Project Runway: Blame It on Rio
May 3, 2019 1:32 PM - Season 17, Episode 8 - Subscribe

Stylist Marni Senofonte is back, this time to challenge the designers to work in her wheelhouse: celebrity styling. The designers divide into teams to create a mini-collection for their client, Deadpool’s Morena Baccarin, who is heading to Rio on vacation. Some designers collaborate while others compromise, as they race to create cohesive looks that tell a vacation fashion story. Only one designer will win, and another will go on a permanent vacation from the competition.

Tom & Lorenzo's views if you want another look at the outfits.
posted by Anonymous (9 comments total)
 
This one really needed Michael Kors.

I'm sorry, but no swimsuit bunched up in anyone's buttcrack should be a winning look. That's a construction issue.

Sebastian was robbed, again.
posted by praemunire at 3:38 PM on May 3, 2019 [4 favorites]


Yup, I'm a big Hester fan but she deserved to be in the bottom this week (but not last week). The back lacing was sloppily done, that wrap skirt was a mess, aaaannnd the model got a wedgie. It did look cute from the front but the "client" said she'd never wear those colors.

So I was shocked that Sebastian's team was just safe. His outfit alone should have carried the team to first place. And they had a nice little criss-cross theme going. Nina's going to be pissed when she gets back.

Jamall had the nubbin of an idea with his one-shoulder bikini-top applique--I would've finished it as a regular swimsuit with a tanga applique--but that skirt-like thing was one of the worst designs the show has ever seen. They needed to revoke his immunity.

Renee should've canned the pants idea when she couldn't do her regular drape method and used the print to make a DVF wrap dress. No points for originality but it's fine for daywear and it would suit that model. And since Nina wasn't there, it wouldn't violate the rule of Don't Bore Nina.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:03 PM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


No no no no no, what the fuck? Why are they like this with Hester? How the hell did they call a bathing suit well-constructed without even looking at the fit of the butt? They had basically nothing negative to say about Bishme's outfit, how did that get overruled for best?
posted by desuetude at 5:56 PM on May 3, 2019 [2 favorites]


I didn't get this at all. At first Baccarin says she wants a bathing suit that she can wear on the beach as a mom chasing children, but still a little bit sexy. She also says she doesn't like anything too revealing. Okay, those are compatible demands. Then, when she sees Hester's atrocity, she says that's the only outfit on the runway she wanted to wear. What did the producers/judges blackmail her with to get her to endorse that?

I know I live the farthest thing from a celebrity lifestyles as possible, but why was this the challenge the designers were told to focus on styling and accessories and hair? Seriously, hair? When I'm going to the beach the last thing I want to worry about it styling my hair--hair that is going to get wet, and salty and sandy. Now that I think about it, I don't think the judges even bothered to comment about the hair when they were offering their critiques.

I also don't get Marni's insistence on a story. Sure that technique may work fine for her, but it's not the only way to style a travelling wardrobe. And I thought it was pretty hypocritical of her to put forward an example of using "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and then shooting down the team that went with "Roman Holiday" for theirs, telling them the idea wasn't fully developed enough. If anything, that's a more complete story, the famous, under-the-spotlight person ditching her daily duties to just live casually for a few days. (Admittedly, the team was a total copy cat by just picking another Hepburn movie, but I think I have to give them more credit that doing that obvious jump to Carnival.)

It's funny, but on my screen the banana yellow pants came off more white than yellow. Up close, they read more as pale or pastel yellow. They certainly didn't look like the ones in TLo's pictures. Wow, that's yellow (and I like yellow). Sebastian's too seemed much more washed out or muted on screen compared to the photos.

Bishme's outfit was suitable for the design challenge. I especially liked the top. Garo's front zipper was so distracting, and I think the dress was more Golden Girls than Brazil evening wear. Looking at the photos, Tessa's material seems to heavy, but that's not something that struck me as I was watching. It's funny how different the clothes seem when viewing than when looking at static photos. I really wish they could cut out a lot of the designer chit chat (especially the stuff in the apartment) and spend more time on the garments themselves, especially as they are nearing completion. I guess they don't want to spoil the surprise as they come down the runway, but I'm watching this for the clothes, not for the interpersonal drama, and I want to see more of the designers' creations.
posted by sardonyx at 9:53 PM on May 3, 2019


Oh, and apparently Christian shares his opinions about the show on twitter. Here's his comment about the judging.
posted by sardonyx at 9:55 PM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


I just can't believe Hester won again, with that ill-fitting bathing suit, when Bishme's outfit was head and shoulders above hers. I think Tessa's look was frumpy and Lena's was dull, which is what kept Sebastian's team off the top.

I was sorry to see Renee go, but the pants were so badly fitting and the blouse was hideous. But I loved the quilted oversize purple coat she wore in the outdoor scenes, which I'm guessing she made herself. It was gorgeous and I'd wear that in a heartbeat.
posted by essexjan at 7:26 AM on May 4, 2019


I've been thinking some more about the switch back to Bravo and the original production company. I think a few superficial things have changed but it's still a reality show first and fashion is way back in second. The two most recent episodes have highlighted the producer involvement in the outcome. Because they overpraised Jamall last week, his immunity forced out a more competent designer this week. He should never have made it past the first couple episodes.

Keeping the "curvy" model that gets picked last because she's really bad at her job is more reality show hijinks. All the workroom scenes that are really just a thousand quick cuts edited together so we can't get an idea of the garment before the runway reveal, that's been the standard for years. They're still trying to hide Sebastian as safe, like we're going to mysteriously forget that he's clearly the best overall designer.

This week's challenge was only "one day" AND it was a team challenge AND it was for a specific not-well-known-for-her-personal-style client. Toss in the very misleading Brazilian element which threw everyone off and you end up with one of the crappiest results ever. This is no different than Lifetime.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:45 AM on May 4, 2019 [2 favorites]


Yikes to this whole episode. The ONLY look that was even reasonable was Sebastian. Though I also see why his TEAM didn't win because the rest were SO boring.

Team Carnival looked like something an 8 year old would wear. It was a mess. The cuts. The colors. The whole thing was like bubblegum kids clothes.

And here's the thing, so many times on this show whenever there's something that calls for color or print, they go to such a cliche place. How did they all manage to get the same, and in my opinion, awful colors. It's like when a mom buys a beach house and it's decorated with anchors and seashells and soft blues and whites.

It just didn't feel like any of them had any sort of direction in their designs.
posted by Crystalinne at 12:07 PM on May 4, 2019 [2 favorites]


This was the biggest bunch of garbage ever. Morena said she doesn't like baring skin but she went with the bathing suit that showed the entire butt of that poor, beautiful model. The only people who even came close to designing clothes that resembled what she said she liked in her video were Sebastian (clear winner, again), Lela, and Bishme. Out of the "top" team (why?) Bishme should have won. Sebastian's team should have won because, even though Tessa's garment was meh, Sebastian and Lela designed clothes she probably would have worn. Garo's dress was a tent with a corset, Hester's bathing suit was terrible, and Bishme's outfit was nice. Bishme was robbed and Sebastian is robbed every week.
posted by ceejaytee at 1:05 PM on May 4, 2019 [2 favorites]


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