Project Runway Recaps: Episode 10 "High Kicking Couture" Designing for The Rockettes!

Project Runway Recaps: Episode 10 "High Kicking Couture" Designing for The Rockettes!

Kick It Ladies!

Tim and Heidi High Kicking it with The Rockettes--Project Runway Season 10

This past week's Project Runway Season 10 Episode was all about The Rockettes. The Challenge was to design a costume for the Radio City Rockettes to be worn at a future performance. How Fab Is That??? I would have LOVEd this Challenge. It was sooooo "Season 2 Design a Costume for Olympic Figure Skater Sasha Cohen"!!! If you know me, you may realize I love bedazzling, costumes, and ANYTHING that looks somewhat close to Figure Skating Costumes...and designing for The Rockettes fits that bill.

Candy Cane Kicks: Nick Verreos joining The Rockettes at FIDM Downtown LA Campus, promoting "The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular" in 2010

Two years ago, I had the privilege of hosting a fun Rockettes event at my Alma Mater--the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM, when they came to town promoting their "Christmas Spectacular".

Nick Verreos and The Rockettes: I got the pleasure of meeting lots of the ladies and their fabulous costumes--designed by Erte and Vincente Minelli (yes, Liza's dad!).

Rockettes Costume Heaven: Nick Verreos with The Rockettes in some of their iconic costumes--FIDM

Notice The Beading, Kids: Nick Verreos describing the intricate sequin work on a Rockettes Costume--FIDM 

Now, back to the episode and the Challenge: To Design a Costume for the Rockettes...

The Special Guest Judge was actress Debra Messing, who of course we all know from "Will & Grace" as well as "Smash". Let's just say she might know a thing or two about bedazzled costumes. The Top Designs--according to the judges were:

Dmitry Sholokhov: Dmitry-- was a professional ballroom dancer for over a decade back in Belarus, where he is originally from. Therefore, WE KNOW he definitely knew MORE than a thing or two about sequins, dancing and costumes! His one shoulder/one sleeve asymmetrical design was very directional for the Rockettes. If the ladies wanted to go a little more "Fashion Forward" this could have been it. The midnight blue color was great and it was made extremely well.

  

Ballroom or Radio City?

But I felt it might have been a tad too sexy for the lovely Rockettes--especially in performances where 8 year old's might be present. It was more appropriate for a sexy Ballroom Dancing performance (very similar to the costume in the photo above) and maybe not the Rockettes. The judges also agreed, so the Winner was:

Christopher Palu: From the moment he described what he was going to do, and then soon after he began working on his costume and hot gluing them NY Skyline sequins on...I was like "There's Your Winner!". The judges tried really really hard to not make it obvious when talking to the top vote getters, that Christopher's was THE BEST, by far. I thought it was a GENIUS design idea and creation. It's sure to become an iconic "Rockettes" costume and part of their repertoire. Too bad little Christopher can't be paid for designing it! LOL!!!



The Bottom:

Elena Slivnyak: She created a royal blue completely sequined number that was part Cleopatra: the Las Vegas version/part HOOCHIE Cheerleader and part Baton Twirler (see above photos for reference!). I kind of liked the "In your Face" bedazzle of it all but it did lack any sort of expensive quality. And the center-front dip on the skirt hem was unfortunate focusing on an area of the woman's body you might not want to draw attention to.

Melissa Fleis: Melissa, one of my favorite designers from this season, created a sassy little number that gave an homage of sorts to the "Cigarette Girl". She did her 'stiffened" front torso panel thing (which she has done before) and used almost 20 pattern pieces to create a black and fuchsia costume. And she finished it off with a little hat. It was cute but the judges didn't like the unintentional "No. 1" in the front and ...it was WAAAY too short. Imagine the kids in the front row of a performance seeing THAT! Oh Dear.

Ven Budhu: But it was Ven--of I Hate Plus Size Girls/Love Origami Flower Pleating--fame, who went home for doing a boring uninspired costume that looked very "Mother of the Bride". The fabric was gorgeous, yes, but the silhouette and demure halter neck looked "Grandma".

Even this mother of the bride in the photo above has a more open neckline!! I think Ven played it too safe and he (worst of all) bored Nina. You do not want to bore Miss Garcia.

Ven Budhu's NY Fashion Week Finale Collection of Origami Flower Girls

And after his elimination Ven was one of the 8 designers to show at New York Fashion Week. And what did he do?! He went right back to his Origami Pleated detailing. I'm assuming he thought of it as an "in your face" to the judges, but to me it just proves that he is the ultimate "One Way Monkey"!



Anyhow, if you want to know how I REALLY FEEL...keep reading below for my MyLifetime.com BLOG Recap:

High Kicking Couture

We all know the First Rule of "Project
Runway": Never Bore Nina. And add to that rule that Krazee will always
outlast boring on "Project Runway." With that in mind, on last week’s HP
Print Challenge, Gunnar went home just for that — doing something that
was boring design-wise. And even though his bullying story was
admirable, passionate and endearing, his print was macabre and
un-exciting and the end result of his supposedly equestrian-inspired
design was more Chico’s than chic. A lot of you weren’t too happy about
this elimination. People wanted Ven to go mainly because they just don’t
like him (that Ven/Terri debacle will live on for eternity!) and yes,
partially, for doing that "origami flower" one more time. However, I
feel the judges were correct in their decision last week. Ven’s dress
was just a little more creative than Gunnar’s so ... it was Gunnar’s
time to go. But guess whose time is now?



High Kick Ball Change



The remaining designers wake up and are all told to meet at Radio
City Music Hall. Upon walking inside, Tim Gunn is on stage with a bevy
of bedazzled women: The Radio City Rockettes! Gee, I wonder what the
kids will be designing this week? As The Rockettes begin their iconic
high-kicking dance moves, the curtains part open, and they are joined by
none other than Miss Heidi Klum. After one or two Heidi High Kicks, she
announces (to no one’s surprise) that the challenge this week is to
design a new costume for The Rockettes. Linda Haberman, Director and
Choreographer for the Radio City Rockettes, joins Heidi and Tim in
explaining to the designers what is expected of them: it must be
versatile enough to wear all year long; spectacular up close as well as
far away — glamorous and elegant, contemporary and must have a modern
aesthetic. The winning costume will also be worn by The Rockettes at a
future performance. This reminds me so much of my "Design a Costume for
Olympic Figure Skater Sasha Cohen" Challenge back in my season so I am
privately smiling. Good times.



My Time With The Rockettes

The Season 10 kids get some time after The Rockettes sashay off, to inspect various actual Rockettes costumes. Last December...



Click HERE to continue reading my Full BLOG Recap of this past week's "Rockettes Episode"

Techniques: Diy T Shirt Cutting Ideas - Tips For Girls

Techniques: Diy T Shirt Cutting Ideas - Tips For Girls

With fashion becoming all chic and comfy, t-shirts are totally ruling the current space.
T shirts are like classics, and the best part being, one is never too old to sport t-shirts.
But what if you could give your older pals who are almost dying in your closet a sweet makeover and dress them up to get your fashion game on point.
For all those days when a t-shirt is too boring, and a dress too dressy, give your plain tee’s an upgrade trying some cute ways to cut a t shirt .
A bit of creativity, a pair of scissors and some t shirt cutting tutorials is all what you need to de-construct and re-construct your favourites.

So ladies say no to discarding those lovelies, because we have done the homework for you, having compiled a host of tshirt cutting patterns, to get you rolling.
Just scroll down and take a pick from these cool ways to cut a t shirt and flaunt that designer in you.

Here are some quick DIY’s on how to cut t shirts and wear them the fashionable way.

I’m sure you have tried the different t shirt cutting ideas and cut old t shirts and experimented with different styles, hence here I have for you different ways you could rip the t shirt and make it new:

1. Simply Sleeveless
A simple hack, pick up am old t shirt, maybe the one which has become a little tight for you. Cut the sides of the t shirt till all the way down and leave some 4-5 inches from below. You can decide the width of the shoulder strap you want and cut accordingly. Stretch your cuts so that the fabric doesn’t look like its cut unevenly.

Crop Tops

This one is my ultimate favourite. Crop tops are definitely the biggest trend out there and making one with the existing tees is even easier.

To execute this DIY project idea, first cut t shirt sleeves by the hemline to restore that crop top grunge. Next, widen that neckline, by simply cutting it from being a round neck to more of a boat neck. Now, cut short the length. When cutting the hem, let the sides be shorter and the front longer. Always remember to stretch the cuts you’ve made for it to look crafty and original.

 Do It Yourself – A Winged Back
Now this is not for the beginners. DIY projects like this one, needs some practice and patience too.

Get an old t shirt, a marker and a pair of scissors to make this dragon fly back tee shirt on your own. With your market draw the stencil like these on the back of your tee shirt. If you’re not too confident about your drawing skills, then print out a picture from the internet and trace it out. With a comfortably held pair of scissors, cut the design one by one. Be careful with the edges because we don’t want them looking messy. This t shirt cutting pattern is surely for the more artistic one’s who want to fly high wearing a pair of wings on their t shirt.

 DIY Ideas For A Cut-Out Neck Pattern

If you like to play some peek-a-boo, then here’s an interesting way to cut a t shirt, by cutting out the neck yoke to create a high street look. Start with drawing an outline of the cut you want to make around the neckline and the arms, and then get cutting. Take your time to meet that designer finesse

Shoulder Cut

This is one creative t shirt pattern that requires precision. If gone wrong, it will ruin your efforts and the t shirt too. Start, with cutting along the sleeves and then the shoulder, the neck and then the other sleeve. Make equal cuts, as too much gap will not look aesthetic.

Back Cut Velcro
This DIY t shirt cutting craft is sure to get your toned lower back, all the attention it deserves. Though it looks a little twisted, but is one of the simplest. You just have to cut a straight slit at the back, making the entire top look like a simple long piece. Then put a Velcro on either side like the way it is in the picture. Cut down the fabric to get that angle behind.

 Fringe DIY
Again, a no fuss DIY t shirt cutting, this one, needs you to cut the bottom of the t shirt in fringes. The thickness of the fringe does not matter but, thinner the fringe, the better they look.

Tie-Ups

If you ask us how to cut t shirts for a beach vacation, then this one will be our answer. Even if you don’t have that beach body, you can work this one with a bright inner.

Miss Universe Ximena Navarette wears Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 to FIFA World Cup Draw in Mexico City

Miss Universe Ximena Navarette wears Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 to FIFA World Cup Draw in Mexico City

High Fashion Universe...

Ximena Vuitton: Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarette in Louis Vuitton Spring 2011

A couple of weeks ago, the beautiful Ximena (or Jimena in some circles) Navarette, the current Miss Universe (from Mexico), traveled to her home country to announce the FIFA U-17 World Cup Draw at the Sala Nezahualcoyotl (that's a mouthful darlings!) in Mexico City. For this special appearance, Ximena wore not Tadashi , and not Sherri Hill (the official Miss Universe sponsor), but...(wait for it), Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs! She even tweeted about it, thanking the Louis Vuitton Mexico City Boutique for the dress (borrowed, I am assuming).

The cotton printed dress--Look # 26 (above photo)--was from the Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 Collection, retailing for thousands. I think it's great when you see a Miss Universe--or any beauty pageant contestant--for that matter-- wearing actual FASHION!! With a Capital "F".

She Smiles: Ximena Navarette, Miss Universe 2010, FIFA U-17 World Cup Draw Mexico City

The dress itself featured a very PLUNGING neckline, shoulder-covering details and it's length--a very NOW, below-the-knee--or "tea-Length" as they say.

Pretty With The Suits: Ximena Navarette Miss Universe 2010, FIFA World Cup Draw Mexico City

I also love that she wore the same shoes as on the runway model. Very Good Ximena--or maybe it was the Louis Vuitton Mexico Style Team. I'm sure they were the ones who were like "Um, Ximena, you're going to wear this with this...no questions asked...". It's good to listen to the professionals darling...
Felicitaciones!

What is Visual Merchandising?

What is Visual Merchandising?

If you love making things look good and like being creative, this could be perfect for you. Visual merchandisers (also known as window dressers or display assistants). 

The role of Visual Merchandiser is creative and fast-paced. Visual merchandisers do much more than simply dress mannequins. They’re often the masterminds behind the intriguing window displays, elaborate holiday decorations and in-store displays in department stores, boutiques and other retail establishments. Visual Merchandising is a practice that supports retailers in presenting their retail space in the best possible way to maximize sales.

Research has shown that the majority of consumers make their purchase decisions while they are in the store.  As a result, retailers often devote a large amount of time, effort and money every year on props and promotional display material. It is the job of the visual merchandiser to bring the displays to life, make an impact on the consumer, draw shoppers into the store and set the overall mood.

You would normally become a visual merchandiser or display designer in one of two ways: by completing a retail design qualification at college or by moving from an in-store sales assistant role to a trainee visual merchandiser post.  You may also be able to get into this career if you have more general art and design qualifications, and can show a flair and enthusiasm for retail.

A visual merchandiser needs to have a high level of attention to detail. They also need to be able to work to deadlines. The ability to work well as part of a team is also important.  As a visual merchandiser in a large retail company, you would work as part of a display team. You would follow design plans created at head office by a visual merchandising manager or senior display designer.

Depending on your responsibilities, your day-to-day work might include:

• producing design ideas for displays and developing floor plans, or following a company plan

• creating special displays to promote a specific product or offer

• deciding how to use space and lighting creatively

• making best use of a store's space and layout

• creating branded visual merchandising packs to send to each branch of a store

• giving feedback to head office and buying teams

• setting up displays, dressing dummies and arranging screens, fabric and posters

• sourcing display materials and hiring, borrowing or making props

• making sure that prices and other required details can be seen

• teaching sales staff how goods should be displayed

• taking down old displays.

Senior visual merchandisers are usually responsible for planning the store display for the year, creating visual plans and buying the appropriate models, props, equipment and signage.  Head office visual merchandiser coordinators often prepare a visual merchandising pack to send to other stores, so that all stores have the same company look and feel.

Most visual merchandising jobs are in fashion and homeware departments and stores. You can also find some opportunities for display work at museums, tourist attractions, airports and hotels.

Visual merchandising can be physically demanding at times; however, the excitement and opportunity to utilize creativity in the workplace are well worth the effort.  Could this be a job for you??