Poor Chris. Never was a PR contestant more jerked around than he was. Auf'd, returned, made it to the end, eliminated at the last second after working on a collection for five months. Danielle Steele novels have less plot twists.
As hard as it may be to do so, we would recommend not taking out your frustrations on Rami. It's not like he plotted Chris' downfall or anything. He just did what he does and the judges liked it more.
In fact, we would recommend you do what we're struggling mightily to do and not look at this from a personality perspective at all. We all love Sissy Bear, but let's try and be a little objective here.
To be honest, this was one of those times where we're glad we're not judges because this would have been a tough decision to make.
They both submitted very dark, heavy, over-the-top designs and from our perspective, there was a hair's breadth of a difference between them. We don't want to get too far into analyzing the looks because we'll be doing that extensively in the weeks to come. Suffice it to say, both collections had good points and bad points.
This coat would be representative of the latter. WAY too many elements for one article of clothing. Overwrought and overdesigned.
As an aside, this coat did not appear on the runway in Bryant Park and that strikes us as something of a big advantage for Rami. He got the opportunity to edit something out of his collection that he knew the judges didn't like. We wonder what Christian and Jillian thought of that.
As for the human hair, it was a risk and we applaud him for taking it. We think it shocked the judges and that can only be a good thing since they needed to be shocked out of their RamiLove.
Did Tim overreact to it? Sure, but that's Tim. He has a pretty classic, staid view of what works in fashion and human hair resides way out of his comfort zone.
As for us, well... we think it's an interesting choice but we think that, coupled with some of his other choices, just pushed the collection past the point of fashion and into costume. His looks were too heavy and too goth for us to get on the Sissy Bear Train.
Although to be fair, the safety pin skirt was pretty amazing.
It's not that we LOVED Rami's mini-collection. To be honest, it had almost as many problems as Chris'. The operative word here is "almost."
What probably won it for him was this dress, which the judges rightfully loved. It was the most wearable thing on the runway last night.
People don't seem to like it when the "costumey" tag gets hung on Chris' clothes, but from where we're sitting, it's pretty damn accurate. We give him all the credit in the world for really bringin' it last night and we loved that the judges were shocked by his work. Yes, they made the decision that we all suspected they would make, but they were clearly struggling with it and that, in its own way, was a bit of a victory for Chris.
Auf wiedersehen, Sissy Bear. Thanks for bringing the fun this season.
"After seeing Rami's collection, did you know who would be going home? The judges' comments seemed pretty deadlocked between the two of you.
Well, to be completely honest, this whole thing was very difficult to navigate. I so wanted to do a collection more along the lines of Christian's (complete over-the-top couture fantasy) but we all know the judges would slaughter me for it. If I was TOO safe, I would get nailed the other way. To be completely honest with myself, I don't know if my heart was completely in it. I never thought they would let the "costume designer" guy into the finals. I guess it's my own fault, and I feel like I let down so many people who were rooting for me. Rami is a wonderful man who lives and breathes fashion. After I was eliminated, we were backstage and Rami hugged me and asked if I was OK, and I told him I was fine and that I was happy that he won, because it was what he needed, not what I needed. I am so proud to have lost to Rami. I hope people understand that.
Were you surprised with the decision?
No, not at all. It was the pure and right choice. And trust me, to have made it that far after being brought back and hearing such praise of my work was so gratifying. I always felt I had to do my best with this incredible gift the producers gave me. I will be eternally grateful."
Anonymous said: And even though that particular hair had been sold rather than donated, I think about how many kids wigs that hair could have made, and it would have been a much more worthy use.
A couple things about this.
1. You cannot donate hair extensions to Locks of Love. This is stated on their website. Even if you could, that hair was far too short.
2. Chris bought those using money given to him by Bravo for use in the show. I betcha it's in their contracts that the cash cannot be used for purposes outside creating the collection.
I feel bitter. Nina was gazing at Rami, saying something about his clothes. I don't know what it was because all I could hear was "I want to suc..." Oops. I almost went there. Chris March. Class and grace in one noisy-laughing big-shirted pile of creativity. Rami is talented, too.
I have to say, I actually liked Chris' line because it was dark, goth and costumey. Maybe I've been hanging out with too many former goth friends too much lately. Maybe it was because it was outside the box, thus it was a breath of fresh air, in a sense. I think it was more of the latter. But what impressed me the most is how well Chris took everything, and how he handled everything so graciously and like a gentleman. Oh, you just wanted to hug Sissybear for just being who he is, just a really cool guy with oodles of talent and imagination! As a few others have said, it really was the most graceful exit in PR history. I really hope we see more of him in the future!
I was also a little bit surprised at Rami, but in a good way. It wasn't so much his collection, but rather how HE behaved as well. Somehow, he seemed to loosen up, and have a little more personality in this episode, and he was a gracious winner as well. He wasn't smug, or anything, and while he was understandably happy about his win, I dunno...you could just feel the luuuv in the room, you know?
stubenville said, As for Christian, I don't know if he is uncomfortable with his roots or if his family have issues with him.
Neither. His family is in Maryland, and he's on the Lower East Side. It's not like he and Tim could have run over for a visit. My understanding is that his family was at Bryant Park, and is quite supportive of him.
I did not like Rami's middle dress so much. Also his styling was awful. The tights made the models look HUGE and the girl with the green jacket looked like a little girl playing dress up.
Chris was much much better, but we all knew from day one that Christian, Julia and Rami would be the final 3, and the producers sure orchestrated it that way.
saiariddle asked, Wasn't Joan of Arc in the picture that Jillian chose for her art inspired piece?)
No, she wasn't. The painting Jillian used was "The Master of the Argonauts", a Florentine vision of the Greek legend of Jason and the Argonauts. Nothing to do with St. Joan.
For once I think you guys are wrong. I think the fix is in, and Rami's going to win with the fourth-best collection. Upon close inspection that big coat is horribly made and lumpy; the ooh-aah dress was just OK, and the other one was meh. Chris's was exotic and thrilling. He was robbed. Rami's a fake, his designs are stilted and boring and he can't sew for peanuts.
Congratulations to Rami. A well deserved win. Looking forward to next week. I now think it's a great Final 3.
Good story TLO. Well put.
I do think the judges may have pushed Rami into doing something like the coat that was overworked a bit. Must have been hard for both of them to work under those circumstances. I like this coat and think it was certainly inspired, but I've seen some of Rami's jackets elsewhere online and prefer them more.
Re: Chris-is-too-fat to compete: Two words: Jay McCarroll.
Re: Human hair: Nina and Michael both said it didn't bother them, and Tim wasn't a judge.
Re: Models: Both Chris and Rami had models whose dresses didn't allow them much movement.
Re: Ogling Rami: He did moisturize his face at one point.
Re: Christian: Whoever here said he's ashamed of his family is probably right. Plus, being friends with Christian has got to drain the life out of you; I imagine being a Friend of Christian has a short shelf life.
(Also, Christian promised on the reunion not to say FIERCE anymore. He lied. Last night's episode was probably shot earlier than the reunion, but still. He is a tiresome little sh*t.)
Let's face it, Nina and Michael wanted to jump Rami from Day One. It was a foregone conclusion, and we all know it, don't we?
I will truly miss Chris. He really brought joy to the show. I'm over Rami but I agree that the grey dress won it for his last night. The Drapemaster brought his 'A' game with that one.
Rami has been an established designer and had a good reputation before PR4. It would've been a big blow to his career not being in the final three. So, although not fair, I kinda agree with the judges. And if Chris is fine with it, so am I.
Of course I liked Chris' designs better, the only problem I had is Marcia having trouble walking; but they were fantastic.
Rami, we do not dislike you. I was very moved when you hugged Chris and it looked genuine. My best wishes for you in the future.
And Chris, I am pretty sure you read all these comments: WE LOVE YOU NOW EVEN MORE! You really showed class during your exit interview and I confess: I cried. The very best for you darling!
Final thought: I hope Princess Puffysleeves wins the whole thing.
Wow. A nice spirited discussion. I liked and disliked aspects of both collections. I'll try to keep my comments to items not mentioned before...
Chris: I loved the used of unusual materials and the concept of clothing as art. However, if you are going to live on the edge, you need to realize that there will be a majority of people who just do not "get" it. It doesn't make them bad or stupid and I really think Chris understood that. He was happy with what he made and I'm thrilled that he got to showcase it, PR finale or not.
Rami: I am in the minority with those who enjoyed the coat. EW shoed his gold dress wihich was one of the best looks of anyone’s, but wasn’t chosen for the mini collection. I loved the wrapped dress but was back and forth on the black gown. Did anyone else think that the picture of Rami's mother looked just like him (in a dress)?!
As for the others...I was convinced that Christian would win the whole thing until I saw some of the stuff last night. Talk about overwrought and costumey!
Anyway, while the judges have seemed inconsistent and flakey this year, even I am not cynical enough to buy into the whole evil cabal deciding the fate of realiteevee contestants for their own pleasure. It's just fashion!
I'm wondering about the religious elements (plus his estrangement from his religious family) reflected in his Bryant Park collection.
Apparently that blue silkscreen is St. Therese (I was on the "it's George Washington" train!) and I wonder about his choice of hair (homage to his wig-work? hair-shirt?). Actually, I wonder about all his silkscreen choices.
I'd picked up more of a Berlin/Weimar Republic vibe than a goth vibe, but he mentions Goth in his Contra Costa Times interview.
Chris, remember this: many of the contestants that are thriving professionally *did not win*! Not being in the final three could turn out to be the best outcome!
I have to say I wasn't wowed by Rami's collection, but I understand why they chose him. anyway, looking at Chris's pictures from the Bryant Park show, I noticed that the 3rd look (the skirt with the safety pins, by the way, I thought it was awesome) was slightly different than what he showed, meaning the jacket seemed to have less hair trim in the collar, am i right? also, did anybody notice if some of the jewelry in some of Chris's looks also was made with safety pins? I cannot zoom them enough to see, but i thought they were, which would be a great detail to complement the skirt. I hope TLO comment in detail each of Chris's looks because I like many of them and I would like to know their opinion.
gotham tomato wrote, following my expressing my shock at Tim's analogy to monkey house smell:
"That's not what Tim was saying. That was an analogy - and I thought a very good (& funny) one. I used to work with animals, and what Tim was saying was exactly true, and cracked me up.
I think he meant it in the best way; that Chris had spent too much time, too close to his collection, to view it objectively. And he was right."
Except that there could have been many ways to express that without reference to bad smells. As a person seeing it with a fresh eye, as asking Chris to take a step back, there was no make an analogy to walking into a smelly place. I thought Chris looked uncomfortable and I still think it was tasteless.
I felt like the whole time I watched the episode that the odds were completely stacked against Chris, and no matter what he did he would always wind up being the decoy. Because of his costume background and maybe even because of his size and age, I feel that he was given less of a chance, not to mention that they sent him home before on that horribly stupid challenge. The judges loved Rami, almost kind of like they loved keeping Santino around, and they weren't going to eliminate him for Chris. Predictable, frustrating, irritating outcome!
I do wonder if Chris had included the more colorful things, like his first dress from the collection, that the outcome could have changed, but ultimately I doubt there was much he could do to overcome the stars in the judges' eyes whenever they look at Rami.
I too hope for Jillian to win, to "eat the sausage" in the end.
The second look Chris made reminded me of Cindy Loo from Dr. Seuss, no? The hair, the make-up, the shaggy-bottomed dress. It all looked like a gothic take on Cindy Loo.
I totally knew it was going to happen, but I'm still sad. I don't think I really saw ANY way the judges would pick Chris over Rami, especially with the nice stuff they both brought out.
And I just have to say, even though the human hair thing weirded people out- Sissy made it look GREAT.
What a fabulous real person Chris is,throughout the show he was my total favorite person. I was not surprised at the outcome but nonetheless that does not take away from my love for that genuine kind person!
There are so many comments here already but, Chris, just in case you read this...you are such a lovely man. It was a pleasure to watch you this season. Good luck to you.
Unless you are totally bald and completely shaved, I don't think anyone should be afraid of human hair. Get over it, everyone has hair and I think its a great material to use.
It's not like the hair came from japanese homeless people with severe dandruff who haven't bathed in years. It was clean hair, the kind you can buy for extentions. People buy it and glue it to their own head, but you people are weirded out because someone put it on clothing.
i preferred chris' pieces, human hair and all. rami's black and white dress, the prettiest of the bunch, reminds me of something i used to own, so i felt like i had seen it before. i didn't care for that teal jacket at all, and i don't even remember what the other one was, which is quite telling, considering i just looked at the pictures on this site about two minutes ago.
all of chris' designs were memorable, and i loved the safety pin skirt.
I think Bravo needs to clean house, fire Nina and Michael and get some new judges. Those two obviously cannot be objective and I know I am having serious doubts about ever watching again.
It was bad enought that Jeffrey (no-talent) Sebelia won last year, but this year they played such favorites that the show has lost all integrity.
I'm so done with this show. I gave them a second chance after last year's peanut atrocity, but i can't take those fashion gorgons anymore.
Chris was interesting and creative, and Rami sent bland upholstery with broken zippers down the runway and still won. And we all saw it coming. They tried to auf him at the last challenge and only the respected and unbiased guest judge prevented them. Koors should just put "too costumey" on a tape loop and spare his vocal cords.
stubenville said, As for Christian, I don't know if he is uncomfortable with his roots or if his family have issues with him.
I'm not a Christian fan. However, his family does support him. His sister's blog was linked to on bloggingprojectrunway and she gushed on about him. She lives in Arkansas and went to visit him during fashion week, and their mother came down on the train, and they had dinner with Victorya, and they went shopping for clothes, and they went to Moods, and yada, yada, yada, etc, etc, etc.
No, I can't find the link, and I spent the last 10 minutes looking. You can take it on faith or not, but it is what it is.
Sweet Babies, I kind of loved Chris's collection but I am dark and Goth and an open and proud Ditta Von Teese punk rocking accolyte. I did not think it was costumy. The thing is the judges ALL err on the side of the traditionally feminine and let's face it "clean cut" taste and aesthetic. Some exceptions like Jeff Sebellia, Jay and PPS apply, but they still did not push the enveloppe as far a Chris did. They still have significant mainstream commercial appeal. I have to say, Sissybear has GRIZZLY fashion balls. Had Chris presented that collection as part of Fashion East during London Fashion Week, he would have become the darling of the fashion world and been proclaimed as a genius. What he did was not that far from what designers like Westwood have done in the past. Am I the only one who remembers the chicken bone t-shirt? I think that if instead of the velvet long dress he had presented the blue screen printed/painted monalisa /madonna dress that he opened the show with during fashion week he would have been the third finalist. That dress was the best thing in all 5 collections IMHO. It did not surprise of shock me at all that rami rounded up the top 3. I predicted and posted that outcome December 6th on myspace and my blogspot blog. I like how sweet and gracious Chris and Rami were to each other. And I kind of see some sparkles of them digging each other.. That is not surprising either because they are both brill and sexy in their own right :-) Love, Milla
Victorian hair jewelry is actually kind of ooky, since the hair was often taken from loved ones who had passed away. (The rise of psychology shortly after the height of the Victorian period cannot be a coincidence.) I'm fairly certain Chris did not go to those lengths. But was it free-range, organic hair? Or was it chemically enhanced? Inquiring minds want to know. Well, some of them might.
At this point, anyone who does not realize that there is a wide spectrum of opinion on what qualifies as attractive or interesting or weird or ooky is too young to be using teh interwebs without supervision and needs to GROW UP. Preferably somewhere else, so I don't have to watch.
A lady on the NY Daily News webcasts said Chris's pieces were dark and creeped her out. Nina said the same thing.
Maybe if they had a teenager, they'd get the Goth, Emo, Scene connection since they'd of had the experience of walking into HotTopic....200 paces behind their teen.
What I liked about Chris's piece is that they were right on target with the mood of younger people today, albeit, this is a very chic Goth, one that probably has Scene minions in skinny jeans to do things for her.
Chris might not have won, but I think that number with the hair is one that everyone will always remember.
"liked seeing everyone's family and friends, but I found it curious they did not show that for Christian
I think the reason they didn't show his family is because he was ashamed of them. Looking at the pictures, they appeared to be common, everyday people. He gives off an attitude that he is so above everyone else, I think he isn't proud of his working class beginnings.
12:43 PM"
I think the more likely scenario is the lack of time to visit both NY AND Maryland (and San Francisco and Jeruselem). In past seasons the designers lived with or right near their families making that easy to shoot....
And I am willing to bet Christian's attitude (his snotty comments about the others and their work behind their backs....) is strictly a result of being 21. I guarantee one day he will look at that footage of himself and say, "GOD I was an asshole." Or not. When he walks off with the title of America's Next Great Fashion Designer next week he just may achieve PERMANENT asshole status.
All of the judges mentioned that Rami & Chris's designs were "too dark." I think our two designers fell into the same trap of designing during the winter months & designing for the season they were in instead of looking ahead to spring. Rami could have done some really interesting things if he mixed up his draping, and made his light look sing for spring. He lives in LA for godsake! Chris (human hair aside -- I still don't know what to think of that) obviously had winter on his mind even when you take his red pieces into account. I'm astonished that the judges didn't all out that probable mistake. Hopefully the other designers designed spring looks.
That said, looking at both collections, I really like the shape of Chris's pieces better. The female form was completely lost when Rami tried to go "structured." At least Chris's showed some shape. The fact that they dismissed Rami's gown as not having a good shape because it was supposed to be dramatic and a runway piece and didn't even mention Chris's silhouettes is more than surprising. Can we say ... not-so-reality television? I hope so.
I may be in the minority here, but I liked Rami's coat. It didn't look good on the size 0 model, but if you put a slightly less bulky version on a size 14 woman who is about 5'6" it would look great.
I really wish Chris could have won, and I'm sorry to see him go, but it was hardly a surprise.
All of the judges mentioned that Rami & Chris's designs were "too dark." I think our two designers fell into the same trap of designing during the winter months & designing for the season they were in instead of looking ahead to spring. Rami could have done some really interesting things if he mixed up his draping, and made his light look sing for spring. He lives in LA for godsake! Chris (human hair aside -- I still don't know what to think of that) obviously had winter on his mind even when you take his red pieces into account. I'm astonished that the judges didn't all out that probable mistake. Hopefully the other designers designed spring looks.
That said, looking at both collections, I really like the shape of Chris's pieces better. The female form was completely lost when Rami tried to go "structured." At least Chris's showed some shape. The fact that they dismissed Rami's gown as not having a good shape because it was supposed to be dramatic and a runway piece and didn't even mention Chris's silhouettes is more than surprising. Can we say ... not-so-reality television? I hope so.
Sigh...oh well. It really was a close call. Well, if it's any consolation to Mr. SissyBear himself, I thought his collection was gutsy and creative, and he's been nothing but loveable throughout the show.
All of the judges mentioned that Rami & Chris's designs were "too dark." I think our two designers fell into the same trap of designing during the winter months & designing for the season they were in instead of looking ahead to spring. Rami could have done some really interesting things if he mixed up his draping, and made his light look sing for spring. He lives in LA for godsake! Chris (human hair aside -- I still don't know what to think of that) obviously had winter on his mind even when you take his red pieces into account. I'm astonished that the judges didn't all out that probable mistake. Hopefully the other designers designed spring looks.
That said, looking at both collections, I really like the shape of Chris's pieces better. The female form was completely lost when Rami tried to go "structured." At least Chris's showed some shape. The fact that they dismissed Rami's gown as not having a good shape because it was supposed to be dramatic and a runway piece and didn't even mention Chris's silhouettes is more than surprising. Can we say ... not-so-reality television? I hope so.
I loved the detail on Chris' clothes. I never would have known those were safety pins from the pictures. Chris did get to show at Bryant Park anyway, so that's cool. I heart Chris and Rami! I think the universe has nothing but good things in store for each of them. : )
I don't buy the "well you have hair on your body" argument. We have skin on our bodies too but we'd all be pretty grossed out if he made a dress out of human skin.
At first I was kind of grossed out {I don't know why, but I freak out whenever there is hair that is not on someone's head}, but then I got a good look at it and realized it was pretty much amazing. Rami's was good, Chris's was good. I would have been deadlocked too, and I hated Rami all season.
My feeling is that the expectations of the judges should be made more explicit. What exactly are we going for here? Pret a porte? Avant garde? Costume? A mix? How much "wearable" do you expect from a runway show? How much art? How innovative?
I think it was The Duchess who admitted that they have different expectations for different designers, and sometimes their expectations are that the designers not do the kind of work that is the staple of their repertoire. I'm not sure that's a noble or even reasonable goal, if the designer is creating innovative OR wearable clothes, whichever is their wont, that are beautiful and fashion forward.
Now, as for this question, "Come on! Would you wear human hair? No way! Chris deserved the scorn he got for that!" attitude... puzzling, since a lot of designers considered cutting edge make clothes that very few people would actually wear.
Example:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jafa/hd_jafa.htm
These are avant garde Japanese designers whose looks are still influential today (check out "Ensemble, fall/winter 2000–2001" by Junya Watanabe -- think Christian ever saw it?). Few, if any of them, have any RTW appeal. Some of them are downright weird and would look bizarre. Some would definitely not allow a woman to sit down in them (Miyake San, I'm looking at you). But they are in the MET, for god's sake! They are considered high art and go beyond mere clothing.
Not everything has to be RTW or "wearable." Sometimes fashion is art for art's sake. Chris understands that. Rami is more of a RTW designer. That's fine, and there's a place for both of them in the fashion world. But let's not deride human hair as unwearable when much more ostensibly bizarre materials and designs are considered the height of chic.
I don't have time to read all 256 comments right now, so I apologize if I'm about to repeat what has already been said, but I do want to say that I loved the human hair trim. What's the difference between a wig made of real human hair and using that same material as decorative trim? And if it makes people squeamish, what's the difference between human hair, which grows back, painlessly trimmed off of live people's heads with their consent, and animal furs, which are - well, you know. I also love how using the hair as trim can raise these questions in people's minds and get us all to consider the assorted issues in a startlingly new way.
I hope when I have time to read the whole thread I don't find that the issue has been already beaten to death. If so, once again, my apologies.
@gothamtomato: First of all, LOL on the 11th Avenue remark.
Second, I can't speak for others, but for me ...
It's not that I want to wear a coat with human hair anymore than I'd want to wear a dress made of 40 yards of beige silk (sweeping the floor) with a giant silk-covered circular TV antenna protruding from my left shoulder. I just appreicate the uniqueness and creativity of the design elements in both garments.
Chris was thinking outside the box, much more so than Rami in my opinion. It's what I liked about Jay too. The knitting still kills me!
Rami's middle look reminds me of the girl at work who wore an innappropriate dress to the office and decided to cover it up with the "office jacket," which as the female girls at this web site may know is the jacket (or sweater) that no one knows who it belongs to, but is kept around in case anyone is cold or has to cover up.
I've a question. When looking at Rami's 3 models standing together on the runway, his 2nd dress is covered by a black jacket, for lack of a better term. Seeing her standing there, it looks, to my admittedly untrained eye, like she's wrapped in a towel and not the beautiful dress he designed. Am I wrong or would that "jacket" have been better left on a hanger somewhere?
Chris is a very gracious runner-up. I don't use the word "loser" because he is the farthest thing from the word. I think the collection was beautiful, and I actually loved the use of human hair. That is why I wanted him to win, because he took this huge risk with something completely unpredictable. I guess I wanted him to win because of the fact he was willing to put himself out there. I thought the outfits showed such a great amount of work, too. It was really admirable.
This is not the last we're seeing of Chris. This show gave him GREAT publicity and if I had any money at all I'd want him to make me a prom dress, since I absolutely loved his. He's highly talented and he's going to go great things for the fashion and costume worlds. :D
Rami's gray dress, though, I loved it. As much as I wanted Chris to go into the finals, there is no denying that the second piece that came out was absolutely gorgeous. I would love to own the dress.
All that aside, I hope Christian takes the whole competition. :]
Is this a record for comments to Project RunGay, I wonder? Must be all the publicity. All for the good except now when I'm coming back during the day I have to read a jillion more posts and I'm not getting any work done, oh poo!
Some people were wondering about extra looks not used on the runway show.
I think most of the final designers bring extra looks and edit when they see what others have or how they feel once they get the looks to New York.
It's not "cheating" if they make those extra looks within the budget and it's a very professional thing to do.
-- desertwind
Yes, the designers always bring extra looks, but Rami chose that blue coat as one of his strongest looks and after the judges trashed it he decided not to present it anymore. That doesn't sound right to me. They should've made him use all the three looks he picked as his strongest.
About the judging. I think that fashion, like so many specialized industries, has a very rarified air. Once you get past the technical aspects, it's really just an opinion. Nobody is more or less qualified to judge whether it's "good" or "bad". However, people make their living in fashion and commenting on fashion. As such, they can't just have "opinions". Their points of view must be delivered with the full force of fact. This is good, that is bad. You should wear this, not that. This is "costumey" and that is "a fantasy dress." Of course the judges walk in with pre-conceived notions about what they will like and what they won't. The designers aren't being judged objectively or by any consistent standard. Good construction always gets points, but beyond that it's aribtrary. One designer gets knocked for being costumey and the next wins points for creating a fantasy. This has caused much hair pulling at my house.
I think that Rami and Chris were clearly judged to different standards. To call one costumey and one fantasy...that's just splitting hairs (no pun intended). I think that for Rami, they gave him extra points beyond what they saw on the runway. Some of these he earned, and some of them he didn't.
Chris didn't get those extra points. And it was both fair and unfair. Before he was auf'd, Chris's work wasn't all that good. It was costume. But when he came back, I think even his detractors should be able to admit that he grew as a designer and the quality of his work increased. He took the chance he was given and grew into the challenges.
I think that it says something about the show this season that people were easily able to predict who would win the mini-challenge. I mean, I can't stand him or most of his work but even I have to admit that Christian will probably take home the win.
But what the heck is up with all four of these designers....oh and Sweet Pea...with collections on the Project Runway site?
Except for the human hair (and I don't know why that's more gross than skinned animals but somehow....), I'd much rather wear Chris' clothes. Rami's could easily make you look FAT.
Just a comment on the hair issue, and Locks for Love: a large amount of the hair collected through that program NEVER makes it to cancer patients. Why? Because it is NOT suitable. The hair is sold commercially.
So, for those people who are bothered by the idea that the hair Chris used could have been in a wig for someone with cancer, stop worrying.
Why all the broo-haha over the hair on the clothes? By the end of the day I have aobut that much hair on my clothes anyway, so Chris is saving me the trouble of trying to get it off - now it would blend in and I would be tres chic!
I was bummed that the dress that all the judges were "oohing and ahhing" over was a draped dress. Yes, it was pretty, yes Rami does that type of dress beautifully, but it was like Uli, it got to be one note. His gown reminded me of Christian's "Reeses' peanut butter cup paper cup" dress. It had that feel to it. I actually said to DH "It looks like it is made out of cupcake liners."
Chris certainly took a chance with using the extensions. But the effect was stunning on the safety pin dress. Practical? Not by a long shot! Something to wear to the grocery store? Hell no! But it does make a statement. His gown probably could have benefitted from a slit up the side or back to facilitate walking.
Did the best man win? Depends on your aesthetic. Rami does do gorgeous, feminine clothing. Chris does outstanding, over the top clothing.
And unfotunately, "we" the public, were not the judges. I think both have an audience and both could go far.
I adore both Chris and Rami. Both are so beautiful and dear and wonderful, each in his own way.
I think Chris showed enormous wisdom in his exit interview, noting that the universe sends you what you need. I, too, think that Rami needed Bryant Park more than Chris did. I think Chris will now be in HUGE demand, and he didn't need Bryant Park for that. What Chris does should NEVER have to kowtow to judges' tastes. He should be allowed to fly free and do whatever his creative heart tells him to do.
Chris' collection was gorgeous. I checked the slides the prgayboys have and everything is so well made and beautiful. All the details on the back of each look. What a shame!
"And I am willing to bet Christian's attitude (his snotty comments about the others and their work behind their backs....) is strictly a result of being 21. I guarantee one day he will look at that footage of himself and say, "GOD I was an asshole."
Suzanne, I think that's really true. Maybe the best thing for Christian is to NOT win. It would slap him down a few and make him more humble. However, his opportunities will be endless regardless of whether he wins this thing or not.
Chris on the other hand, has had his slap downs a long time ago and is more well-equiped to enjoy what comes to him, especially the new relationships he encounters. He's been around a few more blocks than Christian, so he's set to just enjoy it as it comes.
I think the reason why I love Chris so much is that he came across as vulnerable early on, which elicited feelings of "big sister protectiveness" from me (odd, I know).
All I know from here is that I will keep an eagle eye out for whatever Chris does or produces, and support all I can. He'll always be one of my all-time favorites.
Why didn't Chris listen to Tim? If you look at Rami's collection when Tim visited him it was completely different. He listened to Tim and changed a couple of things. Chris is very stubborn!!
I felt really bad for Chris and in a way it's sad that he thinks Rami deserves to win this competition more than he does. The pretty guys vs. the chubby guy. Sad, sad, sad.
Chris took chances and designed an innovative, creative collection. The judges hated Chris from day one. I'm so over this show. They need to get new judges!!!!!!!!!!
WHERE did you get that fabulous leopard pattern shirt you wore on Project Runway!??
I have been searching the internet like mad for one and can not find one any place. I find leopard shirts for women, but never for men. And I need a very large sized one, too.
WHERE did you get that fabulous leopard pattern shirt you wore on Project Runway!??
I have been searching the internet like mad for one and can not find one any place. I find leopard shirts for women, but never for men. And I need a very large sized one, too."
Rami is hot and a great fashion designer, as Chris said, he lives and breathes fashion, he designed a beautiful collection and deserved to win. Get over it!!
Ugh Rami is a one note he drapes and that is all the hell he does.
I disagree. I think that Rami's work is so amazing! He is so great at draping, this guy is a real designer of REAL clothes that people would actually wear. Chris should stick to costumes, that's what he's good at.
Chris said he wanted to be provocative and wanted his collection to be dark, no kidding! I hated it. No sane woman would want to wear that or any woman with class.
Shame on Bravo!!! They humiliated Chris from the second he stepped on the show. Remember the first episode? How embarrassing was that? They would never give it to him, they're going to give it to the golden boy or chicken.
OHMYGOD I am so late to the party to comment on this. I hated the hair thing. gag. I love Chris but i say no to hair anything. Rami gets on my nerves. He is sooooo full of himself.
I love Chris, I really do, but I think he'll be much happier going back to costume design. The human hair was a little too much for me! I can't picture any real woman wearing that. I think most people here are saying they're OK with that just because they wanted him to win and because they like him.
I'm really baffled why human hair brings such revulsion. No human died for its use. It's clean and hygienic in its use. Human hair is used extensively in theatre and entertainment. What do people think about wearing wool against their bodies? It's better because it's from animals?
I personally applaud Chris March's use of human hair. It was sensational and frankly, I was stunned at how beautiful it was.
Tim Gunn's analogy was interesting, but we are not talking about monkey hair.
Chris March showed us all about dignity, grace and good sportsmanship. He will go far because he is just a good human being.
Holly shit, boys, over 300 comments? And you actually have to click on a link to read all of them. Hahahahahahaha. I bet Chris is reading all these comments and laughing out of his chair right now.
(side note: I also think Rami might be "copying" Jillian's style with the armor thing... I mean.. Joan of Arc? Wasn't Joan of Arc in the picture that Jillian chose for her art inspired piece?)
Nah, that was a scene from the story of the Argonauts -- which took place a couple thousand years before. Thought the armor silhouette is pretty similar...
If anyone is still reading this massive thread, my take on Chris' use of human hair is much the same as my thoughts on his enormous avant-collar...it was meant to provoke and drop jaws.
His aesthetic is *not for the timid* ...as is Gaultier, LaCroix, McQueen, Galliano..et al. These designers place the trend-mark WELL OUTSIDE the pedestrian.
As was pointed out in the Avant-G challenge, the over-the-top bits will at some point be watered down/filtered into a viewpoint that is considered fashion forward and ultimately -- viable commercial garments.
I'm so pleased that Chris stuck to his monkey-house-guns and went full steam with his dark vision.
As for Tim above mentioned monkey-house-stank comments. I've always loved the fact that Tim is so~ well-mannered, yet completely capable of ballsy-zingers. When he's trying to find a verbal-avenue to express his *intense loathing* it's always entertaining.
Where another might say, "Chris, Nina is going to choke you with that ape's ass collar, what the f*ck are you thinking?" He waxes reflective on primate domestic odors. I love him and Chris as well...I'm wearing my sweater jacket with fringed-ape's-ass-like-cuffs right now, in his honor;)
I was refering to garments on Rami's rack that he didn't use in either the Deathmatch or Bryant Park show. Some thought this was fishy, but I explained that all the final designers bring extra looks and it's totally above board.
OTOH - ditching the unloved coat before Bryant Park is something anyone would do if they could. Bravo probably didn't think through all the angles to this new way of selecting the third finalist and just let him do it, but it's not completely fair to the other two.
OTOOH - It doesn't matter much because the real cagefight is the Christian v Jillian card.
-- desertwind
PPS - Maybe when we get to discussing final collections, I'll tell y'all about the time I was tossed out of Studio 54 clad only in a black slip and monkey fur jacket. Wandering the February night panhandling for change to get home. Good times!
PS - It was a brilliant move by Chris to use the hair fringe. Though we see Tim and the judges and some viewers gagging over it, we won't soon forget it.
Damn, I came to this party *late*! Anyway, it's clear that the judges knew what they were looking for from the very beginning. Whether that means something untoward was going on is anyone's guess--but it's also important to remember that this is television. Maybe the 20-year-old community college student who works at The Buckle isn't going to swoon over hair fringe the way I (and others) did. Maybe the thirtysomething mom with a closet full of Dockers likes a swarthy bald man with five o'clock shadow. And--just maybe--it's time to ditch Nina and LaKors and find some fresh eyes. I vote Diane Von Furstenburg and Richie Rich. Now, THAT would make things interesting.
Anyone read Tim's Take this week? Three most interesting things he said:
1. Chris wanted to use monkey fur, which is illegal. Now THAT would be gross, and casts the whole "monkey house" story in a new light.
2. Spoken to Rami: "I can see Joan in your work, but it’s Crawford, not d’Arc.” Bwahaha.
3. When asked by the judges who his customer would be, Chris did not know. When he heard that, Tim realized that Chris would be out. Of course Rami expounded at length. Do you think that's a valid reason for an auf'ing?
Sighting! I just re-watched the last episode ...when Tim steps in to tell Chris it's "time to clean up your space..." the gag-reflex Mr. Gunn is wearing a black leather jacket.
~oh! the irony. heeheee.
C'mon, my beloved, avuncular Tim...how could you gag over human hair...whilst sporting a jacket of skin, which presumably, was lacerated from the muscle tissue of a bovine carcass, soaked and bleached in chemicals before being dyed-and-polished-to-black-glossy-perfection to adorn your oh~ so sexy-silver self?
I love the conversation/controversy Chris has spawned. That's an artist at work.
I think it's not so much a matter of 'would I want to wear human hair?' A lot of the looks I see coming down the runways (and I'm talking about some of the established designers' shows) are clothes that seem more designed for show than for wear. Then, when you see them in the stores, the edge is filed down a bit.
The human hair was just that edge. When I heard about it here at PRG (I don't get Bravo since our move) I was nonplussed, but seeing the pictures, I thought it looked cool.
By the way, a big mwah and thank you to TLo (and posters) for the fabulous discussion and screencaps. I really feel as if I had seen every show! Great job, guys!
Chris has "class and grace".. even though they made him run... twice. The flapper dress was wonderful and the hair harkens bavk to the monkey fur that was popular in a bygone era.. those that went "ew" on the hair rxtensions are probably wearing them..
I LOVED Chris' designs. And what's the big deal about human hair? We're all human, we all have some..And let's be honest if his pieces were to be mass produced, they would switch to syntehetic hair simply because it would be more cost effective. So again, I don't get all the fuss? The designs were original and unique. It's a shame that a show about being creative and different came down to the judges choosing the guy who looks best looks with his shirt off. Chris never stood a chance!
"brilliant said: It's not that I want to wear a coat with human hair anymore than I'd want to wear a dress made of 40 yards of beige silk (sweeping the floor) with a giant silk-covered circular TV antenna protruding from my left shoulder. I just appreicate the uniqueness and creativity of the design elements in both garments."
I appreciate the creativity as well. I was just refering to those who were saying they would, likely just because of Chris' personality.
I don't even think wearability is neccessarily a determining factor.
But I do think it would be funny to see a woman wearing one of Chris's human hair dresses, on the arm of a man with a bad toupe.
I agree with the people who think that Chris knew the whole time that he wasn't going to make it to the finale. His comments about how his clothes would always be called either costumey or too safe made me really sad because I don't think his work was judged with the objectivity that he deserves.
And to everyone who thinks Princess Puffysleeves will take the win- did you conveniently forget about those heinous Big Bird pants? If I were a betting woman, I'd be putting a pretty sum on Jillian.
Why didnt they just have Christian and Jillian show? That's what it's going to come down to.
Rami = Technically proficient but boring. Even though Tim and the judges cream over him, he's not as good as either of the other two. By a long shot. Chris would have been more competition.
Jillian = Excellent technical execution, with some innovative twists.
Christian = A young view on a jaded industry. Could be a big splash in the pan. By far the most original and creative view of the competition.
Advantage: Christian, but could easilly be Jillian. Not Rami, unless he's fucking Nina and Tim and Michael all at the same time.
Way off the topic of fashion, but I think Chris should get tested for sleep apnea. The way he snores and his need for naps during the day really points to it.
Anonymous (4:34) said... " ... Advantage: Christian, but could easilly be Jillian. Not Rami, unless he's fucking Nina and Tim and Michael all at the same time."
Now that's one bonus feature that just might persuade me to purchase the PR4 DVD's.
Hmmm ... On 2nd thought, I'll save my money and wait for TLo's screen caps.
Are so many people really OK with wearing human hair on their clothes (not that that is neccessarily the litmus test)? The power of the suggestion of TV never ceases to amaze me.
I liked Chris' work, but I don't know: It's kind of part Dr. Seuss, part Third Reich. It freaks me out.
My thoughts exactly. Look, I won't argue that on ethical grounds human hair is preferable to the alternative (particularly monkey fur, which according to Tim's blog is what he wanted to use), but the whole thing just really, really grossed me out. I wouldn't wear it, I wouldn't want to touch it, it just grossed me out.
I mean, objectively, I understand that it shouldn't be a big deal - but subjectively, it is. Plus, what I guess bothers me is that it was clearly done to be shocking. Synthetic wouldn't have looked any worse; the whole thing was done for shock value, which makes it costume. And that's the problem. This is not a costume competition, it's fashion. That isn't to say that tons of costume work isn't fashion, but let's be serious.
LOL, okay, after seeing Tim all but having a stroke I guess I *will* watch the rerun on Sunday.
But Bravo is going to have to really fix the show to get me back next season. This was dreadful. I don't want a return of the manufactured drama and hijinks, but I DO want to see some interesting challenges that aren't blatant product placement. The shark almost caught them as they jumped by.
I really loved Rami's designs. They were exciting without being costumes. And they were shimmering and gorgeous and refined. That said, Rami and Chris were actually two of my favorite designers all season, so, this episode was hard for me. sniff.
Oy Vey. Enough with the "Chris was robbed!" He was auf'd, came back on, didn't get auf'd but was allowed a shot. Of course we love SissyBear, but some perspective!
Yes, yes, during the Victorian era, mourning jewelry was made from human hair. Kittens, we don't live in the Victorian era. Human hair is gross.
To the point - I finally figured out why Jillian has no affect when she speaks (ever so slowly) - I think she is trying to overcome her LI accent. No?
Not only do I love TLo - I love reading these fabulous posts.
Way off the topic of fashion, but I think Chris should get tested for sleep apnea. The way he snores and his need for naps during the day really points to it.
I do not understand most reader's of this blog negative opinion of Rami's designs. I think that most of them are fantastic and very well made. Most women would be proud to wear them. Chris may be a lovely person but his designs were over the top as are Christian's. I think the real competition will be between Rami and Jillian. Let the best man/woman win.
I think he already has been slapped down a lot, and his personality/humor is a defense mechanism.
thank you! i agree totally. he is only 21 years old, for GOD's sake! he's a kid. he all but said that he took the job at the hair salon with he was only 13 because he fit in there, implying he didn't fit elsewhere. all you haters, please have some compassion for christain!
Oh for heaven's sake, why does saying that somebody acts like a twit translate into being a "hater" and provoke such defensive posting? The kid is getting a reality TV edit that is making him sound like an a**, even for a 21-year-old on national (cable) television. I'm sorry he didn't fit in when he was a kid. He's not alone. From all I've been hearing, he has a supportive family.
Nobody is "hating" anybody around here, this blog is too fabulous and sweet-natured for that. But we are allowed to dislike PR contestant clothes and the behavior that we've seen on a TV show.
And man, this has to totally be a record for a TLo thread. 70 more posts overnight? wow!
Oh for heaven's sake, why does saying that somebody acts like a twit translate into being a "hater" and provoke such defensive posting?
Another Laura: Perhaps you haven't read all 300 plus comments, but some of the posts about Christian were hateful...not all, but some.
The reason this season has been such a joy compared to last season is that the people on PR4 are all decent people, unlike Season 3 - which was abominable. Well, Jeffrey was - and that was enough to be such a turn off.
Lilithcat, thanks for pointing that out. I've been avoiding the final collections because I want the whole effect when I watch the finale. I'm pleased to hear that Puffysleeves didn't send the spawn of an Alfred Hitchcock movie and the Muppet Show down the runway.
chris has got to be the nicest, most graceful person to ever appear on any reality show ever. he was truly and rightfully a favorite among fans, and the show suffers without his bright and joyful personality. he gave us all humor and happiness, and wrapped it all up in constant fabulosity. a true gift from a truly gifted craftsman.
and after all the heartache and grief the show handed to him, i admire chris all the more for his complete lack of bitterness. past contestants could learn a lot from him. and i hope he sets a standard for others in the future.
all that said, i understand why the judges went with rami. they planned on it all along. and rami's work is much more traditional and marketable.
but again, chris deserves a ton of credit for making such an insane material (human hair!) look amazing and fashion forward. his 2nd look was among my favorites of all the garments shown at fashion week. i think it's stunning and glamorous. the use of hair as fringe was incredibly creative and unexpected. i think chris has a lot to offer the fashion world, and i can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
Just a quick comment..didn't it occur to anyone else that one of the major prizes was '..and the chance to market their line on Bluefly.com'? Can you IMAGINE the clothes Chris created being marketed by Bluefly? Commerce is a huge part of PR, with product placements and corporate endorsements that influence the outcome of each season, whether we like it or not. Darling Chris Bear didn't stand a chance when Rami's clothes are so mainstream, so palatable to the typical wanna be fashionista. It is the SJP challenge criteria magnified about a million times.
I found it interesting that the judges were so disgusted with the human hair trim. but were okay with it when they thought it was goat or some other animal hair. WTF? Sorry to see Chris not part of the final three, but I do believe that his career will greatly benefit from his appearance on the show-even if he was jerked alound he'll win in the end. Love that Sissy Bear!!!!
Anonymous said "For me, they were Edward Gorey women come to life & glamorized." and "Profuse thanks to all the regular commentators who entertain we-who-lurk, as well as more-than-profuse gratitude to T&L for being the founders of it all & the guys doing the work!"
Thanks for solving that connection to Gorey that had been nagging at me! Yes!
Also, a second rousing YES to your final thought re the entertaining enormity of TLo's work and the enlightenment from fellow posters!
I blame the Oscars and cranky age for my assessment of the Rami/Chris Off.
For the last few years, I haven't even bothered watching the show... just reading the fashion reports the next day.
And I am *so* over the 'elegant', the 'vintage couture', the 'pretty', the 'chic'. It's become the fashion equivalent of anesthesia for me.
Interesting, daring women wear interesting, daring designs. Juilette Binoche got shewered for her look a few years ago (http://www.candistar.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/Juliette_Binoche.jpg) and Tilda Swinton is getting thumbs down for her recent look (http://www.osoblog.tv/2008/02/winners_at_the_oscars_marion_c.html) , not to mention Bjork's swan dress and Cher's outing.
But they're the ones I remember long after thinking "Nicole's pretty in that dress" for about three minutes until someone else in a horrible outfit walks by.
And the women are interesting and head turning *not* because they're 'dressed for sex'.
So, yeah, give me Chris' interesting and strong viewpoints that interesting, strong, confident women will wear over Rami's style (which is almost a no-brainer for women because it just goes with the 'elegant' flow) anytime.
Suzanne said: "When he walks off with the title of America's Next Great Fashion Designer next week he just may achieve PERMANENT asshole status."
Know what...I've been REALLY ticked off because I know the little jerk's talented and going to win. Finally, though, someone made me LAUGH about it. Thanks, Suzanne! Here's to our little a**hole!
I suppose there will be a new post about who we want to win, but I gotta just say now that I'm really torn between Christian and Jillian because I think they're both very talented and have a lot to offer.
I personally prefer Jillian's design sensibility & talent, but appreciate Christian's love of making "Fashion".
As I think about the final five, I return to Roberto Cavalli's astute points: Jillian is one he'd love to have on staff (because he can see that she delivers); Christian loves what he makes and loves what he does; Chris is the most artistic; Rami technically good, but too normal and Sweet P nice, but not much to say.
I think now that I want Christian to win because the money will be sort of like a scholarship. I can't see him getting a job in a cubicle/ It will allow him to concentrate on his work. We know he's a hard worker and he's been working since he was 13. If, after the money & PR-fame have gone and he's fucked up, that's a good lesson, too.
Jillian will have no trouble finding serious financial backing and, I think, will be embraced by the New York design fraternity.
i think chris deserved to win. his stuff was creative and innovative.
and what annoys me most is that Rami is already a fairly successful designer...his clothes have been photographed on paris hilton, lindsay lohan and jessica alba, among other...
why is he even on the show?
reading his interview about Chris' clothes also was annoying. He certainly does not have the grace, manners or integrity that Chris' does...
but, what can you do? I know Chris will be successful and he is the better man.. millions of people know that now.
I can't take my eyes off Rami's black gown. I read Nina's blog and agree with her. That fabric is amazing, makes black look fluid - like water. It's gorgeous.
Ok, I thought Chris was robbed! I couldn't stand that middle dress of Rami's. So damn unflattering! I don't think Heidi would be caught dead in that thing. Rami's draping makes women's hips look big. Hello! NO! Don't do that! I knew deep down that Chris was the underdog and I thought he brought out some great stuff. So much of the fashion I see on the runway is costumey, so why the hell are they complaining when he brings in over-the-top clothes? If you want wearable, go to Filenes Basement! There was no way that they were auf'ing Rami unless he totally fucked up. He did passable (at best) work so they pushed him through. So MAD!!!!!!!!!
After a season where Ricky outlasted Kit and Kevin and Rami's three looks beat the beautiful things put forth by Chris, it is really clear that the judges on PR need to be replaced or this show will lose all credibility. There were some really fabulous designers this season and too many left before their time. That "producer's input into the judging" comment spells it out loud and clear- if you are a drama queen, ala Ricky, you will last longer than a solid designer like Kevin. Shame on you PR!
I have adored watching Chris learn to edit and take his talent in other directions. Guidance and barriers will take talent and make it work, as the saying goes. Look what happened to Mychael when he didn't have the structure of the show and the critical eyes of Laura B. and Tim Gunn. You keep on working, Chris. We are all proud of you. Rami has talent and drive. keep on working and producing.
I think the judges made the right decision based on those three looks (and I actually didn't mind Rami's blue coat) but my complaint is that they didn't eliminate Rami for his boring dress in the inspiration challenge. They wussed out and pretended that they couldn't choose but I suspect they just wanted to keep Rami so they made one more challenge, knowing he would win it.
Tim said that "The Project Runway “collection rules” forbid the use of fur", and that's why Chris used human hair. (That, and I think also somewhat for the shock value. That, and also its similar appearance to monkey fur, which is what he really wanted to use, except that these days it's flat-out illegal. Monkey fur was a popular trim in the 20's. I think the tone and silhouettes of his final collection do somewhat echo the 20's, or at least the Edward Gorey version of that era.)
My question is, did Kara Saun use fake fur in season 1 (because real or fake, her final collection sure had tons of it), or did they come up with this no-fur rule subsequent to her Bryant Park fur-fest?
So far all of West Coast friends have totally loved Rami's understated designs compared to Chris', though all of them preferred Chris's over the top personality! In fact, several of them have said that they'd watch a show with the two of them on it, because they seem so opposite to each other!
If you want the definitive 'proof' as to how deeply the judges point of view was off, take a look at these shoes designed by Elsa Schiaparelli in 1938 as part of the Paris Surrealist movement in fashion: http://secretlifeofshoes.blogspot.com/2005/04/ elsa-schiaparelli.html
Schiaparelli was THE designer of the 20th Century, and Chris' designs would have been the perfect pairing with the monkey fur shoes shown. He is a genuis...I wonder if MKors and Nina would say SHE was costumey! It was not a fair assessment of his work.
I think the judges got it right this time. Although I am not in agreement with them on their reasons. I don't think Chris' collecion is "costume-y" it is completely wearable, although I think the human hair is too gimmicky. I am completely baffled that Chris' are labled costume when and Tim says that Christians are street wearable. I honestly can't see anyone wearing Christians collection anywhere, except perhaps a costume party. I don't think his sihlouettes are particularly forward,because the 20's have been done to death. *I* would wear them though. I also don't think Chris is really all that interested in a fashion career. He is very successful in his related field of costume design and I think he will continue to flurish and ultimately the exposure on the show will be a bonus to his career. Rami's collection was something to behold. He is akin to Balanciaga in my book. An artisan and craftsman and perfectionist. I am glad that his collection will show for the prize. His black evening gown was an absoulute stunner. I loved that he used a pattern for the draped dress (I would love to see what he could do with a plaid). And I liked the coat also, I wish they had showed more of the short gown that was under it. I wouldn't mind working with or for either of these two men. Call me boys!
Season One the judges chose Jay McCarroll who definitely thought 'outside the box' but he didn't follow the rules laid out for PR's marketing success, so in Season Two they chose Chloe because she was the least controversial and most commercially viable. She had an existing business structure and designed clothes that would sell to the masses. This pleased the ancillary company's that were prominently placing their products on PR either as sponsors of the challenges or providing services to the contestants. In Season Three there was a slight course alteration by choosing Jeffrey who was both commercially viable (again, he had a successful pre-existing fashion business) and a still a bit controversial. His final collection could hardly be described as reflecting his 'normal' hard rock-style pieces. He has since gone back to designing in his original aesthetic. Laura was marginalized by the judges because she focused on evening wear, even when her creations were far superior to anything else on the runway. Criticism ensued from the outraged fans, so now the judges have veered back toward Rami and his niche draped dress designs~and less we forget, he also already has an existing successful business! Again, the judges have returned to the middle ground.
I agree with Santino: I am not necessarily wowed by brilliant pattern makers who are not necessarily great designers. Every design movement in the last 200 years that revolutionized style and electrified the fashion world was considered to be outrageous or at least off center, startling and completely unexpected. Either PR is dedicated to impacting fashion by breaking new ground and TAKING A RISK or it just wants to find commercially viable designers that have come to Nina or Heidi's or Tim's attention and pat itself on the back. We'll see this week, won't we?
Even though I'm far too late with my comments, I'll say that the minute Chris said "human hair", I knew he was toast and darlingRami would get the coveted third spot.
And to be honest, I slightly preferred SissyBear's three looks to Rami's. His blue coat was huge and his draped second look was not that great, IMO. I don't know why the judges went ape over it.
But it was always a cert that Rami would make it to Bryant Park. They just wanted to punish him for draping his last challenge, when they'd clearly told him not to.
361 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 361 of 361 Newer› Newest»Anonymous said: And even though that particular hair had been sold rather than donated, I think about how many kids wigs that hair could have made, and it would have been a much more worthy use.
A couple things about this.
1. You cannot donate hair extensions to Locks of Love. This is stated on their website. Even if you could, that hair was far too short.
2. Chris bought those using money given to him by Bravo for use in the show. I betcha it's in their contracts that the cash cannot be used for purposes outside creating the collection.
I feel bitter. Nina was gazing at Rami, saying something about his clothes. I don't know what it was because all I could hear was "I want to suc..." Oops. I almost went there. Chris March. Class and grace in one noisy-laughing big-shirted pile of creativity. Rami is talented, too.
Sage said:
Best to you Chris March.
I do love me some Sissy Bear <3 ;)
I love me some Sissybear, too!
I have to say, I actually liked Chris' line because it was dark, goth and costumey. Maybe I've been hanging out with too many former goth friends too much lately. Maybe it was because it was outside the box, thus it was a breath of fresh air, in a sense. I think it was more of the latter. But what impressed me the most is how well Chris took everything, and how he handled everything so graciously and like a gentleman. Oh, you just wanted to hug Sissybear for just being who he is, just a really cool guy with oodles of talent and imagination! As a few others have said, it really was the most graceful exit in PR history. I really hope we see more of him in the future!
I was also a little bit surprised at Rami, but in a good way. It wasn't so much his collection, but rather how HE behaved as well. Somehow, he seemed to loosen up, and have a little more personality in this episode, and he was a gracious winner as well. He wasn't smug, or anything, and while he was understandably happy about his win, I dunno...you could just feel the luuuv in the room, you know?
stubenville said, As for Christian, I don't know if he is uncomfortable with his roots or if his family have issues with him.
Neither. His family is in Maryland, and he's on the Lower East Side. It's not like he and Tim could have run over for a visit. My understanding is that his family was at Bryant Park, and is quite supportive of him.
Wow...Chris' exit interview made me tear up! What a gracious soul.
He IS going to benefit many rewards in life from being on PR. And, he has and will bring much-needed smiles to the universe!
I did not like Rami's middle dress so much. Also his styling was awful. The tights made the models look HUGE and the girl with the green jacket looked like a little girl playing dress up.
Chris was much much better, but we all knew from day one that Christian, Julia and Rami would be the final 3, and the producers sure orchestrated it that way.
saiariddle asked, Wasn't Joan of Arc in the picture that Jillian chose for her art inspired piece?)
No, she wasn't. The painting Jillian used was "The Master of the Argonauts", a Florentine vision of the Greek legend of Jason and the Argonauts. Nothing to do with St. Joan.
p.s.-I wish we could see more of Chris' friend's apartment! There's so much to see in there!
For once I think you guys are wrong. I think the fix is in, and Rami's going to win with the fourth-best collection. Upon close inspection that big coat is horribly made and lumpy; the ooh-aah dress was just OK, and the other one was meh. Chris's was exotic and thrilling. He was robbed. Rami's a fake, his designs are stilted and boring and he can't sew for peanuts.
As for the hair, as Lilith and others have pointed out, human hair has long been used in art projects.
Here's an example of a Victorian era birthstone wreath and also a hair book sample. Both are from the Hair Work Society
But Tim's reaction was priceless! "My gag reflex is kicking in!"
"You're in the monkey house!"
Two lines for posterity.
Congratulations to Rami. A well deserved win.
Looking forward to next week. I now think it's a great Final 3.
Good story TLO. Well put.
I do think the judges may have pushed Rami into doing something like the coat that was overworked a bit. Must have been hard for both of them to work under those circumstances. I like this coat and think it was certainly inspired, but I've seen some of Rami's jackets elsewhere online and prefer them more.
About the comments here:
Re: Chris-is-too-fat to compete: Two words: Jay McCarroll.
Re: Human hair: Nina and Michael both said it didn't bother them, and Tim wasn't a judge.
Re: Models: Both Chris and Rami had models whose dresses didn't allow them much movement.
Re: Ogling Rami: He did moisturize his face at one point.
Re: Christian: Whoever here said he's ashamed of his family is probably right. Plus, being friends with Christian has got to drain the life out of you; I imagine being a Friend of Christian has a short shelf life.
(Also, Christian promised on the reunion not to say FIERCE anymore. He lied. Last night's episode was probably shot earlier than the reunion, but still. He is a tiresome little sh*t.)
Let's face it, Nina and Michael wanted to jump Rami from Day One. It was a foregone conclusion, and we all know it, don't we?
I will truly miss Chris. He really brought joy to the show. I'm over Rami but I agree that the grey dress won it for his last night. The Drapemaster brought his 'A' game with that one.
I absoultly love you blog!!! LOVE
Rami has been an established designer and had a good reputation before PR4. It would've been a big blow to his career not being in the final three. So, although not fair, I kinda agree with the judges. And if Chris is fine with it, so am I.
Of course I liked Chris' designs better, the only problem I had is Marcia having trouble walking; but they were fantastic.
Rami, we do not dislike you. I was very moved when you hugged Chris and it looked genuine. My best wishes for you in the future.
And Chris, I am pretty sure you read all these comments: WE LOVE YOU NOW EVEN MORE! You really showed class during your exit interview and I confess: I cried. The very best for you darling!
Final thought: I hope Princess Puffysleeves wins the whole thing.
Christos
Wow. A nice spirited discussion. I liked and disliked aspects of both collections. I'll try to keep my comments to items not mentioned before...
Chris: I loved the used of unusual materials and the concept of clothing as art. However, if you are going to live on the edge, you need to realize that there will be a majority of people who just do not "get" it. It doesn't make them bad or stupid and I really think Chris understood that. He was happy with what he made and I'm thrilled that he got to showcase it, PR finale or not.
Rami: I am in the minority with those who enjoyed the coat. EW shoed his gold dress wihich was one of the best looks of anyone’s, but wasn’t chosen for the mini collection. I loved the wrapped dress but was back and forth on the black gown. Did anyone else think that the picture of Rami's mother looked just like him (in a dress)?!
As for the others...I was convinced that Christian would win the whole thing until I saw some of the stuff last night. Talk about overwrought and costumey!
Anyway, while the judges have seemed inconsistent and flakey this year, even I am not cynical enough to buy into the whole evil cabal deciding the fate of realiteevee contestants for their own pleasure. It's just fashion!
I declare bullshit on that decision. Chris might be all right with it, but I'm not.
And, no, I'm not a diehard Sissybear fan. I don't have Bravo right now, so I haven't seen a single installment of this season's show.
I liked the Goth designs and did not think they were overly costumish. Rami's are zzzzzzzz.....
Gad, people, did you all remember your Geritol this morning?I declare bullshit on that decision. Chris might be all right with it, but I'm not.
And, no, I'm not a diehard Sissybear fan. I don't have Bravo right now, so I haven't seen a single installment of this season's show.
I liked the Goth designs and did not think they were overly costumish. Pure bunk! Rami's are zzzzzzzz.....
Was it really that you thought they smacked you too much of a costume? Or do you just not like Goth?
Gad, people, did you all remember your Geritol this morning?
We heard you the first time.
Boys, I hope you get a chance to interview Chris.
I'm wondering about the religious elements (plus his estrangement from his religious family) reflected in his Bryant Park collection.
Apparently that blue silkscreen is St. Therese (I was on the "it's George Washington" train!) and I wonder about his choice of hair (homage to his wig-work? hair-shirt?). Actually, I wonder about all his silkscreen choices.
I'd picked up more of a Berlin/Weimar Republic vibe than a goth vibe, but he mentions Goth in his Contra Costa Times interview.
He's a sweet, interesting, talented guy.
-- desertwind
Mourning brooches with a loved one's hair in them were also very popular at one time:
http://lulusvintage.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/goantiques13_1.jpg
Chris, remember this: many of the contestants that are thriving professionally *did not win*! Not being in the final three could turn out to be the best outcome!
When the model wearing Rami's black gown came around the corner, I thought: "Christian's Reese's Cup dress."
With more wrappers.
Still, I love both Chris and Rami. Chris will flourish.
I have to say I wasn't wowed by Rami's collection, but I understand why they chose him.
anyway, looking at Chris's pictures from the Bryant Park show, I noticed that the 3rd look (the skirt with the safety pins, by the way, I thought it was awesome) was slightly different than what he showed, meaning the jacket seemed to have less hair trim in the collar, am i right? also, did anybody notice if some of the jewelry in some of Chris's looks also was made with safety pins? I cannot zoom them enough to see, but i thought they were, which would be a great detail to complement the skirt. I hope TLO comment in detail each of Chris's looks because I like many of them and I would like to know their opinion.
gotham tomato wrote, following my expressing my shock at Tim's analogy to monkey house smell:
"That's not what Tim was saying. That was an analogy - and I thought a very good (& funny) one.
I used to work with animals, and what Tim was saying was exactly true, and cracked me up.
I think he meant it in the best way; that Chris had spent too much time, too close to his collection, to view it objectively. And he was right."
Except that there could have been many ways to express that without reference to bad smells. As a person seeing it with a fresh eye, as asking Chris to take a step back, there was no make an analogy to walking into a smelly place. I thought Chris looked uncomfortable and I still think it was tasteless.
I felt like the whole time I watched the episode that the odds were completely stacked against Chris, and no matter what he did he would always wind up being the decoy. Because of his costume background and maybe even because of his size and age, I feel that he was given less of a chance, not to mention that they sent him home before on that horribly stupid challenge. The judges loved Rami, almost kind of like they loved keeping Santino around, and they weren't going to eliminate him for Chris. Predictable, frustrating, irritating outcome!
I do wonder if Chris had included the more colorful things, like his first dress from the collection, that the outcome could have changed, but ultimately I doubt there was much he could do to overcome the stars in the judges' eyes whenever they look at Rami.
I too hope for Jillian to win, to "eat the sausage" in the end.
It's not as though Tim said that Chris' collection smelled bad.
Now, if Tim had finished off by saying "Bless your heart!", well, THAT would have been the kiss of death....
The second look Chris made reminded me of Cindy Loo from Dr. Seuss, no? The hair, the make-up, the shaggy-bottomed dress. It all looked like a gothic take on Cindy Loo.
I totally knew it was going to happen, but I'm still sad. I don't think I really saw ANY way the judges would pick Chris over Rami, especially with the nice stuff they both brought out.
And I just have to say, even though the human hair thing weirded people out- Sissy made it look GREAT.
What a fabulous real person Chris is,throughout the show he was my total favorite person. I was not surprised at the outcome but nonetheless that does not take away from my love for that genuine kind person!
There are so many comments here already but, Chris, just in case you read this...you are such a lovely man. It was a pleasure to watch you this season. Good luck to you.
Unless you are totally bald and completely shaved, I don't think anyone should be afraid of human hair. Get over it, everyone has hair and I think its a great material to use.
It's not like the hair came from japanese homeless people with severe dandruff who haven't bathed in years. It was clean hair, the kind you can buy for extentions. People buy it and glue it to their own head, but you people are weirded out because someone put it on clothing.
i preferred chris' pieces, human hair and all. rami's black and white dress, the prettiest of the bunch, reminds me of something i used to own, so i felt like i had seen it before. i didn't care for that teal jacket at all, and i don't even remember what the other one was, which is quite telling, considering i just looked at the pictures on this site about two minutes ago.
all of chris' designs were memorable, and i loved the safety pin skirt.
chris, you're a class act!
jay mccarroll, take note!
I think Bravo needs to clean house, fire Nina and Michael and get some new judges. Those two obviously cannot be objective and I know I am having serious doubts about ever watching again.
It was bad enought that Jeffrey (no-talent) Sebelia won last year, but this year they played such favorites that the show has lost all integrity.
I'm so done with this show. I gave them a second chance after last year's peanut atrocity, but i can't take those fashion gorgons anymore.
Chris was interesting and creative, and Rami sent bland upholstery with broken zippers down the runway and still won. And we all saw it coming. They tried to auf him at the last challenge and only the respected and unbiased guest judge prevented them. Koors should just put "too costumey" on a tape loop and spare his vocal cords.
Does anyone know where or when this episode may be available for viewing for those poor souls like me who don't have cable?
I've taken the show off my tivo. i no longer give a shit who wins.
stubenville said, As for Christian, I don't know if he is uncomfortable with his roots or if his family have issues with him.
I'm not a Christian fan. However, his family does support him. His sister's blog was linked to on bloggingprojectrunway and she gushed on about him. She lives in Arkansas and went to visit him during fashion week, and their mother came down on the train, and they had dinner with Victorya, and they went shopping for clothes, and they went to Moods, and yada, yada, yada, etc, etc, etc.
No, I can't find the link, and I spent the last 10 minutes looking. You can take it on faith or not, but it is what it is.
Peace, love, and best wishes to them both!
I love Chris and Rami both. I think it was wonderful to watch their interaction last night under all that pressure.
I'm glad Rami made it in to the finale, and I also agree with the judges on the decision. I really liked all 3 of Rami's looks!
Sweet Babies,
I kind of loved Chris's collection but I am dark and Goth and an open and proud Ditta Von Teese punk rocking accolyte.
I did not think it was costumy. The thing is the judges ALL err on the side of the traditionally feminine and let's face it "clean cut" taste and aesthetic. Some exceptions like Jeff Sebellia, Jay and PPS apply, but they still did not push the enveloppe as far a Chris did. They still have significant mainstream commercial appeal. I have to say, Sissybear has GRIZZLY fashion balls.
Had Chris presented that collection as part of Fashion East during London Fashion Week, he would have become the darling of the fashion world and been proclaimed as a genius.
What he did was not that far from what designers like Westwood have done in the past. Am I the only one who remembers the chicken bone t-shirt?
I think that if instead of the velvet long dress he had presented the blue screen printed/painted monalisa /madonna dress that he opened the show with during fashion week he would have been the third finalist.
That dress was the best thing in all 5 collections IMHO.
It did not surprise of shock me at all that rami rounded up the top 3.
I predicted and posted that outcome December 6th on myspace and my blogspot blog.
I like how sweet and gracious Chris and Rami were to each other.
And I kind of see some sparkles of them digging each other..
That is not surprising either because they are both brill and sexy in their own right :-)
Love,
Milla
Victorian hair jewelry is actually kind of ooky, since the hair was often taken from loved ones who had passed away. (The rise of psychology shortly after the height of the Victorian period cannot be a coincidence.) I'm fairly certain Chris did not go to those lengths. But was it free-range, organic hair? Or was it chemically enhanced? Inquiring minds want to know. Well, some of them might.
At this point, anyone who does not realize that there is a wide spectrum of opinion on what qualifies as attractive or interesting or weird or ooky is too young to be using teh interwebs without supervision and needs to GROW UP. Preferably somewhere else, so I don't have to watch.
A lady on the NY Daily News webcasts said Chris's pieces were dark and creeped her out. Nina said the same thing.
Maybe if they had a teenager, they'd get the Goth, Emo, Scene connection since they'd of had the experience of walking into HotTopic....200 paces behind their teen.
What I liked about Chris's piece is that they were right on target with the mood of younger people today, albeit, this is a very chic Goth, one that probably has Scene minions in skinny jeans to do things for her.
Chris might not have won, but I think that number with the hair is one that everyone will always remember.
"liked seeing everyone's family and friends, but I found it curious they did not show that for Christian
I think the reason they didn't show his family is because he was ashamed of them. Looking at the pictures, they appeared to be common, everyday people. He gives off an attitude that he is so above everyone else, I think he isn't proud of his working class beginnings.
12:43 PM"
I think the more likely scenario is the lack of time to visit both NY AND Maryland (and San Francisco and Jeruselem). In past seasons the designers lived with or right near their families making that easy to shoot....
And I am willing to bet Christian's attitude (his snotty comments about the others and their work behind their backs....) is strictly a result of being 21. I guarantee one day he will look at that footage of himself and say, "GOD I was an asshole." Or not. When he walks off with the title of America's Next Great Fashion Designer next week he just may achieve PERMANENT asshole status.
Did Chris and Rami hook up? There was an awful lot of lingering touches on the runway and during the reunion show as well.
Chris designs for drag queens; women want to look sexy, glamorous, not scary, bride of Frankenstein-ish.
All I have to say is 2 things:
All of the judges mentioned that Rami & Chris's designs were "too dark." I think our two designers fell into the same trap of designing during the winter months & designing for the season they were in instead of looking ahead to spring. Rami could have done some really interesting things if he mixed up his draping, and made his light look sing for spring. He lives in LA for godsake! Chris (human hair aside -- I still don't know what to think of that) obviously had winter on his mind even when you take his red pieces into account. I'm astonished that the judges didn't all out that probable mistake. Hopefully the other designers designed spring looks.
That said, looking at both collections, I really like the shape of Chris's pieces better. The female form was completely lost when Rami tried to go "structured." At least Chris's showed some shape. The fact that they dismissed Rami's gown as not having a good shape because it was supposed to be dramatic and a runway piece and didn't even mention Chris's silhouettes is more than surprising. Can we say ... not-so-reality television? I hope so.
I can't pass the hair. It's GROSS and HIDEOUS!!!!
I may be in the minority here, but I liked Rami's coat. It didn't look good on the size 0 model, but if you put a slightly less bulky version on a size 14 woman who is about 5'6" it would look great.
I really wish Chris could have won, and I'm sorry to see him go, but it was hardly a surprise.
All I have to say is 2 things:
All of the judges mentioned that Rami & Chris's designs were "too dark." I think our two designers fell into the same trap of designing during the winter months & designing for the season they were in instead of looking ahead to spring. Rami could have done some really interesting things if he mixed up his draping, and made his light look sing for spring. He lives in LA for godsake! Chris (human hair aside -- I still don't know what to think of that) obviously had winter on his mind even when you take his red pieces into account. I'm astonished that the judges didn't all out that probable mistake. Hopefully the other designers designed spring looks.
That said, looking at both collections, I really like the shape of Chris's pieces better. The female form was completely lost when Rami tried to go "structured." At least Chris's showed some shape. The fact that they dismissed Rami's gown as not having a good shape because it was supposed to be dramatic and a runway piece and didn't even mention Chris's silhouettes is more than surprising. Can we say ... not-so-reality television? I hope so.
Chris, we love you and wish you the best. You were robbed. Rami's collection was not that great, yours was far better. Love you!!!
Sigh...oh well. It really was a close call. Well, if it's any consolation to Mr. SissyBear himself, I thought his collection was gutsy and creative, and he's been nothing but loveable throughout the show.
Chis, you're anything but a loser!
All I have to say is 2 things:
All of the judges mentioned that Rami & Chris's designs were "too dark." I think our two designers fell into the same trap of designing during the winter months & designing for the season they were in instead of looking ahead to spring. Rami could have done some really interesting things if he mixed up his draping, and made his light look sing for spring. He lives in LA for godsake! Chris (human hair aside -- I still don't know what to think of that) obviously had winter on his mind even when you take his red pieces into account. I'm astonished that the judges didn't all out that probable mistake. Hopefully the other designers designed spring looks.
That said, looking at both collections, I really like the shape of Chris's pieces better. The female form was completely lost when Rami tried to go "structured." At least Chris's showed some shape. The fact that they dismissed Rami's gown as not having a good shape because it was supposed to be dramatic and a runway piece and didn't even mention Chris's silhouettes is more than surprising. Can we say ... not-so-reality television? I hope so.
I loved the detail on Chris' clothes. I never would have known those were safety pins from the pictures. Chris did get to show at Bryant Park anyway, so that's cool.
I heart Chris and Rami! I think the universe has nothing but good things in store for each of them. : )
"Anonymous said...
I can't pass the hair. It's GROSS and HIDEOUS!!!!"
Better go shave, then! Or Nair, wax, or electrolysis if you prefer.
I don't buy the "well you have hair on your body" argument. We have skin on our bodies too but we'd all be pretty grossed out if he made a dress out of human skin.
At first I was kind of grossed out {I don't know why, but I freak out whenever there is hair that is not on someone's head}, but then I got a good look at it and realized it was pretty much amazing. Rami's was good, Chris's was good. I would have been deadlocked too, and I hated Rami all season.
My feeling is that the expectations of the judges should be made more explicit. What exactly are we going for here? Pret a porte? Avant garde? Costume? A mix? How much "wearable" do you expect from a runway show? How much art? How innovative?
I think it was The Duchess who admitted that they have different expectations for different designers, and sometimes their expectations are that the designers not do the kind of work that is the staple of their repertoire. I'm not sure that's a noble or even reasonable goal, if the designer is creating innovative OR wearable clothes, whichever is their wont, that are beautiful and fashion forward.
Now, as for this question, "Come on! Would you wear human hair? No way! Chris deserved the scorn he got for that!" attitude... puzzling, since a lot of designers considered cutting edge make clothes that very few people would actually wear.
Example:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jafa/hd_jafa.htm
These are avant garde Japanese designers whose looks are still influential today (check out "Ensemble, fall/winter 2000–2001" by
Junya Watanabe -- think Christian ever saw it?). Few, if any of them, have any RTW appeal. Some of them are downright weird and would look bizarre. Some would definitely not allow a woman to sit down in them (Miyake San, I'm looking at you). But they are in the MET, for god's sake! They are considered high art and go beyond mere clothing.
Not everything has to be RTW or "wearable." Sometimes fashion is art for art's sake. Chris understands that. Rami is more of a RTW designer. That's fine, and there's a place for both of them in the fashion world. But let's not deride human hair as unwearable when much more ostensibly bizarre materials and designs are considered the height of chic.
Don't forget to vote for Chris on "Sew not over".
I don't have time to read all 256 comments right now, so I apologize if I'm about to repeat what has already been said, but I do want to say that I loved the human hair trim. What's the difference between a wig made of real human hair and using that same material as decorative trim? And if it makes people squeamish, what's the difference between human hair, which grows back, painlessly trimmed off of live people's heads with their consent, and animal furs, which are - well, you know. I also love how using the hair as trim can raise these questions in people's minds and get us all to consider the assorted issues in a startlingly new way.
I hope when I have time to read the whole thread I don't find that the issue has been already beaten to death. If so, once again, my apologies.
~ no burlap ~
@gothamtomato: First of all, LOL on the 11th Avenue remark.
Second, I can't speak for others, but for me ...
It's not that I want to wear a coat with human hair anymore than I'd want to wear a dress made of 40 yards of beige silk (sweeping the floor) with a giant silk-covered circular TV antenna protruding from my left shoulder. I just appreicate the uniqueness and creativity of the design elements in both garments.
Chris was thinking outside the box, much more so than Rami in my opinion. It's what I liked about Jay too. The knitting still kills me!
Rami's middle look reminds me of the girl at work who wore an innappropriate dress to the office and decided to cover it up with the "office jacket," which as the female girls at this web site may know is the jacket (or sweater) that no one knows who it belongs to, but is kept around in case anyone is cold or has to cover up.
I've a question. When looking at Rami's 3 models standing together on the runway, his 2nd dress is covered by a black jacket, for lack of a better term. Seeing her standing there, it looks, to my admittedly untrained eye, like she's wrapped in a towel and not the beautiful dress he designed. Am I wrong or would that "jacket" have been better left on a hanger somewhere?
chgo_john
Sorry, Anon 6:59. Either I've got to learn to type faster or double-check for a more current posting.
chgo_john
And oh yeah. In addition to being conceptually fascinating, I thought the human hair trim was flat-out beautiful.
~ no burlap ~
Chris is a very gracious runner-up. I don't use the word "loser" because he is the farthest thing from the word. I think the collection was beautiful, and I actually loved the use of human hair. That is why I wanted him to win, because he took this huge risk with something completely unpredictable. I guess I wanted him to win because of the fact he was willing to put himself out there. I thought the outfits showed such a great amount of work, too. It was really admirable.
This is not the last we're seeing of Chris. This show gave him GREAT publicity and if I had any money at all I'd want him to make me a prom dress, since I absolutely loved his. He's highly talented and he's going to go great things for the fashion and costume worlds. :D
Rami's gray dress, though, I loved it. As much as I wanted Chris to go into the finals, there is no denying that the second piece that came out was absolutely gorgeous. I would love to own the dress.
All that aside, I hope Christian takes the whole competition. :]
Is this a record for comments to Project RunGay, I wonder? Must be all the publicity. All for the good except now when I'm coming back during the day I have to read a jillion more posts and I'm not getting any work done, oh poo!
Anonymous said...
Some people were wondering about extra looks not used on the runway show.
I think most of the final designers bring extra looks and edit when they see what others have or how they feel once they get the looks to New York.
It's not "cheating" if they make those extra looks within the budget and it's a very professional thing to do.
-- desertwind
Yes, the designers always bring extra looks, but Rami chose that blue coat as one of his strongest looks and after the judges trashed it he decided not to present it anymore. That doesn't sound right to me. They should've made him use all the three looks he picked as his strongest.
I don't know...God knows what they do that we never see on TV. It seems to me that Rami is untouchable.
Best wishes to you Chris! I know you're reading this. We love you!
A couple things.
About the judging. I think that fashion, like so many specialized industries, has a very rarified air. Once you get past the technical aspects, it's really just an opinion. Nobody is more or less qualified to judge whether it's "good" or "bad". However, people make their living in fashion and commenting on fashion. As such, they can't just have "opinions". Their points of view must be delivered with the full force of fact. This is good, that is bad. You should wear this, not that. This is "costumey" and that is "a fantasy dress." Of course the judges walk in with pre-conceived notions about what they will like and what they won't. The designers aren't being judged objectively or by any consistent standard. Good construction always gets points, but beyond that it's aribtrary. One designer gets knocked for being costumey and the next wins points for creating a fantasy. This has caused much hair pulling at my house.
I think that Rami and Chris were clearly judged to different standards. To call one costumey and one fantasy...that's just splitting hairs (no pun intended). I think that for Rami, they gave him extra points beyond what they saw on the runway. Some of these he earned, and some of them he didn't.
Chris didn't get those extra points. And it was both fair and unfair. Before he was auf'd, Chris's work wasn't all that good. It was costume. But when he came back, I think even his detractors should be able to admit that he grew as a designer and the quality of his work increased. He took the chance he was given and grew into the challenges.
I think that it says something about the show this season that people were easily able to predict who would win the mini-challenge. I mean, I can't stand him or most of his work but even I have to admit that Christian will probably take home the win.
Oh! One other thing. Did anyone notice that Christian said Chris had come up with some very "innovative" designs. High praise from that one, no?
But what the heck is up with all four of these designers....oh and Sweet Pea...with collections on the Project Runway site?
Except for the human hair (and I don't know why that's more gross than skinned animals but somehow....), I'd much rather wear Chris' clothes. Rami's could easily make you look FAT.
IMO.
Just a comment on the hair issue, and Locks for Love:
a large amount of the hair collected through that program NEVER makes it to cancer patients. Why? Because it is NOT suitable. The hair is sold commercially.
So, for those people who are bothered by the idea that the hair Chris used could have been in a wig for someone with cancer, stop worrying.
Why all the broo-haha over the hair on the clothes? By the end of the day I have aobut that much hair on my clothes anyway, so Chris is saving me the trouble of trying to get it off - now it would blend in and I would be tres chic!
I was bummed that the dress that all the judges were "oohing and ahhing" over was a draped dress. Yes, it was pretty, yes Rami does that type of dress beautifully, but it was like Uli, it got to be one note. His gown reminded me of Christian's "Reeses' peanut butter cup paper cup" dress. It had that feel to it. I actually said to DH "It looks like it is made out of cupcake liners."
Chris certainly took a chance with using the extensions. But the effect was stunning on the safety pin dress. Practical? Not by a long shot! Something to wear to the grocery store? Hell no! But it does make a statement. His gown probably could have benefitted from a slit up the side or back to facilitate walking.
Did the best man win? Depends on your aesthetic. Rami does do gorgeous, feminine clothing. Chris does outstanding, over the top clothing.
And unfotunately, "we" the public, were not the judges. I think both have an audience and both could go far.
Chris was robbed, just like Nick and so many others. The judges loved Rami just like the loved Daniel V. They would never auf them.
I adore both Chris and Rami. Both are so beautiful and dear and wonderful, each in his own way.
I think Chris showed enormous wisdom in his exit interview, noting that the universe sends you what you need. I, too, think that Rami needed Bryant Park more than Chris did. I think Chris will now be in HUGE demand, and he didn't need Bryant Park for that. What Chris does should NEVER have to kowtow to judges' tastes. He should be allowed to fly free and do whatever his creative heart tells him to do.
Chris' collection was gorgeous. I checked the slides the prgayboys have and everything is so well made and beautiful. All the details on the back of each look. What a shame!
Suzanne said...
"And I am willing to bet Christian's attitude (his snotty comments about the others and their work behind their backs....) is strictly a result of being 21. I guarantee one day he will look at that footage of himself and say, "GOD I was an asshole."
Suzanne, I think that's really true. Maybe the best thing for Christian is to NOT win. It would slap him down a few and make him more humble. However, his opportunities will be endless regardless of whether he wins this thing or not.
Chris on the other hand, has had his slap downs a long time ago and is more well-equiped to enjoy what comes to him, especially the new relationships he encounters. He's been around a few more blocks than Christian, so he's set to just enjoy it as it comes.
I think the reason why I love Chris so much is that he came across as vulnerable early on, which elicited feelings of "big sister protectiveness" from me (odd, I know).
All I know from here is that I will keep an eagle eye out for whatever Chris does or produces, and support all I can. He'll always be one of my all-time favorites.
Why didn't Chris listen to Tim? If you look at Rami's collection when Tim visited him it was completely different. He listened to Tim and changed a couple of things. Chris is very stubborn!!
I think Rami is good. But Chris was better. Much better.
I felt really bad for Chris and in a way it's sad that he thinks Rami deserves to win this competition more than he does. The pretty guys vs. the chubby guy. Sad, sad, sad.
Chris took chances and designed an innovative, creative collection. The judges hated Chris from day one. I'm so over this show. They need to get new judges!!!!!!!!!!
I'm with Tim when he said his gag reflex kicked in over the human hair. It's so not fierce.
Now on to more important things:
Chris, if you read this:
WHERE did you get that fabulous leopard pattern shirt you wore on Project Runway!??
I have been searching the internet like mad for one and can not find one any place. I find leopard shirts for women, but never for men. And I need a very large sized one, too.
I was so disappointed that Chris didn't make it. I felt his designs were just wonderful. If I had to predict a winner right now I'd say Christian.
"Hephaestion said...
Now on to more important things:
Chris, if you read this:
WHERE did you get that fabulous leopard pattern shirt you wore on Project Runway!??
I have been searching the internet like mad for one and can not find one any place. I find leopard shirts for women, but never for men. And I need a very large sized one, too."
LOL. I want one too!!!
Suzanne said, In past seasons the designers lived with or right near their families making that easy to shoot....
And not all of them did, either. As I recall, neither Daniel V. from Season 2 nor Uli from Season 3 was filmed with their families.
Rami is hot and a great fashion designer, as Chris said, he lives and breathes fashion, he designed a beautiful collection and deserved to win. Get over it!!
Ugh Rami is a one note he drapes and that is all the hell he does.
Zappette23 said...
Ugh Rami is a one note he drapes and that is all the hell he does.
I disagree. I think that Rami's work is so amazing! He is so great at draping, this guy is a real designer of REAL clothes that people would actually wear. Chris should stick to costumes, that's what he's good at.
Chris said he wanted to be provocative and wanted his collection to be dark, no kidding! I hated it. No sane woman would want to wear that or any woman with class.
For Hephaestion and Avalon:
Will this suffice? It comes in sizes up to 3XL.
Shame on Bravo!!! They humiliated Chris from the second he stepped on the show. Remember the first episode? How embarrassing was that? They would never give it to him, they're going to give it to the golden boy or chicken.
CHRIS WAS ROBBED AGAIN!!!! In several challenges he was completely overlooked and this finale was no exception.
OHMYGOD I am so late to the party to comment on this. I hated the hair thing. gag. I love Chris but i say no to hair anything. Rami gets on my nerves. He is sooooo full of himself.
"Anonymous Anonymous said...
CHRIS WAS ROBBED AGAIN!!!! In several challenges he was completely overlooked and this finale was no exception."
I think Chris was robbed also and I am boycotting Project Runway...for the next five days : )
I still haven't fully recovered from Chris being voted off. That was bullshit!!!!!!
"lynette said...
p.s.-I wish we could see more of Chris' friend's apartment! There's so much to see in there!"
That was AMAZING!! We want screecaps of that, kittens, but that would drive me crazy though, all that gold and shiny stuff.
The thought of wearing HUMAN Hair on any piece of clothing -- well ... ewwww ... (yes, it does creep me out).
I love Chris, I really do, but I think he'll be much happier going back to costume design. The human hair was a little too much for me! I can't picture any real woman wearing that. I think most people here are saying they're OK with that just because they wanted him to win and because they like him.
I'm really baffled why human hair brings such revulsion. No human died for its use. It's clean and hygienic in its use. Human hair is used extensively in theatre and entertainment. What do people think about wearing wool against their bodies? It's better because it's from animals?
I personally applaud Chris March's use of human hair. It was sensational and frankly, I was stunned at how beautiful it was.
Tim Gunn's analogy was interesting, but we are not talking about monkey hair.
Chris March showed us all about dignity, grace and good sportsmanship. He will go far because he is just a good human being.
Holly shit, boys, over 300 comments? And you actually have to click on a link to read all of them. Hahahahahahaha. I bet Chris is reading all these comments and laughing out of his chair right now.
I'm posting very late on this, so let me say that I agree that...
1. Chris is a CLASS act!
2. Bravo should give him his own show!! His creations are EVENTS - who cares if it's fashion or not?
Nothing against Rami - I thought his looks were fine.
It seems to me that last three 4th place finishers have done great and I know that Chris will too!! Can't wait to see what he does next.
Auntie L
(side note: I also think Rami might be "copying" Jillian's style with the armor thing... I mean.. Joan of Arc? Wasn't Joan of Arc in the picture that Jillian chose for her art inspired piece?)
Nah, that was a scene from the story of the Argonauts -- which took place a couple thousand years before. Thought the armor silhouette is pretty similar...
Wow! Party at TLo's ~
If anyone is still reading this massive thread, my take on Chris' use of human hair is much the same as my thoughts on his enormous avant-collar...it was meant to provoke and drop jaws.
His aesthetic is *not for the timid* ...as is Gaultier, LaCroix, McQueen, Galliano..et al. These designers place the trend-mark WELL OUTSIDE the pedestrian.
As was pointed out in the Avant-G challenge, the over-the-top bits will at some point be watered down/filtered into a viewpoint that is considered fashion forward and ultimately -- viable commercial garments.
I'm so pleased that Chris stuck to his monkey-house-guns and went full steam with his dark vision.
As for Tim above mentioned monkey-house-stank comments. I've always loved the fact that Tim is so~ well-mannered, yet completely capable of ballsy-zingers. When he's trying to find a verbal-avenue to express his *intense loathing* it's always entertaining.
Where another might say, "Chris, Nina is going to choke you with that ape's ass collar, what the f*ck are you thinking?"
He waxes reflective on primate domestic odors. I love him and Chris as well...I'm wearing my sweater jacket with fringed-ape's-ass-like-cuffs right now, in his honor;)
I like both Chris and Rami.
I'm glad Rami made the Final 3. He deserved it and was the winner hands down.
Congrats Rami!!
Isabella at 7:24 PM,
I was refering to garments on Rami's rack that he didn't use in either the Deathmatch or Bryant Park show. Some thought this was fishy, but I explained that all the final designers bring extra looks and it's totally above board.
OTOH - ditching the unloved coat before Bryant Park is something anyone would do if they could. Bravo probably didn't think through all the angles to this new way of selecting the third finalist and just let him do it, but it's not completely fair to the other two.
OTOOH - It doesn't matter much because the real cagefight is the Christian v Jillian card.
-- desertwind
PPS - Maybe when we get to discussing final collections, I'll tell y'all about the time I was tossed out of Studio 54 clad only in a black slip and monkey fur jacket. Wandering the February night panhandling for change to get home. Good times!
PS - It was a brilliant move by Chris to use the hair fringe. Though we see Tim and the judges and some viewers gagging over it, we won't soon forget it.
- d'wind
Is anyone else happy to hear that Tim still *has* a gag reflex left? :-)
npboy74 said...
Is anyone else happy to hear that Tim still *has* a gag reflex left? :-)
And why wouldn't he? Why don't you spell out what you mean for us?
Damn, I came to this party *late*! Anyway, it's clear that the judges knew what they were looking for from the very beginning. Whether that means something untoward was going on is anyone's guess--but it's also important to remember that this is television. Maybe the 20-year-old community college student who works at The Buckle isn't going to swoon over hair fringe the way I (and others) did. Maybe the thirtysomething mom with a closet full of Dockers likes a swarthy bald man with five o'clock shadow. And--just maybe--it's time to ditch Nina and LaKors and find some fresh eyes. I vote Diane Von Furstenburg and Richie Rich. Now, THAT would make things interesting.
Anyone read Tim's Take this week? Three most interesting things he said:
1. Chris wanted to use monkey fur, which is illegal. Now THAT would be gross, and casts the whole "monkey house" story in a new light.
2. Spoken to Rami: "I can see Joan in your work, but it’s Crawford, not d’Arc.” Bwahaha.
3. When asked by the judges who his customer would be, Chris did not know. When he heard that, Tim realized that Chris would be out. Of course Rami expounded at length. Do you think that's a valid reason for an auf'ing?
Sighting! I just re-watched the last episode ...when Tim steps in to tell Chris it's "time to clean up your space..." the gag-reflex Mr. Gunn is wearing a black leather jacket.
~oh! the irony. heeheee.
C'mon, my beloved, avuncular Tim...how could you gag over human hair...whilst sporting a jacket of skin, which presumably, was lacerated from the muscle tissue of a bovine carcass, soaked and bleached in chemicals before being dyed-and-polished-to-black-glossy-perfection to adorn your oh~ so sexy-silver self?
I love the conversation/controversy Chris has spawned. That's an artist at work.
I think it's not so much a matter of 'would I want to wear human hair?' A lot of the looks I see coming down the runways (and I'm talking about some of the established designers' shows) are clothes that seem more designed for show than for wear. Then, when you see them in the stores, the edge is filed down a bit.
The human hair was just that edge. When I heard about it here at PRG (I don't get Bravo since our move) I was nonplussed, but seeing the pictures, I thought it looked cool.
By the way, a big mwah and thank you to TLo (and posters) for the fabulous discussion and screencaps. I really feel as if I had seen every show! Great job, guys!
Hope Laurie
316 comments ...jumping jee willakers
just saying Hi and I am still reading along. Well maybe not all 316 comments.
"If Rami had used pubic hair as trim around the bottom of every outfit they would've called it a fashion breakthrough."
LOL
Chris has "class and grace".. even though they made him run... twice. The flapper dress was wonderful and the hair harkens bavk to the monkey fur that was popular in a bygone era.. those that went "ew" on the hair rxtensions are probably wearing them..
I LOVED Chris' designs. And what's the big deal about human hair? We're all human, we all have some..And let's be honest if his pieces were to be mass produced, they would switch to syntehetic hair simply because it would be more cost effective. So again, I don't get all the fuss?
The designs were original and unique.
It's a shame that a show about being creative and different came down to the judges choosing the guy who looks best looks with his shirt off. Chris never stood a chance!
"brilliant said: It's not that I want to wear a coat with human hair anymore than I'd want to wear a dress made of 40 yards of beige silk (sweeping the floor) with a giant silk-covered circular TV antenna protruding from my left shoulder. I just appreicate the uniqueness and creativity of the design elements in both garments."
I appreciate the creativity as well. I was just refering to those who were saying they would, likely just because of Chris' personality.
I don't even think wearability is neccessarily a determining factor.
But I do think it would be funny to see a woman wearing one of Chris's human hair dresses, on the arm of a man with a bad toupe.
--GothamTomato
I agree with the people who think that Chris knew the whole time that he wasn't going to make it to the finale. His comments about how his clothes would always be called either costumey or too safe made me really sad because I don't think his work was judged with the objectivity that he deserves.
And to everyone who thinks Princess Puffysleeves will take the win- did you conveniently forget about those heinous Big Bird pants? If I were a betting woman, I'd be putting a pretty sum on Jillian.
"limabean said: Maybe the best thing for Christian is to NOT win. It would slap him down a few and make him more humble."
I think he already has been slapped down a lot, and his personality/humor is a defense mechanism.
--GothamTomato
What's the difference between having human hair on your clothes, and wearing a wig made of human hair (which a lot of people do)?
It's not a big deal--I am not sure why people were grossed out.
It is certainly not grosser than having the skins of dead animals made into a coat.
That being said--I liked' Rami's fashions better--but I think Chris' stuff was cool.
Congratulions to Rami.
I loved his 3 looks and his inspiration. Beautiful.
I'm also loving him xo
*Sigh*
Why didnt they just have Christian and Jillian show? That's what it's going to come down to.
Rami = Technically proficient but boring. Even though Tim and the judges cream over him, he's not as good as either of the other two. By a long shot. Chris would have been more competition.
Jillian = Excellent technical execution, with some innovative twists.
Christian = A young view on a jaded industry. Could be a big splash in the pan. By far the most original and creative view of the competition.
Advantage: Christian, but could easilly be Jillian. Not Rami, unless he's fucking Nina and Tim and Michael all at the same time.
Way off the topic of fashion, but I think Chris should get tested for sleep apnea. The way he snores and his need for naps during the day really points to it.
Anonymous (4:34) said...
" ... Advantage: Christian, but could easilly be Jillian. Not Rami, unless he's fucking Nina and Tim and Michael all at the same time."
Now that's one bonus feature that just might persuade me to purchase the PR4 DVD's.
Hmmm ... On 2nd thought, I'll save my money and wait for TLo's screen caps.
chgo_john
Are so many people really OK with wearing human hair on their clothes (not that that is neccessarily the litmus test)? The power of the suggestion of TV never ceases to amaze me.
I liked Chris' work, but I don't know: It's kind of part Dr. Seuss, part Third Reich. It freaks me out.
My thoughts exactly. Look, I won't argue that on ethical grounds human hair is preferable to the alternative (particularly monkey fur, which according to Tim's blog is what he wanted to use), but the whole thing just really, really grossed me out. I wouldn't wear it, I wouldn't want to touch it, it just grossed me out.
I mean, objectively, I understand that it shouldn't be a big deal - but subjectively, it is. Plus, what I guess bothers me is that it was clearly done to be shocking. Synthetic wouldn't have looked any worse; the whole thing was done for shock value, which makes it costume. And that's the problem. This is not a costume competition, it's fashion. That isn't to say that tons of costume work isn't fashion, but let's be serious.
LOL, okay, after seeing Tim all but having a stroke I guess I *will* watch the rerun on Sunday.
But Bravo is going to have to really fix the show to get me back next season. This was dreadful. I don't want a return of the manufactured drama and hijinks, but I DO want to see some interesting challenges that aren't blatant product placement. The shark almost caught them as they jumped by.
I really loved Rami's designs. They were exciting without being costumes. And they were shimmering and gorgeous and refined. That said, Rami and Chris were actually two of my favorite designers all season, so, this episode was hard for me. sniff.
Oy Vey. Enough with the "Chris was robbed!" He was auf'd, came back on, didn't get auf'd but was allowed a shot. Of course we love SissyBear, but some perspective!
Yes, yes, during the Victorian era, mourning jewelry was made from human hair. Kittens, we don't live in the Victorian era. Human hair is gross.
To the point - I finally figured out why Jillian has no affect when she speaks (ever so slowly) - I think she is trying to overcome her LI accent. No?
Not only do I love TLo - I love reading these fabulous posts.
Carry On...
JohnG said...
Way off the topic of fashion, but I think Chris should get tested for sleep apnea. The way he snores and his need for naps during the day really points to it.
I was thinking the same thing!
I do not understand most reader's of this blog negative opinion of Rami's designs. I think that most of them are fantastic and very well made. Most women would be proud to wear them. Chris may be a lovely person but his designs were over the top as are Christian's.
I think the real competition will be between Rami and Jillian. Let the best man/woman win.
Lauren said, And to everyone who thinks Princess Puffysleeves will take the win- did you conveniently forget about those heinous Big Bird pants?
Take a look at his final collection - he doesn't use those.
regarding christian's personality,Gothamtomato said...
I think he already has been slapped down a lot, and his personality/humor is a defense mechanism.
thank you! i agree totally. he is only 21 years old, for GOD's sake! he's a kid. he all but said that he took the job at the hair salon with he was only 13 because he fit in there, implying he didn't fit elsewhere. all you haters, please have some compassion for christain!
Ann Miller wearing Ricky's jacket
Oh for heaven's sake, why does saying that somebody acts like a twit translate into being a "hater" and provoke such defensive posting? The kid is getting a reality TV edit that is making him sound like an a**, even for a 21-year-old on national (cable) television. I'm sorry he didn't fit in when he was a kid. He's not alone. From all I've been hearing, he has a supportive family.
Nobody is "hating" anybody around here, this blog is too fabulous and sweet-natured for that. But we are allowed to dislike PR contestant clothes and the behavior that we've seen on a TV show.
And man, this has to totally be a record for a TLo thread. 70 more posts overnight? wow!
another laura said...
Oh for heaven's sake, why does saying that somebody acts like a twit translate into being a "hater" and provoke such defensive posting?
Another Laura: Perhaps you haven't read all 300 plus comments, but some of the posts about Christian were hateful...not all, but some.
The reason this season has been such a joy compared to last season is that the people on PR4 are all decent people, unlike Season 3 - which was abominable. Well, Jeffrey was - and that was enough to be such a turn off.
Lilithcat, thanks for pointing that out. I've been avoiding the final collections because I want the whole effect when I watch the finale. I'm pleased to hear that Puffysleeves didn't send the spawn of an Alfred Hitchcock movie and the Muppet Show down the runway.
chris has got to be the nicest, most graceful person to ever appear on any reality show ever. he was truly and rightfully a favorite among fans, and the show suffers without his bright and joyful personality. he gave us all humor and happiness, and wrapped it all up in constant fabulosity. a true gift from a truly gifted craftsman.
and after all the heartache and grief the show handed to him, i admire chris all the more for his complete lack of bitterness. past contestants could learn a lot from him. and i hope he sets a standard for others in the future.
all that said, i understand why the judges went with rami. they planned on it all along. and rami's work is much more traditional and marketable.
but again, chris deserves a ton of credit for making such an insane material (human hair!) look amazing and fashion forward. his 2nd look was among my favorites of all the garments shown at fashion week. i think it's stunning and glamorous. the use of hair as fringe was incredibly creative and unexpected. i think chris has a lot to offer the fashion world, and i can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
Just a quick comment..didn't it occur to anyone else that one of the major prizes was '..and the chance to market their line on Bluefly.com'? Can you IMAGINE the clothes Chris created being marketed by Bluefly? Commerce is a huge part of PR, with product placements and corporate endorsements that influence the outcome of each season, whether we like it or not. Darling Chris Bear didn't stand a chance when Rami's clothes are so mainstream, so palatable to the typical wanna be fashionista. It is the SJP challenge criteria magnified about a million times.
Anonymous said...
"I can't pass the hair. It's GROSS and HIDEOUS!!!!"
6:17 PM
My cat doesn't pass hair, either. It's best not to swallow it in the first place.
Love you -> TLo
Love you -> Chris
I found it interesting that the judges were so disgusted with the human hair trim. but were okay with it when they thought it was goat or some other animal hair. WTF?
Sorry to see Chris not part of the final three, but I do believe that his career will greatly benefit from his appearance on the show-even if he was jerked alound he'll win in the end. Love that Sissy Bear!!!!
Anonymous said "For me, they were Edward Gorey women come to life & glamorized." and
"Profuse thanks to all the regular commentators who entertain we-who-lurk, as well as more-than-profuse gratitude to T&L for being the founders of it all & the guys doing the work!"
Thanks for solving that connection to Gorey that had been nagging at me! Yes!
Also, a second rousing YES to your final thought re the entertaining enormity of TLo's work and the enlightenment from fellow posters!
Thanks!!!!
I blame the Oscars and cranky age for my assessment of the Rami/Chris Off.
For the last few years, I haven't even bothered watching the show... just reading the fashion reports the next day.
And I am *so* over the 'elegant', the 'vintage couture', the 'pretty', the 'chic'. It's become the fashion equivalent of anesthesia for me.
Interesting, daring women wear interesting, daring designs. Juilette Binoche got shewered for her look a few years ago (http://www.candistar.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/Juliette_Binoche.jpg) and Tilda Swinton is getting thumbs down for her recent look (http://www.osoblog.tv/2008/02/winners_at_the_oscars_marion_c.html) , not to mention Bjork's swan dress and Cher's outing.
But they're the ones I remember long after thinking "Nicole's pretty in that dress" for about three minutes until someone else in a horrible outfit walks by.
And the women are interesting and head turning *not* because they're 'dressed for sex'.
So, yeah, give me Chris' interesting and strong viewpoints that interesting, strong, confident women will wear over Rami's style (which is almost a no-brainer for women because it just goes with the 'elegant' flow) anytime.
And, um, Christian's clothes aren't costume but Chris' is? Yeeeaaahhhh... .
Suzanne said: "When he walks off with the title of America's Next Great Fashion Designer next week he just may achieve PERMANENT asshole status."
Know what...I've been REALLY ticked off because I know the little jerk's talented and going to win.
Finally, though, someone made me LAUGH about it. Thanks, Suzanne!
Here's to our little a**hole!
I suppose there will be a new post about who we want to win, but I gotta just say now that I'm really torn between Christian and Jillian because I think they're both very talented and have a lot to offer.
I personally prefer Jillian's design sensibility & talent, but appreciate Christian's love of making "Fashion".
As I think about the final five, I return to Roberto Cavalli's astute points: Jillian is one he'd love to have on staff (because he can see that she delivers); Christian loves what he makes and loves what he does; Chris is the most artistic; Rami technically good, but too normal and Sweet P nice, but not much to say.
I think now that I want Christian to win because the money will be sort of like a scholarship. I can't see him getting a job in a cubicle/ It will allow him to concentrate on his work. We know he's a hard worker and he's been working since he was 13. If, after the money & PR-fame have gone and he's fucked up, that's a good lesson, too.
Jillian will have no trouble finding serious financial backing and, I think, will be embraced by the New York design fraternity.
-- desertwind
whew.
i think chris deserved to win. his stuff was creative and innovative.
and what annoys me most is that Rami is already a fairly successful designer...his clothes have been photographed on paris hilton, lindsay lohan and jessica alba, among other...
why is he even on the show?
reading his interview about Chris' clothes also was annoying. He certainly does not have the grace, manners or integrity that Chris' does...
but, what can you do? I know Chris will be successful and he is the better man.. millions of people know that now.
I can't take my eyes off Rami's black gown. I read Nina's blog and agree with her. That fabric is amazing, makes black look fluid - like water.
It's gorgeous.
Ok, I thought Chris was robbed! I couldn't stand that middle dress of Rami's. So damn unflattering! I don't think Heidi would be caught dead in that thing. Rami's draping makes women's hips look big. Hello! NO! Don't do that! I knew deep down that Chris was the underdog and I thought he brought out some great stuff. So much of the fashion I see on the runway is costumey, so why the hell are they complaining when he brings in over-the-top clothes? If you want wearable, go to Filenes Basement! There was no way that they were auf'ing Rami unless he totally fucked up. He did passable (at best) work so they pushed him through. So MAD!!!!!!!!!
After a season where Ricky outlasted Kit and Kevin and Rami's three looks beat the beautiful things put forth by Chris, it is really clear that the judges on PR need to be replaced or this show will lose all credibility. There were some really fabulous designers this season and too many left before their time. That "producer's input into the judging" comment spells it out loud and clear- if you are a drama queen, ala Ricky, you will last longer than a solid designer like Kevin. Shame on you PR!
I have adored watching Chris learn to edit and take his talent in other directions. Guidance and barriers will take talent and make it work, as the saying goes. Look what happened to Mychael when he didn't have the structure of the show and the critical eyes of Laura B. and Tim Gunn. You keep on working, Chris. We are all proud of you.
Rami has talent and drive. keep on working and producing.
I think the judges made the right decision based on those three looks (and I actually didn't mind Rami's blue coat) but my complaint is that they didn't eliminate Rami for his boring dress in the inspiration challenge. They wussed out and pretended that they couldn't choose but I suspect they just wanted to keep Rami so they made one more challenge, knowing he would win it.
Tim said that "The Project Runway “collection rules” forbid the use of fur", and that's why Chris used human hair. (That, and I think also somewhat for the shock value. That, and also its similar appearance to monkey fur, which is what he really wanted to use, except that these days it's flat-out illegal. Monkey fur was a popular trim in the 20's. I think the tone and silhouettes of his final collection do somewhat echo the 20's, or at least the Edward Gorey version of that era.)
My question is, did Kara Saun use fake fur in season 1 (because real or fake, her final collection sure had tons of it), or did they come up with this no-fur rule subsequent to her Bryant Park fur-fest?
~ no burlap ~
So far all of West Coast friends have totally loved Rami's understated designs compared to Chris', though all of them preferred Chris's over the top personality! In fact, several of them have said that they'd watch a show with the two of them on it, because they seem so opposite to each other!
i really liked Chris' designs over Rami's and the results are just so disappointing. =(
both designers were great! it's just that someone had to go and it had to be Chris.
If you want the definitive 'proof' as to how deeply the judges point of view was off, take a look at these shoes designed by Elsa Schiaparelli in 1938 as part of the Paris Surrealist movement in fashion:
http://secretlifeofshoes.blogspot.com/2005/04/
elsa-schiaparelli.html
Schiaparelli was THE designer of the 20th Century, and Chris' designs would have been the perfect pairing with the monkey fur shoes shown. He is a genuis...I wonder if MKors and Nina would say SHE was costumey! It was not a fair assessment of his work.
If Chris was younger, slim, i.e. looked like Rami, he would be the one going to Bryant Park. Yes, it's really that simple.
If Chris were younger, slim, i.e. looked like Rami, he would be the one going to Bryant Park. Yes, it's really that simple.
I think the judges got it right this time. Although I am not in agreement with them on their reasons.
I don't think Chris' collecion is "costume-y" it is completely wearable, although I think the human hair is too gimmicky. I am completely baffled that Chris' are labled costume when and Tim says that Christians are street wearable. I honestly can't see anyone wearing Christians collection anywhere, except perhaps a costume party. I don't think his sihlouettes are particularly forward,because the 20's have been done to death. *I* would wear them though. I also don't think Chris is really all that interested in a fashion career. He is very successful in his related field of costume design and I think he will continue to flurish and ultimately the exposure on the show will be a bonus to his career.
Rami's collection was something to behold. He is akin to Balanciaga in my book. An artisan and craftsman and perfectionist. I am glad that his collection will show for the prize.
His black evening gown was an absoulute stunner. I loved that he used a pattern for the draped dress (I would love to see what he could do with a plaid). And I liked the coat also, I wish they had showed more of the short gown that was under it.
I wouldn't mind working with or for either of these two men. Call me boys!
Season One the judges chose Jay McCarroll who definitely thought 'outside the box' but he didn't follow the rules laid out for PR's marketing success, so in Season Two they chose Chloe because she was the least controversial and most commercially viable. She had an existing business structure and designed clothes that would sell to the masses. This pleased the ancillary company's that were prominently placing their products on PR either as sponsors of the challenges or providing services to the contestants. In Season Three there was a slight course alteration by choosing Jeffrey who was both commercially viable (again, he had a successful pre-existing fashion business) and a still a bit controversial. His final collection could hardly be described as reflecting his 'normal' hard rock-style pieces. He has since gone back to designing in his original aesthetic. Laura was marginalized by the judges because she focused on evening wear, even when her creations were far superior to anything else on the runway. Criticism ensued from the outraged fans, so now the judges have veered back toward Rami and his niche draped dress designs~and less we forget, he also already has an existing successful business! Again, the judges have returned to the middle ground.
I agree with Santino: I am not necessarily wowed by brilliant pattern makers who are not necessarily great designers. Every design movement in the last 200 years that revolutionized style and electrified the fashion world was considered to be outrageous or at least off center, startling and completely unexpected. Either PR is dedicated to impacting fashion by breaking new ground and TAKING A RISK or it just wants to find commercially viable designers that have come to Nina or Heidi's or Tim's attention and pat itself on the back. We'll see this week, won't we?
Even though I'm far too late with my comments, I'll say that the minute Chris said "human hair", I knew he was toast and darlingRami would get the coveted third spot.
And to be honest, I slightly preferred SissyBear's three looks to Rami's. His blue coat was huge and his draped second look was not that great, IMO. I don't know why the judges went ape over it.
But it was always a cert that Rami would make it to Bryant Park. They just wanted to punish him for draping his last challenge, when they'd clearly told him not to.
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