Friday, August 01, 2008 by
Author
Oh good lord.
There's something about middle age that makes it near-impossible to shake off the urge to scream "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING! GOD!" at young people as you pass them by. Most of the time, we manage to keep such impulses under control. That kinda flies out the window at the sight of Blayne, though.
He's not awful. He's just annoying. We want to take him aside and say "Kid, you're trying too hard. Stop." But then he'd probably say something stupid and the next thing you know, we'd be in jail on assault charges.
We don't hate the dress. We don't love it, but each week and with each challenge he shows a little more promise.
Whatever his inspiration was, it doesn't really say "New York at night," either in the picture or in the dress.
She looks like she fell asleep on top of a pile of birthday presents and woke up with a bunch of crushed bows stuck to her.
Similar to Emily's in that it's a plain black dress with an exuberant ruffled embellishment on it, but he used the colors well and the crushed rainbow effect was at least a little interesting.
It's so strange. We've been singing Terri's praises for the last two weeks and this week she finally gets a lot of positive attention from the judges...
...for a look that we really didn't love. Stranger still, so many of our commenters seemed to love it. We were befuddled. Are we all looking at the same outfit?
But then we decided to take our bitchpants off for once, and sit here in our bitchboxers, looking at it with a more objective eye.
We'll say this, it's a look.
And we're not being backhanded when we say that. It's a strong look that makes an impact. To be fair, the styling was perfect and Xaviera worked the shit out of it.
To be honest, one of the biggest detriments to our liking the piece was our extreme negative reaction to the fabric she chose. Much like Kenley's, this looks like '80s hotel fabric.
And we're sorry, but graffiti and posted bills as an inspiration has been done. It was done long before Santino and Kara went the same route in roughly the same challenge 3 years ago.
And we so can NOT get behind the dress-over-pants look. We didn't like it when it was in style and that was almost a decade ago.
But the shape of that dress is nice and the back of it is gorgeous.
It moves well too.
It is an interesting look, we'll give it that. Without the pants, we might even have loved it. Even though our initial reaction to this look was a collective "Hunh?" our faith in Terri is restored. We can see that she does know what she's doing and the parts of this look that we don't like can be chalked up mostly to editing and styling choices.
She may continue kicking ass on the way to Bryant Park.
More detailed pictures:
[Photos: Bravo/Barbara Nitke - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]
[Additional Pictures: Courtesy of ProjectRunway.com]
140 comments:
Blayne is entirely too self aware. I wonder if he fantacized about all the outrageous things he might say and do on Project Runway. One might tend to feel sorry for someone so young and obnoxious. Being in that "middle aged" category, I share your compulsion to slap the living crap out of him.
Boys - to be fair- I think you can put off calling yourselves middle- aged well into your 60's nowadays. (The trend started with Sex & the City.)
As for Blayne -- while he does need a time-out, I'm sure he would come out of it saying something like, 'That was so not coolicious,' at which point you'd certainly be cited by the Dept. of Family Services and put in the clink.
^I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
Blayne's dress looks more Dallas (circa 1984) at night, than NYC at night. The back looks better than the front. And if push came to shove I a perosn would look more foolish wearing this than Emily's.
I'm glad that Terri finally got a litte recognition. When I first saw the dress on the form, I thought it looked like a old lady church dress. But the length and sheerness worked. Also the pants under is a litte dated, but it looked good on the runway. I think 2nd or 3rd (which she got) was a fair place for it.
I kept wondering if there was something the editing left out of this little exchange.
I hope so.
--GothamTomato
Yeah see, I really liked Terri's, but Blayne's...it makes the Baby Jeebus cry. I'll wait until I see the details to pass final judgement but in general I need to leave that ROY G.Biv treatment in the Tie-dye drawer (everyone has a tie-dye drawer, right?). Maybe it was brilliantly executed. Maybe Hannibal can really sew. Who knows.
Terri's had me exclaiming, but that's because I'd wear it. Which, if we're honest, is damning with praise. Because I live in Central Maryland which is not New York City. To say the least.
I wasn't crazy about Terri's outfit either. To me it just looked Golden Girls.
--GothamTomato
GothamTomato--You linked to a jackolantern photo...
It's Blayne--orange and creepy.
Xaviera and Shannon are far and away the best models on the show. As for Terri's look ? It just strikes me as dated. I'm not getting a fresh New York kind of vibe at all. But you're right, it moved and the model really worked it.
Blayne? Annoying and yet sort of adorable. And yes Oz, a time out is in order.
Terri's outfit is interesting because the look inspires mystery for me. I do not mind the fabric choice, my concern is the gather at the thick waist band. The waist reminds me of a 1950's apron.
Blayne is just young and silly. His dress was too long.
Blayne reeks of desperation. If his scheme goes as planned, he'll do fabuliciously on The Surreal Life: Season 14.
Blane is getting compared to Christian a lot, but he reminds me far more of Andre. His dress...I go back and forth. Depending on the angle I love it or hate it. Love, only because the colors are SO vibrant and saturated.
As for Terri...girl knows what she's doing, but this week was a miss. If she had made it either a dress or a shorter tunic-y top...I could have been on board.
I'm really tired of Blayne the Princess-Santino-wannabe. He can go home any time and I'll be happy. As far as his dress, I immediately thought of Miss Kitty (from "Gunsmoke") goes downmarket.
Terri's look left me scratching my head. Even after a day, I still don't care for it at all.
"But then we decided to take our bitchpants off for once, and sit here in our bitchboxers"
Today's spit-take! Thanks as always.
Same reaction to Blayne. If he could put the obnoxious preciously-self-aware persona back in the dustbin where it belongs, his design sensibility could shine. This dress was kind of wearable, but if I were a client I would NOT want to sit down with Blayne to discuss...anything. Blayne, pay attention! Marketability is a combination of talent and professionalism. Even Christian knows when to take it down a notch.
For Terri, I'm with Sewing Siren. I've seen that fabric on nursing home housecoats. The back though? Wow!
And we so can NOT get behind the dress-over-pants look. We didn't like it when it was in style and that was almost a decade ago.
It was OVER a decade ago, my friends.
I moved to NY in 1995, and girls were trying to rock it.
It's always looked stupid.
Yet I actually didn't mind it here- the flare of the pants complemented the way the sleeves and the blouse fell... it was like a motif, and the pants brought it together. I think the dress should have just shorter, and been called a top.
Terri is AWESOME.
My main issue with Terri's blouse/dress is that it wads up in the crotch. If it does that on a 115 pound model, it ain't right. I like the length, I'm okay with the pants (as long as they're not spandex leggings), but it needs more weight at the hem to hang properly off the runway. (Shortening it would also help, but I like the lines in the back SO much, I'd hate to lose that length and elegance.)
That said, if it were lined lace or a less grandma print, I'd wear it :)
The pumpkin is brilliant!
Terri needs to leave the flairs/bell bottoms/bootcuts packed away for a while. They don't look fashion forward right now - just a bit past their sell-by date.
I saw an advertisement for "acting" lessons for people who go on reality shows. Maybe Blayne went there.
I also don't get the dress over pants look, but its great on the tall and lean.
Of all the looks on the runway, that was actually the only one I could picture Sandra Bernhard in.
I hate to say it, but Blayne is growing on me. He is silly, but I like him. I hope he can settle down a bit and rock the runway. I'm a middle aged mom with a boat load of kids, so Blayne's behavior is just run of the mill around here. A glass of wine and a few mintues flipping through a fashion mag work wonders!
My goodness, everyone is up and at 'em early today!
so, Blayne, yeah. Between him and Suede who think they know how to "work" the reality-TV genre, and anyone else who doesn't know how to listen to Tim (after four full seasons of seeing how you HAVE to listen to him), I have no love left for these dim bulbs! Auf with their heads!
Terri's outfit underwhelmed me, though I'm glad it was top 3. As much as I love Sandra B, I definitely did not pick up the "switchblade bitch in a dark alley" vibe from this outfit. This was more like "cool high school art teacher doing the Gallery Hop with her g-friends."
Blayne de Soleil - like Stella, you're just here for comic relief; your work ranges from a yawn to atrocious. Did everyone hear Blayne say "Timalicious" at the beginning of the epi when St. Tim was at the door? That made me gag.
Terri rocks, but she needs to edit more tightly. If she had just lined all of her top, she could have lost the pants and made a kick-@ss minidress. Terri is definitely an early contender for Bryant Park.
Blayne is humorous, I'll give him that. And I really didn't hate the dress. I agree that he does show more promise each week. This dress was better executed than Emily's, and more interesting. And we wouldn't want to break up the Blayne/Stella comedy duo. They are just outrageous together.
Terri is definitely one to watch. She hasn't really had a miss. I may not agree with all the styling choices of hers either, but that chick has got some skills and creativity. And she's got a model that works the clothes. That always helps.
I don't know. Terri's top kind of looked Uli-esque to me. I just wasn't a fan of Uli's. (Ok, twenty lashes with a wet tape measure). It was a pretty top, a bit dated, and I hated the slacks.
As for Blayne, the entire dress was a mess. It reminded me of the ice-skating dress Santino threw together. The looks Blayne gets in his eyes scares me, especially when he leered at Kenley and said, "I'm gonna eat you". Blech
----StkrShock
You've all said what I think of Blayne so I won't repeat.
Terri's look was pretty decent but not great in my book. Sewing siren's comments are almost exactly what mine would be.
Lovin' gorgeous things "downmarket Miss Kitty" comment.
Everytime they show Terri's face onscreen, either Ed or I say "Toot toot, Beep beep" or start singing "Last Dance". Let's face it, Terri is a ringer for Miss Donna Summer.
I love bright, vivid colors (teal and magenta? Amazing! lol) and even I thought Blayne's dress was too much. Don't use the whole rainbow, sweetie, you're not talented enough to make it work. I do like Blayne though, and I'm curious to see what else he will make. I also thought the "I'm going to eat you" thing was cute, weird, and funny.
Terri...oh Terri. It was ok, but dated. I have said many time now, those pants just don't work with it. Overall, it seems a bit like what someone who knows how to make great clothes but doesn't know a whole lot about style and fashion would think is really fresh and hip. It deserved top 3, but agree it should not have won.
I have to say, thinking about the things that Sandra Bernhard said about Terri's outfit being fierce and confident; how much of that was the outfit and how much of it was a model who knows how to work whatever she's wearing ?
I completely agree about Terri. Liked her first dress. Lurved her second (she should have won). But this one? Meh. I guess Sandra and I will just have to agree to disagree.
And Blayne? No. Horrible. No one is going to be this season's PPS pocket-gay, so stop trying.
Am I the only person who thinks that Blayne and Stella need a spin-off reality show of their own? I don't care what it was, I would watch it. They're hilarious with each other!
"Blayne, how do you work this camera?"
"You just pop it open first, baby!"
"I can't do it! Blaaaaayne! My leathuh's getting wet!"
Omg I would die.
Well, now I see what Bravo is doing. It couldn't be bothered to really do up this season of PR with the move to Lifetime, but it didn't want to cheat the designers either. So the Magical Elves have recycled virtually every challenge. Gristedes, check. Green materials challenge = recycling challenge (though points for the model-buying twist. Model as client = wedding dress challenge, Season 1). "Inspiration from NYC pictures" is Season 2 and 3 (and arguably 4 if you include the museum trip). Brilliantly, Bravo has made the series look tired, though not totally exhausted. There are some raw talents here to be sure, but the characters (Stella, Blayne, Suede) are outright irritating rather than interesting. It has effectively raised the bar so high that Lifetime will need paddles and an IV stand to perk it up. Anything less than that and it will collapse under the weight of the ennui.
As to the dresses: what TLo said. Except I don't give Blayne quite as much credit as they do.
Terri's - I don't know, remove the fabulous model and attitude from the equation and you're left with a crazy lady wearing her dated dress and pants.
I can't stand Blayne and is he really 23? I'd say 43 going on 23. Terri's dress + pants combo was OK. I couldn't understand why everyone was raving about it. And judging by Sarah Bernhardt's blog on bravotv.com, I think she wants to do Terri.
Blayne's a kid and he still has some growing up to do. The dress wasn't bad but I don't see what's NY about that dress.
Personally I like the dress-over-pants look a lot and I also liked the back of the Terri's dress - it's the ugly fabric that did me in. Why did she have to choose that fabric? Plus it wasn't really a new look.
Blayne looks older than my 44 year old husband. And sounds dumber than our cat.
I must say I thought Blayne's picture was really cool. I'm surprised at how many of them were such good shutterbugs. Except Stella. Didn't even know how to use a camera!
When I saw Blayne de soleil's frock for the whole of 2 seconds walking down the runway (and from the wrong angle) it looked horrible. But I have to admit that seeing it in pictures it appears somewhat less horrible. At the very least, superior to Emily's. My god, what can that mean for dear sweet Emily if suntan boy can produce a better dress than her (and one that looks less like the picture of Jennifer Alba on the cover of Elle magazine hanging on the wall)?
Another confession: I find myself less and less annoyed by Blayne's personality each week. On the other hand, every time Suede speaks to the camera I want to hurl something at the TV screen.
Blayne, "Holla" has to stop now!! You're not using it right, and should there be a challenge involving hip-hop stars in Harlem, you'd be slapped and/or shot.
Blayne's dress, oh dear, somewhere in downtown LA santino's patting himself on the back. he clearly had the most influence this season.
But gaudy choice of colors/silouette/design only goes so far blayne (obviously not for Santino, he went almost all the way). POV is not about sticking sh8 on an ugly dress.
Terri, of course, equals love. Design, perfect (even with the pants). flowiness, perfect. Open back, bitchy sunglasses, both perfect.
But what the hell is that print all about, terri?? The uggness of it took away from the attitude of the dress. Had the design been weak you'd probably on the bottom (same as the winning dress)
Hey, boys, I have to agree with you about Terri's outfit. I was puzzled when I saw it go down the runway. The pants were a distraction, and I was waiting for the wow factor to kick in (didn't she say something about how the back was going to make a statement?), but ... nothing happened. The model sashayed on the runway, and sashayed off, and ... nothing. Needless to say, I'm thrilled Terri finally got some recognition from the judges, but Sandra's comments really did seem out of place. It's a pretty nice overall look, but kick-ass fierce? I think Sandra was just throwing in some of her shtick, trying to liven the proceedings with her "wit."
Still, Terri, along with Kenley, have shown the most consistency and style over the course of the first three episodes. For what it's worth (this early in the season), they are the current frontrunners.
Blayne's a tweaker. Seriously, he looks like an Amy Winehouse freakout just waiting to happen.
Ooh. Ooh. I Have Opinions. (long time listener, first time caller)
Mr Gunn had some very pointed things to say about critiquing fashion as if you were buying just for you. I'm very sorry, Mr Gunn.
I liked Terri's dress/pants. I still respond well to them. Mostly because I feel like I, myself, thighs and all, could wear that look. The pants were more forgiving than the usual super-skinny jeans that get popped under a dress, and I felt the belled bottoms drew your eye down, reminding you how long the model was. Should she have maybe taken a left and stepped definitively into shirt and pants territory? Possibly. But the look still makes me smile.
It also looked comfortable, the texture of whatever she used for the shirt-dress, the non-skinny sleeves (skinny sleeves on anything make me grab for my arms and start adjusting in sympathy), enough fit in the waist to give the model shape without being super-fitted all the way through. And all the embellishments work. My final impression was something daring (nice back), upper-class look that a size twelve (sorry, Mr. Gunn) with big thighs (very, very sorry) could have worn and actually moved in-- while looking nearly that fabulous in.
And it may be a hotel print, but it's a print that some insomniac designer might have looked at at 3am and gone '..yes. Yes, that," unlike the winning puffball skinny sleeve dress. I feel the solid color of the pants helped mitigate it where bare legs might have made the model look like she was being eaten by a couch monster.
But then I'm West Cost. Maybe this is where the disconnect happens. It's too Seattle/Portland chic for an NY challenge. (Our nights have been cold, too, and pants just look appealing.)
antares said...Blayne looks older than my 44 year old husband. And sounds dumber than our cat.
HA! Had to run to the bathroom after reading that!
Terri's dress: Definitely a look, but I'm befuddled by everyone's love of it as well. The first thing I really hate about it is the pants--the second would be the fabric, I guess. But you are beyond right when you say the styling was perfect and the model worked the shit out of the dress! I also liked the movement and the shape of it.
...but such praise for a DRESS OVER PANTS? I thought we were over that! (Especially because this dress could look SO hot on its own with some mod sky-high black pumps!)
PS: Blayne is crazy, and not in a cuddly way. His dress was intriguing from the waist down, and kind of a mess above it.
Another episode full of shitty designs which solidifies my belief that this season sucks major ass.
WTF? "I'm gonna eat you"? Again, WTF? Dude's a first-class weirdo, and that preview for next week--come on, my 10 year old knows what Sgt. Pepper is for cryin' out loud. But his dress was better than Emily's and I actually see what he was doing. The picture was of neon lights, and if he was in Times Square, that's NY at night.
I loved Terri's. I liked the movement of the fabric and the layering to give it a shimmer. I'm on the west coast, and dated or not, I'd wear pants under a dress (though I don't). I think what gave Terri the win for me was that the challenge was to create a look for a night on the town. Hers fit the bill, as did Leeanne's. Kenley's--yeah, not so much.
gothamtomato: orange and loopy-eyed to be sure. Would have loved some more commentary on the behavior...
I don't know, poodles. My teenage niece, who is a HUGE fan of PR and as fashion obsessed as I, says she and her friends LOOOOOVED Terri's look. In fact, we watched the epi together as always and she absolutely flippped when her model came down the runway. At first, I had a negative reaction (Van Gogh's "Starry Night" regurgitated by party girl after all night drinking binge?) like many of you have, but now, seeing the images, I actually kinda love it. It's very wearable, feminine, kinda sexy, can be worn over jeans and
doesn't require a lot of styling or accessories.
Personally, I still like the dress over pants look and just because it's been done in the past doesn't mean it can't be reinterpreted ten years later. It's a much newer and fresher look I think. I also agree that Terri is definitely one to watch and could very well be an early contender for Bryant Park. Can't wait to see more from her.
- edina -
I cringed when I watched that "I'm gonna eat you" bit. So not funny. The dress wasn't good either, but definitely not Bottom Three.
I liked Terri's look, but thought she was going to win based on the raves from the judges.
I'll say it again -- I'm underwhelmed.
I completely agree about terri's dress pant thing. I thought that there was too much fabric around the model and the hem was too uneven for my liking.
"Anonymous said...
GothamTomato--You linked to a jackolantern photo..."
Yes, that was Blayne.
--GothamTomato
I am tired of Blayne. I wish he would go away.
Middle aged or not (and I can pretty much count myself in that category) - one has to have SOME kind of self awareness. The kind that says "Hey, I'm acting like a dickhead. I should stop."
The whole "I'm gonna eat you" thing? Was so choreographed. I came pretty close to throwing something at the telly. Plus his dress was a psycho hot mess.
I loved Terri's look in the end but I was worried about the pants. I think she turned it out well and I'm happy the judges think so too. The model helped a lot in selling the outfit. But I think on its own, it rocked anyways =)
The comments keep coming! Terry and Blayne: You create a lot of discussion here.
Did the challenge stress the look had to be a dress for the night on the town? The pants alone with the top fabric as a crewneck would have been chic and smart! Dresses over pants can be done, but sparingly like a Democrat in the White House.
Blayne de Soleil is an awesome name. I hope his work lives up to the nickname!
Thanks for reading,
Frances Spencer
"But then we decided to take our bitchpants off for once, and sit here in our bitchboxers" Um, pictures, please. Blayne is so painfully trying to be a "character" that I almost can't stand to watch him. His dress was fun but seen it a million times before and it didn't have much more effort than Emily's.
I don't get the Terri's fabric = 80's thing, though the cut of the top is definitely reminiscent of One Life to Live circa 1986-7. But she's obviously got skills and a pov and didn't play it safe, so kudos.
The "I'm gonna eat you" bit made me feel sorry for him. He is pathetic and sad. Christian was effortlessly fabulous, Blayne de Soleil is trying too hard and comes across as desperate.
I like Terri's look but I'm not sure about the pants.
I don't like Blayne's dress, but there's something about it that works, sort of. . . can't quite figure out what it is, but it was just enough to keep him in.
The Stare-a-licious, however, is another matter entirely. It does not work, on any level.
This episode made me feel like the unfashionable Midwestern schlub that I am, because I did not like any of top designs from this episode. I like Terri's idea, but I can't get behind the backwards coat look. All I wanted to do was rip the dress off the model and turn it around.
The last time I wore pants under a dress was in the mid 60s. I was in a Lutheran elementary school and girls couldn't wear pants to school. So we put them on under our dresses so we could walk to school or play on the playground during the winter. When we were in the school building, though, the pants had to come off.
Didn't look good then...doesn't look good now.
SisterZip
Am I the only one who really loved the pants with Terri's dress? Because I really did. Everyone always makes dresses, and she at least did a little extra. I don't know, maybe it's because I know I would wear something like that in a heartbeat. You guys said the pattern looked old, but all those florals are in right now. I dunno, I'm just saying, Terri can make clothes for me any day.
And Blayne...no. It was cute when Christian did it, but Christian had talent. I am just not feeling it with Blayne, and I am no where near middle-aged.
Terri was robbed! The model looked fabulous and fierce. I loved that dress with or without pants.
It's funny, in yesterdays comments "Terri was robbed!" a zillion times over. Today: reality. A mixed review, with no loss of admiration for Terri, who remains one to watch.
The look had me worried for her, and the judges' reaction caught me by surprise. On the plus side, the styling was great, and Xaviera worked the shit out of the whole thing. The outfit itself, though. . . mezzo mezzo, and not street (despite what she said), and not particularly NY.
Still, I like Terri a lot and find myself looking forward to seeing what she'll do.
"It was cute when Christian did it, but Christian had talent."
Cute? Hmmm. . . I didn't think so. Eventually Christian had to let down his guard, but during the first 2/3 or so of the season I thought he was quite an annoying brat.
Blayne trying to make 'licious' happen reminds me of poor, misguided, tangerine Gretchen Wieners trying to make 'fetch' happen in Mean Girls. It's never going to happen, Blayne, so please stop. Other than that he doesn't really bother me. I have no doubt that he acts that way in his real life, so I kind of doubt he's just mugging for the cameras.
Terri, however, needs to mug a bit more. Even beyond comments from the judges, the show completely ignores her by not showing clips of her confessionals or even showing her in the workroom that much.
The reason whyTerri dosen't get enough attention is because there is nothing interesting about her design sense. She doesn't have a wow or any factor. She is a bore. Terri has nothing to talk about. seriously, at least Blayne evokes some kind of reaction. Good or Bad. Terri is a YAWN. period.
"Am I the only person who thinks that Blayne and Stella need a spin-off reality show of their own? I don't care what it was, I would watch it. They're hilarious with each other!" --Bailey
Bailey, I love it! "Blayne and Stella: Road Trip!" Separately, they're vaguely annoying. OK--in Blayne's case, extremely annoying. But together? Magic!
I just have to say one thing about Blayne's dress: I can't believe how kind you're all being about that hot mess. My puppy produced something that looked exactly like that dress when he got into the laundry basket and dragged stuff around the floor.
I mean, please. That was just beyond gross.
And whats about the switch blade comment Sandra spewed out. Anyone wearing Terri's design does not scream tough. It screams I'm a normal girl going out after work and you can mug me if you can. What was tough about Terri's design can anyone tell me.
Thank you witty kitties for making my morning:
"sitting in our bitch boxers"
PumpkinHead
"Auf with their heads"
"Blayne needs a time out"
"Remove the fabulous model and attitude and all you have left is a crazy lady in her dress and pants"
You're all spot-on, and funny as hell. Thank you!
Now, for my priceless opinions:
Terri's outfit: Kudos for making a perfectly fitted sleeved dress and pants in one day. I'm wondering if some of the other designers (e.g., Keith, Joe) can set a sleeve or make anything other than sheath coctail dresses. However, I think the subconscious appeal of Terri's dress was the comfort level. It just looked cosy, like your favorite winter PJ's. Any woman, wedged in tight, revealing, be-heeled high fashion would respond to an evening outfit that looks that comfortable to wear.
B de S's dresswreck... Shallow, unsophisticated, obvious interpretation of color at night. Just like... you guessed it.
Suzette
Kathryn said...
And Blayne...no. It was cute when Christian did it, but Christian had talent. I am just not feeling it with Blayne, and I am no where near middle-aged.
Brooklyn Bomber said...
Cute? Hmmm. . . I didn't think so. Eventually Christian had to let down his guard, but during the first 2/3 or so of the season I thought he was quite an annoying brat.
Yeah, I never really understood the Christian lovefest last season. He was talented, to be sure, but he was just way too bratty. And I wouldn't compare him to Blayne. I haven't seen Blayne be that mean to people yet (Stella jokes aside). Christian would just finish his garments early and make bitchy comments about what everyone else was doing.
I don't think Blayne is nearly as mean as Christian either. In fact, he's not mean at all, just CRAZY!
"Anonymous said...
And whats about the switch blade comment Sandra spewed out. "
Typical Sandra Bernhardt.
When I see your design I see an angry hooker with a knife and she's going to cut you.
Is that supposed to be a compliment????
I loved Terri's. It was sassy, hip, funky, fresh, attitudinal,,,just fabulous!
Blayne is not a designer.
I feel like Terri's dress was fine but it only made it to the top three because he model worked it so well--the look itself (especially the dress-over-pants thing) wasn't that amazing, in my humble opinion.
THANK YOU.
I love Terri too, but the pants over dress thing is OLD. Done. Finished. And besides all that, HIDEOUS.
I almost fell off my seat when Miss Kors said she loved the idea. Wha??
Laura said...
"All I wanted to do was rip the dress off the model and turn it around."
Yes, yes, yes!! The neckline looked like it was choking her.
Terri's look was nice and fit the challenge - evening on the town - but it didn't seem fresh.
Stella said it best.
"Blayne? He's 12 years old; what does he know?"
I honestly thought the dress over pant outfit should've won. It WAS night out on the town, it moved well, and was attention getting.
The hideous piece of crap that won looked like a ripped piece of 80's pool furniture.
I'm tired of people thinking garments only get into the top 3 because "the model worked it well." As if Michael and Nina haven't seen a 1,000 girls way more fierce than these mostly bootleg Project Runway models and can't separate some swinging hips from the actual design and construction of the dress at hand. We all know you can distract Heidi with the sparkly, but come on. We may not always agree with the decisions but to think the models have that much sway is ludicrous.
This walk wasn't even that fierce! Certainly not enough to be distracting.
antares said...
Blayne looks older than my 44 year old husband. And sounds dumber than our cat.
Poor boy does not look his age, not even close. And that's gotta suck.
Blayne annoys me with the forced -licious and holla nonsense, but honestly he also makes me feel a little uncomfortable at the same time. I'm trying not to dislike him so much. Maybe the excess tanning and brushing his hair forward to cover his hairline could be an attempt to look healthier? I'm afraid later I'll find out he's a cancer survivor or something and I'll feel like a jerk for mocking his appearance.
Your criticism is that people have already been inspired by graffiti. REALLY? This strikes me as just absurd. I mean, have you ever been to an art museum? Should artists no longer be inspired by the human body cuz it's too done?
Still really enjoy your blog, but when you're criticizing something art related and are not artists yourselves...perhaps put things in perspective.
hanstheungrateful said...
Blayne, "Holla" has to stop now!! You're not using it right, and should there be a challenge involving hip-hop stars in Harlem, you'd be slapped and/or shot.
Both (slapped and shot) I would hope.
And was there just a whiff of stereotype in the air with Sandra's knife comment? I wonder if she would have said the same thing had it been a white designer and/or white model? Just sayin...
alex said:
Yet I actually didn't mind it here- the flare of the pants complemented the way the sleeves and the blouse fell... it was like a motif, and the pants brought it together. I think the dress should have just shorter, and been called a top.
This would have worked even better as a top. I think the length was the main reason Terri didn't get the win for her design.
I think you said it before, kittens, this season it seems to be about screen time rather than becoming the Next Great American Designer. Acting wacky is a good way to get that.
So many young bitches to slap, so little time....
I have to agree about Terri's outfit. I wasn't really blown away by it and was surprised it was so beloved. I hate the dress over pants look, it annoys me. Pick one, pants or dress. To me it always looks like a homeless person who has to wear all their clothes at once because they don't have anywhere to keep them. Plus the fabric was sooooooo "hey when did Monet start making textiles?"
Blayne is annoying, but not as annoying as Suede. When they had to go out in the rain I kept waiting for him to say "Suede had to go out in the rain and now Suede is ruined. Suede should have been waterproofed." Ugh.
I'm very interested in seeing what Teri has to offer for future challenges.
Blayne? Not so much...
"Anonymous said...
Your criticism is that people have already been inspired by graffiti. REALLY? This strikes me as just absurd. I mean, have you ever been to an art museum? Should artists no longer be inspired by the human body cuz it's too done?
Still really enjoy your blog, but when you're criticizing something art related and are not artists yourselves...perhaps put things in perspective."
So nicely put. Should we order your refill prescription now?
They're allowed to have an opinion, besides, Michael Kors and I forget who said the same thing about Santino's inspiration and that was years ago.
I don't know if its been said already, because I'm not going through 82 comments on a hangover..and even though I like Terri..she kinda looked like Thriller Michael Jackson in that outfit. Just sayin.
-Sara
There wasn't a whole lot of interesting this challenge, was there? And I didn't like Terri's design, either. And Emily should not have been sent home, for sure.
Not much to say on this, you guys have pretty much said it all. I will say to the person who thought Christian was mean, I think it was more like bitchy. I do agree that he was bratty at the beginning and got better as the season went on. Blayne just weird and trying entirely to hard to be a "Personality". He needs to just get a personality and then he won't have to try so hard.
And now, totally off topic- Hey, sixgables, I see you are from Frederick. I lived there for over ten years.
Blayne's dress was a costume. Ahd Emily not done the same thing even worse, we would be making Wong Foo jokes on his behalf.
I love early weeks - so much crap gets a pass that will get trashed later (like Stella's, which was off the sales rack at Hot Topic...again)
And please, do not get me started on the fug thing Kenley made from the drapes I threw out the minute I moved into my last house...
Terri's was terribly ugly and tacky. The flared pants, the print, the back...It looked like something you can find at a mall.
stubenville said "And was there just a whiff of stereotype in the air with Sandra's knife comment? I wonder if she would have said the same thing had it been a white designer and/or white model? Just sayin...
"
I sorta thought the same thing.
In regards to Terri's outfit, wasn't that dress over pants done in the 70's? It makes me think of being a child and putting on a pair of pants under my dress so I could go outside to play without completely changing clothes. Who knew this little country bumpkin was fashion forward all those years ago?
"Pat in Georgia said...
stubenville said "And was there just a whiff of stereotype in the air with Sandra's knife comment? I wonder if she would have said the same thing had it been a white designer and/or white model? Just sayin..."
I sorta thought the same thing."
I don't think it was intentional.
Terri's out was okay ( I love her anyway), and it wasn't something I would wear but her model worked the shit out of it! Blayne is actually pretty good, he's just annoying as hell and his point of view is a little "vivid" but he does pretty good work.
"Sup hollllllla"
"Toddny said...
So nicely put. Should we order your refill prescription now?
They're allowed to have an opinion, besides, Michael Kors and I forget who said the same thing about Santino's inspiration and that was years ago."
You accuse me of being rude, while at the same time accusing me of being on meds? Self-awareness, much?
I was just saying that artistic inspiriation is inherently spontaneous, and to me, criticizing the inspiration (in addition to the frock) is ridiculous. And I'm allowed to have an opinion as well, one that's different than Michael Kors. Sheesh.
For Terri: well, Alex! said it all for me.
Blayne: TLo nailed it.
Guess that means I can go do laundry now.
I just wonder: where all the "street" is in Terri's garment? She supposed to be our lil girl form Compton or whatever, and I just don't see urban or flavah or anything. (At least thats how she talks on the show.) Its pretty, that fabric was used as drapes in its lifetime, but I'm not feeling that anyone "urban" would want to wear this look anytime soon.
Dan~
Well maybe middle-aged, white, gay guys are not the targeted customers for these dresses. I'd love to know what young women in NY think about Terri's outfit.
And what a drag-queen who has to go on a gay-pride stage in Bumf..k, Idaho thinks about Blayne's.
And what Blayne's doctors think about him going of his meds?
OH yes... and "Timlishious" ... oh hell naw! I wanted him to bitchslap Smeegal then and there.
Dan~
Thank you, thank you, thank you, tlo -- i don't get all of the love for terri's dress over pants thing. i think the dress without the pants could have been lovely, but i just don't like the look as it was presented. i agree that terri is one to watch as she has tons of talent and i expect unless she really bombs somewhere along the way, she is a probable contender for bryant park.
as for blayne -- he is really creeping me out. he is the vincent libretti of this season. and he will probably be kept in the competition despite repeatedly bad designs just for the entertainment (???!!!) value.
Blayne, for me, can be summed up by his exchange with Tim in the preview. Tim makes his Sgt. Pepper comment, Blayne says he doesn't know who that is, and Tim says "Oh, God" in disgust. Yes, that's pretty much how I feel.
I liked Terri's dress and much preferred her print choice to Kenley's. What puzzled me was Terri and some of the judges referring to it as "street." What street is that? Main? The dress looks more tea room than hip hop. The pants don't change that.
Still, I liked it much better than most of the other looks on the runway. Without the pants, it's quite lovely. She'd have been second to Leanne for me.
Terri's was terribly ugly and tacky. The flared pants, the print, the back...It looked like something you can find at a mall.
...Is finding something at a mall such a bad thing? I mean, that's where most young people shop. She was going for a young, trendy look. Though, I'm going to admit right now that I have a personal bias, considering that I'm 18, and I work in a mall.
Anonymous said...
I was just saying that artistic inspiriation is inherently spontaneous, and to me, criticizing the inspiration (in addition to the frock) is ridiculous.
I agree with this as well. What, like things can't be reinvented? I think we can all agree that if your inspiration is stale (like, say, a flower), you had better have a fresh, interesting take on it, but really, it's not the inspiration that ultimately matters but the art that results. I think a couple of the designers might have done something really interesting with grafitti. Terri's is ok, but I don't see how it even relates to the inspiration beyond the color pallet.
Did Blayne actually call Tim "Gunnilicious?"?! And what's with his chin line? I can't stop looking at it!
"Anonymous said...
I was just saying that artistic inspiriation is inherently spontaneous, and to me, criticizing the inspiration (in addition to the frock) is ridiculous. And I'm allowed to have an opinion as well, one that's different than Michael Kors. Sheesh."
See how your comment sounded much better this time after you rephrased it?!
It's not what you say it's HOW you say it.
Hey Dan (12:14), I rarely feel it necessary to post about someone's comments, but when you said of Terri, "She supposed to be our lil girl form Compton or whatever ..." I was completely offended and embarrassed for you. This, my friend, is a stereotype. She's actually a talented designer from Chicago, Il, but I can totally see how you confused the two cities.
Terri's "dress" is a plus size style favorite... long top over pants.
Use a print to draw the eye to top part of the body, use dark pants to slim down the legs, use a long top to cover the hips, butt, and thighs.
Here's one from Catherine's - http://www.catherines.com/
pagebuilder/catherines_product_page?item=
1592088&pagesize=4
(I don't know how to make an active link on this page)
The only thing that makes Terri's worse is that it wouldn't work even on a plus size model because she's got the fabric strangling the throat where plus sizes prefer V-necks that flatter the bustline and balance out the hips.
Being middle age AND menopausal, I pretty much wanted to slap everyone on the show.
I am tired of Suede speaking in third person. SMACK
I am tired of designers really believing they are getting a night on the town and not a challenge. SMACK
I am tired of hearing about leatha. SMACK
I am tired of "licious" being added to words. Like "Tim-licious" WTF? SMACK
I am tired of designers thinking they know better than the divine Tim Gunn. SMACK
If Blayne has started a trend of leather skinned, over bleached gay white boys using ebonics from 4 years ago, I will personally hurt him. Next thing you know, he's going to add -izzle to the end of everything.
Does Leanne remind anyone else of Bailey from "WKRP in Cincinnati"?
They're dopplegangers (mostly in the way they dress but still)!!!
No, I'm sorry guys, but Blayne's dress was some serious fug. Whatta mess. I think he was saved by the sheer incoherence of Emily's dress. The back of Blayne's dress was a back whereas Emily's was a big nada.
But if you compare Blayne's work to anyone from Season 4--he's a disaster--I mean I'm thinking wistfully of Elisa's endless train dress where the fabric poo actually complemented the color of the dress.
Emily's dress was loving-hands-at-home, while Blayne's dress strikes me as really, really unwearable--that sort of sedate black dress covered with rainbow-tissue paper. Seriously confused.
And, yeah, my least fav. work of Terri, but man Xaviera rocked it.
Well, hay, at least the models are better this season.
Line Terri's dress lose the pants, and you've got a winner.
Sheer over bootcuts (bootcuts? really? seriously? this year?) on her perfect model is "Janet Jackson runs 40 pounds heavier when she's not touring." On most of the other models , it's just Golden Girls. Seriously. Put it on QVC unaltered and have a special deal, top plus pants plus some kind of backless bra.
I don't know why, but Blayne always gives me the Dark Crystal vibe. http://rocketfuel.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/dark-crystal-1.jpg
Way too creepy!
I like Terri and am glad she was finally noticed, but wasn't crazy about the dress over pants. I did that when I was a teenager in the late seventies...(eek!). Oh, and boys, I read your bit about Tanboy to my husband, and he laughed pretty hard. You really hit it. You do want to smack the snot out of those naughty little children. (I think that was my problem with PPS last season). I'll admit that PPS has talent, but Tanboy leaves me wondering who he blew to get on (and stay on) the show...
Am I the only one who can't stop singing (with hand movements!) "Nothing ever Happens in Blaine"?
He's so annoying. And yet -- he has an artistic touch lacking in the others. It's not even a forced "artistic", it's really there. Somewhere underneath the tan & the freak & the supremely annoying.
Terri. So nice and with the most commercial potential. She knows what women want and that's what she wants to do. This isn't bad at all.
-- desertwind
I'm embarrassed that I have a brother who shares the name Blaine. He also has questionable tastes, but thankfully no catchphrases. Credit to my comedic heroine Tina Fey who wrote Mean Girls, I'd like to tell Blaine to give it up: "-licious" ain't going to fly.
Had Terri lined the skirt, tights and boots would have worked better for me than the pants. I'm with TLo; I can't get into the dress over pants thing. I wasn't a fan of it the first time it popped up in the late 70's (along with that fabric) either.
I do like the overall design of her dress, hell my wedding dress had the same visual impact when I turned the corner, so I obviously responded well to it, but maybe in a less busy print? Although I've really enjoyed her work, thiw time, something was just a little off.
Best to her; she's one of a handful I'd like to hang out with, mainly because she doesn't seem affectated. Are you listening, Bettie Page? Suede? BLAYNE?
Bane is the kind of person one crosses the street to avoid.
I would have picked Terri's for the win. The model looked hot.
Am I the only one who can't stop singing (with hand movements!) "Nothing ever Happens in Blaine"?
-- desertwind
Too funny! I wasn't before, but I know what I'll be doing next week...
Boring,
Boring,
Boring
(dangle)
And while I wans't too excited about Terri's outfit, I am excited to see what she does every week. Ditto for Kelli.
I loved Terri's outfit. She's been consistently strong and has designs are original and creative plus they always look impeccable.
I'm younger than Blayne, but I knoooow your pain, TLo. I'd hate to be stuck in that workroom with him, and, like him, all his designs seem equally immature.
I would've like Terri's even more, if she'd done the paint in cotton. As is, I rarely like a shiny pant.
Oh, please over.the.rainbow... I know she isn't actually from Compton, but she keeps talking about and was praised as having all the attitude and what-have-you, and i just don't see it. I see a pretty dress over some pants, something i see tons of middle-aged women who arnt "gonna cut a bitch" anytime, ever, wearing that garment. Its nice, I didn't say it wasn't... She's talented, I didn't say she wasn't... But the only thing that girl in that outfit is gonna take down is a cart at wal-mart.
Dan~
"Bailey said: Am I the only person who thinks that Blayne and Stella need a spin-off reality show of their own?"
I think they already have.
--GothamTomato
In one of the past seasons, didn't one of the judges (I think Michael Kors) make disparaging remarks about a dress worn over pants? For some reason, I think it was Kara Saun's dress for the Grammy challenge.
Stacy @2:35
Dark Crystal?
EXACTLY !!!
but NOT in a good way...
I think Blayne takes inspiration from past designer's quotes...
Santino- "I want your soul"- "I want to eat you"
Christian- "fierce"-"-licious, girl-licious"
And then tries to design a dress as fast as he possibly can so he can yell his new catch phrases at people and get as much air time as possible
This is random, but did I miss the results for the Laura comic strip?
Lenora--I'm entering year 13 year, so you know I can be forgiven for finding Terri's look chic... I could ROCK that in the car line to pick up my kids at school!
Blayne's dress looks like Rainbow Brite threw up on it.
"Oh good lord. There's something about middle age that makes it near-impossible to shake off the urge to scream "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING! GOD!" at young people as you pass them by. Most of the time, we manage to keep such impulses under control."
I thought I would fall out of my chair I laughed so hard! I teach in a middle school and I have this thought daily...great take on some of the current PR crowd. ;-)
virgie said:
"...didn't one of the judges (I think Michael Kors) make disparaging remarks about a dress worn over pants? FOr some reason I think it was Kara Saun's dress for the Grammy challenge?"
You're absolutely right, virgie. Michael Kors criticized Kara Saun's dress/pants look. I think that his main criticism was that there was "a lotta look" going on with the outfit and the leather pants over the dress just took the entire outfit over the edge (as I recall, the pants were also embellished with sequins).
I think I know what you're getting at though. Although the judges are known for their trademark inconsistent judging practices and standards, in the case of Kara Saun's outfit it simply overworked and it certainly wasn't something Nancy O'Donnell could pull off as a host on the re-carpet.
- edina -
To me, the dress over pants look says, "I really want to wear a dress today, but I don't feel like shaving my legs."
"I'm gonna eat you."
Okay...
I'm younger than Blayne and even I found that creepy. Very Silence of the Lambs...except this had actually happened. As for his dress, I really liked the bottom half.
I liked Terri's dress over pants, but I didn't think it was almost a winner. I felt they were just praising the model instead.
Actually I don't mind Blayne. Slightly annoying and odd yes but he's ok.
However I do not I repeat do NOT understand his dress or Terri dress. A black dress with ruffles? Boring.
Dresses over pants is one of the worst trends of the past few years! Why would you want to bring that back?
I'm sorry that you don't understand why women like dresses and pants. (Or pockets in skirts and dresses.) We do. Dresses are feminine and soft and flatter our upper body. Pants are strong and protective and flatter our lower body. The combo looks and feels sexy and strong.
Get with it.
Pockets are adorable in dresses, sit in a great place, and allow us to do something with our hands... they sit better on dresses than on pants in terms of warming our fingers.
"Justine said...
I'm sorry that you don't understand why women like dresses and pants. (Or pockets in skirts and dresses.) We do."
I guess you missed a woman's comment right above you saying that "Dresses over pants is one of the worst trends of the past few years!" Oh the irony!
Speak for yourself; as a woman, I can't stand pockets in dresses and/or dresses over pants.
If I want to warm up my hands I'll stick my hands in pockets...but my boyfriend's.
'To me, the dress over pants look says, "I really want to wear a dress today, but I don't feel like shaving my legs."'
Too funny (and true)
Ok Dan (3:48), perhaps I read your initial post as sounding a bit uppity (i.e. stank). Thanks for the clarification. I got all worked up over nothing. BFF's?
Emilys dress did NOT say New York at night ...it said "ComeOnShakeYourBodyBabyDoThe
Conga...."
Im sorry over.the.rainbow. I can sound a bit uppity, but i was just supposed to be a joke. You know "straight outta Compton" like the song... no? Diggin myself further into the hole? *le sigh*
BFF? ForEVAH! Can I call you Miss Garland? Pretty please? And there should be no unneeded drama on here so no bridges burned here darlin'.
*lovies*
Dan~
I agree and didn't like Terri's either. I didn't like the fabric and thought the front of the dress was just too...high on the neck or something. I didn't like the front of it at all.
Blayne never progressed socially beyond being a 13 year old girl who thinks loud and obnoxious is cool.
The first dress looks like it belongs on a Carnival Cruise line show, where everyone is trying just a bit too hard to act like they're having fun. The second simply lacked guts.
I didn't get the pants thing either.
OMG! Don't talk about being middle aged! We're all going to live to be at least 120 years old, right?
I really think the styling and the model saved Terri's outfit. I hated that fabric.
Terri Stevens is awesome! One of the coolest and most talented people in know. I worked with her for about 3 years and she can design for me any day! Be prepared to see a lot more of her because the girl is always always always on!!!!!!
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