PROJECT RUNWAY RECAPS....."Project Runway" Season 14 Recaps: Episode 11 Avant-garde Challenge Blog Recap!

PROJECT RUNWAY RECAPS....."Project Runway" Season 14 Recaps: Episode 11 Avant-garde Challenge Blog Recap!

 Is This Avant-garde: Season 11 "Project Runway" Episode 11 "Avant-garde Challenge"

This past week's challenge on Lifetime Network's Season 14 "Project Runway" was the Avant-garde Challenge. Fans and viewers of the show always look forward to this challenge since, besides the "Unconventional" one, this really shows how creative the designers can be and how their design boundaries can be pushed.

The Bridge Is Your Inspiration: Tim Gunn introduces this season's Avant-garde Challenge overlooking the Queensboro Bridge--Season 14 "Project Runway Episode 11

Iconic NYC bridges were the inspiration...

Brooklyn Bridge

Manhattan Bridge

 Queensboro Bridge

The designers were also to create 3D prints as detail for the Avant-garde designs--using a Cube 3D printer...As a novice of 3D printing and what can be done, I am wowed every time I see the technology up close...

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of hosting a fashion event at the Las Vegas Computer Electronics Show/CES 2015 and saw this wonderful design, the "3D Spider Dress" by Anouk Wipprecht which was created using Intel 3D Printing technology

Back to the so-called Avant-garde Runway...

Not Avant-garde Judging: During the runway critique, the judges were a little confusing with their take on the Avant-garde creations from this season's remaining designers. Most of the designs were NOT Avant-garde and yet, the judges were praising them for how "Pretty" and "Red Carpet Perfect" some were. Excuse me, but I thought this was an Avant-garde Challenge NOT a Red Carpet one...



Now, in case you need a refresher course on WHAT AVANT-GARDE should look like...here's a peak:

Comme Des Garcons by Rei Kawakubo Spring 2016

 (L to R) Commes Des Garcons by Rei Kawakubo Fall 2015, Spring 2015

 (L to R) Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Spring 2015, Fall 2015

 Gareth Pugh Spring/Summer 2015

Now that you have seen that, we can continue with what was NOT Avant-garde on the runway in this past week's "Project Runway" episode:

 Candice Cuoco: Candice's strapless mermaid-shaped gown was very elegant and pretty, as some of the judges said. And in fact Guest Judge Mel B said she would wear it to an upcoming an event. But it wasn't Avant-garde, so for me it failed at the challenge. But, yes, it was quite Flamenco pretty! I do wonder if this center back panel on the models behind...

Back Ooopsie: Was a last-minute addition since it was probably too tight. I would bet my prized pattern shears on it!

Edmond Newton: Once again, a very pretty design but not really Avant-garde. I liked how he used the "X's" of his Queensboro Bridge inspiration and his 3D prints. But this was Avant-garde Lite.

Kelly Dempsey: Kelly's design was the well deserved winner. So at least the judges got that right! This was certainly the closest thing to an actual Avant-garde design. The geometric shape was jarring yet very reminiscent of the bridges' structure and the front torso straps were a great homage to the spider web-like cables of the Brooklyn Bridge.



The Bottom:

Ashley Nell Tipton: Ashley's "Wonder Woman-Meets-Church Choir" creation had drama, certainly. But A) Not Avant-garde and B) those pants were a mess:

Waaaay Too Tight: rippling that originates from the inseam and crotch/rise is Design School 101 Too Tight Pant Fit

Merline Labissiere: Merline--a student of architecture and one of the only designers this season whose aesthetic leans toward being slightly "avant-garde"--should have had this challenge in the bag. But she was OUT. This was uninspired, not Avant-garde and almost somewhat wearable. Also, as Heidi pointed out, the bottom section was very reminiscent of...

Kini Zamora of Season 13 Avant-garde design (now THAT'S Avant-garde, kids!)

And now, here's my RECAP for this past week's episode--Read all I have to say about the episode and the NOT-SO Avant-garde designs...

Season 14, Episode 11: A Bridge Not Far Enough

''Pretty." "Feminine." "Perfect for a red carpet
event." These were all comments from the judges to some of the creations
that came down the runway in this week's episode. There’s only a
teeny-tiny problem: these SHOULDN’T BE the comments you want to hear
when critiquing an avant-garde challenge. But here we were. This week’s
challenge is always supposed to be a highlight of the “Project Runway”
season, showcasing the limitless level of creativity that the designers
can achieve. Sadly, this wasn't the case. What happened? How did four
out of the five designers get it so avant-garde wrong, and more
importantly, what Kool-Aid were the judges drinking? Time to investigate
and recap.

The episode begins with the top five
designers, Edmond being the only male left. They discuss Swapnil (who
was given the auf last week) and what a shame that he gave up so soon. I
know that there’s a lot of web chatter about Swapnil and whether or not
he was edited to seem unproductive. However, the fact that these
designers are reiterating the “he gave up” narrative, makes me think
that, in fact, it wasn’t editing.

Heidi meets up
with the designers on the runway stage, telling them that for the next
challenge that “they are going to bring some NY landmarks to life…in
3D!” as she puts on a pair of 3D glasses. The designers join Tim at a
location overlooking the Queensboro Bridge to introduce the challenge:
Create an avant-garde design inspired by an iconic NYC bridge. Each
designer gets a bridge: Kelly, who won last week, chooses the Brooklyn
Bridge;,Candice and Merline get the Queensboro, and Edmond and Ashley
are given the Manhattan Bridge...

To continue reading my RECAP, click HERE on the "Project Runway" myLifetime.com Blog

Project Runway Recaps: Avant Garde Avant NOT!!--My Recap of the "Avant-garde" Challenge/Episode

Project Runway Recaps: Avant Garde Avant NOT!!--My Recap of the "Avant-garde" Challenge/Episode

A Lesson in Avant-Garde:



Let's get this out of the way...



THIS IS AVANT-GARDE:

Gareth Pugh

Comme des Garcons

John Galliano for Dior Haute Couture

Alexander McQueen

 Viktor & Rolf

 THIS is NOT:

Avant-garde design by Dmitry Sholokov from last night's "Project Runway" Season 10 L'Oreal Paris Makeup "Avant-garde" Challenge--his design won--and was generously praised by the judges. It was made impeccably, yes. But was it avant-garde?

 Five remaining designers on Season 10 Project Runway, traveled to...

 Oheka Castle in Huntington N.Y. known as the second largest private home in the USA--owned by financier Otto Kahn

The five remaining designers traveled to the expansive Oheka Castle in Long Island to get their challenge. At first when Heidi said that they were going 'far, far away", I got excited at the prospect of them getting on a plane and going to Florence, Milan or Paris...but not so mucheey...For the past four years, I've had the pleasure of going to Florence Italy to do Fashion Lectures and presentations of my NIKOLAKI Collection so if the producers ever want to have a challenge in Florence Italy...Call me!



Let's get back to last night's so-called avant-garde designs inspired by L'Oreal Paris "Electric Fantasie" Makeup Line:

 Judges Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, Heidi Klum and Zoe Saldana

Fabio Costa: I thought of all the five creations, Fabio's "Enchanted Queen" design was the most avant-garde with his upside-down coat and sheer palazzos and top, but Miss Heidi was NOT a fan.

Christopher Palu: For his "Enchanted Queen", Christopher did an all black satin, sequin and feathered gown that was very elegant but certainly NOT avant-garde...

It was a cross between a "Black Swan"-inspired dress and "Madame X" from artist John Singer Sargent-I wish he would have done something more like the photo below--for his "Enchanted Queen":

Model Adriana Karembeu in Thierry Mugler Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 1997--Now THAT'S an Enchanted Queen---and avant-garde!!!

Melissa Fleis: Her "Artsy Muse" creation was kind of fierce in a 90's sort of way--the popped collar leather vest and top, the arm cuffs, the neo-punk hair...the print on the skirt--as well as its shape is grand. Overall, a good showing from Melissa and I would say "Avant-garde Lite".



And then, there was poor Sonjia:

Green moiré is never good--unless it's a Nolan Miller 1988 "Dynasty" suit worn by Joan Collins. Not only did she chose that fabric but then she also added nude illusion--that didn't even match her olive-skinned model. It was SOOOO Bad Figure Skating Costume. It kind of reminded me of this:

Russian Ice Dancers Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin and their offensive "Aboriginal"-inspired costumes from 2010

Well--enough of all that, let's get to my real Recap for last night's Project Runway Episode and what I really thought of all this--Here's my Recap:

Safe Garde

This tenth season of "Project Runway" can
pretty much be defined by one word: safe. Most of the designers have
"played it safe" when it comes to their designs and creations. They've
been harmless in terms of their "characters" as well; there's been some
bitching and hate-talking during their confessionals but the season is
so safe that we don't even have a "villain" making the Final Four —
which for almost every season, has seemed to be de rigueur. It could
also be argued that a couple of the contestants played it so safe, they
just got up and left the show altogether because they just didn't want
to "Go For It!" So, it comes as no surprise that for this last
Avant-Garde Challenge, the designers played it safe. And in my feeling,
it was a let down. Let's recap...



Tim, Is That Your New Home?



Five designers left and this is the challenge that decides who gets
to go to NY Fashion Week. If you REALLY follow the show and its
designers, we know now that the last eight designers actually showed at
Mercedes-Benz NY Fashion Week last month when in "TV Time" there were
still eight on the show (five were "decoys" and the other 3, actual
finalists). But let's just stick to the "script" shall we? Sexy "Spartan
Supermodel" Heidi walks in to tell the designers that she is sending
them "far, far away" where Tim and a guest will be waiting. I'm
thinking, "Yeaay! They get to board a plane and fly to Florence, Italy!"
Nope. Not so much. After crossing a bridge and driving for over an
hour, they arrive at Oheka Castle, a historic mansion in the Gold Coast
of Long Island. This estate was the home of financier and philanthropist
Otto Kahn and in fact, the second largest private home in the entire
US. Waiting for the designers is Tim Gunn (who looks perfectly at home
outside this castle, I might add) and Billy B. Consulting Makeup Artist
for L'Oreal Paris.



Electric Avant-Garde

Billy is there to introduce the new L'Oreal Paris makeup line called
"Electric Fantasie" based on four "muses/color themes": Enchanting
Queen, Seductive Temptress, Wise Mystic and Artsy Muse. Tim announces
that this is the "L'Oreal Makeup Challenge" and the designers will have
to create an avant-garde Look inspired by this new L'Oreal Paris makeup
line. Tim then takes out the dreaded "Button Bag" and...



Click HERE to continue reading my Recap on MyLifetime.com