S16.E06: Models Off Duty

[hoodooznoodooz]

12 hours ago, Sarnia said:

Claire's model looked like she was wearing diapers. How Claire is still there over Samantha is mind-boggling. At least Samatha's dress was well tailored and made her model look good.

I was also surprised that Michael was not in the top 3, but reading the comments here it seems I'm a minority. I thought Liris looked gorgeous and confident coming down the runway.

I agree with you. Michael did something really interesting with the fabric. 

Edited September 26, 2017 by hoodooznoodooz

[Yokosmom]

Quote

 

Claire's model looked like she was wearing diapers. How Claire is still there over Samantha is mind-boggling. At least Samatha's dress was well tailored and made her model look good.

I was also surprised that Michael was not in the top 3, but reading the comments here it seems I'm a minority. I thought Liris looked gorgeous and confident coming down the runway.

 

Quote

I agree with you. Michael did something really interesting wih the fabric. 

I'm wondering if it was his choice of fabric that kept him out of the top 3?  Very bright and shiny.  And maybe it is just me, but I don't think that Liris was all that thrilled by it.  I'm not sure I can see someone actually walking around in Kenya's dress, but I do think that it was editorial in it's way.  Of course, that wasn't the challenge, but editorial always wins out.

I'm a little confused over what the judges were oohing about regarding one aspect of Kentaro's garment--did he just make the legs part of the leggings and tape them to the model's let?  On some episodes, that would be considered cheating, but here, they just seemed to think that it was clever.

Now that the herd has been thinned out a bit, I'm assuming that Claire and Shawn will both be out over the next few episodes.  Totally derivative and no inspiration.  Well, ok, so Shawn's sleepwear at least showed something a little different.

Can't wait for the drama this week, though I now know better than to trust the editing monkeys regarding cheating or whatever.

[dleighg]

5 minutes ago, Yokosmom said:

I'm a little confused over what the judges were oohing about regarding one aspect of Kentaro's garment--did he just make the legs part of the leggings and tape them to the model's let?  On some episodes, that would be considered cheating, but here, they just seemed to think that it was clever.

I assumed that the top was some sort of elastic, but they only showed it for a moment.

[Brookside]

2 hours ago, Missbones said:

For some reason, all that came to mind for me, regarding Kenya's outfit, was a server at a restaurant.  All she needed was some "flair"!

Hello Tina Fey.

[qtpye]

On Friday, September 22, 2017 at 5:02 PM, sheetmoss said:

I agree - he was trying to get it right

 

i liked Samantha, but every time I looked at her hair I thought of the colored curled ribbon spilling  out over the tops of gift bags.

 

On Friday, September 22, 2017 at 5:04 PM, Sprockets said:

Exactly!  It looked pretty and fun, but I wondered why it was on her head!  

 

On Friday, September 22, 2017 at 7:56 PM, Tabbygirl521 said:

I will miss Samantha, but she had me a little perplexed this week. Her model requested "grunge," but somehow that morphed into Lolita? Has the world redefined "grunge"? Because I am from Seattle and maybe I am stuck in the '90s but if you ask ME for grunge, we all will be harking back to Kurt Cobain. 

 

On Friday, September 22, 2017 at 8:16 PM, SuburbanHangSuite said:

ITA.  And I guess it's because she didn't make it to the critique (although one can make a strong argument that she should have!) that we didn't hear the judges point out that her garment was too Nigerian costumey. But I was giving Zac and Nina a side-eye for clowning Margarita's about it being "so Miami."  Uhhh...and what's wrong with that?  Why couldn't it be streetware for Miami?  Or San Juan?  I guess in their minds, streetware must equate to NYC streetware.  Not cool.

 

On Friday, September 22, 2017 at 10:19 PM, beaker73 said:

I'm with ya! 

 

There were 10 designers this week, right? Do we know for sure they're pairing them up next week? Because if so we currently have an odd number, so...does someone come back? 

This is so hard, because I really like Samantha.  I would love to hang out with her and snark over a glass of wine. I think she is quite gifted with construction.  However, something about her choice of colors and materials always seemed to dull down her designs to look dated and boring.  Also, even though I can appreciate the Lolita fashion aesthetic, it's proportions can be pretty unforgiving.  It can go into stumpy looking pretty fast.

Does Nina thimk Miami is the hellmouth or something?  That being said, it was diassapointing for M to blame her bad choices on her model being a diva, when we saw how easy that model was to work with.

Edited September 25, 2017 by qtpye

[pally]

2 hours ago, Yokosmom said:

'm a little confused over what the judges were oohing about regarding one aspect of Kentaro's garment--did he just make the legs part of the leggings and tape them to the model's let?  On some episodes, that would be considered cheating, but here, they just seemed to think that it was clever.

Most of the times it is cheating  because of lack of time but in this case it was an actual design choice to minimize the bulking gained with layering.  Designers do this type of thing all the time with sweaters.  He specifically chose the fabric and chose an appropriate way to hold the leggings in place.  I thought it was a fantastic idea and could see that idea being a huge seller.

[jhlipton]

18 hours ago, rollacoaster said:

Battani's outfit was vibrant and beautiful! I don't really find it costume-y, as I know Black women who would rock that look, or similar, on a daily basis.

Exactly.  This wasn't the equivalent of lederhosen, although it seems some Germans do wear them on a daily basis.

Calling one culture's casual clothes a "costume" is, if not racist, at least culturally insensitive.  Kentaro's design was calked0 "samurai-like", which IS costume-y.

[Nordly Beaumont]

1 hour ago, pally said:

Most of the times it is cheating  because of lack of time but in this case it was an actual design choice to minimize the bulking gained with layering.  Designers do this type of thing all the time with sweaters.  He specifically chose the fabric and chose an appropriate way to hold the leggings in place.  I thought it was a fantastic idea and could see that idea being a huge seller.

He originally called them "leg warmers" and I thought ohhhh nooooo.... So glad what he  was picturing wasn't what I was picturing!

[leighdear]

The challenge was STREET WEAR.  Most of the contestants seemed to not follow the theme, not just Batani.  A ruffled top, pencil skirt & stiletto heels isn't normally "street".  Neither did I think Amy's cocktail dress with reversible shiny jacket and stiletto heels was street.  Nor did I see urban street wear in Michael's Disco dress with the strappy cutout sides.  And the sundress with the satin bathrobe?   For all her loathsome behavior, I actually think Claire's look was more street than most. 

My interpretation of street wear may be radically different from what other people see though.  

[azshadowwalker]

The challenge goes by the wayside if a favored designer decides it should, I guess, @leighdear. Claire, Kentaro, and (even though it's derivative of everything he designs) Brandon did streetwear, IMO. Most didn't. 

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Not to argue but just to ... well, either clarify or just wonder ... was it supposed to be "streetwear" for the average everyday person walking down the street, or "streetwear" for the model. For whatever reason, the way I inferred it (meaning I could be TOTALLY off base) was along the lines of "your client today -- YOUR MODEL!!! -- spends most of her time on runways wearing other people's designs. We want you to get a feeling for what SHE would like to wear if she had spare time and could just go shopping or go out and do things during a normal (for most people) day." So if my read is right (which it may not be), street wear meant "design something your model would wear if they had a normal life where they could choose their own style for a day. 

[iggysaurus]

Quote

 

This one for example:

Quote

Dear Kentaro, it is not racist to reference Africa in a sentence because "Africa" is not a derogatory term.  It is an actual place.  You are like those people who will say "a black person," but whisper "black" as if they're trying not to swear.  And you don't get a pass for being from Japan; bigotry is not solely an American cultural phenomenon.  

Though I doubt everything is as a reply to this particular comment, and a lot is just to address his insecurity, which was part of the episode and maybe some peoples own insecurity in not wanting to offend, but feeling they'd offend either way by  saying or not saying something or asking. It's difficult to navigate at times. 

 

Yeah, that post that you quoted had me scratching my head because it's like ... the person is saying "it's not racist to reference Africa" and yet they seem to be bashing Kentaro for it all the same.  Kentaro, you don't get a pass for ... saying something NOT racist? 

[hoodooznoodooz]

On 9/25/2017 at 8:14 AM, Sarnia said:

Claire's model looked like she was wearing diapers. How Claire is still there over Samantha is mind-boggling. At least Samatha's dress was well tailored and made her model look good.

I was also surprised that Michael was not in the top 3, but reading the comments here it seems I'm a minority. I thought Liris looked gorgeous and confident coming down the runway.

Honestly. I have this vague memory also that Samantha created at least two very cool items in the first three or four episodes. If it were a fair Project Runway, they'd compare everything Samantha has created so far this season to everything Claire has created. 

I loved the plaid crinoline. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

On 9/23/2017 at 9:01 PM, PamelaMaeSnap said:

I definitely think the montage they showed of every time Claire-Hair came over to fix/help/do something for Shawn-Lawn HAD to be setting up something and is proof that the camera folks and producers caught much of what happened. I don't know the real-time schedule of how things come down there but can't help but wonder if Heidi's "one ... OR MORE ... of you will be eliminated tonight" (I THINK that was two weeks ago, not this most recent episode?) and then only one designer being auf'ed may have been setting things up for a double-elimination of the Indeedy-Duo down the road. 

Or maybe that's wishful thinking. 

I really wanted them to show all the, "Claire, can you help me--?" "Claire-Bear?" "Claire, how do I--?" "Claire-Bear, should I--?" "Claire, can you take a look at--?" culminating with Claire erupting with a, "What the FUCK, Shawn?!?!"

[PamelaMaeSnap]

So the more I look at photos from this week, the more I have to admit that I personally loved Samantha's dress. It was probably the only thing from this episode I would have worn (were I not a woman of a certain age who would look like an idiot in it, and maybe even then). I definitely did not think it should have auf'ed her. Which is why I held out hope until the last moment that Twingate would come down right afterwards and Samantha would be returned to the work room. 

[Absurda]

I'm with PamelaMaeSnap in that I didn't hear this as a streetwear challenge but a client challenge. The brief was "design something for your client that they would wear and publish on social media", so it was really up to the models to dictate what that would be.

As an example, I really don't think Liris is the type of woman to ever wear street unless forced to on the runway. She strikes me as the sort of woman who does full hair, makeup and wardrobe just to go to the store for milk. So a cocktail dress rather than jogging suit or jeans would probably be more what she'd want. YMMV though.

I really liked Samantha and her designs but I think her problem was that she just wasn't listening to the judges. She kept choosing dark, muddy colors and fabrics that don't show details well but her own clothes were colorful and interesting. They kept telling her that her clothes were more interesting than her designs and I think that's why.

I couldn't pull off Kentaro's design but I did like it. The skit was reminiscent (to me anyway) of a shirt tied around her waist. I loved the structure he put into the crop top.

[hks]

On 9/25/2017 at 7:14 AM, Sarnia said:

Claire's model looked like she was wearing diapers. How Claire is still there over Samantha is mind-boggling. At least Samatha's dress was well tailored and made her model look good.

I was also surprised that Michael was not in the top 3, but reading the comments here it seems I'm a minority. I thought Liris looked gorgeous and confident coming down the runway.

 

On 9/25/2017 at 1:33 PM, hoodooznoodooz said:

I agree with you. Michael did something really interesting with the fabric. 

I agree with you both.  I mean, maybe Liris was the reason I loved Michael's but honestly, I felt it was top 3.  Also, Claire only knows how to make diapers. She made a diaper this time, and she made a diaper under a see-thru skirt in the last challenge.  Oh, and terrible shorts the time before.  And then horrendously unflattering pants before that.  (I just went through and looked at all of her designs).  Hideous.  She should have been out for sure instead of Samantha, and I'm sure the only reason she's still there is bc of producer shenanigans.

[Surrealist]

On 9/24/2017 at 11:09 PM, rollacoaster said:

I always feel so bad for the clients when they love and feel great about what's been designed for them, and the outfit gets shredded by the judges. 

When the model/client loves her outfit and then the judges shred it, I cringe. I've caught a couple of the models looking vaguely crestfallen. I mean, the judges are shredding the client's personal taste. That has to sting a bit.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Surrealist

[gingerormaryann]

I thought Michael's design was hideous.  It looked like a take on those '80s ripped fashions when people were actually trying to look like Hulk Hogan. 

[carrps]

On 9/24/2017 at 0:18 PM, azshadowwalker said:

When he was describing it, I thought he was insane. Then, it came down the runway. However, it reminded me of the host of the British What Not to Wear, who loved pants under dresses. 

Trini (sp?), yeah. They talked about it in one episode, although she looked reasonably slender, she did have proportionately heavier legs and a bit of a cankle situation.

[azshadowwalker]

5 hours ago, gingerormaryann said:

I thought Michael's design was hideous.  It looked like a take on those '80s ripped fashions when people were actually trying to look like Hulk Hogan. 

You are right. 80s metalheads loved the look, too. The worst part is that I still see college girls do this. They buy oversized school t-shirts, then shred and belt them to wear to football games. (It is hot during football season here.)

Edited September 27, 2017 by azshadowwalker

[jcbrown]

Just watched the runway again and have a few thoughts.

Go away, Shawn.

Batani made a skirt that just did not fit. Those horizontal wrinkles were a disaster. 

Kenya's look: I had a green pants suit that I loved. Twenty years ago.

Kentaru is adorable.

Amy at some point is going to have to do a piece in something other than a dark solid color if she is going to stay in. I think she has skills; I just think her work reads boring.

Brandon is going to have to step away from the dangling straps or get branded a one-way monkey.

[candall]

Read Page One and skipped to here.  Did anyone in Pages 2-5 raise the point that Samantha's own clothes are superior to her runway garments because she didn't have to churn out her personal wardrobe in ONE FREAKING DAY?  'Cause sure as shit no one said it to the judges and I thought they really deserved to hear the rebuttal.  Imagine people complaining that someone's not meeting her own standard of excellence when one of those people is an executive producer responsible for making that an impossible achievement in the first place!  Hmmmph.

[dleighg]

6 hours ago, jcbrown said:

Brandon is going to have to step away from the dangling straps or get branded a one-way monkey.

Being very careful even though I think this is in no way spoiler-ish:

Spoiler

I saw the fashion week samples (of far more designers than actually make it there of course, so likely all that remain now) and lo and behold there was a model trailing straps around her. I wonder WHO designed THAT one?

[graybrown bird]

Speaking of Brandon and his straps, can someone enlighten me? Are the straps a fashion or cultural reference of some sort? Or are they just embellishment?  I like Brandon's garments - their long lines and his color and fabric choices - but the trailing straps are a mystery to me.

[lizzyp]

1 hour ago, graybrown bird said:

Speaking of Brandon and his straps, can someone enlighten me? Are the straps a fashion or cultural reference of some sort? Or are they just embellishment?  I like Brandon's garments - their long lines and his color and fabric choices - but the trailing straps are a mystery to me.

Straps and harnesses seem to be this season's version of 'slap a big ugly zipper on it' from a few years ago.  Hopefully they'll all get it out of their systems and stop wasting precious work time adding them.

[Eulipian 5k]

On 9/22/2017 at 0:13 AM, mamadrama said:

I don't feel real comfortable armchair diagnosing the twins as being on the spectrum. That seems to be the new catchall for folks who are "different"

To me it must be hard for others to understand that the twins probably spent their entire lives within earshot of each other, knowing they are thinking the same thing. I think to them they are thinking out loud when they go "Hey Claire, wadayou think about this or wadabout that", these guys may not even realize how others see or hear them. They have guaranteed validation from each other. The Barber brothers, (football/TV) have talked about how difficult it was to eventually end up on different football teams and how much they were dependent on the other being "there". They don't have a mental disease or condition. They are just living out their experience.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 9/25/2017 at 4:27 PM, leighdear said:

The challenge was STREET WEAR.  Most of the contestants seemed to not follow the theme, not just Batani.  A ruffled top, pencil skirt & stiletto heels isn't normally "street". 

Sounds like street walker to me.  Not the same?

 

On 9/21/2017 at 6:51 PM, chitowngirl said:

It is so nice to see a season of designers that genuinely like each other and get along. They seem annoyed by the twins, but I don't see that anyone hates them.

Is it possible they're getting a bad edit, if the people who are actually around them don't hate them as much as those of us who are watching them on TV do?

[Nordly Beaumont]

2 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

 

On ‎9‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 8:51 PM, chitowngirl said:

It is so nice to see a season of designers that genuinely like each other and get along. They seem annoyed by the twins, but I don't see that anyone hates them.

Is it possible they're getting a bad edit, if the people who are actually around them don't hate them as much as those of us who are watching them on TV do?

I'm not sure I'd call it a bad edit necessarily. As far as the twins themselves, they're playing for the cameras and most likely getting the edit they're expecting. But as far as the edit of the other designers, yeah, I'm sure those aggravated faces are just gathered by the cameras throughout the day and it could be anyone/anything aggravating them. The editors just use it to show disdain for the twins. Along with the "talking heads" interviews where they're asked pointed questions about the twins.

It's not the twins' first rodeo, so I'm thinking the editing won't be a surprise to them at all.

[hoodooznoodooz]

2 hours ago, Nordly Beaumont said:

I'm not sure I'd call it a bad edit necessarily. As far as the twins themselves, they're playing for the cameras and most likely getting the edit they're expecting. But as far as the edit of the other designers, yeah, I'm sure those aggravated faces are just gathered by the cameras throughout the day and it could be anyone/anything aggravating them. The editors just use it to show disdain for the twins. Along with the "talking heads" interviews where they're asked pointed questions about the twins.

It's not the twins' first rodeo, so I'm thinking the editing won't be a surprise to them at all.

Another possibility might be that there are some pleasant or bonding moments between Claire or Shawn and other designers that the editors are not showing us. But I doubt it.

[kitten59]

On 9/25/2017 at 2:14 AM, tiramisue said:

This one for example:

Though I doubt everything is as a reply to this particular comment, and a lot is just to address his insecurity, which was part of the episode and maybe some peoples own insecurity in not wanting to offend, but feeling they'd offend either way by  saying or not saying something or asking. It's difficult to navigate at times. 

Thank you, Tiramisue. That was exactly the post I was referring to.

Edited September 28, 2017 by kitten59

[Wandering Snark]

On 9/26/2017 at 10:45 PM, candall said:

Samantha's own clothes are superior to her runway garments because she didn't have to churn out her personal wardrobe in ONE FREAKING DAY?

I thought this too... She should have said "Well I don't design on a timeframe when working on my own pieces." Her personal things have of course outshone her rush jobs...

This however isn't something the twins will EVER be called out for, as I've never seen a "designer" dress so umm... shlumpy on the runway? I mean try to make an effort instead of throwing on a big sweatshirt and shorts. Also I've never seen so many shorts on a model evar.

[lizzyp]

Part of the problem, for me, with Samantha's looks that were compared unfavorably to her own outfit was that the fabric and colors were not as vibrant and interesting.  Much of her detail work was just too hard to see because everything was so dark and heavily layered while her own dresses for those runway critiques were silver and gold and luxe looking. 

Sometimes it is just the fabric choice that dooms a design, not the design itself or the execution.

I really loved her pajama look and would have bought it for myself. 

Wandering Snark, I have noticed that the twins really seem to do basically the same thing over and over.  Shorts/ short pants and a crop top.

[gingerandcloves]

3 hours ago, lizzyp said:

Part of the problem, for me, with Samantha's looks that were compared unfavorably to her own outfit was that the fabric and colors were not as vibrant and interesting.  Much of her detail work was just too hard to see because everything was so dark and heavily layered while her own dresses for those runway critiques were silver and gold and luxe looking. 

Sometimes it is just the fabric choice that dooms a design, not the design itself or the execution.

I really loved her pajama look and would have bought it for myself. 

Wandering Snark, I have noticed that the twins really seem to do basically the same thing over and over.  Shorts/ short pants and a crop top.

 

Yes, I was excited when I saw Samantha sewing the plaid skirt for the challenge, it was giving me Vivienne Westwood vibes...and then when the outfit came down the runway, I was like, where's the plaid? Underneath two other layers where no one can see it - arrgh! I loved her style but she needed to show her fabrics off better, they kept getting lost in the layers and piecework.

[sasha206]

On 9/22/2017 at 10:05 AM, backgroundnoise said:

I think Tim should not be allowed to say anything to the judges, unless he sees something absolutely forbidden.  People helping each other is not against the rules.  If Claire wants to jeopardize her own position, I agree with whoever-that-was they had judging, that's on Claire.  Tim needs to butt out.

Claire does much more than help.  Shawn can't do an outfit without her.  For Shawn to have a near-winning look, I think it's unfair to the other contestants who got edged out and had to create and sew their own outfits.  

[sasha206]

On 9/23/2017 at 8:18 PM, mwell345 said:

I had forgotten until I read it In a recap that  Claire walked into the workroom on runway day and said something like "the first thing we have to do today is finish Shawn's pants".  Yes, designers have helped each other in the past, but can anyone point to a time when a designer walked into the workroom any day and said "ok, first on my agenda today is finish another designer's pants?  I don't think so.

 And now she had the audacity to "design" an outfit she already wore in front of all of them.   She needed to do something quickly because most of her time was spent on Shawn's outfit, and I guess if it's good enough for Puma...

I feel like the two of them have decided that if either of them win, the earnings are split between the both of them and therefore they have strength in numbers which is inherently unfair.  They shouldn't have a married couple on the show as designers, so why is it that twins who already work together are in the same competition?

[Kristimar]

Well, the dreaded episode is near... the 'you need to design an outfit for a 'regular person.' I'm hoping it won't be a bad as it usually has been in past shows.  But, is it too horrible for me to want both twins to be given 'one more chance' to design for this? 

[mwell345]

On 9/30/2017 at 0:54 PM, sasha206 said:

I feel like the two of them have decided that if either of them win, the earnings are split between the both of them and therefore they have strength in numbers which is inherently unfair.  They shouldn't have a married couple on the show as designers, so why is it that twins who already work together are in the same competition?

Exactly.  They both represent the same company.  So that company has 2 contestants in the competition. No way is that fair.

[Nancypants]

Hey Twins, next week, make shorts and a sweatshirt crop top.

GROUNDBREAKING!

[Nancypants]

Fucking Shawn and that curt head bob she does to show how alert and perky she is

I want to punch her in the throat

Also , she said Indeed again. 

[Nancypants]

And Claire I like you better than your bald sister, but why are you Running in the workroom? Like where the Fuck are you going? 

Ahh nevermind I hate you too.