Wednesday, February 06, 2008
High Fashion High
Previously on Project Runway: Hershey's couture. Sweet P freaked out. Elisa worried Tim with her Gretel interpretation. Rami won. Elisa got the boot.
Morning. Victorya has to move in with the remaining women now that her roomie is gone. Off to Parsons. Heidi tells the designers that they have to design a dress for "one of the most important days in a woman's life." She brings out the models -- a gaggle of Catholic schoolgirls from New Jersey. The designers have to make them prom dresses. Prom is one of the most important days in a woman's life? Maybe if you subscribe to the idea that life is just high school extrapolated over time. Okay, sure, it's a significant event, but in the end, is it going to rank in the top ten memories of a lifetime? Not buying it. Anyway, Christian is so over prom. Once again demonstrating an ability to learn from past experience, the producers are letting the models choose the designers instead of the other way 'round. The girls have seen portfolios of the designers' work, so it's not just random.
- Erika picks Jillian.
- Brie picks Kit.
- Tiziana picks Kevin.
- Maddie picks Christian.
- Katie picks Ricky.
- Nicole picks Sweet P.
- Jessica picks Victorya.
- Krista picks Chris.
- Bianca picks Rami.
The designers are still chortling in disbelief as the model/clients leave.
In the workroom, Tim cautions the designers that their clients will have opinions, which they will be responsible for managing. They'll have half an hour with their clients, $250 for shopping and two days to work. That seems reasonable. Consultations. Brie chose Kit for her edgy portfolio. However, Kit interviews that she thinks modesty is a good look for prom, so we'll get to see what modest edginess looks like. Kevin announces he's a New Jersey boy, so he knows how they roll down there, and we get our first designer-at-the-prom picture. See, how can it be one of the most important days in a woman's life if they drag out the pictures ten years later to embarrass you? Kevin promises to design a chastity belt into his dress. Victorya learns that she was the last designer chosen, but Jessica assures her that it's "fine" because she liked her portfolio. Various girls wants things cut low in all kinds of directions. Maddie has studied fashion design, so she starts sketching. Christian is trying to cope with all her demands. Tim sends the girls away and Christian writhes on the floor.
Shopping at Mood successfully accomplished. Back in the workroom, Christian boasts of being Best Dressed at his prom. "Is that your opinion or did you take a vote?" Chris wonders. Maddie and her demands have steamrollered all the fierce out of poor Christian. Workety work. Jillian realizes that her hair "is really big today." Kit was an Orange County Prom Princess. Also, a brunette. Ricky interviews that he learned to sew by watching his self-taught mom, but creativity wasn't encouraged because it didn't put food on the table.. He makes a product-placed call to Mom in subtitled Spanish. Does this mean he's getting booted? Time ticks. Designers poop out. Christian is depressed by the tackiness he has created.
Day two. The designers get back to work. Christian sets to work embellishing his monstrosity. Victorya is not happy with her dress. Christian suggests draping, and Victorya decides to change things up. Tim sends in the clients for a fitting, and they've brought along their mothers. This oughta be fun. Tizi's mom isn't happy with the "bulging" in front, but Kevin tells her, "It's the new baby-doll style that just came out." Again. Mom worries that Tizi looks pregnant. Well, Heidi did say this challenge was all about "creating memories." Fifty years from now, Tizi will still be squirming with embarrassment over that one. Jessica loves Victorya's changes, so it's all good. Krista's mom loves the color Chris picked. He wonders what they thought of his portfolio, what with all the photos of himself in extreme drag. Turns out they didn't realize that was Chris. I can understand that. The chin gets lost amongst the gargantuan wigs and the gargantuan boobs. Nicole's mom loves what Sweet P has done. Maddie is not thrilled with her dress. Sweet P assures her that Christian is very talented.
Back to work. Tim visits. Kevin explains that Tizi's mom was worried about the gathering at the waistline. Tim wonders about the hem, which Kevin might leave unfinished. He figures it's not like the judges will notice -- and it's not like the judges have been giving him any love, so I can see why he'd feel overlooked. Tim assures him that the judges have eagle eyes. Rami's dress is looking old, but he has immunity, so he isn't worried. Victorya has lots of work to do. Speaking of work, it's time to visit Christian. Tim is very worried about him, and reassures him, "I don't hate it." He wants to hear what Christian plans to improve things, but Christian is ready to give up. Tim sternly orders him, "Rally!" The designers keep plugging away, and time's up.
Morning. The boys wonder what Heidi would make for a prom dress. Back to work. The designers get a hour with the models before hair and makeup. Ricky confesses that he made his girlfriend's prom dress. "That should have been a clue right there, right?" Sweet P confesses to being a naughty Catholic school girl. Chris skipped prom in favor of old movies and booze. Good choice. Hair. Makeup. Chris mourns Kevin's failure to hem the skirt; it looks unfinished. Maddie chafes at all Christian's last minute finishing. Show time! Guest judge is Gilles Mendel of J. Mendel.
- Sweet P/Nicole: Sleeveless halter gown in champagne satin. It's pretty simple, but it moves beautifully and Nicole looks like a movie star on a red carpet. Her walk is a little lacking in energy, but not bad.
- Victorya/Jessica: Electric blue baby doll with a jeweled yoke panel intersecting the tight bodice -- Victorya's patented boob-smushing technology strikes again -- and a flowing bubble skirt. Jessica has the gawky walk and hunched posture of a too-tall girl, but I wonder how well the yoke panel and bodice would fit if she stood up straight.
- Chris/Krista: Leaf green sleeveless halter gown with ruched sweetheart bodice flowing into a long drape of fabric which partially hides the thigh-high front slit in the flowing skirt; in the back is a train attached to the back straps with a metal circle. Krista barrels down the runway, but her speed makes the dress move beautifully. It's a great glamorous gown.
- Kevin/Tizi: Red silk sleeveless halter dress with a short, flared skirt and some horizontal stitching forming an empire waistband. Pretty simple-looking, given all the time. Tizi walks confidently but is a little jerky, especially in her poses.
- Jillian/Erika: Tea-length gown in light turquoise with a patterned bodice of darker blue/green fabrics and spaghetti straps. The bodice doesn't fit well, but the layered skirt is beautiful. Erika has a lackluster walk.
- Christian/Maddie: Brown satin dress with a sweetheart bodice and a poofy skirt over black netting, embellished with black embroidery flowers and vines. The skirt is shorter in back than in front, which is probably not intentional. Maddie's walk is too careful and her arms swing from side to side.
- Kit/Brie: Knee-length halter dress in electric blue; the bodice is made of panels of red, blue and green separated by black and banded at the bottom with more black. I don't like the way the halter straps attach to the waistband, but the length is perfect. Erika's stride is rather stiff.
- Ricky/Katie: Blush-pink strapless baby doll with a bubble hem and an empire waist with silvery embellishments and a bow at the right. Katie's walk is a little slow, but smooth (as are her poses).
- Rami/Bianca: Typical Rami draped halter bodice fitted on the right and draped down the left to fold into a tight, horizontally ruched skirt down to mid-thigh, where swings free down to the knee. It's somewhat reminiscent of a flapper dress in the way the lower skirt moves. The color is sort of a cross between grass green and olive -- not a youthful green. Bianca has to keep looking at her feet when she walks, but she poses well.
Kit, Jillian and Chris are all safe. Really? I thought Chris's glamorous creation was a top three for sure. The rest try to withstand the judges' scrutiny. Sweet P tried to combine a Grecian influence with Hollywood glamour. Nina finds it awfully sophisticated, but Michael pooh-poohs that. Everyone likes the color and Heidi tells Nicole, "I think you look gorgeous." Kevin chose red to complement Tizi's skin tones. Nina and Michael think the dress is too old, and Michael notices the unfinished hem. Victorya's dress hits the judges's sweet spot of fashion and fun. Christian starts off by bemoaning how difficult Maddie was. Heidi likes the dress, particularly the color and the detailing, but Gilles and Nina find it too busy. Gilles and Nina are not impressed with Ricky's exectution; Heidi and Michael pronounce the color boring. Rami was going for something different. Gilles doesn't like the color, and Nina thinks it's too sophisticated. Rami is proud to have stuck to his sophisticated aesthetic, but Michael thinks it's a dress for a much older woman.
The judges rehash. Sweet P made something elegant but simple. Victorya nailed the modern prom dress. Rami made a beautiful dress for a society matron. Christian's dress was too busy and he was too ready to point the finger at Maddie. Ricky made a nothing of a dress. Kevin's dress looked cheap.
The designers return. Victorya gets the win and immunity. Sweet P is safe. Ricky is safe. Rami is safe. Of course, he had immunity, so there was never any doubt. Kevin's look was cheap and Tizi looked old. Christian fought with his client. Kevin is out. Christian is safe. Kevin is clearly hurt and defensive but keeps it positive.
Right winner? Ugh. I like blue, so I don't mind the color. I do mind the tacky jeweled yoke and the patented boob-smashing technology. If you're flat-chested and pot-bellied, I suppose this is the dress for you. Sweet P and Chris both delivered glamour without being too sophisticated. I still don't see why Chris wasn't in the top three.
Right loser? Good grief, how does Ricky skate through again? He spent two days on a nothing dress in a nothing color with nothing much for trim, and it still looked badly made. Dismissing him before Rami is a joke. Not only did Rami have immunity, but his dress was beautifully (if busily) constructed. Christian's was also busily constructed and suffered from a bad color choice; he deserved his spot in the bottom two. Kevin's dress wasn't great, but it was a fun, flirty little number. They all missed the target, but I think Kevin came closer than either Ricky or Christian. So overall, the judges really screwed the pooch this time around.
Labels: Project Runway