You Can Totally Wear That Again

This week on the drama of sewing clothes for 3 crazy judges and 1 random guest judge in one day and some sort of twist.....

The judges still love Michael C. but the other designers hate him. Gretchen calls her mom. Tim and Gretchen had a bit of a spat at Red Lobster, but they made up and are carrying on.

This week the challenge is to take a Bridesmaid dress and create a fashionable look. Yeah. This would be harder than making a bridesmaid dress.

At Mood, they have $50 to spend on supplemental fabric.

This week's twist is they will show at a designer showcase with the guests voting for their favorite look. This will be "taken into consideration" at judging, but not give them the automatic win. A rumor starts that Michael C. has been sabotaging the other designers aka Ivy and Valerie, who are friends. Hmmmm I would hope the camera peeps would get a shot of that if it were true.

I want to call this episode bandana episode....Andy, Valerie and Michael D are all rocking one this episode. Plus, how cute was Mondo's hair this week???

Just in general, it's been great to see more of Tim in the workroom. He's not only a mentor, but a girlfriend to the designers. We used to get just little snippets from him, but he's definitely been more prominent on the show since we've had the added time. I really like that about the extended format.

Onto the Runway!


Safety Net:

Gretchen
Yeah.
Gretchen needs to learn a new trick. Loose top, tight leggings or skirt and large boots are so last 4 weeks for her. I don't find this flattering. She had a really hideous dress so she had a big challenge this week, but I just don't find this look all together flattering. All I see are the boots, way too distracting.
p.s. Glad she fixed the side boob action for the runway.

April
Cute look. She had one of the least worst looks to begin with. April smartly made what she wanted to make instead of trying to please all of her client's crazy demands. It's maybe a little secretary-ish, but still youthful.

Ivy
Hmmm did Ivy listen to me and use color this week? Gasp! She had an ivory dress which she made into pants. I think the pants were not made perfectly....pretty darn tight all over. However, this is the first look she's made that I actually liked!

Casanova
Casanova had immunity this week. I like the top, but the pants are way too Heidi-esque for me. (Short tight and shiny). You made it to another round Casanova!

Andy
I liked this one. The top fits her like a dream. I'm not so crazy about the shorts, but I do like how it all came together. (Until she turned around and there were zippers from top to bottom UGH)


The Tops


Christopher
I'm confused....did they like this look or not? It seemed like he was top 3, but then they were criticizing it. I really like it. It helped that his model is gorgeous! He originally had a shiny blue number on a bigger model, but she got scared and dropped out. I'm not crazy about the peek-a-boob, but it does add something to what could have been a boring dress.

Mondo
Mondo won the most votes at the showcase, but alas, was a bridesmaid himself this round. Poor guy. I think the judges refused to give Mondo a win with the "Jersey hair" and hoop earrings. So close Mondo! It's a very ey-catching well made dress. He actually turned the dress inside out, so that it wasn't so freakin' shiny gross bridesmaid satin polyester. Next time buddy!

Michael C.
Here's my observations on my notecard when this walked out:
"Debutante slut and why the obvious zippers?"
Sadly, Gretchen had the best reasoning on this one in the waiting room when she called out that it was short, had lace, shiny and zippers all at once. I felt there was way too much going on with this dress. I understand why the judges liked it (there wasn't much else to pick from), it has a very interesting shape to it. It's something pretty different. It wasn't made well though, and eek just the lace with the satin material together with the shortness is just too freakin' much normally!
Were the judges giving him a sympathy win after last week's slaying on the runway by his team? Well they say they don't put past work into consideration.
Suspicious.
Still, congrats to Michael C.! As Casanova reminded Gretchen, the both of you have 2 wins.


The Bottoms

Valerie
I actually thought this was a fun look when it came down the runway. The model looked genuinely happy when she walked it, and it was bright. However, when you look closer it is pretty odd. Why do the black pieces not go all the way up? Did she run out of black fabric? Why in the hell did she decide to use strings like that to tie it all slutty in the back?
Oh dear and yeah it's just not flattering from all angles. It was styled well overall and I think the judges really want to see more from her. I know I do!! Kill 'em in the next round bebe!!


Michael D.
Michael had a hard time with this challenge. You know, the designers were overall very lucky this week. Although they had to design for "real people" their models were all pretty darn skinny. Valerie and Michael had the bigger gals, and they ended up in the bottom. It could be that any of the other designers would have quite possibly been in the same situation had they had different models.
Michael was smart to make a little jacket for his model. However, why he went with this ugly black netting to go on top of the dress is beyond anyone. He really should have done a fitted skirt for her. The judges were right, she looked better in her original bridesmaid dress. It's a very simple rule here, you want fitted here and she will actually look skinnier than putting her in a flowy dress. I wondered if the judges cut him a little slack because he had to design for a bigger gal than the others?

Peach went into a "Peach Panic" this episode and was afraid her model was going to show the "good china". Oh Peach..what happened here? I don't know what's sadder, the fact that this look was so hideous or the fact that her model looked genuinely happy with her garment. It really is ugly and I'm not surprised she was given the AUF this week. She makes a very similar look each week. She's been so much fun on the show, she looked like she had a blast and she's very talented at sewing and tailoring, it's just too bad that she just didn't have much of a range. Tim warned her about adding the bed skirt around the waist and she didn't listen!!
Auf Weidersehen Peach, we will miss you all the same!

Peach reads the same blog I do, and just as religiously. They are so hilarious! Check them out! They even interviewed Peach after her auf and she's such a sweetie! She even used their saying on the show which I also steal for my blog "short tight and shiny"
http://projectrungay.blogspot.com/

There Is an "I" in Team

This episode goes down in Project Runway history!

Included this week:
A Villain
A Victim
Underdog team win
Fashion Guru going off on the minions

Friends, I have watched and re-watched this episode and it just gets better and better. Where could I even begin on this one?

First of all, the designers are all seeing green at Michael Costello winning last week's challenge. I hope they don't take it out on him later....

This week, the challenge is two teams of six designers, with no appointed team leader. Michael C. gets to choose first and chooses Queen Bitch Gretchen. April explains it best: "Michael is such a dumbass. Do you want Hitler on your team?"

Team Gretchen is turning out to be the "so-called" winners of the season and the other side is the misfit team with no one having a win. Both teams have designers I like. However my two favorites, Mondo and Valerie are on the "underdog" team.
Mr. Gunn explains to the designers that they will have to choose a concept from a list with a textile/color choice on the second list. Team Luxe, as they name themselves, choose "Menswear for Women" and "Camel". While Team Military and Lace choose, ummmm, "Military" and "Lace".

What a difference in the teams as they caucus (with their HP tablets, natch). Team Luxe is already getting mind controlled by Gretchen while Team Military is working together very democratically and kind to one another. Team Luxe wants to design to their strengths by making assigned pieces, while Team Military is each making their own look. Team Luxe think they can design this collection in their sleep and are creaming their camel pants over it, while Team Military and Lace look nervous as they go into battle.
$1,000 to spend at Mood and Gretchen is already cracking her whip and no one on Team Luxe manages to find a scrap of luxurious fabric.

In the workroom, Team Luxe has to teach Michael C. "how to sew" while Team Military's Casanova has the best diva breakdown in possibly PR history!!!

It all started when Tim tells Casanova that his garment is "the mother of the other looks". This puts him over the edge.
Casanova reclines on the fainting sofa and laments his PR woes, he makes "fuckin clothes for old ladies, sluts and flamenco dancers" and he's "tired, the verge to lose his mind" and....wait for it......"getting fat". The other designers and his model kiss his sweet Puerto Rican ass and get him back in the game. He has an epiphany of being too sensitive and realizes he needs to "make it work." Casanova, get it girl!

Put your panties back on and get to work!!!

Then Tim visits Team Luxe and warns them that their collection is looking "ho hum" compared to the other team. This doesn't even register with Team Luxe so they merely brush off this criticism and go back to fanning Gretchen and feeding her peeled grapes.

The next day, Team Military and Lace get 'er done while Team Luxe have Gretchen and her 4:00am list of demands and all 6 models hemming garments!!!



On to the Runway Collections!!
Team Military and Lace aka self-proclaimed "Bad News Bears"
April
Peach
Valerie
MondoCasanova
Michael D.

Was it the best collection of all time? No. Did it have some flaws? Yes. Did it blow the other team out of the water in overall styling, cohesion, design and even fabric choices? Hell Yes.

How cute was the group hug when they won?

Mondo
Very different kind of piece. I find the mustard leggings and ugly shoes to be distracting, but I do love the top and shorts.

Peach
The judges really liked this, which was great for Peach. I have to say it wasn't my favorite. I didn't like the red and blue together with the really obvious chains dangling. I would have liked blue or red but not both like primary colors. Good for Peach, but it has to be the best of the rest, not just best for you personally.


April
This looks like April. The jacket does have a lot going on, but it works with the simplicity of the pant. The shoes are cute with it and it looks like current military as fashion.
Valerie
This is probably my least favorite look this week. I love the jacket, but I don't love the white with the blue, it's too much, too matchy matchy. I don't see that it's very fashion forward, but it works OK with the collection and does make it so it's not too lacey and dowdy overall.
Casanova
The winner this week!!!
Wow, he did deserve it this week! He gets the Best Diva Breakdwon award and this look is hot. The top is sexy but not stripper sexy, the pants are well made and I did like the metal detail up the leg. Overall just super chic and deserved the win! Felicidades!


Michael D.
So, I totally understand Casanova for the win, but I drooled over this top. The string detail on the side was hot, the metal detailing around the waist -it works. I can see her nude bra, so it would have been better as a lined top and the lace skirt was not so imaginative, but this one was a really close second for me.
Love Love Love the back!




Team Luxe or self-proclaimed Winning Team. Ha!
Gretchen
Michael C.
A.J.
Ivy
Christopher
Andy

"The other team is CRAY CRAY!!"

Ok, so I know Gretchen is a crazy, conniving bitch-but did she seriously pick all these fabrics? Who chose these fabrics? Was there any possible way in hell they could win these '70's cheap looking fabrics? The collection looked old, drab and whatever the opposite of Luxe is. Let's carry on to the runway....

Since Team Luxe had a cluster-fuck of who made what, this is as best as we can do to describe who made what piece:


A.J.
What the? Flight attendant with creepy skin leggings? The judges were not impressed with this look. Too bad they opened the show with it! Let's begin our journey with an air hostess from the 60's running errands about town.

We're sorry A.J., but you're out. And as Gretchen said, you didn't have to make a bad shirt dress. You were the "sacrificial lamb" according to Tim.

Christopher
Christopher, those pants. Why did you do that to this girl? The top without the jacket was not bad. All I can see is that huge front panel of a pant with no front closure. It scares me. Perhaps our gal is applying for jobs in the 70's.

Andy
Least worst of the looks. Don't know if I see any camel in this look....
The top without the sweater was actually kind of cute, but that's about it. Our gal got a job as an office secretary. Maybe she's living in the 80's now.

Ivy
Cray-Cray indeed. Would you ever imagine a look like this to appear on Project Runway? This has to go down as one of the worst looks. Maybe if the challenge was, take this Quaker outfit and turn it into...no not even then. How about? No, this is just a WTF look. Ivy has never been my favorite and she really should have been sent home for this injustice. Heidi said it was the worst outfit of the collection. Ivy, you're lucky this week.



Michael C.
Mostly. Christopher made the cigarette pant. If you look at this look, in this collection, you know that he's not going home. Well there's that and the immunity. The judges were fine with his work and kept reminding the other designers that he had immunity and was not going home. The designers on his team just kept insulting him on the runway.


Gretchen
Now our secretary has journeyed into the 90's. How does it feel?


The runway was one of the most awkward yet.

It began back in the waiting room while Team Luxe was in utter shock at being in the bottom. Right then and there Gretchen made the rest of the designers pinky swear that they wouldn't throw anyone under the bus and they would go defending their amazing collection. A.J. had concerns that someone might "flip a switch" on the runway and turn on the others.....Nooo, never......

Then out on the runway the designers cried over their love's labor of a collection. They told the judges it was their baby and they stood behind it's amazing birth. Everyone was vital to the success of the team, no one was weak. Tears were shed. Hearts were worn on the sleeves. Everything was beautiful.

Cry me a river.

Well who knows how many edited hours later the judges were out for blood. They wouldn't take team unity for an answer.



"Grandma arrived"

Huh?

"Yeah I know our collections sucked"

Wait....whaaaa?

She had to "style, maybe a crappy collection".

Delicious. One of the most awkward, shameful hot mess of a runway judging.

Poor A.J. was the sacrifice for Team Luxe. Auf Weidersehen A.J. Sorry you had to go down for the team this week.


Then came the most amazing moment yet.

I'll let Tim have his moment here:



It's on now!!!

Designers, Team Luxe was totally brainwashed by Gretchen and you made fools of yourselves, not just with your garments, but with your preposterous behavior on the runway. You belittled the designer that could not go home and did make the worst garment, and you were all mindless robots. You should have grown a pair and and let the judges know how insane and controlling and bitchy Gretchen was to the judges. Team Fail.

(Can't wait for next week)

Hat's Off to You

Mad Hatters

Philip Treacy is the guest judge this episode, and he brought some of his fabulousness to the runway, as the designers will have to design their look around one of his hats. You may have seen some of his work, but not known who he was. Most famously of late, his hats have been worn by her majesty Lady Gaga:

Actually, just google Philip Treacy and Lady Gaga and you'll see she goes goo goo for his hats. It's rumored that she asked the Irish designer for an internship so she could make her own hats.

The designers get to choose the hat they want to design for and all stay with their models instead. Hmmm interesting. They want to stay true to their girls...what if their hat sucks? They only have one day to design and $150 at Mood.

At Mood, Mondo is hearing voices from the fabrics. Ivy is inspired by the hospital's curtains, since you know, she was there at the beginning of the episode.

In the workroom, Kristin gets spanked. Foreshadowing?

Again, the extra 30 minutes add more random crazy moments in the workroom, and all around trash talking by the designers. Is it needed? Probably not.


Casanova
Donna Karan 1988?
Who is Casanova? Is his English bad or is he messing with us? What is his style exactly? Yes, this is a simple dress, but as it's under that Whoville hat, the dress doesn't need to scream "Look at me!" Casanova might have had the best strategy here, make some weird garments to get noticed, but not kicked off, and then make chic clothes in between. I love how this dress is draped. On another week this might not be strong enough, but here it is perfect.


Ivy
I wish Ivy would stop talking so much, but mostly I wish Ivy would use some bolder colors. These drab muted colors need to go! These safe looks are also still fine while there's more designers, but eventually the judges will notice that she is, well, kind of boring.


AJ
Cute take on a church lady look. The dress really compliments this hat and they seem to go together as far as I can tell. Perhaps not amazingly original, but it looks great to me! Very wearable and fun.


Mondo
I love Mondo. This is not my most favorite look, but he does take risks and I love him for that. This reminds me of J Lo's fly girl outfits for some reason and there's A LOT going on. So much that you can't even tell that she has a mustachio painted on her face. Is that a Project Runway first? Work it Mondo!


Andy
Going for the ferosh look here. I wonder why this wasn't a top contender? This look as a whole is pretty fabalishous. That hat with the luxe looking fabric and the cute shoes, she looks like she's going to an art gallery opening, and fighting for your attention.

Gretchen
Gretchen will be at Fashion Week, unless she gets screwed by a team challenge. I don't really like this, but it works fine for the challenge. It almost seems the judges wanted some crazy looks to go with these crazy hats, and crazy they got here. The feathery print is a lot to go with the hat, but the sash calms it down. The leggings scare me. The beige all in one color or maybe black would have been fine, but wow the bottoms are weird. Was she trying to make this poor girl look like a bird? It really doesn't matter, this girl will make it to the end, because they don't kick you off for being a know-it-all-bitch.
Peach
Oh look, Peach made a cute little print dress. Again.
Peach you better snap out of it! This is an amazing hat and your model is GORGEOUS and you put on this "short tight and [not really] shiny" piece of work! Peach, I expect the next dress to be covered in GD diamonds that you pulled out of your ass à la Tim Gunn style!

The Bottoms:


Christopher
Christopher got a FIERCE hat and was on the right track here. This coat dress is pretty ferosh! Although does he always have to belt the dress? Can he make a dress without a belt? The weird skirt thing his model wanted was not helpful and the leggings with the boots do make it look piratey. Perhaps he should have done some black tight pants with some cute heels instead and just let the coat with the hat pop. I don't think this should have been a bottom look. The judges didn't like the heaviness of the fabric, which I can kind of see, but it looks like means it to be more of a coat than a dress.

April
April was on the right track. It looks like she remade her tuxedo jacket disaster again to show that she can make clothes and make them cute. The diaper...is well a diaper, or "peel-away-panties" as Michael Kors called them. The back of the diaper looked horrendous and she added a zipper as well. However, the judges liked where she was going with this. Perhaps some super short black shorts or a striped micro mini would have suited the top better. I'm all for people wearing more booty shorts and less pants, so make it work!

Kristin
It was only a matter of time before Kristin went home. She is really not a good sewer and it shows again on this look. I can see where she was going as far as the shape of the dress, it does look very orchid-like. Auf Weidersehen Kristin! The judges seemed very reluctant to kick you off. Although you seemed nonchalant about leaving, I'm sure it was hard to leave.

Valerie
Valerie got a super fun "hat" to work with. The possibilities were so endless, it must have been a little overwhelming.
The zipper in the back of the dress was incongruous, and Tim Gunn told her not to use them, but Heidi seemed to like it, so go figure. I thought it was pointless. The judges seemed to like all the things that Tim Gunn did not like about it. Philip Treacy was not quite sold on it, so that may have cost her the win.
I thought the dress was a fun cute look, but not really with the mask. And the jacket was distracting, not cute, just there. I wouldn't have this look in the top, but I do love Valerie's looks in general, she is definitely a talent.

Michael D.
The two Michaels make it to the top!
When Michael was making this, it looked like the top was made out of cardboard. I thought perhaps it was the under part of the look to make it poof out, so I was surprised to see the finished look on the runway. It looks great with the hat, the skirt is a fun pop of color and the judges were impressed with the technique. Overall a stunning look and I wouldn't have been surprised if it had won.

Michael C.
Michael C. does the call home that means either A. He gets kicked off or B. He wins. This time it was because he won. He had to scrap his first hideous idea, and made this one very quick. The judges swooned over the color of the dress. I think it worked well with the hat, and it was a fun look that complimented the hat well and it doesn't fight the hat. However, was it the best look?? I think it was a good safe look and he was smart enough to not present his first idea that was messy, but I don't see it as the best look. However, the judges disagree and this was zee winnah! Poor Michael, he was so freaking happy to get compliments from the judges and came back to the other designers who all had WTF looks on their faces.

(According to Casanova "Every girl in Puerto Rico has this dress in her closet")


Lifetime, Lifetime, Lifetime.....
I don't even want to talk about this moment, just don't let it happen again.

It's a Party

Finally, an unconventional materials challenges!!

Heidi tells the designers that they are going to see Tim for a party. Luckily they know this doesn't mean party for fun. Tim takes them to a party store where they are given $100 at Glitters and 30 minutes to shop.

Senor Gunn also reminds them that making a dress out of a tablecloth is just lame and the judges will call them out for it. Some designers are super excited, running around the store and some are just spazzing out. Casanova can't make a look with, how you say? bullshit. So he grabs tablecloths. Let's flashback to 2 minutes ago, when Tim said the judges won't like it if you use tablecloths. Oh yeah, and he grabs some plush puppies(?). Meanwhile, the amazing, self-proclaimed "force to be reckoned with" Gretchen is looking pretty stressed. She can't seem to find any organic party supplies that biodegrade. The question is: are they editing Gretchen to be the bitch or is she really that annoying?

Well looky here, Gretchen is going around the room having "coffee talk" with the other designers and talking about their designs and making opinions. Honey, you are not Tim Gunn, and apparently you are that annoying.

Poor A.J. is so pressured to make something amazing because everyone is expecting him to rock this challenge. I have to say I would probably be the A.J. of the show in the sense that I would be incessantly talking my way through the challenge to combat the stress of the situation. Plus I would be singing songs, but it is early on in the season.

Later on, Tim and Kristin get giddy over animal woolly balls. Tim prefers the woolly balls. Hmmmm, let's carry on shall we?

Apparently, Tim's pink shirt and tie are making him FEISTY tonight. After the woolly balls Tim calls Peach uptight. And then orders her to make a diamond out of the coal up her ass. Gasp! Are they supposed to be designing or making jewelry?

The twist this challenge is the models bring over a "goodie" bag of more random stuff that they have to make an accessory for their outfit with. Panic ensues. Designers, you just need to make it work! Take that coal up your ass and make some accessories!

Seeing the workroom I'm so excited for the runway!!!




Mondo
Super cute and dare I say, whimsy. Certainly not the winner but an overall fun outfit. He may be my favorite.
Kristin
I actually don't hate this. I hated it in the workroom and I thought she was going to crash and burn, but out here it looks bright and youthful. I hate the clogs but luckily I don't notice them too much with all the colors going on.


April
Hmmmm. I think of what Tim said to Peach earlier: "This is the party challenge! This is no time to be safe!" This looks like shattered glass according to my daughter. I have to agree and it looks like a dress not party favors. The bottom is not so great, it looks like she's using the black tights to blend the bottom of that, but considering the trickiness of working with these materials, it was probably a smart way to go.
Michael
I'm curious what Michael used to make this dress. It looks quite bulky and shaped weirdly, but it's a nice safe effort.
Peach
Well well well. Peach took Tim's advice to heart and did great here! The craziness of the bottom half is balanced with the demure type top. The matching handbag is great too. Finally Peach did the challenge properly, it was worth getting chastised by Tim in the workroom. Ivy
Another bulky look. It just looks so heavy and she basically glued stuff to muslin. I won't be sad when Ivy is gone, I don't feel she's very creative at all.

Christopher
Tim thought this was stunning. It took me back to the garbage challenge of a previous season. I mean, it looks like he's trying to make something pretty out of ugly materials. Party supplies are not ugly, they're gawdy. I just feel it was a weak effort.

Michael
Wow. This reminds me of the garbage challenge too. Bulky, not that creative and the accessory is lame. I hope he can step it up in the future.

A.J.
You look at this and you just think Heatherette or maybe Betsy Johnson? I'm so glad Betsy had something nice to say about his look. He went for it! Yeah, the necklaces in the crotch area were not the best choice (Wendy Pepper's Gristedes challenge or Emilio's hardware challenge?) but I felt it was wrong to call him out to the bottom when he really embraced this challenge. Perhaps the overall design is not very ambitious and it does look like a lot of crap was thrown on, but it's wild and seems like "party". I would have put Michael's weak silver and blue look in the bottom instead.

Casanova
"TRANSVESTITE FLAMENCO DANCER AT A FUNERAL"
As soon as this came out of Michael Kors' mouth, that's when I knew, they can't kick the 'Nova off, Michael's getting comic gold with this guy and he can't stop now!
Gawdy and slightly disturbing. Luckily Sarah's look was really the absolute worst one. Even with Casanova's charm, he won't be around for much longer. The whole concept of the show and the challenges seem absolutely bewildering to him.

Sarah
Oh Sarah. While watching this episode I was just thinking how much I like Sarah and how I hoped she would make it pretty far. Alas, she knew what she was making was hideous, but she just couldn't stop herself. She got this palm tree thing in her head and wouldn't admit that it was going to be the death of her. This is clearly the worst look of the week.
Still, I hate to see her leave. Auf Weidersehen Sarah. I wish you luck out there!

Gretchen
This came out and I just thought, hey she did good on this challenge. Yeah, she's super annoying to listen to, but she is good at what she does. I love the skirt idea and she made a "look" as opposed to a dress. For me, the boots are so distracting, it's what I mostly see when I look at this. Props for making a wearable 3 piece look. This is meant to be a design show and it's not about who the "nicest" designer is. Except that Seth Aaron was the nicest designer and he was also the most talented last season.
Valerie
Chic, sexy and, as Betsey Johnson said, super functional when you're at a cocktail party. ;)
Love this, it's so amazing and the fit is a dream.
(I so wish she had some hot red heels to go with this instead of those ankle boots. sigh. I guess that's the fad)


Andy
Let me show you guys my scorecard:
FIERCE
FEROSH
WANT
How cute that Peach and April came over to help him! Perhaps they wanted anyone but Gretchen to win, but whatever their motive, he certainly owes them!

Loved how this challenge panned out. The worst design went home and the best design won. Sorry to Valerie, for being so close to winning, but if she continues how she's going it will work out for her great and she will make it to Fashion Week for sure.

It was also fierce and fitting that Betsey Johnson was the judge this episode. She really wants clothes to be fun and vibrant and I think a lot of designers got that.