Project Runway All Stars 3/8/12--"Let's Get Down to Business" summary

Previously on Project Runway: we all had to make dresses out of lights for some reason. I mean…it was cool and everything, but weird. Austin won, because as other, wiser bloggers have pointed out, “avant-garde” on this show means “huge foofy collar and skirt”. It was cool though. Jerell finally was sent home for putting too many things on his clothing. (click for more)

Mondo says there are two teams in the house: Team M&M, and Team KA. Austin says he’s thrilled Kenley is still there. I have to say, she’s been much, much nicer this time around.

Angela says this week’s client is Nanette Lepore. There is a weird PSA about how much it costs to do business in New York and how that means the Garment District is disappearing. What does that have to do with the challenge? The winner gets their design sold in Nanette Lepore stores, but it must be able to be manufactured at a specific price point. What is the challenge? Make something?

They go to the studio, as Austin talks about the high rent in the area. The garment must be ready-to-wear. The profits will go to a non-profit to help businesses in the Garment District. I’m sorry, I’m sure it’s a great non-profit and that rent is high and so forth, but I cannot bring myself to care about people who can’t afford rent in New York City. Also Kenley’s hair in confessional is terrible. It’s a weird helmet. They get 30 minutes to sketch. Kenley says this is her challenge. Who knows what Michael is doing. Austin is making a coat. Mondo does not sketch, so he is worried because while everyone else is sketching he is drawing hearts. Hee.

Each person meets with Nanette and a fashion consultant-type person who can tell them what the price point is for whatever they’ve sketched. Michael has a long dress, and Nanette tells him that the dolman sleeves eat up fabric and she doesn’t see seams in his sketch, which means that the dress will use more fabric. Jersey is cheap, but they figure they can charge $380 for the dress. This somehow translates to $48 for fabric. I have no idea how this works, but then again, I kind of balk at paying more than $100 for one piece of clothing, so. I like this lesson for Michael because it means he can’t buy piles and piles of fabric and make like 5 dresses as he figures out what he’s doing. He has to be cost efficient. Kenley’s dress has keyholes and whatnot, will cost $350. $41 for fabric. Austin wants a swing coat, meaning taffeta and a lot of fabric. $500 for a coat, $65 for fabric. I think they are factoring in labor and transport, and profit. That’s what the difference is. Austin knows what that means in terms of price per yard. Mondo has to admit he doesn’t have a good sketch so he has to describe what he wants. Nanette says it looks like a tin can with a string. Ouch. Mondo only gets $32 for fabric.

Then somehow Kenley is telling Michael to teach Mondo how to sketch, and Michael is shushing her and saying they’re in someone’s studio. She’s not that loud, they had to subtitle her. Mondo and Kenley get in a fight because right before this, Kenley was telling Michael that to be a designer, you have to know how to sketch. So Mondo is offended and Kenley is trying to pretend she didn’t mean it that way. She’s all “I’m sorry, then!” Oh honey. You should have left off the “then” and the irritated sigh.

Everyone goes to find some fabric from the warehouse/storage room/ whatever. Michael grins about finding jersey, and for some reason it’s really irritating. It’s not funny. You told them you were making a dress out of jersey, and here is some jersey. We know you make dresses out of jersey, but here it’s probably a good idea. Austin has done very well staying on target, as is Michael, but Kenley has to hope half a yard is enough for trim. Mondo is actually under budget by $3.

Back in the workroom Kenley is showing off her fabric. Mondo wants some control over something. Michael was told the fabric was 60 inches wide, so he had planned to open it up, but he discovers that the print is not 60 inches wide. Shouldn’t he have seen that in the warehouse? There is just white on each side. Now he can’t make sleeves. Kenley has to plan where to find a keyhole, because her print is giant peacock feathers. Michael whines that Mondo can’t figure out what he’s doing. What do you care? Model fittings. No one has anything for them to try on. That was fun.

Joanna time! Plus Nanette! Joanna tells them they all have to be able to make clothes that are marketable. I was wrong, Kenley has most of her dress, minus sleeves. Nanette says her sketch was more fitted and this is harder to sell. Really? Looser is harder to sell? OK. Kenley says her dress is gorgeous and she swears it will look good. Michael has made a dress that is open to her navel, which will not be allowed. Nanette wants to put in a hook-and-eye closure. Joanna is still fixated on wearing a bra, but Michael has the answer! The back also has a deep V, but if you put a closure there as well as in front, you could wear a bra. Actually that’s a good idea. Austin thinks it’s hard to wear Michael’s clothes unless you’re a model, as if his clothes are easy to wear. Austin really has nothing to show yet. Mondo has lined up his fabrics, and it might work. Joanna is skeptical. Everyone works more. Michael talks about how great he is, while Mondo points out how it looks suspiciously like his gelato dress, that huge shiny travesty the judges all liked for some inexplicable reason. Austin hopes there is not a repeat of the first season.

Runway show day. Austin’s coat is unlined, and it seems to be rumpled. Mondo’s dress is not looking great. It’s tacky, there are a million things going on. Austin’s coat has a weird hem. Like it’s not finished, he just pinned it? We barely see hot makeup guy. Michael’s dress is falling off his model. Why don’t you use the closures you put in? Mondo’s dress…sigh. Kenley’s dress is cute, even if it’s the same dress she makes all the time. Plus the print doesn’t line up at the seams. Everyone talks about how much it would suck to get eliminated now. Both Austin and Michael were eliminated in fourth place.

Austin: red knee-length coat. It’s loose from the boobs down, with ¾ length sleeves, a belt, and a weird collar that almost looks like a cowl neck. Or a hood. But I can see from here that the hem is janky and it’s wrinkled. Michael: OK, first of all, if your model has to lift the hem of the dress to walk down the steps, it is not hemmed properly. Long dress with a deep V, in a green print. I don’t think there are sleeves so much as there are wide panels that run over her shoulders. There is a strange gathering right at her navel and also in the same spot in the back. And the back is cut strangely, I’m not sure why. But it moves as if he did it wrong. Mondo: Jesus. Short dress, with ruffles along the bottom, and then horizontal stripes of different colors. Seriously, the bottom ruffle looks like a bed skirt. Plus the ruffle is a raspberry print, and then there is chartreuse, black and white checks, purple, hot pink, and lavender. And it’s boxy. Kenley: a Kenley dress. It’s knee-length, with a high neck and cap sleeves, in that great peacock print, but the print doesn’t line up at the seams.

Mondo says his dress is fun and flirty and you can dress it up or down. Isaac loves it, because he is crazy? Mondo, I love you, and you do have a way with prints and colors, but this dress is fugly. Nanette doesn’t think women with “curves” will wear it. He should have put it with sandals. It’s not exciting, but the fabrics are good. Yeah. Michael talks about his dress, but weirdly Nanette and Georgina love it. Somehow Isaac thinks there is just the right amount of skin showing. Does the crack come with the runway? Like, do the producers provide it? Because I thought maybe with all new judges there wouldn’t be crack smoking. At least Angela points out it’s too long. I guess he never put the closure on the back, because that will not sell well. Kenley’s dress is cute, but the print and the seams are not working. Nanette points out her keyhole is gone, and that was the one special element that would have helped the dress sell. Isaac says he was waiting for it to change into something “more inspired”. Austin talks about his coat, and the judges all thought it was a dress. Isaac says he forgives some objections he had when he thought it was a dress. Still wrinkled though.

Austin did very well, and he has a defined point of view. The fabric just didn’t live up to the design. They respect Mondo for challenging himself by using so many different fabrics. Angela says it’s her least favorite of Mondo’s looks. Good, someone has sense. Kenley just took a nice print and didn’t make it her own. Her sketch was good, but she should have picked out a different print that worked with her sketch. Nanette is also irritated she didn’t listen to advice. Kenley has her own point of view, anyway. Michael’s dress all depends on that print, even though it’s a good dress apparently. He either is great, or terrible. Georgina thinks he needs confidence. They talk about who they’re sending home, and only Kenley and Michael are mentioned. Sigh. I think that spoiler I saw, that said they decided the whole outcome of this season before it started, it’s right.

Austin is in. Wait, Mondo won? They’re going to try to sell that dress? WTF? Who is going to pay $300 for that dress? This is worse than all that kissing up to Anya bullshit last season. And I LIKE Mondo. Michael is in. OK, this is bullshit. I don’t really like Kenley, but even I can see that she’s a better designer than Michael. I have no interest in seeing anything else from Michael. Did the producers just decide that since Austin and Michael were eliminated at this point before, that they should get into the finale?

Next week: I guess the finale. Actually the first part of a two-part finale, where they have to make signature lines and there is a twist and so forth. I hope Kenley comes back. Never thought I’d say THAT.