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With Mila in, and Jay out, the three designers ready for Fashion Week. Papa Gunn lends them some advice, though it's the day before Bryant Park, so good luck making any changes at this point, right? Things are as icy as ever between him and Emilio, and that's whose collection he still seems the least impressed with. We get the usual clips of the other designers sizing up each other's collections in the workroom. And they all basically think theirs is the best. Not that they're biased or anything. They choose their models, then do hair and makeup tryouts, then go to bed. It's basically a big-ol' product-placement show: Westin! Garnier! L'Oreal! morning, they wake up all nervous and jittery and head to Bryant Park.
Once there, Mila loses three models (I like to think they didn't show up out of protest of Mila's personality and style), and Emilio loses one. Seth Aaron, always nice, somehow doesn't lose any. Coincidence? I think not. Once they're all settled in, and we get an introduction from Heidi and a quick look at our judges: Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, Faith Hill (?), the fashion show begins. Seth Aaron's first, and he introduces his collection as inspired by 1940s German and Russian military. It's a pretty interesting collection of coats and dresses and pants, with a very definite color scheme and style, each piece tying neatly into the one before it. It's pretty Seth Aaron, but without all the hardcore black, leather, and zippers. So, a toned-down Seth Aaron, with all the craft as always. Then comes out the final outfit, which is hideous and butt-huggingly awful. Ugh. Faith Hill noticeably winces.
up is Mila, who was inspired by shadows. And it's clear, too, because everything, everything, everything is black and white. It's still a lot of geometric shapes and different textiles and patterns cut together interestingly. Just like always. And, honestly? I didn't hate it when I saw it but it's hard for me to even recall much of it now. That's how memorable it (and everything about Mila) will be. Finally, Emilio, who says his collection is called "Color Me Bad," inspired by the '90s pop group. Er, I mean, his mom and her sisters. He adds a "La Quiero Mucho" to his mother in the audience, and my cold heart softens toward him a bit. His collection is a lot of colored coats. It's like watching a rainbow. Of coats. Then the final piece is this beautiful shiny brown gown that is stunning and wonderful and very Emilio. But totally out of place in this non-Emilio parade of colorful coats. We get shots of all the auf'ed designers, but they don't show us any of the fake fashion collections. Which is nice, actually, because ... who cares? (Though I am sort of curious if they all did introductions to their fake fashions, or not.)
Brief commentary from various audience fashion "experts," including fashion magazinistas, designers and ... Raven-Symone. Then the judges talk to the designers, telling them they all did good, blah, blah, blah. They hated Seth Aaron's purple outfit, thought Emilio's collection didn't fit well together, and thought Mila did much better. But the "much better" compliment is never the one that goes to the winner, so after intense deliberations, she's the first one out. Then, Heidi says, "Seth Aaron..." and pauses for an entire eternity. "...Congratulations. You are the winner." He jumps up and down and cries. Emilio very obviously and annoyingly sulks, but is composed in his interview later, and quotes Anthony Williams, "the wisest person on Project Runway," winning me over a little bit more. Seth Aaron's family comes out, and it's weird because ... another straight man just won Project Runway. Two out of seven seasons is more than a stereotyper like me would think. Dude, don't they already have everything? And fashion too? So not fair. -- DeAnn Welker
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously: Mila, Jay, Emilio and Seth Aaron made it to Fashion Week. While visiting the designers at their homes, Tim gave some tough advice. He suggested that Seth Aaron reconceptualize his entire collection and he hinted that Emilio might be wasting his time with his work. Mila and Jay had to compete for the final spot in the Bryant Park show. Mila won the showdown, but the judges told her that her styling for her show needed to be young and modern.
We've made it to the end! OK, let's do a little pre-mortem. How do we feel about this season? I feel like things really picked up as the season progressed. Maybe it's just reality show fatigue, but I found the typical introduction of "personalities" in the first few episodes to be fairly boring. Seth Aaron is actually a far more complex person than the West Coast Stray Cat idiot that they presented. Other than his mention of his daughter's alarming obsession with handbags from a very young age, we didn't hear much about his family until a few episodes ago. Now, at the time, I commended Seth Aaron for not blubbering about his family all of the time and I'm still thankful for that (note to Jay: being a crybaby doesn't make you less of an asshole -- MORE on that later), but Seth Aaron is so much LOOK that it would have been nice to have a better idea of where he was coming from. I had a hard time rooting for him because he looks like such a tool. Drop by the Learning Annex for my standing-room only lecture course, Judging A Book By Its Cover 101.
I feel like they did a fairly good job presenting Mila. In fact, she seems like the most successful arc of the season. Even though her work never strayed from her narrow vision, we got to see some of the doubts and general thought processes of this person enshrouded in this fairly severe and icy exterior. It did a lot to soften her and they only made her cry once. I was completely WRONG about Jonathan. He was my personal favorite. I loved his work and thought he was really funny, and his friendship with Amy was the most satisfying such connection of the season. My least favorite relationship would be the trumped up hate between Mila and Jay. It felt like a cheap production ploy. It was too easy. Mila was older than most of the designers and stern, and, other than Maya, I doubt anyone really got off on talking to Mila. And, Jay was the bitchiest. So, of course they didn't love each other, but there was no evidence of an arch rivalry for the ages brewing in the workroom. Until they told us there was.
And, then there's Emilio. He seemed like a blunt guy but a hard worker in the beginning. As the season has progressed though, he has morphed into this reality show monster who has somehow convinced himself that he needs to manipulate the stakes to justify being nasty and condescending. Like the bullshit from the very first challenge where he was all "there's a target on my back?" Yeah, watch out Emilio, someone might design something spectacular just because you won a challenge. You should poison them. My final (at least before this episode concludes) verdict is that Emilio is an incredibly skilled tailor, but not the savviest of dudes. I can't imagine that he'll turn things around too completely in the hour remaining, right? But, I've been wrong before.
So, yeah, I think this was a pretty good season. Started off weak and got much better around the middle. There were certainly a good number of people with great ideas. Even Ping, who was dropped into the mix most likely as this year's portion of crazy juice, had some really pure and original ideas. If she ever learns how to execute them, she could make some fascinating stuff. My most major complaint, really, was that Jesse never took his shirt off, rendering him essentially USELESS.
And, now begins our finale. It's one day until the runway show and the designers are filing into their swank finale workroom digs. It really makes Parson's look like a sweatshop. As they are unpacking their designs, we see an interview with Emilio where he tells us that Bryant Park is the place where all of their hard work pays off. He says, with that typical Emilio shellac of narcissism, that he's so close to victory he can taste it.
Seth Aaron says in an interview that he is excited to get a glimpse of the "comp" (aka "competition"). Mila declares that Seth Aaron's collection is "a glamorous Hot Topic." Wow, that really stings. And, she's not completely wrong. I thought Seth Aaron's winning design in the little kid and corresponding grown lady challenge looked like it would be quite at home in a Hot Topic.
Emilio interviews that Mila's collection is beautifully made, but also he finds it severe and demure. That is very astute. We can all comfortably say that sex is not Mila's currency, yes? But, the demure thing is more damning. There's a difference between not being tarted up and being a prude. Mila says that her first impression of Emilio's collection is, "I'm in a boutique in Harlem." That's kind of OK. Clinical, but, well, Emilio actually lives in Harlem now, right? Or, he has lived there. He said it was his neighborhood when he and Seth Aaron teamed up for the neighborhood challenge. So, she finds it geographically accurate. Wait, there's more. She's in a boutique in Harlem... "in 1994." Ouch. And, again, not untrue. And, that's really Emilio's biggest shortcoming. There's something dated about his work that makes it veer perilously close to garish. LIKE I POINTED OUT, he's riffing on Stephen Sprouse stuff that was last current in the mid-'90s. Seth Aaron simply says that Emilio's collection is "older." I don't know if he means his inspiration is old or his demographic is, I'm assuming he's talking about the demographic. Old people need clothes too. Mila says that, after seeing the other collections, she feels that she could win.
Tim enters the room in a black turtleneck and a black leather blazer. He's just there to check in and see how everyone is doing. He asks Seth Aaron how he feels about his collection. So, he starts showing Tim his stuff. There's a lot of it. He has 24 looks. Not pieces. 24 complete looks. That's just crazy. He explains to Tim that he had to get his original vision out, but was able to move forward with Tim's advice. Wow, he really gave into the whole reconceptualization thing. He interviews that he wanted to add a clean sophistication to his collection -- something that would make the judges feel that he had grown and taken things to that ol' proverbial "level."
When Tim approaches Emilio, he laughs because of the uncomfortable consultation he and Tim had together at Emilio's home. Tim holds one dress and asks if we haven't seen it before, but stresses that he's not trying to be hostile. He's just trying to prepare Emilio for the judges. Emilio point out in an interview, and not entirely incorrectly, that the judges and Tim don't always agree. He's betting on the judges. Who wants to bet that his refusal to accept critique from Tim is gonna bite him in the ass?
Tim tells Mila that he's very interested to see what she's working on. Did Mila find some sex? She shows this sacky mohair top thing that is clean and nice but similar to all of her other stuff. However, she's pairing it with a mini skirt. Very mini! He reminds Mila that the judges feel she needs to roughen up her styling. She confirms that she has committed to said roughening and will be going for a rock and roll style.
Tim tells the designers that he is thrilled for them that they get to show their collections at BRYANT PARK! He really screams that last part. He reminds them to use that damn bluefly.com wall of accessories. Their model casting will begin shortly. He blows them a kiss and leaves the room.
It's time for the models to WORK. Mila VO's that she's looking for edgier girls, you know, girls who could be in a rock band, Hollywood or New York girls. That's like almost every kind of girl. Everyone but, say, Academy Award-nominee Carey Mulligan. Right? Everybody but her, but only when she has long hair. Short-haired Carey Mulligan might qualify. Shelley Long? Shit, Mila is Shelley Long. That just happened in my head.
Emilio tells us that he was going for a multi-culti look. Seth Aaron reminds us that a girl's vibe and look can make or break a collection. As they are leaving the casting, Seth Aaron declares that his girls can kick the other girls' asses. He's really wearing that clean sophistication like a glove.
, the designers have make-up consultations with make-up teddy bear Collier Strong. Mila tells him about the judges criticism and that she needs something rough and edgy. I don't remember a time on Project Runway when a make-up look was playing such a vital role. I have a sneaking suspicion this might be an advertising element. Whatever, that doesn't even bother me. Gotta pay the bills. I'm just going to enjoy this shit. Collier gives Brandise a really smoky eye and super pale foundation. Edginess achieved!
Emilio tells Collier that he wants Lorena to look like an "uptown New York girl." Hmm, that's going to do nothing to dissuade the judges from feeling that his collection is old. The result is not that dynamic. Seth Aaron tells Collier that he wants "black" and he kind of waves his hand over Kristina's whole face. He wants her to be in black face? That's a choice. Collier says that he sees a really dark eye. So, he puts really thick purple eye make-up around Kristina's eyes. It's very dramatic. Seth Aaron seems happy with the results.
Back in the workroom, models come in for their fittings. Seth Aaron fits a red wool dress onto Kristina. It's one of the new pieces that he showed to Tim. He VO's that the dress represents him at the level. Emilio says that, no matter how long you work on a collection, it changes once a person is wearing it. He's finding that a lot of his pieces are not working, so he's going to be doing a lot of technical work in a short period of time. Mila is anxious about the fact that this show is her one shot. She tells a couple of the models that she has never had an experience like this in her entire life.
It's hair time! Philip Carreon from Garnier is there. He works to make Mila's girl Brandise look rock and roll. He says that he's steering clear of matronly with Emilio's girl Lorena. Kristina has this modern-looking bun.
With 30 minutes remaining in the work day, Emilio tells us in an interview that this is a defining moment in his life. This moment is for all of the people who knew he could do it before even he knew it. I find it hard to believe that there was ever such a time.
Seth Aaron, who, bless his heart, has an even more ridiculous hairstyle than he had during the challenges, says that his family has made a lot of sacrifices so that he could pursue his dream. He owes them a lot. Honestly, who would choose that hair? It's a disaster. Anyway, he feels like he owes his family a lot because of all of their stuff that they went through for him. Winning this show could change all of their lives.
It's time to go. Mila interviews that a million thoughts are going through her head right now. She feels like she is restarting her career as a fashion designer. They all giggle and run arm and arm through the snow to their hotel.
The "morning," at 2:40 am (seriously, that's like an hour of sleep), we see Seth Aaron awakened by his alarm clock. No, it's not an accident. He's waking up at that time. Apparently though, he wanted to wake up even earlier and says to the door of an occupied bathroom, "Emilio, thanks for waking me up!" Has he not met Emilio? Why would you ever give him power like that? Why not say, "Emilio could you hold my dress for me? And this lighter fluid? And my zippo?"
As Emilio is shaving, we see an interview where he says that a lot is riding on this ten minute show that is about to take place. Mila tells us that she didn't sleep. She just wants the show to get started.
And they're on their way! As they are approaching Bryant Park, Emilio says that they are walking really fast. Everybody is nervous and wants to get to work! They step into the tents and are struck dumb by the majesty of the empty runway. Mila points out that this is the "real deal." Indeed it is. Seth Aaron drops and makes runway angels.
They all go to their areas backstage and get to work. There's fitting and steaming and hair and make-up. It all looks like it's going very smoothly. Smoothly until a tent techie approaches Mila and tells her that three of her models have not checked in. This is two hours before the show is to begin. Naturally, she's apoplectic. She doesn't know who she should talk to about replacing the missing girls. Emilio is also missing a girl but he finds this cute bearded dude and tells him he needs to replace his missing girl immediately.
With one hour remaining before the show is to begin, Mila tells Tim that three of her girls are still missing. We see people, including Jesus and Ben and Jonathan, start filing into the tent. Emilio hasn't replaced his girl either.
With 30 minutes remaining, Mila has only replaced one of her three missing girls. Tim says that they'll need to use alternates from the modeling competition. Emilio gets an alternate too. Lots of frantic adjustments are still taking place as time ticks away. Onstage, Michael, Nina and Faith Hill (?) enter to take their seats. I don't know Faith Hill's real qualifications to be a guest judge, but I will tell you that my mother saw her in person in Biloxi, Mississippi a few years ago and says that she has the prettiest skin she has ever seen on a grown person.
Still scurrying backstage, Brandise does that stupid thing where one says, "OMG." I'm hoping that's going to die a quick death, though it can't be quick enough. With two minutes remaining before the show begins, Seth Aaron has his girls lined up and tells us that he's amped. He says that he achieved what he set out to do.
It's time to get this bad boy started. Heidi, looking lovely and postpartum, enters and welcomes everyone to the show. She says that this was a fantastic season and we see Jonathan and Jesse, who is still wearing clothes, applaud. She introduces "the lovely" Michael Kors, "the beautiful" Nina Garcia and Faith Hill. Faith looks gorgeous.
The show begins with Seth Aaron. He enters and I am immediately struck by the fact that his pants are just too tight. I understand the aesthetic and I also understand that Seth Aaron is a good five to eight years too old to really pull this off. He's a fine-looking guy too. He shouldn't dress like a fool. He thanks everyone for the opportunity to participate, including his family for their sacrifices. He says that his collection was inspired by 1940's Russian and German military. Delightful. He announces that his girls are strong and are going to kick ass -- until the Americans bomb them into submission and liberate France. Here come the girls.
First up is Kristina in the red wool dress we've been hearing about. It has a fitted skirt that ends at the knee and balloons mid-thigh in a not-unflattering way. The shoulders are voluminous and do, in fact, suggest German influence, kind of like an epaulet and a cape at the same time. There are leather straps that begin at a similar-colored neck band and extend at angles along the bust. It's really striking. His model is wearing graphic black and white tights. I wonder if he made those. If not, EXCELLENT use of the bluefly.com wall. The make-up is FANTASTIC. This just looks really dramatic and exciting. Backstage, watching the monitor, Seth Aaron tells Tim how excited he is. Tim just applauds. It's really sweet.
The look is a fitted suit in houndstooth. There are bands of leather resembling gills on the bodice of the jacket. The sleeves hit right below the elbow and have a little ballooning volume. A full red and black-striped scarf is poking out from the jacket in the style of Seth Aaron's signature high collar. As for the pants, they hit the floor and have an opening on the inside of the leg from the floor to the ankle, revealing the shoe of the model. It's so cool. I'm not exactly sure who would wear this, but it looks really amazing. Those pants have a definite predecessor in motorcycle/punk/maybe military stuff, but they look totally original in their current form.
The look is genius. And, I'm sorry, it's so complex that I really feel like I'm not going to do it justice in my description. But, here goes. It's a black and white checked silk dress. The bust is set wide and there is a gaping v-neck. The straps are a different white and black-striped fabric. The hem is an inverted v and the high point is at the center, so it falls lower as it curves to the back. There's a thick black belt placed high on the waist that meets the bottom of the v-neck. There's a cape of the flowing checked fabric in the back, mimicking sleeves. The straps join to make a racer stripe in the back that reveals a lot of the models skin. Those flowing sleeves mostly cover her, making it sexy and restrained at the same time. AND, he's made pants. Pants that match the heels that the model is wearing, therefore resembling crotch-high boots. Or, she's wearing crotch-high boots. Either way, can I git a git it! And, the girl is styled like a badass. This dress fucking rocks, if you ask me. The wrong styling could make it over the top Goth, but right now it just looks young and modern and very, very cool. Seth Aaron says that all of the pain and disappointment that he has suffered have come to this and now there's just peace. He's watching something that he never thought he would see.
The look is a cute, punk Audrey Hepburn dress in black gingham. It has a Givenchy neckline, but he's done some work with volume, so it has waves of movement over the entire bodice. He has another one of those thick black belts and the skirt of the dress ends above the knee and is quite whimsical. It's not the most original thing ever, but it's fairly original and, again, his styling really puts it on one of those new levels that everybody likes to talk about so much. Seth Aaron says that this is a dream.
Now, we're back in Seth Aaron's edgy sweet spot. Here comes a black dress -- a very shiny fabric. It's sleeveless with a high collar. The skirt ends above the knee and is fitted. The bodice is like a perverted New Look silhouette. It has all of these blade-like ruffles at the hips and the bust. It is belted with a bright red belt, creating that cinched waist. At the top of the collar, he has a red scarf poking out, making it an even higher collar. I like the effect of the shine in the black fabric, but I wonder if it might look a little cheap up close. The silhouette is really cool though. Since it's sleeveless, it almost has the quality of having had the sleeves ripped off before the girl put it on.
is a girl with a yellow tartan overcoat dress. It's fitted to perfection and belted. So, like Posh and Eddie Izzard could pull this off. That's all. But, when are you going to see yellow tartan used to such excess any time this year?
The look is highlighted by slacks of black leather and yellow tartan. The tartan is on the inside thigh of the pant, with the black on the outside, which -- crazy color but that would be slimming. She's wearing a quilted black leather coat that ends mid-thigh. It has one of those shoulder flaps like cheerleading jackets. There has to be a name for that. I don't know it. There's a black and white-striped liner to the jacket which you see dramatically when she takes the coat off. You also see that she is wearing a sexy black top that is belted at the waist. It looks simple until she turns around and it is revealed that there are vertical slits in the sleeves and a cut-out on the back. Sexy yet restrained again. The judges nod in approval or they are discussing what they are going to eat at Michael's later.
Here's another dress in contrasting black and white fabrics. There's an interest of black shiny fabric in the front, like some sort of mutated bow. is a black and white coat dress that certainly fulfills the military promise. Voluminous shoulders and a high and severe collar. It is belted and opens in the front. Modern and sophisticated.
Wow. is this black and purple dress that is so different from the earlier work of Seth Aaron's that we've seen. He's really pumped up the sex for this collection. It has a halter neck with multiple black straps and a swath of purple fabric as a sort of collar. There's a thick belt at the waist with a bejeweled center. He does his play with volume, so there are protrusions of violet fabric at the waist and hem. And more of those high boot pants. Very cool.
And, that's Seth Aaron's show. Mila was wrong. That shit did not look Hot Topic, with the possible exception of the shiny freaky dress. And, that's still a stretch. Everyone applauds wanly. A friend of mine, and others probably too, have talked about how people have stopped applauding for individual looks as they come down the runway. Somebody, bring that back! I like clapping! Seth Aaron comes out fist-pumping and everyone screams. That's better. He kisses his wife and checks in with the kids before returning backstage.
Mila says that she's getting nervous. Her breath is taken away when she sees her models lined up. That must be a pretty amazing sight. She says in an interview that she started getting emotional at this point (and she does so again in the interview) because she worked really hard for this. She means that too. She's not talking about dreams and shit either. Mila seems like she's worked her ass off.
Mila enters the runway to applause. She tells everyone that her collection was inspired by shadows. She gives "a big shout-out" to her parents who she credits with always being creatively nurturing. Her voice wavers just a little when she says that. We see them and they seem very proud. She also thanks Matthew, her boyfriend, for being her rock. He's sitting between her parents and blows a kiss to her. He looks so excited! And, he's wearing leather gloves and I bet Mila made those.
The show begins with a shroud dress of black and white stripes. The sleeves are wide and end right below the elbow. The cuffs are made of a shiny black fabric. She's made white fingerless gloves as an accessory and the girl is wearing black tights.
The look starts with a long coat of dark gray that ends above the knee. The liner is black, which you can see from the high turned-down collar. A pocket is also black. It's fitted beautifully. Slim but modern and funky. The model removes the coat to reveal the first dress that Mila showed during the last challenge. That was smart of her. It introduces it to the judges in a new way as opposed to showing them same thing that they've already seen. How else will she shock the pee out of them!? Mila VO's that her collection is true to her, but she wants the judges to pee.
The look is a black and gray-striped (God, it might be aubergine, I can't really tell) dress. The stripes cross across the model's waist, which seems fairly flattering. She has paired it with this chunky Asian-influenced necklace. Mila says that she has put her soul into this collection. The girls look really edgy. I think she did a terrific job following that advice.
Here comes Brandise in a long black coat that is fitted and belted. Underneath are white leather pants. Here comes a girl in a short black leather and gray fabric dress. There's a white vertical stripe between the opposing fabrics. She's paired it with these interesting leggings that are bare on the outside of the calves, like stirrup pants that were too short for the wearer. More gloves, this time one black and one white. There's a neckpiece of white fabric that makes the look seem cool, though oddly familiar.
Here's that mohair top that she showed to Tim. At the waist of the top is a swath of black patent leather. And a teensy little skirt of shimmering gray and black-striped fabric. The girl is wearing aubergine tights.
This is cool. Here's a girl wearing a voluminous top in gray that is covered with vertical pleats. The movement in it is beautiful. It is paired with knickers. The girl is carrying a bag across her chest. She's going somewhere! Backstage, we see Mila watching excitedly with Tim. She tells him that she feels good about this look going before the judges.
Jesus, this girl is so hot. She's wearing a white jersey top with a scoop neck. There are graphic black stripes all over the front of it. She's also wearing some of those fancy tights. On top, she's wearing an aubergine sweater that is unstructured and the sleeves extend to the fingers. The back of it has all of these horizontal stripes, of what appears to be transparent aubergine fabric. I think this might be my favorite look of hers so far, but I'm not sure there's that "wow" shit that everybody's looking for. It must be hard to have your collection judged in contrast to two other collections, instead of people just looking at your work for what it is.
is a short dress in two shades of aubergine. The form diagonal stripes across the girl. On top of the dress, is a black belt/demented shrug that has a strap over one shoulder. She's wearing white tights and Mila's white gloves.
And, finally, we have the silver dress that Mila presented to the judges. It's really beautiful and the girl is working it to death. And, that's that! Mila returns to cheers. Matthew and her parents are so proud!
Backstage, we see Emilio inspecting his girls. He interviews that everything is in place and the 45 minutes will determine his future. That's a lot of pressure for the future. He enters the runway and thanks everyone for coming. He tells them that "they" have worked very hard. There's a shot of his family in the audience. Only Seth Aaron's family got to be on the front row? Hmm. [I thought that was suspicious too, but chalked it up to his kids maybe being shorter? -- Angel] So, Emilio continues and tells everyone that his collection is titled "Color Me Bad." And... where DOES one begin? First of all, Mila should be congratulated in nailing the period of his inspiration, except 1994 is like three years too late. Also, it doesn't really matter what we see . He just revealed a fatal lack of sophistication. Seriously, I don't mean to make such a big deal about this but have you seen Color Me Badd? Yes, I'm only adding too d's to mentions of the actual band. Have you seen them? They were like the exact inspiration for the "Dick In A Box" group's look. Gross. It's like me naming a collection "Milli Vanilli" and asking for everyone to not see military blazers and biker shorts. Is Milli Vanilli the exact middle point between Mila and Seth Aaron? Ponder. Emilio says that his "Color Me Bad" collection was inspired by his mother and her sisters. Then, I think he says "I love you" in Spanish. Something nice.
Emilio leaves and to the hip hop we don't stop. The first look is a chartreuse coat, classic and expensive in cut, with a bright red liner. It's covering a simple dress of Emilio's camo name-dropping print. It has a high neckline and cap sleeves. There is pleating at the neck that is very feminine and pretty. The skirt of the dress is black. It's belted in the front, but, interestingly, the belt doesn't extend to the back. It's a cute look. Emilio says that he strove to create a collection that was wearable but exciting to look at.
The dress is a simple knee-length red dress with a high neck and cap sleeves. Belted. Black tights. Cute, but that's really what you're going to show at your first Bryant Park show? Maybe some people do, I don't know. It seems like you'd want to make more of a splash though.
The look is a blue coat and blouse paired with black slacks. The coat has a kind of kimono front -- it has two peaks at the front and rises higher in the back. It belts with the buckle on the side. She doesn't take the coat off and the pants are nothing to write home, or to TWoP readers, about. All of this looks cute and well-made so far, but I don't know. I guess Chloe Dao did similar stuff, but even her show was a bit more of an event.
His look is a red coat which buttons just a little off center. The liner is bright blue -- I love those colors. It reminds me of the coat he made for the little girl challenge. The coat covers a cocktail dress of the Emilio camo. It's one-shouldered and has a swath of fabric hanging from the point where it ties at the shoulder. I think Emilio has a real future with these coats, but the dresses? It's just tailoring. There's no real interest anywhere.
The dress is cool. It's a short green and black print dress with sleeves that end at the elbows. The shoulders are full and there's a tie of fabric at the neck. Anytime you see one of those bows at the neck, the designer gets accused of making something too old, but I think they're cute. The girl is wearing long red gloves. Backstage, Tim and Emilio are standing silently beside one another watching the monitor. Emilio declares, "Beautiful." Tim agrees, maybe because he agrees, but I'm not sure.
The dress is a simple jersey in blue with a high neck and a teardrop cutout on the top of the back. Long sleeves, black tights. Seriously, it fits beautifully. It's just not a special design. Emilio VO's that this collection shows his talent and artistry as a designer. That's what I'd be afraid of.
Following is a red turtleneck and black skirt. The turtleneck is belted and has blocks of blue and black on the forearms. The look is a button-up blouse in camo with black slacks and a leather jacket. The jacket is still feminine and has some zippers on the arm. Here's a short skirt in a metallic print that has pockets. It's skintight. I'm not sure pockets are going to be useful or flattering to anyone. He has paired it with a black coat and a black turtleneck.
Here's a dress draped like the Greeks dug it. It's chartreuse and belted at the waist, with a strap on one shoulder. It's floor-length and is paneled, allowing for lots of leg to show. It's beautiful. And, that was the capper. There's certainly a cohesive color story and you see where Emilio's talents lie in each look, I'm just not sure he had enough of a signature. And, that's even considering his camo. Emilio comes on the runway to cheers.
After the show, it's time to hear from the peanut gallery. Joanna Coles, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire and nemesis of Nina Garcia, found Mila's inspiration very interesting. She doesn't really mention the clothing, just that she finds the idea of being inspired by shadows interesting. Nigel Barker, fashion photographer thought that Seth Aaron's stuff was really cool. There's Seth Aaron hugging his kids and asking them if they thought the show was "rad." Anthony thought that Emilio's collection was sophisticated and fresh, while Ping (I've missed her, sue me), who is wearing a white wig and looks pretty fab, says that she liked Mila's collection most. Mila's parents greet her and tell her that she did so well. Bonnie Takhar, the CEO of Halston, really liked Emilio's outerwear. Raven-Symone, who I saw in the audience but didn't recognize (Olivia's all grown up! And, yes, I watch That's So Raven. I just didn't recognize her.), says excitedly that she like Emilio's prints because they reminded her of the '90s and she's totally bringing back the '90s. Shit. Who's retro now? There's Emilio giving a big hug to his mom! She's so tiny! Beth Ostrovsky Stern, wife of Howard and "television personality," says that Seth Aaron's military inspiration was a home run for her. Irina, last year's winner, loved Mila's first coat. She wants it for herself! I thought that was a dress. My bad. There's my Jonathan! He says that Seth Aaron's collection was whimsical, while Mila's and Emilio's could be bought off the runway. He thinks it will come down to what the judges are looking for. That's fairly astute.
Cut to the judges at the empty runway at Parson's. We are not playing around in this finale. I wish all of the episodes were like this. There really has been no fat. All content all the time! I love it. Heidi begins by saying that she was really happy with the show. She thought the collections were amazing. Faith agrees that it was a good show. She and Heidi have almost the same hair today -- wavy and pulled back. Nina says that the three designers are all clearly talented and have been consistent throughout the season. I guess that's true for the most part. Mila certainly had her stumbles (I'm talking to you, rainbow shmata) and Emilio made that bikini. God, the bikini. On second thought, the more I think about that, the more I think he was kind of a badass for going so over the top once he realized that he was not going to be able to execute what he originally intended. Emilio is the designer you'd most want with you on a deserted island. Michael says that all three had very distinct points-of-view and he was blown away by the show. You know, it may be self-preservation and wanting to believe that each season is an EVENT, but I don't remember Michael being so convincingly impressed before by the whole runway show. Heidi says that it's time for the designers to come to the runway.
The three designer enter the runway looking very excited. Before they begin, Heidi tells them that the judges could not be more impressed by what they presented. Michael congratulates them. Nina says it was fantastic and Faith adds that she really enjoyed the show. Now, the muse models enter the stage and stand beside their respective designers.
Heidi asks Seth Aaron to begin. He's got Kristina in the red dress. He reminds them of his 1940's German/Russian military inspiration. He was inspired by the color and the construction. He wanted to show innovation. His intent was to retain his style but be polished. Michael begins by telling Seth Aaron that he constructs clothes beautifully. Also the "kaboom" and "pow" of his looks were impressive. He commends Seth Aaron for making his clothes more luxury while retaining their youthful aspects. He says that, styled differently, the red dress could be worn as a commercial dress. Faith nods and vocalizes in agreement. Michael says it's like a magic trick that Seth Aaron could make powerful clothes that are wearable. Seth Aaron thanks them as we see Emilio make a stank face. Nina congratulates him on his maturation. A favorite of her is that black and white dress I loved. Yes, Nina and I are simpatico. She calls it a "parachute dress" though, which is a lot more succinct than my description. Faith would wear the shit out of that parachute dress, so says she. Seth Aaron explains that he wanted to make something flowing to create drama. The tweed/polka dot combo dress with striped tights was also a favorite of Nina's (that was the third from the last look of his collection). She mentions that he still has a heavy hand in a lot of his work, but she appreciates that he has a lot of ideas. She tells him emphatically that he put on a great show and it was very editorial. Heidi says that she wasn't sure about the purple dress (Michael agrees), but she thought the show was very exciting. You have to give it up for the purple dress making the show more exciting though.
Now, it's Emilio's turn. His muse is Lorena and she's wearing the chartreuse coat and print dress. He says that he wanted to create a collection that was rooted in great American sportswear, tweaked with color and proportion. That's totally legitimate. It was great sportswear. I don't feel like he did that much with proportion though. He adds that he wanted to make something that women could wear and would make them feel comfortable and beautiful. I think this must be Emilio's great talent, besides his obvious construction talents. It seems that he adapts what he's saying on the runway to contrast his work from the other designers, like he did in the hardware challenge. Dude knows how to talk. Heidi asks why he named it "Color Me Bad." He says that color is a way to amp up a collection and, maybe a woman would want to be a little bad; so she would wear a red dress. Faith says that she loved the collection, especially his coats. She mentions that the cut of the sleeve on the chartreuse coat that Lorena is wearing (it hits a few inches above the wrist) is very flattering on a woman. Also, she loved the fit of the blue coat that he showed. Heidi loved his print and Faith didn't realize that his name was hidden in it. Michael feels that Emilio sent out the most commercial collection of the three designers, which seems to make Seth Aaron a little uncomfortable. Michael adds though that Emilio's least commercial look was his favorite. He's talking about the gown at the end. Heidi agrees that it was beautiful. However, Michael feels that there was a step missing between all of the commercial sportswear and this glamorous gown. Faith clearly loves the shit out of Emilio. Michael says that Emilio could roll his collection into any "fabulous store in America" and they would buy it. Nina also loved the final dress, though she saw it as gold and maybe I have color identification issues? She found his collection was quiet and sophisticated, though she thought there was maybe too much suiting. She wished she had seen more of his wonderfully feminine work instead of so much tailoring and so many coats. Emilio counters that, since he didn't tailor much during the challenges, he wanted to show his versatility. See? He can talk.
Heidi asks Mila about her inspiration and she says that she was interested in shadows that she would see around town. They created interesting graphics and illusions. She sought to create signature pieces that were wearable yet unique. Heidi "liked" her show a lot. Kudos to Mila for taking Nina and Michael's note about the styling. Michael elaborates and says that he took the girl out of the go-go cage and made her edgy and modern. He thought her styling was successful in taking her clothes (which he says were already good) and making them "now." He loved her mohair top and shiny skirt, as well as the mixed pattern dress that she showed during the last challenge. He adds that he was turned on when she played with shine, because it was a little nasty. But, in a good way. I wasn't expecting that. Seth Aaron chuckles on the side. It's fun to think of Mila being nasty. Heidi says that she loved the white t-shirt with the black stripes on it. She thought it was simple and cool. Faith says that "in a heartbeat" she would wear the short black dress in contrasting fabrics with the white stripe down the front (that outfit came down the runway after Brandise). Both she and Heidi loved the leggings. Faith Hill : Heidi Klum :: Shelley Long :: Mila Abramoivouivoui. Nina says coolly that Mila's show was very successful and mentions the changes to the styling. She feels that, when Mila loosens up, her work is a lot cooler. Michael concurs. He says with clenched teeth that she's very "buttoned up" and loosening up helps her work. Heidi tells them that the judges have a lot to talk about, so it's time for them to leave the runway. All three designers thank the judges and Faith congratulates them once more.
Once the designers are gone, Heidi says that she liked all three collections. Michael noted that the designers seemed to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. Nina thinks that this group of finalists is very mature. They begin talking about Mila. Michael thinks that Mila showed the culmination of what she had been talking about during all of the challenges. I assume he means her play with graphics? His favorite two looks were the multi-graphic dress and the short one with the white stripe. He thought they were both modern and softer than her earlier work. He believes that her great strength is mixing textiles. They all loved the leggings. Michael says that Mila gets caught up in her "geometry lessons." Heh. He still wasn't surprised by Mila's collection and Nina nods in agreement.
Heidi segues into talking about Seth Aaron. Was Michael surprised by Seth Aaron? Heidi says she was surprised by the excitement of the show, but not the work. She thought it showed Seth Aaron. Michael was surprised by the sophistication in Seth Aaron's work. He is concerned about the overwrought qualities of Seth Aaron's stuff and Nina adds that it can border on being costume-y. However, Seth Aaron's attempts at chic were totally successful in their eyes. Heidi says that his clothes would have a lot of hanger appeal. Michael says that Seth Aaron understood that he was putting on a show. Show! Show! Show! What? Is this Project Proscenium? Nina thinks that he's fearless, which is a necessary quality.
Faith really loved Emilio's work. She thought the entire collection was clever, then she was knocked out by his final gown. Michael thought Emilio went in the opposite direction of the other two designers and got quieter. Michael took that as a statement that, since Emilio wowed them during the challenges, he now wanted to show that he was commercial. Did anyone doubt that Emilio's work was commercial before? Bikini aside? Nina notes that Emilio was thinking more about the business side, including his signature print, which Michael feels was "priceless." Michael feels that, since Emilio's collection doesn't have to be toned down for real life, it's more a line and less a collection. He insists that there is a difference, but my mind is kind of searching for what that difference might be. It suddenly makes fashion shows seem really pointless. I guess you need to make a big splash in this world stage/marketplace in order to get in the door of the stores. FYI, did ya'll read what Cathy Horyn wrote about Michael Kors? Ouch. Michael says that he didn't feel like there was drama in Emilio's show.
Heidi asks what the judging criteria is. Is it the business part? Who learns the most? Neither. Nina says it's who is the most creative. Michael says it's, "Who has the most to say." Heidi pushes further. Are they judging on just the show they saw today or the entire season? This is really thoughtful! Michael points out that they really got to show more today than they did during the entire season. Nina adds that their runway show was the ultimate challenge. I'd had questions about that, but I'm totally sold on that rationale. Michael considers Emilio detail-oriented and analytical, but doesn't think there was a lot of showmanship in his collection. This gets a little confusing for me, because fashion is nothing without the commerce side. However, maybe this is a space independent of that and things can be just about the art of it. I don't know. Michael counters himself and says that Emilio's clothes were still the most flattering and easy to wear. Also, Nina says they were the most sophisticated. Faith says that this is a tough decision and I really believe that she's feeling it. Damn, that woman looks good. My mom was right. Why would you airbrush that? They have made their decision.
The designers return to the stage. Heidi congratulates them once more for having polished and professional collections. She says that their decision has been a really, really tough one to make. Heidi tells Seth Aaron that he retained his signature style while amping up the sophistication. He can overwork stuff, but he knows how to put on a show. She tells Emilio that his taste and craftsmanship were on display today as usual, but they wished they'd seen more show stoppers like his final gown. That said, his point-of-view has a real place in fashion. She tells Mila that she moved her '60s aesthetic into the present day. Her point-of-view was clear, but they wished she'd been more surprising.
Mila is...out. Emilio like licks his lips with glee and relief. She gets her kisses and leaves. As we see her go backstage and greeted by her family. She interviews that she lost her way on her journey to becoming a designer, but it's never too late. Her mother tells her that she's still a winner! Moms are awesome. She says that she is disappointed but excited about future possibilities and really grateful to have had the opportunity to be on Project Runway.
Back onstage, we got the slow death synth and Emilio and Seth Aaron standing there. Heidi tells them that both are deserving but only one can win. Seth Aaron... is the winner! Emilio hangs his head as Seth Aaron bursts into tears. Emilio hugs him for a long time. Emilio seems devastated. He gets his kisses from Heidi and leaves. He says, "In the words of our wisest contestant, Anthony Williams, 'You don't have to have the crown to be the king.'" Oh Emilio, you know he said "queen." Anyhoo. As we see Emilio comforted by his family backstage, we see an interview where he says that he will take this experience and use it as a stepping stone. Oh no, he starts crying backstage. I'm impressed that he threw himself so completely into this and believed himself up until the final moment. It always seems like even the most talented designers can get a little tripped up with self-doubt. Not Emilio. He went balls to the wall and the judges just happened to like someone else's work better. There's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's got to hurt to put yourself so completely out there and not get the reward. He adds in his interview that ESOSA will be a world brand and he's excited about his future. The mannequins are like, "Do you need a hug? Wait. Arms. Would you like to hug us?"
Heidi joins Seth Aaron on the runway and gives him a big hug. Seriously, did she have this baby yesterday? She looks amazing. In an interview, Seth Aaron says that he can't believe he just won this! He tells the judges that he's a little overwhelmed. His family joins him onstage and, after he hugs them, he tells his son that it's OK for him to cry since he is too. I think I might cry too! This family seems really awesome. His wife must have busted her ass while he was away. I'm glad that she'll get something in return. He interviews tearfully that he's showing his children that hard work and loving what you do will pay off. Bravo. He says that he sees in his kids' eyes that they are proud of their father. Seriously! Stop! He says that this lesson for his children is what this experience has been about.
Kristina comes out to join him! They share a hug as the judges applaud. Seth Aaron's daughter is looking on like, "Don't steal my dad." He reminds Kristina that she just won too. Now for Tim! Before he's barely on the runway, Seth Aaron runs and gives him a hug. Seth Aaron picks him up, which surprises Tim and makes the judges laugh. Seth Aaron says further in his interview that he's ready to develop a large fashion world and conquer the fashion industry, "if you will." Michael congratulates him and tells him that his collection was spectacular. Nina tells him that she's anxious to see his work in the pages of Marie Claire. Faith congratulates him and tells him that his collection was exciting. Seth Aaron concludes saying that his hard work has paid off. Congrats, Seth Aaron!!!
Quickly: Did ya'll see the reunion show. Well, I LOVE a fucking reunion show and this one was actually one for the ages. The models were with the designers and things got heated. Tim and Nina hosted. First of all, Jay reacted to Cerri's comments about his work by saying he would never work with someone with bad teeth and thick legs. What an ASSHOLE. Done. I hate him. The other designers even insist that he apologize to her. Jonathan clarified that he switched models from Cerri because of what the judges said, not because he didn't like working with her. Anthony got really rude with Alexis, who, granted, was the most annoying model on the model show. However, he kind of lashed out at her for saying that she wanted to wear Amy's burlap sack dress. BECAUSE THEY ASKED HER what dress she would have wanted to wear. So rude. Ping got emotional about Jesse having been so harsh with her and he apologized. Kind of. Emilio got flack for saying shitty stuff about Amy during the model choosing after that time when she stole his model, and he said he did it to make a "point." Which doesn't really make sense. Anyway, let's hope they keep doing this.
I hope everyone has enjoyed the season. I thought it was pretty good! Thank you so much for reading and for all of the emails. So much fun talking to you folks.
Jeff Long is a writer/actor in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com
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