Project Runway: Finale Part 2
March 13, 2020 10:46 AM - Season 18, Episode 14 - Subscribe
The remaining designers rush to put the final touches on their collections, balancing advice from experts while trying to not lose their own point of view. It’s game, set, and match when Serena Williams joins as guest judge for the final runway.
The collections on Bravo
Elle recap
Christian interviews the finalists and Geoffrey about the finale.
The collections on Bravo
Elle recap
Christian interviews the finalists and Geoffrey about the finale.
I haven't watched all the seasons...is this the first time they had four finalists, and/or the finalists were ALL really, really good so that the judges had difficulty making a decision?
posted by Melismata at 1:07 PM on March 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Melismata at 1:07 PM on March 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
I couldn't quite believe he was doing the show wearing a 15-year-old gym rat's clothing. He should have dressed up!
Oh, and also, I have no doubt that it was the producers' decision, not his.
posted by Melismata at 1:08 PM on March 13, 2020
Oh, and also, I have no doubt that it was the producers' decision, not his.
posted by Melismata at 1:08 PM on March 13, 2020
Did you catch Marquise out there front row looking like a complete snack? I wish I'd gotten to see his final collection, le sigh. But we did get that one show-stopper from Victoria. However when that beige mish mash was her opening look I knew that ship had sunk.
Geoffrey's runway was killer, even with the occasional dud (how he let that saggy metal midi dress get through I don't know). Relevant tweet.
Nancy is such a fan favourite I feel like we'll get more from her in one way or another. A savvy brand partnership could work perfectly.
I felt both Nina and me wanted to scream "DIOR NEW LOOK" at That Dress in Sergio's show, but this episode really did show that there's nothing sinister in his bizarro over-confidence schtick, it's just Sergio being Sergio. Christian at Mood being like "You took a critique! For the first time this season!" then twirling off was priceless.
posted by Gin and Broadband at 1:44 PM on March 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Geoffrey's runway was killer, even with the occasional dud (how he let that saggy metal midi dress get through I don't know). Relevant tweet.
Nancy is such a fan favourite I feel like we'll get more from her in one way or another. A savvy brand partnership could work perfectly.
I felt both Nina and me wanted to scream "DIOR NEW LOOK" at That Dress in Sergio's show, but this episode really did show that there's nothing sinister in his bizarro over-confidence schtick, it's just Sergio being Sergio. Christian at Mood being like "You took a critique! For the first time this season!" then twirling off was priceless.
posted by Gin and Broadband at 1:44 PM on March 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Christian at Mood being like "You took a critique! For the first time this season!" then twirling off was priceless.
Sergio's mirthless laugh when Christian said that had me cackling.
I am so happy for Geoffrey. His looks were innovative and really had the wow factor. I loved Nancy's collection too. Sergio and Victoria both suffered by not listening closely enough to the critiques from last week or to Christian and the stylist this week.
Sergio is stuck in this mindset of designing for rich middle-aged women, but there wasn't much in his collection that I (aged 60) would want to wear. And Victoria's looks were, other than the old-fashioned pink coat-dress and the jumpsuit, the same old one-way monkey things she's made all season.
Well done Geoffrey!
posted by essexjan at 5:47 PM on March 13, 2020 [2 favorites]
Sergio's mirthless laugh when Christian said that had me cackling.
I am so happy for Geoffrey. His looks were innovative and really had the wow factor. I loved Nancy's collection too. Sergio and Victoria both suffered by not listening closely enough to the critiques from last week or to Christian and the stylist this week.
Sergio is stuck in this mindset of designing for rich middle-aged women, but there wasn't much in his collection that I (aged 60) would want to wear. And Victoria's looks were, other than the old-fashioned pink coat-dress and the jumpsuit, the same old one-way monkey things she's made all season.
Well done Geoffrey!
posted by essexjan at 5:47 PM on March 13, 2020 [2 favorites]
You could tell from the editing and the confessional segments (or whatever they call the bits where the designers talk to the camera) that Geoffrey was going to be the winner. They really tipped their hands.
I found myself surprised because for once, in a long time, I was generally pleased by all the collections. Usually there are some real clunkers in the mix, but not this time. Everybody produced solid sets.
I know I've been down on Victoria for a large chunk of this season, but somehow, I think I ended up loving her collection. No matter what she says, it's still not a collection that every woman can wear, and I'm sorry Nina, but that pink cut-out on the larger-sized model was terrible and showed just how ill-suited Victoria's collection is to somebody who isn't a size two, but overall, I thought she did well (if you exclude that green bib/apron on the plus-size model).
Nancy demonstrated the most growth and evolution in her style. Personally, I think it's kind of a shame that she was so scarred that she did away with more voluminous pieces, not that I really loved the way that one outfit she got soundly criticized for drowned the model, but I would have been curious to see how she could have evolved that shape and aesthetic. As mentioned in the show, her fabric choices were spectacular, and she showed them off in a good light. (The only exception was that horrible, ratty, matted fur coat. I had the exact opposite reaction Nina did.)
Sergio's collection worked so much better waking that it does standing still. As the models worked the runway, the fringe moved and gave the pieces some life. Standing still, they just looked like misplaced fringe. His colour palate was really striking. I can't say he had a horrible piece, or one that caused me to react really negatively to it, which I can't say about the other designers.
I'm happy Geoffrey won, as he seems like a decent guy and the contestant that needed the win the most, and could probably benefit from it the most. I found his collection, however, the one I liked the least. Both of the >< neckline dresses gave the models "titscrepancy" (a phrase coined on Tom and Lorenzo's website that refers to close that make the breasts appear uneven and unlevelled). Those black, heavy coat dresses gave off a sci-fi costume essence (perhaps Romulan formal wear). I was trying to recall when the show began allowing male models in the NYFW shows, because I'm sure there have been some designers in the past who could have benefited from showing a few menswear pieces. Like Sergio's I think this collection looks better moving than standing still.
posted by sardonyx at 7:59 PM on March 13, 2020
I found myself surprised because for once, in a long time, I was generally pleased by all the collections. Usually there are some real clunkers in the mix, but not this time. Everybody produced solid sets.
I know I've been down on Victoria for a large chunk of this season, but somehow, I think I ended up loving her collection. No matter what she says, it's still not a collection that every woman can wear, and I'm sorry Nina, but that pink cut-out on the larger-sized model was terrible and showed just how ill-suited Victoria's collection is to somebody who isn't a size two, but overall, I thought she did well (if you exclude that green bib/apron on the plus-size model).
Nancy demonstrated the most growth and evolution in her style. Personally, I think it's kind of a shame that she was so scarred that she did away with more voluminous pieces, not that I really loved the way that one outfit she got soundly criticized for drowned the model, but I would have been curious to see how she could have evolved that shape and aesthetic. As mentioned in the show, her fabric choices were spectacular, and she showed them off in a good light. (The only exception was that horrible, ratty, matted fur coat. I had the exact opposite reaction Nina did.)
Sergio's collection worked so much better waking that it does standing still. As the models worked the runway, the fringe moved and gave the pieces some life. Standing still, they just looked like misplaced fringe. His colour palate was really striking. I can't say he had a horrible piece, or one that caused me to react really negatively to it, which I can't say about the other designers.
I'm happy Geoffrey won, as he seems like a decent guy and the contestant that needed the win the most, and could probably benefit from it the most. I found his collection, however, the one I liked the least. Both of the >< neckline dresses gave the models "titscrepancy" (a phrase coined on Tom and Lorenzo's website that refers to close that make the breasts appear uneven and unlevelled). Those black, heavy coat dresses gave off a sci-fi costume essence (perhaps Romulan formal wear). I was trying to recall when the show began allowing male models in the NYFW shows, because I'm sure there have been some designers in the past who could have benefited from showing a few menswear pieces. Like Sergio's I think this collection looks better moving than standing still.
posted by sardonyx at 7:59 PM on March 13, 2020
a 15-year-old gym rat's clothing
Surely that's just "kinky gay dude caught in a very specific 80s moment," no?
I don't know. None of the collections really wowed me. Overall, not a terribly strong group. I figured he was going to win once they started giving Sergio the technical edit. Our hero from last season aside, the person with the technical edit rarely wins.
posted by praemunire at 1:09 AM on March 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
Surely that's just "kinky gay dude caught in a very specific 80s moment," no?
I don't know. None of the collections really wowed me. Overall, not a terribly strong group. I figured he was going to win once they started giving Sergio the technical edit. Our hero from last season aside, the person with the technical edit rarely wins.
posted by praemunire at 1:09 AM on March 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
Something that bothered me about Sergio's "melting icebergs" concept is that he didn't really take it far enough. All of his stuff had all this structure, lines, angles. Even the last blue dress - which I thought was terrible. If he wanted "melting ice" he could have done more than just go from a white dress to a blue one - it should have gone from structured and angular to totally draped and flowing. But I never felt like his "causes" really had much of anything to do with his designs; they've always felt more like he made a dress and picked an issue to claim it was based on, to sound important.
posted by dnash at 11:26 AM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by dnash at 11:26 AM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
I would like to state for the record that I hated that gown that Karlie wore. I feel like I have the same bra?
Not the strongest group for the final four ever, but I was very happy that Geoffrey won, even if I like this collection less than some of the other pieces he made over the course of the show.
posted by desuetude at 11:32 AM on March 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
Not the strongest group for the final four ever, but I was very happy that Geoffrey won, even if I like this collection less than some of the other pieces he made over the course of the show.
posted by desuetude at 11:32 AM on March 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
I would like to state for the record that I hated that gown that Karlie wore. I feel like I have the same bra?
Right? It definitely looked like a regular ole' bra.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:56 PM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
Right? It definitely looked like a regular ole' bra.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:56 PM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
I finally watched the finale and it was about what I expected. This was the weakest final group I can remember although each designer had one strong look. I understand why Geoffrey won, his was the most editorial, beloved of all fashion magazine editors, but the fabric he chose didn't come across well on tv. It just looked like that shiny crinkle leather from the 70s. His puffer jackets looked awkward, especially the final one where the model looked like a turtle that's stuck on its back. And dangling sleeves are the new dangling straps?
Sergio and Nancy would've benefited most from some ongoing mentoring, not that Sergio would listen. He had the best color story and the best technique. He knows his client base in Texas, it's just not a particularly fashion-forward one but it is lucrative enough. Nancy's collection was the most disappointing. She fell in love with that textile and sewed some very basic dresses. Very basic. It's telling that a prosthetic leg is more interesting and flattering than the dress above it.
Victoria is Victoria. The pleats, the embroidery, the crochet, the fussy details, none of that is going to work here. Why she put a regular suit jacket over that jumpsuit, I'll never know. The last minute off-the-shoulder gown was spectacular, probably the best garment in the show but it's not really her style.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:43 AM on March 18, 2020
Sergio and Nancy would've benefited most from some ongoing mentoring, not that Sergio would listen. He had the best color story and the best technique. He knows his client base in Texas, it's just not a particularly fashion-forward one but it is lucrative enough. Nancy's collection was the most disappointing. She fell in love with that textile and sewed some very basic dresses. Very basic. It's telling that a prosthetic leg is more interesting and flattering than the dress above it.
Victoria is Victoria. The pleats, the embroidery, the crochet, the fussy details, none of that is going to work here. Why she put a regular suit jacket over that jumpsuit, I'll never know. The last minute off-the-shoulder gown was spectacular, probably the best garment in the show but it's not really her style.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:43 AM on March 18, 2020
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Congratulations, Geoffrey! So glad he won, though I absolutely loved Nancy's collection too, and how she listened to the judges of that annoying preview critique last week. Her enthusiasm for inclusive design and reducing waste is absolutely what the fashion industry desperately needs more of. (I could have done without a return of the judges being so weird about it, though.)
Sergio's still just made me shake my head, and the excitement over that one jacket/top thing with the fringe baffled me. But I'm glad that he listened to Karla Welch and made that top, because if more of the collection had been like that, he'd have been a contender.
The changes Victoria made after the CFDA comments were solid, but that incredible sweater dress really pointed up how much of the collection still remained. The white pleated pants were great, and that dress, but I still didn't have much of a positive response to the body of the collection. I was honestly afraid of how she'd react if anyone but her won it, so was relieved that she seemed happy for Geoffrey.
I know people are divided about his puffer coats, but man, I just loved them. Especially the pink one. I liked that he put the mustard one on a different model--I thought it worked better on someone who wasn't as pale, and that model looked great in the scary dentist jacket.
So glad that Geoffrey's feeling good about things, here's hoping he maybe gets some counseling, despite feeling like the show did that for him. I'm with his mom--I couldn't quite believe he was doing the show wearing a 15-year-old gym rat's clothing. He should have dressed up!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:37 AM on March 13, 2020 [2 favorites]