SeaBunny

On most of the episodes, the winner is announced second. Someone is congratulated for great work and sent to the sitting room, and then they announce the winner of the challenge. I suppose they think it builds suspense.

 

I watched the preview for the next episode very carefully. Either Edmond doesn't get the save or they did a great job of editing him out of the scenes from next week.

I usually don't watch the preview, but did this time looking for a clue. I thought I saw what seemed like a bit of a man's short sleeve in a shot where contestants were lined up. Could be wishful thinking.

"So unfair of Heidi to be fair :-(. "

 

I know! Since when is Heidi fair??? Hopefully Tim will bring him back next episode....

Hmm... Maybe that statement harks back to Gordana in Season 6. Hands down she had the best outfit on the runway (a gorgeous gown inspired by a Monet cathedral painting) the week she was sent home. They didn't declare a winner that week, just sent her home. There was a huge backlash. She'd had two duds (things that she had to do to fit goofy parameters -- not alternative materials) but the rest was really good and looked like a collection already. I remember Curt Wild posting her looks together somewhere on this thread. It was obvious all season that Heidi just didn't like her.

So, being fair. Or not.

And, it's obvious that the regular judges like Ashley. I do, too. Reading between the edits, I think she has been socially cut out by the girls, who dominated. People discriminate/judge based on appearance. It hurts. That gives her something else to contend with.

I predict a Tim Gunn save at the start of the next episode. And, then one designer will be eliminated in a mini runway pre-runway competition.

If I were producing, that's what I would have done. ha ha

BTW, did anyone think it was weird Heidi proclaimed Candice "in" before naming the winner? Could that have been a screw up on her part? One rather hard to fix?

How can you have a bridge inspiration and 3d printer avant garde contest without also incorporating space hamsters and a food component?

 

That said, while avant garde, I thought the winning entry was also goofy, and its gumby-ish legs did not walk well down the runway.

 

Three of the other models were smokin' hot - especially Ashley's once she removed the cape. (Candice's and Edmund's were also very sexy.) And Meriline's dress, while not all that avant garde, was pretty, and her appliques of the 3d printer material looked the most seamless to me.

 

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Did anyone else notice the 3d printing expert's nose-bridge piercing? (How could you not?) I just know that I'm going to have nightmares about that tonight. Not feeling groovy.

HA HA HA!!! Gumby legs. There's your food component (he was made of gum, right?).

I haven't watched last night's yet - waiting for my wife to get home. (iheartbda has me worried about Ashley!) So instead, I started reading the beginning of this very thread. It starts way back in Season 2, and is a wonderful historical document of the show.

 

I saw some of Seasons 1 and 2 in repeats, so much of what was written here is familiar to me. From reading about it today, I searched for this famous encounter on YouTube:

 

[YOUTUBE]FzUH6wjU46A[/YOUTUBE]

 

:D

LOVE IT!

Now about last night...... (spoilers ahead)

IMO, Kelly is the only one who went avant garde. So there you go.

Also, it's rather weird to say: Go avant garde but be inspired by this particular bridge and use 3-D created pieces (especially when you have little/no knowledge of just how that last works). Gee, talk about restrictions on using your creativity/imagination!

As to Merline's dress. Last season wasn't the first time that skirt shape has been used. I know for sure I've seen it once before way-way back. Maybe more than that.

Ashley's looked like it would have been great for a Marvel/DC super hero. tee hee

But the results seemed inevitable.

Swapnil had very complicated pieces early on (remember that crazy bra the judges liked so much?). Then he started "trying" and things went backwards. Did he run out of ideas? Get too up tight? It seemed pretty clear the other designers thought he had talent.

I also think he drew the short straw with his client/model. All the others were into their make over. She obviously wasn't. Even her hair and make up were barely changed. It was a match made in TV heaven but real-life hell.

I'm not surprised, but sad to see him go. If nothing else, those eyes......

Scrapnana and Anita, thanks for being spoiler alert aware!

 

So there are six designers left, and five more shows this season. I applaud the judges for sending people home, but something has got to give next week.

 

So, if you enjoy trivial pursuits, how many accessory wall sponsors can you name from prior seasons? :cool:

Doesn't it work out?

1. get to 5 designers

2. get to 4 designers (finalists)

3. Tim visits them

4. mini runway show to narrow to 3 designers

5. final runway

If they go with three finalists, there's just another regular elimination and no mini runway. Still works out. Or am I missing something?

The judges were all over the place because they were using different criteria -- some thinking retail some thinking runway. Thank goodness the guest judge from Just Fab got them in line. She was a really strong voice. Good for her.

I'm predicting final three as Ashley, Candice and Edmond (which means it won't be them given my record). If 4, I would like it to be Kelly but you can make a case for/against any of them.

I get creeped out every time Zac Posen starts pawing at the models. As my Mom would say, "Look with your eyes, not with your hands."

I rather liked all the outfits except for the bottom three. I was surprised at who went home, however. Poor Laurie had a total disaster. Even the way she trimmed the top edge of her tube top was wrong.

I couldn't quite figure out Candice's outfit. Was the jacket attached to the bustier? I totally liked it, tho. My little (poorly drawn) sketchbook strives to take really way-back fashion (Middle Ages, Rennaisance, and older) into the 21st century (she modernized 18th C.). Anyone want a motorcycle jacket with slashed sleeves? ha ha

I like Mood's new bags (I love bags:D).

 

There were quite a few I liked but Blake's was not among them. I was very surprised his was in the top three.

 

That dreadful sequined thing with the number was another surprise in being safe.

 

Truly cannot see how the winner won especially with the shoddy construction.

 

I could have seen any of the bottom three going home - all three outfits were terrible.

Agree! Agree! Agree!

Blake's outfit was an original look but the construction was beyond poor. That necklace hid a lot more than blood! On my screen, the two fabrics looked incompatible, too.

Some weeks originality wins, some weeks it loses big time. No wonder two of the girls in the bottom were so discouraged. Who knows which way the judges will jump? And, for this competition, the judges are their only customers, their "girl."

I would have totally sent Jake home for that skanky sequin number. He was safe?:eek: The worst thing on the runway! And lazy thinking/working to boot. At least the bottom three tried.

Candice's black leather (was she the one with the fake leather that was hard to sew? sure didn't show!) dress with the white top was stunning. She was my winner.

Kelly (very cool t-shirt), Laurie (metallic-y skirt, white flouncy top), Ashley (grey tea dress with back cut out), Swapnil (ruffles, backless), Edmund (graphic print tunic) -- liked them all. And I would buy Merline's jacket in a flash.

Pretty good runway show. Especially with 9 hours to create.

BTW, I thought the NYC/Mary Kay mash up idea was beyond weak.

There were certainly some nasty partnerships, with the guys looking bad as a rule. I like Hanmaio's general look; much more original that the others. But she really crashed and burned this time -- as a team player and a designer.

I thought it was nice to give the pair the win, too, instead of just one.

I can't say any total look wowed me, though I did like all elements of the winning look I did not like them together. The top with the draped back was a real standout. And, the pants were interesting and would have been even nicer in a different fabric.

BTW, if you want to see pix of the looks with the designer's names, Lifetime has finally gotten their act together. Click on "photos" then click on one of the photos that show the runways looks. It will get bigger, show front and back, have a magnifier, and if you click captions, it will tell you who did it. Only took 14 seasons. ha ha

Blake's dress also had text; the card pieces at the waist had a word on them. "Fabulous"? Something like that. But he didn't seem to appreciate the challenge, either. He used a lot of muslin and just coated it with glitter. It was funny to see Zac trying to get it off his hands after the judges looked at the outfits after the runway show.

I wondered about that muslin/glitter abundance, too.

For this runway show, the designers did a much better job than the judges. heh heh

What got me is that they all seemed to like that slouchy hoody David made. Looked like a shapeless mess to me. Yes, he was auf'd, but that had to do with not following the rules. Could not believe Zac was going on about his using text which none of the other designers did (because it's old hat, Zac).

Come to think of it, the winning wedding gown used text, too. But in a far cooler way.

Yes, Ashley's was certainly not up to snuff and I thought Edmond was the clear winner. Did not agree with the bottom three. I didn't love Kelly's but would have switched her with Merline since I didn't see ANYTHING that I liked about hers.

I thought Joseph's look was even worse -- that big pink box of a skirt. Ugh. I did not think Amanda belonged in the bottom at all. Was Kelly in the bottom? At the critique I thought she was (and she didn't belong there at all IMO) but when the designers went back they said there were 4 top looks, which would include Kelly. Mixed messages.

What got me is that they all seemed to like that slouchy hoody David made. Looked like a shapeless mess to me. Yes, he was auf'd, but that had to do with not following the rules. Could not believe Zac was going on about his using text which none of the other designers did (because it's old hat, Zac).

And they were gaga over Blake's hi-low glitter dress. Really? It was a cute dress -- very cruise worthy -- but about as innovative as, um, David's hoody.

The top two looks were both killer. I suspect the back story for the wedding dress (Hallmark name, sending invites, etc.) put it over the top. Rightly so.

Merline did the most creative design IMO. I rather liked Kelly's dress, tho I am a sucker for a handkerchief hem and usually fashionistas dislike them.

Interesting that Tim and the other designers liked the auf'd David's dress. I usually like toga-looking things, but that was too much.

I'm not expecting a lot from this group. How many times in the "road to.." segment did you hear the words "high low?" And if you're getting inspiration from the 80s, you're not trying very hard. But then, the designers have been trending more toward ready-to-wear looks over the pat few seasons.

Outrageous personalities are obviously more important than fresh looks.

Lordy, Lordy, has Isaac lost his mind? :eek: That camo suit was bad fashion and bad taste -- on several levels.

I expected Dmitry to win but actually liked Sonjia's collection the most (except for the yellow skirt with flounce - ugh).

You are a gift to the world.

I will look into Wilderness Safaris.

The nicest "hotel" I have ever stayed in was a tented camp at the Masai Mara. It was incredible, especially the hippos you could hear laughing at each other's jokes during the night (that's what they sound like to me -- gentle laughter).

You are right about hanging on tight:-) We actually did the dunes around 3 years ago (the last time Regent did South Africa before a couple of months ago). A lot of passengers seemed a bit put off by Namibia (not the dunes part). We took the tour where you go into the town, see where and how the people live, visit a school, etc. It was obvious that many people did not actually read the excursion description which included the fact that there would be a stop for local food where worms may be served. We were embarrassed at how some of our fellow passengers acted. It was as if getting off the bus and touching the ground with their shoes would contaminate them -- also would not touch the food which was quite delicious (no worms were served)

Of course no excursion would have time to get there, but Namibia was a higher concentration of cheetahs than any other country. I hope to see that bit of the country sometime, combined with Botswana.

We were actually looking at the cruise before the one you are on, TravelCat2 -- Lisbon to Cape Town. Last I checked, it had lots of availability. I suspect folks are afraid of the whole west coast of Africa due to ebola. Not us. haha

And, I would definitely eat a worm -- as long as it wasn't living.

Again, thanks for all the help!

 

Although 50-60% of passengers tend to dress up a bit more on "formal optional" nights, you can actually wear the same thing that you wear on any other night. For men that means collared shirts and slacks -- no jeans or shorts. In addition to formal optional nights, if you will be going to the Captain's Reception on the second night, the officers will be dressed up as will many guests. We tend to dress up just a bit more on these "special" nights but it is not required.

 

One tip that I like to share is that you can order appetizer portions of entrees or a entrée portion of an appetizer. This helps if there is more than one thing on the menu that you want and can't decide. Many times we get a "small" or "appetizer" of lobster (when it is on the menu) in addition to our main course. Salads can also be turned into main courses.

 

If there is something you particularly like or would like to have..... just let the Head Waiter know and it will be ready for you 24 hours later. If the ship has the ingredients to make what you like, they will be happy to prepare it for you. We have ordered Chateaubriand, lobster, Indian food, Miso Glazed Sea Bass - just to name a few. Your options are unlimited!

Thanks for ALL your great information, TravelCat2. I had no idea about the appetizer/entree portion and that is great to know.

Just to reassure... Men don't really need to bring a sports jacket or suit/tux? I want the men in our party to feel like they "fit in." So better to bring or not?

Are you going to Namibia with Regent this fall? I'm trying to talk DH into that cruise.

Though we've sailed Regent twice before, I'm not sure I remember some things correctly. I'm hoping for some guidance here. We're sailing the Caribbean on the Navigator if that matters:

1. I seem to recall caviar on Sundays, but not where and when. Is this still going on and what are the particulars?

2. What can/do men and women wear in the dining room on "formal optional" nights? We're traveling with two much younger, very informal couples and I want to be sure they are prepared.

3. Is there karaoke anymore (at least on the Navigator)?

4. Have any policies/practices changed in the past year or so?

5. Even after two cruises, I still feel like I don't understand how to "do" breakfast in La Veranda. What's the proper balance of fetch-it-yourself and table service?

Thanks to any and all for their advice. We're taking our DS and DIL on this cruise to give them a special experience and your input will help to make it even better.

"That's skanky," said the guest judge sporting crescent moon cut-outs on her boobs when talking about the little chain at the back of Michelle's dress. Seriously? ha ha ha

Zanna's looks are every bit as bad and Alyssa's IMHO. It makes you wonder what is going on.

I loved Sanjia's dress. And Dmitry's was very nice, too. But, frankly, Michelle's looked most like what someone would really wear on the red carpet -- minus that "skanky" chain.

Glad Helen is staying instead of Michelle. I rather appreciated her being upset about tearing up someone else's creations. Of course her outfit was better, too.

Hated that Fabio was eliminated. I would have sent home Michelle. Neither outfit was much, tho. I just love Fabio's take on clothes. However, he's not about "fashion," which pushes you to purge your closet from one year to the next.

This whole episode was weird. I turned off the TV when the wedding started, but who on earth would have five different designs for five bridesmaids, all made in one day? Plus, it's hard to believe that the bride had five besties who all had pretty darn good figures and faces. Bet there's a second wedding coming up -- with none of those bridesmaid dresses and possibly not the same bridesmaids.

It would have been much better if the designers were making a bridesmaid design that complimented the Marchesa dress and the winning design was used in a real wedding.

Obviously this was a sop for Chapman, but not a very good one.

Did NOT like Michelle's print at all and neither design was set apart from the other. The print hurt my eyes.

 

Ummmmm, didn't Michelle make a derisive comment about Sonjia's design, or at least the yellow and gray combo, something about being reminded of her grandmother's clothes? People should really be careful of what they say.;)

Helen said that. It struck me at the time, too.

I did a quick google for G.I.L.I. since I do not do QVC. It's pretty general as far as I could tell. Maybe aimed at 30+?

I really, really liked the winning look tonight. It met the criteria and was very cool. I also thought Dmitry's was gorgeous, if off base for the challenge.

Absolutely hated Michelle's print. Maybe the designs weren't too bad -- all I could see was the print. But I'm not a print fan. I finally realized that when I buy a print it hardly ever leaves the closet.

I didn't think Fabio's work was all that bad. But, then, I love his general approach to clothes -- flowy, unstructured, comfortable, unisex. Life would be so much easier if people dressed like that.

Watching this show has sure lowered my opinion of Mizrahi.

"I don't get shark from this dress but who cares."

That pretty much sums up the judges attitude towards this whole all stars season. They don't care about the parameters of the challenge or know a thing about the designers beyond what is in front of their noses.

Michelle was the only one who really went avant garde. Dmitry won with a technique he did more than once in his winning season. All the looks (except Michelle's) were pretty much what I would expect to see on a runway from any bold/up-and-coming designer.

At least Alyssa had on a decent looking outfit for a change. That was the highlight of the show.

As to the prize of $5000 of nail stuff. I'd be saying "no thanks" to that. You'd have to pay real money in taxes for a bunch of stuff no designer really needs or probably even wants. Except, maybe, Helen.;)

This challenge had such potential -- inspiration from sea creatures and avant garde were made for each other. Too bad.

I liked Michelle's black and yellow suit, though it looked like it was a size or two too small for the model. It was otherwise very flattering. No surprise it was the best in the bunch since Michelle said swimwear was her thing. Too bad her dress was so frumpy. Ironically, she put that tuck in the front that Nigel said made it look like her dress had gotten caught in her underwear -- that was exactly the same sort of front tuck I commented on in a previous post regarding Alyssa Milano's cement-grey dress on the Late Show! Must be a tend -- a bad one!

I wondered if it was the same from your description. Thanks for confirming!

Horrible entry. From everyone leering at the pool guys to the final runway.

When Dmitry picked those dismal colors I just knew Isaac would call him out on them, like: Those aren't resort colors, they're for military wear." Was I wrong. But I still think that dull green is the last color one wants at a beachy resort -- or on a cruise. BTW, camo is against the law to wear in some countries -- including at least one Caribbean isle.

And Justin's swim suit was cute (but imagine the tan lines!), however he basically didn't really use the fabric provided -- just a touch of trim. And why were they so impressed with a black suit? That's about as common as you can get.

Jay's dress was beautiful, IMO. That's something I would love to have on a cruise. His swimsuit was not like anything you see -- which could be considered "fresh," but it did look weird.

I regularly wore suits as high cut as Samantha's back in the 80s -- and with necklines that plunged further (my body could rock them then *sigh*). So I didn't see what got the judges all riled up. However, my suits did cover more in the rear but several other suits were revealing in that area, too.

Did anyone notice that they didn't even show Alyssa's runway-day outfit completely except for a super brief walking away shot? I guess even the editors can't stand her clothes. ha ha