"My collection is based on imagery. Some of the images like the palm leaf top are graphic and bold, and are paired with a black heavy silk to resonate with the top. Other images like the feather top are delicate and light. The delicate feather print on the top is as delicate as the beautiful feathers on the skirt. The prints are so beautiful that I paired each with a black color palette to keep a cohesive presentation."
Well, well, well. Shut our mouths. This was an interesting little collection of looks. Poor Marion never really did get a chance to shine in the competition and he went out on such a horrendous note that we're pleasantly surprised to see such chic and innovative looks from him. We don't love every part of it. For one thing, not big fans of tulle or large bows and ribbons. On the other hand, this is an interesting collection with a distinct point of view. It's not for the trendy but it is for a particular type of woman. We like.
"It is based on Japanese Female warriors. They are known as Onna Bugeisha. There is also a famous warrior by the name of Tomoe Gozen that was amazing and admired by many. It is my celebration of strong women. I have chosen a Japanese theme using traditional English fabrics. The fur is FAKE -- I DO NOT BELIEVE IN USING REAL FUR. The shapes and hues complement any type of body type and women of all ages."
Warm up your pitching arms and get yourself some ripe fruit, ladies, because we actually liked this collection.
Oh, calm down. We didn't like ALL of it. We kind of hate the flat monochromatic...ness(?) of it. She would have been much better served with some contrasting colors to make that wine/plum pop. That little hint of orange in the 3rd look helps tremendously. We both hate the first look. There's little to recommend there. But that second look? HOT. Those sleeves are gorgeous and the leggings are sexy. Love the belt too. The third look is kinda interesting. We like the idea of a cropped kimono jacket, but we think it probably would have looked better with skinny pants instead of those massive Dorothy Zbornak pants.
[Photos: Bravotv.com]
128 comments:
Totally agree with you on Carmen and Marion.
Keep it coming!
Oh, and that color Carmen had a sick attachment to...it's mulberry.
I didn't like the weird pleather/leather shorts on the second look from Carmen. And yeah, there was too much plum.
I liked Marion's, but too much cabaret for me. His was betters than Carmen's though, imho.
OK, fart jokes are one thing, but advocating leggings? That's just wrong.
Actually, I don't hate Carmen's as much as I would have thought, but they're still kinda fug. Marion's is just meh. The fit is kind of "going through Mommy's closet."
A Golden Girls reference!
LOVE IT! :D
I actually vote for Marion and felt kinda bummed watching his 3 looks that he didn't get more of a chance to shine on ProjRun. I loved the B&W Hitchcock inspiration. Only old ladies like bird feathers but I thought it looked edgy.
I like Carmen's flair for drama and I kinda dug the first look because it's like it came out of a video game. Hated the color, tho. I think a brighter one would have suited them better.
I find Marion's second dress interesting, but I'm tired of so much black. Would it kill some of these people to take a chance on a color?
I actually find the outfit Carmen is wearing more appealing than any of her three looks. Didn't really like the color or the concept of her pieces.
I really really like Carmen's actually. I love the color she...abused. But, her mini-collection is certainly more interesting than anything we got to see of hers on the show.
The one thing I liked about Carmen's collection were the sleeves on the second look. But really, the outfit she's wearing is better than anything she showed, in my opinion.
Why did I keep thinking "Arsenic and Old Lace" with Marion's?
loved the sweater in Carmen's 2 nd look
Agree RE Marion & Carmen design-wise, would have been interesting to see what Marion would have come up with in the Avante Garde challenge - of the two I liked his best, though I did appreciate some parts from Carmen's too ... her negative demeanor during the reunion show kinda drove home why she wasn't a favorite designer for me. Gotta admit, much of how I(we!) think of a contestant and route for them is based more on personality than design - though often we like both.
I think the problem with Carmen is the over styling and presentation. That first look screams costume.
In fairness, this is better than anything seen prior connected to PR. The construction is good and the tops would look better with something else.
The concept is a good one but the end result is disarming when you first look at it
Frank
I'm in that category of women who wouldn't like Marion's. Too twenties, too long, too 'is there a woman under all that stuff' for me.
I originally said Carmen's collection was interesting and I'll stick to that.
i totally agree 100% with what you said about carmen's second look. it's definitely HOT.
when i saw that piece the first time i was thinking "Wow, I love those sleeves, and the leggings, and..everything actually.", and then i read your commentary and I was like "Whoah great minds think alike!"
Carmen's second look was ok, but I hate that mulberry color. Hideous! I'm a fan of Marion's collection though. With exception to the outfit he went out on, I like his style.
Dorothy Sbornak is my idol... well, in all things but fashion, now that you've made me think about it.
I love the fact these designers were given the chance to show what they are made of. I have tried to find info on the crap Bravo site about how long they had, where they made this, how much money etc. but I can't find it. Am I an idiot?
Marion's is Ok, a litte too New Romantic for my taste. And Carmen's - ummmmmmmmmmm. I like the sleeves and the belts and the fact she doesn't use fake fur. Plus she is really pretty (if not a little over-sensitive)
Carmen's look is very dramatic. If someone wore those clothes, you'd know they take themselves seriously. It was a bit Obi-wan, and I wonder what Carmen's light saber looks like.
I think Marion's clothes would have been better served on a model with a little more meat on their bones, and stripping out some of the bows and frills. I'm sorry he didn't do as well as one would have expected. I loved his submission video and am intrigued by him.
TLo --I left you a shout out on my blog in my weekend wrap up!
ah - thank god! I thought I was going to be the only person on the planet who liked Carmen's collection. She mentioned in her video that although it was a bit over the top, each piece was very wearable on its own. I agree! I'd wear most of the pieces by themselves mixed with other things.
I really loved Marion's and it's not something I'd normally like. Kudos. One vote.
Carmen's flair worked for me, but the color is pretty gagging. No votes becausee of her attitude on the show. Duh, witch...it might have been a boring show, but no one will forget your crap attitude!
I think it's kind of funny that after years of complaining about the judges decisions being based on things like personality, viewers are now openly admitting that they're basing their votes on...personality.
You guys sometimes have no taste...
Please, people. Carmen's look was ca-ca!
Agreed with you about Marion's clothes. Que surprise!
Dorothy Zbornak!HA!!!! Almost tipped out of my chair!
i'm just afraid of all the camel toe Carmen's collection would unleash on the poor world.
I liked both of these collections:
My favorite look is Carmen's (3rd)plaid mini kimono . I would wear it with a bias cut plaid skirt though. She does nice jackets. I liked the one she had in the preview show and the one she was wearing at the reunion as well.
Marion's 1st look is his best in my opinion. I haven't decided who I will vote for yet, but these two are in the running.
At first I thought Carmen's second look had bike shorts. Are those mulberry leg warmers? Ugh! The top is nice, though.
Blogger Pumpkin Man said...
You guys sometimes have no taste...
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Please, people. Carmen's look was ca-ca!
Boys, hold on, this is going to be a bumpy ride.
wearable or nor wearable; pretty or not pretty...that isn't the only way to look at fashion; no offense, but some of those comments make me wonder why some of you watch a fashion show.
Is it just me or is Carmen really into costume-like clothing with the geisha warrior and her I Dream of Jeannie outfit? I liked it, but it also has the very real potential to be 'What was I Thinking' clothing in ones future.
Sewing Siren said...
I liked both of these collections:
My favorite look is Carmen's (3rd)plaid mini kimono . I would wear it with a bias cut plaid skirt though. She does nice jackets. I liked the one she had in the preview show and the one she was wearing at the reunion as well.
Marion's 1st look is his best in my opinion. I haven't decided who I will vote for yet, but these two are in the running.
See? watch and learn, folks!
Marion's was costumey, but I agree that it's great he (and other early exiting designers got to show more of what they can do). His dresses would be great if you were invited a cocktail party on the Orient Express.
With Carmen's, as I said before, I loved that blouse in look two. But one of my basic philosophies is that the world would be a much better place if there were more purple in it. (All shades - I'm not a shadist). And the third look, I like better in stills than in the show. I like it, and the only reason I don't love it is the plaid. Love purple. Hate plaid
The obi belts seem to be a recurring them in her work. I can still picture that winter coat she had in her preview collection, that was fabulous, and that had an obi belt too.
--GothamTomato
I just don't like Marion's silhouette. It's just not to my taste... too baggy. And the bow on the 2nd one is wonky.
Carmen's 2nd look is my favorite, and the Kimono jacket is interesting. That first one, though, WHOA. Creepy.
What a disagreeable surprise
Carmen said "The shapes and hues complement any type of body type and women of all ages."
I MUST disagree. That second outfit would do nothing to complement my short square body and my body would not complement that outfit!
I do like burgundy by the shapes aren't going to work on us short people with a few extra pounds.
From the way Carmen described her "Japanese-inspired" look, I wondered where she found her information. My little search-engine experiment drew me to hilarious conclusions.
So I typed "female samurai" into Google, thinking that she probably thought of that term first when she considered, "I'm going to make a JAPANESE collection!" and found that the Wikipedia article for "onna bugeisha" was the first hit. In the rather short article, it says word-for-word what Carmen said during the runway show, that "samurai" is a male, gender-specific term. Linked in that same article is Tomoe Gozen, the "amazing and admired by all" warrior that Carmen also offhandedly mentions, as if she were an expert on Japanese warriors.
So think whatever you like, but perhaps Carmen should stop quoting her Wikipedia sources. :P
Carmen's was costume-y, Orientalizing, literal-minded, and ugly.
Marion's was more interesting, I'll give him that.
The cropped jacket, with the obi-style sash, was my favorite of all her garments. But that's only to be expected from a woman with a closet full of different kinds of kimono. I loved the juxtapostition of the shortened haori and the exaggerated furisode-style sleeves. (I definitely agree that it would look better with skinny pants.)
In deference to the Japanese aesthetic, though, I would call the color of the lining "persimmon", rather than "orange". ;-))
I agree with your Carmen comments! I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Did. Not. Like. those saggy elephant pants in the third look either.
I really liked Marion's collection. Too bad we didn't get to see more of his work.
For one thing, not big fans of tulle or large bows and ribbons.
And you call yourselves gay?
Just kidding, but I for one love those things. Guess I'm a big girly, girl Disney Princess.
All of the outfits are horrid. Any outfit that makes a twig thin model look fat, cannot be good. Marions outfit with the palm leaf on the front makes that lady look HUGE.
Henry H said...
What a disagreeable surprise
Lol, someone has been watching My Fair Lady.
YAY! You kittens are doing the collections. Awesome!!
Marion: Love all three looks.
Carmen: Hated the first, loved the second, hated the third.
Loved the flash of orange on Carmen's third look, too. Really fun. Wish she could have woven some of that into the first look. That one's clearly intended to be over-the-top in order to establish her theme, with the next two being more ready of wear interpretations, but it falls flat.
And as I said yesterday, yay, Marion! Turns out the little shipwrecked orphan has mad skillz, and good for him for taking this opportunity to show them off. Glad you guys agree!
-- CAAF
What is up with Marion's personal style? He looks like he should be waiting in line at the mission to get a bed for the night.
AGreed on Marion: I thought his collection was very cohesive. Not my particular style, perhaps a little too pear-shaped in the overall look, but definitely darkly edgy.
Hated Carmen's. Those pants on the first look just make my skin crawl. And I still stand by my initial assessment that her obi belts looked like duct tape.
"There is also a famous warrior by the name of Tomoe Gozen that was amazing and admired by many.
Otherwise known as ....
GOTHAM TOMATOE!!
I did like Carmen's collection quite a lot, but I agree with you about both the color and the first look. It's pure costume (I mean, a sword?) with very few wearable pieces. Well, I don't know. Maybe if those ninja footies come into style.
I do like Carmen's but the first would have been much better served by walking a little farther away from the faux-traditional towards the fantasy. If the fur wrap-thing had kept the high texture (like a fur) but been rendered in something like the bright orange of the last look's lining the whole collection would have been elevated.
Put down the crack pipe, boys.
Man, do I feel better, now. You guys didn't hate Carmen's either! whew. You may have even used my color described as wine/plum thingy. sigh.... And that tunic in the 2nd look is, as you say, hot, also, gorgeous, but NOT the leggings. nononononono
"There is also a famous warrior by the name of Tomoe Gozen that was amazing and admired by many.
Otherwise known as ....
GOTHAM TOMATOE
Not so sure about amazing and admired by many....
I loved Marion's collection. I was sad to see him go so early (but there's no denying that he deserved it for one of the worst looks to walk down the PR catwalk).
There's a delicate touch mixed with bold graphics. I wish we could have seen him in the avant garde challenge.
Grace
This collection makes me hate PR challenges that make hip up-and-coming designers do something on $15. In NYC you can't buy two rolls of toilet paper for $15. And I would love to see what the Duchess himself could have done with $15. The entire premise of the challenge was so unfair and so against what fashion stands for that it's infuriating. And it eliminated a truly talented designer. I'm definitely voting for Marion.
No, Tlo, no to Carmen, that's Carmen as in hideously ugly.
I didn't care much for Carmen's collection. I'm not fond of the idea of Warrior inspired fashion, unless it's the Golden State Warriors, for whom "Webber the baller" is now, once again, playing.(For those of you who don't follow basketball: Chris Webber is the former lover of Tyra the Wide-Eyed Skank, hostess of the popular model competition Make Me the Subject of a Really Bad Photo.)
Marion was the big suprise for me, since I hated the pieces he did for the first two challenges. These three dresses reminded me of some of my great-grandmother's dresses, with which I've dressed my models for photos on occassion. I'm not sure which Hitchcock films he was thinking of, must be very early Hitchcock: The Pleasure Garden, Blackmail, Downhill, Rich and Strange. The prints on the bodices of the dresses were very elegant and bold. The variety of the textures employed showed remarkable sensitivity. Of course, they looked like costumes, but, unlike Chris March's Hollywood glamor set, really beautiful costumes. Guy Maddin should hire this guy to costume his next sixteen milimeter epic.
Thanks, as always,
Dale Wittig.
I really was pleasantly surprised by Marion. Two votes!
Sorry, Carmen's were fug, IMO! Maybe, just maybe I might like the lovely top Marcia is wearing in #2. But not with those leggings & leather shorts.
Can't wait to see what gems you come up with for Christian's.
Marion's dresses are so pretty! Makes me wish he had stayed on longer.
I like some of Marion's stuff, but it reads as fussy to my eye - I think I'd have been more interested if he had reduced the frillies.
As for Carmen, I'm slowly coming around on her stuff - I do like the second look, and the third look jacket isn't as bad as I thought it was originally - but I loathe the first one so completely that it really colored my opinion of the others. And the color was so unrelieved that when the three of them were on the runway together, it just looked like a parade of Jedi.
I'm an old Yankee prude. The length, or lack thereof, of Carmen's sweater / dress on look #2 bothers me. I find it on the borderline of vulgar.
I'm mixed about Marion's. It's definitely inventive.
After showing her ass on the reunion show, I have nothing to do with Carmen and her shitty looks.
I'm liking Marion's garments; he has channeled "Laura Bennett Lite" in a good way. I'm not terribly fond of the way he used feathers, though; I can faintly hear "Big Bird" catcalls if that look were worn by a tall women...
As for Carmen - sheesh. Did she take the wayback machine out for a spin and get lost in a Duran Duran video, circa 1980-something?
What's Duchess' line about "Can she get in a cab in that getup"? What cab is going to stop for some chick holding a sword with her face covered?
I'm going to agree with TLO.
Both interesting ... but no cigar.
I do like Carmen using color and I liked the ones she choose.
I'm just all black'd and White'd out. I think B&W is the wrong choice for an "online" challenge.
No leggings. Never. Not unless you're rehearsing for your Broadway debut in A Chorus Line.
I like the idea of Carmen's collection, but it's all too much. Too, too much. She claims these would work for women of all body types and that's simply not so. A shorter woman with a stockier body would be absolutely lost in one of her blouses with voluminous sleeves. And as far as the fabric goes, I would have loved to have seen further exploration of subtle patterns or more texture.
Marion's collection, you sure can't accuse him of being one note, can you?
"gloria said...
"There is also a famous warrior by the name of Tomoe Gozen that was amazing and admired by many.
Otherwise known as ....
GOTHAM TOMATOE!!"
Criminy! My cover has been blown!
Now I know how Valerie Plame feels.
--GothamTomato
I liked Kevin's the most, but Marion's second. Why didn't Simone, Victorya, or Sweet P have an online collection?
Anonymous said...
This collection makes me hate PR challenges that make hip up-and-coming designers do something on $15. In NYC you can't buy two rolls of toilet paper for $15. And I would love to see what the Duchess himself could have done with $15. The entire premise of the challenge was so unfair and so against what fashion stands for that it's infuriating. And it eliminated a truly talented designer. I'm definitely voting for Marion.
Actually, the Bitten challenge, w/its cost restrictions, was by far the most realistic in terms of what the industry is really like.
When winning dress was produced I can assure you that far less than $15 was allocated for fabric for each dress (probably more like $1), of course the fabric would be purchased whole sale.
Challenges where they hand you $400 and you don't even have to make a "wearable" dress are lots of fun and produce very intresting results, but that is never going to happen in real life. Never.
Carmen: m'eh. Whatever decent ideas she had she blew with the styling and colours.
Marion: surely he should have known that the photos taken for PR rarely do justice to anything black so it's kind of hard to pick up the details. He gives me a Malan Breton circa 2005 feel.
That means I like it as a nice costumey look or being worn by a European woman (i.e. somone 24 or older).
And I the only one having trouble loading the front page? There be some gnarly Flash9.0cx going on there.
The page crashes my Safari browser on my home Mac and my crappy Windows box running IE 6.x at work (unless I stop the full-page download about half way through).
Joan is right. A shorter, stockier woman couldn't wear these outfits without looking like Yoda.
I hate Carmen's first outfit!
PUH-LEASE!
The moment I saw it, I thought: MORTAL COMBAT!!!...techno music and all.
one more thing: carmen's second outfit looks like she just tweaked Elisa's design for SPJ.
GothamTomato,
You're going to love Fall 2008. Aubergine, Eggplant, Purple, whatever you call it, will be THE color of the year, according to Robin Givhan, fashion reporter for the Washington Post.
And not being a "shadist" you'll be happy to know that for interiors, lavender is the new grey.
Oh, we're talking about the "Sew Not Over" challenge. Nice to be able to digest them two at a time. I like the graphic nature of Marion's second look. I like the layering of Marion's first look, but am not a big fan of the ruffled collar. It looks itchy.
I'm just grateful that Carmen didn't make puffy sleeves. The silhouettes are very flattering.
Oh, and since when did palazzo pants become so hated? What? Do you really want to see the "everyday woman" in tight pants? Have you been out lately? More of us are a lot closer to Dorothy Sbornak than we are Heidi Klum!
Horrid = Marion's. Derived and dreadful.
Costumey (not used as a compliment) = Carmen. What fantasy TV show are these things appearing in?
@alice: Thank you so much for calling Carmen on her shit.
What if one of the other designers had put out a similarly literal and superficial homage to a figure from traditional African culture? That would be pretty cringe-worthy, right? I don't see why this is very different.
(yes, this is the same anonymous as 2:57. Don't worry, I'm going to stop venting about this now. Carry on)
I honestly love marion's and would wear every outfit. so rich and gorgeous.
You people have no lives do you?
Seriously, is it me? Or are there no pants in Carmen's second look? Because what I'm seeing is Sienna-Miller-style pantslessness. And I just cannot get behind that. Not in public anyway. And neither metaphorically nor literally.
"The shapes and hues complement any type of body type and women of all ages."
No, they don't.
I really like Marion's, for the most part. I liked it more in the video/slideshow than I do here, strangely. I DO like the second dress with the palm-leaf print. It was nice to see what he could do. Carmen's -not so much. I don't like the big drapey sleeves and capey-jacket - it ALL has a little bit of a Golden Girls/Sbornak aesthetic to me. The final one looks like a turtlenecked one=piece jumpsuit that I'm pretty sure a classmate's mother wore circa 1985. and it looked frumpy and out of date then.
And I think I have to agree with the "Orientalizing" comment, as well as the Wikipedia-derived commentary on the "Asian" inspiration. It's just kind of yucky.
Oh dear. If there is one thing I hate to do, it's jump on board with the crowd, but hands down my favorite designs were Christian's.
The first design was charming and a little Mod, I thought. The second made me feel lukewarm. But, the third was absolutely smashing. And, what's more, even though it really wouldn't be suitable for me, given my age, I say f**k it. I'd wear it anyway. Screw dignity!
Marion's, just OK. Didn't care for the "Dark Ostrich" theme.
Carmen's, just AWFUL. The models look like they just jumped out of a bad video game.
Okay, so, when Marion said he was inspired by Hitchcock, my mind immediately went to:
Grace Kelly (http://us.imdb.com/media/rm1097308160/tt0047396) and
Tippi Hedren(http://us.imdb.com/media/rm1801689088/ch0008883)
So imagine my horror when his first model came out. Yikes! I thought all three of his looks were wicked ugly. So judged as clothing, I can't give him high marks.
However, if an art piece is meant to evoke emotion in the viewer, then judged as art he gets an 'A'. He certainly got a stong emotional respose from me. Sure, it was a negative, repulsed emotion, but his collection was memorable for me.
Carmen's stuff is just fake crap if you compare it to Yohji Yamamoto or Issey Miyake. I can't believe you could even take this ripoff attempt seriously. It looks tackky and cheap. The colors are just wrong, wrong, wrong. Gag reflex.
Marion did a good job.
Love all of Marion's, only like Carmen's third. Her first is terrible, her second is meh. Really do like that third one, though. I wish Marion had stuck around longer, I'd have loved to have seen what he would have turned out.
Marion's 3 were interesting--not something I would personally wear, but interesting.
Carmen's were interesting in a different way. I kept hearing "costume department for knock off Star Wars flick" running through my head. Not that that's bad... but it's not what I think of when I think fashion.
Hi all,
...not surprised at Marion's offerings. His PR bio states that he was a visual designer for Stanley Korshak in Dallas. Interpretation: he was a window-dresser for one of the top ten high-end retailers in Dallas.
A good-friend/co-worker of mine from Nieman's left to work for Korshak. Same type of client...well-heeled, charity-luncheon & gala ladies. His work is *perfectly* Dallas socialite. I think he'll do well in spite of his auf-ing.
For me, his designs are dowdy and poofy - but he knows his client.
Carmen - I wish I could separate my dislike of her self-important-self from her work, because I DO LOVE Asian inspired styling...but, the obi/belts look like duct tape and the knit jersey(?) screams "chip!"...to me.
meh....and p.s. Marion needs to lose the "newsboy-ragamuffin" affectation...it grates. ^^^^^
No leggings. Never. Not unless you're rehearsing for your Broadway debut in A Chorus Line.
She didn't make it to the "old/bad" trends challenge so she wouldn't know!
Carmen's third look is the best even with the overdone pants like Rami's Avant Garde outfit and Kara Saun's Nancy O'Dell dress.
I don't really think of fashion of something I'd wear, unless it's specifically made for Ready to Wear. It dribbles down to wearable masses if it's deeemed worthy.
The judges don't really judge on personality unless you take into account the group challenges and leadership ability. Otherwise plenty of contestants wouldn't last past the first challenge (ahem, Victorya).
Call me kooky, but I just looked at the picture of Marion, and suddenly noticed that it looks like he's costumed for the part of Tevye, in some midwestern dinner theatre production of Fiddler.
--GothamTomato
Well, Carmen's first number looks like she should be rounding up targs on the Klingon homeworld. The other two pieces - well, they were alright except for the moderate dose plum poisoning one would get from wearing, or indeed, coming near them.
Marion's pieces were...nice. Not stunning, but ....nice.
Sorry guys, Carmen's collection looks more appropriate for a star trek convention. Put a klingon woman's head on any of those outfits and bam... geek chic.
I thought the fit of Marion's dresses was poor. I liked Carmen's collection, and I don't mind the color. But I voted with my heart, and that vote went to Elisa.
I don't really love either. I was thinking mediocre when I first looked at marion's, and liked cameron's a fair bit, if not the color palette.
the more I look at cameron's, though, the less it appeals to me.
Carmen comes across as confident, however a bit like a teacher who is overwhelmed by the responsibility of teaching a bunch of underlings.
"Carmen as in the opera
Weber as in the baller."
Well, excuse me, but I don't follow sports. So frankly, when I heard baller my brain shifted over to smut.
As far as Carmen, I've seen it, loved it, have the music... but darling, don't you think we can get Carmen Weber?
Her inspiration is another point, the whole Japanese onna begeisha bit. If she wanted to say, "I was inspired by traditional Japanese design" this would have been enough.
Part of me thinks she's trying to impress us with her words, but what she needs to do is relax and just impress us with her clothes.
kanani said:
"Carmen as in the opera
Weber as in the baller."
Well, excuse me, but I don't follow sports. So frankly, when I heard baller my brain shifted over to smut.
I agree with kanani that Carmen tries too hard, but the funny thing for me was the fact that many of the people on this blog who have previously bitched about people not getting references didn't get the Chris Webber one! Also, it seems like the majority here had never heard of Tiki Barber. I guess what I'm trying to say is that just because someone understands references to musicals and such doesn't make them "better" and doesn't make sports references irrelevant.
Sorry, I've had that on my chest for a while now. And no offense to kanani; I wasn't talking about you.
Couple of thoughts:
1. Marion's outfits are frumpy. They would have looked good on my mom's friends when they were going on a cruise. While beautifully made, they aren't hip; you could conceivably find them stylish and like them very much, which is OK as long as you are hanging with Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose.
2. Carmen-- too literal, girl. Inspired by samurai clothing, not a sendup in mulberry and duct tape. You know, do a hommage, show your inspiration, but don't cartoonishly crib from medieval Japanese style using odd plaids and belts and LEGGINGS (they do not act as pants substitutes, ever!). It looked like anime characters. Too costumey, and hip either.
Both tried to do something interesting, and props for that, but in the end, each collection fails as a collection. I liked parts of each, but in the end, couldn't get behind either,
Also, can we stop saying "bird feathers." Is there some other kind of feather he could have used? Please.
Hi Jen,
:0)
Yeah, I know you weren't talking about me.
Both Carmen and Marion have to work on their "pitch." Carmen & Marion should think of it as one sentence in five seconds that summarizes their work. Then let the clothes do their magic.
Yup, I'd never heard of Tiki Barber, nor Chris Webber! I just don't watch that much network or sports TV. (Except these pesky addicting shows on Bravo and of course, Caesar Milan!).
GT said:Call me kooky, but I just looked at the picture of Marion, and suddenly noticed that it looks like he's costumed for the part of Tevye, in some midwestern dinner theatre production of Fiddler.
Oh, my god. I just thought - he looks like he's wearing ritual fringes - and then I saw your note!
Not feeling Carmen's work nor her superstank attitude
Kanani, you and my son are on the same page...Yoda, indeed(although my kid says I'm better looking). He also said all of Carmen's clothes would fit right into a Star Wars movie.
Hey PRG boys!!! This is a comment that should be on the post featuring Gillian's final look. I wondered if you had realized that her gold dress looks *very* similar to the dress Heidi wears on the runway on the levis challenge! My hubby thought this was an observation worthy of your attention, so I've decided to let you know. :)
Keep rocking our world!!!
Cheers,
Kate
I love Carmen's collection!
it's hot and interesting!!
carmen's first one seemed a bit costumey but the other two i think did incorporate japanese elements in a very sleek way. way to come back strong, carmen! now if only you hadn't taken your roommates' comments so personally during the reunion show...
Love Marion's. HATE all three of Carmen's looks. I just don't get it...
I really liked the third outfit in Carmen's collection. It's proportioned in a way that will look good on a lot of body types. However, it is also true that it was the splash of orange that kept the whole collection from being weirdly dull.
I loved Marion's collection. Would wear looks 1 and 3 in a second if I had the chance to!!!
Go back and look at Marion's video he made for his applicatiopn to the show. Far more creative than the one of any other designers.
It is a pity we didn't get the chance to see more of Marion through the show.
Gotta say... I think these were two of the strongest collections in this deal.
I really haven't given that much thought to Marion this season for obvious reasons...But today, to me, his get-up screamed "avant-garde Tevye." Maybe his "Fiddler on the Roof" face did it. Maybe it was that skimpy little prayer shawl hanging out over the plaid pants. This is fashion sweetie, not a pogrom - you'd be cute if you'd smile a little!
Windy City Wendy
I forget: was there once an explanation of what makes a collection? I know the basics (having some some thing or things run through all of the pieces to tie them together), but what I don't get is, like, Marion's 3 pieces. They look like they would be from the same part of the same rack on the same wall of a single designer's boutique. The pieces have really, really related silhouettes, almost identical colors and would be appropriate for the same event or function, worn by a fairly specific type of woman.
Isn't that narrow, even for 3 pieces? I really don't understand this...
And re: Carmen's pieces....I felt the first was very costumey and heavy-handed on the theme, the second was like a really sexy art teacher and the third was full-on, Tim-dreaded gallery owner.
It's not for the trendy but it is for a particular type of woman.
... the goth type.
I really enjoy both collections i wish they both could have had more time on the show to show us some more of their potential
Carmen's collection was just plain ugly. It was really costumy and the sword thing was really stupid. Whe the hell would wear any of that crap?
To Gotham Tomato and Gloria, my fellow Tevye-spotters
I'm so embarrassed for my comments faux-pas.
I commented without reading those who came before me.
So I apologize for not acknowledging your earlier comments.
Windy City Wendy
I think the thing that drives me crazy the most about Marion is the faux-waif look he's got going on with himself. It begs for attention in all the wrong ways.
Looks like Marion murdered a crow with cheesecloth and glued the reslts to his mom's dress. bleh. I liked that middle dress better until I saw it move. The skirt is so heavy, it just looks...off.
To Windy City - Once it's over 100 comments you surely are not required to study them all before commenting...I love it that someone else saw him trying to channel Tevya...
and he does like like he just stepped out of the shtetle...
this has nothing to do with "sew not over", but FYI I just bought those BCBG black shoes Jillian loves to use on the runway for $27 at Macy's.
I think they are both weak. And Carmen has an odd attitude.
Okay, I have to say I was glad I could at least see a bit more of what Marion has to offer. Between him and Carmen, it was Marion hands down. I didn't vote for him to take the challenge, but I was pleased with his work.
As for Carmen, I couldn't help but think pure costume, and even then it was like some really bad version of Star Trek. Carmen, what were you thinking?
And did anyone else notice the multiple plugs Swarovski got during this challenge? Does Mood stock fabrics that have Swarovski crystals, or was that a nice little extra kicked in for advertising?
I think the correct word is "monochromaticacity"
Well, how's this for schtick?
Marion chose to use this name rather than the name he's well known by (Jeffrey Lee) in Dallas because he didn't want any confusion about his reality TV identity and his real life one!
In the Dallas newspaper, he said he didn't want his career negatively impacted by the reality TV identity.
So it makes you wonder about this raggedy, depression era "Oliver with a twist" thing he's got going.
It's all so weird. Since he got auf'd it's as if Marion didn't exist at all.
To the anon talking about the front page loading poorly, you're not the only one. Of course, I am running an ancient machine that sorely needs replacing, but yeah. Not alone.
I'm down with the Golden Girls, so Marion's are okay for me. Not great, but okay. Better than Carmen's, at least, which look like they're straight out of a bad video game, or maybe an anime fangirl's notebook. Glad for the use of color, but I don't think it entirely worked either.
Scott W said...
I think... Carmen has an odd attitude.
Kind of like the movie When Harry met Sally:
[Harry Burns] "There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance."
[Sally Albright] "Which one am I?"
[Harry Burns] "You're the worst kind. You're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance."
I was really surprised by Marion's - I liked it the best of all the collections. Interesting, and looks like it might actually be wearable, too!
i really like Carmen's second outfit as well. Well mostly just the top. But in general I'm of any Asian inspired clothing when it's done well. Love the sleeves but iono about that working for any woman. A big girl would look kind of ridiculous in it I think.
I liked the idea of Carmen's inspiration -- did anyone hear her say that "female warrior" sounds something like "punjaki kai"? Nothing whatsoever like "onna bugeisha" anyway. But I didn't like the actual collection, and I guess if I want Japanese costume I'll go to one of those folkwear sites.
I did like Marion's clothes, although didn't see any Hitchcock inspiration, and wished he'd hd more chance to show his skills on the show. Plus, I love love love his store!
So I voted for him.
i've been trying to figure out who Marion reminds me of and i finally realized it's Phil Ochs! even the hat!!
I liked this collection too! I would have liked to see more of what this lady could do. I saw her in NY wearing the most amazing coat I've ever seen......go to her website for a pic. It's green plaid and really, really cool!
How Ironic: That a show with such great creative potential would
actually cut (original) competitive-construction time from two days
to one (per general assignment), thereby making project outcomes
in later shows looking more like sportswear challenges.
How Ironic: That contract breeches/immediate expulsion occurring
in Season 3, against Keith Michael, were not enforced as such under
multiple contract breaches occurring in Season 1 against Kara Saun
(multiple-shoe violations.)
How Ironic: That prior guest judging 'conferring' rules would be
altogether automatically waived in favor of 'Team Jillian' by Donna
Karan,(Season 4), never occurring as such before or since.
How Ironic: That Rami, an already established retail merchant in 15
networks (plus a full-scale custom website), would be allowed to
unfairly compete against unestablished names when in fact the point
of the competition is to work establish such a retail presence, and also
that Rami would gain competely unfair advertising exposure in so doing.
How Ironic: That in the final competition (Season 4, before the separate
play-off between Chris and Rami) all four judges would allow Heidi Klum
to openly LIE on their behalf as being 'hopelessly deadlocked' in their vote,
when in fact ALL four had openly stated when conferring together that
Rami's creation was, "too normal", "too safe". The guest judge himself had
openly declared Chris March's work the only true fashion art of the five
finalists.(Thus proving 'The Karan Rule' only applies to her.)
How Ironic: That Chris March would be accused (Museum Challenge) of a
repeat creation, when in fact he was using the assignment to successfully
TRANSCEND a prior work done as a team challenge with Christian!
How Ironic: that, given free reign in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rami
would rather 'patronize himself' using the camera to, in essence,'x-ray his
own ego' filming draped Grecian statua as his generic Muse.
How Ironic: That in the brief, yet fiercely competitive 4 seasons of the
show, no one has been more openly guilty of being a 'Nina One-Note',
(even the worst-of-the-worst competitors) than Rami Kashou.
How Ironic: That the competition, in light of these facts, would 'end' more
politically than creatively; after all, Rami was busy pre-professing in the
introduction, "I will own the runway!"
How Ironic:
that the last competitor of the final three would be prophetically named "Christian".
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