Hard Working Man

Well, Rami may not have won Project Runway, but he's working that tight little ass like he did.

First up, the Spring/Summer 2008 collection that he put together at the same time he was doing his Fall 2008 Bryant Park collection for Project Runway:













It's very L.A. Simple shapes and silhouettes with little embellishment but draping galore. There are some pretty looks here. We still kinda wish he'd move into a different color palette, though.

Plus, his exposure on PR has made him quite the hot little commodity on the red carpet:

It seems like at least once a week, some little starlet is wearing a Kashou in front of photographers. Good for him. We don't completely get behind his aesthetic, but if there's one thing it is, it's red carpet-ready.

And finally, for all of you Kashou Nuts out there who want to own a piece of the man, there's this:

"Project Runway finalist Rami Kashou, will design an exclusive look for the one year anniversary show of Scoop Style on HSN. The show will air on May 15th at 1:30am-2:00am and 10pm-12am. Kashou will make a special appearance on that day, which follows two consecutive Scoop Style on HSN sell-out shows. Kashou’s dress highlights the designer’s draping expertise with a rayon-blend fabric, available in black, rich peacock, lime pop and vintage sea foam for $280.00."

Save those quarters now, ladies! You could be draped Rami-style!

[Photos: RamiKashou.com]

Judging the Judges: Vera Wang Spring 2008 Collection

Let's rip look at one more, shall we, poodles?

According to Vera, she looked to ancient Rome for inspiration, although we can't say we see it. From the program notes: "Spring-Summer celebrates clothes that are imbued with a lyricism and drama, particularly as it pertains to warm weather dressing. This season also represents a delicate balance between sophistication and naiveté, subtlety and vibrancy, femininity and a certain boyishness. From the colors found in Nature, which the Romans worshiped… to the colors of their civilization (as my imagination would have me believe) ancient Rome represented an energetic, romantic take on life from which to play with cut, color, and construction."

Again, if you say so. It still looks to us like the clothes of a depressed woman who's ashamed of her body. We will say that we like some of these looks, like the red coat and high-waisted pants, and she does seem to be trying to change up some of her silhouettes and colors. Nice to see jewel tones, even if they're in some rather loud metallics. We just wish she'd let go of the drab grays and earth tones for a while and take a break from the shapelessness. And look into prints, Vera. There's nothing to be afraid of.

(Photos: C. Buscemi/WireImage)