S06.E06: Thrown For A Loop By Betty Boop

[dosodog]

2 hours ago, tobeannounced said:

I thought they said Torrid. 

That's the moment I knew Josh was going to be the winner.  I have no clue what market Torrid sells to.  But.....Torrid the name screams fishnet shirts.

2 hours ago, qtpye said:

Bwah ha ha.  This is so true!  Perhaps we can have another fashion icon, like Winnie the Pooh.  Isaac, "Remember he does not wear pants, but make the shirt/ make no pants and only a shirt look classy".

Winnie is short, fat and proud of that.

[tobeannounced]

Torrid is like a plus size Hot Topic???

Edited February 9, 2018 by tobeannounced

[Tara Ariano]

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

The Project Runway All Stars Designers Just Want To Be Loved By You -- And Betty Boop, Their Latest Muse

Creating a glamorous, playful look for early 20th century cartoon siren Betty Boop proves harder for some designers than others. Who should have gone back to the drawing board?

[HurricaneVal]

Wow.  Why do they even listen to not!Tim Gunn (Anne Fulenwider) in the workroom?  I think she steered each and every one of them wrong with her "advice" in last night's episode.  Is she even given the brief on what the challenge is?   Was she given the brief on a different challenge?  Because I can't think of a single instance where her overly critical evaluations of the works in progress actually helped any of the designers.  In more than one instance, it hurt them.  If I were on the show (ha!), I'd do the exact opposite of whatever she told me to do.

[PepperMonkey]

Going to post for the first time in a while on almost anything. I'm super bored with teevee right now, and I was looking foe-ward to PRAS because they kept it away long enough for me to miss it, and then THIS. 

I think I watched part of one episode when there were still too many designers - of course there still are - so I've been half-heartedly keeping up with it here on previously, not because I don't love all of YOU, but oh my god, this show.

Alyssa looks 60 and fat, and like, dumpy fat (I say as a fatty) and she is neither in real life, from what I've seen of other things, unless other images of her have been photo shopped to death and what we are seeing here is the real thing. Also, I still abhor her Helen adoration.

Edmond should have gone before Char because she has at least done a couple of interesting things, but yeah, the turq neoprene dress was pretty godawful. I liked Stanley's quite a bit and got a real 50s vibe from it, a la I Love Lucy, which is very modern when compared to someone like Betty Boop. I'm confused by everyone saying they watched Betty Boop on Saturdays, because I'm thinking I'm older than most of you here and I don't remember watching Betty Boop. That was old shit when I was a tadpole. She was still in black and white and my Gran had to explain to me who she was when it came up on an old movie one time. As most of you, I fail to see how these designers were supposed to be inspired by her and that's what tripped them up when they should have just designed for Wet Seal or Forever 21, but made it shorter and flippier.

UOT: I like Josh. Not his designs, but HIM. He's not nice but he's always pretty honest and there's something about him that is appealing to me, like a certain elegance, if that makes sense. Anyway, as someone else mentioned upthread, he's got no chance in hell of winning this thing, so I am glad he got this victory, even though I hated his outfit pretty hard. I guess I can see why they chose it though, but the whole Torrid tie in confused me because it IS plus size, but I never thought of it as Hot Topic-y, but I've also never been inside of it; we've just walked by it on our old people mall walk. Maybe they pick the least offensive crap to put in the windows??

I don't know if I'll watch another episode. If Alyssa gets her way, it will be a Helen win and I don't think my old heart can stand that. Of the remaining designers, I'm kind of pulling for Fabio, but I don't really care who wins this mess at this point. Project Runway All Stars just needs to get the frack off my lawn.

*ETA: I'm not fat shaming Alyssa, and if it's excess baby weight, there's nothing wrong with that either. I should have clarified that whatever it is they do to her on this show, styling and fashion-wise, it's like they're trying to cast her in the worst possible light instead of as an attractive, heretofore stylish, young woman, who may not be the greatest host in the history of television, but has done nothing that I know about for them to style her like that and make her go on television where it's captured forever on films.

Edited February 9, 2018 by PepperMonkey

[dgpolo]

To me Alyssa looks like she kept some of the baby weight from when she was pregnant. If she's not hurrying to lose it I don't blame her.

I thought Stanley's? looked like some sea creature was strangling the model.

Didn't like Josh's but he was smart with the Boop silhouette.

I noticed the shoes a lot in this runway, I don't think that's really a good thing since I should have been noticing the outfits.

[eyelash]

3 hours ago, Angeleyes said:

The final product at Torrid looks nothing like Josh’s winning look. They just semi replicated the logo t-shirt. Here is a link to Torrid’s entire Betty Boop collection. 

https://www.torrid.com/pop-culture/betty-boop/?cm_sp=Homepage-_-Grid-_-DTR_TextOnly_BettyBoop_ShopCollection

As soon as I saw Josh's look I knew it would win.  It was like a flashback to Christian Siriano's season where the sponsor, Levi's Jeans, asked the designers to transform recycled 501s into a fashion forward look.  Siriano created an awesome moto-inspired jacket.  Yet Levi's chose a corseted denim dress by Ricky Lizalde that I thought looked like a teenager's Home Economics project as the winner.  Why?  Because it was cheaper for them to manufacture.   The judges care much less about "high fashion" than what the sponsor wants.  So it was obvious the winning look needed to fit in with the rest of the cheap crap Torrid shills to teens.  I do notice they appear to have passed on Josh's mesh pants -- at least I don't see them on the website. 

[enoughcats]

33 minutes ago, PepperMonkey said:

I'm confused by everyone saying they watched Betty Boop on Saturdays, because I'm thinking I'm older than most of you here and I don't remember watching Betty Boop. That was old shit when I was a tadpole. She was still in black and white and my Gran had to explain to me who she was when it came up on an old movie one time

Move over old timer, and pass me a beer.

I do remember watching Betty Boop in black and white, but it wasn't on a 'real' TV station on Saturday mornings.  It was on WTTG metromedia channel 5 out of Washington DC and it had the merit of our antenna could pick it up.  Unfortunately, their cartoon offering was very limited and nothing that any other channels would take.  My Mother did recognize Betty Boop (My Mother went to college in the early 1930's).  

Helen, in remembering BB, earned her face time on camera. 

[jackjill89]

I'm officially done with this season. I'm not a fan of All-Stars in general. I don't think Alyssa Milano is a good host and not a fan of the other judges. (Whatever happened to "the gorgeous" Georgina Chapman into -- she's not gorgeous or beautiful any more?) I really don't care who wins, and I'm not loving what's being created. Also, my irrational hatred toward Merline's stupid hats. I just can't anymore.

[DEL901]

2 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

Wow.  Why do they even listen to not!Tim Gunn (Anne Fulenwider) in the workroom?  I think she steered each and every one of them wrong with her "advice" in last night's episode.  Is she even given the brief on what the challenge is?   Was she given the brief on a different challenge?  Because I can't think of a single instance where her overly critical evaluations of the works in progress actually helped any of the designers.  In more than one instance, it hurt them.  If I were on the show (ha!), I'd do the exact opposite of whatever she told me to do.

Didn't the same thing happen last week?  The winner completely ignored her and got raves.

 

As for Alyssa... maybe if she had better posture, she wouldn't look like the clothes are wearing her.

[AwesomO4000]

2 hours ago, PepperMonkey said:

I'm confused by everyone saying they watched Betty Boop on Saturdays, because I'm thinking I'm older than most of you here and I don't remember watching Betty Boop. That was old shit when I was a tadpole. She was still in black and white and my Gran had to explain to me who she was when it came up on an old movie one time.

I'm not young (an end of the line Baby Boomer here) but I knew Betty Boop not from cartoons - Tom and Jerry was old when I was a kid - but from Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston. There was a store there that had all sorts of pins and novelty items (magnets, mugs, lamps, ashtrays, etc.) with old-fashioned themed inspirations, and Betty Boop was one of those regularly featured. Sometimes a little dog I think she had was featured with her. (And if I remember correctly, some of the novelty items were fairly risque.) So that's really the only way I knew Betty Boop (and why do I keep typing it "Betty Boob?")

8 hours ago, phlebas said:

Oh no. I had a conflict and couldn't watch this episode. I missed all the designers explain how they not only know who Betty Boop is but how she's always been an inspiration. But secretly they're confused about why she looked so different in the "Girl Just Wanna Have Fun" video.

Let me know when the cartoon megastar is Underdog or Speed Racer or something.

Okay that would be awesome! But I'm not sure if the designers are even old enough for that reference - at least the original one I remember as a kid. There was a movie more recently. I have the DVD, but though I've heard it's not bad, I haven't had the heart to watch it yet and ruin the nostalgia of the original. But the original would have an interesting old-school anime style as an inspiration. I guess they'd go with Trixie though as the inspiration? (As she's the main female character I remember from that cartoon.)

[slothgirl]

8 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I hate these judges and the people in charge of making these fucked up challenges.

The judges make a BETTY BOOP challenge and then yell at the designers for not being YOUTHFUL enough. 

I doubt the judges create the challenges. Sometimes it doesn't even seem like they got briefed by production on the parameters of the challenge. These people show up for their day of shooting for on-camera time, and don't hang out at production or planning meetings. I'm trying to imagine the cheapskates at PR managing to entice Georgina, Issac, and the guests into attending any kind of discussions about potential ideas for upcoming episodes when they can't even get decent sponsors. Nope.. can't picture it.

5 hours ago, Angeleyes said:

The final product at Torrid looks nothing like Josh’s winning look. They just semi replicated the logo t-shirt. Here is a link to Torrid’s entire Betty Boop collection. 

https://www.torrid.com/pop-culture/betty-boop/?cm_sp=Homepage-_-Grid-_-DTR_TextOnly_BettyBoop_ShopCollection

Based on that collection, it's pretty clear that Josh won for his T-shirt and the idea of the BB cutout. He really tapped into exactly what Torrid was looking for. I can't even remember who the guest judge was... was there someone from the client getting a say in the judging?

5 hours ago, TexasGal said:

 I liked Josh's top.  You could sort of tell he spent all his time on that. 

In an "I wouldn't buy it, but I get it" kind of way, I like the betty boop take on the legendary I heart NY image in the Torrid collection.

The red dress looks nothing at all like Josh's work.

3 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

Is she even given the brief on what the challenge is?   Was she given the brief on a different challenge? 

It wouldn't surprise me at all if she were not in the trainwreck that is the world of PR

Edited February 9, 2018 by slothgirl

[TexasGal]

45 minutes ago, AwesomO4000 said:

I'm not young (an end of the line Baby Boomer here) but I knew Betty Boop not from cartoons - Tom and Jerry was old when I was a kid - but from Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston. There was a store there that had all sorts of pins and novelty items (magnets, mugs, lamps, ashtrays, etc.) with old-fashioned themed inspirations, and Betty Boop was one of those regularly featured. Sometimes a little dog I think she had was featured with her. (And if I remember correctly, some of the novelty items were fairly risque.) So that's really the only way I knew Betty Boop (and why do I keep typing it "Betty Boob?")

 

She did have a dog.  I'm GenX and I feel like I actually knew that but have no idea why I would.  Apparently his name is Pudgy, which I definitely did not know.

And, Betty Boob, why indeed?  Hah!!

[Broderbits]

1 hour ago, AwesomO4000 said:

(and why do I keep typing it "Betty Boob?")

Surely somewhere there is a porn film by that name.

[Lady J]

17 hours ago, slothgirl said:

ALRIGHT! We get it! Fashion for the rest of the season and forever after is supposed to be YOUTHFUL!

Go &#@ yourselves judges! Sheesh. Like every time PR, the brand, makes a tiny step forward (or Foe-ward as Alyssa would say) it takes a huge leap backwards... yes lets have models of varying size, but let's not forget that women over 25 SHOULDN'T EXIST!

What a crapfest/snoozefest. Josh actually did come the closest. Gah. Burns me up to say that. And Helen would have probably won if she had made her top rich black and stark white instead of grey and well, a much darker grey. And this is coming from someone who LOVES grey. Adding the yellow shoes was a good touch if the top had been either more playful or at least kept the high contrast of the polka dots

Char: "I just hope they can see past what isn't good and see what is good..." Which would be what, Honey? Bless your heart.

Thankfully Anthony is safe. That's all I care about on this show anymore... my precious Anthony staying as long as possible.

Please can we go ahead now and create his spin off?

I wonder what Isaac's QVC customers think of that, so youthful, LOL.

[Stats Queen]

13 hours ago, GaT said:

White granny panties that show through the skirt is not a good look, how the hell did Josh win this?

I agree, I thought it was hideous and really trampy. I don’t really understand the thought processes of these judges. I’m thinking Tim Gunn was covering his eyes in shame

[Wings]

This show has hit rock bottom. 

[Tess23]

I was bored watching it and I'm even bored reading this thread, I'm so very sorry to say. Time for PR All-Stars to go.

[Miss Ruth]

5 hours ago, PepperMonkey said:

Edmond should have gone before Char because she has at least done a couple of interesting things,

The designers are supposed to be judged on the current challenge only.

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 hours ago, slothgirl said:

I doubt the judges create the challenges.

My exact sentence was "and the people in charge of making these challenges".  You quoted it.

26 minutes ago, Tess23 said:

I was bored watching it and I'm even bored reading this thread, I'm so very sorry to say. Time for PR All-Stars to go.

Never!  I still love the show, always and forever.  I understand people's desire not to watch something, I don't understand their desire to cancel it for others.  There was just a brilliant episode recently...... actually I think the past 2 before this one were pretty damn good.  This one was just a bust.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[allonsyalice]

8 hours ago, Diane Mars said:

Not a popular opinion here, but I LOVED Josh's look ! (don't forget the reference to Jean-Paul Gaultier at the beginning of this challenge). If I were still in my 20's, I would have worn it ! Maybe with an additional layer under the skirt or a short underneath, but, yes, it's something I would have worn

I'm definitely right there with you. Maybe it's because I'm in my 20s, but I adored it. I would just make the skirt not see through, but I thought it was an updated street look that was still flirty, adorable. I'd totally wear it. 

[Miss Ruth]

2 hours ago, slothgirl said:

  11 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I hate these judges and the people in charge of making these fucked up challenges.

The judges make a BETTY BOOP challenge and then yell at the designers for not being YOUTHFUL enough. 

 

11 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

2 hours ago, slothgirl said:

I doubt the judges create the challenges.

My exact sentence was "and the people in charge of making these challenges". 

The original quote also include the words, "The judges make a BETTY BOOP challenge.."

[Ms Blue Jay]

Oh, wonderful, my words being picked apart still.  Neither you nor I nor anyone knows who creates the challenges.  It's a faceless person who makes them.  You can assume the word 'judges' there means whoever creates them. Thanks.  

Edited February 10, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[dwarmed]

There must be a challenge behind the scenes among the hair and wardrobe people to make Alyssa as hideous as possible. Her hair stylist clearly won the challenge this week with the Betty Boop-inspired hair don't, which made her look more like Bozo the clown with a drinking problem. Honorable mention to the stylist who put her in broad horizontal stripes and a dress that stopped at her calf (in the opening segment), to make her look short, stumpy and thick in the middle. If she's not mean to the styling staff, I don't know what she did to deserve this.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Alyssa is quite attractive and sexy --- did anyone else watch that season of Mistresses she was on?  Because WOW.  But yeah, it's a shame how she's styled here.

Edited February 10, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[PamelaMaeSnap]

An almost-60-something end-of-the-baby-boomer here ... I could be wrong but I grew up in New York City and spent a lot of time shopping for vintage and also in the then-"funky" little stores in the Village and I have a recollection of Betty Boop et all having a retro-comeback period ... I want to say somewhere around mid-70s maybe as late as early 80s? It would have been when I was choosing my own fashions (usually poorly), lots of T-shirts and retro/cute stuff (or so I thought) but before I got married (so that places it between 1975-1983). 

Lots of Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, other cartoon characters either jazzed up with sequins or occasionally kinda dirty (Ricky Rat, etc.). 

[Sugar]

I feel like the age on this forum must run a little old with the clutching of pearls at things that "just aren't done" in fashion. It think it bears repeating that what people wear in magazines, photoshoots, album covers and movie premiers aren't what you and I are going to wear to our office party or brunch with Karen. Josh's design, while not for the everyday woman, is at least interesting and has a clear point of view and a clear customer in mind, unlike the generic cocktail dresses that some of the other designers made. I can totally see a Bella Thorne or Zendaya wearing something like that to the MTV awards, or a NYC girl wearing it to a club. Josh can be bitchy for sure, but I feel like people dismiss him because his aesthetic is so niche and specific - club kid meets drag queen meets dominatrix. As someone who can appreciate a little ho fashion, and someone more in his customer demographic, I really dig his vibe. It's fun, it's different, and it's what many would consider tacky. But people said the same about Versace and Gaultier. 

Actually, I really liked Anthony's black/white number, but I felt like it was crying out for a little belt - either a silver band or tiny black one to break up that white. I also really liked Stanley's, but I wish he had chosen a different, more exciting colour. Ken is continuing to surprise me - I think he's really refined his taste, but I worry that it's heading down a "safe" route. By all means, do gowns, but do them differently than everyone else.

*small voice * I think Helen is a decent designer. She's a good tailor, and can create clean, wearable clothing that a lot of women would want to wear. It's not the most cutting edge, but I can totally see her stuff in some of my local boutiques. I really liked the bottom half of her dress. (she still sucks as a person though).

Finally, I'm just so grateful to not have that dreadful Avon makeup studio + creepy makeup artist anymore. Not that Radial is such a step up, but those Avon products were god awful for a runway show (and did they only have like, 3 lipsticks last season?!). BIG IMPROVEMENT.

Edited February 10, 2018 by Sugar

[ichbin]

3 hours ago, TexasGal said:

She did have a dog.  I'm GenX and I feel like I actually knew that but have no idea why I would.  Apparently his name is Pudgy, which I definitely did not know.

The cartoons used to show up on the secondary TV stations in my area when I was a kid, like Channels 5 and 11 in New York, but I have seen Betty Boop make a resurgence a few times over the years.   Every now and then her image will suddenly pop up on t-shirts or accessories.  My guess is that is how a lot of younger people know about her. 

Joshua and Helen were the only two who seemed to get the challenge this week.  It seems like those who chose to work with neoprene missed an opportunity to utilize it and go for looks reminiscent of Betty's curves and flounces.  Nothing exceptional overall though.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

Anthony would be a better host than Alyssa, or replace The Beautiful Georgina with him.

Georgina wasn't "the beautiful" in this episode and Isaac didn't simper "hi kids" or "hi children" - just "hi." I am grateful for these tiny pleasures.

Quote

 

The final product at Torrid looks nothing like Josh’s winning look. They just semi replicated the logo t-shirt. Here is a link to Torrid’s entire Betty Boop collection. 

 

If they were designing for Torrid, why didn't they use plus sized models, since Torrid is a plus-sized clothing shop. That would have made the challenge a thousand times more interesting and we would have had some of the usual designer bitching about how they were unfamiliar with designing for "curvy" girls.

Quote

 can't even remember who the guest judge was... was there someone from the client getting a say in the judging?

Rebecca Minkoff. I don't think she has any connection to Torrid; she is a fashion and accessories (purse) designer, at least in theory aimed toward the young and chic.

 

Quote

*small voice * I think Helen is a decent designer. She's a good tailor, and can create clean, wearable clothing that a lot of women would want to wear. It's not the most cutting edge, but I can totally see her stuff in some of my local boutiques. I really liked the bottom half of her dress. (she still sucks as a person though).

I don't like Helen's personal style or what I've seen of her personality. BUT I do think she is a talented designer. If I had the figure for her clothes, I'd wear them 

[qtpye]

Exerpt from Huff Post article:
 

Quote

 

Another 1934 short, “Betty Boop’s Big Boss,” explored workplace sexual harassment. When a company erects a sign calling for a female secretary, women flood into the corporate building—designed with vaguely phallic architecture—to apply, heading to its top floor. The enormous, grotesque boss selects Betty based on her looks; when he asks what she can do, however, she seems to reciprocate his lust with flirty suggestions. The boss hires her and stares greedily at Betty as she types. Soon, he asks her for a kiss. When she rebuffs him, he begins to chase her, even as she repeatedly says no. His building, suddenly alive, seems to channel his desires and, chillingly, the doors lock, trapping Betty in with her aggressor. She calls the police. The officers shoot at the boss, and Betty fires pencil stubs at him from a sharpener. Eventually, the officers shoot the building’s base, making it shrink floor by floor, until they find Betty and the boss kissing, seemingly consensually, on the now-bottom level; the tower, a sexual symbol, has been brought down to size, reducing the boss’ violent libido along with it.

 

I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[ichbin]

4 hours ago, Sugar said:

I can totally see a Bella Thorne or Zendaya wearing something like that to the MTV awards, or a NYC girl wearing it to a club. Josh can be bitchy for sure, but I feel like people dismiss him because his aesthetic is so niche and specific - club kid meets drag queen meets dominatrix.

I actually like Josh and think he has mellowed quite a bit since his initial appearances on Project Runway.   As for his designs though, I always think his stuff looks like it is for the chorus line in a revival of Cabaret, even his own appearance.  That doesn't mean I think he's bad, I just think he prefers to keep things limited to that specific vision.  He's stays more to the costumey side of things which is fine as long as there is enough of a customer base for him to keep that going. 

[Jazzhands]

5 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Alyssa is quite attractive and sexy --- did anyone else watch that season of Mistresses she was on?  Because WOW.  But yeah, it's a shame how she's styled here.

My husband and I are the same age as Alyssa, and it makes him crazy when I watch this show.  He says she was his first TV crush and he can’t understand why the stylists on this show seem to hate her so much and pick the frumpiest, least flattering outfits and hairstyles for her.  

[slothgirl]

6 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

 

The original quote also include the words, "The judges make a BETTY BOOP challenge.."

Yes, that is what I was responding to.

6 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

 You can assume the word 'judges' there means whoever creates them. Thanks.  

 

I would never have assumed the word "judges" meant anyone other than the people who are there specifically to judge the competition who are constantly referred to as "judges". Thanks for clarifying.

Edited February 10, 2018 by slothgirl

[English Teacher]

She may have lost her “gorgeous”;intro, but Isaac told her that she was “too pretty”recently.  So it hasn’t gone away completely.   Lol. 

[dleighg]

19 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Helen saying "I used to watch Betty Boop every Saturday at my grandma's house!" had me laughing and laughing. Did your grandma have a time machine? I, as an old, saw the odd Betty Boop cartoon on Saturdays. In 1960.

 

That is hilarious. You know she wouldn't say she watched it on her *own* TV, because that would show current stuff. But her *Grandma*s TV showed old stuff. It all makes sense!

[Beden]

18 hours ago, eyelash said:

As soon as I saw Josh's look I knew it would win.  It was like a flashback to Christian Siriano's season where the sponsor, Levi's Jeans, asked the designers to transform recycled 501s into a fashion forward look.  Siriano created an awesome moto-inspired jacket.  Yet Levi's chose a corseted denim dress by Ricky Lizalde that I thought looked like a teenager's Home Economics project as the winner.  Why?  Because it was cheaper for them to manufacture.   The judges care much less about "high fashion" than what the sponsor wants.  So it was obvious the winning look needed to fit in with the rest of the cheap crap Torrid shills to teens.  I do notice they appear to have passed on Josh's mesh pants -- at least I don't see them on the website. 

Yes, agree with you here but--and I frankly have no knowledge of Torrid, good/bad or indifferent. If I were a manufacturer or retailer looking for a winning look to carry, I'd also partly base a decision on costs balanced with sales potential. I'd have to; seriously--this is a business looking for profit margins. Which is also a lesson young designers (in any field) need to digest and understand.

Reality.

[Texasmom1970]

On 2/8/2018 at 10:24 PM, leocadia said:

The cut and color choice on the bottom of Josh's look made it look very diaper-esque. 

Agreed, I was like Josh, why did you not make those in red. I think the splash of color would have been nice and kept it out of the adult diaper color area!

[Texasmom1970]

I am so totally still watching this show for Anthony! I love all the funny shit he says!

[Diane Mars]

12 hours ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

An almost-60-something end-of-the-baby-boomer here ... I could be wrong but I grew up in New York City and spent a lot of time shopping for vintage and also in the then-"funky" little stores in the Village and I have a recollection of Betty Boop et all having a retro-comeback period ... I want to say somewhere around mid-70s maybe as late as early 80s? It would have been when I was choosing my own fashions (usually poorly), lots of T-shirts and retro/cute stuff (or so I thought) but before I got married (so that places it between 1975-1983). 

Lots of Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, other cartoon characters either jazzed up with sequins or occasionally kinda dirty (Ricky Rat, etc.). 

My 1st T-shirt of that kind (with Donald Duck saying "I'm angry !") was ~1979 and I wore that kind of thing until the last one, a pink panther painting hearts in ~1981 - 1982 :)

Edited February 10, 2018 by Diane Mars

[LennieBriscoe]

My aunt loves Betty Boop! I recently sent her a BB purse and keychain!

My aunt is 75.

Edited February 10, 2018 by LennieBriscoe

[seacliffsal]

I loved the Betty Boop top that Josh made.  There were a lot of details on it and is was fun.  I didn't like the white underwear showing through the black, but understood the look he was going for-young Hollywood.   In the cartoon Betty at the end of the episode, she was in a solid black skirt with that top, so that would be the mass market look. 

I have no idea what anyone else was doing.  The problem with this challenge is that they took an out-of-date cartoon character and tried to sell her as young and hip-which she isn't and was never intended to be.  Even as a child whenever I would see a Betty Boop reference I kind of immediately hated it.  Even today I have no patience for adult women who present themselves as children which is how I see Betty.  She always needed 'saving.'  Therefore, I can understand how the designers were confused about how to design for this antiquated cartoon character who is NOT an iconic Hollywood fashionista.  

I had never heard of Torrid before, but did follow the link provided above.  Everything related to Betty Boop on that sight that looked cheap unflattering.  This was really a poorly designed and poorly communicated challenge.  I feel for the designers.  However, I do agree that it was Char's time to go as she very purposefully chose to use neoprene, yet did not know how to work with it.  She probably wanted the form-fitting properties of it, but did not really get that there is no 'flow' in neoprene.  I like her and think she has matured quite a bit as a designer.  I think designers need to , in general, learn to say 'no' to neoprene. 

[dleighg]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

I had never heard of Torrid before, but did follow the link provided above.  Everything related to Betty Boop on that sight that looked cheap unflattering. 

Me too. The stuff looked like it would be on the sale rack at Walmart, or maybe Forever 21. Very cheap-looking, and barely related to what Josh did.

Edited February 10, 2018 by dleighg

[Jsage]

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ALRIGHT! We get it! Fashion for the rest of the season and forever after is supposed to be YOUTHFUL!

This bothered me. I get why the Betty Boop challenge would require a youthful look but why do all further challenges needs to be focused on youth? Do they have to mix avant grade with youth somehow? Should all dresses be prom dresses from now on? Should everyone emulate Josh's looks? I think Issac's directive is completely ridiculous and I hope the designers ignore it.

 

I wish Alyssa would grow out her hair. I think part of the problem is she doesn't quite have the bone structure for short hair. Longer hair would go a long way towards upping her attractiveness.

[enoughcats]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

I think designers need to , in general, learn to say 'no' to neoprene. 

I would have guessed that other negatives to neoprene was cost and limited potential buyers.  I can't see women in the south, make that girls in the south choosing to wear something that heavy and heat retaining for eight months of the year. And neoprene clothes don't lend themselves to tailoring to fit.

I can see why PR contestants use it: no seems to finish, no hems to fold, and sometimes there are different colors so it comes with a 'lining'.

What I didn't expect was how many neoprenes are sold for their stretchiness. They even have a fashion weight neoprene.  I went to cyber Mood! (sadly cyber Mood doesn't have a cyberSwatch to meet us.)

Almost drowning in neoprene.

So, how much did Char spend? $17.99 a yard. If I got the 'right' neoprene. 

 https://www.moodfabrics.com/sky-blue-luminous-fashion-weight-neoprene-318645

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What surprised me was how many really interesting prints they had there in neoprene.  .  

Edited February 10, 2018 by enoughcats

[Starsandbucks]

Oh lord I’ve been dreading this challenge since all the little teases they’ve been showing in the “this season on All Stars” promo. Who on earth cares about Betty Boop in 2018? And then that weird Popeye clip? Oooh how relevant! 

I too was confused by the Torrid collaboration but then no mention as to whether the designers needed to keep in mind that their designs should flatter a plus-size market (heaven forbid!). But I think the right designer won. Josh’s top was cute and different from anything that had been produced this season. As much as I personally don’t love sheer clothing (particularly on the bottom half) you do see it a lot on Hollywood red carpets, paired with a boyshort underneath. I actually do think a young starlet (maybe a CW TV actress level) would wear it. 

[dleighg]

3 minutes ago, Starsandbucks said:

And then that weird Popeye clip? Oooh how relevant! 

 

yeah, what the HECK was that about?

[ThatsDarling]

I was reading an interview with Ari South in which she said this season of All Stars was filmed in the summer of 2016, almost two years ago. It's a bit strange that it's just airing now. The Georgina Chapman of this installment is more than a year away from the Weinstein revelations, Barack Obama was still president, and fashion trends were slightly different at the time. 

Apparently, an additional season (All Stars 7) has been completed as well. 

Edited February 10, 2018 by ThatsDarling

[Miss Ruth]

20 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

You can assume the word 'judges' there means whoever creates them. Thanks.  

I don't assume.  I just go by what I read.

[Miss Ruth]

14 hours ago, ichbin said:

I actually like Josh and think he has mellowed quite a bit since his initial appearances on Project Runway.

I couldn't stand Josh on his first appearance.  The way he treated everyone, especially Bert and Becky, was atrocious.  I hated to see him appearing on "All Stars" the first time but I was pleasantly surprised at the changes in his personality.  The same goes for Ken.  I really like both of them now.  Ken and Helen had a couple of "knock-down, drag-outs" but seem to have gotten past that, and now seem to be friends.  I have often wondered if the producers, or someone at the show, have had talks with them about their behavior.

14 hours ago, Jazzhands said:

My husband and I are the same age as Alyssa, and it makes him crazy when I watch this show.  He says she was his first TV crush and he can’t understand why the stylists on this show seem to hate her so much and pick the frumpiest, least flattering outfits and hairstyles for her.  

The bottom line is that she has the last word in how she looks  She needs a good mirror.

[KLovestoShop]

Call me when Hello Kitty is the challenge.   I don’t think these kinds of challenges like Boop or Balls show how good a designer can be.  It’s just some silly thing that the producers think the audience will like.  For me, I want to see real clothes, on real women of all ages and sizes, and not some circus crap.