tatty bojangles (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
apocalypsos) wrote2011-08-21 10:50 am
apocalypsos) wrote2011-08-21 10:50 am
Hey, guess what I forgot to do?
Okay, so here's my thing with the Nina Garcia challenge.
Remember way back when in season four when they had to design an outfit for someone who lost a lot of weight and Christian got that woman who was like, "I wear a black shirt and a pair of jeans every day AND NOTHING ELSE," and he was like, o.O? And he banged out an awesome outfit which filled her incredibly narrow demands AND was really well-designed? This was a little like that.
I always figure designing for a client is a lot like getting a prompt for a fic exchange. The workable middle ground is the best sort of prompt to get. Too detailed, and it makes it harder to fill the prompt. Too broad and it can be really hard to nail down if your recipient is even going to like it. Basically, the right amount of direction is a great place to work from, but you're never going to get that at all times. You're going to get someone like Nina, who's very forward and has a very distinct style and isn't afraid to tell you when she doesn't like what you're doing. It can be a good thing -- look at how Anya worked it out when Nina said she didn't like the color she chose -- and it can also be a bad thing.
The thing about designing for Nina -- I like things streamlined, I don't like things too busy, I'm not a fan of bright colors or patterns, etc. -- is that your immediate reaction is, "Oh, my God, this is going to be SO boring." I mean, obviously you can't make the bright-blue little dress Anthony made for Heidi a couple of seasons back. Nina's not Heidi. She's not a supermodel. She's an older working woman and an executive who has to look professional, fashionable, and not shout it out with her clothes. She's not Wilhelmina from Ugly Betty, for heaven's sake.
But just because you can't use too many loud colors or patterns or overdesign doesn't mean it's going to end up boring. That's the CHALLENGE. I mean, we've had challenges where people have made fashion out of garbage and potato sacks before on this show. Being given the option to design something with nice Mood fabrics for Nina should not be that hard, even if you're given a strip of bland gray fabric and told to go to town.
I loved the winning outfit, and the other top outfits, because they did exactly what they were supposed to: They worked within the confines of the challenge to create a well-designed outfit that wasn't flashy or colorful. The great thing about Kimberly's outfit as far as I could see was that having seen every episode of this show about a BILLION times, I probably would have headed straight for the gold fabric as soon as we hit Mood if I'd had to design an outfit for Nina. She wears a lot of gold accessories on the show, probably because they look amazing with her coloring and skin tone, so that top looked fantastic on her.
I actually did like Viktor's outfit. I'm not entirely sure I could see it on Nina, but I give him credit for taking the LBD concept and executing it in a manner that showed that a simple concept can always have a fresh take to it.
Anya ... I worry for Anya sometimes. Not because of her own skill - she may have only had those four months, but she's very adaptable and has a great attitude -- but because the other designers are starting to give her a hard time about it behind her back, which might mean they're close to giving her a hard time about it to her face. I thought her jumpsuit was lovely, for what it's worth, and the dye was a great idea. (Also, Anthony and his fiance are goddamn adorable. For the record and all that.) And I really wanted to smack Viktor for complaining about the others helping her. At this point, I have no problem with someone helping you with last-minute sewing, especially if you have to change your outfit at the last minute like she did. It's when they help you the entire time that I get bothered.
As for the bottom three -- I'm unsurprised by Julie's auf. The thing is, I could see a decent design in that outfit. Somewhere. Down deep. But the execution was terrible. If *I* can spot the construction issues, that's saying something. Oh, my God, that collar. *wince*
Cecelia's dress was ... oh, God, what a horrible sack.
In summation ... did I mention that Anthony and his fiance are lovely and adorable and I want wedding photos and to maybe be their flower girl? I'm just saying.
Remember way back when in season four when they had to design an outfit for someone who lost a lot of weight and Christian got that woman who was like, "I wear a black shirt and a pair of jeans every day AND NOTHING ELSE," and he was like, o.O? And he banged out an awesome outfit which filled her incredibly narrow demands AND was really well-designed? This was a little like that.
I always figure designing for a client is a lot like getting a prompt for a fic exchange. The workable middle ground is the best sort of prompt to get. Too detailed, and it makes it harder to fill the prompt. Too broad and it can be really hard to nail down if your recipient is even going to like it. Basically, the right amount of direction is a great place to work from, but you're never going to get that at all times. You're going to get someone like Nina, who's very forward and has a very distinct style and isn't afraid to tell you when she doesn't like what you're doing. It can be a good thing -- look at how Anya worked it out when Nina said she didn't like the color she chose -- and it can also be a bad thing.
The thing about designing for Nina -- I like things streamlined, I don't like things too busy, I'm not a fan of bright colors or patterns, etc. -- is that your immediate reaction is, "Oh, my God, this is going to be SO boring." I mean, obviously you can't make the bright-blue little dress Anthony made for Heidi a couple of seasons back. Nina's not Heidi. She's not a supermodel. She's an older working woman and an executive who has to look professional, fashionable, and not shout it out with her clothes. She's not Wilhelmina from Ugly Betty, for heaven's sake.
But just because you can't use too many loud colors or patterns or overdesign doesn't mean it's going to end up boring. That's the CHALLENGE. I mean, we've had challenges where people have made fashion out of garbage and potato sacks before on this show. Being given the option to design something with nice Mood fabrics for Nina should not be that hard, even if you're given a strip of bland gray fabric and told to go to town.
I loved the winning outfit, and the other top outfits, because they did exactly what they were supposed to: They worked within the confines of the challenge to create a well-designed outfit that wasn't flashy or colorful. The great thing about Kimberly's outfit as far as I could see was that having seen every episode of this show about a BILLION times, I probably would have headed straight for the gold fabric as soon as we hit Mood if I'd had to design an outfit for Nina. She wears a lot of gold accessories on the show, probably because they look amazing with her coloring and skin tone, so that top looked fantastic on her.
I actually did like Viktor's outfit. I'm not entirely sure I could see it on Nina, but I give him credit for taking the LBD concept and executing it in a manner that showed that a simple concept can always have a fresh take to it.
Anya ... I worry for Anya sometimes. Not because of her own skill - she may have only had those four months, but she's very adaptable and has a great attitude -- but because the other designers are starting to give her a hard time about it behind her back, which might mean they're close to giving her a hard time about it to her face. I thought her jumpsuit was lovely, for what it's worth, and the dye was a great idea. (Also, Anthony and his fiance are goddamn adorable. For the record and all that.) And I really wanted to smack Viktor for complaining about the others helping her. At this point, I have no problem with someone helping you with last-minute sewing, especially if you have to change your outfit at the last minute like she did. It's when they help you the entire time that I get bothered.
As for the bottom three -- I'm unsurprised by Julie's auf. The thing is, I could see a decent design in that outfit. Somewhere. Down deep. But the execution was terrible. If *I* can spot the construction issues, that's saying something. Oh, my God, that collar. *wince*
Cecelia's dress was ... oh, God, what a horrible sack.
In summation ... did I mention that Anthony and his fiance are lovely and adorable and I want wedding photos and to maybe be their flower girl? I'm just saying.