PROJECT RUNWAY.....Nick Verreos Recap: The Finale Episode! "The Lone Wolf Goes For Her Kill"

Finale Divas--Season 11 Project Runway Finale Judges (left to right) Zac Posen, Heidi Klum, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia--Mercedes-Benz NY Fashion Week

Last night was the Finale of Lifetime Network's Season 11 Project Runway---If you read my RECAP from last week's Pre-Finale episode, I had a good hunch--from just that "preview" of three looks the Top Three designers showed the judges--of who the Winner would be. And I was right. But before we get to all that, there's several things to discuss:

What Does...

 Grace Kelly and Barbara Bush...

 Steampunk Style

Native American horse hair bustle...have in common? 

It's the Project Runway Season 11 Finale of course!

Back in February, I had the opportunity to attend the Finale Show at Lincoln Center. A BLIZZARD had just engulfed NYC and let me tell you, it was A MESS--the city that is. People were falling...

Nina Garcia--and a person falling on the iced walkway to Lincoln Center Mercedes-Benz NY Fashion Week

...slipping on the ice on the the way to the event, snow falling...not pretty on the ensembles and more importantly, the shoes (oh those poor NYC girls and their Louboutins!). Anyhow, I finally made it and had a chance to do some pre-show socializing with the likes of:

Nick Verreos with (left to right) Season 10 designers Christopher Palu, Sojia Williams and All Stars Season 2 Finalist Uli Herzner--Lincoln Center/Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show

Nick Verreos with Season 1 Winner Jay McCarroll--Lincoln Center/Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show

The  Collections--My "Nick Two Cents":

Top Three: (left to right) Patricia Michaels, Michelle Lesniak Franklin and Stanley Hudson--It was down to the last three designers--Patricia Michaels, Michelle Lesniak Franklin and Stanley Hudson...Let's see how they fared with their final NY Fashion Week Collections...

Stanley Hudson was inspired by...Ladies Who Lunch. Or at least that's what I thought. It was elegant, lady-like, very Barbara Bush-meets-Laura Bush-meets-Barbara Walters.

Guest judge (God, I missed him!) Michael Kors said Stanley's Final look reminded him of "Betty White on Dancing With The Stars". It was like a 1998 evening gown version of a Figure Skating costume.

Here's the Good:

 

Grace Kelly-looking gold coat (left photo) was very luxe and elegant. The gold lame peplum top with beaded front panel (right photo) was Stanley's way of "sex'ing" up the dowdy dress he had shown to the judges in his preview. This look was also very nice but again, I can find this in any department store RIGHT NOW. That's not the point of showing at Mercedes-Benz NY Fashion Week. It's about making the buyers, editors and WOMEN...DREAM.

Then, there was this ivory shift dress with gold sequin applique. It looked STUNNING from the front--and good choice of model I may add. But...

She turned around to make the long, long, walk down the runway and I could here gasps all around me. Yep, the center back zipper was uneven. This was UNACCEPTABLE. I don't even accept it with my fashion school students. What happened?

Here's a Screen Cap of my Face--and some of the Project Runway Alumn around me

Patricia Michaels: Patricia was inspired by "trees' and infused her textile manipulation and Native American culture into her designs and entire 12-look collection. The Good: These four looks above were my Standouts from Patricia's collection. LOVED the horsehair headdresses and that blue shift dress on the upper right especially. But...She also went "Kooky Art Teacher/Tarot Card Reader in Venice Beach":

No. No. And No.

Michelle Lesniak Franklin: I dubbed Michelle as "Bad Luck Michelle" early on in the season since her team seemed to always be at the bottom every week... but she persevered. Her Fall 2013 NY Fashion Week Project Runway Finale Collection which was inspired by a lone female wolf "going for the kill", was very Katniss Everdeen from "The Hunger Games" mixed in with some of the Steampunk fashion element. It looked fresh, new, directional, and a perfcet and ideal winning collection for Project Runway..

All of these looks above were FAB! I was so moved by her collection during the show that when I was there in the audience--at Lincoln Center--I gave her a standing ovation. Not kidding. And so it came as no surprise that she won the whole thing!

Congratulations Michelle!

The Lone Wolf Goes
For Her Kill

My guess was right. If you
read my recap for last week's pre-finale episode, I
surmised that "Only One Can Win...And I Have a Good Guess!" It was
pretty obvious, especially after the judges' pre-finale show critiques that
designer Michelle Lesniak Franklin's collection was the ubiquitous favorite and
standout. So, it came as no surprise that she got the final crown. What was a
surprise is what happened to Stanley Hudson. Those wonky hems, uneven center
back seams and four unfinished dresses? And then, there's "kooky"
Patricia and her lack of cohesion. It's the finale and I have plenty to say, so
let's get to my final recap for this season...

Top Three Fixings

When the episode begins,
we're down to the top 3. In last week's critiques, Michelle was suggested to
ditch some of the tricky purses/bags and glam up her models' hair and makeup.
Easy enough. Patricia was told she somehow needed to bring cohesion because
from those three looks she showed, there was little. Stanley was told his looks
lacked a "sex" factor, were too dowdy and not outstanding creatively.
He had the hardest job because how do you fix all that? And in a few days. As
we find out, he couldn't.

$500 Surprise

Tim walks into the
workroom with a final surprise: $500 and a final trip to Mood to buy whatever
they need to either switch up a look, improve on what they have, or in
Stanley's case, create an entire new collection (wishful thinking!). Post-Mood,
they are back in the workroom to finish their collections, along with the help
of their "sewing assistants." (Poor thangs, those kids are still
working!)

Bleeding Heart, Stubborn Stanley and Kooky Patricia

Tim does a final check-in.
He loves most of Michelle's collection deeming it "extremely
innovative." However, he doesn't like her "bleeding heart"
sweater. I LOVE IT! I believe it was made by...

CLICK HERE to read the rest of my RECAP! 

And PS: Can't wait for that KRAZEE "Reunion
Special" next week!!! As the tagline says "The Backstabbing
Continues..." Ouch.

PROJECT RUNWAY.....Nick Verreos Episode 11: "Do Not Dissapoint Nina!"

What Do....

The Hearst Building

 The Easter Bunny

And Pocahontas all have in common?

PROJECT RUNWAY of course! Yes, kids, it's time again for my "Nick Recap" of Lifetime's Season 11 Project Runway and now we're onto this week's "Episode 11" of the show. The remaining five designers met up with Tim Gunn and Nina Garcia at the Hearst Building--home of the Marie Claire Magazine NYC headquarters.

 Remaining Five: (left to right) Michelle Lesniak Franklin, Patricia Michaels, Stanley Hudson, Daniel Esquivel and Layana Aquilar

Nina announced that they were to create an editorial look for actress Jordana Brewster that would be featured in the May 2013 edition of Marie Claire. Now Miss Nina had some "Nina Do's & Dont's", amongst them being: NO Red Carpet, No Gowns, NO T-shirt and pants, and DO NOT Disappoint her.

Fun Facts about Jordana Brewster: She was born in Panama City, Republic of Panama from a former swimsuit model Brazilian mother who appeared on the 1978 cover of "Sports Illustrated" and an American investment banker father. Her paternal grandfather was the president of Yale University, as well as an educator and a diplomat. Jordanna grew up in Panama, London, Rio de Janeiro Brazil and then Manhattan. Now back to the episode...

The remaining designers also got the news that finally, there would be NO MORE TEAMS, and that they would get to "be on their own" but with a caveat: they would get some "help" from "Sewing Assistants":

The last five cast-off designers--Tu, Amanda, Kate, Samantha and Patricia's "nemesis" Richard--a lot of drama ensued, especially when they were paired up with their "helpers". The main story arcs had to deal with "Bossy Stanley" treating his sewing assistant Tu as if he was a Third World sweatshop worker, and Patricia being paired up with Richard (for a second time in a row!). The latter drama causing Patricia to go into a creative black hole. She also had to do some schoolin' and teach poor Richard how to sew and especially how to sew a French seam, which by the way EVERYONE learns practically on the second day of sewing class, whether in an actual fashion college or High School Sewing 101.

The Runway Results:

Daniel Esquivel--Daniel's design--a canary yellow linen cropped jacket with exaggerated shoulders with matching shorts was well constructed but it looked A LOT like an...

Easter Bunny. Couture Easter Bunny. It also was a bit referential to some of French Couturier Alexandre Vauthier's designs from recent Couture Collections:

Alexandre Vauthier--Exaggerated shoulder French designer

Layana Aquilar--Layana was inspired by the Hearst Building and created a gray-blue leather top that was held together with metal rings. The rest of her look had an ivory organza fluttery dress (or was it just a skirt?). I liked the top section, but wasn't sure what the organza bottom half had to do with it. It looked a bit disjointed. It also looked A LOT like...

Paco Rabanne (again, very referential)

Patrician Michaels--Patricia struggled with her "Don't Know How To French Seam" sewing helper Richard Hallmarq, and the final dress she created (with little help from Miss Richard) showed the struggle. It got panned by the judges and I thought it was a bit of a MESS. It was VERY...

Pocahontas

Michelle Lesniak Franklin--Michelle somehow missed the part about Nina not wanting to see T-shirts with pants. Because Michelle did a T-shirt with pants--albeit directional, chic-looking ones but still, a T-shirt and pants look.

Stanley Hudson--Stanley's look of off-white culottes, brown leather jacket and a printed top got the highest votes--and therefore, the win--from the judges. To me, it was "OK". The pants were interesting but the look to me didn't necessarily say "Marie Claire" editorial. I guess, it helped that his model looked A LOT like client Jordana Brewster.



And Who Got the "Bye Bye"??? Read on, kids--Here's my MyLifetime.com Project Runway Blog "Nick V." Recap:

Do Not Disappoint Nina!

Last week's HP Challenge episode garnered a win for Stanley and sent Richard packing to join the rest of the eliminated designers in a secret undisclosed location. This week, the episode begins right after the elimination as Tim and Heidi announce to the remaining five designers that it’s time for each of them to "work on your own." There will be NO MORE TEAMS! After the screams of joy dissipate, Heidi reminds them, however, that it is still "Project Runway: Teams Edition" and that tomorrow they will be getting "helpers" and sewing assistants for their next challenge. Oh, what fun. Not.



No, No, No

The following day, Tim takes the designers to the Hearst Building, home of Marie Claire Magazine, where Nina Garcia is waiting for them to announce their new challenge: to create a fashion-forward editorial look for actress Jordana Brewster. The winning look will be featured in the May 2013 edition of Marie Claire. Nina then sets the "Nina Rules": NO red carpet, NO gowns, NO t-shirt and pants, it must be EDITORIAL plus be bold in color, shape and silhouette. Before saying Adios, Nina reminds the designers of two very important Nina-isms: Do Not Disappoint or Embarrass Miss Nina. Got it. Bueno.



Free Labor

After Mood shopping, they all head to the workroom where Tim introduces them to their "sewing assistants": the last five eliminated designers Amanda, Kate, Richard, Samantha and Tu (PS: How lucky were all those early eliminated designers?!). Stanley (who won the last challenge) gets first pick on his helper and chooses Tu. Although he says that he chose Tu because he is an excellent sewer, I think the true reason is that he knew that he could easily boss him around.



So Over The Button Bag

Tim then brings out the dreaded button bag to "decide" who the next ones to choose are. Michelle picks Amanda, Daniel is with Samantha, Layana gets Kate and...



Click HERE to read the rest of my RECAP!