Monday, February 12, 2007 by
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First off: Grace? Freakin' fabulous. We love you, you gigantic, exotic Amazon.
The dress? Freakin' dull. Don't get us wrong, it's a passably good design, well-executed. No problems there - although there's some fit issues with the bust.
It's just such a bland dress. There's a little interest at the bottom with the way the skirt flares out, but other than that, this is just a standard gown with spaghetti straps.
Hmmm. A little problem with the fit in the back, too.
Not a bad entry so much as it's a bit standard and disappointing. Good enough to keep her in the competition, which we guess was the whole point anyway.
We're liking Zulema's garment the more we look at it.
Sure, it's no more innovative or interesting than Chloe's entry. This is, after all, standard department store clothing. But there's at least more going on here. More elements and more of an overall statement on Zulema's style, which judging from this, owes quite a bit to the '80s power bitch era.
It's a pretty standard design, presented with just enough drama to make it stand out. Love the pleated skirt and the construction of the jacket, even if does need a good ironing.
And then there's Lupe.
Was there ever a more appropriately named contestant? Good God almighty, what the hell IS this?
AAAAHHHH! Stop! Our eyes!
Okay, being as open-minded as we can be, we'll give her credit for having a strong point of view that she doesn't seem to be shy about expressing. Points there.
Thing is, you can do all sorts of crazy stuff in fashion and be hailed a visionary, but generally speaking, those designers we call visionary tend to have reasons and justifications for their deviations. If you're just gonna throw something down the runway that looks like you stapled it together, what's the point?
Too much, Lupe. Way too much. There's no aesthetic rhyme or reason to this. It's just a lot of frippery tacked on to a mismatched, asymmetrical garment.
Loopy!
[Screencaps: projectrungay.blogspot.com]
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29 comments:
It doesn't seem like they all "got" that they were allowed to dye the fabric either. If you knew you *could*, why *wouldn't* you, especially if you're going to send a bridesmaids' dress down the aisle?
Anne
Lupe. Dayum.
Boys, you hit it w/ "frippery".
& Thank You for expanding my vocab and horizons this a.m.
Love & Cheers.
I never understood what was going on with Lupe... I so don't get her aesthetic, and she really is crazy if you hear her talk. She's on Loopy Planet, and has no desire whatsoever to re-join us here on earth.
I think Chloe's fit problems might have had a little to do with the fact that Grace is soooo tall, and I'm thinking perhaps Chloe was not prepared to alter her dress to fit Grace. Which is a design flaw, but one I find a little easier to forgive than the plane-jane designlessness of the dress.
As for Zulema's, it was only slightly more interesting than Chloe's and it reminded me of something right out of my Grandms's closet if it had been dyed navy blue. I think her color choice would have made or killed this garment.
This gives me a chance to ask a question that kept coming up for me, especially during the 2nd season. Please, needle-knowledgeable, help:
Often, the judges would say someone's garment was beautifully-made (or constructed, or fitted, etc.), yet I'd see puckers and gaps, etc., like on Chloe's dress (in fact, it came up several times with Chloe, and with others as well). On this dress, for example, shouldn't the front of the straps have been pulled up so that the bodice fits over her actual breasts and doesn't sag underneath; shouldn't the skirt fit so that in back it falls smoothly over her hips?
I'd notice stuff like that, and then hear the judges say the opposite. So I'd think, well, what the hell do I know? They must be seeing it in a way I don't understand because I don't sew.
Can somebody enlighten me on this?
Thanks.
Guadalupe is just crazy. You know, there's a difference between creativity and madness with a pair of scissors.
I love Chloe but I'm not very impressed with this dress. I mean, it's pretty...I don't get Zulema's aesthetic; way too matronly, I think. Guadalupe, my god, what can I say? Her clothes are sad.
"And then there's Lupe."
Haha! Love it!
"And then there's Lupe." Hilarious!!
I didn't like any of these dresses.
I have to say, Santino and Diana were the only people whose designs worked WITH the fabric rather than against it. Nick, Zulema, Chloe, et al made pretty silhouettes but the muslin is so discordant. This was truly a deserved win.
Andrea, as one of the Bitches With Needles, I have to tell you, the judges' pronouncements of what was beautifully made sometimes raised eyebrows between me and my BWN friends. I agree, there were some really poor garments that the Duchess would proclaim as "beautifully made". A lot of the issues could have been addressed by decent pressing during construction, but they may not have had the time. So yeah, I agree with you. Some of them made me just go "huh?"
There were a lot of "just ok" garments in this episode, and I'd put both Chloe & Zulema there. Then there were a couple of good ones and a few horrible ones (speaking of which, when do we get to Marla's Mad Max frock?)
I certainly can understand that some designers may have opted to go for design purity by not dyeing the muslin, but I think if you're going to leave it plain, you need to really do a great job with fit & execution, not to mention presenting a great silhouette.
As for Lupe, I think she's just a "frippery" kind of gal--so this design at least is a true reflection of her aesthetic. Did you all cringe at the fleurchons she was using in her video?
God help me but I actually like Lupe's dress!
-- desertwind
"And then there's Lupe."
LOL. You bitches are the best! The dresses? Not so much.
You can't deny Lupe has an asthetic. What that is though, I'm not quite sure.
Lupe was one of those people who I always wondered how the hell they got on the show in the first place.I have soooooo much more I am dying to add but don't want to jump ahead!!
I liked Chloe's dress. I didn't like Zulema's. Her dresses don't seem to fit right.
I like Chloe's. It's simple but elegant. I do agree with you boys that there were some fit issues with the bust. It reminded me of the pink dress Gwyneth Paltrow wore to the Oscars.
Zulema? I just don't get her designs, and I try.
Guadalupe is a whack job.
I like Zulema's designs but there is always something missing or wrong with them. Good on paper but not so good in practice.
She was putting something that looked like "fleurchons" onto a collar on her little video blurb. After having seen season three, I almost cried a little.
maybe they should all dye the fabric to make it colorful?
love love Grace, the pose she strike after the light wall is interesting, she tends to make a little rotating at the runway and that makes the dress flow beautifully.
Tim Gunn said chloe did a good job here, so.
zulema.....i just don't like her model. stiff with no neck.
i. love. the. world. frippery.
well crimifuckinitly, the word word word frippery.
Thanks, Gorgeous & HopeLaurie, for responding to my question. Carry on!
Grace Kelly, "Amazon"? I prefer "Ms. Bones", myself.
I also feel a little badly for Grace, since she had such a great career in modeling at the turn of the century. I saw off of Style.com that she walked in Alexander McQueen, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, and Gianfranco Ferre years ago. I hope she can find another heyday.
How old is Grace, or is that some kind of fashion sarcasm that I'm just not cool enough to get?
Chloe's dress is a cross between a nightgown and a prom's dress. I don't like it all.
That model has GOT to GO! Feed her or lipo some fat into her!
I could not look at the dresses because I could not stop staring at GRACE'S ARMS! Do they hang down almost to her knees? Those hands look like they should be protruding from a black robe pointing to a gravestone. Yikes.
Somebody quick, get that woman a hamburger with extra cheese! Better yet, "Biggie" her meal.
I love Grace! Best model of S2!!
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