Project Runway All Stars-Coming Down the Runway to a Winner, Updates, Photos, Predictions

PIC OF DAY

There's been three interesting fashion challenges since I last wrote about Lifetime's Project Runway All Stars.


The challenges included designing a look for a rich woman attending a Broadway opening, designing an outfit based on the colors of selected country flags and in the most recent episode as of this writing, designing an avant garde outfit involving actual lights integrated with the fabric.

As I figure, avant garde must mean "way out" or "bizarre" or perhaps "something only Lady GaGa would wear".

Still and so, the all star designers met the challenges, some not so much.

There are four contenders left and we'll be watching the finale. We do, of course, have some well formed opinions as to who has a clue and who does not.

The four remaining contenders consist of Austin, Mondo, Kenley and Michael. Only Kenley is female, the rest are all male.

We begin with a short look at some of the fashions as submitted by the contenders over various challenges, just to get an idea of what the designers were coming up with.

Above is a look designed and submitted by Kenley and it's cute. But is it really the stuff of grand design? What it is is a jumpsuit type of affair that would look great on she with a perfect figure. The challenge was, I know, to design a look for a season and Kenley has the summer time of year.


Since there were then eight contenders remaining, each season had submissions by two designers. The one in the background here was submitted by Mondo. Of the two, the judges chose Kenley's polka dot jumpsuit. The judges said Mondo's design was too confusing when paired with accessories that were not well matched. Still, in review, Kenley tends to be safe and a bit boring. This is not the stuff of Project Runway All Star winners.

Above is a submission by Austin for the same challenge. The design in the background was submitted by Kara. Their season was spring and again, it's okay. Of the two the judges chose the spring look of Kara in the background. I think Austin's look is better but again, it looks like something I would put together and I'm no Project Runway All Star.

The above designs, on the left, are winter submissions, the right is fall. Of the winter look, contender Jerell submitted the one in the front. Michael submitted the one in the background. Of the two the judges chose Jerell design. You will note, as did the judges, the similarity in look of both of these design submissions.

On the fall submission, Mila has the background submission with Rami designing the outfit with the blue top. The judges chose Mila's design over Rami's but the issue is moot. Neither of these two contenders are part of the top four.

We move on to the fashion challenge of the flags. This was a most interesting challenge in that the contenders were charged with designing an outfit based on a country's flag.

Mondo won this challenge with his rather boring plain black dress above. The back of that dress was decorated with yellow and green strips, yellow and green being part of the colors of the Jamaican flag. Mila had New Guinea. Hers is that awful looking black and red thing-right. For the record, Mila got sent home for this, as well she should have been. Mondo won for his design and it is sophisticated, indeed. The back of his dress is artful with those diagonal stripes, enough to have given it class.

I know these fashion shows are not likely to have designs upon the runway showing off soft cardigans and button down blouses. It takes some courage to go off the beaten track. But Mila's thing, dear Lord, what woman would go out in that thing? It might be a good Halloween outfit for someone wanting to dress up as perhaps a schizophrenic or one possessed of multiple personalities.



Finally we had what is called the "avant garde" design challenge. Avant Garde, as I am to understand, means nutty, kooky, bizarre. Giving it a really cool french name is a way of making the concept just your normal everyday.

The five remaining designers were, for this challenge, given a budget for both hardware supplies as well as for material. Heh. Well they needed batteries and cords and lights of all sorts, for the challenge required that they fashion an outfit that shone from the light as well as from their own handsome design.

Austin was the winner of this project, above, which was kind of cool and was my personal favorite. Jerell got sent home for his design -right That thing reminds of that famous lampshade in "It's a Wonderful Life", the one made of a female leg with a shade at the top.

In fact, Jerell covered his model's legs with some sort of long black skirt thing that probably contributed to my association with the lamp.


So there we have it four remaining and I do have some predictions.



I don't see Kenley winning this thing. She might go on to fashion fame of some sort for she is talented. But she doesn't have a cutting edge mentality. Kenley designs for women like me. Which is great. But women like me do not go to grand galas. Women like me shop at J.C. Penny. Where Kenley, as I suspect, will be a designer of clothes.

I don't see Mondo, the little cutie pie looks like he should be playing second base on the Little League, either as a winner. My haphazard records do not have Mondo winning all that many runway competitions although he does well most times.

As I see it the contest will come down to Austin and Michael. If you held a gun to my head I'd have to give my predictive nod to Michael. My personal fave is Austin although his queerness is way overdone at times. Somebody tell Austin that we get that he's a homosexual, enough already.

But Austin does have an offbeat style about him that is becoming and speaks volumes about his creativity.

My mind says it will be Michael; my heart wants it to be Austin.


My earlier posts on Project Runway All Stars:

Project Runway All Stars-Might Be Overkill, Might Be Cool
Project Runway All Stars-Dressing Miss Piggy; She With Dirty Hair Sent Home

Project Runway All Stars airs on Lifetime, Thursdays, at 9pm.
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