We have no witty title. This blows.

It was bullshitty in the first place that Jerell even had to compete for a spot in Bryant Park. He won that last challenge and by the rules of the competition that should have guaranteed him a spot.

Unfortunately for him, the producers just couldn't leave well enough alone.

Which, come to think of it, is also a pretty good way of describing this dress. Jerell just couldn't leave well enough alone.

We think he never should have been put in this position, but we can't deny that, based ENTIRELY on the dresses shown last night, the judges made the right decision.

Pitchforks down, ladies!

As much as we would have rather seen Jerell stay than Kenley, there's no way we can defend this dress.

And as bullshitty as the manipulations were that got us to this point, we have to say the judging was dead on last night. The tulle at the bottom looks dirty and overwhelming.

The ripped open, bejeweled bodice was tacky as hell and frankly, kind of ugly.

Although to be fair, we did like the way the skirt was constructed.

But let's face it, the styling was a joke.

And we haven't even started on this one yet.

We can all rail and moan about the endless amount of flaming hoops they're making the designers jump through but at the end of the day it's a design competition AND a reality show. This is what they do and they've done it before, so we can't get too upset over it this time.

If we had to guess, we think Jerell succumbed to Michael Knight/Daniel Vosovic Syndrome. Once he got away from Tim and the judges, he only remembered their praise and none of their critiques and not only did his designs go off the rails but he got a little cocky about it to boot.

Seriously, people. What the fuck.

No one loved Jerell more than we did and we'd been routing for him to take his spot in the final 3 for a long time, but YARN?!

Considering he apparently wanted to create an ugly dress, well...mission accomplished, Jerell.

Come on, ladies. We know you're all mad at Kenley (and the judges and the producers) and while we're not thrilled with the outcome, can you deny that this dress is a mess?

I mean, we're not talking about some 2-day challenge with materials from a landfill. We're talking about a Bryant Park collection. This shit needed to be gorgeous and most importantly, impeccable.

It's so half-assed and wrinkled and sad-looking. And he just shoved those flowers into the sash.

Before anyone accuses us of being in the tank for the judges or getting payola from Bravo (we WISH), let us reiterate: we HATE the manipulations the producers put them through and we firmly believe Jerell earned his place in Bryant Park last week, BUT this is what they decided to do and Jerell had choices to make. His choices including blowing off Tim's advice and shrugging his shoulders at his half-assed "ugly" bridesmaid dress. Whatever we may feel about the producers or the judges or even Kenley at this point, we can't deny that these two dresses were the worst two dresses on the runway last night.

Still, we feel awful for Miss Jerell and we're terribly sorry that she didn't get her shot.

You can see the rest of Jerell's collection and runway video here.







[Photo: Getty Images - Videos: Bravotv.com - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blosgpot.com]

Stella Barbarella

The day after her aufing aired, Stella dropped us a line and told us she wanted to send a little message of thanks to our readers for being so supportive of her. We opted to call her and let her say whatever she wanted, but when we did, she informed us that her father had passed away suddenly the day before. What started out as a planned one or two-line "thank you" message turned into a full-blown (and completely off the cuff) interview with her as she got a little introspective about life and career.

We were so sorry to hear about your father. When did you find out about it?
I found out Wednesday at about 4 p.m.

That kind of put things in perspective, doesn't it?
Pretty much, pretty much. My dad was a special person. My parents weren't together. We came to America in 1975 and in 1977 they broke up. My mother supported us, worked really hard and started her own business being a fur finisher. She gave us a really good childhood, sent us to Greece every summer for two months. We had after-school Greek lessons or ballet or hockey. Whatever we wanted we had. We had a very solid upbringing from my mother and she reinforced education tremendously. My dad was more of a friend to us. He was a very talented machinist in the fur industry, one of the best, I heard.

My brother put himself through college working as a machinist in the fur industry and I did too for a short while. My dad decided to go to Greece and stay there a few years back in the mountains of Greece where we're from, it's called Kastoria, it's up northern Greece and that's where the fur traders and the fur manufacturers and the whole fur trade is. It was very big back in the 70s and in the 80s and all that. I didn't get to see him that often but we were good friends, we spoke all the time.

I miss him; I didn't get to see him for four years because that was the last time he was here and I had my business and I really couldn't afford to be going to Greece and just hanging around there. It's pretty upsetting because I was trying to get a hold of him for weeks and then I get this call from my uncle that he's not around anymore.

And you still had go do the Watch What Happens - After the Sew online show hosted by Andy Cohen after finding out about your father.
It was almost a blessing, because it just took me out of my head space, being on the phone with people in Greece, with my sister and brother. You know, mourning is really for the people who are left behind. I never lost a parent before. It just blew me away. My father cried when I told him I was going to be on Project Runway. He didn't even know what it was. When I explained the importance of it, what I could win, all the exposure, he started to cry. He always wanted the best for us.

And you didn't mention anything on the show.
I told Andy privately and the reason I didn't talk about it on air it's because there was almost no room for it. I just said to myself 'Do I need to dampen anybody's spirit here and create a pity party for myself?' No, right now it's about the show, it's about me as a contestant; give the audience what they want. And that's what I did.

By the way, we loved the hair and makeup, is that a new haircut?
It's not a haircut. I just flat-ironed it and put it up.

You looked great.
Thank you. You know, on the show, I couldn't keep myself together. I wasn't feeling well to begin with, I had a respiratory infection; I didn't take antibiotics; I was doing holistic with it and it went away when I went on the show but my energy was so low on the show for a really long time and the fact that we only slept for three to four hours, I couldn't even get straight with myself. I was very disoriented for the first challenge especially. I didn't feel well, I felt like I couldn't do it, oh well…and this is why the show is very funny to me right now because when I went on the show I lost someone else in the family and that blew me away too, so I didn't even think to pack enough clothes for myself and whatever it is that I needed. I'm stuck with my striped pants and they don't even fit that well, with all the clothes that I make and that I have, I had two pants and that's all. I didn't bring enough lipstick with me. I was like, I'm going to wear red lipstick on the Andy Cohen show. I'm going to look vibrant.

We love the dress with the detachable sleeve.
I made that. I'm interested in making a dress collection now, which I'm doing and it's going to be in leather and that's one of the dresses. That's a very simple one, that's my, almost my everyday type of dress. It's a new dress, so I'm wearing to feel it out, see how the zipper stands and all that. Leather is a very different type of fabric, it stretches out and I need to see how it sustains.

We were very touched by your little interaction with Heidi when you said you had learned and grown. Did you really enjoy the experience?
I really enjoyed it because it helped push me. I was a person very comfortable where I was, and you need to keep growing as a person and as a designer, everything you can be. This show pushed me forward, and what it did for me was it taught me how to edit it, just by the judges' critique. Unlike Keith, I never felt like they were insulting me, I did feel that sometimes was a little obnoxious because it is a reality TV show, but in my head and I always said to myself 'you know, if you take your clothes to buyers they will say very obnoxious things to you.'

Absolutely, they're actually worse.
Yes, and the judges are individuals with their own opinions and that's what you're getting. It taught me to edit it, it taught me to clean up the heavy, rock, punk vibe and that's what that dress I wore on the Andy Cohen show was about. It also taught me how to step up my game a little bit. I design leather, you do flat pattern making, it's a sharp tailor that I go for, I need a little more. Now I'm interested in teaching myself how to do more draping, adding a little bit more softness, bring fashion to the rock. So Project Runway made me grow and think about how I want to design my new collection, maybe use other fabrics too. It also taught me that people do critique your stuff. I know I said 'if you don't like it, keep walking.' and it's true but if you want to make money you have to branch out your vision, your aesthetic.

A lot of our readers are commenting about how Tim Gunn perhaps was a little harsh on you and some even think he didn't like you at all.
I didn't get that from him on the show at all. He was very polite to me, we had a couple of nice conversations, we live in the same neighborhood, I don't know, I didn't get that at all. At the end I said I was exhausted, that that was a great experience, that I felt like I won regardless and that's when he said that he was happy to send me home, so it looked like he was a little snippety with me.

Tim picked me [during auditions] because I was different and I also think that he wanted me to bring some of what he saw in my collection during the audition, but I couldn't do that because I didn't have the resources or the machinery. You can't do what I do on those types of machines. I have a serious walking foot, heavy-duty machine that uses twenty needles and those machines will break down with heavy denim.

Tim could not believe how well made my collection was and he asked where I had that manufactured and I said 'Who's going to manufacture this without charging me more than I could sell it for?' He was amazed with my skills and my craftsmanship on what I showed him at the audition and that's how I design every piece, each and everyone, with a lot of care, with a lot of work into it.

Now how did you meet Ratbones?
I know Ratbones from a while back. He used to date this woman who was a makeup agent, and I kind of knew him through there, and then when I opened up my shop on the lower East side next to New York Hardcore tattoo shop owned by Jimmy G, lead singer of Murphy's Law, who gave me the name Barbarella and that was back in the early 90s because of the way I dressed so he said 'You're Stella Barbarella.' Ratbones was at the store one day and then he came to my store, we started talking and the next thing we know we started to date.

You guys need your own show.
We hope we get one. How do you think that's looking for us?

Speaking of Barbarella and your fabulous body, how do you keep in shape? You looked amazing making that coffee.
I don't know. I don't work out, which is terrible, because I'm not in that great shape. I'm going to start doing yoga again, I'm not disciplined enough. I go once every two weeks. I walk my dog and I eat really well. I don't eat processed food, we cook a lot at home, we eat a lot of vegetables; it's genetic, I guess.

Getting back to the collection you're working on, where are you going to be selling it?
First, I want to show it, contact buyers, and so on. For right now, I'll be selling my dresses at my sister's art gallery at 170 East 2nd Street, between A and B. I'm going to have my sewing machine there, bring a rack of clothes and people can see my clothes and see me sewing until I get situated. I would like to get into a showroom, more importantly.

That's what I had on Stanton Street. I had everything right there in front. I sewed right there, people would come in, try clothes on, I'd be sewing, they'd be looking at me sewing. It was really cute, I liked it like that. I miss it. I really hate working from my apartment, it's always a mess in here, with all my patterns and my fabrics and you try to live in it too.

That is basically why I did this show, because I'm isolated where I'm at, and those who know know, but most don't know. Now they have a chance to see me, follow what I'm doing. This was really a win for me any which way it went. I'm glad I wasn't eliminated after that first challenge because that would have been a lost time for me.

But I've lasted this long, I don't know why and how or what was the reasoning, but I'm really glad and it is what it is and I'm going to try to do the best I can with it. I can't change my personality and my aesthetic. I simply can't and I think people appreciate that. People go to a certain designer for their art and for their signature so people will come to me for what I have to offer, for my art.



[Photos: Katrina del Mar/Stella Zotis' MySpace Page - Screencap: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]


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STELLA!!!!!!!

So Lorenzo's phone rings last week and he's greeted with a voice and accent that could only be Cheroin's. "This is Stella. Is this Tom or Lorenzo?" She is a DOLL and just called to tell us that we asked "really good questions" in the interview we sent her. When we got the answers back, we were thrilled. She's sharp and funny and has a great sense of humor about herself. Is that not the reality show contestant trifecta or what? We've said it before: this gal needs her own show.

Okay, let's get the elephant in the room out of the way: Cheroin. Do you hate us for it? We wouldn't blame you, but in our defense, you're one in a long line of people granted nicknames by us and the ones who get nicknames are usually the ones that everyone remembers. Said with love, darling. Always said with love.

At first I was upset because of the negative connotation the word Cheroin may transpire. But I suppose it comes with the rock-n-roll territory. Cher however has been one of my favorite people of all time and I have been compared to her since I was a teenager. She is a survivor and beautiful and badass in my book. I would love to meet her someday. As with the nickname Cheroin for me? It fits is all I can say. I'm rock and resemble Cher. You freaks at Project Rungay come up with nicknames because your sharp minds and tongues can't help themselves, you are slaves to your humor and wit and I LOVE YOU BOYS for it. Thanks for putting me in your nickname hall of fame. XOXO

You're truly a unique character on the show. There seems to be this great divide where some viewers love you and some hate you. On the other hand, you have celebrities like Anderson Cooper declaring you their favorite designer this season. How do you feel about that? Were you expecting that?

I LOVE ANDERSON COOPER. I love Gloria Vanderbilt and wore her jeans when I was a teenager. And I would wear them again. The fact that Anderson Cooper knows who I am and what I do is amazing to me because of the respect I have for his work and accomplishments in his career. I love that he takes time to go on Sesame Street. I want to go on Sesame Street also. With Anderson Cooper.

How did it feel to be picked last for the Lipstick Jungle challenge and end up producing one of the most talked about garment of this season so far?

I truly believe what will be shall be. I did kind of feel like the odd one in the class. Jerell is also odd in my opinion, which is why we probably wound up with each other. Aren't we the only two designers that everyone wonders what we are wearing? It worked itself out. I was supportive of his vision through out the challenge. Working with Jerell was fun and easygoing. We were both respectful and I believe that is a big part of a team challenge. I adore Jerell.

What made you try out for Project Runway?

Honestly, I have only watched the show a few times. I didn't have cable for the first couple of seasons and then when I did, I didn't make it a habit to watch. However, I did catch episodes here and there from the 3rd and 4th seasons. I wasn't aware of most of the challenges and what they entailed. I never really knew that one does not send a garbage bag down the runway. Tim told me in the work room which is why I though at that point I was definitely going home. I want to thank the judges and producers for giving me another chance. The reason I auditioned for project runway was because I had to make a change in my career situation. I closed my store 2 years ago and worked out of my apartment. It was uncomfortable for me to have people I didn't know come to my home. it was difficult all around to create new business for myself trying to work out of a small NYC apartment and I needed to make a big change. Not just meeting new stylists or new clients that need custom rock regalia, but something bigger and life changing and this would be the way.

You obviously have a very different aesthetic from all the other designers as well as very different methods. You're the only designer in the history of the show to use a hammer to make a garment. Was there ever a moment when you felt out of place?

I felt out of place all the time. First because I was so out of my element, but mainly because of the methods of construction I use to construct my garments. Layers of machine sewing, hand sewing, hole punching, grommet banging, distressed, and dyed. Different machines and different fabrics and different methods with a different aesthetic was overall slightly overwhelming. The reason I used a mallet (hammer) is because I'm a leather crafter and punching holes in leather to hammer in the grommets, or other hardware is part of the craft. I punched holes in the fabric to lace it up. That is one way I tried bringing part of my craft to PR. Looks translate different from leather to fabric. I believe I inspired some of the other designers to use some of my methods and techniques also. They all seemed to want to lace up and use pyramid studs to embellish their garments. And a couple of them became hell bent for leatha. So as out of place I felt was the same place a couple of others wanted to be.

You were a makeup artist working at VH1 studios and with legendary rock photographer Mick Rock. Tell us a little bit about this experience.

I started to work with Mick Rock in the early 90's as his makeup and hair person. It was important to him that his clients whom where also friends from the seventies felt comfortable and that I wasn't star struck and a pain in the ass. He liked my work and that I wasn't afraid to go overboard with the make-up. Our work went hand in hand with the flair for drama we shared in our work. It was about style and attitude. Pure look. Hair, makeup and wardrobe was always important to Mick. He would call me in the morning of the photoshoot and would ask me to bring pieces of my wardrobe for the stylist to use (and if they didn't want to use it, he would in a very charming and disarming way do it himself). He talks about me as his favorite in his book named Picture This: Debbie Harry and Blondie on page 212 and 235. You can see some of my makeup work for Debbie in this book. David Bowie is another great fashion story but that's saved for another interview. I met the Vh1 VJ's on a Mick Rock Photoshoot. They were Rebecca Rankin, Cane, and Linda Lopez. Rebecca and Cane really liked me and they pulled me into VH1. There I worked with almost every artist in the industry including writers and journalists. I then became hair and makeup for Sebastian Bach for the show Forever Wild. Working as a makeup artist in rock was a great experience for me because I was allowed to be me. I wore and looked as I pleased and I was in my element. A makeup agent in fashion used to try to get me to transition to fashion but complained that I looked too rockstar and that may be intimidating to the lead makeup artists. I should wear no name brand clothes and blend in. She was right but that wasn't me, which is why I stayed in the Rock world.

The punk rock aesthetic went mainstream in fashion a long time ago. What do you think you have to offer that sets you apart from those designers that have already assimilated the look?

Many designers have and will continue to use the look because it's a cool look. Many designers are inspired by the rock and punk aesthetic, but have no idea where it comes from and what it means, and will never understand the lifestyle or what it's like to be viewed as a person from that subculture. Except for Vivienne Westwood as far as I know. Let me also mention that most people in fashion or anywhere outside the subculture do not know the difference between biker, Rock or, punk. Punk is a political movement...anarchy. Punk is angst. It's a blue collar, working class, and have no money situation...that's the whole boots and braces, stitch and mend and recreate your limited wardrobe attitude. It;s being rebellious just to be... Punk is not fashion, it's lifestyle as is biker and rocker. Lets not overlook that hippies have nothing to do with any of this. I consider myself a rocker not a punk rocker. Regular people posing as punk rock should stop because a real punk will punch you in the face. Being that I grew up in the late 70's and early 80' in that subculture in NY I believe I understand it better than many designers in fashion. More importantly, living with my man a true punk rocker, I can honestly say that it's not easy being punk. My version of punk rock fashion is closer to the true aesthetic of punk clothes...than the assimilated looks ...as you have seen my own clothes on the show.....As designers take from punk I would take from fashion and mix it with the punk. Meaning I would drape a little like Daniel knows how, and I would add very small hint of poof, puff or ruff here and there. I'm talking barely. I myself don't really like poofs, puffs and ruffs.

How did you transition from a punk-rock makeup artist to a sought-after leather and denim guru?

After 9/11 there wasn't a lot of work in makeup here in NY and the VH1 studios stayed open for one more year. That's when I took my then sewing hobby seriously. Debbie Harry was actually my first client when she asked me to make her an outfit for the Grammies in 2003. Sebastian Bach also wanted clothes for tour and for the VH1 show Supergroup, and then a friend who was Paula Abdul's hairdresser was wearing a corset I made and Paula called me and ordered 5 pieces. Then with the help of my devoted mother I opened a little studio/store. I would work there and people would come by and hang out try on clothes and order stuff after they realized they wanted what they were trying on. It was a lot of fun and sometimes I would be there working and people hanging till 3 or 4 am. That would be considered my night out as far as I was concerned. My mom has been and still is in the garment industry since 1975 has helped me immensely in teaching me certain techniques. Basically I am word of mouth. Friends of clients and walk-ins. I can't take walk-ins at home though.

You've said that your weakness as a contestant is challenging herself to step outside your normal boundaries. From where we're sitting, you're actually pretty good at that. We wouldn't expect couture gowns out of you but we've been saying for a while that you have a talent for marrying your aesthetic to different challenges. Have you surprised yourself? Do you still think that's one of your weaknesses?

Actually now that I think of this marrying my aesthetic to a challenge is what I do when a client comes to me for something. I'm a lifestyle designer meaning that I make whatever they want whether it's pants, vest, jackets, bags, covers for a car seat or wall art or window treatments. Collaboration with a client is always part of the design, but people go to a particular custom designer for their signature in what they do. My aesthetic is slick, slim and well constructed because that's what you basically do with leather garments. It entails flat pattern making not draping, which is what a dress requires. I myself haven't ever been in the habit of making dresses. I barely wear them myself, but this show is about featuring fashion designers making dresses. Although I feel I rightfully have a place on this show because I love to design and and sew, my method and POV is different from all the rest and making dresses and draping is a huge challenge to me. To me the challenge wasn't about, marrying my aesthetic to the different challenges, I feel it was reprogramming my mind to drape and sew dresses. And they wanted volume and poofs puffs and whatever else dressmakers do with the creation of a dress. Lord help me. I hated all that stuff. I'll say it again I am drawn to slick slim and sharp silhouettes. I flat pattern, not drape. To my unexpected surprise Being on PR though has completely evolved me as a designer. As the show went on I started to think differently. First of I draped each and every challenge. Pants vests and all. I enjoyed making dresses. And got the fit right with the first shot. And although a lot of you want to see me make different garments with drapes and puffs or volume, I need to stay true to my aesthetic and what I'm comfortable doing in this challenging and trying situation. I was beginning to think in seasonal cohesive collections and making dresses out of fabrics other than leatha. Although Leather remains my #1 choice of fabric. Mood is great but I was clearly challenged in mood. Not knowing how to find what I wanted and being compromised by settling for what was there. Not knowing what certain fabrics are called. I don't shop in stores like that for my fabrics, I go to a leather house, and to sew from leatha to silks and such is a different technique. So changing fabrics and techniques and mindset of how to design and for whom was a major challenge not to mention being outside my comfort zone at all times. Also I wanted to please the judges by trying to make pretty and wearable garments as Nina would say. I guess what I normally make is not considered pretty, it's considered cool. As a result of my involvement as a designer I now try to use all the judging I received and learned from it and my experience with the different fabrics I was forced to use, to reach a broader range of clients doing what I do. This experience was educating in many ways, and I'm a better designer for it.

Do you think there's a market for your aesthetic in the world of fashion? Who do you see as your customer?

Absolutely, the rock influence definitely serves as an inspiration in the fashion industry in many markets. Everyone can be my customer. Other than clothes I want to present, I want to do furniture and pet clothes.


Stella's designs:

[Photos: Stella Zotis' MySpace Page]
[Additional photos: Katrina del Mar via Stella's MySpace Page]


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