Project Runway 11/12/09--"Finale pt. 1" summary

Previously on Project Runway: everyone had to make an outfit based on some art, or possibly the museum. Irina continued to be mean to everyone, and her dress was ugly, but the judges think she can do no wrong, so she moved on into the finals. Carol Hannah designed from a bed, but it wasn’t very close to the bed, but it was a non-offensive dress, so she moved on too. Chris made a long skirt that showed everyone why he never makes long skirts, so he was out. Big surprise. The real big surprise was Gordana, who made a gorgeous dress, that the judges said was gorgeous, and the only dress really inspired by her work of art. Really, they said that. But then they were like “oh, but I don’t know her as a designer” so they kicked her out. What is really sad is how she has said in interview that by this point she had already figured out the judges hated her so much they’d never let her in the finals so she said “screw them then” and made a dress for herself. And it happened. They loved her dress but didn’t want her in the finals so they had to come up with something. Just like how they had to let Althea get away with a super puckery skirt and a horrid, horrid “tank top” that I wouldn’t buy on clearance. But “she has vision” or whatever. Stupid. (click for more)

Heidi reminds everyone they’re going to Fashion Week and Tim also is proud of them. They will have 12 weeks and $9000. Then they go behind the scrim and Tim drops it like it’s hot. Or at least lukewarm. Hilarious.

Everyone packs and Althea reminds us that she and Irina don’t get along because of how Irina accused her of cheating on the runway. She says she might forgive but she won’t forget. Irina claims that she knows Althea and Carol Hannah are intimidated by her.

Tim goes to Huntington, New York, 10 weeks later. So with 2 weeks to go? Doesn’t he usually go earlier to some places? This is where Carol Hannah lives now. Then the chyron says “5 weeks to Fashion Week” which makes no sense at all. She got a tour of Duke University, and some of the buildings, so she’s been inspired by those. There’s a gown with tulle, wide at the hip and narrowing to the knee. She has a sparkly belt with it but Tim recoils in horror. He does the same with a shrug for a long gown. Also she claims to have made pants. Hee. Shorts too! She then tells Tim that her family has come into town and made him a good Southern meal. Hee! Tim claims to love the kitchen and they go downstairs and Tim puts a floral apron over his suit and makes biscuits. Which they cut out with a wine glass. We see childhood pictures of Carol Hannah which are nerdy. She loves that fashion changes how people see you. She is slightly intimidated because she doesn’t have training but she knows what she is doing. Notice there are no shots of Tim pretending to drive.

Irina is in Manhattan. It’s pretty soon after his last visit. Her apartment is tiny. Irina’s collection is inspired by Coney Island. For some reason she has a T-shirt with a picture of Coney Island on it. Her knits are great. Also she has a fur, but it’s unfinished. Tim tells her to make sure her clothes don’t look forced. He leaves, so I guess we don’t get to meet her family or anything. Oh, he is meeting people for lunch. For a minute I thought she was getting a Kenley edit. Irina says her parents and family didn’t get to always do what they dreamed. Her mom looks just like her except with lighter hair. Irina says she needs the approval from her father, and that she needs to win to prove to him she can be successful at this.

Althea lives in Dayton, Ohio. She seems to have a studio space, rather than working out of her home. Tim is disturbed by the freight elevator in her place and lets go an “Egads!” Althea is so glad to see him because she feels like she’s been stuck. She’s inspired by sci-fi movies. She shows Tim a long coat with a long skirt and Tim declares it costumey. Yeah…it kind of is a long black costume. Tim wants her to recalibrate her thinking and edit. She brings Tim to her house (I think it’s her house) which is very cute and painted pink. Her boyfriend is also very cute. She’s very excited about showing.

Back in Manhattan, 10 days before the show, Tim calls Irina to tell her that the Coney Island pictures on her T-shirts are copyrighted and she can’t use them. He wants her to use the idea but with her own images. I think she’s trying to only use the birds but not the Ferris wheel, but probably the birds are copyrighted too. Althea arrives in New York with 5 days to go. Everyone goes to their hotel room that the show got for them, even Irina, who lives there. She and Althea seem friendly enough, if slightly stiff. Not hostile or anything, but think if you ran into someone you sort of knew from school but never talked to. You’d kind of say hi, how are you, what are you up to, and then everyone would just stand there and it would be awkward. They both mention that they’ve been there for hours and Carol Hannah is still not there. After commercials we find out from Tim that this is because she has a stomach virus and it’s contagious. Poor thing. Althea knows that it must be bad if she is not there. They drink the champagne Heidi sent them and talk about how terrible it is that Carol Hannah isn’t there.

The next day they actually arrive at the workroom which might actually be at Parson’s. No one is very talkative but then Carol Hannah shows up looking puny. She spent that last day throwing up and now she feels horrible but has to perform. I feel bad for her.

Tim time! He doesn’t like a sequined jacket Althea has, and he asks her to think about her looks, and whether or not the same customer would buy her outfits. She’s spent a lot of time knitting. Cut to Irina looking pissed. Oh, and then he calls one of her pieces “borderline Hilary Clinton.” Hee. Irina makes some comment, about how Althea copied her, maybe, but that would be hard what with them being in different states and all. Irina says “What would you do without me? You have a good memory.” That was pretty bitchy. Carol Hannah asks for Tim’s advice because she has pieces that she doesn’t like. He suggests she ditch a jacket and has the same comment about making sure all her pieces will appeal to the same customer. Althea is not intimidated. Irina is like, oh, you have no idea how much I have freaked out and I am just tired! It sounds fake. She’s made T-shirts with the same technique, but with words about how she loves New York. That piece is gray but then everything else is black. She claims that she mixed materials. Irina has leather pants and Tim finds them to be like chaps. They walk over to her finale dress, which is “precious” on top and “modern” on bottom. Althea tells us that the dress is full of pins and there will be about 20 yards of hemming. Oo, that is a lot of work. Tim leaves with a warning to make the most of their time.

Now it is model selection time. Althea wants confident edgy girls. No one else talks about it and I don’t recognize any of the models, which doesn’t mean there aren’t models to recognize.
Back in the workroom Kors and Nina show up. Woo! They all sit down for a chat. Kors demands they show the judges who they are as a designer, and Nina says that if they see something they’ve seen before, they should take it out. Kors suggests the first look is a wow look, but then some “regular” looks, and then alternate. They should go with their gut. Carol Hannah is still worried because she’s sick and not on her game.

In the morning Tim sends in their models, and reminds them that whatever look their regular models are wearing will be their “showstopper”, so to speak, and that will be the look that ends up on the runway during judging. And then Heidi shows up. Why is everyone coming into the workroom to interrupt them? Of course, it is to give them a last-minute challenge. Oh, you knew it was coming. How could you not see it coming? Do they not watch the show? Or do the producers tell them to pretend to be surprised? No one is pleased. Then Tim tells them that their “muse” model (the one they’ve been working with) will be casting the model for their 13th look. Plus they have help! Cue the eliminated designers! Logan, Chris, and Gordana. Poor Gordana. Althea takes Logan, Irina takes Gordana, which leaves Carol Hannah with Chris. 30 minutes to sketch, and $250 at Mood. Althea wants a jacket with strong shoulders, but Logan has his own opinion. Gordana tells Irina she’s very good at finishing, and also that she would wear any of those pieces. Chris doesn’t want to make decisions, but he will throw around ideas. Tim informs them they’ll be walking to the “Original” Mood. For real.

Everyone has a lot of work to do. But I want Gordana’s boots. Irina knows she scored with her help. Carol Hannah knows tomorrow has all the fittings so she wants to get far enough along that there will just be finishing to do. Althea is kind of worried too.

Once they get back to the hotel Carol Hannah feels like crap and is sitting on the floor in the bathroom with a bucket and ice on the back of her neck. That is not good.

Next time: Althea describes makeup that is apparently similar to Irina’s, which upsets Althea, Irina runs around, Carol Hannah breaks down, Tim freaks out, Heidi wears that bright pink pantsuit we all saw her in.