Hi Readers! It's been a while... Well, my prepping for the SAT, several jobs and all the other baggage that comes in the summer lead me to abandon y'all. I got promoted to a monthly columnist in Teenstuff Magazine.

Devil's Breath: Curse in Disguise

I recently went through something that got me thinking about power and how having it bestowed on us may influence our actions. Upon research, I found the ultimate power tool, Devil’s breath, a drug that rids the taker of free will, the real life equivalent of Harry Potter’s Imperius Curse. This short story explores how a person would react to owning this drug. P.S. Before you jump to the conclusion that the main character is the 'villain', stop and consider what would you have done had you been given the same opportunity.... Continue Reading on HASH

My Bucket List

1.      Move to New York City

2.      Go to NYU

3.      Have a relationship with a certain Gossip Girl star I wouldn’t like to mention here.

4.      Try a Vodka Marini and a Cosmopolitan

5.      Write and direct Moulin Rouge on Broadway

6.      Meet Eva Longoria

7.      Have first line tickets to New York Fashion Week

8.      Spend my honeymoon in The Maldives

9.      Write a New York Times bestseller

10. Eat Breakfast at Tiffany’s

11. Visit Marilyn Monroe’s grave

12. Share a kiss with a hottie in the middle of Times Square

13. Win a Pulitzer

14. Own a Chelsea art gallery

15. Ace my SATs

16. Get a paid job

17. Have a baby girl and call her Sarah

18. Legally change my name to Adam

19. Get a job at Vanity Fair

20. Cover the Oscars or Tonys

21. Acquire the linguistic abilities to read the original Shakespeare works

22. Visit Studio 54

23. Spend my 5^th Anniversary in Paris

24. Intern at a successful magazine

25. Have a closet full of nothing but designer labels

26. Go out on a night around the town with Chris Colfer

27. Invite all my bullies to a school reunion where I flaunt my success and make them green with envy. (Don’t kid yourself, you want it too)

28. Move to the Upper West Side

29. Have one of my books made into a movie

30. Write a TV show’s screenplay

31. Get over my animal phobia

32. Be part of a campaign that ACTUALLY does something to save the environment

33. Write a Glee movie that all the actors reunite to film

34. Dine at Sardi’s

35. Go to Vegas and get a hangover so bad that I end up in a place I don’t know

36. Perfect my British accent

37. Know how to cook anything other than scrambled eggs

38. Fire someone (haha, vicious me)

39. Understand why some people called the movie Amour ‘brilliant’

40. Meet Anne Hathaway

41. Watch the Broadway revival of Les Miserables

42. Create a time machine to go meet Audrey Hepburn at her youth

43. Ride a train going to a random place

44. Make out with a hot model

45. Revisit my high school in Dubai

46. Throw a drink in someone’s face

47. Dedicate a book to the world’s most amazing woman, my mom

48. Buy my engagement ring from Tiffany’s

49. Visit Radio City music hall and watch The Rockettes

50. Find out I have magical powers and get into Hogwarts (or just go to the Harry Potter theme park)

The Curse of the Caste

Untouchability, a solemn critique of the now outlawed Indian
caste system by prominent artist and former
Dalit (or 'Untouchable') Savi Savarkar

I’m an urban boy. I love big cities with their fumy exhausts, historical monuments, rude people, wide wealth gaps, disgusting public transportation and chic restaurants. After the excruciating process of taking my IGCSE examinations this May in Cairo where the sirens and whistles are sometimes too loud for you to be able to think, I decided to visit my grandma in Alexandria which contrasts with Cairo the way New Jersey contrasts with New York.

After visiting the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Alexandria museum of Art and watching The Hangover 3 in a local cinema, I decided that what I was missing was yoghurt slush, a drink Alexandria is notoriously known for, on one of the rustic cafes located right by the Mediterranean. The experience was one of immense delightfulness as the scent of salt air surrounded me all over. When the waiter brought over the yoghurt slush, I said ‘merci’ instead of ‘shukran’ and expected a moment of awkwardness. Weirdly enough, I was treated to... Continue Reading on HASH

Think Again!

Summer… it’s that amazing time of the year when we get to embrace the hobbies that we barely get to practice year-long, well at least, for people who are too lazy to get a job, like me. Earlier this week, as I got to reading The Phantom of the Opera for the third time around, my father pulled a little intervention on me to force me out of my profound introversion. We ended up visiting my great-aunt, a Turk of sixty-something who was born and raised in Egypt and has come to know me as the toddler she babysat fifteen years ago when my parents went out on date night.

A long conversation with her got me pondering about choices, opportunities and determination. The result is this article. As a celebration of ‘Show, don't tell’, here is her story in her own words.

“I was born in 1951 on the outskirts of Cairo to a rich family, a family of circus performers… Continue Reading on HASH

Street Fashion: The Look of Tomorrow!

This article was published in the August 2013 issue of Teenstuff.

We all love watching movies like The Devil Wears Prada and The September Issue where seeing a woman walking down the streets in couture and six inch stilettos isn’t considered unreasonable, and although you’ll probably deny it when talking to friends, you fantasize over the day when you’ll look the same. Okay, let’s leave that bubble! Welcome back to Planet Earth where modern day women dress up in ready-to-wear labels to work rather than red carpet looks.

This season, especially in the teen world, of all of the different genres of chic, the one raving the scene is street fashion. Whether, you’re a Greaser, preppy or hippie, there’s a place for you in this phenomenon. Here are the top 5 pieces that are closet must-haves to help you accentuate your street look!

Denim all the Way!

Denim has stood as a symbol of bohemia and Gypsy-ness since it’s ascension. This is even further true today with denim skirts which are the next big thing. After fading from the fashion scene for a while in the eighties and early nineties, they were revived by Marnie Bjornson in the late nineties. My suggestion is to pair it up with a simple tank top if going to the mall or even better a sleeveless animal print. Avoid Polka Dots. A belt and those nerdy Ray bans we all have would match well! These looks have actually made their looks into some big collections from Stella McCartney to Louis Vuitton! Don’t forget to break the trend by wearing something other than the good, old blue shade! Jeggings are recommended too.

Breton Summer Stripes!

We all love summer stripes! They’re cheerful, colorful, vibrant and are the summer equivalent of spring florals. An amazing aspect about this ready to wear look is the versatility. You can wear them with skinny jeans, shorts, neon pants and if you’re daring with your fashion aesthetic, even a skirt! More importantly, whether you’re going to work, the club or a family reunion, it’s perfect. Though readily available at your local H&M or Zara, iconic designers have featured them in their runway looks this season.

Colorful Blazers!

Although these have been in trend for a while now, they seem to be sticking out a bit longer. What I like about this look is that it manages to combine the youthful feel that we all love with the formality that is occasionally required in conferences, meetings or interviews. As for the coloring choices, I’ll quote Heidi Klum here, “You go bold or you go home.” Try everything from lilac to fuchsia to burgundy. Remember, no fashionista looked fabulous by playing it safe.

Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Possibly not your best option when in the city but on vacation, in The North Coast or Sharm El Sheikh, this is what you gotta wear for a night out in the town, a karaoke party or so! It’s buoyant and hearty. Shades of pink, red, blue or green are all recommended. The length of the hemline is irrelevant here. Short or long, you will look breathtaking. Wear it with flats and leave your hair down.

Accessorizing!

Clothing is definitely a crucial part of creating that cool look you want to achieve, but if you ask Anna Wintour or Sarah Jessica Parker,  they’ll tell you the secret to looking your best is what surrounds the clothes! This is especially true when it comes to street fashion because the garments are usually simplistic and devoid of intricacy, so to bring out your inner diva, put on a variety of accessories. Most commonly seen in Paris’s Haute Couture Fashion week were studded bangles, Ray Bans, Hermès belt, Manolo Blahnik stilettos and Burberry neck scarves. Feel free to ditch the brands and wear something a little more YOU and affordable. It’s what really puts the whole look into perspective. This season, the cutting edge bags in the accompanying photo has been trending a lot thanks to M2Malletier. They are inspired by medieval tools and armor.

Home

Okay, don’t judge this as an article. It’s more of an emotionally heated diary entry I wrote on 3^rd July 2013.

About thirty months ago, the Egyptian society uprooted a tyrant. It was a bloody revolution, which took place over eighteen days, where tens of hundreds died in cold blood. Fast-forward to today, another tyrant, one of immense foolishness and absolutely no sense, has been ousted, this time, by a Coup d'état supported by the Egyptian crowds who rallied all over the nation forming the largest protests in the history of mankind with a total of twenty-two million civilians. This is not a political report so I’m going to cut to the chase. This is my story in the last two and a half years as an Egyptian, legally at least…

When the first revolution commenced, in the beginning of 2011, I was yet a resident of Dubai and was unknowledgeable about Egyptian politics of any sort. Luck came my way when I happened to be on vacation here and the uprising occurred. After lots of analytical reflection, pondering, and going through things in my head, I realized that I wanted to visit Tahrir Square so I did and it was a liberating experience. For a little while, I got the feeling that this place was ‘home’, but I was fourteen, naive and deluded, so makes sense.

On a personal and local basis, from the time that Mubarak was uprooted last year until this week was very chaotic. Nationally, the country went through several ups and downs with the Supreme council of armed forces taking over for a while then the Muslim brotherhood did. At that time, I moved to Egypt. The way I failed at relating with society as a whole got me thinking over my perception of home and how chanting and protesting in a place doesn’t make it home. It remains one where I feel secluded and left out. My introverted-ness along with the stagnant economy, lack of job security and overall decline in safety made me despise the nation as a whole. Being someone who always thinks things over, I realized that Egypt wasn’t my home and more importantly, I don’t have one, at least for now.

After having reached said conclusion, when my parents, politically aware individuals, started protesting, four days ago, I clearly told them that Egypt meant nothing to me and although my apathy annoyed them, they were respectful. I had a revelation when I discussed the issue with a friend who was caught in a similar dilemma but protested. He said, “If you don’t revolt now, minorities like us will still be apathetic centuries from now. If blacks, gays and women didn’t revolt in first-world countries, over the last centuries, they wouldn’t have become first world countries.” It took me a while to process that and I only went to Tahrir under immense parental pressure on the last day.

The momentum in Tahrir square said, “We can defy gravity if we want to. The sky wasn’t the limit, there was none.” I’m not going to elaborate on that because I did in an earlier article. When I went though, I couldn’t protest though. I just sat there, staring, preoccupied with the products of months of thinking. Why did I want to do this? Why did being here feel right? Would I do it If I were somewhere else? Am I Egyptian at heart?

The conclusive answer to me was when Ex-President Mohamed Morsi was finally ousted by the army. I was gloriously joyous. It wasn’t for me though. I was most likely out of there in a year and never coming back. I sat there, expressing my joy in ways differing from the rest of the crowd around me, talking in a different language. This was a victory for the world as a whole, the elimination of yet another tyrant. Things will get better for minorities in Egypt now and who knows what artistic or scientific achievement that will bring to us, and by us I mean the world as a whole. Cliché as it might sound, I truly do understand what ‘world citizen’ means now.

This is NOT how it is

When I was growing up, the unspoken philosophy of Egyptian society was “this is how it is.” As an Egyptian living overseas, I was constantly exposed to the sickening caste system and the chasm it created between the rich and the poor. While many Egyptians struggled to make ends meet, others drowned in luxuries like Lexus cars and ski trips to Switzerland. Whenever a naive child, not yet touched by life’s cruelty, asked, “Why?”, the response came as mechanically as if it were programmed: “Because… Continue reading on HASH

The Energy Resurfaced

I’m currently trying to compile every writing I’ve ever done onto this blog. This is a piece of writing that I recently found, one which I wrote at fourteen.

Let me start by dictating the reasons I have decided to write this. I don't know if this will end up as a short story, an article or simply, a poem. I sit on my desk and embrace the privacy of my room. A feeling holds me that I need to put my storming thoughts on paper and give you all a piece of my mind.

On 24th January 2011, I was a 'nation-less' person. Sure, the green passport, with the golden text, 'Arab Republic of Egypt' engraved in it, that identified my existence was in my bag. Nevertheless, I was a stranger to this country having abandoned it since the dawn of my life. I had no loyalty towards it at all and when its name was mentioned during a conversation the first thing that would come through my mind was dirty streets and homeless people thanks to the numerous TV shows giving this impression!

The Twenty-Fifth's dawn broke bringing with it a spectrum of hope and optimism, to the nation. For me, conversely, it was the typical Tuesday, where I would go to school, come home, have lunch followed by a study session!

I didn't mention it, did I? My parents are VERY patriotic people and I, naturally, found it annoying and at times disturbing as they willfully had me read their news feeds and online in an attempt to make me the same. This day, however, it was too much! My mom went on and on about how some serious movement is happening in Egypt and that it seems big which is something I heard twice or thrice a year! The following days were equally boring for me as my parents talked about something that only they seemed to know about and I had eventually believed it is a fragment of their imagination!

Friday, the Twenty-eighth came! Friday was the day the family usually spent with family friends, who annoyingly enough seemed equally patriotic! The 50 inch LCD screen in their house, broadcasting to us images of unity, strength, goal and, to the contrary, violence, slowly started to attract and intimidate me!

The word 'revolution' started being mentioned numerous times. According to my pocket Oxford dictionary, which I never left behind, revolution referred to, 'a forcible overthrow of a government'. The word to me, on the other hand, sounded like, 'the mystery'! It brought contradicting subconscious beliefs of war and peace, poverty and development, boom and recession! Was it a pro or a con, I wondered? Somewhere else within me, An emotional confusion erupted as well! I wondered what was happening to me and why!

I was never the person to care in the past. In fact, I mocked others who did. Through the eighteen days of revolution, a sense of loyalty started to grow and dominate within me. The reasons seemed anonymous but also, effective. Every death I heard or read about shook me to the core as I wondered whether the next might be a cousin or an uncle.

It all ended, after numerous illegitimate assassinations, on the eleventh of the latter month, or so it seemed. To many, it was assumed to be the commencing of a Utopian Era. But actually, this is when a demon left and was soon enough replaced by a more evil one! The SCAFs!!!

They played their game well at first, but soon enough the sugar coating was over. Although to a huge crowd, including myself, the energy of the revolt in them was 'dormant-ed', numerous individuals and parties were able to see them and expose them for the frauds that they have become or maybe even, already were! Governments Changed... frankly, they were nothing more than a public relations department for the SCAF who tried (slash failed) to deceive the intellectual citizens!

I would not like to bore you with details, but today, two days post the violations (more appropriately, massacre) that has occurred in the city of Port Saeed in a football stadium, I have realized that the flames in most of us has ran out over months of deception and cheap theatrical acting.

I hope that the massacre has been a lighter or match stick big enough to re-ignite the flame in you. It has for me, which is why I am in engulfed by sorrow for letting them deceive us for such a long time, but let's not cry over spilled milk!

This is not a message particularly for followers of the liberal or Islamic parties but to the contrary, it is for you and I and for anyone who would call themselves, 'Egyptian'! For those of you who choose to stay indifferent and negative, all I can say is that, the seventy three martyrs who have passed away in the stadium were not protesters! They were simply football fans! You can be their successor in a month or two, and vandalism and violence shall always be there as the SCAF is in power.

I hope post reading this, your energy has been resurfaced!

One Short Day

Even after nearly a year living in the penthouse my spouse and I bought when Sarah turned two, the panoramic view from the expansive window pane never fails to take my breath away. The sight of every skyscraper looking back at me from my Upper West Side castle in the sky continues to tantalize me. It was what drove me to move to the city from across the world to begin with, after high school, exactly two decades ago. Yet, having been raised in an urban environment myself, it was not the steel erections on their own that appealed to me. In fact, what did was the grandeur of the city with all its theaters, art galleries, fashion shows, club openings, so on and so forth. For a young writer trying to break out of the preordained shell he was fixated in… Continue Reading on HASH

Apollo Agrees

I realize that if I was a celebrity I’d be getting lots of hate mail for this one, but thank God I’m not! Viral hit, that is what the international culture of Transhumanism will evolve into over the next couple of months after it has become the central topic of bestselling author, Dan Brown’s new book, Inferno, which hit the racks just last month. Similar to the case of the Illuminati, a groundbreaking phenomenon, society will spend a large portion of their time addressing it, an issue that they fail to grasp in the first place… But what is transhumanism really?... Continue reading on HASH

Hey, you guys, my new weekly column, Adam's Ecstasy is finally seeing the light of day on the youthful, up-and-coming magazine, HASH. Check out my pilot article here...

Update

Hi guys! I wanted to thank every last reader because writing here was a truly liberating, inspiring, eye-opening experience to me and I couldn't have done without your views. I am currently writing a weekly column for HASH, an online magazine. The column is called Adam's Ecstasy... Moreover, I have landed an internship in Egypt's no. 1 bestselling English Magazine, Teenstuff. Since all my writing shall now, be published in said magazines, this blog will be used for publishing excerpts with links to the originals and original material that shall not be published in the magazine.

Regards,

Adam Ashraf

Update

Hey, you guys! Lately, I’ve been out of touch and too busy and tired to post. Anyway, I’m BACK! I’m starting off with a couple of changes. I shall rename my blog from Osamalicious to Ministry Of Eccentricity and that is, mostly because Osamalicious seemed to shock most people. Stay Tuned!

The Art Of Writing

I was never diagnosed with ADHD but with the way my brain runs, and the way I am always all over the place, I’m not surprised that all my friends would go to their graves swearing I have it.

The brain is an intense place where there’s always something occurring, be it a debate, revelation or a captivating obsession that haunts you. As a person who is always defined as, ‘over the top’, struggling to get everything done on time for my magazine, while studying to ace an exam, right after going for a night out in the time, this is especially true for me. The stress and confusion that capture me, trying to keep up with my present as I dream and contemplate about my future leads to the fact that my brain is probably busier than Grand Central Station.

When it all becomes too much, this is when writing comes in. To a majority, writing is merely they tool they use to get their homework done or to fill up the groceries’ list. I see that as a degradation of the word. Writing is an intriguing art where you communicate with someone. To Tina Brown, it’s an audience of millions but to me, it is probably the handful who read my blog, you guys, or probably just me in the case of my diary.

The touch of the sharpened pencil magnetizes your fingers as it makes a frictional sound across paper that your soul hears as a soft, sensational lullaby merely begging your fingers to go on and on. It’s a sensation that hits your body out of nowhere, swoops over you bringing shivers down your spine and knocks on your brain asking to be let out to the world, be it a fashion article, a poem or a script.

Moreover, writing brings about change in the way we function in our everyday life as we are suddenly engulfed by positivity as you instantaneously feel a burden lifted off your back. Your aura brightens and you become a more radiant individual. So if you’re feeling exhausted, tired, depressed, or even betrayed, remember, a swooping, embracing hug awaits you an article away. Sharpen your pencils, ladies and gentlemen, it works better than antidepressants!

Bob

The reason behind this is naïve and possibly stupid. I was told by an amazing friend of mine that talented people are widespread and common but the ones who are eventually said to be 'successful' are the ones who truly choose the pathway of nurturing their talent! I'm gonna tell you a story of a little boy called Bob! I chose the commonest of names as this is no particular person who has rose to a high position or become famous! He is simply a teen who has unearthed his talent!

Where Bob came from, Friday was the day families socialized, and his family and their acquaintances always met up in the Park! Unlike the stereotypical boy, Bob hated football and similar sports. To him friday was 'peace day'. Every Friday morning his family would head to the park. Mothers would gossip while fathers would discuss significant issues like the weather, politics and the economy! The kids were naturally playful, Girls would skip the rope while boys would be playing ball!

Bob, conversely, lied down under the shadows of a willow tree admiring the astonishing greenery or the limited bird species roaming the setting! There, and only there, Bob would find his inner peace. Some mocked him while others attempted attracting to the game but he was what Mr. Ashton, Bob's Father, called a hopeless case when it comes to fitting in. The other boys' failures in attracting him to the game resulted to him being, 'Lazy Bob'.

Again, breaking the trend, the mocking names didn't disturb Bob at all. He didn't complain or attempt to get sympathy looks and acts from elders. Later, he said he was glad he didn't force himself into sports. The little boy says, It may have distracted him from later meeting the love of his life.

A couple of days after his ninth birthday Bob met his true love. When he told people they assumed he was talking about a girl! They were wrong... It was a passion. This passion was his exclusive companion through solitude, joy and occasional misery! His love was the Notepad! Grounded for a reason he doesn't remember, laid Bob in his bedroom wondering what to do. He soon enough laid eyes on the notepad and this was his first encounter with what would have later become the source of his ultimate delight.

Fast forward, six years, Bob is a changed person. The mischievous edge his teachers complained about has vanished and was replaced by a calm attitude. He says, it was because of the lack of activity.

Writing gives Bob an indescribable rush which he never experienced in the past, The flow of words mastered between his hands were like the flow of a maestro's fingers as he directed an orchestra. The Fifteen year old, Bob, when spoken to says, 'I know one day Ill reach my ultimate destiny. I did what I loved and I worked at it so I shall not fail'. Others might dream of being business tycoons or Hollywood stars but Bob will always be the happiest of them all!

Balance is the word

We, the young teenage rebels of the twenty first century, have become part of a world where finding leisure, fun and entertainment is a click away. Long gone are the days when teenagers had to spend a handful of cash to entertain themselves in a bowling arcade or buy a novel, we have it all for free! While many of the supporters of that will debate that it has narrowed the cultural variation gap, and that lack of funds wouldn’t lead to lack of fun, this has also made our generation shortsighted, unintelligent and above it, all, uninterested in anything but who is going to comment on their ‘Facebook’ status. The already flaming debate about whether we should ‘live the moment’ or ‘aspire for the future’ has sizzled with the stakes so high… What’s right and what’s wrong?

Many of the youth of today live their life to the fullest, embracing every second and making a milestone out of every day, appreciating the lily’s aroma in the spring, the flaming sun in the summer, the rust feel of the autumn and the breezy chill of winter. Their high school life goes by as they engage in partying, dating, clubbing, shopping and any other, moral, and sometimes immoral, activity you can possibly imagine. After they’ve ‘done it all’ and they’re broke, they are confronted by the fact that they wasted the years in which they should’ve been maturely developing on worthless ‘fun’. Some will go on living off part time jobs, but a part of them will know that it’s over. They will have hit rock bottom. Others may proceed to the ‘right track’ or whatever you choose to call it, but the inevitable fact will not miraculously disappear: They have wasted the most relevant decade of their life.

The second group, that seems to be diminishing in the world today, are the absolute opposite of the ones who have “Live while we’re young” as their cell phone ringtone. These are the youth who build their present around their future. Their every act is with the motive of reaching for the stars, moving one step closer to the future they worked for and pondered over for a majority of their existence. They have their university and career of choice planned and they spend every waking moment where they aren’t cramming to ace an exam, daydreaming about the day when that dream will turn into reality. The question is, though, are these young scientists, poets, lawyers and doctors of the future doing themselves justice? Will they wake up two decades from now, realizing that they wasted their life prepping for an interview or conference in their dorm room? They probably will but it shall then be too late.

If I had to pick a lifestyle of the two, I would be more in sympathy with the latter but the good news is, I don’t, and neither do you. Why don’t we break the trend for once and rather than condemn ourselves to the life of a nerd or a partier, obliviously following a stereotype, make our own trend and lifestyle? Why don’t we strike a balance between the two? It isn’t as hard as many might believe it would be. We can always sign up for extracurricular activities which are both enjoyable and educational. It’s basically the best of both worlds. Read a book, go to a party, prep for the exam then head to the GYM! There are twenty four whole hours a day and conforming to a mere activity all along is tedious and repetitive. You intertwine both lifestyles and you got yourself an winning infusion!

Stereotyping Genders

When was the color blue attached to boys while pink for girls? Who ingeniously decided that football was for men while fashion was for no one but women and gay guys? Why was Twilight declared for females and Lord of the Rings for males? Most significantly, why is anyone breaking those ‘rules’ immediately labeled as a weirdo, nerd or worse?

It seems to me, ladies and gentlemen of the twenty first century, that we have evolved minimally, from the times of our ancestors. Adults in TV shows and high school are always whining about how teenagers are conforming to stereotypes. The real question is, who gave us these stereotypes? These tiny unbreakable boxes? Weren’t your parents the ones to get your little sister a Barbie doll and your brother a video game? Didn’t they shop for you right after the sonogram came out telling them your anticipated gender?

Until today, in a majority of the world’s cultures, it’s okay for a guy to fool around before marriage but it doesn’t work with the opposite sex. A stay-at-home dad is considered someone with lack of chivalry and honor, but housewives are okay.

My point is not about showing that society is biased against a particular gender. The double standards we live in are unjust to each and every one of us, male or female. The tragic part is that we are the one to blame. We cling to stereotypes to avoid our insecurities. If each one of us was really confident and had a sense of their identity we would make our hobbies and interests, rather than sexuality, define who we are. It’s a matter of choice.

Project Runway - S11E04:

The Ultimate Hard and Soft

Over the seasons, I always found the unconventional challenges extremely enjoyable and interesting simply because they sometimes manage to reveal the designers’ open-mindedness and creativity. Unfortunately though, in some cases, it manages to highlight their eccentricities and flaws.

The fact that the shows’ creators gave the designers the opportunity to mix between the soft and hard was also a rather intriguing choice that got me excited for this episode to start! The challenge was a two-day one with an extremely high budget of $2500 per team to design six cohesive looks. In the beginning, I felt that the teaming was rather unjust since Dream Team only had five contestants left while team Keepin’ it real was intact. This was ultimately solved by Tim Gunn when he gave Dream Team the opportunity to take two designers from Team Keepin’ it real. They ingeniously chose Layana and Stanley. On the other hand Team Keepin’ it real was given the opportunity to take one from Dream Team. To my surprise, they all seemed to agree on Michelle even though I see Benjamin as a more worthy contestant with higher potential. Another thing I completely disliked is that most designers seem to regard Patricia as a weak link while I find her eccentric ideas genius.

During Caucus time, Dream Team seemed to give Stanley the leadership role while Team Keepin’ it real, functioned collaboratively with no evident leader. The sketch work produced gave me an impression that we were not in for a fabulous runway. As always, Amanda was bitching about the challenge. Since ALL the challenges don’t seem to satisfy her, WHY IS SHE HERE? Another question, why has Benjamin been wearing the same shirt for three challenges now?

In the Workroom

Amanda’s moss (which is the material she chose for her dress) kept falling off. I find it inefficient that she didn’t check about that during shopping. Team Keepin’ it real seemed to struggle a lot, unlike in the former challenges. The looks weren’t cohesive. On the other hand, Dream Team’s Benjamin Mach seemed to be doing the same mistake he always does which is sketching something completely unachievable in the tiny time frame.

Once Tim’s critique came, Team Keepin’ it real seemed a bit more on time. The connecting factor in this case was that they all had an Avant Garde edge to them. I was blown away by Michelle and Richard’s piece though. I wasn’t impressed that he has been using leather looking material for two weeks now. C’mon, where’s the versatility? Like in the past, I saw Patricia’s dress as something with potential, yet eccentric. Joe’s was just UGLY which was proven to me even further during model fitting! Amanda’s looked like something that a sexy Santa would wear and I loved the silvery thingies (excuse my mime vocabulary when it comes to hardware utilities) on top which looked like a necklace. Kate’s looked a little crafty and beauty pageant looking. Cohesion was still an issue.

Dream Team seemed to have been much more organized this time. The general theme of their collection was Dior. Layana had a beautiful edge to her Victorian dress and Tu’s vest was AMAZING! I want that vest! Surprisingly, while micromanaging everyone else, witch success, Stanley’s was the only one to lack the sophistication that Dream Team brought to the table. Benjamin’s weaving was interesting and intricate. BRAVO! Samantha’s was weird and confusing.

On the Runway!

The show started with Team Keepin’ It Real. For the first time ever, Daniel’s dress wasn’t good. It was plain hideous. Joseph’s look was equally detestable. I suddenly lost faith in my favourite team. The look that Michelle and Rachel gave was beautiful but I didn’t like the rustic feel. Patricia’s was interesting as well. Amanda’s was over the top but it really was the only way to hide the inadequacy of the moss material. I don’t blame her. Kate’s was by far my favourite. I feel like Kate is suddenly growing on me. She took a risk and, to me, it paid off. That dress represented sophistication, beauty and hard work. Overall, it’d give the team a 3.

                                                                             

Moving on to Dream Team, Matthew finally produced something that was worth my attention. That piece was fierce, fabulous and I could swear I would’ve never guessed belonged to the unconventional challenge. Stanley’s look was intricate and looked fitting for a princess in the prehistoric times. Tu’s vest was amazing but I despised the skirt. Don’t mean to sound racist but his English is starting to get on my nerves as well! Benjamin’s intricate piece finally satisfied my belief that he is one of the best in the competition. I feel like once he stopped micromanaging everyone, he was able to focus on the greatness that is his aesthetic. It is my belief that he should have won this challenge. I loved Samantha’s use of contrasting material. Nevertheless, her piece wasn’t a frontrunner. It did manage to show a silhouette that is, while similar to Daniel’s, had a unique touch of sophistication. Layana’s piece reminded me of Gone with the wind for some reason. I love it nevertheless. This young woman manages to impress me week after week.

I believe Dream Team aced the challenge this time and were way better than Team Keepin’ it real. I’m surprised Heidi said it was such a close run.

I was repulsed by the fact that all members of Team Keepin’ it real threw Amanda right under the bus even though her piece was one of my personal favourites. Layana and Benjamin being in the top three was adequate. What shocked me was Samantha being placed in the same category. The finishing was a hot mess, for Christ’s sake! I disagree with Zac Posen who claimed that Amanda’s proportions were off. They seemed fine on screen. Joseph’s was terrible but I actually found Daniel’s way worse.

I feel like the elimination choice was unjust this time. Daniel’s dress wasn’t even considered for the bottom three. It was plain weird! The fact that Samantha won was equally weird. C’mon, I would’ve understood Layana taking the win from Benjamin’s trendy floral piece but Samantha! WHY?!

After a very dismal episode, the ending suspended us all in midair wondering what was yet to come!