Project Runway: The Stitch Is Back
May 10, 2019 2:18 PM - Season 17, Episode 9 - Subscribe
The designers are surprised to find their workspace decked-out in everything Elton John. They learn they’ll be creating an over-the-top look inspired by the movie, Rocketman. For a project this size they’ll need the help of some highly qualified assistants and are shocked to discover who they are.
General observations:
I could use less body objectification overall. Like, it's not okay for any gender of model and was really overwhelming in this one. Ew. Also notice how there were some heavily tattooed masculine models - and none of that for feminine models. PR could still stand to be masses more inclusive.
But, how about we don't cut things literally ON our model's faces, Jamall.
I was SO happy to have an exciting challenge again. Yes for sparkle and color and just going bananas. It was nice that it fit well with a promoted theme rather than trying desperately to draw some sort of connection from a sponsor/advertiser.
Hester: Yikes. I felt like this was going to be HER challenge. But that outfit was ... nothing? How did it even take too long to make the jacket? Because, unfortunately it doesn't seem like much of anything going on beyond some feathers.
Sebastian: Meh. Just.. Meh.
Venny: Yikes. This looks like a very cheap Halloween costume of a Vegas dancer. Just yikes.
Tessa: I actually sorta liked the 70s colour palette. But that's about it. Kinda boring and the fit of the pants was awful. And yeah, why are none of her hems finished.
Lela: Also a disaster. The overall starting point was really boring and messy. I understand having to try to fix an issue with the fabric, but a child's feather boa ain't the way to fix it.
Bishme: What a FANTASTIC look. It was super fell fitted, it felt like it could fit right into the film wardrobe. The sparkles wasn't just haphazard, it was designed.
Jamall: I'm just not at all a fan of Jamall's overall puffy aesthetic. It's not my thing and I don't think it fits the design challenge here.
Garo Sparo: I adored this. I think overall aesthetics I like Bishme better. But this REALLY fit the challenge and theme and was a really stunning silhouette.
PS: Sonia's attitude was awful. Even if you designed that ENTIRE outfit, you're doing it FOR Garo. It was like 7th grade all over again. Oof. Grow up, people.
posted by Crystalinne at 4:57 PM on May 10, 2019 [2 favorites]
I could use less body objectification overall. Like, it's not okay for any gender of model and was really overwhelming in this one. Ew. Also notice how there were some heavily tattooed masculine models - and none of that for feminine models. PR could still stand to be masses more inclusive.
But, how about we don't cut things literally ON our model's faces, Jamall.
I was SO happy to have an exciting challenge again. Yes for sparkle and color and just going bananas. It was nice that it fit well with a promoted theme rather than trying desperately to draw some sort of connection from a sponsor/advertiser.
Hester: Yikes. I felt like this was going to be HER challenge. But that outfit was ... nothing? How did it even take too long to make the jacket? Because, unfortunately it doesn't seem like much of anything going on beyond some feathers.
Sebastian: Meh. Just.. Meh.
Venny: Yikes. This looks like a very cheap Halloween costume of a Vegas dancer. Just yikes.
Tessa: I actually sorta liked the 70s colour palette. But that's about it. Kinda boring and the fit of the pants was awful. And yeah, why are none of her hems finished.
Lela: Also a disaster. The overall starting point was really boring and messy. I understand having to try to fix an issue with the fabric, but a child's feather boa ain't the way to fix it.
Bishme: What a FANTASTIC look. It was super fell fitted, it felt like it could fit right into the film wardrobe. The sparkles wasn't just haphazard, it was designed.
Jamall: I'm just not at all a fan of Jamall's overall puffy aesthetic. It's not my thing and I don't think it fits the design challenge here.
Garo Sparo: I adored this. I think overall aesthetics I like Bishme better. But this REALLY fit the challenge and theme and was a really stunning silhouette.
PS: Sonia's attitude was awful. Even if you designed that ENTIRE outfit, you're doing it FOR Garo. It was like 7th grade all over again. Oof. Grow up, people.
posted by Crystalinne at 4:57 PM on May 10, 2019 [2 favorites]
This is the second time Hester has chosen to use immunity to "make a joke." Told you all that "uncertainty" was a put-on. I swear I don't come to the episode looking to dislike her! But she almost reminds me of Santino.
Some of the pieces had more of a Bootsy Collins/Sun Ra look to them than Elton John, I think. (Not a bad thing, but maybe not quite on brief.) Bishme's I could not get behind, as the look reminded me too much of some random comedy skit of a man playing a penis in a condom, only in zebraskin. Garo's felt...like a pastiche. Obviously there were some fairly narrow parameters on this challenge, but it felt like he just took the average of the costumes from the trailers (or what he remembers from the 80s) without adding much creativity. However I do recognize that his didn't look cheap and did look fully worked-out, unlike some; not an easy feat given the challenge.
posted by praemunire at 5:13 PM on May 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
Some of the pieces had more of a Bootsy Collins/Sun Ra look to them than Elton John, I think. (Not a bad thing, but maybe not quite on brief.) Bishme's I could not get behind, as the look reminded me too much of some random comedy skit of a man playing a penis in a condom, only in zebraskin. Garo's felt...like a pastiche. Obviously there were some fairly narrow parameters on this challenge, but it felt like he just took the average of the costumes from the trailers (or what he remembers from the 80s) without adding much creativity. However I do recognize that his didn't look cheap and did look fully worked-out, unlike some; not an easy feat given the challenge.
posted by praemunire at 5:13 PM on May 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
a child's feather boa ain't the way to fix it.
I really didn't think it was fair for them to complain about the presence of feathers in an Elton John challenge, though.
posted by praemunire at 5:14 PM on May 10, 2019 [3 favorites]
I really didn't think it was fair for them to complain about the presence of feathers in an Elton John challenge, though.
posted by praemunire at 5:14 PM on May 10, 2019 [3 favorites]
(Oops, having just looked at TLo's review, I meant Jamall's, not Bishme's. And I swear I did not read that review before talking about Bootsy Collins and Garo's relative unoriginality! Or the feathers! Never have I been so in sync with those two.)
posted by praemunire at 12:40 AM on May 11, 2019
posted by praemunire at 12:40 AM on May 11, 2019
Interesting that all the male models were lithe.
Once again Jamall gets overpraised for an outfit, one that did not fit the brief at all.. It was supposed to be stagewear from the 70s-80s. His model was swallowed up by that overstuffed deconstructed jacket. Styles from the 70s were very close to the body. The 80s were more exaggerated but never cocoon-like.
Garo's was very impressive with the detail he managed to incorporate and Bisme's was more creative. I wish they made it a double-win, especially since there is no more immunity.
I think Hester did okay, it was definitely 70s. Not sure why she picked Korvid to help because his skillset is very limited. Also didn't understand why the jacket had to be finished before she could start on the pants. Her rooster inspiration was clever but she limited her color choices unnecessarily.
Poor Sebastian, and next week's challenge doesn't look any easier for him. He's the most talented but he's not tuned into the achingly hip or die theme for this season.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:03 AM on May 11, 2019
Once again Jamall gets overpraised for an outfit, one that did not fit the brief at all.. It was supposed to be stagewear from the 70s-80s. His model was swallowed up by that overstuffed deconstructed jacket. Styles from the 70s were very close to the body. The 80s were more exaggerated but never cocoon-like.
Garo's was very impressive with the detail he managed to incorporate and Bisme's was more creative. I wish they made it a double-win, especially since there is no more immunity.
I think Hester did okay, it was definitely 70s. Not sure why she picked Korvid to help because his skillset is very limited. Also didn't understand why the jacket had to be finished before she could start on the pants. Her rooster inspiration was clever but she limited her color choices unnecessarily.
Poor Sebastian, and next week's challenge doesn't look any easier for him. He's the most talented but he's not tuned into the achingly hip or die theme for this season.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:03 AM on May 11, 2019
All of the comments about how the male models looked and smelled....UGH.
posted by the webmistress at 1:35 PM on May 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by the webmistress at 1:35 PM on May 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
Mr. Freedom and I did get a chuckle out of the description of Tessa's look as "Elton John's day wear".
I agreed with Elaine: both Garo's and Bishme's models looked fly as hell. I really liked them both. I don't get what's up with all the Jamal praise - the one he won on was kinda meh, and this one was just . . . weird? It didn't read Elton John to me at all.
I am SO OVER Venny but honestly I didn't remember who Lela even was until she lost this challenge, and in fact had to scroll up to see how to spell her name, so I'm not too sad she went home.
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:06 PM on May 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
I agreed with Elaine: both Garo's and Bishme's models looked fly as hell. I really liked them both. I don't get what's up with all the Jamal praise - the one he won on was kinda meh, and this one was just . . . weird? It didn't read Elton John to me at all.
I am SO OVER Venny but honestly I didn't remember who Lela even was until she lost this challenge, and in fact had to scroll up to see how to spell her name, so I'm not too sad she went home.
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:06 PM on May 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
Bishme's was the best, no question. That's 2 weeks in a row that he was robbed, although last week, the wrong team won in the first place. Garo's was very good, but it wasn't very original and I'm getting tired of everything he makes having a corset. I thought Jamall's was extremely impractical--it's true that it's stagewear, but I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how Sir Elton was supposed to play the piano in that thing. I also though it was very ugly.
posted by ceejaytee at 7:09 AM on May 13, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ceejaytee at 7:09 AM on May 13, 2019 [1 favorite]
I was unimpressed with Jamall's thing and have zero idea what the judges were raving about. Garo's and Bishme's were both really fantastic and on point.
Garo and Sonia were both being insecure and petty and immature. For two of the older designers who had little patience (legit!) for some of the entitled attitudes of the young'uns, you'd think they'd just acknowledge each other's work and apologize for letting it get out of hand. Also, I smell a little extra-heightened made-for-TV drama. Why didn't the judges ask the other designers so specifically about the contributions of their partners?
I agree that all of the objectification of the models was gross, but I did note that Christian announced "the models are here!" and not "the boys are here!" In contrast to the way they constantly refer to the female models as "the girls." PROTIP: THEY'RE WOMEN AND YOU CAN LIKEWISE JUST CALL THEM MODELS. I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL.
I am not sorry to see Lela go; her work bores me and I feel she skated through this far just by being in the middle of the pack. But Venny and Jamall are way past their due dates. If I ran the world, they'd already be gone and Renee and Afa would still be hanging on.
posted by desuetude at 9:46 PM on May 13, 2019 [1 favorite]
Garo and Sonia were both being insecure and petty and immature. For two of the older designers who had little patience (legit!) for some of the entitled attitudes of the young'uns, you'd think they'd just acknowledge each other's work and apologize for letting it get out of hand. Also, I smell a little extra-heightened made-for-TV drama. Why didn't the judges ask the other designers so specifically about the contributions of their partners?
I agree that all of the objectification of the models was gross, but I did note that Christian announced "the models are here!" and not "the boys are here!" In contrast to the way they constantly refer to the female models as "the girls." PROTIP: THEY'RE WOMEN AND YOU CAN LIKEWISE JUST CALL THEM MODELS. I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL.
I am not sorry to see Lela go; her work bores me and I feel she skated through this far just by being in the middle of the pack. But Venny and Jamall are way past their due dates. If I ran the world, they'd already be gone and Renee and Afa would still be hanging on.
posted by desuetude at 9:46 PM on May 13, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by sammyo at 2:36 PM on May 10, 2019