What's Out is In on The (Project) Runway

The Designers' Reaction to Shoulder Pads

Episode 4 starts the same as the last - the designers recapping what happened on the runway. The girls agree that Carmen was the right choice to go home, while the boys contemplate the creation of Project Runway the perfume. A tickling of the olfactory with the scents of tears, sweat, and Chinese food. Get me a sampler! While the shots are captured in the New Gotham, there is an overlay of strange new age/porn music. I wonder if the production assistant from last week got her hands in this.

On the runway, Heidi prances out in a little black dress. It's time for model selection. This week there are 2 loser models since last week they used male models. The winner from last week, Jack, decides to swap and take Ricky's model this week. Ricky gets Jack's model and the 2 loser models are out. This is a new twist in Project Runway, upsetting the continuity equilibrium. Heidi's little black dress is very close to what the "models" are wearing for selection. I just know she wants one of the designers to pick her! After the model swap, she announces that Tim is waiting for them in the work room...but that's not all....he's not alone. But wait, there's more....there's a familiar face with him....we're not done yet....and she has brought some old friends with her to help deliver the challenge. What a twisted message! It took me three times to rewind to get that all down on paper. Sweet P's first reaction to this is that they will be making clothes for senior citizens. Hilarious!

Rami = McYumi

The designers head to the workroom, and I'm surprised to see the pet monkey of the gang, Christian, not perched on someone's shoulder or swinging from the rafters. He actually used his legs to walk. Tim greets the designers with Nina, the judge (familiar face) with 12 photos of fashion trends that are no longer (old friends). What's funny, is that Jillian is actually currently wearing one of the faux pas - jean overalls. They are instructed to take a photo from the bunch that represent a fashion faux pas (incidentally, most of these are from the 80s, a very experimental time that also produced some amazing music and my beloved Britney Spears) which range from things like pleather, a poodle skirt, fringe, cut outs, overalls, neon, etc. The challenge is to work in teams of 3, and create a collection of 3 looks that include all of the trends. The collection must be cohesive and relevant to today. For once, they get to pick their own teams. I notice Kit is starting to look a bit worn out and not-so-healthy.

Chew on this...clothes should be soul stirring, even neon

Their budget is $225 for the whole team, they have an hour to sketch, and to pick a leader. This is a very interesting challenge, I like it (mostly because of the 80s correlation). Sweet little innocent Victorya seems to have had a personality transplant overnight and starts being bossy right off the bat. Some of the ideas from the teams for making collections cohesive are incorporating some of the looks as accents on a main look, and pulling together the looks through color and silhouette. So exciting! I can't wait to see what this will yield. At Mood, fabric selection is pure chaos as usual.

Back in the work room, the designers are beginning their work, and it's so cool to see empty mannequins with just a swatch of cloth tacked on it, knowing that it will become this super cool outfit. Ricky connects with crazy Elisa through his unique understanding of breathing in and centering. And Jillian, while doing her confessional, looks like she's sitting in the room with a camera naked with nothing but a backstage pass around her neck. In the end it turns out she's wearing a strapless something with stings that tie around her neck. It was quite the optical illusion.

At commercial break, we get to catch up with Nick Verreos while he drives his Saturn to the metropolitan museum of clothing.

His life as a covergirl!

Verreos Break - I heard a radio interview with Nick the other day, he was in San Francisco for some nonsense where he did something useless, I can't remember what it was. But they asked all about Project Runway. He was really funny, and told stories of Tim acting out of character, or as he called it "drag queenish." They also made him listen to that lovely piece by Heidi Klum where she uses her breasts as guns, and he said everything she does can be justified by the fact that she's German. Hilarious.

And we are back from break. Steven is doing Tim Gunn impressions, but they're not very good. They're certainly not even in the universe of Santino Rice's impressions of Tim and Andre going to Red Lobster. We also see the beginnings of the Victorya/Ricky warfare. Tim walks in the workroom and announces that In the spirit of helping the designers succeed, he is sending in the the models for 30 min. This is also a new twist this season. First non-elimination rounds are eliminated from The Amazing Race and now this! It's like a whole new experience - Heidi was so wrong, it's not the same shit different people.

Team Jillian was using Jillian to account for size, and when they send in the "model" it turns out that the "model" is BIGGER than Jillian. This is like amateur night on the runway. As a result of the model's gigantic ass, the shorts they made are a mess. As this is going on, I can't help but notice that Jillian is channeling someone to me.. a cross between my friend Gerber Daisy and Leelee Sobieski. Then I notice that Jillian is also a mumbler - just like Leelee Sobieski. Victorya has turned out to be a mega biatch, and Ricky is seriously lacking a spine. Watching them two interact is truly uncomfortable.

Who's who?

Rami and Jillian are concerned about Kevin, because he's having some time issues.

Finally it's the day of the runway show. The models come back for their final fitting and a stint in hair and makeup. Kevin keeps hammering something with a shoe! What is there to hammer in an outfit? Christian graces us with another synopsis of his surroundings - 'you never know, the judges might die over it. Or they might die because of it.'

What will Kors wear this week??

Runway time! Heidi prances in with little black dress number 2! She's wearing a modern version of an outdated fashion trend herself - how very clever! Let's meet the judges: First is the incredible, the incomparable, the deliciously fabulous top American designer Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Donna Karan. Heidi has called in all the big shot favors this season!

The deciders


The Faux Pas:
Neon

The Baggy Sweater

Dancewear


Underwear as outerwear


Zoot Suit


70s Flare



Poodle Skirt


Overalls


Fringe


Cutouts



?


Shoulder Pads

After the show, the judges decide there is a clear winner and announce it right away - Jillian's team won, surprisingly with their jean collection. Christian's team's scores qualified them to move forward, so they are also excused.

Team: Winners...

...and their fashion faux pas

The Runner Ups

Chris' team comments: 3 girls from 3 different fashion shows. Love the sweater dress, looks modern. Chris - Looks dated. Beauty pageant gone camel. Steven - doesn't look like a dance outfit.

Team: Loser

Ricky's team: Ricky - like it conceptually. Elissa - looks modern. Victorya - fit is excellent. Ricky - poorly constructed. Picked an impossible fabric. Shocked, disappointed, they had issues. then Kors added - "the odd relationship you guys have shows! We're looking at it. " Brilliant!

The look of dysfunction

Chris was auf'd - what a terrible look of disappointment he had. Heidi is so funny, she's so stern and decisive, then gets a twinkle in her eye at the end, like she's sad, and still wants you to like her despite her eliminating you.

Next week, the models are weird, and there's a lot of shit going on. Can't wait.
In the meantime, tell me your thoughts.