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THE SEMI-FINAL
NOW OR NEVER
16/08/24
Snawl - doglover - Player - Peyton125 and LC22 Congratulations on making it to the semi-final of LidlTerm Season 5!
We started out this season with 15 designers and 10 of them have been eliminated, only a third of you remain that is, which is kind of crazy. You just survived a double elimination, and if you want to make it to the final you are going to have to survive yet another double elimination. Only three of you will make it to the final.
26/08/24
I can say that this semi-final panel is one of my all-time favorites out of about 50 that I've released since 2020. This is because the top 5 brought some of their most personal work, along with designs that speak of a hunger to win, as well as a love for this game and the community. It's evident that these 10 looks were made with heart and a lot of time sacrificed, with the goal of sharing your inner creative world. A big thank you to all five of you for your dedication and for what you have delivered here.
In this semi-final panel, I asked the designers to submit a music video of their own choice and design an outfit relating to that music video. This in order to get to know each semi-finalist a little bit more.
I also asked them to come up with a design inspired by a fashion sketch, of which they could choose any. There is something both visually as well as intrinsically beautiful about fashion sketches. Not only are they nice to look at, but they're also ambiguous. They often have a vagueness to them that allows the designer/creator to go in whatever direction that feels natural during the creative process.
Also, our beloved icearbr has been so kind to come up with haikus for each of your looks! Let's get to it.
Peyton125
This is some neat architectural fashion. I am crazy about this jacket creation that you've come up with. It looks like futuristic, sporty streetwear. It also has a dystopian tone to it, despite its bright and energetic red pieces. I applaud the fact that you combine a matte red texture with the richer, more elaborate metallic textures of the jacket, the contrast between the two is fabulous. I can't say I love the headpiece. I'm pleased with your choice of music video, it gave us a chance to see a different, slightly darker side of you and this design of yours is truly an ode to the big, clumsy and restrictive jumpsuit that the singer (or actor) is wearing in the music video for joji's demons. Your work lives up to the video that is. Your design is so structured and architectural and that's what I'm missing from the headpiece, which I find to be more abstract and romantic. If you make it to the final, I ask you to not always pick the most obvious choice (red headpiece for a red look!). This is a strong look that frustratingly could be even greater.
Arber sang:
A crimson allure,
Evil aura, yet it calls,
Chaotic, controlled,
Shapes dance in unsettling grace,
Beauty wrapped in shadows' pull.
We've had some really impactful and incredible fashion this season, although it's not over yet I know that this is one of the looks that will define it. This look is powerful, it's bombastic, unapologetic, seductive and avant garde all at the same time. I have never seen that specific type of pant-skirt illusion on Habbo, not anything similar to it either. This is by far one of the strongest looks you've ever come up with in terms of the silhouette. I love the details of white as well, it almost looks like white jewels attached to the creature-like pants. The approach to design something in all black and to intertwine it with nude illusion technique is one that has been tacky in PR (and on Drag Race) for a very long time. I don't believe you manage to break that and make it impactful again, I think you could've reached even higher ground by incorporating other colors and elements on the top, which is so secondary to the crazy good lower half. I think the piece you've constructed for the face is fine, it does come across as a little pirate-y but on the other hand I think its dramatic nature contributes something to the look. Hats off to you, Peyton.
Arber sang:
Ink flows with courage,
Playful strokes dance, bold yet soft,
Seamless art takes flight.
doglover
I realize that the island of Hawaii doesn't have the season of fall/autumn, but if did, this is what it would look like to me. These gorgeous, soothing tropical details rendered in a more somber fashion. That tiki flower necklace is an extremely difficult one to turn into something fashion-forward and here you are doing it, it's the first time I've ever seen it be done good. It's interesting that you manage to do so not by manipulating the necklace or hiding it, instead you incorporated complimentary elements that alter the way we look at it. Because there is a relationship between the pink sleeve, which is so fabulous it hurts, and the tiki flower necklace, something special and hard to describe is birthed out of this combination. As a host we love to see good outfits but what we really go crazy for is something I call the magic of PR - something undescribeable but that is definitely there - and that you've managed to bring out here. The olive green accents on the dress with the matching shoes was a fantastic idea that helps elevate an otherwise dull dress. A+ on this one Chris.
Arber sang:
In a scrapbook, creativity’s light,
With a sunset glow, warm and bright,
Colors twist and they swirl,
In a psychedelic whirl,
Vines and flowers bloom in endless delight.
For a task like this, I don't really mind the literal approach to a sketch. It should be mentioned though that you made a red jacket inspired by a red jacket, had you been a bit more daring it would've paid off even more. That is the only minor criticism I have for this design, other than that, this ridiculously strong work. The fact that you did construct your own jacket is so special and so impressive, it's not often we get to see individual items be created in this way in PR and you are almost spoiling us here. This jacket is one of my favorite things I've seen in a long time, it would work in so many colors and on so many different dresses and combinations of clothing. Like Peyton's, there is an architectural quality to this look. The way the jacket both frames your model but also leaves the head outside of it is just insanity. You took my advice of making the garment underneath a little more interesting and you did; the almost shiny and metallic shades of gray helps elevate the red color of the jacket and I find the little chain to be a charming addition. This one is an A-, you should be proud of this one, you blew me away.
Arber sang:
Soft elegance meets urban’s rugged face,
In shapeless forms, red whispers find their place.
LC22
Bad Romance is such an unexpected choice coming from you. I know that you are a virtuoso who appreciate more or less all types of music, but to see you go with a 2009 pop banger with a commercial yet daring music video is a fun choice. I know that this season, I've been nagging you to amp the volume up and for this one you turned it up to 120% which I appreciate, you've finally scratched that itch I have. The accessories on this look is outstanding, you've come up with a symphony of diamonds and pearls that are embracingly dancing around your model. I love that one knows exactly which scene from the music video you are referencing simply by looking at this. The headpiece is one of the best I've ever seen, it's elegant and avant garde at the same time. Bad Romance features Lady Gaga in a lot of bright colors and yet there is a dark undertone to the whole video, mostly due to its theme. The dress is just a little bit too sweet and innocent for me, I realize that it does push the whole diamond feeling you were going for but I kind of want to look past the dress and just focus on the details and the accessories.
Arber sang:
Dark pulse,
Gothic allure,
Lights flash in twisted dance,
Fierce glamour meets haunted desire,
Edge-bound.
Looking at the styling with the hair and the hat, does anyone else think of the bitchy teenager from the Bridesmaids store scene? Nothing against you, I just couldn't help it. I appreciate how experimental this look is, it is as if you took two puff sleeve jackets and had them resewn about 4 or 5 times. It's a design that looks overworked but in an editorial sense, which to me is quite rare to achieve in a positive way. Its tangled and tortured nature simply makes it more interesting. I'm also intrigued by the way you took a bit of some dark denim jeans and incorporated them into the shoe? I've never really seen anything like that, I'm not sure I love it but I love being surprised and seeing new things. I believe my main issue with this look is that I prefer the sketch so much more, it has something wild yet controlled about it, its mysterious yet it flirts with the viewer. I wish you would've honed in on the editorial aspect more for your look.
Arber sang:
Topaz green puffer,
Verdant layers, pristine calm,
Styled in cool allure.
Player
Hands down one of my favorite music videos of all time. It has a fun, silly yet fully developed concept and Katy Perry really does dive into it and acts in it, rather than just pose and look sexy or cool like 90% of mainstream artists do today. I just love the songs ''lets have a good time tonight'' message that was the trend for pop songwriters between 2008-2011. That's exactly what I get looking at your design: a joyous, celebratory yet carefree feeling. This design isn't exactly original, it looks like the cousin of a couple of looks from Season 2, mainly alydaman's semi-final look, but I don't really mind that since you clearly put your own fingerprints on the concept. The color explosion against the gray jacket looks like a bunch of crayons on a sidewalk melted in the sun. This is a strong look, not necessarily due to any technical marvels but rather due to the way it is different from anything we've seen lately and because it mirrors the feeling of the music video in such an impeccable way.
Arber sang:
Neon lights flash bright,
Retro dreams in wild delight,
Teenage chaos reigns,
Kitsch and laughter intertwine,
Eighty's flair in every thread.
Looking at those furry ice bear boots, you're gonna have PETA on your ass after this. This is absolutely insane, in front of me I have a look that completely knocks you out the second you lay eyes on it. It is so impactful and so strong: it demands your attention. Something I find so captivating about this design is that despite its hard exterior, there is a softness and a vulnerability to it in a way that is hard to pinpoint, but it's there. I recognize that avant garde is a word I use a little too much to describe experimental fashion, but this look right here is the definition of avant garde fashion, mainly due to it's creative yet unapologetic essence and through the way you mess with the beholders idea of shape and form. The yellow fabric helps the look by avoiding it from drowning in its own gray sea of textures, it's a darker shade of yellow and interestingly it helps create some structure, bringing the various components together by having the yellow color at the center and the darker colors gathered around it. In this design I see pain and a little bit of fear, but in the way a person can own those feelings and make it their weapon. This is easily one of the best designs I've ever seen.
Arber sang:
From sketch to splendor, the form transforms,
Strict lines merge with muted boldness, evoking awe,
Unsettling yet sublime, it leaves me breathless, my favorite.
Snawl
This look is shockingly simple for a semi-final task. Shockingly is the key word here, both for good and bad. One might argue that you should've made something more elaborate but this is the first time in a long time that I've seen something simple, casual and fabulous. It's very refreshing, like a breath of fresh air. The song, along with the video, has a chill feel-good vibe and you deliver the same feeling through your design. You are the king of taking the least and making the most out of it. It looks like you made your own blue and white striped pattern with the shorts and the belt and I appreciate that you subtly altered the vest with things underneath it to make it more of an original creation. There isn't much else to say, it's a good outfit done well, but you are taking a big risk here and it's uncertain if it will pay off.
Arber sang:
Sunset,
A painted dream,
Bohemian whispers,
Calling memories of bright shores,
Longing.
The word iconic gets thrown around a lot which is why I refrain from using it, but I must say that this design is one that looks instantly iconic, and that's very rare in my eyes. It is likely due to the fact that you've designed a dress that takes influence from fashion trends from the 1960's and 1970's, for example, the blue corduroy fabric and the 60's mod type of skirt that was so often paired with a yellow/orange color paeltte. This type of look could easily look like a costume, but what you've done is slightly update it by the very fine detail work that you do so well. I'm talking about the bulkier, almost metallic shoes and the inclusion of the scarf with that stunning ombre treatment you've given it. I had this look on my mind all day after seeing it. You have a way of creating pure magic with items that one wouldn't really look twice at, you can focus in on a single element and force it to maximize its potential. It's a look that isn't so maximalist, and yet there is so much to look at. Again, I can't emphasize enough how much I'm in love with the blue ombre treatment. I'd call this a perfect design, well done Brad.
Arber sang:
Patterns bold and strict,
Textures weave in seamless grace,
Palette's rich embrace.
VERDICT
I know how much all five of you wants to make it to the final and get the amazing task of producing a collection true to your heart and soul. I have been in your shoes and I've lost far more than I've won and what I've learned from it is that the satisfaction of getting to make a collection is not nearly as great as getting to do a journey like the five of you have. You have all taken your pixel artistry to the next level by pushing yourself task after task, and as ridiculously cliché that might sound, that is the greatest prize. All five of you make a strong case as to why you deserve to be a finalist, and it pains me that I can only choose three. If you don't make it, it has nothing to do with your talent or your fabulosity, it simply wasn't in your cards this time. Good luck.
Congratulations doglover - you are the winner of the LidlTerm Season 5 semi-final, which also makes you one out of three finalists. There were multiple looks worthy of the win this week, I believe what pushed you just a tiny bit further than your competitors this week was that both of your looks had innovation and originality to them. You have left me in awe multiple times during this season, the way you design is completely special. You don't have any crazy, alien ways of designing and yet one can instantly tell that the design was made by you. If you design like you have been doing all season, as well as trust your gut and your instinct, you stand a very good chance of winning this whole season. Again, congratulations for making it to the final.
Congratulations Player - you are the second designer to make it to the final. You came very close to winning this task, but why obsess over the appetizer when the main course is ahead of you? Your Katy Perry look was great, but your sketch look was out of this world. I believe you've been stumbling here and there during this season, but towards the end you have unleashed your claws and shown us all what you're really capable of. Had I been your competitor right now, I would've pissed myself just a little. Keep it up. Congratulations, I know you're going to come up with a radioactive collection.
Peyton125, LC22 and Snawl - it breaks my heart that I can only pick one of you to advance to the final, but I've made my decision.
Click here to find out who got the third spot in the final and which two were eliminated.
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