Season 4: Episode 5 “What’s the Skinny”
I loved the concept of this challenge and it was definitely the best episode of the season so far (and not at all because of the drama with Jack and Chris)! It’s a topic that almost everyone can really relate too and we can all look up to and respect these women for what they’ve accomplished. Also, wouldn’t you love to be able to remake your old clothes into something fresh and new to wear? I always hate having to get rid of something I used to love because it either doesn’t fit or it’s out of date.
As for the Jack/Chris topic, I knew it was coming, but I was really sad to see Jack leave. The stress of the competition is hard enough, but also having to deal with a health issue (and a visible one at that) is out of the question. I’m glad that he was able to make the decision for his health, but I would have loved to see him on the show more and I think he had a lot more talent to give to the competition. Assuming there’s a season 5 of PR, I think Jack should definitely get an invite back onto the show!
I was also glad to see Chris come back since I didn’t really think he should have been kicked off the previous week, but I’m a bit confused to the “reasoning” that Tim gave about why they brought him back… to say that it was to “keep the level of competition” didn’t quit pass with me. Under this reasoning, don’t you think it was REALLY unfair for them to not replace the missing teammate for Allison and Jeffery when Keith got kicked off? At least in this episode, it was each designer for themselves, so with Jack leaving, he wasn’t hurting anyone else’s chance.
Also, while I totally believe the above, I can’t lie and say that I haven’t thought about how it probably would have been ME that they would have brought in to replace Keith’s spot (since I was the last one kicked off before the cheating issue). Too bad they didn’t…oh well… maybe I can come back if they ever do a “Second Chance” season of past PR contestants. ☺
As always, Thanks to BPR for the photomontage!
Christian (WINNER): I loved Christian’s jacket (that pleating is gorgeous!) and completely agree with the win on this episode. It’s true that Christian does seem to be creating a lot of short-sleeved jackets, but looking over the past photos, they all have different details and fabrications (just similar silhouettes). Also, the jackets are getting a lot of praise, so I would say keep at it until the judges say something negative! The rest of his outfit isn’t all that interesting, but he didn’t really start with much to work from (both physically and mentally with all the restrictions she gave him!). I really like how he was able to bring his style into a garment that could easily sell in any retail store and not just the high-end couture market.
Elisa: I’m really starting to like Elisa, but this outfit just didn’t work. M.Kors was spot on with the comment about how it makes her model look stumpy (and those boots aren’t helping either). The jacket hemline is not very flattering and makes it look like her model has very big hips. Plus, there was a bit of gathering on the back of the jacket hem and I couldn’t help but think that it looked like the jacket had a wedgie (Sorry Elisa!). I do really appreciate that Elisa was trying to work with her client who seemed to want something with a bit more of a funky side, but overall it didn’t work out too well.
Kevin: Kevin’s dress was really cute and obviously his model felt fantastic wearing it down the runway. I love that he really embraced the challenge and created something entirely different from the original garment (a jacket into a dress!). The dress fit really well, but I would have loved to see a more flattering length (it kind of hit her at her widest area), although I’m guessing there wasn’t any fabric to make it longer. I do agree with Christian for the win, but Kevin was definitely a close runner-up.
Victorya: Okay… I know Steven’s wedding dress was the top choice for “worst” garment, but I think Victorya needs some kudos for working with forest green velvet (can we say Ugh!). Seriously, velvet is at the bottom of my fabric list and in that color I can’t think of anything other than bad Christmas stuff. So, given all that, I think Victorya did a pretty decent job. The shape is modern, but still age appropriate and I like how she tried to use the paneling on the front to create interest. The length of the sleeves and the hem of the skirt are both hitting at just the right spot. I still think it looks like the model is going to an office holiday party, but I can’t think of anything you could do with that fabric to make me not think of the holidays.
Chris: For most of the episode, I thought Chris was getting the “I didn’t think I could pull this off, but ended up with something awesome” edit, but sadly, that didn’t come true. I would have loved for him to come back from getting the boot and wow the judges with something amazing so that they felt really bad about kicking him off! Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot that I like about his outfit. The colors aren’t very sophisticated when paired together and the red accents definitely aren’t working (bows on hips are not the most flattering). The shape of the top is interesting, but I think it would have worked better in a more structured fabrication (like a dress shirt cotton). The skirt (without the red accents) is a nice shape, but could have benefited by being a few inches shorter.
Jillian: I agree with the judges that overall, Jillian’s dress was really nice (although I don’t think I’m as in love with it as they were), but I can’t agree with putting her in the top 3 since she didn’t follow the guidelines of the challenge. This is another issue that I have with PR, because they set challenge rules, but don’t bother to enforce them much if they like the rest of the designers work. Keith was able to get away with it on the doggie challenge since the judges loved his dress (although I heard a rumor that Heidi was really upset that he didn’t get kicked off…too bad she didn’t get her way! I would have loved that. ☺). Okay… back to Jillian’s dress, I thought the shape was great on her model and I loved the racer back twist to the classic halter dress. The black piping and pleating helped create a great shape and really lengthened the entire look, although I don’t think the dress fit as well as the judges said (it looks a little loose and lumpy in the mid section).
Kit: I thought Kit did a great job with the color blocking on her dress and I like how she incorporated the print into it as well. The crossover neckline with the empire waist is a great shape for her model and the hem length is hitting at just the right place. I don’t remember what the original outfit looked like, but I really like the combination of the coral pink with the black and white. The little bit of print at the bottom of the dress is a nice touch, but I almost wish it had been pieced at the bottom (an attached band) instead of a separate layer, so it would mimic the blocking at the top.
Steven (OUT): I really really don’t want to be mean, and I always try to find something positive to say about each design, but I’m having a difficult time doing that with Steven’s dress. I totally agree that he had the worst outfit to start with, but I kind of think that would have bought him a little bit of sympathy from the judges if he had actually tried to work with the dress. I wish he had been able to get over the fact that it was a crappy fabric to work with (I mean come on… Victorya had to work with forest green velvet! In my mind that’s WAY worse that white satin) and be open to the possibilities that the dress offered him. The first thing that popped into my mind was to try and create a cute, embellished summer dress (granted you would probably want that to be out of cotton, but in PR, you take what you get). I know I haven’t talked about the dress that hi did create, but to be honest, everything I can think of has already been said by the judges. I’m sorry to se Steven go because I was rooting for him (I have to support the Midwest kids!), but the judges definitely picked the right “out” this time.
Rami: Rami was one of my picks for top 3 (I would have put him in Jillian’s place). I though the skirt really showed off his model’s hourglass shape and I love that he created it out of a pair of pants, instead of just tailoring them to fit better. The wrapped top also fit really well and showed off her shape perfectly. I liked the detailing on the straps as well (I think they were twisted?). Overall, I just thought Rami’s look was one of the best put together and easy to wear on a daily basis (same with Christian’s).
Sweet P: I like the shape of Sweet P’s dress (the halter neck is great on her model) and she did a great job making the drab olive color feel fresh and young. I wish she had put some more detailing into the dress and I’m a bit worried that if she keeps with the fairly basic shapes, she might not last too much longer. Also, I would have liked to see the hem maybe 2” shorter so it would hit just above her knee instead of cutting off at the center.
Ricky: Ricky definitely stepped up a bit this week and produced a pretty nice garment (and it didn’t look un finished at all). The jeans were a bit tight for my liking, but the length actually looks really good on his model (cropped jeans are hard to pull off). The top is fitted really well (the empire seaming really shows off the smallest part of her waist) and I think the detailing around the neckline draws a lot of attention to her face.
18 December, 00:49
19 December, 08:16
19 December, 09:21
25 December, 05:44