S17.E10: What Do You Care About?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

The designers dig deep in this challenge to use their skills to bring attention to a social cause they care about; Elaine Welteroth mentors each designer on channeling their creative voice for change; the designers are hit with a flash sale twist.

Original air date: 5/16/19

[mightysparrow]

Bishme is scaring me.

I support Garo's choice of causes because I understand how important bees are to humanity but I REALLY wish he wasn't making a yellow and black dress.  With a CORSET.

[Rhetorica]

I am so tired of all these causes!  Why can't humanity get the fuck along and stop hating all those "other people "!?!?!

Seriously, this one made me a bit weepy.  I hope intellengence is out there somewhere...

[dosodog]

I just don't get how Hester's dress told her cause.

Short skirt, crop top, fluffy jacket.  What am I missing that makes it different than an outfit you can put together from a dept. store?  And highlights gay equality?

[WaltersHair]

Never thought I'd see my childhood sleeping bag as a top pick.

[Ashforth]

I think this is the first time a runway critique made me cry. Damn you, Tessa! Along with other designers.

I sorta thought that Garo should go.

[raven]

I like all of the t-shirts.  They just blurbed that they are for purchase, for charity, on the PR website.

Not Venny!!  OK, I was affected by his tears when he presented his design.  Garo is a costume designer, which is fine, but not necessarily fashion.  I would have sent him home.

As annoying as Hester is, all of the other designers seem to like her.  Maybe I'm just feeling emotional.  Jeez.

Jamal seems very sweet, but enough with the puffy jacket fabric. 

[MerBearStare]

It was weird to me that they only had a bottom two, not a bottom three. It seems like they either didn't want to put Tessa in the bottom because of what she revealed on the runway (more on that in a minute) or they didn't want to put Hester in the bottom because gay rights are such a big issue in the fashion industry.

The guest judge asking Tessa what was behind her design felt exploitative and like producer manipulation. Not that Tessa should be ashamed of being a sexual assault survivor, but she shouldn't be put on the spot to reveal it on national television.

[Jordan Baker]

I was hoping this was finally Sebastian's time, but Bishme's dress and tee shirt were great.

Bishme was on fire this whole episode. It must have been the Red Bull and coffee.

Was it Bishme who delivered these lines (my favorite of the episode):

• When Christian says there's another element: "Are we going to Mexico?"
• After Christian explains about the tee shirt: "So we're NOT going to Mexico?"

Did Bishme ever mention why he used purple fabric? My first thought was the Baltimore Ravens, but I doubt that's right.

[Ellaria]

Sorry that Venny was eliminated but I think it was his time. Loved his t-shirt. He seems like a good man. I was hoping that Garo would leave because that dress was hideous and he annoys me.

The guest judge added nothing to the critiques. And I am completely over Nina and her admonishing looks.

The top three dresses were lovely but I think that Sebastian should have won (again). I think that he is the stand-out among the group but he doesn’t seem to breakout in the eyes of the judges. 

[Straycat80]

I agree with @MerBearStare. I think Tessa and Hester were safe because their causes were such sensitive issues. 

I liked the top three designs. I was hoping Sebastian would finally win one though.  I felt bad for Venny, but it was his time to go IMO. 

I like how supportive everyone is to each other. I can see them staying friends after this competition is over. 

[AntAnn]

1 minute ago, Ellaria Sand said:

The top three dresses were lovely but I think that Sebastian should have won (again). I think that he is the stand-out among the group but he doesn’t seem to breakout in the eyes of the judges. 

I agree with you!

[mightysparrow]

10 minutes ago, Jordan Baker said:

• When Christian says there's another element: "Are we going to Mexico?"
• After Christian explains about the tee shirt: "So we're NOT going to Mexico?"

He deserves to win for that!

[SunnyBeBe]

I think that I liked Tessa's design more than a lot of you.

I actually liked the bee concept the best, but it didn't turn out too well.

[Ashforth]

19 minutes ago, MerBearStare said:

The guest judge asking Tessa what was behind her design felt exploitative and like producer manipulation. Not that Tessa should be ashamed of being a sexual assault survivor, but she shouldn't be put on the spot to reveal it on national television.

I think Tessa made the decision to take ownership of being a survivor by virtue of her design. I also thought that her design was avant garde (even though the guest judge didn't get it), so it was hard for it to compete with "pretty" garments.

This was one of those challenges, in my opinion, that was so broad that it was difficult.

Bishme deserved the win but owes Christian big time for his input.

[weightyghost]

Hester... makes a version of the same jacket she wore when she was designing it... what are the judges smoking when it comes to her. 

I don't get why the one judge was harping on Tessa's design ~telling a woman what her body should look like when she literally traced the model's body. It was definitely a way to force her into telling her story and it's just annoyingly obvious. 

[mightysparrow]

They should have kicked Hester's ass.  She was saved by her 'message'

Venny is a lovely man but his design wasn't good at all

I loved Tessa's dress.  I think it was beautiful and moving.  She didn't need to tell her story and I think she was exploited.

I don't have anything to say about Garo or Jamal.  They've been doing the same look since they arrived.  I'm glad that Nina got on Garo about the corset dress but since she didn't give Hester the same bollocking, I call bullshit.

Sebastian is a victim of his own excellence.  The judges expect Sebastian to be good every week so they don't give him credit for the fact that he's good EVERY WEEK!

Bishme's was the clear winner this week.  His design was gorgeous (thanks Christian) and I loved his t-shirt.  He deserved the win.

[Desert Rat]

Tessa's design was idiotic. "I was molested so I'm gonna wear a t-shirt with circles around my boobies and white chalk outlining my vagina." WTF? She couldn't wait to tell her story. She's an attention whore, second only to Hester the clown. 

Edited May 17, 2019 by Desert Rat

[Jextella]

 

 

 

54 minutes ago, Jordan Baker said:

I was hoping this was finally Sebastian's time, but Bishme's dress and tee shirt were great.

Bishme and Sebastian are my favorites.  

I've loved all the challenges this season, ALL the new judges, Christian as the advisor....the whole thing.  The reboot is working for me big time.

The cast has been good too.  Good people, good designers.  I so much prefer these competition shows when there is good overall juju.

I also like that the judges' critiques are not mean-spirited for the sake of TV a la Michael Kors.

No need for that.

[Ashforth]

25 minutes ago, Desert Rat said:

Tessa's design was idiotic. "I was molested so I'm gonna wear a t-shirt with circles around my boobies and white chalk outlining my vagina." WTF? She couldn't wait to tell her story. She's an attention whore, second only to Hester the clown. 

My take on it was that of a sexual assault survivor owning her own body instead of it being the property of the perpetrator of the crime. There is a complex psychology that affects people who have been sexually assaulted.

I'm offended by your use of the word "whore" in this context.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Ashforth

[nb360]

I liked this episode. I would buy Sebastian’s and Venny’s T-shirts.

edited to add: At $35 a pop, I would only buy one.

Edited May 17, 2019 by nb360

[Stats Queen]

Garo’s outfit was poorly executed and I’m sick of him doing that darn corset. However, one of the judges did not approve of what he chose as important to him because something about this “is not where we are culturally.” That was stupid and insulting. His cause was important to him and actually is something that should concern us.

Just because it wasn’t about a cultural issue (e.g., gay rights, equality, diversity, acceptance, etc.) he gets dinged? 

[mightysparrow]

8 minutes ago, Stats Queen said:

Garo’s outfit was poorly executed and I’m sick of him doing that darn corset. However, one of the judges did not approve of what he chose as important to him because something about this “is not where we are culturally.” That was stupid and insulting. His cause was important to him and actually is something that should concern us.

Just because it wasn’t about a cultural issue (e.g., gay rights, equality, diversity, acceptance, etc.) he gets dinged? 

I don't think that Garo should be dinged for his cause.  The disappearance of bees is a huge environmental issue and as we've seen around the world, environmental issues lead to human rights issues.

What I would ding Garo on is his dress was boring and unimaginative. 

[violet and green]

God, I thought Bishme would get dinged for making a prom dress, with corny decorations on the skirt, and he won! 

I thought Garo's cause was probably the most important - hey, we're all gonna die if we don't sort out the bees! v. ooh, I feel good in my stated identity, goodbye humans! but we all feel validated, so that's okay. And it was a chic little yellow dress, not a bad design at all for him, so I'm glad he stayed.

Guest judge came across as nasty, once Tessa explained the background to and intention behind her design - and then she looked sulky for the rest of the judging, because damn it she'd made a political point in her criticism! It was a horrible dress and t-shirt, anyway.

I liked Hester's design, as always. She has an original eye and pushes herself. Sebastian's was elegant, but stiff - he seems only to have Nina in his corner, which is sad. Mimi in that puffer dress was so lovely, but I am not hoping to see a puffy final collection...

Looking forward to next week. I love it when they have to dress civilians, and these sound like great women doing hard jobs.

[millennium]

I think there's not an ounce of talent among this group.  They're all hacks. 

[hoosiermom]

Not to diminish any causes and I love Christian but when I wasn’t looking at the tv, I realized Christian sounds like the Church Chat lady.

[millennium]

And who told you to add those feathers?  Was it ... SATAN?

[LotusFlower]

1 hour ago, Ashforth said:

My take on it was that of a sexual assault survivor owning her own body instead of it being the property of the perpetrator of the crime. There is a complex psychology that affects people who have been sexually assaulted.

Yes.  I understand it’s very common for victims of sexual assault.  

[gorgy]

Reminded me of an episode from the first season of Project Runway where the designers were tasked with creating a garment based around the word envy. I like having a conceptual challenge where a look is less about wearability and can be more costumey, but a lot of the designs fell flat for me. There weren't any standout pieces for me this week, which is unfortunate, because I thought this had a lot of potential. I don't even mind obvious or cliche for this sort of challenge, but Hester's was just so trite. I would love if designers can find a way to represent gay identity without relying on Rainbow Brite as inspiration. I thought some of t-shirts were far more successful, and I'm not a statement t-shirt fan.

[HunterHunted]

I loved Sebastian's fabric manipulation, t-shirt, and message, but his dress was overwrought on the bottom. It was a little too tortured and desperate to show the layering technique that it stopped looking pretty. I also wonder if Sebastian might have been subconsciously influenced by Christian's winning collection that also had a similar skin color inspiration and lots of exaggerated volume too.

[HaaCHOO]

4 hours ago, MerBearStare said:

The guest judge asking Tessa what was behind her design felt exploitative and like producer manipulation.

Definitely!

[GaT]

I remember the guest judge from when she was one of the nominees for the CFDA Fashion Fund awards. I really miss that show.

[Aulty]

It was great that Garo went for an environmental issue - and it also highlights why its so hard to get people riled up for stuff like global warming, pollution, ... It doesn't make for emotional reality TV like most of the other causes did and its a similar challenge when you try to shine a light to these initiatives in real life.

Having said that, his dress was bad and I think it was mainly the bile colour. Pick a richer yellow!

I liked Tessa's design even before she shared her personal story. It had the clearest reference to the cause, and I like that its simple and graphic and the message on the side.

[Delete]

Garo is a one hit wonder with the corset. It’s too bad because his cause is extremely important. Nina was harsh with him, but he needed a harsh critique. 

Tessa dress was impactful, and fit the challenge. Thought it would win.  I also found her less abrasive this episode.

I liked Sebastian’s dress, but would not know it represented race equality unless it was explained to me.  However his T-shirt was sensational, and I’d buy it.

Venny crashed and burned. So sorry because he’s a cool guy.

 I did not get Jamal’s POV with the ‘royal story’

Bishme’s dress looked stunning on his model. The color choice was gorgeous. 

Hester with  another tortured ‘clown caught in a blender’ look.  Isn’t she precious? Watch, she’s gonna win this thing.  It’s Gretchen 2.0 on acid.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Barbara Please

[millennium]

5 hours ago, MerBearStare said:

The guest judge asking Tessa what was behind her design felt exploitative and like producer manipulation.

Especially after Tessa said, "I hope I won't they won't ask me about what's behind my design," or something to that effect.

[Fellaway]

Just gonna get this out of the way upfront:  Sebastian was robbed.

And, honestly, so was Jamall.  I would've given him the win over Bishme, too.  I thought Bishme's design was unoriginal (Who hasn't seen that silhouette before or even the outlined faces, most recently Dmitry's much better designed jacket on All Stars.) and tacky.  I'd have put him as safe and put Tessa in the top.

4 hours ago, Ashforth said:

My take on it was that of a sexual assault survivor owning her own body instead of it being the property of the perpetrator of the crime. There is a complex psychology that affects people who have been sexually assaulted.

I'm offended by your use of the word "whore" in this context.

As one of Tessa's people, I'll just say yes.  And, thank you.

4 hours ago, Stats Queen said:

However, one of the judges did not approve of what he chose as important to him because something about this “is not where we are culturally.” That was stupid and insulting. His cause was important to him and actually is something that should concern us.

Indeed.  Anybody who doesn't know of the plight of bees and what will happen if they cease to exist is woefully uneducated, but, on the plus side, all those other causes would cease to be, too.  Of course, that'd be because there were no people, but, hey, we can't have everything.

Of the bottom two, I think the right person went home.  Venny's design this week was ugly, and I can't see how it tied in with his cause.  And, overall, I think he was the weakest designer left.  His designs lean toward the tacky and he definitely has editing issues.

It seemed really odd, this week, for one of the judges - Was it Nina? - to say Garo was only there because of his technical skills and he needed to step it up the week right after he won.  If that was the case, why didn't the win go to Bishme last week?

Well, these judges are losing cred with me every week, and the longer they shrug off Sebastian, they might not have any left by the end of the season.

5 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

I loved Tessa's dress.  I think it was beautiful and moving.  She didn't need to tell her story and I think she was exploited.

Yeah, shades of Rachel Roy and Mondo with his plus sign pants.  Make the guest judge do it!  This episode annoyed me from the get.  The whole thing was exploitative and cynically emotionally manipulative.  Such is the way of reality TV, but this ep was extra special.  [ /sarcasm]

Edited May 17, 2019 by Fellaway

[millennium]

46 minutes ago, Barbara Please said:

Hester with  another tortured ‘clown caught in a blender’ look.  Isn’t she precious? Watch, she’s gonna win this thing.  It’s Gretchen 2.0 on acid.

Is it just my bias or does Hester's personal, um, wardrobe always seem to be competing with her own designs (and the model) for attention? 

[Sesquipedalia]

5 hours ago, weightyghost said:

I don't get why the one judge was harping on Tessa's design ~telling a woman what her body should look like when she literally traced the model's body. It was definitely a way to force her into telling her story and it's just annoyingly obvious. 

That critique was totally nonsensical.

Tessa's was my favorite. The design was simple but original. The slogan "mine" is perfect and fits exactly how I'm feeling as a woman in America right now.

[terrymct]

6 hours ago, dosodog said:

I just don't get how Hester's dress told her cause.

Short skirt, crop top, fluffy jacket.  What am I missing that makes it different than an outfit you can put together from a dept. store?  And highlights gay equality?

Hester’s outfit looked it like something an art student would pull together in a rush to attend a Pride parade.  It was run of the mill, lacking any sort of originality, wit, or interesting design.  

[terrymct]

6 hours ago, Jordan Baker said:

Did Bishme ever mention why he used purple fabric? My first thought was the Baltimore Ravens, but I doubt that's right.

It’s the Ravens. Purple has over taken Orioles orange as the default city color, although you see the two together too frequently.  I was really happy when his ruffle across the top wasn’t orange.  

I loved this dress, especially how it moved when she walked.  

[LennieBriscoe]

To me,  Sebastian's layered organza "skin tones" dress AND the accompanying "DNA" T-shirt were hands-down Best of Show. Not only was his use of the fabric totally brilliant, but his concept of all skin colors' being ONE was beyond.  

Garo has an immensely important cause, but his too-literal black and yellow dress was not worthy of it. It didn't project the significance of bee extinction. (Should bees wear corsets? Is that it?)

Tessa's child-like (like white chalk on a blackboard) figure drawings also were,  IMO, too literal. Why a black dress? Is that the color of strength and autonomy? I don't know; maybe I just don't care for her. 

Hester's jacket had rainbow-striped cuffs,  so....

Though I liked the dress, or perhaps because the model was made for its style, I don't associate puffy hoodie jackets with Black America, but what do I know. (What of the Street Fashion of Dapper Dan?)

The Purple Balmer Dress: A wee too Ante-Bellum on top for me. But if this is Baltimore's color,  coupled with the profiles of children in sparkly sequins to depict their time to shine, well, good on ya, Bishme. You've been true to your cause throughout.

Still going with Seb,  though!

Edited May 17, 2019 by LennieBriscoe

[sunshine23]

8 hours ago, Rhetorica said:

I am so tired of all these causes!  Why can't humanity get the fuck along and stop hating all those "other people "!?!?!

Seriously, this one made me a bit weepy.  I hope intellengence is out there somewhere...

Agreed. 

As it began I also thought "only politically correct/popular opinions allowed". That is not saying the designers' causes were not important, it is saying if a designer chose something less popular like anti-abortion, reverse racism, judging people today for past behavior,  etc. (examples off the top of my head)) the cause wouldn't have been allowed.  I felt bad for Vienny because I liked him and his design. I personally thought Tessa and Garro's were worse.

[Fellaway]

Is Sebastian the only one who put a light colored tee down the runway?  I think he should get extra credit for that.

[jackjill89]

8 hours ago, Desert Rat said:

Tessa's design was idiotic. "I was molested so I'm gonna wear a t-shirt with circles around my boobies and white chalk outlining my vagina." WTF? She couldn't wait to tell her story. She's an attention whore, second only to Hester the clown. 

Bingo. "I can't believe I just shared my story" Um, yes you can. You made a design that featured it. You know you were going to be asked about it. Case closed. 

I'm not being unfeeling here, but if you put it out there, don't be shocked if you're asked about it. She knew. She was gunning for the attention and a win for revealing this about herself.

Jamall... wow. so innovative for him to make a puffer dress. The judges say they keep waiting to see Jamall. Why. This is it. He's been showing it to you since the first runway show. There isn't anything more to see. 

I'm glad Bishme won. Loved his dress. Yes, Christian really gave him the boost. Ultimately, I want Sebastian to win, because his talent is crazy good, but I wanted Bishme to get a win and this was gorgeous. It was his time. Now, Sebastian needs to put the pedal to the medal and those judges need to stop waiting for Jamall and stop being blinded by Hester's voodoo whatever spell she's putting on them and see the real talent on that stage.

And for the love of god, get rid of Garo and his corset. Yes, he's great at them, but come on...

Oh... and Hester... stand up straight on the runway! 

Sorry, I'm cranky this morning!

Edited May 17, 2019 by jackjill89

[allonsyalice]

Bishme and Sebastians looks were AMAZING! Also loved Bishme just talking talking talking talking at the cutting counter.

GARO NEEDS TO GO HOME!! He can do one thing, albeit well, but he's never shown anything else? just corset corset corset corset can he do anything else?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Why am I not surprised that "design something that represents an issue you care about" was translated into "make the same stuff you always make and find a way to justify how it represents an issue"?

Jamall: BLM = another sleeping bag dress
Tessa: women's rights = another black dress
Garo: save the bees = another corset dress
Hester: marriage equality = another Rainbow Brite outfit

I wish the show had let us see the designers' t-shirts better on the runway, partly because I just wanted to see them but partly because it was part of the damn challenge.

I was amused that Hester was aware that her look could come off as crafty instead of high fashion.

I loved Sebastian's skin tone dress. Normally I don't like flesh/nude colored clothes but the way he used the fabric was beautiful. His shirt was really graphic. It was A LOT but it was effective.

Oh, Garo. The bees are important but you made a yellow bee dress. I go back and forth on Garo. Sometimes he seems insufferable and other times he seems like a nice guy. When he did that stupid kick behind the screen, he went back to insufferable. I liked his shirt (although that was due to the graphic designer's idea). I didn't like the way the straps were floating off of her body because it also meant the top of the bodice was away from her chest. It wasn't totally inappropriate, like there weren't any visible nipples, but I just didn't like how it was verging on it.

Christian was right about Bishme's purple dress in the workroom - it was just a basic purple dress that didn't capture anything about Baltimore or the kids he mentors or anything. It looked like a boring prom dress. Adding the face outlines in sequined mterial made it look a little crafty, but at least it added something. He should have left out the eyes though. I liked that his shirt design was tied to the faces on his dress. I know that creating a face silhouette with words isn't new, but his shirt design was done well.

Hester's rainbow coat sounded horrible when she described it. Since she made the coat mostly pink, it wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be. It still looked like a cheap tacky Hot Topic throwaway item though.

Jamall's puffer dress is the best thing he's made all season. He found a way to incorporate the puffy jacket concept without adding volume to the model's body. Puffer jackets are usually associated with streetwear so I liked that he found a way to elevate it into high fashion.

Tessa made a basic black dress but the two things she did to embellish it made it interesting. I laughed when she put her t-shirt on and said that the titties were too high. I liked that she cut the neck hole so that she could move the breasts a little bit lower on her chest.

Venny's bomber jacket was shapeless and had too many elements. There was netting, grommets, different shades of green, etc. I felt bad that he accidentally sewed the zipper on the jacket, but the fact that it meant his model couldn't take the jacket off which is not good in theory, but the dress underneath was not good either. It was simple yet just as bad as his jacket. I was surprised that the judges liked his plain shirt so much.

I thought Sebastian should have been the winner. I liked his concept as well as his execution.

Bishme already won this episode with his hilarious comments. Between the Red Bull and coffee, talking that girl's ear off, and his comments about going to Mexico, he was cracking me up!

FYI - you can view/buy all of the shirts here. $10 from each shirt will be donated to an organization related to the designer's cause, but ONLY during the presale period.

[little black cloud]

Some of the T-shirts had good designs, but the actual fabrications were janky.  Venny’s in particular was a craft store printable iron-on executed badly. 

That’s not the designers’ fault, of course, but it bugged me. Be better, show. 

[jacksgirl]

Love this show.  Had really veered away from it after about season 5 but now I'm back full force. I think that Sebastian is the most consistent and most talented yet restrained designer. I think he should have won. As far as Tessa is concerned, you do not have to spill your guts on national TV in front of millions of people if you don't want to. All she had to say was this is an issue  that I feel very strongly about. I love  back stories because I think where they come from really influences what kind of designer they are but every one of us has a story with some sadness or tragedy in it. I am not making light at all of Tessa's trauma but I just don't think it's part of the show.

[Darian]

24 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Hester's rainbow coat sounded horrible when she described it. Since she made the coat mostly pink, it wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be. It still looked like a cheap tacky Hot Topic throwaway item though.

I could not agree more, and yet, I am a scrawny, middle-aged, cishet woman with a walker and a boring-by-necessity wardrobe and I want to wear it to Pride next month. It's terrible, but I really want it (I'll probably just get a rainbow boa or something, but I want that  crafty, kinda- crappy jacket). 

Bishme is a damn delight. I am going to miss him on my TV when this season is over. I did feel his pain with the fast-talking in his head, and I just love his thoughtfulness and humor. 

Tessa's garment moved me. I was teary and loved the statement it made. Good for her.

Shallow remark here, but I am not sure I ever noticed just how beautiful Venny is. Even before they showed the shot with his model, I thought, "Wow, he's just gorgeous."

Loved Elaine, loved Christian, in every episode, really, but especially this one. 

Really, I just like these people a lot and hope that they sell lots of t-shirts. 

[Fake Jan Brady]

Resting Bish face. Heh.