Truth be told, we were kind of dreading this all week. Whether you agree with our takes or not, we've been trying to offer as balanced a view of each collection as possible, pointing out what works and what doesn't in each. Michael, beloved and talented as he is, put together a collection that makes it very difficult to say anything positive. When that collection walked down the runway, you could feel the crowd in the tent struggling with it in silence.
The judges did their damnedest to keep it off their faces:
But if you're not in the front row, why bother?
If his goal was "high impact," mission accomplished. If nothing else, it was a striking collection and the styling choices were typically well-chosen, as were the models. Michael has an eye for striking and unconventional- looking women.
The music...well, it was certainly young and in your face, but it was clear that the models couldn't walk to it.
Let's start the show.
Thank god he listened to Tim and edited out the bling in this outfit, but the gold belt looks cheap and leaves her floundering in hookerland.
Maybe "rowr kinda woman" means "cheap." We don't get the kids and their hip lingo.
Alright, we admit it. You were right, Alison and Tim. She is a plus-sized model. Nothing wrong with that, although why he would put her in an outfit that makes her look even wider eludes us. This is Myrna's Miami Mah-Jong-by-the-pool outfit. Unflattering and mature-looking when it was obvious that "mature" was not what he was going for.
And that model was bringing the sass. We thought maybe she was going to slap one of the photographers at the end of the runway just for the hell of it.
Part Zwei coming soon!
[Photos: FirstView]
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113 comments:
Yeah, I squirmed when I saw Michael's hoochie coochie collection. His models wobbled, and the outfits reminded me of the stuff guest actresses wore on 70's series t.v.
Tim Gunn is right. Michael needs to hightail it up to NY, and work for someone who can mentor him and steer him in the right direction.
Hahah Vincent's expression here captures what EVERYONE at my PR Finale party was doing.
Exactly, Ms. Place. Of all of the PR3 designers, Michael seemed to benefit most from Tim's comments and those of his fellow designers. A mentor will help him to refine and, hopefully, tone down the hoothie factor within his designs. He's a very talented, bright young man. We certainly haven't seen the last of him nor his work.
Sigh, I so wanted to like Michael's collection. Looking back on some of the fabulous things he designed during the season, the collection seemed to have been designed by someone else. I don't think he has a clear vision yet although he is loaded with talent and charm.
er .. make that "hootchie" factor .. damn I need a proof reader!
I was very disappointed with Michael's showing. Out of the 4 designers, I think this collection is just what the exec from Walmart was looking for.
A pole should have been installed at the end of the runway. It would have improved the show...strictly for comic relief, as I was crying at its end.
"Myrna's Miami Mah-Jong-by-the-pool outfit" Too fucking funny! You boys do have a way with words!
It should be obvious from my signature that I wanted to LOVE Michael's collection. I find almost everything about him so refreshing and likable.
Tim said that he felt that being in Atlanta for 2 months and egged on by his friends worked to the detriment of Michael. What his friends saw as "wow" most others saw as hootchie.
I did like the first piece -- not a wow but not bad. I also liked the orange dress -- not what I would wear but this collection was not geared for the older woman. Well, maybe one or two of the white outfits could be worn by a mature woman.
Unfortunately, Michael (now Mychael) seems to be headed to further objectification of women. His website announces his coming "Kitty and Dick" line of under apparel. Oh dear. Well it all means big money in the Baby Phat world so he may turn out to be a huge success anyway.
I wish Michael would work for a Michael Kors type for a year or two -- he could really benefit!
Damn, I need spell check too, chgo_john. Make that hootchie cootchie collection!
Seriously, I love Michael. He's so incredibly talented and his clothes are designed to make women look and feel good. He just went way over the top with the sequins and gold and laces.
Tim remarked on how Michael managed to pull his collection together in those final days, but that it just wasn't enough. He was $1,000 under budget. Poor guy. This was no time to start saving for your pension.
Hi, Tom and Lorenzo.
I'm just curious. What is up with your German numbering system? Eins, Zwei...
With love and admiration,
AS
Anonymous said...
Hi, Tom and Lorenzo.
I'm just curious. What is up with your German numbering system? Eins, Zwei...
Just a running joke from the early days of the blog, nothing more. You have to admit, it was Germanic this season.
I can only hope Michael's talent, as shown in most of the challenges, comes through as he matures.
Any chance Tim Gunn could live in Atlanta for a while, to mentor him?
Never have so many wanted to love so much! Michael has watched way too many hip hop music videos. BUT if that's what he's going for, he'll flourish as long as that sort of crap is considered hip. With street culture now dominating, he'll do fine. But knowing what he is capable of -- think of the coffee filter dress, the Pam Grier outfit, the black and white dress -- why, oh, why is he determined to do "sexy, sensual, sultry", i.e., cheap and tawdry? Ah, youth!
"Myrna's Miami Mah-Jong-by-the-pool outfit."
I know her, I know Myrna! ;-) She smokes Pall Malls!
I LOVED the first dress when I saw it on the form in Michael's home during Tim's visit, then I saw it on the runway and thought, "What happened?" It was that damned belt! When I saw the runway stills the day after the show what struck me was the way he used stiff looking belts on several items, making it look like they had cigar bands around their waists. I was hoping they would look less constricting as they walked but they didn't. His super wide belt during the B&W challenge was a softer material that formed to her waist. This might have been a better solution on the runway.
I did really love the second outfit with the shorts but by the time the green dress came down my heart kind of sank. Actually she looked a little like Pamela Anderson trying to be respectable. About 2 inches extra length would have helped that number.
T&L, I think your assessment is quite right and with Tim's comments at least we can understand what went wrong.
Brian
Forgot to say, I still think Michael's collection was better than most of the finalists in the first two seasons. For what it's worth.
Brian
While I liked some of his looks, I was disappointed in Mychael, too. In his defense, it is possible that all us yankee white folks just don't get him. People keep saying, "oh, he's young, he needs mentoring" but I dunno. I think he knows exactly what he is doing. I keep going back to how he counseled Kayne about his black & white dress. He knows where the line of hootchie is, he chose to cross it. He really thought about how to use his PR experience to further his career and he acccomplished that by making it to OFW, where his audience is waiting.
I really enjoyed watching him this season and I wish him all the best.
Kitty & Dick: reeeedeeeculous!
If it's true that every super-hero has his Kryptonite, then Captain-Save-A-Ho's has found his. Metallic belts, silver sequins and peek-a-boo necklines on whores-r-us dresses. Yikes!
While Laura, and Uli, were criticized for having too limited a point of view, Michael doesn't have one at all! He's the kid who wants to please by mirroring the point of view of those around him,obviously in this case those without much taste. He's the one best suited for an internship at Macy's!
Has anyone looked at "Mychael's" website? It's sad. Instead of doing what Tim suggested, he's going full-on L'il Kim. Apparantly he's coming out with an underwear line called, no joke, "Kitty and Dick."
Yeah. I hate to say it, but I had the same expression on my face as Vincent did when I watched Michael's show. I wanted to like it, but it was by far my least favorite of the four.
"Vincent, for once we're in complete agreement"
Wow, that's a sentence I never thought I'd see here!
I'm really enjoying your take on the collections.
-W-
Scout brought something really important to fore: exactly what kind of high fashion mentorship are you going to get from Macy*s?!? And not just Macy's, but their "affordable as hell" I.N.C. house brand. As we sat watching the season, we reminisced about the good old days when we threw shade at the Banana Republic mentorship, not realizing the contestants in previous seasons had it better (although to be fair, Banana is completely floundering now considering that they went on Fall sale in September!) even if Macy's has basically taken over the entire country...
oh poor michael - those two dresses are a mess. the one on alexandra looks like a skating costume and the 2nd one looks like it was made from a bad shower curtain... the white pants, however, i kinda like.
Certainly Michael does know the difference between sophisticaton and streetwalker, given that he was the one to point out that the belt Kayne was making for the black & white challenge was sending the look in the streetwalker direction. So it probably wasn't just a question of being egged on by his Atlanta friends. Michael's portfolio at the time of casting was clearly hootchie, and Tim initially didn't want to cast him for that reason. I think this represents a very immature view of what is sexy, but it's looking more & more like that's the market Michael really wants to enter right now. It's a shame.
Although it does give me some hope that Michael was willing to tone down the tackiness with Tim's advice during the final week. Though I'm curious, I'm not really sure I want to see what it looked like when he first arrived in New York.
Michael introduced his fashion show by saying it was about a woman who was trying to find her true identity...
...who knew that her true identity was a whore from Queens?
It takes all kinds.
My heart just broke....
Hopefully he'll find his direction again and do what we all know he's capable of.
Aw... c'mon.. What's wrong with a little hootchie? Personally, I'm an ample-bottomed Baby Phat gal myself, so I liked a lot of Mychael's collection. Hated the gold belts. But I didn't think his stuff was so bad. Even if you white folk' don't appreciate it, I bet Kimora Lee Simmons would give him a job (and that was *not* a diss). Still Team Michael/Laura!
Off topic: Bravo's site has changed their upcoming TV schedule. Instead of a season one marathon next Friday, they've moved it to Wednesday afternoon (Nov 1), starting with the 5th episode. Hope it doesn't change again between now and then.
I still can't get over "Kitty and Dick". Who were the ad wizards that came up with that one?
Oh and in Tim's Podcast, he said something about how he was sitting in front of Michael's friends and they kept going on and on about how "hot" the clothes were. Now we know where "Mychael" got his input from. Yikes.
So sad to see all those horrified faces as the clothes came down the runway. You could totally tell that Heidi and Nina were trying verrry hard to keep a poker face.
Some of the outfits weren't so bad (IMO) upon further reflection. I loved the white shorts and asymmetrical top and the white lace-up dresses might have worked with other belts. The proportions of the print dresses were just all wrong. Oh Michael. What a darling he was for most of the season. And I think he was the most consistently excellent of all the designers. The interesting thing about his work during the show was that it had great crossover appeal. It was young, fresh and hip enough to appeal to a hip hop star yet it was sophisticated and elegant enough to appeal to a much broader market. He started to fall apart during the couture challenge but still, this thing was his to lose, and lose it he did, in spectacular fashion. I hope he finds his way. Maybe he and Laura should do a line together. As they used to say about Fred and Ginger, she could give him class and he could give her sex appeal. (Well, in Fred and Ginger's case it was reversed.)
I just visited Mychael Knight.com and viewed all of his collections. After seeing his 4th collection (with black bags over some of the model's heads) I just feel so sad and so terribly disappointed. But it is absolutely his choice. I miss you, MIchael.
Cherri
I have so many things going on in my head right now. The biggest one is FOR GOD'S SAKE A SIZE FOUR MODEL IS NOT PLUS-SIZED! JESUS! *I'M PLUS-SIZED*! That ain't it.
Having said that,
Michael just looked so crushed that people hated his collection. And I really think he got a wake-up call from that. Because really what I got from all the comments people made about it was, "You're better than this." Not saying there's no market for it, not saying no one is making it. Not even saying that he doesn't have a cool take on it. But I think people were just saying to him, "You can compete in any arena in fashion, don't limit yourself."
What he's doing, the way he's doing it - it's not going to be taken seriously. Yes, he could dress Li'l Kim, but how seriously exactly do people take *her* designers? Or Beyonce's mother?
And that's what came out of this collection. Some of his pieces were so fresh - that 2nd dress was completely great. And from the season, I think he got the most out of it. The coffee filter dress was *fabulous*! The Style Icon hot pants were incredible. And it seemed like he was really challenging himself there, but in such a good way.
The minute he got back to Atlanta, he went right back into his comfort zone.
Anne
The only thing that I might add to the conversation, and with no joy, is to remark on the quality of sewing. Michael/Mychael had occasionally had sewing mishaps in the Parson's workroom, his final gown for one, the couture gown for another. I had chalked it up to the time constraints, even though the Pam Grier outfit looked VERY nicely executed.
The yellow/orange chiffon dress has two different size 'bra bands'...the bodice is uneven in proportion from left to right. And the not overly endowed model is 'busting' out of it. It reminds me of comments made earlier by The Dutchess that someone's dress had not been seen on a model, only on a dress form, and I have the feeling that was the case for most of M's collection.
T&L, you are actually being very kind because if you look at the close-ups of the collection on the Sparklies site there are all sorts of, um, construction abberations. For example the pocket placement on the first dress.
I think that several people have stated what was happening here. I think Michael/Mychael, like Laura, chose,primarily, to take this as the opportunity to launch himself to a wider universe. He took advantage of millions of dollars of television airtime; think of what it would cost to buy ad-time on TV to show his collection.
I think he has the ability to be a mainstream designer, ala M. Kors, but it is a deliberate choice to persue the hip hop/Sean John route. And given the financial success of several of those lines it might be a great decision for him. Why is that Point Of Veiw not up to his potential when the resort world is fine for Uli, the Park Avenue/eveningwear world is fine for Laura and the...um, rawker/90210 Juniors Dept. world is fine for Jeffery ?
He seems to be a genuinely kind and good person and I wish him well and all the best, but he is still going to have to elevate his construction quality.
I'm curious why no one has commented on the first model's 'weebles wobble but they don't fall down' walk as she lurched down the runway?
scout said...
While Laura, and Uli, were criticized for having too limited a point of view, Michael doesn't have one at all! He's the kid who wants to please by mirroring the point of view of those around him,obviously in this case those without much taste. He's the one best suited for an internship at Macy's!
Brilliant! You've encapsulated the entire sitch. 'Nuf said.
Michael, darling! You're loved, don't worry. Come to New York, find your voice.
at our house the reaction to Mi(y)chael's collection was... ... Stunned silence! How could he go from the sleek sophistication of Pam Grier/B&W challenge to pimping those looks.
On an other note: I was one that was horrified by the plus-size/zaftig comments on the show but had to eat crow after seeing Alexandra in Michael's dress -That girl really has no waist?!
Speaking of Vincent's reaction, he's at it again. Bravo posted a link to another interview he did with the Santa Monica Daily Press. He sounds a little toned down (taking his meds?), but still quite convinced of his talent.
RE: Vincent...He repeatedly refers to himself in the third person. The dude is completely off his rocker and meds.
Fine, if you're going to do hip-hop, then *do* it! Don't half-assed do it by just sleazing up looks that had real potential.
There wasn't a look on that runway that couldn't have been a dynamite cross-over look with a little help from Tim. Or somebody. Anybody.
You know what the "something big" the winners win through their challenge victories should be? Extra days with Tim if they make the Final Four. Michael had three wins, right? So he would have won three days with Tim, say at the end of the first month. Laura would have gotten an extra day, just enough time to have Tim come over and say, "WTF are you thinking with those shorts?"
I think that would have been great.
Anne
I just don't think Michael's collection was that bad - and isn;t the idea of a runway show to display a more extreme version of your collection that is then toned down for retail? That is, longer hems etc
Although I have to say the whole kitty and dick thing sounds rather disturbing
I'm looking at my favorite print dress, the second one again, and does it look to anybody else like her boobs are sagging or something? Are they the right distance between her shoulders and her waist? I mean, is that where they're supposed to be? Shouldn't they be up higher?
Anne
Who probably shouldn't be making comments about where other people's boobs are as long as she's tripping over her own, but still...
After reviewing the collection for the umpteenth time, I think Michael should have had his models march out to the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp".
Yeah, the orange and yellow dress was pretty. But, like your said, the beading is pointless. It didn't bother me as much as the beading on his final dress, though, which wasn't even the right color.
And that one model is very pretty and has a great body but you cannot put her in micro-mini babydoll! What was he thinking?
The collection was all very "as photographed by Scavullo for the cover of Cosmopolitan", 1978.
Too bad as I had Michael and Laura picked out for my top two after the season's first episode.
— CF
In all honesty-Mr. Michael needs to understand that the angular underarm is a dangerouse thing. It's fleshy, and those weaving armholes cut right thru them. They distort the flesh, and the flesh distorts the armhole. It's just a bad combo!
B
Did anybody else read M(y)chael's bio on his site and think he has Libretti's Disease?
Definition of Libretti's Disease: A condition causing a participant in a contest to think they are the winner or in the winning group when it is obvious to all observers that not only did they not win, but their entry is so bad as to call into question their mental faculties. A side effect of this condition causes the afflicted to make statements regarding their "obvious" talent, ie. I am the only real designer here. or "Michael Knight is the most sought after designer since Zac Posen"
Cure unknown at this time.
Please send money to fund research into this debilitating disease.
Hoochie? check
MTV awards? check
I think the last look in part Eins looks like an Eva Longoria dress-
(and I'm not a fan)
Okay okay! I'm going back to work!
profp
I think Kayne's look says it all in comparison to Vincent. He looks pained whereas I would expect Vincent to be overreacting.
Can someone clarify? I thought it was "mentorship" at Macy's, not "internship". Mentorship implies maybe helping out with info on setting up a business, manufacturing contacts, etc (which Jay McCarroll alluded to in an interview called 'Why do I need the number of that factory in China?'), but not giving input on design aesthetic. Mentors offer guidance but it is understood that the work of the person being mentored is all their own.
In contrast, internship is generally implied to mean that the person is *working* at the company, either paid or unpaid, for the experience, and that the intern is working on the interests of the company/person providing the internship.
I was under the impression that none of the seasons had an "Internship" as a prize--they've been Mentorships. Am I confused?
again the double-post:
aside: [I loved the green outfit...probably because the model was more realistic and it was something I could envision myself wearing!]. And I'm not a hootchie-lovin' phat girl, I'm a 34 year-old scientist who still has great legs!
I wanted to cry when I saw Michael's collection. If anyone would benefit from a mentor/editor to steer his obvious talent in the right direction, it's Michael.
I just went to mychaelknight.com.
He's got the Knight Rider theme playing.
Thats awesome.
His clothes, however, are not.
And that makes me sad.
thank god michael has the personality he has. if he had the "jeffery effect" who in the hell would hire him at this point? i dont think his collection was terrible but like the masses i was disappointed.
still gotta love him though!
sissy
I think it was Tim Gunn who surmised that Michael's collection was the result of peer pressure from his friends in Hotlanta. It's just hard for me to understand how he thinks a prostitute's Halloween costume is sexier than that black and white number he made for Nazri. It boggles the mind.
What I keep thinking as I look at his pieces is that he should have listened to Heidi's caution to Laura because I see plunging neckline after plunging neckline in Mychael's outfits.
I will say this: despite Michael's being the weakest collection shown, it is still better than anything the final 3 designers showed in Season 2 of Project Runway.
I adore Michael for his easy-going, non-drama presence. And his work through the season was good (for the most part).
I visited his website Mychael Knight (incidently why the spelling change for the name?) and was mortified by everything he was showing. I don't understand any of it. He talks about sophistication, but there is little there in his collection to suggest any such thing.
Tim, would you please go and help out boy?
Brian in KY
oops ... sorry I meant to say,
"Tim, would you please go help out our boy?"
my original posting sounds a bit ... well, racist ... a serious blunder in my typing and editing. I beg everyone's pardon.
Brian in KY
"Myrna's Miami Mah-Jong-by-the-pool outfit"
LMAO. Always have to go global just to keep up with your fabulousness T&L.
T&L,
Did you hear MK scream when he saw all the plunging necklines. Mychael got V-neckline 101 down. He still needs zipper 101 and beading 101 from Laura.
A talking Tim Gunn bobblehead helps too.
Oh, honeys. You are so right. So much promise, squandered. Yes, he will make $$ in the hip-hop world, which he richly deserves. On the other hand, his website scares me: the collection was not an aberration, kids. And he seems to be doing arrogant/trashy right now. That depresses me no end. I love the guy, and hope maybe Mychael is just an identity he's trying on. If it works for him, God bless. But for the dignity of women everywhere, I hope he decides on another persona.
wannabe
I watched the finale with a group of my hip hop culture friends. They loved the collection. Although everyone agreed when diversity meets mainstream runway, "they're gonna hate it."
It's too bad that Michael didn't win, because I think he really would have benefited from the mentorship at INC. He needs to listen to people who really understand fashion and stop listening to his hoochie-mama-loving buddies. Outside of the final collection, I loved his work and hope he'll move on to create fashions one can wear outside of a MTV rap video.
Why does Tim say "poor Uli was all by herself with no one to bounce stuff off of" and then "Michael was listening to his hiphop posse." So, if you liked the clothes the designer gets all the credit and if you don't, someone must be influencing him? Please, Michael did not change his point of view in his collection, he changed it to make it to OFW on Project Runway. It's not his fault all us white people don't get it.
And I really don't get it, but I don't expect to understand everyone's aesthetic. I didn't like Laura's or Jeffrey's collections either, but I respect their right to their own audience & point of view.
But I agree with whoever said that all the S3 collections were worlds above anything in S2, and I love Danny V. with a passion. I really didn't like Michael's clothes but as a collection, he did present a cohesive point of view.
I am guessing that someone bought the MichaelKnight.com web address and was holding it for ransom (the sleazy size of capitalism).
Check the look on Brandy's face - in the same frame as Vincent and Kayne. If I had to put a subtitle on her facial expression, it would read - Oh my God, what WAS he thinking ?
I have to agree with Briane469, his website proves that he needs some time to mature and he needs to hang out with a different crowd. He is still very young and will make a few more false steps. At some point he will raise his sights and go for something with broader appeal. Until that day, we will have to suffer through Hoochie Mamas on parade.
After taking a look at his website, it's clear to see that he can be aesthetically pleasing when he wants to be. I did like the green tweed variations and a few others in that collection.
The green strappy waist dress is horrible though. I can picture some overweight hootchie trying to squeeze herself into that thing for senior prom, thinking she looks "smokin" because it's a Mychael Knight, pockets of flesh billowing out from between the lattice work. Oh the humanity!
I really really really wanted to love his collection. If he had gone full-out hip hop it would have been so different and most likely better. This collection came out like clueless hip-hop that wanted to be 'uptown.' It was just confused. Mi(y)chael said it himself... he's young. He hasn't found *his* voice yet. I actually hope he doesnt' go to New York as several have suggested. I hope he stays in ATL, find his style-- as hot as he wants it to be-- and makes it rock.
Whether or not one understands hip hop fashion, one fact remains: Michael's collection did very poorly when auctioned. Here was a chance for his fans to buy a one-of-a-kind original, literally "as seen on the runway", and they, in effect, took a pass. His 6 "least favorite" pieces brought in $1101 (Jeffrey's rec'd $2840; Laura's $3145; Uli's $3835). With 5 of MyK's designs going for less than $200 each - less than the cost of a night out in any major city, dinner & Dom Perignon included - there's a lesson to be learned: talk is cheap. All of the "hot, hot, hots" don't mean a thing if one's work goes unsold.
Oh, wow, after seeing Mychael's website, I don't know what to think. Is it a lot of range or a kind of design schizophrenia?
He can be brilliant at simple-but-playful/sophisticated/classy: the b&w challenge, the everyday woman challenge, the coffee filter dress, the FW white shorts-batwing top outfit. Even his coutoure dress had potential (if he'd had the ability to do what he envisioned, it might have been beautiful, if not couture). The doggie challenge hinted at his love of peek-a-boo, but his smart fabric choice and styling added up to a sophisticated look.
So I picture Nazri looking chic as can be in the b&w challenge dress (now, that could have been a modern-day Audrey Hepburn look). . . and then I go to the website and see models with their breasts barely contained, some pretty out bondage looks. . . and then every so often, something classy and sophisticated. . . and then just as suddenly, we're back to bondage. . .
!?!?!?!?
Oh my goodness. Watching Michael's collection come down the runway was like watching your kid strike out swinging with 3 outs and the bases loaded. Heart wrenching and painful. I could have cried again except for the pictures of the gal in the front row and Vincent - I'm sorry Michael, but they are so frigging funny.
YIKES!!! I just read that he's doing undies called....well, you know.
Michael Kors: If you are reading this, you KNOW what you have to do!!! Fashion intervention.
There were some good aspects of his collection. I believe he will find his true asthetic one day, he is still a young guy....but ya, the overall look made me think of Solid Gold dancers.
Put his newly discovered elegance aside and went to HIS safe, familiar place.
Hoping that he isn't totally blinded by the whirlwind of the fast and furious and let real opportunity pass him by.
"With 5 of MyK's designs going for less than $200 each - less than the cost of a night out in any major city, dinner & Dom Perignon included - there's a lesson to be learned: talk is cheap. All of the "hot, hot, hots" don't mean a thing if one's work goes unsold."
Ya hit the nail on the head with that comment, anonymous.
It's what sells, stupid!
Fashion is a business. That's why Uli and Laura will make it. Michael needs to learn. And Jeffrey will always be a niche designer.
My two cents:
My main problems with this show were (a) poor construction on some of the pieces (from Michael! That was a shocker) and (b) the overall repetitiveness of the collection. I wouldn't have minded the hootchie factor -- I'm not even sure how to spell that, shows how very white I am -- so much if only I'd seen a little more creativity and variety. It's not my aesthetic -- I'm much more Uli and Laura than Michael and Jeffrey -- but I was disappointed at the sameness of it all. *So* different from the PR challenges, when Michael showed an enormous range and a great sense of style and construction. If he wants to do urban hip-hop sexy, fine. But I'd prefer him to do it WELL, and to put his own stamp on it.
Sigh. Michael, Michael, Michael...the whole shebang was his to lose.
Michael is the Michelle Kwan of Project Runway: The most talented, the best-liked; the gold standard all season long. But at Bryant Park he slipped off his edge and some undeserving also-ran won by default.
But fortunately for Michael, maturity will only help him, not hurt him. Right now he's a 20-something straight guy, and so yeah, his designs are body conscious (NOT hoochie). He's all about the Pink. But he's got the goods, and the people skils and the likeability, so some mentorship & maturity & he'll have a big career.
--Gotham Tomato
Trying again, blogger ate my post AND made me log in as Anonymous! Just checked out Michael's site; it's pretty Hoochtacular imho but maybe it's just me.
And am I remembering this correctly: Uli and Laura were the only 2 of the Final 4 who had no formal training yet they were the only 2 who DIDN'T have to send out anything to be finished? I think that's pretty amazing!!
LittleKarnak (or Anonymous until blogger lets me log in!!)
OK. Can we all agree that the four different finalists were each designing for a niche audience that they knew intimately, and that they knew would have the dollars to buy designer duds?
Laura was designing for Fab/Glam New York (and much as I loved her stuff, I just don't see it in LA except on the red carpet on Oscar night). Uli was designing for Miami Beach. Michael Kors said, "We get it, we get it" aobut all her stuff being the same filmy look, but the final guest judge (whose name escapes me) was VERY emphatic that the resort market is enormous and Uli's stuff would be very well-received in that market.
Jeffrey was designing for another very small niche market of punk/ gothic/ heavy metal music and "edgy" young Hollywood. I can't speak for New York, but again I simply do not see adults in the rest of the country wearing any of his stuff.
So Michael was designing for bling-wearing hip-hop artists. And what, exactly, is wrong with that? We *know* they have the money to buy the Bentley's so they also have the money to buy designer clothes. He said at one point he was designing an outfit to wear to Sean Combs' Hampton estate, and why is it any less worthwhile to design something that Lil Kim or Mary J Blige would swoon over, than the dreck that Jeffrey put out?
Just because Heidi, Nina and Michael thought it was too "hootchy mamma" does *not* mean that it wouldn't be appreciated by a very large segment of the fashion-buying public. Is the money of the hip-hop public any less green than the money of people who buy Michael Kors' stuff?
Watching the program, more than once I thought to myself how narrow the judges' vision is: it's VERY New York focused and totally ignores the huge chunks of the country in the south, the southwest, and Southern California where the lifestyle is NOT built around boots and layering and tweeds. We simply don't ever, never, ever wear that stuff because it never gets that cold.
Michael is being criticized for designing to his running buddies taste and what they think is cool. Well?!? If they're going to be the ones plunking down the dollars to buy it, why shouldn't he gear it to them? Why is he a failure if he gears his designing to a black hip-hop esthetic, rather than Jeffrey's edgy punk esthetic?
It's that matter of "taste" that the judges were squirming over in judging Kayne's stuff. There's taste, though, and then there's something else, and it seems to me in rejecting Michael's designs people may be coming perilously close to value-judgements of a whole group of people as being unworthy and inferior.
Let's lose the political correctness, shall we? Defending Mychael's fashion show by saying "It's OUR fault if we don't understand hip-hop" or "We're just too white to understand" is just a load of crap.
Streetwalker Trash is Streetwalker Trash. It never deserves a fashion award, much less $100,000 to reproduce itself.
It would be like defending baggy sweats and baseball caps by saying there are millions of college students who find them hip and would buy them....
If the hip hop crowd has the hots for Michael's stuff where was their money during the auction? It appears THEY didn't like it either because they sure as heck didn't pony up to bid big bucks on it.
Poor guy isn't misunderstood. The public gets it and doesn't like it.
OMG those red circles in the crowd...only YOU guys...only YOU.
I have to say I did LOVE that write wrap top and the hot pants. Loved it. I'd love to own the top..but not the hot pants. No one wants me to own the hot pants, believe me.
Nahncee, there is good design that I am never going to wear because I'm: not a white rock star, not a black hip hop artist, not a japanese school girl, not a russian gangster moll. And then there are clothes that look like they have been on the rack too long at some backwoods Fashion Bug. Michael's collection was such a disappointment because he had consistently shown such a clean, beautiful aesthetic. His hip hop Jet setter outfit was cool, street, and not so niche that no one got it. The judges weren't so "white" that they didn't give him 3 wins. As far as him being young, he's 28, admittedly in our culture now we are willing to say that that is "young" as a way of downplaying screw-ups. This is not a guy that grew up in the hood. He was an Army brat, lived all over the world, graduated from college, has, as far as we could tell a loving and supportive family, and has had time to build an aesthetic. Just because I don't like it doesn't make me a bad person, anymore than it makes him a bad person for putting it out.
Nahncee couldn't have said it better. No one is blaming anyone, we're just pointing out difference.
When Jeffrey wore his jetsetter outfit one of the guys with me said no self respecting guy would wear pants so tight. He dresses in hip hop fashion and said his dick would die from lack of breathing room in those pants. Those pants are for guys with little dicks he said. It's just difference.
Hip Hop fashion designers are not mainstream in that the mainstream crowd considers their look trashy. Well those who embrace the music and lifestyle don't see them as trashy. That's all.
Michael's collection was a reflection of the style that he prefers and he will have lots of customers. It doesn't mean that it is "less than" because it doesn't relect middle America. It's just different. As our country becomes more and more diverse perhaps the fashion world will be more reflective of this. Right now, it just isn't.
If Michael wanted to win he should have remembered to code switch and design for the judges. If Justin Timberlake, Kimore Lee Simmons, and Beyonce were judging the outcome may have been different.
No one is suggesting that it is the fault of anyone. Some people see Michael's fashions as the look of today, some see it as trashy. Some see Jeffrey's look as the look of rock and roll from a time long gone, others, like the judges, whose opinions count the most see his look as cutting edge. Difference that's all.
Other Red Head, because the hip hop crowd didn't bid on Michael's contest fashions doesn't mean they don't like his work. I think you must believe that everyone who watches PR visits the Bravo site. HUGE fallacy. Most don't. Also, I don't know that PR has a big hip hop audience. (My 25 year old male cousins who are big into the hip hop culture wouldn't be caught dead watching a "fashion show"). In any case his designs on the show were designed for specific contests with obvious restrictions. They were not necessarily "hip hop" fashion. Come on, you already know this stuff.
Hip Hop is not misunderstood anymore than punk or Goth are misunderstood. "Being misunderstood" is nothing more than an excuse to try to sugarcoat the overwhelmingly negative reaction. The reaction of the audience at Bryant Park, the reaction of the tv audience, the reaction of the judges, and the results of the auctions all say the same thing - His collection of hooker-ware stank. Like Santino said: "You can't polish a turd".
Sometimes the most important lessons in life are taught using a 2x4. Those lessons are painful and unmistakable. If you are smart, you won't need to have the lesson taught to you that way again.
I don't believe that it is misunderstood either. It's just not acceptable to mainstream American runway. It is acceptable to some, just not those who have power over what is defined as "high" fashion. Again, it's just mainly cultural difference.
"Jeffrey was designing for another very small niche market of punk/ gothic/ heavy metal music and "edgy" young Hollywood. I can't speak for New York, but again I simply do not see adults in the rest of the country wearing any of his stuff."
Totally agree. The people who would wear his clothes, most likely, don't have the money to buy it.
--Gotham Tomato
"As far as him being young, he's 28, admittedly in our culture now we are willing to say that that is "young" as a way of downplaying screw-ups."
I don't think that saying he's young is 'a way of downplaying screw-ups'. It's a way of saying he's still at that age when he's being led around by his dick, and his designs reflect that. But again, I do not think they are hootchie; I think they are just body conscious, (though repetitive).
But despite that, you can see from his work on the show that there is a great deal of talent and versatility there, just waiting to be mined. I'd say more than the other 3 combined.
--Gotham Tomato
"I do not think they are hootchie; I think they are just body conscious"
I respectfully disagree. There's a difference between "body-conscious" and having boobs fall out of the dress.
An outfit that covered every inch of skin could be body-conscious (e.g. some of Laura's and Chloe's dresses). Simply putting the goods out there on a buffet platter is just bad taste.
But again, I do not think they are hootchie; I think they are just body conscious, (though repetitive).
I agree they are body conscious and some people really like that, some don't. I look at many celebrities and think that they're clothing is very body conscious, but then I guess they have the bodies to wear them, I don't.
Anonymous said...
"Sometimes the most important lessons in life are taught using a 2x4."
Sister Mary Immaculata, is that you?
he just needs another mentor... Tina Knowles isn't really the best influence!
"Sometimes the most important lessons in life are taught using a 2x4."
Sister Mary Immaculata, is that you?
I remember her. She retired not too long ago. Her philosophy was that [b][i]every[/i][/b] lesson was taught using a 2x4. Subtle difference - easy to get confused.
What I missed in Michael's collection is the playfulness he showed in the jet-setter outfit. That was a very hip-hop look, as has been mentioned here, but the use of seersucker was witty and fun. It advanced the aesthetic.
The looks he showed at Bryant Park didn't seem so much an advancement as a retread of looks that were old 10 years ago (20 years ago? 30 years? whenever it was that gold lame was invented...), that's why it disappointed me.
He's a talented, smart & likeable guy. He's going to make good things happen for himself.
- CF
I admit I never really understood Michael's overwhelming popularity, but I did see his skill and his ability to respond to critiques. He had a flexibility which allowed him to self-edit and make it to the finals. Could it be that people love him so much they assume he has more talent than he does? He appears to thrive on third party input - whether from the Tim Gunn or the Atlanta posse. His designs reflect the taste of whoever is around him - perhaps not Michael himself? Maybe he is simply one of those personalities who flourishes in a group. This doesn't make him less of a talent, but it does mean he would never be The Next Great American Designer. If he can't work independently, he won't make it to that level. And at 28, I'm not sure if it's an aptitude you can acquire.
Shelby
From Michael's website:
"...a world wind of cameras meets the designer... "
That sounds dangerous, even life threatening! Is there a doctor under the tent?! Michael's been blindsided by a blustery world wind of cameras! Where will the wind of cameras strike next? When will this insanity end!
Maybe next time he'll be met by a "whirlwind" (confused tumultuous process) of photographers.
Picky, perhaps, but if one is going to toot one's own horn, the tootage should be well executed. Not unlike his collection.
CTB
If Justin Timberlake, Kimore Lee Simmons, and Beyonce were judging the outcome may have been different.
EXACTLY what I was thinking. Wouldn't it be interesting if the judging panel wasn't so NY-centric white-bread? And two of these are the same names I was thinking should be on the panel, too. Don't you think that Sean Combs would leap at the chance to play?
"If Justin Timberlake, Kimore Lee Simmons, and Beyonce were judging the outcome may have been different."
Yes, it would be different. It would not be Project Runway, it would be AMERICAN F*&*^# IDOL.
If I wanted to watch a popularity contest, or something rigged to please the masses or the MTV crowd, I'd watch trash like Idol or the Miss USA pageant (sorry, Kayne).
The reason the judges are "NY-centric" is because New York is THE fashion capital of the world, along with Paris and Milan. Deal with it.
"When Jeffrey wore his jetsetter outfit one of the guys with me said no self respecting guy would wear pants so tight. He dresses in hip hop fashion and said his dick would die from lack of breathing room in those pants. Those pants are for guys with little dicks he said."
I'm rolling on the floor in stitches! It reminds me of a saying I have posted near my computer: "If size doesn't matter, why aren't here any four-inch dildos?
Spot on Anonymous!
My jaw hit the floor when I saw Michael's collection. Captain Save-A-Ho turned into Captain Ho. What happened, Michael? The taste level was in the gutter. Very hoochie, trashy and cheap-looking. Just awful. I've seen similar clothes on those tramps on Flava Of Love or a 50 cent video.
I adore Michael and I really wanted him to do well. I honestly believed he would be the winner this season.What a disappointment!
I'm sorry that Michael, now Mychael, has chosen to go this route. He has so much potential! Why is he wasting his talent on Lil' Kim knock-offs?
I fear that Mychael has caught the same delusional syndrome that afflicts Vincent.
From Mychael's website:
"Referred to as the "Fan favorite" by over 10 million viewers and being penned "the favorite" by his former competitors, Michael Knight is now the most sought after designer to emerge onto the fashion scene since Zac Posen."
ZAC POSEN???? Sorry, Mychael. But you ain't Zac Posen. Don't even go there!
"10 million viewers"? Uh, more like 5.6 million. And that was the highest ever.
Talk about boastful exaggeration.
I'm also disappointed that Mychael has expressed such admiration for Hugh Hefner and his playboy lifestyle. It looks like Hef's hoochie "Girls Next Door" were his inspiration.
>>>In any case his designs on the show were designed for specific contests with obvious restrictions.<<<
Exactly. What I am saying is that this is where Michael made his mistake. He forgot his audience. Bryant Park is NEW YORK. It has a historically DEFINED AESTHETIC. To win or even place you have to EDIT YOURSELF to fit that aesthetic.
The interview implies that Brandi hasn't yet purchased anything of Michael's and my guess is that she has or will do so discreetly because she doesn't want to be identified with the pole dance set.
Everyone who shows wants to start their own house and be the master of their domain but what Bryant Park's runway did was state undeniably that Michael needs a mentor/editor and will do better work for someone else at least until he absorbs that sense of what he's missing. There's no shame in that. There is a host of designers who started in someone else's house.
Michael's new collection is called, "Kitty and Dick". Ewww... Obviously "kitty" is another word for "pussy". And it's all trashy lingerie. Stuff only porn stars would wear.
It's just so vulgar! And rather sexist too. Michael's mama should whap him upside the head. Seriously, Michael, what happened to his respect for women??? His clothes are just so trashy now.
The reason the judges are "NY-centric" is because New York is THE fashion capital of the world, along with Paris and Milan. Deal with it.
So then it is mandatory that designers design for a cold northern climate and yurpazoid taste of "Paris and Milan", as opposed to an American lifestyle, and a climate in our country that includes at least one-third of the country being semi-tropical?
Doesn't this strike you as being just the teensiest bit deranged, from a marketing point of view? Not to mention out-and-out unAmerican?
Is that the fabulous Robert Verde sitting in front of the horrified Vincent?
Heh...reading over these comments, I just caught the info about Michael's line of lingerie, Kitty and Dick...I know most folks are disgusted, but my first thought was that it should be written KITT-y and Dick...you know, because he's Michael Knight and Michael Knight drove...oh, never mind. I'm dating myself horribly.
But still. It amused me.
"So then it is mandatory that designers design for a cold northern climate and yurpazoid taste of "Paris and Milan", as opposed to an American lifestyle, and a climate in our country that includes at least one-third of the country being semi-tropical?
Doesn't this strike you as being just the teensiest bit deranged, from a marketing point of view? Not to mention out-and-out unAmerican?"
There are multiple ways to look at it. Another view is that designers are also salesmen and one of the most important rules in selling is "know your customer". This is Bryant Park and you are selling your designs to the movers and shakers of the fashion world. The "in your face" style may work in some places but not when it comes to the big boys. Using that technique in the wrong place or at the wrong time can be quite a career limiting move.
Even though we are questioning whether the fashion world is ready for hip-hop or not, it is not clear to me that the collection Michael presented would even be acceptable to the hip-hop crowd. We will know when they start wearing his clothes and I think it is a safe bet the clothes they wear won't look anything like the stuff he sent down the runway.
Vincent? Is that you? The hermaneutic argument sounds like you.
Project Gay isn't really open for biz yet but sneak over anyway because T&L cracked me up seriously on the blog. Only these guys can get you going on a half-closed site! Hilarious!
The "Kitty and Dick" stuff is quite vulgar and repulsive.
I wish Laura would fly down from NY and give Mychael one of her "I question your taste level, darhling" lectures.
Seriously, Mychael needs someone like Laura to rein him in and give him a blunt honest assessment of his hoochie-wear. He sounds almost deluded in his website. Just like Vincent, Mychael doesn;t seem to realize how horrible his collection was.
More than one person has noted that Michael's final collection resembled the portfolio he presented to Tim and company in the auditions for PR3.
Justin Timberlake, Kimore Lee Simmons, and Beyonce? I don't think they would have picked his collection either. It's not a question of people not understanding a hip hop aesthetic. I've seen plenty of Versace and D&G on hip hop stars.
Could it be that Mr. "Kitty and Dick" is who he really is as a designer? And who names a lingerie line after a low rent strip club?
It was bad. Very bad.
'Nuff said.
I'm going to be all politically incorrect here. I just never saw it in Mychael or however he is spelling his name these days. Yeah, he seems like a great guy and all, and I'm kind of thinking that this was a way of white people showing their narrow yet diverse appreciation. How Uli was not voted fan favorite boggles my mind (the German thing) or Laura (balls out honesty). Jeff said recently that Michael (sp) would talk all the time about strip clubs (over compensating, I'm sure). I just kind of saw him in the middle of each challenge, undeserving of the accolades heaped on him on blogs and such.
I'm Italian. And when I moved to Los Angeles, people were like. "Your Italian?! You have to check this place out." And, it was marginal. You see where I'm going with this.
I'm sorry to sound like a dick, cause I love everything you do here. BTW; I'm sure both you guys gaydar went off with this guy.
Love,
Mick
The last dress is SO from a Beyonce music video
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