Work it!

So much to catch up on, so little time. Remind me that in another post I need to review some recent movies and videos I watched.

But today the topic at hand is fashion. Although I am by no means a fashionista myself, it's become my new TV addiction. If you asked me to name 10 designers, I'd have trouble. But ask me the name of the bitchy model on Project Runway, and I know! (Cara, if you're keeping track.)

Speaking of which, let's discuss this week's episode, shall we? So much happened I have to blog about it. So as you I'm sure saw (because why wouldn't you watch this show, there is nothing else on Wednesdays at the moment), this week the challenge was to design for "socialite" Nicky Hilton. Which is funny, because I didn't know being a rich bitch heiress makes you a socialite, but whatever. I think maybe it was to give her a term that sets her apart from her crap-whore sister, Paris.

Anywho, they were given a couple pics of La Hilton, and then sent off to "make it work." The results were clearly mixed. I offer my critiques of each garment. You can reference them all by going here. I'll go left to right to make it easy on you.

Santino
Santino designed something that looks rather creative and interesting from a distance, but to me feels like it would be unwearable. I just thought that dyed braided rope would be so itchy and...bleh. Plus as you got up close the fabric was very bunched and lacking in shape. I think Nicky liked it because it would set her apart on the red carpet. But I could see several fashion mags taking issue with the gown. The only reason he really won is because he was such a pushy asshole at the party Nicky threw. I'll bet he makes it to the final 3 just for shock value.

Andrae
Well the great heap of tears came up with something lovely at last. His dress was very simple but very elegant and young-looking. I thought the ribbon trim was a very good touch. But I protest his assertion that you could just "toss it in your suitcase and it won't wrinkle." Maybe I just have to feel the fabric to be sure.

Chloe
It's no secret that I adore Chloe. This is yet another example of her ability to make a sophisticated and sexy dress, and she is not afraid of color. My one disappointment was her choice to go with colors almost identical to those she had in the "Clothes Off Your Back" challenge. Regardless, I think she is destined to make the final 3. Tim the Silver Fox loves her, which should go a long way.

Daniel V.
Danny overcame his fabric malfunction to come up with a very striking dress. I thought it was definitely stunning and in my top 3 for the night. My only negative was that I thought without the strong pattern of the fabric, the dress style was very basic. If this had been a solid color it would have looked too simple. I just wish I could have seen what his original idea would have looked like.

Diana
"Dirty" Diana is a real puzzle. I mean, I adore her - she's so cute. "I love math and science..." But sometimes her ideas are a bit odd. This dress I thought was half-great...the top half. The bottom half (surprisingly pointed out with astuteness by Nicky Hilton) was just a mess and unattractive. I doubt Diana will last to the end, but she can be my friend.

Emmett
This is a dress that did not look good on television, but looks better in the photo. I think his problem as with Kara's (see below) is that there was too much black used amongst the designers this week. So with all that black, dresses like this one get lost. It's simple and pretty, but doesn't excite me. Neither does he. Is he made of wood?

Lupe
Ugh, what a mess. I mean, I never really liked this girl's work, but this was a stark example. Her dress sticks out like a sore thumb, as if it was made from upholestry. I think she's too much an "artist" and not enough "commercial."

Kara
Same problem with Emmett's only more so. The design of the dress itself is certainly lovely and flattering. But having it be all black is so...been done before. I think if she'd done this in any bold color (like silver or maybe coral) it could have even won.

Marla
How do you spell disaster? The fact that she was not eliminated for this is astonishing. I mean, copying another designer is exactly what got Alexandra eliminated last season. But whatever. On top of that, it was poor construction, and her model SUCKS. If Marla sticks around next episode, it will only be on the strength of her partner (like the lingerie challenge).

Nick
Ah, my darling Nick. Come into my room where we can sit for awhile and...woops, sorry about that folks. Anywho, his dress was flawless. Gorgeous color, expert tailoring, and a very creative and interesting back. If it had been any other woman, I think she would have picked this dress. Too bad for Nick that the client was a touch too trashy. Fortunately I think he is easily bound for the final 3.

Zulema
Yuck. I mean, I think she knows how to put a garment together well, but I just don't think it's always flattering. That's certainly the case here, and giving the model such dark eye shadow makes it worse. I'm afraid that Zulema only has a small bag of tricks, and they're running out.

What a great show. Can't wait until next week!

Meanwhile, I must tell you about this little show I got sucked into over New Year's weekend thanks to the evil Em. It's called America's Next Top Model, on UPN. Although currently you can see reruns quite a bit on VH1, which is what we did. We ended up watching cycle (that's season to most of us) 4.

The show is hosted by the uber-fabulous Tyra Banks. Yes, she's no Heidi Klum. But she takes this show VERY seriously, which is what makes it so rad.

The girls are all so young, it's very strange, and a different experience than watching Runway. But the photo shoots are so much fun, and it's amazing to see how they can turn out.

Ultimately the winner (after I stayed up to 3 a.m.) was Naima, who richly deserved it. I'll bet I'll be seeing her years from now and thinking, "I knew her when." She has this fabulous mohawk, and an interesting mixed-race heritage. And she's sweet. Here's a little pic of her and Tyra.

All in all this show is a real guilty pleasure. I mean, it's certainly not on par with Runway or a good season of The Amazing Race. But it's completely entertaining, and you don't feel scummy afterwards. Dare I say I will be tuning into cycle 6? I just might.