Project Runway Design Challenge

SPOILER ALERT...

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This week, on Project Runway -- the designers are told they get to "design their own fabric". This cannot possibly be a surprise...

This particular challenge has been a part of the show for a long time. And it seems to me that if you were a designer, trying out for the show, you would have been watching past seasons -- and thinking about how you would handle the "make your own " challenge.

Designing your own fabric is a huge creative opportunity for any designer -- and because they all knew this was coming -- my expectations are really up there...

SOMEBODY -- PLEASE STEP UP AND HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK...

But -- nope -- not today, anyway...

First of all -- when they heard the challenge -- their reaction was universal shock and awe....like this couldn't possibly be happening. 'WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY?? DESIGN MY OWN FABRIC?? WHATEVER SHALL I DO?? I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN...

Oh, yeah. That was a bad start.

And it only got worse. Elena's fabric was a weird print, on navy with pea green accents..and then she made a shapeless jacket and a random gray straight skirt.

Vin made one large pink flower on white fabric. I was hopeful because John LOVES his hibiscus...and there cannot be a more beautiful flower in the world...

However -- when he got his fabric, he decided to fold the flower so it didn't look so much like a flower -- and during Tim's critique, he called it a "homage to a menstral cycle". I was horrified...but, hey -- GREAT LINE, TIM...it really was funny. Especially since Vin thinks he's all that and a bag of change...

So Vin started all over -- and his new dress had his signature -- a folded rose in the front. He just cannot stop himself. That mess landed him in the bottom two for this challenge. Well deserved...

Trying to bring a new twist to this challenge, the designers were told that their inspiration was supposed to come from their "heritage"...and then, each designer was surprised by a visit from a loved one.

I didn't think the ïnspiration note brought much to the challenge. The prints were very disappointing. Sonji used black background for her fabric because she is black?? Gunnar was inspired by the fact that he was bullied as a child. It was pretty clear he was trying to compete with the Mondo moment -- when he admitted on the runway that he was HIV positive...but it really felt flat. He used one color -- black -- to depict skeleton hands and a bird flying away??

OMG...

Melissa also used one color - red. Tim could have made the same menstral cycle comment to her....and then Fabio did some line sketching of a penis meeting a vagina...

THAT actually seemed like the theme. Christopher's print (inspired by his Grandmother's lady bug fetish) looked like a red vagina. He knew it was terrible, so he put a layer of tulle on top to tone it down...

Boris (I mean Dymetri) deserved to win. Although his print was not memorable -- what he did with the jacket was very clever -- and his fit was right on the mark.

So Gunnar went home -- and I won't miss him. As I'm writing this, I cannot remember a single thing he made this season...



I'm sorry you were bullied as a child, Gunnar -- but, really -- that is NOT your heritage and it doesn't make you a designer. But here's a tip.... In the future -- if you don't want to be the object of ridicule -- maybe you should stop bleaching the hair on just one side of your head...