Exploring : project runway

Irina Shabayeva!

Lessons to be learned from last night’s Project Runway finale include: black is best, nice girls always finish last, and never underestimate the power of knowing your audience.

Irina took the Project Runway cake because she is from New York, she understands what real New York women want to wear, and the finale show was in Bryant Park in New York City. Are you seeing the common thread here?

Irina’s spoils include an editorial feature in an issue of Marie Claire magazine, a cash prize of $100,000 to start her own line, and an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Paris. Au revoir, Irina! Send us a postcard from the Eiffel Tower!

Irina’s mode, Kalyn Hemphill, came out on top and scored a $25,000 cash prize from L'Oreal and the opportunity to star in Irina's fashion spread in Marie Claire.

While my heart breaks for poor ill Carol Hannah, Irina’s consistent displays of solid designs really paid off. I mean, come on, the girl seemed to win every single challenge. So you can't really be that shocked with the final outcome. Or is that just me? Are you surprised Meana Irina pulled it out?

Enjoy a front row seat to all the catwalk action. Sit back and flip through all three finalists' shows:

Irina's Runway Collection
Carol Hannah's Runway Collection
Althea's Runway Collection

P.S. Did you spy Jaslene Gonzalez, Cycle 8 winner of America's Next Top Model, wearing Althea's 11th look?

These are exciting times, Project Runway fans! We are one week away from Bryant Park and the big winner reveal! The finale part 1 challenge came as no surprise: Create a 12-piece collection for Fashion Week with just $9,000 and a few months to design the collection at home.

Side note: It’s strange how far away from the runway the designers sat when Heidi and Tim delivered the final challenge. I’m surprised they didn’t have to yell threw a bullhorn to be heard. Also on a side note, as Tim and Heidi exited the runway, they had an explosive booty bumping session behind the scrim. You can make them boogie down at home during the finale this week with their dolls, 20% off all week.

Meana Irina lit the competitive fire when she said, “They expect me to bring the big guns to Bryant Park, but I’m taking the tank.” Nice! I’m not sure if he took a tank, but Tim Gunn did get on his proverbial horse and rode into each designer’s hometowns to check on their collections with only five weeks until Fashion Week.

Read on! »

The Challenge
This week’s challenge was the final challenge of the season, because next time, it’s New York Fashion Week! With a double elimination last week, things got pretty heated as the designers scrambled to put together a design using the Getty Center as inspiration. I’m not sure why Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, showed up at the Getty to say hello to the designers. He said, “We’re the creative capital of the nation and we’re leading the way in fashion.” Sure, because leggings are pants and Christian Audigier is so hot right now. In other news, Althea wore bleached jeans without back pockets to her field trip to the Getty—sorry, I had to pause to choke back the rising vomit in my mouth. Not OK since 1999. Wait—that look was never OK.

The Designs
Fashion designer Cynthia Rowley and supermodel and fashion icon Cindy Crawford were the guest judges this week. Woo hoo! Finally, some real fashion experts on the judging panel. Sorry LiLo, your leggings don’t make you a fashion authority.

Gordana: She said she wanted to show something (above) that she’s so proud of—for her, for her family, for her country, for everybody she loves. That’s a serious undertaking. However, it seemed that Gordana was able to chew exactly what she bit off. Gordana was inspired by a Monet painting and during critiques, Tim said, “You really achieved it.”

Carol Hannah: She was inspired by a French blue canopy feathered bed from 1775. I’ve been to the Getty in LA and I have to agree with CH that the bed is probably the most staggering piece on the property. I can just see Marie Antoinette lounging in the plush silver blue fabric tasting cupcake frosting and dreaming up the highest hairdo in all of France. When Tim saw CH working on her look (above), he said, “Ahh! What are you doing? Don’t lose the sophistication.” I don’t know what he was worried about, because her golden draped gown turned out fab-u-lous.

Christopher: He was inspired by the algae on a rock fountain. You have to give the man credit for seeing beauty in the ordinary. Like Heidi said, that’s a gift. Tim warned Christopher to “keep an editing eye upon this.” I can’t get enough of Tim’s exquisite use of the English language. If he ever lost his voice box to a jealous sea queen, I’d cry.

Irina: Meana Irina was inspired by a painting of lounging fleshy ladies. Tim saw her work in progress and finally force fed her an overdue bite of humble pie, saying, “It’s looking a lot like road kill. It worries me. It’s like a post-apocalyptic moment.”

Althea: She was inspired by the architecture on display at the Getty. Tim didn’t exactly like what he saw during his rounds. He said, “I’m perplexed as to why you chose that kind of construction method.” Sure, there was a ton of puckering in the pleated fabric, but home girl managed to make it work (above).

Quotable Moments:
“Althea is like King Kong. She wants to grab everything.” – Meana Irina
“I want Nina Garcia’s stilettos to blow right off of her feet and shoot across the runway!” – Tim Gunn

Who’s Going to Bryant Park: Even though Heidi said Althea’s dress was “a bit of a mess fest,” she’s going to Fashion Week. And even though Nina told Meana Irina the length of her dress was “very old lady,” and Cindy said, “The shoes are too heavy,” and then stripped her model of her accessories and left her barefoot on the runway, Meana Irina is going too. Nina said, “Out of all of these, (Carol Hannah’s) was the standout piece.” Yup, my girl’s going to Bryant Park!

Who’s Going Home: Gordana’s dress “represented her soul,” but wasn’t the ticket to Fashion Week she has been dreaming of ever since she began dying fabric from onion peels as a child. Christopher’s yucky giant stiff skirt moved like a long jean skirt and that’s a fashion crime big enough to keep him as far away from Fashion Week as possible.

So who’s going to take the fashion cake in New York? IMO, Carol Hannah deserves to win the whole shebang. She rises above all the drama. She was rooting for Althea’s look to come together, despite the puckering on the pesky fabric and I really loved the black drapey one shoulder top she wore to the final runway show (try this one for a similar look). But I can’t ignore the voice in my head, saying that Meana Irina will win it all. She is a great designer, which has been proven by the many challenges she has won. But she needs a serious attitude adjustment.

Catch all five looks from last week’s episode!

P.S. Did you see the previews for next week? Does Carol Hannah get swine flu?

The Challenge
Last night, the remaining six designers were challenged to create a companion look that complemented and enhanced one of their best designs from a previous challenge. Wait a second, Logan hasn’t won any challenges…

Tim’s Critiques
When Carol Hannah told Tim, “I feel like [my design] is a big scary mess,” he responded with, “You’re not going to get an argument from me.” Tim told Althea her pants were “scary.” Tim told Logan, “I’m excited already.”

Drama in the Workroom
According to Althea, Logan stole the zipper collar idea that she used for the Xtina challenge. Althea and Irina had a carb fest/venting session over some In N’ Out fries, while Althea glared through the glass wall at Logan and whined about him stealing her idea. Meana Irina reciprocated the venting with an observation about Christopher’s dress (above). She asked Althea, “Why is one dress throwing up the other?” Burn.

Logan, who gave Meana Irina her charming nickname, said, “I wish the judges would say something to humble her. She’s kind of on a high horse.” The highest, Logan. A giant mutant monster horse plotting to take over the world. Dear Meana Irina’s mom, please serve your daughter a generous slice of humble pie this Thanksgiving. Thanks! Logan must have been on a roll because he followed his high horse comment by saying, of Gordana’s design, “It reminds me of my Grandma’s couch.” Meana Irina turned on her French fry sister Althea by asking in an interview, “Are you insane or are you drunk?” Apparently, Althea’s design resembled her winning Aspen look. Hey designers, let’s all stop playing the blame game and focus on designing some really knockout looks!

The Designs
Heidi, Heidi, Heidi. What are you wearing? How could you have looked into your mirror and seen a pink ruffle shirt underneath a black blazer with sequined elbows, paired with silver Bermuda shorts and thought, “I look good!”? Wrong on all counts. Sorry—I was just so distracted. Back to the designs.

Gordana: Her rock and roll/industrial look turned out looking “old and drab and sad,” according to Heidi and like something an office worker in Warsaw Poland would wear, according to Project Runway alum Nick Verreos. I agree. Zzzzz.

Christopher: Nina said his dress looked like a “carnival float” and guest judge Kerry Washington said, “There’s, like, children hiding underneath.” Two strikes. The dress had pompom ties on the back. Ew. Strike three, according to moi.

Althea: This girl made her scary pants (above) work! Heidi said, “I want it. I love the pants.” They were pretty cool. I’d rock ‘em. My one complaint is this: Someone please get Althea’s model a bra, or at least some pasties. That girl is bouncing around more than children in a jump house on sugar highs!

Logan: Kerry said Logan’s design (above) looked like “A lizard scaring someone,” and Heidi called it “too tricked out.”

Winner: Althea’s scary pants won and Heidi said, “We all wanted to walk away with the outfit—but it’s mine!”

Loser: Cutie patootie man candy Logan was sent home. Insert sad face here. I’ll miss staring at him. I’m sure Carol Hannah shares my sentiment.

Check out all the designs from last night’s episode and even designs by this week’s winner, Althea Harper, available now! I’m dying to know—do you think Logan deserved to go? Share your comments here!

The Challenge
With nine designers auf Wiedersehen’d, the seven remaining were challenged to create a look inspired by a famous locale. And then all of a sudden—LOL Moment #1—this hideously cheesy 1993 PowerPoint slideshow presentation invaded my TV screen and snapshots of the seven locations slowly and strategically floated one at a time towards each other to create this really outdated, almost painfully lame collage. Carol Hannah chose Palm Beach and set out to create a relaxed but put-together look (above). Nicolas picked Greece, though he had never been before, and aimed for a fabulous tomboy look. Althea quickly snatched up St. Tropez and spoke of yachts, parties, and old fishing towns. Gordana snagged Park Avenue, New York. Irina wanted Aspen, and was thinking a fur vest with a full hood would work. Christopher landed on Santa Fe, while Logan went with Hollywood and began sketching a comfortable bohemian piece.

Tim’s Critiques
The workroom was buzzing last night as designers draped and tacked and—LOL Moment #2—Christopher did a spot-on impression of Michael Kors’ line “I wanna like it—I just don’t,” complete with head tilt and snooty tone—and Tim made his rounds. Tim didn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence in Gordana when he told her, “It just makes me nervous to leave you like this.” Tim told Althea, “I’m going to leave you. Go, go, go!” He warned Christopher to “avoid clichés, it can’t all be about the belt. Do it, ok? Exuberant, sophisticated.” And Christopher responded, “Thank you sir, appreciate it.” Tim instructed Logan, “Make cohesion among the parts and wow everybody.” Finally, Tim gave Irina’s design a quick up and down and assessed, “It’s a giant cowl.” Brilliant. Thank you, Tim, for not inflating Irina’s ego any more than it already is. If it gets any bigger, a six-year-old is going to crawl inside of it and take off—up, up, and away.

The Designs
The Greasy Hair Club, I mean, designers, took their seats and the show began. I was way more impressed with the leather mini dress Heidi was wearing than anything that came down the runway, but since Nina Garcia and Michael Kors actually showed up to this episode, I’ll go ahead with my recaps as a little welcome back gift.

Althea: Her St. Tropez look was good. She even dared to ask, “Why hasn’t anyone made this before?”

Logan: Okay, I’m sorry. What was “Hollywood” about Logan’s design? He said he could picture Lindsay Lohan or Mary-Kate Olsen shopping in this outfit, but, as Nina put it, “It’s just basic clothes.” Michael agreed, “They’re clothes, they’re not fashion. Guest judge Milla Jovoivch suggested spicing up the white pants with spray paint. Please, please, never take this advice .

Carol Hannah: Her Palm Beach maxi dress was less than impressive for me. It was not original at all. But the judges went gaga over it anyways. Nina said the twisted braiding was beautiful.

Christopher: Right before the runway show, Christopher looked at his Santa Fe design and said, “Oh no, this is Little House on the Prairie.” To bring it up to snuff, he took about 20 inches off the bottom. He also should have taken off the white tank top he put underneath the top. It needed to go. We’re not in junior high anymore and we’re not wearing B.P. bra shelf tanks under EVERYTHING . Michael was annoyed too. He said, “I don’t think anyone who’s ever thought of the American West would get that from this look. Heidi said, “The belt is the only interesting thing about this garment,” and she called it “unwearable” and “wishy-washy.”

Gordana: Her Park Avenue necklace dress (above) was good. It reminded me of J. Crew. Heidi said, “It’s quite beautiful,” and Michael said, “It’s all of the things that really are Park Avenue.” Score.

Irina (Winner): Her Aspen design (above) was great. Milla said it was “like a little girl playing the grand dame of Aspen. I like it.” Michael said it had an ‘80s Aspen thing going on and that the open back added some sex to it.” Heidi called Irina’s pants “impeccable.” Four perfect 10s across the board.

Nicolas (Loser): Not a single element of Nicolas’ design (above) said “Greece” to me. It’s way too hot in Greece for all those clothes, and where is the blue? I know he’s never been to Greece, but Nicolas, for goodness sake, have you ever seen The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Mamma Mia? Michael said, “I think you got the wrong Grease. I think you got the Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.” Then he sarcastically said,—LOL Moment #3—“Nothing says Greece more than gray menswear.”

Milla cried when Nicolas left the runway. Seriously? Nicolas said he’s going to run away and become a sheepherder. Too bad he was only kidding. My only question for Tim concerning Nicolas’ departure is: Why didn’t you, or Michael, or Heidi, give Nicolas some dry shampoo as a consolation gift? It would have been the least they could for him. He needs all the help he can get, and this would have been a great place to start—at the root of the problem.

What are you waiting for? Bid on all the designs from last night’s episode! Maybe they’ll be worth millions someday. Thoughts on last night’s episode? Were you falling asleep, too?