Nick Verreos Project Runway Season 7 Recaps: Little Fashionistas!

Project Gymboree!!!!!Heidi Klum in NIKOLAKI by Nick Verreos/David Paul

On last week's Project Runway, the episode begins with Heidi Klum sauntering onto the runway (as she always does) and then inviting eleven of the cutest little girls to stand next to her. Posing there with all those little girls next to her, I had a vision of the most CHIC "Mother Gigogne from The Nutcracker" I have EVER seen! Well of course she was, because she was wearing one of my designs! Yes, to begin this delightful episode, Miss Heidi wore one of my NIKOLAKI silk jersey one-shoulder dresses and looked beautiful in it! But I digress. There was a reason why those little girls were there: The next challenge was to design a fashionable look for little girls.
It was cute watching all those precocious little girls invade the Parsons Workroom, annoying the heck out of some of the designers. Miss "Housewives Of Atlanta" Anthony Williams was the best, saying EXACTLY what I would be saying--and with the same Southern Belle accent! The designers got a late visit from Tim Gunn, where he announced a "twist": Not only were they to create a fashionable little girls look but a companion ensemble for their "Mommie" Models. I knew there had to be something else since the designers were almost done with those Little Girl's dresses, leaving them wondering "OK, what else do I have to do, 'cause I'm done!"Cut to the Runway and designer (and multi-million dollar brand) Tory Burch, this week's Guest Judge, was on hand to access the best Mini-Me and Mommie looks in the bunch. Who would not be able leave their "Designer Ego" at the Gymboree door and which designer would be able to marry the best of what a little girl would like AND add their own unique designer stamp to it.

My Faves:Mila Hermanovski's Mommie-Daughter Duo was one of my favorites, hands down. The minute the two stepped onto the runway, I also knew Burch would LOVE IT! The coat, the little girls dress was SOOOOOO Tory Burch! Both looks were polished, fun and fashionable and very Mila (Hello Color Blocking!).Surprisingly, Season 7's "Logan", Jesse LeNoir designed two great looks for his little girl client and his model. There was a bit of a Cartoon-y touch to both looks but somehow they worked. To be honest, I didn't "get" the askew/semi-twisted detail he did on the Little Girl's Dress; it looked like a mistake. I just wanted to run up onto the runway and shift the damn dress into it's proper vertical position!I loved the fitted day-to-cocktail dress Emilio Sosa created for my favorite model, Holly, it was very RM by Roland Mouret so it's no surprise Miss Heidi Klum also loved it (Heidi loves her Mouret's!). BUT....that little girls dress was a Communion Dress from Salvation Army! It was three sizes too big on her. And the length was too long, needing about 12" to be chopped off of it, like NOW!But the real Winning Duo was Seth Aaron Henderson's Mommy and daughter. First of all, I have to concur with THE Michael Kors: That jacket was FAAAAABULOUS! Add to it, the model's styling, hair and overall look and she was the most fashionable Mom on the Project Runway stage. And to be honest I haven't even noticed model Valeria Leonova until now! The little girls dress was a perfect complimentary to his rockin' chic mom.That jacket--with the star and "SA" patched back insignia--was stellar. The houndstooth fabric, the exposed zipper hardware; this was a little jacket every daughter of a "Hollywood Mommy" would want. I could totally see it at Kitson Kids and selling off the rack for $150, no problem!

The Not-So-Good:Amy Sarabi missed the mark this week. She has been one of my "ones to watch for" in this season...until now: What was she thinking? As she was cutting all those pieces up in the workroom, I wished I could have reached over through the TV screen and A) Snapped her out of this Arts-and-Craft nightmare and B) Taken all those cut-up pieces and dumped them in the nearest Parsons waste bin. There were elements of the Little Girls Look which were fun (the slouchy turquoise sweater, those flouncy leggings) but together, all the elements made her look like a little version of a tarot card reader on the Venice Boardwalk!
Amy's Inspiration?: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (left) and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada (right)

And then, there was the Model/mom: Her outfit reminded me of a look that wouldn't even make the cut for "Muppet Dress" French Designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac or even Spain's "Wacky" Agatha Ruiz de la Prada. The two looks lacked the directional elegant edge which Amy has been showing in previous challenges.

Next Up, Jonathan's Toilet Paper Dresses:
Oh Jonathan Peters, you slayed me with these two looks, and not in a good way. I get the "conceptual" vibe as judge and Marie Claire Fashion Editor Nina Garcia suggested, but I don't think this was the challenge to go Conceptual. The canary yellow and black-and-white colors on the Little Girl's Dress were great but where he went wrong was adding the bolero and rolled toilet paper organza center front accents. Then, he went on to add the rolled toilet paper motif all over his model's dress. All I could think of was Kors saying "Ohhhh, it looks as if TOILET PAPER threw up all over your dress!!!!" Even this "Toilet paper Gown" in the photo above looks better than Jonathan's dress. I was sure he would be "auf'ed" this week.

But, Instead , it was Janeane Marie Ceccanti's Time:
Let me be honest: I kinda liked these. I don't really know why the judges came down so harshly on Janeane Marie. Both outfits consisted of cute, very wearable clothes. The colors were fine and the proportions, just right. The little girl's ensemble was fine and I can see it at an upscale kid's store in Brentwood or the Hamptons. It was very Malia and Sasha Obama. Was the Model/Mom's look ultra fashionable? No. But I didn't think they were bad enough to be eliminated for. I really felt Jonathan's were worse. And Amy's was definitely less flattering to wear. But this was a case where those other two have been consistently better in previous challenges. She was at the bottom last week and therefore, I think it was "written" in the so-called reality show script, for her to be eliminated. Janeane, if somehow you can get the email of Michelle Obama's press and social secretary, tell her you would be happy to send the First Daughters some clothes--I think they would like them!
See you next week for another Recap kiddies! Ciao!