The End

Finale Part 2 was under way and I was prepared with salty popcorn and a martini, extra dirty. Even if this finale was a bust, I was at least going to have a good buzz.

The holy trinity was of course there for the final show, and the guest judge was not a random celebrity for once! It was Suzy Menkes, head fashion reporter and editor for the International Herald Tribune.

Of course the designers are stressed, but they have their helpers slaving away at the finishing touches. Irina is blessed to have Gordana helping her- what an amazing tailor she is. Carol Hannah has another nervous breakdown, but doesn't puke this time. Althea reads Irina's mind and steals the smudgy, messy dark eye look that Irina of course invented and was of course going to use for her show. Tim sends them away at 5:00 pm so they can get some much needed rest but I can guess that it wasn't wonderful sleep for any of them.

Backstage at Bryant Park is chaos, as usual, only this time, cool headed Tim loses it! Apparently things are running very behind. "It was looney kajooney land", he told LA Times about his "meltdown". For the full interview

I was nervous after seeing Part 1 that these collections were going to be weak, but I was pleasantly surprised at the end result.

Althea kicked off the show with an oversized sweater, which of course Irina invented, but Althea paired it with some leather style skinny pantsA great piece to start the show with.

Her "13th look" was the third piece in her show and the judges loved it

After I reminded myself that this was filmed a year ago, I was impressed with this piece too. I don't believe a year ago harem style pants were "in", and now they're in all the fashion magazines.

This was another one of my favorite pieces of the show
Althea had a great mix of pants, skirts and dresses. She did use some color and her line came out strong. I enjoyed her show. Althea's strong point is in her bold separates and not so much in gowns. I was surprised she put her PR model in this dress to be shown before the judges, it was my least favorite piece.
I'm not into the color or look of this gown. Her model is an amazing walker, and she really should have been in a short piece or pants, so she could really work it, instead of struggling in this long piece.

I was also not a fan of those headbands. Maybe Althea is a big idea stealer, because Irina did the big headband thing for her last challenge look. Hmmm.....

To see Althea's line in order of appearance

Moving on to a Miss Carol Hannah's line.

She opened with this amazing piece. Great from head to toe, love the styling, the shoes, the length, the color. Wow. I was ready for another after seeing this

And then the rest of her line came out, and each piece just seemed random from the last piece that came out.

I did like this gown a lot, the color is so rich and it moved beautifully

Carol Hannah makes pretty dresses. That's what she did all season long and it got her to Bryant Park. Unfortunately, she wasn't confident in her skills, and decided to incorporate every design trick; draping, braiding, embellishing, poofiness, ruffles, etc. It was just too much and it wasn't cohesive. And I'm not into this type of dress either, I wouldn't have put it for the PR model to go before the judges.Although I do like the top of the dress, like her final challenge piece, I'm not into the bottom part. I just think this could have been more of a fun piece, like her first one that came out.

To see all of Carol Hannah's line in order


Irina came out last but certainly not least

Her first piece really evoked the armor asthetic she was going for

Remember Season 4 when Rami was going for a Joan-of-Arc-thing and it didn't really work? Irina picked up on it and ran.

Irina was the only one I felt used her PR model correctly. She gave her this bold piece and honey worked it like a part time job! Ferosh!


Here's "T-shirt-Gate" look

Originally she had Coney Island images on it, which Tim informed her that she could not use. From my favorite blog Project Rungay I learned that the sentences on the shirt are most likely not allowed either, because they're ripped off from a New York magazine article "Reasons to Love New York". Of course, just like Jeffrey's leatha incident, this contreversy is for tv drama alone and didn't prevent her from winning.

Her last look that she had all in pins just a few days before is amazing. Simply beautiful. (I could have done without the hat on this one.)


Nina was right, this collection is a LOT of black. As a person who also wears a lot of black, I love the pieces and would have worn just about every one. Irina is a smart designer and really worked on fitting the pieces to the models. However, some of that detailing is lost when every single piece of fabric is black. She could have wowed even more with some color. Irina did stay true to herself, and I do agree with her as the winner. She put on a show. And although a lot of people call her Meana Irina and the "nice girl" Carol Hannah should have won, I don't agree. The competition is not Next Nice Designer, or Makes Nice Clothes. It's Project Runway!!

To see Irina's line in order


The judging went well and Michael Kors seemed very proud of the designers. Well it was great that the final 3 do have talent and there weren't so many decoys that sucked as there was last season! I thought it was great that the judge had fashion cred (thought I'm not sure about hair cred....), but she seemed surprised and impressed by every damn style thing they did. Oh well, it really is down to the Holy Trinity (ahem and producers) to decide Zee Winnah.

And how wonderful was it to see Irina's dad cry with her and Nina Garcia! Nina Garcia cried tears! It was cliche of Irina to say she wasn't there to make friends, but she wasn't. She was there to win and she did just that. Congratulations Irina.

Finale: Part 1

I'm not sure how I stayed awake for the finale episode that does not involve the runway show.

Oh yeah, this happened:

And then this happened....

Tim in an apron? What is L.A. done to our Tim? Flip flops? Bootie shakin??? Aprons? I do declare!

Oh yeah, then this happened:


I'm not sure what's going on there. Carry On.....

Tim, of course, visits each designer to check up on them. From what I can tell from these visits, Irina does have the strongest collection out of the 3. Looks can be deceiving though....

A couple more Project Runway firsts: They didn't need to have a decoy at Bryant Park, because when Fashion Week happened, the show was still in Legal Purgatory and had not been aired. This also meant, that when the designers met up in New York, they hadn't seen the behind the scenes interviews and any other cattiness they can be pissed about for weeks. So all we got was thisA whole lot of nothing.

Oh, the biggest drama was that Carol Hannah was sick and hadn't arrived on the first day.

But then she did arrive and was "sick". Girl, you are not sick. You are stressed to the core!

Then the designers get a visit from Tim and Heidi with the sorting hat and guess what? Yeah, we knew they'd have a 13th look to design, but apparently these 3 have never seen the show before.

Oh yeah, and these 3 show up:

Those shit-eating grins say something like: I'm contractually obligated to help you and I love the screen time, but I'm gonna make your life hell if I can because you made it and I didn't. Or something like that.....

We knew Miss Perky Blonde was going to pick Logan (wait, which one is which???) and Irina was going to pick Gordana. So that left Christopher with the other blonde girl.

Tune in the for the final finale next week, when Tim loses his shiz and CH has a breakdown! Oh yeah, and we see those black and gray collections.


"It's too much black"

Or, as Heidi would say "Byyyyeeee....."

Last challenge before Bryant Park

Deeesigners! Theese ees your last challenge! Make it work, ok?

Ok, we've made it to the end of the season! It was a long road of kicking off designers with a vision and creative talent, to get to these designers. Christopher made it through being on the bottom many many times in a row, without having to wear tight shiny pants. Gordana squeezed by the judges hatred of her. Carol Hannah made it with 2 first names and not making a pair of pants. Althea giggled her way to the top. And Irina, well, we knew she was going to make, whether we wanted her to or not. Congratulations!

Tim takes the designers to the Getty Museum to meet the mayor of L.A. (nothing says fashion like the mayor of L.A.?) and gain inspiration. The designers are given some time to walk around and get inspired and then off to Mood with $300. Again, this is there chance to wow. By this time, the designers are burnt out and all the stress of working every day under the scope of the camera lens and Bryant Park in reach has just gotten to them, period.

To make matters worse 2 designers are getting auf'd. At this point, Christopher should be shaking in his boots, but as always, he thinks his dress is friggin amazing. You can't say this guy doesn't have self-esteem.

Irina is a shoo-in, and after her steady wins, she would have had to do something pretty hideous to not make it In. I'm not sure why she made this look. The color is very pale and not very wow. The length of the dress is "matronly". Why is it that awkward halfway length that's not too short or long? Also, the draping looks pretty boring. The judges were very disappointed in her styling of the model. Like I said, she would have to make something very wrong to not make it to Bryant Park. This is not the worst thing, so she is In.

Carol Hannah makes A Pretty Dress. Okee-dokie. I feel like I've already seen this dress about 3 times on this show. In this same color. So, forgive my yawing, but I'm not impressed with this safe dress. But remember, it's A Pretty Dress.


Althea is lucky to have made it to Bryant Park. In fact, I'm betting the judges already wanted her in and just couldn't say Auf her even for this fug creation. By now she really should have realized her time constraints and what she could and couldn't finish. She's been a pretty strong contender all season, so I'm not upset she made it on, but this creation is inexcusable. I mean, on first glance as it's coming down the runway with this fierce model workin it like a part time job, it's OK. But when you really look at it, you see everything that's wrong with it. She spent so much time on the skirt patchwork, she had to cut it off awkwardly on the bottom and threw together a basic top.

Christopher is Out. I can't say I'm surprised. At all. In fact, it just would have been outrageous for him to continue on, but maybe with some time he could have made an awesome collection. We just won't know. This was not the piece that would save him. That same drawstring top and awkward corset style middle with the basic skirt, all with the wrong material. I am proud of him that he didn't add 4,000 things to the bottom of the skirt. It was really sweet to see that a couple of the other designers chose him when asked who should move on to the finals (or perhaps they knew they could beat him?). This show should be for someone who is an unknown designer. However, Christopher has always been limited because of his lack of training, so he can only go up from here. And, like he said, he got to show 12 pieces on national television, that's nothing to sneeze at.

Ok. Gordana was robbed. I'm sorry, but I've had a week to think about it and I just get more upset thinking about it. She was the one that was the most inspired, and fit the challenge criteria the best. The judges seemed to agree that it was a beautiful gown. No, it wasn't complex, but it was elegant, sewn well, and was obviously made out of love for clothes making. I also read an interview with her in it, and she explained that they edited out her dying individual layers of fabric, bleeding the colors with a paintbrush and putting those layers together just so, to relate her inspiration piece, which was the Monet painting.
At one point, Nina Garcia tells Gordana she doesn't know who Gordana is as a designer, and "that's a problem". Well, the problem is, you and Mr. M Kors haven't been there the whole season, so how would you know any of the designers? I felt that to be a very unfair statement.

What really bothers me about this show, is that sometimes they seem to judge solely on that challenge alone, and sometimes they seem to factor in past challenges and keep people that have done well in the past and forgive that one hiccup. They need to decide which way they want to go and be consistent with it! I really would have liked the top designers to include Epperson, Gordana and one of the 3 girls that made it. I feel that would have shown more variety. These 3 girls, while talented and cute, have some similar design techniques to each other. (Whether they just are, or are stealing from one another, well that's a matter of opinion.)

And before I tell you to "Carry On", this is a great article (besides the many misspelled words) by the beloved Tim Gunn, who talks about this season and season 7!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/11/project-runway-tim-gunn-carries-on-to-season-seven.html

The Best of the Best

Make it work…..again.

6 designers left and if we could just get rid of these pesky boys, things would be great! Apparently, the ladies agree, because they were Catty McCattersons this week. You stole my zipper idea! You stole my big sweater idea! Hisssssss and Meow!!!

Speaking of catty, what in Versace’s name was Heidi wearing this week? Hot pink bermuda shorts? hmmm

This challenge the designers have to "re-work" one of their best designs by making a companion piece. In everyone but Logan's case, it's a winning look they have to pair up. Poor Logan's piece is a drab silver dress he made on the first episode.

Much bitching and behind-the-back talking ensues in the workroom. Tim Gunn helps out Carol Hannah, by convincing her not to do pants. (I'm sure he had to really twist her arm on that choice)

There were also a lot of accusations of stealing ideas, and it translated to the runway. Does it really matter if Logan stole the zipper idea from the Bob Mackie challenge? I don't even remember that collar? And the oversized sweater drama? puh-leaze. Onto the designs.....

Poor Christopher. He really thinks he’s so freakin amazing. And why does he talk like he does to the camera? Does he practice in the mirror?

Christopher's design is described best by Meana Irina "why is one dress throwing up another?". Alas, it's true. The top is ok, and then, as you work your way down.....it just gets worse and worse. How does one walk in this dress? What woman wants heaviness around the thighs? Ugh. Christopher needs help. He's really lucky to not be auf'd. Again.

Irina “I’m too good for you” made another brown oversized sweater as a companion piece to her brown oversized turtleneck. It did look pretty good. The under-dress was ok, but why did only Nina think it was slutty and cheap looking? Oh…wait……Heidi and Nick Verreos were the judges. :D

This piece does work as a companion to her earlier work. As long as princess keeps her big sweater on, it works.

omg omg, Carol Hannah made a cute dress with pockets. Omg all the judges love pockets on dresses!! What a concept!!!!

(Actually, I have to agree, I have a dress with pockets on the side like that and it’s so fun to have.) I also enjoyed the top part of this dress. However she put together the top is really fun and tailored at the same time. Unfortunately, the bottom part is just so-so, which means it's not the winner. Her piece was the Bob Mackie challenge, and it would have been hard to add the feathers and sequins and not make another costume. Tough look to work with.

Gordana made.....I'm not sure what she made. Nick got in big trouble for calling it a "Polish office worker's" outfit. Yeah, and if I was an office worker in Poland, I would be offended too! This look is so unflattering, drab and it doesn't do anything to compliment her winning look, which was fun and young looking. I've defended many of Gordana's outfits, but this is just going too far.

I'm thinking her, actually I don't know what saved Gordana this week. I've been a supporter of her for a while, but I simply cannot defend this boring look.

Althea was the winner. I really enjoyed her original winning look. Her companion look wasn’t as great, but it clearly was the companion piece, and it was the best out of this weeks' looks. For Irina to say she stole the oversized sweater look....well you be the judge.

Oh Logan, your shiny silver pants couldn’t detract from this week's fugly mess. It was very close between Gordana’s hideousness and this thing Logan created. Logan and Christopher are both super delusional. Logan seems to think that 3 chains, or pink lining, or zippers are edgy to fashion. Logan was also the sole designer that didn't actually have a winning design. This was (I guess) his nicest thing they could have him use to re-work. And even that dress is bo-ring.

Judy Jetson indeed.

Auf Weidersehen Logan. And in Logan's mind, he designs for only "10 percent of the population". The rest of the world, just doesn't "get" his designs. Well color me the majority sweetie. Too bad he had to leave on such a sour note, but his pride was definitely crushed on this show. We have to assume that his shiny silver pants and model-esque looks brought him this close to Bryant Park. (eek, who's sour grapes now?)

How great was it to have Nick Verreos as a judge? I just adore him. He was kicked off too early in Season 2, but he seems to be doing ok in the fashion and entertainment industry. It would have been hilarious if he was on the episode where Nicolas got kicked off for not doing a good enough Greek look. I hope to see Nick on the show again!