What a twist

I am so tired of Project Runway thinking they need to throw a twist our way. Two things the producers need to learn:
1. Organize your shows better so that you don't have decoy collections anymore. It's useless and it makes you look dumb to have everyone on the show talking about "I have to win so I can show in Bryant Park!" when we all know that they showed anyway. Last year's Rami and Chris faceoff was the worst offender, but this season isn't that much better.

2. At this point, actually eliminating somebody in the episode before the finales would be a twist. Maybe you should start doing that again. Your little bit of not eliminating anyone is lame and it's a lackluster end to a lackluster season.

Seriously, what a complete let down! This entire episode was generally dull and petty. It reminded me of the point in the second season of Top Chef where they eliminated Cliff for manhandling Marcel. You realized that everybody there was a generally petty and annoying person, none of them seemed all that talented, and you were just bored to tears with the whole thing.

This is my view on the "drama" put as succinctly as I can. Kenley completely brought this on herself. As my husband put it when she started saying that everybody always turns on her: the only common denominator in all your failures is yourself. Kenley really needs to take a step back and say "is there a reason people always do this to me?" because the reason is that she acts like a terrible person. I don't think she actually IS that terrible, but she's very self centered and has poor manners. She needs to take a look at herself and make some changes and maybe she'll be happier and have more friends.

That said, all three of the remaining designers had an opportunity to be the bigger person. I don't blame them or fault them for their behavior, especially Leanne who had to deal with Kenley so blatantly giving her the silent treatment (how quickly viewers are forgetting that). Kenley was not a nice person, and they gave up trying to be nice to her. Nobody can say they've never done that, and the amount of anger directed at the other three is very hypocritical.

HOWEVER, I have to say that Korto and Jerrell both were given a chance to show themselves to be a better person than Kenley. I can't say what I would have done in their situation, but I can say that they can't claim any kind of moral high ground after they refused to help her.

Also, Korto's anger in the room after the runway judging was uncalled for. She had absolutely no right to try to make Kenley feel guilty for picking her. They all chose Kenley to be eliminated, and she was trashed much worse than anything she said about Korto (at least, that's what we're shown). Kenley shouldn't have interrupted Jerrell, and she shouldn't have pretended that the judges didn't want him to elaborate on why he wouldn't take her. That's why they asked the question Kenley, they wanted the other designers to bash each other. Don't act like it was out of line.

Okay, now that the drama is over with, let's look at the boring dresses from a boring challenge!



I agree that the bodice of this dress desperately needs to go higher. This is the problem with garments with this type of "neckline:" they elongate the top of the woman's body and really made her chest look abnormally long. This is one of the reasons that I almost always dislike strapless dresses. But it is especially evident on this dress.

Otherwise, this isn't amazing, but it's not bad either. It looks more like something they would have made early in the season, but when you look back on previous seasons people are always universally disappointing at this part of the season. Remember the challenge that claimed Kara Janx? How boring and terrible were those dresses? This felt like a redo of that.



This is clearly the weakest of the dresses that went down the runway. I agree with the other designers that Kenley's set of tricks is rather limited. The silhouette is very similar to most of the other things she's sent down the runway. I don't really understand the scales/leaves at the bottom, I can't really get what she's going for and why they're there. But I also don't think this was some sort of hideous costume either.



Okay, the fabric here is doing some odd little crinkling things and that's not good. But I honestly don't understand why everybody hated this dress so much. The curves of lace along the back don't really do it any favors in this picture, and possibly not at all. While I might not think it's worthy of this level of the competition, and while I think the fabric certainly should have been smoother, I also think it was only the bottom because Jerrell's and Leanne's were just a shade better.



Okay, I'm really torn between liking this best because at least it's a little different or liking Jerrell's because this is a bit typical for Leanne. And really, it's partially that I absolutely love this color, and Leanne didn't end up with crinkled looking fabric. But in the end I think it was really six of one, half a dozen of the other between Leanne and Jerrell. I love the flow of the skirt, it's very beautiful. I really wish she could have incorporated the other fabric because that blue with the lavender looked very beautiful.

Leanne's is the only dress I would consider wearing, but that doesn't necessarily make it a winner. But really, how dull was this entire runway show? I expected so much more, but I should be used to this part of the season being boring and disappointing.

I wonder how much Tim didn't want to go to Kenley's house. That's bound to be at least a little amusing.

Arbitrary or genius?

I can't decide if I loved this challenge or completely hated it for how fake and forced it felt. "You're not just giving each other makeovers, WHAT A TWIST!"

I am intrigued that just like in makeover episode of season two, the loser was sent home wearing the winning design.

On with the show!



There are actually a couple ways where Kenley looks better in this get-up than she does in the "style" she usually wears. I was interested by the difference, I think you could write an entire paper on it. But when it comes down to just the actual look, I don't love it as much as the judges did.

I thought it was simplistic for one thing. It doesn't look that hard to construct at all. My other major problem is the diamond cups on the front. They have no edge! They look unfinished and unpolished, which makes the whole dress look just a touch onto the trashy. If it looked a little more like a very well constructed bra (where's Ricky when you need him?) then maybe I would have gone for it, but instead it just reminds me of some fabric swatches glued on the front to keep her from being indecent.

The little fur shrug was...off. But very pop. This just goes to show how much I dislike pop-tartlet fashion.



For the record, I'm going in alphabetical order by designer, as I always do.

Okay, as much as I don't hate Suede like the rest of the world I've thought it was his time to go several times now. I figured he'd be gone by now, and so going into this episode I thought "Eh, it's probably Suede's last one."

Then THIS happened. There is no call for Kenley to still be in the running after this. Those pants are a travesty against woman and nature. I felt so terrible for Leanne having to pretend that this was acceptable. First of all, it was part of the arbitrary nature of the challenge that you got Leanne, who probably is the second least hip-hop person on the show and that it was being designed by Kenley who was the least hip-hop. Anyone on the show would have been better suited to design that genre, and Leanne at least seemed to have a pretty good grip on what hip-hop wasn't, which Kenley didn't have at all.

I can't believe how she just kept asking the black people "this is hip-hop, right?" and when they very unbelievably said "sure" she just accepted it and went on her oblivious little way. It was obvious they were just saying "whatever" and she didn't care.

And it's not even just that this isn't hip-hop. It's that it's TERRIBLE. Those pants are wrong on so many levels that I can't even begin to talk about why. Everything about them seems designed to make Leanne look oddly shaped, and it makes me wonder if Kenley didn't do it on purpose. She kept saying she didn't want Leanne to look ridiculous but then she put her in those pants.

I'll leave aside Kenley's ridiculous attitude since so many people have touched on it better than I. I'll let her outfit speak for itself, and it says VOLUMES.

Suede should have stayed.



You know, this doesn't actually say "punk" to me, but that's because I grew up in an odd era. It's close to punk, but it's not quite there. It's got too much grunge influence maybe. Anyway, of everybody there she did get the closest to what she was going for.

The other thing is, this calls to mind the things I said during the last challenge when the designers made over each other all those seasons ago. I mentioned that Santino and Nick sold their looks on the runway and really looked confident and great and those were the top looks. But that Daniel V. looked bored, sleepy, and unhappy and so his look was quickly targeted for dismissal. Suede was the only designer who was really into it. It's like he said to himself, "alright, I look frightening but I only get to do this once!" Leanne made some attempts at playing the part, but well, what could she do really?

Really though, in the end this doesn't make that much of an impression on me as an outfit because I saw people wear more interesting things in high school.



First and foremost, could we ditch the little checked scarf?

Second, what's with all the dissing on country? I understand if you don't listen to it, but the blogs and the judges...nobody seems to really like it. It's like everybody's next door neighbor that they pretend not to know if they see them at the mall or something.

I like country music, myself. I like old school country music too. So really, while this doesn't look like the modern "cross-over country" stars it also isn't that far off the deep end. I think if she had picked a better fabric for the top, and not done the gold accents but instead stuck with a color that was a little less contrast then it was a really solid idea. It didn't look like a CMA outfit, no. But it looked like a Grand Ole' Opry dress, didn't it?

And really, nobody wears anything that looks country to the CMAs anymore. Just like country stars are mostly not singing country music anymore either. But that's another rant for another time.



I will have to say again that the model either sells or doesn't sell the look on the runway. While I think Kenley's whining about Leanne was uncalled for (Leanne tried dangit) Suede could have easily made a case that his outfit fell flat partially because Jerrell's lackluster walk. It was terrible! He was modeling in his sleep or something.

I'll give you all the criticisms that the judges had. It does have to pop from the nosebleed seats if you're going with that kind of style. It doesn't look at all different from what Jerrell wears in general. But here's the other thing, the big rock stars right now? They're wearing jeans and t-shirts for the most part. They're not really going out there blinged up or glammed or any of that. I wouldn't know what to do with a "modern" rock star look these days. I guess dress them like Jeffery, but I thought he looked ridiculous.

Anyway, Suede said that he wanted Jerrell to look like Lenny Kravitz and if they had put a wig on him, he could have looked the part. If Jerrell had played the oozing sexiness and the cocky swagger of a rock star, this could have worked at least on some level.

Which is all my way of wandering around and arriving at the fact that Suede did not have the worst outfit that day, by far. He was eliminated based on past designs, not based on this week. Which I guess makes some sense but in the end, still didn't make me feel good.

Bonus: I took a look at Suede's collection for fashion week and while there were a couple really cute and flirty little dresses, for the most part it was pretty...off. So much of it would have looked good with one less ruffle or one less detail. Learn to edit a little Suede, please? You're getting pretty close.

Ooh, sleepover at Parson's!

So I have to admit that while most people would probably find the idea of giving recent college grads a makeover is a pretty stupid challenge. I think this episode failed the potential, but I do think potential was there.

Maybe I only find it interesting because I was in that spot once. It wasn't that many years ago when I was thrown to the wolves of the world with a bachelor's and a hope that I could get a job. But I had majored in film and photography and minored in art history, so really, I shouldn't have expected much.

But it is a time that's really interesting for women and their style. They have to discover how to fit in and look professional while still being themselves and having their own style. It's kind of fascinating in a way.

I could just find it interesting because I'm currently in my first few weeks of graduate school and I'm back to trying to reinvent myself again.

BUT, I think they failed utterly at the fact that the mothers were involved. They were unnecessary, they had no purpose dramatically. I'm in a screenwriting class right now and she keeps telling us about how if it isn't an integral part of the story, then the detail shouldn't be there. Is it vitally important that the main character has blue eyes? No? Then chuck it.

So, is it important to the dramatic arc of the episodes that the mothers are there at all? Absolutely not. The clients ran about the same chance of being demanding and difficult as the prom challenge, and so you didn't need the mothers there. The mothers only came to TWO meetings out of what, four? Then they watched the runway show and went away without a word!

If the mothers had at least joined them on the runway to talk about what they thought of the makeover then I would have given it a go. But they didn't, so they shouldn't be there.

It occurs to me that using a screenwriting argument to debate the merits of the challenge on an "unscripted" show could be it's own post, what with the WGA and all. I'll avoid that post and get back to the fun part: MAKEOVERS!

Or not, since most of the girls looked so very much the same as before. Blah de blah.



Jerrell very clearly won this challenge. He took the girl who said she liked androgyny and tomboyish looks and made her look stylish without being overtly feminine. He made her look professional without making her look old, and just in general I'm a fan. The only problem I really have is that along with this "head to toe" makeover they should have done more with the hair. I'm going to refrain from critiquing the girl's hair because no 22 year old needs an anonymous blogger saying she had a bad hair day on national television, but I wanted to see DIFFERENT looks, and this girl's hair didn't really look different.

They got rid of the different colors and made it one solid, and that's about it.

That said, it's still absolutely the best garment of the show, it's actually so far and above the rest it deserves a win with a gold star or something. Absolutely an earned win.



I have no problem with Joe making an interview suit instead of something that screams "graphic designer." Mostly because what in the world screams graphic designer? Bold prints? I don't know. But the thing is, I'm a filmmaker and I'm pretty sure that I should still just wear something professional to job interviews. I'm still supposed to own a suit. There was a bit of a speech at orientation about "dressing like a filmmaker" but I never did figure out what that meant, so I think Joe's idea wasn't bad.

I think Joe's execution has so many flaws I can't actually go over them all. The skirt is the wrong length, it comes up too high above her waist. The jacket is tailored badly, and the shirt...I can barely look at the shirt. It doesn't fit her, it's terrible. It also is far too low cut to go with the rest of the look, I'm so confused by it.

Also, it should be worth noting that pocket squares are not, by default, outdated and terrible. I bet they can be pulled off with quite a bit of style if done right. This isn't it, by far, but still. Don't laugh just because it's a pocket square.

All in all, Joe just fell apart here. I expected to not care when he got eliminated, but somehow I actually got a little upset about it. Not fair, Project Runway!



Dear Kenley,

Please go home. You obviously don't want to be here, so just leave already.

No love,
Me.

That's all I'm going to say about Kenley's miserable attitude other than where has this been the whole time? I know there's editing tricks and stuff, but it's really confusing! Maybe it's always been there, but it's still just obnoxious! I so wish she had gone home last week.

The dress itself...I actually don't like it. I think it's boring, I think it's cliched, and I think it screams "Look at me, I'm so desperate to be different just like all those other people!" Just watching the girl and Kenley snicker on the runway was like watching a bad high school clique or something. What does that have to do with the dress? Because it feels like a costume, like the girl is putting on an entire costume instead of being a person.

I hate the belt. The vest and dress, with a thinner belt, could work for me I guess. But I agree with Tim that the tulle shouldn't have been showing. I also think that this wasn't remotely a makeover, but then almost nobody really did that.

Maybe I'm just too sour-faced about Kenley in general, but I just don't like it. I think that it was only in the top because when you only have six designers it's either top or bottom. In any other week this would have been the middle, IMHO.



Brace yourselves.

I don't like this at all. I think the jacket would look great on somebody with a different build, but this makes her look like she's so wide and so short. There's just so much not to like about what it does to her body. The dress might be fun and nice under that jacket but when you put them together it makes her a block.

I like the idea of the jacket, I wonder what it would look like on Korto's regular model. I also wonder what it would look like on Korto, I think I'd like it.

But this outfit? I'm just not really a fan of it at all.



Leanne...oh, poor Leanne. While there wasn't much drama or difficulty in the long run, why did you make this dress? Fresh off of three phenomenal garments you make THIS? I realize the girl is an elementary school teacher, but so was my sister and she didn't wear things like this.

The idea might have been sound, I guess. But the jacket is just off in so many ways, including the fit. And the top was just not as well made as I'm used to for Leanne. It made me sad to see, and if she had been one of the bottom two I would have cried.

I just don't know how this garment existed. After so many amazing things and then she makes this? It reminds me more of Jennifer than Leanne.



Okay, that jacket is bad, I'll give you that in a heartbeat. But at least the dress itself is very cute. Maybe it's not a professional work attire kind of thing, but at least it's cute. The jacket...the jacket is just kind of wrong. But it's so much better than Joe's. As much as I'm confused by how long Suede has lasted, this wasn't an elimination dress.

I do have to say that it makes me kind of grumpy how they kept saying "she doesn't look like a photographer!" What exactly does a photographer wear, hm? I get the whole thing about pants because she's hauling equipment and running around to get a good shot, but there are so few professions that have a dress code and photography is not one of them. I was one for a while, I just wore business casual.

Side note!

I checked out Joe's collection since I now knew he was a decoy, since I don't actually look at them before the show. There were a few good pieces (I love the first denim skirt) but for the most part I was so perplexed. The second corset top with the zippers? That looked so cheap.

What really bugged me was his insistence in the Western theme he had going on with the turquoise jewelery. Okay, my mom loves turquoise jewelery, and it can be really beautiful. But it has to be paired properly and wore the right way, just like anything else. Almost nothing in his show fit that description.

Though I am amused that I looked through the pictures yesterday with a co-worker and we couldn't figure out why he went all western and then this morning's Style section in the Express was all about how the Western look is back. Well, you get two points for physic power, Joe.