Project Runway: Fix My Friend

Project Runway:
Fix My Friend

Really this episode should be renamed: "The one where Ven acts like a complete and utter dick head" Pardon my French, but seriously, Ven has infuriated me beyond belief this week. In case you missed this weeks episode, let me explain what happened in a nut shell: The designers were given the task of designing a look for a friend of their client. This woman wasn't very fashion-forward, nor did she really have much of a style. Ven's client was a beautiful, yet slightly shy plus size mother of four. She was constantly on the go between work and her family life, as her husband was a stay at home dad. Her friend wanted her to have a makeover, so that she could get some of the limelight back and feel special again. How did Ven react when he saw her? 'Shocked' because he has never dressed a 'real' woman before". I'm sorry Ven, but can you please explain what a 'real' woman is? Have you been dressing men in drag up until now? Don't be such an idiot. I'm begging you. Throughout the entire consultation and fittings, Ven continued to be rude and insensitive by implying on multiple occassions that this woman was fat, inconvienent for him and just not someone that he wanted to dress. When Tim Gunn asked him how the whole process was going, he replied "I was shocked...she doesn't have a shape or a style". When asked what size his client was, he replied: "*snigger*, like a 14 or something? I don't even know". These statements were probably some of the comments made by Ven during the whole series that had me taking a step back. How hypocritical is he? Ven himself is a plus size with 'no shape'! The man has clearly ate too many pies in his life so far because he doesn't even have a waist. I wonder what Karl Lagerfeld would say about him if he had to comment!
I can't even comment on the matter further without running the risk of completely blowing up on him. I officially hate him.

Moving on to better things now: the designs. Like I said, the challenge was for each designer to create a look based on their clients current lifestyle and needs, however it had to be a change for them, as they were all in need of a little style renovation. Let's see what they came up with:

Alicia

Christopher

Dmitry

Elena

Fabio

Gunnar

Melissa

Nathan

Sonjia

Ven

The top three looks chosen by judges: Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, Heidi Klum and guest judge Alice Temperley were by Fabio, Gunnar and Dmitry. The bottom three were: Ven, Nathan and Sonjia.

Starting with the top three looks: I really loved Gunnar's look. Not necessarily with the design itself, but with how he made his client feel. He listened to her, made her feel special and gave her a look that she absolutely adored. I feel that he really responded to the point of the challenge and did his client justice.
Dmitry's look, although a little lack luster in my opinion, looked great on his client - especially along with her new hairstyle, cut and colour. The colour was great, but I think it was really the accessories such as the stud clutch and ankle boots that made the outfit stand out.
Finally, Fabio's look. His client was a real tom boy: hated showing her femininity as she felt it made her look weak and rarely wore dresses unless forced to. As Michael Kors said post-runway "It took a boy in a dress to make her wear a dress". I think he did a great job in giving her something that made her look feminine and strong, but in-keeping with her own taste. In the end, a winner was chosen and that person was Fabio. Well deserved in my opinion!

Now on to the bottom three: Ven's look was obviously in the bottom three. It was hideous. He always uses the kinds of fabric that looks like a cheap imitation silk. Maybe it's just the colour in this case, but no woman in their right minds would wear something made from that fabric. I certainly wouldn't. The judges said it looked like two outfits, with the top cutting her in half and doing absolutely no favours for her body. They couldn't have said it better, really. He didn't listen to his client. In fact, he had no intention of ever listening to her as soon as he saw her 'plus size' frame. She wasn't even that big. I mean, has he seen half of America? He, himself is bigger than her and manages to dress himself without complaining about it. I actually think that the client's before image of plain t-shirt, cut off jeans and flats looked a lot better than the types of clothes he puts on himself - and he's the designer who is supposed to be fashion forward!!
Moving on to Sonjia now: Her client was a sporty tom boy, who preferred to live her life in sweats, shorts and baggy sweatshirts. Sonjia put her into something that made the client feel sexy and empowered as a woman, however the judges felt that the hem was too short (slutty, was the term they used actually) and the knot on the front put her body out of proportion: They even went so far as to say that the only woman able to pull something like that off, would be someone ready to give birth.
Lastly we have, Nathan's look. Nathan's client was an up and coming R'n'B performer who wanted something with cut out panels, her mid-drift showing and other rather inappropriate features. Nathan tried to make a compromise with the client and gave her a blue satin dress with sheer side panels and sleeves. Although the client loved her dress and said she felt comfortable in it, the judges didn't agree. They said that he threw away a great opportunity due to the clients curvy figure and performing lifestyle, and in the end chose him as this weeks loser and eliminated him from the show. Personally, I disagree with the decision. Although Nathan's look wasn't exactly fashionable or appropriate, his client loved the look and felt comfortable in it, which was part of the challenge. If I were to choose someone to leave the competition, it would have been Ven due to his complete selfishness and lack of understanding of his client. He was rude, insensitive and a complete jerk in general. 

I think I'm going to have to stop there, because once I get going on a subject that displeases me, there's no stopping my rant. 

What did you think of this weeks challenge? Did the judges make the right decision in terms of: top and bottom looks, as well as the winner and loser? Leave your feedback and let me know what you thought!

Photo Credit: www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway

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Project Runway: Women On The Go

Project Runway:
Episode 4 -Women On The Go

Last nights episode of Project Runway had the theme of busy women on the go: this look had to be versatile, comfortable and practical enough so that it could go from day to night with just the change of a few accessories and footwear. But before I get into the details and looks from the runway, I have to get my little violin out and play a tune for Andrea and Kooan, who both left the competition this week. Sorry to sound sarcastic, but who in their right minds would pass up such an amazing opportunity like that?! Each contestant on the show beat god knows how many other budding designers out there, just to get their place on the show. So for them to throw that away just completely baffles me. Kooan said his reason for leaving was down to him not being happy in that environment: he felt that he couldn't design to his own aesthetic and that doing it on his own meant that he could develop and grow a little better. This reason - ok, fair enough. I can handle it. But Andrea. Oh, Andrea. She didn't even respond to the producers calls after she left in the middle of the night, without saying a word to anybody! It wasn't until later the next day that Andrea decided to send an email to the producers, explaining that she was forfeiting her place in the competition. For a teacher - who is supposed to be showing an example to those around her - this is questionable to say the least. But anyway, before I end up going off on a tangent with that fiasco, let's get down to the whole point of the show: the clothing designs!

As I mentioned earlier, the brief was given to the designers by Project Runway judge and designer, Michael Kors in his NYC flagship store - what a beauty that store is too. Each designer was required to produce a look which could transfer from day to night, whilst remaining stylish, comfortable and fashion-forward. Guest judges this week included actress Hayden Panettiere and fashion designer Rachel Roy, so let's have a look at the designs shall we?

Starting from the top left we have: Alicia, Buffi, Christopher, Dmitry, Elena, Fabio, Gunnar, Melissa, Nathan, Raul, Sonjia & Ven.

First off - my favourite looks. It was really a toss up between Sonjia's twisted grey jersey dress and Christopher's turtle neck dress with crop leather jacket. Sonjia's dress is sexy, sophisticated and insanely versatile: work, running errands, shopping, lunch date, cocktail hour, it can go from day to night like that *dramatic finger snap*. Christopher's look had me as soon as it stepped out on the runway: That jacket - uh, hello! I need that jacket pronto! Especially when he managed to produce his look for their budget of $150. Amazing. I take my hat off to you Christopher. In the end though, the judges decided on one winner and that was Sonjia. Hayden Panettiere even asked if she could wear the dress to an upcoming red carpet event she was attending. Brava Sonjia!

Next - my worst look: Not only is this look my least favourite, but this designer was also this weeks loser, and therefore eliminated from the show: Buffi. Her look is really the only look that I feel did absolutely nothing for me. Other designs from the likes of  Raul and Fabio weren't exactly brilliant, but they weren't terrible either. Buffi's look however, I hated. I get that she likes print and colour and being a little out there and that's just her aesthetic, but come on. She said it herself in one of her video logs: her look can be tacky, and this look definitely fell into that category. I love her as a fun, creative person, but as a designer I just can't seem to like her very much. I wasn't surprised with her elimination, and to be honest, quite pleased with the result.

I would have been interested to see what Kooan would have came up with in this challenge, but to be honest, he really only has one kind of look and that was never going to win Project Runway this year.

What did you guys think of the designs this week? Who was your best and worst?

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Project Runway Season 10

Project Runway Season 10:

Episodes 1 - 3

Designers: Alicia, Andrea, Beatrice, Buffi, Christopher, Dmitry, Elena, Fabio, Gunnar, Kooan, Lantie, Melissa, Nathan, Raul, Sonjia & Ven.

Judges: Nina Garcia, Michael Kors & Heidi Klum + weekly guest judges.

For the past three weeks, the highlight of my week has been a Friday afternoon/evening when I get to catch up on Season 10 of Project Runway: When I say catch up, it's because I have to wait until the next day to stream it online due to the show being aired in America and not the UK where I am! Trust me, if I could watch it on a Thursday night, I would.

So like I was saying, the show has become my weekly pleasure. I haven't religiously kept up with previous seasons of the show, however with this years season being some what of a milestone, I thought I would make a little more effort and watch it every week. Oh, and to make sure that I do, I'm making it a weekly occurrence to blog about each episode and tell you which designers are taking the lead in my favourites list!

If you have been watching the show so far, you will know that last night's show was number three, so I'm going to bring you up to speed on episode's 1 - 3 in terms of photos, a brief synopsis and then my favourite. 

So, without further adieu, here is episode 1:

Designer starting top left: Alicia, Andrea, Beatrice, Buffi, Christopher, Dmitry, Elena, Fabio, Gunnar, Kooan, Lantie, Melissa, Nathan, Raul, Sonjia & Ven.

In the pilot episode of Project Runway Season 10, designers were asked to create an outfit which would accompany their original pre-show designs. Both looks must be created to show a pair and then shown on a catwalk in the center of the universe: Times Square, NYC. Guest judges who accompanied Nina Garcia, Michael Kors and Heidi Klum on the show included Lauren Graham and Patricia Field. After much deliberation, the judges decided that it was Christopher's designs that stole the show and named him the winner of this challenge, gaining immunity from next week's eliminations. As ever, there was a loser, and that happened to be Beatrice. Her knitwear designs just didn't make the cut and as a result, she was the first to leave the competition. Ouch.

In my opinion, although Christopher's designs were undoubtedly amazing, I would have chosen Melissa as the winner, purely because I see myself wearing her designs over the rest. That leather collared body and floor length dress is definitely something I need for my own wardrobe. It's just the right amount of comfort, casual and edge. Perfect. In terms of the loser however, I did agree with the judges. I just didn't think Beatrice's designs were good enough. Not for Project Runway anyway.

On to Episode 2 now and it has to be said that this episode is definitely my favourite so far: The unconventional materials challenge - AKA Candy Couture! You just know that when fashion and candy come together, you're going to get something eye-catching and colourful (for the most part anyway).

Designs from the top left along: Alicia, Andrea, Buffi, Dmitry, Elena, Fabio, Kooan, Lantie, Melissa, Raul, Sonjia, Ven, Christopher, Gunnar & Nathan.

Guest judge on this show was Dylan Lauren: Owner of the sweets store Dylan's Candy Bar and daughter to the one and only Ralph Lauren. As you may sussed out already, the designers were given a budget for Dylan's Candy Bar and asked to create a wearable look entirely from candy. The winner of the challenge was Ven, who created his rose motif dress using crushed hard candy to create a stained glass window effect. By this point in the show, it is clear that Ven is very much a designer who likes to create very pretty and feminine looks. His designs are gorgeous, but it would be nice to see him do something a little bit different and out of his comfort zone. I want to see that he's not just a one-trick pony.

The loser this week? Lantie. The judges just didn't approve of her re-work of the Candy Bar umbrella. I have to agree with them, she definitely is more of a stylists than a designer. Lantie mentioned on a few occasions that these designs weren't her, and she just wanted to prove herself to them. Well, Lantie, in this industry you only get one chance.

If I were to choose a winner for the Candy Couture challenge, it would have definitely been Sonjia. Her use of the blue candies (especially the dolphin neckline) was just amazing. Who knew candy could make such an appealing fashion garment? I loved it!

Finally, we're on to last night's episode 3. 

Last night's episode was inspired by Lexus and The Emmy's. The designers were paired up with one another and assigned a particular Lexus. They were then driven to meet their clients (previous Project Runway designers), who they would be dressing for the upcoming Emmy Awards. The Prize? The winner will have the chance to accompany the client to the Awards ceremony. The teams were: Alicia & Raul, Christopher & Andrea, Buffi & Elena, Gunnar & Kooan, Dmitry & Melissa, Fabio & Ven and finally, Sonjia & Nathan.

Designers from the top left: Alicia & Raul, Buffi & Elena, Christopher & Andrea, Sonjia & Nathan, Dmitry & Melissa, Fabio & Ven and Gunnar & Kooan.

Guest judge for this weeks show: Actress Krysten Ritter. This particular challenge was interesting to watch and see how each designer would mesh and combine their talents to create one look. Obviously each designer has a slightly different aesthetic (hello, Kooan & Gunnar?!), so it was fun to see them all put their heads together and work as a team on this one. The winner of the challenge this week was Ven (only one of the design due was chosen as ultimate winner) which meant that Ven has now won two consecutive challenges in a row. I did like the dress that they produced, however my favourite was Gunnar & Kooan's gorgeous white halterneck gown, with cascading chiffon back. Although this was a team challenge, you can really see how Gunnar basically took over the design and made it his own. Poor Kooan. 

The loser this week? Raul. Raul & Alicia's look was deemed to worst look this week - not that I can blame the judges. The dress they created was hideous. I can't believe Mila - the client and model - even put it on!

So there you have a brief update on Project Runway Season 10 as it stands so far. I will definitely be doing weekly critiques and updates on the show, so make sure you check back every Friday - or just come and tell us your own opinions on the show. Every opinion is welcome here!

What is your favourite look from the season so far? Any challenges that you would like to see?

Follow @Maria_Litizia