Project Runway All Stars 12/6/12--"Green Dress for the Red Carpet" summary

Previously on Project Runway: the designers were tasked to make androgynous looks which were also avant garde. The twist was they would be making two looks, one for their regular model and one for a male model. Everyone kind of freaks out. As is usual on this show, no one’s looks are particularly avant garde. Some of them are not really androgynous either. Emilio made two great suits, which were androgynous enough you couldn’t tell which was the girl and which was the boy, so he won. Josh got bitchy in the Scrap Bin because he didn’t like how Ivy called him out on being full of himself. Kayne was sent home, hopefully to make more pageant gowns and things of that nature.

The designers all travel to the High Line. It’s a reclaimed elevated railroad bridge, or I guess longer than a bridge, that’s been all planted and made into a park. Very cool. Various people interview about how they have to bring it. Carolyn greets them with the founders of the park. The part they’re standing on is not really landscaped yet, but it is overgrown. They must make a “green” dress, which means, eco-friendly fabric. This is for the red carpet. Carolyn has a bunch of swatches, all double-sided, and they will each get one. Although, Emilio picks first and the fabric he takes doesn’t seem to be double sided. There are prints too. Anthony Ryan shows us his fabric, and it does seem pretty sheer, but if you look closely (or at least, in a studio), it does have two distinct sides and colors. Ivy is inspired by the sun, because a woman should “feel like a star”. As a science teacher I approve. Althea would have picked a bold color, but she went last so she’s stuck with pink and purple. They will also have to recycle their embellishments from previous challenges also. Heh. Then Carolyn starts talking about the guest judge, which seems weird because normally they don’t do that this early. Eventually she gives enough hints that Laura gets it. It’s Diane von Furstenberg. Carolyn pretends she just had the idea to wear the winning design herself at her next event. Whatever, I saw what happened last season with Ven and Kenley.

Ivy has lots of draping in her sketch. Uli and Althea also seem to have good ideas. They head back to the workroom and run to the lounge because that’s where all the embellishments are. I guess they have leftover fabric too. Like a yard sale, says Emilio. Anthony Ryan says he’s going to look at trim, but red carpet gowns don’t always have a ton of trim and stuff so he’s not worried if there isn’t anything useful. Emilio brags on his bold colors and interesting silhouettes. Well he has won twice. Laura snobs that Emilio is a costume designer and it’s not fashion. Whatever, he’s won and you haven’t. Emilio is making an “undergarment” out of muslin, so the chiffon doesn’t have to support everything. He talks to Casanova in Spanish about how he isn’t Uli, who only knows how to make “bedsheet” things. Why are you bagging on Uli? Also, speaking in another language isn’t suspicious AT ALL. Someone says they can’t wait to watch the episode and see the subtitles so they know what those two are saying. Heh. Uli says she makes the challenge fit what she does, instead of designing for the challenge. I guess you could do it that way. Her fabric is darker than she thought. Laura says “pant dress” and Josh responds with “romper”. He tells us in confessional he thinks she’s crazy, only he couches it in vague “I respect her risk-taking” platitudes. I don’t like her print. From far away it looks like rainbow leopard print. That’s not what it is, I don’t think, but that’s what it looks like.

Laura says Diane is her idol. Uli says “It’s time for Uli Explosion”. Love it. That means, feathers. Anthony Ryan says he feels stuck, because he doesn’t usually work with chiffon, but he’s going to try because a long, flowing gown is exactly what the challenge calls for. Ivy reminds us that she was eliminated because she didn’t finish her red carpet look.

Joanna time! Laura has never met her idol, and Joanna just says “hopefully you won’t be in the bottom three”. Heh. So her idea is the pants will be very full so it will look like a skirt. Joanna likes it. Emilio’s dress and Joanna’s dress are the same shade. Creepy. Anthony Ryan must be aware of flashing people on the red carpet. Althea’s print is “dreary” so she has to step up the design. Emilio shit-talks pretty much everyone. Uli has added a bunch of trim.

Ivy says she’s hot. Casanova responds that he is smelly. Nice. He is smelling his armpit and telling everyone how bad it smells. Ivy is still cutting pattern pieces out. Model fitting. Ivy has nothing, and now she’s freaking out. Josh says Ivy has good ideas but they don’t design for the same clients. See, now that is how you say “I don’t like her stuff” without sounding like a total bitch, LAURA. Althea’s print is really ugly. Last minute running. Ivy continues to freak out.

Back at the hotel no one seems to be done. Or at least no one will admit to having a full dress sewn. Josh asks if anyone has dressed any celebrities. Come on, producers. We know you made them do that. Althea has dressed Kardashians. Good for you. Emilio dressed a Tony winner. That’s it? That can’t be it.

Next morning. At least everyone is behind. Emilio is on his hands and knees on the floor. Ivy has decided to make her dress short, because she doesn’t have time left. Althea has a ton of seams. Anthony Ryan likens Laura to a squealing pig in the mud. Hot makeup guy Scott. Jesus Christ, Josh, button your shirt. You are not at a disco in 1975. Anthony Ryan’s model is having trouble walking because there is so much fabric on the sides. Ivy’s skirt looks jacked up. It looks shiny like satin, but not pressed or even or anything. Emilio can’t hem or finish his dress properly either.

Diane looks fab as always. Josh: dark green fabric, one shouldered, slit up to her hip on the opposite side. There is also a sparkly wide waistband. Eh. It’s fine, but not earth-shattering or anything. Slit kind of high though. Uli: short dress with what looks like a bubble hem, in a purplish-blue print. Over one shoulder is a band with a bunch of feathers and trim. The dress seems A-line. Althea: short sheath dress. There are short loose sleeves, I think they are cold shoulder sleeves. Then for some reason over each hip are big squares of fabric attached at one corner. She’s flipped the fabric back and forth so there are triangles of different colors in the bodice and the sleeves. It’s not very good. Casanova: long gown in a red and pink print that actually isn’t that bad. The reverse is a red, which you can see on the lining of the skirt at on a fin that seems to be running across her boobs. It’s got a kind of sweeping skirt which I like. Like Josh’s; it’s not terrible but it’s not unique either.

Anthony Ryan: a giant caftan in blue. There seems to be black shoulder straps and possibly a black belt buried in there. But otherwise she is swimming in fabric and it looks like that dress Michael Costello made a bunch of times on the last All Stars season. Ivy: short gold dress. The bodice gathers from one shoulder to the opposite hip, and then there is a big swag of fabric hanging off her hip. I guess if it was a long skirt there would be a bunch of that, but instead there is a weird miniskirt that does not look good. Laura: her print is weirdly 70’s, although it looks less hideous than before. Not that that says much, because everyone’s fabrics are ugly today. Jumpsuit with very wide pants and a low V neckline. I think also there is some draping at the sides. As if she hung big loops of fabric at her shoulders, although it doesn’t look quite like that. Emilio: long red dress with a strapless neckline. Actually I think there is a strap on the neckline, but it blends in with the model’s skin so I can’t really tell.

Josh and Casanova are safe. Why is Josh always safe? Sigh. Anthony Ryan wanted something comfortable. They like it…? At least Diane says there is too much fabric somewhere. Isaac says it looks like Anthony Ryan. I will give him that it is interesting, if apparently so loose you will flash your panties at everyone. Ivy talks about the rays of the sun, or something. Isaac tells her this is the worst that fabric has ever looked. Ivy tries to say she doesn’t do red carpet, and Isaac bitches at her that he doesn’t understand what that means. It means she doesn’t make formalwear, you moron. I’m not saying after being on this show twice now that Ivy shouldn’t know how to do a red carpet look. But come on. It’s heavy and overworked. Emilio liked the color, and he wanted something sexy. He also adds that he had a hard time working with the chiffon. They can see the underlayer, and I guess it’s bad? The trim and strap are useless. I thought they would like it. Uli promises never to use feathers again. Isaac likes it, which is weird, because really? It’s getting kind of tacky. They like the trim. Whatevs. This is approaching wack. Althea has her model turn around and on the back is a diagonal double ruffle. Girl. The back of the skirt is also jacked up. Too much fabric. They know the fabric is terrible, which it is, but she should have gone for draping and maybe she could have salvaged it. Laura talks about a mix of tight and flowy and whatever. Diane goes off on a tangent about Rome and hot boys and “pajama palazzo”. She loves it. Loves. It. The sleeves or loops of fabric or whatever are weird, though.

I don’t know if I like any of these gowns. Or prints. Uli lucked out, and her dress turned out well even though no one expected to like it. Anthony Ryan had attitude and “goddess” and “effortless” and I didn’t like Michael Costello’s caftans when he made them either, so I’m not going to agree. Laura made a wonderful romper. Emilio’s lining was crap, and the judges think chiffon is actually easy to work with so what is he talking about? Althea overdesigned her dress and it just didn’t work. Ivy couldn’t handle the fabric, but they can see the design she was going for.

Anthony Ryan is safe. Laura wins, because the universe hates me. Also the universe rewards jerkitude. Uli is in. Emilio is in. Althea is out. Aww. Althea feels she could have won this week, just as easily as she went home. Well…probably not. She’s not taking it as a slam on her talent, though, which is good.

Next week: unconventional materials challenge! Christmas decorations! Kylie Minogue!