S05.E12: Prince of Prints

[NYGirl]

OMG I almost turned off my TV when Alyssa said they couldn't come to a decision.  I thought for sure  they were not eliminating anyone.  I was laughing at Isaacs displeasure with Sam.   

I liked Kinis best.  I hope he wins 

[Mamarazzi]

Every time I think of Nina as a guest judge, I am reminded of Dmitry's awesome quote, "You know who doesn't like Nina? People who suck." That gives me endless joy.

More Dmitry please.

[njbchlover]

53 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

He looked like he could barely get the Bauble Bar plug out without bursting into hysteria. 

But I like Chinese Laundry shoes. No, they're not couture, obviously, but among other pairs, I have had the same pair of super-cute gray flannel maryjanes for over a decade, man!

I have a few pairs of Chinese Laundry shoes for a few years, too...no, not couture or super high-end, but they work for me!!  :-)  

That Bauble Bar stuff is overpriced crap, imo, though....I have better costume jewelry that I've paid a whole lot less for than that stuff.

[stacyasp]

And when it comes time to decide who's not going to make it to the finale, the judges are all, 'Let's go crazy!'

View the full article

I thought Dom's print was cute, but did not like the asymetrical look on the final product. Also I felt that the coat kind of overwhelmed the model. Hard to believe when the give the designers carte blanche on their designs they come up with such boring prints!

[leighdear]

I've decided that any version of PR will have my undying love & devotion if they would have a permanent judging panel of Dmitry, Boy George and Neil Patrick Harris.  No others need apply.  I don't care that they're all guys.  ;-)

[seacliffsal]

It is very interesting to me that it took Heidi Klum and Neil Patrick Harris judging on Under the Gunn to get ride of Sam on Under the Gunn, and Nina Garcia as a judge on this show to get id of Sam.  It's like the series' judges on Under the Gunn and Project Runway All-Stars somehow get enamored of Sam so much that they keep seeing brilliance where others do not, and original version judges have to come in and get him out (not that I think the original version judges get it right themselves that often [Ashley from last season and Gretchen....]).  

I also think that everyone expected Dom to win; however, I didn't think her look was very good.  At this point I'm expecting Dom to win to balance all the so far all male winners of this series.

[meep.meep]

8 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

Dom's Otterbox designs. Two designs, neither of which are her PR print. Available only at Verizon for iPhone 6s and 6s+, and Samsung Galaxy 7. I like the green diamond, but my Galaxy phone is waaay too old!

The pink one looks almost identical to a case my daughter had for her iPhone for years.

On the other hand, I think I have a top (shell and jacket) in Kini's print already in my closet.  As well as a kimono in almost the identical print that my mother brought back from Japan 30 years ago.

Sam's print sucked, but the blue color was nice.

[Tara Ariano]

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

Project Runway All Stars Pays Tribute To Prints

And when it comes time to decide who's not going to make it to the finale, the judges are all, 'Let's go crazy!'

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

Was it tasteless to air this episode so soon after Prince's death?

I don't think so. A notable coincidence to be sure, but shit happens--no harm done. (I miss you, Prince!) 

[Texasmom1970]

51 minutes ago, designing1 said:

Has anyone taken a gander at Sam's 2016 collection? (Yes, he has one.) Talk about your one way monkey!

Wow, that boy really does have a hard on for mesh. I am just surprised they are not all jumpsuits. I am just glad he did not make it to the finale. They sew off may have been unfair, but in my eyes it should have never come to that. Sams ass should have been gone so long ago. 

It was so refreshing to have Nina there to snap Isaac out of his school girl crush. He knew that he couldn't justify slobbering all over Sam's look without her bitch slapping him!

[Minicatfall]

Dimitry! Seth Aaron! Mondo! Alfalfa! Oh my!

[Beden]

I like Dom just fine but am I the only one who thought her print looked like something I saw in IKEA 20 years ago?

Mesh...just...no.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Beden
typo

[eurekagirl mOo]

Sam likes mesh neoprene crap because it doesn't ravel and therefore does not not have to be hemmed or finished. Just cut it off to the length to where you  want and you're done. He's just lazy.

And his reworked look was crap. I don't care if he did just have a hour. I don't want boobs on my back either in real life or in a jacket.

[leighdear]

46 minutes ago, Beden said:

I like Dom just fine but am I the only one who thought her print looked like something I saw in IKEA 20 years ago?

Mesh...just...no.

Exactly!  It reminds me of the Marimekko bedding they now sell at Target.  And yep, they used to sell their fabric at Ikea years back, when it was hip & cool.  Now it's just a tired reference Dom is using.   

[yeswedo]

FYI, moved the posts exclusively about Sam's 2016 collection to his thread.

[RCharter]

I cannot honestly believe that there was a sew off after looking at whatever Sam put down the runway......mesh with a giant flower pattern and another jumpsuit.  Huh?

I actually liked Ken's look, but I guess I'm an old fuddy duddy who isn't all about wearing slouchy mesh jumpsuits with flats (FLATS!!!!)

I'm not sure who Kini has pissed off, but he is getting a bad edit.....he seems more and more snarky than anything else.  For some reason Kini's attitude towards Sam feels more petty to me, whereas Ken's attitude seems more objective and justified.  I think its because Kini seems so focused on how Sam is taking away wins from him and Ken seems more focused on how unfair the entire situation is to everyone.  

Something about Dom just rubs me the wrong way, and Kini is really annoying me....so I can't believe this....but I'm rooting for Ken!  

I cannot honestly believe that there was a sew off after looking at whatever Sam put down the runway......mesh with a giant flower pattern and another jumpsuit.  Huh?

I actually liked Ken's look, but I guess I'm an old fuddy duddy who isn't all about wearing slouchy mesh jumpsuits with flats (FLATS!!!!)

I'm not sure who Kini has pissed off, but he is getting a bad edit.....he seems more and more snarky than anything else.  For some reason Kini's attitude towards Sam feels more petty to me, whereas Ken's attitude seems more objective and justified.  I think its because Kini seems so focused on how Sam is taking away wins from him and Ken seems more focused on how unfair the entire situation is to everyone.  

Something about Dom just rubs me the wrong way, and Kini is really annoying me....so I can't believe this....but I'm rooting for Ken!  

2 hours ago, eurekagirl mOo said:

Sam likes mesh neoprene crap because it doesn't ravel and therefore does not not have to be hemmed or finished. Just cut it off to the length to where you  want and you're done. He's just lazy.

And his reworked look was crap. I don't care if he did just have a hour. I don't want boobs on my back either in real life or in a jacket.

I cannot honestly believe that there was a sew off after looking at whatever Sam put down the runway......mesh with a giant flower pattern and another jumpsuit.  Huh?

I actually liked Ken's look, but I guess I'm an old fuddy duddy who isn't all about wearing slouchy mesh jumpsuits with flats (FLATS!!!!)

I'm not sure who Kini has pissed off, but he is getting a bad edit.....he seems more and more snarky than anything else.  For some reason Kini's attitude towards Sam feels more petty to me, whereas Ken's attitude seems more objective and justified.  I think its because Kini seems so focused on how Sam is taking away wins from him and Ken seems more focused on how unfair the entire situation is to everyone.  

Something about Dom just rubs me the wrong way, and Kini is really annoying me....so I can't believe this....but I'm rooting for Ken!  

2 hours ago, eurekagirl mOo said:

Sam likes mesh neoprene crap because it doesn't ravel and therefore does not not have to be hemmed or finished. Just cut it off to the length to where you  want and you're done. He's just lazy.

And his reworked look was crap. I don't care if he did just have a hour. I don't want boobs on my back either in real life or in a jacket.

[TiredMe]

My two fav designers ever are Seth Aaron and Dmitry. So even though it was brief, I was in heaven!

then even more so when Sam got the boot. I was telling myself, you know SAMs going forward so just deal.... You know this show is now making me talk to myself. Lol

id be fine will any of the final three winning so I'll just enjoy the finale.

[RCharter]

52 minutes ago, TiredMe said:

My two fav designers ever are Seth Aaron and Dmitry. So even though it was brief, I was in heaven!

then even more so when Sam got the boot. I was telling myself, you know SAMs going forward so just deal.... You know this show is now making me talk to myself. Lol

id be fine will any of the final three winning so I'll just enjoy the finale.

Seth Aaron is probably my favorite designer.  

I don't much like him as a person, I'm not his girl, but I love every single thing he designs.

[millennium]

7 hours ago, Minicatfall said:

Dimitry! Seth Aaron! Mondo! Alfalfa! Oh my!

I recognized Dimitri, Mondo and Andrew Ryan .... but the fourth guy ... I thought, wow, Bryan Ferry's getting old.

[Pallida]

I don't like Sam, I didn't like the garments, but I think I liked his designed print best for a smart phone case. The pixelation could have been done better, but it was the best of the bunch. Dom's was almost good, but it was like she couldn't decide between random geometric shapes or ordered, leading to something very disjointed. And I hated her two length design. 

I might be a fuddy duddy, but I cringed during the sew off when the judges told Ken to shorten his dress. Not every dress needs to just barely cover the butt! And that collar needed to be balanced by a bit of length. 

[meep.meep]

I can't stand Dimitri so this was just the right length for me.  Although out of the four of them, he was the only one to look even vaguely heathy, albeit in a best-rested vampire kind of way.

[KLovestoShop]

When Ken made the comment on the last episode that Sam skids by on "looks", he was right.  I was so sick of I-Suck nearly coming in his pants over every Sam design. The only reason Sam lasted so long was because I-Suck had the big crotch for him.  

I loved Doms print and thought that it would make a great phone cover.  Sam's mesh looked like a bad laundry bag I own.  

Edited April 30, 2016 by KLovestoShop

[Jobiska]

Two of the three people explaining the challenge (pretty sure it was Alyssa and Nina rather than the rep for Otterbox) couldn't pronounce Otterbox right half the time.  It either came out Autobox or Arterbox.  

I was amused when Dom said "Arrivederci" to Mood and Sam didn't know what it meant, and when Ken was reluctant to leave at the end of the day but then zipped through the workroom and was out the door second, startling Dom.

How did the title end up "Prince of Prints" when Dom won?  I mean, I'm all about the non-gendered honorifics, but if you're going to use "Prince," you imply a guy won it, and I was wondering if it would end up being Kini or Ken (before I saw the runway, that is).

I too liked Ken's subtle print--I like things that look textured.  It certainly didn't make me want to cry, Isaac and Nina.

For all the musing on what avante garde meant last week, I sure would have liked at least one of them to define "print on print."  I can tell, now, that it just means mixing prints, but why not just say that?  Print on print to me sounds like overprinting something with another print.  The only thing I could think of was camo and plaid, so...

[anonymiss]

4 hours ago, RCharter said:

I'm not sure who Kini has pissed off, but he is getting a bad edit.....he seems more and more snarky than anything else.  For some reason Kini's attitude towards Sam feels more petty to me, whereas Ken's attitude seems more objective and justified.  I think its because Kini seems so focused on how Sam is taking away wins from him and Ken seems more focused on how unfair the entire situation is to everyone. 

I wouldn't say it's the editing. Seems like Kini's seething and venting in confessionals because he didn't say anything on the runway, which only compounds his bitterness. He's mad at himself too since he didn't have to do Sam's work for him and didn't have to shut up about it either. 

[candall]

--I wonder if somewhere there's an Amish kid, exploring television on his first day of Rumspringa, totally fooled by that "we just can't decide" move.

 

--Mondo's advice to Sam was Zanna Roberts Rossi-level worthless:  "You have problems with execution so you need to execute better."

Dmitry, on the other hand, immediately knew how to compensate for the subtlety of Ken's print and told him to maximize the volume.  Which Ken promptly ignored.

 

--Surprise, I thought Sam's loose jumpsuit (minus the net strip) was okay.  I liked the build of the jacket and thought that was a decent use of heavy neoprene net--regular weight net would be too wispy.  I'll even give him credit for pulling out the scope to pixilize a weak "design."  (Freakin' DAISIES?!?  Please.)  But I dislike pastels in general and precious baby boy pale blue is one of those six design elements Sam knows how to work with.  So long, Sam.  Wink.  Wave.

 

--Did anyone else notice Alyssa pause and take up her weapons for "Let's Talk About Sam Now"?  Hee.  Alyssa had a ringer on her team this week.

 

--I enjoyed Nina's arch criticism very much.  On original recipe, I always feel she's trying to pull off some kind of façade to prove she's clever/edgy-trendy/just as good as Heidi, but tonight she was simply the panel's grande dame arbiter of fashion and it was a good fit for her.

 

--I get the Marimekko reference, but if you pause the video and examine Dom's pattern, that is one impressively complex grid she churned out in x minutes.  But it was so busy and complicated, I don't know why she heaped on trim from two different Mood prints, wrap ties, handpainted swirls/stripes and those crazy distracting hem lengths.

 

--Small footnote:  the mini-challenge models did their own makeup and the stylized football smudges made me grin.

Edited April 30, 2016 by candall

[cattykit]

22 hours ago, NorthstarATL said:

Was it tasteless to air this episode so soon after Prince's death?

I don't think they needed to scrap the episode, but they probably should have edited out the line about 1999 and maybe changed the title. 

[RCharter]

2 hours ago, cattykit said:

I don't think they needed to scrap the episode, but they probably should have edited out the line about 1999 and maybe changed the title. 

I thought it was a cool way to show how influential and cool Prince was in his life.  Sometimes a celebrity dies and they pretty much haven't been heard from, or thought about in years.....but Prince was different, he was always cool and relevant.  And so I enjoyed hearing Ken's mention of him, especially given what fantastic personal style Prince had, being mentioned on PR seems fitting.

[ownedbysetters]

I felt a bit insulted by the 'sew off'.  I felt manipulated by the show as they desperately attempted to make me believe that Sam had been an inspired designer these last few weeks, and that it was a close close choice on keeping him.  I suspect Nina threatened a revolt if the final result wasn't axing Sam- Isaac's crush notwithstanding.   Her comments on Sam were measured, but I suspect her true feelings weren't represented in those comments.

I thought both Dom and Kini had prints that would have looked good on a phone case.  I think Sam's might have made a cute little raincoat, bright and cheerful in a dark day, or even a pair of rain boots.  It wasn't a terrible print, but his outfit was ugly, poorly made, and looked like everything else he had already done.  Ken's dress wasn't a wow in any respect, but was squarely in his aesthetic and would have been liked by the woman he dresses.  Dom, I think, figured the challenge would be in the bag with her skill with prints, decided to really go outside of the box and do something crazy.....because she could.   There were some good ideas in her outfit, but as a unit, it didn't coalesce for me.

[ratgirlagogo]

22 hours ago, eurekagirl mOo said:

Sam likes mesh neoprene crap because it doesn't ravel and therefore does not not have to be hemmed or finished. Just cut it off to the length to where you  want and you're done

A one-way monkey indeed, as noted above.  When Isaac said that it was beginning to look as though Sam had been sponsored by the National Neoprene Manufacturers' Council, I actually did laugh so hard I had to stop the DVR.  Though it took him long enough to notice, eh?

1 hour ago, RCharter said:

I thought it was a cool way to show how influential and cool Prince was in his life.  Sometimes a celebrity dies and they pretty much haven't been heard from, or thought about in years.....but Prince was different, he was always cool and relevant.  And so I enjoyed hearing Ken's mention of him, especially given what fantastic personal style Prince had, being mentioned on PR seems fitting.

I felt the same way.  It did show that nobody needed to be reminded of Prince or who he was, everybody knew.  The most genuine kind of tribute you could have in a way.

I liked Dom's and Kini's, Sam's was you know, and Ken's was a big miss.  I confess the show did fool me - I was sure that Dom would not win the challenge, since everyone kept saying prints were her specialty, and Ken had so many talking heads I was sure he'd go home.    I wonder why Dom didn't use the print she made here for the phone case - it looked like it would have been equally striking.  

[Beden]

Quote

Sam likes mesh neoprene crap because it doesn't ravel and therefore does not not have to be hemmed or finished. Just cut it off to the length to where you  want and you're done

I'm a bit surprised that he didn't start a love affair with felt for the same reason...all those 50's circle poodle skirts.

[Cyranetta]

I wonder if the judges (including guests) agreed before the series that "fresh" would be their go-to word for when there wasn't anything else they could find to say (like, beautiful, elegant, shocking...).

Besides the no-seam-finish quality mentioned before, maybe Sam like neoprene mesh because it can be used for that godawful sheer-over-short concept so overworked recently, but it's "fresher" than lace or chiffon.

I admire Kini's skill and exuberance, but the soap-opera dramatic style he favors simply doesn't do it for me.

[iggysaurus]

Quote

Was it tasteless to air this episode so soon after Prince's death?

I don't think it was tasteless, necessarily, as it was just a coincidence, but ... I did keep thinking of Prince so it kinda bummed me out. When I saw the episode title, "Prince of Prints," for a second I thought they were doing a tribute to Prince (just because everyone seems to be doing one). And then Ken was mentioning him in one of his talking heads, like, "The only prints (Prince) I want to design for is the one who wants to party like it's 1999" and it seemed like weird, ironic timing.  It made me kinda wish I could see what Ken would design for Prince if he had the chance. Sigh. RIP, Prince.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I didn't find the Prince reference inappropriate or tasteless. It made me go awwwwww and then it made me like Ken a little bit more for loving Prince. An acquaintance of mine has a clothing line and she said one of the greatest moments in her life was when Prince walked into her boutique, picked out some pieces, and asked if they could be made in purple for him. Prince ended up wearing the customized stuff on his next tour.

I didn't love any of the runway designs this week, but one thing I will agree with is that prints don't have to be loud and bold. I think Ken ended up in the bottom two partly because his print was very subdued, both in color and in scale. If he had done the same print but he had either made it bigger or used a bright color, he wouldn't have been in as much danger. Of course, that's all a moot point since the judges had clearly already decided to do this dumb sew off again. I was cracking up when Mondo said earlier that Sam's finishings for his earlier designs weren't great and then Isaac said that if Sam had had 15 more minutes for the sew off dress, it would have been sewn better. Um, no. Even though Isaac finally realized that Sam is addicted to mesh neoprene, he STILL hasn't figured out that Sam is barely a competent sewer.

While I agree that Ken had a huge advantage in the sew off because he was able to use the base of his dress and just go from there, let's be real. Even if Sam had been given an entire day to rework those two fairy tale dresses into something new, it still would have looked like shit. I couldn't believe that the judges praised that horrible Frankenstein of a dress. The bodice on the back of the jacket wasn't fresh and exciting. It looked like exactly what it was - a bodice slapped in the back. He couldn't even sew a basic dress. It was ill fitting, sewn badly, and sloppy looking. The jacket was barely sewn either because he just used the legs from the pants for the sleeves and the bodice for the back.

Ken was right to work smarter, not harder. Adding the sleeves and collar did make the dress look different. And let's be real - if Sam had had the option to do that, he would have, if only to avoid unnecessary sewing.

But back to the prints. I think small and subtle prints are fine. No, they're not going to have a huge WOW moment on the runway, but that doesn't mean they're bad prints. Dom's was really in your face and I definitely saw the Marimekko similarities (I have an old Marimekko tote bag from a million years ago with a pink and red pattern). I would have liked her dress a lot more if she hadn't had that weird two level hemline.

Sam had a lot of nerve criticizing Kini's pattern for being something old that's been done before because pixellated flowers are not exactly new and fresh. Been there, done that. A lot. And Sam's original design was horrible. But at least it was consistent with everything he's done this season. Mesh neoprene AND a jumpsuit - is there anything more Sam than that?

For the record, I'm not saying that Kini's print was fresh either. It was white abstract leaves on a navy background which is definitely not anything new, but Sam's wasn't new either. I agree with the judges about the shininess of the black material Kini used for the collar and the pockets.

Alyssa gets demerits for saying, "I would have went."

Alyssa's red dress. If you are going to wear a low cut neckline at least don't have your tan line showing, blend in some makeup and have your chest color one shade.

The weekend before my junior prom, my show choir did an all day community event outside. I got totally sunburned while wearing a costume that was cut straight across the top and had one inch thick straps of sequins on the shoulders. My prom dress (which I had bought months earlier and already worn to homecoming) was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, so just picture how great that looked with my sunburn. I went to CVS and bought some self tanner in the hopes of evening out my skin tone but to no avail. I ended up with bright red shoulders and white strap marks in those prom pictures. But Alyssa has no such excuse - she has access to professional makeup people who should have fixed that for her! Or she should have just chosen another dress for the runway.

[pasdetrois]

I'm thinking everyone does homework before production begins. In this case, preparing for the print episode, or last week's avant garde episode. The unexpected part of this week's challenge was print-on-print.

Who fed Ken happy drugs? His cheeriness was so forced that it seemed as if he was faking it for the cameras. I didn't like his nasty smack-down of Sam last episode. Just because someone annoys you doesn't give you permission to attack them verbally in a very nasty aggressive way. I think production put Ken up to it, and Sam handled it very gracefully. On, and I hate Ken's black turban. With his tightly buttoned shirts, it's a very odd look.

Guess this mess is between Dom and Kini.

[Bunnyhop]

I've enjoyed "The New Ken".  He was such an angry mess on his season.  Sure, he's still intense and somewhat volatile, but compared to his previous dramatics, he's a pussycat.  He actually smiles and laughs and seems to be enjoying himself.  When we had the Sam/Ken détente, I was sure it was contrived to soften us up for Sam's redemption.  Thrilled to be wrong about that.

I was also thrilled that we got so little of Mondo and so much (relatively speaking) of Dmitri.

Nina's presence reminded me of when your real teacher has returned after an absence and is unhappy with the foolishness that has taken place while she was gone.  Isaac actually seemed a bit abashed.

I loved Kini's jacket/top.  You know the saying "The bigger the hair, the closer to Heaven?"  I still feel that way about shoulder pads.

[RCharter]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I didn't find the Prince reference inappropriate or tasteless. It made me go awwwwww and then it made me like Ken a little bit more for loving Prince. An acquaintance of mine has a clothing line and she said one of the greatest moments in her life was when Prince walked into her boutique, picked out some pieces, and asked if they could be made in purple for him. Prince ended up wearing the customized stuff on his next tour.

What a neat story!  I would have lost my shit if Prince walked into my job.  He seemed like a really neat guy.

3 hours ago, Bunnyhop said:

I've enjoyed "The New Ken".  He was such an angry mess on his season.  Sure, he's still intense and somewhat volatile, but compared to his previous dramatics, he's a pussycat.  He actually smiles and laughs and seems to be enjoying himself.  When we had the Sam/Ken détente, I was sure it was contrived to soften us up for Sam's redemption.  Thrilled to be wrong about that.

I was also thrilled that we got so little of Mondo and so much (relatively speaking) of Dmitri.

I just feel like there is so much mollycoddling in today's culture.  It feels like anytime you tell anyone they are doing something wrong these days, you're suddenly called a "bully."  Any opinion you express about someone that isn't completely and 100% positive is labelled as bullying.  Everyone is a special snowflake.  It gets a little old, and its too bad, because it sounds like there was a teachable moment there for Sam that would have never come out had Ken not said anything.  At the very least, Sam learned that there are consequences to his actions.  And, I do think that people feel better being praised but learn more from criticism/disappointment.

I, too, find new Ken a vast improvement over old Ken.  I also make allowances for the artistic temperament, I don't know if this world is better by everyone walking around with the same dispassionate approach to the world.  Perhaps it would be better.....but I appreciate the level of passion that some designers have.  In his season, when he lost it at Sandro....I didn't like Ken at all, because I don't think Sandro did anything wrong in asking for feedback.  But I wonder if Ken wasn't trying to protect Helen of Cry.

[millennium]

9 hours ago, Bunnyhop said:

 

I was also thrilled that we got so little of Mondo

Mondo telling Scram he could very well win the whole thing was good for a bitter laugh.  I feared that somehow Mondo and the past winners would be involved in the judging.   I was picturing Sam making a jumpsuit with "+" symbols all over it -- you know, as a tribute to all the people who have learned addition.

[RCharter]

6 minutes ago, millennium said:

Mondo telling Scram he could very well win the whole thing was good for a bitter laugh.  I feared that somehow Mondo and the past winners would be involved in the judging.   I was picturing Sam making a jumpsuit with "+" symbols all over it -- you know, as a tribute to all the people who have learned addition.

and flats....don't forget the flats

[unfashionable]

So the last challenge is to make 8 outfits in four days..... wonder what Kini's going to do with the extra three days?

Edited May 2, 2016 by unfashionable
wrong number of days

[sleepyjean]

One thing that really confused me about this episode that I haven't seen mentioned yet, is that everyone on the show kept going on about which designer's print would look good on a phone case. Why does it matter whether Dom's red and white print or Sam's cheesy unfocused flowers would look good on a phone? The prize wasn't to copy the winning designer's print onto a phone case, it was the opportunity for the winner to create a NEW print for the phone case.

 

Also - completely unrelated - how great did Nina look in her little black and white halter jumpsuit? She was pretty fabulous. Sam wishes he could ever make a jumpsuit like hers.

[Love2dance]

So the last challenge is to make 8 outfits in four days..... wonder what Kini's going to do with the extra three days?

LOL!!!!!

[BW Manilowe]

I don't think they should've pulled the ep in light of the Prince mentions & the irony of his untimely death prior to the airing. As someone else said upthread, it was just a coincidence, & a sad 1 at that. This season was, I'm fairly sure, filmed recently, but long enough ago that nobody connected with it had any reason to suspect anything like Prince's untimely death was gonna happen before this ep aired.

[Beden]

Quote

So the last challenge is to make 8 outfits in four days....

When I heard that I think I rolled my eyes. 8 looks in 4 days? 2 a day...not including needed time for conceiving, sketching, shopping, patterning, finishing and all the rest. Didn't the old regular PR give the finalists something like 2 months to do their collections? And we know the judges will be picking apart things for unfinished hems, a crooked zipper and garbage like that. Even if they're given help this is another set up to fail. The only plus here is we're spared 8 wrapped, tacked jumpsuits from Sam.

I'm wondering the reason; obviously $ comes to mind but really--they couldn't give them a damn week even?

[LeapDayBaby]

On 5/1/2016 at 11:02 AM, RCharter said:

But I wonder if Ken wasn't trying to protect Helen of Cry.

Speaking of Helen of Cry, I was thrilled that this season's runway sew-off was not the "rainway" that resulted when Helen cried a river over the prospect of cutting up another designer's losing look in her season of PRAS.

Other random musings:

Was it just me, or did Dom not have a "talking head" segment after her session with Seth Aaron? All the other designers did, if memory serves. I'm a big Seth Aaron fan -- his mother/daughter look in his season is still a favorite for me -- and was glued to my TV for the episode, so I would be surprised to have missed that.

That blue dress shirt Ken was wearing in some of his segments looked great; that color is well-suited to him.

As much as this seems to be a set-up for Dom to join Dmitry and Seth Aaron in the two-time winners' club, I would love to see Ken finish in at least second place. That would be a great end to his well-deserved redemption arc.

[Julia]

41 minutes ago, LeapDayBaby said:

Speaking of Helen of Cry, I was thrilled that this season's runway sew-off was not the "rainway" that resulted when Helen cried a river over the prospect of cutting up another designer's losing look in her season of PRAS.

That was incredibly annoying, since in her own season she said she chose her BFF Kate's outfit to redo as an tribute to her. Then she designed a completely new outfit with nothing of Kate's in it. Helen and Michelle both froze, JMO. Michelle just decided to go out like a viking (with a poncho) while Helen whined.

[RCharter]

2 hours ago, LeapDayBaby said:

As much as this seems to be a set-up for Dom to join Dmitry and Seth Aaron in the two-time winners' club, I would love to see Ken finish in at least second place. That would be a great end to his well-deserved redemption arc.

I realize that Ken probably can't win.  I wish he could, I know he won't.  He isn't nearly edgy enough, and he is actually designing outfits for real women who are not 21 and a size 2.  I think that so much of his POV comes from growing up around strong women who weren't skinny or model thin, but were real and strong.  And I'm not sure that that inspiration works for PR.

I do kinda wish he could win, because something about Dom rubs me wrong and Kini has really fallen in my eyes most of the season.....but I know he just can't.

[phoenix780]

On 4/29/2016 at 8:12 AM, whimsey98 said:

I had to laugh when I got to the part where Sam announces happily he is going another neoprene mesh jumpsuit, that he knows he has done it before, but that's his signature look.  Oh, come on, now. Why is he so stuck on this idea? 

Because it's what the workroom wall looks like.  I only really noticed it once so I could be wrong, but the whole blue/white/mesh seemed to be a paint effect on the wall.  

I fast forwarded through 95% of it because I couldn't sit through an episode leading up to praise of Sam.  And yet his departure was oddly underwhelming, though it seems like he may be a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race (where they sashay away).  That's all I took from that moment.  I think I'm disappointed there wasn't really payoff on the season-long battle between Sam and Kini, or a real reckoning for the undertalented Sam.  Maybe I ff-ed through it?

Did the judges watch the live redo on the runway?  If not...what's the point of a live redo on the runway?  Send 'em back to their spaces or whatever.  The whole deal felt like padding, and like they were testing Sam's construction ability.  If they hadn't done a couple non-eliminations it might have been more interesting.  I couldn't get past Alyssa's "for the first time this season the judges couldn't make a decision" to enjoy the suspense of it all.

[designing1]

Quote

Did the judges watch the live redo on the runway?  If not...what's the point of a live redo on the runway?  Send 'em back to their spaces or whatever.

No, the judges didn't watch. I think having it on the runway was to save on production. It's easier (read that as "cheaper") to move a couple of sewing machines and cartons to the runway than to reset all the cameras and lights in the workroom and then back again to the runway. The less movement and set up/tear down involved, the more economical it is. The manufactured drama is a happy by-product of the practical issues.

[AwesomO4000]

On 4/29/2016 at 6:19 AM, DEL901 said:

I have to admit that a part of me wanted all 4 to go to the finale just so we could see exactly what Sam would create... 8 looks in 4 days... I'm envisioning him buying up every last yard of that stupid white mesh and creating a collection with a Finding Nemo theme by tacking orange fish all over a mesh jump suit.

And I'm a little chagrined to say it, but I would've been entirely amused by that. I'm imagining "cruise wear" like the characters in Seinfeld talked about wanting, except with mesh and fish instead of Hawaiian print. And now I'm imagining myself wearing it on my next Caribbean vacation in July. (Surprisingly mesh stuff would actually work well for that - except it would have to be something lighter, not neoprene net. And I'd want some of the bright blue fish in there instead of or in addition to the orange-red ones)

Yeah in a way, I'm kind of sad we didn't get to see that hot mess go down the runway now. It wouldn't have won, but for me at least it would've been entertaining.

[Miss Ruth]

Unfortunately, "hot messes" can win, at least on Project Runway.  Ashley Nell is proof of that.