Project Runway Season 13 Episode 1: The Judges Decide

Hey, y'all!

So, here I am again. I think this is the fourth time I've done this. I tried to blog All-Stars Season 1 and failed. I think I got 4 episodes in. Then, season 10 came around in the fall and I tried again... and failed again. And then, this time last year, I started blogging season 11. Guess what happened?

Clearly, blogging Project Runway and I just don't work together. Which is why I told myself there was absolutely no way that I would blog this season. And yet here I am, writing this less than 10 minutes after watching the first episode. But let me say this: I make no promises. I may or may not blog the entire season. I don't know. My posts on the previous seasons were always way too long, so I'm definitely going to be condensing.

If I continue, posts will most likely be up the day after the episode airs. This week and next week are the exception because I don't move into my apartment until next week and have no TV until then, so I'm watching episodes when they're posted online.

Anyway, on to the episode!

(What am I getting myself into?!)

Right off the bat, we learn that they're starting Season 13 off the same way they started Season 9. They brought the 18 semi-finalists to NYC and had them audition for the judges. This basically includes bringing in a rack of their clothing to give the judges an idea of their style. After this final audition, 3 contestants would be eliminated, leaving 15 finalists (Plus the unknown returning contestant, who would be revealed the next day). 

The audition process was a total whirlwind, and even after seeing all of them go through the auditions, I didn't know any of their names. The one bright moment throughout that whole montage, however, was this beautiful gem:

" The higher the shorts, the closer to God." (Mitchell)

So, before I could even differentiate that one guy with the shaved sides from that other guy with the shaved sides, we said goodbye to Nzinga (not surprising, her clothing was boring), Tim (with the suit that was so androgynous, the judges couldn't figure out whether it was a women's or men's suit), and Emmanuel (who I remember literally nothing about except that he made the classic reality show mistake of quitting his job and losing his apartment... when will they learn?).

So, the next day, the designers gather in the workroom and Tim comes in to announce the challenge and the returning contestant. The three designers that the fans had to choose from were: Alexander Pope from season 12, Ken Laurence from season 12, and Amanda Valentine from season 11. My personal vote was for Alexander, and I thought he had a pretty good shot. Ken wasn't likable at all, and Alexander had been on a more recent season than Amanda. But Amanda apparently had more fans than I expected, because she was the one who waltzed through the door. 

I'll spare y'all the fairly boring and uneventful details of the workroom. Overall, it was a relatively panic-less first episode. We didn't have a moment like in season 8 when Casanova's model was naked when they were going down to the runway, so that's always a plus. 

Overall, I have to say that I was kinda disappointed with the designs that walked the runway, and was utterly confused by the judging. Links to designs will be attached to the designer's name!

Top 3: Char, Sandhya, and Amanda. 

Honestly, the only person among those three who I really thought deserved to be in the top was Char. I really loved the skirt (the print was amazing) and the shirt looked really great as well. Honestly, I hated Sandhya's look. I can kinda see how the judges loved it, but I did not. At all. Amanda just confused me. The design on the pants looked really 70s to me, and the top was boring, boring, boring. The choice of these three really confused me. 

There were several looks I thought were better and certainly more interesting. I loved Alexander's mix of prints. It was pretty simple, but at least it was interesting! I also thought that Carrie's dress was really cool. And again, I absolutely love that fabric. I was also really impressed with Korina's. Very nice. I also really liked Sean's but I can see why it didn't get picked for the top 3.

Bottom 3: Angela, Mitchell, and Jefferson 

I think there were more deserving people for the bottom 3. I definitely agree that Angela's pants had construction issues, but I thought they and the top were interesting and kinda cool. Mitchell's look was definitely very junior, and that got him in trouble. I didn't hate it, but it was simply a t-shirt and shorts. Jefferson... I disagree with the judges. I thought it was cute. I thought the shorts could've fit better, but I thought the ensemble was cute!

Like I said, I think several people deserved to be in the bottom. First of all, Emily's dress was not good at all. The design was just... *shudder.* I also really hated Hernan's dress. There was practically no design to this dress. The most interesting part about it was the extra strap on the left arm. Not impressed. I also wasn't impressed at all by Kini. Very familiar. Nothing new. Boring. 

So, after much debate and discussion, the judges award the win to Sandhya and her ombre floral deconstructed dress. Like I said, this judging confused me. A lot. 

In another surprising and confusing decision, Jefferson is out. I simply don't understand this episode's judging.

Before I wrap up, I thought I'd give a brief opinion about each of the contestants...

Alexander: If his dress this episode is any indication of what he's going to do in the future, I'm on board!

Amanda: I've never been a big fan of Amanda. I don't dislike her, I'm just ambivalent.

Angela: Not sure she's going to last. She can't keep herself together and is very easily swayed by criticism. Her lack of any confidence is very off-putting to me.

Carrie: I liked all the stuff I saw on her rack, and I liked the dress she sent down the runway. She hasn't gotten much screen time yet (probably a bad sign. She'll probably only last a couple episodes.) but I really like everything I've seen so far.

Char: I didn't like the stuff on her rack at the beginning. She seems to use a lot of yellow, and I'm not a yellow fan. But her runway look was great, so we'll see what happens.

Emily: I thought she and her clothes would be really interesting, but I wasn't a fan of that dress she sent down the runway and she hasn't gotten much screen-time. I'll withhold judgment for now.

Fade: He's an interesting one. I like him, but I'm definitely not sold on his clothes. 

Hernan: I remember not being impressed with his rack at the beginning, and hated that dress. So far, it's not looking good for you, dude.

Kini: Didn't get enough screen-time to form any sort of opinion. I'm thinking he won't last long.

Korina: She was a definite stand-out for me. She seems to be both competent and confident, and I think she'll do well.

Kristine: I don't remember her rack, but if her runway look is any indication of her style, no thanks!

Mitchell: I'm sold on him... not so much on his clothes. 

Samantha: Not impressed with what I've seen so far. I didn't really like the clothes on her rack, and I thought the outfit she put down the runway was boring.

Sandhya: Not a fan. Nope.

Sean: I liked that dress, so I'll keep my eye on him. He's really attractive, so that shouldn't be too hard!

So there you go, that's all for my post on the Project Runway Season 13 Premiere! Like I said, I don't promise I'll continue, but I did want to make at least one post.

I've also created a Facebook page for my blog, so if you want to check that out and like it, you can click HERE. I'll try to keep that pretty up-to-date with new posts and such.

Thanks for reading this! If you like my posts, don't forget to subscribe/follow, since it lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm doing. See y'all soon!

Face Off Season 5 Premiere Review

Hey, y'all!

Since I now only have one show that I'm reviewing on here, I figured that since another of my favorite shows has started coming on, I should start blogging about it! So, here I am.

I started watching Face Off last season, and really enjoyed it. (In case you were wondering, I was totally pulling for Eric Fox. Super cool dude.) So, here I am, reviewing an episode a week after it was on. Oh well. I'll be posting both this and the most recent episode's on Wednesday.

This season is veterans vs. newcomers. There are 8 of each. I was really glad to see last season's Eric Zapata, because he was another of my favorites... although it would have been way cooler to see Fox again.

All the competitors meet and mingle at a party. This actually serves as the departure for their first foundation challenge: they have to create a look inspired by one of the costumed people at the party. Tate, Roy and Laura are the top in the challenge. I was really rooting for Roy or Laura. I thought hers was really pretty, and his was a really cool caricature. However, Tate wins the challenge. They go check out the house they’ll be staying in, and it's really cool. All of the new people are in one bedroom with pictures of the returning contestants’ work up on the walls.

The next day, they go to the Dolby theater, home of the Academy Awards. McKenzie tells them that their spotlight challenge is to work in groups to create original stylized fantasy characters that all look like they exist in the same world. It's going to be newcomers vs. veterans. Each team has to create an ogre, pixie, faun, troll, and witch. 

The newcomers' concept is that their five creatures are from all over their land, and are members of a counsel. To pull every character together, they each have a stone/gem on their chest. 

The veterans' concept is that the witch is the leader, while the rest of the characters are her minions. I can't remember if any more was stated at this point, but at judging, the team also explained that the queen is blind, which is why all the other characters have extra eyes, because they are the eyes of the queen.

Overall, there isn't too much drama inside the lab. The newcomers are nervous because the vets are going really big, while the newcomers are going pretty. However, the newcomers seem to be just a bit ahead because they already have things ready to be molded. Only two problems really came up. The first was that the veterans were having problems with the back piece for the witch, which ended up being fixed by the end. The second was that Adolfo was having trouble opening his mold, and when he finally got it open, some stuff was ripped.

Application day went off without a hitch- at least for the veterans. The newcomers were having several problems. First, one pair can't agree on how to paint their piece, and they end up majorly clashing over it. Then, during last looks, one girl loses the gemstone that should be on her model’s chest. OOPS.

Time for the Faceoff reveal stage

My opinions...
VETS:

Eric, RJ, and Frank: Ogre. The body looks weird and that face looks really cartoony and cheesy

Roy- Faun. When I saw it from far away, I thought it looked really silly and couldn't find the face. It looked better once we got a more zoomed in look at it.

Tate- Troll. I thought it looked really well done and cool. That bloody baby in its hand was a great touch.

Miranda and Alana- Pixie. Really pretty and really polished. Though honestly, this seems like the easiest character to take on.

Laura- Witch: really cool and demonic looking. While it didn't look bad by any means, it wasn't spectacular in my  opinion.

NEWCOMERS:
Tolin, Eddie: Ogre. Totally cheesy. Really cartoony and just bad.

Laney, Rick- Faun. I thought it looked realy cool and almost cat-like. 

Adolfo: Troll.  Not as bad as I thought it would be, but definitely not good.

Lyma- Pixie. It was really pretty but seemed like mostly paint rather than sculpture. And of course, she didn't have that stone. But the judges didn't seem to notice.

Sam, Scott- Witch. I liked what they did with the stone on her chest. It looked really pretty.  

The judges seem to be impressed with the vets when taking a close look, but give mixed reactions about the newcomers. They want to talk to some people about what they've made.

Alana and Miranda- The judges think they had a great design concept and that it's very cohesive and solid.

Tolin and Eddie- The judges think the proportions are all off. They say it's bad sculpting. Tolin defends it, and the fact that they didn’t realize it is bad is a problem. Glenn even goes as far to say that he wouldn't trust any of their judgments. 

Frank, RJ, and Eric: The legs and feet are disproportionate, but otherwise everything is good. It looks like the body is missing, and the mouth doesn't move which is a big no-no for Glenn.

Rick and Laney: They like it and think everything has been cleverly done.

Adolfo: They said that nothing about the face works, and that his bad paint job made it even worse.

Laura: All I really got out of this critique was just that they liked the witch. 

Glenn says that the vets won and that Miranda is the winner.

Adolfo, Eddie, and Tolin are told that they are the bottom 3, and the person going home is Tolin. 

So, there we go! First episode: done. I guess I can go ahead and give some first impressions of some of these people, but I don't dare predict anything like I do for Project Runway. NO WAY.

VETS:
Frank Ippolito: Honestly, I couldn't even remember who he was. I had to google him just to figure out what he looks like. So clearly, he hasn't made much of an impact on me.
Tate Steinsiek: I'm not sure of what my opinion is of him, but he does seem to pull out consistently great work.
Miranda Jory: At first, I thought she seemed cool, but then she started getting on my nerves. Maybe it's that she's too uptight for my taste?
RJ Haddy: I'm still having trouble keeping him and Tate straight in my mind. Just give me a couple weeks and I'll have that all sorted out... hopefully.
Alana Schiro: She's another one who's turning out great work constantly. I'm impressed so far, and I think her hair is really cool.
Roy Wooley: I really liked that first foundation challenge look, but nothing has made that much of an impression on me since then.
Laura Tyler: Once again, another who is constantly pulling out great work! She's really impressed me, but I'm not sure how much I like her.
Eric Zapata: Finally, someone I know! I actually really like him. I just hopes he steps it up so he can do well!

NEWCOMERS:
Adolfo Rivera: I'm not sure how I feel about him just yet. Give me a week or two, and I'll let you know.
Eddie Holecko: My roommate and I were shocked to realize he's only a year older than us... and then we proceeded to realize that we'll be 20 in less than a year. Age aside, I haven't been impressed by him yet, and I'm not sure he's totally ready for this yet.
Laney Parkhurst: She's one of the few newcomers who has actually impressed me. She seems to be doing well, and I think she's pretty cool too.
Lyma Millot: I've got mixed emotions. I'm not sure if she can get by being mostly a body painter.
Rick Prince: First off, he's from Nashville so woot! He's also the only other newcomer who has made any sort of positive impact on me, so that's a big positive for him!
Sam Allen: At least she tried to stand up for herself, which is really great. But so far, I don't really care either way about her.
Scott Ramp: He seems rather controlling and stuck in his ways, even when those ways may not be the best thing. Not good.
Steve Tolin (goes by Tolin): I actually kinda liked him and am sad to see him go.

So there you go! Hopefully, the next review will be up later today. See you then!

Project Runway Season 10 Premiere!

I'm back! I know I only did a few episodes of All-Stars, but hopefully I'll be able to make it through more than a few on this season. I'm going to try to not be so long-winded this time around. Now, on to Road to the Runway!

Road to the Runway

Seth Aaron and Mondo!

Nick and Mondo!

Zanna starts us off in the workroom, gearing us up for the season, showing us some funny moments from casting, and telling us that Nick from Season 2 and Mondo from Season 8/ All Stars will be doing the casting. Plus some cameos from my personal favorite designer, Seth Aaron! You DON'T want to get me started on how much I love him.

The first designer up is Christopher. He has Justin Bieber on his wall (ew.) Just sayin! He loves fur. He REALLY loves fur. He had a heart attack in high school. He says that ready to wear is his general design aesthetic. My opinion- He makes some really cool clothes. I think he has great potential.

Next is Dmitry. He's from Europe and came to the US and started modeling. He's really modern and conceptual. My opinion- I liked his dresses, but not so much that innovative jacket everyone was fawning over.

Lantie is up next. She really seems to like snake skin and adding lots of stuff to her designs. She seems to overdesign a bit. My opinion- Although her black dress that she showed was really pretty, she seems to not know when to stop adding things. That's never a good thing.

Ven is our next designer. He's modern and sophisticated and LOVES red and putting rose details into clothes. My opinion- Everyone loves him- now. But my brain is screaming RUT! He constantly uses red, and puts roses everywhere. The judges will get tired of that after a couple weeks.

Gunnar!

Next up is Gunnar. Gunnar was thisclose to making Project Runway last season, but now he's back and ready to fight. His aesthetic has changed a bit since last time. He's really got a more vintage aesthetic now. My opinion- I'm a little biased because he was my favorite last season when I first scanned over the bios/portfolios, so I'm really pulling for him now, although everyone now thinks he has an attitude problem. But his personality alone should keep him on for a good while, and his talent should get him to the end. I got a good laugh when he randomly talked about a Starbucks mocha.

Our next designer is... Anya! Zanna catches up with her in the lounge. She has a line called Anya and is now engaged! She seems to be doing very well now that she's won.

Sonjia is up next. She likes to design on a budget- probably because she's jobless. She's very bubbly and fun. She loves bows. My opinion- I haven't made up my mind about her just yet. She seems to have a great personality and cool clothes to match.

Elena

Next is Elena. She loves avant-garde, futuristic, and video game inspired looks. Lady Gaga would wear some of her clothes. My opinion- I thought her black coat was a bit too costumey, but she's really unique. She should do well.

Beatrice is next. She likes working with knits. Her looks are very simple for people on the go. My opinion- I'm not wowwed. She seems a bit too simple.

Now we have Andrea. She's very different. "Anti fashionista fashionista" is how she describes herself. Her looks are very architectural and a bit oddball. Mondo described it as modern art. If you don't get it, you don't get it. My opinon- I get it, I just don't like it. I'm not a big fan of her OR her aesthetic. She makes me think of Marla from season 2. I didn't like Marla...

Kooan is up next. He's really really oddball. His looks are really out there and kooky. My opinion- I'm sorry, but I think his clothes need to stay in video games. I think he's kinda creepy. If he was just odd, I'd be ok. But I find him creepy.

Buffi

Our next designer is Buffi. She's very out there and bold and colorful. She likes mixing colors and prints. My opinion- I kinda like her. I loooove her accent. She's really funky and cool. I'm interested to see more.

Next up is Fabio. He's a freegan- he dumpster-dives for food. His designs are very conceptual and elegant. He approaches things in an organic, intellectual way. My opinion- I honestly don't think I can get past the dumpster food... but I wasn't a huge fan of his designs in the first place.

Our next designer is Alicia. She definitely has a 'tomboy' aesthetic. Mondo wants to carry a knife in her clothes. haha! Her look is definitely more masculine. My opinion- I think she's got a different aesthetic that should take her far.

Melissa

Melissa is next. She likes black. And lots of it. Almost to the point of being gothic. She loves leather. My opinion- It's almost as if a lot of her designs were created with my dream style in mind. Her jackets and vests were to die for. I loooove her aesthetic.

Next is Nathan. He calls himself a 'social occasion' designer. Project Runway turned his skeptic dad into his biggest fan. He knows he has to play the game smart. My opinion-  I think he might do pretty well. But I have yet to form a full opinion.

Raul is next. He says he designs for a woman who is overdressed, vain, and very confident in herself. My opinion- though he describes his girl as the type of girl i despise, I see some potential in him.

Nick's top 3: Ven, Dmitry, Melissa
Mondo's top 3: Ven, Fabio, Beatrice
MY top 3: Gunnar, Christopher, Melissa
Whew! Enough of all this introductory stuff! Now that I've introduced the designers a bit, time to get down to business!

Time for the season PREMIERE!

We start out in Times Square, right before the first runway show of the season. Everything is crazy and frantic. We're now taken back to the day before, when everyone met in the workroom. We'll return to Time's Square in a while.

As the designers enter the workroom, we're introduced to them and their aesthetic. Before coming, they were given the challenge of creating a look that describes their aesthetic. The designers meet and take in each other's designs. Right from the start, Kooman makes it obvious that he's going to be the oddball, crazy, annoying weirdo of the group. I'll be happy to see him go. Everyone takes an immediate liking to Ven's outfit. I guess we'll be seeing him in the top 3.

Tim comes in and announces that the designers' first challenge is to create a companion piece to go with their design that they came with. He announces that their first runway will be in the middle of Time Square. And everyone (especially Christopher) is now completely nervous.

They take their customary trip to Mood and Swatch makes his usual appearance, while Melissa takes us to a part of Mood we've never seen before- a room full of black fabric.

Gunnar and Chris during their little drama

Not long after returning to the workroom, we get our first bit of drama, courtesy of none other than my 2 favorites, Gunnar and Christopher. I actually found this hilarious even though Gunnar was being a grumpy. Christopher simply asks what he's doing, and grumpy Gunnar tells him he's not in the mood, and then that he's now throwing a fit, to Christopher's confusion. We learn from Gunnar's confessional that he doesn't like Christopher because they're too much alike (no wonder I like both). He then procedes to say that he can be the only star in the sky. He says it in this very childlike voice and then sighs. So basically, he was an adorable 5 year old for a few minutes. I loved that bit and watched it multiple times. I can tell he's going to be causing some drama. But I'm holding my ground saying he's my favorite. Even though he sometimes acts like a grumpy five year old. But enough Gunnar drama. Back to the workroom!

Buffi enjoys cracking jokes, to Dmitry's annoyance. He likes being quiet, and wishes other people would be too. Christopher begins to panic as the machines are giving him problems and threatening to mess up his outfit.

Tim time! He talks with a few designers and gives tips and approval, as always. Kooan, however completely stumps him. He doesn't understand the design, or where Kooan is going, and frankly, I didn't either! He tells Beatrice to play with her design because it's not working, but as she says OK, her facial expression shows that she seems to be completely writing him off. Hope that doesn't come back to bite her in the butt... The designers seem to not like Lantie's look (more snake skin!) but are very impressed with Ven's skills. And now everyone goes back to work... and we get more Gunnar and Chris drama. Gunnar, take a joke! Chris, don't try to be Santino! Ok, problem solved :)

Model fittings and a couple hours later, and they reach the end of the day and move into Atlas. The next morning, it's completely chaotic. Chris is throwing together a look at the last minute, so let's hope he has a dress with a skirt attached! The models are sent in for hair and makeup. Kooan asks for these crazy weird gold dots on her forehead. Ohhhh no...

Runway Time

L to R: Patricia Field, Lauren Graham, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, and Heidi Klum

There are two guest judges today, Lauren Graham (an actress, for anyone who doesn't know), and Patricia Field, the first ever guest judge from season 1. Because there are SO many designers, I won't go into every outfit. I'll just touch on the top/bottom and the ones that stood out to me personally.

Ven's Designs

Ven- obviously, his top was beautiful. But personally, that's the only bit I liked. Maybe it's just cause I don't like pink. Or white...

Beatrice's Designs

Beatrice-  She said that her first look took her 4 days. How?! It's an awful-patterned scrap of fabric that gives a poncho (EW!) feel, paired with a basic, boringboringboring dress. Her second look was better. But that's not saying much.

Lantie's Designs

Lantie- Her first look wasn't too bad. But it still had that panel in the front that didn't look good! The second look was awful. The snake skin didn't go with it at all and the dress looked poorly made.

Andrea's Designs

Andrea- Her first look was cute... but that second look... Atrocious. I really hate when designers make clothes poof out like that in awkward spots. It really doesn't look flattering. And in this case, it kinda messed the dress up even more!

Christopher's Design

Christopher- His gown was stunning. I couldn't complain about any part of it. It was just gorgeous. The black cocktail dress was really pretty as well. I wish the detail showed a bit better, though. It was hard to see all the work he put into it.

Dmitry's Design

Dmitry- I really loved both his gown and the second dress he made. I was surprised he didn't make the top 3!

Kooan's Designs

Kooan- His looks were both really kooky and really out there, and NOT in a good way. The jumper and shirt under it did NOT go together. Like I said before, put the looks back into the video games, kay?

Gunnar's Designs

Gunnar- I didn't LOVE his original outfit, but I did like the top. The dress he made was really cool and pretty and I liked it! It was funny how he was kinda grooving with the music :)

Melissa's Designs

Melissa- Lots of black and leather, which I love! Both looks were really great.





Judging Time!

Top 3: Christopher, Melissa, and Ven
Bottom 3: Beatrice, Lantie, and Kooan

Kooan is the first to face the judges. They don't hate it as much as I do, but instead find it intriguing. They want to make sure he's not making it a joke.

Melissa is next to be critiqued. They get her vibe and love the black but hope all her stuff isn't just black. They think she's really cool

Beatrice gets to go next. The judges don't like either outfit. They thought the cape detracted from the simple dress and that she didn't make her aesthetic clear.

The judges next go to Christopher. They love the gown and the cocktail dress, but think the detail on the dress is a bit lost. Michael doesn't like the styling.

Lantie is grilled next on her snakeskin... flower... garden. Yeah... Anyway, the judges notice that she always has a panel on the front, and I notice that she's wearing the dress from casting that I liked. It also has a panel in the front. Too many panels, too much snake skin.They think she's more of a stylist than a designer.

Ven is the final designer. The judges think he did a great job on the suit, especially (surprise, surprise) on the flower top.

I'm hoping for Chris to win, and Kooan to be eliminated. But we'll see.

Chrisopher is declared the winner! Yay! He does a little victory dance, while the camera cuts to Gunnar's confessional where he says he doesn't like Chris's arrogance. [insert record scratch here] Uh, what? I love you, Gunnar, but you're forgetting your own arrogance! It's just my luck that my favorites don't like each other...

Ven is in, as well as Melissa. Kooan is also in. Lantie is declared in, which means that Beatrice is out.

Beatrice is the first designer to be out!

So, here ends my very lengthy first PR season 10 review! It should be about half this length next week (maybe even smaller!). Before next week's episode, expect a post containing a ranking of the designers. Usually, I would list them from favorite to least favorite, but since I don't know too much about them yet, they'll be grouped up... groups like'favorites', 'close to the top', 'middle of the road', 'least favorites', etc. Also, anyone reading this, please share it with people! And comment with suggestions, feedback, ANYTHING! I just want to know what you think. If you read all of this, Thank you! You're awesome. I'll be back with another post soon :)