PR: All-Star Finals

I know...behind, right?  I am only just now getting a chance to look through the last shows.

My thoughts on the penultimate show results:
Austin--The color of Austin's piece is lovely.  The fabric, though, is going to be incredibly wrinkly.  For a full swing coat, you don't want something that is going to be crushed, do you?  I like an interesting collar, but my eyes just kept going back to the fabric.
Michael--He always seems to pull out a kimono sleeve, low-back maxi.  I'm bored with that.  It's not at all interesting or new.  His "new thing" was print.  These judges were all over this look, but I was irritated that it was the same old/same old, and too long to boot.
Mondo--Mondo's look was fun, I suppose.  It was a little too sacklike for me.  You can tell it's a Mondo, which I appreciate, and it is interesting.  You can tell it's an original. 
Kenley--I liked the sleeve on Kenley's dress, and it's nice and simple.  She's right that many women can wear the dress.  The neckline was a little too modest, though.  Not frumpy, but modest.  I agreed with the judges about the missing keyhole.  It needed something to lift it a bit.

I would have sent Michael home.  I would rather see a full collection from Kenley than from Michael, and that kind of made my decision for me.  However, I did not get my way.

My thoughts on the finals:
Five looks in four days?  And then the sixth look?  Why?  What's the point?  They will get frantic and overwhelmed no matter what.  It's kind of like horror movies.  I prefer suspense films to gore.  This finale challenge is gore.  Not enough subtlety to it.  It's really too bad.  I wish they'd used their all-stars in a more starlike way.
Below, my thoughts, with the rating from the mylifetime website (out of 5) reported in parentheses.

Austin--
Pink jodhpur jumpsuit and black spangled jacket.  I do like the jacket a lot.  I'd totally wear that.  I like the fabric of the jumpsuit, but jiminy.  Those pants are nuts. (2.17)
Black lace dress.  Loved this, crazy side floof and all.  I'd wear that at a party. (3.71)
Pink top and black skirt.  The little tulle bunch idea was cute, and I thought the idea of the top was a good one, but the set didn't look well made, which is unusual for Austin.  The skirt sort of looked cheap on the runway.  (2.78)
Pink floral gown.  This is pretty Austinish.  I quite like the draping of the top, but the big floof in the middle over the mermaid was not a good idea.  I would have loved to see the floof become longer and just be the skirt.  Like, aid eighteen inches to that, keeping the angle, and cut the rest off.  That would be awesome. (2.44)
Black shiny jumpsuit.  No.  Just no.  Except for the jabot.  (2.84)
Wedding dress. What can you say?  The man is a wedding dress designer.  It's too floofy for me, but I like the magnolia petaling and I like the slight hint of dark he gave it. (4.55)
Thoughts:  I really love the lace dress and really hate the jumpsuit.  They are at literal opposites of my spectrum of love vs. loathing.  The story Austin concocted...well, I'm still thinking about it, but mainly in a wincing way. 

Michael--
Snake print jumpsuit.  If there is going to be a jumpsuit, it really needs to be fluid, and this one is.  But still.  It's a jumpsuit.  (3)
Black and white zebra dress.  No.  No no no.  Too much hoochie.  (3.55).
Black and gray zebra dress.   It's a decent dress, but I am really not into this aesthetic. I know people who are, and I do prefer this to the above, but it doesn't look interesting.  (3.23)
Romper.  Or is it shirt and shorts?  I can't tell.  This reminds me of things that starlets wear when they want attention but end up looking like they tried too hard to look like they didn't try.  In fact, I often feel that's Michael's actual aesthetic. (3.44)
Zebra long pants and top.  I actually kind of like this.  I like the way it clings and moves at the same time.  I thought it was a dress, but it's separates.  (3.62)
White dress.  Again, Michael puts together a perfectly valid drapey dress.  This is usually the kind of thing I love.  Why do I not love it?  (3.5)
Thoughts:  Not enough range here.  It does have a resort feel, which is what he wanted, but it does not have any energy or excitement. Altogether too languid.  Even the Serengetti has color sometimes. Like when the lions dig into the zebra.  That's the adventure I wanted.

Mondo--
Polka dot blouse, skirt.  Love the skirt, love the blouse, love the ink blot bag.  This is like what happens when you take Mondo and make him into things I would wear.  I would not wear my hair like a big poof with the pieces, and I may not wear them together, but I do like the pieces. (3.78)
Black and white dots dress.  I wasn't into this.  The rounded shoulder that stopped shy of the shoulder, and the scale of the neckline and buttons just were not working for me. (3.37)
Wavy blouse and leggings.  Wasn't into this either.  It went a little too far into the therapy theme, looking like an institution smock. (3.44)
Checkered pants, jacket, T-shirt.  Okay.  I'm not into the different covered sleeves, but I love the ink blot top, I love the pants, and the jacket is cute, in the front.  Not so into the back.  The outfit was kind of wacky in the right way.  I was into it.  (3.53)
Ink blot dress.  Here, I was kind of into the red sleeve, because it wasn't too much.  It was just one jarring element in an otherwise straightforward dress, and eye-catching for fun.  I actually kind of want this dress, even though it's not the sort of thing I ever have call to wear.  (4.32)
Colored dress.  I heard Mondo say shock therapy right when I was looking at this dress online, and it made total sense.  It did say shock therapy.  The shiny dots!  I love it.  This is the type of thing I would wear even if I didn't really have call to do so, like if I were going to the theater and wanted to be eyecatching.  I loved the styling, too, right down to the disco ball bag and shoes.  Some of the judges felt this look didn't fit in, and I couldn't disagree more.  (4.19)
Thoughts: Like a poet, Mondo worked his angst into his work.  It didn't feel tortured (it could have gone a little more in that direction), but it did have a bit of a sting to it.  It was fun without being ridiculous.

Final thoughts:  I'm glad Mondo won.  His collection was the strongest and had the most engaging concept.  I haven't always been a Mondo fan, but it seemed obvious that he has tempered his ideas with maturity without losing his vivacity.  I wish he didn't have meltdowns and self-esteem collapses quite so much, but I hope the opportunities headed his way will help him find ways to deal with those that improve on his work.

Lazy-Busy Girl Tip #3

Picking Monday clothes for work can sometimes be a pain. You're in a rush, you don't really feel like going to the office anyway, and nothing looks right. Save yourself some time and effort by wearing your church clothes from the day before to work.

When you get home from church (or Temple, or Mosque, or whatever) on Sunday (or Friday, or Saturday, or whenever), immediately strip off your clothes and lay them gently on a chair or put them on a hanger. You could even run them through a freshening cycle in the dryer, but I never do. I'm too lazy-busy! Then, for the work day, pull them right back on. You could mix it up a little with a different sweater or accessory, or a different pair of shoes.

This works best, of course, if you don't work with people who attend your church.

(What I wore to church for Easter is pictured, but with a different sweater and a belt added. The skirt and belt are from H & M, the cardi is from NY & Co, the gold shell is from parts nonremembered. Heels from Candie's and bracelet from Black Swamp Arts Fest.)

Lazy-Busy Girl's Tip #1 and 2

#1 No time to take off that old, possibly scraggly polish? Brush an irridescent, quick-drying, translucent shade over top. You just invented a new nail polish color and/or effect!

#2 Wearing clothes that don't match your nail polish but don't have time to change or remove it? Select an accessory that matches both.

Pictured: Green sparkly nail polish under milky-pink shade, burgundy pants from Forever 21, and a gold bracelet with purple, turquoise, and opal stones, provenance unknown.

Testament: I had a student compliment my nail polish shade.

Rond, by Cloud

At right: Isabelline, Queen line. Ivory cotton, feathers and lace, smoke quartz pendant.

I am pleased to announce that I am now making and selling custom garters. My garters will soon be available with Emily West Lowry Designs; Emily designs magnificent feathered hair accessories, shoe clips, and jewelry, and creates custom bridal pieces, including birdcage veils.
Rond has several lines of garters: Empress, Queen, Duchess, Marquise, and Dame. At present, each garter is a wholly unique creation, but I am also able to craft sets if desired. Some garters are for very special occasions, but some are suitable for everyday wear. Some garters are the now-traditional elastic, but some come in pairs and tie with long ribbons.
Below are some of my current pieces, with their names and lines.

At left top: The Childlike Empress, Queen line. White satin, with pearl strands and a pearl and gold button.
At left middle: Petticoat Government, Duchess line. Blue pinstripe suiting with lace and white ribbons.
At left bottom: Ariadne, Duchess line. White cotton, pleated ribbon, blue tie ribbons, and Grecian beads.

At right top: Pavlova, Duchess line. Pink dupioni silk, with pink satin ribbon ties.

At right middle: Moon Child, Queen line. White, sparkly cotton, rhinestone moon, dotted with tiny rhinestones.

At right bottom: Bride-Lace, Duchess line. Ivory cotton with satin ribbon band. Lace square, feather, and vintage button embellishment.

At left top: Lady Maud, Marquise line. Paisley cotton, beaded and feathered embellishment.

At left middle: Morning Train to Brighton, Queen line. Paisley cottom, feathered and shell bead embellishment.

At right: Ten-Hut!, Duchess line. Green cotton and Gold lining, decorative stitching, and beaded badge embellishment.

At left top: Rajni. Burdundy satin, rhinestone starburst.

At left middle: Mrs. Wallce, Marquise line. Tartan with red ribbon band, leaves and gem embellishment.

At left bottom: Parvati, Queen line. Raspberry brocade, spray of raspberry feathers, gold coin pendant.

At right top: The Merry Shepherdess, Duchess line. Tapestry toile with cotton lining, grosgrain ribbon ties.

At right middle: Assignations in Vauxhall Gardens, Marquise line. Tapestry toile with cotton lining, locket brooch embellishment.

At right bottom: Wren, Marquise line. Grey satin, feathers and rhinestone button embellishment.

PR: All Those Lights...Is This Pennsylvania?

That's a joke for Steve Edgehouse. Because I know he waits with bated breath for my PR update!
I'm behind, so bear with me. I haven't actually seen this past week's episode yet, but here is my commentary on the week before.

Once upon a time, we used to go to the circus in Lansing. One of my favorite items for sale there was a "fiber optics" light up wand thingy. Maybe it's because my father has done research with Optical Methods of Engineering Analysis. Maybe it was because it was completely frivolous. Maybe simply because it lit up with colored lights in a new and bizarre way, like it was exotic technology.
Whatever the reason, that is immediately what I thought of when I saw what the designers were supposed to do. Make something avant garde with fiber optic light wand thingies. And here's what they did:

Austin--I didn't think that Austin's lighting technique was particularly spectacular, really. The lights were pretty much ready to go, right? That being said, I like that he incorporated shape into his piece. That arc of light was dramatic and the blue with the black was mysterious. The piece as a whole was also classy, which is, I think, what the challenge was meant to produce.
Jerrell--I can't even say that I am over Jerrell, because I rarely respond well to his garments. His model looked like a lampshade. He was onto something with the use of the fiber optic dealies, but the shape was kind of goofy. Wouldn't a sweet, oversized shrug made out of those fiber optic thingies have been rad? I kept thinking, let's flip that part around her waist and bring it up to her shoulders and ditch that collar.
Kenley--I think Kenley turned out something pretty great. I liked the latticed top and the plaid that she invented. Her girl made a complete and engaging picture and she used color well to make the outfit's component's pop. You could see that in a magazine editorial, couldn't you? For summer. I don't know if it was avant garde so much, though I still am never sure I know what that means, either!
Michael--There was something risky about the shoulders, which I respect. That being said...I didn't like the shoulder thing. Giant shoulders with lights inside. I was thinking about that, and wondering if it wouldn't have been nice to have a structured hood with lights inside, that she could have up and then dramatically shake off to reveal something new. The other thing I didn't enjoy about M's look was that he taped on stripes...which is basically what they do on their mannequins to make a garment. Thus, most of the outfit was not risky at all.
Mondo--Mondo's look had an interesting level of ...sophistication? It was more cerebral than any of the other works...cerebrally burlesque. Is that possible? That being said, it was also hard to love if you love things that are classy. From the neck down it reminds me of a trippy poem I wrote in the voice of a dancer at the Moulin Rouge. I can't justify this, except that this is what I mean by cerebrally burlesque. And the more I try to explain this, the more I can't. I have that reaction to Mondo a lot.

PR: Where's Klaus?

I have to admit that, while I have vague memories of what the various chambers at the United Nations look like, I have much stronger memories of the hot guide we had when we went there on our senior trip. He was from Denmark, and at least part of his name was Klaus. I completely faked a picture of a chamber to get a picture of Klaus. He was young, and had brown hair and tan skin, and when he came to retrieve my group, I just remember being silenced by his dreaminess. Not a single girl in my group was unaffected. There was a lot of not-so-subtle giggling, I'm afraid. And did I mention his accent? Yes. Pure blooded awesome.

10 minutes later...
Wait...what are the designers doing? I saw them pick flags, but I was too busy remembering Klaus to pay attention to the challenge. Something about flag-related garments?

Austin (Seychelles)--This is kind of typical Austin in shape. Draped chiffon, fluid, pastel, with a V neckline of sorts. I wasn't a fan of the back. It looked unfinished back there, or hurried. Just not quite intentional enough.
Jerrell (India)--A large expanse of green chiffon. That really was all I saw (which is funny, because the judge just said the same thing). I really wasn't into this look. Even when I saw the dress itself, it was strange...short and shiny. I mean it's INDIA. Get excited. Do something phenomenal and new, and don't just drape a big piece of fabric over the whole thing.
Kenley (Chile)--Very, very short and ruffly. Thus, Very Kenley. The heart fabric was kind of strange. The red and white stripe was a little too small, I think, which made it look pink. That was a questionnable move. I'm not sure if I got Chile out of this dress.
Michael (Greece)--The man loves a low back, no? I love a nice drapey white fabric with a columnar look, but it was a little expected to have a goddessy dress. That's why they're called Grecian dresses. I wonder if a more updated Mediterranean girl look would have been more suitable.
Mila (Papua New Guinea)--It definitely looks very Mila. I also love how she knocks Kenley for doing the same thing over and over when, really, she does, too. I didn't especially care for the skirt choice. That left side was SO very long.
Mondo (Jamaica)--All black was definitely a danger. Then she turns and you get the boom of the green and yellow chevron. Mizrahi didn't like that, but I did. I like a color pop back there, and I think if you didn't know this was a flag-inspired challenge, you might be engaged by it. The shape of the dress really was kind of Jamaica. It said Jamaica. How? I can't figure that out.

My winner would be Mondo. Out would be Jerrell. The judges did not fully agree with me.

PR: The Theatre, The Theatre

What an absolutely fantastic challenge. The designers were asked to create a costume of separates for a character in Godspell, a Broadway show known for quirky, even crazy costumes of bits and pieces. Yes. The character is the "rich woman," the hoarder of wealth. Yes again. This costume will be worn in the show, and the designer will get a bio in the program. Yesssssss.
There was so much room for creativity here, and finally the designers get to do what so many of them want to do anyway: Design a costume! Were I an All Star, I would have eaten this challenge up.

The results--please note that I did these during the runway, not during the judging. I felt the same way a lot of the judges did, I noticed!

Austin--I actually kind of liked the shiny jumper Austin produced for a Godspell costume. That was very similar to my idea of the stage-assembly of the costume, and the movement needed. The hat also worked. The leggings and shrug weren't quite right, though. Too dark, and it made it feel like there wasn't enough to the costume. Some color in the leggings would have put this over the top. This for me was the second highest look.
Jerrell--The skirt was not remotely showy enough. So flat looking! The sleeves of the jacket and the peekaboo front of it were interesting, but also too closed up overall. There wasn't enough whimsy there. It was almost more secretarial than rich woman.
Kara--The costume did indeed look "Rich Bitch" but that was not enough for this challenge. That's not a stage costume. People would actually wear that, together, which is not Godspell to me. The musical's characters are kind of motley. That's the point. Kara's look didn't give me that feeling.
Kenley--I liked Kenley's skirt, but not for a costume. She didn't look dynamic enough at all really. I feel like it was too "pretty." The shape of the coat was right, but there wasn't enough volume and the colors were too pastel.
Michael--Michael's hairpiece had the right whimsy. The blouse and skirt didn't look costumey enough. The judges had it exactly right--it didn't have enough eccentricity.
Mila--I didn't really get Mila's outfit. The skirt and jacket were kind of hookerish, which was not the right direction. Or rich daddy's girl after a night of partying. There wasn't a sense of eccentricity here, either.
Mondo--Mondo was the clear winner here. The character of the rich woman in a quirky costume plays right to his design strengths. The mixed patterns, the glimmer in the fabrics, and the styling worked flawlessly. The jacket was a little bit too perfect in shape, not quite motley enough, but other than that I really liked his look. It had the whimsy needed for this musical.

This is an interesting cut, because the bottom looks weren't terribly bad, they just didn't fit the challenge. That being said, the execution of Kara's skirt was kind of alarming, as was Mila's skirt's appearance. Those were my bottom two, and I felt either could go.

PR: Seasonals

I'm behind, I know...I haven't even watched episode seven yet. Here are my thoughts on episode 6's looks:

The designers went head to head for the sixth episode, with pairs designing for a particular season. On the whole, I wasn't that impressed with the results.

Austin--The pastel cardi, the floral blouse, the high-waisted, high-water khakis--it was just Too. Much. The blouse, seen up close, is actually pretty. The pants, on the other hand, made the model look huge in the hips and thighs. Adding the floral print to the cardi, thus making a twinset, was not a wise choice. Some bling might have been better.
Kara--It's true that her look didn't have much "design" in it, but it also had an easy freshness. I quite liked the silver cardi. I also have an affection for wide-legged white pants, brought about by one of Ellen Brody's outfits in Jaws.

Jerrell vs. Michael
Jerrell--His coat was the more stylish of the two. The garments beneath were kind of ho-hum. I'm afraid Jay McCarroll's runway collection from back in the day has spoiled me for wintry knitwear.
Michael--I liked the black sleek sleeve and fuzzy armwarmer look Michael had. On the whole, I think we had too much of the one textile.

Kenley--Blue and white polkadotted sunsuit, as we used to call them. For a grown-up. I couldn't really get behind that, I'm afraid.
Mondo--Leopard spotted drape top and black and white shorts with a high waist and yellow belt. I'm sorry to say I also could not get behind this look. Summer gave the designers a problem, which surprised me. Summer should be a breeze!

Mila--Mila's look kind of interested me. I have mixed feelings about the cape, but it is a clean look, and I liked it with the red and the jean. The look was sleek and young, but also decent. It was a very nice fall choice. In fact, Mila's outfit was my favorite for the week.
Rami--A blue drapey jacket...with some kind of shoulder pad. Chartreuse...blouse? And gray pant. And a red handbag. And russet and purply shoes. I mean...how? In a way, I could see what Rami was getting at, but also...not. The result was baffling.