Ciao, Vanessa!

Saturday, November 25, 2006 by




"Oh fuck, did I just say that out loud?"


We didn't think she was the one who needed to go, but unfortunately, she didn't seem to be taking the competition as seriously as she could have and that became fairly obvious to the judges when she ran her mouth off on the runway. As team members go, she was among the worst, not for her lack of sewing skills but for her constant second-guessing of the team leader and her overt and too-often-stated dislike for the design.


Oddly enough, it was Wendy of all people who made the best team member, with her "Show me what to do and I'll do it." attitude.

As for the dress itself...


Oh, he just likes to pretend he has boobies.


Honestly? It wasn't the most original idea in the world but it was far more interesting than what Kevin's team produced and it was for the most part well-executed.


The "little girl lost" styling was perhaps a skosh too literal and if they had gone with styling that worked against the dress instead of working with it, it would have created a tension that could have made the whole look more interesting. As lame as Melissa's fauxhawk was, it probably would have worked better with this dress.


Still, it's definitely a look and an appropriately over-the-top one at that.

And as for Austin's leadership skills...


If they judged based on the ability to evoke the heroine of a 19th century novel, he'd have won this one cold. Just out of frame, turbaned Nubian manservants are fanning him with ostrich feathers to alleviate his grief.

Or maybe that's just in his head.

"...in fields of silk and taffetta. The sun will always shine over you and you will spend eternity making pretty dresses together. Now dry your eyes, little fashionista. It's what she would have wanted."



[Screencaps: projectrungay.blogspot.com]


Post a Comment

42 comments:

DolceLorenzo said...

Vanessa shouldn't have said that she was the weakest link. You can't say that in a competition.

I love how Heidi practically has to tackle her on the runway to get a handshake and say auf wiedersehen. LOL.

Sugar said...

okay, i will give you that wendy was good on this challenge, but i think that she shouldnt have gotten this far at all!
remember hiw they said in the first challenge, "create an evening gown out of things from the grocery store" ? yeah, SHE MADE A BIKINI!!!

Anonymous said...

"Oh fuck, did I just say that out loud?"


ROFL. I was like "no, she didn't."

eric3000 said...

So who DO you think should have gone in this episode? Austin? Nora? I don't know who would have been more appropriate.

I agree, I thought this dress was pretty good; probably second best, after Jay's. Sarah's problem seemed to be that it wasn't the color they had discussed. And yeah, I think with a punk styling it could have worked.

Poor Austin! He's dressed there like I was for my 1985 junior prom. I didn't cry quite that much, though.

Anonymous said...

Vanessa shouldn't have been OUT!! Her preggers dress was genius! and stop hatin' on Wendy! She did win 1 challenge already!

Anonymous said...

" Anonymous said...

Vanessa shouldn't have been OUT!! Her preggers dress was genius! and stop hatin' on Wendy! She did win 1 challenge already!"


Hi, Wendy!

Anonymous said...

"If they judged based on the ability to evoke the heroine of a 19th century novel, he'd have won this one cold. Just out of frame, turbaned Nubian manservants are fanning him with ostrich feathers to alleviate his grief."


LOL. You guys are hilarious.
Can those "turbaned Nubian manservants" fan me after they're done fanning The Queen?

Anonymous said...

Like I said on the other thread, I *loved* this dress. Is *very* Alice/Lolita and very IN. Teens would have loved it.

Japanese fashion brought this style full force!

Making a video, "dark" Alice style would have been kick a$$! Adding some very odd Mad hatter, Cheshire catbunny, Queen of hearts, etc... Pretty cool, if you ask me..

But, then again, I'm a bit into odd stuff.. ;-)

Yes, Wendy did play nice...whih always scares me..hehe..

And Austin.. oh, Austin... how I heart thee... <3

Embeedubya said...

Loved it when Vanessa referred to the "diarrhea" that came out of her mouth when she admitted to being the weak link. Classic. But weren't we all ready for her to go?

Anonymous said...

wendy was so acting
and i didn't like austin's design but morgan worked it

Vic said...

Regarding Austin's final design: his major blunder was selling one concept and coming up with a totally different look. I agree with T&L that it was the second best outfit of this competition.

Re: Vanessa: Talk about shooting yourself in the foot with your mouth! She managed to sabotage herself in every way possible. Not that she had impressed me much with her design skills. You cannot, ever, admit weakness in a competition like this.

Nora should have been the next one to go. I can't wait for T&L's assessment of her infantile behavior, which I address in my blog.

In my business, teamwork is everything. Until she grows up, cute little Nora is clearly not ready for the big time.

The Scarlett said...

I love the screen shot of Austin sobbing on the striped sofa. I suspect he was really weeping because he discovered that it was made out of a cotton/poly blend instead of Italian silk; just sniffing unnatural fibers gives grrrl the vapors.

Anonymous said...

A skosh OT:

Last night I learned where the word "skosh" comes from. Japanese word "skoshi" (small amount) adopted by US military 40s & 50s. My dad was career-military, but I don't recall him saying it.

Ma, on the other hand, (and the rest of us, too) use it. Usually when directing the pouring of another cocktail or seconds on desert.

I always thought it was another one of Ma's Pennsylvania Dutch (Allentown) expressions!

-- desertwind

Anonymous said...

I really liked Vanessa, until the reunion show. She really needs to get something to stop up that diarrhea!

Anonymous said...

and another thing: why is admitting you're the weakest of the group a bad thing? It seems like it's an opportunity for growth, unlike the delusions of greatness that many of the other designers insisted on, to their downfall.

Anonymous said...

Hey: I felt the same way about Vanessa. With the liking, until the reunion. Yikes. Can't wait for the gayboys to tackle that!

This aufing was potentially a tough one for the judges. Austin's was clearly the losing team (even though I also think his design was *much* better than Kevin's, the client didn't like it, so). With all of Nora's theatrics, she still contributed to the winning design, so I don't think aufing her was a serious consideration. That left Austin & Co. The judges probably wanted to run up on stage and KISS Vanessa when she cut off her own head and handed it to them on a silver platter, because, really, if the design bombs it's the lead designer who should be out. And I'm sure the judges (along with all the viewers) didn't want to lose the divine Austin. Vanessa made a potentially thorny sitch easy for everyone (except herself, poor bunny). There may be a time for being honest about one's weaknesses; this wasn't it.

Anonymous said...

"thyrza said...
There may be a time for being honest about one's weaknesses; this wasn't it."

I agree 100%. The judges were just looking for an excuse to keep Austin and she handed it to them.

Anonymous said...

Am I a totally horrible person for laughing when Austin flings himself across the couch evoking Vivian Leigh? Oh god I just cant help but giggle!!!

Anonymous said...

" hey said...

and another thing: why is admitting you're the weakest of the group a bad thing? It seems like it's an opportunity for growth, unlike the delusions of greatness that many of the other designers insisted on, to their downfall. "

That might work in an AA meeting, but I don't think that would go well in the fashion industry.

Anonymous said...

I thought the high ruffled front and the long ruffled train of Austin's dress looked stupid. This dress was like Hayley Mills cutting out the front rather than the back of her twin's dress in The Parent Trap. Can't see anybody wearing it to an event other than the Greenwich Village Halloween parade.

The dress also was totally different than the sketch of the promised garment, and I agree with the commenter who said that he delivered a different dress than he promised. I can't see awarding him a win when he did a bit of a bait and switch on the client.

Anonymous said...

Can't see anybody wearing it to an event other than the Greenwich Village Halloween parade.

Yes, but think how well it would have gone over there! Whereas Kevin's dress would have had relatively little impact. "What is she supposed to be?" People would wonder, if they noticed it at all. "Cyndi Lauper on a bad hair day? Rejected donations from Housing Works Thrift Shop? I don't get it."

I might actually do the Little Girl Lost thing for next year's parade. PR is great inspiration. I'm still kicking myself for being too lazy to put together an Angela Keslar Jubilee Jumbles outfit. I was going to carry a stuffed dog dressed like Pattycake and everything. Alas.

Anonymous said...

bahahahahaha!!!

"turbaned Nubian manservants" oh, how i love you bitches...

Anonymous said...

"Oh fuck, did I just say that out loud?"

Combined with the caption, that is PRICELESS. LOL.

Anonymous said...

"Making a video, "dark" Alice style would have been kick a$$! Adding some very odd Mad hatter, Cheshire catbunny, Queen of hearts, etc... Pretty cool, if you ask me.."

Didn't Tom Petty already do this c. 1985? I guess I'm showing my age...

Anonymous said...

poor Vanessa. Austin should have left.
that dress is so lamr~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anonymous said...

It has to be Vanessa.

Why?
Well I forget if wendy has the Immunity or not.
But after all, it just can't be austin.

Everyone loves austin. If he is out so soon, viewers will say "no my lovely austin :'( "

but c'mon, it's HIS fault.

Sorry Vanessa, you are just not the cute character in the show. so whatever you did, you are bound to be out.

Anonymous said...

"I agree 100%. The judges were just looking for an excuse to keep Austin and she handed it to them. "

I agree 100%. At the moment Vanessa says that lethal sentence, I can totally see the producers and judges screaming "hooray! then we don't have to make up any fake reason! thank you Vanessa! woohoo!" in their mind.

to stay in the show:
Sing, dance, and play cute in front of the camera. (except if you are daniel in season 1.)
Be dramatic and a lame designer.
Criticizing everyone, which means cool and having personality.

sorry Vanessa, criticizing others after you are out is too late.

Anonymous said...

I thought this outfit was fabulous and perfect for the occasion. Too bad it wasn't Sarah's favorite.

Anonymous said...

Sarah said that neither the color of the dress nor the hairstyle on the model were what she and Austin talked about during the original pitch.

Vanessa basically took herself out of the competition and left the judges with no choice, and I have to agree with Heidi on that one.

Anonymous said...

"Didn't Tom Petty already do this c. 1985? "

Absolutely! 'Don't Com Around Here No More', Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers... kick ass video! (maybe I just revealed my age too.. :-P )

But Tom's video has a psychodelic tone to it, and the Alice is a very simple Alice... I was thinking more in terms of a darkar Alice, sorta channeling some Evanescence "running through the meadows" kinda thing, kwim?

But, maybe I'm just a twisted little creature..hehe..

BigAssBelle said...

that photo of austin on the sofa ~ so perfect. boo hoo hoo, darling, boo hoo! such a sensitive little creature!

i liked this dress but . . . it needed to be roughed up a little, a little more trash, a little less Bo Peep.

but austin!! boo hoo, precious one! boo hoo! hahahahaha!!!!! what a doll.

the belle must depart for the sands and blood red sunsets of the northwestern mexico coast. ciao, darlings. uphold standards until i can rejoin you. smooches . . .

Anonymous said...

Hey, does anyone remember that this is edited? (Hell, ANTM just fired all its writers to keep the illusion of found art.) Perhaps Vanessa wasn't a fan favorite because we saw very little of her. Thus the judges were not out to get certain designers.

"to stay in the show:
Sing, dance, and play cute in front of the camera." -Anonymous 9:00 am

Vanessa did all of those things. She was shown singing in 2 episodes, and the reunion episode showed clips of her playing around in front of the cameras. One of her post-show complaints was that she was edited to look less interesting than she was, as she had been making jokes and being entertaining all the time.

Anonymous said...

M: You're right. Vanessa sang and danced and mugged for the camera like nobody's business. Who could forget her "Nervous Breakdown" song? (Well, I guess anon. 9:00 am did). And her drunken dancing was unequaled in PR history (well, until Dirty Diana Eng).

I personally thought Vanessa was adorable (well, until later, but I'll leave that for now). It wasn't her personality, the editing, her designs, or even her lack of sewing skills that got her, er, auf. She did that to herself when her mouth ran away from her on the runway. (Run, mouth, run!) I felt sorry for her, actually, although if Austin had been auf'd I would have been much sorrier.

Anonymous said...

to m:

haha, sorry, i forgot that she sang and danced

but I thought not too much audience think she is lovely doing that...right?

compared to vanessa, austin and andrae's show seems more adorable to people.
we can't deny that.

Anonymous said...

Is that Heidi bending over Austin and consoling him? It looks exactly like her!

Anne

madelineanne said...

I actually think the downfall of this outfit might have been the color.
I'm trying to picture it in earth tones with hints of deep red and deep plum and somehow it seems much cooler. The pure white and baby blue is a bit off.

And yeah, I actually pictured Austin in some Russian novel. Let's just all be thankful that there weren't any train tracks handy!

ID#94076205 said...

hahaha, brilliant.

If I remember correctly, I think Austin's design matched his sketch pretty well... so what were they expecting? Was it buyer's remorse on the part of Sarah Hudson?

Anonymous said...

Austin crying on the couch is hilarious. I feel like I'm watching one of those Jane Austin's movies.

Anonymous said...

I would have liked this way better if it was short all the way around. There is WAY too much fabric on the ass-end of that thing, which is a thread that runs through many of Austin's designs.

Anne

Anonymous said...

waddayamean, wendy was the best team member?! She made like she was all "yes boss!" and then THREW Austin under the bus. She knew Vanessa was no threat so she took the chance to take a cheap shot at Austin. Please, she's a horrible person all the time. I'm surprised at you two!

Drama for drama, Austin is the best contestant ever. Love him!

Anonymous said...

The picture of Austin boo-hooing on the striped couch? Begs for the caption "drama queen."

Unknown said...

I seriously want to know what happened to that dress. I am in freaking LOVE with that dress. I would wear it EVERYWHERE. I think it is just that great.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone else had noticed this (I'm too lazy to be bothered to read the other comments), but it really is a Lolita dress.

Anyone else notice this?

Yeah, didn't think so.