I was out of town last week, and so I did not the last episode of PR until last night. I wasn't surprised that no one was sent home, and I was happy to see Nancy win for once - and for once she did not make pants. Hopefully she is getting the message. I also did like her outfit the best, and it was very ambitious, considering her client.

The reason I was not surprised that no one went home was that the designers had real clients instead of regular models, and all of the clients were so happy that it would have been a major letdown to tell any of them that their designer was the loser. I think it was very diplomatic not to disappoint any of the clients this way.

Sergio seems to be becoming even more obnoxious, but maybe that's because I had not seen him in a while. He is way too full of himself, and I thought this last outfit was poorly made and also fit poorly. It had a bit of a toga look to it. I did not like Marquise's outfit either, but I did not hate it, and it seemed to make the client happy, which was very important. I would also put Brittany in the bottom three, but I agree that Victoria's was better than Geoffrey's, although with minor adjustments, I may have liked Geoffrey's better. He was stumbling a bit this time.

At this point, I think Marquise may be the next to go, but I'm not sure who will go with him, although it could be Brittany. If Nancy goes back to making pants, she could be out, and if Victoria makes another asymmetrical outfit, the judges could be bored with her as well, unless she makes one that is especially stunning. Since it will be an avant garde competition, I think that Geoffrey and Sergio have the best chances to be safe. I think that Brittany and Nancy will struggle the most with the next contest.

Recap of last show, Olympic challenge

I think sergio is still full of himself, but I thought at least he finally got the message that he should leave off the political messages.

I'm glad Nancy got the win as she really did a good job.

But IMO Geoffrey's dress was not only poorly fitted, but it was totally slutty. I can just hear Tim Gunn say about show leg or boob but not both.

I totally agree with your synopsis Lars. Victoria and Sergio should go for “bad attitudes” but I’m pretty sure at least Sergio will be in the finals. Agree Marquise will probably go next and maybe Victoria unless they knock it out of the park this week.

I think this is the first client episode that I can recall where everyone loved their final looks, as well as the process. There was no drama and the designers 100% listened to their client's wishes, although Christian kept pushing for designer influence which was ignored.

I was thrilled that Nancy won, I loved her design as well as the fabric and always enjoy her enthusiasm and optimism in each challenge. Sergio's design was awful, it looked like an ordinary sundress, nothing celebratory about it and ill fitting. Victoria lucked out to get a client looking for an asymmetrical look. I didn't hate it, but didn't love it either, a bit too short for salsa dancing. Geoffrey struggled and it showed. Rooting for him to take the Avant garde challenge!

While watching the show last night, I was pretty sure which two were going to be eliminated, and I liked that Sergio was cut down to size a bit, being in the bottom three. The finale should be interesting.

I had never seen the building in Manhattan that they used for the "runway", and my brother now wants to make another trip to New York, as well have not been there for more than 20 years. I agreed that it would be nice to go back, and I think it would be interesting to see how the city has changed. I got a glimpse of the skyline when I was in Newark last summer during our trip to Philadelphia. The skyline did look very different from 1995, which I think is when I was last there.

I think The Vessel has been open for about a year. We saw it when it was still under construction, last Fall.

I’m ok with the final 4, I think Nancy may have more wearable designs then some of the others. Will be interested in seeing what they can come up with in 5 months time. There should be enough time for quality tailoring.

I, too, was glad to see Nancy win. Honestly, I did not care for Victoria's designs in the last two shows. She is so full of herself. Sergio is nothing but a big jerk. And he seems to think the judges have only short-term memories of designers lines and don't recall the lines of several years ago.

I agree that Sergio thinks that the judges either have short-term memories or else have been living under a rock, but this is just part of his arrogance/ignorance. He can get away with plagiarizing designs in Austin (a fashion backwater/wasteland), but not in New York, L.A., or San Francisco. If he does not grow up, he will be heading for a huge demise.

I just got caught up. I feel like the finalists were picked for their storyline:

The Second Career

The Self-doubting Genius

The Competitor Who Can’t Take Criticism

and

The Star Who Lacks Their Own Ideas

it will be quite a showdown

I thought they eliminated the right designers....looking forward to what they come up with.

Lars, if you go to see the Vessel, you'll be right by the High Line which is a fun walk and a fast way to get around as you're above the street so no traffic, lights or crosswalks.

The Vessel was a beautiful place to have a fashion show, but I worried about the models in heels going down so many stairs.

I'm not sure what Brittany was thinking, and had picked the correct two going home. Sergio is SUCH a jerk (I had another 4 letter, ending in k word, but deleted). I'm afraid he might win because his clothes and sewing skills will provide the best runway show. I hope if he does not get his own design ideas going, he will not come out on top. His behavior should never be rewarded.

Victoria has gotten on my last nerve.

I wonder if we'll see different attitudes once they are better rested. I can imagine doing this show gets on *everyone's* nerves.

What always surprises me is that geoffrey seems like such a boob in mood...he can't ever seem to pick the right fabric to get it done and yet somehow in the end he seems to pull it off. He has a real issue with indecisiveness. I hope he does well with so many months on his hands to make the collection.

I agree with Geoffrey having a problem with indecisiveness, and I think he may also be a procrastinator when given a long amount of time. I think he may have too many ideas, whereas Sergio does not have enough [original] ideas. If he comes close to copying one more design, there is no way he will win the finale. I think that Christian may prevent this from happening when he critiques the collections mid-way. I don't think Sergio is stupid enough not to listen to Christian's suggestions at this point, but I could be wrong. Sergio could place anywhere in the finale, depending on his decisions.

I'm not sure what to expect from Nancy and Victoria, except that I think Victoria will have a very cohesive collection that will be very well done. I don't think this is enough for her to win, but I do think she will probably come in second. I fear that Nancy's collection may look ready-to-wear and not couture enough, compared to the others. I expect her to come in third or fourth. I might change that prediction after the next episode, as there are still two episodes left.

1929Spanish, I think you are spot on with the how the finalists were chosen. I do think they had to dig to get a criticism for Sergios outfit. After all, the makeup on his model fit the dress, so I really think that was the only thing they could fault. They loved his dress. Did they chose a winner? Allison, I had to go back up and check, you did slip that P***K word in a previous post! But although he is, he also I think is the best seamstress, or is it seamster? Based on the whole season, Victoria and Sergio deserved to be in the final, followed third by Geoffrey. The judges probably had a difficult time choosing between Nancy and Brittany, and just went with the one with the best story and attitude. Brittany was really devastated that she didn't make it, but I think she would have beaten Nancy out had she come up with a better design. It was awful for a variety of reasons, what was she thinking? I mean that dress underneath the jacket????? Really bad! I guess the stress gets to them. When showing clips from the next episode, Geoffrey does seem to procrastinate as he barely had anything to show Christian. And I believe they didn't show anything from Victoria. I really liked this season, but would have prefered that all the contestants were more like the ones on that British baking show, good attitudes and humor and willing to help one another. I wish they would pick a lane, British baking show or Gordon Ramsey style. They could easily edit to either. I would love to know how the fashion industry works from the inside. Lars, can you give us a little peek into the dark side of the industry? I'm sure it is filled with backstabbing and a** kissing and all sorts of other things that we consumers never see.

I totally agree with the final 4. If only Sergio would shut up! His unlikability is due to himself. He did look a little scared at the end that he might not make it. I also have to say that I love the job that Christian S is doing. He is more opinionated than Tim Gunn from fabric choices to "Do you really need a jacket? " questions. Much different approach than " Make it work." Trying to imagine how tired the designers must be.

...a little peek into the dark side of the industry? I'm sure it is filled
with backstabbing and a** kissing and all sorts of other things that we
consumers never see.

That sums up a lot of it. There are so many catty people involved, you can't imagine. And for me, the models were the worst of the lot. A lot of the clients are extremely difficult as well. I was glad to get out of the business, but it did help prepare me for the world of high-end furniture design, as the boss I ended up with was considered to be the most difficult one in the business. She identified with the Meryl Streep character in Devil Wears Prada. but she was much louder and screamed more. One thing that bothered me in fashion design was how much stealing of designs went on, which is probably one of the reasons I find Sergio offensive, besides his condescending attitude, which is also common in the fashion industry. People like to make others feel inferior, and this also bothered me. The designers I knew in San Francisco did not steal designs - it was other people who were not designers who would steal designs and have other people make them. The designers I knew were very nice people.

@gigi4321, it was actually D**K this time. LOL

I think Victoria will have a collection that looks good on the runway, and it will. be well sewn. But I don't think it will. be winner worthy. Let's say Sergio doesn't win due to "borrowing" more ideas from well-known designers. Then I think Geoffrey has a chance if he can give it his all. I wonder if he is ADHD or just unsure/second guessing himself. I wish he had shown more of his talent this season, like more of the avant-garde challenge.

Lars, I think they like to make others feel inferior so they can feel better about themselves. I cannot imagine dealing with anything like Sergio or your ex-boss on a daily basis.

When PR first started, I liked Tim Gunn, but as seasons passed, he (and Heidi) became quite boring. Christian's youth and being opinionated adds to the show. DD1 and Christian have a mutual friend in Hollywood, and we've heard he is a gem of friend.

I'm so not impressed with any of the designers left at this point. This is the weakest season I can remember, IMO. Their designs, except for Sergio's, for the most part look amateurish and thrown together - like if they turned out halfway decent it was an accident. I thought Sergio's this week was stunning on the red carpet, however, I'm not a fashion follower so have no reference for the copying he's being accused of. That's unfortunate if it's true, but it seems pretty difficult to imagine anything that's truly 100% original being done there.

It's unfortunate he comes off as such a self aggrandizing jerk. I felt a little compassion for him after he revealed last night that his self-confidence is a shield to protect him. It sounds like he had a rough go of it when he was younger. Even though he seems to lack the interpersonal skills to make people want to accept ideas or help from him, I do think he has good intentions and his heart is in the right place in wanting to help others. I don't recall him being deliberately mean to anyone.

I think Victoria is only remaining for "color" - a little eccentricity is good in a show. I think her designs are pretty much a hot mess and have been stunned when some of them have been praised. It seems like the judges are stretching to find nice things to say about her stuff, as if they've been told to keep her.

I don't love much of Nancy's stuff either, but did think her design for the wheelchair athlete was wonderful.

It will be interesting to see who wins and what they come up with in their collections.

The one thing to remember about all of this is that, even though it's not scripted it is produced. They decide on a story and extract the supporting footage for a given episode.

So what we've seen of the contestants is what the producers wanted us to see and it's even possible that what we saw was the exception to their behavior and not the rule. Pretty sure there is an element of truth to every portrayal though.

That being said, I wouldn't miss it!

You can get a very brief preview of Thursday's show here. It shows Christian visiting Sergio and a discussion of his concept/inspiration. The preview is very brief, and so I don't think it will spoil the show for you, but I will not discuss details until after Thursday.

That was really funny!

Don't read further if you have not yet watched the show.

Last night's show was a bit of a cliff-hanger, and we are still hanging. It's a bit gimmicky, but that's not really surprising for this show. They say this has never been done before, but that's not 100% true, as they have had a pair of bottom designers (from the top four) compete head to head to see which one would go on, and so they've had four finalists before with only three going on. This is different because it is not just a pair. I do not think they will eliminate anyone at this point using this method. I think the weakest showing this week was Victoria, partly because of her excessive use of "branding", but I think it would be cruel to eliminate her now. In the past, they had two of the four compete with each other before they had made their entire collection, and that was more humane.

Anyway, just one more week to go.

I did not love anything on the runway last night.

It was an interesting show last night.

I thought the majority of the looks were horrible. I did like Sergio's darkest dress with the circle skirt, and Nancy's dress with the neck cowl removed. Nancy's pants outfit wasn't a bad design, but omg that fabric?? Victoria's was boring and sad looking and glad someone pointed out branding was pointless until/if she has a name in demand. Jeffrey's puffer looks were kind of fun, but not particularly well made or styled well. I wonder if they won't kick off 2 of them? I'd send all 4 home.

I didn't love anything last night either, but I did think that Sergio's dress with the fringe looked better on the model than it did in his workroom. I've made things that looked a lot better in motion than when stationary. Still, I thought his outfits looked dated or retro, which is not necessarily bad, but it is less original that way. Nancy went back to pants again, which I think she is overdoing. Victoria's looks were somehow forgettable - I could not get past the branding, and I hope she removes that. I think Jeffrey can work on his outfits to make them look more finished and fitted. He seems to be the most creative one, and he has also gone through a lot in past few months.

Daniel Montgomery's recap of Thursday's show.

Sergio's evening gown was beautiful. Not a fan of the fringe on his other designs. Victoria's designs were less than I expected out of her, but then again, she seemed to let me down each week. Poor Geoffrey, his last month has not been a good one. Hopefully he can pull together some better looks. Nancy, Nancy, Nancy. I hope she edits and focuses (all of them, really!).

Lars - I do have to say I find it interesting that we keep talking about Nancy making pants when most designers continuously make dresses. Last nights pantsuit was a big improvement over her other attempts.

I wasn’t much of a fan about anything either. All of it made me less interested in seeing the rest of their collections. I wish we could have seen what Delvin would have done.

I think it would be cruel to have them work five months on a 10 piece collection then eliminate one or two. If they want to do that, why not have them do a 3 piece collection in one-two weeks, then eliminate? So I hope all four go to the finale.

I liked Sergio’s best. I thought his looks were very well made and polished. I didn’t think they were dated, but I think Nina pointed out the hair and accessories were. Next I like Victoria’s, but they were right about the branding. And the sparkly one just hanging on the model. I thought using the same hat in two looks didn’t work either.

I thought Nancy’s and Geoffrey’s were total misses. Her dress for the wheelchair model from before was much prettier. Agree, that print in a pantsuit was horrendous and her silky dress was nothing out of the ordinary once they removed the neck piece. Most of her collection looked like dark, mottled prints—-ugh!

Geoffrey’s I thought were the worse and I thought he would be top two. Those things hanging down on the pants reminded me of those big flaps you go through at the car wash. Who would really want to wear those big bulky jackets? They reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where George is in a big gore-tex jacket and is knocking everything off the displays in a liquor store.

Of course, I’m no fashionista so what do I know?! It will be really interesting to see how they tweak their collections after the judges’ critiques. They really didn’t need to have a cliffhanger—-like we’re not going to tune in next week!

I actually lived the print and how Nancy places it on the pantsuit despite the fact that I would never wear it. But I’ve seen that exact look before.

I think NYFW fashion shows are more about getting publicity (notoriety) than exhibiting what average people are going to wear. The point is to get noticed, and that can be very difficult in a competitive field.

Of course you are right Lars. Whenever I see clips from famous designers’ shows I can never imagine anyone wearing them in real life. Same with Christian’s Siriano’s designs on Thursday. They always seem OTT to get attention.

I just watched the finale this morning, and came straight here - WHERE IS EVERYONE!?

SPOILER...

.

.

.

.

.

.

When the winner was announced (I thought I knew which way it was going, based on what Karlie was saying!) I was "oh, my God!" and had tears!! My dogs went nuts! LOL So happy for Geoffrey! I loved watching him call his dad at the end.

I thought Nancy and Victoria did a wonderful job, both grew during the competition. I really liked several of their runway designs, but a few not so much. Sergio's evening dresses are amazing. I think they will all do well in the fashion world with the exposure from the show.

Although I like the winner, I did not think the correct designer for the final runway was chosen.

Who would you have rather seen win? I think I was just so happy it was not the other male.

Here's a recap of the show.

I do think the correct designer won, and I would put Nancy in second place and Sergio in third. Geoffrey was by far the fan favorite, and usually the fan are correct in predicting the winner. I also think he was the most fashion-forward designer, but Nancy also showed some innovative ideas. Sergio was the least innovative, IMO, even though his clothes were well made and very tailored, unlike some of Nancy's, but the fringe made some of they look very countryish. Victoria had a few innovative ideas, but she clearly is targeting the ready-to-wear market, and that is not what this competition is about. She also could not resist putting logos in, which I think really hurt her.

Here's how the fans voted:

Geoffrey 52%
Nancy 29%
Sergio 10%
Victoria 9%

I read this after I wrote my rankings, and so it looks like the fans agree.

Absolutely agree, Lars. I was hoping Nancy would win, but thought that it would probably be Geoffrey. And Victoria's logos were so absurdly egotistical, as well as tacky IMO. I also thought the fringe that Sergio put on two or three of his dresses cheapened them.

I am so thrilled that Geoffrey won, if this doesn't give him the confidence boost he needs, nothing will. I think the approval from his dad was equally as important. Was I in love with his collection, no, but it was definitely fashion forward and he is great at manipulating his fabrics.

I too would place Nancy second. My favorite looks were with the shimmering fabric. They were stunning as they walked the runway. Loved that full length coat too. What I liked about Nancy was her positivity in every challenge and with her fellow designers, didn't see that with anyone else.

I did like a couple of Sergio's looks, but there was nothing inspiring about his collection. I didn't care for the fringe, except on the gown. His final look was gorgeous. Glad he finally listened to someone and made the t-shirt, it finished the look perfectly.

Victoria's 2 hour creation was beautiful and my favorite of her collection, I want it lol. Her collection is definitely ready to wear and appeals to a wider range of customers. I think her mom needs to a start selling her hats and handbags, she's a very talented lady.

The judges criticized Nancy's collection for not having any shapes. However, in my opinion, the beautiful materials didn't need shapes. The shapes were created by the light as the models walked the runway. I personally believe giving shape to those gorgeoous fabrics would have ruined the collection.

I was surprised that Geoffrey won. I thought his looks were too out there for my tastes...esp that last ridiculous puffer jacket. I loved Nancy's dresses that looked liked shimmering liquid, esp the one with the big drape at the neck. And the model with the leg was incredible! I liked a couple of Sergio's dresses and personally I liked a lot of Victoria's looks as they were more classic in style which is in line with my tastes, though her color selection wasn't that interesting. At least they announced the winner with the others on stage to celebrate. It was weird when they'd eliminate everyone and then it was a real denouement for the winner.

Also, the location for the show and the attendance seemed kind of down. Past shows seemed to be more a part of the whole FW vibe somehow.

I agree with Annie's comment about the location of the show. And the attendance seemed to be a lot smaller than in the past few years.

Neither of us had Geoffrey as our top choice. My wife's pick was Nancy and I couldn't separate the remaining three. I do think that Victoria's work really rallied the last couple of shows and if she'd only left off the logo...…… Sergio wasn't that likeable to me but I couldn't knock his talent. I thought Nina did him no favors the last two shows with her "We've seen that look before." comments. She was very positive about him when it was just the judges though.

Okay - so I watched it this morning. I always had a feeling Geoffrey would win because of the storyline they created. I was not personally a fan of his stuff, but I definitely saw why it won. I think his show looked great and was the best example of a perspective for future design.

Nancy's was much better than I expected, but it did not display enough technical skill in construction to win. She definitely nailed it when it came to understanding how those fabrics would look on the runway. And I still like the pant suit, but I would have paired it with a simple t-shirt.

Sergio's made me think of 1990's Jessica McClintock teleports to the 2000's. It was sad because he was by far the most successful technical sewer. If he used half of what he sewed and paired it with simple silhouettes, I think he would have done better. I was given a 2001 Tom Ford/YSL skirt that I want to wear with a white t-shirt so I totally connected with Karla and the advice she was trying to give.

Victoria's storyline was also very clear - a level of confidence that exceeded what she has earned at this time. I loved the fuchsia coat and that last dress was really pretty. Fuchsia and tan/flax is one of my favorite color combinations, so she got extra points from me.

ps. This is the skirt. It's silk charmeuse in midnight navy/black and perhaps I've fondled it on the hanger. I would be really happy if it fit right now, but it can hang in my closet as an "aspirational" piece in the meantime!

ETA: I had a brain lapse on this skirt - it's YSL, so I corrected my post

After the show with Christian Siriano:

This makes me love Christian Soriano all the more.

” "If @NYGovCuomo says we need masks my team will help make some. I have a full sewing team still on staff working from home that can help," he tweeted.”

CS volunteers to make masks

Thanks for sharing the link.

Did everyone see Elaine's Brooklyn stoop wedding article/photos in Vogue? She looked beautiful, and so happy! They invited their neighbors to the ceremony and block party as well.

Nice. Thanks.

Thank you, Allison.. I needed a story like this tonight.