Project Runway All-Stars,Making it Work With New Hosts and Judges
I’ve been a Project Runway enthusiast since season 1, and though my interest waxes and wanes based on design talent, you can ALWAYS count on Heidi, Kors, Garcia and Tim Gunn to provide entertainment and wax philosophical on an otherwise uninspired episode. Doing prep for this past October’s Portland Fashion Week, I caught wind that Michael Costello would be featured on an upcoming “All Stars” edition of Project Runway— I was pumped! Maybe now some of the rightful winners will get another shot! Maybe some of the designers that were a hare too green would come back and flourish! Maybe a concentration of tried and true talent working alongside each other would translate into a creative commune uptopia of fashion!
Episode one billed the selected “all star” designers as “the most daring and controversial” and also “the best vs. the best”, though I think those descriptions may be mutually exclusive. I was relieved to see Michael Costello and Mondo Guerro revealed first— two designers that proved strong competiton in season 8. As the designers arrived one by one, each talked of bringing their A-game and being ready to prove themselves. I have to admit, I was shocked and a little disappointed to see that ALL judges and the host have been replaced. I can kind of buy their explanation that it’s to “clean the slate”, but theirs were the voices of alternating reason/comfort and disdain that we came to know and love!
Regardless of the hosts, the talent is definitely there this season. Check out the winning and losing looks from the first two episodes:
Episode 1 Winner: Rami Kashou (can you believe everything she’s wearing came from the 99cent store?)
OUT: Elisa Jimenez (Judges didn’t care to read this design)
Episode 2 Winner: Ausin Scarlett (As designer Kara Janx put it, Austin’s “PA-POW moment)
Out: Sweet P (Mind you, the challenge was to create a dress for the OPERA)
Tune in to Lifetime tonight @9pm to watch the all-stars outfit Miss Piggy. Really.
-Sarah Kiley
PFW 2011 Featured Designer: Seth Aaron Henderson
Seth Aaron is the winner of the seventh season of Project Runway, Lifetime’s Emmy-winning fashion design show. Seth was also the head casting judge, filling in for Tim Gunn, for the show’s 9th season. He was voted MY T.V. 2010′s “Best male reality star”. In 2011 he successfully launched a collection of iPad accessory cases, in partner with Maroo. Currently, he is working on his new fall/ winter 2012 collection and is also doing commentary for Lifetime, E network and Style.
Seth Aaron will be launching a fall/winter 2012 collection of sustainable apparel powered by Earthtec, a sustainable lifestyle apparel company, on Friday, October 7. The line will feature stunning, sustainable fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles and will celebrate Oregon’s history as the first state in the nation with a bottle recycling law. The collection will present fashionable and sustainable designer apparel that is price, fashion and lifestyle conscious.
Seth Aaron will launch his collection at Portland Fashion Week on Friday, October 7.
Click here to purchase tickets
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Featured PFW 2011 Designer: Jay Nicolas Sario
Jay Nicolas Sario is returning to Portland Fashion Week with a collection of androgynous, edgy and sexy clothes. This season, he drew inspiration from military using twill, and interesting washes of unauthentic denim. The collection shows his discipline in terms of craft, but his Spring 2012 line is a juxtaposition of tailored and raw edged.
Jay Nicolas Sario will debut his Spring 2012 collection at Portland Fashion Week on Saturday, October 8 alongside fellow Project Runway alum, Michael Costello and Bryce Black. Click here to purchase tickets Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Featured PFW 2011 Designer: Bryce Black
Inspired by his love of wearable art and avant-garde fashion, Bryce Black creates clothing that melds high art and street wear into garments that are also easy to wear.
His garments have appeared on the covers of magazines. Originally from Twin Falls, Idaho, he graduated from Art Institute of Portland and was the first winner of Portland Sewing’s Fashion Forward Program. As the winner, he designed the Fall 2010 line for StudioSKB.
Bryce Black will debut “An Avant Garde Introduction” at Portland Fashion Week on Saturday, October 8 alongside fellow Project Runway alum, Jay Sario and Michael Costello.
Click here to purchase tickets
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Featured PFW 2011 Designer: Michael Costello
Designer Michael Costello may be best known for being a finalist on Project Runway’s eighth season, but his path to Portland Fashion Week started long before that. Costello opened his own boutique at a mere fifteen years old and went on to intern for the legendary Bob Mackie. Having outfitted the likes of Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blidge and Selma Hayek, his next gig will be returning to Project Runway for their All-Star competition— a distinction he rightfully owns.
Before admiring his couture through your flatscreen, you can check out Michael Costello’s designs in person at Portland Fashion Week’s October 8th runway show. Costello will be debuting his highly anticipated resort wear collection described as “effortlessly chic”— exactly what resort wear should be.
Michael Costello will launch his resort 2012 collection at Portland Fashion Week on Saturday, October 8 alongside fellow Project Runway alum, Jay Sario and Portland’s own Bryce Black.
Click here to purchase tickets Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm -Sarah Kiley
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Featured PFW 2011 Designer: Becky Ross for Wicked Qui
Becky Ross, an alum of the current season of Project Runway, is one of nine Catapult; The Emerging Designer Award Comepetitors, debuting at Portland Fashion Week on Weds., October 5th. Audience members in attendance will vote for the top designer who will win an exclusive prize package. Head to http://portlandfashionweek.net/tickets/ to purchase tickets. Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
Becky Ross for Wicked Quick is a collection where alternative casual meets ladylike. The custom-dyed knits are a staple at Wicked Quick whose hallmarks are Speed, Attitude & Rebellion. This collaboration is for the woman who rocks casual edgy clothes in a ladylike tailored way.
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
PFW Announces Catapult Competition Finalists
Designers turned out in record number for Portland Fashion Week’s August 28th Catapult; The Emerging Designers Competition. The high-profile panel of judges included ‘Project Runway’ winner Seth Aaron, international eco-designer Anna Cohen, director of apparel design at Portland’s Art institute, Sue Bonde, Portland Monthly style editor Eden Dawn and President of Designer&Agents tradeshow, Barbara Kramer. Nine designers were selected to compete in a runway show on Weds., Oct 5th where audience members will vote to help select the winner. The top designer scores a prize package including a complimentary show at 2013’s Portland Fashion Week, one year of showroom service by Showroom International, and a spread in Portland Monthly magazine—Catapult’s presenting sponsor. In a press release sent out this morning, Portland Fashion Week revealed the designers who will be competing: Becky Ross (alum of the current season of ‘Project Runway’), Abbie Miller of Wyoming, Summer Gunter presenting House of Summer, Grishley Amanda Grisham, Michelle Franklin, Silkwood Collection by Sandy Varzarschi, Joshua Buck, Moontess by Mihaela Munteanu, and Lizz Basinger.
The winner will be announced at the night’s official after-party at YOLO Lounge (412 SW 4th Ave, Portland OR, 97204).
-Sarah Kiley
I have seen Spring/Summer 2011 through the eyes of Goga and it is a sheer, short, and shiny season.
Gordana’s mastery of all things knitted (she made her first sweater at 7 years old!!) is repeated in a variety of ways in her new collection. My personal wardrobe is full of shoulder baring tops… and when Goga combines off-the-shoulder with an open weave knit… I get a little weak in the knees.
Saturday night at PFW is not to be missed!
-Bree
Goga by Gordana, of Project Runway Fame, will be showing her S/S 11 line on Saturday October 9th.
Seth Aaron to appear on Koin 6 again
Hey everyone, get this:
Seth Aaron will once again be featured in a Koin 6 segment TOMORROW at 4pm. As you may already know, Seth collaborated with our sponsor —and creator of the all black solar panel runway, SolarWorld to design a solar-panel inspired collection for the first time. Make sure you tune in to KOIN 6 News for the fashion segment airing at 4pm. Most importantly, the full collection will be debut on our runway in just a little over a week! Seth Aaron, along with two other Project Runway alumni (Jay Sario and Jonathan Joseph Peters) will be at at Portland Fashion Week on Saturday, October 9th. Don’t miss out!!
Be sure to tune in for the program on Koin 6. And if you have to miss it, no worries! We will post up the video here once it’s available.
-Samantha
From San Francisco via Project Runway - Jay Nicolas Sario
San Francisco based designer, Jay Nicolas Sario is bringing his collection to Portland Fashion Week. Who’s excited? We are! You should be too.
Just In!
It was just announced that Jay Nicolas Sario and Jonathan Joseph Peters (both from season 7 of Project Runway) will join Seth Aaron on the solar panel runways of Portland Fashion Week.
Sario and Peters will be unveiling their first post-Project Runway collections, and will be joined by several other world class designers, such as: Pendleton, Amelia Toro, Michelle DeCourcy, Souchi, Amai Unmei, Idom, and Holly Stalder.
Portland Fashion Week is going to be an event you can’t miss this year.
Chris Cone says:
With the launching of Spring/Summer 2011 collections on the runway, as well as Direct-To-Consumer In-Season shopping events, featuring Fall 2010 lines, a program complete with artisan fashion presentations, emerging designer competition, and an international lineup of headline designers, will combine to deliver a truly world-class fashion week experience.
We can’t wait!
-Danni
Read the original press release here.
For more information on Portland Fashion Week, tickets, and designers click here.
