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Project Runway Season 11, Episode 10: “The Art of Fashion”

Stanley Hudson working on his design. 

In last night’s Project Runway episode, “The Art of Fashion,” Tim Gunn took the designers to the Guggenheim Museum to seek inspiration. There, the remaining six designers received the challenge: They were going to be paired into three new teams and each team had to create a fabric print on their HP computers, then the fabric had to be used in two designs: one an avant-garde art look, and the other, a RTW look.
 
In addition to a new HP tablet/laptop computer, the winner would get $10,000 cash from HP. Cash is always nice, isn’t it?
 
The new teams were Stanley Hudson and Michelle Franklin,
Layana Aguilar and Daniel Esquivel,
and Patricia Michaels and Richard Hallmarq.
 
The guest judges were designers Tracy Reese (I don’t know about you, but I know I love and own a number of her Vogue patterns!) and Rachel Roy.
 

On to the dual designs…

 

The winning look and team

 
Stanley Hudson won the challenge for his team’s RTW look. Michelle sketched a woman’s face and she and Stanley turned it into a “woman spiralling out of control” print. It was a little creepy and dark, but it worked, mainly because Stanley used it in a playful garment, and Michelle only used the print on a tiny portion of her garment.
 
Stanley’s winning RTW dress:
 
 
Michelle’s avant-garde coat and dress:
 
 
 

The OK looks and team

Layana Aguilar did the avant-garde look for her team-up with Daniel. Their block-print was pretty, but Layana had an emotional crisis in the middle of the show, and never recovered with a strong look. The judges cited Eliza Dolittle, Scarlet O’Hara, and other fictional, historical characters. Her dress felt period, not avant-garde.
 
 
Daniel Esquivel’s jacket and bell skirt were well received. Even though it is work that has been seen before from Daniel, there’s no denying the guy knows how to cut and fit a jacket.
 
 

The losing looks and team

Patricia Michaels and Richard Hallmarq were a match made for disaster. Despite her loquacity, Patricia has difficulty explaining her ideas. Richard has trouble coming up with creative ideas he can actually carry out.
 
Patricia did create an interesting avant-garde look:
 
 
But Richard did not know where to take inspiration from her idea, or how to use her print fabric, for an effective RTW garment. 
 
Richard’s RTW look, with atrocious skirt:
 
 

What did you think?

 
Did you think Stanley should have been the winner, when Michelle drew the design for their print? I thought that was unfair.
 
What about Richard’s departure – about time, or do you think there was something interesting we hadn’t yet seen from this designer?
 
Have you ever created your own digital print fabrics? What did you do? Was it fun? What did you sew with your print?
 
What would you do with $10,000 cash?!
 
 
 
 
 

Discuss

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  1. User avater
    Soli | | #1

    I don't know that Stanley should have won the challenge for an RTW dress - I thought the focus was supposed to be on the avant guarde. Also, that was not a design that could be worn by anyone but tall girls with no curves, where I think that Daniel's work was something that could be worn by more real women, if they were going with an RTW entry. Personally, I much preferred Patricia's dress over Michelle's. I'm kind of over the Seth Aaron Northwestern Hot Topic version of couture. Even if Nina didn't like the veil, I think the textile and treatment of Patricia's gown was much more interesting. As for little miss crybaby, I wish she would get aufed already. She strikes me as the kind of young person who was raised under the cult of child self-esteem that brooks no criticism and doesn't prepare children to deal with setbacks or the fact that there are people out there in the world who will be better at something than their exalted infallible selves. She essentially dissed Daniel and wasn't about to listen to him, insisted on taking the lead when it came to the avant guard garment, and then couldn't figure it out, but again, wasn't about to listen to anything he might have said that could have really helped her. Then she had the unmitigated gall to say that she felt betrayed when he took credit for his own work, although he did say that she was his muse. That child needs a reality check. I think that Richard should have been sent home during the Thunder from Down Under challenge for those appalling shirts. No offense to anyone who lives in the Delta country, but Sacramento just doesn't strike me as the couture capitol of California. Yes, he does darling knit dresses, but he obviously doesn't know what to do with wovens, and his work has been very neat, but not very inspired. The fact that he wasted so much time on that stupid bracelet and didn't try very hard to figure out what Patricia was working on told me that he was in way over his head. I don't know that he's capable of anything new and interesting, but that he overstayed his time by a long shot when Benjamin, a guy who dressed British movie stars, got cut too soon.

    I've never designed a fabric, but I did a stylized print of the Manhattan skyline for a 2-D art assignment that I've been told would make an awesome t-shirt print or scarf fabric. I really enjoyed creating the design itself, which was based on the yin-yang idea, then creating the tile effect repeating the design by hand (this was before Photoshop became affordable for students). A couple of versions of the print that I did in different colorways got featured in the Art Department hall showcasing student work (yay me). I wouldn't mind having the print run up in silk crepe de chine for a blouse or scarf.

    $10K in cash? Aside from paying some bills, I'd get a good quality dressmaker's dummy, better organization furniture for our home studio, and maybe a good trip to London or Paris...

  2. sews4fun | | #2

    I was SO outraged that Stanley won, I couldn't stop going on and on about how it was Mondo and Gretchen all over again! Poor Michelle looked like someone had kicked her in the stomach! How on EARTH could they have picked Stanley, who made a VERY fimiliar baby doll dress that I have seen countless times along with his painted bubble wrap idea? Michelle did ALL the fabric, drew the faces, painted the train, did all the hard work, made the insane coat, the headpiece, busted her KEISTER and STANLEY got the win? Has someplace frozen over and someone forgotten to tell me about it? I am OFF-THE-CHARTS FURIOUS that Stanley won! Then, he has the nerve to strut and crow about his win! If I were Michelle, I would just want to walk right out of there and tell them ALL where to go!I am SO disgusted! I don't know how she can go on and actually be inspired to continue designing when she was so badly cheated out of a much deserved win! That was below the belt for sure!
    I'm glad Richard is gone and I hated whatever it was that Patricia put down the runway, what would you call it? The mummy bride wears a gown designed especially for her by Ringling Brothers? I guess Daniel got a little taste of what he did to Michelle last week when Layana let loose with her meltdown. I don't know how she could blame Daniel for her hot mess dress, if she had won, it would have been totally because of her design genius, because she lost, it was totally Daniels fault, the poor guy couldnt win. Layana needs to go home and grow up before she steps out into the arena of adulthood. It wouldn't hurt if she could take a little advice from time to time either. I can say this, the show was an epic fail this episode after that cheap stunt they pulled by letting Stanley win, his dress was simply okay, not a winner and the biggest losers of all on this show were the judges who demonstrated their willingness to stoop to new lows, they are truly a lot who possess no class and I have no respect for any of them.

  3. CherieNightOwl | | #3

    I definitely think Michelle deserved the win, as the fabric and avant garde design was all her. If Michelle does not win this season I will be very upset with the judges. She is clearly a good designer, good at construction and form, and she is PROFESSIONAL. She handled Stanley's win with grace. That makes her the top designer, imho. Layana annoys me. She needs to focus more on fashion and less on attacking anyone she doesn't find perfect.

  4. fabricstitcher | | #4

    This season has been a bit of a disappointment to me - while the idea of teams is interesting, about this time in the contest, don't you think it should be back to individual work? Richard should certainly have gone before Benjamin, if only becuase he seems to be comfortable only with knits. I agree with Soli that I thought the emphasis was on avant guarde. Patricia's dress was very interesting, but I think she missed it with the while veil - it was too jarring a juxtaposition- tea dyed, it would have worked for me!

  5. User avater
    Vernelle | | #5

    I'm so happy Stanley won. In my opinion, his work has been exemplary each and every episode. I love his work, his professionalism and his creative spirit. Kudos, Stanley. Looking forward to more great designs. You have my vote for the finals.

    As for Richard - I'm a bit surprised he lasted this long. I could tell he put a lot into his designs, but I just don't think his skills were up to par with many of the other contestants.

  6. HarmonyQ | | #6

    I love Stanley's dress. It is definitely RTW. Being only 4'11" tall, I totally disagree with SOLI about this dress being wearable only if tall. It is a fun, very comfortable looking dress. It can be dressed up or down. I would wear with flip-flop shoes in summer. As for Michelle-who does she design for?! Not one single outfit would I wear, not even the one for the NM challenge which looked like a paper sack on the model and especially on the window mannequin. How did she win this challenge, I'll never understand it! My advise for Michelle is to try some humility every once in a while. She is so full of herself! Daniel's outfit was very wearable, too, and would look lovely on anyone regardless of height. Patricia has a wonderful creative spirit in her. I would love to see her create a quilt.

  7. Cherlyn | | #7

    I thought he judges were unfair in the recognition this past week. The design of the fabric was Michelle's. I did think that her dress fitmor in the costume category and Patricia's more avant garde, unfortuately, her design on the fabric was not appealing for the gown she created. The two were at battle. Not sure why she chose the veil, but I thought it did tone down the look.

    Patricia is a talented textile designer. I don't think she will make the final four. Ias glad o see Richard go, because his talent is so limited.

    I have a feeling that Daniel has his limits too. He appears too over confident. Patricia gts hurt too easily--I can just hear Michael Kors! I'm not sure what Layana was thinking this week!

    $10,000 really doesn't very far. I have never designed my own texile, but that does look like fun. I would like to do that someday. I have played wih fabric placng in laces or tucks and done some needle felting--that is fun! Then cut out something from the altered fabric.

    We have an artist here that purchases old clothes from second hand places and creates something new. She does over dying, then adds textue by felting. The garments are very intresting. One of the quilters hs created beautiful one-of-a-kind garmets with the fabrics she creates in her studio.

  8. Ikebana152 | | #8

    I agreed with the judges decision for this week's losing designer. I am not sure whether it was his attitude or his lack of taste and vision but that pleated bottom thing was awful! May Layana be next. How much more whining, "it's not my fault" must we be subjected to. She is a mediocre talent with a penchant for blaming others.

    Tough call between Stanley and Michelle. The collaboration worked well. They were able to listen to each others editorial content and produce two garments that fit the bill for the project. I personally wasn't crazy for the print, but somehow Stanley's dress was wearable and her garment definitely in the avant-garde mode. I suspect it wasn't easy for the judges to choose between the two.

    Patricia is not a designer - she's a fabric artist. She plays with fabric and then remembers that there's supposed to be a garment that fits a challenge. That veiled psuedo Freida Kahlo dress was hideous.

    Properly mentored I think that Daniel has good skills and could make it to the end, just don't give us another jacket - we know you are good at it!

    I have never designed a print and I am not sure that I have a well enough developed design sense to create a pattern and envision how it will play with the eye when it's part of a garment.

    $2,500 of the $10K would be spent trying to save the 6 year old girl in Afghanistan whose father sold her to a family to be the wife of a 17 year old because he could not pay the $2,500 debt for the money he had borrowed to feed and clothe and keep warm his family. The rest would be spent on the Paris Couture week with Susan Khalje.

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