PERFECT and BEAUTIFUL Benefit of Fashion

 Mentors and Designers--Benefit Cosmetics Challenge Episode 11"The Benefit of Fashion" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

On this week's "Project Runway: Under The Gunn", it was time for the Benefit Cosmetics Challenge! There are thirteen episodes and this is the 11th one (so, yes, kids--only two more to go after this!). This week's challenge was the "Real Woman Challenge" where the remaining designers had to create a look for a real client--as opposed to a 5' 11" size 2 superhuman model...

Nick Verreos--flanked by the "Benefit Cosmetics dancers" backstage--Benefit Cosmetics Challenge Episode 11"The Benefit of Fashion" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

I LOVED this challenge and especially loved the way it was introduced--with those sexy dancers--hinting at the "history" of Benefit Cosmetics. Now, let's get to the Challenge and my "Nick Inside Dish":

If you've been keeping up with this season's "Project Runway: Under The Gunn", you know that while the other mentors have two designers left on their "team", I only have ONE: Oscar Garcia-Lopez. Needless to say, we both had a lot of pressure. I was very cautious of not doing anything "wrong" (in the eyes of Tim Gunn) and I wanted Oscar to just do his beautiful creations.

His client for this challenge was a young woman by the name of  Dani. She was petite and wanted something that would make her feel like an adult woman and not someone who shops in the "little girl's department".  Also, Dani was competing in the Miss California USA beauty pageant and wanted a gown.

Oscar Garcia-Lopez and his client Dani--Benefit Cosmetics Challenge Episode 11"The Benefit of Fashion" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

Before I even came up to Oscar and Dani to see if things were going OK, the whole "I-want-a-Pageant-Gown" conversation had been established...

Are You Sure??? When I showed up, they told me about Dani wanting a gown, and I asked "Are You SUUUUREE?????" knowing that Tim and some of the judges had made overt comments about Oscar and how "he makes great gowns, but...what else can he do??" I tried to suggest to both of them to go against the whole "Pageant Gown" idea, but once I realized that's exactly what the client wanted, I knew that there was no turning back--and then I saw Oscar's sketch and knew they were on the right track:

Oscar Sketch: Here's Oscar Garcia-Lopez' sketch before I came up to them to say "hello", in case anyone thinks I "creatively" controlled Oscar's gown vision for Dani. As you can see from his sketch, he already had "created" the gown--the sketch is exactly what the gown turned out to be.

Critique Time: Tim Gunn and Nick Verreos--Benefit Cosmetics Challenge Episode 11"The Benefit of Fashion" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

Sample Complete: Oscar was making a gown out of crepe back satin in a beautiful emerald green fabric. His idea was to make Dani--his client--happy by solving some of her "fashion problems". He set out to:

A) Make her look taller

B) Make her look more sophisticated

C) Make her NOT feel as if she was 15 years old

 and give her the Gown of her dreams, to compete in her next pageant.



As you can see from the screen shot above, when Tim and I arrived for the Critique, Oscar already had turned his beautiful sketch into a fully realized muslin sample on the dress form.

We're Done Here: During Oscar's critique, Tim was VERY HAPPY with what Oscar was creating (in fact, I think he used the word "GORGEOUS")  and I felt very comfortable with it as well. I barely said anything. If you saw the episode, I basically was like "Ummm, OK, we're done here., see ya tomorrow!".  

Runway Day:

Benefit Gorgeous: Dani (right, Oscar's client) and Scott Patric (left), the FABULOUS Makeup Artist, Project Runway: Under The Gunn Benefit Cosmetics Pretty Room

Superb: Dani--Oscar's client--looked AMAZING and perfect in the emerald green one-shoulder gown he created IN ONE DAY! It was beautifully made and achieved all the criteria that his client wanted. During the episode I said that yes, it might have "aged" her, but they cut out the part where I went on to say and "Isn't that what she wanted?"; Dani was tired of shopping at a "little girls store" and wanted to feel "older". Personally, I think Oscar should have won and I think he nailed all the client's needs EXACTLY. Just sayin'.

Pleat Perfection: Just take a look at how PERFECT and BEAUTIFUL Oscar's hand-pleating is on this gown! And the way he finished the edges of the fabric with the corset/bustier: perfection. I spend THREE weeks making a gown like this--while Oscar spent less than A DAY! Can you say Hashtag Unbelievable??? Yes, I can.



I remember Tim Gunn--right before the Runway backstage--away from the cameras--saying to Oscar that his gown was GORGEOUS and that he (Oscar) had made his client so beautiful. I think this is interesting especially since he says something completely different .