I was fortunate to watch Adam Barta shoot his newest music video “VIP”! I definitely felt like a VIP! Tons of stars including Dance Singer Reina, Drea, Nicolas Putvinski (“Project Runway”), Nick Brown (“Real World”), Michael Musto (“Village Voice) , Dorian Davis, Jipsta, Phil Putnam…and more!

Adam Barta – www.AdamBarta.com

• appeared Off-Broadway
• on the cover of magazines
• collaborated with the Verpe Pipe’s Brad Vander Ark,
• DJ Times review called him ”one of the strongest male vocalists in 2007″
• His music video hit the #1 spot on MTV LOGO’s Click List
• Favorite Click List artist of 2007
  ..and MUCH MORE!!!

Here are some pictures from the amazing shoot! Video coming this week!

Click for more "VIP" Pictures!

Adam!! Click for more "VIP" Pictures!

SOUNDTRACK: BLACK SABBATH-Vol. 4 (1972).

When I was younger I liked this Sabbath album a lot more than I do now.  There are some absolutely stellar tracks on here, but most of the songs are a rather peculiar for Black Sabbath.  It showcases ballad-y nature that Ozzy would have for some of his biggest hits twenty years later.

“Wheels of Confusion” opens the disc with a fascinating bluesy sounding guitar solo that turns into a straightforward rocker.  But, as it’s 8 minutes long, there’s a lot of twists and turns.  And it ends with a two and a half minutes of upbeat guitar soloing (with a tambourine keeping the beat!).

“Tomorrow’s Dream” opens with a rocking bendy guitar riff  but in the middle the chorus turns the song into a delicate ballad.  This is followed by “Changes” a full-on piano ballad (!).  It’s catchy, no doubt, and I loved it when I was younger, but I’m not entirely sure it passes the test of time.  This is followed by “FX” which is literally almost two minutes of echoing blips and bleeps, some of which go back and forth on the headphones.  It’s a very strange addition to any disc and is really the perfect example of “filler” unless by some chance this was majorly cutting edge at the time.

This is redeemed by “Supernaut” one of the all-time great Sabbath tunes.  It’s heavy, fast and features a great guitar riff.

“Snowblind” is a another fantastic song.  A great riff, and of course, it’s totally pro-cocaine!  How can you tell?  Well, because at the end of the first verse, you can hear a very unsubtle whisper of “cocaine.”  My, how the band has changed in just a couple of years.  This song also features a ballady mid-section.  It also features an awesome middle bit that rocks very hard (and can be summed as: don’t tell me what to do).  The drugs hadn’t deteriorated Sabbath’s songwriting yet, but give it a couple more records!

“Cornucopia” is one of the weird songs that you find on the second side of a Sabbath album.  It’s a got an awesome slow, doomy opening riff which then turns into a speedy rocker.

When I was kid I really liked “Laguna Sunrise” and I still do.  It’s a pretty acoustic guitar number (with keyboards or strings or something).  After “Changes” you’re not surprised by anything that Sabbath will throw at you, but this song is really shockingly delicate.

“St. Vitus Dance” is probably the most schizophrenic Sabbath song.  The opening guitar riff is so incredibly upbeat, happy and boppy; who knows what will come from it.  And then the verses turn dark and edgy with lyrics about a breakup.  And then the happy guitar bits come back!

The disc ends with “Under the Sun/Everyday Comes and Goes.”  It is once again another wonderfully sludgy guitar riff that turns into a fast rocker (“I don’t want no Jesus freak to tell me what it’s all about!”).  After the verses, you get this wonderfully weird guitar solo that’s like an ascending scale on acid.  Fun!  About three minutes in, it turns into “Everyday…” an uptempo rocker that’s not out of place with the other half of the song, but which does seem like an odd placement.

This disc was strangely experimental for Sabbath.  And, while it’s nice to see them not getting stuck, some of their choices were certainly weird.  And yet all Sabbath fans seem to regard this disc pretty highly (I think it’s the iconic cover that we all remember so fondly).

[READ: December 10, 2009] Unseen Academicals

Terry Pratchett knows football (soccer)??!!  In all the years of Discworld books, I don’ think there has been any mention of football (or even any sport).  Who knew he had a 400 page book about football in him?

Oh, and what is wrong with US book publishers?  Look at the utterly lame US cover at the top here.  First of all, the book is about soccer…why are they reaching for the ball with their hands??  Second, look here at this awesome UK cover by Paul Kidby (the official illustrator of Discworld).  Does he not have publishing rights in the US?

American readers, check out this cover.  It is awesome!  It gives you the whole cast, it gives a wonderful graphic of just what you’d be up against when you play this team.  Look, there’s the Librarian!  And, of course, the drawing is great.  Well, at least we have the internet.

But back to the football.  As with any Pratchett book it’s not just about football.  There is a whole bunch of stereotype-busting, inner-strength growing, pop-culture raspberrying, and general hilarity as well.  Oh, and Rincewind is back!  Hooray!

This book also breaks from a recent Pratchett tradition of chapters.  (No chapters are provided.  Of course, this means it’s hard to find a good stopping point, but I guess that’s okay).

And so, the main character here is a goblin named Nutt.  He is a candle dribbler at Unseen University (and he is very good at making the candles look especially old and well-dribbled (which reminds me of Slartibarfast who really enjoyed making fjords because of all the little crinkly bits)).  Nutt works with Trev.  Trev Likley is the son of John Likley, the most famous “football” player in Ankh-Morpork history.

Football here is mostly just pushing and fighting in the streets.  There are goal posts and there is a ball (it’s made of wood), but goals, when they are scored, are sort of beside the point.  People get hurt.  And that’s most of the fun.  In fact, Trev’s dad was killed in the line of duty, while playing football.  He had scored the most goals ever in a game and was immediately punished for it by the other team.

Trev and Nutt work in the subbasement of Unseen University.  Upstairs from them are two women who work in the Night Kitchen.  Glenda, the head of the kitchen is a steadfast, strong, take-no-shit chef who makes AMAZING pies and suffers no fools.  Except for perhaps Juliet, the beautiful, no, really beautiful, like staggeringly beautiful young woman who works for Glenda.  She’s really beautiful, but she doesn’t have a lot upstairs (meaning that Glenda has to give detailed instructions for making tea) but she’s really beautiful.

Every man is in lust with her and consequently no man can speak to her.  So Juliet is often alone.  When Trev actually talks to her, well, she’s willing to listen.  Glenda, mother-hen that she is, greatly opposes this union because, well, Trev is a chancer, a questionable character and Juliet is naive.

The more you start trying to talk about a Discworld book, the more subplots scream out, “Talk about me too!”  So, without trying to ignore anyone, let’s see:

Juliet is chosen by a Dwarfish designer to model (wearing a beard, of course) their new line of micromail (which doesn’t chafe!)   Pratchett must have been watching a lot of Project Runway, as he has a lot of fun with the behind-the-scenes of a fashion show.  (Drinking, partying till all hours  & all kinds of questionable behaviors).  And he introduces a wonderfully enigmatic character named Pepe a dwarfish? woman? who drinks a lot (!) but he? may not be a woman? although she? is very good with a sharp knife in a dark alley.

A new race also comes into Ankh-Morpork.  Orcs!  And we all know that orcs rip peoples heads off.

The Shove is also introduced.  The Shove is basically the will of the street. The invisible hammer that hits you on the head and says you ain’t supposed to do that.  It takes a strong person to resist the Shove, and really this whole story is about resisting the Shove. The Glenda scenes are particularly wonderful in this regard.

Lord Vetinari, who disapproves of football (even though he knows an awful lot about it), decides to make it a more proper sport by adding rules to it and, you know, putting it in a stadium, rather than on the streets. The Shove resists this change and sets out to see that it fails. Rules be damned.

We also see Vetinari’s “relationship” with her Ladyship, the Uberwaldian Lady who was in charge of Nutt before he was dispatched to Ankh-Morpork.

We also learn that Nutt, the goblin, has a secret past that even he is not aware of (although he is surrounded by phantom birds squawking awk! at him quite a lot.  When his secret is revealed it changes the way everyone looks a him (actually, it really changes the way he looks at himself, because as we all know by now, Ankh Morpork for all of its uncivilities is the most racially tolerant city ever (the police force has vampires, werewolves and trolls on it for crying out loud, why should a goblin have to hide himself?)).

And so, we get a romance subplot (or two…with some wonderfully literal metaphors from Nutt and a minor Cyrano reference).  We get some cool thuggery in the streets (and another new character, Andy, who never met a fight he didn’t want to start).  And, of course we get a heaping helping of the wizards!

The Unseen University’s wizards pop up from time to time in the Discworld books, so it’s fun to get to see inside the building from time to time.  We also get to see Mustrum Ridcully interact with the “treasonous” Dean who left UU for the up and coming Brazeneck College (where he is now Archchancellor, gasp!)  There’s some great comments about magic (and how doing magic to save the day usually means trying to use magic to save every day after that, too).  And, there’s some wonderful jabs at academic life too.

And of course, there is football. The whole reason for football coming into the University is that a bylaw states that they must field a football team every thirty years or so or they will lose a huge endowment.  So, the wizards, who are far more interested in eating than moving, must now try and kick a ball around.

Pratchett really gets to the heart of a football match.  He’s got the excitement down (when the writer from the Times tries to transcribe a match in progress).  You’ve got the hooligans, you’ve got the first Wave, and you’ve got wonderful offsides jokes.  I don’t know what it is about British comedies but they love to make fun of the offsides rule.  (Red Dwarf (my go-to comedy for having a funny joke about almost any topic) has this funny one from the one female cast member: “I mean I’ve tried to fit in I’ve really tried. I even learnt what offside meant”).

Regardless of your appreciation for football or even sports, this is a great Discworld addition.  It’s really got everything (even a cameo by Sam Vimes).  I think this book is longer than recent entries, as well (of course I’m too lazy to confirm that), but it reads very fast.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Discworld series, this is a good place to start reading.  There are some 40 books in the series so starting at the beginning would take you a long time to get here.  Some of the books assume prior knowledge of the series.  But this one doesn’t really.  There may be a few things that you won’t get, but he does a good job of bringing you up to speed.

And really, who doesn’t love a good comic novel from time to time.  The humor is at times childish, but it also has delightful sophistication and wonderful awareness of high and low culture.  I enjoyed this exchange very much (it’s not an exact quote):

Glenda tells Juliet that she should try to speak more posh, that it would be better for her is she didn’t sound so lower class.

Juliet protests, saying that she doesn’t want to sound like–
“My fare, lady” says the trolley conductor.

It works better in the original, but the joke made me laugh out loud.  I’m delighted that Terry is still able to put out such quality work!

i’m back.  can you believe it?

i have to say, it has been a productive, restful time away from the old interwebs, and i want to tell you all about it.  here is a little recap from my last month (i’ll do my best to keep it short.  or at least snappy.):

i designed a funny little show poster for a benefit concert coming up this next sunday night.  i go to a tiny, wonderful church full of artists and musicians and one of our big things is that our liturgies are all written by members of the congregation.  now we’re working on recording them, so the show on sunday will help raise a little money for the recording fund.

i finished my first custom etsy order requested by a stranger, and i designed some wintry cards.  i started a few other new designs and am excited about what’s going on in the studio these days!  more to come on that, for sure.

i spent a week in wisconsin, which was a really great time with my family.

i felt really super-cool when i installed amharic onto my font book (for an upcoming order of wedding invitations).

i sold my letterpress to a really nice woman who will actually use it, and today plan to order a heavy-duty paper cutter and a camera tripod.  ooh!  and i’m going to buy web hosting.  new website, here i come!  i might also buy a button-maker.  any suggestions out there?

i started a job that i thought would be great and it turned out to be awful, so i quit.  i  did a lot of research and planning about getting ready for art fairs, residencies, grants, fellowships, and galleries.  i have a greater sense of focus now than ever before.

which brings me to this weekend, which maybe needs a post all its own. . . but i’ll give you the goods right here:

i spent saturday at the fifth annual no coast craft-o-rama, with my friend jessica, the mastermind behind plushroom soup.  it was another packed year, and i will admit that my clausterphobia got the best of me a time or two.  however, i did manage to find a few things that i really like, and came home with a pair of silver earrings cast from vintage buttons from deux amis, a really great show poster from the guys at aesthetic apparatus, who KNOW good design.  seriously.  the poster was for the m. ward show back in april, which i actually went to, so i didn’t feel like too much of a poser for buying.

oh, and i met this guy:

not really sure what's going on with my hair here. . . or my fake-ish smile. meh, it was early.

and can i just tell you–which i could have told you before–that he totally represented the quintessential minnesota indie creative type during his days on the televsion.  for reals.  anyway, he was there selling men’s underwear and wallets with eyes on them.

okay, but honestly (and i hope i have your attention re-focused here!), i was more excited to meet this guy, because what he is doing is so totally great.  i think he and his wife might just be kindred spirits.  he is basically fleshing out an issue i wrestle with almost daily:  how do i use my creativity, resources, knowledge, privilege to help those in need?  he does it by designing t-shirts and posters, selling them, and giving all the profits away.  if you are still looking for christmas gifts to give, i would so highly encourage you to check out the t-shirts and posters from the remakers.  ALL of the profits go to some really amazing charities.  i am completely inspired and challenged.

so, it’s been a good few weeks.  and can i just tell you, i think it’s going to get better?  my golden birthday is coming up this month.  for some reason, i have a feeling that year twenty-eight is going to be a good one.  maybe the best yet.  i have a lot of work to do, but i am looking forward to it, i am ready for it.

i hope you all have a wonderful monday.  it’s nice to be back here.

So after this disappointing season of Project Runway, I really miss Christian Siriano. He’s such a fun animated person, with so much personality…oh and he’s also the gayest person I’ve ever seen, which is saying a lot since I live in San Francisco.

Anyway, I think TV needs a Christian Siriano show. Thoughts?

Jennifer Eolin has been a busy bee again!

Look at all this extra footage she found in her editor’s trash

Comment, share, show some love.

Let her know that her hard work has not been in vain.

]]> http://grutchfield.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/if-you-are-the-fan-of-project-runway-tv-show-then-you-needs-not-to-worry-about-missing-of-any-episode-you-can-watch-this-show-through-various-online/ Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:59:14 +0000 grutchfield http://grutchfield.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/if-you-are-the-fan-of-project-runway-tv-show-then-you-needs-not-to-worry-about-missing-of-any-episode-you-can-watch-this-show-through-various-online/

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I am a big fan of Project Runway. I religiously followed all seasons and got very familiar with the likes of Jay McCarroll, Chloe Dao, Christian Siriano, Jeffrey Sabella and Leanne Marshall. When word got around that the show will have its Philippine version, I literally jumped for joy. After completing Project Runway Philippines first season, I was impressed with all three finalists (Aries Lagat, Phillip Tampus & Veejay Floresca) and the collection they presented during Philippine Fashion Week a couple of years back. I would have been happy with any one of them winning so Aries Lagat’s victory was perfectly acceptable for me.

I was looking forward to Season 2. Up until the last two episodes, I remained hopeful and optimistic of how the Top 3 (Manny Marquez, Santi Obcena and Russell Villafuerte) will fare side-by-side with Season 1 counterparts. I was sadly disappointed. I could not see a clear winner among them because nobody excelled in at least a majority of the crucial points for consideration.

After seeing their respective collections presented during this year’s Philippine Fashion Week, this is how I summarize their outputs:

Manny Marquez – excellent execution, low average concept and innovation, poor styling. He won, nonetheless, and is now getting ready for a Summer Scholarship at Instituto Marangoni in Milan, Italy.

Santi Obcena – excellent styling, average concept and innovation, average execution. His designs border on the theatrical, hence, non-wearability. Besides, there’s really nothing explosively innovative with his collection.

Russell Villafuerte – excellent concept and innovation, average styling, poor execution. He has the biggest potential as a fashion designer, but his technical skills and long-term commitment to the craft are highly questionable.

So you see, I cannot blame the judges for having a long debate/discussion on who to award the top prize to. Their verbal exchanges are actually the best parts of the finale because they were able to dissect the pluses and minuses of each of the Top 3. In the end, they settled with a winner (Manny Marquez) whom they can see has more long-term prospects as a Fashion Designer despite guest judge Inno Sotto tagging him as more of a Master Technician than a Designer.

I really hate it when I get too negative about a show I love. But that’s just it. I love Project Runway so much that I can’t bear watching the finale with three sets of collections that do not pass muster. If you ask me, I would have selected Santi Obcena as the winner because he can still make some tremendous improvements in his creativity and execution on top of being a stand-out stylist. But it wasn’t meant to be. I have nothing personal against either Manny Marquez or Russell Villafuerte, but I wished they had really given their all in the finale and came up with promisingly professional designs worthy of being in the Top 3. I’m sure they must have given their 100% but what I saw on TV just did not measure up.

P.S. During one episode shortly before the finale, Mentor Jojie Lloren visited Manny Marquez to check out on his progress with the collection. The former was not happy with what he saw and handpicked only one red dress as the most passable. He promptly advised Manny to take inspiration from that one red dress and come up with creations out of the same. The latter heeded. But instead on experimenting on silhouettes and varied aesthetics, he simply utilized different colors on practically the same bustier form. This is my bottomline assessment of the Top 3. The winner cannot come from any one of them, but a cloning of their respective strengths into one person who’s at his best in execution, flexible and tasteful with styling and unique with his concepts and innovation.

All told, I’m still hoping that a 3rd season of Project Runway Philippines will be produced.

I’m just not that good at picking stocks either.

And yes.  I’ve wiped the egg off my face.

None of my picks went on to the final three and I totally thought Carol Hannah and Althea were really, really sweet.  Irina came off really kinda bitchy but ‘wow’ seriously talented.  You know, if she were a man, she would have been treated differently.  On second thought, and oh what am I thinking this is FASHION!  Gender rules don’t apply!

Congratulations Irina.  Your collection was best of the three.

Nu är jag mycket mycket upphetsad. Inte sexuellt, ledsen att göra er besvikna, eller jo, nästan faktiskt. Först och främst: senaste säsongen av Project Runway börjar sändas på 3:an på söndags, och då jag faktiskt har hållit nedladdningsfingrarna i styr den här gången fullkomligt briserar jag av förväntan!

Upphetsningsorsak nr 2: Ett av mina favoritband, Animal Collective, har samarbetat med filmregissören Danny Perez, och resultatet – ODDSAC – kommer att ha premiär på nästa Sundancefestival. Off I go! Produktionen i fråga beskrivs som  ”an earthy, psychedelic experimental narrative infused with [the band's] aural and musical sensibilities”. Jo jag tackar ja.

Dean and Dan Caten, hosts of Launch My Line

I finally got around to watching Launch My Line on Bravo and I’m not really sure what to think. It’s definitely not as good as Project Runway or even The Fashion Show but it does have a bit of appeal. I asked my twitter pals what they thought: @Sarah_BKNYC and @madelinesonja both thought the show was totally lame, but @lundregan thought it was at least entertaining because of the colorful cast of characters.

I guess I’m puzzled because the whole premise of the show doesn’t really make sense to me. We have
10 “industry professionals” who want to break into fashion design paired with 10 “established fashion designers” who are there to make it happen. Okay, that much I understand, a lot of different types of people end up in fashion design right?

But instead of these people seeming like they are genuinely dedicated to the idea, it feels like they are just random people who said “Hey, I think I have good taste. Wouldn’t it be cool if I had a fashion line?” but have not put any thought into how clothes are made or how hard it is to make an outfit. Weird. Didn’t they at least take Home Ec in high school? Even I know from my very limited sewing experience that making, say, a jacket is hard! Of course some of the designers did think about what designing fashion would entail (i.e. those who ended up in the top three) but everyone else really needs to get a clue.

Anyway, enough of the rant. I’ll watch a few more episodes and keep you posted!

Image by br1dotcom / CC BY 2.0

I GOT ALL A’s!!!!

(By some miracle that is unknown to me, and thus I am one step closer to my goal of graduating distinguished without ripping all of my hair from my head and running around the library repeating the quadratic formula at the top of my lungs for hours((most likely in the nude)))

PROJECT RUNWAY IS BEING FILMED IN NEW YORK AGAIN AFTER A ONE SEASON LOS ANGELUS MISTAKE.

(I mean the Cali version was O.K. but nothing really compares to the big apple. PLUS Tim Guns suits just didn’t seem as fitting in a city where everyone is all cut off jorts and flip flops.)

MY NEW MARIE CLAIRE IS HERE.

(This means I will spend the next 5 hours salivating over clothes I can not even begin to afford with Christmas around the corner and the majority of my week spent at a wonderful, yet unpaid, internship. I will then cry myself into a fashion coma while visions of Marc Jacobs and Coco Chanel dance in my head)

THIS SHOW LOOKS AWESOME.

(I want to write a humongous list and then travel around with these hotties. I am already dreaming up plans to invite them to OU where they can cross off one item from their list. Then get one of them to fall in love with me and carry me away into the sunset and MTV reality stardom. A blessing and a curse I suppose.)

ONLY TWO MORE EPISODES OF DEXTER!

(This is exciting because “Omgee I need to know ASAP what is going to happen. But sad because I am going to miss tuning into my favorite serial killer/father/husband/and all around good guy. No one else quite fits that empty space in my heart when he is gone. I wonder why)

If like me, you are an ardent fan of Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model, then watch out for ‘Launch my Line’.

Launch my Line is the latest from the good people of Bravo. They gathered 10 people – a couple of writers, an events planner etc who are convinced they have what it takes to start their own fashion label. I hope it reaches Singapore at some point =)

>> Read more about it here

In April, Bravo TV piqued my interest when they announced the pending debut of “Launch My Line.”

Then I really paid attention when they said the show would feature Dan and Dean of DSQUARED2.

Yes, it’s fairly obvious that this is Bravo’s response to Project Runway’s epic move to Lifetime.

But a part of me feels like “Launch My Line” may wriggle its way into our Wednesday TV-watching habits after it debuts December 2 at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

Can’t wait? Get a sneak peek here.

Or check out the Facebook fan page.

You know, I was thinking about the entire season 6 now that it’s over. Personally, I think that this season was the most boring from all six seasons. In addition to that, I think that some of the designers were sent home too early. The reason that I thought that this season was boring was because there wasn’t that much drama or interesting people on the show, especially when you compare it to previous seasons. For example, in season 1, there was the animosity towards Wendy Pepper. In season 2, there was Andrae’s breakdowns, and Santino’s insane personality. In season 3, there was too much drama to list. In season 4, there was Christian and him being fierce! In season 5, there was Kenley, who always talked back to the judges. But when it comes to season 6, the only things were when Johnny lied about his newspaper outfit, when Althea was bitching and moaning about how Logan stole her zipper collar idea, and when Irina accused Irina of doing the same thing with the jacket. Anyway, when it came to the talented designers who were sent home early, some of them I agree that they went home too early. I think that Ra’mon, Epperson, and Shirin were sent home too early. They all have made beautiful outfits until their respective eliminations. Although, I think that Shirin’s elimination was totally unfair. If it weren’t for the fact that Gordana had immunity for Shirin’s elimination episode, I would have had Gordana eliminated. I think that Shirin would have made it to the top three if she hadn’t been eliminated when she was. Anyway, I particularly care for this season.

Poor Irina Shabayeve only had 3 days to complete this fabulous wedding dress. Talk about a trial by fire for any wedding event planner in the area if this was a real wedding with only 3 days left to get a custom wedding dress. This dress was featured on the show “Live with Regis & Kelly” live from the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas during the week of November 23-27.  Since then Shavayeva has been getting a flury of calls for custom wedding dresses.

Kelly Ripa wedding gown

Just when Project Runway winner Irina Shabayeva thought the challenges were over, she got a new one from Regis and Kelly! The New York designer helped the show pay homage to Las Vegas when she designed a stunning wedding gown for Kelly, who never got the chance to wear one when she eloped there with husband Mark Consuelos. The designer took Kelly’s bubbly personality and the over-the-top feeling of Vegas into consideration to design the elaborate gown.

When asked what was next for Irvine she answered: ”Big things!  I am going to work harder then I did before if that is possible… I am focusing on building a global brand.”

How much would you pay for a gown like this for your wedding?  Also, who do you think will replace Regis Philbin? He is 78 and getting hip surgery.  I’m sure they will be testing out a few worthy replacements for the rest of the year on his own show.

The sixth season of Project Runway, the reality show for fashion designers, is now over.  Until she was eliminated, I was rooting for Shirin Askari.

Shirin Askari Credit: mylifetime.com

Not only was Askari’s work a cut above the rest, but I was convinced that she was Armenian.  Even after it came out on the show that she is Persian – I was and am still convinced that the girl is Armenian.  Look at those eyes – Hye aghcik e.

So it was a huge surprise for me (and perhaps only for me) to find out during the season finale that the true Caucasian was, in fact, Irina Shabayeva, born in the Republic of Georgia.

Irina Shabayeva Credit: mylifetime.com

While her parents still have a post-Soviet chic look to them, Shabayeva was inspired by NYC, not Tbilisi, for her final collection.  To each her own.  Shabayeva’s aesthetic clearly served her well – she was, after all, the winner of season six.

I wave my ‘Project Runway Fanatic’ flag high and I’ve got to hand it to this season’s winner,  Irina Shabayeva is  bad. No, not just bad, BAAAAAD. Yeah, she may have had her stank moments throughout the competition but her snide comments and snarky attitude all paid off in the end, and was more than likely the product of her fierce determination to take the grand prize. The child of immigrants from The Republic of Georgia, she carried the extra burden of proving to her old school pops that a career in fashion design was neither frivolous nor unattainable for her at the tender age of 26. Like the Cocoa Chanel’s, Diane Von Furstenberg’s, and Betsey Johnson’s before her, Ms. Shabayeva is a woman of style and vision. Her clothing philosophy is all about keeping it elegant, but Ms. Shabayeva doesn’t do your mama’s elegance. Her designs bring to mind a downtown chick with uptown sensibilities. Imagine a feminine yet feral, fly tenderoni who looks luxuriously delicious copping a bag of chips and a brew from the corner bodega or sipping chardonnay at a quaint little bistro. Carrie Bradshaw meets Courtney Love? Her Spring 2010 collection debuted this friday and upon checking it out for the first time earlier today Michael Jackson’s ‘Butterflies’ erupted spontaneously in my head, peep the photos and you’ll understand.

Now that the latest season of Project Runway has wrapped, more than surviving the switch from its original network (Bravo) to Lifetime, what will us artsy, competitive, reality junkies watch next? Bravo once again may have the answer … there is a buzz right now in the reality TV world that Sarah Jessica Parker will be starting a show with the network. American Artist is the tentative name for what sounds like the artist olympics! The show will be challenge based, providing contestants with art projects from all disciplines, thus forcing the aspiring “creatives” out of their comfort zones to see who is the “best.”

I must admit as an artist I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this show concept, but out of sheer curiosity I’ll probably watch. How about you?

It seems to me that we have become a society that values people behaving badly. What else accounts for: Bridezillas, Bad Girls, Bad Party Girls, John & Kate, the children the nanny tries to rehabilitate, Housewives of the Amazon (or wherever they happen to be living and fighting now), and all the reality shows where people yell at each, while the camera watches.

It used to be that behavior like that was a reason to be ashamed.  Now, it seems encouraged.

We have become a nation that loves to watch brats; brats of all ages.  Hence, recently the big news was the soccer player who was repeatedly filmed abusing other players.  Her excuse, “That’s not me.  I’m not like that.”  Okay, who was in your body?  Because, people who know you certainly think it is you.

I am so totally sick of people yelling and screaming at each other because they just “know” what is right and you do not.  What happened with negotiation and meeting in the middle and listening?  I have to wonder what is going to force us to realize that this is a very slippery slope to head down.

I love Project Runway and have really enjoyed the last couple of seasons where they did NOT have the one or two people who like to make life miserable for everyone else.  The only liar was out as soon as he opened up with that big lie.  There was only one who liked to put the others down, in a big way, but all-in-all it was a pleasant season.  And, what is wrong with that?

What is wrong with being civilized?

Everybody knows that once a celebrity has become established, whether in acting,music, or some other form of entertainment they HAVE to come out with a line. It’s like an unwritten rule. You have to come out with a clothing line; fragrance,jewelry, and shoes are optional.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to expand your brand. But come on, don’t you think you’re kind of taking the money away from the REAL designers? Don’t get me wrong, some celebrities out here do have talent, like Russell Simmons and his Phat empire, but most of them are just out to get another buck. And that’s sad, because there are very talented designers out there who deserve the attention that we are giving to these celebrities.

For the most part they (celebrities) don’t even design their lines or search for the pieces that go into the line. They come in at the last minute and just give a glance over to the pieces that have been handpicked by their unknown assistants. So why is their name on the label? Because that name brings in money. That name says this product is a guarantees success.

But shouldn’t the real designers be the stars? Can’t you become famous by being a true fashion designer? Well Donna Karen, Vera Wang, and Tommy Hilfiger can speak to that. Now they are all household names now. I guess it is kind of tough though to just be a designer without the whole “celebrity status” thing . There are thousands upon thousands of designers graduating from schools like FIDM (Fashion Institute for Design and Merchandising) and Parson’s every year. Then there are those amateur I-did-it-without-the-education designers. And then the wannabes that watch Project Runway. Dang, I guess I can’t really blame them, if I wanted to have a successful line I would put a noteworthy celebrity on it, maybe. But I would probably say they were a contributor instead of a designer. Don’t get it twisted honey, this is my work.

lolol. I just found the best quote of my life.

http://offbeatbride.com/2008/10/prom-dress-as-wedding-gown

“Seriously, it’s like a My Little Pony and Tinkerbell totally got it on nasty-style in a magical rhinestone shop and this dress was their sparkling bastard love child. And I mean that in the very best possible way! I’m totally in love.”

… I started downloading and watching Project Runway. Is that so wrong?

Saskia needs to give me dress ideas..
Courtney’s skirt is nearly done, I just need to hem the overskirt and put in some sort of fastener… oshh… hm.
I also decided to redo my red dress.. and make it into something wearable. Well, I tried to do that like half a year ago, but I didn’t have a real idea for it until now. cool. If only I had some boning….

osh. My nerdiness fails. I need a school break. Long weekend isn’t enough for me anymore. I know I need a break when it gets to the part in the year that I don’t hate long weekends anymore. If that made any sense. I also need Louise to come back and restore my sanity.

It was business as usual for Project Runway this week – even though the challenged called for anything but the norm.

Designers were asked to create an on-stage look for a certain chart-topping pop singer that would have that same “wow-factor” from the 200^th row that it did from the front of the stage.

And who better to help the young designers make a statement than King of Show Bob Mackie? In fashion, Mackie means tacky, complete with headdresses, sequins and feathers – and that’s just one outfit.

Designers immediately saw the need to go big, so the trip to fabric store Mood included pounds of feathers, faux fur and sparkly fabric.

Back in the workroom, the designers resorted to their usual antics. Heartthrob Logan, who has never been in the top three this season, and sweet blonde Carol Hannah continued their flirtation, which has seen a healthy bit of screen time in what could be Project Runway’s first designer hook-up.

Two-time challenge winner Irina continued to insult everyone around her, while equally catty Nicolas gushed over the guest judge and Christopher, the show’s only self-trained designer, worried about his lack of experience. Just like every other episode of the season.

Instead of letting go and enjoying the freedom to be over the top, the designers continued to play it safe, offering their own styles in sparkly form.  Bubbly Shirin, fashion guru and designer confidant Tim Gunn’s early favorite, continued to borrow from “1940s  glamour.” Eastern European Gordana, the oldest of the designers and lucky holder of immunity from last week’s challenge, again fell into the realm of “matronly.” Neither genre is Mackie’s forte.

Had the designers been as creative as previous seasons’ designers, like last year’s drag queen-of-costume Chris, the challenge may have been a little more fun to watch.

Instead, Mackie’s showstopper request turned into a gallery of half-finished ice skating uniforms and long, cumbersome dresses, as the judgingpanel so lovingly pointed out.

Gunn proved yet again he is the reason to watch the show, counseling one designer to amp it up by suggesting the outfit should scream “super sexy slut!” Spoiler: it didn’t.

Even supermodel host Heidi Klum couldn’t bring herself to be all there for this episode, showing up to name the challenge in painful red pleather, animal-print low rise pants. When she came back for judging, she didn’t even look like she had brushed her hair that morning.

In the best reveal of the show, the judging panel finally included Queen of Mean Nina Garcia, the Marie Claire fashion director and judge since season one, who has been missing most of this season.

The panel had little to work with in what should have been a tacky-fest a la last season’s World Wresting Entertainment challenge. Yet again the judges seemed to make strange decisions on who passed, who failed and who won.  Past wins didn’t seem to matter when it came down to it, and a designer with more promise heard Klum’s auf wiedersehen instead of less-talented designers who have made themselves irresistible to the camera.

It was another mildly entertaining episode from a lackluster fifth season for the fashion reality show, which only promises to get harder to watch as any designer unable to create his or herunique storyline falls under Heidi’s “Auf.”

Project Runway airs on the Lifetime Network Thursdays at 10/9c.

-Stephanie Jackson

I came across this post today that featured the most famous quotes (phrases, whatever) in pop culture of the decade that we will never ever forget. So I wanted to share my favorite ten with you from the list.

1.

“Yo, Taylor. I’m really happy for you, Imma let you finish but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!” – Kanye West really stepped in it when he stole the mic from singer Taylor Swift as she accepts the “Best Female Video” award during the MTV Video Music Awards (2009)

2.

“Make it work!” – The wildly popular Tim Gunn always encouraged contestants on “Project Runway” to make it happen through this glorious catchphrase. Another favorite? “Carry on!” (2004)

3.

“George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” – Kanye West shocked the nation when he went off-script during a live televised Hurricane Katrina fundraiser and ripped into the then- president for how he handled (or didn’t) hurricane relief. (2005)

4.

“Here’s the problem. You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do. … Matt, Matt, Matt, you don’t even– you’re glib. You don’t even know what Ritalin is.” – Tom Cruise went off on Matt Lauer on the “Today Show” and we were scared. More crazy to follow. (2005)

5.

“It’s Britney, bitch!” – Britney Spears’ first words on her comeback album “Blackout” let us know that she was done with all the crazy head-shaving, umbrella-flailing antics and was back for reals. (2007)

6.

“Don’t tase me, bro!” – University of Florida student Andrew Meyer begged security not to shoot him with a Taser during a John Kerry forum and it has been considered a cultural touchstone ever since. (2007).

7.

“Yes We Can.” – President Obama had a genius, trance-inducing slogan chanted by poster-wielding fans that became so wildly popular advertisers piggy-backed off the phrase. (2008)

8.

“You’re fired!” – Donald Trump’s signature line when eliminating wannabe business folks became wildly popular and then became all too tired. (2004)

9.

“She’s got double D’s! You can’t cover those suckers up!” – Joe Simpson made everyone feel a little dirty when he commented on daughter Jessica’s rack. His omnipresence in the songbird’s life always seemed a bit odd but this comment really skeeved us out. (2005)

10.

“I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.” – Miss California Carrie Prejean did anything but endear herself to gays in America and beyond when she uttered this phrase when asked about same-sex marriage during the 2009 Miss USA pageant. (2009)

Source

I watched the finale for Project Runway. It looks like I was right about Irina being the winner. And it was for the same reasons that I said. Irina has consistently put out gorgeous and well-made outfits. And not to mention, she has made the outfit to each challenge’s specifications. Now, the thing that I don’t get is a lot of other Project Runway fans’ reactions to Irina’s win. In a lot of articles that I read about Irina like these two, one from E! and the other from US Magazine, a good majority of the comments were bashing Irina’s personality based on what was shown on the show, and how she shouldn’t have won because of that. Personally, I have a bone to pick with these comments. While I agree that her attitude could have better, I think that these commenters are forgetting that Project Runway is a designing competition, not a Miss USA Pageant. The judges are not judging the designers on their personalities, with the exceptions of paired challenges; they’re judging the outfits that the designers made. And besides, everybody should know by now that competition/reality shows like Project Runway can be edited so that a person would look bitchy. I’m just saying that just because Irina appeared to be mean on the show, that doesn’t mean that she’s like that in real life. Anyway, you can bitch and moan about how Irina shouldn’t have won or that Carol Hannah should have, etc., but like I said, I think the right person won. And just for clarification, my judgement is just based Irina’s final collection and how she did in the previous challenges.