Project Runway 11/5/09--"The Art of Design" summary

Previously on Project Runway: the remaining contestants had to design an outfit to go with another outfit that they had made for this competition. It was an outfit that won (or in Logan‘s case, whatever they felt like picking). So it was kind of like saying “here’s a really cool thing you did; pretend that’s the basis for your collection. Some people did this and some did not. I think it would have been better had they been given one of their worst looks and told to fix it. Althea turned against Logan because he copied her collar from a previous week. I didn’t notice at first because of the horrid lighting on the runway, but he really did. She decided not to say anything, but this just gave Irina an opening to complain that Althea copied her sweater, because apparently Irina has a copyright on sweaters. Althea won anyway, which was nice, and Logan finally got sent home. (click for more)

Althea says she and Irina aren’t speaking due to the drama last week. Seriously, that design was on Althea’s sketch. No one copied. Irina complains that she will never say something behind your back if she can say it to your face, but apparently people would rather you say things behind your back. I think they really would rather you weren’t a bitch. Chris is the last man left. Gordana says this is her last challenge before the final so she has to do well.

Everyone says they’re one challenge from Bryant Park, so I guess they will eliminate two people today? Because only 3 people showed at Fashion Week. Did they plan on a decoy before they realized the show wouldn’t have aired yet? Heidi is sending them on one final field trip to an iconic place, or whatever, the title is “the ART of design” so obviously it’s a museum. It ends up being the J. Paul Getty Museum. Tim claims they have fully embraced L.A. (even though the next season was filmed entirely in New York where it belongs) and then he introduces the mayor. Doesn’t he have anything better to do? The mayor, not Tim. The mayor claims that this is the creative capital of the nation. Yeah. So they have to use the museum as inspiration. Any part of the museum: the grounds, the view from the grounds, the architecture, or the pieces inside. They’ll get a 30 minute tour and then 30 minutes to sketch. And two whole days to work! Then Tim reveals that the models are here to help inspire the designers. Cool.

There’s some cool stuff inside. All they do show are some rooms which are decorated in 17th or 18th century French style (I don’t know if that’s right or not, I have no idea about these things). Sketching time! Althea is going with the architecture of the building itself. Carol Hannah is sitting on the floor in front of an ornate French bed with draperies and everything. Irina has a Renaissance painting. Chris loves the fountain, and the algae. Gordana picks out a Monet painting with colors she loves that reminds her of her homeland.

Shopping time! $300 and 30 minutes to shop. I think Gordana is shopping without her shoes on. Irina has some fur, that she thinks the outside looks like marble. However she has no idea what kind of fur it is. I can’t tell either based on the size, but she thinks it’s sheared rabbit and I can tell you it’s 3 or 4 times too big to be a rabbit. Tim agrees with me and says maybe it’s a giant Scandinavian rabbit. When they’re done everyone claps for the last trip.

Tim reminds them that it’s the last challenge. Also to take risks, because we all know that the last challenge usually produces some boring stuff. Chris says for someone like him to come from a small town and then go on to Bryant Park is so crazy. Is he talking rhetorically or is this an interview from after the episode is over?

Everyone is pretty tense. Gordana and Irina are laughing with each other, and Chris and Carol Hannah are joking, so Althea feels left out. Then Irina bitches that Althea is taking up three tables so she always has to look at her. Or, Irina, you could face away from the room. Just a thought. Everyone is really bitchy today. Carol Hannah thinks it would be better if everyone just shut up and did their own thing.

In the morning Irina and Gordana “joke” about how Gordana thinks Irina is always making fun of her but Irina says she’s mocking other people. I put “joke” in quotes because if I was there I would assume Irina was always mocking me. Althea thinks they couldn’t make it work for any longer so it’s a good thing they can all go their separate ways soon. Irina really wants to show her collection to show her parents she can do it. It’s a weird clip, because up until now all she’s done is complain about how no one else is as good as she is, but now suddenly her parents don’t believe in her and she wants to prove to them she’s grown. I don’t know, it doesn’t quite go with the persona she’s been edited to have.

Tim time! Chris has gray for the stone of the fountain and a little green for algae accents. And some spiky parts for stalactites, maybe. Tim reminds him that he wants an “Oh wow!” response and not a “Huh?” response. Chris says that happens to him a lot. Carol Hannah is making a gown in champagne, one shouldered, and she wants to put a swath of fabric across the bodice, but Tim says ack! And tells her it ruins the sophistication. Irina has two pieces, for some reason. A draped Grecian gown in sea foam, very Rami, which she calls “fleshy”. Fleshy? To her it means “barely there”, which would be “diaphanous”. Tim makes me feel smart because he refers to the gowns in the painting as “diaphanous”. I use the same vocab as Tim Gunn. Hee. Irina points out that her gown is lined, obviously, so it‘s not quite the same. And then the skins are this mostly shapeless sort-of-vest on another dress form. Tim calls it road kill and that paired with the dress it’s “post apocalyptic.” Nice. Althea has a gold gown with stitching that makes lines down the gown. It’s hard to describe, but it looks like she wanted panels with parallel lines, all set at different angles. Tim is worried because it’s all puckered and that’s all he can see. Gordana has the same colors from her painting, and she’s also draped the front of the gown in an inverted V, which mimics the tower of the cathedral in the painting. That is excellent. Gordana then is about to cry, because she hasn’t told anyone, but she’s very spiritual and she thinks the colors are so angelic. She’s made this for herself. I like it.

The models come in for fittings. Carol Hannah says she likes where Althea is going but her dress is so puckered. Chris knows his place in the competition is “wacky guy who doesn’t listen”. Irina is going to spend the rest of her time on the dress and ignore the fur thing. Althea claims to like Gordana’s dress but says it’s not a “last challenge” dress. On the contrary, it’s exactly a last challenge dress. Althea thinks it’s too boring and she’s got that smirk on her face that says “Look at me, I can’t help but pity that poor woman.” Sigh. Your dress is wrinkled.

Chris shares with everyone that the iron is hot. Yes, irons do tend to get hot. Althea interviews that everyone is nervous, as if she is not.

The last day. Chris sits alone and talks about how it’s a big day. Pretty much everyone does that. Althea hopes she can finish her skirt, which is still puckered. Carol Hannah runs around. Tim sends in the models for an hour of prep time. I had thought that they had cut the prep time to make things harder, but now that I think about it, in the beginning of the season there are so many models and only so many hair and makeup people, it must take two hours to do them all. Now there are only five. Chris seems confident. He tells Irina he has to do what’s right for him, or something. She interviews that Chris is confident but it’s a “false confidence” because he is too much in his head and is clueless. I believe that’s called “delusional”. “False confidence” would be when you fake being confident when you really aren’t at all. Althea says that Irina’s dress isn’t a “Wow look at that” type of garment, but her own gown may be the wrong type of “wow”. You know the judges always get all uptight about puckering. Irina doesn’t like how Althea has poor construction. Whatever. Tim says he wants everyone’s designs to be so fabulous that Nina’s stilettos fly off her feet and shoot across the runway. Hee.

Heidi finally reveals this will be a double elimination. I’m surprised they didn’t do that up front. Judges today are Cynthia Rowley, Nina, and Cindy Crawford. OK then. Althea: a very loose gold tank top and a fitted lighter gold pencil skirt. The top has these huge armholes, and it looks terrible, like she failed at sewing. The skirt has diagonal strips of fabric and kind of looks quilted, but I can see how wrinkled it is even from the crappy lighting they usually use. Carol Hannah: champagne long gown with one shoulder. Actually it looks like it started out strapless and she braided loops to go over one shoulder. The bodice and most of the skirt is satin, and the skirt has a diagonal hem from one hip to her knee on the other side. The underskirt is chiffon and goes to the floor. Chris: long gray dress. The skirt I think is satin, not very full, and then there is a corset-type piece with a thin black ribbon belt. I don’t think it’s laced like a corset but that’s what it looks like from the front, and it ends right under her boobs. Then the top is sleeveless with a high neck. Not so great. Gordana: very long strapless gown with a train, all in shades of gray and pewter and pink. The front of the gown makes an inverted V with the colors. I think it’s wrinkled silk? Irina: very loose short dress in sea foam with Grecian draping. There’s a gold sash and the sleeves are those kind of sleeves where they attach at the shoulder and then are slashed open so your arms show. And her hair looks weird.

Althea describes the parallel lines in the architecture. Cindy thinks she’s brave to take on so much work. Cynthia thinks she may have overworked the skirt but under worked the top. On closer inspection the top doesn’t fit at all and looks terrible. Nina knows she didn’t get the top done. Heidi tries to shame her with her disappointment. Irina wanted something sensual but with tough styling? I’m noticing that the sash is very low on her hips. Nina likes the back but the length is old lady. Cindy is pleased with the color but not the shoes, which are dark platform pumps. Heidi says she wants to take the shoes and a bunch of the accessories off. So she does, and they tell her that’s much better. Gordana explains her gown, which is actually silk organza, because that looks like brush strokes. Heidi can see the connection, but Nina wishes she had taken a chance. They don’t like the zipper, or the back, but the front is where the interesting pattern is anyway. Carol Hannah talks about beds. The dress fits very well, but they don’t see the inspiration and Nina thinks she’s playing it safe. Chris has not yet learned to not mention the algae. Cynthia thinks the bottom is too heavy. Possibly in the wrong fabric. As they pan down, we see the skirt has green sunbursts on it, as if he drew on it with a marker. Weird. Heidi asks if he is confident with his final challenge look, which prompts him to cry and say that this look is more him than any other look, because he saw the beauty in the rocks, and others won’t, or something. Gordana deserves it because she grew up with nothing and would love the chance to shine. They of course want to know who she’d take and she’d take Chris and Irina. Althea has pushed herself and she has the skills. She wants to take Carol Hannah and Irina. Carol Hannah? She makes beautiful clothes that women want to wear. She would not take Irina, but Chris and Althea. Interesting. Irina shows a soul and says it’s OK to dream as long as you work on it, and does not mention how she is the most talented one on the runway. She doesn’t want to pick, because she knows everyone thinks she’s mean, but eventually she picks Althea and Gordana. Chris naturally tears up and says that he deserves it and that Irina and Carol Hannah should come with him.

I’m interested that there wasn’t one person excluded. Remember when everyone said Chloe shouldn’t go to Fashion Week? Heidi feels this may have been such an open-ended challenge it was harder. Althea sent out an unfinished garment but she pushed herself to take a risk. Irina had great inspiration but her skirt was dowdy. Chris always has a beautiful bodice but the skirt was heavy and he still doesn’t understand why that was the wrong fabric. Carol Hannah had a perfectly made gown but she is pretty safe. Gordana had the closest gown-to-inspiration ratio. Nina doesn’t know who Gordana is as a designer. Hmm, not so good.

Irina has done well all season and is going to Fashion Week. Oh, we all knew that was happening. Chris has done some inspired things but he needs more experience and is out. Heidi tells him to remember he can see beauty in the unusual and that is a strength. Carol Hannah’s dress was beautifully made and very her, so she is in. Gordana had a beautiful dress, but suddenly it has construction issues and was not spectacular enough. Althea disappointed everyone with her hot mess of a look, but she did take a risk. Althea is in. MAN. How can you send out that hot mess and still be in? Stupid. I love Gordana. Heidi says they see great things ahead, but it’s a voiceover so who knows. I’ve seen her most recent collection and it’s gorgeous. Tim is saddened. Chris is glad to have been in every challenge. Gordana wants to leave proud to have come from nowhere to make it this far.

Next week: Tim checks on everyone and it’s fun! Irina is still a bitch! Carol Hannah has a contagious disease! Well they didn’t let the contestants show their faces so it’s not like she has to fake health. Poor thing.