Elisa Jimenez shows Fall 2008 collection

She's gone, but certainly not forgotten. Elisa Jimenez, made famous on 'Project Runway' for using saliva to measure her polymorphic clothing, showed off her Fall 2008 collection at Manhattan venue Touch early Sunday morning.

Newsday scored a seat and also an interview with the designer, combined into a video, below:

Outside of the roughly two and a half minutes of posted video, some, let's just call it, very interesting (if not totally wacky) stuff went down at the show.

You want the highlights?

• Fellow 'Runway' designer Victorya Hong sat in the front row. It should be noted, in spite of her icy exterior on the show, she was the ONLY fellow designer in attendance. Maybe 9 a.m. was just too early for the rest...
  
  
• There wasn't a proper runway. The audience was arranged in semi-circles, the "models" walked in the center, most posing and doing some sort of improv performance or dance, before heading back out. Most likely a fashion week first.
  
  
• Each chair had a blown up surgical glove on it with 'bless' written on it.... backwards. Turns out, Elisa only writes backwards. Each glove was meant to be a 'touch' from the designer to the audience. Hmmm.
  
  
• The show was a theatrical representation of 'The Hunger World,' which Jimenez called a pseudo-fictitious world she started working on some 18 years ago. I still haven't figured out what this Hunger World is, but from looking at the program and speaking to Jimenez, I know that her models were meant to be 'marionettes' and 'puppeteers,' ranging from a 'Little Worm-Thing' to a 'Honey-Giver' to a 'Mistress of Tenderness.' See if you can figure out who's who in the video.
  
  
• As a final note, Jimenez has NOT watched any 'Runway' yet, so she isn't sure if the way in which she's portrayed is accurate. Talented designer? Check. Sweet, yet a bit spacey? Check. Still hand sewing and using oils, herbs and saliva on the designs? Check. I'm going to go with.... YEA!
  
  

--Anne Machalinski

Project Runway Episode 7: Jersey Girls

Designing the all-important dress for 17- and 18-year old girls – yeah, we’re talking prom – that was the challenge this week. And the models, some of them divas in training, hailed from St. John Vianney High School, a Catholic school in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Witchy Victorya, whom the edit tries to soften with her admitting she misses Elisa, wins the challenge with a vibrant blue chiffon mini featuring a geometrical halter that is studded with jewels. Guest judge Gilles Mendel, whose J. Mendel collection not only features outrageous furs, but also includes close to couture evening dresses with dreamy details, is appreciative of her work.

One of the teenagers offers some breaking news: “Girls who go to Catholic School are really wild.” No kidding. Sweet P counts Catholic school as part of her education along with an all-women’s motorcycle gang. But her dress of champagne silk was pure refinement and one of the best conjuring red carpet movie stars.

Kevin, who has prided himself upon being the group’s only straight male, is a goner. And truth be told, his ill-fitting shiny red dress was cheesy – cheap looking as the judges put it -- and well, so long, farewell. He was dignified enough when he took the final walk down the runway, and asserted his manhood even further when he told the cameras, “I got a hug from Heidi Klum. That wasn’t the worst thing in the world.” Um pal, she was kicking you auf, didn't you notice her dominatrix duds early on?

The conflict of the night was between Christian, whom we almost pitied, and his client. Honestly, we reserve the toughest judgment for grownups of course, but this girl was a brat. That said, Christian should have asserted himself more. The dress, a brown satin shirred disaster with black lace overlay, was gracelessly poufed -- ouch. But how very immature of him to blurt out how difficult the girl was during judging. He needs to grow up, though the guy was sort of funny with antics like rolling around on the floor and drama queen statements such as, “I’m going to die.”

His color combo was poor, but by far, the worst color of the night was Ricky’s vampire flesh tone that basically sucked the life out of his model.

Cute touches included the designers' own prom pictures as visuals – Sweet P was really sweet-looking, Christian incredibly avant garde and Kevin, also from New Jersey, seemed the handsome greaser sort. We loved Jillian’s big query: “Is it just me or is my hair bigger than usual? Maybe it was, but then, at least it wasn’t her ego, as was the case with Rami who basically told the judges, “This is what I do,” when explaining why his knee-length acrid–green cocktail dress that had not a hint of youthfulness, looked so very wrong.

- Anne Bratskeir

Photo from BravoTV.com

Elisa Jimenez interviews

The good people of Blogging Project Runway scored a solid interview with Elisa Jimenez.

Give it a read. She's crazy, but worthy of 12 minutes of your time.

There are quite a few other Elisa interviews circulating. Take your pick:

• Entertainment Weekly
• Buddy TV
• Stylehive

Jillian Lewis dishes about 'Project Runway'

After last night's dandy candy episode that fleetingly took Jillian Lewis to a new low point, the Project Runway star from Selden takes a breather and checks in with Newsday’s style reporter Anne Bratskeir for a second exclusive Q&A session.

AB: OK, so tell the truth, will you ever eat red Twizzlers again?
JL: Well, after that crazy mess, I swore off of Twizzlers, but now I’m over it. It was crazy. During the deliberations the lights were very hot and they were melting so although it smelled sweet, it was also really nauseating.


AB: Did you think that you were a goner on the show last night?
JL: At most points I thought that was it for me. I loved the design but it just really kicked my butt. I’m not the type of person who edits my ideas based on the time given, but how can you be sent to a candy store and not use the candy? I was very worried. I hardly ever curse, really rarely, but when I heard the bleeping I knew I must have been really bad.

AB: When Tim Gunn said there were only two hours left including hair and makeup, were you in freak mode?
JL: I think when my model sat down and helped me with stitching; her presence was distracting from the horror. During nighttime, when I only had half of the bodice done, that was scary.

AB: You hit the depths and then we were thinking you almost won. Did you feel that too?
JL: I have honest eyes. I thought Rami was really innovative and there’s enough room for many people to be great, I was actually rooting for him.

AB: In your experience with him, has Christian ever been more annoying than in last night’s episode?
JL: Oh God, I know. He didn’t come around me or Rami to critique us. He knows better. Why he thought it was appropriate to walk around giving his opinion to everyone, well, everybody knows he’s a little immature.

AB: Kevin seemed ticked off at him. Do you think that Kevin might actually throttle Christian?
JL: No, they’re friends. Kevin was just being cute and sarcastic when he said he’d take him off. If I were Kevin I might have knocked him out. Fortunately for him, he didn’t come my way.

AB: Does it make you smile to think that Rami kinda, sort of considers you his muse, and don’t you think he has the world’s best dimples?
JL: He is so adorable, I loved his aesthetic. It’s ironic that it looks like he was designing for me, but before we ever met, we had a similar aesthetic that crosses over in some areas of styling. I don’t know if I loved (the dress) because I wish that I designed it, or I loved it because I want to wear it.

AB: Have you evolved on the show?
JL: In the last episode, I can sense I’m getting more comfortable. I’m not hiding or shy. In a lot of cases I was trying to stay out of the spotlight. That’s changing.

AB: So, as of now, are you feeling the win?
JL: I feel like I’m getting somewhere, but I never feel that I have an automatic on the top. I’m not taking anything for granted. I’ve done well and am getting a great response.

AB: You seemed to well up when Elisa got the boot. Were you sad about it?
JL: I liked her presence, though sometimes she talks too much. She’s a really genuine person, and she does have positive energy, which is real, not like an act. I was touched how she felt so appreciated about the bonds we all share. I did not like her dress and the overall darkness. As Christian would say, “It was a hot mess.”

AB: Speaking of people leaving the show, how’s Jack? (For those who don’t remember Jack, who is HIV positive, left the show for health reasons.)
JL: We all keep in touch. He’s fine. He recovered really quickly. He’s the go-to person. If there were a captain of Project Runway, he’d be it.

AB: You really seem to like vivid colors. Do you have a favorite?
JL: I’ve always loved red. That never changes, but I’ll wear any color. Though in the winter, I tend to wear darker colors. I really loved that sweet, happy combination that Rami just did of fuchsia and red.

AB: Well, this is about fashion, so, what are you wearing right now?
JL: I’m wearing cashmere stirrups, and a bra because I was just trying something on before you called. I’ll be putting a white button down shirt back on after this interview is over.

Photos courtesy of Bravotv.com

Bryant Park predictions

OK, yeah, sure, the designers, judges and producers already know who makes it to Bryant Park for Fashion Week in February 2008. Short of kidnapping one of the contestants or judges and forcing it out of them, we have no idea who is currently working on their collections for the "Project Runway" fashion show early next year.

But we can make predictions. Isn't that what reality TV and the Internet is really all about anyway? Of course, when Heidi sits down to read this post, she might laugh uncontrollably at our guesses. Or she may run around Germany screaming "Who leaked the info?!?" You just never know anymore.

So here we go with our predictions for the three designers we'll see again in February, in alphabetical order. Take a look and share your predictions in the comments section.

Rami Kashou: Seems all-around solid and on point with his designs.



Jillian Lewis: She's our home girl, so we're sticking to our guns and supporting the Long Island girl. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she's pretty darn good at what she does, too.




Christian Siriano: A rebellious choice which could backfire at any moment of any show. But that's the intriguing part. He's whacky and kooky in our eyes and "fierce" in his, but the guess here is that he squeaks by a few times and wins a few times. Fashion is weird that way. Besides, he needs to be on the show as long as possible, just for the humor factor.



And our reasoning for why these folks won't make it to Bryant Park:

Kevin Christiana: Seems pretty solid and confident so far. But the guess here is that he'll throw up a clunker on the runway late in the competition.

Victorya Hong: Seems to hang on too tight. The guess is she'll crack in Week 8.

Elisa Jimenez: A lulu in every sense. As amusing as her exchanges are with Tim Gunn and the other designers, at some point she will feel the wrath of Nina and Heidi.

Ricky Lizalde: Can you imagine the waterworks the week he gets whacked? The Bravo marketing people should hook up a deal with Kleenex for that show.

Chris March: In sports, the cliche is that it's hard to beat a team twice in a season. In fashion, it's easy to lose twice.

Kit Pistol: Great name, which is good enough to sell clothes. Designs? Not good enough to win "Project Runway."

Sweet P: Straddles between cool and awful. At some point, there will be less awful designs to stand in her way of the exit door.

- Mark La Monica

Week 4 poll results

Only four weeks in and we've got ourselves a favorite designer to hate. It looks like, from the results of this week's "Who would you auf?" poll that the more Ricky Lizalde cries, the more he gets voted against.

Of course, in real life, Ricky escaped the wrath of Heidi and friends.

58% Ricky
15% Chris
10% Sweet P
9% Steven
4% Elisa

Project Runway Episode 2

Magic moment: Big Chris is so feklempt he is sobbing. The challenge is to design a two-piece outfit for a pop culture and fashion icon. The contestants wonder aloud…who is it? Madonna? Britney?

Nope. Sarah Jessica Parker. Truth told, we’d be shaking in our Manolos and so were the designers.

There was, of course, a hitch. It had to be dirt cheap – total material costs of $15 to sell in SJP’s Bitten line for mass marketer Steve & Barry’s at the bargain price of $40.

Chris tearily warbles. “She’s the reason I moved to New York…” It's a touch stalker.

In a mere 30-minutes contestants have to sketch the ensemble and go one-on-one to pitch the look to the gal who is arguably the queen of New York fashion. She in turn picks seven of her faves, who in turn pick seven partners to produce the look. The winning team: Victoria and Kevin with their fluid smock dress topped by a saucy racer back vest. Really cute. Though for our money, it was Elisa and tattooed Sweet P who did the job best – a swingy light brown cape atop a turquoise mini-dress. They were in the running but Elisa grosses Heidi out big time by admitting she uses her own spit to mark her dresses. “You should not tell people that,” says Heidi, nearly fainting. Earlier in the show the earthy contestant explains to shocked Sweet P that the spit “imbibes,” the fabric, “with energy.” Sweet P makes the sign of the cross on herself as if to say, “Holy Mother of Mod.”

The judges were dead on when it came to the worst look, though SJP almost weeps when he gets the boot. Marion, who partnered with Steven (please note the dimples on that guy), produces a hideous sweater of mole brown with Pocahontas fringes over an ill-fitting skirt. It starts the journey semi-okay but the fuzzy knit fabric appears to stretch and grow. Michael Kors describes the look as, “Cousin It,” and Heidi despises it. ”It makes us sad. It looks like it came from the basement,”she says. Christian who partners with Carmen comes closed to getting “aufed.” He earns a well-deserved comeuppance, in part for his arrogance. When Tim Gunn suggests a little adaptation on his sleazy, way-too-tight dress and spacey little jacket, the whippersnapper retorts, “I think it’s perfect.”

A note: We say the keeper of the night was Ricky’s charming, frothy red dress with a wide black belt. Ricky, don’t lose that number.

– Anne Bratskeir

Week 1 poll results

The good people who read this Project Runway blog set the tone early in disagreeing with Heidi, Michael, Nina and Monique.

They whacked Simone. You whacked Elisa.

Our Week 1 reader poll:

60% Elisa
21% Simone
4% Ricky

Be sure to vote each week in the poll. It hit the site (over there in the top right corner) every Wednesday and remains open until Monday at midnight.