Some of you have been asking to see Austin's decoy runway collection and we managed to track down the pictures. A very reliable source confirmed for us a story we'd heard a couple times before: Austin did not know he would be showing at Fashion Week until several months after the final 3 had started their collections. Not only did he not have as much time to pull a collection together as the others, he didn't have as large a budget. We also heard he was none too happy about it.
Because of that and because you really can't judge a runway collection properly without actually seeing it walk down a runway, we don't really think it's fair for us to sit here and judge him with bitchy comments, so we're just going to offer the pictures without comment as a way to close out the season. To us, this isn't really Austin. This is just something he threw together to please the producers. We like some of it. The Revolutionary War-inspired stuff is a little gimmicky but it kindasorta works. We don't really like all the scalloped edges and that red gown is a travesty, but some of the pieces are quite nice and they all have hints of that patented Scarlett sense of drama.
And with that, our exhaustive coverage of Season 1 comes to an end. We're going to take a week off to get our Top Design blog up to speed and devote a little time to our poor little redheaded stepchild, Tom & Lorenzo. Be back here on Thursday, February 8th when the bitchery starts all over again as we rip into Season 2.
Loveya, kittens!
[Photos: FirstView/Getty Images]
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41 comments:
It's really a shame we didn't get to see what Austin would have done with the same resources as the others. Does anyone know how much lower his budget was than the others? I can understand that he'd be pissed--it's certainly not one of the PR producers' best decisions. But I would have hoped that Austin's professional pride would have motivated him to do as well as he could under the circumstances. Bad circumstances or not, it was still an opportunity to show what he could do at fashion week--something many designers would kill for.
I don't think lack of time should have hampered him that much, given that the season 3 finalists were able to do good collections (better than season 2 in my opinion) with just a couple of months.
Shouldn't Bravo have had Austin showing with Martinique in his show if they were trying to conceal who was in the final 3? Austin was the only one showing without one of the final models. Duh people.
the video is on the pr website
My understanding is that the producers didn't realize at the time that the final three wouldn't be announced on air until after Bryant Park. Yes, it's a great big goof. But since it was season one it was probably one of those "oh, Shit" moments that everyone should have realized and no one did.
As for Austin's collection...the grey wool button up dress and shrug is pretty darn cute...my favorite outa his collection.
love your blog--when do *you* think we'll see the next season--I'm in withdrawl!
poor austin. I would have been pissed. This collection is not a true reflection of his talent.
CP
I absoultely hate it hahaha
kara janx's collection is a million times better.. the video is in youtube.com
Were people able to tell at the time that Austin was a decoy? I don't remember.
It wasn't great but there were some beautiful pieces.
(Sorry - deleted my comment b/c it was messed up) Anyway, I have to say - I think that the red gown is very reminiscent (predictive?) of Viktor & Rolf's F/W 2005 show, with the quilted dresses. I couldn't find any pictures off google (maybe someone who is a better internet ninja than me can find it). However, I did find an article describing the collection, so maybe that will help.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/03/opinion/rfri.php
Here's a link with more pictures: (just put the pieces together)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion
/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2005/03/03
/efpfw03.xml
After seeing the first few costumes (er...outfits), all I could think of was watching the Disney Revolutionary War movie "Johhny Tremaine" in a grammar school assembly. Did the models gallop down the runway calling "The Red Dress is coming! The Red Dress is coming!"??
Too bad Austin didn't have the same time & budget. I always enjoyed his clothes.
I second the emotion that it is too, too bad that Austin didn't have the same time & money as the others. I remember reading, at the time, that he was very upset about it; about having the opportunity to show at Fashion Week, but then having to do it with one hand tied behind his back. It was seriously unfair to him; for the producers to put him in the position to be judged by all these industry professionals without any time, support or money. It could have seriously hurt his career.
I'm glad you guys didn't rip into him.
--Gotham Tomato
I second the emotion that it is too, too bad that Austin didn't have the same time & money as the others. I remember reading, at the time, that he was very upset about it; about having the opportunity to show at Fashion Week, but then having to do it with one hand tied behind his back. It was seriously unfair to him; for the producers to put him in the position to be judged by all these industry professionals without any time, support or money. It could have seriously hurt his career.
I'm glad you guys didn't rip into him.
--Gotham Tomato
Gotham, you echoed my thoughts exactly.
SNF in VA
Goodness, the models were better looking that first season.
I like the gray button up dress..I'm sad that I'm not in love with it, though. I've infintely loved some of the pieces Austin put out on the show. :(
on the video... he seemed really beat up and not as glamourous looking as you would expect from Austin.
He really got screwed.
I was just going to write the same thing jinxy. It just seems obvious he was the decoy since he doesn't have Martinique in his show.
I felt similar in S2 when Kara had Eden in her show but she was not the last model to walk out. She was just in the middle.
is your very reliable source ms. austin himself?
YOu know I kinda like some of it- that coat & dress in the second pictuer is actually very pretty on the model.
Poor Pat Nixon.....woulda coulda shoulda
if you listen to the podcast for the seson finale of PR season 2 tim gunn talks about austin and his decoy collection.
he said that austin only had a few months to put his collection together and that he only had 10 looks done so - and that he looked beat up beacuse he was working day and night to finish it so when austin came out to introduce the collection EVERYBODY knew he was out
how sad he's so talented
At the time, there was not PR coverage everywhere and everyday. The media and internet coverage was slim.
Today? Everyone would have known Austin was out, immediately.
It is a shame that we didn't get to see the "real" Austin. I hate to say this, but I'm not loving any of these outfits. Sorry, Austin!
Oh, I almost forgot, thank you so much for such a fabulous coverage of Season 1. Great, hilarious commentary and amazing pictures, guys. Thank you very much!
I liked Austin's red pants and white lacey shirt combo and the brown-ish dress. Those are the ones I liked the best. I agree that the other stuff was too gimmicky. It was too literal for me. And it's not fair, I agree, to berate him over it because less funds and less time equals less of Austin. I would have liked to see him do a complete collection.
'Did the models gallop down the runway calling "The Red Dress is coming! The Red Dress is coming!"??'
Hahahahhaa, oh if only!!
Like a lot of us, the gray button down dress/shrug is my favorite - but that vast expanse of frilly white on the neck makes her bust look strangely low.
You know whats scary? Almost everything in this collection looks like something Austin would wear.
I didn't know he wasn't given the same financial and time resources. That really rubs me the wrong way, even if he's not going to be on your show, you're putting him out there on Bryant park with his name on this collection, it just wasn't right to set him up like that. I do love the lace blouse/velvet pants number, though. It looks like he still pulled off some pieces to be proud of.
I'm glad you didn't dog him. Austin is a very special person with great talent. There were flashes of it in his collection, and his usual attention to detail. Thanks for everything guys. I watched and enjoyed it at the time but watching it again from the DVD and reading your comments (and everyone else's) added a whole other dimension. Looking forward to season 2 and to Top Design!
when i saw austin's collection online last year and then recently re-watched the reunion episode, i realized that austin is basically wearing clothes from his collection. i thought that was cute.
I actually really like the second outfit and the final one. Not typical Austin, but pretty none the less.
what is the lady doing? is she going to open that bag?
I almost feel like he must have designed that red dress first. Is anybody else getting REALLY hot anger off of that dress?
Anne
This collection looks like an Adam Ant video. For that, I love it.
It sucks what they did to him, but he got a good job out of the whole thing, anyway, so all's well that ends well, right? Rock on, sweet Austin.
i thought he is going to use Martinique as the last model.
that would have been amazing.
also a question here: is kara janx using Eden in her decoy? I can't find her. and the last model IS a black girl, but that didn't seem to look like her.
Nothing wonderful about this collection. Even with less time and money - SOMETHING should have been innovative or wonderful and nothing was. It was very pretty, though. Much like Austin himself.
Wow, I really liked Austin's collection, thought he did good with his limited resources. Gotham makes a great point, though, that factor could have ruined his career. But, I have a feeling Austin wouldn't go down that easily. And look, he didn't! Go baby!
Thanks for posting season 1, goils. Let us know when season 2 starts!
The red dress? Bossy thinks she just purchased that same thing at Bed Bath & Beyond. Size: Queen, Get it? Queen?
Yes, Austin did get screwed but he has no reason to feel bad about his collection. There are several pieces that look GREAT and the collection definately looks like Ms. Scarlet. I enjoyed looking at his work unlike poor Michael's collection (3rd season). I was embarassed for him and just wanted to stop the show and throw a tarp over the models so no one will see! I wanted to save him!
I wish Austin would have been in the final 3. he would have made the judging more difficult and interesting. It sucks that he was Auf'ed
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