Diamonds + Girls = Best Friends, Diamonds + Some Project Runway Designers = Not So Best of Friends!

This week, on Project Runway, each of the designers were to select a model donning some very luxurious jewelry of diamonds and gemstones galore! This of course brought out the dreaded button bag, but as luck would have it for the designers this week, this assignment was solo. The downside being they only had 1 day to create a garment to accentuate and compliment the jewelry. Of course we had to hear Timothy complain about no inspiration coming from jewelry and picking the prettiest one so I guess it was good he was last to pick! The designers were then off to sketch and head to Mood!

It was also learned this week more about the GoBank budget for each designer. We knew the designers would not get weekly budgets as per previous seasons, but instead would receive a budget they must adhere to for the entire season. That budget is set at $4000. However, Tim did provide a suggested budget for this week of $300, which is a good thing as I would think a few of the designers could have gone overboard! Here are some of my thoughts as I watched the designers work:

It is good to branch out, but you can’t pick fabrics and concepts to challenge yourself with such a short challenge and it sent one designer home-Kahindo, leaving another in the bottom 3, Helen.
Alexander said something about his design and looking at Kates’ and then making a snarky comment about that at least he was trying to be original. Kate was doing Kate and she won, whereas Alexander made some garment I thought best suited for Count Dracula’s wife so I would focus on my own work from here on out!
We again saw some major moodswings from Sandro. He went from fighting with Ken, to lecturing harshly to Timothy about not speaking, but then showed a kinder side on the runway by sticking up for Helen. I almost forgot his steamer incident and how he aggressively grabbed a worker of Project Runway, which seemed very inappropriate to me. I would have run off as well!
Each season we get designers fussing about machines, but Sue really made such a spectacle last night. I was giving her some much needed credit after last week, but if you are a designer, I would think threading your machine would seem sort of basic. I don’t sew so I have no idea, but at least then if someone is going to help, be appreciative!
Finally, a Project Runway first as Helen’s drama and crying antics stopped the runway! Can you say Wow and perhaps a bit unnecessary! Yes, her garment had some issues, but so did many others and I don’t think it helped her case at all so I wonder if it was for show or to try and get attention/sympathy.

It was great to see Eric Daman join the judges this week. I know he has done such great work on shows like Gossip Girl. He is a real talent in his industry and I enjoyed this critiques this week!

Moving onto the judges top and bottom. The bottom 3 made sense to me and I can even grasp who went home, but the real head-scratcher to me was the top 3. I had a completely different set. I really thought Justin’s look (middle picture above) was chic and effortlessly designed. After last week, I was thinking it was okay they missed his greatness, but now after 2 weeks of him missing out of the top 3, I really hate he is not getting the credit he deserves. I also really liked Jeremy’s gown (3rd picture above) and I could certainly see it on the red carpet. The bottom looked like it took so much longer than 1 day to create, yet he did just that and it was gorgeous! Finally, and this is who my winner would have been for the 2nd week, Bradon (pictured 1st above). This gown was shimmered perfection. It would have no doubt been an A+ for the red carpet for the woman who wore it. Again, the judges had a different top 3, but of their group, I would agree that Kate should have won this week.

I didn’t have Kate in my top 3 because I thought her look was too costumey and it really over-powered the jewelry rather than working with them. I also didn’t care for the sheer cut-out at the side or the off the shoulder hanging sleeve. However, I am not surprised the judges loved her flare of drama. Dom’s look is the next one and I guess I see it more as a love or hate look and I just didn’t care for it. The print didn’t work for me and the overall aesthetic had a lot going on. I don’t think any woman could have worn this or that it could have worked for a plethera of red carpet events. The oddest contender for the top 3 however was Sandro. On Project Runway, the judges usually go between the top and bottom as they are announcing who is where. When it was Sandro’s turn I thought for sure he was in the bottom, although I didn’t think that was deserving. But I was way more shocked to find out he made top 3. I think it was guest judge Eric Daman who said it best that Sandro walks a fine line between chic and stripper. I thought the garment was way too tight and the sheer effect up and down the side of the skirt was very revealing. While the top 3 was a shocker for me, the bottom 3 was fairly on point.

Several designers probably lucked out in that this bottom 3 was some fairly poor designs. Many designers, from what I saw, had some construction, fit or taste-level issues so it was a lucky week that for 3 other designers the bottom was fairly clear. I will say Miranda’s garment didn’t impress me this week. She also did a 2-piece garment again, which was very similar to last week’s challenge so on top of a messy construction of a crop top, with an overall garment that looked very off-the-rack, I had her in my bottom. However, I was not surprised by the judges picks or for them sending Kahindo home. I would have much rather Timothy left, since again, he had a messy look, which actually looked like toilet paper was used on top of a very difficult fabric to make work, velvet. Kahindo’s fabric choice with the print, she just didn’t know how to make it work and it ended up looking so mis-matched with the print not lining up where it should. It also didn’t look expensive at all. Finally, there was Helen who definitely had the most construction issues this week. Simply put, she bit off more than she could chew. However, I’m glad she is here another week and hoping she can get back on track next week!

Miranda’s look