is dressing "her girl" the same way Michelle was dressing the phantom hordes of hipsters with money who wanted to hang out with her. The fact that you're uncomfortable with that is kind of the point of the outsider perspective, isn't it?

Edited October 31, 2015 by Julia

[RemoteControlFreak]

Bingo, Julia.

[RealityCowgirl]

I suffered through a second viewing of the runway that put me to sleep, and I'm feeling the need to shake off some of the trauma. :)

Two things worth mentioning beyond what I posted yesterday

I still think they're all mediocre designers who never would have made it this far in earlier seasons. That said, at this point in the competition, one thing I appreciate about Edmond and Candace is that they created looks for a *show.* Candace said as much during the visit. We can argue - with ourselves, each other, and the judges - whether they succeeded. But they were thinking along the lines of "show."

I feel a little sorry for Kelly, for the same reasons others have mentioned. The judges have been stroking her for a while now about staying true to her aesthetic. Her collection is exactly that, with what she probably, legitimately thought were "luxurious" fabrics. I get why she would be gobsmacked by their response. But in the end, they're still. Just. Clothes. Clothes that she probably will find a demand for commercially, but just clothes and not a NYFW-worthy collection.

The second point? Ashley. I'm all tapped out on her, but I'll say this since I thought I dreamed it Thursday night. No, no, HELL no to the plus-size, crop-top, backless, lace(!), bra-showing. nonsense. Special bra or not, that's just all kinds of wrong.

Girlfriend has no clue.

Edited October 31, 2015 by RealityCowgirl

[backgroundnoise]

I didn't have the negative impression of Candace that others had, even though I never liked her aesthetic.  But as a viewer, I would much rather watch an exuberant, over-the-top FW show that the designer herself was excited about than a dumb-down, scaled-back version by a devastated, flailing designer.  Why not just let the designers show what they want?  It can't possibly be more embarrassing than years when PR had 7 decoy collections.

[NewDigs]

I think that a reason that Candice has mentioned her mom's/parents' addiction problems is to address why she left home at 14. I don't see it as shifting any kind of blame onto her parents but rather as helping to explain her own rather troubled backstory. Wasn't she quite open about it on the Road show or one of the first episodes?

Didn't know one of her babydaddy's was wealthy.

Interesting to see what these designers pull out of the crapper for FW. I had picked Kelly as the shoo-in but now I'm lookin' more at Edmund for the win. And can't imagine what Ashley can possibly send down that runway. She should have been aufed episodes ago. Hard to be a token anything.

[JasmineFlower]

While I was definitely confused about Candace being shown at the beach and not at her house, I was probably more confused by Kelly. Candace's thing, I can't even begin to guess what that is about. I see there are people with knowledge about that, but have no idea where it comes from or if it's confirmed. But, why not show the nice house we saw in the pre-season stuff? It was already shown so it's not some big secret. Showing the design studio had the same effect as showing a nice house in counteracting the "tough life" persona she's talked about. That design studio is not cheap and pretending otherwise is a joke, so they could have met at her house. I'd still believe she'd had a rough childhood no matter where they showed her, so don't get what was going on with that visit. Doing well now has no effect on the truth of having a difficult upbringing.

 

But I was probably more confused by Kelly being shown in Springfield instead Boston, glad I wasn't the only one. For anyone who doesn't know, not only is Springfield not Boston, it's 90 minutes away, clear on the other end of the state and is an adjacent metro area as Hartford, CT. I'm not kidding when I say it would be more accurate to have put up Hartford on the screen than Boston, though different states. Hartford and Springfield even share an airport and are considered by many to be in the same metro area. So, I'm thoroughly confused. I've seen many things listing her as being from Boston. Is it that she was born there? Because I checked and she's from the Springfield area, grew up there. I'm trying to understand why they'd use Boston all season on all their materials.

 

Also, there seems to be a lot of hate being thrown Ashley's way. While I don't think she should have advanced to the point of presenting her collection on TV, her being at Fashion Week as a top 6 contestant is just not hard to fathom given her good performance through many competitions this season. I know we are told the top 3/top 4 thing, but by now almost everyone knows it's the top 6 who present at Fashion Week. So, I get not being on board with Ashley being on this finale, but I don't think it's a Project Runway embarrassment to the level others seem to think. Given the season, she is definitely not less deserving of showing a collection at Fashion Week than Laurie or Lindsey, for instance. And sure Swapnil should be showing his collection on TV, but he gave up and I can't be the only one who realizes he checked out completely at the point in the competition when he knew he'd be able to show a collection at Fashion Week. So, yeah, I understand not enjoying Ashley's designs, they are hardly my favorites either, but don't get the hate either.

[sinkwriter]

 

Candace said that sincerely and who knows she may have said more...and it might have been cut

 

I find this hilarious because I really don't know that I trust many of Candice's compliments to her fellow contestants. She may seem completely sincere but not really mean it. Just the other week we saw Candice tell Edmond that his outfit looked "great," and then the show cut to her slamming Edmond's outfit in one of the talking head interviews, saying how she didn't understand it at ALL and how it was just really not good.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I think "fair" in this instance means consistent. If they are inconsistent in their suggestions--telling them to do one thing and then later the opposite--that's what's being called unfair.

 

To accuse the judges of not being consistent towards Candice is assuming that for every challenge, she sends down a great garment but the judges are reacting differently every time.

 

I will argue that that's not the case.  The judges react well when it's a beautiful, well constructed garment that they could see a woman wanting to wear or own.  For the last challenge the judges reacted horribly to Candice's mini collection because they didn't find it so.  Sure well constructed but nobody ONLY wants to see a well constructed collection.  I think it is instead possible that the judges did not like the mini collection and reacted accordingly.  That's how I interpret things.  And to me that is not inconsistent behaviour.  I think it's instead possible that Candice's performance in the competition was not consistent.

 

Not seeing how the judges were inconsistent here.  And it's not like Candice was even the only contestant criticized.  If I was Candice I'd want the hard truth of my collection and the opportunity to fix it so I could possibly win.  Not just fake smiles and applause and to be sent on my way even though the judges didn't like it.

 

Kelly is dressing "her girl" the same way Michelle was dressing the phantom hordes of hipsters with money who wanted to hang out with her. The fact that you're uncomfortable with that is kind of the point of the outsider perspective, isn't it?

 

I understand your point Julia but this contest has existed for 14 seasons.  Somebody can be annoyed or upset by this aspect of the show but this is the show as it stands and always has been.  Michelle's vision fit with what the judges wanted and hence she won the show.  Kelly's vision COULD come closer to what the judges want if she picks the right luxurious fabrics that Nina wants, does the right hemlines and sex appeal that Heidi wants, and executes the clothes with the tailoring that Zac wants.  These are the parameters of the show. 

 

I think in order to win this show with a unique vision that doesn't meet any other criteria (not in line with 2015 trends, not sexy enough to meet what Heidi likes) it has to be very beautiful and actually unique.  It's pretty rare to see a collection like that come from a PR contestant.   I guess Lee Ann's was, right?  Hard for me to remember.  I remember Jay winning when I thought it was an insane collection that had nothing in common with fashion at the time and that nobody would actually wear.  Good for him, he won regardless, with his unique Jay vision, and his great skill and execution.

 

I never thought of PR as a show that rewards outsider perspectives.  I understood it to be notorious for kicking out weirdos like Kooan or Elisa that spit on her fabrics, etc. 

 

They're desperate for the next new thing to the point where it can be both poorly-conceived and badly made but they'll privilege the thing they've never seen before over something that shows some skill.

 

Maybe the judges think a skilled sewer is a dime a dozen.  Hence people like Anya winning her season.  

 

She has mentioned being brought up by parents who were both addicts before - as a fact of life, and not, IMO, as a way for the viewer to feel sorry for her.

 

Never thought she was trying to garner sympathy, far from it.  

Edited October 31, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[Beden]

 

Did I imagine it, or did candace's pants have the pattern doubled up, and not matching, so there was a double pattern going on when the model walked? It added to the unfortunate menstrual accident look for me.

It looks to me like she managed to match the pattern repeat on the left and right sides of the slacks but, because of the 3-D reality of the model's legs, the red flowers had an unfortunate placement. It's a fairly large bunch of flowers and, well, didn't work well with as close a repeat as that fabric had.

 

 

Some articles say that "plus size" is anything over a size 12, some say size 16.  Robin Lawley, who appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue was considered a plus sized model at a size 12.  I don't necessarily consider size 12 or size 14 to be plus-sized, but I guess in the high-end fashion world, that is the norm.

When I had to shop in the Plus size departments (or the Women's department, another euphemism, as opposed to ladies departments) You'd sometimes see size 16 but it seemed that they mostly started about size 18. Regular sizes generally stop at 16, give or take. I also add that sizes are not standardized in the US so a size 4  for one company could be a 0 or an 8 for another. Part of that is just sort of random, part is vanity sizing so you can feel good about buying a size 2 or whatever. Plus sizes are also quasi hidden under the cover of 1X--roughly 18, 2X--roughly 20-22 and so on. I was always pissed off at manufacturers or designers who refer to size 10 or 12 as XL. Bite me.

 

 

I think that a reason that Candice has mentioned her mom's/parents' addiction problems is to address why she left home at 14. I don't see it as shifting any kind of blame onto her parents but rather as helping to explain her own rather troubled backstory.

But the thing is that whether Candice's mother was an addict or Ashley's father was an alcoholic or Edmond's brother is addicted to gambling or their cat died last, while tragic, has nothing to do with whether or not these people can design and make clothes. My mother was an alcoholic. Sure, I have personal feelings about that and about her but I've never injected that into anything in my professional life. Personal lives have little business being injected into a workplace. No one I've ever worked for knows anything about it and there's no reason why they should. Was it fun? Hell no. Would that have made any difference if I missed a meeting or a deadline? Shit no and it shouldn't. Of course, on a human level, it matters, of course it has to be dealt with and hopefully successfully addressed but does your boss want to know about it when an order has to go out this afternoon?

 

You can make excuses and rationalize til the cows come home but the bottom line here is whether or not you can get the job done.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Beden

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

'Pressure Makes Diamonds'
The designers walk three-look mini-collections for the judges, and not everyone gets to sparkle.

[PepperMonkey]

The thing that bugs me LEAST about Candice is talking about her parents being drug addicts. I can assure you, she had a serious struggle with that, so it affected her life as well.

 

Not only that, but she said she and her mom have a great relationship now, so I'm pretty sure she told her mom she was going to bring it up as part of the backstory. I mean, she had already mentioned it in several talking heads, so it's not like it was a brand new revelation.

 

Her fashion is still one note and costume-y, though.

[PrincessSteel]

I am going to have a fit about fit. It is so crucial. Even an inexpensive garment can look amazing if it fits perfectly. I used to work as a personal assistant to a very wealthy couple. The wife shopped like it was her job and, despite her millions, she loved a sale. She almost always had her clothes altered to fit her perfectly, even casual items like sweatpants. She did not have a perfect body by any measure but she always looked perfectly put together. If Ashley can fit her garments to her models she will have a good show. I'm giving her a pass on the ill-fitting stuff that she showed because that dopey last minute challenge nonsense cost her crucial fitting time. Adjusting fit on a plus-sized person is more involved than fitting a typical runway model...Ashley needs every minute she can get with her women.

[sinkwriter]

 

Adjusting fit on a plus-sized person is more involved than fitting a typical runway model...Ashley needs every minute she can get with her women.

 

I was wondering how they managed that - did they send Ashley her models' measurements so she'd know approximately how to size her garments? Even with the "regular sized" models, sometimes the designers have trouble with exact fit until they get it on the actual model, because of longer torsos or shorter torsos or a bubble butt or anything that might be different than the standard form demo. So I can imagine it must be very challenging to get the right fit and even harder when they interrupt your preparation with a new challenge at the last minute. 

[Freckledbruh]

I am going to have a fit about fit. It is so crucial. Even an inexpensive garment can look amazing if it fits perfectly. I used to work as a personal assistant to a very wealthy couple. The wife shopped like it was her job and, despite her millions, she loved a sale. She almost always had her clothes altered to fit her perfectly, even casual items like sweatpants. She did not have a perfect body by any measure but she always looked perfectly put together. If Ashley can fit her garments to her models she will have a good show. I'm giving her a pass on the ill-fitting stuff that she showed because that dopey last minute challenge nonsense cost her crucial fitting time. Adjusting fit on a plus-sized person is more involved than fitting a typical runway model...Ashley needs every minute she can get with her women.

I don't know about that. Her outfits needed a better fit but there were some design details that still made them pretty terrible (imho). For example, that one one crop top (that basically looked like a bra) closed in the front hitting the model in the center of her left breast. Not only did it make the model's chest look bigger but also lopsided. That (to me) is a design flaw. A better fit wouldn't fix those exposed zippers that looked slapped on haphazardly with less than ideal placement such as the front center of the skirt. Long story short, I think Ashley had more construction issues than just the fit. I was extremely disappointed in her showing.

PS: With every passing episode, I keep questioning her actual experience and unfortunately her intelligence. Tim suggests a jewel tone and she picks out eggplant as if that is what he was talking about? All she did was pick a more saturated version of the muted color palette she was using. The jewel tone suggestion was meant to brighten up some of the pieces. She should know this stuff.

[Freckledbruh]

I was wondering how they managed that - did they send Ashley her models' measurements so she'd know approximately how to size her garments? Even with the "regular sized" models, sometimes the designers have trouble with exact fit until they get it on the actual model, because of longer torsos or shorter torsos or a bubble butt or anything that might be different than the standard form demo. So I can imagine it must be very challenging to get the right fit and even harder when they interrupt your preparation with a new challenge at the last minute.

Since the show no longer shows the designers choosing their own models, I can only assume that they are provided with their measurements via the models' comp cards (which are rarely truly accurate). As for plus sized models, they have the same requirements as "regular" models meaning that their bodies/measurements must be within a certain proportion (bust, waist, hips and thighs) in order to be signed. Every "skinny" woman can't be a model just as not every plus sized woman can.

[Julia]

I think to some extent Ashley psyched herself out. Her own aesthetic is way more color than I'm comfortable with (although I'm both a fat woman of a certain age and from Manhattan, so Candice probably wears more color than I do). I wonder if the muted palette wasn't her attempt to be whatever she thinks the judges think is tasteful. Ashley is really the only one of them who made something OOC.

[JosieThePussycat]

There sure is a lot of Candace hate here. I don't dislike Candace. I don't find her entitled or snide, and most of her comments are on point and well stated. She was devastated, just like Edmond and Kelly were. Candace does have an extremely theatrical collection. While that's not my taste, everything looks well made and well fitted and it does seem like it would play well in the finale. The runway show is not a time to be understated. I will be sad for her if she ditches that giant dress with the hoopskirt. A lot of time, effort, and money went into that garment.

 

Just how I feel about Candace. She's confident and self-possessed, but that's not the same thing as entitled, or snotty, or a Mean Girl. Sure, she has her moments, but bear in mind that editing can create misleading impressions of what happens and when.

 

I agree with the comment upstream that her life seems to have held some challenges. She was explicit about her mom's earlier issues. Then there's all that subtext: it looks like her dad is much better off than her mom (if that's his spiffy house we saw early on), but we don't see him at all.

 

Wow, she looked so much younger without all that makeup! Like taking off a mask. In the first episodes I thought she was in her mid-thirties.

[Texasmom1970]

After watching all the seasons of this show I have to the conclusion obviously I don't know dick about fashion. I rarely agree with the judges. Really underwhelming season. I am rooting for Edmond at this point, some of his pieces where the only ones I could stand.

On the plus side we made it through another show without Heidi saying boobies.

[JosieThePussycat]

Here's what I don't get: Kelly and Candace both designed for themselves. I don't know who Ashley is designing for, because it's obviously not herself.  I can't imagine her wearing one thing she showed last night. Or anything she has designed all season. There is a huge disconnect between her personal aesthetic and her designs, and that perplexes me.

 

I also find it strange that she's getting all this "credit" for being a plus size designer, because her designs clearly aren't meant for plus size women. They are meant for plus size models, and as others have pointed out, it's not the same thing. The judges are continually patting Ashley on the back for making clothes for full figured women, when real full figured women, who jiggle, who have rolls, chafing, cellulite, and stretch marks, wouldn't be caught dead in her stuff.

 

To be fair, though, hardly any designer designs for real human beings; they send things down the catwalk on human hangers, stuff that could only be worn by the public with serious alteration. True of the PR designers, too, except during the explicit "real people" challenge. Sure, Ashley's designing for plus-size models; everyone up there is designing for models, regardless of what pretense they put on. Why should she be held to a different standard?