PROJECT RUNWAY.....Nick Verreos Recap: Episode 3 "Surprise Me"

The challenge was to design a look for the commercial/ad of the campaign plus an outfit/dress for the launch press event. Now, I've been lucky enough to have had Miss Heidi Klum wear not one, but TWO, of my NIKOLAKI high end designs--first to a taping of the Late Night With Conan O'Brien Show--she wore what I've now dubbed "the Heidi Dress"--a black jersey and leather asymmetrical one shoulder dress that made her look like a FAB Sexy Goddess:


















So I know a "thing or two" about designing for Heidi--or at the very least, knowing what she might like...




For last week's Project Runway "Surprise Me"/Heidi Klum Challenge, the special guest judge was "Sex and The City" actress Kristin Davis. Loved her bubblegum pink colored dress.



Now let's discuss the "Low Moments":





Richard Hallmarq/Team Keeping It Real--Huney! Where are you going??? She is an extra in "Sparkle" in this sequined number. It's a little too "Liza with a Z" for Heidi and then there's the "pooping ruffle" mess in the back. WHAT. Was. Richard. Thinking? Not Heidi at all.




Stanley Hudson/Team Keeping It Real--Speaking of Sparkle. This really isn't a bad dress by any means. It's a great New Year's Eve/Holiday dress. It's the OVER-accessories which makes it look soooo 1998. And I would have pushed back the ties/bow so it wouldn't "interrupt" the line of the one shoulder. Too "Christmas Party Guest" for Heidi.




Benjamin Mach/Dream Team--On the bottom was poor bleach-blond Aussie and this bad-excuse for a gown. He was all be-bedraggled during the entire episode (or at least toward the end) and his creation showed it: the sagging boobies, the bad slit rippling, the un-steamed fabric...even Nina Garcia deemed it one of the WORST constructed creations (or something to that effect) in Project Runway history. How do you say "Ouch!" in Aussie slang?? Too badly made for Heidi.




Cindy Marlatt/Dream Team--But the worst (according to the judges) was Cindy's iridescent shantung (it looked like taffeta to me) halter and keyhole neckline mini dress. The fabric was bad and dated and the style was not creative. This was a dress you would have seen in the After-Five section at Loehmann'sf...TEN years ago. NO WAY Heidi would ever wear this. Two Words: Iridescent Shantung (or Taffeta).



The High Heidi Notes:





Patricia Michaels/Team Keeping It Real--I liked this dress--it was a low-end version of something you might see from Prada/Miu Miu. I wish she could have continued her gold leather shapes to the bottom but I'm sure she ran out of time. therefore, it looked unfinished to me. But I could see Heidi wearing this, if the leather details came all the way down and it was made by Miuccia Prada. Custom.



The Winners:


Daniel Esquivel/Team Keeping It Real--Daniel created a beige jersey halter-style gown with side slit and leather contrast waist and neck bands. This was PERFECT for Miss Heidi. And therefore, she chose it as what she will wear for her press launch perfume event. Good job Daniel. Again.




Layana Aguilar and Kate Pankoke/Team Keeping It Real--Layana and Kate co-designed this strapless black gown that received the highest votes from all the judges and especially, their client--Heidi. It was a good one for sure: the draped bustier, the black and nude/blush under-color, the fitted cinched waist, the full skirt section with UBER sexy slit...great for a commercial. And yes, Heidi decided that it was the right choice for her "Surprise" Fragrance ad.








And now, here's my MyLifetime.com Project Runway Blog Recap of this Episode. Enjoy--and PLEASE, don't be shy about leaving me YOUR "two cents":

Iridescent Surprise!

This episode should have been sponsored by
Kleenex and Klonopin. Seriously. Every other contestant on both the
Dream Team and Team Keeping It Real was either crying or freaking out to
the camera describing the need for validation or a gold star for
"making it." Only three challenges in (about a week in real-time
filming) and yep, it’s Stress Nation up in "Project Runway" Land. Why
are these kids so stressed? Because it’s a "Heidi Klum Challenge" of
course!



Four Time's a Charm

For the fourth time in 11 seasons, it’s "Heidi Time"...again! In Season
7, the designers had to create a red carpet look for Miss Klum; Season 8
was when the contestants had to create designs for Heidi’s New Balance
active wear line; last season (10) had the designers creating outfits
for Heidi’s Babies"R"Us line of children's wear.



Smells Like a Gorgeous German Model

As the designers stand in front of pink boxes wrapped in black ribbon
and spice-and-fruit baskets, Tim announces that, it's time for another
Heidi Klum Challenge. She is launching a new fragrance, entitled
"Surprise" and needs outfits to wear for the launch campaign. The
challenge for each team is to create six looks for her and she will pick
two winning outfits-one for the commercial and one for the launch press
event.



Client Heidi

Heidi specifies that they should follow the colors of the packaging
(pink, black and gold) and the designs should mix femininity with
something "hard." It should look good from all angles and be sexy NOT
slutty. Sounds easy enough (Well, at least for me). Give me an actress,
singer and I know what styles from my collection would work best for
them. In terms of Heidi, I’ve been lucky enough to have had her wear not
one but two of my designs—in an appearance on the Conan O’Brien show
and on Season 7 "Project Runway" while she was preggers—so it was
interesting to see what these designers were going to come up with.



Let the Kitten Sweaters Go

Consulting, sketching, Mood shopping and divvying up of duties follow.
As it’s become the norm now, some designers take entire outfits
individually and some work in twos. I was a bit frightened for Team
Keeping It Real's Amanda and Joe since her design aesthetic is more
structured while his consists of sweaters with kittens. When questioned
on his design direction and warned that it may end up on "What Not To
Wear," he said he’d be proud of that. I almost wanted to slap his
glasses off his face and yell, "Well darling, THIS IS NOT THAT
Challenge!" Luckily, he came to his senses and realized that this was
the time to let go of his "Kitten Sweater Designer Ego."



Brazilian Doubts, Matthew Boring and Aussie Crashing

Layana and her partner Kate seem to be going back and forth...



Click HERE to read the rest of my RECAP.