Project Runway Season 9--Episode 4 "It's All About Nina" --Nick Verreos MyLifetime.com Recap!

What Would Nina Wear?



Last night, on Season 9 Project Runway, the remaining designers had to create a look for Miss Nina Garcia, Style Diva, eyebrow-arching judge of the show, and of course, Fashion Director of Marie Claire. The results were, well, a bit Not Nina, but before I give you an Amuse Bouche of my MyLifetime.com Weekly Recap, I have some thoughts:



Would You Like Some Mustard with That Pencil Skirt: One of the contestants, Just-Learned-How-To-Sew Anya bought some mustard-colored silk fabric to make Nina her design. She was chastised for her color-choice by Nina--who asked "Do You Have a Plan B?" and Michael Kors who confidently stated "Probably the LAAAST color on the PLAAANET, that she would say ohhhh, give me that!"



So, Anya decided to change it and well kiddies, I went back into the "Nina Photo Vault" and found a little proof that Nina does wear mustard/yellow hues...and looks quite good in them.



The Top:

Anya: Speaking of Anya (who dyed her mustard fabrication into this olive/mud-looking color). Her design ended up in the Top 3 mainly because I think Nina was impressed with her ability to find a solution to her mustard dilemma. Sorry, but I really don't understand how this was in the Top. Really? Nina is going to wear this to the office and then to a cocktail party?! With that belt? This is better for a Jr. Marie Claire Assistant who's 23.



Viktor: Very nice dress. I give him props for really thinking about his client (seems as if most of the others DID NOT) but as Michael Kors said "It's a little now and Nina is about what is the next thing". It also looks VERY Kim Kardashian...



Kimberly: She definitely deserved the win. Totally Nina. She LOVES pants. She loves BLACK pants and the gold directional top is great for a billboard and editorial.



The Middle of the Pack:



Olivier: Sooooo Olivier. And so Nina (if you changed the pants to black). But it looks like one of the suits he brought to his Casting. But DUDE (did I just type "Dude"?): Add some color why don't you? Step out of your comfort zone, just once.



Anthony Ryan: He could have been in the top for me. If he had done black pants (here we go again!), I think he would have nailed it. Also, interesting how he self-analyzed and realized in his commentary that he hadn't pushed it quite far enough. This boy is going to the Finale ferrrr suuuuure!



Becky: Actually a very cute dress. Not totally "Nina" but it is well designed and well contructed. Safe.



Bert: Chic and impeccably made. It was just kinda BORING. Yes, this would be at a Macy's Dresses Dept, like tomorrow! BUT: Hello, this is a DESIGN competition! Bert needs to stop phoning it in. This will be his dismiss for sure.



Joshua: Really girl?! On Nina Garcia?! Since when is Nina going to see Lady Bunny DJ'ing at Club 57 in NYC? Clearly someone who has a hard time combining the UBER chic aesthetic of their client with their own style. Once again, this will do him in.



Laura Kathleen: Oh huney. This is SO Laura. Not Nina. I can see this at the St. Louis Magazine's Annual "A-List" party but not in Manhattan's Hearst Offices and then to a Fashion Party at the new Dream Downtown NYC. Nope.



The Bottom:

Danielle: Boy, she really got it wrong this week. This is Nina, after popping one too many prescription pills for depression. Yes, the green color is very IN this season, but well, not in this style of a blouse. And the wide hip-slung waistband pant. I think I did a pant like that for my NIKOLAKI line back in 2003. Just sayin'



Bryce vs. Cecilia: Bryce's Wonky-hemmed dress (and what's up with those really BAD armholes?) vs. Cecilia's one-shoulder cocktail look. Both are NOT Nina, and not so well made (Bryce's is WORSE!). I'm still perplexed at how Bryce didn't end up in the bottom--other than at least his somehow could be (a little) more appropriate for "business". I guess.



Bye Bye, and Thank You For Flying "Julie Airways":



A Coat-Dress. Yes. It's the LATEST thing! Didn't you hear? She looks like she's about to serve my warm nuts and Bloody Mary as I sink into my Business Class pod seat on a plane!



The color combination is so easyJet (right) and the styling is so Richard Tyler for Delta Airlines (left). Go figure.



And now: This Week's Recap:







Do You Have A Plan C?



Designing for a client: a rite of passage every fashion designer — amateur or established — must go through. The circus is gone (thank goodness), and this week it's all about designing for a REAL client: Nina Garcia. The Legend. The Diva. Born in Colombia to a wealthy importer (Wikipedia!). Attended an exclusive boarding school for girls in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Holds TWO bachelor's degrees, from Boston University and FIT, and (if that's not enough), she also attended the Ecole Supérieure de la Mode in Paris. Oh, and did I mention the woman has enough style and class to fill two football fields in Texas? ....



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Project Runway Season 9 Spotlight--Nina Garcia: A Style Diva!!

La Diva Nina:

Lots-a-Judges: The Panel on tonight's Project Runway Season 9, Episode 4 "It's All About Nina"

In honor of tonight's Project Runway Season 9 4th Episode, entitled: "It's All About Nina", I thought I would review some of her outfits over the last year or so, starting with the one she will be wearing tonight:



Aquilano.Rimondi Fall 2011 by Italian Designers Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi. These are two very talented designers and I just LOVE their clothes (and they obviously have some nice backing from someone with deep pockets--look at that show!) and of course, Nina Garcia is the perfect person to promote them.



Effortless Nina: Nina in Michael Kors for Good Morning America Appearance: Clean, chic, love how she brought back the black (that is on the waist and neckline of the dress) to those stacked strappy heels. Two Words: "Focused" & "Balanced".



Miss Barranquilla Nina: At the 2011 A&E Upfronts: Oh Dear...Nina goes Chiquita Banana!!! Who knew? This is very "Miss Colombia National Parade of Nations".



Nina in Black: Nina attends the CHANEL Tribeca Film Festival Artists Dinner in April 2011. Nina loves a pant ensemble and she knows how to make statements with STATEMENT MAKING accessories! And she clearly LOVES a pair of Black Strappy Heels.



Mommy Nina: Nina and her eldest son, 4-year-old Lucas Alexander at The Society Of MSKCC Hosts The 20th Annual Bunny Hop, March 2011. Here, she wore an elegant silver dress with poufy cap sleeves, black leggings and black stacked heels. The brooch on the waist is so genteel!



Don't Mess With Nina: Everyone: THIS is how you dress for NY Fashion Week!!! Nina Garcia dons yet another black pantsuit ensemble--this time, black tailored straight leg trousers-- perfectly hitting the floor and covering the shoes (Take a Lesson Ladies!!)--and a fur shrug, at Fall 2011 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Her only accessory (besides a thin bracelet): Her Blackberry, naturally.



Pockets Nina: Nina Garcia in a navy-blue printed scooped-neck dress from Oscar De La Renta Resort 2010 at the 13th Annual Rising Star Awards in January 2010. Those "Darth Vader"-looking bootie-heels are out-of-control!



J.Lo Nina: Nina goes uncharacteristically "Latina" and Sassy in this one shoulder (Nina rarely does the one-shoulder!) silver asymmetrical-hemmed dress with strappy heels and a big metallic bangle/cuff. This was in June 2010 at the CFDA Fashion Awards. BTW: Nina is disguising her new baby bump at the time (in November 2010, she gave birth to her second son, Alexander Davis Conrad).



Kooky Nina: Well, at least we have some examples of how Nina does wear--or like-color! (and not just head-to-toe black). Here she is in May 2010 at the A&E Upfronts wearing a multi-colored, multi-printed striped tank dress. Something tells me that if a Project Runway designer/contestant had created this for her, she might not have worn it...Love the black wedge heels though. Love.



Don't Miss TONIGHT'S new Project Runway Season 9 Episode 9/8c on Lifetime..and make sure to go HERE TOMORROW to read my Recap!!!!

Project Runway Season 9--Episode 3 "Go Big or Go Home" --Nick Verreos MyLifetime.com Recap

The Circus--and OVER-exaggerated Body Types...come to Battery Park New York!!!



This:



Equals:

Project Runway Season 9 Designers Joshua McKinley and Julie Tierney design for Challenge No. 3

Last night's 3rd Episode of Project Runway Season 9 involved STILT Walkers and designing outfits for them--that were NOT COSTUME-Y but more "Couture" as their Mentor Tim Gunn, suggested. It was a MESS!!!! I was so amazed (and not in a good way) at how BAAAD these looks were that I thought I was watching a horrible "Day At The Circus" Documentary...The designers/contestants were teamed up and well, to begin--one of the teams Josh and Julie wanted to do "Torreador Couture" and ended up doing Elephant Clown Circus Wrangler, as my images above shows you. It really should have looked like this:

Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Fall 2008

I know it is not fair to compare a $50,000 Haute Couture ensemble---which includes a hand-beaded jacket that probably took 400 HOURS to make--to an outfit on Project Runway that was made in 12 hours but there was nothing chic or modern or even something that looked wearable in Joshua and Julie's Outfit.

And to think that these were even in contention for the Best:



Becky and Kimberley: One shoulder striped, pouffed/Leg-o-Mutton sleeved jacket with contrast over-sized cuffs and asymmetrical collar paired with gold-studded army-green trousers ensemble. Enough said. The top was SOOO "Fashion School Graduation Show 101" in terms of its silhouette, styling and fabric choice. Yes, the pants fit extremely well (the judges agreed), but still: It WASN'T that good...to be considered a "Top".



Cecilia Motwani and Danielle Everine: The chiffon fabric of this look was cut and sewn BEAUTIFULLY!!! I give both of these girls points for that. But if it wasn't for the 1967 "Medicated with Way-Too-Many-Dry-Martinis-Housewife" bouffant hairdo, they might have won...

but in the end it was this that won this awful & creepy challenge:



Anthony Ryan Auld and Laura Kathleen: This was the ONLY look--a red gown with a gathered blouson top with feathered shouldered detail and thin-belted waist--that came close to NOT being COSTUME-like and from the Circus and actually reminded the judges--and me--of a gown that was just "stretched"...Laura won as a result.



The Really Bad:







Bert Keeter and Viktor Luna: These two designers argued throughout the entire challenge and the result of their look was a MESS! Using brocade from the Mood Fabrics HOME and Sofa Section (is there really such a department? I may be making it up!) is NOT a good idea!!



But it was THIS Tutu concoction that really made the judges sour:





Bryce Black and Fallene Wells: These two designers tried to do "Black Swan"-meets-Punk. Not so much. The basic black cami looks like it came from Forever 21 and that tutu, low-hanging waistband and under-skirt pants? It all looked like a drunk 50-something former ballerina had hijacked the stage and needed to be escorted off. Fallene was "Auf'ed"...



If you really want to know what I thought of the entire Episode...





Here is a preview of my recap for myLifetime.com:



Send In The Clowns



Off the Bat ...

I know that I will risk sounding like a big ol’ “Negative Ninny” right off the bat (I promise, just this week!), but ... boy, were these outfits AWFUL! Just awful! Good, I had to get that off my trimmed yet still hairy chest. Oh, and let me add the following while I am on a roll: I am all for Team Bert in this Viktor vs. Bert History of Fashion Terminology Lesson. Don’t say “Elizabethan” or “Victorian” or “Gothic” when you haven’t a CLUE what those terms refer to. Go buy François Boucher’s “20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment” and then talk to me. Don’t use the incorrect terminology and not expect to be clocked on it. OK, I am done for now. Let’s discuss this week’s Circus on the Runway Challenge....



Click HERE to continue reading--and of course, please let me know what you thought (in the comments section).

Project Runway Season 9--Episode 1--Nick Verreos MyLifetime.com Recap!!!

A Crotch KRAZEE Pajama Party!

This:

Equals This:

Dress from designer/contestant Bert Keeter, Project Runway Season 9--First Challenge

Last night was the Season 9 Premiere of Project Runway on Lifetime. It featured the MOST EVER contestants EVAAAH (!!) on any Project Runway season: Twenty. But then, after a "Showdown of Designer Musical Chairs Judging" by Miss Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, Miss Nina Garcia and Michael Kors, 4 were sent home (or back to their "Hotel Hiding Place" to wait it out and be sequestered for a month of doing nothing).

Then the official 16 Designers got off-and-running very early the next morning with a 5AM Wake Up from Gunn. The Challenge was to create a look using what they slept in plus a bed sheet from their Atlas digs. The results of the Project Runway Pajama Party were lots of KRAZEE Crotch pant ensembles (somehow they all drank the Bad Crotch Pant Kool-Aid!) and yes, some decent looks. But, nothing extraordinary. Huney, give me a bed sheet and silk pajamas from China Town and I'll give you a one shoulder Grecian-Goddess draped gown!!!! Besides my favorite from the winner Bert Keeter--here were some that I also liked:

Fallene Wells: Such a cute, fun quirky dress. And so well made! Nice side invisible zipper darling and LOVE the drawstring hem!

Becky Ross: Well made, well fitted one shoulder dress. Love the baby blue color (I'm sure it was "too pastel-y" for the judges) and the details and styling (Gosh this model is GA-GA-Gorgeous!).

Olivier Green: I LOVED the suiting he showed in the "Road To Runway Special"! Incredible. And this jacket and skirt look were consistent with that. This look is very Alexander Wang-meets-Calvin Klein. Very New York City! The only thing I fear is the all-gray-all-monochromatic-simple chic aesthetic might end up "Too One Note" for the show and the judges. Time will tell...

But, now, let's go back to those CRAZY CROTCHES:

Designer Julie Tierney's outfit of a printed & color-blocked top with "Parachute"-looking wide-legged pants was a bad look strewn together from a Goodwill Store. The pants were a MESS. Julie showed some AMAZING outerwear during the "Casting Special" and so I assumed she would have done a FAB Cocoon coat out of all that poly-cotton bed sheet fabric...but nope, she did some FUGLY pants!

Next up on the Bad Crotch Alert: Joshua Christensen. Huney, those shorts were three sizes too small. Exhibits A and B: Notice the pulling "whiskers" on the crotch and the side pulling opening up the pockets and rising the outseam of the short. Classic Pant 101 signs that it is TOO DAMN TIGHT.

Someone who called in sick during "Pant Making Week" of Fashion College, was Laura Kathleen. Boy oh boy oh boy! First off, those pants are a NASTY shade of "Day After a Nuclear Explosion Gray". And then, again, we have a KRAZEE Crotch and too-tight waist. When you can make a size 2 model look "hippy" you know you've done something wrong! Notice the pulling of the darts and upper hip area. I'm getting the feeling that I may need to give a Fit Class to incoming Project Runway contestants. For a BIG fee!

Just-learned-how-to-sew Miss Trinidad and Tobago 2008 Anya Ayoung Chee's look, which was one of the judges faves (still don't know why), also was a victim of amateur pattern-and-fit education. Michael, Nina, Heidi--they all LOVED her pants but look above: I want to grab about FOUR inches off that saggy crotch!

Finally, skirts were not immune to fit problems last night. How designer Cecilia Motwani slipped past the judges "Worst List" is beyond me. If that model took one more step, we would have seen her BRITNEY! Not cute.

But the Worst Offender was Rafael Cox, who became the first official Season 9 Casualty (technically the FIFTH!). His was pretty BAAAD. Just for the plain fact that those gray leggings made the model look like a homeless Tranny going to the liquor store at 1:58am is enough to get the Auf Wiedersehen !!

Here's the "Intro" to My Recap of the First "Premiere" Episode:


Fashion Grand-Daddy Is BACK!

Gather your friends, uncork the red wine, get some crudités and put your best skinny jeans on. Why? HELLO: Season 9 of "Project Runway" is finally upon us! (Gosh, we missed you, Tim!) When we last left the "Grand-daddy" of Fashion Reality Shows, there was MAJAH drama: In case you forgot, the favorite of last season, Mondo Guerra, didn't win and instead the crown went to Gretchen Jones, who quickly gained the moniker of “America's Most Despised Woman on Reality TV."

Before you knew it, there were rioters with pattern shears demonstrating in front of Parsons and the Lifetime headquarters. OK, not so much. (I love to exaggerate!) Cut to nine months later, and the anger has subsided, and now, we're moving forward. New season and (I'm sure) new "characters" to love and hate. Oh, and yeah, there's the FASHION!

To Read my entire Recap--Click HERE on MyLifetime.com "Project Runway Blogs" and of course, PLEASE let me know your "Two Cents"!!! I LOVE reading all the comments!

Project Runway Season 9--Guess Who Is Blogging the Recaps for MyLifetime.com?

Yep, me...

Returning Blogger: Nick Verreos, to blog Project Runway Season 9

I'm so excited to be joining designers Mychael Knight, Johnathan Kayne Gillespie (both from Season 3) and "Momma Peach" , Peach Carr (from Season 8) as a Recap Blogger for Lifetime's Website--MyLifetime.com. I am honored (sorry, I know, I sound as if I am receiving an award!!) to be a "returning Blogger" for Project Runway.

I will--as always--try to put my "Uncle Nick" twist on things, and see the episodes both as a Designer who owns a company for ten years, a Fashion College Instructor, as well as someone who has "been there/done that", oh and yes, be a little funny and sassy at the same time :) Just a little bit. I can't wait!!!

Click HERE for my BLOG on MyLifetime.com.