PR Pre-Finale Impressions

Should I go again with the excuses I could make about why I haven't done any more episode reviews? Naah, just fill in whatever reason you like. Anyhow, cut for anyone who hasn't seen the episode yet.

So, we were down to five, with Miss Thang getting his second chance (which is kinda cool) after Maya dropped out (which was strange but from her reasons understandable), Seth Aaron (my favorite) still going strong, Emilio coasting high on the judges' praises, and Mila and Jay both being fairly strong designers who sometimes end up making odd design choices. Not a bad final five, and let's tackle them in the order called.

Emilio: As much as I can't stand Emilio—and I really, really can't—I have to admit he probably did have the best outfit last night. However, I more and more wish he'd been eliminated when he threw together that washer-and-bubblegum shit, and some of his subsequent dresses have gotten praise I have just not agreed with. Still, it's not my opinion that matters on that one, and clearly the judges have responded well to his work, so he was an obvious choice for going. To try to be fair, he does have some terrific technical skills overall, and generally has a strong idea of what he wants to make. I do, however, find a lot of his results pedestrian. Eh, whatevs.

Seth Aaron: While his outfit last night went too costume-like for the actual parameters, he wasn't alone with that, and as usual what he made was extremely well-done and very him. He has been pretty consistent, with only one really major mis-step in my opinion, and has some really strong tailoring skills and put out some really gorgeous work, particularly when it comes to jackets. I think if he decided to just make jackets he could make a really good business out of them, seriously. And I like his personality, his spirited defense of Maya's decision last week, the utter joy he takes in making clothes and having people respond well to them. The judges obviously agree that he's a strong designer and had no trouble passing him on to fashion week, so yay!

Anthony: I've gotten the impression Miss Thang has some trouble getting his ideas out of his head and onto the dress form, and I think last night was no exception. It's not that he makes bad dresses, but his range has ultimately been a bit narrow, and he doesn't seem to have a natural feel for what fabrics to use, which was the judge's main criticism last night. While I think they may have gone a bit overboard in their reactions (dude, MK got out of his chair, wtf?), they were right about that. I am sorry to say that I have to agree that he was the right choice for a cut, because he really was the weakest designer up there. He seems like a really nice guy, though, and I really hope that the fact he gets a decoy collection plus the exposure from his Marie Claire cover and Jessica Alba promising to wear his dress from last week will help him find some success.

Mila: Mila is one of those designers who has a really strong point of view, and while it does not always work, when it does, the results are really lovely. Last night she tilted too costume, although I think the idea was interesting. It just didn't work out right. With that and her former work in mind I really wasn't sure whether or not she or Jay should get that last slot, and apparently neither were the judges, since they're giving them both another chance, which I think was a reasonable way to handle it.

Jay: Like Mila, he has a strong point of view that doesn't always work out, and like her, when he hits the results are great. Last night he actually sort of landed between hit or miss, which is rare for him. The jacket was a little 80s but I kinda still like 80s fashion so that's not necessarily a bad thing. The pants didn't have that over-the-top quality he said he wanted, but they were decidedly well-made. Ultimately, it really was sort of a coin toss between him and Mila, so again, I'm glad he's getting that last little chance.

So, about the finale: a lot of people have seen the BP collections since they did that thing with the billions of decoys (okay, I think it was 10 people who showed), and so I've had my theories about the final 3 for a while. There were basically three categories for me: "Almost certainly", "Mmm, possibly", and "Not very likely". Seth Aaron and Jay were on my "almost certainly" list. The "possibly" list was Emilio, Mila, Amy, and Ben, though I have to admit in Ben's case I was engaging in a little wishful thinking. (But I did like his collection.)

With that in mind, I do think Jay is going to get that final slot over Mila. Mila's collection has some nice pieces in it but I think Jay's was stronger overall. I'm not positive, mind you; I never am sure what the judges are going to like for sure. But I'm leaning that way.

As for a winner, I really hope it's Seth Aaron. Not only did I really like his collection overall, but I've liked his work consistently through the season as well, and also he's my favorite personality-wise. I think he's got a good shot, certainly, but as always the ultimate choice will be based on the judges' whims, which I no longer feel I can predict reliably.

I am, however, very much looking forward to seeing Tim visit Seth Aaron. It should be a hoot!