I was so relieved by the outcome of Project Runway. To me, it seemed like an obvious enough choice; Seth Aaron was the only designer who was able to both remain true to his style and elevate it to a new, super-sophisticated level. I didn’t see how adding pleather and aubergine accents and some slightly grungy makeup made Mila’s one note collection anything different from the looks she’s been showing all season. And although I’ve liked many of his designs this season, I haven’t been a fan of Emilio’s attitude for many episodes now, and with the exception of the gold dress, I wasn’t amazed with the clothes he sent down the runway in the finale.

The first two looks I posted are my favorite designs from Seth Aaron’s collection. The silk dress added an unexpected softness to his collection but fit in seemlessly with the other pieces. The checkerboard coat is similar to other designs we’ve seen from Seth Aaron but it is so much more luxurious and (as Nina probably noted) expensive-looking.

I did love Emilio’s gold dress. If he’d sent down a few more of these, or had made some intermediate pieces that bridged the gap between the suited looks and the gown, I think the outcome of the finale would have been different.

(images from nymag.com)