Project Runway - Week Twelve

Time is trickling down to the wire, my dear readers.

Our beloved Runway is over in just 2 weeks, and in that time we all hope that Kenley will actually gain some perspective, lose the attitude and treat her fellow contestants, judges, etc with more respect.

Sure.
And I’m the newest contestant on America’s Next Top Model. No really, I got my bikini just last week. (okay, bad image…apologies to all those who just flashed that picture...including myself)

I have to say, there were no surprises this week. Is it because this season was mediocre at best? NONE of the finalists really impressed me with any of their creations, and you’d think this final challenge, the one that determines who goes to show at Fashion Week, would be the one you really see the contestants blow me out of the water. Not so much, and relatively speaking, it didn’t sound like too hard of a challenge, considering what past seasons have offered.

The final four contestants were taken to the New York Botanical Garden where they were all given cameras. They were to pick out flowers as inspiration for their challenge, which was to design an evening gown. The evening gown needed to reflect the flower(s) they chose as their inspiration. Doesn’t sound so bad right? (this of course, coming from me, who is not a fashion designer in any sense of the word – but nonetheless, still didn’t sound like a difficult challenge when compared to the other challenges thrown at them throughout the season.)

The end was predictable, considering they did the same thing last season. That, and the fact the producers I’m sure would enjoy a juicer finale with some more drama. I am sooo done with Kenley. The woman is a nightmare, and she needs a serious attitude check. But more on that later.

Before I get to the individual reviews, I noticed not too many readers participated in the built in poll below. Take a minute and answer the questions!! Yeesh! Also, as it stands now, Project Runway will be the last show I review blog until American Idol begins in January. Unless you, my readers tell me differently, and would like me to review something else in the meantime. Now is the time to speak up, because in 2 weeks, it’s all over!! (until January!)

So with those comments out of the way, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of this week’s outfits. How did the designers do in this semi-finale? Let’s see:

Leanne – Okay, call me crazy, but I actually thought this was a gorgeous dress that reflected her flower choice perfectly. Don’t get me wrong though, it wasn’t perfect by far. The back definitely was problematic at best, as judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia pointed out. The blue fabric was just sort of thrown on last minute, which made the back look sloppy and unfinished. (also, love Michael’s term of “it looks like the dress is pooping fabric”. This is the second time that term is used this season!) The color was subtle enough to be an evening gown, and the ruffles added a touch of elegance, while reflecting the overall look of the flower Leanne chose. Again, Leanne is “the geeky girl that could”, because regardless of how dorky she is, she almost always puts out decent outfits. She definitely should be one of the finalists, and I’m very happy to see that she made it this far. When the judges asked if she made it to fashion week, which two of the remaining three designers she would like to take her, she chose Jerell and Korto. Wow, big shock, she didn’t pick Kenley. (a trend that will continue)

Korto – I was really surprised with Korto, because I’ve come to expect really nice designs from her. I have to admit, the flower she chose was a beautiful shade of orange, but the fabric she chose did not reflect that at all. I thought the color was completely wrong for an evening gown, and the styling? It screamed “Pageant”, just as Heidi pointed out. That very low cut top did not work at all, and the addition of the lace was just not working. As usual (and the judges pointed this out as well), the construction and silhouette was flawless. Perfectly shaped and sculpted, Korto has a wonderful eye for the shape of a woman’s body. However, her choices this week had a lot to be desired. However, based on her past achievements, do we punish Korto for this one flaw? Does she deserve to go to fashion week? Absolutely. I don’t think this a true reflection of her designing style, and I’m anxious to see what type of line she creates for Fashion Week. When presented with the same “who would you want to take with you to Fashion Week” question, Korto said she would like Jerell and Leanne. Again, Kenley is not chosen. Why, it’s almost as if Kenley’s attitude completely pissed off the other contestants over the course of the competition! It couldn’t be that, could it?

Jerell - Jerell has grown on me, I’ll have to admit. I wasn’t always a fan. But his work has won me over little by little. I wasn’t terribly impressed with this week’s creation, but it wasn’t all that bad. I would have chosen Leanne’s dress over this one if I had to choose a winner, but this one was almost as good. I thought the color choices were stunning, and flowed together to make a remarkable visual style. The hints of green and red complimented the over all look of the gown. That being said, there were serious construction problems. Heidi completely got it right when she said she keeps wanting to hike up the top. The top of the dress drooped way to low. Honestly, one misplaced move and things might start popping out. I also had problems with the back of the dress. It seems too “poofy”, and the only thing I kept thinking when I saw the model walking back down the runway was “bad bridesmaid dress”. You know the kind you buy once, and never wear again because it was the bride’s choice? That’s what it reminded me of. Did it deserve to win? I’m under the opinion no, but regardless, Jerell should definitely have a place in the finale. His work has constantly grown, with him going off the mark a couple of times. So when faced with the same question the other two contestants were presented with, who do you think Jerell chose? That’s right, he chose Leanne and Korto. Kenley was not chosen by all three of the other final contestants, making it a trifecta of ostracism. Any surprises here? Didn’t think so.

Kenley –Where should I begin? While the flower Kenley chose wasn’t bad, per se, her choice of fabric was not reflective of her inspiration at all. But you know what, even that could have been forgiven if the design was outstanding. And as usual it wasn’t, much to Kenley’s surprise. Kenley doesn’t find any flaws with any of her designs and that’s just one of the major problems this girl has. She does not take criticism well at all, and she does not heed any advice given by anyone. This week, her outfit wasn’t a disaster, but wasn’t a good design either. Words such as “reptilian” and “scaly” were all used to describe her gown. Obviously, none of the words used reflected a flower, or even a gown for that matter. I thought the bottom half was a mess. I don’t remember if one of the judges said this, but it reminded me of a prom dress. (and to be honest, I don’t even know if I’d even go that far). Again, instead of taking criticism, and being humble, Kenley was obnoxious, stubborn and defensive. The judges called her out on her attitude, yet she still acted up. Unbelievable. When presented with the question posed to all the previous contestants, she picked Jerell and Leanne. (which sparked a verbal tiff in the back between her and Korto). In the end, do you think Kenley wound up being eliminated? Would this be Project Runway if it was that easy?

As most of us know by now, the final choices for the judges were to choose all four of the final contestants to move on. Here’s the catch, however; just like last season, all four contestants must design a line to show at Fashion Week. However, only three will move on to actually show at fashion week. One contestant will be eliminated next week, based on the overall designs they created for his/her show. I would be shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, to find out the producers kept Kenley in to cause more drama. They would never do that, would they?
Next week, my idol Tim Gunn visits each final contestant at home, and gives his valuable sage advice to help the contestants cement their place in the finale. Can we actually believe that Kenley learned her lesson in this time? I’ll start taking bets now.

A REMINDER!! Please take a minute to answer the questions below. Remember, this blog ends in 2 more weeks, so if you want me to keep gabbing, I need to know on what show! (if you don’t see a show below, feel free to leave your choice in the comment area below)

And I don’t see anyone joining the “Follow This Blog” link at the top of this page! I know you guys are out there! Sign up dammit!

Agree? Disagree? Let me hear you! Until next week…..auf wiedersehen!