Well, we finally made it! It’s almost the end and despite there being something like 8 decoy collections, the finalist for this season of Project Runway were chosen! Are you relieved or is that just me?
The designers meet Heidi Klum on the runway and she explains all four designers will design a collection. But only three of them will be moving forward to compete at fashion week. They will have 5 weeks and $9k to create a 10-look collection. Tim Gunn – intellectual and compassionate sounding board – will be checking in on the designers mid-way through to provide feedback.
All the contestants engage in the tried and true emotional breakdown, crying, ‘I can’t believe I made it tears’ and they’re off! Viktor and Eyebrows McSequins hop on a subway and zoom off home. I always love it when the contestants walk or cab it home from Parsons at the end. Remember in season 3 when Laura Bennett with all her fabulous vintage LV luggage and her Manolos just walked right out of the studio and cruised the couple blocks home? Classic.
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Tim meets up with Kimberly in White Plains, MD. Tim can’t get over how fantastic she looks – I concur. Relaxed, comfortable, and confident. Kimberly explains her inspiration derives from her roots in “pre-gentrified Brooklyn” and she wants to do a collection that merges that era with the modern, current Brooklyn. She dubs it “Urban Girl Transformed.” Tim likes her collection but is leery of over complicating. He warns her to listen to her heart.
Next Tim travels to Trinidad to meet up with Anya. Love that he is still wearing his suit! Anya explains her desire to pursue fashion came from her brother, Pilar who passed away. Anya’s inspiration for her collection is water and the deep regions of the sea. She has designed and had made some of her own fabrics which look pretty fantastic hanging on the rack. Unfortunately that’s the only thing she has to show Tim as she hasn’t even designed one look!
I believe at this point it started to dawn on Anya that she was in way over her head. The judges continually adored her work – which had amazing ideas – but rarely gave her serious or helpful critique. She kept telling Tim that she could only “draw one shape” – I think she was sort of freaking out over the fact that she really only can construct one shape.
Tim is concerned (I love that he uses that word!). Tim encourages her to drape and work with Muslin instead. He also reminds her no sewing help is permitted. Oops. So yeah, take Bert’s number off the emergency speed dial!
From a beautiful island to a teeny walk-up on the fifth floor, Tim visits Viktor. Viktor is inspired by an “urban coast” aesthetic, particularly his trip to Mexico where he is from. Viktor wants the collection to memorialize his brother’s death (in Mexico). Tim loves the jacket Viktor made but is less wowed by the white dress and wants him to ditch it. Tim advises Viktor not to over-think.
Finally Eyebrows McSequin gets a piece of the Gunnster as Tim visits him in Queens. We meet his sister McKenzie McKinley. Josh shows Tim what he has and he admits he is a little “behind” on the collection.
Ok, basically Josh showed Tim every piece of neon polyester JoAnn Fabrics had and some vintage schizophrenic child’s bedsheets as the “main print” of his collection. Oh my lord – it was scary, insane, and garish! I think Tim literally froze in mid gasp. Tim suggests that perhaps using sherbet colored fabrics and a ludicrous print make the collection look cheap and gimmicky; a concept that clearly never occurred to le Joshi. JOSH’S FACE AT THAT MOMENT! AHAHAHAHA! It was priceless.
Tim advises him to discard at least 5 fabrics and wants to know where’s the sex? Poor Josh! You know Tim was saving up all these comments of his wretched taste that the judges kept pretending to like until the end when he dropped the “You have horrendous taste” bomb.
The designers return to Parsons for NY Fashion Week and are housed in an enormous penthouse and their new fancy workroom. Tim announces to the designers they will need to choose a 3-look mini collection for the judges. Then he begins his second round of critiques.
The meltdown moment comes in the form of Anya, whose lack of technical skill are not only really evident, but she is experiencing incredible self-doubt after seeing what everyone else put together. Anya decides to make some sort of a hideous bronze satin gown last minute but it’s a wreck. She also can’t properly fit one of her other dresses so she has to swap it out for a bathing suit, which also doesn’t fit. I don’t think this is all her fault – the judges led her to believe she could get by on a perspective without sewing technique and now it’s becoming clear to her that if she wants to be a serious designer that is not the case.
Mini Collection Time! There is no guest judge for this week.
Ok, let’s trash discuss some looks!
Viktor:
I like Viktor’s collection, but I do think it was heavily influenced by Nicolas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga. Of the four finalists his was far and above the best. It was very urban, chic, and wearable. Did anyone notice the amount of sucking up to the judges Viktor was doing? He was certainly doing whatever it took to win! It was very annoying to me that after the largely impeccable and really creative showing the judges were nit-picking over lame styling. No one cares about that! Is this Project Stylist? Were they seriously considering not sending him to fashion week over some badly placed sunglasses? They are delusional.
The first look had a great print and I really liked the way he used it with the scene at the top. I agree with the judges removing the leather zipper skirt (although I thought it was an interesting piece) really improved the look.
The second look was also interesting – I loved the effect he did where the entire back of the outfit was completely black. I thought the pants were a little ill-fitting and boxy, but the shirt was glorious and intricate.
The Third look. The effect was breathtaking and the dress was stunning. I thought the jacket was really fun and unique. And, I disagree with the judges, I liked it with the dress, but I wish the model would have taken it off at the end of the runway so we saw the dress with and without it. The lining on that jacket was also fantastic and it would have been a good showing to feature it.
Anya:
Oh boy. This was a mess through and through. The judges were clearly disappointed that their wunderkind didn’t pull it out last minute, but she kinda hasn’t been pulling it out all season so I’m not surprised. These looks were Anya – sort of expected beachy outfits with a very narrow point of view, but the construction was so bad! Michael was upset about the jewelry she used, but that was about the only thing I liked. Although I do think it was a bit too much with the clothes.
The First look: This was her best piece, but that’s not saying much. It was uneven in the bust for one thing and the fit was sloppy. Also the bunchy-ness of the fit cinched with the belt led me to believe there was very little tailoring or construction put into this. I did like the print and the idea behind it.
The Second look: Do I need to discuss? A badly fitted gaping swimsuit that made the model look pooch-y and a hospital gown. Next.
Third Look: HOT MESS AWARD! From the side, you can tell the construction is literally horrendous. Side boob, badly draped, practically stapled together. I think she tried to take Tim’s advice to drape, but it isn’t a natural skill for her and the effect was off. Also the material wasn’t right for what she wanted to achieve. The material gave me seizures! It was like a sheet from a Dynasty set. It was so heavy and shiny and tortured looking (I agree with Michael – tortured is the word!)
Kimberly:
I get what she was trying to convey it just looked so boring. There was no va-va-voom. The judges were right she definitely has a point of view and she can make clothes, it was just not exciting.
The First Look: This is ok, but yes the styling is awful. I just didn’t get the fit of those pants and the fabric choice for the shirt was ugly, but I love the way she did the back.
The second look: That skirt is over-worked and the shiny was too much. I don’t even remember the shirt the skirt was so distracting and ill-fitting and heavy. I know the bubble butt was intentional but it was poorly fitted and too voluminous.
The Third Look: Totally disco fabulous. Why didn’t she make that in the 70’s challenge? It was totally Diana Ross. It did have sex appeal without being trashy, I agree with Michael all Kim’s clothes tend to have that, but it just wasn’t that interesting since it’s been done so many times.
Eyebrows McSequins:
This was a mess, that the judges liked any of it was disappointing and I seriously question La Nina’s taste that she was giving him any props! Were we looking at the same clothes walking down the runway?! I give him points for unconventional materials (neoprene, plastic…) and construction, but it was all over the board, universally unflattering, and downright scary. The judges liked that Eyebrows had a perspective (I guess…) and actually had the best styling of the four (he did?). There’s no accounting for taste, I guess!
The First Look: The print on that tank was revolting. I don’t why he was so attracted to it. It did look cheap and ridiculous. Also it distracted from the jacket, which was actually really nice and wearable.
The Second Look: This was too much. Too many details, too much going on, and I had no idea where to look first. There was too also too much exposure – the low-cut, the open back, the short hemline. He took Tim’s advice too liberally: Too much sex, too many details.
The Third Look. Point blank one of the ugliest, tackiest, trashiest garments ever. Was he designing it for CoCo – Ice T’s wife? What was the rear entry here zipper? I am flabbergasted that ANYONE thought that looked in any way appealing and I am more shocked the judges are sending the person who made that muumuu with attached catsuit to fashion week! The material was so incredibly cheap and costume-y looking – like Halloween store drapes! What was it supposed to be a – a dominatrix apron? Who did he imagine wearing that? The plastic part was sorta neat, but was ruined by the rest of the ugly! And the back of that garment? The zipper, the peepholes, yikes!
Was anyone else completely annoyed that the judges kept ranting on and on about styling? They spent so much time on it and no one is interested. Is it because, as Tim pointed out, the designers mostly brought their own accessories and were NOT using the PR sponsored Piperlime Accessory wall? No that couldn’t be.
The judges pretend they don’t know who to choose when really they are thinking ‘oh crap – the only one up here who made anything decent that wouldn’t make us a laughing stock is Viktor’.
Eyebrows is announced first, when I don’t think he should have been announced at all. But at least he can sew! Viktor and Kimberly are also in leaving Anya to think she is out. And then FINAL TWIST! All FOUR designers will be showing at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week!!! Did you catch the frozen smile on Nina and Michael’s faces when Heidi announced that Anya was also going to fashion week? HA! #producerintervention
Eyebrows, true to form, is pissy and complaining – see he doesn’t consider Kim or Anya to be in the same talent pool as he is and doesn’t feel their “fuddy-duddy” clothes deserve the opportunity to show at Fashion Week with his “serious stuff”. Please stop. You’ve already embarrassed yourself on national television enough. I think all the spray tan has negatively affected your brain functioning capacity.
A couple of notes: Did anyone watch After The Runway and see where Anya mentioned her “intimate Tapes” scandal on the internet? That’s classier girl speak for SEX TAPE! Watch out Kim Kardashian – you might have a run for your money with this one!
One other thing, last week’s eliminated designer Laura Kathleen’s “decoy” collection is AMAZING. It’s a shame really that she missed out on the opportunity, because it was definitely the best of all the final collections. Although her work throughout the show was sub-par and boring, her collection is amazing and apparently she also designed all the bronze pieces and jewelry.
THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL FOUR (AGAIN)? WHO DO YOU HOPE WINS? THOUGHTS ON SHOW?
