118 replies to this topic

[TWoP Nikita]

From Zap2it:

The designers must create a line out of hard and soft materials from the flower shop and hardware store.

This thread will open at 10:30pm EST on February 14th.

[mauras]

Aw, Joe. He was probably too quirky to go really far, but I liked his quirkiness, and he seems like a good guy. Sorry to see him go. I'd have had Patricia on the bottom way before Joe or Amanda. Hers was the only outfit that I thought didn't work at all.

Loved Samantha's. The Dream Team were the clear winners to me, and Matt's was the only look I didn't like on that team. But Samantha's was so interesting--I loved the leaves in the mesh.

And I still find Ben irritating as hell. loved his palette this week, but not him.

Edited by mauras, Feb 14, 2013 @ 10:46 PM.

[Puds38]

How does Joe go before Amanda? Her dress was stiff and arts and crafts looking & I'm sick of her wannabe rock and roll attitude. Oh well, at least Dream Team finally got a win.

[Dewie]

This was a great episode, with one of the strongest creative outputs across the board in a long, long time. I sensed that, had Dream Team not come into it on a three-week losing streak skid, the result would have been a flat-out tie.

Loved the "Cupcake Dress" - though I was surprised Bette rolled her eyes when the designer (I don't yet have all names and faces lined up) said it was inspired by Hitchcock in the '50s. Grace Kelly's Edith Head in the opening of Rear Window was a perfect allusion.

Rare missteps for Daniel and Patricia; I was surprised they escaped with little or no criticism.

I was also surprised at the pile-on against Amanda. Then again, I think demanding team members identify someone for the boot is a silly, Survivor-esque gimmick that doesn't belong on this show.

Joe (aka Futuristic Michelin Man) deserved the auf, though his wasn't an unmitigated disaster. He leaves with a lot of design dignity intact.

Absolutely great show tonight. Renewed my faith a bit in the franchise for this season.

Edited by Dewie, Feb 14, 2013 @ 10:49 PM.

[mauras]

Loved the "Cupcake Dress" - though I was surprised Bette rolled her eyes when the designer (I don't yet have all names and faces lined up) said it was inspired by Hitchcock in the '50s. Grace Kelly's Edith Head in the opening of Rear Window was a perfect allusion

That was Kate, and I agree--the allusion was spot on. I adored Kate's dress and wish I could own it.

[bodielovesbetty]

Great, great episode. I liked Layana's the best, but I really liked them all, even Joe's. I could see the better cohesion in DT, but I liked the overall colors better in KIR. Joe's was the least flattering, though.

Producers, take note: Watching designers getting along and helping each other and creating great looks was FUN!!

[CrumbyButtons]

This was a great episode, with one of the strongest creative outputs across the board in a long, long time. I sensed that, had Dream Team not come into it on a three-week losing streak skid, the result would have been a flat-out tie.

I thought it was a great episode, too! I liked everything pretty much. I was thinking about the first flower store challenge - so I moaned when Amanda chose moss (what about Andre?). So it took a lot of work to get there, she made it work! Again, looking back to the first flower store challenge, Tim said (after the show) that no one (except Daniel) used actual flowers, because they would wilt and die before the runway show. But this group used TONS of flowers! I wonder, did the first cast have no time before the runway show so they didn't have time to work the flowers in? And did this team have a lot of time before the runway so they could keep the flowers in a fridge until they really needed to put them on?

[AwesomO4000]

I think That Joe's team is going to miss him. I think this is the second week in a row that he was very helpful to his team. I'm going to miss him too. He seemed to be a nice and interesting person.

[auntlada]

So Michelle is the curse?

I didn't like Joe's dress/coat (I don't get coat out of it, but that's what he said, so ...), but I really didn't get how it was the future of fashion. I thought it looked like the 80s. I remember big chunky sweaters in misshapen blocks of colors with loose yarn hanging from them. That's what it looked like to me.

And although I like Patricia, hers didn't look finished to me. I didn't get it. That may be because they didn't spend much time on her except when she talked about how great Michelle is and Michelle talked about how much she hates Patricia. I should have known she was safe since the episode never really focused on her design.

[tdave]

This episode is the best so far. A little bit more time does make a huge difference.

However, something still doesn't quite gel for me. I can't believe the addition of two new members was all it took to make Dream Team turn out such a polished collection, especially that British guy (Joe?). And I don't believe for one second that all those flowers were sewn into dresses and came out looking perfectly fresh and unbruised. I think they got lots of extra help. Now that I think about it, it's kind-of obvious. Some of the looks were just too well-crafted and polished (an extra 24hrs doesn't explain it).

[Nell Huxleigh]

Amanda is a rock star for handling that runway the way she did. Maybe her experience working in this magical "real world" gave her some skills in confidence, listening, and tact. I didn't get the judges' critique, either. I thought she handled the bizarre pile-on pretty well considering it had to be unexpected. Maybe she is more like mid-tier and they wanted to keep some deader weight around. I love Joe. He needs to be in some crazy collective designing huge dresses.
I was wondering why the execution was so on point. Did we see them working with flowers that much? Samantha's dress and Portlandia Squared's dress both suddenly had lots of flowers.

[Lopethina]

I didn't like Joe's dress/coat (I don't get coat out of it, but that's what he said, so ...), but I really didn't get how it was the future of fashion.

I think he was referring to a tent coat like this:

http://i46.tinypic.com/2rmwf9u.jpg

Edited by TWoP Nikita, Feb 15, 2013 @ 10:46 AM.
removed image

[Bebecat]

Good grief...a Glad candle tie-in? What will they think of next...that was really reaching, as far as the connection to hard and soft.

Okay, I am never fond of these unconventional materials challenge. I like fabric. But wow, two days? And cohesive?

I have to agree with Michelle/Portland about Patricia, lol. I can't handle her either. Too bad she got stuck with her anyway, lol. I think she jumped to work with Richard to make sure she didn't get paired with Patricia. Michelle had so much air time, I thought she was a goner.

Heidi was covered on the runway...still, that skirt was awfully short and tight. Oh well.
Bette Midler? Well, okay. She is wacky enough. But she was actually adorable and had some good things to say.I respected her opinions.

Did NOT like the hip wings on Daniel's. Looked like tumors.
Joseph's looks so heavy, not as bad as I thought, but pretty bad. Where did he get coat? But his weirdness was not going to work for long anyway.
Richard and Michelle's was okay, weird.
Patricia's was hideous to me. Looked like she got stuck in a flower bush. Do not understand the love for her.
Amanda's was better than expected after all the drama.She should not have been picked on quite so much, that was harsh.
Kate's dress was big.

Matthew's was so blocky. Who wants big square hips?
Liked Stanley's dress.
Tu's was pretty.
Benjamin's was not too bad after all.
Samantha's was pretty, after all, still the big hip thing. Could she sit down? Looked good, though. OK w/her winning.
Layana's was pretty. Maybe my favorite. I would have chosen this one as the winner.

This team was much better, as a group. Should have just had them win.

What is the point of a winning team and a second-place team, if someone still loses?
Overall, I am okay with the winner and loser, even though I was not crazy about the challenge.

[Paratroper]

I didn't get the judges' critique, either. I thought she handled the bizarre pile-on pretty well considering it had to be unexpected.

The cynical part of me believes it is because they really enjoy the drama of designers flailing about 'defending' their looks. I thought Amanda was classy in how she handled it as well. I can see defending one's approach if the judges are making incorrect assumptions that can be refuted, but that's hardly ever the case.

[Quilt Fairy]

I liked Layana's. I could totally see Audrey Hepburn in that dress.

[Modernwhimsy]

One night, some of my tennis team got drunk and fell in the gardens near the sports club. When they emerged they looked like Patricia's dress. Really.

Why is it when Ben makes a loom to weave string that I roll my eyes instead of being impressed?

I have loved Daniel but the boobs were literally on her hips.

[BDArizona]

Amanda is a rock star for handling that runway the way she did.

I thought so, too. I also thought it was bullshit that the judges claimed that they would have understood if she defended herself. They always knock someone who defends something they hate.

As for the switch, I didn't like that the team that has been losing got to choose from the other team. I would have preferred a random draw. It just didn't seem fair that the reward for KIR doing well was that they were open to having their best designers stolen. Whether DT actually took the best designers or not, they were allowed to do so. Completely unfair.

I do so hate these "unconventional" challenges.

Edited by BDArizona, Feb 15, 2013 @ 1:42 AM.

[Umbrella Maker]

Man I hope some of those dresses were refrigerated overnight or else those flowers will wilt something fierce.

This was one of those few challenges that I wish that nobody went home for. I also find it kind of interesting that Joe is the one who goes home over the dress that he pretty much saved with his simple solution. Actually, he and Amanda would make a really good joint fashion business together. She's got the commercial side and he's got the vision and last week, they did combine to make a really nice dress.

I preferred Leyana's dress to Samantha's but I'm okay with Samantha winning. They were both fantastic dresses. Leyana's looked like it came from a fairy tale while Samantha's looks like it came from a runway.

I wonder why nobody really said anything about Stanley possibly getting the win. He had a great dress but he also was the one who led the team, got them on a vision and gave them a path to go down. But maybe that's just editing tricks? Who knows.

Michelle and Richard did a fantastic job on their dress. That may have been my favorite overall.

[azzurro]

This was a really good runway show overall.

Joe seemed like a nice guy and he did solve the problem of Amanda's dress, but I thought his own look was just hideous. He talks a good game but his ideas are so vague and abstract that in his head I'm sure they can be made to fit almost anything. That doesn't mean they're actually sound. I thought team KIR's color scheme overall was kind of ugly, and I didn't really like any of their looks, but I give them points for adventurousness. If Amanda had had more time I think hers could have looked really good. The whole team throwing Amanda under the bus was pretty lame, but I had a feeling the whole time that she wasn't going to wind up going home.

Dream Team did a great job, but I was afraid for a second that the judges were going to give Ben the win. I really cannot stand him, and for all his boasting about building his precious loom and weaving his own fabric, I didn't think his look was anything special. I agreed completely with Samantha's win - her dress looked great. And I agreed that Layana's was a very close second. I also liked Tu's and Stanley's looks a lot.

Michelle got so much screen time that I was sure she was either going to win or get auf'd. Instead she just wound up in the middle... again.

Edited by azzurro, Feb 15, 2013 @ 3:00 AM.

[Bebecat]

I thought it was pretty funny when the "second place" team tried to sell their cohesion as a look at decades. It made no sense at all, but they gave it a whirl.

[SunShine Gal]

I LOVED this challenge for the flowers. I thought I'd like 1 or 2 dresses, but I ended up liking almost everyone's except Daniel's and Joe's. Daniel's bulbous hips thing was awful. Joe's was awful in concept with him saying he wanted to overwhelm the model and swallow her up. Joe saying it was a "jacket" was bizarre. Jackets don't have zippers in the back and then the model had to put it on over her head anyway. He'd probably still be there if he'd made a sheath dress and covered it with flowers.

Michelle and Richard's dress reminded me of wrought iron railings on balconies with window boxes of beautiful red tulips and geraniums. Loved the colors used, too. When they first talked about having a high collar look and the black and white blinds, I rolled my eyes. I was expecting something awful. I'm glad they abandoned their original plan and started working with the materials they actually chose.

I actually liked Patricia's design. To me the top reminded me of a 70's poncho with fringe but it had flowers and tendrils streaming down rather than strips of leather. Tu's was fresh with the yellow tulips, long green stems and the woven vest. Stanley's was executed well with the cascading green leaves and the roses at the bottom. Samantha's wasn't my favorite but I can see what the judges liked in it. Leyana's might be my first choice b/c of the romantic, airy, feminine quality and the subtle colors used. Hers was woven but you didn't see heaviness in it, but the structure was good. Didn't like Matt's. His was black and white mop strings on the top then the huge burst of bright yellow flowers as the skirt. Ben got a lot of appreciation for his woven string top and making his own "loom", but his look wasn't as accomplished looking as Tu's yet he wove his also. Kate's 50's flower cupcake dress was also fun. It was over the top color, bathed in flowers and the big poofy 50's skirt. The model looked like she had been on a Rose Parade float.

Amanda's dress didn't look bad to me at all. Loved the green color of the moss and the Tuscany red/orange/yellow of the flowers. The hardest part was getting the moss to work first which she seemed to be stuck on. After that she could work on the rest of the design, but she was running out of time. I can see why the others stepped in to help her then. It came together very nicely. While it wasn't my favorite outfit, it certainly wasn't at the bottom of my list. I'm glad that Bette and the other judges recognized the "piling on" mentality of suggesting Amanda's was the worst. They should have chosen Joe's.

I'm HOPING that Tim's announcement, that the designers had to come back out, is that the judges want to give a second win to Leyana. Those dresses were just so good.

The team aspect of this season is actually making the show more enjoyable for me. Aside from Michelle's talking heads of how much she can't stand Patricia, this new "help the team" attitude is producing better looking garments coming down the runway. It's closer to the real world where designers have to work with a team and make something beautiful. I was never a fan of the back stabbing, bitchy fighting of previous seasons. I just love seeing what the designers end up making.

Edited by SunShine Gal, Feb 15, 2013 @ 6:02 AM.

[caci66]

I missed the beginning of the show and was only able to see the runway. I didn't like Keeping it Real at first. When they said the dresses were from each decade, then I got it. I still didn't care for them much but I could really see their idea, esp. as they all walked down the runway. I thought it was kind of clever. Dream Team deserved the win though, because some of the dresses were just gorgeous.

[TerryMcT]

I didn't like Joe's dress/coat (I don't get coat out of it, but that's what he said, so ...), but I really didn't get how it was the future of fashion.

It wasn't. The "decades" thing was a cockamamie attempt to make it seem like they had a theme. Joe's dress/sweater/coat certainly wasn't the ugliest thing on the runway, but it was really unflattering. I thought Daniel's was actually worse. It looked like she had two floral tumors on her hips.

I was glad Samantha won. It was a lovely dress that combined the hard and soft required of the theme. Layana's was also lovely. It must have been a close decision. I'd have been happy with her dress winning, as well. I have to say, though, that Layana's whining is driving me crazy. I feel like muting the TV each time she starts to speak.

Patricia's was pretty, but I didn't see the hard side of it. I know that they could use either flowers or hardware or both, so she wasn't required to show hardware but it was neat when a designer did.

[auntlada]

I didn't like Joe's dress/coat (I don't get coat out of it, but that's what he said, so ...), but I really didn't get how it was the future of fashion.

I think he was referring to a tent coat like this:

Yeah, I get the shape, but it didn't have an opening, as far as I could see. He said it had a zipper, but I don't know where. I assumed in back, but maybe not. He did say with the zipper, the model could step into it, which implies it doesn't open up completely. But then he pulled it on over her head, which was very uncoatlike.

To me, a coat opens up completely. A dress doesn't. He might have still gone home, but if he hadn't called it a coat to the judges, I think he might have done better.

[deepfriedcake]

See what happens when they have 2 days? Good stuff!

I have loved Daniel but the boobs were literally on her hips.

I thought it looked like a bug-eyed alien was trying to bust out of her hips, but I like this explanation, too!

[avecsans]

I loved this challenge. It shows what can be done when the designers have plenty of time to work. Samantha's dress was my least favorite from the Dream Team, although I liked them all. Both Stanley's and Layana's dresses were to die for, and I thought Stanley should have won both because his dress was so beautiful and well-made and because he kept the team cohesive with his Dior idea. Good for Ben for insisting that they take Stanley, although when I look at Ben I only see Crazy Joe Davola for some reason.

I thought Michelle or Richard should have been aufed. Their dress wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen on PR, but I thought it was the worst dress in the challenge. I loved Kate's dress, I would have loved Daniel's if not for the hip growths, and I strangely liked Patricia's. And poor Joe - the team concept came back to bite him in the end. Maybe if he hadn't suggested that alteration, Amanda would have been eliminated instead. He had no chance of winning, though, and I'm sure he knew it.

I don't know why we needed the other guest judge, whoever she was, when we had the Divine Miss M. Love her!

[2muchtv4mybrain]

Who was the other guest judge, seemingly dressed in her finest green football jersey?

[molshoop]

I loved seeing Bette Midler again. She was wearing jaw-dropping looks well before Lady Gaga was even born.

I wish Ben had run out of time so that we could have seen his model coming down the runway wearing the loom.

[designing1]

2muchtv4mybrain:

Who was the other guest judge, seemingly dressed in her finest green football jersey?

I missed her intro so I looked it up; she's a fashion blogger. Why anyone would be interested in her take on fashion and/or why she'd deem it appropriate to show up as a guest judge looking like she just finished cleaning her bathroom is beyond me.

The designers, by and large, did a superb job this week. When Stanley's look came out, I thought, "ooh...there's the winner!" and then the remaining looks came out and blew me away. Incredibly well done, particularly by that team.

Why is it when Ben makes a loom to weave string that I roll my eyes instead of being impressed?

Same reaction here.

Edited by designing1, Feb 15, 2013 @ 9:01 AM.

[Gibasi]

Yeah, I get the shape, but it didn't have an opening, as far as I could see. He said it had a zipper, but I don't know where.

What I got from Joe was that he had planned for a zipper but when it came to executing a zipper, he forgot. I am not sorry to see Joe go because I don't get him as a designer. He doesn't care about function or how it looks on a person. I see Joe as an artist not a designer. As an artist he is free to create all he wants and doesn't have to care how anyone else views his work. But if you are designing clothes then function and appearance do matter.

I also felt bad for Stanley. I thought he deserved more credit from his teammates. I think he turned everything around for them by providing the leadership they weren't getting from Benjamin. Plus his dress was beautiful. I did not care for Matt's on that team. Other than his I liked all of their team's looks.

I am sorry that Team Keeping It Real weren't declared the losers; just second place. Their half assed dresses from the decades explanation for the cohesion part of the challenge didn't fulfill the challenge if you ask me.