Project Runway’s Winner: Not Mine, but Still Well-Deserved!

So alas, Project Runway Season 12 has come to an end. I have had so much fun this season, watching, blogging and of course, dream come true, attending the finale during MBFW at Lincoln Center! Blogging about the episodes and interacting with so many other fans made this season all the more enjoyable. It was also just such a surreal experience to be at Lincoln Center on that amazing finale day!

All the judges, including guest judge Kerry Washington, looked amazing!!

So how did this season wrap up? Who won?!? Well let’s not jump the gun. Let’s begin with the reminder that the designers had a new look to create. Yes, this was something to do just days before showing at MBFW! This is the Tide Challenge. The designers were to design a high fashion look that you can toss right into the washing machine. What I’m sure was also difficult is that the designers had to toss out a look from their 10 look collections. Ah, decisions, decisions! The designers were off to Mood, still with their GoBank cards, with a budget of $250. So with one look to create, lots of finishing touches to make, model castings, and the make-up/hair decisions to consult about, the workroom was of course pandemonium!

Tim made his routine visits, patting Bradon on the back, instructing Alexandria to break up the monotony, reminding Justin to keep the looks fresh, and finally, making sure Dom kept an editing eye. A few other workroom notes-Alexandria already made so many pieces and was somehow making more, CRAZY!! Dom talks a lot, while Bradon runs around a lot! It was also nice to see Alexandria be so nice, she shared a zipper with Dom. So from the workroom craziness we can move to backstage, right before the show is to begin, and yes, there was still chaos!

I will say the backstage this season wasn’t as crazy as it was in seasons’ past. We didn’t see Tim saying it was preposterous that the designers weren’t ready. There were a few speedbumps. Justin’s model broke an ankle so he had to get a substitute and re-work the look. Bradon was repeatedly freaking out about the models not eating or drinking near the garments and it turned out, the freakout was warranted. One of the models spilled coffee down a silk dress, ahhhh! Bradon, in tow with a hairdryer, saved the day and the look. So how did each designer do and what did the judges have to say?

So let’s start with Justin, who was in 3rd place. We saw last week that his inspiration was about the transition of being deaf to finally being able to hear. I can tell you, from being at the show, the crowd was most into this collection. There were some great aspects, the cool 3d prints, great silhouettes, lovely back details and I enjoyed the diversity and versatility present in the collection. I’m not sure what his Tide look was, but the test tube, unconventional material look, was stunning. I still think there was a lot of white.

The collection could have used a pop of color, something to perhaps better explain that feeling of hearing for the 1st time. When Justin showed 3 looks last week, the story made more sense with those 3 looks. I’m not sure if the order he chose this week best translated his story, but it was still a very inspired collection. Also, I would have put my muse model, the one the judges see during deliberations, in a different look. I think the judges felt there was something missing from this collection and they were right.

Test tube look

Moving on now to 2nd place, a personal shock for me, was Alexandria. I’ve said my piece about her. I didn’t care for her collection. It’s not my style. It’s clearly one Heidi loved, but all of a sudden the other judges being so gushing seems a bit suspicious for me, but she didn’t win so I won’t vent too much!

I liked the dress made of phonebooks for the unconventional look. This is akin to newspaper looks we’ve seen in the past, but I do think she put innovation in the more appropriate place, the rest of her collection. The looks with a bit more simplicity I enjoyed more, but when the looks were overly busy or oddly draped with the pants, I just wasn’t impressed.

Unconventional look-phonebooks

I was equally as shocked that Bradon was in 4th place though! I know why, this collection was one that you had to love fully or that you didn’t. Nina thought it was disjointed, but I didn’t see that at all, I thought it was cohesive. Maybe the one bright blue tye-dye sort of look didn’t fit in the best with the rest, but that hardly calls for labeling as disjointed. Zac didn’t enjoy the shinier pieces, but I thought it made perfect sense for his story. It wasn’t just the 1st sign of spring, it was the 1st sign while snow was still on the ground. The shiny represented the icy backdrop.

Tide washable look unconventional

The Tide look was pretty special for such a quick look to create and wasn’t just a basic dress; it had the elements of high fashion. I was impressed and saddened that the judges thought this was a 4th place collection, but he had a great season of many wins so congrats to Bradon!

So I’m sure we know who the winner is, Dom! But before my thoughts on her collection, let’s take a look at those prizes again because Wow, aren’t they pretty amazing! This season’s champion will receive $150,000 from GoBank, the award-winning new bank account made to be used on a mobile phone; $50,000 of next generation technology from HP and Intel to help enable their creativity and launch their new business; a year’s supply of Resource Natural Spring Water and an all-expense paid, luxurious spa retreat for two to the exotic Maldives, courtesy of Resource Water; a chance to design and sell an exclusive collection at Belk; a complete sewing and crafting studio from Brother Sewing and Embroidery; a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine; a 2014 Lexus IS 350; a $100,000 fabric allowance from Tide Pods to inspire fashions that truly pop; and a $50,000 styling contract with L’Oréal Paris. It is a prize package worth more than half a million dollars.

So congrats to Dom because this is huge! Dom’s collection was all about retroredux, so lots of angles, lines and innovative prints. The judges fell in love with her prints and saw how much she challenged herself so the win was well-deserved. If I couldn’t have Bradon as the winner, Dom was my 2nd choice. Sometimes when a designer works with prints it’s not as exciting, but when the designer makes their own prints you have to admit that it’s worth a little something extra.

I enjoyed her use of color, especially the bright purple. While the prints were great, I don’t think so many looks needed to be full on prints. The one thing I loved about the Tide look was that it wasn’t all print! The one thing I remembered from attending the show was that in one look you could see the booty! It now makes sense seeing it was the door hinges unconventional look.

Tide washable look Hinges unconventional look

So next week we will get to see the reunion show, which should be interesting. I plan to blog also for Project Runway All-Stars so please make sure to keep up with Fashion Nexus! The best way to do, Like on Facebook or Follow on Twitter! And yes, as always, still doing Giveaways so by liking on Facebook you are entered into this current Giveaway below.