i've been feeling the urge to create these days, so.... i'll be playing along with cycle 8 using the model Kiana!
out of respect for the current designers in cycle 8, i will only be posting my looks after the current challenge's deadline has passed.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2026 5:00 pm
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a quick overview of all Kiana's looks so far:
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2026 5:06 pm
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Challenge #1: Getting In Tune
Welcome, Designers, to the first challenge of Project Catwalk Cycle 8! It’s time to stretch those styling muscles and get familiarized with your models. To help us get to know you all a little more, we are tasking you with creating a look based on your favorite song! Whether it’s a deep cut, radio favorite, or even a one-hit wonder, this is a challenge to get personal with. You can interpret your inspiration however you like, but remember, above all: make it fashion!
One of the things I expressed during my time in Cycle 6 was my love of kpop, so it should come to no surprise that my favourite track (these days, at least--for I have far too many that I love) is also a kpop song: HALAZIA by ATEEZ
↓ embedded player here ↓
In this song, ATEEZ are encouraging a form of revolution for people to feel emotions, have hope, speak up, banish the darkness and to truly live their lives. To give some context, I'll quote a reddit user who explained it really well: There are two worlds in the ateez cinematic universe. One is the real normal life and the other world is a dystopian reality where human beings are controlled by the government and fed propaganda that makes everybody think and act the same. It is a world where music, personal expression and individuality is prohibited
I love this song for its drama: the arpeggiating synth, heavy bass, intense chords on the organ, and even the tolling of a church bell. The contrast of Yeosang's deep alluring voice and Jongho's powerful rock-like belting in the prechorus has to be my favourite part of the whole song!
Duality and contrast are motifs that are expressed both in the song's musicality and the MV's imagery. Kiana, with her vitiligo and heterochromia, is well-poised to embody these concepts. I decided to dress Kiana like the scarecrow-like effigy that is seen in the MV. This figure is representative of the alternate versions of the ATEEZ members themselves from an earlier MV, referred to by the fandom as 'HALATEEZ'. She wears their signature black brimmed hat (but with a veil!), face mask, chains and other metallic hardware, and dark smoky eye makeup. She stands among a smouldering patch of ruins inside a church, waving away the dust and smoke as she walks through the rubble, to bear wide-eyed witness to the birth of a revolution.
Congratulations on making it through your first challenge, Designers! As we ramp up the competition, it’s time to buckle down and get serious this week. For your next challenge, you are to dress your model… as a clown! Or mayhaps a jester, harlequin, or pierrot if that’s more your speed. There are centuries of history and culture to tap into here, and us judges look forward to being entertained and delighted by your looks. (And yes, can you tell that the site issues affected our challenge schedule and this was supposed to be for April Fools? Honk honk, now we’re the ones with pie on our face!)
Finding out that this was a clown themed challenge had me on my back foot as I've never particularly cared for clowns and actually haven't made a look as one before. All the same, I knew right off the bat that I wanted to go for either a spooky or an alt fashion clown. I opted to forgo bright rainbow colours in favour of a black and white goth-inspired clown.
Since Kiana's outfit would be devoid of colour, I wanted to lean into pattern-mixing in order to create visual interest. A bold polka-dotted hair band, stockings with one striped leg and one diamond/argyle leg, a tutu featuring alternating layers of black and white, a corseted bodice featuring black-outlined white swirls and white-on- black boning channels. Her neck ruff is split in half, black and white. However, I struggled to find a party-hat that was two-toned and ultimately settled on an adorable, frou-frou all black one.
Inside the dreamily coloured and shimmering illuminated big top tent, Kiana is juggling knives. A lion looks on, perhaps still hungry and waiting for her to slip up. When will she be free of the absurdity of this nightmarish carnival?
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2026 8:22 pm
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Challenge #3: What's In A Name
Designers, welcome back to your third challenge! While the first elimination is never a laughing matter, the show must go on. With a few challenges under your belt, you’ve probably realized that your model pairing can have a significant impact on your styling choices… and this week we’re taking it a step further. For this challenge, you will be limited to only using items that begin with letters appearing in your model’s name! (Base features, including optional noses, will not be included in this restriction.) You can do any sort of theme you like, but us judges will still be expecting creative and original takes. Lastly, while equip lists are usually optional, they will be required this week for your submission to be considered complete. Good luck!
Week by week, I'm introducing more colours to Kiana. Baby steps, though! With only four unique letters to her name, I took to the marketplace and sorted all human wearables by name.... and began to scroll through a couple hundred pages. I took note of many schemes and colours but only two struck my fancy: Kurudo and Iridescent. Juxtaposition is the name of the game this time around!
I elected to style Kiana in a Japanese fashion subculture called GothPunk. This style from the late 90s/early 2000s has had a revival in the past couple years. It's a personal fave, and also a style that is right up my alley for avatar-making! As the name suggests, staples of the style combine various "romantic" (goth) and "rebellious" (punk) elements--hats, knee-high socks/legwarmers, platform shoes, belts, straps, zippers, studs, safety pins--all in a combination of red and black. This is where the Kurudo scheme came in clutch!
I'm aware that the past two looks for Kiana have had a lot of black in them, so I knew I had to lighten things up somehow! Cue: the kawaii pink background. It also reminds me of those classic Japanese photobooths (Purikura) where you can edit all sorts of cute stickers onto your pics! The stark differences between these two visual styles serves to further enhance each of them individually.
Welcome, Designers, to your first Double Header week! It’s a wonderful time of year for us fashion lovers, as the world turns its eyes toward the glamorous looks of the Met Gala. This year’s theme–Fashion is Art–was practically made for us. For the first challenge of your Double Header, you are being tasked with designing a gala-worthy outfit inspired by the Met’s Costume Art exhibit and gala dress code. The catch? You must adhere to a strict budget of 75,000 Platinum for all elements of your design (base features not included). Be sure to consider what is truly necessary to make your look shine, as we are requiring submissions to share equip lists with full Marketplace data, and there may be a small bonus prize for whoever manages to spend the least…!
The time has come, Designers, for a Project Catwalk staple–one that truly tests your skills as a stylist. Yes, that’s right... for the second challenge of your first Double Header, we’re throwing you into the deep end with the infamous Ugly Item Challenge! We’ve plundered the depths of Gaia’s item list to find something truly heinous to torment you with. The rest of the outfit can look however you want, but for this second look, you must sufficiently highlight Angora's Soft Side (Shoes). In the words of another certain famous fashion competition host: Make it work!
Congratulations on surviving your first Double Header, Designers! We’ve reached the midpoint of the competition, and you should all be proud of yourselves for making it this far. You know, it’s strange–everyone loves coffee and chocolate, yet no one ever seems to say that their favorite color is brown. This week, we’re celebrating this often- overlooked color by making it the focus of your challenge! You can dress your models however you like, but your outfit must be entirely brown. You can use various hues (like taupe and camel) to break up the monotony, but all clothing and accessories (backgrounds not included) MUST read as distinctly brown.
Welcome back, Designers! This week, we're going on a bit of a nostalgia trip, and ask you to think back to your rebellious teen years. What sort of music did you listen to? How did you dress? Did you want to stand out, or fit in? Throughout time, young people have forged identities from the intersection of music and fashion, and through these modes of self-expression formed tight-knit communities based on shared aesthetics and values. For this challenge, we're having you tap into the rebellious spirit by assigning you all an iconic subculture style from various points in history to dress your model in. Be sure to do your research, and show us what you've learned!
Punk - Elora Lore Mod - mayuralover Hip Hop - xXAcid_FreeXx New Romantic - FarrahLopolis Beatnik - CottonCandy Girl Emo - Pommes Frites Grunge - Xogue Flapper - kaekie Rave - Kr-E Hippie - Freminet Goth - Endless Endeavors
While I think Kiana would be well suited to a glam-rock look, in chatting with nenone, she challenged me to try a mod look! This would already be a difficult task--knowing gaia has a lack of certain historical type items--but I managed to do this without using any items tagged "mod" or "sixties"!
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2026 8:44 pm
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Challenge #8: Battle Of The Bands
It's time to buckle in and buckle up for your second Double Header, Designers! Did you know that in addition to judging, we've also been fiddling with some experimental tech behind the scenes? In fact, we've even created a device that allows us to peer into alternate realities. It's the strangest thing... in another universe, it seems your models are all handsome men... and not only that, they are all members of a boy band! For this challenge, your task is to present us with a stylish and swoon-worthy menswear look following your respective group's theme. Your model details can be found in the following post. Be sure to update your base when building!
GROUP A: Y2K Heartthrob • turn-of-the-millenium futurism meets street style • Pommes Frites - Brian CottonCandy Girl - Marius FarrahLopolis - Kip Endless Endeavors - Ivar Elora Lore - Zamir
GROUP B: Contemporary Idol • a blend of high-concept couture and theatrical vibes • xXAcid_FreeXx - Ren kaekie - Haoyu mayuralover - Ben Freminet - Henry Xogue - Aiolos
Due: June 27th
Designer: wishflower Model: Ki'an Status: Pending, date
<< Title >>
Description: GROUP B: Contemporary Idol • a blend of high-concept couture and theatrical vibes •
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2026 8:46 pm
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Challenge #9: Oh My Heavens!
While it's fun to ponder alternate universes, for the second half of your Double Header, we return to the comfort of our own (including your original models, in case that wasn't clear). The heavens above us have long served as an inspiration for humanity, inspiring both mythology and scientific progress as we seek to understand our place in the cosmos. For this challenge, you are to create a fashionable look inspired by a heavenly body within our solar system. You can go literal or abstract, mythological or scientific with your interpretation, but either way, be sure to dazzle us like the stars you all are!
