Ubalblog

So another week of Project Runway, and another week of drama and mean guy behaviour. This week’s challenge is to make a look that transitions from normal light to black light. It’s a tie in with an eyeware that transitions from bright light to low light.  Because, marketing.

There is a hokey reveal with Heidi and Tim pulling a novelty sized light switch, but the cool part of this challenge is that designers are given a handheld black light to take to Mood. And now that I know they exist, I want a handheld blacklight. I have no idea what I would use it for, but I want it.

So the designers head to mood and find material to make their looks. And there are some people who embrace it. Erin has a neat idea of sweet in the light, slutty in black light, Roberi has fabric that creates a cool effect and Dexter is all about the fringe. Others are floundering. Kimber due to her patterns and Brik due to his desire not to be in the bottom again.

Tim does the rounds, giving some very necessary feedback to Jenni, Cornelius, Kimber, Brik, and Mah-Jing. Jenni and Mah-Jing scrap looks and restart. Jenni has a particularly hard time of it, making four different pieces in a day, which itself deserves a win. (Ask me how long it took to make one pj pants.) Cornelius goes for spray painting emojis, and is a little cynical about it. He is also not content to let his talent speak for itself, but instead starts to get his claws out for Erin and Nathalia. The other designers are aware of what’s going on, with my fave Alex referring to him as Lady Cornelius from the Land of Shade.

So Runway time, and the looks are here, there and everywhere.

Brik’s is BORING, but the judges think he’s safe.

Also safe, and bizarre, Lawrence, who had an AMAZING coat, but took advantage of her immunity by clothing the lower half of the model in a handkerchief, something Alex alluded to earlier in the show.

So our top three.

Jenni’s struggling comes up with a cool plastic coat and skirt, which she handpaints. And it looks cool, although not as cool as Dexter’s fringe. I wouldn’t wear it, but I see why it caught their attention.

Cornelius manage to stop throwing shade long enough to make the emoji dress. The judges are in love with its surprise, although Brik went with the same surprise, white dress, under black light, colours! Now, I admit, Cornelius stepping gleefully into the villain role has ruined my opinion of or interest in his designs, but my favourite comment about the look was Alex’s “What no poop emoji?”

And the winner is Erin. Again. She has now won the best 2 out of 3, which I think means she gets to pick first at the next Project Runway kickball game. In all seriousness, the look is cute in the light. I really liked the pattern she made. In blacklight, it is supposed to be slutty, but it is the same thing, just radioactive.

Bottom three:

Rik’s look didn’t thrill me in the light, but under blacklight, I kind of liked it.  According to the judges, this means my taste in fashion is dated and questionable. But he is not bad enough to be in the bottom two.

Poor Mah-Jing. He was all weepy and stressed this episode, being away from his family on Father’s Day. Which I am certain the producers made sure to prompt the contestants to remind him of. This affects his design, which is sad, sad, sad. He would have been better to have painted a design on the dress, rather than splash it with paint so it resembles a dropcloth.

But it is Kimber who gets to pack her needles and go, with a dress with a print that could have been a shawl your grandma made. She seems to think it pops under blacklight, but it does not, and the puff paint seems to do nothing. Judge Zach likes the print, which I’m sure caused Nina to question his taste level, given the look on her face when this outfit came down the runway. But Kimber things it’s awesome and the judges do not like this lack of contrition.

So Kimber goes home with her head held high. And Cornelius keeps throwing shade at Erin, but Erin is having none of it.

Oh, ominous previews for next week, including an audible gulp.

But seriously, have you seen the fringe?

You may have heard that Tim Gunn recently published an editorial the pointed out fashion didn’t want to design for the majority of women. Probably his actual feelings, but also is probably a tie in with this week’s episode.

The task? Design an outfit for the everyday woman, one that is appropriate for all ages and sizes. In 12 hours using $150 worth of fabric from Mood. To be worn by models. Winning look will be featured, sold, distributed, etc. by online retailer JustFab!

So the designers make it work, and there are some looks I, as an everyday, average woman, would wear. And many I would not. There is also some serious cattiness going on with the early emerging “mean designer” Cornelius.

Cornelius is featured saying mean things about a lot of people and a lot of people gave him some serious side eye. This also means I cease to care about his designs. (Please take note, majority of season 14 designers, you were all mean to Ashley, you can all forget about me buying your stuff) Congrats on making the villain slot, Cornelius!

Top Three:
So winning look? Belongs to the elegant Lawrence, who has a sad, beautiful backstory. She made a jumpsuit, that while lovely, I would not wear. Solely because I don’t like the idea of stripping to go pee. Something designers,and the judges, seem to forget.

One of the runners up is also one of my faves, Alex’s chiffon shirt and pants. Yeah, the crop top chemise would not be worn by me, but I would switch that out for a longer chemise. Easy switch and you can change the colours our. Plus, bonus, Alex has proven he is a kind soul who continues his one day a week teaching by helping other designers.

Erin is the final runner up with a nice pop of a colour, but a dress that looked bulky and would only add to a woman’s size, given the neoprene fabric choice. I liked the fact she built in the belt to change the look, but that’s something a decent stylist could teach you to do. But the judges thought it was revolutionary.

Bottom Three:
Kimber found a gorgeous pattern for her top, but then ruined it by making it a floating tent of a crop top. Anything beyond an A Cup would mean you need to pick a matching bra for this outfit. Which, no.  Bonus points though for lining the pockets of the pants with the fabric.

Sadly Brick also turns in a bottom three look, a bland grey jacket and black and white pants. The pattern on the pants is cool, but the pants have the beginnings of a drop crotch, and I don’t think it’s on purpose. There’s also some tummy showing, which again, I am not doing any time soon.

But the losing look belongs to Linda, who thought a knit fabric would be flattering to all women. No, Linda, no. I get that the fabric looks interesting on the shelf, but as someone who taken that super cute knit top off the shelf only only to be bitterly disappointed in the universe in the changeroom, just no. As the judges point out, even the model has a saggy bum. She sadly has also added a white, see-through kimono for some reason. Because that’s something every woman wants to wear.  So this sends her home, even though as Nina points out, she took a risk, while Brick just gave us bland.  But they felt, given her oft repeated backstory, that she was the one who should have rocked this challenge and sent her home.

So all in all, decent episode, but judges, Brik’s sweet beach locks must go home soon. Unless he starts turning out looks like his top from the first challenge on a regular basis, then his talent doesn’t match the rest of the field.

The Harry Potter series ended in a tidy bow of Harry marrying Ginny and Hermione and Ron ending up together. Many fans didn’t like this, thinking that Hermione and Harry were meant to be together. Even Rowling speculated that she had made a mistake and should have favoured that pairing.

To that, I say poppycock. I mean. I’m all for a good bit of relationship fanfic, but there are some very good reasons why Harry and Hermione should not have ended up together.  Others have written about this, but I needed to get this off my chest.

Why Hermione would not want to be with Harry

Awkward

First off, Hermione is described as the brightest witch of her age. She is an equal to Harry in almost every way. In many ways, she exceeds him. He would not have succeeded without her. But if she marries him, she ceases to be his equal. She becomes “Harry Potter’s Wife”. She will always be second place to him. Brightest witch of her age, but second fiddle to her husband? Would she have been able to climb as high in the Ministry if she had been seen as second fiddle to Harry?

Besides, Hermione ending up with Harry is a trope. The hero defeats the villain and gets the girl as a prize. We’ve seen it a MILLION times before, and sadly, we will see it many, many more times. It’s expected. It’s old. And, quite frankly, it’s dated. By not ending up together, Hermione and Harry change the narrative. Harry doesn’t spend the series fighting bad guys with the woman he loves. It is one of the things that makes the Harry Potter series so endearing, that it doesn’t give into the trope.

Why Hermione might actually want Ron

Awww

This whole discussion also assumes that Harry is the better catch than Ron, but what if Ron really is a better choice? In the books, Ron is described as tall, lanky with red hair, freckles and blue eyes. (There is also a reference to big hands and feet, but let’s not go there.) So he appears to be good looking.  So yeah, attractive.

Ron is also incredibly loyal to his friends, several times actually going at Draco for insulting Hermione or Harry. He also repeatedly risks his life to help Harry bring down Voldemort. That is something to be valued in a partner. Loyalty. He also seems to have a good sense of humour, which is apparently, something women really value in a mate.

But let’s look at his place in the Weasley clan. He is the 6th son, behind the amazing Charlie and  Bill, the pompous Percy and the trouble making Fred and George. He isn’t even the youngest or only girl; that spot is reserved for Ginny. He’s used to being in the background, and while the mirror of Erised shows him wanting to be more, the post-Deathly Hallows world shows that he really isn’t. He becomes an Auror with Harry Potter and helps George with the joke shop.

So Ron seems to be someone who wouldn’t mind if his wife is more successful and powerful than him. In fact, I think he would love that his wife is Hermione Granger. He would have no problem bring the kids to the store while she goes to a conference or a meeting.

His mother is also Molly Weasley, perhaps the strongest willed character in the Harry Potter universe. She is not afraid of voicing her opinion and single handedly raised several heroes of the Second Wizarding War, in addition to being one herself. So Ron is used to being around a strong woman. I can’t see his masculinity being threatened by Hermione’s strong personality. He might even find it comforting and a bit of a turn on.

Why Harry would actually want to be with Ginny

Cute couple

But let’s go back to Harry. In the books he ends up with Ginny. The assumption by the Harry/Hermione crowd is that Ginny is not a desirable mate for Harry. (I think they have something against Weasleys, personally.) But in reality, Ginny is what Harry wants. By the last few books, Harry clearly finds Ginny attractive. (She’s a redhead like his mom.), and Ginny proves herself to be a hero in her own right, leading Dumbledore’s Army and fighting in the Wizarding Wars. But perhaps most importantly, by marrying her, he becomes a Weasley. He gets what he’s always wanted, a large family full of people who love him.

Why does Hermione have to end up with anyone at all?

It’s 2016

Finally, why does Hermione have to end up with anyone at all?  It’s 2016. She could have a complete and happy life without Harry or Ron.  Or with both of them. I get it is a children’s book and there are still societal expectations, but the people behind this theory are adults. Yet they want to lay the “traditional” view over this series.

So in the end, I think Rowling got it right the first time. Hermione with Ron. Harry with Ginny. All this mucking about after seems silly to me.

Confession time. I love fashion. I love it’s drama, it’s whimsy, it’s frivolousness. LOVE IT. I don’t follow it too closely, but I do enjoy a good runway show.

As part of this, I have come to love Project Runway, even with all its flaws. I am especially fond of Tim Gunn, who was my alternate birth coach if my husband was unable to attend. Tim never knew about it either.

Imagine him coaching you through labour. Make it work!

So when season 15 started, it was a perfect time to settle in and watch.

Episode 1 brings us the unconventional challenge. Designers are told to use the material at their welcome party to make a look. They have a day and all the glue their glue guns can squirt.

This challenge is a far cry from the original unconventional challenge, which saw Austin make a dress out of corn husks. It also lacks the energy of the season where they tore the mattresses apart for fabric.  But it gives us some cool looks.

The winner is from Erin, who made a dress out of wigs, gumballs and other yellow things.

I also liked Dexter’s look. Who knew a carpet and pillow could be so cute. Dexter, you are my spirit guide!

Brix annoyed me in the pre-season show where he was clearly vamping for the camera, although my distaste from him weakened when I saw sparkly (if badly made) pants and Thor at the beach hair. I’m not saying either was good, but they were pathetically cute in the way of your little cousin. You know its dorky, but you it makes you smile anyways.

But the loser of the week was Ian, who not only got lazy and made a shift dress with some shredded Polaroids taped onto a dress, but he also had the temerity to talk back to Tim when the mentor was trying to help him produce something that would keep him in the competition. Sadly, Ian did not listen and was sent home.

Goodbye, Ian. Let others learn from you, listen to Tim.

How do you make something lame cool?

Hawkeye is lame. The world knows it. There are whole tropes about his lameness. No one should be surprised by this. Originally conceived as Marvel’s version of Green Arrow, poor Clint didn’t really have a chance.

Enter Matt Fraction and his take on Hawkeye. In this story, Clint is an experienced hero, a man struggling to find his place in a world where whe he is a second string hero on a team of superheroes. He lives in the poor section of town, in an attempt not to be recognized.

The first story of the collection sets up Clint as a man who, like the Green Arrow before him, looks out for the little guy. In his attempt to deal with a corrupt landlord, Clint ends up rescuing a dog and buying an apartment building. The next story show us how Clint knows he’s lame, with Kate Bishop ribbing Clint about trick arrows. This merges beautifully with a fight later on in the story.

The third story focuses on Clint’s past as an operative. The final story is a Kate Bishop story from the Young Avengers book where Clint is a secondary character.

Fraction clearly knows his main character is perceived as lame and has injected his stories with a good dose of humour to deal with this. And for the most part, it works.

Clint knows he’s a second tier hero and is doing his best with it. Stories are fast paced, full of fights, action sequences, quips and solid characterization. Through most of the book, Clint is a mentor to Kate and that lends a nice bit of back and forth between the two, growing both characters.

Solid outing. Enough to bring me back for more.

The Selection is a distopian YA series about a young woman named America Singer who is chosen to be one of the candidates to marry the Crown Prince of Illea.  The whole process is televsed to distract the populace from the two seperate nsurrections that are gong on. Thnk The Bachelor meets Cnderella meets the Hunger Games.

This is a collection of two short stories, The Prince and The Guard, which retell select sections from The Selection series. The book also includes the family trees of our three main characters and a Q&A wth author Kiera Cass.

The Prince

This short story shows us Prince Maxon’s thougths at the beginnng of the process.  It was nice to see his insecurity and his attracton to America’s independent nature.  We also get to see his thought process for cutting certain women the first night and their reaction.  There is, of course, more confimation at that King Clarkson is abusive and controlling and that Queen Amberly is passive.

Not bad, but I would have liked more of Maxon’s journey, whch is neat given he is as tapped by the process as the women.

The Guard

This short story looks at the revelaton of Marlee and Carter’s romance and the subsequent caning that follows, all from Aspen’s eyes.  We see his  desperation to hold on to America in the face of the Selection.  We get to see the palace staff’s reaction to America’s attempt to intervene in the caning and their growng admiration of her.

While I valued that last part, we did get to see some of that with America’s maids in the book.  What I would have liked is the story of Aspen and Lucy’s romance. How does Aspen go from being in love with the fiery, strong America to marrying the shy, damaged Lucy.  What did he see in her that he needed?

The Rest

The interview was nice, and the families trees provided context. Illera is not that old a nation, leading to its instability.  Also, I learned that America is half-Jewish, something that is never touched on in the series.  What a missed opportunity to see how relgion was or was not co-opted by the regime.

Overall, this book is for the fans of the series, not the casual reader.

2.5 out of 5 Revolutions