Project Runway 1/9/08--"What a Girl Wants" summary

Previously on Project Runway: The contestants have to make outfits from materials from the Hershey’s store. Sadly, only Jillian used actual candy. Rami won with a very cute pleated skirt and halter top. Elisa lost, with some boring dress and a random story that didn’t match up. I mean, Angela came up with some wack stories, but at least her clothes matched up. “She’s the director of an art camp in Paris called Jubilee Jumbles and it’s her dog Pattycake’s birthday and she’s throwing her dog a party.” You have to admit that as terrible as her cropped vest/bubble skirt/rosettes everywhere turned out to be, if you were director of an art camp in Paris, called Jubilee Jumbles, and you named your dog Pattycake? That’s probably what you’d wear. Elisa’s dress was not a modern take on Gretel. I am sad to see her go, though. (click for more)

Rami talks about winning and how he knows he’s “set apart” from the rest. Victorya has to move in with the other girls and she misses Elisa. She seems surprised about missing her.
Heidi shows up to tell them the challenge is about making memories, for one of the most important days of a woman’s life. Rami hopes they aren‘t making wedding dresses. “Let’s bring out your models”. The models? Teenaged girls in school uniforms. The same music plays as when the dogs came out: that prancing piano tune that‘s not quite tootling but somehow isn‘t as peppy as it could be. Kevin is pissed. Everyone is like “They’re school kids“. They’re not kids, they’re in high school. They don’t look like kids at all. They’re from St. John Vianney High School in Jersey. Heh, our Vianney High School is a boy’s school. They have to make prom dresses. Why did they even hire models this year? Those poor girls got shafted. Christian hates prom because it‘s tacky and gross. I’m sure he’s bitter he didn’t win prom queen. In a nice twist, the girls have looked at the contestants’ portfolios and they’ve picked out people. Chris is horrified and entertained at the same time. I wonder how they did that. Did the velvet bag make an appearance?

In the workroom Tim explains that he’s sending in the girls, and most of them will have strong ideas but of course the designers have to assert themselves. Meaning if the design doesn’t match them they’ll be in trouble. They have $250, the rest of today and all of tomorrow. Chris’s model is willing to pop. He says they knew there would be an evening wear challenge but not on high schoolers. Kit’s model liked her edginess. Kevin talks about prom, and somehow by the grace of God a producer has found his prom picture. He looks like a total dork but most people look like dorks in their prom pictures. (Kmanpat: “Not me, I look the same as I do now.“ Me: “So…dork.“) Rami’s girl says she likes fitted but she can do drapy. Victorya’s model had the last choice but she promises that she liked her portfolio. Sweet P’s model wants a super plunging neckline and ivory fabric. This worries Sweet P because she doesn‘t want to make a wedding dress. Christian’s girl has been studying fashion design and she is actually sketching for him. Ha. He bitches about how tacky she wants it, with lace and gold or something, I don’t care, he‘s just insulted that she doesn‘t praise his fierceness. It puts him on the floor in agony. This should be good.

Shopping. $250 will get you a good prom dress. Kevin goes with red. Sweet P gets champagne, instead of ivory. Shopping is exciting.

There is a great picture of Christian from his prom, where he says he was “best dressed“. He looks the same. Chris asks if that‘s just his opinion and he‘s like, they took a vote! So much is important in this challenge, and he insists that he’s never worked with anyone who had that many specific requests. He is not feeling fierce. Jillian wonders if her hair is big. They call her “Tina Turner”. Hee. She’s making a silk “mosaic” that will be like the inside of a jewelry box. I don’t know if that’s the look I would go for, unless you mean a jewelry box with the jewelry in it, so it’s sparkly. Kit says she’s prom king and Christian is the queen. She looks pretty normal in her prom photo. She’s making a pretty but unconventional dress. Chris makes a weird joke that I can‘t make out. Ricky has the thickest nerd glasses on. Where did those come from? He gets to call his mom, and he interviews about being creative and about how all these doors are going to open up and he’s going to cry. Bad sign, editing.

Sweet P tried to drape the plunging necklines but she couldn’t make it work so she just changes everything. She says she’s not going home because she listened to a teenager. Frantic working. Everyone seems really exhausted. Christian is done of course, the better to complain about how tacky it is. From here it looks fine. I mean, it’s not awesome, but it could be so much worse. He says he can’t let a 17 year old girl overpower him. (Kmanpat: “Does he mean physically? Because a 17 year old girl could probably beat him up.”)

The next day, Christian says something about being randy? He’s doing some intricate beading/lace stuff which is more “him“. Kit isn’t super worried, just about the color. Victorya compares her dress to something an old Italian divorcee would wear. Christian tells her to drape more, and she says she trusts him. In interview she says that she “made an executive decision” to change it and at the end of the day “I have to do what I want”. You or Christian? Tim appears to send in the models. Then the moms come in too. This should be good. Kevin’s client’s mom thinks she looks pregnant but the girl is like, OMG mom it‘s fine! Victorya’s girl loves her dress. Chris’s dress is this great green color and she likes it. He asks mom what she thought of his portfolio. Which is full of costumes. Which he is wearing. No, really. Drag and giant wig and giant boobs. Like this:

The best part is that they didn’t realize it was Chris in those costumes. Sweet P didn’t cut the gown as low as the girl wanted but they both seem to like it. Plus her mom is standing there, and that‘s not the time to complain that your neckline should be lower. Christian’s skirt is really poofy and she thinks her butt looks huge. He says he’s not a dressmaker but a designer. Sweet P for some reason tells the girl he’s the golden boy. He’s also pissed off that she’s claiming that she helped. Well, she did help, you were bitching about it. Jillian feels bad and Rami thinks he should have steered the girl more in another direction. The girl hates it, you can tell.

Sweet P thinks it’s her turn to win. Thanks for sharing, JEN. Chris is like, um, honey? I’ve been eliminated. Tim comes by to investigate. Kevin gets the advice to be critical “because you know how the judging has been going”. Plus Kevin thinks that they won’t notice an unfinished edge. Sigh. Don’t you watch this show? Rami’s dress has his usual draping, but only one one side, and it reminds me of his gray dress. He says that nowadays high schoolers like fashion and they‘re more sophisticated. Tim feels it’s matronly. Victorya has a halter and some crystals, which reminds me a lot of Kayne’s Miss America dress. Christian has been “doom and gloom” about stuff. Tim says that the dress is fine and he can see Christian in it. Also he says he has no fabric left but Tim pulls a whole bunch of fabric from the table. He’s ready to go home but Tim tries to encourage him. Whatever, let him pout in the corner.

Kevin is determined to not finish his hem. Joking in the sewing room about Kit and whether her mom‘s name is “Machine Gun“ or “Uzi“. Hee. Christian gives up. Back at the apartment Chris thinks Christian’s losing it. He puts a towel on his head and says they’ll miss him when he’s gone. Now, I know that there is one challenge this season where one person had such a horrid outfit that everyone thought they were out, including the designer themselves. And then they won. Tim said so while he was talking about the judging this season. I know Christian is convinced he is out, but I’m not sure everyone else is as convinced as he is.

In the morning Rami says he was raised in Jerusalem and there is no prom there. He and Chris think Heidi would have a lederhosen short prom dress. Hee.

Christian seems to be determined to make it work today. They get an hour for fitting before sending them to get makeup and hair. Ricky says when he had a girlfriend he made her prom dress. “That should have been a clue right there.” I’ll say. Ricky’s concerned that the girl’s dress doesn’t really pop, but it works for her. The girls have to wait around for stuff to happen and they are loud. Sweet P says that she was a Catholic school girl. Her date…that is some surfer hair. “Look at y’all, and look at me. Hello. This is you in 30 years.” Ha! She also won't say much about her prom except to say it was fun. Chris stayed home and got drunk instead of going to prom. How sad! Kevin says he put a stitch in the hem but it is not finished. It doesn’t look as bad as an unfinished hem usually looks. Christian futzes with the dress and annoys his model. The girls look good.

The survey question today asks who you would take to prom: Christian, Jillian, Kit, or Rami? Even though I am a girl, I would take Kit because I’m sure she’d cause trouble and that would be fun. Christian has the potential for bitchy commentary but he’s not funny. Actually I’d probably go with Chris because we’d have so much fun. I actually went to my prom with a friend of mine who’s like Chris and it was a blast.

Guest judge is Gilles Mendel. I don’t know who that is. Sweet P: the champagne color looks good with her skin and it’s basic but so glamorous. A long skirt with a high waist and some gathering above that. I can see some actress wearing that on the red carpet. Victorya: bright blue, with a bubble hem and empire waist, and the jewels. It’s young and cute. Chris: gathered but the top looks weird, almost too big, plus a train and straps in the back. Kevin: short and red baby doll. She looks hot, although the hem is above her knee and it doesn‘t look right. Jillian: aqua with a skirt that‘s shorter in front (the shortest part is tea-length), and a weird top. She’s outlined the girl’s boobs with a darker fabric, and some spaghetti straps. How is this a mosaic? It’s elegant, although there‘s some puckering. Christian: oh Christian. It‘s dark copper and knee length in front, with black netting sticking out of the bottom of the skirt, and some lace details on the bodice and the hem. The skirt is really stiff and it sticks out in a bell shape but the back looks like a bustle. It’s unique, I guess. Kit: dark blue with vertical stripes in the bodice. It’s weird because the stripes are almost neon. But it fits beautifully. Ricky: another bubble hem and light pink that almost blends in to her skin. Rami: one of his draped things. It’s very high fashion and it would be better without the drape, I think. Then it would be a dress with rouching down past the girl’s hips and a ruffly skirt. Plus I don’t like her hair, it‘s in a bun on the side of her head with a sideswept bang.

Kit, Jillian, Chris are safe. Sweet P talks about Hollywood glamour which matches what the dress looks like. The girl loves it. Praise for the color, but Nina is like, it’s so sophisticated for 17. Kors points out that we all know what Hollywood at 18 is like. Nina doesn’t like Kevin’s color because it makes the girl look old. Well, now that I’m looking at her, I think her hair looks kind of old too. And of course Kors notices the hem. Heidi thinks it looks cheap. Victorya dodges the question of “Is this the dress your client asked for?“ by responding that “I think this is the girl she wanted to project herself to be on prom night“. Nina loves the color, it looks fun and modern and appropriate. Her model loves it. Christian is like, this was hard, she’s opinionated. His client is kind of shocked. The dress doesn’t match his client, although Heidi doesn‘t mind it. He gets the usual “if the client is wrong it’s your job to talk them out of it”. Nina bugs him to not blame his client if the dress is bad. Ricky loves his dress and says “The girl inside me would wear this“. The rouching is sloppy and the color is wrong. Kors wants more color volume. The judges think Rami’s dress is too sophisticated and that it’s “lady at lunch”. It’s too old, and Rami asks permission to defend himself and he says that’s how he is. If the dress makes the girl look 35, that’s because his clients are usually adults. Hmm, slamming Rami. Odd.

Only two dresses are good: Sweet P’s, who is simple but finished and elegant, and also Victorya, who made a modern prom dress that was bold. Rami’s color was old and they didn’t like his excuse that he doesn’t work with teenagers. Christian’s excuse that his client was difficult also hurts him. Ricky’s dress is boring and the color washed her out, and Kevin’s dress was cheap. I guess that’s true, it doesn’t look like it cost as much as, say, Sweet P’s dress.

America would like to take Rami to the prom. Well, he is hot, I guess. (Kmanpat: “I would!”)

Heidi tells them that they only liked Victorya and Sweet P. Victorya wins and has immunity. She’s pretty psyched. Ricky is in. Rami is in. Kevin’s dress was cheap and made his client look old. Christian blamed his client for his poor execution which had nothing to do with her. Kevin is out. Dang. He says he wants to show a collection and he’ll probably show one anyway, and look for his line. Plus Heidi hugged him. Also, slow cap for the editors because that whole thing with Ricky, his mom, and talking about how every door will open up? Nice misdirection.

Next time: Tim has another special announcement. Everyone is pissed. There are some crazy pointy pieces and ruffles. Sweet P and Rami fight. Maybe it’ll be a team thing?