Frankly, we're not seeing it. It's a nice enough collection rendered in whites and jewel tones. The looks range from basic, pretty dresses to slightly more out there pieces, but there's no reinventing the wheel here. Not that there should be, but he portrayed himself as more of a barn-burner than this on the show.
"A lot of the silhouettes I am using are egotistical," Biddell says of the high volume shapes in his collection. "I haven't seen a lot of really interesting, unique organic clothes ... there is a lot of casual wear in organic fabrics but there are only a few luxury designers, like Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs, who are starting to go sustainable."
Your thoughts, bitches?
[Photos: Pimentel/WireImage - Slideshow: Project RunGay]
105 comments:
My thought is that I can only handle one of these shows at a time. I've heard the raves about PRC, but have never seen it. Sounds great, but until they expand the day to 25 hours, I just can't follow it...but the clothes look professional & interesting if not earth shattering.
"Biddell said: there are only a few luxury designers, like Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs, who are starting to go sustainable."
In Stella's shop you can get a pair of jeans for about $500. I don't know if the fabric is 'sustainable', but I would be sustaining myself on Top Ramen if I spent $500 for a pair of jeans. And quite frankly, they would have to make my ass look like a work of art, for me to even think about it.
As for Biddell: I love his color story (for the most part), but most of those silhouettes are insane.
I have to say I love the setting though; that hardwood Canadian runway. It looks gorgeous (with the great lighting) and sets the looks off well.
--GothamTomato
Very pretty. Making sustainable sexy seems cool to me. I mean honestly, what do you think about when you think about sustainable clothing now? Dowdy hippie chick in earth tones. Somebody needs to start feeding those poor Canadian models though.
Other than a vague reference to obi in the wide sashes, I don't see anything particularly "Japanese" about this collection, nor does any of it say "warrior" to me.
Honestly, this was just ordinary. Nice enough, but nothing unique, nothing different.
Not only $500 jeans (as Gotham Tomato mentions), but Stella McCartney also sells vegan handbags for hundreds of dollars. Ridiculous. But I do applaud any designer who's conscientious and responsible about sustainability, the factories they use, etc.
As for this collection, it's a bit schizophrenic, in that some of it looks extremely wearable, ready-for-Bloomingdale's. . . and some of it looks kinda loony tunes. Of the two basic silhouettes he uses, the one seen in the first piece, and then reworked throughout, looks a lot less flattering than it should be. The other silhouette, seen in the second piece and, again, throughout, seems to work better.
Bittybis said, "Making sustainable sexy seems cool to me."
Good point. There are some sustainable and/or vegan designers who're moving beyond silk screened Tshirts, but you don't hear much about them.
I think it's a tame line, but I really really hate his grey-lavender dress which looks like his model will step on it. I really hate clothes that look like they're going to get trod on FROM THE FRONT.
Maharhar
Wow! I think it's all pretty fantastic. I didn't watch PRC at all, so I am looking at this with a fresh eye. I like the shapes of the dresses, the fabrics, the colors, all of it. That red dress with the hood is really different.
Nobody knows how to wear gloves anymore. They look awkward with most of the dresses.
I like the white one with the full knee length skirt and obi sash, and the finale look is pretty, too.
It sure does look like a japanese warrior.... like a warrior with a sharp samuri sword that he uses to cut the hems.
all of the uneven hems are annoying. Makes the anorexic models look almost pregnant, so you can imagine what it would do to a chubby size 6! I would like many of the dresses better with a normal hem.
My first reaction to his clothing story was "huh"? But after looking at each piece closely I can see a bit of the anime vibe. Maybe sort of a 80s future-punk/fantasy cross between Galaxy Express 999 and Ghost in the Shell.
The problem is, clothes designed to look good on willowy fantasy people look terrible on actual real-world people. And yes, this includes models -- they have actual rib cages, which is something Masamune Shirow never bothered to give his women.
Quite frankly, I'm almost shocked that Biddell turned out a collection so quickly. Or a collection, at all, for that matter. I was very worried that he would take the money and then go lie on his couch for five years or so. Biddell always seemed like he would lack motivation. So, I'm happy to see that he got off his duff and produced something. As to the clothes? It seems that Biddell has actually been able to translate his vision into stuff that's wearable, stuff that consumers would buy. So, good on him. I still wish Lucien would have taken the whole she-bang though.
The only look I really liked was the third one down on the left. Other than that, it's an okay collection. I can get some of the anime vibe. I must admit that I really don't like the asymmetric hemlines. They just look tired to me.
It's a mixed bag. Some of it is pretty conservative, some kind of punk, some just plain FUG, but it's an interesting collection. I just cannot pay the exorbitant prices for "sustainable fashion." When it comes within my bidget, we'll talk.
Just like PRC, his clothes SUCKED. Canadian have no style and this proves it. I wouldn't wear any of this crap to a dog fight.
~Jen
Well all of this stuff is way over my bidget (hi kathy). I have a "vegan" friend who buys recycled toilet paper, over $8 for 4 rolls! It seems to me these type of people are just stupid.
I agree that I think it is GREAT Bidell managed a collection so quickly. I am sure his mentorship helped. Despite his arrogance, I agreed with his win on PRC (Such a fun show... really. If youhaven't watched it, DO). Yes it is a little schizophrenic (sp) but then again so is he. He will work through the wierd hems and wild ideas to creat beautiful, sustainable clothes, I am sure.
Ooh, actually I really liked this collection. There's a lot I would wear (and I'm going to have to go Googling right now to find out if he's got distribution, prices, etc.). The fit on quite a few bodices is wonky, I will admit, and some of those trains are worrisome, but the fabric, colors (or should we say colours) and many of the silhouettes are very appealing to me. And I'm also impressed that Biddell could turn out a full collection in just a few months after winning PRC. Makes me think a lot of slacker stuff was an illusion heading into the finale.
This collection is gorgeous and the silhouettes are fabulous. This is a wearable, glamorous, sexy, collection. I wish we saw more of this on the American PR. I can imagine that contestants like Nora would have given us some of this. The multi-color dresses are out of this world. I look at Christian's collection after this one and it looks like matador Ken and Barbie, with little versatility and inspiration.
I'm not a design maven, for sure, but it does look like he had a reasonably definite vision in mind. That having been said, I shrug my shoulders and wonder why the sort of reverse fish-tail hems, and why people put out there any kind of design "story" that doesn't hold up (the "eco-warrior" thing).
Sustainable fabrics, yay! $500 jeans? sustainable for whom, exactly? sounds like only for Stella.
I agree with the general consensus. Some nice stuff, but nothing really that innovative. And yes some of those clothes seem more suited for an anime body than a real human being.
Some of the clothes have a similar vibe to some stuff Elisa did a few years ago but in harder colors
Frank
After PRC, Biddy went to Paris and then moved from tree-huggin', Carlie-lovin' Vancouver to Toronto. And he seems to be mentored by Wayne Clark - who's been around Canadian fashion fo evah. So I think he's been evolving into a more professional, more conservative designer for this season. Damned it.
The image the models are projecting will be the image the buyers want to project to the world and I think there's enough artsy-fartsy eco-friendly-when-convenient young-ish credit-card-maximus women out there who could drop some $$ for a lot of these looks - especially now that he's toned it down a bit and the colours are there but not glaring (which I liked aboot his PRC show).
His first collection we saw on the show was to win, this one is geared more to sell.
Personally, I still think he'd do better with a more economical line with a wider consumer base but I can understand why young designers want to think that they're all going to be chic-chic.
It'll be interesting to see if PPS follows Biddy's tempered path with his first post-PR major show, too.
Oh, Kendra and Carlie and, of course, Lulu are also showing this week. I'm hoping to see some of Carlie's stuff since I thought she should have had some great women-friendly clothes on PRC but was kind of disappointed not seeing any particular woman-friendly lines in her silhouettes.
I like it ok, but I'm disappointed because I LOVED his winning collection on PRC. Get back to the colors, Biddell, please!!
Who are we to judge on silhouettes when Princess Puffy Sleeves just won our show?
wow. i thought 90% of it was fantastic. i generally don't read the designer's statement though before i look at the collection. it skews my perspective because i try to fit the collection into the box...and it rarely does.
so it works better for me to just look at the clothing and assess it based on its own merits (or lack thereof).
i really liked it. watched PRC, thought biddell was an ass, but understood why he won.
it seems really different from the shows that the PRG boys post here.
it's fine and all, but coming from a design student, it looks like design student work. i would have expected more.
Anyone who wants their style choices to be truly "sustainable", should buy vintage or used or recycled. No matter how vegan or socially conscious your materials, you're still wasting resources and money, if you're buying new goods.
As for the collection, the blue and white gowns are both very pretty, but the overall collection leaves me cold.
I loved PRC and I thought a lot of the designers a a fresher inspiration than ours. This collection just isn't as fresh as I expected it to be, and tends to remind me of "derelicte" (from zoolander), and hobo-ish in general.
Pretty, nice colors, but I don't see "warrior" or "anime" anywhere ...
I was expecting a much more interesting, innovative collection, especially from someone who had no problem telling everyone how great, how much better he was on the show.
The collection feels a bit all over the place, but there are also some really lovely, really wearable pieces that I would buy in a heartbeat, if I could afford.
I'm too lazy to look up, what do sustainable clothes like this tend to run?
Some of the pieces I can live without (like that red thinkg with the rooster thingy on the hood)-- but many are very nice.
Go Biddell!! I hope to see more from him.
is the last model in the first column a "normal size" gal or does this outfit just make her look large? (of course, large is all relative -- comparing to the skinny models i'm saying)
just wondering.
Interesting timing. Last week I sat through an Eco-fashion show. The fashions were mostly forgettable, but it did get me thinking about this whole issue of off shoring of manufacturing jobs, as well as pollution emissions in other countries. So I wrote about it.
The question is whether or not consumers will pay more, or if the means will be mainstreamed so that Target, WalMart will join in and take a smaller profit share.
I think it was an extremely refreshing collection as far as the silhouettes are concerned.
I loved the more minimalistic looks in it, they kind of remind me of Calvin Klein, you know, the white one with the long skirt and the long sleeved, fitted top and the similar one in teal and white.
I would wear those anytime.
I like Biddell.
I did not see anything revolutionary but I saw some very wearable pieces and frehsness and I like that his hemlines varied and that he showed some longer skirts.
I have been wanting to see more pants and tailored pieces though.
I am covering Lucian Matis in my blog because I love the heck out of him.
He's a sweetehart. And HUNKY.
Love ya babies,
Milla
The sashes/obi remind me of Kara Janx's work.
I like the collection overall. It's great that he's getting himself out there.
A side note- both PR and PRC have young winners.
Okay, so there were some lovely colors in there, and I appreciate that he's trying to encourage sustainability, but honestly, as I looked through it, the words "Oh my GAWD not ANOTHER sash!" came out of my mouth.
It seemed like he picked two silhouettes and just recycled them over and over for his show. Which, you know, now that I recall that recycling is part of sustainability, that makes a lot more sense. Doesn't make the collection any more interesting, entertaining, or forward, though.
So is silk "sustainable" since lots and lots and lots of little worms are giving up their lives to make it?
"Sustainable" sounds like a good idea, but I'm really not into wearing some kind of hand-woven bamboo, and I wonder how much unsustainable energy would be involved in making scratchy natural fibers wearable.
"kanani said: The question is whether or not consumers will pay more, or if the means will be mainstreamed so that Target, WalMart will join in and take a smaller profit share."
The people who shop at Walmart don't care about green. They don't care about quality. They don't care about the jobs they are shipping overseas or the living conditions of the workers who are making the cheap tat they want. They don't care about their contribution to the damage being done to the country, or anything else even remotely socially conscious. If they did, they wouldn't shop at Walmart.
All they care about is saving 25¢ on their jumbo bag of Cheetos, which they will scarf down while listening to Lou Dobbs as he's loudly complaining about 'all those immigrants' who are taking 'our jobs', and debating how high to build the fence to keep them out.
--GothamTomato
Is everyone showing on the runway color-challenged?
excited to see him using one of my favorite models, Simona McIntyre, to close the show.
While the bodices and lengths are a little wonky on some of them I really like this collection. Mostly because I would wear many of the pieces.
I just gotta say, having looked at the slides again, those models were downright scrawny.
The styling (or lack thereof) didn't help the clothes either. The footware looked like it came from Payless and the hair looked as limp as the models themselves.
This whole thing about 'sustainable' fashion... .
Know what? As a single woman with no debt living in a major metropolitan city in a very middle-class job, I am *not* going into debt to buy all-oganic or all-sustainable 'fashion' (as opposed to 'clothes'). And there's a lot more of me's than there are women out there who would be able to go that route without going into debt.
This whole concept of high-fashion sustainability seems pretty disingenuous to me, anyway, since I figure real sustainability means just not buying a lot of shit and staying out of debt while you're at it.
If Biddy's serious about this, he should produce a line of sustainable, long-lasting, less trendy, gorgeous clothes at a price point most people can afford. Otherwise I figure he just wants to have his conscious and stroke it, too.
If Jay would just get his ass in gear, he'd be very successful in this endeavor.
And now I shall trot off to read kanani's blog... .
The three long-sleeved, floor length looks in black and/or white: a modern twist on Audrey Hepburn. Elegant drape and silhouette. Not earth-shattering innovation but I love 'em. The visible 2" hem on the white skirt is buggy, though. Almost looks uneven in the photo.
I like the fit and polish of an obi when there is visual balance above and below. A kimono'ed geisha's elaborate hairstyle and painted face balance the volume below the obi. Sleeveless deep vee-necks above a contrasting obi make the models appear very short-waisted, particularly when the voluminous skirt has a hoisted front hem showcasing the model's lovely...knees? The one exception being the all-cream or white tone-on-tone look with a fitted top and ballet neck...beautiful.
The pocketed jumper over puce tee and tights is cute, if a little JC Penney junior department.
As for the multi-striped black floor-length gowns with the hoisted front: a pair of castanets and they look ready for a flamenco dance. Sorry, just my view.
I think they're cute, but that's the only adjective that comes to mind. The pieces don't strike me as all that original or distinctive. Yes, sustainability doesn't have to be ugly, but it doesn't have to be boring, either.
yawnsville
GothamTomato said...
The people who shop at Walmart don't care about green. They don't care about quality. They don't care about the jobs they are shipping overseas or the living conditions of the workers who are making the cheap tat they want. They don't care about their contribution to the damage being done to the country, or anything else even remotely socially conscious. If they did, they wouldn't shop at Walmart.
Many of the women around me, in my neighbourhood and with me in a middle-class job shop at Walmart because, well, that's really what they can afford and it's *there*.
If it's between a tight budget and saving a tree in some land they'll never be able to visit because they can't afford it, it's the budget every time.
They'd *like* to be more green and they do it in other ways when they can but there's no wiggle room in the budget to take it beyond a certain point.
Of course, I see lots of richer, $250-a-pop bottle blonds in SUVs who are buying 'organic' toilet paper at $4 a roll and 'organic' t-shirts for $45 (only available online or at specialty stores) that are then put on toilet paper holders and into Meile washing machines by underpaid housekeepers in their over-sized bamboo-floored mini-mansions, too... .
Okay, but I hoped for more. Biddy's woven work on PRC was impeccable, and given time, could rival what we saw Rami do with five months' time.
I'm dying to see what Lulu and Carlie put out.
GothamTomato said...
The people who shop at Walmart don't care about green. They don't care about quality. They don't care about the jobs they are shipping overseas or the living conditions of the workers who are making the cheap tat they want. They don't care about their contribution to the damage being done to the country, or anything else even remotely socially conscious. If they did, they wouldn't shop at Walmart.
Listen here Ms Thing, you need to come down off your high horse. You may be rich as snot, but not everyone is. It's nice that you got a break from your royal duties to come chat with the common folk. I for one, shop at walmart all the time and I don't think any of that garbage you just spewed. I shop there because it is in my budget and they have nice things. Of course I shop other places too, but walmart always. It's people like you with your "let them eat cake mentality" that will be the downfall of this country.
LOVED some looks, didn't love others. Overall I much prefer his collection to any of this seasons PR finalists. His is more my style I guess. Even though I hate his personality, his style is much closer to my own. I adore the red hoodie look and the clean linees of his long dresses.
The fact that they are more Earth friendly is just the icing on the cake for this bay area eco conscious gal :)
I like some of the looks, but most of it is a little boring.
"ch said: You may be rich as snot, but not everyone is."
Actually, I'm not rich as snot (whatever that means), I'm a working creative-class person, just getting by. But that doesn't mean I shop at Walmart. I don't because of how damaging they are to working people, and the economy (on every level).
---GothamTomato
"anon said: Of course, I see lots of richer, $250-a-pop bottle blonds in SUVs who are buying 'organic' toilet paper at $4 a roll and 'organic' t-shirts for $45 (only available online or at specialty stores) that are then put on toilet paper holders and into Meile washing machines by underpaid housekeepers in their over-sized bamboo-floored mini-mansions, too..."
Eek, yes, like those idiot housewives of Orange County & NY that are on those Bravo shows. I sometimes wonder where they get them from (but then again, I guess they are more common than not).
--GothamTomato
Gotham Tomato said:
"The people who shop at Walmart don't care about green. They don't care about quality. They don't care about the jobs they are shipping overseas or the living conditions of the workers who are making the cheap tat they want. They don't care about their contribution to the damage being done to the country, or anything else even remotely socially conscious. If they did, they wouldn't shop at Walmart.
All they care about is saving 25¢ on their jumbo bag of Cheetos, which they will scarf down while listening to Lou Dobbs as he's loudly complaining about 'all those immigrants' who are taking 'our jobs', and debating how high to build the fence to keep them out."
Not trying to pick a fight, but that is an ugly generalization. Some people shop there because they have to. And some people shop there because they don't have to, but they like the savings. And still other people shop there because it's the only store around anymore. And there are still others who shop there simply because it's convenient for them.
I do not care for Wal-Mart, and have personally not set foot in one in almost three years. I think they are a horrible company with bad morals and ethics, and so I choose not to support them.
But I wouldn't go as far as judging those that do shop there, and making them all sound like Britney Spears or worse.
Hey, maybe those Cheeto-eating, Colt-swilling Wal-mart-supporting folk would be able to tell you that all those "jobs" being shipped overseas are jobs that lots of people here wouldn't dream of taking. They are jobs that we now find ourselves too good for. But we get angry when they are given to others.
Outsourcing of jobs is actually a good thing in the long run. And it frees up human capital here to do other jobs, some might even say better jobs, if they would take the time to quit complaining and, you know, go get a different job.
Oh, and I bet if you gave those Cheeto-snarfing, Lou Dobbs-supporting, Wal-mart fiends the choice between a $5 t-shirt made by children in sweatshops in Malaysia and a $5 "sustainable" t-shirt, they would make the green choice almost every time, as would most of us.
Just because the green movement isn't within some people's budgets doesn't mean all people with the same budget don't want to make a difference. Living Green, in our society, is a luxury good, like buying a Lexus.
Hopefully, that will change. Maybe at the same time people will stop making gross generalizations about each other, too.
I'm not arguing with you Tomato.
What I'm saying is that WalMart is one of the largest importers of foreign made goods and until they and other large manufacturers get on board, this green stuff is going to be largely a PR gamut. Loads of stuff has been written about WalMart and their effect on the US economy to trade and manufacturing processes in other countries.
Shows like this DO raise a lot of questions that I think we all have to ask. How much is enough?
To me, "green fashion" seems at odds with the issue of buying less and using less.
Oh.... NICE photo Bill!
P.S. I love Cheetos.
GothamTomato said...
Actually, I'm not rich as snot (whatever that means), I'm a working creative-class person, just getting by. But that doesn't mean I shop at Walmart. I don't because of how damaging they are to working people, and the economy (on every level).
Hey, lots of middle-class-just-getting-by people don't shop at Walmart (including me).
I'm just sayin' that if the mythical 'you' (not the you-you, Gotham Tomato, just the YOU-you, you know?) don't *get* the minds of ones who shop at Walmart but are open-minded but who have real life reasons *for* shopping there *and* shouldn't be lumped under a benal White Trash banner ('cause, lo, that Britney girl sure has proven you can be White Trash with lotsa cash), then this 'sustainable' eco-friendly clothing segment can make a bigger impact than what they're doing now - which is essentially catering to a myriad of niche markets - including 'fashion' a la Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs and, presumably, Biddy.
Then again, I've had this kind of discussion with a friend of mine who runs one of these stores that have a lot of things from worker's coops in third world countries. I tell her I need decent-priced dusters and kitchen and bath towels and nice clay planter pots and decent t-shirts in a classic style in my size and with nice colours and she's trying to sell worry dolls and Central American native-inspired belts and huge barrettes for your hair. So non-Walmart gets all my money for the things I need and she only gets it when I need newspaper-rolled placemats that get soggy and fall apart after too many drippy tea pots sit on it... .
In any case, I still think people who can afford this fashion stuff probably do have a larger ecological footprint that poorer North American people just by dint of consuming more, bigger, oftener.
Would be an interesting study, actually.
All I can say is, I lol heartily at anyone who states anime as one of their inspirations. I see the anime, I just can't appreciate it.
"barby said: Maybe at the same time people will stop making gross generalizations about each other, too."
Well, we could start outsourcing our gross generalizations, but that wouldn't be any fun.
--GothamTomato
With all respect Barby, I can't see that outsourcing thousands of manufacturing jobs has been good for those who used to make their living by them. At best, it's an uneasy alliance.
We've turned into a service industry that pays lower wages, not a R&D or manufacturing country which sustained good jobs for families for generations.
You also can't ignore the huge environmental impact the growth of manufacturing has had in China, where air pollution is now a big problem. In fact, as stated in my article, particulate matter has been shown to show up in L.A. Yipee. So we breathe the crud we outsource now. Anyhoo... more on this tomorrow over on my blog.
Oh... an Tomato... since you're now the resident "rich snot," how 'bout you loaning me a couple hundred thou? I'll pay you back, promise.
"barby said: Oh, and I bet if you gave those Cheeto-snarfing, Lou Dobbs-supporting, Wal-mart fiends the choice between a $5 t-shirt made by children in sweatshops in Malaysia and a $5 "sustainable" t-shirt, they would make the green choice almost every time, as would most of us."
The thing is, to get the ethically sourced tshirt, (meaning, among other things, that the people who make them are paid a living wage and the manufacturing operations are not allowed to get away with polluting that they could not do here) you'd have to pay more than $5. People have to accept that.
All I'm saying is, people would be better off if they bought less stuff (ie; instead of having 10 $5 tshirts, have 5 tshirts that have to cost more because they are ethically sourced).
--GothamTomato
Sweet!
-- desertwind
To kanani:
It may be hard for the person here who is losing his manufacturing job to someone in China. But I bet it was a great thing for the person on the receiving end.
I would also bet you the person here in the US has 1,000 times more possibilities of getting up on his feet and finding a new job.
Whether he has to go back to school, go to a tech school, etc. But there are ways for it to be done. And there are more resources here for him to do all those things.
Do you think the person in China has those opportunities? I bet not. And I bet they're happy to have that factory job.
I'm confused. You mentioned that these factories are creating particulate pollution that is being felt around the world, yet you talk about sustainable jobs that factories create for generations to come? The two seem at odds. And if these factories are creating all this pollution, why would we want to wrk there anyway?
Factory jobs are NOT necessarily good jobs. You might get paid more, but that's because you're at more bodily risk, either due to machinery, electrical equipment, pollution, etc. I don't want to work in a factory. Yes, I might rather be in R&D, but I'll take a service-based job over a factory job any day of the week.
GothamTomato said:
"The thing is, to get the ethically sourced tshirt, (meaning, among other things, that the people who make them are paid a living wage and the manufacturing operations are not allowed to get away with polluting that they could not do here) you'd have to pay more than $5. People have to accept that.
All I'm saying is, people would be better off if they bought less stuff (ie; instead of having 10 $5 tshirts, have 5 tshirts that have to cost more because they are ethically sourced)."
That was my point; if the shirts were the same price, then everyone would be green all the time. But they're not the same price, and some people have to make a choice.
And while I'll be the first to agree that if we all bought less in general, it would be a better thing. But there are people that just have to settle for that one $5 shirt, because that's all they can afford. They can't buy the $15 "green" shirt, because that $10 just ain't there.
I'm not saying that all people that shop at Wal-mart (or anywhere)make the right choices all the time. I stood behind a lady at the grocery store that used her food stamps to buy a basket full of ice cream, oreos, liquor, magazines, and cigarettes. And she walked them all out to her Caddy SUV.
I'm just saying that there are good people out there that don't need to be lumped in with the rest. Give people the courtesy.
I guess I'm also saying that I disagree with Lou Dobbs? The "stealing our jobs" thing is just a sore spot of mine. Sorry, I'll put my soapbox away now.
Boring
The fashion industry in general is all about wastefullness. Whether you are creating "more green" clothing in your designer line, in the grand scheme of things is a moot point since the industry is about trends. One of the reasons there is always a new line, new trend, new style is so consumers will buy something they don't NEED because the fashion industry says that what they already have is passe.
They tell you that the must have item is A and then 3 months later A is totally out and B in in. Even if A and B only differ by an inch of heel height, a red trim, or polka dots in stead of stripes. The fashion industry is about consuming. That is why I love to look at designer lines and trends but never buy them. I only purchase classic styles that I wear for years and years.
I apprieciate and LOVE fashion, but the INDUSTRY at it's heart is out of line with my lifestyle and beliefs.
You just seem to be placing loads of bets without any hard facts.
In fact, is your name Lou?
Have you been there Barby? Shanghai stinks.
Gotham Tomato, you will never get it will you? You will always defend your position and never admit that your comments are rude and insensitive to others. You just try to make crude, humorless remarks. You are really a soul-less, evil person. You should really get out of NY and live in the real america, where sometimes the only choice you have is walmart. You should have to decide between eating and buying clothing. You are the most heartless, cruel person I have ever come across.
I think its awesome that he chose eco- friendly materials and jazzed up the usual styles of sustainable clothing. I'd like to see it be eco and wallet friendly!
anon @ 5:13 said:
"You just seem to be placing loads of bets without any hard facts.
In fact, is your name Lou?
Have you been there Barby? Shanghai stinks."
And have you ever worked in a factory there? I never have, but I BET that stinks, too.
Would you BET that if you did work in a factory in Shanghai, you might prefer some cushy office job with a/c and fresh coffee, and hour lunches, and sick days, and health care?
And would you BET that anyone in America that works in an office now would ever go back to working in a factory, unless their self-preservation depended on it?
I'd say those are all safe bets, honey.
If you want hard facts, go to http://www.mises.org. That should give you all the facts you need. I'm sorry I didn't come to Project Rungay with my economic statistics ready to go. How silly of me.
GothamTomato, while I did take slight offense to your earlier comment, please know that I don't think you either "evil" or "cruel", as someone else said. That's a bit much....
God, I love this blog.
Emma P.
Meh: Evan's clothes.
I MUST have that last dress to wear at my funeral!
--Frances Spencer
Based on Biddell's collection, wearing pants must not be eco-friendly. All skirts and dresses.
I'm not going to venture into the Wal-Mart brew-haha, but the term "green fashion" is an oxymoron. As someone else noted, fashion by its nature is wasteful. The greenest thing you can do is to buy clothing that you then wear for years. Classic is the new green.
I apprieciate and LOVE fashion, but the INDUSTRY at it's heart is out of line with my lifestyle and beliefs.
Fashion is entertainment for me. I don't actually aspire to dress like the women I see on the runway. I can't afford it, and I'll be damned if I'll pay for an overpriced knock-off that's made in a third world country for slave wages. That's why I mentioned vintage and recycling. If you really want to go green, skip the vegan silk and incorporate vintage clothing and accessories into the your look, thus keeping it out of the landfill and reducing your consumption of "new" material and the energy it takes to make it.
I'm particularly fond of vintage which still sports a union bug. Because that ship has truly and irrevocably sailed. And more's the pity, sez I. :-\
I'm all over sustainable, recycled, reworked vintage, and organic. I liked this collection, too, except for many of the hemlines. Loved the boots.
I thought Biddell did not look good. I wonder if actual work is making him ill?
If you didn't watch PRC, go find the epi's on YouTube and enjoy. It's fabulous.
Does anybody else here find commenter Milla to be mysteriously intriguing?
What's with all the unpleasant stereotyping?
Jen - I'm willing to bet that a few of the fabulous Canadians I know could wipe the floor with you when it comes to fashion.
GT - you may think you're working-class, but you have some serious snob issues. Some of the women I work with have less than $25 spending-money in a month. When you're paying for public transportation, that makes the difference between a $5 shirt and a $10 shirt incredibly significant.
>Kanani said...
>
> P.S. I love Cheetos.
Okay, that made me laugh.
And say, can't we all just get along? No? Well fine, as long as we can at least be funny about it.
" Kanani said...
P.S. I love Cheetos."
So does Posh. She even wore one to the finals.
--GothamTomato
I loved his collection. I never saw PRC. Does it air in the NY area?
Speaking of NY area, I live in Bergen County, NJ, one of the most dense areas of shopping in the country. We don't have a Walmart. YIIPPPEEEEE!!!!!!
"anon said: GT - you may think you're working-class, but you have some serious snob issues. Some of the women I work with have less than $25 spending-money in a month. When you're paying for public transportation, that makes the difference between a $5 shirt and a $10 shirt incredibly significant."
Yes, and those are the people MOST hurt by the Walmart business model.
--GothamTomato
I like the idea of sustainable and organic, but I'm not sure how realistic and actually environment-conscious it is. The vast majority of these efforts look like commercial attempts to feed off the public's new "green" awareness. It's a well-meant effort, I suppose.
As for the clothes, they're nice but no "wow" for me. I do not see the "Japanese animé" idea at all. That seems a little pretentious. Does he really know what animé is?
I didn't think I'd enjoy PRC as much as I did, but thought that it was pretty great! I got hooked whike dealing with heavy PR withdrawal and now consider myself a die-hard fan of PRC.
I really didn't expect Biddell to win and like others wondered if he'd even put out a collection. While I do get the Japanese, anime, warrior princess references to his work, I feel that the balance is off. I think that he could've gone either full-throttle or more subtle. Didn't love the fish-tailish hemlines, but did like his color story. Not bad for a young designer.
i don't really care how the designer explains the clothes. It's how they look that counts.
I think this collection is fantastic. It manages to be minimalist and full of interest at the same time.
And I also loved PRC --Iman rocks!
"ch said:You are the most heartless, cruel person I have ever come across."
Gosh, you mean I even outrank Osama and Mookie? That's quite something.
But then again, since I'm not a real American, I hope that doesn't mean I get deported back to New Jersey, or even farther (and almost as bad) back to Poland.
--GothamTomato
Looks very Kara Janx-y to me.
It did not wow me.
Very interesting:
"Evan Biddell used the same inspiration as last season - Spring 2008 was Saturday Morning Cartoons, and this season it was Anime. A real distinction or a Peter-Pan like resistance to moving on? He used the same fabrics as last season, but didn't do very much with them that was different than what he had done before. A touch of origami pleating here, a nod to an Obi belt there... the clothing itself revealed a timid designer. Which wouldn't be so annoying, if I had not had my appetite whetted for something new and edgy and controversial.
Oh, except for the "controversial" bit at the end.
Biddell, if you had blown me away with your collection I might have been more tolerant. But that was a sophomoric performance in every sense of the word, and giving us all the finger was just as predictable as the clothes. Not everyone applauded."
http://blogto.com/fashion_style/
2008/03/loreal_fashion_week_fall_2008_
project_runway_canada_continues/
Oh my goodness, I hope this means you're going to cover Lucian, Kendra and Carlie!
I loved PRC! hopefully, you can all catch it on YouTube while waiting for PR5.
Although, I do think Lucien deserved the win and is much better than Biddell, Biddell is talented...I'm not crazy about this collection, but I've seen way worse on PR4.
As for the clothes, they're nice but no "wow" for me. I do not see the "Japanese animé" idea at all. That seems a little pretentious. Does he really know what animé is?
Do you? It's covers a pretty wide range of aesthetics, after all. I can see a pretty solid connection to early/mid-80s anime, back when all the creators were trying really hard to look like American comic books and using very washed-out colors for their otherworldly post-apocalyptic OAVs with insane animation budgets.
Again, that's not to say that I like the collection or think this is particularly good inspiration. I think the blogger pinkprincess quoted is on the money -- it feels more like a teenager playing with toys than an accomplished designer who wants to be part of the wider fashion world. It's not art, and, maybe because I can see the inspiration so clearly, it comes off as way too costumey to seem wearable to me.
Show me that last dress on a size 12 and I will be impressed. LMAO
Aw, I loved PRC...Anyway, I love his collection, but don't really see any eco-silhouettes or clothing. I still love the crazy silhouetttes!
"Anonymous said...
Show me that last dress on a size 12 and I will be impressed. LMAO"
Perhaps if you keep LYAO you can go down to a size 10 or even 8 and eventually be able to wear that dress.
Fabulous collection! Biddell is very talented and my favorite PRC designer.
PinkPrincess said...
... and giving us all the finger was just as predictable as the clothes.
How infantile of him!
I'd like to save the world but who can afford $500 jeans?
I watched PRC (on YouTube) and I was amused by Biddell's character and wowed by his talent. All said, I think this collection lacked the white hot sizzle his PRC finale had. I really dislike the direction he took on hemlines (the look that got M-G tossed off for the Diva challenge, eh?)
Evan, for craps sake, if you read this, those jeans you're wearing look fugly on you - they're not flattering on big boys!
And G-T; the Posh/Cheeto comment had me dying. Is that a reference to her shrieking orange gown or to her fake tan?
Gosh, you mean I even outrank Osama and Mookie? That's quite something.
I have never come across Osama and I don't know who in the heck mookie is. So yes.
Oh my goodness, I hope this means you're going to cover Lucian, Kendra and Carlie!
Lets hope not.
"Stubenville said: And G-T; the Posh/Cheeto comment had me dying. Is that a reference to her shrieking orange gown or to her fake tan?"
Both. (She did take the color theme a lotta bit too far.)
--GothamTomato
I'm sorry, but the sameness of the collection - obis and satin - left me wanting. The first dress was beautiful, but then, it was beautiful again, and again, and etc... Where was the fit and attention to detail, the edgy finishing, the layers? Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to wear any of them, but it wasn't so much a collection as it was 12 variations on a single theme.
I love the green dress with the obi belt.
Not. So. Fast. Seriously, I think he needed to spend WAAAY more time on this collection. Nevermind that I think his work is too amateurish, this collection was a dud.
I didn't like the colours, they are too dark and his construction too simple. Together they make most of his outfits a little too plain. I think he was trying to be like Imitation of Christ but their work is superb.Out of his League.
I hate it when ppl over-embellish their efforts. Yeah, everyone has an inspiration for their designs but with biddell it's always some over-the-top extraordinary inspiring story that fails to thrive when produced.I also see he put to good use one of his favourite buzz words from PRC,"eco-friendly" into fruition.
I don't think much of this is practical, most of it depressing or even dowdy. In comparison to all of the amazing talent at fashion week, his is one of the most paltry.
PS Biddell is such a arrogant looney-tune that at they end of his fashion show when the audience was applauding, he walked on stage and gave them the middle finger!! Bravo Biddell, you're such a class act!
That picture just makes her look "larger'. That is not a model but Biddell's sister and she is also wearing the red hooded number. She is not large just healthy. I think she looks great.
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