Amanda's Take - Season 8 - Episode 5

Project Runway Season Three model, Amanda Fields returns with her "model's Take" on episode 5.

Isn't it a beautiful thing when a model can come to her designer's aid in the midst of a crisis of inspiration? Casanova's model, Sarae gave him a pep talk from her heart. She knew that for him to be able to finish his work he needed to be confident. She is my favorite model this week because she showed compassion and talent! I am sure the other models are nice too - and will get their chance to shine in this way.

Click here to continue.

Episode 5 Trivia Contest

BPRs it has been a while since I have been inspired to create a trivia contest. This one was so rich with delicious details that I couldn't resist.

I have a season five DVD signed by Tim Gunn for the prize. (Thanks Mark Y!)

Please do not leave your answers in the comments, e-mail to Team BPR. The first person to get all of the answers is the winner.

1. After comparing Gretchen to Hitler, April predicts that she will "put her _____ on everything the team does."

2. On day one of the challenge, what color are Mondo's glasses?

3. What color are Peach's glasses?

4. Which designer is the designated "notion boy?"

5. What phrase is tattooed on AJ's back?

6. Which designer invented a new technique: The "blousonted" sleeve? :)

7. What is the name of Casanova's aunt?

8. What color is the top that Heidi wears for the runway judging?

9. Which designer wears a stuffed red heart for the runway judging?

10. Which designer predicts, "I'm going home."

Bonus Question: On the runway, Mondo is wearing a figural pin of what animal on his lapel? You don't have to answer this to win - it's just for fun.

Update: We have a winner! Congratulations to Jennifer L! I will post the answers in the comments.

Whopper Of The Week

Photo: Barbara Nitke/Lifetime Networks

We just couldn't let this one pass by without comment. When Andy South asked the judges to base their decision on what they knew of the designers, CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award winner (how pretentious is that introduction each week?) Michael Kors had this to say:

"You know that's not how it works. This isn't about past history. It's about what we are looking at today. That's the truth."

Really, Michael? Anyone who has watched Project Runway for more than 10 minutes knows what utter crap that line was. Chloe Dao won Season 2 based on past history. How many times has Heidi asked "Who do we want to see more from?" in the judges deliberation? Did Gretchen's two wins really not factor in your decision at all?

Michael, please don't think that award gives you license to bully these young designers with nonsense. We love you for your snarky, accurate evaluations of the designs. But don't insult the intelligence of Project Runway fans by trying to make us think you start with a blank slate every week. Of course past history plays a part in your decisions, this is fashion. And this certainly isn't our first time at the rodeo.

Episode 6 Preview Video

Don't Cry For Me, Casanova

Nearly lost in all of the Gretchen and Tim Gunn drama from Episode 5 was Casanova's "major, major, MAY-JOR diva moment", as Valerie put it. Sleep deprived and stung by a mild Tim Gunn criticism, Casanova laid down on the lounge sofa and had himself a good cry.

"I'm on the verge to loose my mind!" he wailed, as a parade of team mates tries to console him. "I'm even getting FAT!" Valerie, Michael D and Peach all tried to hold his hand yet it looked as if he was getting close to walking off the show. Credit must be given to his model Sarae Cart, who looks half his age yet became the wise elder and gave Casanova the inspiration to carry on. (And did you notice that it was Michael C. from the other team that encouraged Sarae to talk to him?)

It was a classic Project Runway "Make It Work" moment for Casanova. He busted out a fabulous pair of white pants to go with his lace top to take home the win and immunity for the next challenge. So good was Episode 5 that this scene took a backseat to the drama to come. But let's offer some late congratulations to Casanova. He turned adversity into something beautiful and it is those moments that make us love this show so much.

Tim Gunn Cameo At The Emmy's

The 2010 Emmy Awards did a funny send up of Glee in the open last night that featured a cameo from Tim Gunn. Check him out at the 1:53 mark.

Heidi At The Emmys

Photos: WireImage

Heidi Klum poses on the red carpet at the 2010 Emmy Awards in a Marchesa dress with husband Seal at her side. Project Runway is nominated again in the Outstanding Reality Competition category.

Shiny, tight and short - just the way she likes it!

Update: Click here for a closer look from Nick Verreos.

Recapalooza!

When you get great material, you get great recaps:

TLo's Thirty-ThreeFaces of Gretchen deserves special mention this week...
You just know Uncle Nicky loved the dram-dram...
Eric3000 reaches a milestone...
Laura Bennett goes to bat for Gretchen...
JordanBaker kinda likes Tim Gunn...
Maxthegirl thinks Gretchen will rebound...
Carol Hannah knows past history counts...
Second City Style has all the best quotes...
The Democracy Diva is all about the design...
Katnap has the Queen Bees and The Wannaees...
Elisa must have been watching a different show...
And Toyouke was all over it...

Thank you recappers! If you have a recap to share e-mail the link to Team BPR. See you next week!


Update: Click here for Miz Shoes.

Click here for Brigitte.

Thank you recappers!

Wekend News from Althea Harper, Michael Drummond, and Nina Garcia

Click image to enlarge

Althea Harper is showing her SS11 collection on September 15th.

Click here for a new interview with Michael Drummond from stltoday.

Click here for a new interview with Nina Garcia.

Episode 5 Online - "There IS an "I" in Team

Click here to watch.

Attention Phoenix-Area Fashion Students

"Sew From the Heart" is sponsoring a fashion design competition worthy of any aspiring Project Runway contestant.




The "Love to Sew Runway Challenge" is open to all fashion students and takes place September 24 - 26th. Good luck designers, see you on the runway!
Click here for more information.

BPR Interview with AJ Thouvenot

Project Runway Season 8 designer AJ Thouvenot talks about his experience on the show. A highlight: AJ was "shocked" at Tim Gunn's take-down of Gretchen after his elimination.

Click here for the podcast.

Click here for Trashbiscuit.

Thank you AJ!

Gretchen To The Rescue

At 9:47 p.m. ET last night, a simple question was asked in the Epiosde 5 play by play/party post. "How are they going to fill the next 45 minutes?" The designs were completed and they were heading off to the runway at the half way point. Could there really be enough material left that would make us want to hang around until the end?

For two-plus seasons now we've heard the fan complaints about the Lifetime/Bunim-Murray production of Project Runway. The show has been stale, there is a lack of story telling, there is too much drama and too little design, there is too much design and not enough drama! In an attempt to allow more time in the workroom and on the runway, they made the huge leap to 90 minutes for S8. Going into last night's episode, the extended format has been met with yawns. Enter Gretchen Jones.

Gretchen's backpedalling meltdown on the runway will go down as one of the classic moments of the entire series. What started out as a "collaborative" and "united" effort (buffeted by Oscar-worthy fake tears) quickly devolved into a "crappy collection" where "grandma arrived" and "everybody sucked". As soon as the judges started pressing her, she folded like a cheap luxe suit, led the charge to throw Michael C. under the bus and prompted Tim to deliver a stirring post-game smackdown.

The reaction to all of this has been cray-cray. Gretchen has angered plenty of fans but also has her fair share of defenders. Love her or hate her, she has everyone talking today and provided dramatic gold that even Bunim-Murray couldn't screw up. Who can't wait to see what happens next? She just may have single-handedly saved Season 8.

Poll - Episode 5 - Your Turn to be the Judge

Top (l-r) Team Luxe: A.J., Andy, Christopher, Michael C., Ivy and Gretchen
Bottom (l-r) Team M&L: April, Casanova, Michael D., Mondo, Peach and Valerie

Click for a larger view. All photos courtesy of ProjectRunway.com

You've seen the designs on the runway and now it's your turn to be the judges. This week you are Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Georgina Chapman.

Click here to tell us who should have won.

Click here to tell us who should have been auf'd.

From the Mailbox

Click here for a "behind-the-scenes" tour of the Project Runway set with Heidi Klum.

Click here for Heidi's favorite things.

Click here for a new interview with AJ Thouvenot.

Click here for an episode 4 recap from GirlyShoes.

Tim Gunn Isn't Having Any Of It

Tim puts an exclamation point on what was arguably the best epiosde of Project Runway in the Lifetime era:

"Sit down for a minute, AJ. I have a few words for Team Luxe. I fundamentally do not understand your behavior and demeanor and affect on the runway. I don't get it. I don't know why you allowed Gretchen to manipulate, control and bully you. I DON'T understand it. And AJ, you've taken the bullet and now I have to send you up to the workroom to clean up your space."

We love you Tim.

Reactions To Episode 5

It was Team Luxe vs. Team Underdog on Project Runway tonight and we witnessed a runway meltdown for the ages! And then Tim tops it off with his own takedown? It was all so very delicious. Post your reactions to Episode 5 here.

BPR Live Play By Play/Party Room

Project Runway Season 7 Designers join Seth Aaron Henderson at Portland Fashion Week

Jay Nicolas Sario and Jonathan Joseph Peters will join Seth Aaron for Portland Fashion Week October 6 - 10th. Click here for more information.

Malan Breton Spring 2011

Malan Breton will present his Men's and Women's Collections for Spring/Summer 2011 on Monday, September 13th 2010 11:00 am at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City during this September's upcoming New York Fashion Week.

Presented with a live 65 piece orchestra, the Chelsea Symphony, and dancers Brittany Franklin and Chase Finlay, the collections are based on the concept of American sportswear meets Paris Couture.

Malan's show is sponsored by Style 360 and Rado Switzerland.

Stay tuned to BPR for reports from this show!

New Christian Siriano Collection now Available at Payless

Photo: Getty Images/Payless

Christian Siriano's new collection for Payless is now available.

MTV.com provides us with a side-by-side comparison of the original runway versions and the Payless collection.

Click here to shop online. What do you think?

Christian will also be on "The View" this morning.

Tonight On BPR

Photo: Barbara Nitke/Lifetime Television

It's team challenge time on Project Runway this evening - everyone's favorite manipulated stew of design and drama. This time with a bit of a twist, two teams of six! So let's say we draw a line right between April and AJ and I think we have our sides picked. Hmmm - who do you like? Team BPR is on hand to cheer and jeer right along with you. Here's the skinny:

• By popular consensus, we will continue to run our simultaneous play by play and party threads in the Cover It Live chatroom. Join Tbone and suzq as they describe all 90 minutes of the show along with the merry cast of party room regulars. We go live at 8:30 p.m. and all are welcome!
• After the show, tell us what you really thought of the episode in our weekly reactions thread.

We hope to see you tonight on BPR!

Results In - You Were the Judge Episode 4

Our polls for Episode 4 are closed. You disagreed with the judges and felt that Michael Drummond deserved the win. Click here to see the results. You agreed with the judges and thought that Kristin should have been the 'auf.' Click here to see the results.

Check back with us tomorrow for our Episode 5 poll.

There is Still Time...

Photo: ProjectRunway.com

There is still time to bid in the episode 4 designs. Right now, Valerie's design has the highest bid. Click here to see all of the auctions.

There is also still time to vote in our episode 4 poll. Did you agree with the judges?

Dish from "Tim Gunn's Golden Rules"

Click here to pre-order Tim's book - available September 7th.

News from Nina Garcia

Photo: Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times

Click here for a new interview with Nina Garcia from The New York Times.

Click here to order Nina Garcia's Look Book: What to Wear for Every Occasion.

News from Tim Gunn, Nick Verreos, Gordana Gehlhausen and Jesus Estrada

Photo: Tom Corbett

Tim Gunn's "Rules to Dress By" are featured in the October issue of Redbook Magazine.

Project Runway Season Six alums, Gordana Gehlhausen and Jesus Estrada are among the designers featured at "Project Ethos" in San Diego on August 26th. Click here for more information.

"Fashion's Night Out" on September 10th is expanding beyond New York. Nick Verreos writes about plans for the Los Angeles celebration here.

Harajuku Girls

Gwen Stefani, lead singer of the pop band No Doubt, has lead a Madonna-esque fashion revolt in both her recent videoclip for her single What You Waiting For and her solo album Love, Angel, Music, Baby. Her catchy 80's inspired popish tunes, platinum blonde hair and Like A Virgin kit out on the album cover art only reinforce her homage to the material girl, even though it may be somewhat tongue in cheek.

But its her references to the Japanese Harajuku Girls peppered throughout the album and on one track in particular that has drawn interest from a diverse range of commentators.

So who are these Harajuku Girls anyway?

The Harajuku District of Tokyo and in particular Takeshita Street, a narrow street lined with shops is home to these funky fashionistas. Since the end of World War II, "consumerism" and "consumption" have become the national past-time for most Japanese and in particular teenage girls who often live at home with their parents well into their twenties. Their rent free existence provides them with the enough funds to flock to Harajuku every weekend, where they transform themselves into Lolita-esque baby doll caracitures.

It's all a sort of a pop-art meets pop-culture meets Western decadence kinda street where often a t-shirt with a western image like Mickey Mouse can go for several hundred dollars a pop. This constant pursuit of rock n roll pop star hipness extends to teenage boys too. They in turn have opted for the western inspired hip-hop culture of disheveled jeans hanging half way to their knees, caps at all angles on their heads and of course lots and lots of bling.

Often the net result looks like something out of a Manga comic book as the fashionistas of Harajuku compete to look less human and more iconic. Not concerned about what we in the West may see as a conflict of style over substance, Harajuku Girls unlike the Goths, punks and bond girls that came before are not about rebellion from society. No, in fact these girls, like most Japanese, are often extremely polite and happy to pose for photographs with inquisitive tourists who gather every Sunday to take happy snaps of these super-model caricatures.

For the Girls of Harajuku, their most extreme vice may be a simple cigarette.

Peter Shuttlewood is the author of webzine freshread [http://www.freshread.com] which contains articles on Popular Culture with an Australian slant. Freshread [http://www.freshread.com] - the everyday in a fresh way.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Shuttlewood

Episode 5 Preview Video

Weekend News

Photo: Mathew Imaging/WireImage

Christina Hendricks is gorgeous in a Christian Siriano gown at the 62nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday.

Click here for Malan Breton's Musings.

Click here for more from Louise Black At Austin Fashion Week.

Recapalooza!

Photo from Nick Verreos

Uncle Nick picks Isabella Blow for the win...

Eric3000 makes Ivy some Eggs Benedict...

Laura Bennett thinks the hats are ridiculous...

Carol Hannah is all riled up...

Katnap is a fabulous newcomer...

Second City Style always delivers...

Maxthegirl pages Dr. Gretchen...

Brian may have some panty nightmares...

The Democracy Diva breaks it down...

Brigitte thinks the designers were scared by Treacy...

Lorraine may as well just go ahead and put a title up...

Jordan Baker needs a big sunhat...

And Toyouke is the anchor.

ETA: Karis sees it from a newcomers perspective and Red Poppy knows her millinery.

Thank you recappers! If you have a Project Runway recap to share, e-mail the link to Team BPR by Saturday. See you in seven.

Nina Garcia on Good Morning America

South Side Actress | Suja Photoshoot

South Side Actress | Suja Photoshoot

The Ena di muniyama girl, Suja who was introduced in the Tamil film +2 and then went on to do Oriya and Bengali films. Suja has acted in 11 Kannada films. She has also acted in films like Varnajalam , Mayavee , Naalai and also shaken her legs in Lee and Vathiyar .

South Side | Curvy ILeana | Movie Stills, Sexy Pictures

South Side | Curvy ILeana | Movie Stills, Sexy Pictures

Ileana the gorgeous sizzling beauty was born on November 1^st in the year 1985 and is a Scorpio by sun sign. The Indian film actress is said to be the leading actress of south Indian cinema as she demands a sum of Rs 1.75 crores as remuneration for each film. The glamour girl of Tollywood, as she is well settled in the Telugu film industry has acted with all the young leading heroes and has engraved her name in Tollywood in golden letters.

Ileana has no calms in exposing every bit of her body and is ready to go for anything for money. She is liberal in showing her skin and so is the leading actress of Tollywood in fame and value.