Third Floor:Bridal.

I am officially a little obsessed with this website.
I think I've mentioned this before, but I love the show Say Yes to the Dress. I also love looking at wedding dresses online. I also, at very random times, get great ideas for wedding favors or decorations. It's not at the point where I think wedding planning is my calling, and it's not to the point where, like so many ladies, I am planning my own wedding before I even have a boyfriend.
I just like looking at wedding stuff. The wedding industry, I think, is to some extent a racket--the various stores can charge what they like and do what they like and make mistakes and you have to deal with it because you're getting married. Yet there are a lot of great wedding businesses out there, and a lot of opportunities for DIYers. I find what people do creatively to be fascinating. I don't watch Bridezillas, and I don't watch Platinum Weddings--those aren't the kind of attitudes I want to enjoy. But I have a really soft place in my heart for independent, unique, and...loving wedding creation.
Take my sister's for instance--she made her dress, had a string quartet, and gave everyone chocolates from one of her husband's business associates as the favor. The details in their event spoke of what they are like as people, what their tastes are on an everyday basis--and those tastes are, of course, tasteful.
That's what this site, Ruffled, seems to celebrate. I love the small details that people come up with to make their events memorable, and I like the feelings of inspiration that gives me, even if I don't have an event myself.
Also, if I must be honest...I like how girly it makes me feel!

Today's Huh? Moment.

From CNN's article on energizing:
"9. To find the juice to de-clutter your surroundings: Picture a tidy space
Clutter is a great big drag on your energy -- and not just because of all the stuff taking up space. "So much of what ends up as clutter are tasks that we haven't finished or obligations we haven't been able to meet," says professional organizer Emily Wilska, founder of San Francisco--based The Organized Life. "Who wants to be in a space where there are constant reminders of things you should be doing or aspiring to?"
Wilska suggests mind-mapping to get motivated: Clip pictures from magazines and write down snippets or words that describe your goal -- "I want an organized living room so I can invite my girlfriends over for our book club." Then post them on the fridge, the bathroom mirror, or on your computer desktop as a reminder of where you're headed."

Um. Did this not just contradict itself completely?
Nothing will remind me faster that there are things I should be doing or aspiring to than pictures from a magazine of perfect rooms, with "goals" written on them. Who indeed wants to be in a space with constant reminders strewn about, especially if they are unrealistic reminders designed to nag? I know that I can learn to make lace from my lace bobbin kit sitting by my couch. I know that I can't have an immaculate living room with pretentious furniture and knick-knacks with no personality--and I wouldn't want to.
I admit I am a person with clutter. Lots of it. I have always lived in small spaces--small, boxlike bedroom, including storage of things that aren't mine; single dorm room with community bathroom across the hall; efficiency apartment. I also have a lot of stuff; I have a lot of clothes, but it also seems like I have more than I do because my closet is miniscule. When things are stressful, I have trouble keeping my spaces tidy, and I only really notice this when people come to visit.
I like my clutter. I like hidden storage, and I like for things to have a place, but I don't mind when my books aren't lined up straight, or when I have clothes to put away. Recently I've found that I like the look of a (halfassedly) made bed, even if I am not that keen on sleeping with my sheets and blankets that way, but that is one of few concessions to tidiness. I would like more space, but I'm not going crazy in my small, cluttered space with projects all over.
It's my stuff. I like it where it is.

I love Sofft

I interrupt this Twilight discussion to bring you my new shoe purchase.

I've mentioned before that I love Sofft, having fallen head over heels (though fortunately not literally) over my red T-straps. I noticed Dillard's had a few pairs of Soffts out on its 70 % off racks, and went searching in my size. Sure enough.

I did not hesitate. Not one second. I dropped my bags, untied my sandals, and made sure they fit, and then bought them. What a steal! They are black, as you can see, with a floral design stamped in the sides. They look best with jeans, though I am currently wearing them, as a test drive, with a long black skirt. I don't usually wear clogs because I turn my ankles in them (as I do with wedges, but not normal high heels), but these have a semi-normal heel, which makes all the difference. Hearts.

I had quite a shopping day Tuesday at Franklin Park. Having just gotten out my summer wardrobe, I was well aware that I didn't need more clothes. I unconsciously decided instead to look for accessories, which I hardly ever do. My sister is much better at that than I, and more discerning. But along the way, I picked up a cute clutch, some rings and a bracelet, and some other odds and ends. It was a smashing success. And these days, you can bring beverages into stores, so I wandered around with a cup of chai. Decadence.

I also had a weird moment as I was leaving Dillard's. I NEVER pay attention to the designer sections in department stores. I can't afford the stuff, even if it is excellent quality. But the Antonio Melani section is now right near the restroom, and my attention was arrested by this dress and this one. I'm not sure why--they seemed fun, and were a beautiful pale gold color. Ladylike and unobtrusively glamorous. I managed to escape before any salespeople found me and tried to influence me, because it wouldn't have taken much. Sometimes I tell myself, "I could make that," even if it isn't true!

Twilight, pt. 2

On a similar note to the partnering similarities, I was also struck by the sexual tension of closeness in Twilight. Sexual tension in itself is alluring; we often bemoan that moment in our favorite novels and TV shows when that thread between our favorite characters is suddenly and irrevocably loose, after it has been taut for aching ages.

But in Twilight, that taut thread isn’t just a smoldering substory, it’s almost the entire point. (In fact, this cause for Twilight’s success makes me tentative about reading the other stories, because I’ve read spoilers and plots that indicate it’s not such a theme.) This is about physicality, and it’s one for those with strong empathy.

Most of Twilight (as it seemed to me while I listened) took place in that tiny space between barely touching and touching, that breathless gap. In fact, fixating so closely on breath is in itself a good sensory trigger, since any indication of airlessness is immediately felt—you know how when you think about breathing you suddenly feel like you can’t breathe enough? That is Twilight. Consider all the mentions of smell, for instance, or forgetting to breathe. While a lot of the descriptions of smell were clunky, they at least maintain the connection to air, and the reader’s sensory memory of it.

Physical nearness, not quite touching, but close enough to raise hairs, plays a bigger role. A reader is better able to “feel” this than actual touching in a story. Touching is very specific to individuals, and harder to feel through empathy. We may not have been touched in the same way; we may not be able to relate to the touch being experienced, the textures and pressure of it. But if the characters in a story are NOT touching it’s easy to feel because, after all, the reader isn’t being touched either. It’s much easier to imagine almost being touched. It works for the same reason suspense in a horror film does—we are more afraid when the character can’t see the monster yet, because if there is an ax murderer near us, we can’t see him either. It’s the pressure of absence that builds up. I am in the camp that loves the torture of almost-there almost as much—and sometimes more—than the there.

Actually, I think this is part of the reason why the book appeals so much to women in my age group. Not many of us take the time to almost touch anymore with our significant others. We don’t take the time to torture each other with not touching or barely touching, to let our breath be taken away by it for ages. Edward running his nose along Bella’s jawline is particularly evocative to us because we can remember that painfully delicious moment when someone did that to us, and many of us miss it, at least at that extreme, extended level. The idea of women needing more foreplay than men is an old joke, but it is not so much about foreplay here as the enjoyment of the physical responses we get out of torturous nearness. It’s drawing out the “turning on” and making it the focus, making it never stop.

As I listened to the audio book, I found myself shaking my head and chuckling out loud at some of the descriptions (the reasons for which I’ll explain later). Yet I can’t deny I had a physical response to Twilight. I have a very strong empathetic memory, and as I mentioned I’m partial to the torture of touch and almost-touch. In that regard, at least, Twilight worked on me!

Twilight, pt. 1

As the school year ended, it was time to get back into the sewing room, which meant I needed an audio book. It so happened that I discovered Twilight on the shelf at the local library; I hadn’t read it yet, and was meaning to, so it seemed like an obvious fit. Half of my friends are obsessed with Twilight, and another quarter of them have read it, so I’m really the last to the table here, I know. I prefer that, in some ways, since enough time has passed that their impressions have faded out of my memory.

In our 1100/1110 courses, we teach a “Searching for Causes” essay—trying to uncover the best cause of a trend or phenomenon. One of my friends actually teaches the essay through the lens of Twilight’s popularity. The students don’t always believe that this is a real process people go through, but I had to laugh as I was listening to this book and, in my head, uncovering reasons that people are obsessed with this book, especially women of my age bracket.

Let me say that I’m not obsessed with it; I enjoyed the experience, and I will likely pursue the other audio books when they’re available (they’re all checked out at present). Still, I am not sure if I will see the movie or not, and I don’t feel compelled to buy anything. I’m not caught up in it as I was with, say, Harry Potter. At the same time, I can understand the allure from many perspectives, and as I said, I found enjoyment. I also experienced several other things at the same time this was going on that dovetailed with my Twilight foray. So, these next few blog entries are my reflections on Twilight.

As I was patchworking turtles together, examining my reactions to the book in progress, I realized that part of the attraction is the same reason why I like dance partnering.

No—really. I’ve written about this before. Partnering is the biggest demonstration of trust that I’ve experienced to date, requiring as it does being lifted into the air, perhaps tossed, perhaps flipped upside down. There is weight sharing and touching, often in places that otherwise would be completely inappropriate. It’s a fantasy, a confection. You aren’t really in love with your dance partner (probably), but you frequently pretend you are, and you are certainly in love with being picked up, embraced, touched, made to feel precious, airy, and even protected (those arms, after all, often the only thing that keeps your head from smashing into the floor). Of course, the reality is that partnering is difficult, requiring intense strength, control, and balance, and it isn’t as romantic in its beginning stages. But once everything is smoothed out, the fantasy is there.



I was reflecting on this recently while I was watching my favorite dance piece probably ever. Jiri Kylian’s piece Petit Mort is perfect: Simple in costume and staging, complex in musicality and arrangement of the body. When I see it, I stop what I am doing and stare. He uses the piano music to its best effect, eking out every nuance. And it is romantic. Title notwithstanding, the partnering in this piece is silky and sensuous. It is everything partnering should be; it also gives the man body positioning just as beautiful as the woman’s, which is rare. Usually in romantic ballets, the man is a set piece. Not so in Kylian’s work. He cradles and supports, but also makes his own body into an instrument of action and thus the bodies are a shape together, incalmo, as the Italian glassmakers say.

The shapes and the touching of Petit Mort were present in my mind as I listened to Twilight. In both, there is an evocation of closeness and breath that makes me sigh out of instinct. I am not saying that they are of equal quality—Petit Mort is genius and Twilight is merely entertaining. But the fantasy of Twlight is, after all, two bodies impelled through space, each compelling the other, just as the fantasy with Petit Mort is being a partner in that intricate rendering of sexuality through dance, being lifted physically and spiritually, and made utterly precious.

The Oh Dear Frock Grosgrain Giveaway

The Oh Dear Frock Grosgrain Giveaway
Cuteness! I got on to this blog via another friend, and I love popping in to see what frocks are appearing. I also love that they are identified as frocks!

You ever have one of those experiences where you've been thinking deeply about something for a while, and have come to a realization, and then you read that very same realization someplace else?

From CNN: "Consider a choice you have to make -- anything from which movie to see to which house to buy. Instead of weighing pros and cons intellectually, notice your physical response to each option. Pay attention to when your body tenses or relaxes."

I've been feeling a huge sense of dissatisfaction lately. I don't know how much of this is chemical and how much mental...how much health-related and how much life-related, in other words. But I have been trying to think about what would make it better, what direction I should go in. I've noticed that, while many ideas have flitted through my brain, nothing sounds good or right. I don't want to do anything somehow. I haven't hit on the right idea. And I can tell, I realized, because I get a feeling of "no" in the pit of my stomach, a sort of revolt, whenever an idea comes up, no matter how great it looks on the surface. I know part of it is just exhaustion and burn-out, but not all.

For instance, I was considering doing an online library studies masters. I was doing research in the programs available online, and I just felt depressed about it. I would love to work in a library, amidst the books I love, but doing so via one of these programs is just not striking me correctly. I don't know why. It seems like such a no-brainer. But my gut says no.

So, when I read that on CNN today, I had to laugh, because as much as I'm a pro-con lister, I have been focusing on my intuition lately to try to solve this problem. Consider my mind read.

PR: In which I was fully prepared to say "NO NO NO" and didn't have to.

First, from Tim's blog, I learned, "This is the last season in which Bryant Park will be center stage for New York Fashion Week. In spite of the fact that Bryant Park has been responsible for branding New York as "the Fashion Capital of the World," the New York City Parks Commissioner wants us OUT. His office maintains that Bryant Park is a public space, yet Fashion Week is an "invitation only" (i.e., private) event." Probably, most people knew this already, but I didn't, since I don't pay that much attention. Anyway, an interesting change, no? Evidently, Lincoln Center is the new site.

Now, throughout this whole show, I kept thinking "Don't let Emilio win." I am not usually like that; even when I don't care for a designer, and might feel less inclined to want him to win (like Siriano), I don't actively hate on him. This year was different. I'm just that done with him. I've liked some of his designs this season, but I'm just done with his arrogance. Even so, his collection was also my least favorite of the three, without the lenses of bias. And, unexpectedly, my favorite of the three was Mila. Let's see how it all shook out, shall we?

Mila
Top three looks:
Knit stripey dress--I love. I'd totally wear this. Very rocker chic but not in a scary way. It looks kind of cozy.
White tee with sweater--Some may call it plain, mundane, or boring, but the fact of the matter is I'd wear it. I love that sweater. It's very me.
Shiny dress--I know people disagree with me, but I really liked this dress on the runway. It's weird, but somehow the fishscalelike material really appeals to me. It's almost an updated flapper garment.
Bottom three looks:
"Round" coat--the first look out...I call it round because its silhouette is very round. I wasn't that interested in this garment, and it made me worry about the direction of her collection, temporarily.
Ripply blouson with short pants--The shorts were really not attractive to my eye. The blouson wasn't bad, actually, but it also wasn't that eye-catching.
Striped tunic with white tights--I don't hate this look; I didn't hate any looks, but the white tights here with the black boots really threw me off, and the tunic looked a touch sloppy.

General observations: I acknowledge that Mila didn't put out anything very surprising. You know what, though? I'm okay with that. Leggings aside, I actually liked the way she updated her style for this runway show, and her pieces were impeccable and wearable, with a wry edge to them. I had a hard time coming up with pieces I genuinely disliked in this collection, and ended up picking mostly ones that I was meh about. Her clothes looked comfortable, and I responded to this style as being the closest to my own, when I'm feeling a little badass. I congratulate Mila on finding some youth at last.

Seth Aaron
Top three looks:
Red dress with the leather trim--I was interested in the shape of the dress, but I hated the leggings. I'm pretty anti-leggings. I think I've mentioned that. But the dress was fun to look at.
Black and white striped dress--I loved the shape of this dress, and the party flavor. I would wear this immediately.
Yellow tartan dress/coat--This look was bold and surprising in a good way. I could never wear this color, but I liked the combination of a modern style with a tartan.
Bottom three looks:
Black "thorny" dress--To me, this looked like trash bags. In the upclose pictures, you can see that all those folds were lined in red tartan. But why? You couldn't see any of that. Up top, the bodice started doing something interesting, but I didn't care for it from the bust down.
Trench coat with tartan-striped leggings--Yuck. This was probably my least favorite look of SA's, and one of the least favorite overall. I can't bear those leggings. They kind of reminded me of Jeffrey Sebelia's taste.
Purple bunchy dress-- Another big miss. Love the color, hate the shape and the movement, or lack thereof.
General observations: I concurred with the judges that it was refreshing to see Seth Aaron reel it in without losing himself. Not all of his looks were tasteful, but they all had his distinctive stamp without being unwearable, as his clothes sometimes are. I think he proved to the judges that he can be realistic; at the same time, I hope he learned from and remembers Tim's advice from his home visit. Time to reflect is crucial. Seth Aaron sometimes doesn't give himself that time; he just churns work out. Sometimes that is great, and impulsiveness can help a designer, but other times it might prevent something bigger and more amazing from emerging. Impulse shouldn't stand in the way of evolution, and I think because Seth Aaron is so fast sometimes that happens with his work. He's won a lot of fans this season, though, so I bet he does well.

Emilio
Top three looks:
Red dress--Obviously, I'm a sucker for a red dress. It was very forties, even with the shoulder treatment.
Blue wrap coat--I like the kimonoesque styling of the coat. It looked a little Target to me, but I'd wear it. There's nothing wrong with Target.
Red turtleneck with blue sleeves--I liked the simple color blocking here, and it was a wearable garment without pretension or distraction. Probably my favorite of Emilio's pieces.
Bottom three looks:
Pea green coat--This was the first thing out, and I just could not get behind it. I noticed that a lot of looks seemed as though they had rounded shoulder pads underneath, and I can't stand that. It was paired with a dress the shape of which I liked, but I really don't care for his selfmade print. It looks from afar like an oddly colored animal print, which looked tacky.
Hideous dress under the red coat-- The red coat was cute, but then the model took it off and there was that ugly print with a bizarre pea green leather bottom or whatever it was. The dress looked tawdry.
Dark brown-green skirt and jacket with the puffed sleeves--Kind of reminded me of the snake people. The red gloves looked like dish gloves.
General observations: The judges commented on Emilio's sudden commercialness--they clearly didn't remember all those really simply shaped dresses he made in the beginning. They also called his collection at one point the most sophisticated, and I almost choked. That is not the adjective I would have selected. I was also interested that Kors was so excited about the gold dress--gold lame'? Really? It wasn't ugly by any stretch, but to me it looked a bit like a sci-fi costume. In sum, I was not impressed with this collection, and would have been disappointed had Emilio been my favorite. Since he was not, I prayed for him to lose.

I don't know if anyone stuck around to watch the half hour designer/model sit-down. Recently, my sister commented that PR on Lifetime gears toward viewers who want "lots of dramatic staring, sniping, and breathless suspense." That was sort of the whole point of the extra half hour. It was a lot of sniping and "apologizing." The dramatic pause for a commerical before Maya's dramatic "real" reason she left the show--the very same reason she explained while she was on the show--was ridiculous. More realistically dramatic was Jay's personal comments about Cerri (bad teeth and thick legs), provoked by her personal dislike of his style. Her comments weren't nice, to be sure, but his were below the belt and childish. He did not do himself any favors.

Well, that's all from me. Another season down.

PR: Home

It's true that I'm kind of a sucker for kids making up. I, for one, was happy to see Jay and Mila have a conversation and realize that, really, each is not as bad as the other thought. You get in pressure cookers sometimes, and you get on people's nerves, and you forget that your peers are human beings with feelings that deserve respect. It's good to remember and get rid of the negativity. Now if only Emilio could come down out of his little aerie and realize this also...
Speaking of Emilio, I read Tim's blog (eventually--my computer hates his blog's inability to load embedded videos), and I was pretty amazed at his overt animosity to Emilio. He can't stand the guy. Knowing the usual poise of Tim, to see cracks in the facade of this magnitude is really startling. He actually insists that the editing has been kind to him and Emilio. It makes me wonder how bad Emilio really is!
Moving on...I'm never that interested in the home visits. I watch them, but I don't especially find them illuminating. I confess I don't really have a lot of curiosity about the designers' lives. I could stand to see more critique of the fashions themselves; that being said, I was also surprised about how negative Tim was this year. Perhaps it's the editing, but he barely had any good things to say about anyone's collection. I didn't see any encouragement or positive reinforcement. Certainly there is need sometimes for exhortation, for upheaval, but at the same time, wouldn't you want to know what you were doing well, were you in the designers' shoes? It reminded me of my first workshop with Diane Wakoski, who is known as something of a bear in the classroom. My poem was dissected first, which meant it was the best of the day, but I also couldn't figure out why it was first, from what was said. I actually emailed her to ask her what the positives were, so I didn't destroy what was actually working. She thought I was challenging her authority, but really I just wanted to know, since I was a beginner! I kind of felt for the designers along the same lines.
Regarding Jay and Mila, I was ambivalent. I liked Jay's leather greaves and liked the silver top he made, which I would totally wear. I also liked the youth of his looks. However, I think Mila represents a perspective that is different from the other designers. I know people don't like her, but she seems really ready to put her design know-how to the test in making clothes as a business. I think that's why she ultimately got taken over Jay.
And, looking at their full collections side by side (if you'd care to do so), I think Mila was able to insert some young, punk edge to some of her looks, which shows a side of her we haven't seen yet. Interestingly, while her collection is mostly black and white, with some purple, Jay's is mostly gray, with some red, so the color argument is off the table for me. (Honestly, with all the black Siriano put together and won with, I don't know why they even care.)
Anyway, as I said several weeks ago, I do look foward to seeing the clothes on the runway, which often changes my mind about them, depending on the fluidity of the garments. We shall see!

PR: Circus Circus

Are you familiar with Xuxa? You should be--because most of the outfits put out on PR last night looked very much like what Xuxa would have worn during her kids' show here in the States in the 90s. Xuxa is a former Brazilian model-turned singer and kids' star. On her kids' shows, she's known for bright and wacky outfits, often including exaggerated coats. Thus, during the runway show last night, I was mightily distracted by thoughts that I was seeing repeats of things I'd seen in the early 90s as I was getting ready for school.

I also thought last night offered an interesting opportunity for psychological analysis. The designers were shown a variety of acts, yet four of them chose to fixate on the ringmaster. I couldn't help wondering if that was an expression of narcissism. They all chose the figure with a voice, the figure that controls everything. It seemed like they were all identifying themselves with that ringmaster. At the same time, it struck me as an uncreative choice: A dominant figure, with a fairly obvious choice of wardrobe, one that wouldn't require any effort to make into actual fashion, because everyone already wears coats. And yet, in my viewpoint most of them failed miserably.

Anthony: Anthony sure does love his flowy dresses, eh? Ordinarily I love a flowy dress, but I was disappointed in what Anthony turned out this week. I really didn't care for that sort of winged shoulder, and I spotted some hemming issues. The dress didn't look well made. I was excited that he chose something other than a coat to make, but I couldn't get behind such a floppy look. I was not surprised when Anthony was cut.
Emilio: How annoying. Emilio, one of the designers I now can't stand, put out the only outfit I actually liked this week. He took his inspiration and made a new creature out of it, which was the point of the challenge. I really liked that bodice on his dress and, for once, it wasn't too small. I did not care for the back of the look, which looked a bit like a circus tent bag, but I liked the shape and movement of the dress as a whole and he styled this model (the one who is usually overly made up) well. It was a look that was balanced. (Interestingly, Chris March hated this look with equal passion to my hatred of some others. Carol Hannah liked it. I can't get Tim's Take to work to tell you how he feels.)
Jay: I was glad that, for once, he was busted for making one standout piece and the rest just regular garments. Especially because, once again, he made pants in a shape I dislike. All in all I got more lion tamer than ringmaster out of this garment, and I thought the jacket too exaggerated. The placards were too big and it kind of reminded me of a dance costume for the Rockettes or the Nutcracker. Small fixes could have made this wearable (a darker color, less obvious placards and buttons), but I'm not sure I'd want to.
Mila: My mother and sister and I have been heard to lament each spring the arrival of lime green and hot pink as the only colors available in some clothing stores, and that's what I thought of when I saw this look. It takes skill to make a coat of this type, to be sure, but the look all together was hideous. Were those pink stretch pants? I want to like Mila, as the only female representative left, but even given the circus inspiration I couldn't get behind this.
Seth Aaron: SA committed one of my cardinal rules of fashion--in a wearable garment challenge, don't make things no woman ever would wear. My friends, I give you the impossible sleeves. A couple of designers have made sleeves like this before, and I HATE it. I mean, I literally detest it. It reminded me of the film Beetlejuice, when his arms stretch out to grab people. Seth Aaron has big ideas and usually impeccable creation skills, but when I see particularly the back of this look, which looks like a striped puffy parka somehow, my eyes want to scream. Too costumey by far.

In order to survive, Project Runway is going to have to come up with some way to ameliorate what seems to be the last-challenge blahs. In most previous seasons, they've had the same problem--the designers are so tired and so deprived of the outside world, they're pretty tapped out by the end and we end up getting either ridiculous or boring designs that speak well for nobody. Even giving the designers two days and 300 bucks for this challenge didn't help. When nearly everyone in every season is having the same problem, it's time to shake things up.

PR: Weirdest. Episode. Ever.

I allowed myself to watch (or semi-watch) Project Runway last night, since I was doing pretty well with essays, and I did a few short ones during commerical breaks. It's surprising that I got anything done, given the madness that ensued. It's like everything went crazy in one episode, and the producers just shrugged and said, "What else can we do to weird everyone out?"

First, I want to speak up in defense of Maya. I'm sure a lot of people will be down on her for abandoning her dream, giving up ("Quitters never win!" Thanks, Emilio.), not having enough self-confidence, whatever. Sure, many of us may have acted differently or made a different decision. But I think I know how she feels. I have been looking around at job listings lately, seeing what's out there, and I see lots of jobs that are interesting, and at which I might do very well, but for which I know I am completely unqualified without further training. This made me feel for her. Maya made a choice based on her growing knowledge of the industry that she learned she wasn't ready for. I can't fault her for that. She really could have gotten to Fashion Week. Maybe she wouldn't win, but she might have gotten all kinds of offers and accolades...and then what? If she wasn't ready, she might have had a meltdown and destroyed her career another way. I admire that she knows her limits, and refused to give in to pressure not to recognize them, even if she was one of my favorites. We all have to make our own way.

On another note, I have to pat myself on the back. I'm not that great at predicting what will happen in TV shows, but I totally knew the "red carpet client" was Heidi. Maybe that's not such a big deal, but the fact that I knew it last week during previews made me feel special when she popped in the door. For once, I got it right.

Here's something about the challenge, though--did anyone catch them actually saying which red carpet it was going to be? I didn't hear it, and I thought that would really change the challenge. Neither did anyone actually say which carpet they were designing for, which I thought was weird. That actually weirded me out more than many of the other blips. It was like we were missing a crucial anchor.

On to the fashion. I was disappointed that so few designers seemed to understand this challenge, or care about its parameters, though as I said, knowing what type of red carpet was meant might have been helpful. On the other hand, it made it easy to split up top and bottom designers:

Anthony: Anthony returns, and spins out a pretty nice dress. I liked the simplicity of it, and the drape, which, while it can look sloppy, was understated enough up top to be merely glamorous. That sort of drape is actually pretty popular, and coincidentally (since no one knew Jessica Alba would be on and be producing a co-win situation) in keeping with Jessica Alba's style. It wasn't, perhaps, chic enough for the Oscars, but it would be suitable for the Globes, I should think, or something similar.
Emilio: I used to like Emilio, and now I can't stand him. I didn't want to like his dress this week, but I have to admit it was well constructed. I think it might be a little dark for Heidi, but it was svelte, which is certainly appropriate. It also had the structure to be red carpet at a high level--you know those dresses are often built like wedding dresses, with a lot of hidden understructure. Emilio had the know-how to produce such a structure. This was my number 2 look this week. I preferred the winsomeness of Anthony's design.
Jay: Huh? Grammys maybe, or Kid's Choice awards. I thought it was awfully rich of the judges to comment on the shortness of Jonathan's design and not the tiny bust and shortness of Jay's. Whatever. It was too short and the bust was too tiny. The treatment of the textiles was pretty, but this is not a red carpet look. Also, Jay said he wanted to use color this time, and yet he chose gray and taupe and beige. It wasn't a bad dress, it just didn't seem to fit the challenge.
Jonathan: As much as I stick up for Jonathan, I have to say it--trainwreck. I didn't really like most elements of any of Jonathan's three dresses, and the main color of the final dress...that drab sort of dingy beige or whatever it is...was awful. It was pretty clear that he lost his way, that the confusion of responding to the judges got to him. I feel bad, because I think he has some good ideas, but he's very much in and out--sometimes bang on the money, sometimes trying to use Martian money. I'll miss him, though.
Mila: Another huh? moment. This looks like the kind of dress girls wore to the Winter Ball at my school, or even Homecoming--it's not as big a deal as prom, and all classes can go; you don't spend as much money on the dresses, they aren't as well constructed, and short, sportier ones are more popular. The textiles had potential, and it's a wearable dress, but not for a celebrity at a red carpet event. This was a bottom two look.
Seth Aaron: Someone on the web comments totally agreed with me--loved the back, hated the front. The back was nicely draped and pretty. The front looked bunchy and ill-fitting in the top. It didn't have a nice shape for the bust area. It's another wearable dress, more "expensive" than Mila's, but I still can't see it on the red carpet. Seth Aaron usually does a good job adapting his aesthetic to the task at hand, but it didn't work out this week. He didn't go far enough.

That's all this week. Next week, the final 4.

PR: In Which I Actually Get Angry.

This challenge held so much promise. I was truly excited when I found that the designers would be designing their own fabrics, and really enjoyed watching how the computer system would make that happen. I mean, how cool is that, to get your own digitally created fabric? I also loved the butterfly fabric V. Tam showed. I'd like to wear that.
I was disappointed, though, with the results of this week. I didn't agree with much of the judging and felt a little disheartened about it. I feel like it's been a while since everything came together in one episode to be satisfying to me. Are my standards getting too high?

Anthony: So NOW the judges lambaste Anthony about his silhouette constancy? It felt a little disingenuous for them to applaud him so much, and then quite suddenly knock him for doing the same thing over and over. I've already made my feelings on this dress shape clear. I liked Anthony's print and wish it could have been a bigger part of his garment. I still thought his look was better than Mila's.
Emilio: I hated Emilo's print. I like the color, but I can't see myself wanting to wear a designer's personal fabric, nor did I think it represented creativity. I liked the skirt of the dress, but not the top half. The jacket was kind of an interesting departure for Emilio, since he doesn't usually do things like that. I feel like I've seen that coat somewhere before, though, and I can't think where (aside from vintage movies) This was not my winning look or fabric.
Jay: I liked the vibrant color of Jay's print against the black, but I also thought the fabric was kind of boring as a design. It seems like something you could actually already find at Mood. I liked his jacket, which had a strong vibe to it, and liked that he lined it with that fabric. The rest of the outfit was kind of dull as pieces. Again with the stretch pants...or whatever it is. (Tim says it's a catsuit.)
Jonathan: Again with the contoversy. This was the judging that made me so angry I was actually talking out loud to the telly and shaking my head. I don't usually like it when designers talk back to the judges, but Jonathan was well within his rights to do so this week.
I couldn't disagree with Kors more about that print. Sure, it was understated, but it did not look anything like a dirty tablecloth, nor was it sad. I thought it was pretty, light, and kind of dreamy. I felt that Kors was going for more soundbyte than sense there, and I will reprimand the judges here and now for laughing in such a self-satisfied manner at their own (unwitty) witticisms, especially when the designer was clearly upset. A disgusting, distasteful display, and a definite low point of the season.
I quite liked the dress aside from the admittedly goofy kick panel (it didn't pleat, that was the problem). I didn't quite understand the collar of the jacket, but I liked the color and belt and didn't mind that it was backward--clearly Kors has never been so cold that he's worn his cardigan backward, as I have done on occasions. I feel like the judges made up their minds to hate this look and treat it as if it were an alien thing, and I completely disagree. In fact, I think women would really respond to that print if they saw it in a shop. The sum of my feelings are this: I would wear that outfit, and I would look awesome in it. The end. (Except for this: Tim agrees with me.)
Maya: I sensed there might be some trouble when I saw Maya working on another high collar. I liked her print, but the dress didn't seem well composed, nor did it look special. It was kind of 90s throwback, and it was too short. Not a winner for me, but I didn't mind Maya being called out as a top 3. I'd like her to get some applause somehow.
Mila: My pick for out this week. Seriously. It wasn't an attractive garment, and the Model. Couldn't. Walk. That is the kiss of death for me. The dress was saggy and stiff at the same time, which is quite a feat. I honestly cannot find a single thing I like about this look, and that for me is rare. The whole point of a maxi-dress is fluidity. You're supposed to be able to move in it. Thus, Mila did not execute her stated goal at all. Out.
Seth Aaron: I liked how, from a distance, Seth Aaron's print looked sort of baroque, and then it turned out to be something completely different. I thought Seth Aaron was going to win. It's true that he too often makes separates, including jackets, but his shapes are always shapely and sophisticated, and he knows how to put a complete look together. I didn't care for the pants, and his color coordination leaves something to be desired, but I still thought his look was the most polished of the lot.

So it seems like there's some kind of scandal coming up next week. With essays coming in, though, I'm going to have to record the show and wait to find out what's so crazy!

PR: What Neighborhood Are YOU In?

I wasn't sure if I'd get to this right away because I have essays, but I got so many done yesterday I guess I've earned a brief blog break.
I like the idea of getting inspiration from different areas of New York. And, for once, the teamwork portion of the challenge was understated and fairly drama free. That being said, I wasn't that impressed with the work that came out this week. I liked parts of some of the garments, but no garment stood out to me, and I really didn't like the winner.

Amy: Amy's look struck me as the wrong neighborhood. I was really sorry to see Amy go, but after last week, you know she needed to pull off something fantastic. This wasn't it. I wasn't bothered by the color, but the shape of the look wasn't very luxe, and, while I think people would wear the look, it wouldn't be the people on the Upper East. Actually, when I look at the picture, it looks sort of like Chinatown to me, like a modified, modernized Chinese robe. So, in a way I think Amy missed the challenge, but I would not have picked her to go home.
Anthony: I liked the idea of the incorporation of the dragon folding. The dress's structure and construction, however, were a mess. It was too short, first of all, by about an inch. It's that's same skirt style Anthony always seems to do. It looks tarty. I also saw some puckering and poofing that disrupted the silhouette. This dress could have been so glamorous, but it just looked rushed, which is a shame considering its detail to the trim.
Emilio: I didn't like this dress. It was stiff and very baglike at the bottom. In fact, I thought it looked like a dress made out of a lightweight sleeping bag. Now maybe there is something urban about that, but I don't know what it is. The top of the dress was nice, but seeing the model walk in it, the bottom just destroyed it for me.
Jay: I liked this outfit the least. I really don't like pants in that shape, and never have. The tank top was a total throwaway. The colors in combination were just not there for me, either. I couldn't find anything I liked about this look.
Jonathan: I liked the idea of this dress more than its finished product. The top part of the dress was really pretty. There was just too much of the cutwork. It ended up looking like tattooesque lingerie (eg Victoria's Secret 2-3 years ago). If the top had been left alone, with a sleek black bottom, I think that would have been more attractive. Less challenging, perhaps, but more likeable.
Maya: Maya's work this week was well put together. Kind of understated, but that's not always bad. That being said, my evident absence of really "modern" color sense comes into play here. The peeks of red in the skirt really didn't make sense with the top; in fact, while I like those pieces individually, I don't think they go together. They're two parts to different outfits.
Mila: Mila had a good collected piece this week. But ask yourself--without the red tights, would you have been as interested in this look? I wouldn't. It would just be another of Mila's black and white outfits. The styling made the garments become more than they were. I didn't think this look was all that rawk either, as the model seemed to think, but it did fit the East Village. I might even wear that jacket. I just would sure like Mila to do something that would sustain her more than one season in the fashion industry. Is she literally going to do black and white casual separates from the 60s her entire career?
Seth Aaron: There is no question that Seth Aaron is a great tailor. He did a really great job on that jacket. That being said, this is decidedly not my style, and in a way it was almost a caricature of Harlem. That tam was a travesty...though, to be fair, I've seen hats like it (and have thought of them as travesties).

So, not the best week on the runway. I was kind of bored and disappointed in some construction issues on otherwise solid garments. As we get down to the small group, I always hope for better, more intriguing looks. That does not seem to be happening.

PR: Elemental, my dear Watson.

Who would have thought that four elements would produce so many gray and black garments? Is this Project Monochrome? Project Achromatic? All the designers professed to want to go outside "the" box this week, but evidently that sent them straight into another box--the same one as everyone else. As Mila, herself using the dark gray/brown region, said, so many designers picked gray it's hard to tell who has what element. I found that disappointing. Okay, so you decide not to pick scarlet or orange for fire. But how can six of nine designers make something black, gray, and brown when they have the whole of the elemental earth to draw from? Are these the Apocalyptic elements?

Amy: I feared for Amy's safety this week. Hearing her describe her concept, then seeing her project in gear, I immediately sensed a disconnect. Having failed project attempts many times myself, I could feel for her. It's hard to imagine that she put the final look, including the hair, together without at some point stepping back and asking, "Does this look ridiculous?" but I guess I've been there. At the same time, before I saw the look on the runway, I realized how much I tend to trust Amy--I wasn't questioning her ability to pull it off magically, until it was finished. I think I now understand how Tim feels. Black equals fire? To be continued...
Anthony: Did anyone else notice that Anthony was using the folded strips of fabric to build up the bodice again? It was very similar to the turquoise dress he made for Heidi. I didn't mind that Anthony went all ash for his look, and I liked the gray and the pinkish shade that he chose, but there was also too much black. The black became dominant and looked plain. I was not surprised that Anthony was safe, but this wasn't a winner.
Ben: The pants were pretty bad. The jacket I'm assuming had construction issues I can't see, since the judges panned it so badly. The look doesn't really say shark to me. The high collar said danger, so that was a good move, but the color connection was neither watery nor sharky, unless it's about the shark's innards. This was another instance where the concept itself seemed sound, but once the project got underway, I couldn't figure the choices out. Unlike Amy, though, I don't have a trust built up with Ben, and I sense that the judges didn't, either, and that's why he was let go--Even though Amy has been more up and down in the past, Ben hasn't really challenged the judges or intrigued them.
Emilio: I didn't care for this dress. It looked kind of haphazard to me. Seeing it now on the websites pictures, I appreciate it a little more, and I do like the coloring of the fabric with the model. The dress reminds me of moss. I still can't decide whether in a good way or a bad way.
Jay: File under WTF. First of all, Jay is much too in love with the flyaway dress. I liked the bodice of this dress, and the fabric choice for the flyaway part, though I hated its look with the lighter fabric in the front. But were those pants? Or leggings? Striped? With a tornado head? What IS this garment? Everyone in the web comments, and Tim, likes this look, but personally I thought it was a disaster. Pun intended. Awful.
Jonathan: When this look first started to go down the runway, I thought, in a girlish fashion, "ooh, pink and pretty" and then, regretfully, "the judges are going to hate it." Imagine my surprise when they loved this look. I am not even sure what I like about it, except that I give mad props for making something creamy white that looks good on a pale girl. Love the textile and the shape of the skirt. A little tired of the typical PR dramatic collar, but it wasn't obtrusive to my eye. The one strap across the back looked a little yokelish, and the look was short, but having just bought a short shirtdress I can't really complain about that. I can't get over the textile. I just really responded positively to this look. It didn't make me think of laughter so much as a seraph. He should have sent her down barefoot. Anyway, I was glad the judges liked it, though I secretly bet that it was at least partly because it used a bit of color.
Maya: The only other look I liked, even if it is gray. I didn't agree with the judges about Maya's "inspired by." After all, all of these challenges are "inspired by," and it isn't like she's mimicking people. She's just capturing styles and merging them with her aesthetic, just as designers do for their whole shows. I really think they were just looking for an excuse to pick on her. I liked the idea of the dress; spotted a few construction issues, but on the whole it was pleasing and made sense. The styling on the other hand--that hair. Yick. Very 80s.
Mila: Wow, so the judges didn't go for Mila this week. I didn't care for the bulkiness of that vest. I could see Mila's earth inspiration, and on the whole I feel there were worse looks this week, but I also think the focal piece looked amateurish. That being said, even if it was "boring" I liked the mock turtleneck. I liked that color and its sleeves.
Seth Aaron: Seriously? Leatha? Where's Stella? I understood the whole midnight wind thing. I can even get behind that, since I love a breeze on a hot summer night. But leather? Practically any other black fabric would have been more convincing. Seth Aaron wanted to be structural, and that's fine, and his shape was intriguing, but it did not say air. It was too heavy! It slugged along when the model walked. It looked heavy while stationary, too, which for me means it did not fulfill its purpose. It was almost too heavy to hold the structure. I'm just not buying what SA is selling this week. I even tried to think of it as sort of a graphic novel thing, like the coat of a gritty superhero billowing around him. But it was just. too. heavy.

A team challenge next week. My favorite. Did I say favorite? I meant Yuck.

PR: Buckets of Bolts

I am usually a diehard fan of the everyday/unusual materials challenges. While they are not terribly realistic, they are, naturally, challenging. We get to see who can put up and who needs to shut up (looking at you, Emilio). After all, the show investors are not going to want to give money to someone who can't get creative when the proverbial chips are down, or someone who will crash and burn when encountering an obstacle. These challenges are less about design skills and more about good business. That is why I hate it when the designers complain, "This isn't really my thing" when clearly it's not anybody's thing. You're being tested. Live with it. This year, it seems like fewer designers were up in arms about it, though, which pleased me.

Amy: I liked the pattern that Amy did with the sandpaper. Up close it wasn't as pleasing, but from a distance the fans were striking. I liked the fun spirit of Amy's work this week, in much the way I liked her response to the potato sack challenge. I also love that she just seems happy to be designing, no matter what the challenge.
Anthony: Oh, Michael Kors. What planet are you on that this looked like a prom dress? Anyway, the judges' response to this look reminded me of their response to Gordana's newspaper look--they didn't like that you couldn't tell at least a little that it was an unusual material, so it didn't have the wow they wanted. It was an attractive garment, and I liked the leaf detail, but it didn't look difficult, nor like an advancement of Anthony's style, and the accessory component was weak. Bonus: I think it was this garment for which Nina seemed to be searching for a word and then she said, "Boring." It's like she suddenly forgot her favorite word.
Ben: "I like that the dress doesn't touch her body." Seriously? What part of that is impressive? It doesn't look like it's levitating, it looks like it doesn't fit. I didn't respond positively to this look--it looked like it was crumpled foil, like an oven bag, only in copper. The silhouette was flat as well, much like the little girl dress from the last episode. It was just ... boring.
Emilio: Don't you love it when a designer straightup lies on the runway? His little story about wanting to make a bathing suit because everyone else was making a dress made me want to toss him then and there. And did my ears desceive me or did I actually hear Nina say she didn't think this was that bad? I'd love to hear how the editing team made that happen. This look was hideous, but in his defense I've seen swimsuits almost as bad in the Victoria's Secret swim catalog. Still, I would have chucked him. Tim has also brought it to my attention that there was no accessory with this look.
Jay: I hated his reaction after he won. His attitude rubs me the wrong way. Still, I liked his outfit (although, once again, he committed the PR sin of barely covering his model's bosom). Mad props for the pants with the patterning on them. I knew his materials, and I saw them going together, but I'm still not sure how he did it, and I respect that. He very clearly transformed his materials.
Jesse: You all know how I feel about bubble skirts. This was an extreme version, and naturally I disliked it. However, I still feel like the top of this garment included more design than Emilio's train wreck. It was something that made me want to look closer, and made me say, well, huh, whereas Emilio's made me want to look away and never speak of it again. Poor Jesse.
Jonathan: Johnathan was at least something of a contender this week, with that luxe russet color and a distinctive point of view. Elements of his design were a little messy, especially involving that slit, but it was at least fun and intriguing to look at.
Maya: Legend fans out there? How much did that string jacket remind you of the evil Lily's dress? Just me? OK. Anyway, I liked that, and I was cool with the accessory. The dress was kind of flat. It literally looked like it was made of normal fabric. The jacket was clearly the most interesting piece. On the subject of Maya's model: What is it about her that bothers me? I don't think they've been making this poor girl up to her best advantage. She kind of reminds me of old school Bowie.
Mila: Mila is Mila, right? This week, at least her look was young. A throwback, yes, but youthful. Props for using plastic and still having a garment that fits the model. Something about this made me want to tap dance in it, maybe with the rattling of the plastic pieces around me.
Seth Aaron: Kind of an updated version of Rosie, the Jetson's maid. Definitely a robot influence. The back was sort of sassy, but there were a LOT of sharp edges on this garment and I would be terrified of opening an artery. I didn't like this look on the runway and now am merely meh about it. Maybe if those top bits had "peeled" down further? Give some definition?

In all, this was a fun challenge to see the results for. It successfully rested my brain while I was grading essays, which seems to be taking me forever this round.

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Happy Birthday to my amazing mother! I hope you have a perfect day!

Apathy

I'm stepping outside the PR zone for a few minutes to talk about something else.
In the last month, I've developed new understanding for what clinically depressed people experience. I've always sympathized, but now I believe I can empathize.
The drug I am on for the gastroparesis is helping, but it also has some pretty big side effects for me, even at the low dosage I was taking.
I am usually a person who finds pleasure in small things, who enjoys fun solo trips all over the place, or mini-adventures of my own. A trip to the movies, to the zoo, to the mall, or even just an uninterrupted day to sew or hang out--Usually I am able to anticipate these enjoyable activities and while experiencing them feel happy and contented. I want to do them.
Shortly after I was medicated, I realized that the drug was making me simultaneously restless and tired, which was somewhat expected given my previous experience ten years ago. Unexpected, though, was the severe level of apathy. Nothing sounded fun. Nothing felt fun. I didn't look forward to anything, and things that were normally fun felt like chores. I knew I was in trouble when it came time for hockey and I went out of habit and couldn't wait to go home and get back in my pajamas again. (And then, of course, when I got home, my restlessness made it difficult for me to be contented sitting down and watching TV or whatever). Intellectually, I knew I was doing something I enjoy, but I wasn't feeling it, literally. I didn't want to do anything, and didn't feel anything. About the only thing I could do was read, which I have been doing a lot, because it sort of takes me out of myself.
I wasn't sad, most of the time, just completely apathetic to anything, which is somehow worse. I had to make myself do things. For instance, when I went to my last doctor's appointment, right next to the Franklin Park Mall, I had a whole afternoon free; ordinarily, I'd jump all over that and be excited about the field trip. But it took my mother saying, Just go and walk around and think of it as exercise, that made me go. And wander I did, and I suppose in some way I enjoyed it, in the sense that it was something to do that kept my mind busy. And I bought a few cute things...either the apathy or the styles out right now prevented me from spending too much.
Depression is a terrible feeling. You start to wonder what you're doing here, if this is going to last forever, and what the point of anything is. And somehow it was all the more frustrating because I knew it was coming out of a medication I needed. Frustrating because normally I'm a person who has very deep emotions, and here they were completely wasted. Frustrating because it isn't normal to feel absolutely no pleasure or satisfaction about anything, and to have only the worries and stresses to provide any feelings at all, and even those are blunted by the same force. I could really understand how it is that some people just can't get out of bed.
I am now on half the dosage I was taking. It still seems to be working on my stomach somewhat, and I think, though it is early days yet, that the apathy has lessened. It's still there, and is certainly exacerbated by the tough days of this time of year, doing the job I do (which is always frustrating in spring). But today, for instance, I look forward to going home and maybe finishing a big knitting project, or just reading one of the Elizabeth Peters novels my sister sent me, whereas before I would be indifferent. The other day I treated myself to dinner in bed, with a book, which felt nice and decadent. I'm not as happy as I should be about the Michigan State vs. Bowling Green hockey game this weekend, but it doesn't seem like such a big chore. I still miss laughing--nothing has seemed funny for a long time. I also have to be careful about getting excited (positively or negatively) about things because it bothers my stomach. But I have hopes that somehow I will be able to have feelings again, and to experience pleasure like a healthy person.
In a way I'm writing this today to explain an experience. Since my lack of feelings is almost all linked to the medication, I can sort of study it from the outside, whereas if I were clinically depressed I would probably be too far inside to talk about it. In another way, though, this is an apology. I'm struggling, and I have not been very attentive to friends and family, for entirely different reasons than before I started the drug. It is really hard some days just to get dressed and come to work, let alone hang out with people and pretend that I'm having a good time when I can't actually. Sometimes it's just easier to be alone, especially with the way I eat right now. Things are getting better, and I just wanted you to know that I love you and I'm thinking about you, no matter where the rest of me is.

PR: For the Small

"What do you like best about your outfit?" "It has a purse."
And that pretty much sums up last night's Project Runway. There were some weird showings, and some very practical garments. There was a twist and some quaking in boots, but on the whole I think some interesting things came down the runway, even if most of them were flawed in some way.

Amy: Ok, first I have to speak up in Amy's defense. I nearly fell out of my chair when that judge said, "I don't think blue and orange are really that complementary of colors, do you?" My dear woman, complementary is the definition of blue and orange. Geez, art history much? Open a book.
Anyway. Props to the little model for speaking up for Amy. I liked the skirt and the sweater. The leggings--no. I also didn't care for the pants on the lady model. I wondered if she would have been better off with a toned down version of the petaling in a skirt (like the look when she was originally laying the pieces out on a background fabric). That might have had a little more appeal. I'm glad Amy wasn't auf'd, but it was a close one.
Anthony: I thought the design for the little girl was adorable. The ruffle neckline really didn't need to be such a V shape, but the concept and fabrics were darling together. I didn't care for the lady dress (or top and skirt--I see a bit of belly peeking out on the photo). It was a little too cheap-looking, in construction and in design.
Ben: The little dress was kind of sweet but also kind of plain--it wouldn't jump off a hanger. I liked the skirt to the lady outfit, but the shirt, with that shoulder treatment he's so fond of--didn't care for it. It was so dark. They didn't look like they were going to the same place.
Emilio: I have to be honest, I've seen patterns for a very similar dress to the little one Emilio made. That could be a Butterick, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it's not really the purpose of the competition. The lady dress was kind of saccharine for my tastes--like a confection, but in a bridesmaid color, not really practical for life. I might have liked it better in a lighter, more sophisticated peachy color.
Janeane: I actually liked the lady top that Janeane made. I was not offended by the rest of the garments, but I do agree that there was a little too much simplicity (or Simplicity--that's a pattern joke) in them. She produced both a bubble skirt and leggings, neither of which I like generally. I did see the perspective of playclothes in them, and it's hard to find cute playclothes, but at the same time, I would have thought Janeane would realize playclothes wouldn't win a design competition. Michael Kors is obsessed with ladies' sportswear, but when it comes to kids' clothes, they were looking for something new and fashion forward, as dictated specifically in the challenge. Janeane didn't meet those parameters.
Jay N.: Burgundy and black for casualwear? It was so dark! Also, the little dress had a keyhole back, which is completely unnecessary. I didn't hate this outfit, but it didn't grab my eye at all, and while the lady top was attractive, that's really all there was to the lady outfit. The pants weren't that interesting, unlike Seth Aaron's. I wondered if for sophisticated gothic parents the child's look would be attractive and meet their style desires, but I just did not respond favorably to this look. In Jay's semi-favor, though, I might be biased by the styling. A scarf was completely unnecessary for this tank dress. It looked sloppy and obscured the already obscured-by-darkness dress.
Jesse: I think this look will be a little controversial. I loved the gray and red trim together, and the red coat for the little outfit. I hated the asymmetrical design. As someone pointed out in comments, kids' clothes are always getting swung around or bunched up, and the design element would therefore be pointless. The lady outfit...well, I can see what he was going for, and the shape is nice, but I don't think I could wear this outfit. I love love love that coat, though. Love. And that is why he was in the top 3, I think.
Jonathan: Oh, Jonathan. So up, so down. There had to be better ways to glam up a sweet little yellow dress and bolero other than putting scratchy organza on it. Right? I really liked the fabric treatment with the bolero and the color blocking with the yellow on the dress. The organza just seemed unnecessary. For the lady look--I could understand his vision better than Kors; it was as though he were going for something a little couture. I've seen worse, and I thought he was attacked mostly because of the context of the challenge. He overdid. In any case, the garments were not well paired.
Maya: I really liked Maya's looks. I responded positively to them on the runway because they were bright and practical. This is more like well designed playclothes than what Janeane put together, and it seemed like lady and little could play together, whereas Janeane's was more like, little plays while lady watches. I don't care for leggings, as I mentioned, and I wish I could have gotten a look at the little top, but I thought this pair looked nice. I don't know what exactly it is about them, but I really liked these.
Mila: Mila is Mila, right? I liked the lady coat, though it was a little too much of a 60s throwback for me...it didn't have much in the way of updating. Really didn't care for the little dress. It looked garish rather than sweet, and the giant black pockets were offputting. Watermelon colors with spotted print? I just don't see it.
Seth Aaron: Glad SA won this round. I really enjoyed the lady jacket. I don't normally go for that sort of thing, but I thought the garment was tasteful and I'd totally wear that, zippers and all. That little girl was adorable enough on her own, but that little hoodie looked perfect for her. Some may argue that this looks like something you could buy, but to my eye the hoodie had just enough original design elements to it to make it stand out from purchasable items. It's like the type of thing a store would make a knock-off of, but the original would still be there. I just think Seth Aaron had a great balance of wearable design. He designed smart this week.

In a great take of "chacun a son gout" reading the PR blogs is a trip this week. No one agrees about anything, it seems. As in, Chris March loved Mila, Carol Hannah hated her look, and Tim was neutral. Good times!
Next week, the hardware store. I'm hoping for good things.

PR: Cover Klum

It seemed like a lot of designers missed the challenge this week, no? For such a high-stakes prize, I'd have thought they'd pay more attention to the instructions they were given. Very few did, however, and there weren't many looks that would have worked on the cover of a magazine. And the colors...no one said you had to use lime green to represent spring, but at least something that has some richness to it would have been appropriate! I honestly don't think anyone put his or her best foot forward this week.


Amy: This dress looked a little too hodgepodgey to me. The top was also a little too similar to her previous dress. It didn't seem to fit the challenge as a spring cover look. Just too busy all around.
Anna: Oh, Anna. In her defense, the blouse was kind of cute, but I'm so tired of that short pinstripe short thing (Really? Business fabric and hoochie shorts?), and I really disliked that vest. The look lacked sophistication.
Anthony: This is kind of weird, but when I saw Anthony's strips of fabrics, I kind of composed something in my mind that was really similar to what he came up with. The only difference is that my strips made more of a wave over the whole breast area, and were more petite, like a ruffle. Thus, I was a little surprised on the runway to see what he produced. I had a feeling the judges might pick this one; I have to say, though, I'm kind of tired of seeing that length and shape of skirt on Anthony's looks. They're all the same size and cut around the legs, and this is really the first one that hasn't been too trashy.
Ben: Okay, styling wise, I didn't like this--he made his model look like a drag queen, with much too heavy a makeup job. The garment itself, though, I liked. I thought this was very much inside Ben's comfort zone, and I would have liked to see this one win. I think. If only because it was different.
Emilio: No. Cute? Yes. For Heidi? No. Talk about one-note--Emilio seems to make great dresses for the youthful, as Nina says, Juniors set. Even without the straps, the cut of the skirt was very babydoll and it looked like a skating costume. I think this did well mainly because of the color.
Janeane: I actually liked that little bolero, but it really was much too bridal looking. A lot of comments on the website declare this ugly; I don't think so at all, I think it's pretty, but for a bridal party. I also see some construction issues. Definitely not meeting the challenge.
Jay: Linen color on a magazine cover? I'm not so sure about that. I confess I don't spend much time looking at magazine covers, but I found that choice questionnable. I liked the flow of this garment, and its shape, but the fabric choice made it look like a prairie fantasy look, maybe for an inside cover shoot, but not a cover.
Jesse: I liked the basket weaving, but Jesse basically disregarded the instructions: Details won't show up on a magazine cover, especially not in dark fabrics. Think if he had done this in silver or a lighter green. Maybe then. But this said evening, not spring. The back also did not look carefully constructed.
Jonathan: I honestly am not sure what to say about this. A gold romper. That's what I have to work with here. OK--I liked the garment. Surprised? No, I did. I thought it fluid and handsome. However, I liked it as a bedroom outfit. I'd sleep in that. Or maybe throw some brown legwarmers and character shoes on and you have an outfit for some dance practice. Maybe he was considering that they'd only photograph from the waist up?
Maya: I didn't understand this look. With major changes to the disparate elements, I could see it, like if that top blue part was heavier and more jacket like and the neck ring more deliberate. And a sleeve of some kind. But that's not what went down the runway, and I just don't get it.
Mila: I don't get this either. Even if that central color were peach, that was too much peach, a weak color compared to the others, especially at the top. I can't figure out how this would have looked right on a magazine cover. The top is downright matronly, and I hate that word.
Seth Aaron: It looked like the construction was on with this suit, but it was not the right color. I could see it on Heidi, as an outfit for another event, but not for the cover of an April issue, when you're desperate for something that isn't gray.

Kids next week...I'm scared.

PR: RED!

So, I did things backward this week, and I kind of liked it. I recorded the show because I had work to do. Then, before I watched the show, I looked at the pictures online and read Tim's blog. Then, I watched the runway show in a rerun, but not the first part. Then, I watched bits and pieces of the show I'd recorded. I think I caught all of it by now.
I caught enough to know, for example, that this was a better "everyday woman" challenge than past efforts. People were respectful to their models, and the complaints about ladies' sizes were kept to a minimum, and only as a personal challenge sort of thing, not an actual complaint. More than usual seemed pleased about designing for full-sized women, like Mila. I like the prize for this challenge, a place in a gala runway, and the challenge itself was interesting--and forced the designers to use color In all, given the reality that the dress would be made and sold to people, I think the judges made the right choice on the winner, and I was glad to see Amy pull one out. I think she's doing well at responding to the challenge at hand, keeping a point of view without getting precious or obstinate about meeting challenge constraints.
And it is interesting, no, that after the frustrations over Jesus and Ping staying in, they are both out shortly thereafter? Gives a sort of feeling of rightness.

Enough chitchat. The garments:
Amy (flowy red strapless): Practical and pretty. I know some might not be happy with the deconstructed work she did as trim, but this dress moved beautifully and would be appealing to many customers. Kind of wish it wasn't strapless, but I think Amy did well on enhancing a current trend (the maxi-dress) to fit this challenge. This was my favorite garment this week. Adventurous it was not, but that wasn't the point.
Anna (red with nude shoulders and trim): Even Anna knew she'd made some bad choices. The colorblocking idea wasn't a terrible one, but doing it in nude (essentially tan) with bright red was not a good move, nor was the design of the colorblocking. It could be argued that the dress would look nice on a thin model-type, but I'm not so sure. The colors and design of that blocking...I just think not.
Anthony (red skirt and vest): I'll just say it--I thought this look was whorish. It was too short and too tight, and the design of that little vest gave more volume to the woman, not less. Talk about questionable taste level.
Ben (long dress with slit and gold beltlike area): Tim's Take is all about Ben. While I have liked some of his work, other garments not so much. With this dress, I didn't really care for the armpit/shoulder treatment (that's not going to be comfortable, especially if you are freshly shaven or waxed!). I also didn't admire the fit of the top half. The midsection treatment was interesting, but I didn't care for the color and I think it has useless buttons...not very appealing. Is it a hideous dress? No. But I can't figure out why Tim is so gaga over it. There were also some construction errors. Essentially, it looked like it was trying to combine a glamorous look with kitcsh elements, and I wasn't sold.
Emilio (strapless babydoll): This look was pretty safe. Emilio in general seems to do pretty and safe looks a lot. The fabric even had dots on it, which made the whole thing borderline cutesy. It was a dress I might wear if I looked nice in that shade of red, and if I could wear a strapless like that, but this was not a winner for its simplicity. I'd like to see Emilio and his cute little dresses kick it up a little.
Janeane Marie (red dress with white crepey trim): For some reason, JM liked her hem. What the what? a half hearted bubble with a strange white underbelly? I find the bottom of this dress incomprehensible enough to kill any sort of interest I had in the top.
Jay Nicolas (red carapace bustier with red skirt): I found this dress kind of regal in a Queen of Hearts sort of way--seriously, can't you see her wearing this? The model looked very sweet in it. I found the top construction interesting, but ultimately questionned its reproducibility for the sales on the website. I also am not sure how I liked the Campbell's fabric used as piping at the waistline. I recognize there weren't too many options, but that's not what I would have chosen.
Jesse (red dress with white jacket): Jesse was falsely panned. There was obvious trouble with the fit of his straps, but I really liked the fit of his skirt in front and liked the shape of the garment from the back. I didn't mind the jacket at all, but would have preferred it unbuttoned, I think. I really did not expect to see him in the bottom 3. This look wasn't a winner, but it was better than at least 3 of its competitors.
Jesus (red with rhinestone straps): Oh, dear. Now I think, sans rhinestone straps, maybe with something else up there, people might wear this dress. But this garment really did look like that of a hooker. A high-class hooker, maybe--I could see her in a Vegas hotel--but...but...no. In addition to the questionnable taste, the top half of the dress looked really badly sewn. Just no.
Jonathan (deep red tiered dress): Tim is also very about Jonathan. My problem with this dress started when the front of the dress looked like a back. The model has a flat or low chest, seemingly, like mine. Thus, I don't know if the look of the top was all that flattering on her since it enhanced her flatness. I sometimes like tiered dresses, but I thought this one was a little too voluminous and thus borderline dust ruffly. Also didn't like the bright red and white Campbell's logo for the belt, nor the weird bright red chiffon part of the bottom tier in the back. It looked like he ran out of fabric. Props, though, for using a color of deep red that would suit more ladies.
Maya (red dress with half a heart): I liked Mila's idea with the heart. I was all about that. I am not sure how I felt about the gold color of said half heart, but I thought the front was striking in a good way, if not executed as well as I (and Mila) would have liked. I didn't like the weird cut out with the back (in fact, several designers did something similar, and none of them succeeded). I like the conception of this dress more than its result, but I respected it.
Mila (gown with white stars): Okay, go with me here--when I saw this dress, I thought, Fourth of July parade costume. Yes it was well constructed, and I suppose it fit the theme, but I thought it costumey and it reminded me of fireworks. I know, I know, there was no blue, but July 4th memorability isn't always red, white, and blue, especially when you're not trying to be too kitschy. I just couldn't get past that, and I didn't think it was a dress that a lot of women would buy and wear, as part of the challenge's prize required. So, bravo for taking a risk, and putting something interesting together, but not a winner.
Seth Aaron (black skirt, red and Campbell's top): This outfit was not terribly evening nor terribly classy. I think some women might wear this, but not the market this event was geared toward. It sort of looks like she should put on a cowboy hat. I can't justify that, maybe it's the red, white, and black, but that immediately entered my mind when I saw the look. Not a stunner. Kind of surprised this wasn't in the bottom...or rather, might have been had there not been some other incomprehensible looks.

So--my bottom looks were Jesus, Janeane Marie, and either Anna or Anthony, possibly Seth Aaron. My top looks were Amy, Jay Nicolas, and I guess Mila, though as I noted that wouldn't be my winner. In all, I was happy with the judging results this week.