Big Girly Girls

Friday, February 23, 2007 by




We thought this was cute.


It was a little dated and maybe a little too traditionally Barbie, but Emmett did a great job of making a flirty, girly, sparkly dress without lapsing into cliche.


Part of the reason it doesn't look cliched is because of the fabrics he picked. Good job picking those gorgeous blues instead of lapsing into pink, which would have been the easier, more obvious color for this dress.


Hate the cap. Let's get that out of the way first.


Now, we understand a little bit what the judges were getting at in their criticism - that this looked more like children's clothes than doll clothes - but we still think this would have looked cute on a doll.


She should have looked for better ways to girl it up than simply tying ribbons all over it. This is one challenge where you can't be afraid to break out the sparkly stuff and this outfit could have used it.


See? It does look cute on a doll! Although we still hate the hat.



[Screencaps: projectrungay.blogspot.com]


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35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Emmett always seems to be good at picking out fabric. Design, not quite so exciting, imho.

I really hate Kara's. The judges were right. As for the hat, I like the fabric but it doesn't fit right or something. After having a coniption about the Barbie muse hat, I guess she had to do it, but this one is boring.

Marianne said...

Emmett did a fantastic job on this. I love the color, the sleeves, and the silver belt thing.

Kara's skirt is adorable but that top needs some life.

Anonymous said...

i like the print and the patterns on emmett's dress.

also i just hate kara's, the rim of the skirt makes me think that i can just find it in the old cheap supermarket.
but i kinda like that hat, although a little bit fake-emilio pucci.

Brandenburg3rd said...

Macasim, ITA about the hat. The hat makes me go "ennnnh" but I really like the fabric.

A lot of the fabrics in this competition were a big ol' salute to the fun things that came out of the 60s and early 70s. Brings back fond memories and a tear to my eye.

Speaking of fabrics, BPR had a mention that Mood is going to be opening a branch in Los Angeles, Pico & La Cienega area (instead of downtown in the garment district). If they have a roll of that gorgeous fabric Austin used for his Grammy dress, I'll drive from Ari-fricking-zona for it.

kora in hell said...

My Scene Barbie is Mattel's version of a Bratz doll and Emmett to his credit does not have it in him to design the right look for a crack whore. That dress is adorable. Cut down on the sparkles and I'd wear it myself.

Bill said...

Loved Emmett's dress. Very Austin Powers. It had a retro mod look with a slightly updated feel - probably due, as you said, to the fabric. I love that late 60's early 70's stuff so I was really into it.

Anonymous said...

Emmett's outfit would have been perfect for the skating challenge. Right colors, right fabrics, right amount of shiny, right style. It just didn't fit Barbie.

Anonymous said...

I was never a Kara fan during the show. I've met her and she is a really lovely person, but her designs just never did it for me although I LOVE her wrap dress. I was surprised that she made it as far as she did. I honestly thought either Nick or Andrae would have been in the final 4. Emmett is a really sweet guy too, but he always seemed to play it very safe with his designs. Of course they are 2 of the most successful alumni of the show, isn't that ironic?

Anonymous said...

Emmett's outfit is adorable. I love the fabrics he used.

Unknown said...

I thought Emmett's was a real contender for the win because little girls who love princessy things would love that dress (I think it only lacked a unicorn for an accessory). Kara's top was cute, but I'm not loving the skirt (hah, I'm the opposite of Marianne, above!). A hat was a cute idea for the look, but the shape and fit of the hat she made don't seem to work

Tbone said...

I LOVE Emmett's dress from this challenge, with full sleeves no less!

Anonymous said...

I thought they were both cute. Emmett's was my second choice (Nick's first of course).
They did a great job, but I have to agree with the boys on the hat.

Brandenburg3rd said...

Bill: Loved Emmett's dress. Very Austin Powers. It had a retro mod look with a slightly updated feel - probably due, as you said, to the fabric. I love that late 60's early 70's stuff so I was really into it.

***

Wanna go shopping...?

Trixie: My Scene Barbie is Mattel's version of a Bratz doll and Emmett to his credit does not have it in him to design the right look for a crack whore.

****

Oh, god, "My Scene" Barbie looks like a nun next to a Bratz doll. My daughter was a teen when she saw those "hoochie mamas"; she said if anyone gave one to her or any child under her control, she'd beat them senseless with the doll.

Emmett couldn't design something vulgar if you held a gun to his head.

Anonymous said...

Oh, god, "My Scene" Barbie looks like a nun next to a Bratz doll. My daughter was a teen when she saw those "hoochie mamas"; she said if anyone gave one to her or any child under her control, she'd beat them senseless with the doll.

My compliments on raising a daughter after my own heart...Barbie looks like the singing nun next to the Bratz

Anonymous said...

Emmett's was great. Like Nick's, I think it would be eye-catching and really appeal to little girls walking past the Barbies in the toy store. It's really a shame that more of these good designs don't stay out on the runway to get the judges' take.

Kara's was cute. The outfit is more child than teenager, and in that sense didn't fit so well for the challenge. Better for Barbie's little sister. But it would look good in the box and appeal to the younger kids who actually buy the dolls. I think the outfit needs a hat, but Kara's hat needs a better shape.

Brandenburg3rd said...

Thank you, Bitchybitchybitchy. I look around at the 20-something kids of friends and am still amazed at how she turned out.

The "nun" comment is actually lifted from her second year in high school. A 35-ish year old friend cleared out her closet and gave my daughter a ton of stuff without my knowledge or approval. My daughter quietly disposed of 3/4 of it, but was wearing a risque (to me) top and hip huggers to school one day. I told her if she got busted, she could just take the bus home and back to school, I was NOT taking off time to pick her up, etc., etc.

Then we pulled up to the school and I saw the other girls. She sat through a lon-n-n-g silence until I spluttered, "My god, you look like a nun next to them." She didn't say, "I told you so," but her look spoke volumes.

My, but times have changed since I was in high school!

Roxy said...

IMO, Emmett's outfit looked really dated, and I think the judges thought Kara's, while cute, wasn't... what's the expression again? Oh! fashion-forward.

But at least three designers (Raymundo, Marla and Andrae) has worse outfits, so...

eric3000 said...

Emmett's was one of my two favorites (along with Diana's). I thought it was totally Barbie but, as Trixie said, it was not trashy enough for My Scene.

Anonymous said...

omg, i feel like im in the twilight zone. emmett's dress was absolutely hideous. as was his outfit last week. i can't help but feel that you guys are blinded by your friendshipe with him. i've been in his store and his work is excellent now but the crap he was putting out in these first couple of challenges was just bad.

but i completely agree with you on the fact that kara's outfit works on the doll but definitely not on a person.

Anonymous said...

I liked Emmett's alot. I thought the color choice was awesome. Very fitting of Barbie but not such a completely obvious choice. :)

The Scarlett said...

I loved Emmett's dress and I loved it before I became his friend. I adored the sleeves and the fabrications; it was deliciously girly.

Gorgeous Things said...

Speaking of Emmett and Kara, did anyone catch WNTW tonight? Their subject, Shaeffer, went shopping at EMC2 and tried on Kara's dress. And Emmett was the one who rang in her purchase!

Anonymous said...

Emmett's looked great, Kara's was okay, but not really inspired and looking too much like the 90s. I didn't understand the whole "it's too young for Barbie" complaint, because um, I can't remember any little girl being caught dead playing with dolls past age seven (except for me, but I was a GEEK. Has the target consumer changed much in 15 years?) Collectible dolls being a different story, of course, but even so...

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Emmett and Kara, did anyone catch WNTW tonight? Their subject, Shaeffer, went shopping at EMC2 and tried on Kara's dress. And Emmett was the one who rang in her purchase!

Yeah! I was just about to comment that. I was like "Hey this dress looks awfully famila---KARA JANX WRAP DRESS?" And then I saw the EMC2 sign and I immediately thought of this blog. :)

TLo said...

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Emmett and Kara, did anyone catch WNTW tonight? Their subject, Shaeffer, went shopping at EMC2 and tried on Kara's dress. And Emmett was the one who rang in her purchase!

Yeah! I was just about to comment that. I was like "Hey this dress looks awfully famila---KARA JANX WRAP DRESS?" And then I saw the EMC2 sign and I immediately thought of this blog. :)


Hi guys,

Thanks for letting us know. Emmett told us about it but we keep missing it. : - (

TLo said...

YAY! We're watching it now : - )

Anonymous said...

I get that Kara tried to make that hat to stand out. Just wasn't working. I always thought her outfit looked VERY Barbie even if it wasn't impressive. And hell, at least SOMEONE on the sho knows how to make sleeves.

Emmett's was cute, but that was it. I think that was pretty much everything he did, cute and "ya ok I'd wear that..." but no "OMG WOW" pieces.

Anonymous said...

You PR Gay Boys must be fashion forecasters to have lumped both Kara and Emmett's designs in your post today. Isn't it funny: What Not To Wear at EMC2 on the same day as your post?
I never get to see that show, and I missed both Kara and Emmett's designs on it.
But I always tune in for your daily take on Season 2.
Let me sharpen my claws a wee bit.
What was Emmett thinking with the sequined trim at the widest part of a woman's body?
The cap on Kara's model make the model look like Shady Barbie!
You guys rule! Soon you guys will be taking Cathy Horne's (Bitch for Fashion) Job at The New York TImes.
Just wait and compare her reviews of Emmett and Kara's reviews of their next season's Bryant Park Show to yours!

Anonymous said...

I love Emmett's. It's so girly and sweet. Great choice of fabrics. Kara's was OK. I was never crazy about her designs.

eric3000 said...

Yeah! I saw Emmett on What Not To Wear, too! I think that's at least the second time. The only problem is Stacey and Clinton said Kara's kimono dress looked terrible on this week's fashion victim. I thought it looked pretty good.

Anonymous said...

The shot of all the designers holding their dolls is really cute!

Meghan said...

kara's outfit would be better for barbie's little sis, kelly. :o)

Brandenburg3rd said...

On the subject of Barbie...

Robert Best has an absolutely gorgeous Barbie t-shirt available at Target. BPR has a link to the Target page showing the shirt; the item # is 016-07-2870. It's available in XS through 2X and is in the juniors section. And yes you can pick it up at the store, you don't have to buy it online.

I predict at least three double takes when I walk in wearing PINK on Monday! :-)

Anonymous said...

Emmett's design sord of reminds me of the hip version of Disney Cinderella doll. It even appealed the most to my little sister. (She is a 2000 baby!) Or perhaps a retro Barbie that belongs in the China cabinet. :)

TheNYCourier said...

Notice that Kara didn't use the blonde wig...but the judges didn't make a big deal out of it. Wonder why....oh wait: :'(.

Love both outfits.