Project Runway Season 9: Episode 5 Nick Verreos Recap: Mean Girls Edition!!!

Mean Meaner and Meanest



Last night's Project Runway Season 9 "Teams-and-their Captains Challenge for Heidi!" episode was a DOOZY! I know I have said this before, but seriously, it was a DOOZY! What ever happened to a show that was about THE FASHION!!?? Oh no darling: Last night, it was all about who can-be-the-biggest-bitch and cause the most drama, and yes, get the most "TV Attention". Before I let you go to my MyLifetime.com Project Runway BLOG to read my RECAP of this week's episode, a few things...



Forgive me, but...I Had To Do This:



Mean Girls Queen: Project Runway Season 9 Villain of all Villains, Joshua McKinley (middle) working her "Mean Girls" pose...in her pink pleated mini and bubblegum pink pumps!



Reality TV Land crowned a new Villain, Joshua McKinley, as well as a Sub-Villain, Bert Keeder. Joshua M. was cruel to the point of disgusting with his "teammate" Becky. Yes, he did apologize, but PUHLEEEASE, only after the realized "Oh Dear! I'm gonna come off REALLY bad on TV...maybe I should dial it back a few notches and 'pretend' apologize...and make sure the cameras follow me when I do it!!"



On the subject of Bert: Bert Keeder was one to LOVE in the beginning of this season, yet it didn't take long--briefly 4-5 episodes, which BTW, that's ONLY like 7 or 8 FILMING DAYS in "real time" kids!!!--to become a nasty bitchy queen. Oh Berty...



Also, The Boyfriends Are Back Together!



FIDM's Debut Student, Joshua Christensen, got another chance after he was "Auf'ed" in the beginning of the season--to join the contestants and continue onto Project Runway. His boyfriend, Mean Girls Queen Joshua M. was very excited to see him but more excited was Joshua C. He smiled and hugged so tightly, you'd think he had been deployed for six months to fight in Afghanistan and had finally gotten off the ship and saw his pregnant wife!



OK, let's talk about the "fashion":



"Team Joshua M"'s basic tank dress was one of the two winners last night. I get that it is very sell-able and all, but seriously? This dress is already at Forever 21: And has been there FOR A WHILE...all Team Joshua M. and Anya (who made it) did, was slop this neon athletic ribbon/trim on it:

And VOLIA! It's FASHION!!!! Not...

A few I liked:



Viktor Luna's cropped motorcycle jacket and purposely wrinkled gray jersey dress was great! Very Alexander Wang. Modern, sporty and (God forbid!) also Fashion-y.



Bryce Black: Barely out of design school and perpetually-in-the-bottom Bryce, did quite well in this challenge! Good for little Bryce. Professor Nick gives him an A!



The Worst:



Anthony Ryan Auld: Oh HUNEY. WHERE. Is. This. Girl. Going?!! She's broke, decided to leave College (cause she couldn't afford it) and is now going back-packing through Eastern Europe (it's cheaper!) by herself! Those romper-diaper-shorts were very Mahatma Gandhi. But the difference was, Gandhi's actually look more CHIC!



Olivier Green: Poor British-accent boy from Ohio and his creation. All she needs is a bonnet and a buggy and she will look right at home at an Amish farm in Pennsylvania.



Danielle Everine: I had high hopes for Danielle. I really thought she was going to be that "Silent but Deadly" contestant, in terms of her creations and really be this season's Leanne Marshall. But nope. She just loved doing green chiffon blouses. As a result, she went home.



And now: Here's a "Taste" of my MyLifetime.com Recap for this week's Episode. And as always, I would LOVE to hear your "Two Cents" and what you thought of Mean Girls Joshua, Bert, and everything else!!!





"Mean Girls": The Parsons Edition



Five things I learned from watching last night's episode:

1) Joshua M. is mean. OK, he's downright CRUEL.

2) Bert is also mean, but in a Bitchy Old Queen sort of way

3) Mean and bitchy gets you places … at least on "Project Runway"

4) Reality shows LOVE a villain ... or two!

5) A basic tank maxi dress can win in a fashion design competition! Who knew?



After last week's "Dress Nina la Diva" episode, the remaining contestants woke up only to find boxes in their Atlas Apartments. I started to get the shakes, as this reminded me of my Season 2 "Figure Skating/Make a Costume for Sasha Cohen" Challenge, when we received boxes of snap-on body suits and leggings to wear during our ice skating outing. Oh happy times! No figure skating for these kids; they were going to the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory. Heidi and Tim were there to tell them that they would be working in four teams of three....



Click HERE to continue reading my Mylifetime.com Blog.

Project Runway Season 9--Episode 3 "Go Big or Go Home" --Nick Verreos MyLifetime.com Recap

The Circus--and OVER-exaggerated Body Types...come to Battery Park New York!!!



This:



Equals:

Project Runway Season 9 Designers Joshua McKinley and Julie Tierney design for Challenge No. 3

Last night's 3rd Episode of Project Runway Season 9 involved STILT Walkers and designing outfits for them--that were NOT COSTUME-Y but more "Couture" as their Mentor Tim Gunn, suggested. It was a MESS!!!! I was so amazed (and not in a good way) at how BAAAD these looks were that I thought I was watching a horrible "Day At The Circus" Documentary...The designers/contestants were teamed up and well, to begin--one of the teams Josh and Julie wanted to do "Torreador Couture" and ended up doing Elephant Clown Circus Wrangler, as my images above shows you. It really should have looked like this:

Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Fall 2008

I know it is not fair to compare a $50,000 Haute Couture ensemble---which includes a hand-beaded jacket that probably took 400 HOURS to make--to an outfit on Project Runway that was made in 12 hours but there was nothing chic or modern or even something that looked wearable in Joshua and Julie's Outfit.

And to think that these were even in contention for the Best:



Becky and Kimberley: One shoulder striped, pouffed/Leg-o-Mutton sleeved jacket with contrast over-sized cuffs and asymmetrical collar paired with gold-studded army-green trousers ensemble. Enough said. The top was SOOO "Fashion School Graduation Show 101" in terms of its silhouette, styling and fabric choice. Yes, the pants fit extremely well (the judges agreed), but still: It WASN'T that good...to be considered a "Top".



Cecilia Motwani and Danielle Everine: The chiffon fabric of this look was cut and sewn BEAUTIFULLY!!! I give both of these girls points for that. But if it wasn't for the 1967 "Medicated with Way-Too-Many-Dry-Martinis-Housewife" bouffant hairdo, they might have won...

but in the end it was this that won this awful & creepy challenge:



Anthony Ryan Auld and Laura Kathleen: This was the ONLY look--a red gown with a gathered blouson top with feathered shouldered detail and thin-belted waist--that came close to NOT being COSTUME-like and from the Circus and actually reminded the judges--and me--of a gown that was just "stretched"...Laura won as a result.



The Really Bad:







Bert Keeter and Viktor Luna: These two designers argued throughout the entire challenge and the result of their look was a MESS! Using brocade from the Mood Fabrics HOME and Sofa Section (is there really such a department? I may be making it up!) is NOT a good idea!!



But it was THIS Tutu concoction that really made the judges sour:





Bryce Black and Fallene Wells: These two designers tried to do "Black Swan"-meets-Punk. Not so much. The basic black cami looks like it came from Forever 21 and that tutu, low-hanging waistband and under-skirt pants? It all looked like a drunk 50-something former ballerina had hijacked the stage and needed to be escorted off. Fallene was "Auf'ed"...



If you really want to know what I thought of the entire Episode...





Here is a preview of my recap for myLifetime.com:



Send In The Clowns



Off the Bat ...

I know that I will risk sounding like a big ol’ “Negative Ninny” right off the bat (I promise, just this week!), but ... boy, were these outfits AWFUL! Just awful! Good, I had to get that off my trimmed yet still hairy chest. Oh, and let me add the following while I am on a roll: I am all for Team Bert in this Viktor vs. Bert History of Fashion Terminology Lesson. Don’t say “Elizabethan” or “Victorian” or “Gothic” when you haven’t a CLUE what those terms refer to. Go buy François Boucher’s “20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment” and then talk to me. Don’t use the incorrect terminology and not expect to be clocked on it. OK, I am done for now. Let’s discuss this week’s Circus on the Runway Challenge....



Click HERE to continue reading--and of course, please let me know what you thought (in the comments section).

Nick Verreos Season 8 Project Runway MyLifetime.com Recaps: Episode 11

80's Biker Shorts, The Lion King Zebras, Thanksgiving Turkeys, Wendy Pepper 2.0 and Topstick...Yep, It's Project Runwaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!

Let's Get Physical: Olivia Newton John and Sue Sylvester on "Glee"...and some sexy 80s Bicycle Short-clad boys

Helloooooooo ! (say it with the Heidi Klum accent!)--Yes, Season 8 Project Runway is just about in it's last episodes before it is decided Who. Will. Be. America's Next...Top Fashion Designer! Last Thursday's Episode and Challenge revolved around "Active Wear". Specifically, designing looks for...

Heidi Klum's new line for New Balance to be sold exclusively at Amazon.com. This was supposed to be the centerpiece of the episode. However, as things sometimes turn out on Project Runway, that was just an excuse to get the "Mean Girls" back and get the Drama simmerin' again...since of course we (and in "we" I don't mean ME!) love the DRAMA!

The Lowlights and Highlights:

--Ivy Equals Wendy Pepper 2.0

Ivy Higa returns as the Leader of Season 8's "Mean Girls" (along with 3/4 of the cast), accusing Michael Costello (of course) of cheating and sabotage...Well, if anyone is sabotaging it's Miss Ivy. She took this entire Episode away from everyone else: I forgot WHAT the Challenge was about and that it had anything to do with Heidi, New Balance OR Amazon.com! So, I think we can make it official: Ivy is the new...

Wendy Pepper. Congrats!

--Thanksgiving Day Turkey Work Out Gear?

During this episode, the bitter "Mean Girls" Designers who were brought back to "help" kept making fun of what Michael Costello was creating for Heidi and her new line, saying it reminded them of something from a "Thanksgiving Day Turkey Parade". I actually thought they were cute...Just to remind people THIS...

Is what a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Design actually looks like! Thank you very much :)

--Topstick/Toupee Tape/Double-stick Tape was the new Season 8 Cast Member

Continuing on the "Mean Girls" and accusations...Miss Ivy accused Michael C. of using double stick tape on his dress for the "Jackie Kennedy Challenge". I didn't realize that using Topstick was against the rules. Why is Topstick against the rules but using glue, glue stick and staples NOT? Read my MyLifetime.com Blog to see what I think of all that.

--Bicycle Shorts Are BAAACK Y'all!

Yep, Gretchen had a pair of bicycle shorts in her "Heidi Klum for New Balance" looks-they were asymmetrical and black and none of the judges thought they were cute. I would have liked them if they looked more like the ones above--thong and all! At least, I would have given her credit for being kitschy and campy!

--The Best & Not So Good

I actually liked Mondo's group-he stuck to the color story for Heidi's New Balance line, it looked wearable as well as directional; very Alexander Wang Barney's CoOp. And of course, those geometric headbands were oh-so-editorial! Even though he was being kind of a you-know-what to Heidi, he should have won...again!

I wasn't a fan of Andy's active wear looks though. Michael Kors and Heidi K just LOOOOVED it! I didn't get it. Nina Garcia did say they looked "a bit" Halloween-y. On closer inspection, they also reminded me of this:

The "Lion King" Zebra costumes! There's an inspiration: The Zebras from Lion King-Inspired Active Wear by Andy South! Love it!

But it was "Cutie Christopher" who was sent home--when I saw those weird proportions, twisting inseams, crazy styling (Wedge heels??Really???) and even crazier slits placed in the most WRONG places, I knew it was going to be his time. Michael Kors was right, they did look rather "Retirement Home Pajama Party". Christopher's girls were on their way to play Mahjong and then meet their girlfriends for some Bloody Mary's...as opposed to go to their next Bikram Yoga appointment.

Even this lovely lady looks more fashionable than any of Christopher's models...

Oh well, with that, we (and when I say "we", I mean "I") give you a smooch on the cheek for being CUTE and for designing for the "Older Clientele"...they are sometimes forgotten on Project Runway.

Here's a Sneak Peak of my latest Blog Recap of Episode 11 for MyLifetime.com:

Lies, Losers and a Tale of Double-Stick Tape

Oh Lordy: I just knew that after a solemn and genuinely emotional TEARJERKER of an episode — and I would be remiss not to mention HOW TIMELY it was with all these sad gay suicides occurring in our country — that it would be followed by DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA! I'm not talking the good, Joan Crawford, DIVA kind. I'm talking about the silly, bitchy, bitter kind. Yep, it seems that the producers saw the drama fading away as soon as the "mean girls" were eliminated, and thought to themselves, "Hmmm, how can we recapture that Jersey Shore level of fighting again?! I know! Let's bring back the bitter, angry eliminated designers! Yeah! Problem solved!" But I digress … let's start from the top........

To Read The ENTIRE Recap Click HERE

Nick Verreos Project Runway MyLifetime.com Recaps: Episode 4!

Hat Fantastique!!!

On last night's Project Runway Season 8 Episode, the contestants had to create an ensemble inspired by incredible Hat Couture designed by Philip Treacy. Who needs an outfit when you've got those FABULOUS hats??!! The episode was filled with Ambulances, a Designer Down, More of Gretchen Replacing Tim Gunn while he's not there, FOUR designers caught...

The "Handkerchief Hem Bug" and we even got to witness...

The FIRST ever Triple Panty in Project Runway History from...

Separated at Birth?! Figure Skater Nicole Bobek (left) and Project Runway Contestant Nicole Johnston (right)

Designer April Johnston--who bears a striking resemblance to Olympic Figure Skater Nicole Bobek (I know, did I just give you a Figure Skating Reference!?). She designed a Hoochie Indochine ensemble to go with her Asiana-inspired hat. I suggested that maybe she should have referenced...

John Galliano's masterful Spring 2007 Haute Couture Christian Dior Collection...but alas she did not. For all my thoughts, below is the beginning of my MyLifetime.com Recap of this week's Hat-Glorious Episode:

Finally...It is interesting that the winning design was worn with this iconic Isabella Blow hat (below). Maybe the memories for Philip Treacy helped give Michael Costello the win?!

We Will Miss You Isabella Blow xoxo

Below is the beginning of my mylifetime.com recap:

Sad Orchids, Handkerchief Hems and a Triple Panty Party!!

OMG!!! It's Philip friggin' Treacy! God, Genius, Hat Zeus! Seriously, I got the shivers just thinking about what I would design with one of his masterpieces! I was so excited at the prospect of the marvelous creations these designers would make. But then someone slapped me back to life — I think it was the Ghost of Alexis Carrington from "Dynasty" — with the realization that Casanova was still in the show and that there would certainly be some embarrassing messes ahead ... But before we get to all that, plus the Triple Panty Party and how EVERYONE'S drinking the Handkerchief Hem Kool-Aid, let's talk about Designer Down.....

Click HERE to read the entire Recap!

Nick Recap: Season 7 Project Runway: Burlap Couture!

Homage to Lucille Ball's Burlap DressEthel and Lucy Couture: The Iconic "I Love Lucy" Burlap Dresses

This week's episode of Project Runway involved the old adage of "She's so beautiful she'd even look good in a potato sack". Before we can say "Upstate New York", the 15 designers are whisked away to the country (I can only imagine that 4:30 AM wake-up call, followed by getting in a production van and spending the next two hours sleeping next to someone you don't want to be next to).Suddenly, they are all wearing Wellies (were they all asked to make sure to pack some before they left their hometowns?) and Tim Gunn commands them to make that aforementioned adage true: Make a look out of burlap for their respective models...and make it cute. Cute enough that they could wear them to an "industry" party and be noticed for the right reasons.
Right there on the farm was a "Mood Farm" outpost, filled with lots of burlap and trim for the designers to use.Back at the Parsons Workroom, the designers got to work. Lots of dyeing, draping and burlap-tearing later, they were off to the runway. Supermodel of all Supermodels, 5'7" tall (short for models, she is quick to admit) Lauren Hutton is awaiting, Sharpie in hand, next to Miss Nina, Michael and Heidi of course.

The Runway:
In general, as Heidi noted, this was a GREAT Challenge. Most of the results came out-- surprisingly--kind of good! (who knew? High-fives to the producers!). Last week's winner, Emilio Sosa--and exempted from elimination... did a modern take on the sheath dress: Fitted, chic and rather Narciso Rodriguez-meets-Carolina Herrera-esque. Loved it.
Also, one of my favorites was Amy Sarabi's creation:The dip-dye petal handkerchief skirt was fabulous and the cowl top section, draped to perfection. It was polished, modern and very feminine. I thought she should have won. However, the winner was...Scarf-happy Jay Nicolas Sario and this deep-V neck cocktail number with a full fluttery skirt. I just didn't understand what the judges saw in this, but as one who has been in that seat before, I am well aware of the you-need-to-be-five-feet-away to REALLY see the "incredible" work that is in that dress.

What Models Want:
Now, I need to take a moment to explain to some of these designers what MODELS actually wear to "industry" parties/red carpet/events:Lily Aldridge, 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show After Party Pink CarpetMarisa Miller, 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show After Party Pink Carpet

Models like it SHORT, TIGHT, and if it has Herve Leger written on the label, the better (they know a $5,000 mini-dress when they see it!). With that in mind, I think Mila Hermanovski actually nailed it with her design:But that neckline gaping was awkward and showed bad pattern and fitting skill. All I wanted to do was pinch about 1 1/2" off that neckline and fix it. Just a note kiddies: That open-gape WASN'T supposed to be there! Take my Elements of Fit class at FIDM and you'll find out. Now, someone who just doesn't realize what models want to wear to an industry event is:Seth Aaron Henderson. Really Seth? The first thing that I said was: "This is SO Fashion School Graduate Fashion Show!" And not in a good way. Too contrived. A model would NEVER wear this to an industry mixer. I don't care what your model told you Seth Aaron. She lied.Another look a model would NEVER wear was poor Jesse LeNoir's. My designer friend who watched the episode with me remarked: "He may have Matinee-Idol looks but his design aesthetic is questionable at best" Baggy pants and an ill-fitting vest? Is she gardening or riding a horse? Not so much.
Model's Got Back:What is with the bad back's? Oh Miss Ping Wu. I really thought she would be gone. But then I realized that she would be "good TV" for at least one or two episodes. Her look was one of the worst. And that bootie-shot didn't help. Do we need to get Ping a new form? Ping: I have a suggestion: Take LOTS of measurements next time, especially the natural waist to high-hip to low-hip to knee. Just saying.
Speaking of backs: Poor Pamela Ptak. As a fellow Instructor, I had high hopes for her--and I could just see her helping all those other kids with their lackluster pattern making skills while the cameras weren't rolling (like I did back in my season). However, she transformed her vision of a burlap sack dress into a semi-HOOCHIE mini dress. I liked how she dyed the fabric to look like washed denim but the overall look was still reminiscent of a dress that one of the cast members from "Bad Girls Club" would think is cute. As a result, it was Instructor Pamela's time to go.
See you next time kiddies. Don't forget to pack your Wellies!