Project Runway 8/27/09--"We Expect Fashion" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: there were SO many people but our show is back and no one cares about how many people there are, right? There was minor drama, only Johnny who freaked out about his addiction and whether or not he could make it. The challenge was to make a red carpet gown. Chris won, with a cute short dress, and Johnny saved himself, but Ari made some shiny silver puffy thing and went home. And Mitchell didn’t leave himself any leeway in his gown, so when it turned out his measurements were wrong, he was screwed. I watched that show about the models, and it turns out that the models win prizes too. In this case, Chris’s model got a ton of free stuff. But Mitchell apparently decided his model like, gained 6 inches in her measurements just to spite him, so he blamed her for the mistake. Then they let everyone pick new models so she ended up going home. Also the girls have a Logan fan club. (Kmanpat: “Can I be in the Logan Fan Club?” Me: “Are you a model? No? Too bad, so sad.”)(click for more)

Althea says she didn’t think Ari would really go home, and she makes it sound like she didn’t think anyone would go home. Like, not just that Ari was better than that, but that magically they could all stay forever. Logan and his bare chest are excited to have made it past the first challenge. Nicolas makes fun of Mitchell and his naked model.

Heidi comes out and tells everyone they’ll be making an outfit for an actual celebrity. I guess they’re not going to talk at all about the models, so if you don’t watch the model show, you’ll be totally lost. Irina thinks maybe it’s Heidi. That would be cool. Then whoever it is shows up behind the scrim and she is pregnant!!! MATERNITY CHALLENGE!!!!!! Kick ass, do you know how long we have been waiting for that? I am almost as excited as I was when they had to do drag. Nicolas curses a lot. He’s never made maternity clothes, as you can tell because he calls them “pregnancy outfits”. They’re making outfits for Rebecca Romijn. Cool. Everyone gasps and claps. AND she’s having twins. Somewhere Laura is rolling her eyes, like, “Please, I could do this in my sleep.” The outfit is for whatever event they want to make it for. Meeting, lunch, party, anything they want, but it should have a beautiful silhouette.

In the workroom everyone gets a pillow with straps that the models will wear. Haha! Chris asks the girls how to tie the belly to his dress form, so it’s in the right place. Irina asks Gordana, who is a mom. She says she would show more shape to her arms and legs. Ra’Mon makes a comment about semesters. Tim makes sure they are going to sketch something form-fitting and laves them half an hour for sketching. They’ll only have $100 to shop, but two days. Winner gets immunity. You know what I just thought of? None of these looks will account for her boobs. Your boobs get larger when you’re pregnant. Models will not.

Shopping ensues. Shirin is making a coat and a dress. Carol has made one maternity dress before--a bridesmaid dress. So really, she’s never made one. Qristyl freaks out again. Tim tells her to take deep breaths. Hee.

Irina thinks there shouldn’t be such a drastic gap between maternity clothes and regular clothes. It makes me feel like she’s going to flip out at the “real women” challenge. Ra’Mon is going to be different, he says. Tailored instead of draping. Althea is using ribbon to make a bodice on some jersey. Louise is making a “1920’s negligee inspired cocktail dress” with some lace she’s dying herself. Malvin is doing something with fertility and nests. No, really. It’s called “the mother hen”. Ra’Mon is kind of freaking out now. He wants to stay on top.

Malvin’s top looks like an egg, kind of. Mitchell got T-shirt fabric, because he just wants to be safe. He’s making shorts, that are gathered? He makes them and then holds them up but they’re horrible. He could fit in one leg. I have no idea how he did that. Wait, I think he did it on purpose. Because he’s going to gather them, so he made them big to gather them. Weird.

The next day, everyone goes back to work. Gordana says that one day you can be stuck, and the next day everything falls in place. Tim time! Althea is making something to wear to a luncheon, but it’s very dramatic so Tim says just don’t say it’s for day. Louise’s lace looks good, but she’s worried it’s too nightgown. Tim tells her that if her viscera says “uh oh”, that’s a problem. Hee, “viscera”. Tim doesn’t think Mitchell needs the T-shirt, but it’s to make sure she’s covered. Shirin has a great criss cross empire waist, that looks braided. I like it. Tim tells her to make sure she makes the right jacket. Malvin explains his hen/egg thing with feathers on the bust and jodhpurs. Jodhpurs because they are like chicken thighs. Ugh. No costume land. However, Tim is not bored. Ra’Mon has panels to look slimmer, but the colors are so different it may draw attention to her stomach instead. Tim warns him against “poo poo”.

Louise is lining her dress and making a second tier on the bottom of the skirt. I think Malvin is ignoring Tim. Mitchell tells Ra’Mon his pattern looks like a bowling ball. He has to leave the room. Hee. Mitchell tries to backtrack but it’s not working. They sit in the lounge and giggle. When they go back in I can see that Ra’Mon has manpris on. Sigh.

Models come in for fitting. Chris says the first thing he did was get his model pregnant. Actually all the models are laughing and giving each other crap. We don’t get to see a lot before Tim makes everyone leave. Ra’Mon has kept his model after everyone else’s has left. Johnny thinks his dress is drab, and his jacket is white with a floral pattern. It’s very church lady. I wouldn’t wear the jacket but I know people who would. He’s worried it will ruin him. Qristyl says that Rebecca wouldn’t even dust with that jacket. Then she laughs and says “That’s so mean” in such a way that I know she still thinks it’s funny. I like her. Nicolas feels superior to everyone in the room because no one is chic.

The morning of the runway show Malvin is finally having doubts. Mitchell isn’t done with the shorts. Ra’Mon feels that drapey dresses and also structured dresses are the wrong choices. He basically says he’s the only one who understood the challenge, but I’m not sure how he’s so much different from everyone because he never explains it. Tim comes in to give them two hours. Althea says the bodice doesn’t fit her model anymore, it’s too small. Mitchell’s shorts look sloppy. Frantic sewing. Malvin thinks everyone else has something to say, but they haven’t figured out how to do it yet. Cocky, aren’t we. Everyone is cocky, actually, except I think Johnny is not.

Kors isn’t here! Lame! Monique Lhuiller is filling in. Heidi tells them that all the judges have been pregnant, so they will know what they are talking about. Logan: white tunic and black pedal pushers. The back of the tunic has a V and a gold collar made out of leather. It’s very basic. Shirin: dark red dress with a draped neck and a dark coat with a purple printed lining. It’s really nice looking, except her model is walking like she has scoliosis so she looks huge. Nicolas: dress with a gray top, with black ruffles, and a black skirt. All shiny satin. The border between the two colors is above her belly. And it’s really short. Chris: purple tunic, that’s got an empire waist with a black band. It’s one shouldered with some pleating, and it flows really well, on the bottom there’s just some black pants. Mitchell: khaki shorts, slouchy sweater in ivory, and a T-shirt in white. The shorts have a lot of volume and if I didn’t know they were shorts, I would think it was a bubble skirt. Qristyl: knee length dress that ties around her neck, and has a black ruffle at the skirt. The rest of the dress is terra cotta. It’s pretty drapey. Epperson: sleeveless halter neckline, which is revealed to be a coat. So he has a coat, or a long vest, and underneath that a jumpsuit, all in white, with a halter neckline and no back. It’s totally different and he hasn’t said one word all day! He must be going far.

Louise: red short dress with a tiered skirt. On one shoulder there are some ruffles or rosettes or whatever. It’s not really like a nightgown but it is a cocktail dress. It’s cute. Gordana: black pants, a dark blue top with a low V, and a cardigan in a lighter blue. I like it but I feel on a real pregnant woman the top would be too small. I mean, you can’t wear a bra. Johnny: the black dress is nice, with white piping. I think he lost the jacket. But it’s that weird tea mid calf length. And there are foofy bits on one shoulder. Can we all agree not to do that anymore? Malvin: I think he lost the jodhpurs, because the pants look fitted, and the top looks like she has already had the baby, and is wearing a black tank top and the baby is in a white sling. Ra’Mon: purple dress, with like, racing stripes down the sides. There are panels that come together in a V on the back, and they extend down the sides of the stomach. Carol: turquoise dress, with draping under her stomach, and a little shrug. I think the shrug is in plaid. I don’t like the draping under her stomach. Althea: dark long dress, and the bodice has cups and straps that are striped with a lighter fabric, but she was right, it is too small on top. Irina: simple blue V-neck dress with an empire waist, with a lighter blue satin sash and bottom tier on the skirt. And inset on the top. There are some flowers on the sash. Contrasting flowers, so it‘s better.

Heidi takes Louise, Mitchell, Althea, Malvin, Shirin, and Ra’Mon for more questioning. Ra’Mon went for something that he thought Rebecca would wear when not pregnant. It’s too busy and it’s kind of puckered, and Nina doesn’t like that the panels point at her baby. Louise pleated the bust so that as her boobs grow, they won’t get smashed, I guess, and the tiers at the bottom are adjustable. Rebecca says it’s like lingerie but she likes that. It’s super cute. Althea has figured out to say her long dress is an evening dress, and the back has a criss-cross strap which is great. Monique likes the jersey, but calls her on the top. Nina likes the coverage. Malvin talks about his mother hen and egg thing. The black has feathers. I think. Nina likes the feathers but is disturbed by the sling because like I said, it looks like she’s already had the baby. Mitchell says his outfit is for day. Heidi hates her shorts. When she takes off the sweater, the shorts are too low slung and the shirt is too tight so you can see the waistband. Rebecca appreciates the thought but the execution was bad. Shirin wanted to be comfortable. Rebecca loves the lining, and the waistband. I love the draped neckline; it’s high but has lots of folds.

Ra’Mon’s dress was only good from the front. Mitchell is labeled “interesting”, and they decide that if he could sew and it had been made well it would not be in the bottom. No one wants to be thought of as a chicken. Shirin made a beautiful coat, and waistline. Hers is the most wearable. Althea made an elegant gown in a perfect color. Louise’s dress was very close to lingerie, and they make a joke about “that’s why you’re pregnant” but they like the details she put in.
Louise is in. Shirin wins! I totally want that outfit and I’m not pregnant. Althea is in. Ra’Mon is in. Malvin was too complicated and bizarre. Mitchell had a good concept but poor execution. Malvin is out. Huh. Heidi tells Mitchell to step it up. Malvin looks confused. He says he’s too conceptual for America. He has learned that he is very grounded “as a designer, a philosopher, and as a person.” Whatever.

Next week: team challenge! Epperson says something! On camera! Someone doesn’t sew. Something is not classy.