2015 Emmys — Best Dressed

Posted on September 27, 2015 by SMM

I’m a little late on this one, but of course I had to do a best dressed list for the 2015 Emmy Awards. Enjoy!!

Julianne Hough

Julianne was ravishingly stunning in the Marchesa gown she ordered hot off last week’s runway and a Neil Lane brooch in her hair.

Hair look details from Julianne’s hair stylist Riawna Capri — “We opted for a slightly disheveled look with a little edge that worked seamlessly with the black lace and elaborate details of the dress,”

Julianne Hough‘s luminous skin and extra-long lashes were courtesy of makeup artist Spencer Barnes.

Other look details —

Neil Lane jewelry
Jimmy Choo clutch
Stylist Anita Patrickson

Giuliana Rancic

Giuliana looked effortlessly ethereal in this fully beaded embellished rose pink gown by Ziad Nakad. Great work by her stylist Monica Rose. For beauty, she had Patrick Ta on board for makeup, creating a soft, subtle look, and Melissa Brown for hair, sleek waves. To complete her look, Guiliana donned a few elegant pieces of Forevermark diamonds.

Emma Roberts

Emma looked beautiful and angelic in this custom Jenny Packham dress with Old Hollywood appeal, plus gorgeous Martin Katz jewelry and coordinating Lee Savage clutch.

Emma Roberts‘ seamless cascade of waves was courtesy of hairstylist Nikki Lee.

Sofia Vergara

Sofia wore a champagne-hued, reverse-scoop-necked strapless St. John gown and Lorraine Schwartz diamonds. However, her gown certainly packed in it’s own fair share of jewels, as it boasted 64,000 hand-applied Swarovski crystals.

For her beauty squad, Sofia worked with Gracias Kelly Kline for hair, creating luscious waves and Kayleen Mcadams for makeup, a bold look with a cat eye and burgundy lip.

Sarah Hyland

Sarah was classic and elegant in a burgundy Zac Posen gown with an off-the-shoulder neckline and open back, plus Lorraine Schwartz & Ofira jewelry. Her overall look was styled by Brad Goreski. For her matching nails, Sarah brought on board Christina Viles. Her beautiful makeup, a bronzed, sunkist face with nude lip, was courtesy of Allan Avendano. And finally, gorgeous hair, short and wavy, created by Ryan Richman.

Check out the details for her makeup look — L’Oreal Paris products — shimmering purple eyeshadow, Dior 5 Couleurs Cosmopolite Eyeshadow Palettes in Eclectic #866 and Exuberante #766—more details here!

“Sarah’s deep burgundy Zac Posen dress was the perfect color to introduce the fall season to sizzling and sunny Los Angeles. Her glam team collectively decided to use rich shades that complemented her naturally golden olive complexion.”

Beauty Breakdown:
Skin prep:
—Dior Prestige La Creme
—Dior Capture Totale Le Serum Yeux
—Dior Capture Totale Dreamskin Perfect Skin Creator

Complexion:
—Diorskin Star Foundation in Honey Beige #040
—Diorskin Nude ‘Cosmopolite’ Illuminating Face Powder #001
—Diorskin Nude Air Healthy Glow Invisible Loose Powder in Light Beige #020
—Diorskin Nude Shimmer Instant Illuminating Powders in Pink #001 and Amber #002

Eyes:
—Diorshow Pro Liner Waterproof in Pro Purple #582
—Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara in Over Black #090
—Diorshow Brow Styler Gel in Brown #003
—Dior ‘Sourcils Poudre’ Powder Eyebrow Pencil in Brown #593
—Dior Backstage Eye Prime Long-Wear and Smoothing Eye Primer
—Dior 5 Couleurs ‘Cosmopolite’ Eyeshadow Palettes in Eclectic #866 and Exuberante #766

Lips:
—Dior Creme De Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm
—Dior Addict Lipstick in Tailleur Bar #535

Body:
—St. Tropez One Night Only: Applied on Hyland’s decolletage, arms, shoulders, and back with a Tan Applicator Mitt.

As for her hair, here are the details from Ryan Richman for L’Oreal Paris — “Sarah’s Zac Posen gown was sleek and elegant. I like to do the opposite with the hair so opted for a messy tousled wave. I’ve been doing Sarah’s hair for about two years now, so the challenge is to do something I’ve never done before. I have done her hair wavy countless times but never quite like this. This texture shows off her amazing cut and color as well,” he says.

Step 1: First, Ryan prepped damp hair by spraying a generous amount of L’Oreal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Boost It Blow Out Heat Spray, focusing at the root. He used a wide-toothed comb to distribute product throughout the hair and create a deep side part.

Step 2: Using a blow-dryer and his fingers, Ryan rough-dried the roots until halfway dry. He picked up a medium boar bristle round brush to finish drying each section, being careful not to oversmooth the hair, for added volume and a little natural texture.

Step 3: He then used a 1-inch flatiron on medium heat to create a tousled wave, spraying L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray Extra Strong Hold on each section before curling, and holding the flat iron vertically facing the clamp down. In a fluid motion, he twisted the iron and pushed downward to create a loose beachy wave. Ryan alternated directions of the wave as he moved throughout the hair for a beautiful tousled-texture result.

Step 4: Next, Ryan rubbed a small amount of L’Oreal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Txt It Hyper-Fix Putty into the palms of his hands. Focusing at the root, he worked the product through the hair roughly.

Step 5: Last, he used a bobby pin to secure the small side of the part behind Sarah’s ear and misted more hairspray all over the hair to lock in the style.

Jaimie Alexander & Peter Facinelli

An Armani duo like no other! In fact, Jaimie donned an Armani Privé, which hadn’t yet been seen on the runway. “They trusted me to wear it – and when they sent it to me, I said, ‘Done!'” she said. Baccarat jewels completed the look.

Gina Rodriguez

Gina wore a strapless, pink Lorena Sarbu gown, crafted from silk tulle and embellished with beading. Other look details —

Forevermark diamond jewelry
Judith Leiber metallic silver clutch
Caption Polish manicure

Allison Janney

Allison dazzled in this body-conscious Labourjoisie illusion dress. For her smashing waves, her hair was styled by Jill Crosby. The visionary bringing her amazing makeup to life was Collier Strong, products used — MAKEUP FOREVER, Benefit Cosmetics, L’Oreal Paris and beautyblender.

Additional look details —

Devi Kroell clutch
Ippolita jewelry

Penelope Ann Miller

Penelope looked like a golden ray of sunshine in this beaded Lorena Sarbu dress and Simon G. diamonds, provided by Peter Norman Jewelers. Doing both hair & makeup was Marco Berardini, short locks and understated beauty look.

Amy Landecker

This look is just an exquisite work of art, a V-neck Marchesa dress with floral appliqués; Amy’s sideswept wavy do was by Rod Ortega. The great ombre color was provided by Tracey Cunningham. Her stylist was Cristina Ehrlich. Plum lip and dark smoky eye were courtesy of makeup artist Ashleigh Louer. Nice golden touch of bronze from Christine of Organic Glow Spray tans. To cap off the look, Neil Lane jewelry.

Stephanie Bauer

Stephanie donned a gown from one of my fave designers, Leanne Marshall, a lovely soft pink spaghetti strap dress with a sweetheart neckline.

Ariel Winter

Ariel was one red hot # in this strapless Romona Keveza gown with an asymmetrical neckline, plus a Kotur clutch, Anne Sisteron Jewelry earrings, Marli bracelets, and a Messika ring. The stylist for Ariel’s look was Anita Patrickson.

Her hair, long, glam waves, styled by hairstylist Aviva Perea using Garnier Anti-Humidity Hairspray.

For makeup, a minimalist touch with a soft nude lip by Toby Fleischman.

Christina Hendricks & Geoffrey Arend

These 2 were such a power couple. Christina wowed in this fully decked out, embellished Naeem Khan gown. Her other look details —

black Charlotte Olympia clutch
Maxior earrings
Loren Stewart rings

Geoffrey opted for a burgundy suit jacket with black pants, jacket by Brooks Brothers.

John Stamos

John, so handsome in his classic black tuxe!

Derek Hough

Derek looked great, also in a classic black tuxe, provided by Brooks Brothers.

2015 SAG Awards — Best Dressed

Posted on January 27, 2015 by SMM

Another day, another stunning group of best dressed contenders gracing the red carpet. This time, it was the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards, aired on TNT. White, burnt orange, and even red ruled the night. But here are the looks that caught my eye and ruled by Best Dressed list!

JULIE BOWEN

With all of this bitter cold in NYC, Julie’s embellished floral Georges Hobeika gown is making me long for spring weather! This gown is like a dream, from the intricate floral details to the sweet bow tie around the waist. Matching perfectly is this caramel Rauwolf clutch.

She too has picked the perfect jewelry accessories from EFFY, specifically these pink ice earrings.

Her beauty look is also quite spectacular — Jill Crosby/hair stylist (chic sideswept bob-do, with help from Neutrogena styling products) & Heather Currie/make-up artist (great copper smoky eye & soft pink lip), also Neutrogena beauty products. All products came from the ever-convenient Walgreens.

SARAH PAULSON

Black & white looks were all over the PCAs, and I’m happy to see it re-appear here. Sarah looked chic and sophisticated in this custom Armani Prive gown with a structured cape top & black silk crepe skirt. The accessories coordinated perfectly, statement-making David Webb jewelry & an ivory Edie Parker clutch.

MARIA MENOUNOS

Maria was a golden goddess in this rich brocade gown by Romona Keveza. To further compliment her look, a few delicate diamond Neil Lane jewels.

To match her golden gown, a very bronzed beauty look, courtesy of Denise Borego. And finally, super sexy & straight hair, provided by Dimitris Giannetos.

SOFIA VERGARA

Red hot & smokin’, yup, that sums up Sofia’s one-shoulder Donna Karan Atelier gown, complete with gorgeous sheer paneling. This dress is truly captivating, from all angles! And of course she had no trouble selecting some beautiful jewelry, all from her own collection at Kay Jewelers, So Sofia!

ARIEL WINTER

Ariel is fully embodying old school Hollywood glam in this fitted Zac Posen gown with a train. She is really growing into such a beautiful young woman. She’s accessorized with a cute little black Salvatore Ferragamo clutch.

Every bit of styling here is perfection — retro waves, courtesy of Aviva Perea; Anita Patrickson for styling; and Spencer Barnes for make-up, a natural, fresh beauty look.

FELICITY JONES

Felicity was a vision in this blush Balenciaga gown, inclusive of a criss-cross bodice. Every aspect of this look was full-on elegance, especially her pearl Van Cleef and Arpels pearl earrings. Her stylist, Karla Welch, gets major kudos for this one!

REESE WITHERSPOON

Reese’s white one-shoulder custom Giorgio Armani gown is understated, but it’s the very definition of minimalism at it’s best. And I love it! It has just the right amount of sparkle & drama, provided by the matte sequin detailing and a deep scoop back. Leslie Fremar did an amazing job styling this look!

Reese’s selection of Harry Winston jewels were stunning, emerald-cut diamond drop earrings, princess-cut diamond line bracelet, and a cushion-cut pink sapphire and diamond cluster ring.

Love the classically chic ponytail, courtesy of Adir Abergel.

You might not be able to see them, but here are the gold Jimmy Choo “Patsy” platform heels she paired with this look.

Just stunning all around, again, courtesy of some lovely Harry Winston jewels, $3.5 million worth to be exact.

Her beauty look was also quite complimentary, subtle rose lip and cheeks, all thanks to Molly R. Stern.

BROOKE ANDERSON

Brooke looks breathtaking in this lace Jovani gown with an embellished bodice. Her makeup was done beautifully, bold smoky eye & sunkist cheeks, courtesy of Rebecca Epifano. Her locks were also superbly blown out, thanks to Anna Rose.

MELISSA FUMERO

I can’t get over how much I love this look. Melissa’s stylist, Annabelle Harron, did a wonderful job. Her Jacob & Co. jewelry pieces were both bold and elegant. There is not anything I don’t love about this Maxime Simoens royal blue gown, especially this color, but very much too the structured bodice. She completed her look with just the right accessories — black Alexandre Birman heels and black geometric-shaped Rauwolf clutch.

All aspects of the styling were just as great as this dress, Jerilynn Stephens for creating this super sleek straight hair look & Sage Maitri for this dramatic beauty regimen.

KIMIKO GLENN

Kimiko’s nude strapless Gemy Maalouf is immaculately stunning, definitely one of my faves of the night. The fit is great. And the tulle sheer detailing on the side gives this gown a special touch. The accessories here are also great — Loren Stewart jewelry, and the styling, SUPERB!! Styling — Lawren Sample; hair, Daven Mayeda, subtle waves, & make-up by Carissa Ferreri, soft, natural, and beautiful!

Another great jewelry accessory, pretty cool Dionea Orcini earrings.

JENNIFER ANISTON

Jen looked radiant in this vintage Galiano gown, which hailed from the designer’s spring 1998 collection in Paris.

The peacock-print beading from top to bottom was brimming with elegance. We’ve all been hoping for more than black from Jen on the red carpet, and she delivered!

The bodychain necklace was of course stunning, but let’s not overlook some just as gorgeous gold and diamond pieces from Fred Leighton jewelry.

Manicurist Tom Bachik swept on L’Oréal Paris Extraordinaire Gel-Lacque 1-2-3 in Bold Bordeaux to compliment her makeup look. Such a rich color, and it coordinated perfectly with Jen’s vintage gown.

Naturally, celeb makeup artist Angela Levin was determined to make her face just as radiant to work with her entire look. Using all Chanel products, the makeup pro applied Chanel Lift Lumière Firming and Smoothing Sunscreen Fluid Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 to Aniston’s face. The foundation, Levin says, works beautifully on someone with a tan, which Aniston had courtesy of her recent trip to Cabo San Lucas. For Aniston’s lip-tastic pucker, the Chanel artist prepped the actress’ lips with Chanel Rouge Coco Baume Hydrating Conditioning Lip Balm. Levin filled Aniston’s lips with a neutral-toned lip liner to keep the color in place, adding a quick swipe of Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in Sensuel for shine as the nominee was stepping out the door.

Now let’s get to this dazzling Amrit bodychain necklace — the talk of the town since she’s donned this necklace style twice in a row for 2 major red carpets. Sat Hari is the talented designer behind this brilliant creation. Hari, who was born in the U.S. and went to school in India, is the creator of the black diamond body chain and necklace that Aniston wore. [Black Diamond “Make Love” Lariat Necklace, $1,800]. Ryan Hastings and Jena Covello introduced Jen to this unique brand.

To create her undone, piece-y texture, hairstylist Chris McMillan spritzed Living Proof Instant Texture Mist onto the ends of her hair. You can’t wear a dress like that without a bombshell hairstyle! To complement the dress’ “beautiful bohemian vibe,” McMillan gave Aniston a fresh blowout using a big, round brush. For extra volume, he used Living Proof’s yet-to-be-released product, Blowout (it hits Ulta.com this April). Finally, McMillan sprayed their brand’s Instant Texture Mist into his hands, working the liquid into her ends to create the style’s textured finish.

MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL

Maggie was ravishing in white, specifically a white Thakoon dress with sheer detailing on the bodice. She accessorized well with Bulgari jewelry and a copper printed clutch.

KALEY CUOCO

Kaley went bold and daring with red, but it was all in all such a sweet look, adorable little bow tie knot belt to cinch the waist. Her strapless Romona Keveza gown was AMAZING!

And for some needed sparkle, check out her exquisite diamond Forevermark jewelry.

VIOLA DAVIS

Viola is smashing in this white Max Mara halter gown. She is showing age ain’t nothin’ but a number. And she is looking young and modern. She made use of some great accessories, a black and gold Sidney Molepo clutch.

Also, striking Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry, specifically these tangerine pearl earrings.

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS

Julia’s black Monique Lhuillier gown with lace sleeves is so pretty, first class all the way! It’s the embodiment of retro-glam — LOVE IT!

Her diamond Fred Leighton jewelry made for the perfect accessories!

SARAH HYLAND

This custom Vera Wang Collection black and silk gown with a sheer tulle overlay with a jeweled bodice I just can’t get over. Sarah made the right choice here! It’s eye-catching and in the best way possible. The intricately embellished bodice is so detailed and very captivating, brimming with large rhinestones and gems.

And what about these gorgeous Lorraine Schwartz jewelry pieces — sapphires & diamonds — LOVE!!

This look was styled by Brad Goreski and he did a spectacular job!

Ryan Richman was the visionary for this chic, twisted up-do. It’s such a modern take on an updo, great work! He made use of KMS California hair products. Oooooo, and check out a snippet of this stunning racer back angle!

DIANE GUERRERO

Diane is magically combining sexiness and glam in this one fiery red Jill Stuart gown with a plunging neckline. The entire look was styled by Erica Lave.

Lauren Bates styled this beautiful pulled back look. And Tay Rivera did a wonderful job on this beauty look — bold smoky eye & perfectly pink lip.

And the Kallati jewelry pieces, impressively pretty.

ALYSIA REINER

Ahhhh, old-school Hollywood glam, love seeing so much of it on the red carpet. And Alysia surely stuns with the rest of the glam-squad in her red strapless Christian Siriano gown.

And whoa! Major bling alert, exquisite diamond Simon G. jewelry.

Courtesy of Matrix salon, George Papanikolas was able to perfectly capture retro waves to coordinate with Alysia’s old-school Hollywood vibe. And what about Anton K. Hach’s daring beauty look, shimmery silver eye and luscious red lip, striking!

ANDREA RISEBOROUGH

Andrea’s mint green Escada gown, with a criss cross haltered neckline, is another look that captivates me. It’s ethereal and the details make this dress a stand-out, everything from the lovely color to detailed neckline. The shiny silver accessories are spot on, tiny little sparkly silver Swarovski clutch and diamond Chopard jewelry.

MICHAEL KEATON

Michael, quite dapper in this classic black tuxe with a black bowtie!

MARIO LOPEZ

And Mario, handsome as ever in his charcoal great suit.

2015 PCAs — It’s All About the Firsts Baby!

Posted on January 8, 2015 by SMM

First awards show of the year, aka 1st major red carpet. Thus, the 1st Best Dressed List of 2015 for Fashion Nexus! And based off this list, a first for my fashion blog, if I’m not mistaken, I included a decent amount of pant suits or jumpsuits. Usually, I am not a fan, but these ladies tailored their looks so well; the fit was very much on point. So without further adieu, here are my top fave looks for the 2015 People’s Choice Awards!!

Allison Janney

Allison’s all over glittery silver Rani Zakhem fitted dress dazzled. It sort of reminded me of a disco ball, but I could care less. This was glitz and glam perfection! She accessorized her look with a deep red Devi Kroell clutch and diamond Martin Katz jewels.

Allison really showcased high fashion & style throughout the night as she was the co-host of the PCAs. I think she rocked her sexy side in the red fitted knee-length dress with lace detailing. She also found a way to keep up with a red carpet trend of the night, making pants suits WERK, and she did so just as well as the rest with her all white suited look. She hit high marks with another trend for the night, all black looks, as she looked fab in her embellished black gown. And to top her night off of many fashionable looks, a fitted turquoise gown — A++ Allison, you did great at hosting, but also at being a fashion queen for the Red Carpet!

Anna Faris’ looks were not too shabby either as she was the other co-host. She found the fun with this embellished tangerine Georges Hobeika knee-length dress. She too rocked an all white suited look alongside Allison. She certainly then found the glam with her all-over embellished black floor-length gown. The 4th look was her red carpet number, not my fave of the night, but still showcasing a bit of sass with this 2-piece Juan Carlos Obando look. And then finally, super sexy, yet chic, in this long-sleeved sparkly gold mini. Overall, I still give Anna high marks for her many fashionable choices!

Giuliana Rancic

Giuliana went old school Hollywood glam in this fit & flare mint green Tony Ward dress. All styling was perfectly in line with this retro-glam vibe. Kudos to her whole team — styling by Monica Rose; soft, subtle makeup by Daniel Deleno; & luscious waves by Melissa Brown.

Portia de Rossi

This is a stunning jumpsuit. Portia definitely picked a winner in this royal blue Zuhair Murad look with a geometric print bodice. It was such a chic, minimalistic ensemble, as were her accessory choices — nude Giuseppe Zanotti heels and Jacquie Aiche jewelry.

Stana Katic

Stana was the elegant belle of the ball in this flowing black and white floral Carolina Herrera gown. To top off this breathtaking look, her black Amanda Pearl clutch and Neil Lane jewelry.

Brooke Anderson

Not sure who Brooke is wearing, but I love this 2-piece black look. What’s not to love! — the full skirt, the embellished bodice. She just looks so effortlessly chic and elegant.

Sarah Hyland

Sarah, like Allison, also chose a sparkling silver number. She went with this gorgeous Christian Siriano short dress with an embellished sheer overlay. And her silver coloring didn’t end there — silver Stuart Weitzman heels, a silver Jil Milan clutch, and silver/diamond Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. She even made use of some statement-making silver eye-shadow. But all silver was no problemo for me, I loved this fresh, youthful look for her.

Bella Thorne

Bella was in H2T Armani. As I said earlier, not generally a fan of pant suits for the runway, but this look was so chic, so fitted, very well tailored. She not only looked effortlessly beautiful with her look, but also her beauty regime — compliments of Neutrogena from Walgreens, Zen lashes, with Neutrogena brand Ambassador Amy Oresman to assist in providing this glowing make-up look, bold red lip, and then also, gorgeous waves, courtesy of Castillo hair.

Monica Potter

Another all black look, this time a DVF jumpsuit with a chain-linked neckline. Monica appeared to be beaming all night, and why not when you can make an understated jumpsuit look so fabulous. She also donned some lovely Phillips House accessories.

Kimberly Perry

Not sure who Kimberly is wearing, but she looks stunning in this nude belted dress. She looks great, from head to toe, so another huge kudos for the styling team — CLD Style/PR; Luxury Brand PR; and stylist Cory B. Savage. She further accessorized her look with a leopard clutch and L’Dezen jewelry.

Ellen Pompeo

Ellen looks radiant in this blush pink Elie Saab jumpsuit with lace detailing. She looks mesmerizing! Her look is completed with Christian Louboutin shoes, a burgundy Salvatore Ferragamo clutch, Graziela Gems diamond stud earrings, and a Dana Rebecca Designs ring.

Katharine McPhee

Katharine looked super sexy in this black & white Balmain fitted number, with a midriff cutout and a criss-cross haltered top. She is accessorizing with heels from Daniele Michetti and Kwiat jewelry. Katharine had an amazing team behind her to create this STUNNING look — Jeff K Kim for styling; chic updo from Kylee Heath; & a bold, luscious beauty look with dark burgundy lip by Kindra Mann-Weber.

Fifth Harmony

Two trends of the night, all black & nude/blush looks. Fifth Harmony made use of both to create their ensemble of looks for the group. Each gal looks super sexy in their individual fitted look!

Ally looked sexy fab as she wore a black strapless DSquared2 mini and dramatic heels, with some statement-making jewelry from Lionette by Noa Sade and Charles Albert.

Normani rocked a sexy casual look, wearing a DSquared2 jacket and leather skirt combo, and also donning some statement jewelry, dangling earrings from Lionette by Noa Sade.

This was a near total DSquared2 night for the gals, as Lauren was also in a fitted DSquared2 dress, but she opted for PUSHMATAaHa jewelry.

I’ve seen Dinah’s fitted long-sleeved DSquared2 dress on a different red carpet, but she rocked it just as well, complete with Charles Albert jewels.

And finally, Camilla wore a Gemy Maalouf 2-piece ensemble, a barely there number for sure, with nude Alejandra G. heels.

Chris Evans

What best dressed list would be complete without a few handsome gentleman to grace us with their presence. Chris looks casually laid back, relaxed, & suave in this sweater/slacks look. As you will see, the boys loved their many shades of blue!

As I said, the guys loved some blue looks, and Gregg certainly rocked this dark blue Marc Jacobs suit, very handsome indeed!

UTG Designers Sink Their Teeth into an Unconventional Materials Challenge!

Posted on February 9, 2014 by SMM

This week started off with a spooky setting — Vampire World, cemetery vibe, eery fog & all! Tim & the mentors were joined this week by Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland to help direct the designers for this week’s challenge. Sarah is also in the upcoming flick, Vampire Academy, which was perfectly fitting for this week. After showing the trailer, the designers were told to take inspiration from it, the setting, etc to create their looks. The graveyard set-up was filled with a variety of fabrics, but also unconventional materials. So yes, this week was all about the ever-popular unconventional looks, but the designers could use fabric as well. They had 10 minutes to gather as much unconventional items as they wanted and up to 5 bolts of fabrics.

There was one trip & fall (Nicholas) and some confusion with piles mixing up, but then it was off to the workroom. Before the mentors visited the designers, Tim took a moment to chat with them. Nick saw he needed to be more hands off. Mondo was told to not just provide emotional support, but also add in some hard core critical analysis. Tim told Anya to stay/keep on course. She too thought with having 2 designers in the top last week that she was good to go. As we will later see, these mentors now know they should never rest on their laurels!

I was very impressed by both Nick & Mondo this week with their mentoring changes. Mondo really became so hands on and was giving great direction. And this immensely paid off as he had 2 designers in the top and one was named the winner! Nick also had a good week; he was so much more hands off and really started to find that mentoring balance. I have to give him kudos as well for dealing with wacky Isabelle, I mean that is some patience he is practicing! I think she is not able to listen to anyone; she only wants to do what she wants to do. And if I have to see her jump while she is trying to get her point across, like she is 5 years old or something, I might flip, haha!

As far as Anya goes I really think I was right with my previous thoughts on her. I’m just not sure about her as a mentor. I couldn’t tell you one thing that she said or did last week that aided her having 2 in the top. And then this week, we saw that go all wrong! Shan kind of played it safe this week and didn’t really use a lot of unconventional materials. And this is exactly what we saw with both Brady & Nicholas, playing it safe and not really embracing the challenge. Anya needs to step it up if she wants to keep up with Nick & Mondo! And with Brady out, I think Blake is her golden ticket, but again I have to question how much is her mentoring really helping him?? Guess we shall have to wait & see!

It was finally the day of the runway — we saw Oscar having just one of his generous moments this week; he and Nicholas’ model both helped Nick cover his chain-links. We then saw another disobedient and disrespectful moment from Isabelle. She 1st declared she was changing some of the shape with her netting around her dress. Then Tim had to rush her out of the workroom, AGAIN! Then AGAIN, he had to raise his voice at her to get her to stop sewing while waiting to head down to the runway. She is clearly trying to break rules when she can and just hoping because she comes off as eccentric/loopy that maybe she can get by with it. And if next week’s scenes are any indicator, it’s clear she is going to keep doing this, AWKWARD!

The judging panel had 2 guest judges this week. Designer Trina Turk was filling in for Rachel Roy. And then another star from the upcoming Vampire Academy, Zoey Deutch, was also on board to critique the vampire-y inspirations this week! So who sunk their teeth into this week’s challenge with a savory outcome and who bit off more than they could chew?!?

There was a top & bottom 3 so here are some tidbits from the middle. Blake did another great structured LBD. To me this was what, as you will see further down, Isabelle just didn’t do well at all. There has to be thought and design behind netting, not just looping it around your garment. Shout-out to Benefit Cosmetics here for the great smoky eye and also to BlowPro for the chic up-do! Also, you can see Sam’s fun plaid dress so great work to both of these guys!

I felt like we didn’t see Natalia all episode, but she also had a great look and I can’t wait to see more from her in the coming weeks, hopefully! Shan’s look to me was safe, but shout-out to the teams who helped with the rest of the look — another great smoky eye from Benefit Cosmetics, chic ponytail from BlowPro, and also, I love the accessory details here from Francesca’s.

And then WOW, where was Stephanie all episode?? I mean if this isn’t a comeback I don’t know what it is. From that hot mess prom dress gone wrong last week to this very chic white look this week, I mean WOW! She paid so much attention to making a great fit here and really to the details. Welcome to the competition Stephanie! Shout-out again to Benefit Cosmetics, great job this week and I love the bold red lip here!

Tim also awarded a special prize this week before announcing the top & bottom. Benefit Cosmetics will randomly award an extra $1000 to a designer for giving a boosted performance or something like that. But this week, that lucky winner was Oscar and I think this was well deserved. He created a top 3 look, helped Nicholas, and apparently swept the workroom?? I mean, what a great guy!

Since we are on Oscar, let’s start with the top 3. Oscar’s top 3 placement was well deserved. I was surprised he was not top 2, but nonetheless, JOB WELL DONE! His story was about a Jewish vampire and inspiration drawn from the blood. You can see all of that here from the splattered red bodice to the Yamaka. I love seeing something different and a jumpsuit counts as that! Great accessories also this week, with Francesca’s, love the sheer black booties & perfect little black clutch!!

Asha took that top 2 coveted spot and I wasn’t surprised she was in the Top 3. As Zoey mentioned, I didn’t care for the purple pieces matched with the red feathered, or I guess hay-ed dress. It reminded me of ladies who are in that Red Hat Society or something like that where they pair red & purple all the time. I wasn’t flipping over that, but I think the red undergarment was SPOT ON! It was all very fitting for her Voodoo Priestess!

And then finally, the winner this week, MICHELLE!! I was so excited for her comeback this week. I mean this was not just coming back, but busting thru a wall or something crazy like that! The print was so stunningly eye-catching. And I disagreed with Zanna and loved the pairing with the neckline adorned branches and baby’s breath. There was great construction, fit, flare, and structure. This look had it all, but without going in too many different directions. LOVE!

With the bottom I was utterly disappointed that Isabelle wasn’t at least in the bottom 2. I mean I knew she wasn’t going anywhere because we hadn’t seen her big scene yet, which has been in previews before. But her look was really just a navy blue tube dress with some red netting tossed around it. Nothing special, no design, just plain, crazy, wacky-style Isabelle. It was mentioned there was at least some risk, but hey, risks should not always be rewarded!

Now to my sadder part because we have to say bye to Brady this week!! Ahhhh, so hard to write. I think Brady is just an awesomely nice guy and great designer. He has a great vision and style, but I think Anya messed that up this week. She kept talking about Junior this & Junior that, but there is a difference between Junior and street-style or street-wear or even just designing with a youthful thought in mind. Brady’s sparkled dress this week was a bit safe, but still him and was definitely wearable. But matching it with the navy moto blazer just made it too disjointed.

(shout-out, great side swept-do from BlowPro!!)

We then go to Nicholas’s yawn-worthy brown knee-length dress with the chain detail, but it wasn’t thrilling. It was too monochromatic. If the chain or dress was a different color, it would have worked better. It was also just too basic, too simple; it was just a sheath dress, nothing special, again, where is the design aspect?? And then to top it all off, so Nicholas & Brady comprised the bottom 2. The judges decided to let Anya pick who to send home?? I mean, I’m not sure about her mentoring abilities, but now she gets to play master with someone’s future. She made the wrong decision. I mean really Isabelle should have gone home for me this week, but Brady leaving is a travesty! I’m trying to give her a little leeway, but this week, NOPE, just can’t do it!

PRAS Designers Partner in Crime to Take on Bonnie & Clyde

Posted on November 23, 2013 by SMM

PRAS designers get the team/pair’s challenge marching orders this week and so we know what this means, sheer brilliance or utter disasters! I think we got a mix of both, some great looks, no major freakouts, but certainly some interesting collaborations!

So this week was all about Lifetime’s promotion of its new mini-series Bonnie & Clyde, starring Emile Hirsch. It also stars Sarah Hyland and Holliday Grainger who gave the designers the instructions for this week’s challenge. The designers were to work in pairs and create young modern looks inspired by the 1930s and the B&C duo. They were to capture the glamour and romance of this era in both a menswear and womenswear look. The designers were judged separately, but the looks needed to still be complimentary. One designer in the duo would tackle each look for this 1 day challenge.

The PRAS designers definitely showed some maturity and brought some surprises with this pair challenge. Christopher won last week so he got to choose first and selected Viktor. They worked so well and were very helpful with each other. This was so nice to see and definitely was seen with all of the other duos, which was surprising since it would be a solo win, not a team win. Viktor got to choose who would select next and so he chose Seth Aaron who decided to work with Jeffrey. Jeffrey was clearly down this week from his many bottom placements, but Seth Aaron was right by his side, pushing and encouraging, which was so great to see! Jeffrey then chose Irina who selected Mychael. And so, we were left with Korto and Elena, who ended up working very well together. Korto balanced some of the Elena crazy!

Elena was of course a bit bothered that Viktor didn’t pick her so I wonder where this frenemy setup is going! Zanna came by for her rundowns and basically encouraged the collaborative partnerships and to use that support for editing eyes! I did feel badly for Jeffrey with his model fitting. His model’s measurements were a year old and Jeffrey was close to finished with his fitted jacket so that blew that he had to make so many changes. But as Irina pointed out, you have to take those moments in stride and move forward.

The gorgeous Georgina Chapman of Marchesa was absent this week so more guest judges arrived to the rescue — former PR and PRAS designer Austin Scarlett, famous supermodel Bar Refaeli, and modern designer Elie Tahari. It was of course sad to see anyone go since there is a lot of talent this season, but the top and bottom were pretty much on point. The winning look would receive a film credit for the film series.

It was hard this week to fully grasp the top and bottom because it seemed as if the judges weren’t in complete agreement and that some elements of the garments the judges liked, but for others aspects, they didn’t. Elena and Korto were in the safe zone this week, but who was in the bottom?

I thought Seth Aaron’s popping purple trench coat look was pretty great. I saw the 30’s in the lines and silhouettes, but there were modern touches to it and I loved his attention to details this week. I also thought Alyssa was a huge fan, but then we heard from the other judges who just thought it was a bit too much and that surprisingly placed Seth in the bottom. He was quickly saved and so it came down to Viktor and Mychael in the bottom.

I would hate seeing either go, but I did find issues with both garments. Viktor’s look, the fringe was over the top, the cut of the jacket was so wide and a bit off-putting. But menswear is hard to do and is not ever been done very well on this show. Mychael was out this week, which was sad, but his menswear piece was also not a standout. The gold and leather was an odd combo, the jacket was also very short and it just read feminine, not menswear. So adios to Mychael, but what did the top look like this week.

I am glad Irina finally was in the top, but again it was confusing with the feedback. Some liked the masculine leather jacket, while other judges didn’t. I think hands down her sequined top and flowing gold skirt were flawless, but she did find herself nonetheless in the top. Congrats! I was rooting for Christopher this week because his dark red or burgundy sheer, deep V-neck dress was just stunning. But I think the judges were impressed with Jeffrey for his comeback and with a decent menswear look so he got the win with his grey elongated trench coat. He is back on track so the question is, will he stay there?!?

Tune in next week and also remember to keep up with Fashion Nexus by liking my page on Facebook for more upcoming GIVEAWAYS!

Fashion Nexus

A fashion blog for anything & everything fashion, including fashion law topics

Tag Archives: Sarah Hyland

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Fashion Nexus

A fashion blog for anything & everything fashion, including fashion law topics

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