PR 17 Ep 5: Where The Streets Have No Shame

Once again, the designtestants are herded into vans at dawn, and driven away from their penthouse. But, unlike last week, when they were dumped off in the woods, this week they are driven uptown, to Harlem, to “an unlisted address uptown” where they meet Dapper Dan, born Daniel Day, a fashion designer and haberdasher, and owners of Dapper Dan's Boutique. Dap, as he is called, is credited with introducing high-fashion to the hip hop world, and that’s the challenge.

This week the designtestants must look that reflect their own personal take on luxe streetwear. And there will be no Mood; fabrics and bling will be provided. Also, even scarier, this is a one-day challenge. The upside is that Dapper Dan will come to the workroom and critique their looks before the runway.

Oh, and it’s a Flash Sale; the designtestants will photograph their looks, and the Fan Favorite, along with the Judge’s Winning Choice, will be manufactured and sold to the population at large.

So, let’s rip …

THE SAFES

Clockwise

HESTER described her looks as Nicki Minaj on an airplane, or a Rococo boxer. To me it looks Baby Doll … Sesame Streetwear.

LELA created a housecoat looking thing … Main Streetwear.

RENEE made something cool and modern and urban, but not strong enough for the top.

SEBASTIAN was lost in this challenge, and his look is what the others called Aladdin … I thought it looked like a blackjack dealer walking home from the Aladdin Casino … Las Vegas Stripwear.

SONIA fashion what Dapper Dan called sadomasochistic …Marques de Sade Streetwear.

TESSA didn’t really stretch much … unless this woman coming home from the gym look is a stretch.

THE BOTTOMS

JAMALL

He is inspired by the challenge because he has experience in fashioning streetwear … uh oh … and will create a baggy, quilted dress with an Elizabethan collar.

Stratford-Upon-Avon Streetwear? I’m worried, though he says that the idea of putting black bodies and a streetwear aesthetic in the context of the Elizabethan world is a political act.

Again …uh oh. And when Christian critiques it, he is feeling a definite Tea Party look, even after Jamall says it’s a bomber jacket dress.

Or maybe just a bomb? And Dapper Dan is just as confused… he stares a lot, and rubs his chin, and sighs …uh oh.

Jamall.Doesn’t.Finish.His.Look.

WHAT HE SAID

There are a lot of things wrong with this look.

WHAT I SAID

That thing in the middle looks like a boa constrictor exiting her vagina.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Guest Judge Brandice Daniel, president of design house Harlem Fashion Row, listens as Jamall explains how streetwear comes from the black community, and then says she cannot see a young black woman wearing his design. Nina doesn’t see any streetwear in it either and asks about the clearly missing sleeves and the frayed, unfinished edges. Elaine asks if this is fresh and urban, and answers her own question, ‘No.’ Brandon dubs it unfinished, messy and confused. Karlie, too, is aghast at the unhemmed mess.

RAKAN

He marches to his own drummer, which is not a bad thing, but he also refuses to listen to the challenge, the parameters, or anyone’s opinion. Not good.

His idea of streetwear is based on a Syrian “farmer woman” selling her vegetables on the street. Not exactly urban … or luxe. But Rakan won’t listen.

WHAT HE SAID

The pants, the drape, the vest. It’s like I imagined it.

WHAT I SAID

The shoes say streetwalker, and the only farming this woman does is snatching basil from her windowsill herb garden in SoHo.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon calls it the “road to nowhere,” and wishes it had pockets—essential for streetwear apparently—and says it’s like a “weird genie in a bottle.” Karlie agrees with the pockets and hates the styling… hooker heels. Elaine called it cheap, while Nina wished the impact was louder, and said it was too safe. Brandice liked his story, but said it wasn’t at all street.

KOVID

Kovid is missing his roommate Afa but tells us that Afa told him to stay true to himself before he left, and that’s just what he’ll do…uh oh.

Kovid wants to pay tribute to the three communities that welcomed him when he came to America: the Asian, Black and Latino communities. I am already sacred as to how all of that will mesh into luxe urban streetwear, but we’ll see.

He made culottes and a vest and a shirt. Let me say that again …cu-effing-lottes.

Christian tries to prop him up, and give him advice to go bigger, but Kovid is still down; he  encourages him to maybe draw inspiration from the color blocking from his very first preview look which, in flashback, was a great starting point for streetwear, but he never goes back there.  Dapper Dan looks at it and all he can say is that he wished the vest stood out more.

WHAT HE SAID

Today was a bad day, but I showed myself in this look.

WHAT I SAID

Nothing works, either together or separately. It’s all just a bland mess.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Karlie feels the whole look clashed, while Brandice doesn’t think the taste level was there. Nina feels the look is the opposite of street; it’s :::gasp::: too “suburban.” She also said he needs time to grow—perhaps a pair of balls—and to find his POV. Brandon says he missed the mark, and that it looks worse close-up.

THE TOPS

GARO

He also feels like he has this in the bag because he does clubwear-which, note to Garo, isn’t streetwear—and will design a corseted look with a patterned jumpsuit.

Christian strolls by and mutters “Old tweeb” to which Garo says it’s a “great tweed” to which Christian replies “Old.” At first, I thought he was being nasty, but he was just being fun. And even if he wasn’t, Dapper Dan called the finished look amazing.

WHAT HE SAID

I really feel like I made Dapper Dan proud.

WHAT I SAID

I’m kinda with Christian, in that I don’t like the fabric, but I’m also with Dap, in that I love the look of the corset, or, as I learned to call it, the “snatched waist.”

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandice called it one of her favorite looks and said it “speaks to the future” of streetwear. She also loved the snatched waist. Elaine loved the zipped-up tracksuit aesthetic and thought it was one of the best looks she’s seen from Garo. Karlie called it impressive, while Nina loved the corset fabric—no word on the “old tweed”.

BISHME

He’s making a look for the “on-the-go” Baltimore girl; he tells the story of his neighborhood where he lost a great many friends to violence and prison, and where he chose fashion as a way out of that.

He is set and ready with his look, though his one worry was that his top might look like a fast-food-worker and not street. But he fixes it, with a simple tie, and Dapper Dan is loving the color and the bomber jacket.

WHAT HE SAID

I created a look I actually fell in love with.

WHAT I SAID

It’s a great look, and completely tells his story and his style.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Karlie loves the logo—the BC on the front is for both Baltimore City and Bishme Cromartie—while the Greenmount on the back is for his neighborhood.  and loves the silhouette of the jacket. Brandice said it was gorgeous and had a very clear POV. Nina is “crazy” about it, because it says something, and it means something.  Elaine thinks he paid homage to Dapper Dan’s legacy better than anyone else and called it marketable. Brandon said, “If I saw this on the street, I’d be dead from cardiac arrest.”

VENNY

Venny is a luxury sportswear designer, so he feels like this is his challenge, but that makes me worry. Still, his thought process … he recalls being a kid and the sneakers he wanted, but couldn’t afford, and so he’ll make the sneakers the look.

Christian loves the idea, but warns about finishing it to perfection; finished, Dapper Dan calls it “great.”

WHAT HE SAID

She is owning this look …breathtaking.

WHAT I SAID

It’s tough streetwear, just like a sneaker.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina calls it the most authentic that they’ve seen in his work, while Elaine calls the shape “sophisticated” and could see women buying it. Brandice thinks he absolutely belongs on this stage and loved the model’s booty. Brandon agreed, saying the looks screams streetwear, but has great restraint. Karlie noted the intricate seaming, like that you’d find on a sneaker.

I think it was a tough call, but between the story, the idea and the execution, the win goes to Bishme.

Oddly enough, since he totally missed the mark, Rakan is safe, and it comes down to Jamall’s unfinished look, and Kovid’s uninspired one.

Goodbye Kovid. Finally.

Kovid. It was time; he was so high-maintenance. Add to that the constant flitting round the workroom. I really feel that if he’d stopped the singing and dancing, he might have gotten something down. Still, he gets props for an exit that was as graceful as his BFF Afa.

I loved the look of shock on Christian’s face when he finds Rakan, Jamall, and Lela eating on a one-day challenge; he says:

“I don’t eat for three days when I’m making a collection.”

And Rakan replies:

“Yeah, I can tell!”

But Christian is right, especially where Rakan and Jamall were concerned; no breaks for you two!

Oh Rakan; he’s not long for this competition, because he doesn’t really listen to the challenge, and he doesn’t care for judges critiquing his looks …on a show where your looks are meant to be critiqued.

I was annoyed at Garo’s glee that my boyfriend Sebastian was sweating this challenge. Note to Garo: he’s a winner, baby, and you’ve been a Bottom—I’m guessing in every sense of the word—and an also-ran. Work on your own looks, honey.

I’m loving Bishme; his story was beautiful, and his attitude is great. He’s becoming a favorite ...plus he's adorable.

LINE OF THE NIGHT

Rakan, asking his fellow designers about the pants he made:

“Does it look like she has a wienie?”

It kinda does, so maybe a pocket would have been a good thing.

Who do I like? Well, still Sebastian, even though he missed this week; he does have ideas and he can sew. Bishme and Venny and Garo stepped way up. Tessa has stumbled, Hester fumbled. Lela and Sonia are nearly invisible. Renee’s look I loved, so she’s a contender, too. Jamall? Honey, finish something.

Next week the designtestants create a powerful female video game character.

I feel an explosion coming on …

What did YOU think?