It was a great season, there was a deserving winner, a VERY deserving model gets the Elle spread, and four great collections were shown. This was the first time I've ever cried at a TV show, movie, book... and it was well-warranted. Thanks everyone for making this the most special TV experience I've ever had.
I loved Chloe throughout the show. It was not just about her clothes but also about her personality. She is professional, never vicious to others, and always polished in her worksmanship. I don't think she is the next great American Fashion Designer (none of them were in my opinion) but she will do very well for herself.
I had been wanting to watch for the entire season and it never worked out, so I was THRILLED when I saw that Bravo had a marathon run of the entire season today. I watched every epsiode and loved it!! I picked Chloe as my favorite during the first episode. I thought she was very talented and had great style. I was very happy to see her win:) I'm totally hooked on this show now.
Wow. What a show! I liked all 3 designers very much, but personally, I wanted Santino to win. Despite being so different from each other, they all had a beautiful aesthetic to their collections.
Chloe's win was a huge surprise to me as was Santino being the first to be auf'd. I'll still give her props, though. Girl, you did it! Big congrats to Chloe!!
And, of course, a BIG thanks goes out to Laura K. for hosting a wonderful forum for fans of PR!
previous shots and slides of chloe's final runway show on different blogs/sites did not do justice to the actual collection. after seeing it on models and how the clothes move - made me realize she is the winner after all!
I really liked all three designers' collections, I was quite conflicted over who I thought the winner should have been, based solely on the fashion week collections. it's different if you are judging based on that aspect AND their clothes and behavior from the show before.
Didn't Santino's models not come in for fittings, ergo, his pieces were somewhat ill-fitted on them? They weren't THAT ill-fitting. I thought his clothes were gorgeous and wearable, and felt awful that the judges proclaimed it too safe. I think he really put and lot of heart and thought about it, and it showed.
Daniel's collection was sleek and sophisticated, and perfectly cut, but I really felt as though it was too safe. It was like banana republic regurgitated, with the addition of some edgy details. There was a large range of styles, which showed his versatility but it was mostly casual sportswear. I would have liked to see a fancy dress or gown or 2, to round out the collection.
I didn't like Chloe's use of so many bright, metallic charmeuses and brocades and I didn't care for her choice of print fabrics, but her pieces were impeccably cut and constructed, and while some of her styles were dated and costumey, other were delightful. well a "fantasy" effect was what she was seeking, so it works. I know she has the business skills and savvy to make it in the industry.
So I'm satisfied. She deserves it. But it's a bittersweet victory.
I love, love, loved Chloe through the show, but her final runway show was soooooo disappointing. It was almost all gowns and the thick bridesmaid fabric - ICK. I seriously wasn't overjoyed by any of the designers collection.
Step off, Santino. In a surprise victory, Chloe Dao was crowned the winner of Bravo's "Project Runway" in the fashion-competition show's finale Wednesday night.
And Dao, in an interview with The Associated Press, directed some sharp words at fellow finalist Santino Rice, who had questioned her design pedigree during a tense elimination round. He had told her he thought she was a "brilliant pattern-maker" but an average designer.
"I can only say that I guess you're wrong!" Dao, 34, shot back in the recent interview. "I can't help it if I had skills, honey."
Just got back from Chloe's Project Runway party. It was crazy! Anyone who saw the last episode can see that there was much more well-rounded thought put into her collection and her comments on the collection.
She really deserved it. I know she'll do great in the business!
I admit I was surprised when Chloe won, but not unpleasantly by any means. I would have been pleased had either she or Daniel V won as I thought they were simply the two most talented and consistent designers of the batch, and they both proved themselves over and over again.
I will admit (everyone sit down) that I thought Santino presented a very respectable collection, not a chicken suit or Sound-of-Music-on-acid treatment to be seen, and I give him credit where it is due.
Who couldn't be happy for Chloe? And Daniel V will be just fine. It was so close at the end it was almost like having two winners.
Thanks for the hard blogging all season, Laura K...you rock.
I LOVE THIS SHOW..Kinda sad that season 2 is over! I personally think that Santino or Daniel should win...I love Santino despite his negative image throughout the show...the man has talent! Anyways, congrats to Chloe!
Having seen only the still photos previously, I had expected to like Santino's collection most and to not like Chloe's collection much at all, even though I like her very much personally. But when I saw the clothes in motion, I thought that her collection was terrific and that the other two collections were a bit lackluster in comparison. Still, I think they were all strong collections, and I'm sure they all have futures in the fashion business.
Kudos to Chloe. I'm happy for her and for Grace. I of course had my favorite, but I would have been happy for whoever won. The twist here that made it interesting is that I didn't see this coming right up to the point Debra Messing said she thought Chloe's collection was beautiful.
Reading all the different opinions, especially since FW after which, for so many people, it came down to a competition between Daniel and Santino, reminds me that however talented people are, there will always be those who love their work and those who don't, And this is why it's so important to stay true to one's own vision. Good luck Chloe, Daniel, Santino, and all your fellow designers. It's been a great show.
everyone has their own taste, so i suppose i can understand the outcome. however i found it horribly anti-climatic. the winner was a woman who already had great design skill and a design buisness. not that dan will be left floundering, or santino will be penniless forever, but still. personally, i did not like chloes collection at all. i thought it was borderline *bad*. Dan was in the middle, with santino on top. santino's collection was wonderful. oh well. signing off of BPR (and reality television!) until PR.3, xoxo
I am shocked that Chloe won but totally pleased. I didn't love her collection, but it did look better in motion than in photos and I agreed with the judges that Santino's and Dan's didn't have the same perfect fit and finish.
I'm sure they wanted to award it to someone also who would take advantage of the Banana Republic mentorship, unlike Jay. I think Chloe won over Daniel because her collection was a little weirder, more couture, a few of Daniel's pieces were gorgeous, but a lot looked to me like sportswear you would find already in a Banana Republic store.
Anyway, I just thought Chloe was honest, down-to-earth and very talented. She was the "Kara Saun" of Season 2 and I'm glad she won this time.
I agree with Anapestic: Chloe's collection really worked on the runway in a way that it didn't in stills. I'm so pleasantly surprised and happy for her, and for gorgeous Grace too! I wish Daniel and Santino well, and I think they both have great futures ahead, but the judges made the right choice.
I am pretty confused by Chloe's win. I mean I love a good throwback to 80's Prom as much as the next guy, but her collection was hideous.
Also, if the words "tell a story" came out of Nina Garcia's mouth one more time, I was going to reach through the TV and kill her. Seriously!
I am so non-plussed by this season of PR. Not just because someone besides who I wanted to win ended up winning. I mean the talent level this entire season was just so sub-par and disappointing, I honestly felt a little bit cheated. I hope that they step it up next season with designers who are much more innovative than these.
I want to congratulate all the designers on this show. Whether I thought one should win over another, I found myself pulling for ALL of them somewhere after Zulema left. I dont agree that these designers were subpar at all!
I hope to hear of more from Santino, Daniel, Chloe, Andrae, Nick, Kara (and even my sweet Dirty Diana!) in the future.
I think one thing that gets lost in all the partisonship, is that this whole competition(except for the final collection) took place in roughly a month...
That was no days off, working till midnigh, with chloe mentioning that at times they didnt even get lunch breaks... No one is at their most sparkling and creative under those conditions. It was a grueling marathon for them and I think they all were wonderful. Even the ones that got on my nerves at times... LOL... I am sure if I was there working under those conditions I would have gotten on others nerves too...
Isn't it interesting that we didn't really hear any fashionista articles claiming Chloe as the winner. No one really pointed her out at all. Just an interesting thing. And her 'pattern-making' skills as Santino put it were her winning factor.
I think this might be the first time in the history of Reality Television when someone says they are going to win, they acutally win. When the editors showed Chloe telling people that she really felt that she had won, I was sure that meant she was done. But No! Anyhoo, congrats to Chloe! Want to make my baby a dress? Oh wait, he is a boy.
I too, based on online pictures expected to like Santino's collection the best and Chloe's the least. But movement makes all the difference! As Heidi noted the lines were very beautiful and I think the jewel colors really great. Some of the dresses reminded me of early 1970's Biba dresses. I lived through the 80's in high school and chose to wear vintage instead of the horrible designs of the period and I can tell you those outfits she designed are not '80's prom dresses!
I loved Dan's stuff it was very wearable, but if he could have gotten some of Chloe's ideas on color combined with his eye wow, what a collection!
I had expected, based on photos, to like Santino's the best, but I agree, that the fit did not flatter the models. They were swimming in those dresses and not in a flattering way. I was really dissapointed for him, because, I sort of wanted him to win. I guess I felt at this point he emotionally needed it this most.
Many have criticized the show for giving the prize to Chloe, but I think the fact that she has a head for business may have been a factor after Jay's refusal of the money last year. Also, just because someone has a business does not mean that they don't need capital! A business can always use more capital. And that can be hard to come by, especially when you are trying to grow or take the next step. This sort of money can be a godsend to a young struggling businesswoman/artist.
Also, she is at the point in her career where she can really capitalize on this sort of thing. She has talent, skills, business acumen, and experience and is still young.
I've always thought that chloe would swoop in and win it at the very end, but when i found out debra messing would be the guest judge I knew for sure. Women love clothes they can imagine themselves *looking good* in. End of story.
Overall, the individual pieces in all three collections were well-theorized and made with such meticulous care, yet as COLLECTIONS none of them really jumped at you. Chloe's worked best on the runway because she played up the contrast between risky and 'safe' from piece to piece. The other 2 seemed to throw ideas at you willy-nilly.
I certainly hope Daniel takes Michael Kors up on his offer. He has plenty of time to find funding and build his name and I know he will.
I'm disappointed. As a new poster but a dedicated fan, i must say I'm surprised Daniel did not win. I think his clothing is highly wearable. And I wonder, did Kors decide to take Daniel for him self? Hum - internship at Bananna Republic...mentorship with Michael Kors.... Hum. Daniel V WINS, sponsors and scripted reality shows be damned!
It was so fascinating to hear Michael Kors pick up on things I never noticed: fit, finish, story. That is what I have so enjoyed about this show - the education. I loved them all, and I think the judges picked a deserving designer to be the "next one to watch." In the end, it came down to the fact that Chloe had it all, she was almost there already, all she needed was a chance... and she got it! Terrific showing by all! And thanks to Laura K. and Co. for their terrific showing!
I'm surprised and delighted with Chloe's win, but I still like Kara's collection the best. I'm bummed we didn't get to see it.
I agree that Chloe's collection looked so much better in motion. Weird, isn't it? Not a fan of the giant, Barbie pink pouf-sleeved coaty-dress thing, but I loved the sleek, fitted dresses with the interesting backs. And that gown on the unearthly Grace was fantastic. I am enraptured over the fact that it had sleeves!
I sort of had to laugh at Deborah Messing's gravitas in her vocal delivery and questioning of the finalists. She sounded like a very earnest high school teacher to me. Heh.
Congratulations to all the designers for their beautiful work.
I didn't care for Chloes clothes, I felt they were all rather, lacking in grace, and while they might fit, looked uncomfortable and clunky. Starchy, it is hard to explain. i also disliked her choice of color intensley. I thought Daniel and Santino made the best showings, and honestly Santino had the best single piece in the show by far, that dress was really quite nice. I think he didn't win honestly because of the Freak Show factor... Daniel honestly was a bit disapointing, I thought he would come up with something really amazing, and I didn't see that. I didn't think his best work was there.
I can't believe Chloe won. I thought that first look was a bad misunderstanding of Balenciaga, with garrish colors that screamed "I'm 30 and from Texas and want to be hip". I think its great that she understands design, and seams and a woman's body. However, that should be a requiste for ANYONE entering the business. I don't understand how the judges could not see the cohesiveness in Santino's collection and see it in Chloe's. I didn't see anything cohesive in Chloe's collection besides metaillic dresses. Santino's collection, on the otherhand, I thought was very good. It wasn't spectacular (who's was?) but it wasn't horrible by any means. It was understandable, it was wearable, and it was photograph-able. I think his comment about the judges mistaking "safe-ness" with refinement and sophistication was spot on. I don't think he should have been punished for envisioning wearability in his designs. Dan is cute and young, but doesnt have any design sensibility. Where is he going? What is he trying to do? I think he would be great as an assistant designer, but not as a head. He needs some time and space to think out and express his ideas (military??? please).
I am disappointed that an already successful person who complains got all the cookies. I am not down with her designs at all. She needs some therapy too for her ongoing reaction to Santino, geez why is his approval so important lady? Let it go.
Santino said it on his web page, we need to turn our frowns upsidedown. I am sure Daniel would want that too.
So boys, hit the talk shows, be yourselves, strut... We'll see ya soon.
I wouldn't be half as upset if Santino had beaten him. I feel that Chloe doesn't have the creativity - the "x" factor - necessary to really be a big player in the industry. I thought the color-scheme of her collection was dreadful. All of them had a couple of pieces that were questionable, and some that were outstanding, but in my opinion, Daniel and Santino had more outstanding pieces than Chloe -- by far.
Is anyone commenting on Daniel's final evening dress that the model absolutly could NOT walk in? I kept saying "she's going to trip!" and then she did! Trip on it!
That dress was not designed to be walked in which was totally surprising to me. It was his model Rebecca too! Was it too long or just poorly designed?
wow, what a crappy finish to a very exciting season, I think santino should of won even though his collection was a bit restrained and not very cohesive, but it was better than the dreadfully boring collection daniel showed, their was no inspiration, the bags were chunky and awful, the color pallete was ok, but it still had no punch, no signature of any designer, and chloe, every damn fabric she used had a sheen to it, no buyer would purchase all of her looks because they were so similar in style and color, her prints looked cheap and the blue and green won looked like a map of the earth, awful, granted she was a great patternmaker it didnt show any creativity, their were no fabric combos and it didnt look very modern, besides, professional designers in the industry dont make their own patterns, thats why their are patternmakers to do that crap, I think if your judging the show based on creativity then Santino wins but if its on technical savy then give it to Chloe, shes just a glorified seamstress, plus many designers are terrible at sewing, you just have to know how to construct the garment but you pay someone else to do it for you, all in all very underwhelming
All I can really say is that I am in complete agreement with what Tim says in his podcast for this episode. Everything I want to say, he said there (including his annoyance with the judges--come on, people...you're going to criticize Santino for toning it down after you ASKED HIM to tone it down? And I wanted to laugh so hard at Nina talking about how much she liked Santino. PLEASE.)
I'm pleased for Chloe; her collection was my second choice and it had some really beautiful pieces in it. The judges fawning over Daniel when he left made me want to throw up, though.
Ok, don't jump down my throat about this, but I was wondering, given the disclaimer screen at the end of the show, if Chloe was the winner simply to make good television. She seems like a sweet person and I loved her designs on some of the challenges, but her runway show didn't cut it to me, especially when compared to the other two designers. Yes, the clothes fit the models really well, but the actual collection was kinda boring and guady. Given her backstory and poise throughout the season, and the fact that everyone thought the contest was between Santino and Daniel, it seems natural that the producers would want Chloe to come out on top.
given the santino notoriety, i could see the producers not favoring a santino win. HOWEVER that same clause has been discussed more than once as a reason to keep santino on...
but if the producers "wanted somebody" for a popularity contest, daniel v is the clear choice - not chloe.
fwiw, the ability to be a successful designer is a legitimate part of the process. you can have the most fabulous ideas but without making them reality in a sustainable manner, all kinds of talent won't make you the next big designer.
i do think santino got the short end of the stick in re judging, and his collection wasn't judged on its merits by itself. i was shocked to see that santino was first aufed. he had beautiful pieces.
daniel's stuff looks sooo much better on his website than it did on the runway, which is kind of surprising. the focus on that brown dress though, don't understand that....it wasn't a strong point of the collection.
Isnt funny how the collections came out differently in motion than they did when we first saw the pics ?
I hated DAniel's on paper and I actually found it to be quite pretty from closer/motion.
Similarly I ended up being slightly bored with Santino's (even though I still think he had the best individual pieces)
Maybe it is the power of editing though ... Chloe's winning felt fitting except for the poll that put her last just before she was revealed to have won. Oops LOL
Johnh said it best. Santino, who I hated at the begining of the show, should have won this competition. He deserved it and I think he would have appreciated way more than Miss "I don't know if I even want to be a finalist." Ugh! Had he lost to Daniel, well maybe I would understand (though I agree with Michael Kors about those damn breastplates!) But Chloe?!? Be serious. What a letdown. Ugh again! I seriously think I'm not going to watch next season.
Okay, after calming down and rewatching the show, I will talk to the actual show and not my emotions. I am happy and proud of Chloe. She is a beautiful person and an amazing creator of clothing. I congrautlate her, but I was still more in love with Daniel's collection. His was so strong. It was a quite strength. As for Santino, there were pieces of his collection that I loved, but then the rest I didn't like at all. And as Tim said earlier in the season, his masses on his designs are used to cover up his lack of craft. He is passionate and he needs to use that as his means to get somewhere in the world. Now the one part of the whole finale that drove me absolutely crazy was the focus on Daniel being to young and inexperienced. What does that have to do with anything? Maybe it is just me as a college student just graduating and getting into the workforce, but I don't see how that matters. If you can do the work, you can do the work, it shouldn't matter about age. And to be as nice as possible, what designer who is as creative as Daniel is would want to work under Michael Kors. The huge gold earrings told you something about Debra Messing taste. I didn't notice them the first time around, but clearly caught them this time. And maybe one reason I didn't like Chloe's collection was her models. I had a real hard time with her models. They all looked strange and their walks were driving me crazy. I couldn't tell if it was the dresses or just how they walked. I loved Chloe saying she doesn't usually do evening wear. When I looked on her website almost all of her collections were evening wear collections. She sold herself like she was going out of style; whereas, Daniel was very indecisive on the runway. I love how they commented on the seems of her dresses after her Whats your Line challenge having that nasty rear-end seam. Over three months, seems like the judges kind of altered their opinions and points of view, not only on that point, but other points.
Congrats to all three designers! You worked your tales off and deserved to be there. Good luck in the future. And you can know at least I will continue to follow all three of you.
What a turn of the screw ending! I am reeling at the judges' comments to Santino that he wasn't "himself" in his collection after the drubbing they gave him each week for being too "out there". Chloe's clothes were very red carpet event in a cool way, but Kara Janx still has my vote for first place, though.
Has anyone else here noticed the ridiculous amounts of sexual tension between Santino and Nina? It's like a version of "When Harry Met Sally" where they "hate" each other at first, and for years to come, until they realize their true love has been standing on the runway or sitting on a chair across from the runway the entire time? It's a tale as old as time.
And speaking of Nina: I'm surprised not many people have mentioned how insufferable she is in this line of comments. After all her complaining about how Santino doesn't think about the woman, how he's gone over the top, how he's just "too much"--she goes and tells him he's played it "too safe!" This is the time where Santino should have said, "You've got to be kidding me, right? It's like I'm taking crazy pills here!"
So all in all, the finale was boring and anti-climactic. And even though it was boring, it felt rushed, no?
Now I say Nina should go dress herself up as a deer, put on some Auf underwear, and hop to it with Santino! You know they both want it.
No way. I really have to agree with ben. While I don't begrudge Chloe a victory, her collection was matronly, incoherent, safe (in a 'boring' way, not in a sophisticated way).
My husband wondered whether she won in a room with 3 female judges and one male judge who probably wanted to hire Daniel V. from way back. I think Jaqueline Keeler may be right about the producers wanting to give the prize to someone with a head for 'bidness'. But I agree with kinghouse that her designs are starchy - I would say stiff. If I were a young woman today, I wouldn't be caught dead in anything but the gold babydoll. But her designs weren't meant for the young - they were meant for her usual clientele - the middle-range Texas oil industry women with really bad taste and a penchant for tints and tones of primary colors.
Daniel V. - I'm sorry you didn't win, but I think a job with Michael Kors is a *much* bigger deal than sweatshopping for Banana Republic, which Chloe would fit into quite well as head sweatshopstress. Fare well.
Santino is very talented - but would not have been palatable to the Texas oil set. I hope he does well.
I was surprised how my opinions of the designers changed after seeing the show from seeing the stills. Santino had been my favorite, but after seeing them move, Daniel's was my favorite of the three. I didn't like Chloe's before the show or after, but I did gain an appreciation for the detail and tailoring.
I would love to know what the judges' reaction was to Kara's. Regardless it was a great season.
I really thought it was between Danny V and Santino, but when I saw Chloe's show, I actually spontaneously thought, "Omigod, she could win!"
The colors and styles seem very Eighties to me, except for the backlessness, which to me suggested where Eighties fashion may have gone if the AIDS epidemic hadn't happened.
I don't really want to see fashion return to those kind of electric colors and that shinyness, but the Seventies have been making a comeback since about 1992, and perhaps it's time for that structuredness and seriousness to cycle back around.
Oh, and who else noticed Michael Kors wearing sunglasses during the fashion week runway shows? I could've seen him saying, "I don't know. It was all just a little too...dark."
Oh, and another thing--the complaints about the dresses not fitting Santino's models well? It's because you threw in a 13th garment and he didn't have time to fit and tailor. Go ahead a play your little games for the sake of TV drama, but then don't hold it against the designer if he doesn't have enough time. And what exactly was the point of the 13th garment? To prove that the designers could make fast clothes? They had already proven that by getting to fashion week.
These are just my ramblings to cover up my disappointment with the finale. I've been nice this whole time, making excuses for and justifying different decisions (Zulema making it as far as she did??), but the pent up anger has finally been released upon this blog.
Suddenly Santino has all these friends/fans coming out of the woodwork. I got creamed for trying to give him a fair shake during the season.
Motion certainly contributed a new element to the designs, unseen earlier. I like Chloe's colour palette--the particular shades of pink and green that she interwove, with gold as an accent colour. You have to look at the WHOLE collection (i.e., the final walkthrough) for the eye to fully "read" this.
I think it was really a three-way tie. If Santino had just brought a splash of his outrageousness into two or three of the designs I think that he would have won hands down. Remember how the judges ABSOLUTELY HATED Daniel's remake of Chloe, how it distorted her essense (I don't remember this being part of the challenge, but never mind). Now Santino comes to OFW (the "Everest of Fashion", by his own description) sans his distinctive offbeat, freaky signature look. Particularly Nina seemed to be concerned that they had beaten him down with their sommetimes brutal criticisms. Thank you, Nina.
Both Daniel AND Santino were far too safe (with exceptions, of course), far too hushed and respectful. while Chloe sang in her full voice, offpitch occasionally but large and with a distinctive point of view.
The judges really played chess with this decision (most of it edited out as usual, of course). Again I would like to state that the whole judging process should be taped and available for private viewing by the designers involved, IF that is their choice. They might truly llearn something useful and constructive that way.
Bravo, Bravo tv!!! Bravo, all the designers and the WHOLE PR team!!! Bravo, Laura, you have made this an especially pleasant and educational experience. I was checking out Santino's board on the realitytv site last night, and there's so much gossip and dish and, of course, the usual J'accuse that, thanks to your brilliant stewardship, is more the exception here than the rule that I could only take it for a few minutes. (If anyone is interested, there are 19 pages!! of junk posted there.)
We have become family here, the core group at any rate, and you were always open to the most conflicting opinions, provided they were discrete and intelligently argued. And I am especially gratefull for the opportunity to do the "Dr Don" recaps.
PR season II has been a thrilling adventure and, occasionally, a really rough, vertiginous rollar-coaster ride. (Even Hitchcock himself would be lightheaded getting off this one.)
It was, for me, physically/emotionally painful watching the designers sleepwalk through the final 48 hours. Santino particularly showed the strain and, not surprisingly, seemed to lose a little of his edge, although his presence on the runway was certainly high-adrenaline enough. I wonder if this (the infamous "13th look") was a last minute decision, I also wonder why Heidi, for the first time ever, accompanied him to the workroom when they annouonced the challenge. Do you think that they were anticipating a rebellion or something?!!
Goodnight, Fashionistas, and Good Luck!!! (How many here are planning to audition?)
I'm not exactly sure what the judges were after with Santino. I think it's clear that he had the most cohesive line. His color choices are very modern. His silhouettes were excellent and his craftsmanship was superlative. The judges wanted to see more Santino. However over the span of the entire season he was accosted for being TOO Santino. I'm sorry, either you eat the cake or you have it. Shame on the “judges” for not being consistent with their comments. And shame on Bravo for their final choice of celebrity judge. While Miss Messing is an excellent comedic actress, I would have preferred Tom Ford or Karl Lagerfeld. Perhaps they were unavailable.
it was a bit of a scam though...did you notice the message quickly flashed at the end of the show--it said that the producers had "input" into the voting.
In otherwords, it was a business decision, probably based on what was felt would lead to the future success of the show, financially. The winner was in otherwords, in the words of the show's producers, not based on merit.
I thought Santino had the most cohesive vision, attitute, theme, etc. etc. Daniel had great looking pieces, I felt it didn't really all come together for this show but that he could potentially do great things in the future. To give her some credit, I thought a few of Chloe's peices looked fantastic too. I thought clearly Santino was the winner of the final show.
How you get along is one of those soft warm fuzzy things but in the end it's about how the collection comes together...I don't think any of them were really out to get someone else, and anyway there's always active and passive aggression, not always obvious who the real a-hole might be in the group!
Good job everyone, too bad the producers couldn't run a fair contest and let the judges vote their opinions!
I have to say I knew Chloe would win the instant I saw the stills. Why? She used colour! Look at what the judges like - they like colour. Her designs were actually quite good but her fabric choice was appalling. The fabric was far too heavy. It really wasn't stiff but it was so heavy it made the models look like they were wearing armour.
I was surprised how unfinished Daniel's collection was when they arrived for the final finishing touches. I thought Daniel's white coat and pleated skirt with vest and tee were fabulous. His final dress was ill designed for the runway and Rebecca's tripping emphasized the flaw. He could have better described his look as sleek and martial than the more precise but less evident Japanese and military.
I was very impressed by Santino's designs although the colours were so muted, he didn't have a chance. He did some beautiful things (loved the leather breeches) but the dresses really didn't fit in the bust-tragically making one beautiful model look like she needed a breast lift-NOW.
On another note entirely-did anyone else play the Fashion Face Off? I am completely frustrated by not receiving points 'won'. IF you email Bravo they let you know that they're very popular and really can't get back to you. Aarrghh! Why bother?
Just watched the show, totally shocked that Chloe won, but pleased as well. I as soon as everyone, except Nina, said they knew who they would pick, I thought it was going to be Daniel. I wasn't shocked that the judges said that Santino's collection was too safe, but I was shocked that he didn't say anything about how the judges were slamming him for going out there week after week.
I must say that all three collections had their ups and downs, I liked Chloe's color pallette actually and her seam lines really accentuated her models, but I thought that her puffy sleeves were just too much.
Santino's collection was beautiful, especially his last dress for Heather, but right now I can't remember much else. I have a feeling the judges' expectations overshadowed his collection.
Daniel, who I thought would win, put some amazing pieces on the runway, I especially love the white double breasted jacket. But, I wasn't too interested in seeing most of the separates. They just seemd blah to me.
Really, it was a tie for me, and I would have been happy and a little disappointed in any choice. I think Kara's show is on bravo's site, and I will check it out.
To me, Chloe, if I may use a sports analogy, is like signing a veteran free agent. She has alreay reached her upside, so while I think she designs great clothes, I don't feel like she will be transcendent. Daniel and Santino are more like the young draft picks with lots of potential. They may turn out better, but it they didn't shown enough of it in their collections.
Congratulations to Chloe! Based on the entire season I would not be surprised about her win. She has fairly consistently created well-made and thoughtful garments.
But I'd like to mention that I thought Santino's collection was beautiful. I just listened to Tim's podcast. I'm sad that Tim stated that Santino can't win even though he created an admittedly magnificent collection...just because of fears about turning project runway into a "freak show." This is probably what the judges & producers thought but that's terrible and unfair!
I was surprised and pleased to see Chloe win. Thank goodness that creep Santino didn't win. I thought Daniel was great but so did he and that just ruined it for me. I would have loved to see Chloe, Nick, and Andrae in the final three. I think Nick and Andrae both have huge potential. Andrae really sold me with his inspiration design when he created that beautiful gown inspired by dirty gutter water. It was gorgeous.
Congrats to Chloe and I hope I've seen and heard the last from Santino.
I believe that Chloe’s 'collection' was overly mother of the bride. She has a few pieces that were interesting in there cut and her pieces were; and have through out the entire season, well fit. (God bless the pattern designers and seamstresses of America) she lacked inspiration and creativity. I felt that many of her embellishments were assignments out of a pattern making class or maybe a lesson in vogue brand patterns. Cheers. I got an A in pattern making class too. I did not feel that her collection was cohesive, expressive nor did I feel that the fabrics were modern or fashion forward. Daniel’s collection was clean, and understandable. He is young, and has a very good eye. His sense of color and fabric is mature for is age, but the maturity came across a little tired in this show. I also felt that they were unexpressive of personality or the youthfulness I expected out of him. (I loved a lot of what he did during season 2) i felt that he was designing for the wrong show and that his collection would go over better in 6 months. So now I am left with Santino. His was the only truly beautiful collection I saw on the finale runway. It was the collection that was cohesive,sophisaticated and pretty. His work was polished, finished in a way that he has not shown before. It seems that he was finally taking all of the judges' advice. There a mix of dresses and separates, an expressive use of fabric and color, and with out a doubt, all of the clothing flowed on the runway. He also had a very clear defined theme to his collection that was reflected in every piece. I was shocked when he was eliminated first. It seems that he had finally given the judges what they wanted and they still had something to say. maybe the project runway producers felt the need to pick a female winner after the first season, and I believe that Santino will have a career after the show, but a TV sitcom actress as the finale judge? There must have been someone else that could have been chosen.... the red carpet is not the runway. I am disappointed. Fashion may be subjective, but at least have a finale judge that has an education outside of her stylists and what she reads in magazines. Celebrity does not equal good personal style, taste, nor an understanding of what "IS IN" or what "IS OUT" It equals notoriety. Knowing how to put a pretty dress on does not mean you know how to pick one out.
Thanks for your comments lemontart. I agree wholeheartedly. Tim saying what he did about Santino and the freakshow is almost enough to lose me from the show. If everybody felt that way, it would definitely concern me.
Wow, what an ending. I didn't love Chloe's collection the best, I did love a lot of her work all season and think she does have tons of talent. But then-so do Daniel and Santino. What I took exception to was the sudden criteria of being a good businessperson. When did that become a factor-why wouldn't you give it to someone with talent who needs the cash and mentorship, as Daniel V. said? I thought that as far as versatility, cohesiveness and real world wearability, either Santino or Daniel was the better choice. I think the fan ratings on the various polls support that. I didn't love Santino all year but did love his collection, although I think it was a little boring.
Another thing-each 13th piece was AWESOME-a testimony to Nick, Diana and my fave, Andrae. They deserve kudos and I wish they could have at least been present at the runway.
I think all 3 were truly great, good for Chloe and I hope Daniel and Santino have a soft landing-Santino, don't you dare give up. You ARE a winner because I'm sure there are many like me who wondered how you made it to the end and when we saw your collection, knew why. Find your way and you will achieve your dreams. If I win Lotto, I'll back you myself....
My husband and I are totally suffering! What WILL we do on Wednesday nights? Watch the chef show? I think not. :-(
Okay enough venting. Here are some thoughts about last night:
In the end, no one is a loser anyway because they've all gotten incredible exposure and in any business esp fashion --- longevity is what matters. And I think that one of the key criteria the judges probably used to make their decision was that, they want a return on their investment, right? Also, longevity and talent are two completely different things. And talent is ultimately overrated. I can't begin to tell you how many 'talented' people I've met along the way who for one reason or another did not make it and it wasn't because of lack of talent ---- it was the other stuff.
Daniel's style is clean and sophisticated and wearable. And I've loved all of his stuff...That being said, I was a little surprised about the way the collection was finished...as in it looked like a collection from a recent FIT graduate vs. a professional collection. I love you Dan and it totally breaks my heart to say this...but MK was right --- those patches with the tinny tassels were ATROCIOUS (I can't even get into the buttons, I'll get really upset). Maybe they looked better in real life but on camera it made the dress look like something from Forever 21. Which is fine except Forever 21 isn't showing at the tents. And we loved LOVED the outfit he started out with (the brocade jacket with the great detail) but how did that relate to the sunburst pleated skirt with the vest and the long sleeved purple T? I felt like I was getting a high level look into Banana Fall 2006 :-( In the end, the judges wound up not giving the prize to him because his final runway collection was meh, despite his the talent and sophisticated eye (based on his overall track record). But does Daniel have longevity potential? Absolutely, he's talented plus he has the skills and most MOST important, professionalism and good personality. That's not genius btw but common sense. Eventually you can hire the best people to augment your vision and your technical expertise but if you have a track record of being a prick...even if you "don't mean it"...you'll never hold onto staff, backers, the press, potential mentors, your peers...you know the people who help make your vision happen...
Which brings me to Santino. Santino's collection was a surprise and I loved it, but he would have never won even with the toned down version of his "vision". It was so different than what he was presenting as his "style" on the show...so there's the whole inconsistency thing as in how can they judge his style and creativity and long term potential when he basically does a 180 at the end. More critical, his overall package in terms of personality and inability to differentiate getting to WIN a spot in the top 3 vs. being a leader in an industry...and the basic stuff required to get to the top. True, one has to be demanding even ruthless but did he really think by intimidating the crap out of the judges, consistently ignoring their recommendations...that they would reward him with a prize? Come on...he was just great television, it's nothing personal right? It's just bidness...I think it's a little sad that it took watching a reality show and reading a bunch of blogs for him to realize that really his personality approach really sucks, considering that he's no spring chicken. On the other hand, he's probably significantly much more multi-dimensional than the what was edited into the show...he just has to be careful to protect HIS brand going forward. Good luck, because those clips will forever be searchable on google and YourTube.
Honestly I didn't like Chloe's collection, mainly because well it's not my style. That being said, I loved all of her work during the show and she has all of the elements that make a good candiate for a winner. She's talented, but she has a very strong skillset. For all of Santino's bitching about not being impressed with a brilliant patternmaker, the reality is the stuff has to be constructed properly and brilliant patternmakers ARE creative. A garment cut properly WILL sell. And girlfriend knows about selling and this business is all about selling...which is another thing about being a great designer...you kind of have to tailor things to your customer, it's not the other way around. Oh and she's got great personality skills, so she's not much of a showman, but that to MK's point can be trained...She also has a realistic idea of what this business is about, especially in NY and anyone who has worked in this business no matter how high or low end knows...that at the end of the day when crunch time is on and you're committed to success and you're starting out or going off on your own, it is a sweatshoppy business (much like tech, investment banking, law...) I would argue her stakes are much higher than either one of the other finalists --- she has much more at stake which makes her a good 'partner' with the show.
Santino was robbed. In my opinion, Chloe's was the "safest" collection that walked the runway last night. Santino's was creative, beautiful and innovative. And I remember DANIEL's outfits not fitting properly, but maybe I need to rewatch.
Oh well, I guess they couldn't let Jay win, and then Santino, or PR would end up looking like some freakshow.
Santino did do a couple "out there" pieces in his collection - the leather top with those billowing sleeves and the micro mini dress with the blue jacket. Both of them looked very uncomfortable. The neckline on the micro was anatomically bizarre.
I noticed the japanese lantern touches on the sleeves and hem of two of Daniel's garments were much more evident on his website pictures than on the OFW show. He may have tweaked the asian content of his line after the show.
What each of these designers SHOULD have done is irrelevant. They had to fit the creation of their collections into their "normal" lives. Sure, it would have been nice to have everything fitted and finished on arrival in New York, but PR is nothing if not a test of working under pressure.
Santino played the game, pushed the envelope, and got a lot of attention on PR. He was very close to elimination several times, but he is a risk taker. It worked for him. He now has celebrity status. How long it will last is up to him.
Daniel's collection was very classy and it was pretty much what I expected from his designs on PR. No surprises.
Chloe took some chances. I agree with Tim that and some of her designs at OFW were beyond my comprehension. But compare her line to Jay's. Totally different except they both had big winners and big losers in them. And lots of color and texture.
On the 13th designs - it seems like they were actually made by the "extra hands." Strange how the judges felt those pieces really completed the collections. The Santion 13 was Andrae all the way. The Daniel 13 was courtesy of Professor Nick with Daniels's cowl collar. Chloe's 13 was shiny, but talk about a strange bust line.
Enough for now. I'll be watching my Season 1 DVD and waiting for next year's adventure. It's been fun.
I love Chloe, Congradulations, and I am happy that she won; but I think that Santino got ripped off. He should have won. All season long the judges kept on telling him that he was too creative too forward in his thinking and then he tones it down, and puts out an incredible show and he is told that they wanted to see more of his creativity. The judges are fickle and do not know what they truly want. They aloud their predujices and their misunderstanding of a very talented and creative mind to blind them from seeing that Santino was brillant. I thought that Daniels dress did not fit properly, in the bust and back as well. Daniel can fit a woman from the waist down but he has no idea what a woman needs to form a bust line correctly. Out of all three collections Santinos look most like a designers show than a seamtresses show. I did not have a problem with Santino's attitude at all. My best friends son is a miniature copy of Santino. I would not be surprised if he grew up to be a fashion designer as well. So I can understand what Santino was trying to say with his clothing. So yes Anderea watch out there is another Santino out there and his name is Patrick!!
Congratulations Chloe! I have to say I was bit shocked that Daniel didn't win but I rewatched the runway shows and the judges made the right decision.
Santino- talented but one dimensional. Stripped off his signature trimmings, the gowns did not fit the models at all and now I suspect all those "details" were designed to hide poor construction and finishing (remember the heinous jumpsuit for Kara?). That bitchy comment about talented pattern-making probably hid a real insecurity about his own craftmanship.
Daniel V- man, I loved this guy. I think he has a wonderful eye and is going to go far regardless.His collection was modern, sophisticated and showed enormous versatility- this boy has range and a great eye. The fabrics were gorgeous but I agree with other posters that it all looked a bit safe and Banana Republic-like. Also the detailing was pointless and ugly- for once I agreed with Michael Kors. A couple of years and I think Daniel V will break out and become a big name in American fashion- he has the skills, eye, taste, personality and looks to go far.
Chloe- the static images of her clothes do not do justice to how good they look in motion. I personally do not care for gold and bright shiny charmeuses and silks, and the collection was so rich and intense it made my teeth ache. Nonetheless, she has such tremendous skill in fitting fabrics to a woman's body and very innovative construction that I think Chloe is not capable of making a bad garment. My only worry is that she does not seem to have the same passion and love of forward design that Santino and Daniel did. I hope she looks beyond Houston for inspiration as she, unlike Jay McCarroll, has a real chance of making a name for herself in couture. The baby doll dress was inspired.
I just saw Chloe on the Today show---she's awesome! She said the best prize is the car. In my opinion, the best prize is to show at Olympus Fashion Week (at least that would be my goal if I were competing). So, really, there are 3 winners in my mind!
My thoughts ... Chloe's dresses looked much, much better in motion than they looked in the photos we posted back in February.
Daniel's collection, while it had some utterly beautiful pieces, wasn't cohesive. I think if he had used the medallion detail more effectively (read, sew in like on the brocade jacket rather than plopped on like on the dress Rebecca wore), he would have had something.
Santino's collection, while beautiful, was completely different than the stuff we saw during the show and actually had me wondering if he in fact was the designer. I'm sure he was ... I just had a disconnect when looking at them and then looking at his previous PR looks.
I guess I thought the 13th garment was mostly designed by the 'assistants' and I didn't see the point of them. Maybe that garment showed their ability to think fast and delegate?
I guess I'm seeing the positive side to this ... Santino is a talent and will find support and an audience for his work. Daniel ... should absolutely work for Michael Kors to build his younger line. And Chloe ... we'll see future collections from her probably before we'll see something from Jay.
I wonder how much of last year played into this year's decision. Chloe is the anti-Jay: female, already established, much more business savvy, much less of an artistic type (e.g. no sketches, just consideration of her client). They probably wanted a contrast to Jay, who really hasn't done that much with his win and whose reality special revealed he's not exactly riding some Project Runway wave of success. They also don't want to be predictable.
Not saying that Chloe wasn't worthy of a PR win, but I do wonder how much last year influenced their choice.
I know that I was an advocate of disliking Chloe's collection prior to last night, but I've changed my views in some senses.
While I'm not a fan of the 80's chic, it is coming back in style and Chloe was spot on with an ambitious and fashion forward collection. Everything the judges said about her seams and how she understands a woman's body was exactly right. The pictures I saw didn't do justice to how those dresses curved with the bodies of her models.
While my personal taste leans more toward Daniel's collection, and I think the judges were blind in not seeing the Japanese and military inspirations, I have to congratulate Chloe on a job very well done. She'd been so consistent all season, and deserved to win.
As for Santino, I thought his collection was beautiful. Was it safe? Yes it was, but as all the judges stated, his vision is unstoppable.
I hope Chloe uses this opportunity (the money, mentorship, etc...) to realize her dream beyond her boutique.
Congrats to all of the designers...I don't see them hurting for work in the future. And to Daniel...hello!! Michael freaking Kors offered you a job!
Everybody is a winner and I'm sad to see this season end...thanks to everyone on this blog for making it really special!
I found my parental bear claws coming out on the judging runway. I was so proud of all 3, like they were my own children. How DARE they say anything critical after all they have been through?
I must agree with the many comments about Chloe's line in motion. Once those dresses were fitted on the models and walking the runway, they were fabulous! They came to life. Pictures couldn't do justice to the collection.
DV and Santino were equally strong, each with unique points of view. I did not envy the judges on having to choose between the three.
In the end, they are all winners. Chloe gets the car and cash, but DV and Santino and Nick and Andrae and really all of them gain from the exposure.
A surprising, amazing ending to an incredible season!
Loved the season- probably better than the first.... Chloe was consistant and never in the bottom three. She deserved a win.
Santino was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. His exposure will surely lead him to bigger and better things.
Dan may need more time. Poor baby looked traumatized when he did not win. May need a thicked skin for the busniess, because in his words, "you can't be right all the time."
Congratulations to all- this season I think we will remember other designers too and they will go on to great careers as well. Loved Nick! Loved, Loved Andrae!
I was unbelievably dissapointed in Chloe's win. I thought her collection was dated, weak, and utterly lacking in vision.
In the case of Season 2, the process was more entertaining than the outcome. Bad news all around. The judges had to choose from three mediocre final collections, and I think they made a "safe" decision. Shame on them, after arguing against 'safe' all season.
I think that Chloe deserved a win --- , really, I could say that of any of the 3 finalist designers; I thought they all had good collections and were all very talented. However, when I heard the phrase, "The next great American designer..." it gave me pause -- I don't think that the work of the final 3 merited that level of praise. And then I just saw the video of Kara's show that they have up at Bravo, and I realized that she is the one that I might feel comfortable giving that label too, even though in her case, it's more "The next great South African designer..." Seriously, her collection was interesting, gorgeous, well-made and showed signs of greatness to come. Congratulations to all 4 of the PR designers who showed at FW!
This is from Andy's Blog on BravoTV.com -- he watched the finale with a number of stars. This is my favorite quote ever:
Kathy Najimy says: "I miss Diana!! I want nice hoodies with computers built in and garments that iron themselves! I want tube tops that hold i pods and I want skirts that fold into origami and bra's that magnetize to my breasts! I want Diana.!! That said... I guess Daniel should win. Oh and Nick was robbed!"
Personally, I'm thrilled Chloe won. Like everyone else said, seeing the clothes in motion (as opposed to still photos) made all the difference. I've been rooting for Chloe since the day Nick was "auf"ed.
I'm so happy for Chloe and Daniel. Thank God that the judges recognized that what Santino produced for his runway line wasn't what he produced at all for the entire run of the competition. They wanted to see a SANTINO original with the more is better (ruffles, beading, etc) and asymetrical bustlines. If I hadn't seen the photos from Fashion Week, I would have never known that was his line. Then, the 13th outfit had all the markings of Andre's fashion sense. I think they made the right choice with Chloe being the winner for this season. Seeing their lines on the runway, showed that Chloe IS a designer. Her designs looked rich, elegant and wonderful on the runway. I agreed with all the judges on her seaming. The dress that Charlize wore to this year's Oscars looked like something from Chloe's line.
btw - I loved Daniel's line the best. It was clean, classic, simple and elegant designs that I currently stock in my wardrobe. Solid colors, staple pieces that I can mix and match with other items. Brilliant designs. He'll go very far in the fashion world.
Give Chloe the car, Daniel the mentorship and Santino the money.
Give all 3 the Elle spread including their models. BTW, in watching the reruns, I noticed how much Grace rocked the runway. Watch her switch that jacket in the BR challenge and her moves in the Ice Skating challenge. I was impressed-
i have been a BIG chloe fan ever since the beginning of the season. i ADORED her barbie outfit and everything else that she put out (with the exception of the "big butt" evening gown which was my least favorite). when they announced her name as the winner, i went into tom cruise on oprah mode, jumping on the couch, screaming and fist pumping like i was proclaiming my love for a 17 year old boy (i'm 31) on national television. like michael kors, i wanted to rip the patches off of some of daniel v's dresses. and i thought santino played it a little too safe (where was that gorgeous fur thing that was to go with heather's dress?). by no means am i saying chloe's collection was perfect, but i found myself saying LOVE IT LOVE IT WANT IT WANT IT more often while viewing her collection than the others. i will admit also that i had doubts when i saw the stills awhile back - they were stunning while in motion. regardless, they were all amazing and you can tell they poured their heart and soul into it, which was so touching and heartbreaking to see at the same time. what a great show. my wednesday nights will not be the same anymore for a long while.
The more I think about it, and look back at her previous designs on the show, the more I think I agree with Santino: she's a brilliant pattern-maker, but her designs don't really seem that creative. She's a business woman, and she seemed to approach her collection with a mentality of "what will sell in a boutique?" instead of "what do I actually want to send down the runway?"
Daniel...well, I think Daniel will do better working for Kors anyway.
I really wanted this one to go to Santino. He seemed to put more thought into his than the other two put into theirs. Kors said it, too: it all comes from his soul. Everything Santino sent down the runway was something I would wear, and I thought he was very aware of the female form...after all, his models not only looked sexiest, but most comfortable of all three. Perhaps I can see it being a bit too boudoir for the judges...but they certainly didn't say anything about it (that we saw on TV).
So there's my long answer. Oh, and my husband and I both think it's possible that Banana Republic needs a brilliant pattern-maker.
* SANTINO !!! What happened to that flashy crazy wonderful overthetop style we saw all season ? I was looking forward to seeing that in your collection and watching you win hands down. No big. Carry On !
I my first impression of Chloe's designs was that I was seeing a " Dynasty " themed collection. I was waiting for Joan Collins to walk out. I have seen those designs in a lot of boutique's (in malls), and I guess it is a very lucrative business, but her designs were totally safe.
Her work was put together the best out of all of them, but after they finally got to oust Santino I felt that Daniel had the most interesting collection. Very anti-climatic.
Once again Santino's downfall is that he designs for "art", not for women. Even he admitted that, until the show, he hadn't seen a single one of his outfits on a real person, just dress forms. Every piece fit poorly, and on one of them, the lining was very obviously hanging down below the hem as the model walked the runway. I was rooting for Chloe since nearly the beginning of the season. Her sense of style is timeless, and her sense of body is wonderful. Bravo, Chloe!
I think it's silly to say her designs aren't creative. They aren't creative in a Santino-ish, look-at-all-this-whickety-whack-trim-and-wow-i-sure-am-artistic kinda way. They are creatively constructed and sewn. Her seems, the way she works with lines, her fabrics, the off-setting of perfectly tailored torsos with a lot of volume on the sleeves and skirts... extremely creative, but in a less obvious way. She is creative in a way that Santino couldn't be, because she works with the construction of the dress and a woman's body in ways he doesn't understand. She is a brilliant paternmaker, but that ALLOWS her to design things with a creativity that is beyond both Daniel and Santino at this point.
Look at all the breakthrough designers right now... your derek lam, zac posen type of people. Chloe fits right in with them, because she can make a garmant that is tastefully and creatively made without being at all unflattering on a woman.
It's all about subtle, sophisticated, FLATTERING creativity...
Sorry but Chloe's collection might have been meaningful in 1986 and there was NO DEPTH to it, just a bunch of shiny garments, mostly dresses. I guess it was cohesive based on that (everything looking alike, exactly alike), but she is a "one-note" designer (all the sundresses she did in the season?)
Santino was robbed, IMO, but perhaps the producers were afraid of the backlash if he won, that people wouldn't come back for season 3?
I thought innovation and creativity were important in fashion--with Chloe winning, PR has shown that they don't care about either. Heck, Chloe herself said close to the end that she wasn't sure she wanted it...she should've been auf'ed for that alone.
that her favorite prize is the car and not the opportunities says all I need to know.....
Who would tune into "Project Chloe?" Not me, unless I couldn't sleep.
Holy crap! About 15 minutes before the show ended I said to my boyfriend, "Wouldn't it just be a total coup if Chloe, the dark horse, won it tonight." Lo and behold. Good for her, man. I hope DV takes a job with Michael Kors.
Without trying to dampen Cloe's winning spirits, I really was surprised by the judges' decision. Out of the 3, I really would've put her last to win. Her fabric and colour choice were far too 1980s, although she seems pretty competent as a pattern cutter. In my opinion, Daniel's collection was the strongest, as he has a good eye for commercialism, sophistication, and furthermore, although inexperienced, he seemed amazingly professional yet remained humble to the end. Unlike his counterpart Santino..."my mum's the shit...I'm an amazing designer" yeah right. Far too gobby. I hope Cloe does very well down the road, but I suspect even bigger things for Daniel and see him becoming quite a household name. Good luck to him.
I woke up angry that Chloe won. Nothing but evening gowns? That isn't a "line." And all that horrible shiny fabric that would show every bulge on a normal woman's body! The judges led her with gentle questions: "Is this your fantasy collection?" "Yes, it's my fantasy collection. My baby,..." Awww. How sweet. Santino got the boot because he betrayed himself. He should have gone out in a blaze of glory, if he was going to lose--not be trying to appease the judges. I think Daniel should have won. He had the range, the sophistication. That black dress with the lantern hem was phenomenal, as was the white coat. Very disappointing end to a great season.
I cant believe Chloe won. I think Santino was totally robbed. The judges have given him shit all season for being too creative and over the top. Finally he creates some really beautiful and elegant designs and they tell him he was too timid and safe...WTF. It looked like Chloe bought three different colored bolts of fabric {Red,Blue,Gold} and used an assembbly line to crank out her designs. Everyone of her outfits looked exactly the same very "One Note".
The LAST person I thought should have won was Chloe. I was totally disappointed and I felt like it was a very unclimatic finale. Those shiney dresses with puffy sleeves that looked like they were falling off of the models were horrific! Santino's collection was fantastic and Daniels was very nice (without thos flap things it would have been much better). Chloe made the same outfit in the same style the entire show. The difference with these ones were that they were made out of non jersey material. I am very unhappy with the final results. I guess we will be seeing another Chloe collection full of backless dresses...
Congrats Chloe from all us here at PROJECT OUTCAST! Super collection, I thought. Solid business sense and knowledge of your clients is very very important. Ask Michael K., he is a genius when it comes to connecting with his "woman." BTW, Texas and great fashion do go together.
Thinking about it now, Chloe was probably the only choice out the the three that could win, even though I wouldn't have picked her.
In Tim's podcast he said Santino couldn't have won because otherwise it would be "Project Freakshow," since Jay won last year. So basically it was stacked against him from the very beginning - completely unfair.
Daniel V was too young and got a little too cocky at the the end.
The judges like that Chloe has good business sense, because they don't their winner to blow all the money like Jay did by turning it down. So this is how it had to be - hopefully they'll all go on and be successful in some way.
Chloe was my favorite almost from the begining and I was predicting her to win. So why am I not thrilled by the outcome of the show? because I thought her collection was terrible. I hated the fabrics and the colors and found most of the designs boring. It really looked to me like it was done at the last minute. Yes, the dresses had interesting seams but that can be done by any good pattern-maker (oh, did I just say that?!) Anyway, I think she's great and I loved everything she did during the show so I'm not actually dissapointed that she won. I'm just dissapointed in her collection and I thought it was the least impressive of the three.
Although I didn't like any of the collections much, I thought Santino's was the best and was completely shocked he didn't win. Actually, Kara's was better than all three.
I think it is interesting that the designers created better clothes during the show when they only had a couple of days than they did when they had months. I think they work better under pressure. The 13th looks were probably the best parts of the collections.
I had my say last night during the live posting. Still a bit surprised that Daniel didn't win--but I'm not upset. He's had such great exposure and I know he's off to a brilliant design career.
Kara fans--her runway show is now up in the bonus clips at the Bravo site.
I am extremely pleased with the results. Chloe is smart, is focused and has all it takes to be a winner and an exceptional designer and businesswoman. Her collection was the only one that made sense. The construction of each garment was a piece of art. As an alumni of FIT, NY I have to say she is America's next top designer. Who needs sketches??? Congratulations, Chloe. You are the best!!!
Seriously, people?!! Chloe?! Fine, the pieces were well sown but what women want to go out in an 80's prom dress? Everyone I know who's watched all season is shocked and horrified. It wouldn't have mattered if Daniel or Santino had won but we were all dismayed with how Santino was treated. To be blasted every week for being "too out-there" and then, when he finally concedes, to be outed because he was too safe?! That's rotten.
Does anyone know anywhere else I can watch Kara's show? I'm on a Mac OS, not Windows... and I'd love to see if I agree that her show was actually better than the final 3.
Chloe is awesome and had the most innovative show. Although they were all dresses, they had unique construction and were flattering on the female figure.
Santino's fit was poor and did not show enough complexity or power in his collection. I was surprised since he pulled out some stunners in the challenges. Brown is not inspiring. What happened to his great sense of color?
Daniel played it too safe as well, going for a sportswear look, which has its commercial appeal, but does not show a mature level of talent or a unique point of view.
I find it interesting that both Santino and Daniel went for more muted colors whereas Chloe and Kara broke out the brights. While recent runway collections have been muted, designers have shown that you can innovate with neutrals and Santino and Daniel did show push their designs far enough. Chloe took risks with her designs with different volumes and cutaway designs that were flattering and fun.
Kara's collection definitely appeals to a young, hip consumer more than any of the final three. Her layering technique at times went awry, but she had some great pieces as well and definitely had a strong point of view.
I thought it was totally the right decision. Chloe was consistenly the best designer all season. Her collection was exceptionally well-sewn, creative, and fun. Santino unfortunately played it safe, and though I've always loved Daniel's designs, his collection looked more like your standard Banana Republic line. Yay, Chloe!
I've been reading many comments from bloggers asking disputing Will and Grace star, Debra Messing, as guest judge. A close friend, who is an assistant to the producers of PR, informs me that an integral part of that decision was based on her merits of being a design-savvy pundit. Add to that her association as a straight actress for a gay sitcom, makes for a very compelling counterbalance for 2 straight female judges and 1 gay male judge. And considering the preponderance of gay male/straight female contestants, a wise choice. Debra Messing, in effect, represented the fairest of any fashion-aware celebrity judge they could have selected, based on the 3 remaining finalists. You have to hand it to them; PR's producers take their trade very seriously.
In hindsight, as always, it is easy to see how Chloe prevailed.
1. Her salesmanship of her and her pieces both before and after her runway show. She sold her collection with more true enthusiasm than Santino and Daniel combined.
2. The lines and fit, were always true to the wearer, while being elegant at the same time.
3. Metallic fabrics aside (and true, metallics are actually making a comeback, sad enough), the cohesiveness of most of her collection was more discernable than her competitors.
4. From Day One, it was apparent that Santino's designs, while appearing fashion-forward to many, also absolutely served to cover his lack of tailoring ability. Take a close look at all of his PR designs throughout the season, and it will become evident how his use of extraneous frills attempts to cover up major seam flaws.
5. In the end, both Santino and Daniel, both very promising designers in their own right, yielded to the temptation to play to either the judges, the producers, or the sponsors. Santino could have reached a compromise to tone down his designs without compromising all out. It seemed to me that Daniel chose to go the route of trying to appease the sponsors (Banana Republic) by designing a collection that was elegant, and very BR-looking. He sacrificed his own design sense to try to win the show. That was also apparent from many comments he made between throughout the last 3 installments of PR.
While I was not thoroughly impressed with Chloe's collection and am unsure of her transcending as "the next great designer," she was the most compelling designer of the 3 during FW and deserved the win. That being said, I'm sure both Santino and Daniel, as well as several other PR contestants will go on to very lucrative careers of their own.
Can you saying HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT? Compared to last year, all 3 of finalists' collections were uninspired and boring. Yeah, there were some nice dresses but I can't remember any of them now and none of them stood out as a "collection". I can off the top of my head remember the music-inspired and Aviator-inspired collections from last year that totally blew me away.
I'm glad Chloe won as she's a good pattern maker, which is what Banana Republic wants. Someone they can control and whip. She'll be forgotten for sure. Daniel and Santino are going to be known for a long time, as well as Nick and Andrae as they're great Designers with style and creativity. So Chloe enjoy it because you were the least of a risk for Banana Republic.
I've been reading many comments from bloggers asking disputing Will and Grace star, Debra Messing, as guest judge. A close friend, who is an assistant to the producers of PR, informs me that an integral part of that decision was based on her merits of being a design-savvy pundit. Add to that her association as a straight actress for a gay sitcom, makes for a very compelling counterbalance for 2 straight female judges and 1 gay male judge. And considering the preponderance of gay male/straight female contestants, a wise choice. Debra Messing, in effect, represented the fairest of any fashion-aware celebrity judge they could have selected, based on the 3 remaining finalists. You have to hand it to them; PR's producers take their trade very seriously.
In hindsight, as always, it is easy to see how Chloe prevailed.
1. Her salesmanship of her and her pieces both before and after her runway show. She sold her collection with more true enthusiasm than Santino and Daniel combined.
2. The lines and fit, were always true to the wearer, while being elegant at the same time.
3. Metallic fabrics aside (and true, metallics are actually making a comeback, sad enough), the cohesiveness of most of her collection was more discernable than her competitors.
4. From Day One, it was apparent that Santino's designs, while appearing fashion-forward to many, also absolutely served to cover his lack of tailoring ability. Take a close look at all of his PR designs throughout the season, and it will become evident how his use of extraneous frills attempts to cover up major seam flaws.
5. In the end, both Santino and Daniel, both very promising designers in their own right, yielded to the temptation to play to either the judges, the producers, or the sponsors. Santino could have reached a compromise to tone down his designs without compromising all out. It seemed to me that Daniel chose to go the route of trying to appease the sponsors (Banana Republic) by designing a collection that was elegant, and very BR-looking. He sacrificed his own design sense to try to win the show. That was also apparent from many comments he made between throughout the last 3 installments of PR.
While I was not thoroughly impressed with Chloe's collection and am unsure of her transcending as "the next great designer," she was the most compelling designer of the 3 during FW and deserved the win. That being said, I'm sure both Santino and Daniel, as well as several other PR contestants will go on to very lucrative careers of their own.
looking at the photos before last night's show, i liked, in order, kara first, santino, chloe and daniel. after seeing the actual runway show, the clothes did look different. i still didn't care much for daniel's, although i did like some pieces. i would have liked santino's the best, still, but before the judges said it, i could see either they didn't fit well, or they just weren't figure flattering. i did end up liking a lot of chloe's pieces that didn't look as good in photos. they also looked well-made and very well-fitted. i knew chloe would win right after i saw santino's. she did deserve to win. not to take anything away from her, although it will sound like it, but i wonder if santino's clothes were well-fitted, if he would have won. best introduction, daniel. best music, chloe. surprisingly, i thought santino's music wasn't bad at all. that's not my type, though. i am so sad with the end of the season, i feel like i need some antidepressants now. i was so excited before the fashion show, i wish i smoked or drank or did drugs or something. i was stressed out and had nothing to do to deal with it.
why do people keep referring to banana republic as if the winner is going to work there?
it's just a mentorship. i.e., contracting factories for production, distributing clothing, franchising - business aspects.
the winner of PR does not design for BR, does not work for BR, and whether they did or did not try to meet a BR aesthetic in the show - the winner of PR does not get a BR job. And I don't blame Chloe for mentioning her car, because just by the way, $100,000 isn't all that much for developing a fashion business. it's seed money to get more investors, or enough to make a very small line.
I'm not part of "the core group" but here is my *outsider* comment as a 'Welcome!' to other newcomers. I don't see how Chloe's designs can be regarded as both retro (to the '80s) and fashion forward in the same breath - I mean, we're not talking about Claude Montana here. I didn't see any elements that I haven't seen in Vogue Patterns in Chloe's designs - that includes the curved seams. But I do agree with fashionsapassion *entire* comment, particularly the choice of guest judge. I think if DVF had come back, Santino or Daniel would have won.
Chloe deserved to win. I believe fit is a very important factor when it comes to clothing. Fashion is an art that is seen through clothes. It is supposed to be worn. Else, it would just be art that is meant to be displayed in a gallery. Therefore, fit is an important factor when it comes to fashion design. Any great artist can sketch an outfit, but the execution is the deal breaker. I’ve looked at a few sketches on bravotv.com and some of them looked great on paper, but the end result looked nothing like the original vision. What it looks like on a person matters! I loved Santino’s collection on the hanger. His blue dress was great, but I was disappointed when I saw it on the model. It didn’t fit her at all. If these people can’t fit their clothes onto their models, who are there, how are they supposed to make clothes for people they’ve never seen?
When I shop, it all comes down to fit. I would only buy it if it fits me and flatters me. Wearing ill fitting clothes is never recommended, no matter how pretty it looks on the hanger.
That being said, I loved all three of them and I’m sure they’ll do great things in the future. I really wish though that Santino and Andre would do a TV show together. I’m so entertained by those two. :)
Okay, I'm listening to Tim's Podcast. Every time he starts to talk about Santino and his issues, I can barely hear it. Tim, you're making me cry!! You are so sweet and you really added so much to this season!!
Wow, I never knew this place existed until just before the finale, very cool...
I have to say, I was a big Santino fan from day one. I _wish_ he would've won, but after I started watching last night, I realized slowly that it wasn't going to happen.
I didn't like Chloe's line for the most part and while I would wear most of what Daniel V. presented, as many have said it was not very fashion forward or edgy.
I think all the key people from the show will benefit from the noteriaty.
It did feel to me after watching Heidie auf poor Santino, that they had used him for TV, to be a character and then threw him away when they were done... Just my perspective.
I also noticed after watching a bunch of old episodes how much Nina really disliked Santino from the beginning, I didn't notice it when I first saw the show as much.
Oh well, I'll miss PR :( it was quite entertaining.
Santino's downfall was not being able to sew. If you recall, in one of the clips Chloe was talking about how it wasn't just fittings she had to do but complete alterations. She made the clothes fit the models and that showed on the runway if Santino could have done that with his collection, there might have been a different outcome -- or at least the judges would have had to work a little harder to find a reason to "auf" him because his designs were beautiful.
I was rooting for Chloe since the "Clothes Off Your Back" challenge. Her aesthetic is right up my alley, simple, clean lines. I only wish she designed menswear (and no a pink vest will not work for me).
I personally thought that any of the three finalists could've won this season. Just like last year (with the exception of ms pepper), it all comes down to personal taste as far as the judges were concerned.
Santino's collection was very refined and sophisticated. I wish he fitted them properly.
Daniel's collection were awesome individual pieces, but as a collection it lacked cohesiveness. The Japanese-Military fusion was very hard to see though.
Chloe's collection had strong lines and made these thin models look curvy. My wife and I just put up new curtains at home last week, and when we did, all I could think about was Chloe's fabric choices.
I love PR, because it is mostly about creativity, inspiration and vision (ofcourse there's the made for TV drama and personalities, but in the end it really is about creative talent).
-I doubt anyone will read this WAY DOWN HERE on post 125, but it seems to be a tangible forum to vent. -It was ridiculous who made it to the final three, and the final THREE were ridiculous. -Andre clearly trumped Chloe and Daniel on almost every occasion. The fact he didn't make it to the final 3 is insane, and I doubt I have to list the reasons since they are massively obvious. -Chloe completely knocked off Diana's style for her collection! That's outrageous! It was NO stretch of irony she picked Diana, because HER input would meld perfectly in the collection of copied style! The only difference was how incredibly ONE NOTE Chloe's collection was.
post 126- -I know it's "reality" TV, and of course it's going to be faked... but in a fair world, how did Santino lose for the reasons they gave? -Santino was safe?! for his past outfits, sure. His was more daring than either Chloe's or Dan's. How his S&M or Crotch Shot outfits are safe, I'll never know!... Sounded like a cop out for Ms. L's bias against him. -His outfits did not fit any worse than Dan's boring 80s retro wasp wear. Which could make sense since Santino DIDNT GET HIS MODELS LIKE THE OTHER TWO DID... How odd? It's odd that's the reason Santino lost, yet had no power over. -Why the hell is Debra Messing the guest judge? She has nothing to do with fashion, scoff. -Don't you think Heidi wanted to vote for Santino? She sure seemed sad when no one talked about him positively. hm.
My case is that Ms. L's bias polluted the entire show. Tim G. should have been the guest judge, and HE seemed to have the most unbias fashion sense out of the entire show.
It's obvious that all the people who think Chloe shouldn't have won know nothing about fashion because she was chosen by people who actually are in the fashion business. She won, end of story, so stop whining and get over it you idiots.
SANTINO SHOULD HAVE WON. HE WAS THE MOST CREATIVE. THEY BEAT HIM DOWN THEN CHASTIZED HIM FOR BEING MORE REFINED.THEY JUST WANTED TO PUT HIM IN HIS PLACE. IT WAS A WASTE OF THE MONEY, ECT. SHE IS JUST GOING BACK TO HER STORE AND SELLING THE SAME OLE SAME OLE.EITHER ONE OF THE OTHERS COULD HAVE USED THE MONEY TO GET STARTED.
I think Season 2 has been absolutely entertaining, educational and showcased some very amazing talent. Because of Project Runway, I now own Nick's My Scene Barbie and I have a couple of Kara Janx's men's tee-shirts and a new friend. I respect Chloe and can't wait to see what Daniel V. will do next. I wish Santino all the very best and I know this amazing group will become a significant part of American fashion. GOOD LUCK everyone and THANK YOU so much for excellent television!!!! Hugs!
I just need to get one more thing off my chest before I let this go. I really feel that, given the fact that none of the collections were so very much weaker than any other, couldn't all three of them been left on the runway while the winner was announced? Packing Santino off first just seemed, I don't know how to put it, maybe a bit passive aggressive.
I must begin by saying that my discovery of this blog has made the second season of PR (and my job!) that much better. Cheers to Laura K and the rest for the immense amount of time and effort they put into this fantastic resource.
Now, however, I need to defend Chloe just a bit. While I have always placed her in the top three (Nick, Chloe, & Santino), she was never quite the winner in my ranking...until I saw the finale Wed. Her collection was Haute Couture, not RTW. While most (all) of the designers that show RTW at New York, if you take a look at the Couture collections from Paris, she is not far off the mark of some of the most esteemed houses. Just look at the Dior collection that was presented...now that's nutty fashion.
I think that Chloe took what could be her only opportunity to show at such an esteemed event to produce the couture collection every designer dreams of showing in any fashion mecca. Can I blame her for running with this once in a lifetime chance? Nope.
Yes, her silhouettes were simple, but the design was in the construction. She make squares from circles and vice versa.
Santino also seems to be getting the fuzzy end of the stick. Cheers to Nina for not calling his collection "safe." (If anything he took the biggest risk by showing work that was completely different from what the judges had seen in the past.) No one has been able to dispute the beauty of the sunburst pleated dress for Heather, but did anyone else notice how stunning the red charmeuse dress was. I thought it had a fantastic impact and design (the leather did what Kara Saun attempted in her finale show; it looked like silk) Leather and charmeuse? Who but Santino could have made such an otherworldly combination shine?
While Daniel's collection was to my taste, it was nothing that couldn't already be bought at Ann Taylor, BR, CK, etc. And the opportunity offered to him by MK should not be taken lightly (an assistant designership with Kors? that about 300 steps above most recent fashion school grad!)
Each collection showed different kinds of clothes. (Chloe couture, Daniel RTW, Santino a bit of both). I have much more to say, but jeez, this is long...
Suffice to say: Chloe took a chance, and ran with it...It was impeccably made/fit/designed. All of those things make us pay $200 for a Chloe Dao dress, rather than $50 for a Gap dress. That's what makes America's next new designer.
I think that Daniel quickly became Season 2's Kara Saun (he won every friggin' challenge practically) which made him the obvious choice and, therefore, he was doomed. Although I do think his collection was a complete, devastating let down. Like Michael Kors says, "I was underwhelmed." I think the judges really wanted Santino to be the next John Galiano. Nina Garcia was clearly upset and disappointed that he didn't morph into wacky Santino for the finale and show some outrageous stuff. I agree with Santino that Chloe is a pattern maker. She's talented but I felt her clothes were all the same. Simple, interesting seams, and that's about it. She would have never gotten it if Daniel and Santino would have performed up to their expectations. I don't think the judges liked her stuff as much as they were just disappointed in the other two. And I think they assumed that, at 24, Daniel V. is going to make it on his own anyway. Kors sat there and offered him a job, for Christ's sake! Can't wait for next season.
133 comments:
It was a great season, there was a deserving winner, a VERY deserving model gets the Elle spread, and four great collections were shown. This was the first time I've ever cried at a TV show, movie, book... and it was well-warranted. Thanks everyone for making this the most special TV experience I've ever had.
I've thought Ms. Dao was the one to beat, ever since episode 2. And, o'course, DirtyDiana's babydoll put her over the top!
I couldn't be more pleased.
Yay.
I loved Chloe throughout the show. It was not just about her clothes but also about her personality. She is professional, never vicious to others, and always polished in her worksmanship. I don't think she is the next great American Fashion Designer (none of them were in my opinion) but she will do very well for herself.
I had been wanting to watch for the entire season and it never worked out, so I was THRILLED when I saw that Bravo had a marathon run of the entire season today. I watched every epsiode and loved it!! I picked Chloe as my favorite during the first episode. I thought she was very talented and had great style. I was very happy to see her win:) I'm totally hooked on this show now.
Wow. What a show! I liked all 3 designers very much, but personally, I wanted Santino to win. Despite being so different from each other, they all had a beautiful aesthetic to their collections.
Chloe's win was a huge surprise to me as was Santino being the first to be auf'd. I'll still give her props, though. Girl, you did it! Big congrats to Chloe!!
And, of course, a BIG thanks goes out to Laura K. for hosting a wonderful forum for fans of PR!
I wanted Santino to win.
previous shots and slides of chloe's final runway show on different blogs/sites did not do justice to the actual collection. after seeing it on models and how the clothes move - made me realize she is the winner after all!
I really liked all three designers' collections, I was quite conflicted over who I thought the winner should have been, based solely on the fashion week collections. it's different if you are judging based on that aspect AND their clothes and behavior from the show before.
Didn't Santino's models not come in for fittings, ergo, his pieces were somewhat ill-fitted on them? They weren't THAT ill-fitting. I thought his clothes were gorgeous and wearable, and felt awful that the judges proclaimed it too safe. I think he really put and lot of heart and thought about it, and it showed.
Daniel's collection was sleek and sophisticated, and perfectly cut, but I really felt as though it was too safe. It was like banana republic regurgitated, with the addition of some edgy details.
There was a large range of styles, which showed his versatility but it was mostly casual sportswear. I would have liked to see a fancy dress or gown or 2, to round out the collection.
I didn't like Chloe's use of so many bright, metallic charmeuses and brocades and I didn't care for her choice of print fabrics, but her pieces were impeccably cut and constructed, and while some of her styles were dated and costumey, other were delightful. well a "fantasy" effect was what she was seeking, so it works. I know she has the business skills and savvy to make it in the industry.
So I'm satisfied. She deserves it. But it's a bittersweet victory.
I love, love, loved Chloe through the show, but her final runway show was soooooo disappointing. It was almost all gowns and the thick bridesmaid fabric - ICK. I seriously wasn't overjoyed by any of the designers collection.
Step off, Santino. In a surprise victory, Chloe Dao was crowned the winner of Bravo's "Project Runway" in the fashion-competition show's finale Wednesday night.
And Dao, in an interview with The Associated Press, directed some sharp words at fellow finalist Santino Rice, who had questioned her design pedigree during a tense elimination round. He had told her he thought she was a "brilliant pattern-maker" but an average designer.
"I can only say that I guess you're wrong!" Dao, 34, shot back in the recent interview. "I can't help it if I had skills, honey."
Oh, snap.
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE
Just got back from Chloe's Project Runway party. It was crazy! Anyone who saw the last episode can see that there was much more well-rounded thought put into her collection and her comments on the collection.
She really deserved it. I know she'll do great in the business!
I admit I was surprised when Chloe won, but not unpleasantly by any means. I would have been pleased had either she or Daniel V won as I thought they were simply the two most talented and consistent designers of the batch, and they both proved themselves over and over again.
I will admit (everyone sit down) that I thought Santino presented a very respectable collection, not a chicken suit or Sound-of-Music-on-acid treatment to be seen, and I give him credit where it is due.
Who couldn't be happy for Chloe? And Daniel V will be just fine. It was so close at the end it was almost like having two winners.
Thanks for the hard blogging all season, Laura K...you rock.
see you at Season III....
@
I LOVE THIS SHOW..Kinda sad that season 2 is over! I personally think that Santino or Daniel should win...I love Santino despite his negative image throughout the show...the man has talent! Anyways, congrats to Chloe!
Having seen only the still photos previously, I had expected to like Santino's collection most and to not like Chloe's collection much at all, even though I like her very much personally. But when I saw the clothes in motion, I thought that her collection was terrific and that the other two collections were a bit lackluster in comparison. Still, I think they were all strong collections, and I'm sure they all have futures in the fashion business.
Kudos to Chloe. I'm happy for her and for Grace. I of course had my favorite, but I would have been happy for whoever won. The twist here that made it interesting is that I didn't see this coming right up to the point Debra Messing said she thought Chloe's collection was beautiful.
Reading all the different opinions, especially since FW after which, for so many people, it came down to a competition between Daniel and Santino, reminds me that however talented people are, there will always be those who love their work and those who don't, And this is why it's so important to stay true to one's own vision. Good luck Chloe, Daniel, Santino, and all your fellow designers. It's been a great show.
i'm shocked but SOOOOOO ecstatic that chloe won!!!
everyone has their own taste, so i suppose i can understand the outcome.
however i found it horribly anti-climatic. the winner was a woman who already had great design skill and a design buisness. not that dan will be left floundering, or santino will be penniless forever, but still.
personally, i did not like chloes collection at all. i thought it was borderline *bad*. Dan was in the middle, with santino on top. santino's collection was wonderful.
oh well. signing off of BPR (and reality television!) until PR.3, xoxo
I am shocked that Chloe won but totally pleased. I didn't love her collection, but it did look better in motion than in photos and I agreed with the judges that Santino's and Dan's didn't have the same perfect fit and finish.
I'm sure they wanted to award it to someone also who would take advantage of the Banana Republic mentorship, unlike Jay. I think Chloe won over Daniel because her collection was a little weirder, more couture, a few of Daniel's pieces were gorgeous, but a lot looked to me like sportswear you would find already in a Banana Republic store.
Anyway, I just thought Chloe was honest, down-to-earth and very talented. She was the "Kara Saun" of Season 2 and I'm glad she won this time.
I agree with Anapestic: Chloe's collection really worked on the runway in a way that it didn't in stills. I'm so pleasantly surprised and happy for her, and for gorgeous Grace too! I wish Daniel and Santino well, and I think they both have great futures ahead, but the judges made the right choice.
TheScot: I couldn't have said it better! Your comment was so eloquent.
Agreed 100%
I am pretty confused by Chloe's win. I mean I love a good throwback to 80's Prom as much as the next guy, but her collection was hideous.
Also, if the words "tell a story" came out of Nina Garcia's mouth one more time, I was going to reach through the TV and kill her. Seriously!
I am so non-plussed by this season of PR. Not just because someone besides who I wanted to win ended up winning. I mean the talent level this entire season was just so sub-par and disappointing, I honestly felt a little bit cheated. I hope that they step it up next season with designers who are much more innovative than these.
I want to congratulate all the designers on this show. Whether I thought one should win over another, I found myself pulling for ALL of them somewhere after Zulema left. I dont agree that these designers were subpar at all!
I hope to hear of more from Santino, Daniel, Chloe, Andrae, Nick, Kara (and even my sweet Dirty Diana!) in the future.
I think one thing that gets lost in all the partisonship, is that this whole competition(except for the final collection) took place in roughly a month...
That was no days off, working till midnigh, with chloe mentioning that at times they didnt even get lunch breaks... No one is at their most sparkling and creative under those conditions. It was a grueling marathon for them and I think they all were wonderful. Even the ones that got on my nerves at times... LOL... I am sure if I was there working under those conditions I would have gotten on others nerves too...
Where do we go from here?
Isn't it interesting that we didn't really hear any fashionista articles claiming Chloe as the winner. No one really pointed her out at all. Just an interesting thing. And her 'pattern-making' skills as Santino put it were her winning factor.
I too was very surprized by Chloe's win and congrats to her! Up until the last call back out on the runway, I still had no idea who would win.
Dan...Rebecca tripping over her loooong dress looked like quite a misstep.
What we watch now is quite the question.
I think this might be the first time in the history of Reality Television when someone says they are going to win, they acutally win. When the editors showed Chloe telling people that she really felt that she had won, I was sure that meant she was done. But No! Anyhoo, congrats to Chloe! Want to make my baby a dress? Oh wait, he is a boy.
I too, based on online pictures expected to like Santino's collection the best and Chloe's the least. But movement makes all the difference! As Heidi noted the lines were very beautiful and I think the jewel colors really great. Some of the dresses reminded me of early 1970's Biba dresses. I lived through the 80's in high school and chose to wear vintage instead of the horrible designs of the period and I can tell you those outfits she designed are not '80's prom dresses!
I loved Dan's stuff it was very wearable, but if he could have gotten some of Chloe's ideas on color combined with his eye wow, what a collection!
I had expected, based on photos, to like Santino's the best, but I agree, that the fit did not flatter the models. They were swimming in those dresses and not in a flattering way. I was really dissapointed for him, because, I sort of wanted him to win. I guess I felt at this point he emotionally needed it this most.
Many have criticized the show for giving the prize to Chloe, but I think the fact that she has a head for business may have been a factor after Jay's refusal of the money last year. Also, just because someone has a business does not mean that they don't need capital! A business can always use more capital. And that can be hard to come by, especially when you are trying to grow or take the next step. This sort of money can be a godsend to a young struggling businesswoman/artist.
Also, she is at the point in her career where she can really capitalize on this sort of thing. She has talent, skills, business acumen, and experience and is still young.
I've always thought that chloe would swoop in and win it at the very end, but when i found out debra messing would be the guest judge I knew for sure. Women love clothes they can imagine themselves *looking good* in. End of story.
Overall, the individual pieces in all three collections were well-theorized and made with such meticulous care, yet as COLLECTIONS none of them really jumped at you. Chloe's worked best on the runway because she played up the contrast between risky and 'safe' from piece to piece. The other 2 seemed to throw ideas at you willy-nilly.
I certainly hope Daniel takes Michael Kors up on his offer. He has plenty of time to find funding and build his name and I know he will.
Now what do we do for the next 9 months?!
I'm disappointed. As a new poster but a dedicated fan, i must say I'm surprised Daniel did not win. I think his clothing is highly wearable. And I wonder, did Kors decide to take Daniel for him self? Hum - internship at Bananna Republic...mentorship with Michael Kors.... Hum. Daniel V WINS, sponsors and scripted reality shows be damned!
It was so fascinating to hear Michael Kors pick up on things I never noticed: fit, finish, story. That is what I have so enjoyed about this show - the education. I loved them all, and I think the judges picked a deserving designer to be the "next one to watch." In the end, it came down to the fact that Chloe had it all, she was almost there already, all she needed was a chance... and she got it! Terrific showing by all! And thanks to Laura K. and Co. for their terrific showing!
I'm surprised and delighted with Chloe's win, but I still like Kara's collection the best. I'm bummed we didn't get to see it.
I agree that Chloe's collection looked so much better in motion. Weird, isn't it? Not a fan of the giant, Barbie pink pouf-sleeved coaty-dress thing, but I loved the sleek, fitted dresses with the interesting backs. And that gown on the unearthly Grace was fantastic. I am enraptured over the fact that it had sleeves!
I sort of had to laugh at Deborah Messing's gravitas in her vocal delivery and questioning of the finalists. She sounded like a very earnest high school teacher to me. Heh.
Congratulations to all the designers for their beautiful work.
I didn't care for Chloes clothes, I felt they were all rather, lacking in grace, and while they might fit, looked uncomfortable and clunky. Starchy, it is hard to explain. i also disliked her choice of color intensley. I thought Daniel and Santino made the best showings, and honestly Santino had the best single piece in the show by far, that dress was really quite nice. I think he didn't win honestly because of the Freak Show factor... Daniel honestly was a bit disapointing, I thought he would come up with something really amazing, and I didn't see that. I didn't think his best work was there.
I can't believe Chloe won. I thought that first look was a bad misunderstanding of Balenciaga, with garrish colors that screamed "I'm 30 and from Texas and want to be hip". I think its great that she understands design, and seams and a woman's body. However, that should be a requiste for ANYONE entering the business. I don't understand how the judges could not see the cohesiveness in Santino's collection and see it in Chloe's. I didn't see anything cohesive in Chloe's collection besides metaillic dresses.
Santino's collection, on the otherhand, I thought was very good. It wasn't spectacular (who's was?) but it wasn't horrible by any means. It was understandable, it was wearable, and it was photograph-able. I think his comment about the judges mistaking "safe-ness" with refinement and sophistication was spot on. I don't think he should have been punished for envisioning wearability in his designs.
Dan is cute and young, but doesnt have any design sensibility. Where is he going? What is he trying to do? I think he would be great as an assistant designer, but not as a head. He needs some time and space to think out and express his ideas (military??? please).
I am disappointed that an already successful person who complains got all the cookies. I am not down with her designs at all. She needs some therapy too for her ongoing reaction to Santino, geez why is his approval so important lady? Let it go.
Santino said it on his web page, we need to turn our frowns upsidedown. I am sure Daniel would want that too.
So boys, hit the talk shows, be yourselves, strut... We'll see ya soon.
Daniel was ROBBED!
I wouldn't be half as upset if Santino had beaten him. I feel that Chloe doesn't have the creativity - the "x" factor - necessary to really be a big player in the industry. I thought the color-scheme of her collection was dreadful. All of them had a couple of pieces that were questionable, and some that were outstanding, but in my opinion, Daniel and Santino had more outstanding pieces than Chloe -- by far.
Is anyone commenting on Daniel's final evening dress that the model absolutly could NOT walk in? I kept saying "she's going to trip!" and then she did! Trip on it!
That dress was not designed to be walked in which was totally surprising to me. It was his model Rebecca too! Was it too long or just poorly designed?
On his blog, Santino said he's in Chicago. Do you think they will be appearing on Oprah tomorrow?
wow, what a crappy finish to a very exciting season, I think santino should of won even though his collection was a bit restrained and not very cohesive, but it was better than the dreadfully boring collection daniel showed, their was no inspiration, the bags were chunky and awful, the color pallete was ok, but it still had no punch, no signature of any designer, and chloe, every damn fabric she used had a sheen to it, no buyer would purchase all of her looks because they were so similar in style and color, her prints looked cheap and the blue and green won looked like a map of the earth, awful, granted she was a great patternmaker it didnt show any creativity, their were no fabric combos and it didnt look very modern, besides, professional designers in the industry dont make their own patterns, thats why their are patternmakers to do that crap, I think if your judging the show based on creativity then Santino wins but if its on technical savy then give it to Chloe, shes just a glorified seamstress, plus many designers are terrible at sewing, you just have to know how to construct the garment but you pay someone else to do it for you, all in all very underwhelming
All I can really say is that I am in complete agreement with what Tim says in his podcast for this episode. Everything I want to say, he said there (including his annoyance with the judges--come on, people...you're going to criticize Santino for toning it down after you ASKED HIM to tone it down? And I wanted to laugh so hard at Nina talking about how much she liked Santino. PLEASE.)
I'm pleased for Chloe; her collection was my second choice and it had some really beautiful pieces in it. The judges fawning over Daniel when he left made me want to throw up, though.
Ok, don't jump down my throat about this, but I was wondering, given the disclaimer screen at the end of the show, if Chloe was the winner simply to make good television. She seems like a sweet person and I loved her designs on some of the challenges, but her runway show didn't cut it to me, especially when compared to the other two designers. Yes, the clothes fit the models really well, but the actual collection was kinda boring and guady. Given her backstory and poise throughout the season, and the fact that everyone thought the contest was between Santino and Daniel, it seems natural that the producers would want Chloe to come out on top.
given the santino notoriety, i could see the producers not favoring a santino win. HOWEVER that same clause has been discussed more than once as a reason to keep santino on...
but if the producers "wanted somebody" for a popularity contest, daniel v is the clear choice - not chloe.
fwiw, the ability to be a successful designer is a legitimate part of the process. you can have the most fabulous ideas but without making them reality in a sustainable manner, all kinds of talent won't make you the next big designer.
i do think santino got the short end of the stick in re judging, and his collection wasn't judged on its merits by itself. i was shocked to see that santino was first aufed. he had beautiful pieces.
daniel's stuff looks sooo much better on his website than it did on the runway, which is kind of surprising. the focus on that brown dress though, don't understand that....it wasn't a strong point of the collection.
Isnt funny how the collections came out differently in motion than they did when we first saw the pics ?
I hated DAniel's on paper and I actually found it to be quite pretty from closer/motion.
Similarly I ended up being slightly bored with Santino's (even though I still think he had the best individual pieces)
Maybe it is the power of editing though ... Chloe's winning felt fitting except for the poll that put her last just before she was revealed to have won. Oops LOL
I'm disappointed. I don't think Chloe's collection was the best, although I liked a few of her pieces. Very saddened, mad at the judges.
Johnh said it best.
Santino, who I hated at the begining of the show, should have won this competition. He deserved it and I think he would have appreciated way more than Miss "I don't know if I even want to be a finalist."
Ugh!
Had he lost to Daniel, well maybe I would understand (though I agree with Michael Kors about those damn breastplates!)
But Chloe?!? Be serious. What a letdown.
Ugh again!
I seriously think I'm not going to watch next season.
Okay, after calming down and rewatching the show, I will talk to the actual show and not my emotions. I am happy and proud of Chloe. She is a beautiful person and an amazing creator of clothing. I congrautlate her, but I was still more in love with Daniel's collection. His was so strong. It was a quite strength. As for Santino, there were pieces of his collection that I loved, but then the rest I didn't like at all. And as Tim said earlier in the season, his masses on his designs are used to cover up his lack of craft. He is passionate and he needs to use that as his means to get somewhere in the world. Now the one part of the whole finale that drove me absolutely crazy was the focus on Daniel being to young and inexperienced. What does that have to do with anything? Maybe it is just me as a college student just graduating and getting into the workforce, but I don't see how that matters. If you can do the work, you can do the work, it shouldn't matter about age. And to be as nice as possible, what designer who is as creative as Daniel is would want to work under Michael Kors. The huge gold earrings told you something about Debra Messing taste. I didn't notice them the first time around, but clearly caught them this time. And maybe one reason I didn't like Chloe's collection was her models. I had a real hard time with her models. They all looked strange and their walks were driving me crazy. I couldn't tell if it was the dresses or just how they walked. I loved Chloe saying she doesn't usually do evening wear. When I looked on her website almost all of her collections were evening wear collections. She sold herself like she was going out of style; whereas, Daniel was very indecisive on the runway. I love how they commented on the seems of her dresses after her Whats your Line challenge having that nasty rear-end seam. Over three months, seems like the judges kind of altered their opinions and points of view, not only on that point, but other points.
Congrats to all three designers! You worked your tales off and deserved to be there. Good luck in the future. And you can know at least I will continue to follow all three of you.
What a turn of the screw ending! I am reeling at the judges' comments to Santino that he wasn't "himself" in his collection after the drubbing they gave him each week for being too "out there". Chloe's clothes were very red carpet event in a cool way, but Kara Janx still has my vote for first place, though.
Tim's blog is great, I love that back stage stuff!
Has anyone else here noticed the ridiculous amounts of sexual tension between Santino and Nina? It's like a version of "When Harry Met Sally" where they "hate" each other at first, and for years to come, until they realize their true love has been standing on the runway or sitting on a chair across from the runway the entire time? It's a tale as old as time.
And speaking of Nina: I'm surprised not many people have mentioned how insufferable she is in this line of comments. After all her complaining about how Santino doesn't think about the woman, how he's gone over the top, how he's just "too much"--she goes and tells him he's played it "too safe!" This is the time where Santino should have said, "You've got to be kidding me, right? It's like I'm taking crazy pills here!"
So all in all, the finale was boring and anti-climactic. And even though it was boring, it felt rushed, no?
Now I say Nina should go dress herself up as a deer, put on some Auf underwear, and hop to it with Santino! You know they both want it.
No way.
I really have to agree with ben.
While I don't begrudge Chloe a victory, her collection was matronly, incoherent, safe (in a 'boring' way, not in a sophisticated way).
My husband wondered whether she won in a room with 3 female judges and one male judge who probably wanted to hire Daniel V. from way back.
I think Jaqueline Keeler may be right about the producers wanting to give the prize to someone with a head for 'bidness'. But I agree with kinghouse that her designs are starchy - I would say stiff. If I were a young woman today, I wouldn't be caught dead in anything but the gold babydoll. But her designs weren't meant for the young - they were meant for her usual clientele - the middle-range Texas oil industry women with really bad taste and a penchant for tints and tones of primary colors.
Daniel V. - I'm sorry you didn't win, but I think a job with Michael Kors is a *much* bigger deal than sweatshopping for Banana Republic, which Chloe would fit into quite well as head sweatshopstress. Fare well.
Santino is very talented - but would not have been palatable to the Texas oil set. I hope he does well.
Kara should have won.
I was surprised how my opinions of the designers changed after seeing the show from seeing the stills. Santino had been my favorite, but after seeing them move, Daniel's was my favorite of the three. I didn't like Chloe's before the show or after, but I did gain an appreciation for the detail and tailoring.
I would love to know what the judges' reaction was to Kara's. Regardless it was a great season.
I really thought it was between Danny V and Santino, but when I saw Chloe's show, I actually spontaneously thought, "Omigod, she could win!"
The colors and styles seem very Eighties to me, except for the backlessness, which to me suggested where Eighties fashion may have gone if the AIDS epidemic hadn't happened.
I don't really want to see fashion return to those kind of electric colors and that shinyness, but the Seventies have been making a comeback since about 1992, and perhaps it's time for that structuredness and seriousness to cycle back around.
Santino was my choice, but congrats to Chloe.
Oh, and who else noticed Michael Kors wearing sunglasses during the fashion week runway shows? I could've seen him saying, "I don't know. It was all just a little too...dark."
Oh, and another thing--the complaints about the dresses not fitting Santino's models well? It's because you threw in a 13th garment and he didn't have time to fit and tailor. Go ahead a play your little games for the sake of TV drama, but then don't hold it against the designer if he doesn't have enough time. And what exactly was the point of the 13th garment? To prove that the designers could make fast clothes? They had already proven that by getting to fashion week.
These are just my ramblings to cover up my disappointment with the finale. I've been nice this whole time, making excuses for and justifying different decisions (Zulema making it as far as she did??), but the pent up anger has finally been released upon this blog.
I thought Santino should have won, but I like Lil' Chlo too.
So now that the show's over ... what do we do now?
Interesting comments all.
Suddenly Santino has all these friends/fans coming out of the woodwork. I got creamed for trying to give him a fair shake during the season.
Motion certainly contributed a new element to the designs, unseen earlier. I like Chloe's colour palette--the particular shades of pink and green that she interwove, with gold as an accent colour. You have to look at the WHOLE collection (i.e., the final walkthrough) for the eye to fully "read" this.
I think it was really a three-way tie. If Santino had just brought a splash of his outrageousness into two or three of the designs I think that he would have won hands down. Remember how the judges ABSOLUTELY HATED Daniel's remake of Chloe, how it distorted her essense (I don't remember this being part of the challenge, but never mind). Now Santino comes to OFW (the "Everest of Fashion", by his own description) sans his distinctive offbeat, freaky signature look.
Particularly Nina seemed to be concerned that they had beaten him down with their sommetimes brutal criticisms. Thank you, Nina.
Both Daniel AND Santino were far too safe (with exceptions, of course), far too hushed and respectful. while Chloe sang in her full voice, offpitch occasionally but large and with a distinctive point of view.
The judges really played chess with this decision (most of it edited out as usual, of course).
Again I would like to state that the whole judging process should be taped and available for private viewing by the designers involved, IF that is their choice. They might truly llearn something useful and constructive that way.
Bravo, Bravo tv!!!
Bravo, all the designers and the WHOLE PR team!!!
Bravo, Laura, you have made this an especially pleasant and educational experience. I was checking out Santino's board on the realitytv site last night, and there's so much gossip and dish and, of course, the usual J'accuse that, thanks to your brilliant stewardship, is more the exception here than the rule that I could only take it for a few minutes. (If anyone is interested, there are 19 pages!! of junk posted there.)
We have become family here, the core group at any rate, and you were always open to the most conflicting opinions, provided they were discrete and intelligently argued. And I am especially gratefull for the opportunity to do the "Dr Don" recaps.
PR season II has been a thrilling adventure and, occasionally, a really rough,
vertiginous rollar-coaster ride.
(Even Hitchcock himself would be lightheaded getting off this one.)
It was, for me, physically/emotionally painful watching the designers sleepwalk through the final 48 hours. Santino particularly showed the strain and, not surprisingly, seemed to lose a little of his edge, although his presence on the runway was certainly high-adrenaline enough.
I wonder if this (the infamous "13th look") was a last minute decision, I also wonder why Heidi, for the first time ever, accompanied him to the workroom when they annouonced the challenge. Do you think that they were anticipating a rebellion or something?!!
Goodnight, Fashionistas, and Good Luck!!! (How many here are planning to audition?)
:-))
Don/fashionasart
I'm not exactly sure what the judges were after with Santino. I think it's clear that he had the most cohesive line. His color choices are very modern. His silhouettes were excellent and his craftsmanship was superlative. The judges wanted to see more Santino. However over the span of the entire season he was accosted for being TOO Santino. I'm sorry, either you eat the cake or you have it. Shame on the “judges” for not being consistent with their comments. And shame on Bravo for their final choice of celebrity judge. While Miss Messing is an excellent comedic actress, I would have preferred Tom Ford or Karl Lagerfeld. Perhaps they were unavailable.
it was a bit of a scam though...did you notice the message quickly flashed at the end of the show--it said that the producers had "input" into the voting.
In otherwords, it was a business decision, probably based on what was felt would lead to the future success of the show, financially. The winner was in otherwords, in the words of the show's producers, not based on merit.
I thought Santino had the most cohesive vision, attitute, theme, etc. etc. Daniel had great looking pieces, I felt it didn't really all come together for this show but that he could potentially do great things in the future. To give her some credit, I thought a few of Chloe's peices looked fantastic too. I thought clearly Santino was the winner of the final show.
How you get along is one of those soft warm fuzzy things but in the end it's about how the collection comes together...I don't think any of them were really out to get someone else, and anyway there's always active and passive aggression, not always obvious who the real a-hole might be in the group!
Good job everyone, too bad the producers couldn't run a fair contest and let the judges vote their opinions!
I thought Santino's was the best but Chloe's was definitely sexier and more woman friendly.. I didn't like Daniel's at all.
I have to say I knew Chloe would win the instant I saw the stills. Why? She used colour! Look at what the judges like - they like colour. Her designs were actually quite good but her fabric choice was appalling. The fabric was far too heavy. It really wasn't stiff but it was so heavy it made the models look like they were wearing armour.
I was surprised how unfinished Daniel's collection was when they arrived for the final finishing touches. I thought Daniel's white coat and pleated skirt with vest and tee were fabulous. His final dress was ill designed for the runway and Rebecca's tripping emphasized the flaw. He could have better described his look as sleek and martial than the more precise but less evident Japanese and military.
I was very impressed by Santino's designs although the colours were so muted, he didn't have a chance. He did some beautiful things (loved the leather breeches) but the dresses really didn't fit in the bust-tragically making one beautiful model look like she needed a breast lift-NOW.
On another note entirely-did anyone else play the Fashion Face Off? I am completely frustrated by not receiving points 'won'. IF you email Bravo they let you know that they're very popular and really can't get back to you. Aarrghh! Why bother?
Just watched the show, totally shocked that Chloe won, but pleased as well. I as soon as everyone, except Nina, said they knew who they would pick, I thought it was going to be Daniel. I wasn't shocked that the judges said that Santino's collection was too safe, but I was shocked that he didn't say anything about how the judges were slamming him for going out there week after week.
I must say that all three collections had their ups and downs, I liked Chloe's color pallette actually and her seam lines really accentuated her models, but I thought that her puffy sleeves were just too much.
Santino's collection was beautiful, especially his last dress for Heather, but right now I can't remember much else. I have a feeling the judges' expectations overshadowed his collection.
Daniel, who I thought would win, put some amazing pieces on the runway, I especially love the white double breasted jacket. But, I wasn't too interested in seeing most of the separates. They just seemd blah to me.
Really, it was a tie for me, and I would have been happy and a little disappointed in any choice. I think Kara's show is on bravo's site, and I will check it out.
To me, Chloe, if I may use a sports analogy, is like signing a veteran free agent. She has alreay reached her upside, so while I think she designs great clothes, I don't feel like she will be transcendent. Daniel and Santino are more like the young draft picks with lots of potential. They may turn out better, but it they didn't shown enough of it in their collections.
Congratulations to Chloe! Based on the entire season I would not be surprised about her win. She has fairly consistently created well-made and thoughtful garments.
But I'd like to mention that I thought Santino's collection was beautiful.
I just listened to Tim's podcast. I'm sad that Tim stated that Santino can't win even though he created an admittedly magnificent collection...just because of fears about turning project runway into a "freak show." This is probably what the judges & producers thought but that's terrible and unfair!
I was surprised and pleased to see Chloe win. Thank goodness that creep Santino didn't win. I thought Daniel was great but so did he and that just ruined it for me. I would have loved to see Chloe, Nick, and Andrae in the final three. I think Nick and Andrae both have huge potential. Andrae really sold me with his inspiration design when he created that beautiful gown inspired by dirty gutter water. It was gorgeous.
Congrats to Chloe and I hope I've seen and heard the last from Santino.
I believe that Chloe’s 'collection' was overly mother of the bride. She has a few pieces that were interesting in there cut and her pieces were; and have through out the entire season, well fit. (God bless the pattern designers and seamstresses of America) she lacked inspiration and creativity. I felt that many of her embellishments were assignments out of a pattern making class or maybe a lesson in vogue brand patterns. Cheers. I got an A in pattern making class too. I did not feel that her collection was cohesive, expressive nor did I feel that the fabrics were modern or fashion forward. Daniel’s collection was clean, and understandable. He is young, and has a very good eye. His sense of color and fabric is mature for is age, but the maturity came across a little tired in this show. I also felt that they were unexpressive of personality or the youthfulness I expected out of him. (I loved a lot of what he did during season 2) i felt that he was designing for the wrong show and that his collection would go over better in 6 months. So now I am left with Santino. His was the only truly beautiful collection I saw on the finale runway. It was the collection that was cohesive,sophisaticated and pretty. His work was polished, finished in a way that he has not shown before. It seems that he was finally taking all of the judges' advice. There a mix of dresses and separates, an expressive use of fabric and color, and with out a doubt, all of the clothing flowed on the runway. He also had a very clear defined theme to his collection that was reflected in every piece. I was shocked when he was eliminated first. It seems that he had finally given the judges what they wanted and they still had something to say. maybe the project runway producers felt the need to pick a female winner after the first season, and I believe that Santino will have a career after the show, but a TV sitcom actress as the finale judge? There must have been someone else that could have been chosen.... the red carpet is not the runway. I am disappointed. Fashion may be subjective, but at least have a finale judge that has an education outside of her stylists and what she reads in magazines. Celebrity does not equal good personal style, taste, nor an understanding of what "IS IN" or what "IS OUT" It equals notoriety. Knowing how to put a pretty dress on does not mean you know how to pick one out.
I am so disappointed that Santino did not win! His clothes were clearly the most beautiful and the most interesting of all three.
Thanks for your comments lemontart. I agree wholeheartedly. Tim saying what he did about Santino and the freakshow is almost enough to lose me from the show. If everybody felt that way, it would definitely concern me.
Wow, what an ending. I didn't love Chloe's collection the best, I did love a lot of her work all season and think she does have tons of talent. But then-so do Daniel and Santino. What I took exception to was the sudden criteria of being a good businessperson. When did that become a factor-why wouldn't you give it to someone with talent who needs the cash and mentorship, as Daniel V. said? I thought that as far as versatility, cohesiveness and real world wearability, either Santino or Daniel was the better choice. I think the fan ratings on the various polls support that. I didn't love Santino all year but did love his collection, although I think it was a little boring.
Another thing-each 13th piece was AWESOME-a testimony to Nick, Diana and my fave, Andrae. They deserve kudos and I wish they could have at least been present at the runway.
I think all 3 were truly great, good for Chloe and I hope Daniel and Santino have a soft landing-Santino, don't you dare give up. You ARE a winner because I'm sure there are many like me who wondered how you made it to the end and when we saw your collection, knew why. Find your way and you will achieve your dreams. If I win Lotto, I'll back you myself....
My husband and I are totally suffering! What WILL we do on Wednesday nights? Watch the chef show? I think not. :-(
Okay enough venting. Here are some thoughts about last night:
In the end, no one is a loser anyway because they've all gotten incredible exposure and in any business esp fashion --- longevity is what matters. And I think that one of the key criteria the judges probably used to make their decision was that, they want a return on their investment, right? Also, longevity and talent are two completely different things. And talent is ultimately overrated. I can't begin to tell you how many 'talented' people I've met along the way who for one reason or another did not make it and it wasn't because of lack of talent ---- it was the other stuff.
Daniel's style is clean and sophisticated and wearable. And I've loved all of his stuff...That being said, I was a little surprised about the way the collection was finished...as in it looked like a collection from a recent FIT graduate vs. a professional collection. I love you Dan and it totally breaks my heart to say this...but MK was right --- those patches with the tinny tassels were ATROCIOUS (I can't even get into the buttons, I'll get really upset). Maybe they looked better in real life but on camera it made the dress look like something from Forever 21. Which is fine except Forever 21 isn't showing at the tents. And we loved LOVED the outfit he started out with (the brocade jacket with the great detail) but how did that relate to the sunburst pleated skirt with the vest and the long sleeved purple T? I felt like I was getting a high level look into Banana Fall 2006 :-( In the end, the judges wound up not giving the prize to him because his final runway collection was meh, despite his the talent and sophisticated eye (based on his overall track record). But does Daniel have longevity potential? Absolutely, he's talented plus he has the skills and most MOST important, professionalism and good personality. That's not genius btw but common sense. Eventually you can hire the best people to augment your vision and your technical expertise but if you have a track record of being a prick...even if you "don't mean it"...you'll never hold onto staff, backers, the press, potential mentors, your peers...you know the people who help make your vision happen...
Which brings me to Santino. Santino's collection was a surprise and I loved it, but he would have never won even with the toned down version of his "vision". It was so different than what he was presenting as his "style" on the show...so there's the whole inconsistency thing as in how can they judge his style and creativity and long term potential when he basically does a 180 at the end. More critical, his overall package in terms of personality and inability to differentiate getting to WIN a spot in the top 3 vs. being a leader in an industry...and the basic stuff required to get to the top. True, one has to be demanding even ruthless but did he really think by intimidating the crap out of the judges, consistently ignoring their recommendations...that they would reward him with a prize? Come on...he was just great television, it's nothing personal right? It's just bidness...I think it's a little sad that it took watching a reality show and reading a bunch of blogs for him to realize that really his personality approach really sucks, considering that he's no spring chicken. On the other hand, he's probably significantly much more multi-dimensional than the what was edited into the show...he just has to be careful to protect HIS brand going forward. Good luck, because those clips will forever be searchable on google and YourTube.
Honestly I didn't like Chloe's collection, mainly because well it's not my style. That being said, I loved all of her work during the show and she has all of the elements that make a good candiate for a winner. She's talented, but she has a very strong skillset. For all of Santino's bitching about not being impressed with a brilliant patternmaker, the reality is the stuff has to be constructed properly and brilliant patternmakers ARE creative. A garment cut properly WILL sell. And girlfriend knows about selling and this business is all about selling...which is another thing about being a great designer...you kind of have to tailor things to your customer, it's not the other way around. Oh and she's got great personality skills, so she's not much of a showman, but that to MK's point can be trained...She also has a realistic idea of what this business is about, especially in NY and anyone who has worked in this business no matter how high or low end knows...that at the end of the day when crunch time is on and you're committed to success and you're starting out or going off on your own, it is a sweatshoppy business (much like tech, investment banking, law...) I would argue her stakes are much higher than either one of the other finalists --- she has much more at stake which makes her a good 'partner' with the show.
Okay enough rambling from me.
-H
Santino was robbed. In my opinion, Chloe's was the "safest" collection that walked the runway last night. Santino's was creative, beautiful and innovative. And I remember DANIEL's outfits not fitting properly, but maybe I need to rewatch.
Oh well, I guess they couldn't let Jay win, and then Santino, or PR would end up looking like some freakshow.
A few points.
Santino did do a couple "out there" pieces in his collection - the leather top with those billowing sleeves and the micro mini dress with the blue jacket. Both of them looked very uncomfortable. The neckline on the micro was anatomically bizarre.
I noticed the japanese lantern touches on the sleeves and hem of two of Daniel's garments were much more evident on his website pictures than on the OFW show. He may have tweaked the asian content of his line after the show.
What each of these designers SHOULD have done is irrelevant. They had to fit the creation of their collections into their "normal" lives. Sure, it would have been nice to have everything fitted and finished on arrival in New York, but PR is nothing if not a test of working under pressure.
Santino played the game, pushed the envelope, and got a lot of attention on PR. He was very close to elimination several times, but he is a risk taker. It worked for him. He now has celebrity status. How long it will last is up to him.
Daniel's collection was very classy and it was pretty much what I expected from his designs on PR. No surprises.
Chloe took some chances. I agree with Tim that and some of her designs at OFW were beyond my comprehension. But compare her line to Jay's. Totally different except they both had big winners and big losers in them. And lots of color and texture.
On the 13th designs - it seems like they were actually made by the "extra hands." Strange how the judges felt those pieces really completed the collections. The Santion 13 was Andrae all the way. The Daniel 13 was courtesy of Professor Nick with Daniels's cowl collar. Chloe's 13 was shiny, but talk about a strange bust line.
Enough for now. I'll be watching my Season 1 DVD and waiting for next year's adventure. It's been fun.
I love Chloe, Congradulations, and I am happy that she won; but I think that Santino got ripped off. He should have won. All season long the judges kept on telling him that he was too creative too forward in his thinking and then he tones it down, and puts out an incredible show and he is told that they wanted to see more of his creativity. The judges are fickle and do not know what they truly want. They aloud their predujices and their misunderstanding of a very talented and creative mind to blind them from seeing that Santino was brillant. I thought that Daniels dress did not fit properly, in the bust and back as well. Daniel can fit a woman from the waist down but he has no idea what a woman needs to form a bust line correctly. Out of all three collections Santinos look most like a designers show than a seamtresses show. I did not have a problem with Santino's attitude at all. My best friends son is a miniature copy of Santino. I would not be surprised if he grew up to be a fashion designer as well. So I can understand what Santino was trying to say with his clothing. So yes Anderea watch out there is another Santino out there and his name is Patrick!!
Congratulations Chloe! I have to say I was bit shocked that Daniel didn't win but I rewatched the runway shows and the judges made the right decision.
Santino- talented but one dimensional. Stripped off his signature trimmings, the gowns did not fit the models at all and now I suspect all those "details" were designed to hide poor construction and finishing (remember the heinous jumpsuit for Kara?). That bitchy comment about talented pattern-making probably hid a real insecurity about his own craftmanship.
Daniel V- man, I loved this guy. I think he has a wonderful eye and is going to go far regardless.His collection was modern, sophisticated and showed enormous versatility- this boy has range and a great eye. The fabrics were gorgeous but I agree with other posters that it all looked a bit safe and Banana Republic-like. Also the detailing was pointless and ugly- for once I agreed with Michael Kors. A couple of years and I think Daniel V will break out and become a big name in American fashion- he has the skills, eye, taste, personality and looks to go far.
Chloe- the static images of her clothes do not do justice to how good they look in motion. I personally do not care for gold and bright shiny charmeuses and silks, and the collection was so rich and intense it made my teeth ache. Nonetheless, she has such tremendous skill in fitting fabrics to a woman's body and very innovative construction that I think Chloe is not capable of making a bad garment. My only worry is that she does not seem to have the same passion and love of forward design that Santino and Daniel did. I hope she looks beyond Houston for inspiration as she, unlike Jay McCarroll, has a real chance of making a name for herself in couture. The baby doll dress was inspired.
I just saw Chloe on the Today show---she's awesome! She said the best prize is the car. In my opinion, the best prize is to show at Olympus Fashion Week (at least that would be my goal if I were competing). So, really, there are 3 winners in my mind!
My thoughts ... Chloe's dresses looked much, much better in motion than they looked in the photos we posted back in February.
Daniel's collection, while it had some utterly beautiful pieces, wasn't cohesive. I think if he had used the medallion detail more effectively (read, sew in like on the brocade jacket rather than plopped on like on the dress Rebecca wore), he would have had something.
Santino's collection, while beautiful, was completely different than the stuff we saw during the show and actually had me wondering if he in fact was the designer. I'm sure he was ... I just had a disconnect when looking at them and then looking at his previous PR looks.
I guess I thought the 13th garment was mostly designed by the 'assistants' and I didn't see the point of them. Maybe that garment showed their ability to think fast and delegate?
I guess I'm seeing the positive side to this ... Santino is a talent and will find support and an audience for his work. Daniel ... should absolutely work for Michael Kors to build his younger line. And Chloe ... we'll see future collections from her probably before we'll see something from Jay.
I wonder how much of last year played into this year's decision. Chloe is the anti-Jay: female, already established, much more business savvy, much less of an artistic type (e.g. no sketches, just consideration of her client). They probably wanted a contrast to Jay, who really hasn't done that much with his win and whose reality special revealed he's not exactly riding some Project Runway wave of success. They also don't want to be predictable.
Not saying that Chloe wasn't worthy of a PR win, but I do wonder how much last year influenced their choice.
I know that I was an advocate of disliking Chloe's collection prior to last night, but I've changed my views in some senses.
While I'm not a fan of the 80's chic, it is coming back in style and Chloe was spot on with an ambitious and fashion forward collection. Everything the judges said about her seams and how she understands a woman's body was exactly right. The pictures I saw didn't do justice to how those dresses curved with the bodies of her models.
While my personal taste leans more toward Daniel's collection, and I think the judges were blind in not seeing the Japanese and military inspirations, I have to congratulate Chloe on a job very well done. She'd been so consistent all season, and deserved to win.
As for Santino, I thought his collection was beautiful. Was it safe? Yes it was, but as all the judges stated, his vision is unstoppable.
I hope Chloe uses this opportunity (the money, mentorship, etc...) to realize her dream beyond her boutique.
Congrats to all of the designers...I don't see them hurting for work in the future. And to Daniel...hello!! Michael freaking Kors offered you a job!
Everybody is a winner and I'm sad to see this season end...thanks to everyone on this blog for making it really special!
I found my parental bear claws coming out on the judging runway. I was so proud of all 3, like they were my own children. How DARE they say anything critical after all they have been through?
I must agree with the many comments about Chloe's line in motion. Once those dresses were fitted on the models and walking the runway, they were fabulous! They came to life. Pictures couldn't do justice to the collection.
DV and Santino were equally strong, each with unique points of view. I did not envy the judges on having to choose between the three.
In the end, they are all winners. Chloe gets the car and cash, but DV and Santino and Nick and Andrae and really all of them gain from the exposure.
A surprising, amazing ending to an incredible season!
Loved the season- probably better than the first.... Chloe was consistant and never in the bottom three. She deserved a win.
Santino was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. His exposure will surely lead him to bigger and better things.
Dan may need more time. Poor baby looked traumatized when he did not win. May need a thicked skin for the busniess, because in his words, "you can't be right all the time."
Congratulations to all- this season I think we will remember other designers too and they will go on to great careers as well. Loved Nick! Loved, Loved Andrae!
Thanks for the blog!
Yes, thank you for the excellent blog.
I was unbelievably dissapointed in Chloe's win. I thought her collection was dated, weak, and utterly lacking in vision.
In the case of Season 2, the process was more entertaining than the outcome. Bad news all around. The judges had to choose from three mediocre final collections, and I think they made a "safe" decision. Shame on them, after arguing against 'safe' all season.
Agreeing with TBone:
"In the end, they are all winners. Chloe gets the car and cash, but DV and Santino and Nick and Andrae and really all of them gain from the exposure."
Chloe was just on The Today Show and when asked what she was most excited about winning out of all the amazing prizes... she said her new car. Hmmm.
I think that Chloe deserved a win --- , really, I could say that of any of the 3 finalist designers; I thought they all had good collections and were all very talented. However, when I heard the phrase, "The next great American designer..." it gave me pause -- I don't think that the work of the final 3 merited that level of praise. And then I just saw the video of Kara's show that they have up at Bravo, and I realized that she is the one that I might feel comfortable giving that label too, even though in her case, it's more "The next great South African designer..." Seriously, her collection was interesting, gorgeous, well-made and showed signs of greatness to come. Congratulations to all 4 of the PR designers who showed at FW!
This is from Andy's Blog on BravoTV.com -- he watched the finale with a number of stars. This is my favorite quote ever:
Kathy Najimy says: "I miss Diana!! I want nice hoodies with computers built in and garments that iron themselves! I want tube tops that hold i pods and I want skirts that fold into origami and bra's that magnetize to my breasts! I want Diana.!! That said... I guess Daniel should win. Oh and Nick was robbed!"
Personally, I'm thrilled Chloe won. Like everyone else said, seeing the clothes in motion (as opposed to still photos) made all the difference. I've been rooting for Chloe since the day Nick was "auf"ed.
I'm so happy for Chloe and Daniel. Thank God that the judges recognized that what Santino produced for his runway line wasn't what he produced at all for the entire run of the competition. They wanted to see a SANTINO original with the more is better (ruffles, beading, etc) and asymetrical bustlines. If I hadn't seen the photos from Fashion Week, I would have never known that was his line. Then, the 13th outfit had all the markings of Andre's fashion sense. I think they made the right choice with Chloe being the winner for this season. Seeing their lines on the runway, showed that Chloe IS a designer. Her designs looked rich, elegant and wonderful on the runway. I agreed with all the judges on her seaming. The dress that Charlize wore to this year's Oscars looked like something from Chloe's line.
btw - I loved Daniel's line the best. It was clean, classic, simple and elegant designs that I currently stock in my wardrobe. Solid colors, staple pieces that I can mix and match with other items. Brilliant designs. He'll go very far in the fashion world.
3 Questions:
Who designed Heidi's dress from last night??? It was gorgeous!
When does that issue of Elle come out???
Do you think Daniel's really going to go work for Michael Kors???
I believe Heidi's dress was Michael Kors. Am I right? I think she said it.
Here's my ideal ending, LOL-
Declare 3 winners.
Give Chloe the car, Daniel the mentorship and Santino the money.
Give all 3 the Elle spread including their models. BTW, in watching the reruns, I noticed how much Grace rocked the runway. Watch her switch that jacket in the BR challenge and her moves in the Ice Skating challenge. I was impressed-
i have been a BIG chloe fan ever since the beginning of the season. i ADORED her barbie outfit and everything else that she put out (with the exception of the "big butt" evening gown which was my least favorite). when they announced her name as the winner, i went into tom cruise on oprah mode, jumping on the couch, screaming and fist pumping like i was proclaiming my love for a 17 year old boy (i'm 31) on national television. like michael kors, i wanted to rip the patches off of some of daniel v's dresses. and i thought santino played it a little too safe (where was that gorgeous fur thing that was to go with heather's dress?). by no means am i saying chloe's collection was perfect, but i found myself saying LOVE IT LOVE IT WANT IT WANT IT more often while viewing her collection than the others. i will admit also that i had doubts when i saw the stills awhile back - they were stunning while in motion. regardless, they were all amazing and you can tell they poured their heart and soul into it, which was so touching and heartbreaking to see at the same time. what a great show. my wednesday nights will not be the same anymore for a long while.
The more I think about it, and look back at her previous designs on the show, the more I think I agree with Santino: she's a brilliant pattern-maker, but her designs don't really seem that creative. She's a business woman, and she seemed to approach her collection with a mentality of "what will sell in a boutique?" instead of "what do I actually want to send down the runway?"
Daniel...well, I think Daniel will do better working for Kors anyway.
I really wanted this one to go to Santino. He seemed to put more thought into his than the other two put into theirs. Kors said it, too: it all comes from his soul. Everything Santino sent down the runway was something I would wear, and I thought he was very aware of the female form...after all, his models not only looked sexiest, but most comfortable of all three. Perhaps I can see it being a bit too boudoir for the judges...but they certainly didn't say anything about it (that we saw on TV).
So there's my long answer. Oh, and my husband and I both think it's possible that Banana Republic needs a brilliant pattern-maker.
*
SANTINO !!!
What happened to that flashy crazy wonderful overthetop style we saw all season ?
I was looking forward to seeing that in your collection and watching you win hands down.
No big.
Carry On !
*
I my first impression of Chloe's designs was that I was seeing a " Dynasty " themed collection. I was waiting for Joan Collins to walk out. I have seen those designs in a lot of boutique's (in malls), and I guess it is a very lucrative business, but her designs were totally safe.
Her work was put together the best out of all of them, but after they finally got to oust Santino I felt that Daniel had the most interesting collection. Very anti-climatic.
Congratulations to Chole. I too loved her her work and most impressed by sewing.
Congratulations to Daniel and Santino, too.
Yes, Michael Kors designed Heidi's dress.
Chloe's collection, "safe"? Hah!
Once again Santino's downfall is that he designs for "art", not for women. Even he admitted that, until the show, he hadn't seen a single one of his outfits on a real person, just dress forms. Every piece fit poorly, and on one of them, the lining was very obviously hanging down below the hem as the model walked the runway. I was rooting for Chloe since nearly the beginning of the season. Her sense of style is timeless, and her sense of body is wonderful. Bravo, Chloe!
I think it's silly to say her designs aren't creative. They aren't creative in a Santino-ish, look-at-all-this-whickety-whack-trim-and-wow-i-sure-am-artistic kinda way. They are creatively constructed and sewn. Her seems, the way she works with lines, her fabrics, the off-setting of perfectly tailored torsos with a lot of volume on the sleeves and skirts... extremely creative, but in a less obvious way. She is creative in a way that Santino couldn't be, because she works with the construction of the dress and a woman's body in ways he doesn't understand. She is a brilliant paternmaker, but that ALLOWS her to design things with a creativity that is beyond both Daniel and Santino at this point.
Look at all the breakthrough designers right now... your derek lam, zac posen type of people. Chloe fits right in with them, because she can make a garmant that is tastefully and creatively made without being at all unflattering on a woman.
It's all about subtle, sophisticated, FLATTERING creativity...
I liked Santino's model the best, but I think Chloe's collection was the most cohesive.
*yawn*
Sorry but Chloe's collection might have been meaningful in 1986 and there was NO DEPTH to it, just a bunch of shiny garments, mostly dresses. I guess it was cohesive based on that (everything looking alike, exactly alike), but she is a "one-note" designer (all the sundresses she did in the season?)
Santino was robbed, IMO, but perhaps the producers were afraid of the backlash if he won, that people wouldn't come back for season 3?
I thought innovation and creativity were important in fashion--with Chloe winning, PR has shown that they don't care about either. Heck, Chloe herself said close to the end that she wasn't sure she wanted it...she should've been auf'ed for that alone.
that her favorite prize is the car and not the opportunities says all I need to know.....
Who would tune into "Project Chloe?" Not me, unless I couldn't sleep.
Holy crap!
About 15 minutes before the show ended I said to my boyfriend, "Wouldn't it just be a total coup if Chloe, the dark horse, won it tonight." Lo and behold.
Good for her, man. I hope DV takes a job with Michael Kors.
Without trying to dampen Cloe's winning spirits, I really was surprised by the judges' decision. Out of the 3, I really would've put her last to win. Her fabric and colour choice were far too 1980s, although she seems pretty competent as a pattern cutter.
In my opinion, Daniel's collection was the strongest, as he has a good eye for commercialism, sophistication, and furthermore, although inexperienced, he seemed amazingly professional yet remained humble to the end. Unlike his counterpart Santino..."my mum's the shit...I'm an amazing designer" yeah right. Far too gobby.
I hope Cloe does very well down the road, but I suspect even bigger things for Daniel and see him becoming quite a household name. Good luck to him.
I woke up angry that Chloe won. Nothing but evening gowns? That isn't a "line." And all that horrible shiny fabric that would show every bulge on a normal woman's body! The judges led her with gentle questions: "Is this your fantasy collection?" "Yes, it's my fantasy collection. My baby,..." Awww. How sweet. Santino got the boot because he betrayed himself. He should have gone out in a blaze of glory, if he was going to lose--not be trying to appease the judges. I think Daniel should have won. He had the range, the sophistication. That black dress with the lantern hem was phenomenal, as was the white coat.
Very disappointing end to a great season.
I cant believe Chloe won. I think Santino was totally robbed. The judges have given him shit all season for being too creative and over the top. Finally he creates some really beautiful and elegant designs and they tell him he was too timid and safe...WTF. It looked like Chloe bought three different colored bolts of fabric {Red,Blue,Gold} and used an assembbly line to crank out her designs. Everyone of her outfits looked exactly the same very "One Note".
The LAST person I thought should have won was Chloe. I was totally disappointed and I felt like it was a very unclimatic finale. Those shiney dresses with puffy sleeves that looked like they were falling off of the models were horrific! Santino's collection was fantastic and Daniels was very nice (without thos flap things it would have been much better). Chloe made the same outfit in the same style the entire show. The difference with these ones were that they were made out of non jersey material.
I am very unhappy with the final results. I guess we will be seeing another Chloe collection full of backless dresses...
Congrats Chloe from all us here at PROJECT OUTCAST! Super collection, I thought. Solid business sense and knowledge of your clients is very very important. Ask Michael K., he is a genius when it comes to connecting with his "woman." BTW, Texas and great fashion do go together.
Thinking about it now, Chloe was probably the only choice out the the three that could win, even though I wouldn't have picked her.
In Tim's podcast he said Santino couldn't have won because otherwise it would be "Project Freakshow," since Jay won last year. So basically it was stacked against him from the very beginning - completely unfair.
Daniel V was too young and got a little too cocky at the the end.
The judges like that Chloe has good business sense, because they don't their winner to blow all the money like Jay did by turning it down. So this is how it had to be - hopefully they'll all go on and be successful in some way.
Chloe was my favorite almost from the begining and I was predicting her to win. So why am I not thrilled by the outcome of the show? because I thought her collection was terrible. I hated the fabrics and the colors and found most of the designs boring. It really looked to me like it was done at the last minute. Yes, the dresses had interesting seams but that can be done by any good pattern-maker (oh, did I just say that?!) Anyway, I think she's great and I loved everything she did during the show so I'm not actually dissapointed that she won. I'm just dissapointed in her collection and I thought it was the least impressive of the three.
Although I didn't like any of the collections much, I thought Santino's was the best and was completely shocked he didn't win. Actually, Kara's was better than all three.
I think it is interesting that the designers created better clothes during the show when they only had a couple of days than they did when they had months. I think they work better under pressure. The 13th looks were probably the best parts of the collections.
Wooo hooo, way to go, Chloe! Well deserved GRATS:)
Congrats to Chloe, and also to Grace! A deserving model who really worked it in Chloe's clothes.
I had my say last night during the live posting. Still a bit surprised that Daniel didn't win--but I'm not upset. He's had such great exposure and I know he's off to a brilliant design career.
Kara fans--her runway show is now up in the bonus clips at the Bravo site.
I am extremely pleased with the results. Chloe is smart, is focused and has all it takes to be a winner and an exceptional designer and businesswoman. Her collection was the only one that made sense. The construction of each garment was a piece of art. As an alumni of FIT, NY I have to say she is America's next top designer. Who needs sketches??? Congratulations, Chloe. You are the best!!!
Seriously, people?!! Chloe?! Fine, the pieces were well sown but what women want to go out in an 80's prom dress? Everyone I know who's watched all season is shocked and horrified.
It wouldn't have mattered if Daniel or Santino had won but we were all dismayed with how Santino was treated. To be blasted every week for being "too out-there" and then, when he finally concedes, to be outed because he was too safe?! That's rotten.
Does anyone know anywhere else I can watch Kara's show? I'm on a Mac OS, not Windows... and I'd love to see if I agree that her show was actually better than the final 3.
Chloe is awesome and had the most innovative show. Although they were all dresses, they had unique construction and were flattering on the female figure.
Santino's fit was poor and did not show enough complexity or power in his collection. I was surprised since he pulled out some stunners in the challenges. Brown is not inspiring. What happened to his great sense of color?
Daniel played it too safe as well, going for a sportswear look, which has its commercial appeal, but does not show a mature level of talent or a unique point of view.
I find it interesting that both Santino and Daniel went for more muted colors whereas Chloe and Kara broke out the brights. While recent runway collections have been muted, designers have shown that you can innovate with neutrals and Santino and Daniel did show push their designs far enough. Chloe took risks with her designs with different volumes and cutaway designs that were flattering and fun.
Kara's collection definitely appeals to a young, hip consumer more than any of the final three. Her layering technique at times went awry, but she had some great pieces as well and definitely had a strong point of view.
I thought it was totally the right decision. Chloe was consistenly the best designer all season. Her collection was exceptionally well-sewn, creative, and fun. Santino unfortunately played it safe, and though I've always loved Daniel's designs, his collection looked more like your standard Banana Republic line. Yay, Chloe!
I've been reading many comments from bloggers asking disputing Will and Grace star, Debra Messing, as guest judge. A close friend, who is an assistant to the producers of PR, informs me that an integral part of that decision was based on her merits of being a design-savvy pundit. Add to that her association as a straight actress for a gay sitcom, makes for a very compelling counterbalance for 2 straight female judges and 1 gay male judge. And considering the preponderance of gay male/straight female contestants, a wise choice. Debra Messing, in effect, represented the fairest of any fashion-aware celebrity judge they could have selected, based on the 3 remaining finalists. You have to hand it to them; PR's producers take their trade very seriously.
In hindsight, as always, it is easy to see how Chloe prevailed.
1. Her salesmanship of her and her pieces both before and after her runway show. She sold her collection with more true enthusiasm than Santino and Daniel combined.
2. The lines and fit, were always true to the wearer, while being elegant at the same time.
3. Metallic fabrics aside (and true, metallics are actually making a comeback, sad enough), the cohesiveness of most of her collection was more discernable than her competitors.
4. From Day One, it was apparent that Santino's designs, while appearing fashion-forward to many, also absolutely served to cover his lack of tailoring ability. Take a close look at all of his PR designs throughout the season, and it will become evident how his use of extraneous frills attempts to cover up major seam flaws.
5. In the end, both Santino and Daniel, both very promising designers in their own right, yielded to the temptation to play to either the judges, the producers, or the sponsors. Santino could have reached a compromise to tone down his designs without compromising all out. It seemed to me that Daniel chose to go the route of trying to appease the sponsors (Banana Republic) by designing a collection that was elegant, and very BR-looking. He sacrificed his own design sense to try to win the show. That was also apparent from many comments he made between throughout the last 3 installments of PR.
While I was not thoroughly impressed with Chloe's collection and am unsure of her transcending as "the next great designer," she was the most compelling designer of the 3 during FW and deserved the win. That being said, I'm sure both Santino and Daniel, as well as several other PR contestants will go on to very lucrative careers of their own.
Can you saying HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT? Compared to last year, all 3 of finalists' collections were uninspired and boring. Yeah, there were some nice dresses but I can't remember any of them now and none of them stood out as a "collection". I can off the top of my head remember the music-inspired and Aviator-inspired collections from last year that totally blew me away.
Maybe they didn't get enough time or something?
I'm glad Chloe won as she's a good pattern maker, which is what Banana Republic wants. Someone they can control and whip. She'll be forgotten for sure. Daniel and Santino are going to be known for a long time, as well as Nick and Andrae as they're great Designers with style and creativity. So Chloe enjoy it because you were the least of a risk for Banana Republic.
I've been reading many comments from bloggers asking disputing Will and Grace star, Debra Messing, as guest judge. A close friend, who is an assistant to the producers of PR, informs me that an integral part of that decision was based on her merits of being a design-savvy pundit. Add to that her association as a straight actress for a gay sitcom, makes for a very compelling counterbalance for 2 straight female judges and 1 gay male judge. And considering the preponderance of gay male/straight female contestants, a wise choice. Debra Messing, in effect, represented the fairest of any fashion-aware celebrity judge they could have selected, based on the 3 remaining finalists. You have to hand it to them; PR's producers take their trade very seriously.
In hindsight, as always, it is easy to see how Chloe prevailed.
1. Her salesmanship of her and her pieces both before and after her runway show. She sold her collection with more true enthusiasm than Santino and Daniel combined.
2. The lines and fit, were always true to the wearer, while being elegant at the same time.
3. Metallic fabrics aside (and true, metallics are actually making a comeback, sad enough), the cohesiveness of most of her collection was more discernable than her competitors.
4. From Day One, it was apparent that Santino's designs, while appearing fashion-forward to many, also absolutely served to cover his lack of tailoring ability. Take a close look at all of his PR designs throughout the season, and it will become evident how his use of extraneous frills attempts to cover up major seam flaws.
5. In the end, both Santino and Daniel, both very promising designers in their own right, yielded to the temptation to play to either the judges, the producers, or the sponsors. Santino could have reached a compromise to tone down his designs without compromising all out. It seemed to me that Daniel chose to go the route of trying to appease the sponsors (Banana Republic) by designing a collection that was elegant, and very BR-looking. He sacrificed his own design sense to try to win the show. That was also apparent from many comments he made between throughout the last 3 installments of PR.
While I was not thoroughly impressed with Chloe's collection and am unsure of her transcending as "the next great designer," she was the most compelling designer of the 3 during FW and deserved the win. That being said, I'm sure both Santino and Daniel, as well as several other PR contestants will go on to very lucrative careers of their own.
looking at the photos before last night's show, i liked, in order, kara first, santino, chloe and daniel. after seeing the actual runway show, the clothes did look different. i still didn't care much for daniel's, although i did like some pieces. i would have liked santino's the best, still, but before the judges said it, i could see either they didn't fit well, or they just weren't figure flattering. i did end up liking a lot of chloe's pieces that didn't look as good in photos. they also looked well-made and very well-fitted. i knew chloe would win right after i saw santino's. she did deserve to win. not to take anything away from her, although it will sound like it, but i wonder if santino's clothes were well-fitted, if he would have won. best introduction, daniel. best music, chloe. surprisingly, i thought santino's music wasn't bad at all. that's not my type, though.
i am so sad with the end of the season, i feel like i need some antidepressants now. i was so excited before the fashion show, i wish i smoked or drank or did drugs or something. i was stressed out and had nothing to do to deal with it.
why do people keep referring to banana republic as if the winner is going to work there?
it's just a mentorship. i.e., contracting factories for production, distributing clothing, franchising - business aspects.
the winner of PR does not design for BR, does not work for BR, and whether they did or did not try to meet a BR aesthetic in the show - the winner of PR does not get a BR job. And I don't blame Chloe for mentioning her car, because just by the way, $100,000 isn't all that much for developing a fashion business. it's seed money to get more investors, or enough to make a very small line.
no one is disappearing into BR.
I'm not part of "the core group" but here is my *outsider* comment as a 'Welcome!' to other newcomers.
I don't see how Chloe's designs can be regarded as both retro (to the '80s) and fashion forward in the same breath - I mean, we're not talking about Claude Montana here. I didn't see any elements that I haven't seen in Vogue Patterns in Chloe's designs - that includes the curved seams.
But I do agree with fashionsapassion *entire* comment, particularly the choice of guest judge. I think if DVF had come back, Santino or Daniel would have won.
Chloe deserved to win. I believe fit is a very important factor when it comes to clothing. Fashion is an art that is seen through clothes. It is supposed to be worn. Else, it would just be art that is meant to be displayed in a gallery. Therefore, fit is an important factor when it comes to fashion design. Any great artist can sketch an outfit, but the execution is the deal breaker. I’ve looked at a few sketches on bravotv.com and some of them looked great on paper, but the end result looked nothing like the original vision. What it looks like on a person matters! I loved Santino’s collection on the hanger. His blue dress was great, but I was disappointed when I saw it on the model. It didn’t fit her at all. If these people can’t fit their clothes onto their models, who are there, how are they supposed to make clothes for people they’ve never seen?
When I shop, it all comes down to fit. I would only buy it if it fits me and flatters me. Wearing ill fitting clothes is never recommended, no matter how pretty it looks on the hanger.
That being said, I loved all three of them and I’m sure they’ll do great things in the future. I really wish though that Santino and Andre would do a TV show together. I’m so entertained by those two. :)
I'm so happy for Chloe! I spent most of the show trying to convince my mom that Chlo was going to win and she did!
~shini
You can read what I thought on my Bloggg....I am basically in an 'eh' mood about it now....
Okay, I'm listening to Tim's Podcast. Every time he starts to talk about Santino and his issues, I can barely hear it. Tim, you're making me cry!! You are so sweet and you really added so much to this season!!
I think Daniel V. should have won, but I congradulate Cloe. Her line was fabulous.
Wow, I never knew this place existed until just before the finale, very cool...
I have to say, I was a big Santino fan from day one. I _wish_ he would've won, but after I started watching last night, I realized slowly that it wasn't going to happen.
I didn't like Chloe's line for the most part and while I would wear most of what Daniel V. presented, as many have said it was not very fashion forward or edgy.
I think all the key people from the show will benefit from the noteriaty.
It did feel to me after watching Heidie auf poor Santino, that they had used him for TV, to be a character and then threw him away when they were done... Just my perspective.
I also noticed after watching a bunch of old episodes how much Nina really disliked Santino from the beginning, I didn't notice it when I first saw the show as much.
Oh well, I'll miss PR :( it was quite entertaining.
Santino's downfall was not being able to sew. If you recall, in one of the clips Chloe was talking about how it wasn't just fittings she had to do but complete alterations. She made the clothes fit the models and that showed on the runway if Santino could have done that with his collection, there might have been a different outcome -- or at least the judges would have had to work a little harder to find a reason to "auf" him because his designs were beautiful.
I was rooting for Chloe since the "Clothes Off Your Back" challenge. Her aesthetic is right up my alley, simple, clean lines. I only wish she designed menswear (and no a pink vest will not work for me).
I personally thought that any of the three finalists could've won this season. Just like last year (with the exception of ms pepper), it all comes down to personal taste as far as the judges were concerned.
Santino's collection was very refined and sophisticated. I wish he fitted them properly.
Daniel's collection were awesome individual pieces, but as a collection it lacked cohesiveness. The Japanese-Military fusion was very hard to see though.
Chloe's collection had strong lines and made these thin models look curvy. My wife and I just put up new curtains at home last week, and when we did, all I could think about was Chloe's fabric choices.
I love PR, because it is mostly about creativity, inspiration and vision (ofcourse there's the made for TV drama and personalities, but in the end it really is about creative talent).
Season three is going to be a long wait :)
-I doubt anyone will read this WAY DOWN HERE on post 125, but it seems to be a tangible forum to vent.
-It was ridiculous who made it to the final three, and the final THREE were ridiculous.
-Andre clearly trumped Chloe and Daniel on almost every occasion. The fact he didn't make it to the final 3 is insane, and I doubt I have to list the reasons since they are massively obvious.
-Chloe completely knocked off Diana's style for her collection! That's outrageous! It was NO stretch of irony she picked Diana, because HER input would meld perfectly in the collection of copied style! The only difference was how incredibly ONE NOTE Chloe's collection was.
post 126-
-I know it's "reality" TV, and of course it's going to be faked... but in a fair world, how did Santino lose for the reasons they gave?
-Santino was safe?! for his past outfits, sure. His was more daring than either Chloe's or Dan's. How his S&M or Crotch Shot outfits are safe, I'll never know!... Sounded like a cop out for Ms. L's bias against him.
-His outfits did not fit any worse than Dan's boring 80s retro wasp wear. Which could make sense since Santino DIDNT GET HIS MODELS LIKE THE OTHER TWO DID... How odd? It's odd that's the reason Santino lost, yet had no power over.
-Why the hell is Debra Messing the guest judge? She has nothing to do with fashion, scoff.
-Don't you think Heidi wanted to vote for Santino? She sure seemed sad when no one talked about him positively. hm.
My case is that Ms. L's bias polluted the entire show. Tim G. should have been the guest judge, and HE seemed to have the most unbias fashion sense out of the entire show.
It's obvious that all the people who think Chloe shouldn't have won know nothing about fashion because she was chosen by people who actually are in the fashion business. She won, end of story, so stop whining and get over it you idiots.
WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!
SANTINO WAS THE MOST CREATIVE. THEY JUST WANTED TO PUT HIM IN HIS PLACE.
SANTINO SHOULD HAVE WON. HE WAS THE MOST CREATIVE. THEY BEAT HIM DOWN THEN CHASTIZED HIM FOR
BEING MORE REFINED.THEY JUST WANTED TO PUT HIM IN HIS PLACE.
IT WAS A WASTE OF THE MONEY,
ECT. SHE IS JUST GOING BACK TO HER STORE AND SELLING THE SAME OLE SAME OLE.EITHER ONE OF THE OTHERS COULD HAVE USED THE MONEY TO GET
STARTED.
I think Season 2 has been absolutely entertaining, educational and showcased some very amazing talent. Because of Project Runway, I now own Nick's My Scene Barbie and I have a couple of Kara Janx's men's tee-shirts and a new friend. I respect Chloe and can't wait to see what Daniel V. will do next. I wish Santino all the very best and I know this amazing group will become a significant part of American fashion. GOOD LUCK everyone and THANK YOU so much for excellent television!!!! Hugs!
I just need to get one more thing off my chest before I let this go. I really feel that, given the fact that none of the collections were so very much weaker than any other, couldn't all three of them been left on the runway while the winner was announced? Packing Santino off first just seemed, I don't know how to put it, maybe a bit passive aggressive.
I must begin by saying that my discovery of this blog has made the second season of PR (and my job!) that much better. Cheers to Laura K and the rest for the immense amount of time and effort they put into this fantastic resource.
Now, however, I need to defend Chloe just a bit. While I have always placed her in the top three (Nick, Chloe, & Santino), she was never quite the winner in my ranking...until I saw the finale Wed. Her collection was Haute Couture, not RTW. While most (all) of the designers that show RTW at New York, if you take a look at the Couture collections from Paris, she is not far off the mark of some of the most esteemed houses. Just look at the Dior collection that was presented...now that's nutty fashion.
I think that Chloe took what could be her only opportunity to show at such an esteemed event to produce the couture collection every designer dreams of showing in any fashion mecca. Can I blame her for running with this once in a lifetime chance? Nope.
Yes, her silhouettes were simple, but the design was in the construction. She make squares from circles and vice versa.
Santino also seems to be getting the fuzzy end of the stick. Cheers to Nina for not calling his collection "safe." (If anything he took the biggest risk by showing work that was completely different from what the judges had seen in the past.) No one has been able to dispute the beauty of the sunburst pleated dress for Heather, but did anyone else notice how stunning the red charmeuse dress was. I thought it had a fantastic impact and design (the leather did what Kara Saun attempted in her finale show; it looked like silk) Leather and charmeuse? Who but Santino could have made such an otherworldly combination shine?
While Daniel's collection was to my taste, it was nothing that couldn't already be bought at Ann Taylor, BR, CK, etc. And the opportunity offered to him by MK should not be taken lightly (an assistant designership with Kors? that about 300 steps above most recent fashion school grad!)
Each collection showed different kinds of clothes. (Chloe couture, Daniel RTW, Santino a bit of both). I have much more to say, but jeez, this is long...
Suffice to say: Chloe took a chance, and ran with it...It was impeccably made/fit/designed. All of those things make us pay $200 for a Chloe Dao dress, rather than $50 for a Gap dress. That's what makes America's next new designer.
I think that Daniel quickly became Season 2's Kara Saun (he won every friggin' challenge practically) which made him the obvious choice and, therefore, he was doomed. Although I do think his collection was a complete, devastating let down. Like Michael Kors says, "I was underwhelmed." I think the judges really wanted Santino to be the next John Galiano. Nina Garcia was clearly upset and disappointed that he didn't morph into wacky Santino for the finale and show some outrageous stuff. I agree with Santino that Chloe is a pattern maker. She's talented but I felt her clothes were all the same. Simple, interesting seams, and that's about it. She would have never gotten it if Daniel and Santino would have performed up to their expectations. I don't think the judges liked her stuff as much as they were just disappointed in the other two. And I think they assumed that, at 24, Daniel V. is going to make it on his own anyway. Kors sat there and offered him a job, for Christ's sake! Can't wait for next season.
Post a Comment