This season will be all about team-work so it should be a bitch-slapping, name-calling, scissor-wielding mess. And, since there
is no 'I' in team, you need always remember, there is an 'I' in bitch.......so let's
meet the bitc.....designers:
Amanda
Valentine is 31 and hails from Nashville, though she currently resides in fashion
capitol Lincoln, Nebraska:
Her strengths as a
designer?
“I am a 31-year-old woman, and I am very conscious of how a woman wants
to look and feel in a garment. I'm always hyper-aware of proportion and line
and fit”
I see construction issues.
Her weaknesses as a designer?
“I have a short attention span. By the time I'm halfway through a thought
I've already moved on to the next idea. It's also why fashion is so attractive
to me. You have to keep jumping to the next trend or collection!”
That Devil, Time Management, will get her.
Her favorite designers?
“Isabel Marant, Yves Saint Laurent (especially in the '60s and '70s),
Balmain (Christophe Decarnin's time there), Alexander Wang, Gareth Pugh, Holly
Fulton, Vena Cava, Balenciaga (Nicolas Ghesquière)”
Her favorite style icon?
“1994 Cindy Crawford - "MTV's "House of Style" era.”
Wow. A twenty-year-old style icon. And it's Cindy. This could get ugly.
Benjamin
Mach is 35, and comes from Sydney, Australia, though he
currently resides in London.
His strengths as a designer?
“I have a strong "inner
voice" that tells me when to stop. My attention to detail has always been
a strongly recognized element of my work as a designer. I have a sound
knowledge and understanding of the history of fashion and how the social landscape
has influenced the story of fashion over decades and, indeed, centuries. This
helps in referencing the history of fashion and carrying it forward. Style is
an evolution.”
Girl loves to talk about herself and how fabulous she is, eh?
His weaknesses as a designer?
“My vision can sometimes be too grandiose for the reality of the
situation or environment I am in. This is not to say my designs are
ostentatious; they are far from that. The weakness lies in the fact I don't
always manage to really get my true vision across, because of time, material,
or the quality of team I might be working with. The day will come when my
vision is carried through wholly and I am surrounded by a team who are as
committed to the "vision" as I am.”
Blah blah blah…..with an English accent.
His favorite designer(s)?
“Madame Grès, Madeleine Vionnet, Cristobal Balenciaga, Elsa
Schiaparelli, Valentino (the ORIGINAL), Halston (the ORIGINAL), Alexander
"Lee" McQueen, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent (the ORIGINAL).”
He’s an ORIGINAL!
His favorite style icon?
“This is always
a difficult question to answer, because I can be fickle and not always loyal to
one "icon." I'd like to think my favourite style icon is the woman
who appreciates my design and wears it well. So, women from the past, present
and future who possess a powerful elegance are my favourite style icons.”
Meaning, whoever is paying him is his style icon.
Cindy
Marlatt is 59, and she comes to us from Kent, Washington, and currently
resides in ….. Kent ….. Washington. She, apparently, does not get around.
Her strengths as a designer?
“Strong construction skills, good
time-management skills, experience with many textiles and alternative
materials.”
She is
all-business.
Her weaknesses as a designer?
“Over-designing.”
I see
feathers.
Her favorite designer(s)?
“Joseph Altuzarra.”
Who?
Her favorite style icon?
“Michelle Obama.”
She is
going for the Democrat vote.
Daniel
Esquivel is 48, and born in Dallas, Texas, but now living in Austin, Texas.
His strengths as a designer?
“Very fashion-intuitive.”
I have no
idea what that means.
His weaknesses as a designer?
“Sketching.”
I see
stick figures.
His favorite designer(s)?
“Wes Gordon.”
Who?
His favorite style icon?
“Sarah Jessica Parker.”
Gay.
Emily Pollard is 24, and she hails from Richfield,
Ohio though she now lives in bustling Falls
Church, Virginia.
Her strengths
as a designer?
“I'm really driven and not afraid to
try things I don’t really know how to do. I take chances and am always trying
to build upon my skills and knowledge base. I'm also really great with material
and textile choices, and love making my own fibers from unusual materials such
as black lichen moss.”
She is
gonna get lost in the woods looking for moss to make a scarf.
Her weaknesses as a designer?
“I tend to get lost in what I'm doing,
and am terrible at making decisions. I like to just play around with things
until they feel right and it tends to slow me down.”
She’ll be
like that dog from Up….she’ll be in the midst of sewing and suddenly it’s, “Squirrel?”
And she’s off.
Her favorite designer(s)?
“Gareth Pugh, Haider Ackermann, Ann
Demeulemeester, Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, Sarah Burton, the late Alexander
McQueen, Christian Dior, Alber Elbaz, Coco Chanel, Alexander Wang and Nicolas
Ghesquière, to name a few. There is so much amazing talent out there, it's hard
to choose a favorite”
Apparently.
The celebrity you wish you could design
for?
“Angelina Jolie. I'd love to design a
dark evening gown to show off her edge and ridiculous beauty.”
Oh, honey, it’s been
done already.
James Martinez is 29, also from Dallas, but now
lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
His strengths as a designer?
“I design for anyone. And my
construction skills are strong.”
He has
quite the high impression of himself and will crush his Real Life Client on
that episode.
His weaknesses as a designer?
“I am not great at waking up early.”
Bye.
His favorite designer(s)?
“Viktor & Rolf, and Valentino.”
His favorite style icon?
“Lenny Kravitz.”
Well, that
makes this interesting.
Joseph
Aaron Segal is 30, and was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, but
now lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
His strengths as a designer?
“Risk taker, unconventional thinker
and material exploration.”
He’ll be
The Hot Mess.
His weaknesses as a designer?
“Sometimes I make stuff that's just
too strange.”
Yup.
Hot.Mess.
His favorite designer(s)?
“JC de Castelbajac, Walter van
Beirendonck, Lanvin, Moonspoon Saloon, Christian Lacroix, Rei Kawakubo, Henrik
Vibskov, Gareth Pugh”
His favorite style icon?
“Grace Jones, Leigh Bowery”
Hot.Mess.
Kate Pankoke is
the baby of the group at 23 and, curiously, has two
hometowns—Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Parkland, Florida—though she currently resides
in just one place, Chicago.
Her strengths as a designer?
“One of my strengths as a designer is
my ability to predict color trends and silhouettes that will be popular the
following season. Another strength I have is the ability to design artistic
garments while still remembering that they are clothing and should be
flattering to the wearer. I also understand the meaning of inspiration. I feel
that some designers take it too literally. If I am inspired by something, I
merely take the element(s) that I most admire and incorporate it into a design,
I don't replicate the object that inspired me.”
She likes
herself, she really, really likes herself. And, she’s apparently psychic. I wonder
when she sees herself getting Auf’d.
Her weaknesses as a designer?
“My weakness as a designer is that I
am impatient. I sometimes stay up all night to finish a garment instead of
taking my time and spreading the process out . hopefully, this weakness will
work in my favor.”
Time
management will be her undoing, along with her fondness for Kate Pankoke.
Her favorite designer(s)?
“Some of my favorite designers/labels
are Alberta Ferretti, Marchesa and Alexander McQueen. Each of these
designers/labels are extremely detail-oriented and have a vintage flare that I
adore.”
Again, she
likes herself.
Her favorite style icon?
“My favorite style icon is Grace
Kelly. I saw her for the first time in "To Catch a Thief." Her
character is so effortlessly classy. Not only was she an Alfred Hitchcock
leading lady, but a princess as well (basically I wish I was her)!”
Honey, you’re
no Grace Kelly.
Layana Aguilar is 28, from Valadares,
Brazil, and currently lives in La Grande Apple, NYC.
Her strengths as a designer?
“I really understand what I want as
designer, and because I always put a lot of passion, my heart and soul in
everything I do, I bring my essence of beauty and confidence to whoever wears
my clothes.”
Huh? Can
someone get me Casanova to translate this for me?
Her weaknesses as a designer?
“My weakness in general is that I
never listen to anybody. I always do what I want, which can be very good or it
can also be very selfish and hurt the outcome of a design.”
Maybe if
she’d listen she’d learn how to make herself clear.
Her favorite designer(s)?
“Alexander McQueen, Riccardo Tisci
(Givenchy), Olivier Rousteing (Balmain), Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig
(Marchesa), and Oscar de la Renta.”
No use
sucking up to the beautiful Georgina Chapman, I doubt she’ll be on the PR this
season.
Her favorite style icon?
“Kate Moss.”
She likes
dressing coked out models. ALLEGEDLY.
Matthew Arthur is 30, and moved from his hometown of Hammond, Louisiana, all
the way to New Orleans.
His strengths as a designer?
“When it comes to my work, I have a
knack for playing with print, color and alternative materials. Also, I kill it
at styling.”
I see front buns and Kabuki makeup. He’ll be
gone soon.
His weaknesses as a designer?
“The technical side. I scare some of
my designer friends, because I have my own way of doing a lot of things. It
stresses them out, but it gets done.”
Girl can’t
sew? Can’t drape? Can’t sketch?
His favorite designer(s)?
“Alexander McQueen, Nicolas
Ghesquiere, Marc Jacobs, Gareth Pugh, Thom Browne, Vivienne Westwood, etc.”
Yes, etc.
His favorite style icon?
“Kelly Bundy.”
Yes. He
did.
Michelle Lesniak
Franklin is 34, from Portland, Oregon and now
resides in …. Portland, Oregon. Does no one move anymore?
Her strengths as a designer?
“My strengths are that I am unwavered
by trends, I follow my own design aesthetics, I am not afraid of color and
texture, and I design for all women.”
I’m
sensing ugly.
Her weaknesses as a designer?
“Frilly. I don't do frilly. I also
have a hard time with patterns, which is odd, since I have a background in
printmaking and love repetition of images.”
I want a Frilly
Pattern Challenge just to watch her head explode.
Her favorite designer(s)?
“Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, McQueen,
Derek Lam .”
Her favorite style icon?
“Auntie Mame.”
The Gays
will love her.
Patricia Michaels
is 46 and comes from Taos, New Mexico where she still lives, though she will
remind you that she has traveled the globe.
Her strengths as a designer?
“I approach design from a contemporary
Native American view.”
Feathers
and beads? Cher in Half Breed? What?
Her weaknesses as a designer?
“I take longer to complete a garment,
because of the unique textile fabrication.”
♪♫T-i-i-i-me ain’t on her side. No it
isn’t♫ ♪
Her favorite designer(s)?
“Tom Ford, Prada, Diesel, Balenciaga,
Coco Chanel, Etro, Alexander McQueen, Diane von Furstenberg, Stella McCartney.”
Her favorite style icon?
“Anna Wintour, Audrey Hepburn,
Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Grace Kelly, Catherine Zeta-Jones.”
Oh, this
is gonna be a train-wreck. Native American Anna Wintour anyone?
Richard Hallmarq
is 39 and lives in my hometown, Sacramento, California, where he was also born.
His strengths as a designer?
“I understand my textile of choice and
how it falls on a woman's body.”
He’ll
throw something on the model in the last second before the runway.
His weaknesses as a designer?
“I'm so critical of my own work.”
Critical
of your own work? Two word: Nina. Garcia.
His favorite designer(s)?
“Maison Martin Margiela.”
M’kay.
His favorite style icon?
“Grace Jones.”
Is Grace
making a comeback?
Samantha Black is 28 and moved from The Bronx to Fairfield, Connecticut.
Her strengths as a designer?
“Aesthetic, use of fabrications, and
knowing a woman's body.”
In other
words: design, sewing, and draping.
Her weaknesses as a designer?
“Trying to do too much.”
I can hear
it now from Tim Gunn: “Times UP, Samantha!”
Her favorite designer(s)?
Her favorite designer(s)?
“McQueen, Balmain.”
Steve
McQueen?
Her favorite style icon?
“Lisa Bonet, Grace Jones, Madonna.”
It’s like
a Who’s Who of Crazy.
Stanley Hudson is 45 and from Lynwood, California, though like most self-respecting
gay men, he now lives in West Hollywood.
His strengths as a designer?
“Forecasting very strong, pattern
drafting.”
Wait. He’s
a weatherman?
His weaknesses as a designer?
“Playing it safe.”
I see
onesies.
His favorite designer(s)?
“Cristobal Balenciaga, Alexander
McQueen, YSL, Jacques Fath, Halston.”
His favorite style icon?
“Halston.”
Translation:
I wanted to be at Studio 54 in ’81 sippin’ and snortin’ with Liza, too.
Tu Suthiwat
Nakchat is 26 and hails from Chacheangsao,
Thailand, though he now lives in a more avant-garde
Springfield, Virginia.
His strengths as a designer?
“I’m trying to push fashion forward
and willing to take a risk.”
Riskier
than being Thai in Virginia?
His weaknesses as a designer?
“I don't really like ironing and time
management.”
Wrinkled,
half-finished clothes.
His favorite designer(s)?
“Cristobal Balenciaga, Dries Van
Noten, Maison Martin Margiela, Miuccia Prada, A.F. Vandevorst, Alexander
McQueen, Riccardo Tisci, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Consuelo Castiglioni (Marni), Rick
Owen, Viktor & Rolf, Stefano Pilati (YSL).”
It’s all
gibberish, except for YSL and McQueen—not Steve.
His favorite style icon?
“Queen Sirikit, Aung San Suu Kyi,
Nicole Richie, Lady Gaga.”
WTF is
Nicole Richie doing in there?
So, there
you have our season eleven designtestants.
Let the
games, and the bitching, begin…….Tonight!
Great introduction! We can hardly wait. We have so missed Tim.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a very old group. Although I think a lot of the older designers say 35+ have had talent, if you haven't made it by 35 then your chances of becoming the next beautiful Georginia or super sexy Tom Ford then I just don't see it happening. I also don't see a 35+ designer having the esthetic to be hip, edgy and the 'future of fashion.'
ReplyDeletecont: I think that was a major reason for AR to win over Emilio.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your recaps! I'll refer to this until I get to know them.
ReplyDeleteThe way you guys show designs is really awesome im looking forward for your new episodes you guys really rock.
ReplyDelete