Nick Verreos Season 8 Project Runway MyLifetime.com Blog Recaps: The Finale!

Mondo Wins!!! (Not so Much!)

Unhappy Threesome: Top 3 Season 8 Finalists Gretchen Jones, Mondo Guerra and Andy South

Thursday night was the Finale Episode of Project Runway Season 8. Yes, kids, it's OVER! And the outcome, well let's just say, didn't make too many people happy. It was a big shocker. Gretchen Jones, from Portland Oregon, who started out all "I love sustainable clothing...and I'm all about Granola-Crunch and sweet" but then before you could say "Camera's On!", turned into this season's Most Hated "character". It may not have helped that EVERY episode, she was giving her unadulterated opinion on all the other contestants designs...and they weren't so nice.

Pre-Argument Happy: Judges Jessica Simpson, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors and Heidi Klum

This Final Episode continued where last week's left off, as the top 3 contestants faced their Mercedes Benz NY Fashion Week "Close Up". But first: The yawn-inducing Reunion. It was a bore and a half, with no Ivy Higa Acting Foolish, or Michael Costello crying about how everyone thought he was useless, and so on. Nothing. I really wish they would bring back the liquor-induced fun Reunions of the past of season's past.

Season One:

Season One Contestant Vanessa Riley likes her Merlot, so much so that it lead to a "walk-off" and some spillin'...

Season 2 (my Season):

Cosmos at Parsons Y'all: Huney, I was THERE! And they had a whole bar set up AT PARSONS!!! (is that even legal?) Most of my comrades joined in on the celebration, but I refrained. My Momma didn't raise a fool! I knew what that was all about and I was looking at the m all like "You go ahead darlin' ". Fortunately for the viewers, Guadelupe Vidal had about FIVE cocktails and well, the rest made Project Runway Reunion History. I miss those good ol' days!

Now, it was Runway Show time: Andy South was first to be Auf'ed as he showed a rather boring collection of silvers, grays and apple green silk shantung and just didn't have any of that directional Andy "touch". I missed his Warrior Divas and so did Nina. Those celestial headpieces reminded me of a 8 year-old's ceiling solar system. His theme was Laos and Buddha but...

Some of his clothes were a cross between a high-priced Pattaya Bay "Good Time" Girl and...

Someone's rich aunt in Singapore: Elegant, nice and very Chico's Catalog, but not a NY Fashion Week Project Runway Winner. I actually thought what he was wearing was cuter and more innovative than anything in his collection. Now, let's discuss the Winner: Gretchen's collection was sooooo "Now", the judges argued. Well, not really, if you read HERE (and I agree!). It was very "Coterie Show in NY". Also, all 3 Finale Collections have been for sale on the SeenOn.com website and Mondo's ENTIRE collection is SOLD OUT while Gretchen has sold only one outfit!

Acceptable separates for the Contemporary Market. Her color--and print story--was so monotonous though. Take away the styling, the hair, the make-up, and I would never give a second look to this girl walking down the street. Never. And I'd probably say something mean about her shoes (AGH!!!).

The zigzag print was very Missoni-esque and I praise her for the bias-cutting and mitering. She's obviously talented and knows pattern technique. But...fashion should be aspirational. This wasn't. Speaking of aspirational...

Mondo Guerra's Collection was fresh, young, colorful and REALLY oh-so-now! The models were FAB, the make-up, the hair, the accessories, the details...pom pom shoes, graphic color-blocked tunics, prints a ga-ga, and stuff to make women smile! It was a fun combination of Betsy Johnson meets Christian Lacroix.

The fit on everything was superb. And he also matched those over-sized plaids beautifully! Those pants--if done incorrectly--could make even a size 0 model look like a Hippopotamus. But, Mondo did them right: It's all in the fit, the cut and color.

Mondo, you were my favorite and wish you all the best. You may not have won, but like I said in my MyLifetime.com Recap...well, never mind, just go ahead and read the WHOLE thing HERE...and make sure to tell me what you thought!

Byeeeeeeeee until next Season kids!

Nick Verreos Season 8 Mylifetime.com Recaps: High Fashion or Miss Guatemala??

High Fashion Messes, More Kooky Looks from Mondo, and One Angry Central American Nation...On last night's Project Runway Episode 9--the Sponsor Tie-in L'Oreal Make-Up Challenge--the designers got to create a "High Fashion" look worthy of Paris Couture Week (can't wait to see that!!) and an accompanying more "mass market" version (this was yet another Season 8 "Twist" kiddies). There were no "Michael C-can't-sew" hissyfits, Gretchen kept her "Critique Corner" on the D.L., and two of the boys got to move in with designers Andy and Michael, making Andy happy since I guess he also cannot stand being in the same room with Michael (along with the rest of the cast). The show was packed with lots of visual candy--some bad and some good. Here were my highlights:

Mondo's New Look of The Day: Chain-Smoking Slot-Machine Playing "Crazy" Grandma from Boca

Oh Mondo, I have a burning question: How, on Earth, did you pack SOOOO many Looks into your one allotted suitcase? I think when I was on the show, I packed two jeans, one pair of pants, a couple t-shirts and a jacket or too. But huney, these kids now arrive STYLED!!!!! They are far more "TV Ready" than I ever was back in the day! Just sayin'.

For this episode, that kooky top, plus the hot pants plus that headband: He looked like a Grandma Madge getting ready to hit Caesars Palace in Vegas!

Michael Costello's Train Can't Be Stopped

I mean, really...LOOK at the other designer's faces!! There should be "Pop Up bubbles", and if there were, they would say "What the H***??" There was NO POINT for the train to be THAT long! There never is. But it is a sign of younger fresh-out-of-design school designers to always wanna go over the top to prove a point. Point taken, but it didn't work.

A Peak at Nina Garcia's Judging Card for Michael Costello...

Love that! This is for you doubters who think that the judges don't have photos or don't have any info on those cards. I, for one, can tell you, that when I was a Guest Judge back in Season 6, we did!

Now, onto Miss Guatemala...

I actually did not hate Valerie's white one shoulder gown-as much as Miss Nina Garcia. When I saw the "Coming Up" clip of her saying "She looks like Miss Guatemala", I though she was talking about this...

Mondo's cheap-poly satin concoction which actually won! Now, back in Season 6, when I was a Guest Judge, I said a minor little comment about contestant Gordana's outfit, looking like "a Pre-Cold War secretary in Warsaw Poland" and I got LOTS of HATE emails from just about anyone of Polish descent (they're very sensitive!). I am wondering if the ENTIRE country of Guatemala is doing the same to Nina. And just in case you are wondering what an actual Miss Guatemala looks like in a gown, I give you...

Exhibit A:

Miss Guatemala 2009, Lourdes Figueroa at the Miss Universe 2009 Pageant

And Exhibit B:

Miss Guatemala 2010, Jessica Scheel, from the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant

But the lowest in the bunch was Ivy Higa's dresses, both very bright turquoise and both very prom-meets-pageant (was that a theme?). That gown of hers did remind me of...

a Pinata! I wonder if there was Candy under that gown! I guess we'll never know...Bye Ivy.

Here is a Sneak Peak of my mylifetime.com Recap:

Paris High Fashion or the Miss Guatemala Pageant?

OK, let me just get this out of the way: I am still NOT over those nasty pants from I'm-the-new-Alexander-Wang Andy South's "Jackie Kennedy American Sportswear" ensemble. I actually had draping nightmares over it. Before last Thursday, I remembered Jackie O as an oversized-sunglasses-and-Oleg Cassini-wearing DIVA who loved the Greek Isles (and a few other things, thanks to my fellow recap blogger Laura Bennett!). Now, I can only think of BAD-pants-Jackie O: from Camelot to Cameltoe in one hot minute. Darn you, Miss Andy! Oh well, let's progress to nicer thoughts: A New Roommate Situation (no, not that loser with two left feet from "Dancing with the Stars"!) and a New Challenge....

To read my entire mylifetime.com recap click HERE.

Nick Verreos Season 8 Mylifetime.com Recaps: Episode 8 Jackie Kennedy Cameltoe!!!

Jackie Oh No!!!!!Even though I am traveling in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico!!!) and the South (Nashville Tennessee), I am still keeping up with good ol' Project Runway, of course. This last week's episode was all about American Sportswear and Jackie Kennedy as the Muse and Inspiration.

Mondo Guerra,or as I lovingly call "Latin Urkel", won for his fun yet elegant "Jackie Kennedy at H&M" ensemble. I wonder if he realized that it was the 2010 version of this...

Black and white houndstooth wool tweed with black braided trim Suit, ca. 1959, which Jackie Kennedy wore for the Presidential campaign, fall 1959-spring 1960. For some "Fashion History" c/o your truly, here's a brief background: It was designed by Bob Bugnand who trained with the Parisian couturiers Lelong and Piguet.
After his apprenticeships, Bugnand opened his own salon in Paris before establishing a branch in New York in 1957. Although his fashionable clients were fitted in New York, their clothes were made in Bugnand's Paris workrooms. "French workmanship without the necessity of a passport" is what Harper's Bazaar declared about his clothing. LOVE that!

The WORST for me was...
This unfortunate get-up from usually on-point Andy I-only-design-with-an-Asian-aesthetic South. It was a mess! He said he wanted to give the judges "Edgy Jackie". Nope. This is not Edgy and furthermore, not even cute. The Star of this bad outfit were those pants! AGHHHH!!!!! (Is that a word?) The drape is odd and not harmonious and of course: Can we TWALK about the CROTCH:

Nasty.

But, he was Safe! So, Michael Drummond and his cute tank tops and questionable Do Rag scarves, had to go.

It was his Annie Get Your Gun pleated skirt ensemble which was more Prairie Home Companion and less Jackie Kennedy in her Official State Visit to France.

Here's the Intro to my Mylifetime.com Project Runway Recap for this week, titled:

Jackie Cameltoe!!!

I just arrived in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico to host a fabulous Macy's event ("Don't Cry for Me, San Juan!") and had visions of last week's Resort Wear Challenge and how maybe they should have brought the designers here — but somehow I don't think a trip to Puerto Rico would be in the show's budget! Upon arriving at my hotel, I got "good and ready," turned on the flat-screen TV and began watching this week's new "Project Runway" episode to see:
A. What Challenge these kids would not understand;
B. If Gretchen would continue her critiquing; and
C. If maybe, just maybe, Mondo figured out how to take his tacky Vegas Resort Roller Disco Girl (from last week) to a higher level … I would soon find out.

The Queen of Effortless Chic
Still Shag-a-delic Heidi Klum greets the designers by telling them that they are to meet up with Tim, where they will be "stepping back in time." At a "Capsule Studio" in Manhattan, Tim Gunn — with a wall of fabulous Jacqueline Kennedy photographs projected behind him — tells the remaining designers that for their next Challenge, they will create a look that defines THEIR point of view on American Sportswear — and use fashion icon Jackie O as their muse.....

Click HERE to read my entire mylifetime.com Blog!