Tim is here to make things perfectly clear: No one is going home.
Ever? Will they spend eternity in the bowels of Parsons?
No. They’re going to Europe (except for Michelle) for one day to get inspiration and $1000 worth of fabric. And for some reason, the assistants – the eliminated designers – will be going with them. I can see the thought bubble over Patricia’s head: “How can I arrange for Richard to miss the plane?” But even Heidi has some mercy: they switch up the assistants.
It’s a low-drama episode, full of oohing and aahing over torn paper and pleather. Hey, don’t ask me, I’m not a designer.
Michelle:
As T-Bone predicted in last week’s comments, she’s being punished for defying Nina’s instructions yet still making the best-looking outfit on the runway last week (right up there with Don’t Bore Nina should be, Don’t Make Nina Look Like a Fool) so she stays behind in NYC with only Tu to keep her company. She’s pretty weepy about that, and the pity party gets old pretty fast. 
It’s raining when she heads out for inspiration and fabric, which cleanses negative feelings and washes her wounds. Her words, not mine; I couldn’t write that with a straight face. Some half-demolished New York buildings have soot on the exposed chimney walls, and that’s her inspiration. Rain. Soot. Anybody got any Paxil? She loves having a whole $1000 to spend, so she gets cashmere and diarrhea-brown leather (again, her words), because, well, who wouldn’t.
The globe trotters return, and Michelle sulks. They all had a wonderful experience and bonded without her! Michelle, you do understand they were in separate cities, and the only bonding was on the ride to and from the airport? She still Does Not Want To Be Touched. I actually am sympathetic about that; I don’t like to be touched by people I’m not close to, though I would imagine by now she’s become fairly close to these folks, at least the ones she slept in the same room with. Maybe she needs to go stand in the rain and wash her wounds a little more.
She’s making a tailored grey wool cashmere dress with a leather bib. She describes it thusly: “A reversible quilted leather breastplate.” “Armor.” “Avant turd laminated chest plate.” “Bondage and lobster eating gear.” This cheers her up. I’m fascinated by her coprological obsession. Then, because it’s not quite shitty enough, she ombre’s the hem with fabric paint, to capture the chimney soot. “Soot it up,” Tim encourages her. Here’s the problem: it’s pretty amazing; the leatherwork is astonishing (though I don’t care for the bondage straps in the back). The soot, well, you need to know it’s an artistic statement – remember that – and not just the hem of the skirt getting dragged through the mud, but it’s very apocalyptic, and it fits her portrayal of the Wounded Warrior. Nina loves it; it’s a comeback, she captured the city. John loves how the cashmere walked and the unexpected combination with the shine of the leather, which is pretty sophisticated fashion analysis for a musician; does he have a line of his own? Zac sees New York. Heidi sees a dirty horse blanket. Heidi’s going to lose this one; once again, Michelle has the most interesting thing on the runway.
Stanley:
He and Richard do London. Stanley’s perfected the art of not paying any attention to someone without being rude. So have I, it seems, since I didn’t take a single note about Richard nor do I remember anything about him in this episode. Stanley’s fascinated by Big Ben; the windows are darker towards the top, so what would a woman be wearing up there: something ghostly, haunting; something dark and lean. He always wanted to be a vampire when he was a kid, and he’s made a lot of cheery clothes this season so it’s time for the Dark Side. I’ve never understood the fascination with Big Ben – hey, it’s a clock tower, if a very old clock tower – but I like his story. Even if it does have a whiff of “here’s what I want to make now I have to figure out a story to fit the challenge.”
He finds some fabric I don’t quite understand; apparently it’s got shiny leather pailletes, and apparently it’s horrendously expensive after pounds are converted to dollars. He gets it anyway, to use – are you ready – as a lining. He can only afford a tiny amount, so he won’t even cut it until after model fitting. But he’s happy; it’s the perfect fabric. His dress is definitely lean and dark; from the front it’s all about the capelet, from the back it’s all about the skirt. It’s very classy. But why the exposed zipper? Nina loves the drama and luxury. “Bravo,” says Zac, opening old wounds; he likes the Sherlock Holmes reference of the cape (funny, I got Florence Nightingale), the surprise in back, and the essence of London. Heidi likes the simple but strong silhouette, but mostly she’s happy to see Stanley smiling.
Daniel:
Daniel gets sent to that world capital of fashion, Berlin. Someone hates Daniel (Addendum: I take that back: in his Introductory Interview, he listed Germany as the place he’d most like to design). Amanda goes with him to give him a younger vibe. He cries a lot. He cries because he’s happy. He cries because he’s sad. He cries 
because the camera’s on and he wants more screen time. Every time he cries, I think he’s faking it. He may be the most sincere person on earth, but he sure cries phony. And a lot. He visits Checkpoint Charlie. Who’s arranging these tours, anyway? He finds a building he likes, Bürohaus Henriette–Herz-Platz 3. Kind of interesting: Henriette Herz started a famous Berlin Salon for Jewish intellectuals in the late 18th century, moving to Italy after Napoleon barged in. Now there’s a building in Berlin named after her. Take that, Nazis. And good choice, Daniel. He likes it because it looks like a UFO: “The mother ship has landed.” Ok, whatever.
He also finds the crappiest fabric store in Europe. No silk. No leather. It looks like a low-budget Joanne’s. He wants to surprise the judges by making, of all things, a jacket. He wants to make a skirt, but Amanda convinces him that younger women wear jackets over dresses, not skirts (do they really?), so he goes with a bias dress instead with a lot of movement at the bottom. Since he can’t get leather, he gets “vinyl that looks like leather.” Pleather, by any other name. White pleather. Sigh. Does PR have some kind of agreement with this fabric store, and he can’t go to a different one? That’s just mean. Then he makes black upper-thigh-high boots. I’d groan, but they turn out to look like leggings, so who cares.
It’s not bad, at least from a distance. I’m not crazy about the fit of the jacket – it looks too tight at the torso and too big across the shoulders in the back – but it has a certain Stormtrooper appeal, and the skirt twirls beautifully. Nina gets the edgy Berlin underground look; Zac’s amused by pleather and the weird futuristic effect. Zac has this way of being non-committal while sounding positive, so no one can use this against him later. Heidi does her “it’s young, hip” thing, and sees Berlin, and I guess that means a lot coming from Heidi. John’s the only holdout: he sees Berlin but doesn’t like the pleather. You go, John! The look fits comfortably in third place, to be sure, but it’s not the smashing success the other judges imply.
Layana:
Layana’s perfectly happy going to Spain with Samantha. She loves the tiles and architecture. Is someone telling them to use architecture as inspiration, or are they all coming up with that on their own? Because no one’s noticing people, or clothing, or trees or flowers or water, just buildings. She finds lace over leather that’ll mimic the tile patterns. But it seems they aren’t big on service in this store, and she has to cut the fabric herself, poor baby. Still, she gives Samantha props for her sewing assistance, so I guess I’ll have to stop complaining about Layana. She’s getting a much kinder edit this episode.
Her look doesn’t get a kinder edit, though we all know by know the judges decide what they want the result to be and adjust their comments accordingly. Zac credits her with smart fabric choices but calls the sleeves a “big eyesore.” I can’t disagree with him, though I’d be a lot harsher about the shape of the coat. And the coat is about it; the pants and top are throw-away except for those draggy cuffs which Nina hates too. Heidi finds no sex appeal at all. “Not that everything has to be hot and sexy…” except it does…”but you want to look hip and young, not older.” You do, do you. They decide Layana herself looks great, but the model looks like her mom. No one sees Spain. They’re not wrong about that.
Patricia:
Patricia’s so happy to be Richard-free, I don’t think she cares who she’s paired with or where she goes. Paris is just the icing on the cake. Kate gets very excited about torn paper. Then Patricia gets excited about torn paper. It’s kind of decoupage graffiti, and seems they don’t have that out in the desert. She’s intrigued by the layers of history in those papers pasted to the wall. She’s in Paris, and she’s excited about the history in post-it notes? She’s not doing the romantic, whimsical Paris, she’s doing the gritty street Paris. “I don’t give you a native woman on a buffalo with wind blowing in her hair, why would I give a romantic Parisian?” Post-its it is. I shouldn’t be so snide, I’m a fan of street art, and what better place for it than Paris.
She’s thinking of layering history in a fitted jacket. She ends up with dozens of different fabrics and needs to put 247 Euros of it back, leading to a three-way wrestling match as the fabric lady and Kate each pick their discard choices while Patricia just wails, “I NEED THAT.” Eventually the fabric lady convinces her if she puts back one piece of black fabric, she’ll be all set, they hug, and Franco-American harmony is restored. It’s a funny segment. Cut to Patricia and Kate having what in any movie would be a romantic moment in the sunset, but here on PR, it’s just filler.
She tries to explain the installation graffiti to Tim, and he’s pretty impressed by her fabric technique. He’s not so impressed with the look as a whole; the dress doesn’t fit with the jacket. He suggests she start calling the jacket a top. I’m not sure how that solves the problem, but she seems to think it does.
And we end up with another Patricia outfit which means it looks like draft of something that could be terrific but is actually pretty messy. I like the jacket, except for the finishing details like the hem. I like the neck scarf, though I suspect that’s only there to cover up an unfinished neckline. The pants are throwaway, but they fit. Zac calls it “trash couture” which is pretty good. He appreciates the textile development and sees the decoupage reference, but it went wrong. I don’t think it went wrong, I think it didn’t get where it was going. Nina’s underwhelmed. John’s at his modest best: he wasn’t sure he was hip enough to get it, so he’s relieved no one else likes it. Heidi seems to like it more than the others, but she’s been on Patricia’s side all along.
Chat turns into a fascinating discussion about Fashion and Art. As in, Nina: “Fashion isn’t art. Stores are not museums.” Somewhere, Alexander McQueen laughs. Fashion doesn’t have to be art, it often isn’t art, but it can be art. And that right there is what’s wrong with Project Runway: it’s now the land of the Least Common Denominator, what will sell at Lord & Taylor. And by the way, can I remind you how excited everyone was about Michelle’s artistic use of soot (see, I told you to remember it for a reason) so they’re not even being consistent. Fact is, Patricia’s art is usually unfinished week after week, and that’s where her problem lies on this show. That said, I still fully expected Patricia to be auf’d, particularly given Nina’s pronouncement that Layana is the most commercial of the remaining designers.
The inquisition:
And now the questions everyone loves to hear: why should you go to Fashion Week, and which two designers should go with you? Few people bother to answer the first question properly; they turn it into how hard they worked rather than what they have to offer. But the second question always yields interesting results.
Stanley: “I’ve evolved.” He likes Daniel’s evolution, too, and likes Michelle’s stuff and her conviction.
Patricia: She’d bring a different look. She’d bring Michelle and Stanley since she likes their silhouettes.
Layana: She knows who she is. She picks Michelle, and she’s interested in what Patricia does but would pick Stanley instead because he’s the stronger designer, which is known as trying to have your cake and eat it, too.
Daniel would bring Stanley and Michelle for her forward POV.
Michelle thinks the world is ready for her take on lean modern sportswear with a dirty edge. And she wants to bring Stanley and Layana.
No surprise, Michelle and Stanley lead the voting in a tie.
Final Auf (except for the one next week but that’s part of the finale so it doesn’t count in PR terms):
Michelle, Stanley, and Daniel are all quickly pronounced safe. They were the top three this week. This leaves Patricia and Layana.
In a surprise that I didn’t see coming, Layana‘s out.
That means Patricia has time, lack of which has been her greatest enemy, to create her collection for the final auf. Do you think they could do it? Make Patricia the winner? I can’t remember another PR winner who was so consistently problematic. In the judges’ eyes, that is. I had problems with several of them.
Next Week:
Home visits. And Nina’s underwhelmed again. It’s tough being Nina, so underwhelmable.
A Just Recompense 
Patricia could win PR, but I doubt it because her collection does not look cohesive and her styling is off. What she has going for her is a really unique perspective, not just her textile design. There are a couple of pieces in her collection I would love to own – particularly the orange dress (If it were a little longer). If she were to win would there be a revolt?
Patricia got criticized for using street art as an inspiration by a lot of bloogers, but that’s exactly what fascinates me when I go to Paris. It’s hard to explain how cool it is. New York City’s soot was Michelle’s inspiration, probably for the same reasons– it simply gives the emotional feeling of New York. I’m also fascinated by the art, sculptures, landscapes and buildings of Paris – and especially doorknobs and door hardware for which I’ve taken hundreds of photos. Daniel was fascinated by street art in Berlin. Throughout Germany their street art is fantastically incredible and very precise. That being said, Karen you’re right about the most important thing to look at in any of the cities are what people are wearing on the street. That’s what brings ideas current and into perspective with the international audience.
I like Stanley’s work, it is beautiful and well tailored but predictable. Daniel’s dress was my favorite but it was also predictable. Even though I did not personally like Michelle’s outfit because it was grey, depressing, and an armor/bib is not my idea of sexy. It was, however,innovative and interesting andI think she should have taken the win this week. She greatly benefited by staying in NYC avoiding the ravages of jet lag. Sadly, Layana’s work was old looking. I’ve seen old ladies in Barcelona looking like this! She did not know how to edit and was overly attached to the fabric manipulation in her coat. The bonded lace was great but everything else was fug.
I’m looking forward to the home visits next week. This is the time we get to see first hand the hopes and dreams of the designers. I think they got 5 or 6 months to do their collection.
Hi Kitty – I keep changing my mind about the final collections (assuming I’ve got them pegged right). Overall, Stanley’s appeals to me the most, though I think Michelle’s is more progressive. Daniel’s would be the stuff I’d actually wear, which means he’s toast (but then, he always was, I’m afraid; the one taboo in fashion is age). I wasn’t as surprised by Patricia’s as I expected to be; it was a lot more “normal” than the stuff she’s been making, which leads to the question: why? Does she start out there in left field then reel it in, and she didn’t have time to do the reeling for the challenges? Or does Tim reel her in on the home visit? I kinda miss the crazy, to be honest. I was hoping for at least one Frida Kahlo.
So maybe it’s a question of what they want this season: class, art, or millenials.
Which collections do you think are Stanley and Daniel? I thought Michelle’s collection was a bit junior, which I am sure puts me in the minority opinion.
I thought Stanley was #2 because of the paillette skirt (I wasn’t expecting so much black from him, though), Michelle’s #5, and Daniel is #7 with the jackets (I love the almost-polka-dot dress, though). And Patricia’s #8, but that’s pretty obvious. I love her last look, the blue dress, which is sort of almost-polka-dot too. I wonder if I have a heretofore undiagnosed affection for polka dots.
Does that differ from your take?
I like the polkadots too – in both Daniel and Patricia’s collection And that Stanley used so much black. That might be his downfall.
I thought Stanley’s collection was well done, expensive and classic. His 1940s styling made it look dated to me and the last three dresses don’t look flattering to the chest area.
Michelle’s collection is kind of depressing but I did like the brown sweater with the black designs best – although the chaps on the pants are both innovative and disturbing.
I’m glad Daniel played to his strengths and made jackets. Of course, like you my favorite was the polkadot top and skirt. I would love to have it. I wonder what the fabric is?
My favorite collection was Patricia’s. it just makes me happy. I like the Ethereal blues, The beautiful textiles, and the juxtaposition of hard and soft and quite a few of her outfits. Not all of them were winners but enough of them to sway to her side. I live a casual, artsy lifestyle in California and I would wear a lot of what she made.
The truth is that I’m happy for any one of them to win. It’s a great opportunity and they all deserve a chance and a helping hand to make their dreams come true.
To jump in: I’m ready to bet that Daniel’s is number 2…a bunch of black jackets with assymetrical elements plus the high hair styling he loves so much (and I really hate on his model this week). The collection creeps me out. All those models who look more or less the same (plus, it looks ill-fitted on the photos).
Patricia’s is naturally number 8, and for me the proof that she is as limited as Daniel. She has one or two things she can do with fabric (and those are interesting) but that’s it. The end result is a trainwreck, also because of the styling.
Stanley is definitly number 7…polished but boooooooooring. It’s a good collection, but not exciting at least. Wit the exception of the “almost-polka-dot dress”, which I consider the only really interesting piece in the collection (and I hate the last look).
Michelle’s is 5, and I love, love, love it! The best final collection we got so see for a long, long time. I’m among the people who are all over the bleeding heart sweater, but I also have a sudden desire for a lot of hardware on my jackets to attach bags on. I know, people said the collection isn’t cohesive, but I disagree. Cohesive doesn’t necessarily mean everything in the same technique or everything in the same colours. The whole collection has the apocalyptic punk vibe to it (great styling!), and I think it tells a nice story which leads perfectly from the first to the last piece. I’m also impressed about the range of the stuff in it. Jackets, skirts (I love the pointy pencil skirt in combination with the softer top which peeks out from underneath), sweaters, dresses, a little bit of everything (and a little bit colour) and with the exception of one or two slightly overworked pieces, all of it good. And surprising. I expected some of the stuff, but there is also a lot which shows that Michelle’s perspective isn’t as limited as it sometimes seems on the show.
I read that collection number five got a lot of applause, and I certainly can see why…it was the winner for me long before I figured out that it’s Michelle’s work.
Hi Swan, thanks for jumping in – I was all set to tell you how wrong you are, but now I look at the 2nd collection and I wonder – those gloves, are they the equivalent of the boots Daniel made? They fit like those boots. And the white-jacket look is something like what he just made as well. I was surprised Stanley made such terrible gowns, but they’d make sense for Daniel. Still, I get a much more “mature” vibe from #7 – especially the gold top and the boxy black jackets (though I’ll admit to loving the leather one). I agree the last look is awful (another reason I thought of Daniel), but it’s nothing compared to that nightgown-and-robe thing that makes the model look pregnant (I seriously wondered if he put in a maternity look). But overall I’m sticking with my original guess. #2 just looks a lot more sleek, and #7 looks older. We’ll find out.
I’m a lot more positive on Patricia’s collection than you, but I’m a little disappointed she didn’t do something completely different, like a refinement of the layered-graffiti fabric. I don’t see a winning collection there. Then again, I thought Fabio completely blew it with his collection, and apparently it was a huge hit with the live audience; it just didn’t translate in pictures.
The only thing I really hate about Michelle’s collection is the plunging square neckline and the repeated use of that awful mustard. I could do without the bleeding heart, but I love the shape of the sweater over shorts, she got the proportions right (though I’m a little confused about why someone would wear a heavy sweater, hat, and shorts, but I’m far too practical for high fashion). It’s definitely a young collection, kind of Hunger Games (or at least my impression of Hunger Games, having not read any of the books or seen the movie) – no one over 25 need apply. But I’d probably make #5 the winner simply on the “different” factor alone. Both Daniel and Stanley (whichever they are) are pretty much nicely made versions of existing L&T racks.
We’ll see…
I think the crowd sourcing at BPR has accurately identified all eight of the finale collections:
#1 Layana She as much admitted it in our interview. The big clue is that her models are wearing the same hat she wore at the finale (it can be seen in the designer group photo from the finale). Also, her show model is wearing the first look. Tacky Frederick’s of Hollywood, IMO.
#2 Daniel His model is wearing the first look which is essentially a reproduction of his season opening winner. Also note the “Daniel” shoulders in the designs.
#3 Samantha She is wearing the identical print in the group photo as one of the models in her collection.
#4 Richard He sells those goggle glasses on his website and he was wearing a sparkly blinged out hat similar to one of the models in this collection.
#5 Michelle The color and the quilting are giveaways.
#6 Amanda This was confirmed in our post elimination interview with her. Also the last look was an identical design that she showed in her audition tape.
#7 Stanley Somewhat by process of elimination, but the impeccable construction and overall refinement of the collection point to him.
#8 Patricia The graphic prints and Native American references are the easy tells. The photos do not do this collection justice. It was risky, especially with the crazy bobbing headpieces, but stood out because it was so different.
I was fortunate to attend the finale again this season where all 8 of these collections were presented anonymously. #5 was my favorite and received the most positive response from the crowd. It was very well made, walked great and was a breath of fresh air after so much black up to that point. #7 was well received also. Michelle is my pick for the winner, but you just never know with these judges.
Thanks, T-Bone: I’m really surprised that I had Daniel and Stanley reversed. That pretty much clinches it for Michelle, I think – because I really don’t see Patricia winning this. I do see her (or maybe just hope for her) getting a real boost for her textile design.
Then again, I’m woefully bad at predictions. 😉
I’m not going to rule Stanley out. Collection #7 had some incredible stand out looks (looks #5, #6 and #8 were my faves) but with a couple of serious clunkers, too.
Patricia made it to the finale with Heidi’s sole voice of support, but I don’t think that will be enough to get her the win. Collection #8 walked really well but overall too far out there to get a win. I suspect some will hate this collection.
Daniel’s (collection #2, we think) was not good. The styling was poor, the look and feel very somber.
Michelle’s collection (we assume #5) was very well made. The sweaters were amazing. That bleeding heart sweater was a real risk but I heard so many people in the audience say “I want that sweater!” Her opening look and look #7 were the other stand outs.
I said above #7 is the collection I’d wear (with a couple of glaring exceptions, like the maternity dress). That rules it out right there, I’m afraid. Funny how I said that, thinking it was Daniel’s, and it turns out to be Stanley, who’s been high on my list all along. But I’m still surprised.
It’s so hard to tell from pics. Many times I’ll see something walking on the runway and love or hate it, only to reconsider when I see the photo later. And in person there’s a whole other level – the one that really counts, I’d think.
Many people who have seen the show said that the response to C5 was very positive, while the others barely garnered any interest. I also read an article about the “best” and “worst” looks…the best were nearly all from C5, while the worst were mainly from C8.
I agree with you about plunging square neckline, btw. I originally wasn’t sold at all on this. But I’m starting to come around to it by now…While the yellow one looks a little bit like a throwaway look, it’s necessarily to make the connection from the sweates to the dress, and if you want some kind of gala dress at the end, you have to do something like the square neckline and the metallic parts to make sure that it doesn’t look totally unrelated. I wouldn’t wear it, and in itself I don’t necessarily like it, but it doesn’t look boring and it fits into the collecttion. The only design I really don’t like is the one with the long skirt and all the stuff on the top. Way too many details in that one.
I’m not that surprised that Stanley’s collection is so boring…I’m a little bit surprised that some of the pieces have such a strange fit, but overall, that’s pretty much what I expected of him. I guess. Michelle is the only one who surprised me. For starters because she used more colours than green and brown, but also because it’s not the same of what we already saw from her. In Daniel’s and Patricia’s collections are a lot of pieces which are similiar to the best pieces they presented on the show…and the oney which aren’t are mostly throw-away looks.
It’s often hard for me to separate my own preferences from what’s “good” if there is such a thing as an objective standard of “good.” I wasn’t impressed with Michelle early in the season – she seemed to think she was being held back only by a bad team, but I saw no evidence of that – but suddenly she turned out impressive look after impressive look. Still, not stuff I’d wear, but stuff that seems to work to me. But I seem to have terrible taste in picking winners – seeing as how unhappy I was that Samantha went home, and here she’s turned in a mess. Layana had some nice ideas, I like how she kept the leatherwork tile motif from Spain. But, yeah, I’d have to give it to Michelle.
But I’d still wear Stanley’s round leather jacket and the almost-polka-dot dress, and Patricia’s almost-polka-dot blue-post-it dress. 😉 That is if you could pry me out of my thermal top and long elastic-waist poly skirt, which ain’t gonna happen. Though it’s summer, and I have a couple of baseball tops and a denim skirt to swap in to the rotation.
I did – see evidence, I mean. While Michelle’s team was always in the bottom, she never was (so her looks never got discussed), and when they did the “designer exchange”, the other team immediatly poached her (only to loose by a small margin). The only time she was really in the bottom because of her own work (not couting the pants and shirt incident) was when she created the leather bib – and even then, I actually liked the look, I only really hated the bib, but the vest was great. Thus said, her designs became steadily better during competition.
The post-it dress I would take without the silver plates on it…it’s too much at once.
I am so envious you got to see the designs *perform* so to speak, first hand.
But I am so grateful you are sharing your information for us all; thanks!
What bothers me most about carrying Patricia through to the finals is her attitude about the whole competition; it’s PR: the art of making clothes. Not PR: the art of making cloth. For Patricia, the clothes were always very unimportant and secondary to her need to invent a new fabric. That combined with the time limits meant nothing succeeded; both her craft and her garments suffered. They were largely incomplete and unfashionable. I also questioned her manufactured design elements; often I thought she pulled the wrong trick out of her bag to use for this or that challenge. She wasn’t inspired by the idea of the clothing – so the design of the garment itself was lackluster. She was only thinking of what type of material manipulation she could employ next.
Technically; I think Layana had more construction skills and knowledge about making clothes, and I thought she had just enough interest to pull her ahead of Patricia this week. But I think I would rather have had Amanda or Kate at this point in the game over Patricia too. I remember how incredulous everyone was when the Aussie(?) designer who had some time management issues took on the task of weaving some material for his design. He got a lot of grief over that but hardly anyone got after Patricia and her many, lengthy processes.
I liked 5 the best, and some of 6 and 2. But I like a few from all of the collections, even Patricia’s (8); the last blue dress has a nice blue sky feeling. And the one with painted feather silhouettes on the skirt (minus the ascot, please) is really nice.
And the one with the feather fringe and head dress too; the rest are… lazy? Not much design there.
I’m not at all against incorporating more types of craft-work into the designs, this would be a good place to see that displayed; but it should look a lot more carefully thought out and professionally executed, otherwise it sides right into Elmers glue and construction paper territory.
That’s just my unsolicited opinion; I know tons of people like Patricia’s stuff.
Michelle’s work turning that diarrhea-brown plastic looking crud into a chic, sexy looking breastplate was an example of skilled technique; the paint on the skirt –
not so much. But her creativity made the design work as a whole anyway.