Project Runway 10/11/12--"Finale Part 1" summary

Previously on Project Runway: There was a lame “avant garde” challenge which didn’t really result in any avant garde clothing, aside from which it was all full of product placement. Dmitry won, which, whatever, and Sonjia went home. Sad. So our final four are Dmitry, Chris, Fabio, and Melissa.

           

Tim joins Heidi on the runway to say how proud he is and then they all get $9000 and five weeks to make their collections of ten looks. Of course, when they get back to Fashion Week, one more person is getting eliminated. Remember when they got months to make their collections? Me too. Everyone packs and leaves. It’s not exciting.

           

First up for home visits is Chris. He has a ton of things done and says his inspiration was an X-ray from his mother. I guess she had a car accident and got a bunch of pins put in? So he’s making a print. I thought maybe it would be a ladder looking thing but he literally took a picture of her torso and blew it up. It is obviously a spine and pins. Weird. There is a leather bustier that needs to be tougher, and a great coat. Chris has also put bleach on leather for some reason, and he hates it but Tim cannot praise it enough and tells him to do it to the bustier too. Tim is excited. He goes to have dinner and says it looks “caloric” but “delicious”. They’re like, eating in the living room on their laps, which is cute. His sisters are cute and his mom is proud of him. Aww.

           

Fabio is next. For some reason this season they have little scenes with the designers talking about now nervous they are to see Tim. He has a really great space that one of his friend’s dad’s lent him. They eat first, and his mom is proud of him, obviously. Fabio’s got some pastel colors and personas within a tribe that he’s dressing. Just go with it. Tim is excited until he says all the dresses are going to go with pants, and then Tim is “mystified” by the pants and they’re like long johns. He suggests organza instead. Also the shoes are clunky booties. They’re like, tan work boots but with platforms and heels. Fabio likes the contrast. Tim basically says his collection could be awesome, but it’s undercut by things like the booties and whatnot. Fabio seems to be pretty upset.

           

Dmitry’s turn. He’s also in a borrowed space which is pretty nice. Lots of geometrical forms and diamonds and stuff. There’s a jacket with the cutouts, like the print challenge. He’s also got a yellow-green color that Tim is not that thrilled with. Tim wants to make sure there is something new, so the judges don’t ask why they’ve seen all this before. Over tea, Dmitry says he lost his job, because he was gone for so long, and he’s staying at this friend’s borrowed space because he couldn’t sign a lease with no job. He is determined to win.

           

Melissa is last, and she lives in San Francisco but they didn’t get Tim to ride a cable car so that’s a loss. She has a crazy leather cropped jacket painted with crackle paint. Tim is impressed. Melissa is thrilled, because the collection is totally her. Tim says it may boil down to a matter of taste, which she can’t control. Oh, and then instead of hanging out, they go on a boat to have the family visit.

           

Those home visits were just OK. Everyone says the same things and whatever. Fashion Week! Chris shows up in jean cutoffs and their suite is pretty nice. Melissa and Fabio and Dmitry get there and gush over the suite. Everyone is happy to see everyone else. Heidi and Tim have left them champagne and remind them how much work is still left.

           

I think they’re in the room that the All-Stars work out of. There are a bunch of pictures, which I don’t know if I like. It’s kind of cheesy. Everyone unpacks and instead of trying to spy on everyone out of the corner of their eye, they actually all go wandering around checking out everyone else. Everyone likes their collection, and Melissa says she’s having some doubt because everyone else is good. Tim welcomes them all back and then says to figure out who the final three will be, they have to present three looks. Tomorrow. As they start figuring out what to do, Melissa starts freaking out that she hasn’t pushed herself hard enough. Chris has no idea what to do. He has all separates.

           

Tim time! Fabio still has the pants and the shoes that Tim didn’t like. He’s pretty confident, though, so Tim leaves him. Tim likes the changes Chris has made, but Chris is waiting until the last minute, when the models show up, to decide what looks he wants. Melissa has decided to show one of her leather jackets, the crackle one, but not the gown because she wants to save it. Tim tells her not to overthink it because this collection is totally her. Dmitry is showing all black and white looks, and Tim doesn’t want him to hold back. Dmitry is also confident his collection is strong. Tim says to keep working, to everyone.

           

Everyone finishes up for the evening and goes back to the hotel and talks about how important tomorrow is. It’s not exciting. In the morning, Tim gives them three hours to fit models, and one hour for hair and makeup. Chris is discovering nothing fits right so he’s making decisions based on what fits now. Dmitry has a model that is too small. Hot makeup guy. I think when Fabio is talking about lipstick he calls a color “Sonjia”. Hee. Lots of last minute sewing. They make it seem like people refuse to go with Tim when he calls time.

           

No guest judges today, so they don’t have to worry about anyone not doing what the producers want. Dmitry: white shift dress with a V-neck and triangular lines across the waist and skirt. It looks pretty interesting. Next is white pants with lines down the front where the seams would be, and a sheer top with a metallic beaded bib and fluffy sleeves. And a bandeau bra. The pants don’t look like they fit right. Last is a black skirt, another sheer blouse with bra, and a jacket that is white with black concentric diamonds. The sleeves are black with fringe set on them so they look like fur or feathers. So, fringe parallel to the arm. It’s striking.

           

Chris: first look is leather hot pants, a vest that has bleach on it, and a white top. You can’t really see the distressed leather at all. It just looks like regular leather. Second look is more leather shorts and a silk sleeveless top. I think the silk is the print of the X-rays. The top doesn’t have a back but has a chain hanging down. Last is the leather bustier with more bleach and the skirt with the print. I’m glad with the print, at least in these looks, you can’t really tell what it is.

           

Fabio: light pants, and a blue bra top, basically, with a white sleeveless vest. Somehow the vest has a fishtail hem which is impressive. Second is a white skirt with a strange top that bulges at her chest like her boobs are too big. The back has a drape of lace. Last is a pink dress that is draped with some V-shaped details at the neckline. All the color looks tie-dyed.

           

Melissa: white shorts and a black top. The top is cut so it fastens over her boobs but then is open over her stomach. Second is black pants and a white jacket with a giant collar (it drapes strangely) and black cuffs. The last is a black dress, tight, with a high collar.

           

Fabio says his collection is called “Cosmic Tribalism”. Of course it is. Heidi says his clothes are modern and she is intrigued. The colors are pastels, but the looks are not sweet. Kors likes the “demented” shoes but not the weird bowl-cut wigs. Nina wants the pieces to look more luxurious and expensive. Whatever. He’s the only one with color so that’s going to be a plus for him. Dmitry wanted architectural but fluid. Nina loves the dress with the cut-out lines. Kors says something about going younger and not having as many things going on in each look. Chris tells the judges about the X-ray print, which…sigh. Heidi likes the mix of textiles but it’s not “wow”. The look with the white top and shorts is super boring. They like the print, but Kors tells him to try every combination he can with all his separates. Nina says from the three outfits he picked, they look very, very similar. I mean, two out of the three outfits are shorts and tops. Chris insists they will love his collection, but Heidi wants to know why they didn’t see more of a range. Melissa doesn’t talk much about her collection but about how she wanted to show them a range of things. It’s very Melissa, but the dress is almost too simple. The jacket is great though. Melissa wanted to save some things back for the final show, but then everyone tells her she should have blown them away today. Sorry, the only phrasing I can come up with is filthy. You guys know what I mean. Also everyone has wigs? Kors says they’re crazy ugly. Heh. Melissa has one red piece. Nina says if it’s going to work, with all black and white, her styling has to be insanely perfect. The cuffs on the jacket are too big. Nina says just cut them.

           

In the Scrap Bin everyone freaks out, mostly quietly. Dmitry’s combinations were dowdy and old, although beautifully made. Individually the pieces are fine, but he puts them together poorly. Fabio is different and certainly not safe, but it doesn’t look expensive or sophisticated. Chris’s print is cool, and he’s a good designer, but does he put on a good show? His clothes do look expensive. Melissa has cool clothes, and they’re commercial, but the judges are obsessed with how terrible the wigs are. Also the judges are offended she saved back the good stuff for later.

           

Heidi tells everyone how they screwed up. Then she tells them all of them are in. WHAT. I just wasted an hour and a half of my life. Screw you guys. Everyone is happy and no one admits they’re pissed their chances aren’t as good anymore.

           

Next week: the finish. Someone wins. Will we agree? Who knows?