Blogging Project Runway Canada: Resorting in LALA land

I have waited to see if video for Episode 9 got loaded on YouTube, but so far nada, so I might as well blog it already from the info on the site.

So for this week, our intrepid Canuck designers were flown oveh'heyah ( said in "connected" Joisey accent)

They stayed in HB, land of the upwardly mobile, hopelessly vapid and surgically-enhanced housewife and worked at the FIDM in LA where the adored , sweet and gracious Nick Verreos mentored them. Nick is angelic and gorgeous and one of the msot gifted technicians in the West Coast. He makes bias cut dresses look effortless and believe me, few things are harder. When I met Nick, he was absolutely lovely. The guest designers could not have asked for better. We would have LOVED to host them at ghetto-Mesa College where I go, but we are not even remotely on the fashion horizon . The thing is, I could hardly see paying AGAIN 16k a year in tuition and fees when the average salary in the industry is 30k. No, I don't assume that I am going to become Artistic Fashion Director at Chanel or that LVMH is going to bankroll my label. I know better. Mesa is a great deal since we have the same faculty as FIDM San Diego for 15-20 bucks/credit hour. They will rape you on the parking tickets though. The rent-a-cops are VULTURES.

In this challenge the designers had to produce one Resort look for their models and one for themselves. What is it with the 2/3 looks per episode thing? No offense, but I would prefer to see 1 look that is brilliant than 2 or 3 that are so-so. And some of those were menswear. Resort or not that is even harder to do.

So here are the offerings...

Biddell's:

Bar the tie-dye and colour palette, I like this dress a lot. The origami fan detail at the hips is beautiful and the skirt of the dress is beautifully cut. My issue? the colours don't do the dress justice. And it would look so much cuter on a model with larger hips and breasts. As is the cups don't fit well and the detailing gets lost.

I am kind of loving the cheekiness of this even though I have seen the t shirt at Gadzooks and Hot Topic. From a construction perspective, it is well-made and definitely not boring.

Marie Genevieve's:

This lovely from a construction perspective and elegant and appropriate from a design one. That jacket is gorgeous. But I have one problem. This is so Tara Jarmon/Chloe/ Stella McCartney, I have a hard time commiting to it. The colour palette is too... sorry but safe.

This is her and seriously, she looks absolutely adorable. A very well-executed and designed look that is clean , fresh and well turned out. My issue? Too Chloe!!! I want a new perspective ma belle. BTW, she won the challenge.

Lucian's:

This is great but ONE problem.The decollete keyhole neckline makes this otherwise beautiful dress unwearable off the runway unless you are Paris Hilton or J-Lo. His model is stunning though.

Lucian is a BEAUTIFUL young man. But this outfit... Like a gypsy version of Al Pacino in Scarface. Editing is a virtue and restraint a gift. Nix the gold ribbon detail on the shirt, the gratuitous skinny tie, the hat and put some normal sleeves on the shirt, and by golly this would have been really lovely.

Shernett's:

This was, believe it or not my favourite look for this challenge. I love the pants and the top and I think it is very wearable. I cannot detect any major or eggregious construction flaws and I think it could sell on any "contemporary" department in North America like tomorrow.

I cannot BEGIN to understand WHY these were the eliminated looks. To me this was perfectly lovely, modern, fresh and well-made.

Stephen's:

And I am also SHOCKED this was NOT the eliminated look. The proportions are awkward, and the design well, frankly unwearable if you do not want to be arrested. Can you visualize that with actual boobs? Thats is WHY I think that designers ought to use more realistically-bodied models. With people that look like this, you cannot correctly see what the garment would look like in real life.

And when I get excited, my little china girl says oh baby just you shut your mouth... This look is so OVER the top femenine and estrogenically drenched, that the International Male catalog would turn it down and go "Dude... this is WAY too gay for any man to wear". This reminds me of Agador, Robin Williams and Nathan Lane's cabana boy in "The BirdCage". Seriously. But it is well-made....

I do not know where the judges left their eyes and brains this week. But I am not happy about the results of this one and I definitely don't agree with them.

In my opinion, this week, Stephen was the one that did not measure up.