What in the world is Gordana Gehlhausen doing on Project Runway? What I'm saying is why is she wasting her talents there? I've watched 6 weeks of projects and watched her alternately basically being told to leave the runway as her design was "good enough" to watching her take it on the chin because she's made her fashion too wearable (newspaper outfit). It appears that "make it work" does not count except in Tim Gunn's book. Gordana has made it work on every challenge.

Last night's show just put me over the top. Yes, Gordana's flapper outfit was par for the course for that historical period, however, her execution of that flapper dress was just stunning. She hit the genre of period piece for that time period right on the head in my opinion. She is an extremely talented designer/tailor. Her outfits always come out looking completely and beautifullly finished right down to every seam, bead, macrame section, etc. What she sends down the runway is always wearable. There is such beauty in her execution on all these challenges and yet the judges don't seem to be able to give her credit for that.

I did some reading up on Gordana and her favorite designer is John Galliano. John Galliano! I would never have guessed that Gordana would have chosen him. I've written about John Galliano before (see this blog:

http://alwaysplayingdressup.blogspot.com/2008_06_22_archive.html ).

I have to say when I see John Galliano's designs on the runway the phrase "hot mess" comes to my mind immediately.

I fear that soon the axe is going to fall on Gordana simply because the judges deem her work too "wearable" and not enough of the fantasy pieces that her favorite designer, John Galliano, spins out for the runway.

Ultimately I have to say that I'd much rather have Gordana designing wearable fashion for the masses than cranking out the stuff John Galliano spins for his runway shows. Surely there is room for both the functional and the fantasy on the runway. Are you listening judges?

One of my guilty pleasures on a daily basis is reading the comic strip Funky Winkerbean. I've been reading the strip since I was in high school back in the 70s when it first came out. Now on the same page as the strip each day there are featured galleries and one of today's just happens to be the Paris Men's Fashion Week Day Two for Spring Summer 2009.

I'll be the first to state that I'm not very fashion forward when it comes to mens clothing and accessories. So in my shop's men's attire you'll find classic items such as fedoras. You'll also find things like cufflinks, Harris Tweed jackets and neckties.

Still, it's somewhat life affirming to know that these fashion designers do pay homage to vintage in their own way. Who would have guessed that John Galliano in his younger days watched Rainbow Brite?

or that he loved the movie, "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad?"

Evidently John Galliano also loved one of my favorite series, Starsky and Hutch but erred on the side of fashion and pays homage to Huggy Bear.

There was, however, a glimmer of hope that I saw in the show and that came from Belgian fashion designer Kris Van Assche. There were two looks I especially liked from him.

And look at this true classic ensemble by French-Spanish designer Rosemary Rodriguez for Thierry Mugler.

So if your man is deeply entrenched in classic fashions that stand the test of time don't forget to come visit Born Too Late Vintage. You won't find any Rainbow Brite outfits there, but then again, do you really want to?