Project Runway?

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Nothing to comment on now except to say "Squeeeeee!":D

 

It is Danielle, and yes, the girl from MMASM at the casting (too tall)...

 

I want to go back at some point, and try to read Fern Mallis' lips during the show...

 

And insider...

Tim Gunn only had about 25 minutes to be told he was going to be the guest judge - and get it together.

(He's usually back stage giving emotional support to the designers).

 

No one was happy with La Lopez dropping out at literally the last minute.

That's why Heidi made the announcement in public the way it was done (producers wrote the script).

 

They wanted everyone to know what Lopez did, but on the outside (the words Heidi said) were all non-judgemental, non-accusatory.

But, if she could have added a big wink, and the producers would have leaned over from backstage as well to wink along - everyone knew it was a lame and un-classy thing for JLo to do.

 

 

[tiger belle]

I can't add much to what others have said...I did see some promising things in Kenley's line, but I definitely thought she was an appropriate third place

 

I liked both Leanne's and Korto's lines...I would have liked Korto to win--mainly because she wanted it the most in my opinion...like others, I also thought Leanne's line didn't show as much versatility in style as Korto's did...however, I think what won the judges over to Leanne was the variety of style types she had; i.e., shorts, pants, long gowns, short dresses...Korto did have the one pants outfit

 

I know the items in the line are supposed to relate to each other and be cohesive, but Leanne's line didn't have enough variety in colors...after seeing the first two or three, I actually was a little bored of it...at least Korto had enough variety in color and style that she kept it interesting

 

it was a good season overall...I am not happy to see roadblocks to the next season starting...I don't care what network it's on, but I want Project Runway back!

[INSIDERS CABIN]

in defense of Kenley--I loved the freshness and energy of the colors and precision of fit. Leanne's collection was great, but i kept waiting for , and for lack of better fashion vocabulary, an accent or focal point or highlight-all items seemed alike without building up to a crescendo of style or color.....Korto definitely has a marketable line.

[whoop913]

I liked all of the collections, but I agree completely with the order in which the judges let the contestants know they were out. I am not a fan of Kenley's aesthetic. The one time she won I couldn't believe it - I feel that the skirt on the dress is unflattering for women (who needs larger hips?). I noticed she had a similar dress in her collection. And, since I didn't have any sense of support for her design, was kind of glad to see her get her comeuppance, if you will, for her attitude the whole season. Loved the look on her face both when she found out that Tim was the guest judge and when she was auf'd. She was surprised about both, to say the least.

 

I really liked Korto's collection and would have been ok if she won. However, I definitely did prefer her longer dresses to the short ones. My favorite (and a definite possibility for a cruise) was the green dress her PR model was wearing. Beautiful!

 

I was really frustrated with this season, so I feel like the judges finally came through for me in the end. Leanne has been my favorite the whole season. I understand the comments about the lack of variety in color and being too one-noted with the waves. That said, she can certainly do other stuff. I still want the dresses from the DVF challenge and the inspired by New York challenge. And I liked and would wear any of the outfits in her collection. Specifically, the long strapless dress that her PR model was wearing would be excellent for a cruise.

 

Somebody said that they wanted Korto to win because she wanted it the most. I'm not sure how you can really say that she wanted it the most. Different people show that type of emotion differently. If I had to judge based on outward emotion, I would actually say Kenley wanted it the most. She cried about the same as Korto did, and I would say her attitude probably comes from the desire to prove to everyone that she is as good as she feels she is. That said, who's to say that Leanne didn't want it more than either of them? I certainly couldn't come to a good conclusion based on what was shown on an edited TV show. My saying this isn't meant to criticize your belief that Korto wanted it more, I'm just throwing out the observation that we all interpret what is shown to us differently. Good thing too, otherwise everything would be pretty one-noted. :D

[RachieLnnn]

I was so happy that Leanne won. I felt her collection was beautiful and LOVED her teal dress. It moved beautifully. I want that dress!!! :D

 

Although she carried a similar theme and color palette throughout her entire collection, and many say that she can only do waves, I don't feel that is the case. I think she picked the wave theme for this particular collection to make it cohesive - AND she did pants, shorts, jackets, dresses, etc. while using the same theme. I was impressed. She certainly had other ideas during the season, so I don't think this is "all" she can do.

 

On another note, how did everyone feel about the judges criticizing Kenley for copying others' designs (yet again). I heard them mention Ballenciaga. Also, did anyone pick up on the silhouette of Kenley's rope dress and notice how similar the silhouette was to one of Leanne's dresses from earlier in the season (when they had to use car parts)? It was the episode when she stuffed the dress so it would stand out over the model's hips. I'm not accusing Kenley of doing it on purpose, but come on! I don't think Kenley has a lot to offer in creating NEW ideas. Everything she does seems to be based off of something someone else already did, IMO.

 

While Korto had some great pieces (loved the green dress), some things just looked a little messy and unfinished to me. Perhaps it was because she re-did two looks at the last minute - what's the story on that?

 

Overall, I loved the runway shows and totally agreed with the judges, for once. :D

[wrp96]

While Korto had some great pieces (loved the green dress), some things just looked a little messy and unfinished to me. Perhaps it was because she re-did two looks at the last minute - what's the story on that?

 

Korto was very smart IMO in doing 2 new dresses. She really did listen to the criticism the judges gave on the wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses - and then applied it to her entire collection. I liked the dresses she redid a lot (more than some of her other designs) and thought it was a great blending of what others wanted while still keeping with her design aesthetic. In order to have the 10 required designs, she had to do something to replace that wedding dress, which she correctly knew was not worth keeping in the collection. This was a good decision on Korto's part to improve her collection and not leave something that would hinder it in there.

 

Contrast what Korto did with Kenley. I think Kenley really was done in by the fact that instead of listening to what the judges and Tim Gunn said throughout the season she took it as a personal attack on herself. I think the judges, especially Tim Gunn, really liked her and her designs and were trying to get her to think through and improve her designs. For example, the dress with the rope dividing the two areas that Tim Gunn specifically didn't like. I agreed with Tim that I thought the rope detail was not appropriate for that particular dress. (Like Jane however, I LOVED her black dress that had the rope detail on the hem, I thought THAT use of the rope was perfect). It seemed like anytime anyone gave her a suggestion, instead of listening to what they were saying and using it to make her designs better, Kenley's first response was well I'm not going to change it and then she stubbornly stuck to that.

 

As to the frequent notice of Kenley's similiarities to other designers, she really does need to learn about other designers, if only to be able to defend herself when someone says that looks like "XYZ designer's dress." For all I know, she didn't see any of those other outfits that hers have been compared to, but because she doesn't know exactly what other designers are doing, she can't counter those accusations with a "well this is why my design is different AND why my design is better" which would be the best argument she could give. As it stands now, all she can say is I didn't see those collections which unfortunately, no matter how truthful it may be, can ring false in many people's eyes.

[SeaBunny]

I knew Leeanne would win, but...

 

Is it my imagination or did her once-fab wedding dress look old and tired?

 

And, with maybe one exception, her collection is unmarketable. All those "waves?" Try sitting and then looking good. How about spending your life ironing? These were fantasy clothes only. If you want to take them on a cruise, have at it. I don't pack things that require that much maintenance.

 

Leanne's was fun to look at. Kenley's would be fun to wear. Nothing new there, but so bright and cheerful but with sophistication as well.

 

Korto's collection felt all over the place. Overall, if it was green, I liked it; if it was beige, I didn't.

 

After seeing all 6 collections, I would go for good old Joe.

[whoop913]

I knew Leeanne would win, but...

 

Is it my imagination or did her once-fab wedding dress look old and tired?

 

 

I didn't think it looked as good either, but my thought was that it was because a different model was wearing it. Her PR model looked much better in it last week.

[PattyW]

Oh blah . . . Leeanne.

 

I thought her collection was very boring. One or two of those wave interpretations would have sufficed.

 

From a marketing perspective, why would you create a line where a woman would only want to buy one or two pieces? Isn't the goal to create a cohesive collection that shows a variety of looks where a woman would say: "I want it all: I can wear that gown to a ball, that dress to a cocktail party, those pants on a girls' night out. . . " Not, "I love the waves so I'll buy a piece of her line." But, then again, I'm an attorney, not a marketing VP or a designer. If it were me, though, I'd go for an all around collection.

 

Honestly, I didn't love any of the collections. If I had to pick the one I liked best it would be Korto's. But, even hers didn't have enough variety for me. Kenley's was just way too 80's -- it just hasn't been long enough for me to think of 80's fashion as fresh.

 

I hope next season's contestants are more my style.

[Texaswinediva]

My first choice would have been Korto. Second would have been

Leanne. I never like Kenley's personality or her designs.

Leanne's designs all looked too much alike. The colors and waves

all a little boring after the first 4 or 5 outfits.

Korto has some gowns that I would wear and I liked the short

dresses also but for me they would have to be a tad longer.

Her colors were beautiful.

 

Kay

[nlvc12]

Just viewed the show again this morning.

 

I am in agreement with the results.

 

While Leanne was a bit of a 'johnny one note' in both color and design, I think that is commonly done by designers. She had a wide variety of types of clothing (shorts, pants, short dress, long dress). While they showed some concern about that, I think they considered the whole season of her designs and realized she could well produce different styles.

 

One thing I didn't hear anyone mention was the technique on her slacks. The buttoned up sections looked a bit 'gappy' to me -- they didn't lay flat like they should.

 

I wouldn't have had a problem with Korto winning; I think the judges had a hard time deciding between the two.

 

Kenley's hand painting was nice, but I agree with her 3rd place finish.

 

Nancy

[cruisemom42]

 

On another note, how did everyone feel about the judges criticizing Kenley for copying others' designs (yet again). I heard them mention Ballenciaga. Also, did anyone pick up on the silhouette of Kenley's rope dress and notice how similar the silhouette was to one of Leanne's dresses from earlier in the season (when they had to use car parts)? It was the episode when she stuffed the dress so it would stand out over the model's hips. I'm not accusing Kenley of doing it on purpose, but come on! I don't think Kenley has a lot to offer in creating NEW ideas. Everything she does seems to be based off of something someone else already did, IMO.

 

 

I noticed that too......VERY similar shapes, although Kenley used the different printed fabrics in her dress. (And she can't say that she didn't know Leann made a dress like that....:rolleyes:)

 

Regarding the other references to copying, I'm not sure if Kenley's just working in a total vacuum (not good for a designer), she's being dishonest, or perhaps she is one of those people who take things in, re-configure them in their minds, then make something very similar without realizing the extent of the "plagiarism"?

[cruisemom42]

I'm glad Leann won. While I was divided prior to the show as to whether I wanted Korto or Leann to win, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with Korto's collection overall. I think some of her pieces were great, but others were definitely overworked to me. Maybe it was because she had the opportunity to use her beadwork -- but she needed to edit: either use the beadwork and keep the design simpler, or do a more elaborate design without the beadwork...?

 

As for Leann, it's pretty common practice for designers to put together a runway show with a strong look or "theme"; I suppose most of those are established designers. Still, I really liked the cohesiveness of her collection. And also, buyers know that the designs shown on the runway are often modified (e.g., made easier to mass produce and usually simpler) before they would show up in a store for consumers to buy.

 

It's my impression that runway shows are more to create a feeling or mood, not so much that you or I will run out and buy a particular piece. But I could be wrong.....I'm sure Jane or CJW could give more input.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

A couple of things for now, I'll keep finding things and commenting back over the next week - so keep checking in here.

 

#1 Leanne - It was absolutely stunning. Subtle in a great way.

She deservedly won, because she is original, and actually fashion forward in a literal way. She is designing ahead of the curve.

Collections should all have takes on a specific theme. I'll post some other collections later next week or so, so you can see some comparisons.

 

And you DO realize that the judges comment of "is that all she can do?" was purely "acted" for TV so they had at least one negative thing to say for the cameras. Otherwise they'd have no way to edit it to look like you would not know who wins. They were struggling to figure out something "negative" to say - but they were all absolutely in love with the collection.

 

And they all know very well that Leanne can do more than "petals". That was all a smokescreen for the cameras. She is amazing at all kinds of fabric sculpting. They've just seen her also do these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just check out all of the very different ways that she is using fabric as sculpture and surface techniques.

They all know extremely well that she can do far more than "petals".

 

#2 Regarding the saleability of the collection. The shapes and waves will be adjusted, experimented with different fabrics to see what works best in the real world, and toned down or adjusted for actual wearing.

A collection should be the utmost of the ideas, then it will be adjusted for the real world.

 

#3 Kenley - I think that she is very talented. But she has some personal social issues that she really needs to get herself into some therapy.

Did you notice that she was literally calling "bull$#!*" on the judges after the decision? Way to look even classier on camera right at the end Kenley!

 

Now regarding her copying or not copying.

I will eventually dig up all the collections that they commented on this season. Then you can judge for yourself.

 

I do personally find it really difficult to believe that she somehow came up with now about 6 different designs over the season that were so similar to others (and I don't think the judges still even realize that her Hip Hop look was right out of the pages of Baby Phat and RocaWear Hip Hop Collections).

 

But, let's even say that she truly has never looked at another collection in her life. And that she truly never looks at current collections.

That alone is unprofessional enough.

You must know what is going on in the marketplace. You need to be able to carve out a niche that is different, that is appealing to something different.

 

Just because something is a great idea, or a great design - if someone else is already doing it - it's pretty useless.

If someone is living in a vacuum, but writes scripts...

"I've just written a TV show about a plane that crashes on an island. All the survivors have to deal with strange things and mysteries on the island!"

Uhmm, dude. It's called "Lost" and we've been watching it for years now.

"I've just written a show where we pair celebrities with professional dancers and have them compete"!

Uhmm, dude. Dancing with the Stars. Seven seasons now.

 

See what I mean? Does not work. You need to know what is out there, so that you know how yours is different.

 

#4 Kenley's ability to take criticism. Another sign of a non-professional is when any artist falls in love with their own work so much that they can't change, improve, or edit. The first thing that falls out of their mind is "gold". That doesn't work in the real world.

 

A common phrase regardless of industry to demonstrate this is:

"Amateurs write. Professionals rewrite".

 

 

Okay, enough rambling thoughts for now, I'll have more later on.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

As for Leann, it's pretty common practice for designers to put together a runway show with a strong look or "theme"; I suppose most of those are established designers. Still, I really liked the cohesiveness of her collection. And also, buyers know that the designs shown on the runway are often modified (e.g., made easier to mass produce and usually simpler) before they would show up in a store for consumers to buy.

 

It's my impression that runway shows are more to create a feeling or mood, not so much that you or I will run out and buy a particular piece. But I could be wrong.....I'm sure Jane or CJW could give more input.

Yes (and I kind of answered that in my post above).

But, it's to stretch the ideas, then they will be toned down and adjusted for the marketplace.

 

Actual story...

A couple of years ago, I absolutely completely fell in love with a suit from the Hugo Boss Red Label runway collection.

I spent 6 months using my connections, and visiting Hugo Boss stores all over the West Coast in my travels.

 

Finally found after we all tried to figure out out and track it down in corporate...

They had changed the color and adjusted the fit so much, it wasn't the suit I fell in love with.

It was definitely more saleable for the mass market, but I would have had to get that actual sample from the runway to get the exact one, exactly like what walked down the runway.

 

They don't necessarily exist in the same "form" or fabrics by the time they get to the stores. Same ideas, but toned down.

 

[KLLund]

With a cruise coming up in just over a week it has been a very busy couple of days ... but I want to say

THANK YOU CURT

I love the reviews you have done and the insights you give us and the secret dish . It has made PR much more interesting !!!

[tiger belle]

I second what Kathy said, Curt...thanks!

[Barb Nahoumi]

I am pleased about Leanne's win. Although her looks bore similarity, waves, they are wearable.

 

Tim Gunn was right about Korto's wedding gown. It was over pleated. I loved her halter dress. The judges called it "beauty pageant," but I thought that it would make a great cruise formal.

 

Kenley's "wedding dress" gave the illusion of a huge jellyfish. So did the Alexander McQueen.

 

Kenley needs to eliminate the whiney tones from her speech patterns, if she wants to make it in the fashion world. Taking criticism like a lady will certainly help.

 

Barb

[SeaBunny]

This show has inspired me to regain my sewing skills and start creating my own hot tranny messes!

[wrp96]

This show has inspired me to regain my sewing skills and start creating my own hot tranny messes!

 

 

Can't wait to see them. Maybe I can drive over one day and pretend to be Nina Garcia!;)

[tiger belle]

I miss Project Runway :(

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Hang in there...

 

I'm very swamped with my own walk on the runway soon...;)

 

But, keep checking this, as I'll update as I have time and info.

 

I still want to do a good review of Korto's final runway - as I still think Leanne deserved the win, but I lurved lurved lurved Korto's for other reasons.

 

Still will eventually get to the other things and tidbits about the show I've promised!

:)

[Jane110]

This show has inspired me to regain my sewing skills and start creating my own hot tranny messes!

 

Are you a good sewer? A friend of mine is a master sewing technician and teaches techniques. He's published a couple of books on techniques, and he sells CD's for advanced sewers. If you're interested, I'll get you a link to his CD's.

[cigal]

Are you a good sewer? A friend of mine is a master sewing technician and teaches techniques. He's published a couple of books on techniques, and he sells CD's for advanced sewers. If you're interested, I'll get you a link to his CD's.

 

Sorry Jane,:p

 

I am not an advanced sewer......Heck - I'm not even a good sewer. Sewers are for waste products.:eek:

But I am a good seamstress, and I know some advanced tailors.:p :p :D

So I would really lurv the link for your friends' CDs - I am always on the lookout for better techniques. Would you be so kind as to post the link here? If you do - I promise I won't tease you anymore.......:D

[cigal]

Okay my Fashion Friends......

 

I went into the way back machine to find this thread and bring it back to the front page where it belongs.....:D

 

Unless you've been living under a rock - you should know that Project Runway is set to start airing on Lifetime Channel tomorrow night.:)

 

So set your recorders or alarms or whatever you have to do to remember to watch, and then let the commenting begin.......

 

The show airs regularly at 10 PM on the West Coast, but this week there is an all-star show at 8 PM that should be good!

 

Let's have fun!!

 

p.s. - I think this is the "official" PR thread......but if not I know Curt will point us to the right one......:D:p:D