Project Runway All-Stars 2 - Boogie Shoes

Greetings!

Before I dive into this week's blog post, while most of us in the Mid-Atlantic emerged unscathed from Hurricane Sandy, folks along the Jersey Shore and various low-lying areas of New York City and Long Island did not.

Garment District-NYC, post Sandy.

Breezy Point, Queens, NYC

If you can, please donate to help relief efforts.  Here are some of the relief organizations already on the ground in New York and New Jersey:

The American Red Cross

Occupy Sandy/Relief

Americares

And if you're in the NYC area:

Queens Mamas

We're all in this together, don't you think?  Thanks!

Before we dive into this week's show, after the events of this week, I think we need a moment of levity.  Who better to bring it to us than the Pittsburgh Steelers, who, last week, wore their 1938 Throwback Uniforms.  They call them "throwback" because that's what they did with them the first time.

He looks like an inmate at a bumblebee prison.

The NFL does this to keep the fashionistas interested, I think.  

Now, onto this week's show.

This week's challenge was the NINE WEST SHOE CHALLENGE.  This week's judge was the NINE WEST SHOE DESIGNER.

This week's theme was also a throwback--to the fabulous 1970's!  

I don't know about you, but 1970's makes me think of Bert Keeter, from two seasons ago.

He would have rocked this challenge, considering all the quality time he spent at Studio 54, back in the day.

So the designers chose shoes from the Nine West Tacky Disco Diva Shoe Collection and were to design a dress that complimented the shoes and was inspired by the disco era.  The prize would be a photo spread in Marie Claire to advertise Nine West's tacky shoe collection.  I guess I could go on and on about the shoes and which ones I liked, etc...but I'm not getting paid by Nine West to advertise their shoes.  

And because Project Runway isn't tacky enough already, the producers staged this...

Once again, Joanna Coles tried desperately to get the designers see some reason.

"Andre, are you really going to make another organza jacket?"

"Chain, chain, chain...chain of fools..."

And this week's winner?

Whoever designed Carolyn Murphy's dress.

Side thought:  I'm quite impressed with the depth of knowledge that the hair and make-up people had on the 1970's.  "Give me Bianca Jagger hair."  No problem.  "Half-Breed Cher cheekbone blush."  No problem.  "Claudine Longet's mug shot."  No problem.

Let's bugaloo onto the runway, shall we?

Althea

I was not impressed with what I saw in the workroom.

And the results, I thought, were more 1980's than 1970's.

I thought the back was unnecessarily messy and the front was more chaotic than stylish.  It really didn't move well, either.  The colors are ok.  She was safe this week.  Oh, and the model is wearing shoes. 

Kayne

Kayne was trying to channel Donna Summer.  Isaac thought he channeled Jennifer Lopez.   I thought the look was a lot more chic and evocative of the 70's than the judges did.  The camera kept focusing on the front seaming on the pants, picking up a clear flaw in the fabric that looked like a stain.  The judges didn't notice that.  Maybe the pants were too evocative of the 1970's.  Perhaps the Nine West shoe guy didn't see the shoes well enough.  I don't know.  This was one of my favorites.

Josh

Maybe Josh's look was just too casual this week.  Or the shoes were not really the focus...

He was safe this week, but I thought this was one of the most chic and sophisticated looks I've ever seen Josh create as well as one of my favorites for the evening.  Watch him.  He's a contender.   

Laura Kathleen

This was another one of my favorites, although on second look, the back of those pants are a little too voluminous.  Another safe entry.  Maybe it's because you can't see the shoes.

Emilio

Earth to Emilo:  THIS IS A NINE WEST SHOE CHALLENGE.   Nothing says "night in a disco" like a gown with a weird train in the back.  What's with the racer back straps?

I think you're beginning to see a pattern here, no?

Anthony Ryan

Anthony heard the "you need to reference the shoes" part of the challenge.  He totally ignored the "throwback to the 1970's" part of the challenge.  This is the best reference....but...whatever....

Andre

"I'm Rosanne Rosanadana and I don't understand why designers insist on making jackets out of organs.  Oh, it's organza?  Nevermind...."

Why, Andre, why, did you produce the exact same outfit two weeks in a row?  You're really lucky you weren't booted off this week.

Suede

I love you Suede, but...

That's not a very good looking dress.  The neckline is sloppy and the pleating or folding in the back looks more haphazard than it looks sculptural.  And if, perchance, your woman has to sit down over the course of an evening, the back will look wrinkled and mashed.

Oh, and shoes.  It's pretty cliche to echo the shoes with the bracelet.  Not enough there.

Wendy

They had it out for you, Wendy.  I'm convinced of it.  Nevertheless, you helped them along with a big dose of tacky this week.  It's a very tough field this season, so you have to play your A game each challenge.

And if these looks weren't labeled and I hadn't watched the episode, I would have swore that Josh designed this outfit.  This was way more Josh-ish from his season than it was Wendy from hers.  It's a shame she used the chains for the top and waist hanging because those pants are an incredible piece of workmanship.  They are quilted and flared....the fit is perfect.  If the top had been a little less tacky, she could have been a contender for the win because the length shows off the shoes pretty well.  Perhaps this wasn't the look that the Nine West shoe guy envisioned for these particular shoes, but I can't dock Wendy for trying to have some fun with a disco challenge.

Unfortunately, the judges weren't as amused.  Buh bye, Wendy.

Casanova

This dress was deceptively simple from the front, but all party in the back.  So 70's.

Despite the wonky shape that no one but a model could wear, this was a "show off the shoe" challenge and he met that brief.  I think this was perfectly plausible for a win, even though it makes the model look a bit like a teletubbie from the front.

Ivy

The judges loved this.

This dress photographs much better than it showed up on TV.  The camera kept focusing on the sloppily gathered waistline.  It took a village to glue gun the gee gaws on to the top of the bodice.  And even with a team of glue gunners, they could only get the gee gaws onto the front.  Note: Josh didn't help and we all know he's the fastest glue gunner in the west.

Looking at it in pictures, I could see why the judges were so fascinated, but on TV, all the flaws stood out.

Uli

Uli is the big winner this week.  The front was more embellished than the back, but that really doesn't matter because you're only going to photograph the front, right?  I don't think the look references the shoes at all, but hey, if you like the dress, switch them out with Emilio's shoes, since we didn't see those on the show.

The judges argued about whether this was 70's enough.

If I could turn back time...

All the fringe and beading looked tribal.  Totally derivative of Cher's "Half-Breed" look.  Isaac even alluded to it during judging.

So Uli, the girl who grew up with totally different disco in Germany is the big winner this week.

They keep showing amazing dresses in the mini preview during the show.  When do I get to see 'em?

Until next week....