Runway Roundup: Finale

And so here we are, the first three-way dance between an all lady group of contestants. There was little drama in the last days leading up to the show (except for surprise judge Tim Gunn) so let’s get right to the collections.

Kenley
I think my partner captured Kenley’s collection best when she mentioned that despite the amazing effort put in by painting the fabric she could have found those fabrics pre-made. A little more time put into the design and not the fabric could have pushed her collection from good to great. While I did not swoon over any one piece I also wasn’t turned completely off. The closest was the blue/green Sean Young Blade Runner dress (pictured above) which seemed like she stole it off the Warner Brothers lot. Perhaps the biggest complaint I can give is that she had a rather poorly paced show. There was certainly cohesion in the looks but I thought the flow just wasn’t there and that’s so important when winning over the judges. I think it was predictable that she was the first one out.

Korto
No one this season did pants or color better then Korto and her show certainly proved that. Unfortunately neither of them met in her collection. I loved the white pants suit (pictured above) and the way the top looked but I wish it had been in the vibrant green color that made up the dazzling evening gown she finished the show with. I thought she edited her looks but they were still a bit overworked. Her beadwork was too distracting at times. The show did run at an amazing pace. The color transitions were top notch and for a moment I thought she might have pulled off the upset, but then we had…

Leanne
Even though I was rooting for her, I must say Leanne had the best show hands down. Her concept intrigued me the most when Tim visited the finalists last week and she did not disappoint. Right from the top she dazzled with her first look (pictured above). The pedal skirt that was repeated in other variations was an eye catcher as was the structured top. The wave architecture truly stood out and carried over every piece. Her variety of pants, skirts, jackets, and gowns made the lack of color virtually unnoticeable. Perhaps the best example was the vest and pants look pictured above. It completely personified the finer qualities of Leanne as a designer. It was impeccably made, featured beautiful structure, and grabbed your attention with every step down the runway.

While I’m sure the judging was close, it was clear the Leanne deserved the title because she has so much to offer. With Runways status in doubt thanks to lawsuits and channel switching, this finale leaves the show’s legacy in good stead.