Tag: fashion

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the remaining four designers were sent home with $10,000 each; they were to put together their final collections to show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and also would be hosting Tim Gunn when he visited their homes and workspaces to mentor them. Heidi directed them to create looks for fall that would anticipate trends and even include some outerwear. When they returned to New York, they were asked to show three of the twelve looks from their collections to determine which designers would compete at Fashion Week.

I love to create fall looks and this fell in line with an idea I was considering. Last week I was reading articles leading up to the airing of a documentary about The Washington Post, the Watergate break-in, and the movie (one of my favorites) All the President’s Men. For some reason, the old riddle “What’s black and white and red all over?” kept playing through my head, and I was wondering if the time would come when kids wouldn’t get the joke because they’d never seen a black and white newspaper (that would be read all over). And just like that, I finally had the inspiration I wanted for a final collection: black and white and red.

As Tom pointed out, that was pretty much designer Daniel’s collection, too. Whatever. SPOILER ALERT: He was eliminated and I’m still here. So my black, white, and red trumps his.

For my first three looks, I chose Basics muses Louise and Tabitha, as well as Top Model Barbie, to walk the runway.

Louise comes out wearing a swing coat in a bold print over a black textured vinyl dress.

Tabitha is also wearing a bold print jacket with three-quarter-length sleeves over houndstooth trousers.

For Barbie’s look, I wanted a Fifties hostess dress retro vibe. The sheer skirt covers black clamdiggers, and the belted vest of shiny red vinyl adds hard to soft.

Three of twelve:

See you next week with the rest of my looks. Unless you want to eliminate me now! You’d save me a lot of time and needle-tormented fingers.

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 12: Europe Here We Come
Episode 11: Finally On My Own
Episode 10: The Art of Fashion
Episode 9: He Said, She Said
Episode 8: Take It All Off
Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were invited to go to the Hearst Corporation building in NYC to hear about their challenge from Tim Gunn and Marie Claire editor Nina Garcia. Nina asked them to create a look for actress and guest judge Jordana Brewster to wear in a celebrity fashion story in the May issue of the magazine. Nina gave them specific guidelines including: no red carpet looks, no gowns, no T-shirts and pants. The look should be editorial, fashion forward, and bold in color, silhouette, shape, or print–something that editors would want to photograph. The designers were encouraged to sketch in the Hearst building and be inspired by the architecture.

I enjoy Jordana Brewster on Dallas, and I chose a model with dark hair and a complexion close to hers for this challenge, Model Muse Rachel.

First, I made Rachel a white leather shrug as part of the look.

I chose a turquoise color palette–a paler fabric with a springlike pattern for the dress, with bolder colors for the tights and accessories.

Detail of the front hemline.

Bag and boots from Mattel.

Here’s Rachel on her editorial page, walking with the Hearst building in the background. I hope you can see how the building inspired my look.

I also hope you enjoyed this touch of spring. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 10: The Art of Fashion
Episode 9: He Said, She Said
Episode 8: Take It All Off
Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were asked to create spring looks worthy to grace the windows of Lord & Taylor. They were also to incorporate Lord & Taylor’s signature rose somehow in their look.

For this challenge, I chose Rusty because I liked the way she looks in the color I wanted to use. It’s not quite the Pepto pink that one of the PR designers picked, but I think a bold pink is a great color for spring. The layering of the fabric is my nod to the petals of the Lord & Taylor rose.

Hope you think Rusty’s pretty in pink! See you next time on the runway.

Thanks to Aunt Gwen for the perfect thread and to Tom and Tim for helping choose Rusty’s shoes.

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 8: Take It All Off
Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were instructed to create outfits for the world famous male revue Thunder from Down Under. These (ridiculously handsome and buff) male dancers wanted a new costume for their opening number. The tearaway feature was given as the most important facet of the clothes. Since the designers were working in teams creating three looks each, at least one of the designs had to be a suit.

Since there’s only me, probably I should have designed a suit, but I didn’t want to, though I did intend to go with a businessman look. As for my model for this challenge, all the members of Thunder From Down Under are, as their leader said, one hundred percent Australian. I just happen to employ a model from Middle Earth, and rumor has it that New Zealand, Australia’s neighbor, is the closest setting to Middle Earth there is. There didn’t seem to be any restrictions against elves, and Legolas was nearby because of another project I’m working on.

Enjoy objectifying my model. He doesn’t mind.

Because I know what you most want to see are his Mattel shoes:

No? Okay, then on with it. First of all, his shirt is easily torn off, because only the tie held it together and there are snaps on the cuffs. The shirt slips from under the elastic of the tie–which is the way many of my old Mattel ties were constructed, though I made this one. I thought leaving the tie on without the shirt would be a nice touch.

The back seam of the slacks was held together with a snap; once it was pulled open, the back part of the pants wouldn’t interfere with the front tearaway. Since Legolas arrived at the workroom commando under his costume, I also had to make his jersey boxers (the Thunder guys were all wearing boxers, as well).

The tearaway from the front was easy because the inseams were fastened with Velcro®.

Legolas is ready to dance!

If you didn’t watch this episode of PR, spoiler alert! If you did watch, you know that the judges were so disappointed that not only did they refuse to name a winner, but Heidi said she felt like they should end the season right there. They didn’t; it’ll be on next week. So what did Heidi think of my design?

She believes, to paraphrase Coco Chanel, that you should remove one accessory before you leave the runway. And you should put it around her neck and stand very close to her for a photo.

See you next time on the runway!

Shirt fabric was repurposed from a dress shirt of Tom’s. The Velcro® was in my mother’s sewing supplies.

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were instructed to create fashion-forward prom wear made entirely from Duck® Tape brand duct tape. Their designs were presented to high school students, whose votes for their favorite design were considered by the PR judges.

No high school students here, but Tom was my assistant in duct tape shopping.

Not pictured: The black Duck® Tape that Tom and Lindsey picked up for me later. Aside: Tim and I were both sad that this brand encourages people to think it’s “duck tape” and not “duct tape,” but they do have some great colors and designs.

I chose Natalie as my model for this challenge.

Closeup of the bodice and of the ribbon made from black duct tape. The jewelry is from Mattel.

As are the shoes:

Detail of the dress’s skirt.

It’s two layers, one of silver and one of print.

Natalie’s dress looks young and fun.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my duct tape challenge. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were instructed to show their aesthetic while designing fashionable, age-appropriate looks for senior citizens. While we were watching the episode, Tom asked if I had any “senior” dolls. I do have a Mattel grandmother, and I also have Rosie O’Donnell, who’s a little older and fuller-figured than my usual models. Then Tim reminded me that I have much older models who I was forgetting.

He’s right! Twilight’s Rosalie Hale will be NINETY-EIGHT this year.

Not bad for a senior, huh? In human+vampire years, that is. In only human years, she’ll always be eighteen, the age she was turned from human to immortal. It’s appropriate that I should feature Rosalie since this happened this past weekend.

On to my design. First of all, when I think of anyone ageless and timeless who also has impeccable fashion sense, I think of designer Carolina Herrera, who’s seventy-four and amazing. Rather than taking my inspiration from her work, I wanted to pay homage to the designer herself. No tattered princess look from me this time; I wanted the design to convey class and elegance.

I kept Rosalie’s jewelry, created for her by Mattel.

I think the belt was manufactured by Spin Master for LIV dolls, or else for Moxie Girlz by MGA Entertainment. But Rosalie’s shoes, chosen to match the belt even though we can’t see them, are Mattel’s for the Model Muses.

I hope you agree that whether coming or going, the undead can look fabulous. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, country singer Miranda Lambert was the guest judge who asked the designers to create two looks for her: a look she could perform in and a red carpet look. Since I didn’t have the look book given to the show’s designers, I just did a bit of online research and discovered that Miranda often wears metallics and she also likes to wear leather when she performs.

For this week’s looks, I chose Model Muses Elke and Iris. Elke is wearing the performance design, an embellished black velvet dress with a faux leather overlay of laser cutouts. Both fabrics are stretchy and would allow for plenty of movement on stage during a performance.

A close up shows the embellishments on the velvet fabric, which would catch and reflect stage lights.

For the red carpet look, Iris wears a bright purplish-pink metallic dress with cutouts to add texture.

Don’t be concerned that the cutouts in the fabric might lead to a wardrobe malfunction. The more sensitive areas are lined.

As usual, the models’ shoes are from Mattel.

Iris and Elke think Miranda would look great in their fashions.

I hope you agree. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team