Project Runway 9/10/08--"What's Your Sign?" summary

Previously on Project Runway: everyone got to meet Diane von Furstenberg and design a look to go with her fall collection. The inspiration was “A Foreign Affair” so everyone was supposed to do 40’s spy type stuff. Leanne won by making a great dress with this odd menswear coat. Everyone loved the coat although I didn’t really get it. Stella made a suit, which might have been cute if it had been well made, and then this cape that I think was too thin or something and looked stupid. So she went home. She seemed cool with it though. On another note, did you know Fashion Week was this week? Notice how many designers are left? I wonder what they’ll do. (click for more)

Terri wanders around singing “the bitch is dead” and she is glad. Suede mumbles to Blayne about dreaming about making dresses out of chiffon and pop tarts. Pop tarts would just crumble and fall apart, wouldn’t they? Kenley wants to win the next challenge. She thinks she will win the whole thing, she is so awesome.

Leanne decides to keep her model. Big whoop. Heidi announces “special guests” and when they come out, it turns out to be the eliminated designers. Eh? Oo, Wesley! Everyone who is still in the competition looks very nervous. Each of the designers that are left are working with one of the eliminated designers to create an avant garde look. Jerell says that is his bag, baby. Not to worry because the eliminated designers are only there for inspiration and are not able to return to the competition, unlike Angela and Vincent that time. Kenley worries because she doesn’t work well with others.

They are working in teams of 2, and Tim has additional information: the look must be inspired by the astrological sign of one member of the team. Avant garde looks based on astrological signs? This should be good. I kind of wish there were 12 people left so they could each do a different one. Tim breaks out the velvet bag to make assignments. Korto is signed up with Kelly, Kenley with Welsey, Joe with Daniel, Leanne with Emily, Blayne with Stella (they are thrilled), Terri with Keith (she’s pissed), Jerell with Jennifer, and Suede with Jerry. They will have 2 days, with 30 minutes to sketch right now (and a dossier with info about all the signs). The dossiers have colors, personality traits, all that stuff. People react as if they’ve never read up on their signs before. You guys, I am a scientist and I am fully versed on my sign and all the personality traits and how I interact with people and all that stuff. It’s fun. (Kmanpat: “That’s why you get along with me so well when other Cancers I know don’t get along with me, because you’re on the cusp so you must have Gemini traits but I think you’re really a Cancer because you’re moody and Gemini’s aren’t nearly as mo—ow!”) Leanne says she is unbalanced, and she wants to work with Scorpio because she doesn’t want to do something with scales. Cut to Blayne and Stella discussing scales.

Shopping time! 30 minutes and $250 to run around Mood. Kenley says Wesley takes direction well. (Kmanpat: “Welsey, come over to my house. *silence* *pouting*) Keith complains that Terri is using fur and making a lion costume. What do you care? You’re already out. He tells her not to use fur but she ignores him.

Suede and Jerry also have Libra and they seem to be trying to work in the scales. Suede wanted to move away from the animal thing. Terri says Keith doesn’t have the skills she has so she has no idea what is going to happen. He says that he’s fragile and she should “be gentle”. Snerk. So Terri pretty much rolls her eyes and says “Maybe he can pick up the pins that fall on the floor.” I love Terri.

Joe and Daniel are working with Aries. His print looks like red cabbage. This is somehow a ram. Well, it’s not really done yet, I guess. Jerry says he’s won prizes for avant garde design. Kenley says she is strong and progressive like her design and it’s awesome. Leanne finds it annoying that she never shuts up, and she says so. In the workroom. While Kenley is still in the workroom. Kenley complains that they are talking smack right in front of her, which…they are, to be fair, but I don’t like Kenley so it doesn’t bother me. In confessional Kenley says some girls don’t like her to have fun. Well, I don’t, so…yeah.

Tim time! Blayne starts talking about manifestation, or something? Libra is about being nude and then manifesting when there’s a “situation”? I don’t think Tim gets it either so he just leaves them. Jerell and Jennifer have an armor vibe. There’s a brocade looking plaid skirt (Tim says it’s houndstooth). But the skirt is very slim with like, saddlebags on the hips. Tim says he’ll either win or be out. Leanne is talking exoskeletons, with a black fabric curving around and over something underneath, I think. It looks really cool, like an insect without being literal. Kenley is trying to pin giant light bulbs to her dress form. Oh, those are forms for her giant leg of mutton sleeves. She has the following fabrics: purple plaid, zebra, and floral. It hurts my eyes just to look at them in a pile on the table. Tim calls it a costume, and also that it looks like Glenda the Good Witch of the North. Kenley waves him off. Wesley knows it’s messed up. Terri still wants to do a collar of fur, and Tim wants the dress to all go together. He says that Keith has innovation so she should listen to him. When did he show any of that? Anyway, this prompts Keith to give some advice, which Terri shoots down because he hasn’t spoken up before this. Except that he did, in Mood. Tim bails, now that he’s stirred the pot. Then Keith is like, you’re hard to work with, I’m trying here. Dude. Seriously? That’s not the way to get Terri to be nice to you.

The cameramen missed Welsey too. That’s why they showed him shirtless. Everyone is worried about how much work they have to do. When they get to the workroom Heidi has left them notes: they’ll be showing their designs before a live audience tonight at 8pm. So instead of having all night tonight, they have a lot less time. Also, two people are going home. (That still leaves them with 6 designers for Friday, so WTF is that?) The mad rush begins. Stella says she’s only worried about Blayne losing. Emily is working hard. Jerry and Suede whisper and then wonder why they are whispering. Terri watches Keith and then takes over from him and won’t let him do anything. So he bails and goes to the lounge to complain about her to Jerell. He abandons all responsibility for the look.

Tim appears to bring models and give them another hour. Also he delivers the bad news that there will no longer be immunity for any challenge winners. There is a ton of running around and freaking. Kenley is not impressed with anyone, because she thinks she is the best. Korto says her dress has to go to the party all pinned because she can’t sew it in time.

Everyone arrives at The Rose Center for Earth and Space for their fancy party. I thought there would be a runway show, but I think they are just going to be standing there and answering questions. When they arrive in the main room, the other secret guests are revealed: previous designers. Hee. Danny V (with a Monkees haircut which is not working for him), Christian, Carmon, Alison, Robert (season 1 Robert sadly, not Robert Best), Jay, and Kara Janx. Heidi says they’ll be picking the winner, but no one will find out until the runway show tomorrow. Oh, who am I kidding, Danny V is still hot. Kenley is up first, and when Heidi says her model’s boobs are saggy, Kenley says they’re where Heidi’s are right now. She even gestures to demonstrate. Sigh. I can’t really see anyone’s dresses very well right now. Keith says Terri won’t talk to him, but he just was bitching about her so, no sympathy. Christian hates the collar. Carmon criticizes Suede, that he repeated the bell/scale shape too much. Jay quickly guesses Korto’s sign that she was representing. Heidi hates Blayne’s color choice, because it reminds her of granny panties. She doesn’t get it. Jerell has 6 different trims on his jacket, and Danny V says it’s subtle and great. Kara loves Joe’s look. Jay mimes a scorpion for Leanne. Everyone schmoozes, and you can notice how tiny Christian is. Carmon looks like she could break him in half.

In the morning everyone gets up early to work. Terri says that Christian hated the fur collar so she’s scrapping it and adding color to the front. She is talking about working hard, as Keith is sleeping. Kenley plans to stuff her model’s bra. Korto has to sew everything still. Stella is hammering grommets. Heh. Suede refers to himself in the third person for the first time, 35 minutes in. He’s getting better. Joe says that Kenley’s outfit is like Mickey Mouse. OK, I don’t like Kenley, but giant leg of mutton sleeves are not Mickey Mouse. Tim actually has to go to the lounge and wake Keith up so he won’t miss the show. Wow. He didn’t take his elimination well, did he?

Guest judge for today is Francisco Costa, women’s creative director for Calvin Klein Collections. Blayne is up first, with Libra. I have no idea. It’s a nude leotard, except that it’s not formfitting, it’s more like a chemise, with nude tights. Then there are leather straps crisscrossing it, and over her right side there are bunches and bunches of colored fabric poofs in red, blue, and pink. I have no idea. It’s unbalanced, which, I thought Libra was balanced? Kenley: she had Aquarius. Sadly, it’s not bad. Huge leg of mutton sleeves in purple plaid, a black leather bodice, and a bubble skirt in floral fabric overlaid with yellow chiffon. The top has a high neck. It doesn’t look like Aquarius, that’s for sure. Terri: Leo. The dress has a high collar and then it’s open through her chest, and there are huge red swaths of fabric over her shoulders like sleeves. Then there’s a tawny bodice, with strips of trim down the sides, and a gold skirt. I think the red looks better than the fur. Also there are two strips of red fabric down her back to the floor. Notice: no pants. Korto, Aquarius: the top is dark purple strips, draped over her arms and chest, and then an empire waisted dress with a flowing skirt, in shades of blue. It’s gorgeous. The back has pieces of fabric that are sewn to look like waves. Joe, Aries: the skirt has layers and layers of tiers, and the top has sheer sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. Very flamenco. It doesn’t remind me of a ram at all, but Aries is a fire sign and it’s all in shades of red, so that’s something. But I think I can see her stomach; it’s a two piece. Jerell, Sagittarius: a jacket in a dark print, with sleeves that seem to be made out of several layers of trim, ending in a gold fabric that is in the bodice of the dress. The dress has a long slim skirt, with flaps of fabric over the hips to give the model some curves. Also she has an arrow wound around her head. The top is backless. I like the shape of the skirt but the jacket is whack. Leanne, Scorpio: simple red dress, with black fabric loops and whorls over the top of it, standing away from her body slightly. It’s pretty cool looking, actually. Suede, Libra: blue sheer top (over a lighter blue tank top) and pants. The sleeves are bell sleeves, and there are two pieces of fabric hanging down her back, that are shaped like bells also, to suggest scales. The pants are harem pants so they end at her ankle.

Korto, Jerell, Leanne, and Joe are called forward. One of them is the winner. Heidi kicks them out so they can yell at the losers. Blayne tries to explain his whackadoo design, that he tried to make it unbalanced. Nina says it looks haphazard and wonky. Francisco doesn’t like it either, and when she turns around Kors says she’s pooping fabric. Not pretty. Terri wanted heat and she says that she changed the fur collar after yesterday. Kors asks what Keith and Terri’s signs are and says they are perfect together. Of course they make faces and Kors practically begs them to dish. Terri says Keith walked out on her (not wasting time pretending to be polite, I see) and Keith protests that she wouldn’t listen to him or talk to him. Kors tells her that her career will never go anywhere if she can’t work with others. Terri is mad, and I don’t think she’s listening. She says she is shocked by these comments. Kors thinks she has no taste. Nina tells Kenley her outfit has nothing to do with Aquarius, and Kenley practically yells back at Nina that her sign is about strength, and also purple. Nina responds that she just did whatever she wanted and ignored the challenge. Kors has seen it before, and he can name specific collections that it reminds him of. Kenley says she doesn’t look at collections, as I snicker. Nina smirks too. Kenley whines that this is avant garde, but Kors says that avant garde is something you haven’t seen, and he’s seen it. Take that, Kenley. Suede talks about scales, but it doesn’t push the envelope enough. Suede is talking about himself in the third person again, to make up for the first part of the episode. It’s expected, and not crazy enough. Tim said in his blog that Suede and Jerry actually really didn’t get along, and they also threw Tim under the bus since they ignored his advice. And we didn’t see any of it.

So apparently they aren’t going to talk about why the winners were great. Blayne’s outfit was a ridiculous joke, Heidi says that’s bad. Kenley didn’t do Aquarius, and didn’t care about the challenge at all, and was very defensive. Backstage she’s saying this is all BS. Nina hated Terri’s outfit and it looked cheap. Also she should have taken responsibility; even though Keith walked out, that happens all the time. Suede was boring, which you know is not a good thing. And FINALLY, Kors says Suede is not ready for the third person. Everyone laughs at Suede.

Everyone comes back out to the runway. Jerell wins. Even with that stupid arrow? But now we won’t know why he won! Man. Leanne, Korto, and Joe are dismissed. Kenley is in. Terri’s look was poorly made and tasteless, Blayne gave them a joke, and Suede’s look was safe and boring. Blayne is out. Well, now he can go tan. Heidi won’t even get up to kiss him. He’s baffled. Suede is in. Damn, I like Terri. She is totally shocked. Tim gives a double hug. Terri says people will still hear from her. Blayne tells everyone to be confident and go for it.

Next week: “special ladies”. Older women? Moms and daughters? Jerell wears leaves on his head. That’s all I got.