Project Runway 8/18/11--"All About Nina" summary

Previously on Project Runway: everyone had to make outfits for stilt walkers. Wouldn’t you assume this meant costumes? I would also. However the judges wanted “real” clothing, and eventually Laura won and Fallene went home. Of course, this was a team challenge and there was some drama, but not a lot from Cecilia, who, if you’ll remember, said when she was cast that she would bring the drama. And yet, nothing. Really, it was Bert and Viktor, and yes, Viktor was rude to make faces when he knew he was paired with Bert, but it certainly looked like he at least pretended to try to get along. Bert was just snippy and then threw Viktor under the bus, even though he had designed half the outfit and insisted on his fabric that was ugly. Bryce was kind of a jerk too, but apparently cutting fabrics on the grain is really a thing that everyone should know how to do. I guess in all the previous seasons of the show every single person knew how to do it so it was never mentioned. (click for more)

Cecilia has confidence. Bryce says he has to bring it. Viktor knows the judges have a bad impression of him so he has to bring it also.

Heidi says they have to design for a client. Who knows a lot. Whatever, we already know it’s Nina. It’s about damn time. She says she’ll be very tough, obviously. It also has to be a day-to-night look: work during the day, and an “industry event” at night. She describes her style as “classic with an edge” and says she likes streamlined, clean, tailored things. No volume, no pleats, no loud patterns or colors. Bryce is like, what DO you like? Streamlined and tailored, weren‘t you listening? Also, haven’t you ever watched this show? The prize for this challenge is bragging rights and also you get your look to be in a Marie Claire ad that is for some reason being put on top of taxi cabs. Nina will get a consultation with each one before they go shopping.

30 minutes to sketch. They also have desktop computers with portfolios on them. Everyone seems to be a mixture of excited and frightened. Anya is particularly freaking out because she uses a lot of pattern and color. Julie talks about having a second chance.

Consultation time. Anya has a jumpsuit. Nina likes Viktor’s dress and hates Bryce’s cowl. She tells Danielle to make her a blouse. I think Nina has a favorite! Maybe. Kimberly wants to make a dress to get away from pants, I guess because she feels like she’s being “known for pants”, and Nina is like “Make me some of your awesome pants!” Nina tells Cecilia her dress is OK but the jacket is a lot and also “Dynasty”. Cecilia knows she can’t convince Nina Garcia to change her mind. Tim comes in and says “Don’t bore Nina!” and also don’t all buy gray.

$200 and 30 minutes at Mood. Anya is buying a silk with a subtle print, all in mustard. Becky discovers she and Anthony Ryan have picked out the same fabric. Cecilia seems freaked out, as the fabrics she had picked out originally were too expensive.

Anya wants to win and not just be safe. Josh reassures her that Nina has great skin and the color will be great. Julie jokes that she thought this would be a cruise. She starts talking about fashion school, which is not a good sign for her. Cecilia praises her personality and says she’s an artist and is such a nice person. Anthony Ryan and Josh gossip in the corner about how Becky has the same fabric as Anthony Ryan and he tries to make it seem like she stole it off his table or something. It’s kind of a fail in terms of gossip, as it fails to make me care. Cecilia discovers her fabric is gray, not purple like she thought it was in Mood. Viktor explains how to use muslin to make a mock-up of your garment, because it’s easier to change it.

Tim time! And Nina! Danielle’s green jacket sketch was “hard and soft” but now the actual jacket is “soft and soft”. She says it’s not pressed, but Nina is not impressed. Danielle tries to change it, and offer options to Nina, but Nina just says “No” to everything. Julie’s collar is too big. She seems in better shape that Danielle, or at least Nina likes the muslin better. Tim reminds her that she’s always confident and sometimes she should not be. Nina sees Anya’s fabric and asks if there’s a Plan B. Oo. Anya admits she does not. Josh for some reason asks Nina if she wears a bra. There is more drama about the stupid fabric. Olivier is “old fashioned”. Bryce may have a very short skirt. Bert for some reason has a plunging V. Viktor gets some actual useful suggestions. Cecilia has the gray and a sad beige. Kimberly has a completely blue outfit with gold shoulders. I don’t know. Nina basically tells her it’s like a prison jumpsuit, but then she and Tim backpedal and tell her it’s Kimberly’s decision as a designer. In parting Nina says the winning look will also be in an editorial in the magazine.

Kimberly starts talking about the people she’s lost, and how it hasn’t broken her, which confuses me because didn’t we hear about Julie’s life too? Josh suggests to Anya that she dye her print, and then we get a close-up shot of said “print”--which is a herringbone yellow on yellow. I wouldn’t classify that as crazy at all, but whatever. She just hopes it turns out. Anthony Ryan gets to call his fiancé Matthew on Skype. Anthony Ryan says they’ve been together for 2 ½ years as if that is FOREVER but maybe it is for him.

Model fitting. Anthony Ryan discovers his model’s bra is already padded so it probably isn’t getting any bigger. Cecilia hates her fabrics but she has to make something. Julie is feeling her lack of sewing experience. At the end of the day, I think she’s pretty far from finished.

In the morning, no one seems confident or happy about anything. Cecilia says her model has huge nipples. Yeah. Tim comes in to give everyone their 2 hours, but not one single person is in the workroom. He has to come find everyone in the sewing room and tell them he‘s sweating through his suit, he‘s so nervous. Bryce finds that he’s screwed up his garment. Becky thinks Anya’s lack of skills is going to show up sooner or later. Viktor managed to make a lined skirt. Cecilia’s garment is not lying flat so she cuts off a strap. She seems to have given up. Julie is very far from finishing, so Cecilia helps her. Someone uses glue. Laura decides to help Anya, although she manages to talk about it in confessional in a condescending way. Viktor tries to imply this is cheating, although I’m pretty sure no one else cares.

In addition to Nina and Kors, Joanna Coles and Kerry Washington are here. Joanna doesn’t mess around, you guys. Josh: sheath dress that is gray with a coral border. The back is all coral, with an exposed zipper that goes the length of the dress, and two triangular cutouts. That’s nice and all, but I don’t think she’d wear it. Bert: little black dress. A low V with a cowl, I think, and the skirt has a slit up the front. Eh. Olivier: top and pants in shades of gray. The pants look cropped, and the jacket has a panel that goes around the middle, so it looks like one of those belts people wear when they lift heavy loads. I don’t know. Anthony Ryan: short brown skirt, and a sleeveless vest in the fabric he shares with Becky, which is sort of a black speckling to gray. There is a v-neck with lapels and a thin belt. Actually it’s not bad, although the skirt is pretty short. Becky: v-neck dress with diagonal lengths of fabric, in dark brown and gray, and the speckled fabric is in the skirt. Oh, of course the two people who have the same fabric walked one right after the other. Kimberly: gold sleeveless top, with an asymmetrical hem and a keyhole, and dark blue pants that look pretty fantastic.

Cecilia: one shouldered dress in gray and beige. It is boring and nothing Nina would wear. Anya: brown pantsuit, sleeveless with an exposed back and capri-length pants and a weird collar. Danielle: emerald blouse with elbow sleeves, and dark pants. Julie: dress with small lapels, in two shades of gray and a light orange. It’s all pieced together strangely, somehow. I think it was supposed to be a coat dress. Bryce: long sleeved dress which is pretty short and also the hem is jacked up. It’s navy with a panel of dark blue down the front. Laura: shiny green dress, with cap sleeves that have straps somehow. The skirt is not full, but bell-shaped (it stands out from her hips but that’s all the volume) and at the bottom of the skirt are two sheer bands. Viktor: black dress with pointy shoulders. The rest is fitted, and there is an exposed zipper on the back.

Danielle, Kimberly, Anya, Viktor, Julie, and Cecilia are the top and bottom. Bert says he thinks Olivier has a good chance…as Olivier is sitting next to him in the Scrap Bin. Viktor wanted to keep it simple, and Nina loves that it’s separates. Viktor kisses ass a little bit, and everyone tells him how great it is. Julie talks about the collar she got rid of, but Nina tells her she didn’t think the neck opening was so wide before. Kors calls it a housecoat. Joanna says if Nina showed up to work in this dress she’d fire her. Cecilia knows she is in the bottom. Kors hates the fabric, it’s not a daytime look, sad fabrics. Kimberly’s choice to make the gold top instead of blue was the right choice. They love her pants, but they look to me like the crotch doesn’t fit right. Joanna says the top is the kind of top that “transforms your life”. Uh huh. But she also says she’d wear it if Nina won’t, so that’s good. Anya explains how she dyed her fabric so it wasn’t mustard. Nina is thrilled at how it turned out. They bring up again how she only just learned how to sew. Danielle wished she had a fabric that was more sheer. Kors is bored and says it’s 80’s. Nina admits she tried to steer Danielle and that Danielle had to improvise. It’s not the outfit for Nina, and it makes Joanna think Danielle is depressed.

Back in the Scrap Bin, Viktor stews that Anya didn’t tell the judges she had a ton of help to sew her garment. He says he didn’t say anything because it’ll come out later. Danielle’s design was ambitious and Nina tried to warn her but it didn’t work. It’s not fashion editor enough. Cecilia’s dress was terrible and she gave up. The judges all hate her attitude. Julie had an idea but it turned into a mess. Plus it’s not day-to-evening. Heidi points out Julie has made bad clothes every week. Viktor’s dress was sharp and clean, but not boring. They love Anya’s jumpsuit, and Nina praises her recovery from not having a Plan B to having a great Plan B, apparently. Kimberly’s outfit was powerful, Nina could put a jacket over it, pants, etc.

Nina wastes no time telling Kimberly she is the winner. AND she gets immunity. She’s so thrilled. Viktor and Anya are in. Danielle is in. Cecilia is in. see? They talked about Julie’s fashion school and life. Then she was eliminated. Cecilia gets backstage and says she feels bad because she knows Julie really wants to be there, and that she wouldn’t have minded going home instead. Laura pounces on this and asks her if she told the judges that, and pretty much tells her that she should have quit and gone home so Julie could stay. That’s harsh, but I’m not sure why Cecilia brought it up at all. Julie is kind of surprised, but not emotionally crushed. She seems OK.

Kimberly goes to Marie Claire, where Nina is wearing her outfit, and it looks fantastic. Nina says she has a book signing and a party after work, and she’s just going to change jewelry. Kimberly leaves and gets picked up in a cab with the “ad” on it, which is a shot of Nina from the waist up, arms folded so you can’t see the top that well, and no mention of Kimberly.

Next time: physical activity! Race winners get to be team captains! Olivier needs medical help, team challenge so everyone is bitchy, things suck.