Project Runway Season Six designer, Louise Black presented a trunk show at Feathers Boutique yesterday. BPR's own Frank Hui attended the "Austin Fashion Week" event and sends us this report. Thanks Frank!
All photos: Frank Hui
Dear BPR,
My roomie Rick and I have been attending a few Austin Fashion Week events. Luckily most are open to the public for free. Been lots of fun. Someone like Louise, who's a quirky doll, fits right in to the Austin mix of being professional and being eccentric.
Austin Fashion Week pairs up a designer in fashion, jewelry or accessories with a specific boutique or salon for their mutual promotion. Louise had a trunk show at Feathers Boutique along with wild wigs from Coco Coquette. Here is one of Louise's corsets.
Louise Black discusses the best and the worst things about appearing on Project Runway. She also talks about team challenges and offers advice to other indie designers.
Your garments are always detailed, meticulous and distinctive and this week was no exception. In the difficult maternity challenge you created a look that was near the top and was chosen by Laura K. as her favorite. This week you pitched a successful concept to Martine Reardon that SHE felt would fit in with the INC brand and you delivered what you promised. Your biggest mistake this week was selecting a talented partner with immunity, making you the most likely target if at the bottom. It's safe to say that your customer probably doesn't spend a lot of time in Macy's; you went out by staying true to your look and YOUR customer. And your bird noises? Adorable.
This post is only for positive words for Louise Black.If you have negative commentary or something to say about another designer, you may do so in our Reactions post here.
Our polls for Episode 6 are closed. You disagreed with the judges and felt that Epperson deserved the win. Click here to see the results. You again clashed with the judges and felt that Louise should have been the 'auf.' Click here to see the results.
Check back with us tomorrow for our Episode 7 poll.
Our polls for Episode 4 are closed. You disagreed with the judges and felt that Louise Black deserved the win. Click here to see the results. You agreed with the judges and thought that Qristyl should have been the 'auf.' Click here to see the results.
Check back with us tomorrow for our Episode 5 poll.
There is still time to bid on the Project Runway episode four garments. Right now Louise's garment has the highest bid. (For the record, this was my favorite. I'm a sucker for an LBD.) Click here for all of the auctions.
Click here to see Christian Siriano's new shoe collection - available at Payless in the spring!
Nina Garcia speaks out on the Gosselins and declares that Heidi Klum has fabulous style - even at eight months pregnant. Click here for the story.
For the record, my favorite design from this challenge was the avant-garde dress created by Louise Black and Althea Harper. I was very surprised that this design was dismissed as part of the "middle" group. In fact I felt that the three "middle" pairs were the three best in this episode.
The bodice is crafted from zippers and is very well-executed. It fits Tanisha perfectly. The skirt is exuberant and fun and the decoration on the back is fashioned from safety pins - update: They're zipper pulls!
Listening to Tim's workroom critique, we learn that this team made some serious adjustments to the original plan for this look.
This was a fabulous collaboration by two very talented designers.
For the record, I do believe that Shirin's design was a slam-dunk and completely and definitely worthy of the win in episode two. However, I'd like to take a closer look at Louise's design.
This dress is lovely and flattering from all angles. Louise was thoughtful and prepared enough to purchase the right dye and to know exactly how the lace would absorb the dye to create the color that would match the fabric.
Watching Tim's critique here - you'll see that she was also flexible. She added an extra tier, considered shorts, ruffles, etc. - and listened carefully to Tim.
In the end there was a layer of lace added to the bottom of a slip layer. This adds versatility and a little bit of modesty as well - honestly, this was a much better idea than the shorts.
After two episodes, some of the designers have created two completely different looks - as if they were not made by the same person.
Louise is staying true to her aesthetic and, in my humble opinion, she is definitely one to watch.
Check out the auctions here to bid on your favorite garments from episode 2.
And there is still time to vote for YOUR favorite design here.
People.com's introduction to the season six designers includes a quote from Tim Gunn about each contestant.
Carol Hannah Whitfield, 24: "She's young, just out of design school," says Gunn of the South Carolina native, who currently resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. But "people will be disarmed by what they see her achieve."
Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman, 31: "He's someone who in my view thinks entirely too much," Gunn says of the Chicago resident, whose favorite designer is Marc Jacobs. "I was constantly surprised in the workroom – suddenly, there's a new design."
Johnny Sakalis, 30: A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, Runway's new West Coast home, "Johnny will be polarizing," Gunn says of the L.A. resident. "People will love him, or hate him."
Irina Shabayeva, 27: A native of the Republic of Georgia, she counts Cleopatra as a style icon. And Gunn admires the designer's sense of proportion and fit. "Her models look as if they've been in for a dozen fittings," he says, "and they haven't."
Malvin Vien, 24: "When you see this guy, you won't believe he's from Colorado," Gunn says of Vein. Talk about an eclectic fashion palette: His style inspirations include rural Chinese farmers, Japanese ghost stories and insect anatomy.
Althea Harper, 25: "Everyone [thinks] she's only on the show because she's a tall blond beauty," admits Gunn. "But she's extremely talented. She's going to blow people away."
Qristyl Frazier, 42: Hailing from St. Louis, Mo., her style icons include Halle Berry, Whitney Houston and Gwyneth Paltrow. "Qristyl is a hoot," says Gunn. "She likes a lot of color, and print. She's entertaining to watch."
Logan Neitzel, 25: "Logan's from Seattle, and you get a crunch-granola feeling in what he does," Gunn says of the self-described "guys' guy" who likes snowboarding and cars as much as he likes John Galliano and Tom Ford.
Mitchell Hall, 26: "Mitchell looks like he just stepped out of Gossip Girl and I think that's who he'd like to design for," Gunn says of the Savannah, Ga., resident, who is a creative director for a Vera Wang bridal salon.
Ari Fish, 26: "She's deeply conceptual," Gunn says of the self-taught Kansas City, Mo., native, who doesn't sketch or drape her designs, but sews fast. Her influences include geometry, ergonomics, nomadic tribal wear and athletic apparel.
Nicolas Putvinski, 27: Born in Moscow, he's had designs commissioned for W and Vogue – and may be a bit of a fashion snob. "If you have such a bad taste in your mouth about American fashion," Gunn has wondered about the F.I.T. grad. "Why are you here?"
Shirin Askari, 25: "She's young, she's pretty, she's articulate," Gunn says of the Garland, Texas, resident whose style icon is Katharine Hepburn. "I'm not sure what is distinctive about her, other than the fact that she's good."
Christopher Straub, 30: "Christopher is very sensitive, very emotional. He wears his emotions on his sleeve," Gunn says of the Shakopee, Minn., resident, who appreciates volume, eye-catching fabrics and Victoria Beckham.
Louise Black, 32: Gunn describes the native Texan as "thoughtful, contemplative, and never a hair out of place." A fan of Christian Lacroix, the first garment the former clinical lab technician ever made was her own wedding dress.
Gordana Gehlhausen, 45: The Yugoslavia-born designer now owns a boutique in San Diego. Expect a lot of "textile development," says Gunn. "It wouldn't be a case of going shopping and using the fabric she brought back. She'd do things to it."
Epperson, 50: "He is the most senior in terms of design career and reputation," Gunn says of this self-taught designer who grew up in Harlem, N.Y. "He has a distinguished career. He's elder-statesmanlike."
Click here to read about Season Six designers Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman and Christopher Straub in the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Christopher is an underwear designer who tried for Project Runway four times. Katy Gerdes calls Ra'mon-Lawrence "dramatic" and "interesting."
Click here for more about Ari Fish from pitch.com.
Project Runway season three designer, Kayne Gillaspie will be at Austin Fashion Week. Click here for details. We'd love a field report! Thanks Frank.
Age: 32 Birthplace: Temple, TX Current Home: Dallas, TX Favorite Designer: Christian LaCroix Style Icon: Isabella Blow Favorite Past Project Runway Designer: Jay McCarroll, Season 1 Click here for more information.
Photo: Mathew Imaging/WireImage
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