As another season of Project Runway comes to an end, it’s that time for me to break out the notepad and start rating the runway (if Heidi can do it, so can I!)
FIRST – Can I just say I was completely appalled with their choice in choosing Faith Hill as their celebrity judge to end the season finale in Bryant Park?!?! A country singer…umm REALLY?!?! Not only does she have no relation to the fashion industry, when have I ever seen her on a best dressed list? I don’t mind singers, actresses, and famous people coming onto the show as a guest judge but this is the FINALE people!
ON A POSITIVE NOTE…having her appear as a guest judge had no negative impact on who I thought deserved to win Project Runway.
Let’s give it up for Seth Aaron Henderson!
I’ve been a Seth Aaron fan for the majority of the show, especially towards the last half of the season and not only did he deserve to win this season of Project Runway, he also hands down created the best collection at Fashion Week!
WHY I LOVE SETH AARON:
- He’s been a consistent designer throughout the entire competition. Not that it’s all about being consistent but it is extremely important to know what to expect from a designer. I should be able to grasp a designer’s sense of style on a consistent basis. I should never have a love/hate relationship with a designer. It’s either I LOVE it all the time or I straight up HATE it.
- He has a strong VISION in his clothing designs. Although his style is very different than my own personal fashion style, I absolutely LOVE that he has such a defined sense of what fashion is to him. It’s very admirable and refreshing to see a designer with such great ideas and a strong outlook of the fashion world. He is just so full of innovation, it keeps you coming back to him for more.
- He takes creative risks and never creates designs that are “too safe”. He’s not afraid to make mistakes and this is what makes him an exceptional designer. You got to take risks to get noticed sometimes and although risks can make you fail at times, at least you can say you tried it when everyone else was too scared to.
- He’s humble and not in your face bragging about his designing abilities. It’s okay to toot your own horn every now and then but he never let his ego get in the way. There’s just a very cool confidence about him and I feel truly confident people don’t have the constant need to show-off to the world because their talent speaks higher volumes than their words itself.
- Besides the EDGE he provides in his clothing designs, he has the EDGE in his image to back it up. I mean look at him…from his own personal style to his hair…when you look at him, you may not know right away he’s a fashion designer but you do know that he’s in some sort of creative and hip industry. I CANNOT STAND…REPEAT, CANNOT STAND (x 100) when people DO NOT LOOK THE PART.
ESPECIALLY when you are in the fashion industry…YOU NEED AN IMAGE THAT SCREAMS…I’M IN FASHION, I ‘M IN CONTROL AND I OWN MY IMAGE..TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT PEOPLE BECAUSE I LOVE IT. Not everyone is going to love your style but you gotta be able to ROCK IT and have the confidence to back up your choice in how you project your personal style.
Okay back to the runway show, Seth Aaron opened up the show with his kick ass collection.
Designer #1: Seth Aaron
His Inspiration: “1940′s Russian-German Military”
My Thoughts Watching His Fashion Show:
- I got goosebumps when I watched his models strut the runway because his collection provoked such an intense level of emotion. ANY collection that has that kind of impact on the senses makes it just that much more meaningful.
-Although I’m not a fan of plaid, he incorporated the plaid in interesting ways.
-I valued the fact that his whole collection was cohesive and backed up his creative inspiration.
-The majority of his designs had an unexpected hidden twist in the back (surprises are a good thing, especially when done in a tasteful way). I LOVE when the backside has cool styling details because a good design should be cool looking from all angles, NOT just the front.
Overall Critique:
His collection was very high fashion, edgy, interesting to the eye, and the image of each model was a STRONG, POWERFUL woman…I think this is what gave me the goosebumps…the fact that every woman looked like she OWNED the room. It was amazing. Seth Aaron really WOWed me with this collection.
Designer #2: Mila
His Inspiration: “Shadows”
My Thoughts Watching Her Fashion Show:
- She had a few interesting looks (like the one shown here) and overall the collection was cohesive. HOWEVER, it’s not hard being cohesive if you’re only using blacks and whites.
- I have to say I liked her choice of models and their hair/make styling for the show. They were all very edgy looking but if you’re noticing a model’s pretty face more so than the clothing itself, then WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE.
- She had looks featuring white leggings and I simply am not a fan of this.
- The last look was extremely disappointing because for one, we already saw this dress the week before the finale when she was up against Jay for the final designer to go to Bryant park and two, the last model’s look should be the showstopper of the ENTIRE show. The last look is the final impression and taste we are left with and truly MAKES OR BREAKS the collection.
Sadly, it was definitely one of my least favorite pieces of her collection because the shape was just wrong (I don’t like when people look boxy), the neckline was too harsh (how is that flattering?!), and where’s the stroke of fashion creativity?!?!
This dress is not anything I haven’t seen before. I’m sure I can easily find a dress that looks like that at a department store but you would NEVER catch me trying on a dress like that! This is a BIG no-no in my book from the improper shape, to the style, it’s just all wrong…sorry Mila!! :(
I do have to say again, I love the models she chose and the last model that walked the runway is beautiful! Again, why am I loving the models AND not the clothes?! NOT A GOOD SIGN!
Overall Critique:
As I mentioned, I did like a few of her looks but overall the collection fell short and lacked innovation. She is also way too predictable in a BAD WAY. I was never a fan of her design aesthetic to begin with and did not feel she was a strong enough candidate to even showcase a collection in Fashion Week. She ONLY uses blacks and whites which is a classic combo but if that’s all she is capable of, I think she should consider looking into becoming a head designer for the White House Black Market.
Designer #3: Emilio
His Inspiration: “Color Me Bad” (Name of his Collection)
My Thoughts Watching His Fashion Show:
- I liked the name of his collection but did not see the correlation between the designs and the title. I understood the color but not the whole “bad” concept because in my mind, none of the designs looked “bad ass” in any sort of way. Maybe I just interpreted it badly.
-Interesting mix of colors with a splash of prints which left the collection a little all over the place.
- Besides this beautiful blue jacket number, I found the overall shapes and silhouettes of his clothing to be rather boring.
- His last look was definitely one of my favorites of his entire show but had no direct connection between the rest of the designs from his collection. It really came out of left field…luckily it was in a GOOD way since the dress was stunning and definitely showstopper material but it just seemed a little too random and out of place.
Overall Critique:
His collection did not capture his vision as a designer and left me with a sense of confusion. It was also by far the least cohesive compared to the other designers. It’s a shame because Emilio consistently won the MOST challenges throughout the season and obviously has talent but it just wasn’t illustrated enough from his final collection.
LAST THOUGHTS OF THE SEASON:
It was wonderful to watch the final three designers compete to be the last designer standing but it was obvious the entire time that Seth Aaron was already the winner.
It was also upsetting to see Emilio’s expression when he didn’t walk away as the winning designer because I could totally see the disappointment in his face.
This leaves me ending this entry with a quote from Emilio,
“You don’t have to have the crown to be a king.”
I couldn’t agree more. Although Emilio did not win the “crown” at the end, he is still a “king” and should be exceptionally happy to be given the opportunity to design a collection for Bryant Park with millions of TV viewers. What an honor and I know this has already opened many doors in his future with a sea of crowns that await him.
As you can see, I have provided a photo of my professional make-up brush belt. This photo was recently taken during a freelance job at the house the bride and her bridal party were getting ready at. This is what my brush belt looked like AFTER completing 7 girls’ make-up.
stylebymeli
