Ripping the Collections: Santino, Part Two

Friday, May 18, 2007 by



We don't get this one at all. What about this says "old Hollywood glamour" or "boudoir photography?"

Ignoring its thematic incongruity, we just don't like the proportions on this. She's drab, shapeless and practically colorless. Not exactly glamour.


What a Monet of an outfit. At first glance it comes across cute.

Get a little closer, though...


Ai, chihuahua, what is going on there?

The jacket's fine. Cute, even. But that dress. Scratch Monet, that's Cubism in dress form. Nothing on her body is quite where it's supposed to be. She looks like she has scoliosis or hip displacement.


This is pretty, but terribly basic. The colors are beautiful.



The cups are almost cupping, so that's an improvement -- and we like the strip of leather even if it is oddly placed.

Still, the finishing on that skirt doesn't look so hot.


Y'know...this is more of what we expected from Santino. It's waaaay off-theme, but that's not why it stands out. It stands out because it's the most dramatic, interesting look in the collection.



That top is actually quite beautiful and striking. Of course it's paired with absolutely the worst skirt with which you could pair it, but it's the only look that made us sit up in our seats. A shame that his whole collection wasn't more along this line.


Feh.

We're getting a little tired of saying "pretty, but basic." Although, truth be told, it's not even all that pretty.

Here's something to add to that mantra: "cheap." Sorry, but this looks like something you could pick up in a discount store for under 30 bucks.

It's like her boobs and her dress got in an argument and they're not speaking to each other.


Thank GOD we've moved away from "pretty, but basic!" Now we're in "UGLY, but basic" mode! And look! We can see her boobs! No, right there! Sliding into her armpits!


It's appropriate that this looks like a grandmother's nightgown because it's totally putting us to sleep.


Credit where it's due, this really is a beautiful dress. The pleating is perfection and we even love the flowy layered hems.



Ladies and Gentlemen, MISS STEVIE NICKS!

Of course, the boobs still aren't where they're supposed to be.

Maybe he's got boob issues. Maybe the whole collection was some sort of Freudian ode to his mother. He's never forgiven her for taking the boob away and this collection is an ode to his life-long search for the boob.

Naah. He just can't do fit well.

The judges beat the risk-taking parts out of him over the course of the competition and he responded with a collection that didn't feel like him at all. There were some bits and pieces that showed his creativity, but he seemed restricted by the more moderate view of fashion that the judges unwittingly imposed on him. Kind of a shame. We don't share his aesthetic and we liked very little of what he did during the competition, but we would have enjoyed, and we think he would have been better served by, a collection that was bold and crazy, rather than one that seemed like a deliberate toning down in order to make the judges happy.


[Photos: FirstView]


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35 comments:

Anonymous said...

"It's like her boobs and her dress got in an argument and they're not speaking to each other."

I love you guys! You make me almost want to get up in the morning in the hopes of a new post!

Gorgeous Things said...

"Ai, chihuahua, what is going on there?"

Tootie!

AJ said...

I LOVED that red dress if only for the color.

Heather totally has "Go Your Own Way" running through her mind in that picture. Work it girl!

And Gorgeous Things...there is so much tootie showing.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for reminding me why I didn't care for Santino's collection.

And the music. Ughhhhhhhhhh....

Anonymous said...

That one that you boys liked with the big sleeves, faux bodice and ugly, see-through skirt looks like one of Wendy's.

The only thing I like in the whole collection is the pleated dress that Heather is wearing, and it still has fit issues. He fit her into like 12 outfits during the show, why couldn't he at least get that one right?

Blech.

Fnarf said...

The leather bodice looked like something you'd see at Renaissance Fayre. Bzzt. I think this is the worst runway in all three seasons.

Dan said...

That last dress really photographs well, but as I recall on the actual show you see that it doesn't work well live and in motion. There's too much of the layering and pleating up in the front over the stomach area, with the result that she looks pregnant!

Anonymous said...

Long red dress is ok, and the final look is a nice dress, though I don't really like the colors of the fabric. I'm not sure why Tim was fawning all over that one--it may be the best in his collection, but it's not to die for. That leather top may be dramatic, but it's also ugly, unflattering, and it looks uncomfortable. It really doesn't work with that skirt. Rest are just dull, ill-fitted, and not very attractive.

I don't really buy the theory that the judges broke him down or that he was trying to please the PR judges. He spent most of the season creating clown clothes and giving the judges the proverbial finger. I think he just realized this was Bryant Park, not a reality show, and he didn't want to come off as a joke. So he decided to make real clothes, and this collection represents his true abilities.

He talked and acted like he was a hugely creative, talented designer, and, because of his big personality and attitude, people seemed to buy it. But he's never really shown us any proof. I think this collection is just a reveal of the emperor with no clothes.

Anonymous said...

Yuck.

Anonymous said...

the leather bodice piece is one of the ugliest looks sent down the Bryant Park runway as part of Project Runway's showings. it's hideous, unwearable, and not the least bit flattering. perhaps without the sleeves i could understand the praise you give it, but with them, i find it unforgivable.

to give credit where credit is due, Santino's final dress is probably the best look sent down the runway during the season 2 finale. it's effortless and ethereal - something we never saw before from Santino.

Anonymous said...

Santino and his collection were of no interest to me from the point he felt it neccesary to use a word that had to be edited out when talking about his mother.

Way to use your Bryant Park moment wisely, Santino.

Marianne said...

The PRG boys seriously need to be the guest judges at season four's Bryant Park show.

Anonymous said...

"It's like her boobs and her dress got in an argument and they're not speaking to each other."

i laughed. lol.

the model allison in that red dress is very clever to swing the dress at the end of the runway. good performance.

the 11th model is a victoria secret model.

model heather is cool.

Bill said...

I know models make some sulky, sullen faces when strutting on the runway, but some of these models seemed genuinely unhappy to me in these clothes.

The boob comments are great. I never gave it much mind before, but now I'm always looking to see if they're in the right spot.

eric3000 said...

I agree that this collection isn't very good. But I still like it better than the other two.

And maybe boobs enjoy going on holiday every once in a while and getting a little change of scenery. Did you ever think of that?

Anonymous said...

I don't feel like jumping in to defend Santino - but I'm reminded that Tim, in his "Tim's Take" blog, said something like, "Santino, I can't wait to see your line at Bergdorf's!" And I see what he means. As a runway show it's a big thud, but imagine these clothes on hangers, in a boutique, and they would actually be quite appealing. His fabrics invite touching. The repetitive, neutral color scheme allows you to mix and match the separates easily. And the fit issues that plague him could conceivably be worked out in production. Take away the boob-unfriendliness and he actually has quite a few nice pieces that real women would love to wear - which is the last thing anyone would have expected from him. But he didn't bring his Jay McCarroll "A" game and his showmanship was entirely absent.

Anonymous said...

OK, I think I have a new favorite T&L phrase to replace "Guilty!" and it's "It's like her boobs and her dress got in an argument and they're not speaking to each other." You two slay me.

Anonymous said...

The first one is sloppy looking. She looks like she should be wearing house slippers instead of heels.
I like the texture contrast on the 2nd one. If he had used the silk velvet on the dress and trimmed it with the charmuese(instead of the other way around )it would have been stunning. The pose is odd in the second screen cap, but in the first one all the bits look like they are in the right place (to me). I like the jacket too.
The red is pretty. The leather is an odd choice though.
The black leather bodice is beautifully fit, but that skirt! A stiff transparent dirndl? Very unflattering.
The rainbow effect is pretty but the bow isn't. This is the only one where the bust of the dress obviously doesn't match the girls body IMO.
The granny gown is well fit. But yeah I could see her wearing terry scuffs in the basement laundry room.
The showstopper is the best look. The bust looks okay to me (better than he did during the season). It's not exactly Santino. Still I think his collection was better than Daniel's. But not as good as Kara's.

Anonymous said...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Oops ! That's me.

Anonymous said...

I like the jacket.

-- desertwind

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you liked the bat wing top! I thought the model was gonna fly down the runway.

mumblesalot (Laura A) said...

Thanks for showing these photos. I missed season 1 and 2 and am too cheap and lazy to buy/rent the videos.

You are refining my eye for season 4. I will watch for arguing boobs and cubist stomachs. (love it)

Anonymous said...

I completely agree with nso's post.

I never did get Tim's love for this collection. That last dress would be nice if the bodice fit and it wasn't bruise-colored. I did love the red satin of the long dress in motion, but again the bodice didn't work. The man just doesn't get boobs, waists, or legs, and that's not a good thing if you want to design for women.

Au said...

Santino is a charlatan, and this is a disaster.

His skills are so lacking that he was unable to make a mall-ready Vicky's Secret collection, and that bar is low. This is a titless, shapeless fiasco at best, and merely insane at worst. In addition, his basic colors range from lunch meat to dryer lint, and he can't even commit to that.

Yes, the last dress is "pretty," but Heather (Heather!) looks like a wide rectangle in it. It isn't just the boobs that are lost -- her entire shape is obliterated by a bruise-tinted full-body tiara.

Without wickedy-whack, nothing distracts from the poor decisions Santino makes. To be simultaneously pandering, grandstanding, and lacking craft is some sort of Crap Grand Slam.

Sheesh.
Au

Anonymous said...

All the shit Santino talked about how interesting his ideas were, how innovative a designer and this is what he pulled out of his ass?
Then that's all it was.
Ass & (Shit)Talk.

Anonymous said...

Santino's whole output on the show was like a bad joke. It's as if he didn't know how to make anything but babydoll dresses. And then his final collection was a bunch of babydoll dresses that didn't fit the models properly. Oy!

Anonymous said...

Interesting...the two of you are the only folks I know (other than myself) who liked the black leather top thing. Actually, I loved it...although I agree about the skirt. Many people thought it was the worst look in the collection, but it was, as you say, the only one that really made a statement.

I almost felt sorry for Santino here. After all the "tone it down, Santino!!" all season, he finally toned it down and the judges ripped him for *that*. Of course, not just for that...you're right, the man has fit issues up the wazoo. But I think he was confused, and I can hardly blame him.

On the other hand, on talent alone, I don't really feel that Santino deserved a spot in the final three to begin with, so I can't feel too badly for him.

Brandenburg3rd said...

I really like the pleated swirly dress (Stevie Nicks, hahaha!). But the rest of the collection is so much "woulda/coulda/shoulda."

Au: To be simultaneously pandering, grandstanding, and lacking craft is some sort of Crap Grand Slam.

Given what he frequently wore, I'd call it a hat trick.

Anonymous said...

To be simultaneously pandering, grandstanding, and lacking craft is some sort of Crap Grand Slam.

Classic!!

What did he say about his mother anyway? Although frankly it doesn't surprise me. I mean, his "mother" issues stick out ALL over!

Anne

bungle said...

Runway show vs. runway show I'd have to say that the first episode's runway of this season 2, the muslin challenge, kills Santino's Bryant Park show to death. I know this comparison is not a very apt one but I don't have as much to go on as the vast majority of y'all. I just put out of my mind who the designers are, and the fact of one vs. many, and concentrate on the looks on the runways. Well, the muslin "collection" was interesting; by that I mean I think I saw some creativity there. The Bryant park show in question? I just see clothes. If someone asked me what I know or think about fashion before my personal discovery of the art just last summer my answer would be "well, it's about clothes, right?"
So with his final deal Santino takes me right back to square one.

Yeah, I remember that Santino won the first challenge. So I guess in this hypothetical tilt he get's scoreboard either way.

:D

Anonymous said...

Eh. This is the cream of the crap as far as fashion goes. This was the second worst collection from season 2, for me, anyway.

Jenn said...

Ah yet again I'm underwhelmed. Why did this look so much better to me on tv? Hmmmm

GothamTomato said...

"She looks like she has scoliosis or hip displacement."



Not to mention, a dangling camel toe.

--Gotham Tomato

Vic said...

In his dresses my boobies would head north and south at the same time. From a distance, gorgeous. Closeup? Meh.

Anonymous said...

"It's like her boobs and her dress got in an argument and they're not speaking to each other."

Haha! My day just got soooooo much better.