Project Runway Season 9 Finale Part 2

I have to admit, this was a very disappointing finale episode for me. Not as disappointing as last season when Gretchen won, but pretty close. While Anya was a strong contender throughout the entire season, I always felt that Viktor was the superior designer and he was a more skilled technician. Anya's final collection didn't thrill me, but to be honest, neither did Viktor's. I believe Viktor's downfall was that he finished too early. When Tim Gunn announced they would be given an additional $500 and freedom to do whatever they liked with it, I believe that Viktor should have passed. He edited so much of his original pieces out and filled in with the weird sheer, S&M-esque looks. It was too dark, and not nearly inventive enough. It was his competition to lose and he certainly did.

If I were one of the judges, I would have fought for Kimberly to be the winner. She was the only designer who created a cohesive collection that was well-constructed and told a story. Her ivory pants look took my breath away:

I would LOVE to wear this outfit (minus the sheer part of the shirt- I'd have to layer a cami underneath or something). The cut and fit of the pants is amazing and I love the bow on the blouse. So gorgeous! The other two pieces that I would love to wear were both Viktor's and I'm sure neither will come as a surprise to you:

Both of these dresses are silhouettes I'm very accustomed to wearing, but I also love the prints of his fabrics. I love that he created prints and that they were meaningful to him as well as beautiful. I honestly wish that he had won- I just can't support the decision to crown Anya as the winner. 

What are your thoughts on the finale outcome? Please leave a comment- I'd love to know! And also leave a comment if you watched the new "Project Accessory" or if you are planning to watch "Project Runway All Stars." I'm looking forward to the All Stars show, but I'm also looking forward to seeing all the decoy runway shows this week. Have a great day, everyone! 

Bridal Market

A couple of weeks ago was bridal market in New York, Chicago, etc. and of course Madeleine's Daughter was well represented at those shows. It's such an exciting time- seeing all the new trends and deciding which lines and dresses to carry in the store for the next year. For the most part, we continued with all the designers that we already carry- Monique Lhullier, Lazaro, Christos, Amsale, Alvina Valenta, Maggie Sottero- the list goes on and on and on. But, we are also going to be adding a line- the Nicole Miller bridal collection. And we are all very excited about it. It's perfect for the bride who wants something simple, but still very fashion-forward. Here are a few of our favorites from her collection:

I love this look for an informal wedding, or for a second look at the reception. The asymmetry is so trendy right now. 

I absolutely adore the neckline on this dress- so striking, but subtle at the same time. I would absolutely wear this dress.

Again, her simple silhouette with stunning detail is what makes her designs so appealing. There is no gimmick, just beautiful lines. I'm really excited to see these dresses in person once they're in the store.

Leave a comment and tell me what you think of these dresses!

Wonderful Wednesday

I love Wednesdays. They are usually my day off from work and I often spend them with friends. Today I spent the day with my friend Melanie. She was down visiting me mainly to pick up the dress I had made for her. She's wearing it to a wedding this weekend and I'm so excited to see photos of her in it! After fitting the dress and making sure it was perfect, we spent the afternoon shopping. She found an amazing pair of heels- actually they are a black version of these. I found a fabulous pair of nude heels that I plan to wear for a big date I've got next weekend. But that's all I'm willing to share about that right now.

Melanie also found an amazing cross-body satchel bag at TJ Maxx. At first, she was jealous of my new bag, but then she snatched up this one and it was my turn to be jealous!

Is that fabulous or what? At only $29.99, I think it was a major steal as well. I love the richness of the color- it's perfect for fall. She actually tossed the contents of her other bag into her new one almost immediately and wore it for the rest of the day. She also scored an amazing pair of boots, but I neglected to get a picture of them. In all, it was a very successful day for both of us. What was your Wednesday like? 

Shoesday Tuesday- CL Heaven

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a blog called "Purse Addict," but I have to say that I think this is not an appropriate title, as the author is clearly more addicted to shoes. Louboutins, to be exact. Her taste is impeccable, her collection absolutely awe-inspiring and her much-anticipated posts are so unbelievably satisfying. Click here to view her latest haul- my favorites are the Cranberry Escandria (although that should come as no surprise to any of you.

Some other Louboutins that I adore lately:

Roudounia Houndstooth Mary Janes, Saks Fifth Avenue, $895

Pampas Laser-Cut Leather Ankle Boots, Saks Fifth Avenue, $1,595

Lady Fox Heel Platform Slingback, Neiman Marcus, $1,395

Sequined Platform Pump, Neiman Marcus, $1,695

Laser-Cut Slingback Bootie, Neiman Marcus, $1,495

Sometimes I feel as though browsing through shoes like these is as decadent as a rich, chocolate cake. And when I'm finished devouring them, I'm just as satisfied. 

Cigarette Pants and Sassy Heels

Meet McKenzie:

I love everything about this outfit- the skinny cigarette pants, the cool pattern of her sweater, the awesome grey heels- it's all fabulous. And what I wouldn't give for hair like hers. McKenzie has a bit of a pet peeve when it comes to jewelry, though. She can't tolerate anything that's noisy. That pretty much eliminates multiple bangles, or anything with baubles or charms that clink together. I guess I'm not the only one with irrational wardrobe habits. 

Don't you agree that this outfit is super chic? Leave a comment if you like and tell McKenzie yourself! 

Project Runway Season 9 Episode 13 (Finale Part 1)

Torture. That's what this episode was to me. Torture. Why put the designers through the charade of a final challenge only to put all four of them through to fashion week? Why? I think that Anya choked, but since she's been the clear favorite from the beginning, the producers didn't allow her to be eliminated. In my (not-so-humble) opinion, this is Viktor's competition to lose. He is head and shoulders above the other contestants in terms of design and construction. Josh and Kimberly can sew, but not at the speed and level that Viktor can. He has hardly broken a sweat throughout the entire competition. He deserves the win and I think he'll get it.

Let's have a look at his mini-collection, the best of the four, by far:

I agree with the judges that this jacket would be more show-cased with a simple tee and a basic pant, but I also love the dress. What's up with the sheerness of it, though? I like my granny panties to be obscured from public view most of the time. 

This skirt/dress combination is awesome. I love the Rorschach quality of the manipulation of the print. The one and only change I would have made would have been to have the zippers zipped at a different lengths, maybe getting longer from one side to the other. A bit of asymmetry to counter the symmetrical print of the dress, that's all. 

I love the top and the jacket, and I can appreciate the pant.The print is cool, but I could never pull it off. The tailoring is perfect as always with Viktor. Based on these looks, I'm excited to see what remains in his collection. 

And now for what I consider to be the worst mini-collection, Anya's: 

This dress is vanilla at best. I think that Uli (season 3) did a far better job of creating an "island" look than Anya. I think this dress is certainly the best of the three that Anya chose to show, but it pales in comparison to all three of Viktor's looks. There is no contest. And I agree with the judges that the styling was bad. Not breezy enough. 

Boring! An ill-fitting bathing suit with a beige cover-up? Anya, you can do better! I have nothing else to say about this look. 

NOOOOOO!!!! This look is tortured. I believe Michael Kors said the same thing. It's so poorly constructed, and just not very good. I honestly can't figure out why the judges let Anya stay. She's pretty, even when she's crying, so maybe that's why. And she seems like such a nice person. Wouldn't it be nice for a nice person to win this time? Sort of like the anti-Gretchen, right? 

Ok, on to the two middle-of-the-road contestants- Josh and Kimberly. Neither one of these designers can or will win. They don't have the ideas, the skills or the sophistication. But it's been fun watching them try. 

First, Kimberly: 

Too much blue. Too much weird hair. Too much. Also, those are my least favorite pants that Kimberly has ever made. I feel as though I've seen the bag before and the jewelry is nothing special. 

Bubble butt and ski-jump front? Too weird. This skirt is asking for elimination. Again, too much blue. I agree with the judges- she should have brought in the ivory jacket. 

Meh. There is nothing special about this. Again, I feel like I've seen it before. It's completely forgettable. 

And finally, Mr. Tacky (Josh): 

The jacket is cool. The pants are nicely made and a fun pop of color. The belt ruins the outfit and the top and shoes should both go. Neither the best nor the worst thing we've seen from Josh, but definitely not Project Runway winner material. 

If you're going to make an LBD on Project Runway, it needs to be flawless. This dress is far from it. The weird tab in the front is just bizarre. The too-tight fit, deep neckline and short skirt combine to be too much. Boobs OR legs, Josh. Pick one. 

Ew. This is heinous. And the back is terrifying. I can't wait for him to be eliminated. Ugh. What was he thinking? 

So, what do YOU think of the mini collections? Leave a comment- I'd love to hear! 

Things that bother me. Somewhat illogically...

Whenever I'm out shopping with someone and they are looking for something specific, it sometimes annoys me when they have an illogical reason for rejecting an item. And then I realized, I'm exactly the same. So I thought I'd share some of the things that will cause me to veto an item:

1.) A one-piece that looks like a 2-piece:

Tiered Combo Dress, Ann Taylor Loft, $89.50

It's not so much the difference in color that bothers me, it's more the different textiles in addition to different colors. When it looks like a skirt and a blouse, but it's actually a dress, I just hate it. It's completely illogical- there's no good reason for hating such a concept and yet I do. I can't explain it. 

2.) Front-only embellishments:

Lace Ruffle Front Top, Forever 21, $17.80

You may not think there's anything wrong with this top- it's got cute tiers of lace and jersey ruffles, and it probably looks great with a pair of jeans. My issue with it is that the ruffles are ONLY on the front:

I know that there are plenty of circumstances when the embellishment should only be in the front, but when it literally stops at the side seam, I find it irritating. Again, it's not entirely logical, I just hate how it looks. If I saw a top that had ruffles on the front, but not on the back, that would be reason enough for me to veto it. 

I feel kind of the same way about this type of sequin top: 

Sexy Cardi Sweater, Victoria's Secret, $69.50

See the way the sequins just abruptly stop at the side seam? Hate it. Now, here's where it gets really illogical- I probably would not want a cardigan like this where the sequins go all the way around, either! So crazy, but it's just the way I feel. 

What kind of things make you want to veto a piece of clothing? A friend of mine won't wear sling-back heels. They're not uncomfortable to her, but she just won't wear them- she wants a full or completely open heel, nothing in between. Another friend completely avoids long necklaces for no apparent reason. Leave a comment to tell me your wardrobe quirks.