Project Runway -- Week 11 Recap (Part #1)

The challenge begins with the six designers facing away from the runway. When they turn, their past “winning looks” are on stage and the challenge is to create a companion piece for your best look.

Because Logan has never won a challenge – to review, he’s never even been in the top three – for him they picked a long forgotten gray dress from the first challenge. I began yelling at my television, “IT’S A MESSAGE, PEOPLE. LOGAN MUST GO HOME…HE’S DONE NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. HE’S GOT NO GAME. SEND HIM HOME…”

Irina loves the challenge. Of course – she’s won THREE times. Her snarky remark is that “a few people are here who should have gone home”. Their wins were just ”lucky”. Obviously, as far as Irina is concerned – they all could have gone home weeks ago. BUT THEN, IT WOULDN’T BE MUCH OF A SHOW, IRINA, NOW WOULD IT??

They have 30 MIN. to sketch… and then it’s off to Mood Fabrics for their 30 minutes of shopping. THIS MAKES ME CRAZY. When, in the history of the world, has anybody ever spent 30 minutes in a fabric store? I wonder how much this year's designs might have been improved with a LITTLE MORE TIME TO SHOP FOR FABRIC?? Maybe that's why we get nothing but black, gray and brown...

Christopher believes his strength is “gowns”…..So he’s going to do the same dress, only make it longer. Wha? He’s buying 30 yards of white lining...I sense trouble…

Irina knows exactly what she wants – but, inspired by an embroidered brocade, she decides to do a dress instead,. Oh, yeah, nothing says “youthful” like an embroidered brocade fabric. I am hopeful. This could be a miss…

Carol has to design something to go with her Bob Mackie black feather & sequins dress – so of course she picks blue and green chiffon. There had been a lot of grousing about the fact that Carol has only done dresses. She hasn’t made a jacket, or pants, and she thinks she needs to step up her game. Then, oddly, Tim Gunn is giving her advice in Mood? Really? YOU’VE ONLY GOT 30 MINUTES, CAROL – GET MOVING. He tells her to stay in her comfort zone? That seemed weird to me…

In the first half hour, Althea is making black Hammer pants, Logan thinks a zipper collar is going to make his black vest and pants look original, Irina is playing with her embroidered fabric, Carol Hannah has black fabric pinned on the front of her dress form – they show us that shot so many times, I wonder if she might be considering a completely BACKLESS dress. Hey, if you’re going to do 11 dresses in a row – I guess you need to do SOMETHING to change it up!

Irina and Althea are eating lunch and hating on Logan…Irina is encouraging Althea to say something about the fact that Logan is copying her creative zipper idea which she used in a previous challenge. Irina is SUCH A TROUBLEMAKER….

Irina said about Christopher’s dress, “why is one dress throwing up another?” Okay. I’ve gotta admit she hit the nail on the head with that comment…

At one point, Logan realized he cannot sew across zippers…REALLY? WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE, BUD?? He talked about how living in Idaho is the best of both worlds because he can work on his car, then go inside and design a dress. Just more proof that he is a heterosexual man, right? Which, come to think of it, must be the reason he’s still on the show. He referred to Irina as “Meana Irina”…that made me chuckle.

Tonight’s revolving judges are: Nick Verreos – Nina Garcia and Kelly Washington. Or maybe it's Kerry Washington? Either way, I have no idea who she is. AND I DON'T CARE. I go into a pout when there’s no Michael Kors..

Here are the three designs the judges liked:

Carol Hannah did a little black dress. Kelly thought it was delicious, Nick said he wrote down “Ava Gardner”, Nina liked the lightness, the judges loved the pockets.

Althea made shinny black hammer pants, a white tank top and a HAND-SEWN bulky gray sweater. (with all those sergers, WHY THE HAND SEWING?) The judges LOVED IT. Heidi said she wants it – she called the pants genius. Kelly said the sweater was gorgeous.
Irina made a way-too-tight-embroidered brocade sheath and a bulky brown sweater jacket with big square edges. Once Nick said he loved it, the judges all got on the loving bandwagon. Nina had a problem with the tight brocade dress – but otherwise, it was an Irina lovefest.


Next post for the losers...(this is way too long, I know...)

Project Runway -- Week 11 Recap (Part #2)

And, the three outfits the judges did NOT like:
Gordana made a gray jacket with a stand up collar with pin-tucks along the sides, and in the back of the jacket. And, a completely forgettable black skirt. Heidi called it old, drab, sad. Kelly said it feels passive, Nina said, between the collar and the darts, it makes the look a little dated..Nick said it looked like an office worker in Warsaw Poland…(you could have a future as a judge, Nick...)

Christopher stuck with his vision. It looked like a big flower garland wrapped around the front and swarming up the back. Once Nina said something negative – the judges all agreed with her and started down that slippery slope – at the end, Heidi said it looked like a bedskirt.

Logan sent down a short black dress with zipper collar and netting outside the skirt. Nina said it looks like a fashion project from a student. Nick called it 80’s, Kelly said it’s futuristic, which is distracting.

So, there’s ten minutes left in the show and I’m thinking…SEND LOGAN HOME…and give Althea the win – YOU’VE GOT TO DO IT – YOU CANNOT LET IRINA WIN TWO WEEKS IN A ROW…THAT WOULD BE HER FOURTH WIN. EVEN THOUGH SHE DESERVES IT. I’m just not that big a person. DON’T DO IT…I WILL BOYCOTT…SERIOUSLY…. I want Althea to get the win. Even though I hated her pants and thought the sweater was a pale imitation of Irina’s original design…

In the end, that’s exactly what happened. But the drama was a discussion on the runway about who thought of a big oversized sweater first. HEIDI – WERE YOU ASLEEP LAST WEEK?? Of course it was Irina’s idea.

Here’s how the judges scored it. Carol Hannah – “in”. Althea is the winner. (Irina’s eyes nearly rolled out of her head.) Christopher is declared “IN” – and Logan and Gordana are in the bottom two. That’s when I notice Gordana is wearing a mini dress with black tights. You’re killing me, babe…

They AUF LOGAN. As he is packing up his gear in the workroom, he puts his large leather man-purse over his shoulder. I’m shaking my head…he is the poster child for that confusing new-age word, “metrosexual man”. Then I notice his sewing notions are in a fishing tackle box…