Project Runway 9/13/12--"It's All About Me" summary

Previously on Project Runway: A random team challenge with the added on, pointless task of making crappy arts and crafts to sell. Because they’re out of money? Who knows. Then each team of three had to make two fall looks with at least one outerwear piece. Elena drove her teammates Dmitry and Alicia insane, while Gunnar and Chris were on the same team and at least pretended to like each other. Sonjia won, with a very cute jacket. Seriously, I would buy it. Alicia made some sad pants and was eliminated.

           

Also all the remaining designers showed collections at Fashion Week last week, so you can go find them if you like.

           

Chris says he’s scared about who is going next. Gunnar interviews that apparently he hasn’t done anything more grueling than this. Dmitry doesn’t want to see Elena. Elena admits the feeling is mutual, as if that’s a surprise. The girls make fun of Dmitry only making dresses, while carefully avoiding the fact that Elena makes a lot of coats with huge shoulders.

           

Heidi appears to be wearing a vinyl romper. I don’t know. Heidi tells the designers they have “a long way” to go to get to Fashion Week, which would be more meaningful if we didn’t know EVERY SINGLE PERSON SITTING THERE showed a collection. Can we please stop pretending that doesn’t happen? Seriously? If you’re not going to plan your season properly to avoid decoys, can you at least stop pretending they don’t exist? Gunnar wants to win to buy his mom a boob job. I could not make that up. Everyone will have “their own inspiration” and Chris just doesn’t want clients or teams.

           

Tim is waiting with Mondo. Today is the “Make Your Own Print” challenge. However, instead of just doing whatever, you have to be inspired by your “cultural heritage”. Ha! Have fun with that. Tim makes Mondo tell the story about how Mondo made that print that was pluses because he’s HIV+ and that day was when he told everyone and also basically let the whole country know via the television. Be personal and open but don’t be literal. No national costumes. Your print must be prominent. Tim gives them an hour to make the designs, and they’ll each get an “Ultrabook”, which I guess is a laptop or whatever, that has a “dossier” on their heritage. That is stupid. First of all, when did they get this information out of the designers to go do research? Do they ask everyone what their background is? Do they investigate? Second, if you don’t know, then I think you should have to wing it. Tim promises these dossiers with a “special delivery”, so I smell family members. Maybe that’s how they got the backgrounds for everyone.

           

As I expected, it’s family members. Mostly moms, it looks like, but Fabio’s super cute boyfriend is here, and Ven’s sister (let me mention, not small, so I hope she kicks his ass yes I’m still bitter). The “dossiers” are actually slideshows of childhood pictures which is hilarious. Dmitry has his best friend, who has a video from his dad which is really cool. Fabio has a video too. Aww. Gunnar talks about being bullied, and I guess the producers want us to like him now? I don’t know. Bullying sucks though. Elena’s mom gives her some encouragement. So is this supposed to be “cultural heritage”? Or “personal story”? Because those are not the same. Dmitry is being inspired by traditional ornaments. Sonjia has some tribal stuff. Melissa asks her mom what else is Polish. Ven has flowers, shocker. Chris whines that he hates prints. Melissa has crosses and random lines like blood lines? Gunnar decides to not follow directions and wants to talk about his bullying. He has something with hands and birds. They do all go to Mood, but they’re not supposed to buy a lot. Elena interviews that she’s not usually a bitch and her mom is making her happier.

           

Gunnar says something about equestrian. I think Chris’s print looks like hearts or ladybugs or abstract ladybugs or something. He is also using something personal to his family as opposed to “cultural heritage”. I get that it’s still personal, and I’m sure it will turn out fine, but then don’t use those words in the description. Ven is using his print as embellishment, not in the “expected” way, which is also the “required” way. It has to be central. Sonjia is going Mondo’s way and making wide-legged pants. Dmitry is making separates because he knows he’ll be in trouble if he makes another dress. He does make fun of it in confessional which is funny. Chris wants his fabric before he does anything, because he whines that he can’t make anything without his print. You can’t make anything in muslin? Whatever. Sonjia knows if she makes pants they have to fit perfectly.

           

Tim time! He says their loved ones are back at the apartments making dinner so time to go! This is the one challenge that has to be two days because they have to make the fabrics. Everyone goes back and hangs out some more. It seems like everyone is tired, and talking to loved ones is recharging them. Chris says something weird about how his parents are going to prevent him from being focused. Sonjia wants to stay in this moment.

           

In the morning, everyone’s fabrics are here. Chris likes his fabric but he still doesn’t know what to do with it. Melissa has just red lines on white, no crosses. It’s nice. Fabio has a black background with random scribbly lines in bright pink and blue and white. It just looks random until he tells Chris it’s Fallopian tubes. And a penis. It is genitalia in the process of having sex. Somehow I am not surprised. I mean…there is a person with a super weird abstract print that is about sex. Who else here is that going to be? Chris is seriously lost. He’s just wrapping the fabric around the mannequin and then taking it down and doing it again. Gunnar doesn’t think Chris is pushing himself, because Gunnar has like 15 pieces to his jacket. Ven seems to be making pleated bursts of his print, which then obscures the flower. I mean, it’s all folded up and so you can’t see it’s a flower. He interviews that he wants to make something no one’s seen before, so I guess that means no origami roses on this dress. Sonjia asks Gunnar to explain his print, so he tells her about being bullied. His print is small, so you can’t see it’s hands reaching in towards birds until you get close. Chris marvels that his story is JUST LIKE Gunnar’s! Maybe they’re not so different! Whatever. Melissa is getting dizzy from her print and is worried she won’t do well. Elena’s print is blue with yellow and lavender. Gunnar can’t get his print to match up, with his 15 pattern pieces. He bitches to Sonjia that everything he does looks like a matador and why does he do that? He’s so over it. THEN MAKE SOMETHING ELSE. Chris has now put black netting over his print. I think he may have at least two different looks.

           

Tim time! Elena says where has he been, they need him! Hee. Chris has two looks, and he apparently loves both of them. Tim tells him the one shoulder look is expected so that helps him. Nothing is said about the netting. Sonjia’s pants have to fit perfectly. Dmitry has some cutouts, which is kind of cool, and Tim says to sex it up. Ven shows Tim his fans of printed fabric, and Tim looks horrified and says, “I don’t know what I’m seeing that you’re not seeing, but I look at this, and I’ll be blunt: I see an homage to a menstrual cycle.” HA! Now I can’t unsee it. It looks like cloth that has soaked up blood. I mean, blood isn’t that shade, but still. Tim actually turns to ask the workroom if he’s crazy, and as Elena avoids eye contact Dmitry says that yes, when Tim said that he did see it. Tim hopes no one is offended by his maxi pad embellishments. Hee. Ven says it means a lot to him, but if you’re going to obscure the print you made with your pleating, how much does it mean to you? You know? Ven gets up and walks out of confessional, I guess because he’s so upset, but since the producers haven’t had his redemption arc yet I’m guessing no one cares. Fabio has also put organza over the print, but that seems to go over well. He says he didn’t tell Tim it was “penis and vaginas”. Why not? How funny would that be? Melissa says she has veins and arteries and bloodlines, and Tim finds this print beautiful, but the design is not enough to wow the judges. Elena quickly says her top looks like scrubs, and Tim is happy she said that because it does. There’s a high collar going on too, and Tim makes a Marlo Thomas reference that no one gets. Gunnar doesn’t like the jacket he made, and Tim says it looks like armor. He actually says “it looks like ‘don’t bully me’ suit of armor”. Gunnar has to fix it, because the black in the jacket is too heavy compared to the print.

           

Ven is also changing his design. Model fitting is not exciting. Ven is making…wait for it…a fan effect! Just like always! Sigh. Gunnar feels defeated.

           

That’s it? It’s the day of the show? …OK. Tim gives everyone two hours. Chris thinks he is in trouble, because his dress is boring except for the fabric, which is covered. Well why did you cover it? Hot makeup guy. Tim gives everyone a ten minute warning and brings in their loved ones.

           

You know, I know that after Mondo made that fabric it was so powerful that everyone loved it, but I think that requiring everyone to use their personal story for their print is not a good idea. Why can’t someone just make something pretty? It feels forced, is all. Anyway, Heidi introduces the guest judges, which are Mondo and Anya. Whatever. Sonjia: plain black top and wide legged pants in the print. The print is kind of tribal, but rather than African tribal for some reason it reminds me of Pacific Northwest tribal. They’re good pants, though, for all that they’re basically Mondo’s pants. Elena: short gray skirt and a big short-sleeved jacket in the print. It’s a weird yellow and lavender and blue print. Big exposed zipper up the front with a strip of dark blue, and Elena’s usual boxy shape with big shoulders. And a high collar. It’s OK. I guess. Chris: so his print is supposed to be abstract ladybugs, so it’s red and black with dots and I guess it could be ladybugs. Strapless cocktail dress with a big poof of folded fabric on one side and an exposed zipper in the back that highlights how poorly fitted the back of the dress is. He put organza over the whole thing so the print is muted. Ven: one shouldered top in the print and a white skirt, skirt has a folded rose, top is pleated also, titscrepancy. It looks like he made a white strapless dress and draped the printed fabric across one shoulder. It’s very Ven so I’m bored.

Fabio: sleeveless vest in the print and what look like velvet trousers. Maybe they’re jersey. It’s all in black, and he also put the organza over the print but since his print has a black background, you can barely see it. Melissa: sheath dress with little wings over the shoulders. That sounds like it’s bad, but it’s not. The shoulders are stiff and they stick out a little like little cap sleeves. The print looks cool and abstract. It’s not super exciting but it’s good. Gunnar: jacket in the print, with black piping, black skirt, and knee high boots. The jacket looks cute. It’s all in white now, instead of having a black yoke. Dmitry: black skirt and jacket, with cut outs that I think have sheer fabric in them so the pieces look like floating blocks. The print is in the top, and it’s a geometric red and black print. I like the jacket a lot. The back has cutouts too.

           

Elena and Fabio are safe. Melissa was inspired by bloodlines. The dress fits perfectly and this design is outside her comfort zone but it works. Heidi doesn’t like the shoulders, and when they show that you can see the neckline is a little crooked. Nina thinks it would appeal to a lot of girls, and she likes that Melissa tried something new. Mondo is bored with the styling, as is Anya, but in general they’re positive. Ven talks about being Indian and hibiscus flowers and so forth. Heidi says “Hawaiian Airlines hostess”, and the rose in the skirt doesn’t go with the hibiscus. She actually wonders if anyone’s told him the judges have seen his folding many times. Doesn’t Tim? No one? Ven says this is his second look so he just did something he could do. Nina thinks he doesn’t know what to do with prints. No one likes it, and it looks like three different dresses, and they’ve seen it. Dmitry’s family is artists. Kors says it’s exactly what they were looking for, and he didn’t make a dress so that’s good. Mondo says the jacket is fantastic but it’s a print challenge, and you can’t see the print. Heidi loves it. Nina does point out he should have less styling. I think everyone loves the jacket except Mondo seems to want to grade it down for some reason.

Gunnar talks about his bullying, and I know this makes me sound like a total bitch, but I am sure there was at least a little calculation in his choices today. I’m not saying he wasn’t bullied, or that he deserved to be bullied, or that it didn’t affect him deeply. I just think that he heard “make it personal” and thought this would help him in the competition. At least a little part of him thought of winning and not catharsis. Heidi tells him it’s not cool or edgy or modern. All Kors can see from where he is sitting is a bird print and he thinks the jacket says “baton twirler”. Nina doesn’t get “freedom” from the print, just struggle and sadness. Gunnar agrees (even though he just said it’s a bird escaping the hands) and Heidi says no one wants to buy sad fabric. Gunnar tells them all this is his “heritage”, the most influential part. Anya calls it “non-fashion”. Sonjia wanted something tribal, but her colors are literal. Her pants turned out very well. The back of the top is draped, which is cool. Mondo likes it, naturally. Kors says if it wasn’t perfect, the print could have looked like “Pac Man eating her crotch”. Chris for some reason has a swatch of the fabric with him, to show the judges what it looks like without organza draped over it. Heidi tells him it’s just OK, and that may not be enough anymore. It’s not very exciting, and he covered the print. Kors and Nina know he can do better. Kors says he could have made something more sophisticated.

Melissa had a chic dress with a color, and is stretching herself as a designer. Dmitry also stretched himself, and made a fantastic jacket, but the print is kind of hidden. Looks expensive though. Sonjia’s pants were perfect and the top was great. Chris had a bad print but then at least tried to hide it. It’s not exciting but also not terrible. Kors hates both Ven and Gunnar, but he says Ven at least can polish and finish looks. They are really tired of the flowers though. Kors says they told him, and Heidi seems fixated on the idea that Tim hasn’t told Ven to quit with the flowers. So she actually demands to speak to Tim. Tim shows up and describes the folding and menstrual cycle thing that Ven had before. He says he’s told Ven about the folding before. He says he told Ven he had to do something about the crappy design, and then he says “and I want to share with you my OWN frustration about Ven”, and then he leaves. Did he tell them a bunch of stuff and we can’t listen? That sucks. Gunnar’s pattern might have been more successful, but he couldn’t get past his emotions. The design wasn’t very good either.

Melissa is in. Dmitry is the winner. Sonjia is in, looking pissed. He’s glad to finally win. Chris is in. Gunnar is out. Ven is in, but before he leaves he feels the need to tell the judges he’s going to take his critique and move forward. Whatever. Heidi tells him they enjoyed having him. He’s proud he got this far, and now he’s all OK with it. Chris says he’s glad they don’t hate each other anymore. Gunnar jokes that the world might end. You know, he’s saying how fine he is, but I think maybe in an hour or two he’s going to be pissed. His decoy collection at Fashion Week was borderline offensive. It was all “tribal inspired” so everything is a stereotypical “African” print and the models had facepaint. Gunnar claims it wasn’t about the win but about committing, he gave his best effort and that’s winning. Right.

Next time: Rockettes, costumes, everyone says “bitch”.