'Project Runway' judges push Zamora to point of tears

Lifetime photos
Kini Zamora is advised to change up the styling on his finale collection.

'Project Runway' Season 13
Episode 13: Finale Part 1

This week, the final four designers—Char Glover, Sean Kelly, Amanda Valentine and Hawaii’s Kini Zamora—were told they have $9,000 to spend and five weeks to create a 10-piece collection for New York Fashion Week, which in reality took place Sept. 5.

Co-hosts Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum announced that they will be setting them up for success on the global stage by giving them some inspiration, and with the help of the Best Western hotel chain, the designers—none of them well-traveled—are sent jetting off to Rome.

Duly inspired, the designers retreated to their homes to create before Tim arrives for his critique. During Tim’s home visit with Kini, he marvels over the quality of Kini’s designs. Kini said his collection was slow coming. I think with all the pressure over Fashion Week, he was probably overthinking it, which tends to stifle creativity.

Gunn finally had the opportunity to meet Kini’s family, and he and his mother Valerie explained that he was destined to make his family proud. Valerie said, “That’s how he got his name.” His full Hawaiian name, Kini’okahokuloa, means “king of the morning star.”

Then Tim is in for a treat, with a full luau with music, hula and food, in the family’s back yard. It isn’t over before the usual starchy Tim performs a series of ‘ami, or hip rotations. Lol! Combined with his adventures with Ari (then Andy) South, he’s becoming well versed in living local!

After Gunn completed all his home visits, it was time for the designers to return to New York. As soon as they saw each other, they were eager to see all collections and they are as different as the personalities involved.

Eventually, Tim arrived to report that the judges want to get a preview of three looks from their collections right away. In the past, this has meant that the low-scoring designer would be eliminated … but not this time. Before starting the runway show, Klum tells the designers that the critiques will help them present their final show.

There’s much praise for Sean and Amanda’s collections. Char’s is the weakest. But I was shocked when the judges save their worst criticism for Kini’s collection. I thought they were well-suited to high-end designer stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Sak’s and Neiman Marcus. But, I guess the bulk of the population does not shop high-end designer, and they are seeking wider appeal for populist relevance. The judges deemed the styling “old lady” and advised him to change the styling and some of the pieces.

Given the time crunch and the feeling of overwhelm of making changes this late in the game, Kini was reduced to tears.

But I have the feeling it was a bit of a subterfuge for storyline, because his collection was strong, and can only get stronger with a few tweaks, including losing the "all bells and whistles" coat as the judges suggested.

I really liked Sean’s pieces. He is the most cerebral of the designers, the sort who appeals to smart women, the handful of man repellers out there. His collection tells the story of the fall of Caesar, from godlike white to darkness of betrayal to his bloody death by the hands of his peers.

Amanda’s pieces were lauded as looks most women want to wear. That may be so, because they’re easy pieces, but they are way too “ethnic” for my taste. The best aspect of her collection is the custom jewelry she created.

Char may have cohesion in her final collection, but it wasn't apparent in what she chose to show. There was no cohesion at all.

Kini Zamora on a roll with second 'Project Runway' win

Lifetime photos
Kini Zamora shows his American Girl design on the runway.

‘PROJECT RUNWAY’ SEASON 13
Episode 9: American Girl Doll

This week, the “Project Runway” designers meet up at Manhattan’s American Girl store where each is matched with an American Girl doll and the child model carrying the doll.

Hawaii designer Kini Zamora is lucky because his doll Samantha’s back story is that of an orphan who is adopted into a wealthy household, offering plenty of potential to showcase his upscale couture style.

Right away, he starts working on a houndstooth coat of bouclé fabric, and white dress. Mentor Tim Gunn worries that the two together look “too mature” for a little girl, and while Kini says he doesn’t do “flirty,” he changes course, using the red check fabric provided by American Girl.

Even though he’s designing for a girl, he can’t give up his structured aesthetic.

Working quickly as usual, the time he is done, he has created a coat dress, top and skirt. Later, when Amanda Valentine finishes early, leaving her time to handstitch details, she notes of the relaxed feeling, “This is what Kini must feel like every week.”

During a break, the designers talk about their own experience with dolls. This is how we learn of the evolution of Kini’s hairstyle. He said he played with troll dolls and their hair, and revealed that is the inspiration behind his tuft of blond hair!

Troll dolls were fads that emerged in the early 1960s, and again in the 1970s through ’90s.

The judges are won over by Kini’s pieces which are appropriate for his poor little rich girl doll, who he imagined as having no one to play with but she does have a credit card. Designer Zac Posen describes the ensemble as “Chanel meets Vivienne Westwood,” and guest judge Elizabeth Moss of AMC’s “Mad Men” asks whether American Girl will be recreating the pieces for 31-year-olds.

He is the hands down winner and says he’s happy to be on a roll that may lead to another win, and another until he wins the entire season.

And Sandhya Garg finally gets offed for a look the judges describe as a Teletubbie onesie.

This is the look that gets Sandhya Garg sent home.

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Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her coverage in print on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.

Kini Zamora scores first 'Project Runway' win on rainway

Nadine Kam photos
Designer Kini Zamora is back in town after New York’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and gathered with friends and family to watch the latest episode of “Project Runway” at Pau Hana Lounge. As for what’s new with the designer, check out my interview to appear in print Thursday.

‘PROJECT RUNWAY’ SEASON 13
Episode 8: The Rainway

The designers faced an avant garde challenge this week, with a twist. Instead of a normal runway, their designs had to be waterproofed for a rainway, a concept new to most of them.

The first time I saw a rainway was during Yohji Yamamoto’s Adidas Y-3 New York Fashion Week show in fall of 2007, when he made it rain under the yet-to-be-developed High Line. We were like “What?” as we waited for staffers with umbrellas to escort us to the bleacher seating.

Inspired by the idea of rain, Hawaii designer Kini Zamora—back in town following his showing on the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week runway—set about creating an umbrella style skirt.

Once again, his main competitor was Sean Kelly whose idea was a bit of genius, making use of the water in a way that would transform his garment. He created a very simple white dress, but poured Rit powder dyes into seams so that when water hit, it would start bleeding color.

He knew it was a risk, but one well worth taking. Even so, I thought it was somewhat derivative of the work of Alexander McQueen, who in 1999, had robots spray paint a white dress modeled by Shalom Harlow, who stood on a rotating platform so the pattern circled the dress. Now, THAT, was a remarkable moment. Sadly, a lot of young designers today seem clueless when told they are referencing other designers because they haven’t studied enough fashion history. I think if Kelly knew of McQueen’s work, he might have created something other than a simple white dress to appear less like a copycat.

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Alexander McQueen’s spraypainted dress.

Kini Zamora with one of his Honolulu Community College instructors, Joy Nagaue, who was able to attend the “Project Runway” New York Fashion Week show in my place.

And although Zamora’s design was new to the judges, it’s been done quite frequently here, particularly by a number of University of Hawaii at Manoa design students intrigued by the folds of origami.

Zamora’s finished work, made of Lycra masquerading as glossy PVC fabric, looked something like a fetish-y dominatrix Catwoman meets “Wicked” character.

Amanda Valentine confesses to liking his garment, saying, “There’s something creepy about it,” before adding, “I like it. I kinda wish he would design like this for every challenge.”

Judge Nina Garcia called his work “sublime,” and judge Zac Posen praised his “skillful hand” and technique.

In the end, the judges could not decide between Zamora’s and Kelly’s designs, and both were declared winners. It was a great moment for Kini, watching the episode at Pau Hana Lounge with friends and family, who cheered and toasted his win. Someone remarked, loudly, “He should have won the last four!”

Sadly, Korina Emmerich should have been sent home for her grade-school Halloween project creation, but she had immunity, so Fäde zu Grau was sent home for his sportswear look. It was deemed too simple by the judges.

Lifetime photos
Judges admired Kini Zamora’s design down to the gloves that judge Zac Posen deemed difficult to make.

Sean Kelly’s white dressed transformed in the rain with the help of Rit dyes inserted into seam lines.

Korina’s creation may have been the worst of the season. She was fortunate to have had immunity.

Following is a link to my past post on Alexander McQueen’s “Savage Beauty” show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as a video of the spraypainting robots:

http://blogs.starbulletin.com/fashiontribe/taking-in-mcqueens-savage-beauty/

http://youtu.be/P13oZsD-t4s