"I evoked and handed over via the wrappings of couture, three characters from a decade's worth of marionettes, puppet, dolls, and other such sculptural beings. These three who exist within the mythic realm of The Hunger World were chosen specifically for Project Runway because of their stories and connotations. "The Mistress of Tenderness" is all in white Ingeo, a completely sustainable fabric spun from corn sugar. She is aflutter with kisses of pure tenderness from her heart and beneath her skirts. "The Healer" is strengthened with a lifeline of a blossoming lotus machine drawn through her body, and her dress is constructed from one seam in organic bamboo. "The Falling Star" is for all to make a wish upon. Her monofilament halter gown is fabricated from a non-sustainable jersey, encrusted with Swarovsky crystals, and has a "fire-licked" hem. She is a fashion embodiment of what I would like to see manifested in the immense power of the fashion industry: conscientious consumerism, green as the new luxury, individualism as the ultimate accessory."
Ooookay.
Well, it's pure Elisa, isn't it? Lorenzo likes the first look but Tom's not with him on that one. It's way too St. Pauli Girl. The only one we both like is the second look, which is unique and striking. Love the color, the hoodie and the flower embellishment. It's hippy-dippy chic, which is what Elisa does best. Lorenzo doesn't like the third look but Tom kindasorta does. It just needed to be fitted better, but the combination of Swarovski crystals and rough edges was interesting.
"I was really drawn to the oversize floral print and that became a source of inspiration for all the looks. The neck of the floral dress is reminiscent of a blossom. I tied in the navy dress with the floral fabric as a trim and the gold-knit dress keeps the same feeling and color palette. I think all three looks are really wearable and work well together."
First things first: we really don't like the styling here. The heavy boots and gloves are all wrong with these basic, girly dresses. Having said that, we don't even like these basic, girly dresses all that much. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. They're just okay as far as we're concerned. Tom likes the print on the first one even if he's not on board with how Jack used it. Lorenzo doesn't like the print at all. We're both agreed that the proportions in the sleeve and collar are a little wonky and it looks poorly fitted in the bust. Second look: we both love the jacket. It would look great paired with...anything but this dress. Seriously, there's (to use a Gunn-ism) an incongruity in these two pieces. The dress looks too large and voluminous under that jacket. Skirt too full and sleeves all bunched up. We both kinda like the third dress but the styling really overwhelms it. Take away the Dr. Zhivago boots and the Miss Piggy gloves and it's a cute dress with some nice detailing. That print from the first dress works better as trim.
[Photos: Bravotv.com]
61 comments:
Elisa's second look is absolutely terrific. I don't like the first, only because it's too costumey, but the other two show a real point of view, as well as being wearable.
Jack's looks? He's always been kind of Simplicity Patterns to me. Nice enough, but how would anybody be able to tell his designs from something bought at Target?
Elisa's third look is Oscar Red Carpet worthy, even the length....did y'all notice how short the dresses were this year? Would have loved to have seen the shoe be a beautiful strappy sling back tho....
Loved Elisa's 2 and 3 (though without the hand-held train; I will not be made to choose between holding food or a glass of wine in my free hand). No appeal felt on Look #1 and those shoes! Akk!
Jack needs a styling intervention. He seems to reach for the clunky with his accessories and it just doesn't work. And the outfits here didn't work for me either. But the model on Look #2 (is her name Lisa?) -- something is just off about her proportions, I'm sorry. I think she's missing a torso or something.
I thought Elisa's dresses looked great in motion. The still shots don't do them justice -- especially the second one.
As for Jack's: While I appreciate the whimsy of putting the huge flower stamens right over the crotch of the first look, it's not clever enough to make up for the shape of the dress. It could be breathtaking to take that idea using a more artistic print -- something like a Georgia O'Keefe painting -- and take it in a more couture direction. I agree that the second look is out of whack and the third nice but not so interesting.
I like Elisa's second look. . . and it reminds me of Austin's heart dress in that challenge. . . what was it, seven deadly sins or something? I suppose Elisa's first dress is good as a costume.
I like the way Jack uses the print on his first dress, but the frufru collar is off. And the jacket: too boxy to look good with many things or on many people.
Boys: is there any way to set things so that when one clicks on a picture, the picture gets bigger? Thanks!
What is a "free licked" hem?
Knowing Elisa's propensity for spitting on her fabric, I'm kind of scared of that one.
Correction: "fire licked"
I'm even more scared now.
ok last I checked COTTON was a sustainable renewable fabric. LMAO. Is there something wrong with COTTON nowadays(strolled into New York Co and was distressed to find tons of cheap polyester dresses)? WOOL, TENCEL, SILK--all sustainable and "green". Quotes because absolutely nothing mass produced is 100% green. As for the looks? eh. Love the single seam idea but we've seen that dress before although at the time it was pooing colored material.
Jacks are just fugly. Sorry but I hate the print he used and that jacket swamps any kind of look for the dress. The poor model looks like a little girl in grandma's dress up closet.
Jack's floral fabric, one word: Marimekko.
Maybe better on Top Design.
Not liking the Jacks, but the Elisas are chic. I'm even ok with the barmaid look. Wish she had shown some of these work on her own show.
I pretty much agree with you boys on Elisa and Jack.
I did not like Elisa's first look, but somewhat liked the second two.
Jack's I hated. Yes Agnes Gooch, Jack does need a styling intervention! STAT!
I really liked Elisa's second and third looks, not so very much the first. Besides, just listening to her explanations and knowing she believes every word makes me happy in a free-to-be-you-and-me-you-go-hippy-dippy-girl way.
Didn't like Jack's at all for all the reasons you listed. Although that jacket would look kickin' with some skinny jeans and a long knit top, I have seen it before. In fact, I have it.
This should put to rest the angst of some who thought Jack would have been in the finals. His stuff during the solo challenges weren't all-that-and-the-cat and this mini-collection just isn't very good.
The stuff does look too simplistic and out of proportion generally and the styling is too off.
Elisa's 2nd and 3rd look are very good. Especially the 2nd look that doesn't take itself too seriously and shows some whimsy. First one's a bit too blech. I'm glad we got to see some more of what she is capable of producing.
I have to say that I don't like the styling with either Jack or Elisa. It's very heavy and distracting for both.
What I'm wondering about with regards to Elisa's dresses is: If you're wearing fabric made out of spun corn sugar, will you have a trail of ants following you down the street? That would be more distracting than the black shoes.
And with Jack, I was disappointed because I loved the mini-collection he showed at the preview show, so I know he has it in him to do better than this. And while floral prints can be nice, the stamen on the one flower is in a kind-of funny place, no?
--GothamTomato
Interesting, I still love Elisa's 2nd outfit. I think it's so cool someone can sew a dress with a single seam (and a hoodie!) It's pure her as you stated. I liked the 1st one better in the photograph than on the runway. In the clip Katie look too slight to be wearing it well. I still like the 3rd one but it looks better in movement on the runway. And Suzanne you're right it could have fitted in on the red carpet. Maybe not the pscars necessarily but the SAGS or the Globes for certain.
The nice thing for me is Elisa has a definite identity to her work and you can spot it. Her inspirational concept was interesting and I thought all 3 outfits had a playful vibe. I also like that she was consistent to herself with the eco-friendly fabrics
I think jack disappointed me more than any of the designers. While I never thought he was amongst the top 3 designers, I thought he was not untalented and could have produced something much better than this.
I feel there is not a strong cohesion between the three and he tried to make up for it with some overbearing stylin and accesories.
I don't mind him using prints, he seems to have a thing for them. He's no Von Feurstenberg or Uli but he's done much better use of prints than he has here.
You are so right about the third outfit. That one had the most potential but was just overwhelmed.
Too bad becuase I think this more than the November preview was a great chance to show if he's really got what it takes to be a great designer.
Frank
But the model on Look #2 (is her name Lisa?) -- something is just off about her proportions, I'm sorry. I think she's missing a torso or something.
I've thought she's been lacking a waist all season. On the jacket - Jennifer Hudson's Oscar bolero comes to mind perhaps because it's just as ill-used.
Loved Elisa's second look. The third is growing on me. Just can't get my head around the first, though.
You know, accessorizing seems to have been a real problem for a lot of the designers. Agree with you about Jack's heavy boots, but Elisa's black daytime shoes with evening wear is pretty bad, too. (She and Christian used the same big clunky shoes in each of their first looks - to very ill effect.)
I liked Elisa's 2d and 3rd looks very much. The first was a bit too costumey for my taste, but, seen in that light, was fine.
Oh, Jack, you messed up. That first print was really bad (I wish he and Christian had taken some lessons from Uli - the first of which is: don't use prints if you don't know how!). I adored the jacket on the second look, but agree with you that the pairing was out of whack. I can't see enough of the dress, though, to judge it on its own. The third dress would be nice if it were less bunchy on top.
katiecoo said...
Jack's floral fabric, one word: Marimekko.
Darlin, "Mary's Dress" may be an appropriate title since Jack is involved (That's how Marimekko translates from the Finnish, BTW) but the look just isn't that classy. I think his nibs used a set of Target (Tar-jet?) Isaac Mizrahi patterned sheets from about five years ago for the first look.
As for Puppet Girl, she may inhabit one of the Moons of Meepzor, but the cut on that second look is stunning.
GothamTomato said...
What I'm wondering about with regards to Elisa's dresses is: If you're wearing fabric made out of spun corn sugar, will you have a trail of ants following you down the street?
LMFAO. Ingeo is from the corn SILK not the sugar (made of polylactide polymer). Its a bitch and a half to spin so Kudo's to anyone that can make a fabric out of it. Its as soft as silk and as lusterous to a degree but lacking in silk's quality.
"What I'm wondering about with regards to Elisa's dresses is: If you're wearing fabric made out of spun corn sugar, will you have a trail of ants following you down the street?"
Umm .... sure. And if you make it out of cotton, will you have a swarm of Boll Weavils following you down the street? What follows you if you make it out of Polyester? Oh right ....
Elisa's first look is horrible. It might be okay, but the kisses all over it just make me cringe. And since it's Elisa, I feel like she probably but on some lipstick and kissed the fabric all over, as a blessing.
Her other looks are okaay though. And Jack's just isn't impressive to me. The third is kinda nice.
Elisa wins this cagematch. Go Puppet Girl!
"Anonymous said...
ok last I checked COTTON was a sustainable renewable fabric. LMAO."
You might not be aware of this: unless it's organically grown (which is the exception), cotton is a VERY fertilizer and pesticide intensive crop when grown commercially, which is why it's considered to be very environmentally unfriendly by many. Some interpret the word sustainable to mean 'minimal chemical intervention necessary'.
Cotton is still preferable to Rayon, though. :o)
I love Elisa's three, particularly the second dress - I don't think it would flatter me at all but I'd love to just watch somebody walk around in it. The color, the fit, the little hoodie - it just all works so well.
Jacks were just...meh. Boring, and I don't particularly like the print, and it all looks like it doesn't fit quite right.
Elisa -- love the "other planet" commentary. Great looks.
Jack -- demonstrates the importance of styling. Ugh.
"Stubenville said...
"Mary's Dress" may be an appropriate title since Jack is involved (That's how Marimekko translates from the Finnish, BTW) but the look just isn't that classy. I think his nibs used a set of Target (Tar-jet?) Isaac Mizrahi patterned sheets from about five years ago for the first look."
Learn something new every day on PRG..thanks stubenville!
As usual, I'm totally fashion backward compared to the rest of you stars, but I still like to hang around. ;)
OK, all Elisa's talk about Ingeo? Complete BS.
"Corn Sugar?"
Seriously? Does she even know what she's talking about?
While we're talking about sustainability, a lot of energy goes into making bamboo into a soft, flowing, wearable fabric. It's not like you just stuff the raw bamboo into a machine and yards of fabric flow out of the other end! The process is actually akin to Rayon, where the bamboo is chemically dissolved down to fine fibers. So it makes for a good sound bite, but is bamboo fabric truly all that "green"? The jury is still out.
I preferred 2 and 3 of Elisa's (though re: 1, from my vantage point a St. Pauli Girl is not a bad thing!), none of Jack's.
Am I the only one who saw Jack's first dress and thought of Daniel V.'s orchid collar?
And are those still shots of the designers from Sew Not Over show or old publicity stills? I'm seriously tired of Jack's argyle sweater.
Don't love either collection, but the fabric used for Jack's first look would make great covers for my kitchen chairs.
I guess if I HAD to pick a fave from both collections, it would be Elisa's second look. Wearable and flattering, just not exciting.
Can't get an "identity" to work, so just call me:
Ms. StkrShock
i really like elisa's. jacks does nothing for me. so far christian is my fave.
The jacket that is on Rami's second look is almost identical to one I just bought at TJ Maxx for $14 on the sales rack. The whole styling is identical, and so yesterday. Not impressive at all.
I love both the second and third looks of Elisa's. Really lovely and interesting.
"individualism as the ultimate accessory."
...and that's why I love her.
That line makes all the time I spent watching this show worthwhile.
Last two dresses - lovely. First one - so what if it's more of a costume - if only just for fun, it's wearable by a real woman over size zippo.
Oops! I meant Jack's second look - so yesterday!
I love the story that Elisa came up with and the dresses are quite beautiful. I see them more as fine art than fashion though, and there is a difference. I wish that she would take a litte more interest in the craftmanship. But over all it is a beautiful group.
I agree with all about the accessories that Jack chose. They are too dark and heavy for his collection. I would have liked to see at least one variation in length, like the 1st one would have been good in the "new" knee length. The loose jacket is cute, but yea, not with the shift dress.
The brown jacket looks very similar to the jacket Sweet P wore on the reunion show. Was he modeling for Jack? The navy is the cutest. All very comercial. But that is not a bad thing, the goal of every designer is to sell their work.
You are right, as always. On everything.
Jack's looks are too dull to even be commercial. And that surprises me, since I too, thought he had talent. However, I agree that all the use of print this year has led inexorably to the conclusion that Uli is an even better designer than I thought.
Elisa's designs need optional sound chips to explain them. I mean, she could read the phone book and imbue it with fire licking and I'd be happy just to listen. But at some point the clothes have to speak for themselves (though in this case, they do, and pretty well).
RE: Elisa's third look...
"Non sustainable jersey" must mean that it is a petroleum-based polyester.
"Flame-licked hem" means that she held the hem over a flame to melt the fibers, thereby sealing them.
Mychael Knight employed this technique on the inside seams of his Pam Grier "Fashion Icon" hot pants.
What is with the ruffled collars? Christian being the worst offender, but Jack showing it here. Do you know any woman who wants to wear a collar like that? You can't eat or drink in it, amd your makeup probably gets all over it. Anything with a collar like that is by default NOT "wearable."
I like Elisa's second and third looks. I like Jack's first look, with different accessories and shoes. I agree that the boots didn't work.
And SuzQ got it right. Jersey is also made from other fibers besides cotton. "Fire Licking" as Elisa put it, melts the edges to keep them from running or fraying.
I really enjoyed Elisa's work. I would have liked to have seen the #3 in motion though as it looks like it would move beautifully.
I actually liked Jack's choice of the print, but the poor fit in the sleeves and bust ruined it all for me.
Were they required to use the BlueFly.ciom accessory wall again for this? I've never been to that site, but on the show I haven't seen anything this year that I liked.
Once again Tom & Lorenzo's critiques of the dresses are swift and to the point, insightful even. No question, the third dress in Jack's collection is the only one that works. Nice shade of blue and the trim is smart. It would have made a stronger statement if the first dress wasn't such a mess. The second outfit looked to me like one big wonk.
I don't like all the mystical babble with which Elisa surrounds her work, but if it reflects the source of her inspiration and this is what she comes up with then I say stick with it. She definitely comes from a different environment than the other designers and that place is the soutwest desert. And it shows. Yes, the first dress is too St. Pauli's Girl, but I seem to remember Elisa liking a few beers. I like the lipstick kiss prints on the skirt, sort of lipstick lesbian chic. The bodice doesn't look comfortable. The second and third dresses have received plenty of praise, as they should. The fire-licked hem is pretty hot, but the gown is truly cool. Along with Christian and Marion, she had the strongest collection.
Thanks, you guys, you do good work, and, uh, thanks again,
Dale Wittig.
Cotton is a natural fiber but it is often grown in a monoculture that is very harmful to the environment in which it grows. The Aral Sea is toxified and has all but disappeared due to the cotton monoculture in Central Asian; diversion of rivers for irrigation, heavy use of fertilizers, etc. I wouldn't LMAO at the idea of sustainable fabrics nor assume that cotton, because it's plant-based, is a totally wonderful fabric for the planet.
those shoes on Elisa's first model are FUG.
I liked Puppet Girl's collection the best of everyone's. The barmaid look is my least favorite but even it's fun and cute. Agree on the shoes though - wrong, wrong, wrong.
I've not been a fan of Jack's work on the show or in this collection. He doesn't seem to have the right instincts for it. Something is always off, whether it's the fabric, the cut, the fit. It's as if he wants to do the poufy exuberance of Christian combined with the retro vibe of Steven's but ends up in a mish mash somewhere in between.
Elisa is one smart cookie. She knows what her clients want. The clothes, the story, the blessing -- Elisa.
And, wasn't that smart of her to explain on the reunion show that her spit-marking is part of a blessing her clients expect (and pay for). And, wasn't it great that production loved her because, otherwise, they could've just left that on the cutting room floor.
I loved her explanation of how she constructs the single seam pieces. There's a method to her madness.
-- desertwind
I loved Elisa's second look. I hate to say this, but Jack's designs are very basic.
Elisa's second dress is GORGEOUS! I also like the third one, not crazy about the first one. Doesn't it look like the dress Austin designed for the rock singer?
Jack? Two words: Simplicity Patterns.
I agree with you boys on Elisa's collection. The second dress is great, the others...well send them back to the hunger world.
I don't like jacks collection at all. The vagina mushrooms on his first look creep me out.
Jack needs guidance. I've seen his men's collections and they're not bad at all.
Elisa is just crazy. Me no like anything. And what's with the mile long statement?
You know, for someone who talked so much shit about Chris and Elisa; that he didn't know what they were doing on the show blah blah blah...look at his collection! Need I say more?
They're both good. Not my favorites of this online challenge bunch however.
Despite the loud pattern, I do think Jack's is very wearble.
One comment that applies to all of these "Sew Not Over" photos: I'm having a hard time appreciating the clothing because of the models. Most importantly, the models have no shape, so I can't tell if the clothing would have any on me. This is especially important for dresses like Chris' and Jack's.
The models also look sort of sickly and slouchy (God I'm tired of that hunch-backed "editorial" pose), and it makes even the most light-hearted outfit look somber.
They could really use better models; this season's are too thin and lacking in personality.
I love, no, lurve Elisa's second look. Love the color, love the flow that comes with the one-seam construction, love the hippy-dippy little hood. The other two looks? Well, I have a Halloween costume labeled "Heidi Ho" that looks a lot like the first outfit.
I like Jack's collection -- they look even better in the larger stills (thank you guys for the photos, btw -- you present the collections so much better than that dang Bravo does)than they did on the catwalk. They're clean, simple, and wearable, and thank gawd SOMEONE is designing clothes like that.
I want some of whatever Elisa is on..it's sounds like fun stuff
Did anyone else notice the similarity between the brown jacket in Jack's 2nd look and the brown jacket that Sweet P was wearing at the reunion? She was even wearing it over a top with a slightly longer short sleeve.
Jack's looks are very unimpressive. THIS is the guy who was annoyed that CHRIS made it to the finals?
I can't say that I really like any of these. Elisa's second look would be cute if you chopped off the hood. The other two are just okay.
Jacks 3 looks are all hideous and I was terribly disappointed, because I would think he could have done better, but maybe I mis-judged his presumed skill level.
Either way, I don't think that we have a winner in these two collections. And what is up with Elisa's description? It was like reading the Dungeons and Dragons technical manual. What a loon she is.
"non-sustainable jersey"? wtf.
and i completely agree about jack's collection. who puts black boots with a navy dress? eek!
I still say Elisa's second look is a little too Georgia O'Keeffe for me (and I love her). Fire-licked hem? I guess I'm way over Elisa. Too many years spent with women and men like her. I applaud her gentle spirit, but there's only so much this girl can take.
Jack, oh Jack. The first print's pistil/stamen-y placement is just too tootible. Yes, women have vaginas, but must men, even gay men, always point them out? I would have liked to see his second dress without the jacket. Sometimes too much is just that, too much.
I love Elisa! She doesn't take any of this seriously.
I agree with Anon 10:07AM
Nothing mass produced is completely green. Even if it is organically grown, you still have harvesting, ginning (in the case of cotton), machine spinning into yarn and then machine textiling. So even though the original material may come from an organic farm, by the time it hits the fabric shelves its gone through too many transformations to be considered "green" anymore. Same can be said about Ingeo, Bamboo..etc. Silk is about the only exception since it is spun by the insect not by humans....however silk farms are not all that "green" either.
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