Friday, January 29, 2010

PR Week 2 - The Fashion Farm

[yes, posting late again]

Week 2 on Project Runway brought us The Fashion Farm. Under the premise that “she would look good, even in a potato sack,” the designers were challenged to use a potato sack to design an outfit. One little caveat: Their models got to choose the designers and would be the client!

Apparently, less than 10 minutes into the Project Runway episode, the following phone conversation occurred:
[Paulie Neutz] Hey Merisel, it’s your manager.
[Merisel] Sshh sshh, girls! It’s Paulie. Tweets, manager guy.
[Paulie] Uh, yeah. So, babe, this thing with the potato sacks. Not exactly your thing, is it?
[Merisel] Um, is it?
[Paulie] Yeah, so, you have nice, youthful skin. Remember we talked about getting a L’Oreal skin care gig—
[Merisel] I got a commercial?
[Paulie] Focus, babe. Let’s talk about the potato sacks. Don’t want to be roughed up by burlap, right?
[Merisel] Um, I guess. But what does that have to do with the potato sacks?
[Paulie] No, yeah. Babe, a potato sack is made of burlap.
[Merisel] Burlap. And…?
[Paulie] So, babe, it’s rough. It’s—
[Merisel] Sshh sshhh. What? What!? The girls are saying burlap feels worse than wearing fishnets wrapped in cheap wool! Is that true?
[Paulie] Pretty much, babe, not that I’ve ever—
[Merisel] Cheap wool, Paulie! Like I’d be some vampire’s victim in that Bonton place on HBO!
[Paulie] Yeah, babe. So, how do you feel about—
[Merisel] Sshh sshhh. What? What!? The girls are saying I have to wear the outfit to an industry party! I have to go out in public in cheap wool, Paulie! To an industry party with endlessly cool people!
[Paulie] Yeah, babe. So, you probably should—
[Merisel] OMG, I can’t be a Bonton victim at a party with cool people, Paulie! Edwards and Jacobs are supposed to fight over me and seduce me. Edwards and Jacobs, Paulie!
[Paulie] Yeah, babe. So, you’re saying—
[Merisel] I am not doing this challenge!
[Paulie] Right, babe. Good chatting with you.
[Merisel] Tweeter, Paulie.
click
ring...click
[Merisel] Burlap! Edwards and Jacobs. No, can't. Cheap wool! OMG, like a rough Bonton victim. NO!
[PR Producers] Right, so, we'll find another model.
click

The producers found a highly experienced – if a tad more curvy and less tall – model named Annette. A model who actually likes to wear burlap. Or, possibly, who wants to restart her flailing career and go to the industry party.

Meesh couldn’t find any burlap (or possibly didn’t feel like spending $$ on a yard of it). Instead, she used cheesecloth…an infinitely more evil form of fabric. A fabric that unravels if you breathe upon it, that refuses to maintain a sewn seam, and that resembles sterile bandages just a little too well. Annette actually liked it – must’ve been the reference to bandages.

In any case, Annette as the client wanted a sporty look, one that showed off her curvy figure and toned abs. She wanted the outfit to incorporate her favorite color, orange. Oh, and she kinda liked the fishnets-and-burlap idea one of the models sniggered about while they waited for the designers to show up.

So, Meesh designed a bandeau-type top in cheesecloth overlaid with mesh formerly used to contain a bunch of cherry tomatoes. The pencil skirt starts at Annette’s hips to expose her toned belly.
Instead of placing the usual sporty vertical stripes on the outside of the skirt, Meesh applied a vertical mesh panel in the front. In the back, she angled the panel to emphasize Annette’s sexily curved hips.



Annette's carrying a drawstring purse made of mesh-covered cheesecloth. The strings are beaded with orange beads, of course.


The night of the party, the following occurred:
[Merisel] Sshh sshhh. What? What!? I’m not wearing burlap so I can’t go to a party with cool people! But Edwards and Jacobs, Paulie!
[Paulie] Yeah, so, I gotta go. Tweets, babe.
click


In the models' suite before the party, an enterprising photograph caught an interesting vignette.















My previous PR attempts:
Week 1

My PR competition:
Becky

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Very creative use of cheesecloth and tomato sacks. Loved the handbag! I have to say I am glad Ping was booted off this week. I will have to watch the rerun, only got to see the end of the show.

Anonymous said...

You would do well in PR's grocery store challenges. Creative use of cheesecloth and mesh. Annette is very curvy but a good model for this design.

The Merisel stuff cracked me up. Reminds me a bit of Mark G. Harris and his model Figaro in our first season. I miss her.

Also, love the props in the last shot.

This week, I've taken one of the designs from Tim's final collection in the first season of LJ Runway Monday as the high-end look to translate into something affordable.

Can't wait to see your next designs!

Michelle Gardner said...

@Nancy: Thanks! I like the purse too. I thought the drawstring format best matched the whole potato sack theme.

@Becky: I must've had the grocery story challenge in my head when I grabbed the cherry tomatoes. They're still languishing in the fridge but all I can think about is when I'll use the rest of the mesh for leggings!