So here Leslie and I FINALLY sit, wine and pens in hand ready to watch Part One of the finale. Hannah, rocking a red jumpsuit Heidi Klum would love, tells the designers they will present six looks for the finale. In the “adult” Project Runway we get to see Tim Gunn visit the designers in their hometowns and critique their collections as they are works in progress. Do the Project Runway Jr designers get the sage wisdom of Tim? No. No, they do not. They get five weeks, $4000 and a video camera to send footage of themselves working. Les and I both think this is LAME. Les points out that when they actually have time to work on things it can go either way on the design front. There is a tendency to over design or get stuck. This is why Tim needs to visit!
Chelsea feels very confident. Izzy has figured out that she has $660 for each outfit and I tell Les that I guess Izzy IS good at math, then she confesses she used a calculator to figure that out. Tieler and Hawwaa are making six looks, but only get to show two and the judges will pick the fourth finalist based on these “preview” looks. They keep saying this again and again. Tieler is very ready to get to work. Chris is not trying to win, he is designing six looks he loves and hoping that will impress the judges.
From the home videos, we learn, Tieler has done a lot of work. One of his moms is in the background helping out. She tells him she is proud and tells him jokingly he should be further along in the competition. Izzy looks frazzled in her video. She says she is halfway through, but worried about time and cohesion. Chelsea has only done two looks and asks everyone to pray for her. Hawwaa looks like she has done a LOT of work. Her mom is there to say she is very proud and her little brother is there to tell her the collection is “weird”. God bless little brothers everywhere. Chris is done. Except for three pieces he hasn’t started. I pause the show and ask Leslie if that means three looks? or a three-piece look? She doesn’t answer because she is looking through Saturday Night Live cast members to figure out which one reminds her of Chris. Her husband, Jerel pipes up and says “three piece look”. Les figures out she’s thinking of Bobby Moynihan.
The designers arrive in California where they will be working at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The winner will receive a scholarship here. Considering tuition is over $30 grand, this is a big deal. Tim does a meet and greet with each designer and their family members. Les wonders why Derek Jeter couldn’t kick in for some plane tickets for Tim to go visit these kids in their hometowns. I just shake my head.
Izzy’s aunt is the one who convinced her to try out for the show. Her mother is an artist and very proud of Izzy’s creativity. Tim asks how they think Izzy is handling being creative in this “pressure cooker” of an environment. We learn that Izzy was in a horrific snowboarding accident and almost died. She now looks at each day as a gift and Leslie and I are extremely impressed by this sage wisdom from a sixteen year old. She then says she is like a giant magic sea turtle that is going to slay everyone. I find myself loving Izzy.
Chris’s mom loves his work and calls it art. Tim agrees. Chris is ready to finish the show. He compares it to a fun ride that “you enjoy, but eventually need to get off so you can go vomit in a corner.” He explains that it took him a few challenges to understand how to make a runway look and hit his stride. He would like to go to design school and focus on textile design. Tim says he can see him as a lifestyle designer. To no one’s surprise and Tim’s dismay, Chelsea started her collection a week ago. Tim asks her parents if she does everything this way. Apparently she does, but they are proud of her anyway. Hawwaa’s father calls her a “leader” in their family. Tim comments on her maturity and her dad tells him how Hawwaa wrote a novel in middle school. Tim says she tells a story through her design now. He asks how she feels about going head to head with Tieler. She says she’s cool with Tieler.
Tieler has brought both his moms. He nearly lost his collection when his workspace was flooded, but his mom Tahmi managed to save everything. He was very influenced by Van Gogh with his collection and as a misunderstood person. He mentions how he was the fat kid who was brutally bullied in his small town and winning this would prove to his nine year old self that he is worth something. Awesome Tieler, you do NOT need to win to validate yourself. You are awesome.
The designers head to the workroom to unpack and check out each other’s work. Izzy says “If anyone is wondering why I’m goth now it’s because this collection killed my soul.” Les asks if Izzy is my new fave. Chris feels bad for Tieler because he thinks Hawwaa’s collection is amazing. Tieler’s is certainly beautiful, but seems more restrained. Hawwaa is nervous and thinks of herself as the underdog. These collections are so completely different it’s hard to judge them against each other. Tim is very worried about this fashion showdown and reminds them only one of them gets to go on to show their entire collection. They know Tim. We know.
Tim’s Critique
Hawwaa’s collection was inspired by the circus. Tim tells her it makes him smile. He pulls out a jacket and says that’s it’s a “boudoir” look. Hawwaa is like, dude, it’s a kids show. He tells her the underneath pieces are throwaways and the outerwear is the story. He advises her to take her favorites, put them on the models then be “critical and objective”.
Tieler explains his Van Gogh influence and explains that his paintings were so vibrant bees would be attracted to his work. There is a LOT of embroidery. It is beautifully done but I feel as though Tieler got a little too cerebral on this one. You know what would have helped? A VISIT FROM TIM. Tim says the collection doesn’t take him to van Gogh and doesn’t think he should emphasize that reference. He tells him to explain it as a “starting point”. He also doesn’t want him to use the first and last looks. Tieler disagrees. TIELER LISTEN TO TIM. Tim uses the words “hippy dippy”. This is not good.
Leslie thinks the reason Tim is so upset is that he didn’t get to mentor the contestants during their time at home. Chelsea sums up what’s going to happen at this judging by asking, “Are we going with fun? Or sophistication? Les and I are worried and postpone the inevitable by talking about refrigerators.
Judging
Hannah comes out in an outfit that looks like Hawwaa designed it. This does not bode well for my man Tieler. She reminds them for the 10,000th time that only one of them is going on to the finale at which point I scream at the TV, “WE GET IT!!!!!!” Les notes that I almost popped out an eyeball. She muses that perhaps they will both make it.
Hawwaa’s looks are too much for Leslie and I. Too costumey. The jumpsuit is giving me a headache. Tieler’s look are beautiful, but VERY simple. Leslie then wonders if they are both going to get eliminated and I threaten to hit her with the remote.
Hawwaa explains her inspiration (Clowns freak me out, btw). Aya tells her she did a great job and she wants to see more. She admires her commitment to a bold color story and the fact that she took risks. Kelly loves the jumpsuit but thinks she might need more editing. Hannah is impressed, but thinks it is fun, NOT sophisticated. Christian says it was well thought out, romantic and light (huh?) and her technical ability is much better than what she has shown in the past. He thinks it is layered and rich and not everyone is going to love it, but she really went for it. Hannah says the obvious. Hawwaa should be a costume designer. We agree completely.
Aya asks why Tieler outsourced his embroidery. She notes that it is pretty and conservative and very different then everything else he has shown them. She thinks he can pull off pretty much anything. Kelly agrees it is unexpected. Christian says there are a lot of great elements and it is beautiful and ethereal. He references the Gucci collection that just featured embroidery and tells Tieler this collection has a “vintage” quality to it, but he is confused as these shapes are simple and he thought he would push it more. Hannah loves the bees.
Tieler is eliminated. I am crushed. He bows out gracefully. Hannah is sobbing. Hawwaa thinks she has a shot to take this whole thing. Les asks me if Hawwaa wins after the whole Erin debacle if I am going to quit the show. I have to be honest, this was a hard one to recap. I have higher hopes for next week for the REAL finale.
Do you agree Tim should have visited the designers? Do you agree with the judges? I have to go lie down.
Great recap. Tim should most definitely have gone to visit the designers – that’s always been a bit part of the finale episodes. Still, I think that even if Tim had visited Tieler, it was already too late to save him. The decision to outsource all the embroidery, which was really the focal point of his outfits, was a huge mistake. It made it look as though all he contributed was two basic silhouettes, even though they were graceful and probably would have sold. Hawaa’s clothes are not nearly as marketable, in fact, there would probably be a rather small demand for them, but at least she did it all herself. Tieler’s decision to change his style gave the victory to her – if he had stayed with the aesthetic we saw from him all season, he would have been a shoo-in. Hated to see him go – he’s an amazing and interesting young man. Good luck, Tieler – I’m sure we’ll hear from you in the future.
…big part – not bit part.
OMG! I have been WAITING on this post. I’ll try to remember everything I was dying to say.
First of all, remember when LawstAngel said she thought Chelsea was from LA and I was insistent that she was my homegirl from Chatsworth, GA? You know, for a the entire season I have been rooting for Chelsea from GA? I did find it odd that such a cosmopolitan Asian girl was from a mountain town in Georgia, but that just made me love her more.
Chelsea is from Chatsworth, CA. I guess I just keep reading the C as a G because I am a GA girl. I FEEL LIKE I PICKED MY GIRL FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS! Now I can at least divide my allegiance a little bit and also root for IZZY.
Also all it took from the cruel heartless authors of this post was a near death experience for my little sprout head to get some love.
I hated this episode. I think it is cruel and unusual punishment for the two kids that have to have a head to head walk off.
I hated Tieler’s collection. I hated Tieler’s models. I hated the embroidery. I hated the appliques. I HATED BEING REMINDED OF ERIN AND HERE BANANAS. I hated the bees. I hated the overlay. I HATED THAT THIS WAS NOT A TIELER COLLECTION. I especially hated that Tieler went home.
I thought Hawwaa’s collection was her best work of the season. I could live with her staying over Tieler if that was the reason she stayed. But it was not. The reason she stayed was because she was Kelly Osborne’s favorite. Kelly loves to pick the most out there person. She collects people in her life who are the fartherest off the normal chart. I fully expect her to try to adopt Hawwaa away from her parents so she can display her in a cage in her house.
That is all, FOR NOW.
Oh wait no it is not. I am dying to see Chris’ collection. His stuff didn’t look like anything he had ever done and looking cohesive and interesting.
Lol…. fag not fat. This is the bottom line…they asked us for SPRING and this is how I invision spring. If they would have asked for a fall/winter they wud have gotten my more sturctural pieces..but who in their right mind would wear stuctural pieces in a 100 degree weather and 100% humidity. Look at my real client garment that they loved…. pink and girly…. so this is not the first time they have seen this side of me. Ok.off my soap box..have a great weekend . Btw..the embroidery is in line with trend 😉 so its ok for you to hate what ever …as individuals dont always agree ALTHOUGH i do agree I HATE THAT I WENT HOME TO
Well that makes much more sense (the spring part) I have Gucci AND Dolce and Gabanna embroidered pieces- so I loved it. I would make a MUCH better judge. And you are fabulous my friend.
Hi Tieler…..Hope you continue to read here after your comment. I want you to know that I was crushed that you went home. You were my number one from day one. A lot of the stuff you made this season just knocked my socks off. I will be looking for your clothes. You are very talented and no doubt will go on to be a huge success. Your journey is just beginning. Godspeed.
Loved your designs, Tieler. Bigly loved your attitude! Looking forward to seeing your future designs. Wishing you happiness.
I giggled at the ‘fat’ bit too. I thought of the pink fire fighter challenge dress too when I saw the collection. Tieler you are hands down the best designer of the series and I would wear each of the pieces you showed all damn day. I am sure Hawwaa is a lovely girl, but who wants to look like the court jester?
no one.
Juliet Angus from Ladies of London
Tieler, I am so happy to see you here. You are an extremely talented young man and should be so very proud, in addition to your talent, you were a friend and champion to the other contestants on PRJ. I am so sorry you were eliminated and we will not be able to see your final collection.
One thing about the judging this week that I found to be a bit offensive was the judges comment about the collection being “Southern”. My initial though was “But of course, Tieler is from the South!”
Whenever I hear a person from the Left or Right (West/East) Coast speaking in this way, I am immediately annoyed as I find this to be dismissive to the rest of our country and a very elitist comment. An “oh, these midwesterners or southerners have no idea what is fashionable or hip unless we New Yorkers or Cali-girls tell them so” As a native New Englander, I take offense to this attitude. Sadly, as soon as Aya made the comment and then threw in the “Not that Southern is bad…” I thought “Tieler is doomed”.
Oh well, I am deeply disappointed as I was cheering you on since the first episode. With that said, congratulations and best wishes. Your future is bright!
Where was the Teiler we cheered for all season? His collection was nice but that was it. Not the least bit edgy as he has been previously.
He handled his loss with dignity and I had noticed he was always cheering everyone on all season. A good person.
But I can happily root for Izzy and Chris and Chelsea
And hope to see Teiler show up on an all stars program. His early work this season was better than some of what we see on the regular show. I felt he might be the next Christian Sirriano.
Ah well. I am often wrong on this show which I guess means I have no fashion sense.
I think Tieler was the Laurence Basse of his season. Both amazing designers but underwhelming collections for the finale. Tieler has amazing talent, he just need to figure out how to capitalize on opportunities now, as well as getting his degree paid for. Laurence did with the luxury car company contract. The world is his oyster. I’m ready to purchase!
I was heartbroken. Tieler was a pleasure to watch all season. I will miss hearing him say Mr. Tim.
When they said they were sending cameras and not Tim, I had a feeling of doom. Who needs Tim to come visit and mentor more than young designers?!
Cj,I have been stalking the blog waiting for your post.
Tieler, you won in my mind. That Haawaa stuff looks unfinished, blocking didn’t meet, it was childish and just not fashion in any sense of that word. You keep your head up, shoulders back and follow your heart!
Thanks yall… i can be honest and say by the time I am of age to be on adult my brand wil be way to developed so i think this is my last rodeo. But yall better follow me so yall can say i remember when !! Big hugs yall!!! Oxox
Honestly TT I had no idea there was a Chatsworth in GA!! Chatsworth in CA is in the San Fernando Valley, but it is part of the City of Los Angeles. They are not an incorporated city.
Anyway, I thought this was such a cop out. Hawaa’s stuff was not fresh and fashion forward, it was unfinished and crafty in a bad way. I don’t know how Aya Kanai has her job, she would in no way put any of that stuff in her magazine ever! I agree about Kelly lobbying for people who are unique. Mark my words Hawaa will come in last.
Teiler stuff may not have been “out there” but it was well made, it fit well and I did not find it similar to Erin’s at all. He should have stayed period! I’m not sure I care enough to watch the finale after this.
I can’t believe Tieler went home! He was the clear winner from the beginning. As upset as I was, when it happened all I thought was, “CJ is going to lose it!”
I hope they bring him back for All Stars. He’s talented enough to compete against the adults.
IF HAWAA WINS I WILL DROWN MY SELF.
I was very skeptical at the idea of Project Runway Junior, as I don’t typically like to watch children thrust into adult-style competitions (e.g. Masterchef Jr and such). I was very impressed by the many talented competitors on this show and hope that they call go far in their chosen careers. In fact, I found myself enjoying this program much more than the “adult” show. Thank you CJ and Leslie for the fun recaps.
I am very sorry to see Tieler go, as he is clearly very talented. pieces His pieces were lovely and wearable, which I personally appreciate but doesn’t always go far on the runway. I will look forward to seeing much more from him in the future.
These kids are wonderful and I don’t want anyone to lose because I keep crying. They all should get scholarships at least. James did have some great pieces in the beginning and was a shoe in for presenting a collection.
Hawaa has been lucky to last as long as she did, but it was more than Osborne getting her way to get this far. Is it possible for Hawaa to win? No, but she needs to go to design school to refine her talent.
It is necessary for Tim to visit each designer. I think they learned their lesson because it could have saved James.
Tieler, Loved your collection but do understand the criticism that if you removed the embroidery, the clothes very fairly basic (but I loved that!) And I loved how you were 100% behind your work. Best of luck to you!
These are children you are speaking about.They have a right to their design aesthetics and you do not have an adult and harsh opinion. After all they are doing what they love.all you are doing is criticizing. Good Luck to each designer on the show this season.continued success.
CJ, as always, thanks to you and Leslie for another fabulous recap. I too am devastated Awesome Tieler was sent home. His grace in defeat is to be admired. All of these contestants are so talented it gives me hope for our future.
I just can’t with Hawaa. Great recap!!
Look forward to posting tonight’s Finale as CJ Bomb is out of the country on vacation! My daughter and I plan to enjoy our drinks (water & wine as she is only 14!) and embrace the remainder of this season. Goodness, after reading the comments and prepping for tonight, I loved the “Southern” commentary. I totally agree with the lack of class that Aya displayed in that commentary. Maybe she needs to venture out some more to places other than the runway. Good Luck to the Final 4!