UNDER THE GUNN.....Nick's Take: Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic", My Inside Dish!

Mentor Steampunk: (Left to right) Mondo Guerra, Anya Ayoung-Chee and Nick Verreos--Griffith Park's "Travel Town" Los Angeles--Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Ruwnay: Under The Gunn

This week on Lifetime Network's "Project Runway: Under The Gunn", it was the Avant-Garde challenge. The theme was Steampunk.  In case you might be "out of the look", Steampunk style deals with fashion inspired from the genre of science fiction, which is inspired by steam-powered machinery and involves an "alternative world" of both 19th Century Victorian and American "Wild West" as well as a post-apocalyptic world involving retro-futurism. Yep: go figure...

Where's the first "Under The Gunn" Winner? Mentor Nick Verreos with designers Natalia Fedner, Oscar Garcia-Lopez and Stephanie Ohnmacht at "Travel Town"/Griffith Park--Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

I was excited to be mentoring this challenge for my designers, mainly because I LOVE an Avant-Garde Challenge and because of Season 11 "Project Runway" winner Michelle Lesniak and her Finale Collection. It wasn't until Michelle that I truly became aware of what Steampunk even was (Thank You Michelle!). We drove to Griffith Park's "Travel Town" very early in the morning to film the Challenge Introduction:

Griffith Park's "Travel Town"--filming set-up for Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

Griffith Park's "Travel Town", Los Angeles

Tim Gunn, the Designers and Mentors--Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

After the Challenge Announcement at "Travel Town", we all went to Mood Fabrics Los Angeles...

 "Welcome to Mood'--Designers, Mentors and Tim Gunn--Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

Nick Verreos and "Oscar" (named after Oscar de la Renta, naturally)--the Mood Fabric L.A. "mascot"

Mood Fabrics Los Angeles: Thousands of fabulous bolts of fabrics

Under The Gunn Workroom, back at FIDM:

 Tim Gunn and Nick Verreos--Project Runway: Under The Gunn Workroom, FIDM--Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

Uh Oh: "Big Daddy" Mentor Tim Gunn just told Anya Ayoung-Chee that one of her designers (Nicholas) is having lunch when he should be working...

The Following Day, Runway:

Steampunk Mentor Chic--(Left to right) Mondo Guerra, Anya Ayoung-Chee and Nick Verreos--Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM Los Angeles Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

Time for the "Under The Gunn" Inside Dish:

 Nick's Designers: (Left to right) Designs from Oscar Garcia-Lopez, Stephanie Ohnmacht and Natalia Fedner--Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

Stephanie Ohnmacht: Stephanie had a difficult time finding herself--design-wise--in this episode. She is not an "Avant-Garde" designer and therefore she struggled a bit. I liked her idea but I wanted her to exaggerate everything about it; put tulle inside those billowy sleeves to "puff" them up (she didn't) and take this to another level. I did like the silhouette and especially how she used some of the "Steampunk"-like metal details which she glued onto the top/shoulder section of her look. The entire design was very "Karl Lagerfeld/Chanel" and I appreciated that.

Oscar Garcia-Lopez: Oscar went all-out, as usual. His look was like a "Steampunk Saloon Girl Couture". I loved this look in that it was a complete design, very thought-out and very well made.  When I visited him, he wanted to do a "She begins with a big ball gown and then she takes the overskirt off and she's got a cocktail dress on". It was looking a bit too gimmicky...

Oscar Revolution: Oscar also painted "Revolution" on the skirt (pic above). Tim Gunn and I both told him that this would not be a needed addition to his design. Lucky for us, Oscar listens and he is AMAZING at knowing how to take our critiques and then "adjusting".

 But then, there were these gorgeous pleats: those hand-pleats are out of this world! I thought his design was one of the Top ones.

Natalia Fedner: Natalia rocked it out of the "Steampunk" park with  this design of hers. I was so proud. She wanted to devise a pulley system using things she had received from our time at Griffith Park's "Travel Town". It was INGENIOUS! Natalia's design merged all the elements that make Steampunk wonderful; it was Victoriana, it was mechanism-fab; it was futuristic...All of it!

Steampunk-ed: When her model stopped in front of the judges and began her lifting-up of the design, it was like "done and done"; we all gasped, the judges and production people were like "Oh No She Didn't!" and we all clapped!

 Avant-Garde Twist: Natalia Fedner's model begins the twisting mechanism of her "Steampunk" design--Episode 7 "Steampunk Chic" Project Runway: Under The Gunn

My winner was Natalia, even though she did not win this challenge, I as a mentor, was VERY proud of her.

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.