Throughout the whole season Seth Aaron was consistent and created clothing that represented his design aesthetic. But, I never really loved his designs. Until the finale. Inspired by 1940s German Russian military, Seth Aaron’s collection had dresses! Belts! Printed tights! Textures! It was chic and polished, and like the judges’ said: grown-up.

Seth Aaron’s collection was all about fashion, but a lot of the items are wearable. I would *love* to wear any of his dresses. He found a way to mix his edginess with femininity, and I think it was a winning combination. For the shoe pairing, these yellow Louboutins complement his infusion of yellow plaid in the line — a great burst of color. And, I like these Kate Spade polka dot pumps, because they add to his theme of mixing prints. Way to go, Seth Aaron.

posted by Ms. S&C

There’s actually only two designers and one spot. Emilio and Seth Aaron are shoo-ins, so the competition is between Mod Mila and Jaunty Jay. But, before the run-off, Tim makes his pleasant-yet-awkward home visits. He visits Seth Aaron in Vancouver, Emilio in New York City, Mila in Los Angeles, and Jay in San Francisco. These visits are pleasant because it is Tim Gunn. Yet awkward because the contestants’ families are invited, and you get the feeling there’s bound to be some uncomfortable silences (and trampoline jumping according to Movie Line). Tim was pretty feisty during his travels and didn’t let any designer off the hook. He told Seth Aaron to re-conceptualize; he told Emilio that his clothes lacked sophistication and looked old; Mila’s collection looked conservative and matronly, and Jay’s was gimmicky student work. Ouch, ouch, ouch, and ouch.

I thought Mod Mila and Jaunty Jay pulled it together though. Mila was true to herself and designed a retro-inspired black and white collection. Jay created more interesting pieces, but his collection all together was less cohesive.

Highlights from Jay’s collection. The look on the right is my personal fave.
I love the red leggings, shin-guards, and fitted coat with the high collar.

Highlight’s from Mila’s collection. The designs themselves don’t stand out,
but her retro inspiration is enough to secure a spot in the finale.

For the shoe pairing, how about these wing tip oxfords from Steve Madden? The black and white menswear-inspired style works with all Mila’s designs (and likely everything in her own closet).  Btw, Piperlime has oodles and oodles of oxfords to choose from. I definitely want a pair. Not sure I’m mod enough to pull off the black and white wing tips, but I want to…

posted by Ms. S&C

I thought all the designs were a complete sideshow compared to Emilio‘s glamorous striped and polka dot gown. I love the mixture of prints, and it was perfectly tailored, totally flattering – a definite show stopper.

For the shoe pairing, I really like the studded t-straps Emilio paired with the dress. Sticking with the edgy chic look, how about these studded platform Louboutins? Love the hint of the red from the signature sole. Another option, slightly lesser priced, are these tiny-studded strappy sandals from Nordstrom.

posted by Ms. S&C

Dramatic Moment Number 1: Maya, one of my personal fave designers, decides to up and quit! This comes as a big shock to all parties involved this late in the game, and we’re all sad to see her go.

Dramatic Moment Number 2: Anthony comes back to take Maya’s place! After being ousted last week, Anthony makes a triumphant return.

Dramatic Moment Number 3: Heidi crowns not one but two winners. Emilio gets a nod for his coppery, shiny, strapless gown while Anthony gets kudos for his floor-length, flowing dress that very much resembles (in a very good way) a black and white cookie.

Not-So Dramatic Moment: Jonathan gets kicked off. Since he’s been on the chopping block for a number of weeks, it comes as no big shock, but I was a fan of his pretty and feminine designs.

In honor of Anthony’s return and his striking black-and-white design – which Jessica Alba will be sporting at a future event – I’ve picked out a couple of my fave black-and-white pumps for the shoe pairing.

Option number one is a classic, open-toe slingback from none other than Miss Kate Spade. Option number too is a  trendier pump, with a graphic pattern and sleek platform. Both, please!

Posted by Miss Mojito.

Last week’s challenge had the contestants creating their own custom fabrics for a design. Truth be told, I didn’t *love* any of the designers’ fabrics. I much preferred guest judge, Vivienne Tam‘s butterfly prints. But, that’s the kind of girl I am (one with a butterfly tattoo, since age 18).

Emilio won with his “signature” graffitti print. I liked the concept. Edgy graffitti meets 1940′s French style. The design was inspired, but I just didn’t love his name-focused print.

Emilio wins the Project Runway fabric design challenge
with his signature graffitti print

For the shoe pairing, I’ve chosen some killer black pumps found over at Piperlime. On the Calvin Klein’s (left), the cutout and patent trim accent toughen up a classic peep toe. There are two pairs of Vince Camuto’s that are a good match. The scalloped textured peep toe (center), and the studded platforms (right), both complement the edgy graffitti style.

posted  by Ms. S&C

Anthony and Maya pulled subtle inspiration from Chinatown. The geometric, origami patterns and color scheme hinted instead of screamed Chinatown, earning them the spot of runner-up.

Team Lower East Side was a mixed bag. Jay Nicolas’ ill-fitting pants-and-tank combo was a flop while Mila’s rocker-inspired look was a hit.

Amy’s been in the bottom two a bit too frequently for comfort, so we saw her demise coming with a peachy, voluminous top that, according to the judges, didn’t fit the bill for an Upper East Side ensemble. The judges panned her partner Jonathan’s intricate floor-length dress, but I thought the design was fun, unique and flattering.

Emilio and Seth Aaron received top honors for their chic, Harlem-infused designs. Emilio’s floor length, zip-up gown was the right mix of sophisticated and edgy, while Seth Aaron’s beautifully constructed jacket, pops of color and fantastic hat were totally covetable.

For a shoe pairing, I’d continue the color-popping theme and go with this burst of blue and silver from Seychelles.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

• I love that, in addition to an outfit, the designers are tasked with creating a companion, stand-out accessory. My favorite was Maya’s fun, chic and totally current key necklace.
• The unconventional material challenge inevitably produces results that look futuristic or techno (see Mila’s armor-style get-up or Seth Aaron’s futuristic dress), so it’s always nice to see a softer side – and that’s what Anthony pulled out. Unfortunately, the judges were looking for more edge than Anthony had to offer.
• Emilio created a bikini. A string bikini. Made of washers and hot pink string. Michael Kors’ label of “cheesy” was too kind.
• But even a taste-free string bikini was a greater success than Jesse’s Hershey’s-kiss-inspired, dirty-vacuum-bag reminiscent silver dress.

Two thumbs up to Jay’s winner of an outfit. It might not be my favorite pick style-wise, but he truly transformed his hardware materials into a pair of slim and sleek striped pants and a bold, graphic top.

For my shoe pick, I might integrate that same stripe pattern from the pants into the footwear. The horizontal straps on these Stella McCartney pumps are certainly stripe-reminiscent, and the toe is actually a super sleek midnight blue.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

It wasn’t much of a surprise that Seth Aaron, who has a daughter close to the age of the child models, won (after all, he made a matching handbag for the little one’s outfit). It also wasn’t a shocker that Janeane was sent home (she’s been on shaky ground for weeks now, and Tim Gunn warned her that she was  rockin’ too much Halloween in her look).

Seth Aaron’s winning little girl and big girl
outfits on Project Runway.

Tory Burch was guest judge, so it’s only appropriate to pair shoes from her line with the winning outfit. Her back-zip sandals, with leather straps and a prominent back zip, have an edgy style that are a perfect match for Seth Aaron’s grown-up mod look (and his apparent love of infusing hardware in his designs).

For the little girl’s look, Michael Kors’ ballerina mary janes with the oversized rhinestone could be a good fit for a proper young lady, but I can’t resist pairing pink converse sneakers with the houndstooth hoodie (and especially after last week’s S&C for baby post).

posted by Ms. S&C

The contestants receive some guidance from the Marie Claire editor on how to create a cover look: focus on intricate details in the neckline; favor solids over prints; and don’t be afraid of color.

Some of my favorite looks didn’t even make it to the runway. Jay Nicolas’ floaty gown is super chic and original.

I’m surprisingly obsessed with Jonathan’s playful romper look. It certainly stands out from the other designs.

The loser of the night is no surprise: shorts, a shapeless
tank and a vest do not a PR winner make. I love the second-runner-up, though. Ben’s butterfly-inspired colorblock dress is fresh and bright, and I’m a big fan of the shape.

Anthony is the winner for his asymmetrical and brilliant blue cocktail dress. It’s totally fun and modern, but the shoes are a snooze-fest. Even though the focus of the cover will be on the dress, that’s no excuse to ignore footwear! My choice would be something a bit more colorful, like these purple Vince Camuto shoes over at Piperlime.com.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

Miss Mojito has a confession to make. When I was just a tiny mojito, dreaming of what I wanted to be when I grew up, I spent several months convinced that I was destined to be a fashion designer. I’d sketch out designs of intricate, multi-layered dresses. Inevitably, one of those layers was always burlap. A particular favorite design when I was nine years old was a three-layer gown: a floor-length, satin, 0ne-shouldered dress, layered under a knee-length burlap dress layered under a burgundy velvet mini-dress. It might sound like a confusing nightmare now, but to my nine-year-old mind it was fashion heaven.

Needless to say I was delighted to see burlap make its way into the equation for this Project Runway episode. And I was pretty floored by the results! Here are some highlights and lowlights.

• Several designers dyed their burlap with fantastic results. This is a technique we don’t get to see too often on PR, so it was fun to see the results.
• I was surprised at how burlap can be at once fluid and structured. The runner-up winner, Amy, showcased an impressive mix of both, in an outfit that played up the organic side of the fabric. I love the burned look of the hemline.
• The episodes are always more satisfying to me when there’s an actual client to please, not just the judges. A client with demands and preferences adds a small touch of reality to the challenges.
• Lauren Hutton is a sophisticated treat of a judge. What an icon!

Designer Jay Nicolas is the winner, and you could have seen it coming from a mile away. While his design isn’t necessarily innovative in terms of color or silhouette, it’s a supremely chic creation that looks much more expensive than it actually is.

For a shoe pairing, I’d play up the mini-nature of the dress with a pair of sky-high heels. And since this design is a safe black, it might be fun to play with some color in the shoes.

These electric yellow suede platform pumps by Elizabeth and James (a brand of the Olsen twin fame) would be my first choice.

But, $350 not being in the mojito shoe budget, a vibrant blue in a more reasonable price range would be an excellent alternative. I like these Steve Madden’s with floral detail.

Posted by Miss Mojito.