Who goes there? Please leave comments so (An Aries Knows)!
I know I have a sick sad obsession with Anna Wintour, and maybe it’s strange to judge fashion at a memorial service, but it was Alexander McQueen’s memorial service back in September, so whatever. I always think she looks impeccable, but this is head-to-toe perfection, for her and for the occasion.
The final episode of Season 8 of Lifetime’s Project Runway aired last week, with three designers showing at Fashion Week and the winner announced. Five of five people at The Compound disagreed with the outcome.
Hopefully those of you who’ve stuck with my dolls throughout this season won’t be as disappointed by my results. I was a little miffed during Episode 10, the “make your own fabric” challenge, because that had been my plan all along for my final collection.
First, I painted sixteen 9×18 pieces of unbleached muslin:
I further challenged myself by deciding that I couldn’t cut the fabric. I could sew it, but after showing the collection, I wanted to be able to remove the designs from my models, take out all the stitching, and once again have intact paintings. I’m putting my twelve (plus one–the Heidi challenge) looks behind a cut because there are a lot of photos.
On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, Tim Gunn traveled to the final four designers’ home cities to check the progress of their final collections. Meanwhile, in Houston, sometime around Halloween…
Heidi: We’ve made it to the end of the challenges of this season’s Runway Monday. Though there are dust bunnies racing with abandon across the hardwood floors of Becks’ house, and The Compound grass has all died again, at least she’s managed to produce a record twenty challenge looks this season.
Barbie: Not to mention an additional fifteen looks for us throughout the season.
Summer: Tonight, however, we’re dressed in Mattel. Not just so Becks could concentrate on this week’s challenge, but because she’s working on her final collection.
Heidi: Why? How does she know she’ll be picked to show a collection during Fashion Week?
Summer: Maybe because she’s the only designer we’ve got?
Heidi: Oh. Right.
Barbie: I chose tonight’s dresses because–
Heidi: They remind everyone that Christmas is right around the corner, and Barbies are a girl’s best friend?
Barbie: –because I felt guilty about not using any of the Birthstone Beauties as models this season. So I thought we could at least wear their dresses.
Summer: I’m in May. Heidi’s in January. And Barbie’s in April. I wonder what this week’s runway model will be in?
Heidi: Manhattan. On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, Mayor Bloomberg gave the designers the entire city of New York to use as their inspiration.
Summer: Becks chose Midtown, most particularly the majestic Art Deco skyscrapers.
Barbie: She’s dressing Esperanza as the Empire State Building?
Heidi: Let’s see!
Summer: Right?
Barbie: I’m wearing Mattel, circa 1962. What about you?
Summer: I’m wearing Lynne’s Mom, date unknown.
Barbie: I’m not sure I’ve heard of that label.
Summer: That shows you how exclusive it is. Speaking of labels, on the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were asked to create a look for a special client’s label.
Barbie: Or as some former LJ Runway Monday designer calls it from the safety of Becks’ living room, “working in Heidi’s sweat shop.”
Summer: That’s even more applicable for this challenge, because the designers were asked to create a look to be included in Heidi Klum’s activewear line. Then they heard the challenge twist: They actually had to create three looks. The designs had to fit in with Heidi’s overall collection and use some of the fabric that’s part of her existing line.
Barbie: The winning designer’s looks will be sold as part of Heidi’s line on amazon.com. Unpaid labor!
Summer: Where’s Norma Rae when you need her?
Barbie: Making Boniva commercials. Heidi isn’t with us, because she’ll be on the runway with the other models I picked for this challenge, Neysa and Rocky. Let’s see how Becks dressed them.
Heidi: On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were sent to the workroom to get their next challenge. First, they were surprised to see that photos of themselves growing up had been loaded onto their HP computers.
Barbie: Then they were told they’d be repeating a challenge from a previous season: They had to create an original fabric look using HP/Intel technology. (Becks’ response to that previous season’s challenge can be seen here if you’re interested.)
Summer: To either inspire or distract them, the show brought in their mothers (or in Christopher’s case, his partner) for a day away from the work room.
Barbie: We couldn’t bring in relatives for Becks, but we do know the stories behind some of her photos.
Heidi: For example, the photo below was one of her mother’s least favorites (Becks got sick later that night and was admitted to the hospital), but we think that even with illness looming, she’s fashion forward, wearing Ugg boots long before Kate Hudson and Sarah Jessica Parker were born popularized them.
Barbie: Here, Becks shows an early interest in dolls and the color pink, obviously already a candidate for Mattel and me!
Summer: In this one, Becks (far left), having been given a big box of clothes from her grandmother, chooses always-fashionable black. Note the sheer fabric used over the bodice and for the sleeves.
Heidi: Purple! Oddly, Becks has this same hairstyle today.
Barbie: Uh-oh. The hippie season. Long stringy hair, dark circles under the eyes, bellbottoms, and smock tops.
Summer: Instead of doing a close-up of those big fuzzy black house shoes–or subjecting you to the shoulder pad years–how ’bout a couple of little black dresses–and one lady in red?
Heidi: Classy! Can Becks measure up to Mattel this week?
Heidi: On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were asked to create a high fashion look and a ready-to-wear companion to appear in a L’Oréal Paris ad.
Barbie: The designers could make choices from themes based on L’Oréal’s new eyeshadow palettes: bright, matte, metallic, crystal, and velvet.
Summer: After Tim Gunn warned the designers that velvet would be the most challenging, of course I picked it for Becks.
Barbie: And I picked Noelle to wear velvet, because she’s definitely a high-fashion model. Then I chose Cari to model Becks’ daytime look.
Heidi: Speaking of looks, earlier in the week, I ordered more glam looks for Barbie, Summer, and me from Becks. This is what she delivered.
Barbie: I’m happy!
Summer: Me, too.
Heidi: It could have been shorter. Now let’s see if Becks can make L’Oréal happy.
And Marc Jacobs is hot.
Seriously, I kept thinking all these models were Charlie’s Angels.*
*I don’t mean this as a compliment.
Heidi: On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were asked to create an American sportswear look inspired by Jackie Kennedy.
Barbie: The show’s designers seemed to be very confused by what those directions meant, so I knew I had to pick the right model to keep Becks on track. Someone with a bit of a Jackie look, but current.
Summer: Fortunately, Mattel always comes through, this time with Barbie Basics 1.5, Model No. 13.
Heidi: She’s lucky thirteen!
Barbie: Also known as Morgan.
Heidi: Speaking of lucky, this bubbly dress makes me feel like I’m at the Mermaid Lounge in Vegas.
Barbie: I feel like I’m in a bubblegum dress!
Summer: I feel pretty.
Heidi: Does Becks make Morgan feel pretty? Let’s check it out.
Heidi: On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were split into teams of two. The twist: Each designer had to cut, sew, fit, and style his or her partner’s design.
Summer: The challenge was to create a resort look. Since Becks doesn’t have any competitors to partner with, I described a look I’d like in resort wear. It was up to her to pick the fabrics and sew it to my specifications.
Barbie: Fortunately, this was another challenge in which I could pick the perfect model: one of Mattel’s “On Location” Model Muses from 2007, the stunning Barcelona.
Heidi: You know what else is stunning? That I finally get to wear the shortest dress of the three of us.
Tim Gunn: Why do I suddenly feel as if you’re so fine, there’s no telling where the money went?
Barbie: Might as well face it: You’re addicted to us.
Summer: We’re simply irresistible.
Heidi: But is Becks? Let’s take a look.