MEOW! I think JS has put on a few.....and that Kors dress was HIDEOUS.

We watched the show last night. I actually liked some of Gretchen's designs. I love the southwest and could see myself wearing some of the pieces. She will be a good ready to wear designer. But that wasn't what I thought Project Runway was about. Obviously Mondo has the talent and imagination to be a great designer in the long run. Why were the judges so stuck on what was current? I thought high fashion design was about imagining where the future could go.

Actually the whole discussion by the judges makes me think there is something else going on.The two judges seems just plain mad that Mondo still showed the dotted dress. I'd never realized the judges were dictating how the designer should design. Silly me thought they were suggestions. I heard Tim Gunn was really frustrated with how things were going this season. There is something underlying it all.

I'm feeling confused about it LB. Gretchen's collection actually didn't seem that wearable to me. All those loose flowy long dresses, the leather paneling at the bust, those patchwork pants, copper wideleg pants...all very hard to wear. Her aesthetic in general and love of sportswear is salable, and no doubt there's a market for it...but as you said, that's not what PR is about. At least it wasn't in the past.

She is current. Big deal. But Mondo is the future. The easy breezy 70's thing started last spring, when fall collections were first revealed. It's happening right now, which is as good as yesterday as far as I'm concerned. In fact, Nina and Michael really had no way to know what the spring 2011 trends were, because they hadn't been shown yet to any great effect at the time of showing. The PR finale takes place on the first day of NYFW. So their comment that she was "now" was really stupid and shortsighted of them. Michael Kors, I believe, is supremely biased. He saw himself vs. Galliano in Gretchen and Mondo, respectively, and started singlehandedly tearing him down. That remark totally made me lose respect for him. He's not a stupid man nor a bad designer, but he sure is a cranky and cynical drama queen and possibly needs some therapy.

Nina's remark that SA is "so last year" is also idiotic. He's not "last year." He's 6 months ago, and as you can see from the examples below, isn't going anywhere fast.

Some of the greatest movers and shakers in the industry are being reflected in Mondo's work:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FW86.....1600/1.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FW86.....1600/3.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FW86.....1600/4.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FW86.....1600/5.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FW86.....1600/2.jpg

All from Spring '11 collections.

Nina's Twitter feed tells it all:

http://twitter.com/fashionNinaG

Gretchen listened but Mondo didn't. That's all this was about. Two fashion industry giants threw a fit because a Project Runway contestant trusted his own instincts over theirs. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

All this time, even when I didn't agree with their choices, I always respected their decisions and knew they were the experts and I was not. But this is just so out-and-out wrong and wacky that there really is no way to see their point. I wish they would just come out and tell the truth: Project Runway is being systematically dumbed down in a failed attempt to bring in a broader audience during a recession.

p.s. That show does not deserve Tim Gunn. He's a gem and needs his own show where he can shine.

Truth to power, Maya. You go.

I'm sorry but my seething rage knows no bounds...

I thought it was awful when Michael Kors sarcastically told Heidi to "wiggle into" Mondo's polkadot dress.

First of all, he basically invalidated and dismissed her opinion, then had the nerve to imply that she is too fat to wear that dress. It was painful.

Uggghhh. I'm so embarrassed I was ever a fan.

And this? This sooo wins.

http://www.nytimes.com/package.....lide_show/

...over this garbage

http://www.nytimes.com/package.....lide_show/

I got such a kick out of my big tall white gym shoe wearing DH. You would think he wouldn't have a clue about style. He was all for Mondo. Who would have thought? I kind of liked the color and feel of Gretchen's collection though I can see what Maya is saying about the materials. But DH said it was blah and shapeless so I won't run out and buy.

He also said "Sure Nina wouldn't wear the polka dot dress, she's too fat". My hubby the fashion critic.

I am so disappointed with not only the outcome of the show, but the shallow minds and snarky attitudes of the judges, particularly Michael Kors, who seems to think he's some kind of fashion genius. I'm both surprised AND impressed that Tim Gunn, with all his grace and class, tolerates such blatant buffoonery. For sure he has bitten his tongue more than once over all the drama on this show. Nina needs to get a clue about upcoming trends. NINA: check out the fashion trendsetter website that is accessible to EVERYONE. Duh. I've already printed out all the color/style predictions for Spring 2011 and put them in a binder for inspiration. And her snide comment about Seth Aaron was idiotic.

Gee, Maya, you got me going again. Galliano blows Mikey out of the water. Period.

No more PR for me except reruns of the previous season with Seth Aaron. I WILL watch that!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lovem....._shop_more
http://www.justiceformondo.com/Site/Home.html

I recommend buying from the first link so it goes directly to Mondo. I have no idea whose cashing in on the second site, so I'm less comfortable with it.

Tim was allegedly called upon as a last ditch effort to swing the vote for Mondo. Edit: I'm mistaken--he DID try to swing it. For Mondo.

I would like to see Alexis Bryan Morgan, who replaced Nina at Elle, and Naeem Khan replace Nina and MK as judges. I want the sponsor to go back to either Bluefly or Banana Republic, and enough with the f*@&#&ing product placement from Garnier, HP, and L'Oreal. I just want the show to represent quality again and select quality designers.

PS: A quote from Tim:

"Mondo will do fabulously. Gretchen needs the money."

I half to weigh in here. I love Mondo's designs but did not think his collection was cohesive and thought some of his designs very "junior" like Nina stated. I did love the polkadot dress and was thrilled that he was brave enough to show it even though it was critiqued.He is an amazing talent and will be in great demand. I think he will grow as a designer very quickly. Gretchen is such a difficult and unlikable personality, it is hard to want her to win. I liked some of her clothes and would probably wear them over Mondo's because of my own style but did not think they were runway worthy. Overall- this was a weak group. I am not sure who should have won. Mondo is a great talent but his collection did not seem like a winning show. Tough year. Gretchen had wearable cohesive designs but no real "wow' factor. I thought for sure Mondo would win but can understand why it was not unanimous. Gretchen does need the money and Mondo will be famous. He was a lovely person, very courageous and good- hearted. Everyone will remember that along with his designs

Jean, I'm going to be very bold here, and I hope you don't mind!

When you say you would wear Gretchen's clothes: I don't believe you! I don't believe you because I know what a stylish, gorgeous creature you are. You are one of my style idols on YLF! You would never be caught dead in: knit granny panties, a bum sling hanging out of your dress as if to catch any errant waste, anything with an [unflattering] open back for day to day life, a pair of ill fitting copper pants with weird crotch pleats and camel toe wrinkles, patchwork pants that make you look like you had an accident, a very shiny reptile-colored leather robe, prints that don't work together at all in the same outfit because they're the exact same color and scale, short shorts made of the same shiny reptile leather as the robe, and yet another look with the shiny reptile leather as part of an ill fitting bodice.

No my dear Jean, you would not wear any of that! The ONLY thing I could potentially see you wearing is the second dress. I liked the cutouts at the shoulder and the flow, but the open back was still a problem and frankly it's still not the stuff of a Project Runway season 8 winner.

Superficially, it sounds like your style, but believe me, you are heads and shoulders above that.

Yes, it was a VERY weak group, but that should have made Mondo's win all the more clear. He was really the only one who could stand against the talent of seasons past. I read somewhere that Ivy tried out 3 times before this season and was rejected. What was it that finally allowed her complete lack of design to make it in this time around? Who knows? Maybe because she is a walking drama machine. I don't know, but it seems like PR has taken on a fundamentally different tone from where it started, and it's just not for me anymore.

Maya, where are you reading all of the inside scoop, for example, on Tim Gunn's opinion? I'm curious, because it was obvious that he was rooting for Mondo.

I think their decision simply boils down to liking Gretchen's clothes better. I remember in Season 2, when Chloe Dao won. I was seriously confused. How could the judges possibly like all of these satin, overblown prom dresses?! But that's what they picked. It's very subjective, of course, and you see it all the time in fashion (or literature, or music, or art...). Why is one piece of work or one collection held up in high esteem and valued, while another is snubbed? Why does a fashion critic fall over herself to praise Marc Jacobs, and then ridicule another designer for mining the past too much? Beauty is really in the eye of the beholder. It's not about logic or merit (based on an agreed-upon set of standards), but about what's appealing to the people with the power to make judgments.

jonesy, you nailed it. There is nothing more SUBJECTIVE than fashion. Unless it's art.....

I'll still watch PR, even though I was surprised by the result of the finale. I really like seeing how they develop the clothes. And it's good tv for me.
Did you see the NY times article about it? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10.....ef=fashion

The judges and I regularly have disagreements Jonesy. That's the fun part of this show: Everyone gets to have an opinion. It's no longer the domain of elite fashion industry insiders. I wanted Daniel V to win season 2, but I didn't object to Chloe's win. Honestly, all 3 of the finalists had a pretty weak showing compared to the rest of the season, but they all had strengths and weaknesses and it could have gone either way (though not to Santino). Same with season 3. I was team Uli, but Jeffrey won and I understood why. No worries there either.

This is soooooo different from just a routine disagreement though.

Gretchen's was just egregiously bad. Basic things like technical skill and fit were lacking, let alone what anyone thinks of her aesthetic. A lot of the detailing was arbitrary or just plain bizarre (like the bum sling). The prints weren't different enough to be complementary. They all looked the same, which made the entire thing look very monotone. The materials looked cheap. As I said, this just didn't look like $9000 worth of clothes. It didn't look expensive, as the judges so often like to mention. THIS IS NOT a Lincoln Center collection! It just isn't! It's not even a Project Runway finalist collection. Look at Irina, Jay, Seth Aaron, Christian or even some of the losers like Althea, Jillian, or Kara Janx. Their collections set the standard for this show, and there is no way anyone can argue that this collection was up to that standard.

And as I said, the same things they have been criticizing since the dawn of time suddenly became points of praise. That's shady. VERY shady.

The way I see it, one or more things happened here:

-N&M are petulant and egotistical and took it personally when Mondo didn't take their suggestion.

-As the new sponsor, Piperlime played a role in choosing the contestant that fits their brand better. This is the "dumbing down" I mentioned earlier. I'm sure there is another, much larger entity casting its shadow over this show. I just don't know who. Burnim Murray? Piperlime? Marie Claire? Lifetime?

-They all secretly knew that Mondo would succeed on his own, but Gretchen needed the money (as Tim pointed out).

-The old publicity line?

I don't know, but the reasons they gave were complete nonsense and it just feels condescending that they thought viewers would be stupid enough not to know the difference.

Judy, Thanks for the link. That is really interesting on what and how things looked different live compared to on TV. I'd never thought about that before.

I finally sat down tonight and watched the finale. I am just speechless - I already knew what the decision was, and I was still shocked. The dialogue between the judges was so odd - there was just something really weird going on! They completely contradicted everything that they have ever said in past seasons about how they've picked the winner. I don't get it!

Maya, I am with you, but willing to give PR another season to redeem itself.

It seems like MK and NG played the "we are part of the fashion industry and you aren't" card with Heidi and Jessica. They had no chance once MK started the personal insulting. Has anyone noticed that M and N have a blog together? Maybe they're trying to break free. I say, good riddance!

I am absolutely SICK of the product placements. Piperlime? FIne. But all that Garnier crap was such a waste of time this season and so blatant it was like watching a commercial. How about some subtlety in your marketing, people?

I love the Team Mondo shirt!!

But both Heidi and Jessica ARE part of the fashion industry, to some extent. Both have design lines, etc. I was pretty horrified when MK cattily said "hello, read a magazine!" to Jessica. I don't think a guest judge has ever been treated so rudely.

MPJ, Michael Kors has shown his true, ugly colors. He is just downright mean! I have a good mind to boycott the few Kors items I have in my closet!

And Jessica's line of shoes and bags are adorable AND affordable!