Season 4: Episode 2 “I Started Crying”
First things… I have to give props to all the designers for the success of this challenge. I don’t know if you guys have ever shopped at mood, but $15 does NOT get you much and to be honest I have no idea how they made this challenge work. For a company such as Steve and Barry’s (or Target which I know more about), they have the size and purchasing power to knock the price of fabric down so they can afford a $15 wholesale price, but buying retail fabrics and expecting wholesale garments is really challenging so I give props to all the designers!
Before I get to the reviews, let me put out a blanket statement, so I don’t have to repeat myself over and over again: With the exception of Marion and Steven’s, I thought everyone’s garments look really well executed and properly finished and I imagine this is going to be the case for most of this season!
Also… can I just ask what is up with the hair/styling this season? I don’t know if it’s a new team of stylists or what, but so far it’s been pretty bad this season. I’ve been watching PR this year with a
group of girls who are all hair/makeup artists (Eclecticoiffeur) and they cannot stand what is going down the runway (and I’m not talking about the clothing).
Once again, thanks to BPR for pulling all the designs onto one page (My reviews are in order from left to right, click image for larger version):
Rami & Jillian: I thought Rami and Jillian’s shirt-dress was cute in a “Mary Tyler Moore” way, but it was also a bit frumpy and overall a little bland. It looks a tad too large for the model and while the belting helps; it also accents how much fabric is there. Although their garment(s) where a bit boring, I do think they fit right into the look and feel of SJP’s Bitten collection. My only major complaint is that I don’t really think leggings should count as a “second garment.” Leggings can be cute, but in my world they fall into the tights/accessory category and therefore are not equal to a pair of pants.
Christian & Carmen: I have to say that I’m happy Christian and Carmen’s garments were pulled into the bottom. I thought the jacket was interesting and loved the pleated details, but the style did not fit into the Bitten collection at all. As SJP said, it was a very severe look and I would have loved to see something with more volume underneath to soften the jacket. Unlike Elisa and Sweet P’s turquoise dress (more on that later), C&C’s dress underneath was very boring and had no character… it also makes me think of singing “Simply Irresistible” every time I look at it. I was curious to see how Christian would handle being in the bottom and after this week I think that might be his downfall in PR. He doesn’t appear to take critique or suggestions well and that can hold you back as a designer and definitely won’t get the judges on your side.
Ricky & Jack: I really liked Ricky and Jack’s dress. I thought it was a very flattering color and shape for most women. The length is nice and wearable for a lot of ages (unlike the length of Elisa’s, Christian’s, and even Victorya’s) and there appeared to be a nice amount of gathering detail at the top to give some interest. My one (and major) complaint? Where is the second garment? Is it the belt? Please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that just a belt they got from the BlueFly wall? It certainly looked like it had a buckle and real “belt parts.” Even if they made it themselves, I guess I didn’t understand that accessories could be counted as a second garment? I really wish they could have made the wide corset-esq belt that Ricky showed in his sketches.
Elisa & Sweet P: I’ve got to hand it to Elisa and Sweet P for pulling this garment off. I’m still not so sure about Elisa’s “methods” (spit mark??? Ewww…), but she has some good ideas floating around. I know that this was Elisa’s design, but I think Sweet P should get a lot of credit for making it happen and making it look polished. She also gets a ton of respect for turning a potentially disastrous team into a contender for the win. On to the garments… I really loved the sleeves and drape to the turquoise dress. I think it was a fairly simple shape, but they gave it a lot of character and put their unique twist on it (unlike the simple AND boring dress from Christian and Carmen). I also thought they pulled of the cape really well. When Elisa was presenting her sketch, it appeared to be much larger and more complicated, so I’m glad they were able to get the proportions refined and work out the neck/wrap/hood thing.
Kit & Chris: I loved Kit and Chris’s sweatshirt (?) top. I thought the proportions and styling were dead on and really cute without looking too junior-ish. The pocket edge detailing was a really nice touch and I liked that the sleeves had a bit of volume without going overboard. My one complaint (again!)… leggings for a second garment! To give them some credit, it looked like these leggings had a bit more detailing on them (the buttons were cute), but I would have loved to see a skirt or pair of pants with the top.
Victorya (WINNER) & Kevin: It’s not my style, but I think Victorya and Kevin’s garments were spot on and completely deserved the win for this challenge. The garments fit the Bitten aesthetic perfectly, but still push it a bit more fashion forward. The layering of the vest and dress is a unique touch and really worked into Bitten’s layered theme, both pieces would be great with or without the other. Same thing with the color combination, while it’s not the most exciting, neither was the color palette for Bitten and it’s much easier to sell neutral colors to mass market rather than a bright turquoise. I really like the shape and detailing of the dress (although I would have preferred it to have a slightly longer hem) and love the sleeves. Having something tie around my neck is not my preference, but the sash gives some interest to the look and brings up the “fashion” aspect. Overall, I think it was the best for the Bitten collection, it looks much more expensive than $15 and I completely understand why SJP picked it for the win.
Marion (OUT) & Steven: Sadly, there’s not much I can say about Marion and Steven’s garment that wasn’t said by the judges… poor fabric choice was obviously the downfall of this team, but the final outcome wasn’t that different from Marion’s original sketch so I think they were doomed from the beginning with a fringed poncho. I would have loved to actually see the skirt since it looked interesting when it was in pieces, but the poncho covers it almost completely. Their color choice was pretty bad and this is a good example of how neutrals can be rich and have depth (Victorya’s) and how they can be boring and unflattering (Marion’s). Based on last week, Marion was my guess for being out even before this episode started and sadly I wasn’t surprised when he got the boot.
25 November, 19:54