Part of the challenge was designing an outfit for that particular bar/environment.
Laurence’s black dress was impeccable (does she do anything not leather?) but Jenni’s dress was more fitting to the actual challenge. The “updated speak-easy” dress fit the guidelines of the challenge better.
And Erin is not the owner of appliques. Jennie’s use of applique was pretty artistic and made the outfit.
I didn’t hate Erin’s dress. I thought the copper brocade would be great in that bar and I didn’t hate the feathers but she got carried away adding extra layers of them.
Maybe Jenni will use feathers next week!
The apron dress looked too much like an apron to me. Neat leather but the “straps” were just strapping off a real apron. Not exactly upscale.
Tasha? She was in that bar with everyone else. Copper, metallics, sparkle. No denim or flower prints in sight. She was just using fabrics she knew how to sew.
I think Alex didn’t get a save because his designs were too “old” for the judges and he wasn’t likely to win in the long run.
I always hope that the contestants have all watched the show for years and know that they are unlikely to go far; I want them to be happy to have been chosen at all. Example - a designer does all very commercial ready to wear. If you’ve watched the show, you know the judges usually (not always but usually) trash the designers whose designs are too “commercial” or “too ready to wear.” Or if a designer’s “girl” is typically over 40, I hope the designer realizes going in that they likely won’t go too far.
I hope none of them have ‘the girl’ who would wear candy wrapper dresses or bikinis or glow in the dark dresses, but those are the challenges. I think Tasha’s girl has to be able to go to a nice restaurant and not wear jeans. The chandelier dress would have been nice if it had been a shift over a skin tone lining because the fabric was nice, the lin in and the atempt to make it t2o pices awful…
There’s the rub, musicmom. Our “beloved” Ashley Nell has a line at JC Penney. If she keeps that up, I bet she will make more money in the end than my (truly) beloved Seth Aaron.
I would think the contestants have watched prior years and know what is coming. At this point to have anyone whining that “I don’t do evening, or pants or anything not silk, etc” drives me crazy. If you are Tasha (or anyone else), you should come into the show knowing that you’ll have to bring your style to evening or cocktail or avant garde at some point. And that you won’t always get to work in your preferred fabrics. At the very least, use your favorite silhouette from your collection and use a dressier fabric in same style to make it cocktail. At least then it is yours even it not the most innovative. Fabric choice killed her - there is lots of street wear that is not daytime summery print material.
The judges can be all over the place though about whether they want design innovation or sewing perfection, though if it were me I’d be okay with a little sloppiness but not ill fit. After all there is a very tight time line. They don’t change models so after the first challenge they should know what they are working with unless it’s a “real woman” or child thing.
@missypie That happens. The Texan that won (Chloe?) hasn’t made a runway splash but she has a seeming successful business. Christian Surrano (sp?) seems to have been the one to hit all the marks in that you see him getting publicity for red carpet, wedding lines, etc. Seems to be rare though. Would love to see a “where are they now” feature.
Reminds me that I started watching season 5 with Leanne as the winner. And two personal favorites- Dmitri and Sean Kelly. Michelle was interesting and I liked her but showed a little more evil side (and not the best skills?) as I recall in all-stars??? I did also like Seth. Gretchen was the WORST. Not to mention the judges STOLE IT from Mondo that year!!!
My favorite season was when Christian Siriano won; Chris March was one of the other contestants. I just really loved those folks. Yes, Gretchen = yuck! Mondo was seriously robbed. However, have you noticed when the new seasons start and they have the preview-the-new-designers episode, Mondo (and Seth Aaron and others) are the ones previewing and pre-judging the applicants. Gretchen has disappeared back into the granola-flavored hay stack from whence she came.
I was sad to see Alex go, but he already has a business, so he’s fine. I’ll miss Tasha; she was a hoot.
It always cracks me up when Heidi announces before the runway that it’s a “blind” runway and no one will know who made which designs. Since each contestant has the same model episode after episode, the judges would have to be pretty stupid (or literally blind) to not be able to figure out who made which look.
I thought it funny that Tim said at the beginning something to the effect of, “Make good use of the Brother sewing room,” like they would choose to hot-glue their designs instead. I guess the show has to give Brother a plug every now and then.
Do they have the same model each week? I heard two of the designers ask each other who their models were as if they were not the same. I haven’t really noticed, but I’m pretty sure Erin’s model in the first week was a black girl because some of the designers voiced concern that her model (at that point unknown) wouldn’t look good in the yellow fabric she used, but of course she looked fabulous.
@zipyourlips - I don’t think they have the same model each week. I heard one designer asking another one who their model was. I kind miss the models having a larger role in the show like in the early days (ex. when people chose the models weekly and one was aufed).
@musicmom1215 I am pretty sure that Tim mentions the “brother” sewing room and the “just fab” accessories wall every week. I’m would think that the free ads they get is part of the deal.
Oh, my. Now I feel like an idiot! Maybe they don’t have the same model. I thought I read something about the designers not having to adjust sizing because they keep the same model, but I haven’t really paid enough attention to notice. I should know better than to repeat something I read on the internet!
I think they used to be paired with a model in earlier series. I seem to recall them making a much bigger deal about the models and that they showed the relationship with the designers. And seem to remember the model of the winning designer getting a prize? The models definitely seem less to the forefront now.
Hmmm, not sure either if the models move around…haven’t paid attention to that this season. But I thought they (still) say that the winning model gets featured in the Marie Claire spread, so how would they decide the winner if there is some kind of rotation?
Now that I think about it it is kind of frustrating…they stretch the show out to 90 minutes but take out the models as playing a a bigger role on the show.
I was really disappointed in the entire show last night. First of all, they went all the way to Orlando to go on one ride. This follows last week’s episode where they went to a party for one drink. Heidi seems almost sadistic when she announces each challenge, ending the fun. None of the designers wowed me in this challenge. Pants that hung “funny”, fringy patches, costume-like shoulders, and mismatched pieces were all I noticed.
What the heck??? One - and only one - well-made outfit among the bottom three . . . and that’s the designer they send home? Makes no sense to me. Best guess is that Brik didn’t add as much drama as the other two, so it was his time to go. But honestly, if the “vomit” skirt (or was it shorts?) had been made by anyone other than Erin, they would have been gone. And Cornelius’s top was absolutely inexcusable - a lot like Tasha’s bikini top a few weeks back. Makes no sense that either of them survived that amateurish construction.