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Archive for the ‘Project Runway’ Category

Archive for the ‘Project Runway’ Category

Project Runway: Episode 1 Recap

After waiting for what seemed like years, Project Runway finally made its triumphant return last night.  It’s got a new network and a new city, but it looks pretty much the same.  It was kinda weird to watch the designers make outfits for last year’s Emmy Awards, but hey, we’ll take what we can get!

We’re anxious to break down the runway looks, but first, let’s get to know some of the cast members.  The award for biggest drama queen goes to Johnny the ex-drug addict for his cry-baby breakdown.  If Project Runway doesn’t work out, he’s always got A&E’s Intervention.  While Johnny’s meltdown was utterly ridiculous and ultimately pointless, it did provide for a “heartwarming” Tim Gunn moment…

JohnnyRunway

We also have some gentlemen contestants with notable hair.  We’re digging Malvin’s half-mullet haircut and his Michael Jackson-esque quality.

Malvin

Gotta keep the spirit alive! Other contestants’ hairdos were not as impressive.  Holy crap Nicolas… or shall we call you “the Feathered Prince” – have you washed your stringy locks this decade?

Nicolas

And hey… what’s the deal with that creepy lady from Transylvania?

Gordana

Gordana Dracula sure seemed like the requisite ‘get kicked off in week one’ type, but alas she remains.

After we got to know everybody, the designers were whisked off to Mood to get their fabric. After everyone got their materials, they headed to their work space to… make it work. Some of the gowns were amazing, some were hideous, and others were… barely there.

The guest judge this week was the lovely Lindsay Lohan.  She’s looking a little worse for wear. It’s weird seeing Lindsay sit next to Heidi because you can’t really tell who’s older.

LindsayRunway

How did Lindsay Lohan go from 13 to 35 so quickly? It looks like the Herbie days are over.  Oh well. On to the judging!

The Good:

As we predicted, Christopher is already doing well. He won the first challenge with a funky-looking dress for the VMAs.  Although our personal favorite dress was designed by Irina. It was elegant and feminine and the way it glided down the runway was stunning! Maybe the dress was inspired by her cute little poodle.  It’s the same color anyway.

Irina

The Bad:

Qristyl

Oh Qristyl… the spelling of your name is just as problematic as your gown. We’re just gonna call you Big Q from here on out, cool? We really thought her dress looked like a hastily thrown together composite of clip art from Windows 95. Vintage inspiration often works, but we’re afraid you’ll have to try better next time, Big Q.

The Unacceptable:

Ari

That disgusting soccer ball thing?

Heidi

Ooopsiedaisy. Ari had some very special ideas in that wackadoo head of hers… maybe by the next decade, the rest of us will catch up with her. Until then, Auf Wiedersehen!!

We’re pretty excited to watch the rest of Project Runway 2008 … er. 2009.  What did you think of the first episode?

The Next Big Thing: Project Runway Edition

August is finally here, and you know what that means… Project Runway about ready to hit a TV near you. We’ve been doing our research by studying the designers past collections and choosing some of our favorites. However, we were disappointed to find that most of this season’s designers do not currently sell clothing on the interwebs. Come on peeps! Have you not heard of Etsy?

After some digging, we did find a few contestants who are selling online and of course we want to share some goodies with you. Get ready for The Next Big Thing: Project Runway Edition!

leannemarshall

Start your outfit our right with this flowy coral tank by last season’s winner, Leanne Marshall. In case you haven’t heard, we’re pretty obsessed with Leanne. The Portland native’s new collection is currently available on Bluefly, and you can also snatch up some of her designer duds in her Etsy shop.

ymiskinnyjeans

We think Miss Marshall’s coral tank top would look absolutely fabulous with a pair of our dark skinny jeans. Now let’s complete the outfit and meet some of the new designers!

carolhannah

You can sinch that shirt with this black leather belt by upcoming Project Runway contestant Carol Hannah. Super cute belts aren’t all this southern belle has to offer – she also makes beautiful dresses in bright fabrics. We’re looking forward to seeing her colorful creations this season.

louiseblack

Add more brightness to your ensemble with this floral headband by Louise Black. Miss Black, another season 6 contender, hails from Dallas and cites Christian Lacroix as her favorite designer. She’s been selling jewelry, accessories and corsets on Etsy since 2007.

shirinaskari

And if you’re feeling chilly (the summer is ending soon! Waaaah!) throw on this coat by Shirin Askari. Shirin is another designer competing in the upcoming season of Project Runway. Katherine Hepburn is her big inspiration – it will be interesting to see how her classic style plays out on the runway.

The new season premieres 8/20 at 10PM, and you know we’ll be watching in our designer duds. Who are your favorite contestants?

Project Runway: Season 6 Standouts

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Project Runway is only a couple months away! Everyone’s favorite fashion show has said aufwiedersehen to Bravo and hello to Lifetime – its new home. In case ya’ll haven’t heard, the network has just launched a website for the new season.  There’s a lot of information on the site and it can be a bit overwhelming, so we’ve decided to do the dirty work for you. We watched all the designer interviews and looked at all of their previous collections. After some serious research, we’ve hand-picked the top three contestants to watch. We’ve got our money on these designers to make it to Bryant Park:

Irina Shabayeva


IrinaShabayeva

Age: 27
Hometown: New York, NY
Favorite Designer: Jean Paul Gaultier

Style Icons: Sophia Loren, Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth

Tim’s Take: “Her models look as if they’ve been in for a dozen fittings,” he says, “and they haven’t.”

Our Take: This sassy Parsons graduate is definitely one to watch. She designs ultra-feminine with an Eastern-European twist.  Her jackets are to die for. She sites Cleopatra as a style icon which is refreshing, considering most of this season’s contestants named “Victoria Beckham” as their inspiration. Seriously folks? Anyhoo, Irina’s tops in our book. Check out her previous work to see what we mean:

irinapastwork

Malvin Vien

malvinvien

Age: 24

Hometown: New York, NY
Favorite Designer: Himself
Style Icon: The farmers of rural China

Tim’s Take: “When you see this guy, you won’t believe he’s from Colorado,” Gunn says of Vien, who gets inspiration from Japanese ghost stories and insect anatomy.

Our Take: This guy is definitely a weirdo, and we’re a little irked by the fact that he lists himself as his favorite designer… Vien’s so vain! But it looks like he’s got the skills to pay the bills. At just 24, Malvin has proven he’s serious about fashion. Have a gander at his pre-Project Runway work:

malvinpastwork

Christopher Straub


christopherstraub


Age: 30
Hometown: Shakopee, MN
Favorite Designers: Valentino, Zac Posen
Style Icon: Victoria Beckham

Tim’s Take: “Christopher is very sensitive, very emotional. He wears his emotions on his sleeve.”

Our Take: Judging from Tim’s comment, this guy is gonna be a crier. We’re hoping he’s just as loveable as season 2’s Andre. It seems Christopher has more to give than a river of tears – we did some extensive research and found his past work to be quite stunning! It looks like he’s come a long way since designing his first garment (a pair of clown pants – we’re not joking) at age 14. Feast your eyes his previous work:

chrisstraubpastwork

So there you have it. We’re pretty sure these three will come out on top, but we’ll have to wait until August 20th at 10PM to see the designers in action. We can’t wait for season 6 to start! Which contestants do you have your eye on?

Leanne Marshall for Bluefly

As you may have noticed, we’re pretty big reality TV fans. Project Runway is one of our favorite shows, and we’re so excited that the new season will be airing after all! Hopefully the show doesn’t jump the shark on its new network, Lifetime, but we’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, we’re feasting our eyes on the work of season 5 winner, Leanne Marshall. One of the grand prizes for winning the show is to design a collection for Bluefly, which will then be sold online. Leanne’s collection comes out in the next Wednesday (July 8th) and the ladies of Racked NY had the lucky opportunity to take a first look at her Bluefly line. Um…

leannemarshallpinkblueshirts

leannecoraltank

The tops would look cute with our skinny jeans don’t ya think?

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Sexy time!

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Love this gown!

This pretty much rules. The collection is done in beautiful shades of coral, white and royal blue, and contains a good mix of tops, dresses and a skirt. As you can see, Leanne’s classic petals are incorporated into each garment. Our credit cards are out and ready to purchase everything from this line.

leannemarshallshirt

Leanne is proud


The one downside to this collection is that it seems Leanne had some issues with Bluefly. On her personal blog, Leanne posted an angry rant last week which has since been edited. We’re not sure of all the details, but it seems like our favorite Project Runway winner may have been taken advantage of. We’re sure we’ll hear more about it when the time is right.

leannemarshallproud

Dress currently for sale on Leanne’s Etsy page

We’ve been a big fan of Leanne since before she even appeared on Project Runway. She’s been selling clothes on Etsy for a long time, and from the beginning we knew she was something special. In the description of one of the earlier dresses Leanne listed on Etsy, she wrote

“This is quite possibly THE dress that first put me on the map. Pictures of it on the runway were used to promote this year’s Portland Fashion Week, it was on the front page of the Oregonian’s Living section three weeks ago not to mention on various blogs and websites. It feels like luxury, and when I tried it on I just felt so amazing in it, that I really kind of didn’t want to sell it, but I need to buy a new sewing machine. This is a real steal, and it might even become a collector’s item one day when I become really famous!”

It appears that day has come! Congrats Leanne – we suspect you finally got that new sewing machine.