282 replies to this topic

[DuchessKitty]

I think this is the designer that's kind of dancing in all of the promos. Her bio:

Kara Janx hails originally from South Africa. After completing a degree in architecture, she moved to New York City where she still resides. When she first arrived in New York she worked as an architect for four years. It was during that time when she began to feel herself drawn toward fashion, and now works exclusively as a professional fashion designer.

Kara’s classic cuts and unique accents have given her a reputation in boutiques across the country and internationally. Her collections embrace the urban girl, a lifestyle with which she has become accustomed to. She describes her work as "feminine with an urban slant". Her clothes are hip, colorful and functional, embracing not only the technique with which she skillfully does her work, but also the city in which she lives.

Kara translates her skills and techniques into her clothes, which have a concentration on various surface treatments. Most of the pieces are both hand-cut and hand-screened, lending to a very tactile finish. All graphics are hand drawn and pull inspiration from the clean lines and precision of architecture. Her line is represented in New York City and is currently selling nationwide and internationally. Janx’s collection has received great appreciation in the press including television and various fashion and lifestyle publications.

[Major Misfit]

...and Kara Janx is on PR because...? I've seen her mentioned many times in the press, and her work is featured on a bunch of boutique web sites. I'm no fashionista by any stretch, but I figure if I heard of her, she might not quite be in need of a "break" into the fashion world since she's pretty much already established. Plus this:

Her line is represented in New York City and is currently selling nationwide and internationally.

Puzzles me. If she's selling her garments internationally, what other break does she need? I thought this show was essentially set up to help relatively unknown designers?

[ergotsum]

Well, relative is the operative word here. Certainly -I've- never heard of this gal. And several of the season 1 contestants had a measure of success in their own rights; designing for rappers, producing their own clothing lines, assisting other more famous designers, etc.

I always thought the goal was to become a Household Name ™ rather than just mild-to-moderately successful within the field.

[jm chen]

Her early performance seems to suggest she's not going to hold up under pressure. Love her accent, though, and those bloomer-esque denim pantlets were cute. The top was clever too. Her muslin, not so much.

She looks like someone ironed Rachel Griffiths.

[Gappy]

I don't like her simply because of that irritating dance/hair toss she does in the commericials.

[Erdbeere]

I do love her accent as well.

[Cheese Nip]

Puzzles me. If she's selling her garments internationally, what other break does she need? I thought this show was essentially set up to help relatively unknown designers?

Money. There is never enough money. And a bigger name. The bigger your name, the more you can wholesale your product for. It doesn't matter where you sell, its the volume. Retailers are bastards, and will lowball you if you don't have a big enough following. So you go on Project Runway and get your name known to more people, and get bigger sales, and blah blah blah.

I wish they had accessories designers on that show. I would love that opportunity.

[lips lipstick]

Rachael Griffiths and Amanda Plummer met in a particle collider...

[drevna]

I am from Johannesburg South Africa and I have never heard of her. The show isn't here yet so I can't judge her accent to say whehter English or one of our ten other national languages is her natural language.

[theobviouschild]

You have TEN national languages?! Geez, I can bearly get by with English, I don't know what I'd do if I had nine others to deal with. You South Africans have my utmost respect!

[Tiny Beauregard]

Granted, I'm not aware of the ten other languages, but her accent sounds like typical South African English to me.

[Twistie]

I think Cheese Nip is right about the exposure factor. Clearly some of you had heard of Kara Janx before. Others of us...not so much. Now we all know here name. By the same token, Kara Saun had designed clothes for Queen Latifah and a couple films. Now we know her name. Now more people are looking for these names.

In fashion, getting your name out there is half the battle. Just knowing that more people have heard of Kara Janx means that now retailers will want more of her work and be more likely to buy her higher end items simply because they know several million people saw her on tv. Her appearance on this show will make more people interested in buying her clothes.

For my part, I have no problem with someone who has had middling success coming on PR and trying to up their success. Now if Ralph Lauren auditioned....

[lips lipstick]

Twistie Wouldn't it be so awesome if Ralph Lauren auditioned and was picked for semis? Since he's more of a fashion business/salesman, like that guy that owns Anthropologie and Tommy Hilfiger, it would be heelarious to see him flail without a design team and worker bees. I'm pretty sure Ralph Lauren could thread a sewing machine, but I'm absolutely certain that he can't draft a pattern.

This based on what I read in "The End of Fashion". He comes up with poetic concepts and the design team gives him swatches and mood boards to look at until they are able to realize his elusive vision. I don't think he can even give them a good sketch to work with just, "Baronets..on the lawn, cricket, stripes...lemonade.."

edited to add the words elusive and semis.

Edited by lips lipstick, Dec 14, 2005 @ 1:10 PM.

[Twistie]

Wouldn't it be so awesome if Ralph Lauren auditioned and was picked for semis?

Actually, what would be the most awesome would be if he was picked and auf'ed in the first challenge. I can just hear Hosti now:

'Ralph, you have a beautiful vision, but you don't know how to sew a straight seam. You're out.'

I'd totally laugh my very sizable butt off.


Topic: Kara is sticking very firmly in the 'meh' column for me so far. She makes the clothes well enough, but the clothes she makes haven't interested me at all. Here's hoping she comes up with something wonderful or horrible or at least memorable. I had to watch both eps three times before I could remember either of her designs.

[allezBrasil]

Kara Janx = Vanessa from season 1

accent-wise and flaky-wise

[fposte]

I'm not sure it was one of the highest-scoring. It doesn't seem like the judges are always pulling back three high and three low, and Tim sure has his issues with it on his blog.

That's another reason why I wish I knew if the contestants were informed whether they were kept after school for being good or bad.

[fposte]

I could have missed it, but generally Heidi says they "represent the best and the worst," with no specific number given.

[Colors]

Girl has a thing for hats! I did like her skirt, but the shirt was too plain, IMO.

I thought she was in the bottom three as well, but that would mean Andrae was in the top three, which was surprising to me, considering the judge's comments.

Edited by Colors, Dec 15, 2005 @ 2:33 AM.

[ergotsum]

I think she had a mixed score, because Nina said she kind of liked it, but the Barbie lady said it was inappropriate. So I'd have put her at the lower edge. But I don't think the final group is necessarily 3 good and 3 bad; it could just as easily be 4 great and 2 lousy, or vice versa. Especially if there are tied scores.

[fposte]

And from Tim's podcast, it's clear that designers aren't immediately apprised of which category they're in--he talks about having to disabuse Andrae of the notion that he was in the stay-on-the-runway group (I think during the Episode 2 challenge) because his score was one of the highest.

[Lariet]

What's a party without the drama? And boy, does Kara bring it. Which is why I hope she leaves soon. I think after next week, I'm probably going to flat-out hate the girl.

[paradig_m]

She's . . . odd. And I cannot stand her hair--it's all limp and greasy and split-ends.

[Gappy]

She's tweaked. I don't know if I can stand her much longer. That massive freakout over a Barbie hat? Get a grip.

[Penfold]

She's a little emotional for my tastes, but if Zulema hates her, she can't be all bad.

[humble onion]

Ewww. In the episode 3 bonus video, she's brushing her hair in the kitchen. No. Just gross.

[zesparkplug]

This sounds weird, but weren't the Kara Janx boyshorts in the PR Store at Bravo last season? I remember boyshorts by a Kara someone, and wondering if that had anything to do with KaraSaun. Then her name immediately stood out when I saw the cast list. Anybody else recall?

[becca5]

Was I the only one who found the "Daniel, I'm going to snip your pee-pee off" line totally hilarious?

I like Kara. I suspect she's pretty cool (from the flashes we see of her hanging out with other designers), but rather high-strung. I know I would lose my shit in that kind of pressure cooker situation, so I don't hold it against her. I also think the couple people she's argued with, namely Daniel and Lupe, probably deserved it, so I don't see it as bitchy.