T Lo Interviews the TFS Finalists

James-Paul

So, America wasn’t ready for you, huh?
Actually, I do think that America is ready for the collection I’ve done because it’s not mainstream. If they let me stay that long on the show and the judges believed in it...it just needed to be injected in the mainstream even if it’s a very slow process. It’s not something that American fashion is very used to, but it’s starting to build and develop. I do believe in pushing the envelope.

Were you surprised by the results?
I think the judges have really taken into consideration the show and its purpose, which was a mass-produced fashion that people can easily buy from a rack or from a mall or department store.

You said you have an appetite for experimentation and we saw a lot of that on the show.
Yes, I was trained to do American women’s wear, I got my Associate's from FIDM in Los Angeles and I thought that there had to be something else that could be developed from American sportswear or women’s wear. I’m always taking techniques and principles into consideration and developing them in different ways, in an upside-down manner. The development of experiments and ideas definitely drives the way that clothing is manufactured and produced.

You also said that you always try to incorporate ethnicity and minorities in your work.
For me, I was really inspired by what makes people different. I was researching a lot of sociology theories and I’ve discovered there’s a lot of sociology that is trying to study how people relate to each other; the relationship between two different worlds. So I try to incorporate both of those. I started researching different cultures in their pure form and when the Western world had its first contact with the Eastern world, when the first changes occurred and how they complement each other and I’m bringing that idea in today’s fashion. All my work is supported by research. Everything I do has a theoretical and a visual reason to it.

A lot of people were a little confused with your inspiration for your collection. Can you tell us exactly you had in mind?
I was inspired by a BBC show about aboriginals producing all these works of art for the Western market and how the creative agencies would take their work and pay them very little and sell those pieces for thousands of Australian dollars. I was interested in the interaction between these two worlds, and also on indigenous people wearing Western clothing. How some parts of the world have changed through colonization and how that influenced how they dress. I found all these recycled clothes that America or Europe donates to Africa and thought of using the same patterns and adding details or my take on these patterns. I also used fabrics that aren’t normally used with Western fashion.

Some people would consider your work way too conceptual. Do you agree with them?
I don’t agree that my pieces are too conceptual. With this collection, they are all separate pieces that people could wear with jeans or a more colorful item and they would look fantastic. I like my work to be personalized by the person who’s wearing it and really change the way clothes are put together. Mass-produced fashion has taken away so much of our creativity, especially the way we want to put the looks together. We’ve always been dictated…if you put this type of clothing together with this dress won’t work, so instead of that, I want people to really play with the clothes. Each piece and each garment is actually a basic piece of clothing.

Did you enjoy the experience on the show? Do you think that opened new doors for you?
This experience totally opened a new way of looking at fashion for me. I’m glad the show showcased small designers, we’re all supporting each other and we were there to really thrive as a creative community. It was very challenging. It definitely put me in a different thinking mode because now I try to incorporate not only a European perspective but an American one as well in my pieces. I’m trying to reach a much broader audience.

Daniella

You looked great on the last episode. Did you make that outfit?
No, I did not make the outfit but I did make the necklace, however. Thank you, though.

So, you’re making jewelry now?
You know what? Fern and Glenda told me during the taping of the finale that they were really impressed by my jewelry and that was something I should do and I got so inspired that I came home and went a little nuts.

You did the clothes, the jewelry, the music…you did it all, girl. Are you a controlling person?
No, I don’t think so, I’m just so inspired by all aspects of the arts and I grew up surrounded by so many artistic influences, I sort of grew up in the theater. Another passion of mine is musical theater. I wasn’t even planning on doing the music track, and honestly, I didn’t even take that seriously, I just wanted to do something fun.

The question that everybody asks, were you disappointed that you didn’t win?
Oh my god, no. To me the only difference is the money and honestly I couldn’t be more honored with the prize that was given to me. This is what I was trying to explain to some people when the last episode aired. We didn’t go into this knowing that there would be more than one prize. How lucky are we? This is exactly what the both of us need. Anna already has a line established that she’s been putting her own personal money into, so she already has a brand but needs funding and what I really want right now is to work for another designer so that I can be influenced by them before I try to be an influential designer.

Are you going to take Glenda Bailey up on her offer?
Am I ever! [laughs] In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined that sort of feedback and offer, I am so honored and so happy.

Being the judges’ favorite is not a small thing.
It’s huge, and literally, I was speechless, and actually watching the episode I was listening to the whole thing very intently because I had completely blanked out during the actual thing, it felt like I was listening to Isaac for the first time. I was trying to hold back emotions and tears.

You were the youngest person on the show. How did you feel about that? Did you feel a lot of pressure?
I know that I mentioned it so many times during the show and you won’t believe me, but I never even saw it as an aspect of me in the competition until it was sort of pushed as such a factor when I was auditioning. I was just there to present my work and I thought that my work would speak for itself and then they kept mentioning to me that I was the youngest one on the show and the least experienced. And my reaction was, “wow, is everyone really that much older than me? That much more experienced?” And that sort of got me putting this armor up when I went into it.

You definitely had the trendiest collection. Do you think that’s an important element when designing a new collection?
Yes, I think that’s what fashion is all about. I don’t think that it’s necessarily me thinking that’s important to be trendy. To me the beauty in fashion and how fashion…your first reaction when you see it. The reason why we exist as fashion designers is to sort of to convince people that this is what they should be wearing next. You have amazing designers in this world like Balenciaga, Prada and you see their collection for the first time and you go, “Have they gone crazy?” That’s an amazing thing about fashion that if you can convince people you can get away with that.

Your collection had so many details, like the leather shoulders, for example.
I really enjoyed working on it. There was so much I put into it. I don’t think people realize how much of a craft I used to create it. For example, the bustier and the leather shoulders, I created clay molds and then baked the molds, and then shellacked the molds, and each pair of shoulders I soaked for a day, then stretched them for hours and hours, they took a week to dry, and then I would put the next set on, the bustier the same thing, I kept soaking it and re-stretching it all so that it could be completely seamless.

What did you want to convey most with your collection?
When I first started my research, the thing that inspired me the most about the armor was, like I said, the seamless factor. In typical fashion designing and pattern making you need seams to go with a woman’s curves. I was so inspired by these cast, metal armor plates and the way they were shaped like a chest or shoulder and I want to do that. I saw this hard but edgy inspiration in my head and hearing Isaac and Fern saying “why don’t you show more who you are? You are young and you are a girl.” You know, to show more youth, more of a feminine touch, so I wanted to find that balance.

Anna

Congratulations, Anna! We’re so happy for you. Were you surprised?
Thank you. I definitely was surprised, I was prepared for whatever outcome, so yeah, I was thrilled and surprised and it was great.

You kept a very low profile on the show. You even said you don’t have the TV personality.
I was just thinking in the back of my mind that no matter what happened I still would have to step out of it and be in the real world again and in my profession and in this industry you don’t want to lose respect from people because you did something stupid on a reality TV show. That was always there for me for sure.

Being the head designer of Dolce Vita, do you feel that helped you during the competition?
Oh, yeah, that was really challenging. They have a very successful shoe brand, but then we launched this clothing line to go with it. They’re all about selling, so that job really taught me how to make clothes that people want.

Your collection was inspired by Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. What exactly did you take from the painting to your collection?
I was really struck by how fantastical the painting is, how surreal it is. It’s interesting how it was painted in the 1500s and yet it’s so modern. Especially the colors, for me, I love the colors in that painting, the nature, floral aspects…there was so much to take from it.

Some people thought that your collection was just a rehash of what you did on the show. Do you agree?
I think I did detailing that I used on the show, but I don’t think it’s a rehash. I definitely tried to push it forward and add new things. Do a detail but push it further, like the long blue gown, that was much harder than what I did on the show. I really had to think about the proportions and all of that.

Did it bother you that you weren’t the judges’ favorite?
No, it didn’t bother me. It was obvious to me that they loved Daniella’s collection. Actually, I love it too. Her collection is very current and it looks a lot like what is popular in high-fashion right now. It made sense to me that she was the judges’ favorite.

Not everything has to be high-fashion and we think you have a good eye for what women want to wear.
You really have to spend the time talking to people, getting their feedback, not to be afraid to hear it. It has helped me grow as a designer.

It was exciting watching your runway show. The crowd went crazy with every piece. Obviously people like what you produce. What was your reaction to that?
I was thrilled, I was backstage and I couldn’t really hear it, but I heard clapping and I was saying to myself “Why are they clapping? It’s not over yet.” [laughs] It was incredible seeing people have an emotional response to the pieces, that is so wonderful, that’s what I wanted.

What’s next for Anna?
I’m going to start immediately doing e-commerce on my website and I may open a store here in NY. I like the idea of having the face-to-face interaction with the public and taking my clothes straight to the customers. That’s definitely a possibility, I just need to see how the financials work out.


[Photos: BravoTV.com]


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TFS: James-Paul's Collection

Let's talk about the most hated collection in the history of fashion!

We're not sure exactly why James Paul's collection engendered such strong opinions, but judging by the comments section, his collection was not only hated by a bunch of y'all, but it seems like some of you were offended by it.

Well, surprise! We kind of loved it.

In fact, if this was Project Runway, which places great importance on innovation, he'd almost certainly be the winner. Since this is TFS, which can't decide what kind of show it wants to be, his fate remains hard to predict. Let's take a look at what he showed, shall we?

One thing you have to remember going into this is that JP is all about form and structure. Nothing illustrates this better than the styling choice to have the models wear tights over their shoes. You still get the form, but he's wiped away any embellishments. It's a neat trick. Anyway, this is probably not the strongest look to open with, but the separate pieces are nice.

This is a little more interesting and dramatic. We're not supercrazy about the skirt flap, but we like that top.

Our BlogESP is kicking in and we know what you're thinking. Look, he's NOT designing clothes for "real people" (whatever that means). He's working in an almost purely conceptual arena. If you want to judge these clothes based on whether you or anyone you know would wear them, you're missing the point. One could argue that this was not the time or place for such things (and we wouldn't disagree), but this is who he is and the judges allowed him to get to this point, so why pretend that he's a different designer?

Our main criticism of this collection is the lack of color. Betsey Johnson praised this collection to the heavens but even she admitted it wasn't exactly "uplifting."

This one's probably a bit too dour for us and we think the skirt is too long.

We're not crazy about this one either. Cocktail dresses don't really lend themselves to innovation.

And while this is a little interesting from a formal perspective, it is, again, too dour.

This was really the "sit up and take notice" look for us. Unusual and weirdly beautiful.

That jacket is great. The skirt is kinda bleh.

We loved this dress. Our only criticism is that it would have looked so much better in a less gauzy fabric.

Ditto on the gauze here but that jacket is stunning.

In the end, he managed to do something that even the most accomplished designers rarely manage to: he showed us pieces and silhouettes that felt new and original. Sure, it owes a lot to designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Commes des Garçons, but he still managed to make it his own.

Fashionistas eat that shit up and that's why the judges praised it so much. No, you won't see these looks walking down the street, but with a little imagination, quite a few of these pieces can be interpreted and paired with more conventional clothing. People couldn't believe it when Fern said she'd wear some of this stuff, but Fern tends toward some big attention-getting pieces (like the outsized white jacket she wore this episode) so we have no problem believing her when she says that.

As for his "indigenous people" inspiration, it made sense to us. It was never meant to be a literal recreation of such clothing, merely a starting point for his collection. As such, it works. These really do look like clothes that were found and re-interpreted.



[Photos: BravoTV.com/Getty Images/WireImage - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com - Video: BravoTV.com]

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The Fashion Show Previews

This is it, ladies!

Which of these bitches is the Top Bitch?

Y'know...it's kind of surprising that Bravo doesn't have a Top Bitch show. We'd try out.


Anyway...

Isaac and Kelly drop a bombshell!

Ruh-Roh! Reco's got problems!


Can you see us in the crowd? No? Good.


And the judges tell us stuff we already know.

[Photo/Videos: BravoTV.com]


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TFS: Wrapup

Hey, remember this show?

Y'know, Johnny was a bitch for calling this dress ugly in front of the judges, but was he wrong?

Because, it IS ugly.

And tacky.

Over-ruched up top and see-through on the bottom. Sometimes Reco just can't get away from the stripper wear.

When this first came out on the runway, we didn't think it was that bad.

Plain, maybe; a little boring, but not bad.

But we shouldn't have trusted the gaslit Bravo lighting, because once it got hauled out in front of the judges, we could see how bad it was.

Just a very weird combination of fabrics that wound up looking, in Glenda's words, "tortured."

Can't say we disagree. That velvet was absolutely the wrong choice of fabric for what he was trying to do.

Y'know, we thought this dress should have won and we still think that, but we have to admit...

...seeing it in "the light of day," so to speak, it's only an okay dress.

Better than the rest in our opinion, but certainly not anything we haven't seen before.

The back was interesting; she went with the butt cups again, and the bow is a nice touch, even if it's a little too big and floppy.

But it's a fairly basic dress with just a couple twists to it. As we said, the best of the lot, but it's still not all that interesting.


[Photos: BravoTV.com - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]


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TFS: Two Highly Technical Critiques

Alright, bitches, it's gorgeous out and we don't want to spend all day talking about dresses! Hit it!

Coulda beena contenda.

This was not only gorgeous, it was by far, the best thing Reco's done all season. Loved the piped ruffle...

... and the way the piping continued into the pants. Very streamlined and modern.

This top, on the other hand, was sheer ass. No defending that. It was probably what gave the win away to Anna.

But still, good job Reco. We would have loved to have seen Bravo completely fuck it up manufacture it.

Lorenzo thinks he may have had a winning concept that got lost in the poor execution. Tom thinks the poor execution was just a distraction from the overall bad design.

Sure, there are some interesting ideas here...

But it's hard to look at floppy sleeves ...

...and a floppy ass and see it as anything but a bad idea.

The boy makes a perfectly good conceptual designer but he really flails about when he has to make an actual wearable garment. Look at the way he agonized over his poor model's "hump back."

We sympathize, because just LOOK at how her horribly deformed carcass is ruining the elegant lines of this dress.

In short, we don't care how conceptual it is; it's a poo dress.

[Photos: BravoTV.com - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]


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