Why is everyone bitching about this episode so much in T Lounge? We thought it was fun. The designers have all unsheathed their claws and that's always a good thing. Plus, UNBELIEVABLY bitchy judges, LAUGHABLY bad clothes, and straight men having hissy fits. Darlings, must we once again show you the pile of gold sitting right in front of you?
We smell Siriano. And the Kluminator ain't made for ruffles.
Anyway, congratulations, Korto!
We go back and forth on whether this would've been our pick, but it's still a great pick no matter what. Especially since there was SO MUCH ASS on that runway last night. Honestly, that may just go down as one of the assiest runway shows ever seen on PR. We're racking our brains, and the only episode we can think of that had that many wrong outfits was that 2055 challenge in S1.
We were early fans of hers and then she seemed to lose her way, crying and making assy dresses, but last night she was bitchy and had her game on, so we're back to being fans.
It's striking and stylish and modern. And "modern," more than anything, is what won it for her because most of the rest of the entries looked like they were marching in a parade or working as extras in period movies. Or mental patients.
But y'know? The more we look at this, the more we find wrong with it.
We love the shape of the vest and the color detail around the shoulders. We're a little surprised that no one mentioned the fact that she made it out of leather, though. We realized that this was only for show and the athletes weren't actually going to wear this to the Olympics, but if this really was a design submitted for consideration, we have to think that someone, somewhere would have nixed it because of the leather. Committees don't tend to approve uniforms that might be considered controversial. We're surprised no judge mentioned that.
And while it's striking, from a practical standpoint we wonder about all that white and how long it would stand up when marching around a sports arena. Plus, those pants, darling!
First off, they're totally see-through and secondly, that high-waisted, flared leg look is simply not something that every woman can pull off. In fact, very few women can - even athletic women with great bodies. Could you see one of those stumpy little gymnasts in these?
Maybe if she'd paired them with star-spangled panties a la Wonder Woman, we could've gotten behind them just for the camp value.
Enough pants. Back to color. We kind of wish she had broken up that vast field of white with just a little color.
We thought that collar was blue, but Tim says it's black. THAT we just don't understand. Granted, it's tough to make red, white, and blue look sophisticated - trust us, for 9 years we lived 2 blocks from the Liberty Bell and the sight of so many tourists trying desperately to make stars and stripes work as a fashion statement is permanently seared onto our retinas. But still, a little more color would have made this look a little more ... American, if that makes sense.
Still, as we said, there was a shit ton of ass on that runway and this look definitely stood out as one of the best. Now that we've ripped it, we have to say it wouldn't have been our choice for the win, but we can't really fault the judges for picking it.
Miss Korto had more to say over on the Bravo site:
What was your inspiration for your Olympic look? How did you decide on the pants and the silhouette?
The inspiration for my look was staying true to my classic funky motto. I love a classic cut garment - something simple, with a little twist. The pants were different, but would be comfy to wear for the occasion. I felt the look was the best choice for a garment that would need to be adjusted for a men's look. If I was an athlete, I would love to wear the garment I created. I would wear it after the event, because it's a chic outfit.
Several of your fellow designers seemed to go back in time. Why did you make the decision to keep your design modern?
I have a thing about staying in the present and leaving the past in the past. I love 2008, I'm glad to be here and I want design to represent our time. These days there are so many references to the past that it's hard to define the style of the 2000s. The 80s, 70s, and 60s all have specific looks that define that era, and we keep revisiting the fashion trends of those times."
More detailed pictures:
[Photo: Bravo/Barbara Nitke - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com][Additional Pictures: Courtesty of ProjectRunway.com]
156 comments:
This outfit would look good on very few people. That jacket is going to make most women look really wide, especially when you realize more female Olympic athletes are built more like Serena Williams than Michelle Kwan. And those pants are also going to look ridiculous on most. It is chic, modern, and well-made though, and was one of the few outfits that were even vaguely suitable for the challenge. Again this week, too many designers played the "I'm going to make dress I want to make regardless of the challenge" game (Daniel, anyone?).
I am bereft. I came soooo close to winning that damn T-shirt.
Sigh.
Anyhoo, I liked this outfit very much. It was striking and elegant and deserved the win. OTOH I can see where it might not flatter the majority of female athletes. But that could be said about everyone's entries, except possibly Joe's and Terri's.
TLo said:
"Could you see one of those stumpy little gymnasts in these?"
That is the first thing I thought of with those pants. I'm 4'11 and those pants would look AWFUL on me.
But I thought that this outfit may have been picked because it was the easies to reproduce on a large scale and in time for the Olympics.
Although Pasta Joe's could have too but it wasn't "dressy" enough.
i agree most of the designs were "ass". LOL
i liked korto's but i think joe should have won. his would have worked better on most of the women atheles.
if i have to hear about "tanning" one more time..............
At a certain point, I turned to my girlfriend and said, "How amazing would it be if the judges decided 'fuck it- five of you losers are going home TONIGHT.'"
I have never seen so many designs up their own respective asses.
And the EGOS! My word! Designers making the most insane choices, and so perfectly pleased with themselves!
It was like watching high school cheerleaders at a science fair... Having pert, round boobies does not make your comparison of shampoo any more scientific!
So much smirking... so many shitty garments.
That said, the ones that were good were Really Excellent. I might have gone for Terri, but Korto is a Solid Win.
Hell, I even liked Blayne's. In a LOGAN'S RUN kinda way...
This was not a winning look. Too hard to wear and the leahter would have been a huge issue. They were able to choose their fabrics and she didn't need to use the leather. The pants were ridiculous. Black on the collar - come on.
But what a show - I was screaming with laughter at the designs - what were they thinking.
This episode made me laugh and the one outfit that made me cringe the most was Jerrell's. OH MY GOD WHAT WAS HE THINKING?
Anyway, congrats to Korto but I agree there should have been some more color. If I had to pick a winner, it would have been Terris. I was leaning towards Joe at first but his was a little too literal for me.
i thought korto's outfit looked too much like the jumpsuit she made last week, except in white this time. from the edits, it doesn't look like any of the judges commented on that. weird...
~~zoë
Terri was so robbed, it's almost funny.
Most of the designers outside the top 3 seemed to be making flight attendant uniforms. And Kenley certainly knows the meaning of phoning it in.
I agree with Korto that it was smart to stay in 2008 and not look to the past for inspiration. I think a lot of the designers got WAY confused as they were looking around the museum. They took that to mean that they should design the outfit literally based on the old styles, and they lost their way for sure. The 3 designers who were applauded last night, Korto, Joe and Terri, all had looks that were MODERN.
I think Terri was robbed YET AGAIN for the win. I would have picked hers over Korto, but the judges just love to reward the riskier choices.
"And the EGOS! My word! Designers making the most insane choices, and so perfectly pleased with themselves!"
That's just it. I guess they're young and think they can do no wrong. But most of the time I'm yelling at the TV 'what are you thinking?'
I was watching the designers and you can tell who's been to a sporting event and who hasn't.
There was some SERIOUS UGLY on the runway. Wow.
I feel that Terri will always be a bridesmaid and never a bride in these challenges.
Boy are you guys spot on. I was disappointed in general since as you say there was so much ass on the runway. Too many people not thinking of the brief
Any entertainment came from the claws coming out and the designers getting their bitch on.
Seriously Jay or Kara Saun would have kicked their collective butts on this challenge.
That said, Korto's win is understandable. it was one of the few decent outputs. Not perfect but look what she had to compete against
Frank
Actually, I kind of loved all those wackily inappropriate outfits (except Daniel and Jennifer) and thought, as a whole, it was the best runway show of the season. I mean, at least, it was fun. I have no problem with Korto's win, but really thought it deserved the bronze to Joe's silver and Terri's gold. I feel this even more strongly now after realizing that it's in red, white, and ... black.
Yeah, I understand the judges' choice, too, but my pick was Terri. I agree about the problem with the flared pants--and it's something she did last week, so if she does another design with pants she'll have to change it up or risk being a one-note.
I also understand her desire to be different (like Stella choosing her black but I'll wait for your discussion of her to post), but with that little bit of black on the collar, she really could've broken down and went for the blue.
Zoë said...
i thought korto's outfit looked too much like the jumpsuit she made last week, except in white this time. from the edits, it doesn't look like any of the judges commented on that. weird...
I thought that too. I have a feeling these are the proportions she gives all of her outfits. At least it has been on the show so far.
Joe's was too literal for the win. Did he really need to put the "USA" on it? Cringeworthy decision. I thought Terri should have won but perhaps I just wanted a t-shirt.
I'm just wondering how Stella felt about someone else finishing a challenge using her precious leather. *insert cute emot-icon here*
Although don't get me wrong, I like Stella more than most people on the site do because she has a definite personality, and I find a lot of the designers this season to be kind of 'washed out' personality-wise. I'm hoping they just haven't had enough screen-time yet to 'bloom'?
"one of the assiest runway shows ever"
Ha! I liked Korto's design, though I was a bit surprised that it won. On the one hand, linen (high maintenance fabric, doesn't travel well), leather, sheer fabric, high waist -- all seem poor choices for this challenge. On the other hand, the outfit did look really sharp, in a straightforward, uncomplicated way, and I suppose that's sort of "American" (or an American ideal, anyway), and maybe that's what tipped the balance in Korto's favor.
Phantomminuet, I'm with you - I was sooo damn close to winning too, only to have my hopes dashed in the last 2 minutes....
I too wish she could have incorporated more color into it somewhere - chevrons, racing stripes, anything.... At least she "got" the challenge of designing something to represent the US rather than just doing her own thing and making up some sort of story.
What is it with this season? The winners seem more and more to be 'tallest midgets', i.e. the least craptacular of the designs. I hate to say it, but I think we were a bit spoiled for choice last season with competent designs.
Anyway, I really, really want to believe that Korto finally got her shizz together and is ready to kick some ass and take names. Wow me, please!
Can't wait until TLo gets to Jerrell. I suspect he's dipping into the same bottle of perscription drugs as Sid 'Licious....
The Kluminator! I love it!!!!
Wow, Kenley is ANNOYING. that voice. kinda bitchy, no? She encouraged Daniel to ditch the bolero (not the greatest choice anyway) cuz it looked like wonder woman, then the judges nailed him for not going the superhero route....and I didn't like his dress, but it looked blue to me. It also looked alot like his plastic cup dress.
Joe needs to be slapped. What a smug prick.
herdgirl 72 said, "I thought that this outfit may have been picked because it was the easies to reproduce on a large scale and in time for the Olympics."
The ability to reproduce a look has been a factor in the past, but in this case it doesn't make sense, because they're not actually going to use the outfit.
Korto's outfit didn't deserve to win. She said 2008 is were she is. It looks more like the eighties without the shoulder pads. THe pants were see through and it was really an all white outfit. As was Leanne's which looked like a safari jacket with a cowl neck. These outfits didn't say Olympic athlete. Proud and fierce. BLAH.
I could see any one of the athletes wearing this outfit.
I could certainly see them wearing it more easily than a long sleeved jacket in August.
And I could see it more easily than the ruffled bandanna thing and the boob top.
I love this outfit and think the win was spot on.
TLo said ...
"most of the rest of the entries looked like they were marching in a parade..."
Actually, since the opening ceremonies involve athletes marching in a parade, that's not necessarily bad for the challenge. Terri's, I thought, looked the most like "parade" wear, and thus seemed like the winner to me. But Korto's look was good, and I thought Terri's joy at her win was genuine and classy ... something I fear we'll see very little of from the other contestants as the season goes on.
Korto's outfit was great...for cruise wear. Opening ceremonies at the Summer Olympics do not call for see through linen and leather.
Terri's or Joe's were much more appropriate, and I only watch the Olympics to see what the opening ceremonies uniforms look like!!!
Italy, France and Canada always seem to have the best.
We shall see what Ralph Lauren does for the US this year!!! If it's bell bottoms, I will faint!!
----StkrShock
OMG Alex! That's exactly what I thought. I turned to my husband and son and said I like it, it reminds me of Logan's Run... Renew Blayne, Renew!!!
The past 2 weeks have had a BUNCH of hideous garments. What planet were some of these people on? The ones who got it right, were okay (I think Terry was robbed for the 2nd week in a row), but the ones who got it wrong? Dear Lord, have they been in a cave? The polka-dot hat? A 40's inspired cocktail dress? I am not impressed.
I was happy that she won, but that's just because I like her. But on the whole, I liked Terri's look better. I DID NOT like Joe's outfit. The skort was way out of proportion and would have looked like ass on anyone.
Alex said, "Hell, I even liked Blayne's. In a LOGAN'S RUN kinda way..."
Much as it pains me to say it, I thought his outfit was good. The one shoulder thing surely knocked it out of the running, but from what I could see in the 3.5 seconds they showed it, it looked good.
In general, it seemed (again, based on too-brief viewings) that there were a lot of well-made, good-looking designs, but most totally inappropriate for the challenge. Too many of the designers got lost in the museum, and collectively they ended up with a "Parade of Opening Ceremony Fashion, Through the Years."
PS. The German judge needs to fire her gays.
And what's with the leather in the middle of summer in HOT BEJING. Even stella didn't use leather. she could have used blue leather not black. korto's garment is for a woman that dosen't want to show her body. Like stella said "these athletes are gladiators". Im really starting to like her. She keeps it real and her view point on describing the athletes and reasoning for her design was on the money.
and I didn't like his dress, but it looked blue to me.
Stage lights can make colors go nuts. And what they were seeing has no relation to the way a video camera reads it...
Remember- Captain Kirk's famous mustard/gold shirt was actually pea green.
zoe at 10:24
Thank you... I thought the same thing. How often is she going to do the same pants without getting called on it? Next week will it be the wide-leg pants with a blazer for the Brooke Shields working-woman challenge?
Terri's was probably the most wearable for a real olympic parade, but the T3 (Tight Tube Top) that produced 4 boobs on the model was best kept hidden.
ARRRGGHHHH! WTH is with the Terri LUV?
While I liked the jacket and the pants - eh...that TUB TOP????? Oops, actually meant to type TUBE, but when I look back :o) it fits.
I had to tape the show and I think I rewound and paused 10 times. WTH was going on at the top of that tube top. It was like male "breast" tissue spillage..or some weird muffin top with it looking like the breast either didn't exist or was somewhere close to her waist.
...OK..phew..had to get that out
You can even see one triangle of the "flesh" is one of the Bravo photos
Korto's was good but there were certainly one or two better designs.
And it did bring me right back to the 70's and sneaking this lady away from my sister to play with her.
Unlined white high-waisted wide-leg linen pants = bad idea for almost everyone. Even if it looks good on you for the first 15 minutes you're wearing it, it quickly wrinkles and looks like shit the minute you sit down.
There were several outfits more deserving of the win, some of which were not even in the top 3 (Leanne, Suede, Joe, Terri, yes, even Blayne).
allen said:
I feel that Terri will always be a bridesmaid and never a bride in these challenges.
You may be right, but she's not going anywhere for a while, and she's gracious about being top three.
She's in it to win, and even if she doesn't actually win any challenges, she's a helluva contender for the Final Three... and I think she knows it.
Terri's was a rip of Tommy Hilfiger. She is kind of boring.
I am so unimpressed with these designers - their work and their personalities as well. I think PR may have reached a creative high-water mark with Season 4 and it's probably also at the point of a reality show's existence where what was fresh and new starts to become codified, self-referential and boring. Yeah, it will probably continue to pull in ratings and buzz for a while longer but the glory days have come and gone.
That said, I thought last night's epi was the best yet. I recognized the Armory right away since my son runs track there. It's a fabulous building and would make an interesting venue for a runway show. But how stupid are these designers? So they're not jocks. Have they really never seen an opening ceremony for the Olympics? That sort of transcends sport - it's all about drama and yes, fashion, since it's a hoot to see what the athletes from various countries are wearing. I'm sure I've seen Russians marching in fur during the winter Olympics. And as mentioned last night, many big-name designers do the uniforms. Really, these people are morons.
I'll save my comments on the specifics for each designer but for me it was a toss-up between Korto and Terri. I like them both and I'm rooting for them to make Bryant Park, along with LeAnne. Loved her look. And a cheerleader! Who knew? You go girls - all three of you.
What was Jerrell smoking last night?
He was dressed as the black Peter Pan creating Little Bo Peep after raiding the Salvation army store. Loony bin.
But it provided the best mental image of the night. Please, visualize if you will, a phalanx of American athletes, marching around a Chinese track, dressed in those outfits. OMG. There would be an American revolt in China. (and what, possibly, could the male athletes wear that would be complementary? Little Boy Blue?
Terri's was a rip of Tommy Hilfiger.
If a designer wants to do "classic americana, semi-retro sportswear", they're going to be dipping from the same well as Hilfiger.
Personally, I thought Terri's look was way more sassy and cool than anything we've ever seen from Hilfiger...
For those who think Joe's outfit was too literal, I give you Ralph Lauren's 2008 Olympics line:
http://www.luxist.com/2008/07/24/ralph-laurens-official-olympics-collection/
How much more literal can you get? It's Polo sportswear. Only Joe really seemed to understand that means, you know, actual sports, not a sporty jacket/vest/little dress.
that is exactly why she will always be a bridesmaid and never a bride.
ask said...
ARRRGGHHHH! WTH is with the Terri LUV?
While I liked the jacket and the pants - eh...that TUB TOP????? Oops, actually meant to type TUBE, but when I look back :o) it fits. >
Terri is the Chris March of this season. She can do no wrong, her designs are flawless and she's "robbed" every challenge.
Loved the episode, loved the challenge. I thought the stuff with Blayne's tanning and ignorance of the Beatles, and Terri's "a sister got to keep one eye open" were hilarious--as were Michael and Nina who were just on fire.
I'd have given the win to Terri, but I think Korto was a fine choice, and even though Joe is clearly an ass, it was right for him to be in the top 3. I completely agreed with the bottom 3 and Jennifer's auf'ing as well.
I don't get what people were complaining about either. It's as if they expected this season to be bad, because of all the Lifetime/Bravo bullshit, and so they're determined to call it bad no matter what. Please, ya'll, don't start this whole "jump the shark" nonsense before it's warranted. The show is still buckets of fun and I'm glad of it.
I like that she used mostly white with only a touch of red and blue. I'm alalso okay with the leather vest, but I wish she had used a little more modern fabric for the pant. Overall it is very chic and suitable for the opening ceremony. I'm glad she won. And I for one enjoyed this episode very much.
I'm with TLo: I was cracking up the whole time. Plenty of hideous outfits to mock, I can't disagree with either the win or the auf, and lots of delicious bitchery. What's not to love? I personally think putting Joe in the top 3 was a gift (happy birthday, Joe) due to the extreme wackery of that skort. Since when is the skirt part supposed to be 6 inches longer than the shorts? And I would have been content with any of the bottom 3 going home.
I liked Korto's but I would have done navy pants with a navy collar. But the white is more of a statement. And it would look good on as the athletes march in.
I like Terri (she and Korto are my favorites) but I am not worried about her "bridesmaid" status. Remember Jay never won a challenge either. Not even for the Chrysler Building dress.
We were laughing so hard during that runway show. It did look like the Paramount backlot of yesteryear---so costumey. I thought Korto's was quite good. Terri's was lovely.
I agree with Patsy---the proportions on Joe's skort were weird and apron-y. And the "USA" sunk it (besides there were definite engineering problems with that jacket, franken-zipper not withstanding.
Congrats Korto! I wish they had eliminated a FEW designers last night. So many deserved to go!
TERRI WAS ROBBED!!
Spiral Jacobs said...
For those who think Joe's outfit was too literal, I give you Ralph Lauren's 2008 Olympics line:
http://www.luxist.com/2008/07/24/ralph-laurens-official-olympics-collection/
How much more literal can you get? It's Polo sportswear. Only Joe really seemed to understand that means, you know, actual sports, not a sporty jacket/vest/little dress.
The point of the challenge wasn't to design something to play sports in, it was design a formal outfit to represent the US at the Olympics opening ceremonies. That's like suggesting athletes should walk around in sweats all the time because it's "athletic." Joe's was somewhat dressed up though so he gets point for that. I will remain silent on the laughable comparison between Ralph Lauren's and Joe's taste levels.
what is up with Frau Seal calling Korto "Kahto?" I thought that was her name until I saw it written out. Is it KORto or KAHto?
Was it my imagination, or were the judges the bitchiest they've ever been? I was cringing (and laughing).
And I would have been content with any of the bottom 3 going home.
Or all of them. Hideous.
Here's the full Ralph Lauren link (I hope):
www.luxist.com/2008/07/24/
ralph-laurens-official-olympics-collection/
Ugh. They look like they should be working on the U.S.S. Enterprise.
What is it about Korto that makes her always seem MISERABLE even when the words coming out of her mouth are happy words? Come on, Eeyore! YOU'RE ON PROJECT RUNWAY! Smile, for God's sake!
Oh, Alex, you're a Star Trek geek! Me too. And I didn't know that about Capt. Kirk's shirt.
I forgot to mention that I thought Apolo Ohno was an excellent choice for a guest judge. It doesn't hurt that he's also really cute. And the way he skates? Like really good sex.
On ice. ;-)
Too much tootie if you ask me and I wasn't thrilled about the leatha vest. Definitely top three, though.
Leanne should have been at least in the top 3.
Just an aside regarding La Klum------what is with all the see-through tops!!!! Did she sign as a spokesmodel for a bra company this season?
Just wondering
"kana said...
What is it about Korto that makes her always seem MISERABLE even when the words coming out of her mouth are happy words?"
My feeling is that she doesn't take criticism well and that she was really hurt when she was bottom two. I guess she thought she was gonna win it all.
Me actually think Suede's skirt/outfit was CUTE! The tennis players and gymnasts and maybe the swimmers would look good... The female weight lifters....not so much.
Jarrell and his outfit made me kind of queasy.
I can't believe no one else has addressed the total assery that was the guest judge. Not the guy himself (can't recall his name) - he was nice enough. But he's an athlete, with no fashion background whatsoever. Even THAT wouldn't have been so bad had he been judging outfits he might have worn himself. But he was judging for the women - where was his expertise, other than, "Uh, I've marched beside them." Seriously, they couldn't have found one female Olympian to judge this challenge? Are Mary Lou Retton and Cathy Rigby really THAT busy?
I liked the look a lot, as a look, but the lack of blue bothered me. I also get bugged by people who don’t properly starch their linen. I have some linen work pants that I love for the summer, but I keep them in medium starch and they hold a crease all day without puckering.
I do agree with Korto about fashion today lacking a sense of time and place. I’ve noticed the same thing in music. You can tell when something’s from the 20’s through the 80’s, but all of the music since 1992 has been one continuous blur.
Anyway, I liked Joe’s as well, but the length of the skirt bothered me. I had thought a skort should have the same length in the skirt part as the hem of the short, but I could just be ignorant. In any case, it took the class level down a notch and looked like she had a towel wrapped around her.
While I can certainly understand what the judges saw in Korto’s garment, I personally thought that Terri was robbed. I feel that her look was the best fit for the challenge, was classy and clear American style, not to mention that it would translate wonderfully into a men’s version. Just switch out the tube for a similarly colored polo (or short sleeved oxford); and a tie (or cravat) for the ruffle and it would be gold.
Kana, you NAILED it with the Eyore reference! Korto has a permanent blank stare/frowny face, and it bugs me. Hell, even Jillian blinked once in a while....
I wasn't surprised or dissapointed with Korto's win. I was worried at first when she started talking about her family having to escape Africa.
But really, Terri people? Come on, wait till TLo prints the screencaps and you see poor Xavier's boobs squished out of the tube top. Terri's was very ill fitting. Blayne should've been in the top three.
korto does always look unhappy to be there.
I agree with Trish that navy pants and collar would have improved Korto's outfit. I'm confused about the vest - I thought that only the shoulder inserts and collar were leather, and light-weight leather at that. I wouldn't think that would be that much of an issue in heat, if the leather was applied over the vest fabric, so as not to be laying directly against the skin.
After looking at the Ralph Lauren outfits, I'm wondering if Joe had seen them prior to this challenge.
I think Terri should have won. And I agree with all positive comments about her personality. She has class to go with her mad skills!
Didn't any of the designers THINK about this challenge?
1. Athletes - not skinny models
2. Summer in China - hot hot hot
3. Parade - standing for hours then walking in a crowd
4. Representing your country with pride and class
How was Terri robbed? She made a nce outfit but not really Olympics. What athlete wants to parade around in a hot blazer a tube top with no room for the breast, and that thing was so big I'll just call it a scarf. In the summer?
Ok -- does anybody see the lack of time/ Bravo doesn't care factor here? In past challenges in past years the designers would've been given a briefing booklet with photos (think Marla copying the dress that Hilton chick already wore). I don't think that they had time to properly present the challenge to the designers -- yeah the stuff on the runway sucked a lot of ass -- but the presentation of the question factored in (I think).
Here's why they liked Korto: wide-legged pants are very much on-trend for Fall. That's why she got a pass on the last look also, which had the same proportions. It looked forward exactly one season. Stop hating on the whites, kids. It's for marching into a stadium with artificial surface, not dirt. And it does identify the USA unequivocally, as the Good Guys -- you know, the way we used to be before we became ennablers of extremists and the authors of ClusterF*&ks Extraordinare. But I digress.
The big problem is as y'all pointed out, this look would not have worked for a lot of women; and, like da boys, I thought immediately of the puberty-free gymnasts as looking like they were playing dress up in these. But just a little editing (slightly less wide legs, lower rise) would make it work for them too.
Terri's was the clear winner, I thought. Chic, sporty, interesting and translateable to menswear. She is shaping up as the Jay of the season, which bodes well for her.
With the exception of the top 3, the rest were always chosen last for sports. I feel for them, but wonder if they don't own televisions. I mean, damn. Totally laughable.
phantomminuet said:
"And the way he skates? Like really good sex."
Oh honey, don't you know that ice skating is a lot like sex - It's all about FRICTION!
And yes, Apollo is very cute. Although I don't know if he was really qualified to judge the ladies' outfits.
As for those of you commenting on Korto's lack of facial expression, did you miss her smile at Jerrel's Timpression in Ep 1 or her crying jag in Ep. 2? The girl has emoted enough, in my opinion....
I agree, kana. Korto does always seem to be on the brink of a tearful fit or breakdown. With all of the editing, it makes her look like a spoiled brat or petulant child. Before last night it looked like she was getting the sour grapes, sore loser edit. Last night's win (semi-deserving) made her appear undeserving and kind of cocky and arrogant. If you asked me, all of the designs were off, as were their personalities.
- edina -
Snaps to Korto for wanting to keep it modern and for being one of the few who understood the challange. I thought it looked striking, even if I wouldn't have picked it for the win. But there were so many who missed the mark. These designers need to get out more and get out of their own little worlds!
Wow, bailey, seriously? Ralph Lauren has a high taste level to you? It's POLO for god's sake. Casual wear at best. The links posted to his Olympics collection do look like they were literally designed to play sports in, namely tennis or golf. They are not "dressy" as you claim, nor in any way a "formal outfit" but a bunch of friggin' polo shirts (shocking!) with red-white-blue belts and Docker-looking shorts. Classic Polo looks, hooray for American sportwear, as the Duchess said. But dressy or formal? No. Not at all. It's the "American national costume" in a very real way, and that's the point.
http://www.luxist.com/gallery/ralph-lauren-for-the-olympics/941750/
Joe's looks right on point there, very much like the Ralph Lauren jacket in the above link. You may not like Joe, but he was the only one in the top 3 who really got the point of the challenge.
this ep unfortunately felt more contrived to me than most, with the producers feeding the lines to the judges and the editors packaging it up and hoping we won't notice...
and did anyone else notice joe a.k.a. straight guy's "wowsa" look when heidi first walked out in her bra? oh, editors.
Remind me never to be drinking anything while reading comments. Alex, you made me spew my drink all over the office. High school cheerleaders at a science fair. Brilliant analogy. The science geek in me is giddy.
The Wonder Woman outfit that Laura Bennett designed for the Saturn commercial beat the crap out of anything that appeared on the runway.
Jerrell's model looked like Wallis Simpson in both the getup and the makeup. Not a good look unless you're an East German Swimmer.
Speaking of Korto's pants. Linen!? Seriously. Can you imagine if the athletes really had to wear them for opening ceremonies. The US Olympic head person would tell them "Now, don't sit down for 6 hours people, or your linen pants will wrinkle and you'll look like ragamuffins when you march out". Seriously.
I wouldn't have picked Korto for the win if only because I'm already tired of this silhouette from her. T.i.r.e.d.
I liked the concept - but as you say, I think it would only work on someone who's 5'10" and thin as a rail. The vest was cute, and didn't Korto mention at least once on the runway that it was leather? The black though, left me stumped too.
Spiral Jacobs said...
Wow, bailey, seriously? Ralph Lauren has a high taste level to you? It's POLO for god's sake. Casual wear at best. The links posted to his Olympics collection do look like they were literally designed to play sports in, namely tennis or golf. They are not "dressy" as you claim, nor in any way a "formal outfit" but a bunch of friggin' polo shirts (shocking!) with red-white-blue belts and Docker-looking shorts.
I was talking about what he designed for the Opening Ceremonies - something slightly more applicable than this everday "Olympic" shit he designed for the masses. The look is tailored, elegant, and American - whereas Joe's basically just screams "USA!"
And no, I didn't say Ralph Lauren was the supreme arbiter of taste, but I think he'd win against Joe hands down.
Well I didn't love Korto's look (not a big fan of that style of pant) but it was appropriate, fresh and clean.
Terri and @sshole Joe - meh.
The rest - a shitastic bore.
Good riddance to Jennifer and her delusions of "Holly Golightly goes to see Salvador Dali"; or should that be "midwest matron goes to Walmart?"
OK, I am really over these 20-something designers refusing to design for the challenge and going with "my own style" instead. Daniel's cocktail dress (Michael Kors's comment, so funny: "If her sport were drinking...."), Kenley's what-the-hell dress, KIelli's 1940s-in-the-kitcchen dress, Jerell's lunatic outfit-with-hat (his first! Like we couldn't have figured that out!), and Jennifer's going-to-a-1950s-bridge party outfit. Even Cheroin managed to adhere to the spirit of the challenge with her "bad-ass" (and hilarious!) look.
You all are so right -- EGOS! A whole bunch of people should've gone home last night!
And Blayne, honey? "Across the Universe" is NOT "the Beatles but more progressive." It's the Beatles but more commercial. And he's never heard of Sgt Pepper??? Puh-LEEZ!
Anyone ready to take bets on when Daniel's head is going to explode?
I also meant to add that Polo is the cheap-ass Ralph Lauren line meant for the the average consumer. Saying Ralph Lauren is "just Polo" is like judging Dolce & Gabbana for their tacky D&G Guido-wear.
Just FYI: Korto has a design website where she shows the pronunciation of her name as "cut - toe", so most everyone is mispronouncing it as "core-toe".
That said, I wasn't wowed by her outfit; most athletic women would be horrified by high-waisted white pants.
And I REALLY didn't like her attitude upon winning. "Finally, I get some recognition". Really? After producing a passable first outfit with lots of help from Tim, butt-finned crap the second time, and a boringly safe jumpsuit? Entitled much? I want to like her because she's less boring than many of the other designers, but she's making it very difficult...
Suzette
I thought Terri's was a cute look for fall. It's *summer*. Who wants to wear a blazer in an open-air stadium in August? Korto and Joe at least had the right idea of short sleeves or sleeveless.
And the fit on the bustier was terrible! She had muffin-top chest. No woman (athlete or no) would want to take off a jacket and show off that.
Honestly Joe's was my favorite, although he would have been better off just doing a sporty skirt rather than a skort. The proportion on the skirt portion of the skort was way off.
I approved of the top 3. Korto's looked the most fashionable of the 3, I suppose. My personal favorite was Terri's. Classy (I did note the skin exposure, though), great use of fabrics in, yes Duchess "great American Sportswear" style.
Blayne and Suede must die. I know we're not there yet but GOD they have to go.
We haven't yet seen what Lauren designed for the Parade of Nations, but I bet it's not high waisted, unlined linen pants with a leather vest.
Some samples from 2004's Parade of Nations:
http://tinyurl.com/56ad9r
http://tinyurl.com/66a3ol
http://tinyurl.com/56xca5
http://tinyurl.com/5zsc52
Please tell me who sees formal wear there, or anything seriously dressy. I see some polo shirts, jogging jackets, casual blazers, khakis, even some twee little straw hats... yeah. Joe was WAY off. Terri's was also closer to on than Korto's. Too bad about the muffin-top tube shirt.
Yes, I would certainly hope that Ralph Lauren would come out above Joe in any sort of contest. If that's the basis for your dismissal of Joe, bailey then let's not even have a show at all. Your argument is axiomatic: established head of a design house is better than Project Runway contestant? No WAY!
I loved this episode, too, TLo. I thought it was delightfully bitchy and sassy. Of course, it always takes a few episodes and a few auf'ings to get here, so I held out hope and wasn't disappointed.
Now, I liked Korto's outfit, but did wonder about the sheerness of those pants. Eh, since when did anyone ever let that stop them from wearing such things?
Honestly, it was a very modern look and that's a rare thing these days.
60isthenew55 said...
Daniel's cocktail dress (Michael Kors's comment, so funny: "If her sport were drinking....")....
In Daniel's defense drinking is a hugely competitive sport at Pratt. One I myself have metaled in numerous times.
About the auf-
dear ninagarciafromellemagazine,
there are worse things then boring,such as ludricous, international laughing stock of kitchy,camp silliness. A rut is a rut whether it's a bland skirt with a demure sweater for the masses or a flouncey,trouncey, over-the-top to the moon bonnetted extravaganza. Apolo shame on you for letting the judges intimidate you. Could you see the US tennis team in that?
I'd like to nominate the lingerie challenge in S2 as one of the assiest runways in PR history.
Spiral Jacobs,
I see your point, but the Ralph Lauren wear in the images are NOT the outfits for the opening ceremonies. The article says that this is for them to wear in the Olympic Village or when they go to their meets / tournaments, whatever they're called.
So we haven't really seen what RL designed for the opening ceremony, but it's not this. Joe was on target for athletes in the olympic villages. However, a caveat here. I do remember some Olympics wear the athletes wore those fancy jogger outfits (you know the ones that you'd never actually jog in).
Yes, bailey, I realize that Polo is the casual Lauren, but the Olympics stuff is hearkening back to a casual Polo look and not so much his Fall 2008 RTW, which was heavily into the black, leopard, and red plaid. Not very Olympian or athletic.
Don't want to get into a slapfight with you about this, bailey or anyone else, but I think, despite people's bias against Joe, he did the best job interpreting the challenge. I agree that the length on the skort was off, but other than that? Right on task. Too literal I think is not a fair criticism considering what is usually worn for this event. There are a lot of polo shirts and blazers at that parade, and not a lot of dressy outfits.
Just an observation:
Is it just me are we possibly looking at an
ALL FEMALE FINAL THREE (?!?)
with this season.
To me the boys' designs and aesthetics have been just meh at best this year. Although some have distracted the judges to a small degree; several of the ladies have consistantly been batting it out of the park or at least have sent out something interesting. I hate to say this (since I loathe the character he plays on the show) but Blayne is the only male designer with whom I look forward to seeing what he is going to do with each challenge. The other guys just seem to be stuck in a single perspective and I can easily predict what they are going to do.
Unlike with the female designers, at this point I feel there are at least six that I wouldn't be surprised to see at Bryant Park.
~Zombiebirdhouse
Spiral Jacobs, I'm not sure why you'd use photos of other counties' teams to prove your point. We're talking about the US team, and the most casual thing they've worn in a while was that goddawful fleece for the Salt Lake City games (I assume because it was cold).
And, as far as I'm aware, THIS is what Ralph Lauren designed for the opening ceremonies:
http://thepreppyprincess.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/polo.jpg
Seems a little more formal than a crappily-made skort. My point wasn't to denigrate Joe or his outfit (which deserved to be top 3). My point is you said if one thought Joe's was literal, they should check out Ralph Lauren's which apparently you thought was worse. At least Ralph didn't have to literally spell out the point of the outfit...on the outfit. And I wasn't dismissing Joe because he's "not as good as Ralph Lauren," that wasn't even near my argument, but nice attempt at twisting my words around.
Spiral Jacobs I also wanted to point out, as you did, that I'm not trying to fight with you. I just like discussing fashion, and it's different perspectives like ours that make it a lot more interesting than if everyone just agrees all the time. Cheers ;)
I was amazed the judges were fawning over the linen pants. Linen pants! They would have been a rumpled mess before the athletes even got into the stadium!
Still, I couldn't argue too much with the win as it was definitely one of the better choices. I agree that navy pants and navy leather on the vest would have been a more striking choice.
I think Korto was the obvious contender for the win.
The top three were the only ones who really nailed the brief and of those Korto's was the only one that seemed to be remotely original. Yes, it probably needed different materials and the proportions would need to be tweaked for the athletes'different body shapes (but I believe many teams do this already)but the basic concept was thoughtful and different and would have been easy to take in different directions.
Watch any Olympics opening ceremony and you'll see dozens of variations on both Terri and Joe's very obvious solutions to the design conundrum. I agree that Terri's was fabulously well made and hugely wearable but I guarantee that most of the teams will be wearing some variation on a blazer and pants and have been doing so for the last thirty years.
As for the lack of briefing given to the designers - there's a level of cultural ignorance that is just that, ignorance (cf. Blayne and Sgt Pepper) and, as such should not be pandered to. I was shocked by the number of designers who had no clue what they were designing for.
Oh and I rather liked Leanne's and Kenley's (though she has become SUPER irritating) though wasn't entirely sure how they would translate into menswear.
Last night was a freakin train wreck! It was awesome!!! ;)
Can't wait to read the rest of the entries. This was a TLo fantasy episode in my head.
Hi Boyzzzzzzzzz!
bailey, no, I did not think that Ralph Lauren's was "worse" than Joe's in terms of literalness, only that yes, the designs were literally sportswear, not just "sportswear." Even the more formal stuff you posted is pretty casual, and just like the links I posted: blazers, Dockers, and polo shirts. Other countries wear glorified jogging outfits.
Thus, the comparison between Lauren and Joe is not laughable. Joe is not on Lauren's level, but they are thinking in similar ways. I can see the opinion that Joe's was not quite dressy enough for TEAM USA, but that's not because it was too literal, it's because he chose to do a skort. Which was my original point.
"Jen said...
I'd like to nominate the lingerie challenge in S2 as one of the assiest runways in PR history."
I will second that nomination.
Which brings to mind the question: why in the hell did the lingerie challenge have to be a GROUP challenge? How long does it take to make a bra and panties? Didn't 3 designers work on each of those teams?
This year we have yet to see a group challenge, even though we have so many designers. Let's pair 'em up so we can see each design for more than 1.5 seconds. And Team challenges bring so much emotion... hate, annoyance, bitterness, etc.
-TLo Addict-
Ralph Lauren's opening ceremony outfits were designed for a sport. Boating, apparently. Wow, those are lame. They look like a bunch of overly patriotic real estate agents. Ralph Lauren is tacky! No wonder these designers when off the rails, if that's their role model. Yuck.
Let us compare some other countries' versions of their Opening Ceremonies outfits:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/16321
God. As a Canadian, all I can say is... um... no. The outfits are all on sale at a major department store but, lordy, the only people I can see wearing these things are very gay body builders, low-brow tacky Asian boys and girls and suburbanites. Jesus. There's even as freakin' Canadian Olympic hair scrunchie!
Why, why, *why* leave that look up to a Canadian designer who's far more 'Daniel' and a whole lot less 'Joe'.
On the other hand, some of the outfits are obviously sporty and some of the outfits are obviously... well... the Japanese guys look like their on their way to an office (where they'll inevitably work themselves to death).
I just don't think Korto's outfit would have been good on the track. There wasn't enough contrast or splash for the outfit seen through television cameras or the seats. The subtle details will get totally lost (especially in a sea of other athletes wearing the same outfit). I just don't think an actual Olympic fashion consultant would ever pick that outfit (though, personally, I like it).
Terri's and Joe's are just on the opposite spectrum of what an outfit should look like. If Joe's look went into production, I think he'd get a successful return from the teen and college-age crowd. Terri's outfit can easily be taken apart and put on different racks and look good as day and office wear.
Personally, I can see Joe's outfit pieces parading down a commercial street on the young n' fit. Terri's? I wouldn't notice at all since the pieces separately just look like anything else out there.
But I do like both.
I am betting that the next challenge will be team. 12 can be broken down several ways. Otherwise the split will have to wait until 2 more go home.
I could see Michael Phelps wearing that vest and little else, but that has nothing to do with the Olympics!
None of the top 3 were perfect but they were the most lucid designs for the challenge. Kind of like germs of an idea that would be perfected by Olympic Committee.
Luckily for us, that was about all the lucidity that happened on that runway last night!
BrianB
I'm shocked that none of the winning designs featured gas masks.
Joe's was better, but the skort length hurt him. Terri's was better, but the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the throat hurt her.
I felt the look was the best choice for a garment that would need to be adjusted for a men's look.
Yes! I'm so glad she thought about that. Despite the fact that they were to design for a woman athlete, the Opening Ceremonies uniform is the same basic design for men and women.
I so loved this outfit!
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Jerrell's would be adapted for a male athlete.
Sorry I missed the lounge. I'm on trial and am just grabbing a minute on my lunch break to read your bitchery.
Speaking of ass, there would be alot more ass all around in those pants. Korto made the skinny model look hippy. C'mon, this was the best of the worst and alot of the designs made me laugh out loud (starting with Jerell's hat)!!!!
Alex! said...
"At a certain point, I turned to my girlfriend and said ..."
When you said "girlfriend," did you mean girlfriend or ghurrrrrrrlfriend? I'm loving the metrosexuals in the comments section.
I'm absolutely loving this season! It's so much more entertaining when you play the ProjectRungay @Home game. Last night we got both whackadoodle & ginormous from Suede, tanorexic Blayne was having tremors, Stella was all rock-n-roll, Jerrell's li'l hat & even Little Miss Sunshine Leanne had a zinger about Terri having a sweat shop underneath her table. Priceless! (Tequila shots optional)
hello, I'm patsy stone said:
PS. The German judge needs to fire her gays.
10:47 AM
Definitely...or maybe the Kluminatrix has terrified her gays into OK'ing whatever she wants to wear...
TLo said:
"Could you see one of those stumpy little gymnasts in these?"
*laughing as obnoxiously as Kenley at this*
Okay, I thought Korto's outfit was good but didn't deserve to win. However, now that she has won something, perhaps she will get that pouty look off her face. Seriously, smile for chrissakes....
I liked Joe's the best BUT what they usually wear for the opening ceremony is more dressy, right? In that case, I thought Terri should have won. I didn't care for all of it, but her jacket was just divinely made. It was beautiful. I think maybe she had too much red and blue going perhaps and that hurt her in some respect. I think if Joe had somehow taken his to a slightly dressier level, he would have won perhaps.
Also, Joe was starting to feel a little reminicient of S4 token hetero male...we get it dude. You have kids...you are straight, have been at some point, or have had sex involving a woman...it's okay. We get it and we forgive you.
anonymous said:
I thought the stuff with Blayne's tanning and ignorance of the Beatles, and Terri's "a sister got to keep one eye open" were hilarious--as were Michael and Nina who were just on fire.
I'd have given the win to Terri, but I think Korto was a fine choice, and even though Joe is clearly an ass, it was right for him to be in the top 3. I completely agreed with the bottom 3and Jennifer's auf'ing as well.
Agree. I thought Terri's outfit was a definite winner, but I liked Kortu's look, too.
I am sooooo waiting for TLo's review of Jerrell's design. What was Jerrell smoking and/or thinking??????
I too am tired of the same design concepts/silhouette being recycled by Korto. Again I say, just b/c something is "on trend" does not give it a free pass to a win. There's a lot of ugly stuff out there "on trend."
I agree with all the comments mentioning how wrong the proportions were for atheletic bodies (as opposed to a model's body), the use of black instead of blue, the leather on the top, the high waist, the linen fabric and hideous wide-assed bells of the pants.
Really? That deserved to win? Ugh.
I totally think they should have pulled a Shear Genius a la the Charlie's Angels challenge and said NOBODY wins. The only reason I think Joe should have won was b/c it looked athletic but that's such a lame reason that I cannot even really support it.
Terri's - I can't get behind that look at all.
However, this was the funniest episode I can remember of PR - we all laughed our asses off, screaming and pointing in disbelief at the t.v. Wow - it was exhilarating!
Also? Hello, Jerrell? REALLY? What the HELL?!
Didn't Tim (or someone) say at the beginning of the episode that, regardless of the fact that men and women basically wear different versions of the same thing, they are to design an outfit for females for the purpose of the show? If this is true and I am not mistaken, we can't really use "did or didn't translate well to menswear" as a basis of deciding who actually should have gone home or stayed. My two cents anyway (and I could be wrong about hearing that).
i don't like Korto's model because she looks like Jo from that horrible show.
I really don't think Korto's outfit was that wrong for most athletes' bodies.
The tiny gymnasts are definitely in the minority and as someone mentioned, changes could easily be made to accommodate them.
I would venture that the majority of Olympic women are tall (I'm short and I know for a fact that most sports are better played by tall people), slimwaisted (not much spare bodyfat) and with muscular thighs which would make wearing a slimmer fitting pant such as Terri's quite difficult.
This would look horrible on a lot of the athletes.
How does it translate to a men's outfit?
Aren't the pants cut like the jumper thing she had last week?
What is 2008 about this? Weren't bell bottom, high waist things "in" in the 70's?
I hated this!
I knew you boyz would have fun with this episode.
If the designers carry on like this, Nina is gonna stab someone. MK will be hauled off in a straight-jacket. Heidi will start barking in German. And poor Tim will slit his wrists before throwing himself under a bus.
Korto's vest paired with Terri's pants would've been almost right.
-- desertwind
Does anyone else think this show is starting to get a bit formulaic? As soon as they showed the photo montage of Korto's escape from Africa you knew she was going to win.
also, high waisted pants are the PERFECT thing for short little gymnasts. They elongate, which is what those little freaks need.
As a former gymnast, I feel like I must point this out because it has been repeated many times - female Olympic gymnasts may be "petite" but they are not like short models. They are muscley as hell. Observe Courtney McCool from the 2004 team as an example:
Courtney McCool
Thick chicks like her are far more common than model-esque gymnasts like Svetlana Khorkina.
Dear sweet Blayne won my heart last night when he joked about the Tanning Olympics and how the highest medal is Bronze.
anonymous said: i don't like Korto's model because she looks like Jo from that horrible show.
.....you talking facts of life? wait, I gotta go look!!!!
That vest is what won it for her. She was definitely getting the winner's edit - the piece about her family coming from Liberia was a huge billboard announcing her win - but I saw that vest before I knew it was hers and said that should be the winner right there. Clean, sharp. A lot of female athletes would look great in that vest plus it's sleeveless which would be right for Beijing's hot, sticky weather. The smog might turn it tan in an hour or two, but that's not her problem to solve.
Yes, there were issues. The pants were too wide and in an impractical fabric. I thought she used navy blue rather than black, maybe the judges did too. I don't know whether leather would be a publicity problem or not. Aren't most of the athletes going to be wearing leather shoes coming in?
Still, Korto deserved the win this week IMO. Terri's was nice, but a little too corporate and fussy for female athletes. Not to mention hot (as in temperature). Joe's was cute and sporty, but there were some issues with the length in front and I'm not sure that skorts say female US athlete so much as female US tennis player.
The first thing I thought when I saw this look was that there was no way in hell a track and field lady with enormous thighs was going to make it in those pants. Just. No.
Leanne's outfit was clearly the best! I was bereft when she didn't even make it to best/worst!
And what is up with that model? She is utterly expressionless. Stepford Modeling Agency - no,wait,they had big fake happy smiles.
Seriously, she just looks - bland. Like when a radio is on, but not set to a station, and there's just silent static happening.
Yes, it was classic in many ways.
However, it was also BORING.
The athletes --especially in the closing ceremonies always end up riding on shoulders, tearing around the track. I mean, those kids do the splits, the build pyramids.... they have a blast. This... this outfit along with Terri's were very proper, and quite frankly I just don't see the athleticism in them.
Joe's outfit would've made a lot more sense to me.
The one that cracked me up was Stella's. It said,
"Yeah, we're the USA and we're gonna stomp your Mother F*ckin' ass."
Hmmm...I think this was like a gymnastics or skating competition where it is really a toss up between the top 2 or 3 - and with everyone else falling waaaay behind that top field.
As for leather being controversial; a lot of sports equipment is made out of leather: figure skate, baseball gloves. Even the balance beam is covered in leather. So I don't think leather would be so controversial a choice.
--GothamTomato
Comment #1: Same annoyance factor with Terri calling herself "sista got to" as with Suede referring to himself in the third person.
Comment #2: I liked Joe's the best. It was clean and exhuberant and looked sporty. I loved the idea of the blue and red zipper but don't know that it'd show to the stands. I liked that it had USA on it, and didn't find it grimace-worthy at all.
Comment #3: In real life, the hats are always a major part of the Olympics uniform. I always think the cowboy hats are cool, but the hat choice can make or break a Parade uniform. Even if they weren't asked to actually make a hat, it would hve been nice to have the designers produce a drawing of a hat or cap that would go with their vision.
Comment #4: I was thinking about designs and wondered why not a superhero-inspired uniform, since it was mentioned so many times? What is more American than Superman or Batgirl? I'd go with a short red cape tied in the front, which could be worn flipped over the shoulder, a blue top with a USA logo on the chest, and a red and white striped shortish flirty skirt. The shoes would be knee-high blue boots or gladiator sandals, and jewelry would be gold cuffs on each wrist. According to all the comic books I've ever read, this would look smashing on a muscley lady person!
The political incorrectness of the vest aside, leather is just not going to be comfortable in the Beijing heat. I mean, there was so much said about the uniform needing to take the heat into account and no one thought a leather vest might just not breathe all that well?
And linen doesn't travel as well as some of the judges asserted. It wrinkles if you sneeze too close to it and, yes, it's see-through t a considerable extent. And this looks remarkably like Ralph Lauren's design for the actual 2008 US team uniform. Funky, Korto? Are you calling Ralph Lauren funky?
I preferred Terri's. Joe's would have been okay, but this one really was not that much of my first place outfit as it was for the judges.
Korto kept talking talking about not going to the "past" but her pants are totally 70's...no wait they are totally 30's....
My point is while her look may be modern she was still borrowing from earlier eras.
Balance beams are wood. Pummel horses are leathah. The designs should have matched bruises. Fall off a balance beam and "hello." A bruise like a dinner plate.
I knew this was the winning look even though Terry's was my favorite. I can hardly wait to see the final three of Korto, Terry, and Leeanne at Bryant Park!
Notes:
Stella: "We're the USA and we're going to stomp your MotherF*ckin' ass."
Daniel: "This is a stewardess competition, right?"
Keith: "The skirt ends here accent the athlete's thighs and the wide stripes will show the world the width of their hips."
Jerell: "Oh, right! It's my first hat! It'll make those female shot putters look ADORABLE! Gotta go! Gotta teach them to sashay!"
Joe: "I'm still mad about MY sewing machine."
To all that say that this top 3 were the only outfits appropriate to the challenge...I don't recall which designer did it but there was a White short set with a scarf/ascot in red and blue that to me has a vibe like the outfits I saw on one of the poster's links.
http://thepreppyprincess.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/
I don't recall which designer did it but there was a White short set with a scarf/ascot in red and blue that to me has a vibe like the outfits I saw on one of the poster's links.
That was Leanne's, and if she had made the collar a trifle less exuberant and broken up the white torso a bit more, it could have been a winner, IMHO. It was cute and sporty.
Lawd Lawd Lawd -- PR could not possibly grant Terri the win. Her look was a bigger rip-off of the actual Ralph Lauren outfits our athletes are wearing than the infamous Chloe rip-off Marla pulled on the Nikki Hilton challenge.
Although I would have loved to see the beat down Ralphie would have put on the Duchess!
Here is a link to the togs our swimmers/flippers/runners/swingers will be wearing in China.
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/U-S-Team-will-wear-Ralph-Lauren-during-Opening-?urn=oly,96527
I wish the jacket had sleeves...
Korto has a chip on her shoulder. She is not the great designer she thinks she is. Her outfit was 1973 not 2008.
Small people on a big stage.
BILL said
"And it did bring me right back to the 70's and sneaking this lady away from my sister to play with her."
But it CAN'T be her, Bill! Because Korto is in 2008!
The designs created for this challenge left me whelmed. I hoped that the designers would notice that most of USA's Olympic uniforms are not terribly fashion forward or even wearable and do something to rectify that. But no, they didnt'. Unless the sport was drinking (which cocktail hour is my best sporting event.) Most of the atheletes would look bad in most of what was created for this challenge but the lumpy bumpy coaches would look even worse.
Why is it always the lone straight guy who whines about how many drama queens there are? You didn't see any of the gays breaking out into hysterics because someone stole their personal (unlabeled) sewing machine! And if he brings up his daughters one more friggin' time I'm going to scream.
I would have voted Joe as a winner but I can see why the judges chose Korto's design. I didn't like the shape of the vest and I think it's not flattering to athletic figures.
Interesting that some think that Korto's pants are not flattering. I actually think they are more flattering to more figures than the pants that are actually part of the Ralph Lauren uniform (those have tappered ankles - a BIG no-no for most women.)
--GothamTomato
Well having just seen the actual USA opening ceremoney outfit, certainly Korto's design was closest to Lauren's. I wonder if the judges knew that going in?
Dear Tom and Lorenzo,
Not all gymnasts are stumpy! I have to say Stella is my new favorite. Her inspiration of olympic athletes being gladiators was pretty kick-ass!
Korto's was lovely, but I would have picked Leanne (not even in the top three) for the win. Hers was sporty, uber-American, and INTERESTING.
Why no live commenting during Olympic opening ceremonies even if on tape delay? I think Cheroine's bikerlympics outfit blew away Hungary's Valentine's day massacre outfits.
I thought it was great how she reprieved her visible seam idea in the pants that she almost got kicked off for in that dress from episode 2.
What are your thoughts on Terri's design...and Terri in general? I love her..and don't understand why the judges keep shrugging her off. :)
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