Project Runway Cycle 4

Spoiler Alert: For those Project Runway fans who have still not watched the finale yet, STOP scrolling, because today I am going to ramble on and on about it. So don't say I didn't warn you!
I felt that the talent this season was definitely unprecedented. Most of the designers from the beginning have been good at what they do and stayed pretty consistent throughout. I bet the judges had a hard time each challenge trying to decide the winner- I know I did! The one little glitch for me was that the entertainment value this season was a bit low, a few times, I admit, I even dosed off while watching it on my bed. I think it is because the challenges are starting to get a bit dull and more importantly as Tim pointed out in an interview, the designers this season were all very focused with their work and had a healthy dose of respect for each other and therefore there was not a lot of drama. Oh well, put that way, I guess it cannot be helped.

And the winner this season is... Christian! No surprise there really. He's always been my favourite designer (and the audiences as well!). He consistently produced fierce outfits that were innovative, refreshing, stylish and very flattering to the body. Plus, he was the most vibrant, energetic and confident character in the show. His overconfidence and bitchy blunt comments actually endeared him to me more! Besides, underneath that facade, we can all see his fierce passion for fashion, which he obviously has a talent for. And isn't that what counts?

So, lets start the show!

Christian
Christian's collection was inspired by the romantic gothic. I thought the collection was chic, powerful, innovative and dramatic. Just what one would expect from Christian! Every piece was a very strong look. The dramatic overflowing top cinched at the wrists and waist, paired with skinny pants created a strong silhouette. The only thing was that I thought he repeated this silhouette a bit too much and it got slightly repetitive, especially with the monotonous black color scheme going on.

That is why it was good to see some beige here. It went really well with the look. And the beige overflowing neck piece Tim was worrying about before turned out great (right)!
I thought this outfit (left) looked exactly what I imagined the three musketeers would wear (down to the hat!). But I can appreciate the workmanship here. And the contrast created here (right) by pairing this soft flowing chiffon skirt with this structured (is it leather?) shirt is striking.

I love this two toned dress here (left). But I'm not so sure about this second piece..... she looks like a very elegantly shaped vulture......I guess feathers is an acquired taste.

All in all I thought Christian put on a great show. It had flare and drama, which I appreciated. Wearability-wise though, this collection is definitely not something that makes me want to reach into my screen and grab these outfits off the models for myself. As Victoria Beckham said, these clothes were very her. And I'm afraid that my taste of clothing does not run paraellel to her's.

Jillian
My taste definitely runs alongside Jillian's taste though. Besides a few pieces which I thought were a bit disjointed, I really liked her collection inspired by the Master of Argonauts. It was very detailed oriented, feminine and very wearable.
I wear these straight off the runway!

She just does trench coats SO well! And I love how she always puts a colorful lining inside.
And these dresses are just GORGEOUS. I want them! The blue velvet is elegant, slinky and sexy. And the black one is innovative, fun and flirty.

These two were the anomalies that I didn't like. Maybe if she took those gauzy sleeves from the gold dress.....But yes, if it was against last season's Jeffrey and Jillian, I think she'd definitely had won.

Personality wise, I thought Jillian was nice. Just that she seems to be in a cloud most of the time and it always came to the last minute. (Another point in favor of Christian- he was always quick AND good at his work).

Rami

Rami's collection was inspired by Joan of Arc and I thought it was very sophisticated and feminine. I was great to see him step out of his draping mode. I was getting bored of seeing Greek goddese after another.

But yes, I can see what the judges mean by color scheme.
Though I LOVED these two looks. Very power woman.

His evening dresses were just divine. Love the criss cross weaving detail. And you should see that dress (right), jacket off!

Genius!

Character-wise, I thought Rami was a really nice, wise and mature guy. He was very focused with his work and really listened to suggestions.

Overall looking at the final runway shows alone, I felt that the winner is still a tough call. All three shows blew me away, but in very different ways. And at the end of the day, I think it just depended on what taste one was looking for. If they wanted fierce, innovative designs: Christian is the obvious winner. But if they wanted details, femininity and something all girls would just love to wear right up: then Jillian is the winner. And if they wanted sophisticated and flattering on women: then Rami is the guy. --- I guess they were looking for someone fierce!

Random Thoughts I was surprised to see Victoria Beckham as the guest judge for the finale. For one thing, I wouldn't describe her as a Style & Pop icon. Pop icon yes, but style... I think it depends. She has a very unique taste that walks a thin line between a hit or miss. Also, I thought that for the finale, it was more appropriate to simply have the regular judges since they knew the contestants best (a la ANTM). Lucky for Christian though, the two of them definitely clicked!
Chris's final pieces was very dramatic and very Chris. I thought it was very clever of him to use human hair and made it not even LOOK like human hair. But at the end of the day.... that is just too creepy *shiver*!

I could not BELIEVE that Ricky and especially Sweet Pea lasted that long. With a few rare exceptions by Sweet Pea, they were both just consistently weak! There were so many more talented designers in the bunch that should've been there instead of them.

Like Victorya for example. She was brilliant and I totally thought that she'd make it to the final 3! I loved her sense of aesthetics. I'd have even bought that outfit she designed for Steve and Barry's (right) if it was not sold out so quickly! Just ONE small mistake with a denim trench coat......

Incidentally, according to an interview with Tim Gunn (which is very interesting and you should check it out), she was very sour and temperamental throughout the show. Once she even demanded that he count the money in each envelop he was giving out when they were buying fabric in Mood! Its interesting for someone to so publicly lash out at someone like that. Victorya even posted a reply to this where she said that she didn't feel that Tim was qualified to give all the suggestions that he did. *gasp* And we thought this was a drama-less season.....

Image Source: Bravo TV

A Work or Cocktail Dress?

When I look at images of dresses such as the one above (left) from the YSL S/S08 show, my usual reaction is probably', 'oooh, that looks nice and structured.' But since it's not like I can actually afford YSL, my thoughts just stop there. It was until I saw similar highstreet designs that I started wondering where do people actually wear dresses like this to? The YSL dress looks thick (material-wise,) grey and structured like YSL's suitskirts, so I just assumed it was a work dress. But now that I think of it, who would actually wear a strapless, low-cut dress to work? No one right? So is it a cocktail dress? Actually, Victoria Beckham is the only person I can think of who would walk around in something like that during daytime.

The highstreet dress that I mentioned was this grey dress from Miss Selfridge, (which is a UK chain store for those of you who aren't familiar with UK highstreet stores.) My first thought was that it looked cute, thanks to the bubbly-tulip skirt bit. It's a great way (and a very affordable way -28 pounds,) to add a structured item into my wardrobe. But then it occured to me that it has the same problem as the YSL dress -it looks very 9-to5-workclothes-y, especially with that black patent belt. And I certainly don't want to wear a business-like dress casually because it'll just make me uncomfortable -kind of like when I see certain celebrities wearing this kind of dresses around casually, or just for something not work-related. (I think Lauren Conrad did so before.)

But wait, can one actaully wear this dress back to the office? It's pretty low-cut and I'm not sure it actually goes past the knees. Hmm, I suppose it's ok wearing to work if you work somewhere that's semi-business-formal, and you can just wear layers to make it suitable, like wearing a turtleneck-top underneath or just a plain, long-sleeve white tee underneath. Where would you wear this sort of dresses to?

Image credits: http://www.style.com/, http://www.missselfridge.com/

SS08 Prada: Nappa Stripes Multicolor

Since I have been dressed in dull safe colors for a few months now (with the exception of Chinese New Year, but that's another story), it was completely refreshing when I stepped into the Prada store the other day and was immediately struck by a vibrant bold rainbow of colors coming at me!
I immediately rushed (very dignified-ly of course) to get a better look at them. My first reaction? LOVE. They are the perfect vibrant eye candies to brighten up my wardrobe this SS!
My second reaction was: Which COLOR?? They're all soo darling! I just want to gobble them up like candy!

Then I qualified: Most of them anyway, with the exception of this lime green and maroon color combo here (left). Or maybe its just too murky compared to the rest. Style-wise, I think the regular size hobos in this multicolor print is just a bit too much, too loud. You'd have to match it with a REALLY plain monotonous outfit for it to look decent. The smaller bags, like the small/mini hobos (right) on the other hand strike the perfect balance, bring in a just the right amount of WHAM without being too loud. Plus, since the clash will be less, you'll have a wider wardrobe choice.But the thing about the small/mini hobos is that they're a bit too small. First the strap is so short that one cannot carry it comfortably on the shoulder. Even with the longer extra strap, it takes away from the hobo look. But then, if you carry it, its just so small that it looks like you are carrying a little girl's bag (especially with the bright colors). And so I personally think that the clutch (left) is the best way to carry this multicolor pattern. Its small enough not to be too loud but still have the WHAM effect, and the style is just right to carry. Its just perfect!
And after THAT in depth analysis I of course started seeing these gorgeous ads everywhere. I love how they just pop out at you!
And I really like the gold/black combination as well. They are sharp and bold, but unlike the other ones which are very pretty and girly, these ones are edgy and cool! This combo works as a regular size hobo too.
But alas, my mom sensibly pointed out that these bags will be very dated in a few months and is totally not worth it. So another stylish option would be this plain purple version of the Nappa Stripes bag, which still has the vibrant color effect, albeit in a more sophisticated way. This one, you can even very comfortably carry on your shoulders- I tried! Its stunning! If only it wasn't so pricey! Another very cute bag at Prada I'd like to point to is this Botegga Venetta-esque weave tote. Its cute!

Image Source: Saks Fifth

Paris Fashion Week SS08 Wrapup III

This is the last S/S08 Fashion Week wrapup! Fashion Week at Paris is over. Thankfully, the collections shown in Paris proved to be much more loveable than the ones in New York.

Yves Saint Laurent

I love this collection. The clothes are structured and looks have very definite shapes. Even the shiny, cap-like dark wigs add structure to the whole look. Everything just looked seriously chic.

The show starts off with inspiring work-clothes. The jackets on the left and right models look like fantastic new work jackets (as opposed to the normal blazers.)

Pilati showed both pencil skirts and A-line skirts, which is great for women with different body shapes. I love the sleekness and colour blocks of the whole-grey outfit on the left. And the blue in the underside of the skirt and jacket provides great contrast to the dark grey look.

And finally, the party dresses. I love the contrasting colours on the yellow and black dress. And the two dresses on the left make such fabulous cocktail dresses. Sigh, just imagine wearing them to a uber-glam party...

Miu Miu

All I can say is, I need some time to digest this collection. It must be so far into the future that I can't completely comprehend these looks. Although I can say for sure now that I am not a fan of those swimming-cap-looking hairwraps.

Lanvin

A pretty, sensual tough chic collection. The outfits look surprisingly wearable (if you have the budget and event for the dresses of course.) Bulky jewelry, especially necklaces, seems to be a theme, as well as extremely smoky eyes.

The show started off with a gorgeous range of LBDs. Note the one-shouldered tops/dresses.

Elbaz uses silk tops with pleats to add sensuality to the otherwise structured looks. Apart from the jewelry, shiny threads and crystals were used in the dresses to make them look dark in a brilliant way.

And even more dresses. Perhaps Lanvin's customers need more dresses than other types of clothing?

Image credits: www.vogue.co.uk

I Win! College Football Blogger Awards: Best Post

So I won a "College Football Blogger Award" for "Best Analysis: Best Post" for my article on the "Divide Route in the Multiple Smash Concept." I'm also up for an award for "Best Analysis" for the site as a whole, but I likely don't update with enough frequency to pull that one down.

I'm flattered to have won. The site is designed to contribute that kind of analysis with each post, so hopefully I am succeeding in my own slow and incremental way. I'm also happy with my readership: a combination of football professionals and intellectually curious football fans.

In any event, I also wanted to use the opportunity to thank the loose consortium of great college football blogs that have shown me a lot of recent support. A special hat tip too to Dawg Sports, which predicted that I'd win this particular award, and to Peter from Burnt Orange Nation, for whom I did one feature and honestly still owe him more.

To read more about the College Football Awards, check out this index from Every Day Should Be Saturday.

Last, here is a brief, nonexclusive list of some great college football blogs (each made even greater by having supported me in the past).

- Burnt Orange Nation
- Dawg Sports
- MGOBlog
- Sunday Morning Quarterback
- Every Day Should Be Saturday
- Rocky Top Talk
- Double-T Nation

Paris Fashion Week F/W08 Wrapup II

Chanel
The Chanel collection was as usual, very standard. Besides a few exceptions, none of the looks made me think, "Wow, I really really want that!" It was more like, "Hmm... they're ok, I guess I'd wear them if someone gave it to me..... maybe"
I thought the whole collection had a little bit of something for every age. The few outfits at the beginning, above, were clearly for more sophisticated ladies than I. Maybe the Cashmere Mafia gang age or older.
I feel like I've seen this look on the left before- minus the glasses, which are interesting. And this outfit here on the right is one of the few looks that reminds me of why I love Chanel. Its just so perfectly prim, elegant and chic!
These are the perfect example of the "Hmm... they're ok, I guess I'd wear them if someone gave it to me.... maybe."
The whole overly laced and designed lingerie look is simply not my thing... maybe without the train..... Now to the other pieces I liked. Loved this soft grey feminine dress (left). And this satin grey dress (right) just blasted me away. The almost fishnet stockings, which I'd usually find trampy, totally works here.
The use of the classic Chanel contrast, beige and black is genius here. The focus on the beige gives our eyes something else to feast on besides the standard black, but at the same time it maintains the timeless quality of black. These dresses are just to-die-for!
The runway was apparently circular and the models ended up on a merry go around thing in the center so the audience can have a better look at the outfits. Very innovative. And as for the accessories:

a) I KNEW I should've kept those contrasting chunky Marc by MJ mary janes I bought on sale this season. Now they're coming back to haunt me!
b) The fishnet-like stockings and beige/black contrasting stockings are AWESOME. The contrasting beige/black has the added benefit of elongating the legs and making it appear slimmer!
c) I wonder how those head wear would look on me. The embroidered brooch on the hat is especially darling.
d) What is with Karl and UFOs lately? First he has a mobile exhibit in the shape of a UFO, and now he has mini UFOs floating down the runway.

Chloe
I don't think Melim Andersson is understanding Chloe very well, because I do NOT feel Chloe here. What happened to the effortlessly cool Chloe girl who we all aspired to be?
In fact, this girl is the antithesis of Chloe. She is clearly trying too hard. And what is with the short sleeves winter coat (left)? Creative? Yes. But practical? I think not. Though I'm sure some enterprising member of the team will come up with a long sleeved version for in store purchase. It IS a business after all, and besides the sleeves, the design in the middle is cute!Maybe Melim Andersson is trying to expand into the single season climate markets, like Singapore. Because that is the only reason I can come up with to explain crazy mix of FW and SS elements all over the runway. The result is.......... not optimal.
Many find hidden jewels digging through their grandma's wardrobe, but these were clearly meant to STAY inside her wardrobe. No matter how I look at it the dress on the left cannot in anyway be considered flattering. The outfit on the right.... has hopes, if the two prints would just go their separate ways.
One of the things I DID liked though was his play softness and structure, making the look both feminine and strong.
This dress was also OK. The only problem with it is that this is supposed to be the FINAL look of the collection. Its cute, but final look of a collection it does not make.
I loved the loose braid hairstyle on this runway- now that is casual chic! As for the rest of the accessories, I thought they were really young, innovative, vibrant and rockin'- especially the footwear. The patterned stockings were also genius, they give just the right amount of edge to the boring ol' black tights we've been seeing everywhere. Now the million dollar question is, while the footwear worked on the runway, will it translate to sales? Personally, while I think they're awesome, I wouldn't spent a small fortune on footwear that looks more like art work.

Image Source: Elle