TV Recap: ‘Project Runway,’ “The Art of Fashion”

Photo Courtesy of mylifetime.com

THE LAAAAAASSSSST CHALLLLLLENNNGE……

is to create a design using the Getty Center in LA as inspiration, with it’s breathtaking views, lush gardens, architectures and art galleries. This is a 2-day challenge and the designers have a budget of $300. They take a 30min. tour and are then allowed 30min. to sketch with their models, who come to the museum to serve as their muses.

Althea is inspired by architecture. Carol Hannah finds a huge ornamented blue French bed adorned with fringe, tassles and feathers. Irina chooses a John William Garddard painting of a woman dressed in really sheer fabrics. Christopher gets inspired by the algea on the rocks of a fountain. Gordana also draws inspiration from a painting, hers a Monet that reminds her of Europe, where she comes from. At their last trip to Mood, they get 30min. to shop, and then to the workroom to get started.

Tensions are high between Althea and Irina due to Irina’s accusation that Althea is stealing her ideas. And how many more times can Christopher say it’s soooo awesome and soooo unbelievable that he’s made it this far coming from his background? really? Carol Hannah just tries to remain nuetral. Althea feels lost: Althea has made quick friends with Gordana, and Carol Hannah and Christopher are friendly, so that leaves her alone. End of the first day.

(It feels weird-like there’s too much time to work-as I’m so used to the 1-day-ers.)

The next morning, Irina and Gordana bicker light-heartedly at each other, andCarol Hannah tries to tell them that’s getting to be a bit too much and that she’s kind of sick of it, and then Gordana FLIPS OUT at Carol Hannah for saying something, takes it waaaaaay to far, so maybe us viewers missed something? no clue where the rage came from, but she sure was stomping around.

At the workroom, Tim comes to do his walkaround, and it’s odd because he’s most worried by Irina and Althea’s looks (two of the stronger desingers).  When Tim comes to Gordana, she gets reeeally emotional as she explains her inspiration (home, etc.). I think she’s kind of at her stress breaking point…or something – I’m just surprised cos she’s usually so level-headed. The designers continue working, and then the models are sent in for a fitting, at which point the designers all size up their competition. End of day numba 2!

Day of runway show: As everyone does last-minute alterations, Irina and Althea take turns bad mouthing each other’s looks during their one-on-ones. And then Irina talks about how she doesn’t know where Christopher gets his confidence from because all of his designs are crap. To her credit, Irina doesn’t just talk behind certain people’s backs. She does it to everyone equally.

THE RUNWAY SHOW: Judges are fashion designer Cynthia Rowley, Nina Garcia, supermodel and style icon Cindy Crawford and of course, Heidi. Althea design is a high-waisted warm yellow-gold skirt with a shiny gold top tucked into it. There are several different sections to the skirt, so it looks a little too complicated, not effortless. Carol Hannah does a long yellow-gold gown with one shoulder strap that has braided detailing. The dress goes diagonal at the bottom. Christopher’s look is a high-necked halter dress with a ribbon tied at the high waist, and it is a gray/green palette. Gordana does a beautiful strapless silk organza white dress with an inverted triangle of different colored fabrics extending down on the front of the dress. I think she did a really good job of tying in her inspiration to her design. Irina’s look was a pale green T-length dress with a droopy, oversized silhouette and complicated but beautiful back.

Since there were only  5 designers left, everyone stayed out, and the judges didn’t really distinguish between the best and the worst. The judges tried to make it suspenseful by giving the best looks negative comments too, but it didn’t really work.

Althea=the judges said she was too ambitious – the skirt was overworked and the top was underworked, so it came out too messy. Irina=they loved the back of the dress, but the judges said she ruined it with all the accessories she had the model wear with it – the dress was beautiful enough to stand alone. Gordana=did a great job of incorporating her painting into her design, and the dress is beautiful from the front, but Nina said the back looked bad because of the chunky zipper (nit-picky in my book). Carol Hannah=the fit is fantastic, they loved the braided detailing on the shoulder, but she maybe didn’t take a chance (too safe) – also, her inspiration, the big blue French bed, was not clearly represented in her dress. Christopher=the top is nice, but the bottom is way too heavy for the whimsical top (as usual for Christopher)…he just doesn’t have the technical experience with fabrics to know which is the correct one to work with in different designs. Heidi asks him if he is truly happy and confident with the look he sent down the runway, and he starts crying, his model has to comfort and hug him, and he says, “Yes, this design is who I am as a designer.”

Heidi then asks each designer why they deserve to go to fashion week and what 2 other designers also deserve to go. Gordana says Christopher & Irina. Althea says Carol Hannah & Irina. Carol Hannah says Christopher & Althea. Irina says Althea & Gordana. Christopher says Irina & Carol Hannah.

It’s funny cos when Irina explains why she deserves to go, she gets EMOTIONAL…weird. merrh. and she totally said Althea should go too JUST because Althea said Irina should go. fake loser.

When all is said and done:

Irina IN.

Christopher OUT.

Carol Hannah IN.

Althea IN.

Gordana OUT.

….just like I predicted, thank you very much. and Tim is so cute when he has to tell the 2 losers to pack up their stuff..