Catching up...

Wow, I have some major catching up to do... so let's start: Horoscope challenge was bizarre and I hated it. Next.

I love the makeover challenges, they really to me show how difficult it can be for these designers to make clothes for the average person. Because, hey, it's not easy. We actually eat dinner and don't spend hundreds of dollars on our hair. And this week was so cute in so many ways, seeing these mothers with their daughters. It's really neat to give these young girls this kind of treatment. I also love them because inevitably there are one or two disasters, and people... this is fucking horrible:

This has to be one of the worst things to walk down the runway in a while. Well, Blayne's S&M meets Rainbow Brite outfit from the horoscope challenge could be worse, but it's hard to tell. Here, the fabric was SO predictable and that patio umbrella shirt fit her horribly. I mean horribly. Take a look:

Oh my god it's so awful!!! This makes me furious the more I think about it. This girl is cute, although she is not a size 2, she has a nice shape and a funky style about her. And now she is pasted all over the internet and on people's TV's as this dumpy, somber girl 100% because of this outfit. Joe did what he wanted and never listened or even apparently looked at her. This is awful and I feel so bad for this poor girl. It's like he found a suit and an old couch in a dumpster behind Kohl's, tore it apart, sewed it poorly back together, and then stuck those red nightmares on her feet. As far as styling goes, it really doesn't get much worse than this.

Jerrell's outfit was fantastic on the other hand. The girl looked great. I do have to say here though he sort of had an unfair advantage. His model was no different than the other ultra-skinny girls he normally dresses. That being said, his jacket was beautiful.

Other notables... how about that bitchy Kenley? Not only did she say she never listens to Tim... she then listened to Tim by cutting that awful toile back on the bottom of her skirt. I was never a huge fan of her style, but in the same vein that Terry ticked me off the other week by being so rude to Keith, Kenley just doesn't fit in as a winner of this show. The sooner she is gone the better. I didn't think Leanne's was really that bad. I kind of liked the dress and although the jacket isn't for everyone, it was kind of neat in its own way. Suede once again tanked. I was a bit unnerved though since it's Week 6 or 7 of this show and Michael Kors JUST noticed Suede talks in the third person? Well, it looks like this week though we will get some true bitchiness from everyone all around. Till then...

Leanne dazzles, DVF inspires

Well, it's been a while since I posted on here. Mostly it's due to a work schedule that has been out of control lately, but I think also it's because although I really do like this season and the young designers, I feel that the challenges (save for the Drag Queen one) were just kind of boring and, hello, total rehashes of previous ones!! Ripping up Saturns and making safety belt skirts, jackets, and dresses is no different to me than a garbage bag dress for a supermarket challenge.

Which brings me to Leanne. This girl is the first designer in a while who like Jay has really began to find her voice and craft as the show happens. Korto and Terri are clearly good designers, they put out some pretty good stuff every week. But Leanne didn't start off so strong (she almost got eliminated for that overly circled dress on Week 2 I think) but ever since that smartly minimalist gray/black skirt she made and almost won with, she's really picking up steam and hitting the mark. The dress she won for last week I thought was really cute. It had this sort of weird hip proportion thing going on, which I normally wouldn't care for, but here it really worked. It looked edgy and young and fashion forward, but didn't give me the same feeling that Kenley's grandma couch print/purple toile ball winner from a few weeks ago did. And that to me is fantastic and a sign she will keep getting better and better. Now, with that out of the way, let's look at this week.


Her navy 30's/40's inspired dress was one of best things to walk down a PR runway in a while I thought. Incidentally, the dress that DVF was selling to American Express owners only for a tidy sum of $700 looks almost exactly like Leanne's original:

Her jacket was the right color and almost the right fabric, and I liked it, but it wasn't necessary and I am glad it was basically ditched for the sale. I love the ruffles in the back especially on this dress, this is a beautiful gown that fit the challenge so well that it easily could have been a DVF original. Before I get to ripping the others, I just have to say here how much I heart DVF. She is elegant, powerful, smart, and beautiful. Rarely is she mean or condescending and she rewards those who stick to their guns and aren't afraid to use their own voice. And as an aside, I'm not made of wood people, that American Express ad with her in the forest talking about where she was and how she got to where she is, ending with the shot of that black/white dress hits me at the core. After watching this challenge, I realized that black/white patterned dress in the American Express ad is composed of entirely one fabric, nothing fancy or extraneous. It to me demonstrates how the design of it is genius, the way she cut, draped, and put it all together makes you realize how great a designer DVF is... I just am inspired by her. Ok, with that aside, let's talk about the others.

Kenley's dress was fine. I didn't like the fabric, and I wasn't crazy about the black lace around the neck (kind of high priced callgirl-ish if you ask me), but it was executed in her own way with her own point of view (which is definitely not mine) and I appreciate that. I also was actually touched by her being overwhelmed with DVF and the challenge, it's a really big deal to be able to even have the chance to do something like that and it was nice to see someone actually acknowledge that.

Which brings me to Korto. Her dress was very similar to the one in the American Express ad, with some yellow added. So already I was kind of been there done that, but her black jacket thing was cool. The problem was I felt like I couldn't really see it on the runway the way the set was lit. I couldn't tell actually what it looked like in detail. I will just have to accept what the judges said. And I am with Tim on this one, the yellow on the top of the dress did look like a bra strap. Although it looks a lot like the one in the American Express ad, it looks almost exactly like the one that Projectrungay found from a previous DVF collection:

Last comment with regards Korto, I know she is quiet and self-involved, but I was a little upset about how much she didn't seem to care about DVF. At least show some emotion. I am worried she is a little more arrogant than I thought. Being assertive is great, being above it all is not.

I was kind of shocked that Stella went on this one. To me, Joe's outfit was pretty bad. It looked NOTHING like anything DVF would ever put in a collection. It looked cheap and shiny, and honestly it still had this kind of drag queen element to it with the colors and shine of the fabrics he chose. Weird. Stella's cape was a little strange, but at least she was more in line with what DVF is going for. I don't know, having Stella leave is fine with me, but it really should have been Joe.

Je deteste M. Slowey

Very, very interesting article about the Nina feud over at Elle and Anne's new show stylista:
http://nymag.com/fashion/08/fall/49259/

Looks familiar...

Ok, not a very interesting week I thought. The only ones I really cared about were Leanne's and Kelli's. Kelli's I thought was the best. She did an interesting job interpreting a black and gray painted fire hydrant as a going out outfit. I think this girl has lots of potential. Leanne had a really really cool skirt, she did a fantastic job toning down her aesthetic and making it work with the picture. My only thought is the top was more basic than I was hoping. I realize the skirt is the prize here, but I still would have liked more.

That brings me to Kenley. WTF? I hated the fabric first of all, and on top of it there was something about the fit that looked weird on the model. Almost like the waist was up by her boobs or something. Plus, the model's hair and makeup were so modern, but her dress was so couch from the 50's. It had the weird arched sleeve tops and as much as the toile was tamed, it still looked too puffy to me. How could you sit down in that thing? Projectrungay hit the nail on the head, this dress style and fabric is currently en vogue with the fashion community. See below (photos from Balenciega Spring 2008):


Terry was interesting, but only because it was perfectly styled and that model is f*cking fierce beyond belief. In fact, there are quite a few models this season who are fantastic.

Emily, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. A well-executed dress, when boring and ugly, is still worse than a poorly executed dress that has something a tiny bit interesting about it. She took the challenge too literally and painted those ruffles all over in the worst way.

I like the fact that these designers are younger and relatively unproven... much like Season 1, but I hope the producers put something into these challenges. Every single one is a rehash so far. I know it's moving to Lifetime, but c'mon on.

Week 2 - Suedehead rules

Suede likes his mohawks blue and his facial hair weirdly maintained. Suede is going to slash and sew up the weirdest winning outfit ever on this show. Suede will take his strawberry margarita now.

Well, maybe not the weirdest, but it's certainly up there. One of the guys on Projectrungay said it looked like frozen pizza... which I kind of agree with. It did come out looking kind of neat though given the time and all. I am sure up close it was sort of a hot mess, but from the distance we saw it on camera it looked pretty innovative. The toile skirt actually was my favorite part of it... it made something cheap and overdone (toile) into something fun and elegant. My favorite of the night though was the navy blue dress done by Terry (she had done the mop sweater and skirt combo from week 1). To me, it was the most polished and the most beautiful. But Natalie Portman (who has a vegan shoe line coming out) I think likes it a little more wacky than that. BTW, what the hell is a vegan shoe line? And was I the only one who missed the whole eco/enviro aspect to this episode? It seemed as though the models just stumbled into the organic fabric section of the store and all looked at each other and said "that would be sooo great if we went for oh-ganic stuff" (toss of the hair). I just don't recall Tim ever saying "use organic materials"... but maybe I should watch it again to make sure.

Losing dress was the worst to me. The little WASP-y, sweater vesty guy (Wesley) did a really awful job. He definitely should have used that minty green fabric instead of the brown satin. Mostly because it seemed as though 3 or 4 of the designers used that same exact fabric. Leanne's had potential I thought. She just needed to remove about 60% of her circles or tags. But I guess you can say that about any dress.

Overall I liked the challenge, it was a nice update to have the models pick the fabric.

But I am seriously confused by a number of the women designers, they all seem to be stamped out of the same Mary Alice I work at a cake store in Baltimore mold (especially the runner up this week, Kenley). But I guess that's what's in... Kenley=Emily=Leanne=Bettie Page. It's like a new mathematical proof for Runway. BP^3 = K*E*L. I don't know, I think I just dorked out there pretty hard. Looking forward to next week!

Season 5 Episodes

Bravo has posted the summary of all episodes plus the guest judges. I can't wait for the episode with RuPaul as the guest judge , it's about time they dressed some drag queens! BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THEY GIVE AWAY A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THESE SUMMARIES. If you want to be surprised, like I do, then a quick skim of the list won't give it away. But clicking on each episode will give a lot more away. Anyone else get the sense that this is a kind of F*ck you to the show that is leaving?
http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway/season/5/episodes/index.php

And you can read more about the cast here:
http://projectrungay.blogpsot.com

It's baaack.

New season starts this Wednesday, July 16. Ironically, it's the same day as my birthday. The stars are all in alignment I guess.
This is the last time for PRW on Bravo. The Weintseins have arm wrestled Lifetime into taking the show, as long as they play (and pay for) their B-list movies. I am really really worried about the transition to Lifetime. I feel that the production value of the show (which makes it so interesting to me) is going to drop quite a bit. I am afraid of typical tv set lighting and vaseline on the lens. Just please don't have a challenge where we have to make a dress for Vivica A. Fox at the premiere of Army Wives Season 14. No thank you.
There has been very little press about the new season, they haven't even introduced the designers on the promos like in years past. All this says to me that they don't care about it and it's not going to be very good. I also heard a little rumor that they were actually filming up to this past Friday. Rush, rush, rush I guess.

Runway Hangover

So, I never got to rate the final looks of the finalists in my blog. Between work and just really not caring as much as I thought I would, I didn't do it. I have in the last few days gotten back in the groove and been reading all about Nina's Elle drama, the Runway move to Lifetime, what the designers are up to now, and catching up on my favorite blog, Project Rungay (those bitches are funny and well-connected).

Rather than parse through the Season 4 final collections, I just thought I would give some general thoughts on what I feel now. Christian was going to win no matter what, his personality and look was too hip to ignore. I liked several of his pieces and understood he was a worthy winner. One aside, his dress for Kimberly Locke on her recent American Idol appearance was way ugly. It looked like he whipped it up on the plane ride between coasts. Rami is fucking everywhere. He has more clothes on more celebs than anyone in the history of Runway. Go to his website and see. I thought he was way overrated (read previous posts) but I must congratulate him on making the best of it, his business seems highly successful. Although this recent look for Heidi was awful.

So although her collection was very uneven, I thought Jillian's first two looks were the best looks out of all of them... especially that first one with the trenchcoat, hat, red belt, and scarf. It just was really cool and unique.

None of these collections still live up to Jay from Season 1 and Laura from Season 3. Especially Jay, everything about that collection was overwhelmingly neat. The look, the knits, the quilting, the colors, the music, etc. It just was on another level.

Now that I have some free time again, I will probably be posting a lot more regularly.

Reunion Episode

So, was I the only one bored during the Reunion episode? It seems unnecessary at this point to continue this practice. We are so overinundated by the reality TV media (including this blog) with information about where people are or what they do after they leave a reality show or a competition. I mean did I really need to hear Carmen bawl her eyes out about Kit saying she was glad she wasn't the one that went home?? Was that actually a mean statement? By my count, definitely not. Anyways, some bullet points I have been dwelling on since the show aired:

** Victorya has an attitude problem. Seriously, her attitude could not have been more condescending or arrogant. And what was she so f*in upset about with Jack's MRSA episode? Was she worried she would catch it? Or was she upset they brought Chris back? Neither Heidi nor Tim addressed that, which seems like something that should have been disclosed. And it may have been the editing, but the cuts to her face they showed during parts of the show were priceless. Averted eyes, pursed lips, shaking head... the perception I got was she was quite the female dog.

** I don't feel much sympathy for how "tired" or "overworked" these designers (or any contestants on other shows) say they may be. Yes, I am sure it can be tough or grueling at times, and I can totally see myself getting tired or cranky in that situation. But let's be honest, you are not hauling garbage or waiting tables or being an admin. You are, at least on Project Runway, doing what you keep telling everyone your passion revolves around. You are having challenges, models, fabric, judges, opportunities, all paid for or handed to you somehow. All you have to do is make a garment. That's it. I am sure they are thankful for the opportunity, but enough with the complaining. Victorya gets a prize here, her statement about how putting on her show was a ton of work is so obvious I found it demeaning. The tone was so like "you don't know how hard this is"... you are right I don't. But again, not saving lives people! Lighten up, it's just fashion. :)

** I actually thought Rami came across much nicer in person than he did in the last episodes of the show. He was very chummy with Chris, and I believe at one point Stephen put his hand on Rami's? Did I see that right? Something may be going on there. Stephen was so complimentary of Rami's talent that it seemed a little suspicious. Also, no discussion whatsover during the reunion show about the Rami/Sweet P team challenge. Out of all the things that happened this season, this was one area I was primed to hear some gossip about. Nope, nada. Thanks Heidi!

** Heidi came across a little on the aggressive/annoying side. I don't mind her speaking up when she has a point to make (and her bit about Victorya being uptight was great to hear) but sometimes it's almost a little too much. She was starting to rub me the wrong way at times. Almost as if she is above the fringe of it.

** Tim came across as kind of a pushover. He was super complimentary that Victorya had a show at FW (though he said nothing about the clothes) even though he clearly didn't care for her, he kind of backed off from his Tim's Take conclusions vis-a-vis what the judges said and saw (stand up for what you believe Tim), and some of the time just was afraid to piss anyone off at all. I just would have liked a little more defense or decisiveness when he was talking at points during the reunion show.

** Marion actually sounded like a normal person. He could have easily said he was better than the clothes he made and was eliminated for... instead he just said he was disappointed that he couldn't display his more avant-garde talents. I thought that was good.

** Jillian was awfully quiet.

** Michale Kors' laugh-fest was great. I wish they had shown more of that during the WWE diva episode. I absolutely LOVED his response about wearing the all black. I wish they had had more pictures of him back in the day in those get-ups he described. He came across very well throughout the whole reunion episode.

** Not crazy about Nina's new hairdo. Or maybe it wasn't a new cut, she just looked different, and not necessarily in a good way.

** Carmen is ridiculous. The crying and all that, it seemed so staged. Thankfully, her 15 minutes have elapsed.

** Ricky was suprisingly quiet, and didn't seem to respond that well to his crying montage (which was hilarious BTW). He needs to lighten up a bit as well.

Christian wins, Sweet Pea out

Christian and Jillian are in the final 3, there is some weird further competition between Chris and Rami to determine who will be the last member of the final 3. But all 4 of them will do a collection.

I will do a rundown of the outfits in my next post.

The Standards

As much as I love Runway and most of the designers, when you look at the designers who are the standards (Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, etc.) it becomes clear why (to me) they are the standards. I realize they have an unlimited budget and a huge team to put all of it together. But take a look at some of these designs. Ralph Lauren every season finds a way to make the same thing over in a new and spectacular way.

This to me is my design aesthetic realized. The colors, the finishing, the silhouettes are just so great. A photo from Calvin Klein (Francisco Costa) Fall 08:








And here are some from Ralph Lauren Fall 08, just amazing stuff:

Spoiler: Only 3 designers to be shown on Bravo

I guess two people will be eliminated this week. Which sucks. This was on project rungay:

Only three collections will be televised on Bravo, but producers want to avoid giving a hint of who the finalists are."

"An extra challenge, “Sew Not Over,” will be judged by fans online and shown on Feb. 21 through March 6."

UPDATE: Press release from Bravo
"Sew Not Over," sponsored by L'Oral Paris, will feature Carmen, Chris, Christina, Marion, Elisa, Jack, Jillian, Kevin, Kit, Rami, Ricky, and Steve as they create three looks on a budget of $1000 that will be judged by fans online. Bravo's cameras will capture the action and BravoTV.com will air the challenge from February 21 through March 6, where viewers can learn about the vision for each collections and vote for their favorite designers. "Sew Not Over" is produced by Magical Elves."

Project Runway at FW

All 5 showed! I attached one image from their collection I thought was interesting or telling.


Chris



Jillian




Rami


Christian


And Sweet Pea.


There are links to a majority of the pictures here:
http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/

First impressions, Jillian had some killer pieces but also some awful pieces. Chris was great. Rami was the same. Sweet Pea did pretty well I think (some execution problems). Christian was over the top, and not necessarily in a good way.

It's so hard to judge from pictures. I thought Chloe's winning collection in pictures was awful, but on the Runway and in motion it looked cool. We will have to see on the show how they really did look.

Malan bores me at Fashion Week

Malan Breton, the well-coiffed globe trotter from Season 3 who made a gown that looked like a log, showed at Fashion Week (again). It was sort of boring and derivative. I always wonder why the fashion writers for the big papers and magazines are so dismissive of designers who make clothes that are for the everday woman (with everyday meaning tall, thin, and wealthy). I didn't understand why the more bizarre get-ups received such praise. But after watching so much Runway and seeing some of these designers (who were eliminated) actually show a collection, I kind of get it. How many black pant suits or jackets do I have to see? Please show my something new or at least kind of fresh. Choose an interesting concept or fabric. That's partially why I loved Laura Bennett's final collection so much. She took the mundane black cocktail dress and made it rich and vibrant. I still think she should have won, but apparently the judges must have been just as bored as I was watching Malan's and Victorya's respective collections.
Photos and video are on the fantastic project rungay blog. (http://projectrungay.blogspot.com)

Ricky's Out

And Chris won. It was the best of both worlds. I will review Operation Spandex later on...

Na-Be Attacks the Runway! Sort of...

Well Victorya showed at Fashion Week. Here is the video of the show:
http://myitthings.com/FashionWeek/Video/It_Thing/Victorya_Hong___New_York_Fashion_Week_Fall_2008/15578222008205645.htm


It was all about the 80's... very masculine cuts and colors. I found it kind of drab (too much black) and repetitive, not all that visionary either, but it did have a few bright spots. There was a chic black and gray number that I liked and some of the thick, cumberbun-like belts around the waist kind of worked in spots. But overall, it's not that noteworthy. Honestly, it's almost exactly what I expected from her. Elisa showed as well, but from what I read and saw, the show was more like performance art and the garments in terms of both concept and execution were amateur at best.

Jay is making t-shirts

Apparently, Jay has resurrected the Camp Beverly Hills brand. Women's t-shirts go on sale tomorrow (Feb. 1). Men's are to follow eventually, I hope they fit normal sized people.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2008/01/31/2008-01-31_camp_echo_of_the_80s-1.html

Kathy Griffin wears Rami

Saw this on another blog. Kathy Griffin is wearing a Rami dress from his line on the cover of The Advocate this month. Holy facial airbrush Batman.

Here is another look at the dress:

http://allprojectrunway.blogspot.com/2008/01/rami-kashou-on-runway.html

Viewers get the blues

PRW was a freakin' repeat. Obnoxious. I wonder if they will eliminate 2 people at once next week then?

Interview with Jillian

Good interview. It was clear no one liked Victorya.

Also, if you look on the right side, there is a video link for a "Project Runway sneak preview fashion show". It has a design done by each designer. This seems to be some sort of teaser/promo piece done at the beginning of the season. But you can clearly tell which design goes with what designer, for most of them. Christian and Jillian are dead give-aways. Honestly though, Chris' garment looked the best. Jillian did a jacket. Shocker. They have a parade at the end.

http://projectrunway-newsday.blogspot.com/2008/01/jillian-admits-to-us-only-that-shes.html

Victorya gives PRW the bird.

Crap, we still have to see her designs. What does Na-Be mean??
http://www.mbfashionweek.com/newyork/fall2008/designers/na_be_by_victorya_hong/index.html

Two events for PRW at Fashion Week

I have no idea what the two events could be, but people are speculating.

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/project_runway_4/2008_Jan_15_fashion_week_schedule

Victorya Falls

It was a truly bizarre week for the show. Nina Garcia continued her war on sleeves, Michael Kors was way tan, and Heidi Klum's fashion choices still elude me. The goal for this week was to design a new iconic look using only denim supplied by Levi's. And for some reason they had to go to a Port Authority warehouse in Brooklyn to get the denim. That part of the show was not necessary.

Amidst all the controversy though, I was happy to see Victorya sent packing. I never got a feel for her aesthetic... it seemed to drift between modern simplicity and homemade amateurishness, never quite finding the sweet center. She also won for outfits that I just simply didn't get. Her Bitten win was even more bizarre than her prom dress win. If you recall, the Bitten winner was a black/charcoal dress with a oddly small vest worn loosely over it. The dress was billowy and full of volume, but the vest I think was this plaid number that was tiny relative to the volume of the dress. It looked proportionally out of place and I think plaid vests on a woman make them look like waitresses at a country club. Her outfit this week was pretty weak, it showed few signs of innovation and the inside out denim skirt looked wrong with the "jacket" top. And for all the talk the judges produce about things looking young, this outfit looked like it was for a much older woman. This elimination was a welcome one for me also because Victorya didn't add much to the show. Yes, she was icy and sort of bitchy, but just not that interesting overall. But let's take a look at this week's episode in further detail...

Ricky won. HUH? What was that about? Even Tim Gunn admitted in his Tim's Take blog that his "stunning" comment was completely out of context. Ricky's denim dress, although fitted well, was not exceptional relative to the other outfits that came down the runway. It had this dated looking ruffle skirt that evoked images of adolescent mallrat wear, or even worse, Kara Janx's Barbie outfit from Season 2 (minus the stripes). Ricky should have been eliminated a few times now (especially after the prom dress episode). His hats are ridiculous and as much as I am touched by his relationship with his mother, enough with the tears already! Back to this week... it just wasn't the best one out there and it should not have won. I guess they felt the need to to validate his inexplicably long run on the show with a win? I don't know. BTW, on the runway, standing next to his model (or anyone for that matter) Ricky looks pretty tiny... he's got a little of that Chloe/Grace dynamic going on. It's cute, but funny.

I thought Chris' dress was the cutest. It was nowhere near a costume and it didn't look dated to me. It looked finished and well executed. I love this guy, so I am biased, but I have no idea where the judges' criticism came from. I personally believe that they don't want him at Fashion Week based upon how he looks. I still think he should have won Week 1, with that grape number, and he was a very close second during Hershey's week. But what really won me over on him is learning all those costume pictures they show of his work were really HIM in drag. Totally ferosh, as Christian would say. Like Tim said in his blog, Chris (and Rami) both had more going on with their tube dresses than Ricki.

Something about the proportion of Rami's dress didn't work for me. The zippers were kind of neat, except for the fact that Jeffrey executed the idea better in his closing runway number from last season (although the green and white stripe fabric was way patio umbrella to me). I was hoping as they showed the progression of Rami's design during the show that maybe it was going to evolve into this denim pea coat sort of thing, based on how his buttons were located. Because to me that's more inline with the goal of making something iconic... a modern denim pea coat that fit well would be much more interesting that what he ended up with. And that collar? No thanks.

Sweet Pea's design was very unique. I am glad she chopped it down to a smaller length, it was more fun and youthful. And it made me kind of wonder why denim designers don't do this kind of patchwork thing more? Does it really always have to be one finish for the entire piece? But the downfall of Sweet Pea's design was the bust line. It looked wrong, sort of flat and ill-fitting, almost like someone roughly cut out some pot holders and stuck them on there. The rest of it was kind of chic though. She surprises me, I keep thinking she cannot possibly be a modern designer, but she certainly has shown me wrong. Her ready-to-wear number last week is a great example of that, she chose modern colors and fabric and came up with a sort of futuristic but not ridiculous garment. She is my sleeper to make it to the finals.

Jillian really blew it this week. I guess she was pretty flustered by Victorya's blatant copy attempt? Jillian's time management skills are now starting to become an issue as well. When you start whittling down to a handful left, any weakness is intensified because it's more invisible to the other designers, Tim, the judges, and the audience. I kind of liked how she was putting the red tabs on the shoulder early on in the episode, but they really didn't look right on the final garment. Jillian was very lucky this week, the master craftsmanship of her avant-garde jacket from last week carried her through. Although I am glad to see Victorya go, Jillian's (in hindsight) was the worst of the week. The whole look together just wasn't cohesive and flattering. I wish she would get a new model as well, I think her current one just isn't up to the task.

Christian's jeans I thought were very innovative and made denim look sleek and sexy. But honestly, who the hell could fit in them? I know high fashion is more about art than practicality, so in that sense he was great. But his top was weird and chopped up. Deconstruction, to me, is only cool when it has a point. This didn't seem to have a point. It almost looked like a pastiche of ideas he had and just couldn't decide where to go. The outfit, on the whole, fell in line with his previous designs. I hope he has another trick up his sleeve or Fashion Week may be a tough sell.

Prediction for Final 4: Jillian, Rami, Christian, Chris
Next eliminated: Ricky (no immunity this time)