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TASK 1
I WANT TO BLEND IN
Welcome to the beginning of Season 5!
To start off this season, I asked the designers to choose from one of three graffiti artworks and create an outfit that had synergy with the graffiti of their choice. In a sense, this is a bit of a chameleon task: I am partially looking for creations which blend in with the graffiti in both colors and textures. Mainly, I am looking for an outfit that also stands on it's own and makes a statement - but that also holds hands with the graffiti.
The designers had the following graffiti artworks (made by me) to choose from.
GRAFITTI 2
NIBBLES WAVE
GRAFITTI 1
MAJESUS MADNESS
GRAFITTI 3
CHILI NIGHTMARE
Let's go!
ohku
I adore the details on display. The gold combined with blue and the subtle tone of purple is so rich and pleasing to the eye. The careful hints of orange that's barely peaking out behind the scarf give a tickling feeling. You went for the most difficult graffiti piece in terms of color and came up with a fantastic complimentary color palette. The overall frame of this look is quite underwhelming. By frame I mean the actual fashion pieces: the jacket is a tad unimaginitive, it isn't being rendered in a sense we haven't seen several times before and overall there isn't really any choice, sides the color palette, that's bold or unexpected. I do appreciate the funk that the shoes evoke. I just can't get behind some of the styling. That very 2010's Jessie J bob is alright and the way you managed to blend that snowflake with the graffiti is impressive (and only noticeable after you've looked at this design for a short while). I'm just extremely bored by that eyepiece. Moving forward, the right step for you is to experiment more with silhouettes and to throw the rulebook out: forget all these PR rules that may live in your head! Use some ugly, unpopular jacket next time and make gold out of it.
Cassandra.Goth
I am mesmerized by this. The integration of the skirt with the grafitti; not just with the colors but also in the way you somehow recreate a sea-like texture on the skirt. Masterful and majestic - bravo, Cassandra! This is some top tier designing. My biggest critique to you in the past has been that I've been wanting you to focus more of your creativity on the micro aspects of designing rather than the macro aspects (you do love maximalist elements), this is exactly the development I've been wanting from you: more about the details. You alredy know how to create a killer silhouette, so please keep it up with the focus on the finer details. This outfit is a smörgåsbord of beautiful textures and I wouldn't change a thing about it. I really like the extremely subtle shade ofo blue on the white top. The headwrap/headscarf item has become tired and cliché by now, you chose to render it with some gorgeous colors and in a way that is suitable to the grafitti, but I want you to lay off it for a while. I'm glad you kept she shoes in neutral colors, had you chosen blue or purple it would've made the other elements less special.
Snawl
You told me (as is evident by the final product) that you were going for both separation from the graffiti piece as well as integration. In other words, you wanted most of the dress to contrast the graffiti while the other elements of it are in a marriage with the graffiti. It's an approach that intrigues me. Did you succeed with your goal? Yes. Do I think this was the most succesful approach? Not entirely. The composition that does blend in with the graffiti is wonderful and it's another display of you brilliantly showing that you can come up with avant garde stuff that is still true to your more down-to-earth, less is more approach to designing. It almost looks like the head-composition is corrupting the green dress, spilling some orange down on it. Compared to the other designers, there were more effective results in the approach of integrating with the graffiti. I believe your design here is an almost perfect representation of what the grafitti piece is. It's like a retelling to someone of what the graffiti looks like if they couldn't see it. The green kind of 60's vibe dress is immaculate, but then again, it doesn't exactly relate to the graffiti, even though I do understand your approach here.
Sparkle
You became one with the graffiti, I mean look at it. The parts of the graffiti which kind of fades away became a central aspect in your design. The end result is very effective. That sleeveless jacket is a tad overused in the PR community by now, however you manage to justify its inclusion here as it does look like an extension of the graffiti. In terms of your aesthetic and your previous work, this is bold of you and a step into a new direction in which only time will tell where we end up. I like the old Sparkle, this however promises a new side of you that is more grunge, more rough around the edges and yet less maximalist. Very intriguing! I encourage you to keep exploring like this. The tattoo ''sleeve'' integrates wonderfully into the sleeveless jacket and I like that the inclusion of the tattoo is without anything else: it does look a tad sloppy but that's kind of the point, no? A bit laissez faire and a bit punk. It makes it bolder than had you put a necklace or something over it. I must also say that the use of fishnets here is one of the smartest and most effective I've ever seen, and I've studied every longterm there is. Very promising start for you, Sparkle!
Cinthia
You've already won a LidlTerm (the first season!) so I may be just a little harsher with you for this task. You are a creative mastermind, you can come up with such crazy concepts and execute them wonderfully. What I've seen you do in some longterms is that your casual Habbo outfits have that signature style of yours and a certain balance to them, but in the longterms you sometimes struggle with editing and styling. I just don't get this. Who is this for, Cinthia? Why is the model covering her eyes? I appreciate the artsy and almost edgy idea, but presentation matters and it's simply a human thing that a person (in this case, a pixel model) makes a bigger impact if the eyes are visible. The dress is borderline unorthodox, you can't call it boring - but does that make it cool or pleasing to look at? I'm sorry to say that this is a bit of a mess. The ombre effect of the dress, as it goes from a darker purple, to a shimmery green, into a faded blue and ending in a metallic silver is absolutely stunning - that's all this outfit needed, really. It didn't need the Broadway witch hair or the magician's cape or the tattoos. There's a great fashion creation somewhere here, burried under what looks like cosplay elements. For next time: tone it down!
LC22
This is exactly what I wanted from you. One thing I've learned by studying your work is that you have a knack for working with red and you demonstrate that fact once again. This is a sort of painful, bleeding love type of dress which would be perfect for a music video or the ending of a horror movie. It means this dress has an extreme presence, it demands your attention. It was a smart choice to keep the cape in a brighter red as it gives the illusion that the ensemble is more structurally shaped than it technically is. I would've liked to have seen a different shoe, this one is just barely there, like a church mouse peeping out from a hole. It doesn't flow with the dress that is. I also wish there had been the inclusion of just one more color or a lighter shade of red/orange to make the textural quality pop out even more, because it's a lot of the same two shades of red and it ultimately makes your eyes a little tired of it after having looked at it for half a minute. Overall, this is a spectacular dress and I applaud the originality and drama of it.
nicrobbo95
Welcome back, Nic! You ended Season 4 with an urban inspired collection, so it's charming that you start Season 5 with something urban as well. I am so conflicted about this one. I do recognize the technical complexity that there is to this look and your look does mesh well with the graffiti. Out of all the submissions, I found that this is the one look I did not want to look at: it's painfully overdesigned. I don't know what to grab onto with my eyes. If we're going to talk about technical details, my favorite part is how you kind of integrated the scarf into the belt, giving it a bit of a new identity. Another point I'd like to make: I wish you played to your strengths more. Whenever you do more romantic dresses and gowns, you blow everyone out of the water. Before the Season 4 finale, I remember thinking that if you went that route you'd probably win. Instead you followed your heart and went the urban route - which is fine, as creators we should challenge ourselves and do new stuff. By now I must ask the question: why so stuck up on urban streetwear? I love urban streetwear, but you still haven't finessed it as much as is necessary for a high-stakes longterm like this. A dress or a gown for this task would've most likely been very succesful.
Peyton125
At first I thought it looked a bit lazy to simply use the kevlar vest and do nothing else other than put a tie over it. Then I got it: it's a bit rock & roll, it gives the finger to the idea that everything has to be done in a certain way according to PR rules or be intricate, and that a nice item can serve a great role in a great outfit. The very careful touches of green are delightful: it's easy to miss it unless you really look at the graffiti and I love that you paid homage to a smaller detail. I am a fan of this earthy, almost urban hippie vibe. I also dig the contrast between the rougher top and the more smooth and soothing colors and silhouette of the bottom. My experience of you is that you often have great ideas but that you also tend to go all over the place with them. This is a Peyton who knows how to both bring the creativity but also control it in the execution stage. Nothing about this is expected or basic (despite the less is more approach) and that makes me happy.
SealChowderr
I had to rewrite my critiques for this look. I was completely torn about it when I first saw it. Having had a few days with it, it kind of clicked for me - about 85 % that is. As a stand alone piece, it is a bit too heavy on the red. I'm never a fan of color coordinating an outfit with the hair and in this instance there is just SO much red that the details become less special. It is an objectively good submission though, you play with a lot of different elements and it doesn't feel overdone or tired in any way, it's fresh in that sense. Once you put this outfit next to the graffiti, it truly comes alive which is cool to see, it's one of the few outfits this week to have that intrinsic quality to it. The reason you achieve this is because you have so many different elements off it that play with various aspects of the graffiti, instead of just one or maybe two there is about 5 ways this plays with the graffiti. The bottom looks great, it's just the earbud and the hair that throw me off a little. I want you to be more thoughtful with the styling but I also want you to stay in this lane overall as the season progresses because you're onto something.
Player
There is a strength to this look and it is the yellow dress you've come up with underneath the kimono jacket. It features two very different prints: it's mismatched aesthetically (a flower print next to a more sporty/techno one) but matching in colors and that makes me drool. That is high fashion: you achieve harmony and conflict at the same time. I wish this submission had been about the dress and nothing else. You're perhaps the most maximalist PR player there is, which at many times have benefitted you in a creative sense. For this look, I'm just bored by everything else. Sure, the kimono matches well with the graffiti - but in this context, what purpose does that hair have? Did it really need a jacket? I don't think so, the dress is strong and can stand on it's own. I'm not loving the belt either, it's loud without being fabulous. My point here is that I would like you to examine the power a design can have when you manage to create an explosion with just a few design elements and when you make the focus point about just one or two ideas. A bit of simplicity most likely will take your designs to the next level.
lobsterbiscc
To someone who hasn't really played modern Habbo or been involved in PR, this would be a cool outfit. My opinion is also that it is, it has personality to it, it tells a story and it's also a bit simple in it's base while the details are more elaborate. It's an approach most writers and media creators take when they try to come up with interesting and original characters. Before the first panel, I collectively told the entire cast that they need to beware of each other because at this point in the PR community's history, everybody has stepped it up so much. I'm afraid this doesn't push the envelope enough and I have to judge everyone on technical aspects in order for the competition to even progress. You are relying far too much on what the dress already does on it's own: sure, you added a harness and some gloves - they're cute details - but it's not enough to transform it or make it your own. The critical issue here is that there is not enough design here for me to judge. The headpiece is very overdone at this point, I don't mind it, in fact I think it elevates the outfit, but there's no points to collect for creativity there either. I'm sorry, this doesn't live up to your true potential which you have showed before. For example, my favorite look from last season, out of all looks across all tasks, is your Rudolph Moshammer inspired design.
HerbyMainsted
You have come up with magical stuff countless of times in various longterms. The way you design stuff, nobody else does. It's hard to put it into words, but there is an approach and a certain je ne sais quoi that only you have. Your winning collection from Snawlterm7, the red dress from that same season and your first look for LidlTerm S4 last year exemplify that. I think a little bit of that is present here, mainly through the incorporation of the bag and the almost custom shoes which creates a certain mystique to the look. Overall, this is slightly boring and does not live up to the level you're usually at. Are you a little burnt out from the most recent Snawlterm season or was this perhaps not the task for you? That composition of the toga with the wings is ridiculously overdone and nowadays no designer can really get anywhere with it. You have a love for various artforms and it often transcends into your Project Runway creations - I don't understand why you chose a look with such simple textures, the graffiti calls for something more wild and elaborate. On a positive note, I do like the way the make-up plays with the earring.
doglover
My first impression of the silhouette was ''huh?''. When your eyes then go to the details, this outfit hits hard. Chris, this is an example of when fashion makes music. Not only does the artwork on the dress correspond well with the waves of the graffiti - you make your own waves here. You took a story of colors and textures and wrote your very own continuation of it - that shows me your artistic instinct is developed. It's a harmonious dress, harmonious because of a controlled chaos present in the dress. To say that this dress has a grip on me would be an understatement. I wasn't too sure about the 1920's vibe of the hair and the dress at first, but it should be noted that the place high fashion is in right now, at least in red carpet contexts, is that actors, actresses and other celebrities wear more costumey fashion, often relating to the work that they're promoting. Two examples are Margot Robbie promoting Barbie and Zendaya promoting Dune II. For this reason (the current state of red carpet fashion), I don't have a problem with this more customey approach, althoough it should be noted that there's always a fine line to walk and that costumey fashion should never lose a certain tastefulness. You keep exploring your aesthetic and who you are as a designer and to follow you on that journey is a privilege. Extremely well done Chris!
.Cow.
The more I look at this, the more I fall in love with it. It's slightly scaled back and yet there's a bit of a technical intricacy to it. The composition you've come up with, in which the bag, the suspenders, the jacket and the long shirt underneath become one is so excellent. This is an example of why people like me host longterms: we want to see magic happen and not necessarily through reinventing the wheel or by jumping through hoops. Almost everything in your design utilizes items that have been accessible for at least more than 5 years and yet you came up with something that is wonderfully fresh and original. I love the attitude this has, I love that it has an inviting aura to it and yet it also says ''if you don't like it then I don't give a f*ck''. I see this as toned down glamorous urban streetwear - don't think I've ever said that before. My only complaint is that I wish at least one of the elements in this creation had a more elaborate or wild texture to it, it would've created an even stronger synergy with the graffiti. You have a clearly defined aesthetic on display and I think you should hold onto it.
Razzing
I really respond to the emotional quality of this. You've previously shown that you have a knack for creating work that portrays splashes of different colors and work that looks like it's bleeding. It's great to see more of it and to see what 2024 Razzing fashion looks like. In past seasons you've struggled a bit with finding the right balance between various elements and ideas in your creations. This however is a grounded look that envokes confidence and it recreates the overall spirit of the graffiti. You didn't just take the colors and make whatever, you managed to match the specific urban style that the graffiti has and filter it through your signature style and your approach to urban streetwear. I have tried to connect with the pants but they're just not working for me, perhaps I am extremely tired of the oversize trend in fashion or perhaps they just don't merge with the flow of the other design elements. I must commend you on how brilliant the shoulder is on your model, it's almost hard to see where the graffiti ends and the outfit starts. This is a strong start for you, Peter.
RESULTS
Congratulations Cassandra.Goth - you are the winner of the first task of Season 5. It was a difficult choice to make between you and three other designers. What I've done since the start of Season 1 is to follow my gut feeling and that's also what I did here. Your model looks like a muse that could've inspired the graffiti, it looks like one recreated the graffiti onto your outfit. It's a spectacular look, nice work.
dogloverplayer, Sparkle and .Cow. - the three of you managed to make it to the top this week. Keep it up!
The full rankings of this task (and all upcoming tasks) can be found at the Progress page.
ELIMINATION
It breaks my heart to write this, but unfortunately, the eliminated designer is lobsterbiscc. Your look is visually not the worst, but I found that yours was the least advanced and the least daring in a technical sense and that you're not quite ready to go all the way, which you will. To be the first one eliminated right now is a sign that a great redemption story waits for you. Longterm winners such as Cinthia, Herby and me have all been eliminated first in a past longterm. Thank you for taking part this season and please know that I deeply appreciate you as a designer and as a person.
As the first eliminated designer of Season 5, I am awarding you the Golden Sloth award - for most promising future potential. With the Golden Sloth award comes 20 coins. Enjoy!
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