Project Runway Season 9 Recaps: Avant Garde or Avant NOT???

A Tale of Glue Guns, A Christian Siriano Knock-Off, Hoochie Dresses...and a Hofbrau Hostess at a Mall....



This Thursday's "The Art of The Matter" episode on Project Runway Season 9...featured Avant Garde. Or so, that was the premise. The designers/contestants were paired with young art students from the Harlem School of The Arts and they were to create an Avant Garde look inspired by the young artists' work. "Think COUTURE NOT Costume!" Tim suggested, or as I would say "Think Nicki Minaj at the VMA's!" (so the young-ums can understand). Most of the creations missed the mark and ended up being Avant-NOT. Let's Take a Little Photo Look at some things I need to get off my No. 2 Clipper-trimmed chest--before you get to reading my RECAP of the Episode:



First of All Kids---This:

Glue Gun

Does NOT Equal This:

Brother Project Runway Sewing Machine

During this Challenge, several of the designers hot glued their way through the two days they had. Miss Laura Kathleen, Andrew Ryan Auld and Olivier Green, all got Glue Glue Happy. Olivier, in fact, almost hot glue gunned his model to his creation!! Tim got notified of this (probably by the producers who were watching and thinking "Umm, this AIN'T OK! Let's get Tim back in here!"). Tim questioned him on it and chastised him but after some lame "I'm only hot gluing the dress not HER!" excuse, it was all fine...I'm just saying, they had TWO WHOLE DAYS to make something and SHOULD NOT have had to be using glue guns!! They should be BANNED from Project Runway. Also...



This Is Avant Garde:

Guo Pei Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2010

Comme des Garçons Fall 2009

This...Is just HOOCHIE: Season 9 Contestant Viktor Luna created the dress above which somehow ended up in the middle. It was BAD. Not Middle Bad but Bottom Bad. She is SO NOT Avant Garde. She looks more like she thought she was going to get into the BET Awards and still didn't. Also...



How This:



Straight-jacket creation also ended up in the Middle is beyond me. This Avant-Nasty gown was created by Bryce Black, who for sure, should go home next week, just because I said so! I think even Nicki Minaj would have passed on this if it was on a rack for her perusal...



Bert Keeder--yes, the "old guy" who hates all the "inexperienced untalented kids" in the workroom--made this gray "Empire-waist" pleated "carrot" pants ensemble with geometric padded brightly colored pieces. It was a bit of a miss, in it's Why-Does-She-Have-a-Baby-Bump shape--but then again, its color scheme and idea could have easily been part of the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall 2011 Collection inspired by Frank Gehry, Jean-Michel Frank, and the Memphis movement of the eighties. I "get it", and so did Miss Heidi, who liked it as well.



Laura Kathleen's half glue-gunned yellow organza ruffle-tiered gown:



Was romantic and kinda pretty I admit, but A) Not Avant Garde (maybe the hair and make-up); B) Not original; and C) On a similar note, very close to a low-rent knock off of...



Project Runway Season 4 Winner Christian Siriano would have done WITHOUT the GLUE Gun--One of Siriano's gowns from his Spring 2009 Collection above.



The Winner:



Was Anthony Ryan Auld's brushstroke-inspired gown, which was the best of the bunch according to the judges. After seeing all the others (it was "Slim Pickins" as they say!) , I guessed that this one would win.



However, I want to see A.R. do something more other than a basic base of a dress in which he "piles" stuff on it--his Avant Garde creation reminded me just a little bit...of what he did for the "Make a Garment from the Pet Store" challenge (above photo).



Now, the REALLY Worse:



HUUUUNEEEYYY!!!! Poor thang: Designer/contestant Olivier Green--and his model! Olivier has been so blah and uninspired lately, I can almost hear crickets as the model comes down the runway! So, for this Avant Garde Challenge--in which he was inspired by a very colorful painting--he decided to be "Sexy Blah". It was GRAY and Sad. Not just gray but the color of PUTTY! And then, if you look closely at his model...



The opening was so high, her UNDERWEAR-panty strap was showing!!! (photo above). This was ALL THINGS WRONG!!!! It reminded me of one of...



Those Stripper-like "gowns" some past Miss Universe Pageant contestants decide (against their better judgement) to wear.



A Wolf Serving Beer...

But the worst was Joshua Christensen's creation. Josh C. was lucky to have been "invited back" after being eliminated (and you KNOW he was happy to see his boyfriend, "Mean Girls Josh M.) so this was his chance to "step it up".



He was inspired by a painting of a wolf-like creature (above w/ Tim Gunn in the Parsons Workroom). When he began--after Mood Fabrics shopping---he had faux fur and from his sketch, it looked like it would be a gown of some sort. But then, it went into a territory best described as a cross between something one can find in a local mall (Hello Bebe!!) and...

A Hofbräu Waitress Costume

So...it was Josh C. who got eliminated...AGAIN!!!





Below is an excerpt of my mylifetime.com blog:





Happy Times ... Last night, on Season 9 “Project Runway,” the contestants were done with their bitchfest of last week, and as those introductory scenes from their Atlas Apartments proved, it was all “Kumbaya”/happy times/let’s just all get along with each other. As Queen Mean Girl said, “I’m done bitching, now I’m going to be nice.” Yes, GURL, you keep telling yourself that. Even Bert “I-Can’t-Stand-All-These-Kids Keeter wants to make amends ...We’ll see how long that will last.

Art Class Is in Session They all meet Monsieur Gunn at the Harlem School of the Arts to get their next challenge: to create an avant-garde look inspired by artwork from students of the school. Go Nicki Minaj at the MTV VMA’s or GO HOME. The “Project Runway” contestants meet their student artists and have a design “powwow” where the young kids (the Harlem School of the Arts students, in case you were confused) draw a painting that the designers will be inspired by. The one thing I got out of this was that somehow these young kids can DRAW better than the fashion designers on this season’s “Project Runway”! ...



Click HERE to read the rest of my myLifetime.com BLOG Recap!!!

Project Runway Season 9--Episode 2 "My Pet Project"--Nick Verreos MyLifetime.com Recap!!!

Puppy Pee Pee Pads, Bird Seed Couture and College Girls out for Happy Hour...Yep, it's Episode 2 of Project RUNWAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!

What Do Puppy Training Pads...

College Girls at a Drinking Party...

And Bird Food...

Have in common? Read On kids...

Last night was the second episode of Season 9 Project Runway and the challenge this week was to create a look out of Pet Shop Supplies. Yes, in the infamous "Unconventional Project Runway Challenge". Some did AMAZEEEEENG work and well, as usual there were some Pet Poo Poo Train Wrecks. Let's begin with my favorite:

Anthony Ryan Auld--the "Southern Belle" of the bunch, created an outstanding and very chic mini dress out of a muslin base and bird seeds. The way he glue-gun'ed those sunflower seeds onto the neckline into a gorgeous degrade' effect...it was sublime. Not to mention the rest of the seeds on the dress looked like teeny-tiny caviar beading. Yes, it was a tad too short and I know there is chatter saying "all he did was glue seeds to a dress", but that is what is precisely so amazing! He was able to combine the conventional and unconventional into one AMAZING dress.

His creation was a "mini-me" of an Alexander McQueen dress, like the one above from the Metropolitan Museum's "Savage Beauty" Exhibition. He should have won but instead Olivier I-come-from-Ohio-but-sound-like-Catherine Duchess of Cambridge won after a little bit of a judges' dispute between Miss Nina and Heidi (Miss Nina won!).

Some of the others that I thought were really strong were:

Viktor Luna's Wee-Wee Pad Ruched dress was definitely one of the best. He was the strongest at making a dress that completely disguised his use of "pet products". I think he was not in the top because the judges viewed his silhouette as maybe not "chic" enough. PS: "Chic" is the new "Fierce". I think the styling didn't help him either, I get that he wanted to make it more edgy with the shoes and belt, but the necklace was way too "Real Housewives of the OC" for the judges taste.

This was a strong effort by Kimberly Goldson. It is a bold look, and the roping of that bustier was outstanding, but not memorable enough to get her into the Top 3. Joshua M.'s was better and if the judges were to pick one non-chic (directional) ensemble it wasn't going to be this one.

Speaking of Tan-o-rexic Josh: I didn't really agree with the judges on the dislike of styling with Joshua's outfit. I thought he really made a complete look from head to toe. Yes, she probably would have looked much better with clean, almost glossy make-up, but the shoes and rest of the outfit look like they could be right off the Versus Runway (like the look from Versus Fall 2010 above). Unfortunately, there in lies the problem...Nina and Michael have a fear of funky, edgy and color (see Mondo Season 8!) and therefore poor Joshua will go far but might not make it to the end. I would love to see a Finale Collection from him...I think it could be kooky, fun and, yes, maybe great! But soooo NOT "NY Fashion Establishment".

Anya Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe 2008 Ayoung Chee, once again, put out a great outfit. It was colorful, creative and stylish. The girl definitely has a sense of style. Let's see if she can do anything else besides a halter top before I predict her ability to make the finals! But at least we know she can SEW, GLUE and thread rope!

The POO POO of the Bunch:

Bryce's was the worst of the night. This is a perfect example of a outfit that got derailed and the poor designer who didn't know how to get back on the tracks. It hit all the prerequisites for being eliminated: Tacky, predictable, HORRIBLE styling and bad fit.

It was a cross between a homemade Priscilla Queen of the Desert Costume and...

One of those tacky Heatherette dresses from several years ago (see above). It is amazing he made it another week, although in "Project Runway Land" boring usually gets you eliminated over crazy, so Bryce is granted one more week.

To me, designer/contestant Julie Tierney was lucky not to make it in the bottom 3. Yes, she used unconventional material and did her best to infuse her own style into the garment, but the point was to make the unconventional look wearable and this just looks like...

She's homeless and found paper bags in the garbage and decided to create a coat-dress out of it. Pobrecita, as my mom would say.

But now onto the Worst Poo Poo of this Challenge according to the judges:

First off (a positive!) Joshua #2 Christensen should really take stock in the fact that his garment was not that bad. In any other week he definitely would have been in the middle, but in a challenge in which "unconventional" is the key word, judge Michael Kors was right, this ensemble just doesn't cut it. Next to very creative (good or bad) looks, his well, looked like it was from the Deep Discount Rack at Century 21.

Besides being too "conventional", the silhouette seemed a bit dated (so 90's Spice Girl) and as Guest Judge "Alice + Olivia" designer Stacy Bendet also said: she could see this girl at a college bar. Ouch.

See the look of "Oh Dear!" the man on the left in the photo above has? Yep, that's the same look Nina had when she saw Josh No. 2's dress standing in front of her...

Below is a preview of my Blog on MyLifetime.com:


Episode 2: Haute Pee Pee

Camel-Toe Nightmares
Last week, Season 9 of "Project Runway" began with a Pajama Party BANG, as the 16 contestants designed looks from their sleepwear and a bed sheet. For some reason, most of the designers drank the "Ugly Crotch Kool-Aid" and decided that somehow we would be impressed with the results. Not so much. Hoochie-mama-too-tight-leggings designer Rafael was sent home, and I was left with one too many bad camel-toe nightmares. But, it's a new week, and new nightmares. This time involving puppies and pee-pee! Intro Redux As this week's episode begins, I am struck by the new "Intro" showcasing Miss Heidi, Nina, Michael and our beloved Tim. It was a cute twist on previous season's intros, but I kind of miss the old style in which each designer was introduced with a "catch phrase." It always helped us identify who's who and would give us an amuse bouche of their personalities.....

Click HERE to continue reading...

Project Runway Season 9--Guess Who Is Blogging the Recaps for MyLifetime.com?

Yep, me...

Returning Blogger: Nick Verreos, to blog Project Runway Season 9

I'm so excited to be joining designers Mychael Knight, Johnathan Kayne Gillespie (both from Season 3) and "Momma Peach" , Peach Carr (from Season 8) as a Recap Blogger for Lifetime's Website--MyLifetime.com. I am honored (sorry, I know, I sound as if I am receiving an award!!) to be a "returning Blogger" for Project Runway.

I will--as always--try to put my "Uncle Nick" twist on things, and see the episodes both as a Designer who owns a company for ten years, a Fashion College Instructor, as well as someone who has "been there/done that", oh and yes, be a little funny and sassy at the same time :) Just a little bit. I can't wait!!!

Click HERE for my BLOG on MyLifetime.com.

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!