Psychiatrist Tim, Breakdown Parsons, Little Black Dress Central and Much More...What does This:
"I'm SOOOOO Stressed Out!"
This:
Too Many Little Black Dresses
And This:
A High Fashion Funeral (fashion designer's Yves Saint Laurent's)
Have In Common? Read on kiddies...
Fifth Avenue Icon--Lord & Taylor
On this week's episode of
Project Runway, the challenge was to design and create a dress for the first ever
Project Runway Collection for Lord & Taylor, the exclusive retail partner of the show this season.
JS Collections/JS Group was the manufacturer who would be assigned to help create the dress when it went to production--as well as provide the fabric for this challenge. The dress would be sold exclusively at the Fifth Avenue Flagship of the iconic department store and on their
LordandTaylor.com website.
Project Runway for Lord &Taylor Collection--Screen cap courtesy of tomandlorenzo.com (Thank you boys!) The winning dress would join the nine other designs from
Project Runway alumn (one designer chosen per season), including yours truly. In the episode, I got my first peak at my design (the cobalt blue halter-style dress in the top row, far right), as well all the others so it was--sorry for sounding like a ten year old kid--kinda "neat" (I have a feeling kids don't even say that word any more LOL!).
Here's my dress--with my original fashion illustration next to it:
Nick Verreos Dress "Project Runway for Lord & Taylor Collection"
A Bunch Of Stressed Out Designers: The nine remaining Project Runway Season 10 designers at Lord & Taylor NYC
The nine remaining Season 10 designers were very excited but soon after they began working, it was
BREAKDOWN CENTRAL at Parsons with Tim Gunn as the head attending Psychiatrist trying to
deal with all the crying, meltdowns and DRAMA...
designer/contestant
Elena Slivnyak (one of my favorites at the
LA Castings which I judged) broke down, going on and on about how she's not used to "designing like this" (with price, fabric and silhouette restrictions) and lots more.
My Darling Elena, here's a NEWSFLASH: This is what we designers do ALL the time. Until you have all the money in the world being thrown at you or are owned by a billion-dollar conglomerate a la LVMH, Gucci Group, etc. then and only then can you be "I Want to Do What I ONLY want to do!" (and even then, you STILL have restrictions). Oh these kids, they slay me...
Breakdown Sonjia--Screencap courtesy of tomandlorenzo.com
Sonjia Williams also broke down, crying as she is unable to put her model into her dress, not finishing the hem, etc.
What. Is. Going. On. With. These. Designers? Are the Project Runway producers not allowing these kids to take their daily Prozac pills? Are they being denied their Starbucks Vanilla Skinny Lattes? Now, granted I was stressed back in my season but it NEVER EVER got to the point of a meltdown.
I don't think the work, challenges, or time restrictions are getting any more difficult than back in my season. So, what's going on?The Runway, Designs, The Funeral Show...
Black Dress Chic: Celebs at the Alexander McQueen funeral
For some reason (even though there seemed to be other colors in the fabrics that the
JS Collections/JS Group provided them), most of the nine designers chose BLACK or a close cousin of.
I thought I was watching the YSL or McQueen funeral procession of red carpet guests. Well, I WISH. Those outfits were actually MORE fabulous--but then again, not really sellable at your local department store--and for only $200.
Take a Look at the BLACK Dress Parade:
Ven "I Hate Women Who Are Not Size 4" Budhu: a respectable sheath dress with his "Rose" pleating detail.
Fabio Costa: asymmetrical, exposed metal zipper dress...in BLACK. This was a nice effort. He thought of the customer; it was wearable for many sizes. I think that is why he was one of the "higher scores" in the bunch. I also liked the hard-and-soft aspect by adding the exposed metal zipper at center back. It immediately makes it ideal for the Contemporary Market.
Elena Slyvnyak: Elena's was also one of the "Top" ones--which made her break down AGAIN (she wasn't expecting)--I liked this pleated skirt dress with a harness-detail back and front. I actually wished there was a little peek-a-boo in the front as well (not as much as the back obviously). But yes, it was nice--at least it was a different shape. Very good Elena!
Le Bottom: The lowest scores went to these two BLACK dresses above--On the left is
Alicia Hardesty's which was a (according to her) Chanel "homage" of sorts (careful saying that because Chanel's lawyers will sue you!). On the right was
Gunnar Deatherage's dress made from a matte
paillette lace and was short and BLACK. Miss Nina thought it was boring.
DON'T. BORE. Nina.
The Non-Black:Dmitry Sholokhov: Oh Happy Day--It's NOT Black! Yeayyyy, Dmitry created a very tight fitting gunmetal sheath dress with pin-tuck detail and semi-fishtail hem. It was one of the best--in my eyes--it was very sexy, and
I could see Miss Heidi Klum's eyes watering with joy as the model--and dress--sauntered by.Melissa Fleis: The judges LOVED Melissa's very high neck asymmetrical bronze-colored dress. It was different and NOT black but I did feel that it was a little too tight, there was odd side-boob-age going on, and well, too "fashion-y" for the mass market and a department store.
I could see this in the window of a very directional Paris France boutique. I LOVE this model by the way: gorgeous! And the askew braiding in the hair was FAB! A+ on the hair.Christopher Palu: the one gown in the bunch--in nude/blush and black was from Christopher Palu--and he WON the Challenge.
The gown was VERY proper, elegant, demure. He did his 'raw edge chiffon-and-charmeuse" thang and well, it did the WINNING trick.Christopher: can't wait to see you--and meet you for the first time--next week at the official unveiling of the "Project Runway Collection for Lord & Taylor" during the Lord & Taylor Fashion's Night Out NYC event on September 6th! Congrats and sell LOTS!So...here's my Recap of this week's "Meltdown/Too Much Black" Episode--Enjoy!!
Project Breakdown
Months ago, I received a phone call from
the producers of "Project Runway." They said that for the 10th
Anniversary season of the show they wanted to do a special "Project
Runway" Capsule Collection featuring one designer from each season.
Those dresses would then be sold at Lord & Taylor, the exclusive
retail sponsor for "Project Runway." I was asked to be the Season 2
designer. Jay McCarroll, Uli Herzner, Chris March, Korto Momolu, Gordana
Gehlhausen, Seth Aaron Anderson, Mondo Guerra and Bert Keeter were all
the illustrious designers to represent their seasons.
No More Ven ... DramaOne question remained, however: who would be the Season 10 Designer
to be featured in this exclusive "Project Runway" for Lord & Taylor
Capsule Collection? And that's where last night's episode began. As the
episode starts, there is — surprisingly — no mention or residue left
over from last week's "Ven Storm." Obviously, it is hard for the
producers to know just how strongly the audience will react to something
and thus edit accordingly. But it was strange for me, and I’m assuming
for many viewers also, to just move on and not remember that Ven had
basically dropped a bomb on Season 10! But as they say, the show — or
season — must go on!
Fifth Avenue DressingFor this week's challenge, the designers are told to meet Tim at the
Fifth Avenue Flagship of Lord & Taylor. He is there, along with
Bonnie Brooks, president of Lord & Taylor and nine fabulous
mannequins in the dresses that we — the "Project Runway" alum —
designed. The designers are told that this is the Lord & Taylor
Challenge: to design a dress for the store. Bonnie then describes the
Lord & Taylor woman as being sophisticated, stylish, having good
taste and loves fashion, of course. My kind of woman! The winning design
would go into production, and sell for about $200-$300 at their
flagship and
LordandTaylor.com site and be prominently featured in one of their windows. All the
designs would be manufactured by JS Collection/JS Group, a company that
specializes in cocktail and "After Five."
I Have My Chiffonie Membership CardMy design (in the top row of mannequins) was a "Grecian
Goddess"-inspired halter cocktail dress that had draping in front and
back and was in cobalt blue..
Click HERE to READ the rest of my RECAP!!!
I love the blocked colours and bold stripes, patch pockets and windowpane broken-checks, black with white or white with black, playing with positive/negative combinations. The innovative Nehru jacket as an open-front blouse with a scarf or pussy bow tied at the collar, a personal favourite of mine. Curiously, weeks later I saw similar concepts being sent down the runway in my news feeds from the Paris shows.. Weeks later.. Bryson seems to have the zeitgeist a fashion designer needs on his side. Love his designs? You can contact him directly via his instagram below. For more shots, just scroll down!
https://www.instagram.com/andre.bryson/
