Jillian Lewis Fall 09 Collection

Project Runway alum Jillian Lewis showed her Fall ’09 collection in presentation format this year. In case you heard, Presentations is NY Fashion Week’s answer to financial recession. You can have them in a smaller spacea, people can come in an out and take many many, photos, and they require fewer high-priced people to stage. Presentations come in many styles. Some consists of models standing in a row on platforms looking a bit like living dolls. Some are very much like shows, but they run repeatedly for an hour, and some combine both. Jillian Lewis did the doll-like thing, but there was nothing doll-like about her collection.

She had many “puzzle” pieces (her words, not mine). They involved a patchwork type technique with sheer and opaque fabrics as below:

Fancy, huh? I actually thought the Puzzle Pants would be awesome as leggings on your average fashion-lovin’ lady, but it would take a brave woman to pull off that puzzle dress. (Perhaps this is that woman). But wait….did you see the shoes?????

Guess who made them. No, seriously. Guess. Actually, I’ll give you some more material to work with first:

I thought these shoes were super cute and that they went well with the collection. Here’s a hint on the source. The brand is not uncredibly well-known, BUT it has been mentioned on this very blog several times as making designer knock-offs. For a knock-off brand, they are pretty pricey (around the $200) mark for most pairs. More clues here and here.

Alright, I’ve had my fun. Jillian Lewis sourced her shoes right from Pour La Victoire. They are relatively affordable, on trend, and some of the same styles can be found online like the:

Pour la Victoire ‘Sacha’ sandal which is $289 at Nordstroms or $339 at Zappos or $314 at ShopBop (how’s that for giving you store options?)

Pour la Victoire ‘Jeana’ boot on sale for $159 (50% off) at Nordstroms for the black patent version or $100 at Shopbop in the gray version seen on the model

Pour la Victoire ‘Bianca’ sandal which is $259 at Nordstroms,  $279 at Endless.com in black and $292 at Shopbop in gray

Jillian’s collection was all about the “Urban Warrior.” It was very sensual and extremely body conscious. The models seated on their silver trunks wore very dark smudgy eye makeup and 20s style headpieces over teased hair. Jillian’s famously curly hair was not at all teased. In fact, I almost didn’t recognize her when I first saw her at the show. (Hey, it was crowded! Jillian is mighty popular). See here’s a photo:

She was charming and very excited about her first show (since her debut on the PR finale last season). PR alums Jack Mackerouth and Malan Breton also put in appearances.

Overall, her collection was very cool with BEAUTIFUL signature trench coats body-skimming knits.

So what do you guys think? Do you like Jillian’s new collection or do you prefer her PR pieces?

It’s a Wedge! It’s a Heel! It’s…confusing!

When the fug girls posted this image of Lily Allen wearing these Louis Vuitton wedge/stilettos (welettos?) (stiledges?), I thought “Oh that kooky Lily Allen has done it again. Yet another crazy accessory.

But then the Project Rungay boys posted an image of Heidi Klum wearing the same shoes! And she wore the on the red carpet of the Victoria Secret Angels Fashion Show Afterparty. A time when you would think “sexy” would be the key word. The words these suckers conjure for me are “confusing,” “split-personality,” and “Why?!?” From a distance they just look like giant clodhoppers interrupting the line of Heidi’s insanely long legs. Up close they are just weird. Here they are on Heidi:

My opinion is pretty clear here. But what do you think? Obviously designers have been going to great lengths to make new and unusual shapes in shoes. Is this stepping over the line? What’s next?

Auf Wiedersehen, Project Runway

Galligator said it all.  Project Runway 5 (that “chance of a lifetime” for one lucky designer) is over and done.  And with a bang at the end there, too.  All three final collections were beautiful.

Kenley’s was full of color and spirit (though my fave was this sleek black number),

Korto’s was a sea of gorgeous color and sumptuous fabrics,

and my girl Leanne is a winner with her architectural, pinpoint-perfect soft waves (the aqua colors were mighty purty, but this taupe outfit was my favorite).

No, the shoes were not all Bluefly, so I can’t point you to places to buy them (though there were indeed some great shoes strutting down the catwalk).

But what I can do is even better… point you to a place where you can buy the actual looks themselves.

Yes, folks, this is a site that auctions the PR looks to the highest bidder.  So if you’re dying to have one of those looks for you (if you’re tiny), or just for the historical import of it, then check out the bids.

There’s also a link to the video of the “decoy designers” who also showed at Fashion Week (Jerell, Joe, and Suede).

If you’re in denial that the season’s over, and you’d like to keep scouring Bluefly, they’ve put up a page of “Runway Classics,” which, as far as I can tell (at least as far as the shoes are concerned), are mostly shoes that look vaguely like they could have been on the runway, but never actually were.

Still, there are some beauts there, my favorite being the Louboutin “Let’s Go” d’orsay.

Worthy of the runway, no doubt about it.

Project Runway DIY at Toys R Us

Last night’s Project Runway Season 5 Finale is over and done. And I,  among many others, am looking for my next fashion design fix to tide me over until new PR seasons finally start at the show’s new network. (Please, please tell me rumors of delays due to legal issuesare not based in fact? Noooo!) 

So, for those of you who, like me, will be lost without your regular weekly dose of Project Runway, here is an unexpected surprise for you.

While at Toys R Us this weekend, I encountered the following line of toys in the educational section(!) that made my daughters and I very excited: Project Runway design sketchbooks by Fashion Angel Enterprises. 

Branded with the official Project Runway logo, these are a variety of sketchbooks and ‘challenges’ of various types and are appropriate for a parent-assisted child or enthusiastic adult (sewing) amateur.

Available items are:

Project Runway Fashion Postcards for London, Paris, New York, and Hollywood ($9.99 each) 

Project Runway Design Projector Kit ($29.99)

Project Runway Fashion Design and Illustration Studio ($29.99)

Project Runway Fashion and Figure Drawing Set ($29.99)

Project Runway Patch-making Kit ($9.99) or Project Runway Graphic T-shirt Design Studio Set ($24.99)

Project Runway Fashion Design Challenge Sketchbook ($24.99), includes spinner to randomly decide challenge

Project Runway Accessories Design Challenge Sketchbook ($24.99), spinner included.

And, four Project Runway ‘Design Sketchbooks’ specifically for: Fashion, Costume, Handbag, and of course, Shoes.

Understanding that most folks are amateurs at fashion illustration, the majority of these sets feature paper pads with a Croquis (a pre-sketched form on which to draw fashion designs) to use as a starting point for your ideas. They also include a ‘Design Guide’ booklet that gives a little bit of a helpful nudge in regard to possible styles, materials and illustration techniques.

I don’t know if you are like me at all and have ever had the crystal-clear image of a new shoe float up into your brain just as you fell asleep. But, since I have had that particular experience, I thought this would be a fun way to try out this product and share the results here.

I have had exactly two of these shoe ‘visions’.

This first drawing is from one of the blank sketchbooks that I keep around the house to record fashion ideas when they come to me (I’ve learned the hard way that if I wait until I find some paper that I may forget the idea; apologies for the blurry photo):

Next, is a drawing I did yesterday using the High-fashion/high-heel croquis from the PR Sketch-a-Footwear-Collection Drawing Kit. I sketched the basic design and then enlarged it on my copy machine and colored it with the colored pencils included in the kit. 

These last 2 designs are by my 6-year old:

Now, I may or may not regularly use this myself as a design tool or as light entertainment.  However, I do have to say that my young, design-obsessed daughters are completely won over. They would love to use this everyday; which does bring me to the biggest flaw of these kits: There do not appear to be any paper re-fills available for the sketch pads. So, you might want to make some master copies of the various croquis in each kit before starting, just in case the manufacturers never correct this particular oversight.

Happy Designing!

Shoes of Project Runway 5.11

Jitterbugbaby is a bit occupied right now with her move ‘across the pond’.  As a result, I am filling in to highlight this weeks episode, and of course, shoes.

Has it been eleven episodes already? Wow, time really does fly.

Kenley angers Suede by stealing Suede’s model. Suede talks in the third person: ‘Suede is going to win this challenge and get his model back’ (Paraphrased).Kenley treats Tim with disrespect, angering hordes of viewers who love the Silver Fox. LL Cool J is the guest judge. Hip Hop Kenley is in the deep end without her floaties.

On to the Challenge.  Kenley doesn’t get to use her stolen model, the designers are also the models for the challenge.  They must design an outfit for their ‘model’ according to a particular musical style: Rock, Pop, Punk, Country, and Hip Hip. 

Trying to remember who’s doing what makes my head hurt.

Quick Chaotic Visual of the fitting Conga Line:

[Project Runway photos all courtesy of Bravotv.com]

Korto’s model is Suede and the theme is Punk Rock. Suede totally sells this look on the runway. Korto wins the challenge with well-made bleach distressed jeans and chain-detailed top.  Korto was right-on for this challenge; this outfit would sell like crazy if it were on display at Hot Topic. 

As for the shoes, they appeared to be black leather and nylon tennis-shoes.  Since Korto bleached these as well in order to match the jeans, you need to find a comfortable pair of black tennies and channel your inner craft-guru to get this look.

Jerell’s model is Kenley and the theme is Pop Music. Jerell does a respectable job of making Kenley over into Brunette Brittany.  The judges love the mesh inserts and spangly attached bra (which I find distracting since the sparkly inserts look unintentionally asymmetrical to me). However, the judges do not love it enough to outscore Korto’s winning look.

Kenley is wearing a metallic knee-high boot that appears to be the Stuart Weitzman ‘Crushable’ Tall boot but could also be the Charles Nolan ‘Tara’ Wedge boot; both are currently available at Bluefly.

Leanne’s model is Korto and the theme is Country-Western. This is a play it safe outfit that luckily did just that.  Happily, none of the judges seemed to notice the Wonder Woman vibe from the gold chevron hip-yoke on this otherwise simple skirt. Hey, Leanne, I’m expecting you to step up and win this thing; I know you have the skill to own this competition.

Korto’s footwear is almost impossible to see. It is most likely a simple low-heeled knee-boot. So, instead I am offering here a few footwear options by Prada that fulfill the Western sensibility of this challenge and are currently available at Bluefly.com: a brown floral detailed pump, a cocoa floral pump with ankle strap, and a bronze western-wingtip pump.

Kenley’s model is Leanne and the theme is Hip Hop. Leanne is painful to watch on the runway. This outfit is so off the mark and poorly fitted that many viewers are crying ‘Suede was Robbed’. Kenley is a one-trick pony who will probably do well designing for the niche retro-swing crowd.  Yes, she has a chance to make it to the final three, but only if Jerell really messes up.

Leanne is wearing the popular Prada cut-out ankle-cuff fairy boot that we have seen used in several other challenges this season; still available at Bluefly.

Suede’s model is Jerell and the theme is Rock and Roll. Apparently his history of time ‘at the bottom’ combined with an outfit the judges found boring, led to his being Auf’d.  Both he and Kenley are overdue. Maybe the judges tossed a coin? Bye Bye Suede.

Jerell’s boots are a classic guy’s industrial-goth style that you can find made by T.U.K. ; pictured here are the T.U.K. A6215 and  A6072.

Two episodes plus the fan favorite episode left to go.  Time to check the cupboard and make sure the popcorn is all stocked up.