Thursday, July 31, 2008 by
Author
Well, we've had three challenges so far and we feel we're ready to make an assessment. Ready? Here it is.
This group of designers isn't as polished and lack the precision of last season's.
Which isn't to say they're not talented or creative. They are. In fact, they remind us a bit of the Season 1 group. Younger, rawer, and more willing to throw some crazy shit down that runway instead of pulling dress #64732 out of their professional trick bag. With this group you really have no idea what they're going to do and that's a great thing. It also means, in the words of one previous season's designer's text to us during the show "There's a lot of ass on that runway (guess who said that!)," but that's a byproduct of creativity.
And another thing before we get to the dress...
Celebrity judges. Hate 'em. Especially when they're not really known for their fashion chops and they're not acting as the client. Last night wasn't about dressing Sandra Bernhard. It was about having Sandra Bernhard spew her uninformed opinions about clothing she had no interest in. Give us a celebrity that wants to wear the winning entry or feature it in their vanity line, but don't give us disinterested has-beens whose latest face hasn't settled in.
Okay. Now.
The dress.
True story: we were watching with a gaggle last night and when Kenley was announced as the winner there were shocked gasps and outrage, but Lorenzo just smiled, leaned back, put his hands behind his head, and said simply "Well, I love it." When greeted with the chorus of "WHAT??!"s he countered with "Balenciaga, Spring 2008." THAT'S why the judges loved it.
Certainly it's not a direct ripoff, but she's clearly working in current trends. The bold, almost tropical print, the high collar and puff sleeves, the general proportions - it's all there.
In the light of morning, Lorenzo's sticking to his guns. He still loves it.
Tom doesn't love it, but he sees what she was going for and he appreciates that.
Regardless of your thoughts on the style of the dress, she nailed it in the execution. There was some unusual construction and fit with this look and it all looks flawless.
Even if you don't like the tulle, you have to admit it's perfectly utilized. She made it conform to the line of the skirt and it doesn't look bulky or unruly. It forms a perfect compliment.
What got the judges moist is that this was such a modern look. Ripped straight from the runways, as it were. Leanne's piece was quite beautiful but in the end, it was a lot of "seen-it, done-it" in terms of fashion. This wasn't.
If we have to criticize it, we really think she almost lost it when she picked that fabric. As we said, it's such a modern shape and silhouette, but that fabric looks like the DNA-infused bedspread in an '80s motel.
She went on and on about her inspiration and how the fabric really captured it and we don't see it at all.
The other criticism we have is with the proportions. It's so tight and fitted in the top and then it balloons out around the hips. It's a somewhat severe look and it doesn't entirely compliment Shannone's body.
Still, it was modern and interesting and different. We know a lot of you will disagree, but we think she deserved the win. We also think her combination of style, risk-taking and flawless execution make Kenley The One To Watch from here on out.
More detailed pictures:
[Photo: Bravo/Barbara Nitke/Style.com - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]
[Additional Pictures: Courtesy of ProjectRunway.com]
243 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 243 of 243 Newer› Newest»lovemesomedaniel said...
I just didn't feel it for this garment, you know? Not my cup of tea, I guess. If you ask me, Shannone won this one for Kenley. She can work it!
Myra Flection said...
I have to say, Shannone stands out as the best model and kodos to TLo for pointing her out early on. She worked the shit out of the dress. She made it look like she loved it and I have to think that helped secure the win.
DeeFL said...
Shannone IS the winner of this challenge. She worked the shit out of this dress and I think that helped secure the win.
Shannone and Tia are my favorite models this season.
Alright, Kenley is talented and earned her win, thanks to Shannone, but who would actually wear something like that? That neckline was horrible.
The best design last night was Terri's, hands down!
Why Sandra Bernhardt was invited to judge is anybody's guess. Maybe the producers couldn't find anyone else?
TWO HUNDRED AND FREAKIN TWO COMMENTS???
Holy crap, its crowded in here!
Love love love Kenley, have to admit I hated the dress and thought she was in the bottom 3.
Balenciaga also seems to be where the producers got the idea to have the lookalike designers.
--GothamTomato
P.S.- Thank you Bill! I feel like Helen Keller discovering wawa!
Sandra Bernhard looks like that androgynous puppet from Mister Roger's Neighborhood that lives in the museum-go-round.
i absolutely loved this dress and was super excited to see it come down the runway. i was not expecting those fabrics to come together in that shape so i yay for kenley for being able to look past her usual retro shape. she deserved to win!!
Two things bug me:
1) the proportions on the dress are off. Seriously. I know the judges mentioned it, but the way the tulle bulges out just kills the silhouette for me. If you want asymmetry, you've got to make it convincing, and that looked accidental.
2) America's next new designer should be on the forefront of fashion trends, but I'm seeing a recurring trend of rewarding highly derivative work. Like tonight and all of last season (PP, I'm lookin' at you), it may be the best of a limited group, but copying the aesthetic of a better known designer kinda nullifies that. I'd almost rather the prize go to someone with less vision and skill than to someone who uses their vision and skill to channel Balenciaga or Westwood and McQueen.
OK, I'm a little turned off. She seems a little full of herself.
When Tim came around the work-room, he seemed a little nervous, did it make you second-guess your look at all?
Tim usually doesn't understand my style or point of view. The dress wasn't near done and he told me it was "costume," but I knew it wasn't going to be. I knew it had a wow factor and I knew I was going to love it. I was a little nervous that the judges were going to think what Tim thought just a little.
What did you think of the other designers' looks?
I thought Emily's looked like Jessica Alba's dress on the Elle poster in her work corner (copied in a bad way). I wasn't impressed by anyone else. I did think mine was the best, but then again I always do.
Oh I forgot the link...it's on the main page under Bravo sites.
Sorry...a little confused here...under "Don't miss" first entry
devo said...
Sandra Bernhard looks like that androgynous puppet from Mister Roger's Neighborhood that lives in the museum-go-round.
That gave me a good hard much needed laugh. Thank you!
H A T E D I T!!!
-ugly fabric (you nailed it)
-odd mix of fabrics
-odd shape.
So should a "well sewn" goose dress like Bjork wore to the Oscars be the winner next week?
(because to some "well made" trumps even a modest amount of taste?)
Of course I don't think I've EVER agree with the finale choices either.
(Off the direct topic - most of those like that miami ditz (Uli?)- could NEVER be worn with a bra - and I guess 34AA is the idea size.)
10:37 post was obviously from a drag queen.
Look no offense, but your over the top COSTUMES are not clothes for REAL women and heck even real fashion houses.
TLO took the easy route and bashed Sandra Bernhard. Although many don't think of her as being fashionista she is. Look at Tim Take on Bravo website. He was wowed by her knowledge of fashion.
"RunwayFan said...
TLO took the easy route and bashed Sandra Bernhard. Although many don't think of her as being fashionista she is. Look at Tim Take on Bravo website. He was wowed by her knowledge of fashion."
Yeah, he was also wowed by Natalie Portman, Posh, Sarah Jessica Parker, Debra Messing, Parker Posey...
Why don't you read this?
"Oh crap I almost forgot! Can someone please explain to me why Sandra Bernhard was the guest judge? Can anyone name one spectacular outfit she's ever worn? Perhaps a glamorous red carpet look that blew us away!? Shoot, I'll settle on a picture of her wearing a good pair of jeans!!?! ANYONE!?!?! I have seen her one-woman show and thought it was hilarious, but judging a fashion contest to choose "the next big American designer?" I don't get it ..."
Daniel Vosovic's Blog
"harpo marxist said...
Uh, I feel as though I'm the only one who hated both Kenley's and Terri's work last night."
No, no, you're not the only one.
Have to disagree, all my friends and I could see in that tulle panel was a baggy lump - it's obvious from the pictures that the two sides are uneven, the tulle being the larger. And I don't think that's what Kenley was going for.
Balenciaga I see - I don't mind the pattern, love the high waist, fitted bodice, puffed sleeves and collar. I like the way that the fabric part of the skirt is fitted as well, but the tulle insert just doesn't work for me. It comes close - if it were symmetrical I might like it. But since tulle generally conjures visions of H&Mish kids-wear, probably not.
I'd say Terri is The One To Watch...I was IN LOVE with her showing last night and I really think she was robbed here.
Just my lil opinion though...
Just b/c something is "on trend" and reminiscent of a major designer's recent collection or inspiration should not make it a requisite "win." I'm disappointed in the judges. Personally, I consider the Balenciaga spring 2008 collection to be kinda ugly and overwrought.
Also, New York at night? No, Kenley. More like debutante ball after party in South Beach, Miami. That pattern was gaudy and fug.
And since when is continuing to drive the tedious "1940's/1950's pinup girl style trend further into the ground considered "a new take?"
Gentlemen;
I agree with your assessment of this season's contestants wholeheartedly. In previous years, it has been relatively easy to determine which three or four contestants would make it to the final weeks, with two or three being obvious early eliminations, and a host of "average" designers in the middle that were knocked off one by one.
After three episodes in Season 5, we have endured some of the most torturously bad design ever, with only a few contestants exhibiting a real understanding of construction, silhouette, fashion history, proper use of fabric for tailoring or draping, color sense, taste, or even market appeal for a garment.
I gave the designers the benefit of the doubt for garments created for the first two challenges because of the various constraints under which they had to work. But the third challenge was their chance to shine, and the clothes were astoundingly awful but for a few exceptions.
Perhaps the well has run dry on the Project Runway concept. Even Tim Gunn seems exceptionally exasperated this season.
I hope somebody -- anybody -- emerges after the next episode. I can't watch such ugliness much longer. Seriously. It's painful.
i thought terri should have definitely won! I loved her outfit and she really did stick to her picture. It looked so much closer than Kenley's. However, I do like Kenley but the minute I saw her dress my mind immediately went to the Balenciaga dresses that are pictured...Kenley could have done some really unique things with the picture she took, and the challenge was to make a dress that resembles the picture!
and the judges said bad stuff about Kenley's, but didn't have anything bad to say about Terri!
Omg, I hate to admit it, but the fact that Kenley is starting to seem kinda bitchy makes me just love her even more. If I were on the show, I'd definitely convening with her, bitching about the other contestants behind their backs. And then we would backstab each other and trash the other's work on the runway. Then Heidi Klum would drop dead. Sigh. *Dreams*
The judges really love understated tulle this season. Just edit your use of tulle for the win.
"lots of ass" has to be Jay.
Lorenzo's right about the Balenciaga reference but really...isn't this show about being creative? I remember the judges castigating your beloved Laura for her designs being "seen before" - I'm thinking that black couture number with the deflating white ruffled collar.
i'm not dorothy gale said...
Lorenzo's right about the Balenciaga reference but really...isn't this show about being creative? I remember the judges castigating your beloved Laura for her designs being "seen before" - I'm thinking that black couture number with the deflating white ruffled collar.
I loved that dress.
Did anyone notice that Kenleys dress also resembles one of Christians Designs from his final collection. Christians ofcourse was perfection, black and actually fit the model, and he resisted making the skirt scrape the bum... but if Kenleys entire skirt was tulle it would have been VERY close. Balenciaga & Christian shaken up.. and spilled on the runway. I think the judges miss Christian.. so ignored the obvious..
Actually, I'm thinking now about the tight closed collar, long sleeves puffed at the shoulder and the plain bodice and picturing the wives of the Texas Poligamist Cult.
On acid, that is.
Picture Kendra's dress with one of their neo-Gibson Girl hairstyles....
BrianB
I'm not a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination, but it's my understanding that the 80s is universally considered to be a Bad Fashion Decade. Why, then, is it coming BACK into fashion? The colors make my eyes bleed and the silhouettes don't flatter anyone, much less a size-zero model.
It pains me that this dress probably won because it's "on-trend." I do agree that it was well-made, but well-made, on-trend ass is still ass. As much as Christian's silhouettes annoyed me last season because they would look like crap on a normal woman (skinny pants, anyone?), they looked stunning and dramatic on the runway. Kenley's dress didn't flatter even her gorgeous model, and the print she chose was hideous. To me, it was eye-catching in all the wrong ways.
Unbelievable. VILE, totally VILE.
That dress was among the very worst and most hideous costumes I have seen in ALL 5 SEASONS.
It's not about ferreting out a Balenciaga reference ... its about acknowledging how that 'jolly-green-big-purple butt' costume was actually FOUL.
No more Kool-Aid for TLo :(
And one last thing I forgot to add --
1. Nothing about the dress represent the photo she took.
2. Nothing about the dress says, "NYC Nightlife."
As far as I understand, those were the rules of the challenge. So, uh, Kenley won this HOW? Even if you love the dress, I don't see how it adheres to the assignment they were given. Isn't that kind of like turning in a kickass physics paper for an English class?
I've been so bored with this season that I forgot to watch last night.
As for Sandra as a judge, most have forgotten, but in her peak of popularity she was as thin as a pencil and constantly wore couture. She loved fashion and gorgeous clothes. Probably still does. I've never been a fan of the woman, but credit where it's due.
I'm not sure how the word 'patooey' is spelled . . . but, that's what I thought of Kenley's dress . . . It looked as though the tulle was concealing a holster or something else.
Jennifer's outfit was fit for a prison matron . . . Awful! Awful! Awful! It looked like it fit poorly . . . but, it was such an eyesore to look at.
I'm with a number of other people here that thought Leanne should have won. Her dress looked well-constructed and worked well with her inspiration.
I just don't get the judges sometimes. Terri puts slacks with a dress, which got Kara Saun dinged in Season 1 in the Nancy O'Duh challenge . . . Alexandra got dinged for imitating Missoni in the bathing suit challenge . . . but, for some unknown reason, imitating Balenciaga doesn't affect Kenley.
Knocking off a designer dress --especially a recent one-- should exclude you from the win. The only thing different about her design as compared to the Balenciaga dresses was the tulle goiter, and that did not add anything to the design.
Thought SB was way better than Portman, though I agree about her face (Why do women do such things to themselves?) and the celeb judges.
I thought it was wonderfully constructed and I can see why it won, but, personally? Hate loud florals, which this pattern closely resembles; hate the '80s; hate that color green.
And, actually, hated Balenciaga's Spring '08 line.
I think it was an accomplished look, but one that certainly didn't appeal to my taste.
I'm joining the "loved it" camp. I loved it from the moment I saw it and was thrilled when it won. Like you said, Leanne's is ever-so-slightly been there, done that. I would wear Kenley's dress in a heartbeat ... I even think it could look good on people of non-model proportions.
This is where our dear bloggers are a little out of their depth by attacking Sandra for her looks and for her being a "celebrity guest judge." You see research is a wonderful thing, had you bothered you might have learned that little old Sandra is just a little more qualified to be judging fashion than either of you two. I don't see you guys sitting next to Nina alongside the runway. Instead you bitchy queens are siting in the bleachers throwing barbs when you should really be looking in the mirror. I've seen the both of you and I don't think either are qualified to be judging anyone based on looks alone.
>sigh< Lorenzo, put down YOUR crack pipe.
Leeanne got overlooked way too easily this time. Kenley deserved to win during Episode 2. This go 'round, Kenley's dress may have been well made, but the purple tulle looked like a tumor and the print didn't allude to her inspiration photo one bit.
God this is an amazing analysis of PR this week. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for your blog and your energy. I can't wait for you to analyze Project Runway Australia!
ohemg! i love project runwayyy. i.m adding you to my blog list:)
Oh my god... I cannot stand Kenley. C U Next Tuesday
Kenley kicks @$$...
she designs the kind of clothes that me and my friends wear - retro, yet very modern.
the dress she made in episode 3 was perfect... throw on a pair of color tights and some high top sneakers or peep toed pumps and you could walk that into any party...
i could see her dressing rihanna, teyana taylor, m.i.a., santogold....... and any other hip, fashion forward, party girl.
she's amazing.
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