Project Runway All Stars: A Touch of Style
April 8, 2016 4:58 PM - Season 5, Episode 9 - Subscribe

Sports and fashion combine as designers create high-end leisure wear inspired by the "Touch by Alyssa Milano" line. Kristin Cavallari guests.

Heightened! Elevated! Athleisurewear!

Not sporty leisure, athleisure, which is something that goes from the runway to the game and then out to dinner afterwards.

And as with Heidi's various clothing lines that have shown up as challenges in PR, the winner will have their garment reproduced and not receive any royalties from sales.

Final looks here.

Emily is safe.

Top three: Dome, Asha, Kini; Kini wins
Bottom three: Ken, Sam, Layana; Layana goes home.
posted by TWinbrook8 (15 comments total)
 
Kini's jacket shown here, $99, no jeans in sight.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:03 PM on April 8, 2016


I think Dom's should have won, though they all should have realized that this would be something as simple as possible, like Kini's jacket.

At this point, even the gorgeous Georgina can't keep any enthusiasm for pretending that Sam is a talented designer. Only Isaac continues to play the "Sam is a genius!" game, and I think all of that is coming from his crotch. That circle skirt is something that Simplicity would reject for being too basic.
posted by xingcat at 5:36 PM on April 8, 2016 [2 favorites]


The commercialized version of Kini's coat is just terrible. I know Ken's design wasn't really finished or executed properly (that skirt needed a bit more time and attention) but I didn't hate it as much as the judges. What I did hate was Isaac going off about how bad it is to give women what they want--as opposed to what some designer thinks they should be wearing. That statement earned more than a few choice comments from me.
posted by sardonyx at 10:16 PM on April 8, 2016 [4 favorites]


I agree Emily continues to be overlooked. Her design this week was gorgeous.

Kini's was ... okay, nothing spectacular. I agree the manufactured version is horrendous. There isn't a back view, but it doesn't look, from the way Alyssa is wearing it, that there's the pleat in the back that Kini had in his.

Asha reworked one of her winning 'Under the Gunn' looks, and while it was fine for a group of street dancers on a stage, it looked cheap and nasty for an adult.

I didn't think Ken's look was that bad, but it is something I've seen before.

Sam is only still here because Isaac loves him. That dress was shocking. How could that been considered game wear? It would be so uncomfortable to sit down in that skirt for any length of time.

Sam needs to go, but he'll be in the finale for sure, at the expense of others who are not such good TV.

I felt sad for Layana. Her look wasn't that bad, and the work that went into those pants was impressive.
posted by essexjan at 3:16 AM on April 9, 2016


Sam is thinking outside the box; I believe if he had more time and resources he could find a way to make his designs a lot more beautiful. It could be that he's getting tired and so time is even more of an issue.

That said, he's so self-centered and hard to be around that he might have trouble finding a team that would help him have the time and resources. He's just so young, he doesn't understand the point of being kind and of putting the effort into understanding other people's strengths. Poor dude, and poor people who have to put up with him.

Some kind of focus on _how_ to work with other people would be a really interesting innovation for this show.
posted by amtho at 5:27 AM on April 9, 2016


What I did hate was Isaac going off about how bad it is to give women what they want--as opposed to what some designer thinks they should be wearing. That statement earned more than a few choice comments from me.

Oh, yes. That was incredible.

I mean, I can see that an "artist" designer should be pushing the field forward, but this challenge was for a garment to be produced and sold. I _don't_ want to go into a store looking for something to wear to an outdoor event, and then have to be "challenged" by never finding what I already know I want. I really don't think other people do either.

It should be possible to find garments that are what you already know you want, but that are delightful and surprisingly good or artistic without forcing you to change what you want. I know I want a simple skirt with pockets that is pretty without being all center-of-attention, but you designers insist that pockets ruin the line and that cotton doesn't hang the way _you_ want. Geez. Who cares.
posted by amtho at 5:35 AM on April 9, 2016 [3 favorites]


I did like that Alyssa was straightforward with them that any design they produced would be modified (if only for mass production, but surely also because none of these 7.5 hour outfits they produce is ready for prime-time), even if her modifications turned Kini's mildly interesting design into something I can't imagine anyone really wanting.
posted by julen at 6:02 AM on April 9, 2016


I can see now that Kini's (and Ken's) was the way to go. They were mislead by the emphasis on high end! elevated! when in actuality, it IS just sportswear if it is being produced by her company. Dom's was phenomenal and the visor really made that slouchy look but it was actually too sophisticated for this company. Good for her for not dumbing down her aesthetic though. Ken probably could've been in the top if he'd substituted mesh (!) for the lace and hadn't stomped out, losing valuable construction time (and how fake was that? as if the producers would let him hail a cab to go off and look at pattern books or something.) (In fact, have we seen any scenes set in the living quarters? they are all rooming together, so the "where is Ken? stuff the next morning was also a bit disingenuous.)
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:16 AM on April 9, 2016


I'm not a fan of Layana, but her top seemed like the most suited for mass production and it was strange to see her sacrificed. Sam ignored the challenge and did another Sam dress, and (as much as I want to see him stay) Ken blew it by losing hours, but a middling look got cut.
posted by carbide at 8:17 AM on April 9, 2016


Yeah, TWinbrook8 - it seemed like nobody was really clear on the brief, judges or designers.
posted by carbide at 8:19 AM on April 9, 2016


I did like that Alyssa was straightforward with them that any design they produced would be modified

Definitely. But I think they have always modified designs winning these types of challenges and it's about time they said so up front.

As for Isaac and his idiotic, "It's just giving her exactly what she wants and I'm not a fan of that", folks on another forum pointed out that Isaac sells at Target and QVC so apparently his comments only apply to others.

Folks also pointed out that Ken got a free pass for walking off the set when in the past haven't contestants been booted for that? But I am glad he stayed, good for him for taking his anger outside, and I thought his dress was more interesting and much more nicely made than Sam's circle skirt dress.
posted by Glinn at 8:23 AM on April 9, 2016


To be fair, Mr. Mizrahi didn't say "it's morally and ethically wrong to give women what they want and I would never do it" -- he just isn't "a fan".
posted by amtho at 4:47 PM on April 9, 2016


I wish I could get rich by not giving women what they want. Ugh that comment bugged me too. I think mostly because the Mizrahi and other "designer" stuff they have at Target and other places I shop at is ugly as shit. It's like why does he have to then go up there and add insult to injury. You're not bettering me with these shapeless see-through polyester sacks. Sorry.

Speaking of which I thought all the looks this time were horrendous. There's usually one or two things that are genuinely pretty.
posted by bleep at 11:26 PM on April 9, 2016


I finally looked at Mizrahi's line on the QVC website, I could use a spring jacket ... And I have to say I *loved* a lot of his jackets, he has some gorgeous prints in a lot of colorways and in every size between 2 and 28. Fit, quality, who knows but good looking prints are something manufacturers skimp on for some reason although it doesn't cost any more in the long run, so I was impressed.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:09 AM on April 10, 2016


A couple of my relatives have some leather shoes from Mizrahi's label. They both say the shoes are comfortable and the quality looks to be comparable to what else is on the market. They're not high-end design--just basic loafers--but so far they're happy with them and would purchase more pairs. That they got them for a highly discounted sale price certainly helps, as I don't know if they'd pay full price for other styles or versions.

I have noticed that his knitting and crochet yarns and threads always seem to be in the clearance bins at Michael's. For the most part they typically don't impress me, either with their colour or their texture, but maybe those are just the remainder ones nobody else likes either.
posted by sardonyx at 2:23 PM on April 10, 2016


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