Project Runway recap: A Little Avant Garde [S16.Ep9]
Posted by Amy Steele in TV on October 16, 2017
Project Runway. Season 16 Episode 9 on LIFETIME. judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen. Guest judge: Kate Upton. Host: Heidi Klum. Mentor and co-host: Tim Gunn.
Episode 9: A “Little” Avant Garde
The twin saga continues. After Michael storms off because Claire won, Margarita goes to find him while Batani starts to tell Heidi about the measuring that Claire [and Shawn] did. Michael tells Tim Gunn that Claire has a retractable ruler and measures garments back at the hotel. Michael comes back onstage. Heidi looks titillated that there’s a storyline, that there’s drama.
“Michael, Why are you running off the stage?” asks Heidi.
“I couldn’t stand here and listen to a win I think wasn’t well-deserved,” Michael responded.
“But are you a judge?” Yolanda asked.
“No but I see what goes on in the workroom and back in the apartments,” Michael stated.
Heidi: “I think you all borrow from each other.”
Nina says: “You all know your own strength and your own creative power.”
BATANI is OUT.
Meanwhile . . . Tim backstage: “If Claire used a measuring tape outside the workroom there will be consequences.” Margarita feels awful about how it all went down and how it made everyone look. She regrets not bringing up her concerns before the runway show. Talk in the green room is pretty tame. No yelling. No tears. Claire’s relatively composed. She’s a restrained upset. Tim comes in and with a crackling voice asks: “Is it true that you have had a measuring tape in your room?” Claire doesn’t look at Tim and in a monotone, responds: “I have a measuring tape.” Tim says: “Is it true that you have been measuring garments in your room.” Claire says that she has done. Tim says that they have to rescind the win and send her home. Dixie will now used dream machine Brandon’s design. Batani will stay after all.
This week’s sponsor is something called Shopkins. Little kids come out with dolls in hand and get assigned to designers. The challenge is to create an avant garde look inspired by one of the young people’s favorite Shopkins “shoppie.” Shopkins will create a one-of-a-kind shoppie inspired by the winning design. Also a 5,000K cash prize. They have 30 minutes to consult with the children and to sketch and one day for the challenge with a budget of $300. Brandon’s kid wants him to put chocolate on and in the design. Brandon looks befuddled. Ayana doesn’t want to be safe anymore. Her design with tiers of ruffles looks amazing.
Amy gets behind because she chit-chatted with the girl instead of getting input on design. There’s a lighter mood in the workroom without the twins.
Tim comes in for critique. He likes Margarita’s smart idea. He tells Ayana “it’s a lot” and that she needs to edit. To Michael, Tim says: “You can’t hide anything with a look like this.” He tells Amy that her look is a mismatch of different looks and her textile looks like “cheap pantyhose.” He wonders why it’s taking Brandon so long: “This challenge is difficult for you isn’t it?” Of course Michael thinks that Brandon’s relying on Kentaro too much for ideas. Just STOP Michael! As Nina said, you need to just MYOB and do your thing. Of course more drama=more camera time.
Guest judge this week: Kate Upton
Runway notes:
Brandon—pretty color and design
Batani—package
Kenya—another mermaid dress
Ayana—super cute
Kentaro—bridal
Amy—interesting lines
Margarita—flowing
Michael—futuristic disco
Heidi announces, “It was an amazing runway show. Very exciting.” So good that there are four high scores and only two low. Oh, and in his spare time, Zac Posen wrote a cook book, Cooking with Zac. If you follow him on Instagram you’ve seen his dishes.
SAFE: Kenya and Kentaro
HIGH SCORES:
AYANA
Kate: “It’s a show stopper. I love the entire look.”
Heidi: “I love the imagination.”
Zac: “Surrealist Bo Peep. Fun. Expressive.”
Nina: “Sophisticated but child like.”
MICHAEL —he explains that he wanted a disco ball melting away look
Nina: “It looks so well made.”
Kate: “I definitely want to go dancing in that look.”
Zac: “I totally got this liquid melting quality. It captures the imagination.”
BRANDON
Brandon: “I think it’s really cool. I think it’s really great work.”
Nina: “I respect the fact that you kept to your aesthetic.”
MARGARITA
Heidi: “I love this look. It is beyond stunning. It is like a cloud.”
Zac: “You can feel the sensuality and emotion in it.”
Nina: “I love that you took different fabrics with different textures and built this 360 explosion.”
LOW SCORES:
BATANI
Heidi: “I’m not in love. A lot of scraps come together. It doesn’t look intentional.”
Nina: “It looks like you ran out of time.”
Zac: “I wrote down laundry day.”
AMY
Heidi: “I was not the biggest fan of this look.”
Zac: “I don’t feel that it’s that risky.”
MICHAEL is the WINNER
Both BATANI and AMY are OUT
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Project Runway recap: Client on the GO [S16.Ep8]
Posted by Amy Steele in TV on October 14, 2017
Project Runway. Season 16 Episode 8 on LIFETIME. judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen. Guest judges: Yolanda Hadid and Sophia Stallone. Host: Heidi Klum. Mentor and co-host: Tim Gunn.
Episode 8: Client on the GO
I know this is too little little too late but I watched this and just didn’t set up the post. for consistency i decided to post now.
Claire and Shawn have one hour to create a new garment. Claire says: “I am now in a position where my success will result in my sister’s failure. It is a torturesome feeling.” Shawn says: “It’s frustrating that it has to be us against each other.” In the workroom Shawn doesn’t know what to do and looks flustered while Claire is already working on something. Shawn breaks down and says she doesn’t want to do it and they get Tim and ultimately Shawn leaves and Claire stays.
DIXIE sponsored challenge. As dated as last week’s JC Penney sponsor. Although, people more likely to buy Dixie products than to shop JC Penney. Project Runway also uses Avon for makeup, previously pedestrian Mary Kay, so . . . Good job on making the show relevant.
Challenge: Dress a women on the go and create a custom print. Winning design will be on a DIXIE to-go cup and receive $25,000. “This is huge. This is life-changing,” says Margarita. They have 30 minutes with clients and 20 minutes to finalize a print. It’s a two-day challenge. Lots of Claire interviews so she’s going to BOMB and go home or win this challenge. They’ll be creating designs for friends and family of crew members. Claire gets the show’s executive producer’s best friend. Claire’s client says she has tons of nervous energy. Bet she got a briefing from her friend.
Margarita notices that Claire seems to have draped a top that looks like the dress she made the week before. She’s getting quite upset by it. “She’s my friend,” says Margarita. “But she’s not my friend. A friend wouldn’t do that.” Ayana disagrees that it’s a knock-off. “We all do ruching at some point,” she notes. Amy says: “Interpreting fashion and being inspired by fashion is part of the process.” Claire’s print is cool. Her design isn’t earth-shattering but doesn’t look like an exact copy.
Tim comes in to critique. He asks Kentaro if there’s enough of him in the design. “It just looks like a slip dress,” Tim notes. To Michael is says that his design can’t just be a “plain pant.” Tim likes Brandon’s top but not the skirt. He tells Amy to focus on the shirt she’s designed. He doesn’t like Ayana’s pants. And he asks Batani: “Where’s the print?” He tells Kenya that her peplum doesn’t look integrated. Tim tells Claire that her design looks “gimmicky.”
Claire thinks people are interacting with her less than when Shawn was also there. Michael’s thinks Brandon’s getting cocky. Kentaro and Brandon discuss the 25K prize while taking a break. Brandon says that it’s more than he makes in a year.
Michael says that Claire isn’t playing the game “right.”
Runway notes: Cool design by Amy. Nice top by Brandon. Nice shape to Batani’s design. Margarita’s design looks off the rack. Great pants and print by Claire. Too short with Ayana’s design. Unflattering look by Michael. Don’t like the peplum skirt that Kenya designed. It’s unflattering. Kentaro’s design looks like pajamas.
Guest judges this week: Yolanda Hadid and model Sophia Stallone
HIGH SCORES:
KENYA
Nina: “I love the color. I love the print.”
Zac: “The detailing throughout is exceptional.”
KENTARO
Zac: “This is sublime. These colors just sang down the runway.”
Heidi: “You’re drowning her in 20 yards of fabric.”
Nina: “It is 360 degree elegance.”
CLAIRE
Heidi: “I think she looks perfect head to toe.”
Zac: “This was the effective print and I think you have more creativity in you.”
Nina: “In terms of design am I blown away? Have I never seen this before? No.”
LOW SCORES:
BATANI
Heidi: “I’m very confused when I see this look.”
Sophia: “Nothing is balanced.”
Nina: “This is a print challenge.”
MICHAEL
Nina: “There’s too much going on and you didn’t take into consideration her proportions.”
MARGARITA
Nina: “The dress looks like she’s a preppy lady and the top looks like she’s going to a cocktail party.”
Zac: “I like your print. That’s about it. I expect more from you.”
Margarita gets upset and says she was distracted in the workroom but that she “wasn’t raised to throw people under the bus.” In the green room, Michael says he doesn’t understand why judges said Claire’s look was basic but put her in the top. Well, Michael, the winning DESIGN gets on the DIXIE to-go cup. Drama makes good television. This season’s been lacking in it.
CLAIRE is the WINNER
Michael stomps off stage. Heidi asks what’s going on. Backstage Michael tells a producer that he came to play fair.
to be continued …
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book review: Sisters
Posted by Amy Steele in Books on October 2, 2017
Sisters by Lily Tuck. Atlantic Monthly Press| September 2017| 156 pages | $20| ISBN: 978-0-8021-2711-2
RATING: ****/5*
In this well-crafted, potent novel, a woman shares her marital insecurities. The unnamed woman lives with her husband and his two children. Author Lily Tuck deftly brings us into this woman’s world and into her mind as she competes with her husband’s first wife. She questions everything about her relationship with her husband, from not having her own children [“The girl, slightly older, was hostile. Not having children of my own, I tried too hard to please them. I wanted them to like me– to love me–and I allowed them liberties that, in retrospect, I should not have.”] to not having the right career [“I have a career, but I am not a pianist or an artist. My career gives me some financial freedom, it gets me out of the house, but it is not all consuming. If I had to give it up tomorrow, it would not matter much. I am not passionate about my work.”] She explains that not having children even affected her relationship with her sister–“Eloise is a few years younger than I am and we have never been close. Less so once she got married and she had kids, reasons I suppose for her to act superior to me. I’ve met her kids. Her kids are surly and overweight.” She’s so obsessed with her husband’s first wife that she’s perplexed that he doesn’t seem to care about her past romances–“And despite my own reservations about speaking of it, I have to admit that his lack of curiosity about my love life was not flattering.”
–review by Amy Steele
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from Grove Atlantic.
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Project Runway recap: The Ultimate Face-off [S16.Ep7]
Posted by Amy Steele in TV on October 2, 2017
Project Runway. Season 16 Episode 7 on LIFETIME. judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen. Guest judge: Asia Kate Dillion. Host: Heidi Klum. Mentor and co-host: Tim Gunn.
Episode 7: The Ultimate Face-off
As annoying as the twins are I still feel empathy for them and perhaps it’s just good editing and producing. Claire’s freaking out about being in the bottom two twice. Shawn notes that she’s also been in the bottom. “I just want to get out of this rut and move toward the top where I belong,” Claire says. She’s been saying that for weeks so either she’s out or she makes a massive comeback. Although in past seasons I’m not sure anyone has been able to make it to the final four after being on the bottom for that many challenges.
This season isn’t all that interesting or surprising and it’s unclear how Project Runway can change up the show to make it more interesting. I like most of this season’s designers okay but nobody stands out that much. I look forward to Project Runway Jr. to return.
The designers are at JC Penney. This doesn’t scream fashion to me. As Andy Cohen said in his Andy Cohen Diaries it’s “low rent.” They’re in the menswear department so everyone freaks out a bit until Tim tells them that they’re not designing menswear but using menswear as inspiration. Cue the “boyfriend” sweaters, jeans, shirts etal. It’s a team challenge. The designers will work in teams of two. First they’re assigned JC Penney fabric. Yuck. The they pick teams and can’t pick someone who has the same fabric. The teams are: Kentaro and Brendon; Amy and Kenya; Claire and Shawn; Margarita and Batani; Ayana and Michael. They get 30 minutes to sketch and will get $100 for notions, trims and supplemental fabric at Mood. I have NEVER bought an item of clothing at JC Penney. The last time I entered a JC Penney was to look at a Sephora inside the JC Penney. A dirty, messy Sephora. At Mood it’s Swatch’s tenth birthday! So cute. He’s wearing a crown. There’s a cake.
Claire: “I think Shawn has relied a lot on me for the last challenge. It’s frustrating. I too want to succeed in this competition.” Brendon and Kentaro seem to be the frontrunners. Amy and Kenya say they respect each other and work well together. During the critiques, Tim tells Margarita that her design is “a lot of work.” He’s concerned about Amy and Kenya’s look being matronly. He tells Ayana her design “looks like a hospital gown.” He dubs Brandon and Kentaro the dream team as they have similar sensibilities, good skills and have both won. Margarita seems particularly spiteful and catty every time she’s interviewed about other designers. Michael hopes that being dubbed the dream team does to Brandon and Kentaro’s heads and they “crumble.” Tim tells Michael he doesn’t understand his look but notes: “I could be wrong. I’m an old fart.”
Shawn asks Kentaro if she can design a legging boot like he’d designed for the prior challenged. Model Liris gets in the mirror to say that she’s a 14 with a “badonkadonk” and that the twins aren’t used to designing for plus size. To be fair, as Tim said when they mentioned this, none of the designers are all that used to designing for plus size women.
Guest judge this week: actress Asia Kate Dillion [Billions]
Runway notes: Amy’s look is constructed well. The hoodies that Brandon and Kentaro designed are super cute. Batani’s look is lovely. Margarita’s dress is pretty. I’m not keen on any of the fabrics but I’m not the target shopper. Underwhelmed by this week’s runway.
Ayana and Michael are safe.
HIGH SCORES:
Kentaro design
Brandon and Kentaro
Heidi: “I’m in love with both of these looks.”
Nina: “I love the effortlessness. There’s a lot of versatility in these outfits.”
Zac: “Nice casual quality. By far the most cohesive on the runway.”
Margarita design
Batani design
Margarita and Batani
Heidi: “I love both these looks too. I am a huge fan of yours Margarita. The fit is so nice.”
Zac: “I’m in love with your dress. It is just a little bit different.”
Nina: “It’s so polished and sophisticated.”
Asia: “They look comfortable. They look effortless.”
LOW SCORES:
Claire design
Shawn design
Zac: “I don’t feel the cohesion. This t-shirt is just bad design. The world doesn’t need this.”
Nina: “Why do we need these clothes?”
Amy and Kenya
Amy design
Kenya design
Heidi: “Kenya, I think what you presented is too boring.”
Asia: “These looks feel like flight attendant uniform rejections of the 70s.”
Nina: “Even the way you styled these girls, they look old.”
Margarita is the WINNER
the twins will have a one hour faceoff challenge.
to be continued…
One of the twins will likely be OUT but we won’t find out until the next episode.
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new music: Bully
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on October 2, 2017
Bully, “Feel the Same”
Grungy guitar and fervent, vulnerable, jaded vocals—a bit Juliana Hatfield, a bit Hole. It’s a short potent song with thoughtful lyrics. Singer Alicia Bognanno : “I feel like all my best work has been born of heartbreak and upheaval; maybe most musicians feel that way. “The title of the record –Losing – kind of says it all. After being on the road so long and coming back to Nashville we all had a lot of changes going on in our personal lives that we were trying to deal with / adjust to and that was really the motivation for this one.” In 2013, Bognanno, a music engineer, formed Bully with guitarist Clayton Parker and bassist Reece Lazarus.
The punk pop band’s sophomore album–Losing (Sub Pop)– will be released October 20, 2017.
Tour Dates:
11/02/17- St Louis MO – Off Broadway
11/03/17 – Iowa City IA – The Mill
11/04/17 – Minneapolis MN – Fine Line Music Cafe
11/06/17 – Madison WI – High Noon Saloon
11/07/17 – Chicago IL – Thalia Hall
11/08/17 – Detroit MI – Marble Bar
11/09/17 – Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
11/10/17 – Montreal QC – Bar le Ritz
11/12/17 – Boston MA – Great Scott (SOLD OUT)
11/13/17 – Brooklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/14/17 – Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
11/15/17 – Washington DC – U Street Music Hall
11/17/17 – Charlottesville VA – The Southern
11/18/17 – Durham NC – Motorco Music Hall
11/19/17 – Asheville NC – The Mothlight
12/06/17 – Little Rock AR – Stickyz
12/07/17 – Dallas TX – Club Dada
12/08/17 – Austin TX – Emo’s
12/09/17 – Houston TX – Walter’s
12/10/17 – New Orleans LA – Gasa Gasa
12/12/17 – Birmingham AL – Saturn
12/13/17 – Atlanta GA – Terminal West
12/14/17 – Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
12/15/17 – Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
12/16/17 – Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
2/16/18 – Norman OK – The Opolis
2/17/18 – Santa Fe NM – Meow Wolf
2/18/18 – Phoenix AZ – Valley Bar
2/24/18 – Eugene OR – Hi-Fi Music Lounge
2/26/18 – Vancouver BC – Biltmore Cabaret
2/28/18 – Seattle WA – Neumos
3/1/18 – Spokane WA – The Bartlett
3/2/18 – Boise ID – Neurolux
3/3/18 – Salt Lake City UT – Kilby Court
3/5/18 – Denver CO – Larimer Lounge
3/6/18 – Kansas City MO – Record Bar
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music news: Fleet Foxes online-exclusive Live from the Artists Den video
Posted by Amy Steele in TV on October 2, 2017
After a six-year hiatus and several days before releasing its third album, Crack Up, Grammy-nominated Fleet Foxes performed at the Knockdown Center in Queens, New York as part of Live from the Artists Den. Live from the Artists Den is a critically-acclaimed television and digital music series best known for presenting secret concerts in non-traditional, often historic settings.
The episode airs this month. Check your local listings.
Regarding the band’s six-year hiatus, lead singer and guitarist Robin Pecknold explained: “I felt like I wanted just a broader range of experience as a person and a musician to draw from in direct and indirect ways, so it seemed like something worth being open-minded about.”
Fleet Foxes formed in Seattle, Washington in 2006. The band released its self-titled album in 2008 and Helplessness Blues in 2011.
Fleet Foxes is:
Robin Pecknold [lead vocals/guitar]
Skyler Skjelset [guitar, mandolin, vocals]
Casey Wescott [keyboards/ mandolin/ vocals]
Christian Wargo [bass guitar/ guitar/ vocals]
Morgan Henderson [upright bass/ guitar/ woodwinds/ violin/ percussion/ saxophone]
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music review: Saint Etienne at ONCE Somerville– September 24, 2017
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on September 26, 2017
Saint Etienne
ONCE Somerville
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Blissful, positive vibes dominated the sold-out Saint Etienne show Sunday night at ONCE Somerville. The London band played a mix of older songs – a grooving “Kiss and Make Up,” “Lose That Girl,” an energetic “I’ve Got Your Music” and the popular Neil Young cover “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” –as well as songs from the band’s new album Home Counties—the brilliant “Magpie Eyes,” “Whyteleafe” and slow jam “Take It All In.” It’s the first tour for the band in five years. Three musicians, including a violin player, and a singer joined Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs and Sarah Cracknell onstage, which provided a grand, club sound. “You are familiar with Good Humor it seems,” Sarah Cracknell said after playing “Lose That Girl.” She also noted: “It’s a lot warmer here than it is in the UK.” It was a sweaty show because how can you not dance at least a little bit to Saint Etienne? Cracknell is an engaging and genuine front-person. She interacted just enough. An enthusiastic mostly GenX crowd danced and shouted out song requests. One couple said that their wedding song twenty years ago was “Tonight.” I saw two couples with children in tow. The band played for about an hour and a half including a three song encore. The show featured lots of groovy, potent bass lines [especially in “Help Myself”], dreamy, sweet harmonizing and overall warm fuzzies. It’s sparkly, fresh happy music.
Set list:
Kiss and Make Up
Lose That Girl
Out of My Mind
Who Do you think You Are
Whyteleafe
Hug My Soul
Magpie Eyes
I’ve Got Your Music
Take it All In
Like a Motorway
Dive
Split Screen
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Nothing Can Stop Us
Tonight
Sylvie
Encore:
Stop and Think It Over
Train Drivers in Eyeliner
He’s on the Phone
SAINT ETIENNE U.S. TOUR DATES:
September 26—Brooklyn, New York—Music Hall of Williamsburg
September 27—Washington, DC—U Street Music Hall
September 29—Chicago, Ill.—Park West
October 2—Seattle, Wash.—Neptune
October 4—San Francisco, Calif.—The Fillmore
October 5—Pomona, Calif.—Glass House
October 6—Los Angeles, Calif.—The Fonda Theatre
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Project Runway recap: Models Off Duty [S16.Ep6]
Posted by Amy Steele in TV on September 22, 2017
Project Runway. Season 16 Episode 6 on LIFETIME. judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen. Guest judges: Georgina Chapman and Kelsea Ballerini. Host: Heidi Klum. Mentor and co-host: Tim Gunn.
Episode 5: Models Off Duty
This episode opens with Tim Gunn getting tips on taking selfies at a models brunch. Just in case we forgot that this season’s focus is the models. Meanwhile Heidi joins the designers on the runway to tell them about the next challenge. Cut back to Tim and the models taking a selfie and Tim says: I’m going to send this to Heidi. Back to the runway, a producer interrupts her: “Heidi, Heidi. Tim’s literally blowing up your phone right now.” He hands her the mobile. Not contrived at all. there’s been lots of BTS footage involved in efforts to bring back viewers. Samantha sums it up: “I have no idea what’s going on but I’m kind of impressed that Tim selfies.” Heidi tells the designers that they’ll be meeting Tim on a rooftop in Brooklyn where he’s hanging out with “fashionable” ladies so he can tell them about the next challenge.
This week’s challenge: with models as clients develop a street style look that she can post on social media pages with hashtag #modelsoffduty
Anyone who has every watched an episode of America’s Next Top Model knows that even in downtime models much consider their look and more importantly their brand. You can wear a t-shirt and jeans or a sweatshirt as long as it fits your style and is model-esque.
Models pick the designers they want to work with: Jazzmine selects Samantha. Meisha picks Kentaro. Sanita chooses Kenya. Christina picks Margarita. Both Shawn and Claire looks quite uncomfortable the entire time [Claire especially] but schoolyard picks are awkward. Colleen picks Brandon. Liris happily picks Michael. Marsha picks Amy. Monique picks Batani. Janine picks Shawn. Lena picks Ayana. Sian by default is paired again with Claire. Awkward. And Claire isn’t that happy but she pushes forward and thinks this week may be her redemption.
They proceed to sketch on the streets, get $200 to spend at Mood and have one day to complete the challenge.
This episode wasn’t all that interesting. There was very little drama besides the overall annoyance of the twins. The designers seem pretty equally matched skills-wise. I like this show but I miss the characters in the early days. Kentaro and his model bond over Japanese language and culture. He designed for her in the previous episode.
When Tim Gunn comes in to critique and it seems quick. He tells Kentaro that the design is “very you.” He tells Ayana that the stars she plans to apply to her design “look like stickers.” Claire tells Tim that she thinks this will be a redemption moment. By default she’s working with the model from last week when she was in the bottom three. She’s designing and oversize sweatshirt and says she wants to maybe add lettering on the sleeve because ADIDAS and other designers do that. Oh Claire. Too literal. Not original. I am always looking for cool black hoodies sans lettering. Tim says: “the letters concern me.” Model Jazzmine tells Tim that she wants a “hipster bartender” look and Tim tells her she chose the right designer in Samantha. He tells Kenya: “This green is a commitment” and wonders if the model will look like a green bean in the green fabric. He also asks: “Is it fashion or are you just making clothes?”
Brandon facetimes his Asian girlfriend who he notes is older and more mature than him. He loves her and wants to be like her. In all the discussion of cultural appropriation no one talks about Asian culture. Brandon dresses in an Asian-influenced style. He designs based on Asian influences. He has an Asian girlfriend and has bonded most with Japanese designer Kentaro. It’s intriguing to me.
Margarita might be the next Santino Rice. She does a fantastic Zac Posen impression. She says: “They look a little off. I didn’t even score it.” Michael chimes in: “I just wrote down trash.” LOL.
Guest judges this week: country singer Kelsea Ballerini and Project Runway All Stars judge and Marchesa founder and designer Georgina Chapman. I’ve not heard of Kelsea. She tells Tim it’s her first time every judging anything. I guess that’s a surprise as there are so many reality competition shows. She unfortunately doesn’t add much to the show and I wonder why the need for two guest judges.
Runway notes: Kentaro’s outfit is cute. Claire’s is meh. Ayana’s looks like PJs. Michael chose a pretty fabric. Brandon’s model looks like she slept on the street. Shawn’s outfit is cute. Amy’s design is sleek. Samantha’s design is funky. Kenya’s look is cute.
HIGH SCORES
Shawn
She says that her model Janine likes elegant refinement mixed with “urban flair.” Very much Shawn’s aesthetic.
Zac: “The pants look sleek.”
Heidi: “It’s fantastic and look how it photographs.” Interesting to note that Shawn also designed an all black outfit but with a crop top showing skin breaks up the look on camera.
Nina: “Feminine and pretty always sells.”
Georgina: “It feels elevated. It feels elegant.”
Kenya
She explains that her model wanted trousers and loved the color emerald green.
Zac: “It’s Debbie Harry meets Peter Pan meets 101 Dalmations and I like that.”
Georgina: “She has an ease and confidence and that’s what streetwear’s all about.”
Nina: “There’s something about her that seems mysterious. So quirky and oddball I want to know more.”
Kentaro
He explains that the model loves Japanese culture. They love the skirt over the pants and the draping and crop top. Really a look that screams I’m a model because who else could wear it?
Heidi: “Your model was the coolest by far.”
LOW SCORES
Claire
She says: “we tend to be more dressed down.” Not sure who she’s talking about but I think she means the model and herself.
Nina: “I like the idea of sportswear but I think we missed a pop of color.”
Zac: “Social media is the public’s own form of editorial.” In other words, this design didn’t stand out in the pictures.
Heidi: “The only think I see when she walks the runway is her cheeks.” Noted. Heidi likes boobs but not butt cheeks.
Samantha
She says that she and the model have a lot in common. The judges love what Samantha’s wearing and ask if it’s her design. They wish she’d design like that for the runway. She wearing a gold print dress with leather harness straps for belting. She’s overall pretty cool in her style. I’d wear her clothes.
Nina: “It’s a little verging on costume.”
Zac: “I’ve seen it.”
Margarita
Her model considers Aaliyah her style icon and Margarita went there in full. The model looks like she should be in a music video.
Zac: “There’s a major fit issue with the pants in the crotch area and it makes me uncomfortable.”
Nina: “It’s so Miami.”
Kentaro is the WINNER
Samantha is OUT
Samantha is wonderful and enthusiastic and it gutted her to be eliminated. I’m sad to see her go. I’d easily wear her designs.
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music review: The Lone Bellow
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on September 16, 2017
If asked about my musical tastes I gravitate mostly toward darker, goth female artists but have a soft spot for the flannel boys of Americana –bands like The Avett Brothers and Band of Horses. Sometimes I dig those rootsier beats. The Lone Bellow album Walk Into a Storm has me swaying and swooning in my Doc Martens. Note to self: find some flannel shirts at Goodwill. Maybe bring back my 90s wardrobe of flannel and jean shorts with tights. There are plenty of heartfelt and poignant songs on this album enveloping you in a big auditory hug. Things are tough. Despite challenges and adversities we’ll be okay if we stick together. And the power of music can lift our spirits and open our hearts. The opening track swiftly draws you in and digs deep. It’s moving, particularly with Kanene Pipkin joining Zachary Williams on the chorus. I particularly like these lyrics: “I’ve got no sickness/ Got no disease/ Except for the heart inside of me.” The song “Is It Ever Gonna Be Easy” reminds me a bit of Chris Robinson Brotherhood both in twangy guitar and earthy vibes. “May You May Well” is a hopeful meditative song. There’s an aching beauty to “Come Break My Heart Again” with Williams singing: “Come break my heart again/ So I can feel it /I think you need it/ I know you mean it…” A swaying and feverish beat anchors “Time’s Always Leaving.”
The Lone Bellow’s third studio album, Walk Into A Storm [Descendant Records/Sony Music Masterworks] was produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded in Nashville, Tenn. It will be released September 15, 2017.
WALK INTO A STORM TRACK LISTING:
- Deeper In The Water
- Is It Ever Gonna Be Easy
- May You Be Well
- Come Break My Heart Again
- Feather
- Walk Into A Storm
- Time’s Always Leaving
- Can’t Be Happy For Long
- Between The Lines
- Long Way To Go
The Lone Bellow will kick off a tour in support of their new album on September 21 in New York.
TOUR DATES:
Sept 21 – Central Park Summerstage – New York, NY#
Sept 23 – Farm to Fork Festival- Sacramento, CA
Sept 29 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC ^
Sept 30 – Riverfront Park Concert Series – Lynchburg, VA
Oct 01 – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH^
Oct 02 – Opera House – Toronto, ONT^
Oct 03 – El Club – Detroit, MI^
Oct 05 – Lincoln Theatre – Columbus, OH ^
Oct 06 – Dave Finkelman Auditorium – Middletown, OH ^
Oct 07 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY^
Oct 08 – Deluxe at Old National Center – Indianapolis, IN
Oct 10 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL^
Oct 11- Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL^
Oct 13 – Majestic Theatre – Madison, WI ^
Oct 14 – The Englert Theatre – Iowa City, IA ^
Oct 15 – Fine Line Music Cafe – Minneapolis, MN ^
Nov 01 – Bijou Theater – Knoxville, TN*
Nov 02 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA*
Nov 05 – Iron City Birmingham – Birmingham, AL*
Nov 06 – Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC*
Nov 07 – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC*
Nov 09 – Haw River Ballroom – Saxapahaw, NC*
Nov 10 – 9:30 Club – Washington D.C.*
Nov 12 – Infinity Hall Hartford – Hartford, CT*
Nov 14 – State Theatre – Portland, ME*
Nov 15 – House of Blues – Boston, MA*
Nov 16 – Higher Ground – South Burlington, VT*
Nov 17 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA*
#Supporting The Head And The Heart
*w/ The Wild Reeds
^w/ Mt. Joy
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Project Runway recap: Descending into Good and Evil [S16.Ep5]
Posted by Amy Steele in TV on September 16, 2017
Project Runway. Season 16 Episode 5 on LIFETIME. judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen. Guest judges: Dove Cameron and China Anne McClain. Host: Heidi Klum. Mentor: Tim Gunn.
An easily forgettable overall snooze of an episode. It starts with Tim Gunn taking this designers to the Lyndhurst Mansion where they meet the stars of Disney Channel’s Descendants 2—Dove Cameron and China Anne McClain—this week’s guest judges. Not even Disney but Disney Channel. Come on Lifetime and Project Runway! These children’s film tie-ins are tiresome. How about a tie-in with Mother! or Battle of the Sexes? Have I aged out of Project Runway? Who are these stars?
This week’s challenge: create an evening wear look inspired by the movie Descendants 2.
Some will be designing a good look and some an evil look. As last week’s challenge winner, Michael assigns good and evil. Good looks: Amy; Brendan; Kentaro; Aaron; Ayana; Claire. Evil looks: Kenya; Samantha; Shawn; Margarita; Batani; Michael.
“I love stories and I Love making garments inspired by them.” –Samantha
Being a model-focused season, the designers discuss which models they’ll be designing for and if there are challenges, concerns or particular inspirations. In the workroom, Margarita struggles and videochats with her parents. She’s crying that she’s not a crazy designers and that making women beautiful is her thing. She says: “I would hate to go home trying to be something I’m not.” Okaaaay Margarita. It’s season 16. You know there’s going to be avant garde, evening wear and unconventional challenges. The twins persist in annoying some of the designers. The Brandon/Kentaro bromance continues.
Tim comes in to critique. He tells Brandon that he’s full of the unexpected as Brandon designs another menswear-inspired shirt dress. He tells Claire to “beat back the costume” and questions whether or not lace on Michael’s look is matronly. Shawn feels that her design is really her. Aaron’s look. Oof. He’s not lasting all that much longer. He says he’s trying to “be more innovative and fun” but Tim says “it’s a gimmick.” He tells Margarita that she’s moving in a “beautiful direction.” So she needn’t worry. Tim tells Samantha her look is “like a big craft project.”
The Brandon love fest continues as his model Christina says: “I love Brandon. All these girls have a crush on him. But he does have a girlfriend FYI.”
Runway notes: Shawn’s look is cool. Kentaro’s is flowy. Brandon’s look is interesting. Samantha’s is basic. Aaron’s look is a big no. It looks like post-school dance. Michael chose gorgeous fabric and it’s a pretty design. Claire’s is simply. Ayana’s look is lovely.
SAFE: Batani; Amy; Kentaro; Ayana; Shawn; Margarita
HIGH SCORES:
Brandon
He says he thought about his girl as a superwoman for inspiration.
Heidi: “It’s a modern straight jacket. I love it. It feels very fashion forward.”
Dove: “You did a fantastic job of taking the challenge and making it your own.”
Zac: “We’ve seen a lot of these different length shirt dresses. You can’t be a one-trick pony.”
Kenya
She says: “I’m evil and I thought about a dark tuxedo look.”
Heidi: “It all works. I’m just in love with this look.”
China: “It’s tailored perfectly.”
Nina: “I love the fact that you didn’t do a gown. The drama is in balance.”
Michael
He says he’s inspired by “darker elements.”
Heidi: “She was a queen walk down the runway.”
China: “I wrote fabric sleighs in all caps.”
Zac: “It fits spectacularly.”
LOW SCORES:
Claire
She says the first thing she thought of was princess.
Zac: “It looks like Cinderella on her day off.”
Nina: “We have seen a version of this a billion times. This is a cliché.”
Heidi: “This to me is forgettable.”
Samantha
She explains that she was inspired by poison fruit and poison flowers.
Zac: “I don’t like your fabric choice. It’s just ugly.”
Nina: “This feels very old.”
Heidi: “It’s kinda like an 80s prom dress.”
Aaron
He says: “I was given good and I thought that resonated with a pink.”
Heidi: “It’s just so messy. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Nina: “It looks like a child put together this outfit.”
Brandon is the WINNER
Aaron is OUT
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About Me
covering mostly music and books. focus on alternative/indie and women in music, literature and the arts. feminist. vegan. mostly alternative, a bit bohemian. Masters in journalism from Boston University. BA from Simmons College.
Entertainment Realm by Amy Steele is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at entertainmentrealm.comCopyright © 2009. All writing, unless otherwise noted, by Amy Steele.
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