PR4 Fashion Show, continued.

Before I finish up my commentary on the PR4 fashion show, I have to make a couple of observations. Firstly, what is up with some of these models? I know I would walk like that in heels that high, but models are supposed to be able to walk in anything. And the worst ones have an arm-swinging issue – stiff as a board! I hope they are not models on this season's show because I would really hate to be their designer. Secondly, I am sure that all of the models had their hair pulled back so severely so as not to distract the viewer from the clothing. But ooo!! I hate that schoolmarm thing, and it was very distracting to me at times. Some women just need to have their hair styled to cover their ears.

Okay enough of that. On with the rest of the show!

Ricky: He chose to show lingere, which was kind of nice in the middle of all the ‘heavy’ clothing. His pieces were nice – a black floral robe with pink undergarments; a little pinstriped babydoll teddy; and a black lace robe with a Peter Pan collar and a grayish nightgown underneath (maybe geared a little towards the older lingere-wearing woman).

Chris: He brought a simple black halter dress with little detailing (that I could see in the picture anyway) save a Greek trim design around the neck that plunged into a deep V at the back, a silver sleeveless mini with chains at the neck and around back, and a floor-length dress made from an interesting M.C. Escher-esque print. His three dresses were nothing earth-shattering but nothing insane, and overall were very pleasant on the eyes.

Jack: His pieces were a black dress with a patterned cape (it looked good from the front but as soon as the model turned around she looked like the back of a wing chair), a geometric black/white print dress, and a pink and cranberry floor-length dress with a large floral pattern and a plunging V-neck that strongly reminded me of Uli’s stuff from last season. (And how is it that he scored three of the best models from S3??)

Steven: I really liked his first look – it had gray, black and white vertical striping that made the model’s waist look thinner. And she was wearing flats, which was refreshing in a sea of stilettos and teetering. And here comes the clompy walker again, wearing a black mid-calf dress with a fluffy tulle overlay. Lastly is Javi in a giant chocolate-brown dress that reminded me of Susan Sarandon’s Oscar dress from several years ago. Now, Javi is a muscular gal (which is good, don’t get me wrong, I hate twiggy models that look like they’re starving) but she doesn’t have much of a waist – this dress gave the illusion that she had a TINY waist. Perhaps he bakes on the side and got his inspiration from this.

Kit: Her first piece was a black knee-length coat dress with sleeves that were poofy to the elbow and had a weird pink scrunchy detail across the back. Next came a teeny sleeveless mini-dress with a black bow at the neck and a wide belt. Her last look was mind-boggling – a black bathing suit with a jeweled bodice, tasseled leg warmers, and striped pink tights. I was also quite amused by Heidi’s look of polite interest during this part.

Christian: He started off with a black riding habit paired with patterened panty hose. (Try saying that last part three times fast!) It was very chunky and made the model look that way too. And her shoes had collars, or something. Next came a black miniskirt and patterned shirt with lots of ruching and curved black panels on each side, which made a nice waist shape. His last look was a “what the…?” – a light brown pinstripe suit that would have been quite nice actually, had it not been for the hat made out of a grocery sack, a giant beige scarf that used to be old sweaters, and strange detailing on the pant cuffs.

Sweet P: Waists? Who needs ‘em? She sent out a gold sack dress with a knitted scarf and –gasp- ankle socks with heels. Next came a coral sack dress with wide sleeves and bright orange pantyhose. Her last offering was a long pink tunic with a black ribbon and some nice smocking around the middle. Underneath was a black skirt that you could see through the pink, and black hose. Too light on top, too dark on the bottom, it just seemed unbalanced to me.

Carmen: This lady scared me. The first outfit was orange and brown striped shorts, a maroon jacket/shirt thing, way too many chains, and an orange 1920’s style hat last seen on the cast of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” The second outfit was truly horrifying – a velour jogging suit the color of spinach baby food with maroon accents, and it had puffy knickers cuffed below the knee. When the model turned around there was a weird shiny pattern on the back of jacket that might have been a skull. I was surprised at the last outfit because it was so… normal. It was a quite nice aqua plaid coat with a hood. I kept waiting for her to take it off or open it to show the dress, and then I realized it WAS the dress, not a coat. At least I think that’s right. I’d wear it as a coat.

Overall I’d say it was an interesting show. Some outfits were nice, some were red-carpet worthy, and some would make me laugh 'til I hyperventilated if I saw them walking down the street. I don’t know how much time the designers had to make these pieces (maybe they were the ones they brought to the audtions) but I can’t wait to see what they do in the time-crunch of challenges. I think I’ll end by showing my three personal favorite pieces, from Steven, Kevin, and Chris.

The fun starts tonight! With Tim Gunn proclaiming these designers "the strongest group EVER", I'm sure this season's gonna be a doozy.