Project Runway 4/18/13--"Finale Part 1" summary

Previously on Project Runway: everyone got to go to Europe except Michelle. All of them (including Michelle) were inspired by buildings, which is sort of OK depending on the building. Michelle “redeemed” herself, and Stanley also did well, and everyone recognized that they were the best of the finalists. Daniel also made it through, and then the producers decided to reward “creativity” and kept Patricia over Layana. I don’t like Layana, so I’m not that upset. (click for more)

Heidi tells the final four designers that they will all be making collections, and when they get back to New York one more person will be eliminated. Tim is proud of everyone, but only one person can win. He also promises any one of them could win, as if the producers haven’t already decided who will win. $10,000 for a 12 look fall collection. Heidi specifically mentions outerwear. Everyone is dismissed without anyone actually saying how long they have to make this collection.

Patricia and Michelle pack and Patricia says she’s not planning to make all her textiles because that’s not feasible for reproduction. She’s also scared because she’s never won a challenge. Daniel is also thrilled to have made it this far. Michelle and Stanley know they are each other’s competition, only Stanley says it in a much more respectful way that doesn’t make me want to smack him.

Four months later, in Taos, New Mexico. Patricia has been happy to find herself again. There are a ton of people there to greet Tim. Her house is so snug! And I think they went in through the roof? Traditional. There was a ladder involved anyway. Oh, man, they have fry bread. That stuff is so great. Patricia’s whole family is artists. As Tim goes to look at her stuff, she’s already crying. Her studio is huge. Patricia has more leather mesh, which looks much better than it did during the original challenge. Unsurprising since she’s had so much more time. There is horsehair and a jacket with lots of squares with pictures on them? Tim says the jacket is too literal and crafty. Tim reassures her and says he knows so much more about her now and it’s wonderful. She’s given him an epiphany about her. Aww. She’s still worried though.

Portland, Oregon. Michelle and her family sit around in an empty restaurant. She’s kind of freaking out. I think she’s just worried things will not be good enough. Her husband says glowing things about her and so does her brother mostly. He’s her brother. Michelle has a wolf thing going. “Female hunting lone wolf”. She’s got a lot of leather and some mustardy darker yellow. There is a big ruffled collar but Tim convinces her to get rid of it to make the look better. She has four mannequins, so Tim says something about being a quarter of the way done, but Michelle in interview laughs and says that’s a lie, she’s maybe one-tenth done. So I guess those looks are not complete. I have no idea what day it is because I don’t think they ever said, so I don’t know how much time she has.

Austin, Texas. Daniel has grown out his hair and he now has a curly fro. He’s at a friend’s house with his sister. He knows what he’s made is good. Tim comes in and says his hair is like a Chia pet. Heh. Daniel used to make clothes for his sister, which is cute. His sister cries about how proud she is. There are so many criers this season, I feel. Daniel has a lot done, and he’s got a big board full of nebulas and he says Salvador Dali and Berlin and surreal. His collection is all white, red, and black. It looks tailored. There is a leather jacket that he’s molded by heating it in the sun. Wow, that is cool. Another jacket is cashmere but Tim hates it and doesn’t hesitate to say so.

Los Angeles. One month before Fashion Week. Stanley’s studio is fantastic. He’s got some 60’s influence and Spanish influence and a bunch of stuff. There are a lot of expensive-looking fabrics. Tim encourages him not to pair a cape with one look because it’s a lot of look. There is also one orange dress and a long coat with stripes and a lot of colors. The orange really sticks out and not in a good way. Tim calls it “opulent” and says this draws a line in the sand and he has to stay there. Then he stays for lunch with his partner and his niece who is gorgeous. The lunchtime conversation is about how Stanley’s sister died a year ago, and he almost didn’t audition for the show again. Tim tells him everyone is worried about him, that he is their biggest competition.

Finally time for Fashion Week. Daniel has tamed his fro. The penthouse is really swank. Michelle comes in and Daniel is still pissed off about the Lord & Taylor challenge where they had to work together. I thought maybe he’d been watching the show and judged her from that. They hug, as you do, and he immediately says “the past is the past, just go forward”. If you really want to convince everyone you’re moving forward, maybe don’t bring it up out of nowhere. Stanley comes in wearing a pimp hat and a big coat. Nice. Patricia arrives and Michelle reads the note that says to relax tonight and get ready to work in the morning.

With two days to work, everyone starts unpacking and pretending not to look at everyone else’s stuff. Actually this season they don’t pretend, they all stand around to watch people unpack. Daniel’s stuff seems to be the same he always does. Michelle made a gown, and Patricia has her horsehair and handmade sequins. Stanley…is really behind. I mean, he has fabric. Not even a garment that needs to be fitted. Like, just random yards of fabric. Tim appears to tell them the runway is tomorrow and one more person will be eliminated. Or technically he said “the judges will decide who will show at Fashion Week”. They will present three looks. Also there is a surprise! Helpers! Sigh. Well, at least they’ve done this a bunch of times before.

Stanley gets Richard (he’s actually OK with it because he says Richard does great hand-sewing), Samantha and Daniel, Amanda and Michelle, Patricia and Layana. So we have to see Layana again, but she is pregnant now. Don’t know if that changes anything. Everyone talks to their helper and gets some feedback. Michelle and Amanda whisper about how much work Stanley has to do.

Tim time! Michelle has a leather coat/dress that is cool looking. And chaps. And a top with like, four different bags hanging off it. I think Tim says “load it up for them”? Michelle is going to go for it. Stanley has some great glamour going and it seems modest. Tim thinks there isn’t enough skin, but Stanley pretty much rolls his eyes and says it’s a fall collection and it’s not about sex. Patricia has to sew hand-made sequins on a blue dress with tabs. Like, the fabric is cut into tabs like big fat fringe. And a headpiece that is dyed blue to match, that is a ring of horsehair like a wig. There is a leather jacket that is painted in plaid, and it looks like a men’s plaid shirt. Plus the shorts are baggy. Daniel has some black and white stuff, including a top that supposedly will be zipped up but isn’t now because “the mannequin is big”. Uh huh. He has a long black dress with white shoulders and Tim is underwhelmed.

Model fittings. Daniel’s pants are too small, and he’s unhappy because they have leather and can’t be let out. He has to grab things off the rack. Patricia is in great shape, which happens when one look is a cape. Michelle’s pants are also too small, and you can hear the seams popping as the girl pulls it on. She knows how to fix it, but maybe doesn’t have the right fabric. Layana whispers to Samantha about how she’s worried, but stops when Patricia walks by. Yeah, same old Layana.

The day of the show everyone wakes up at 6am. Daniel says he has one strap to adjust. Stanley wants to use this to get a feel for what the judges think. Two hours for prep. Hot makeup guy Scott. Stanley complains some about how Richard isn’t comfortable enough to sew a jacket, only Stanley could have shown up with a lot more done than he did.

Heidi says one person will be eliminated. No guest judge today to screw up the producers’ plans. Stanley: skinny black pants, a dark gold silk blouse with a high neck, and a black brocade jacket. It doesn’t look super exciting but it does look expensive. Next is a gold dress with a deep V trimmed in black lace. The skirt is full and ends in a weird spot. It’s too long for tea-length but too short for floor length. It’s cute though. Last is a black leather jacket and a top and skirt in the same fabric. It’s a putty kind of color with what look like big plastic studs in a regular pattern. The skirt is just below the knee with an exposed zipper in the back. The back of the jacket is cut really full so it drapes.

Patricia: a silver dress, just above the knee, that has an empire waist. The skirt has long black vertical rectangles, and the top is charcoal with big silver ring pendants. It looks like the skirt has some black tulle also, although I’m not sure if that’s what is making the rectangles. Also a silver scarf. Next is the black cape with white horsehair fringe, and black leather pants. The horsehair looks good, it’s in a V shape. The last look is the blue dress with the headpiece. The dress is just a shift dress shape, but all the sequins and the tabs really move.

Daniel: black leather capri pants with a black lacy top and a hat. The top has a peplum and a very deep V and no sleeves. I thought at first there was a miniskirt but it’s just the pants looking crazy. The whole thing reminds me of Christian. It’s the hat. Second look is tuxedo pants with zippers down the sides? And a short sleeved turtleneck sweater, also in black. Last look is a long black gown with a high halter neck and no back. I lied, there is a strip of fabric down the back with a zipper.

Michelle: a big sweater that is ombre brown, with big black circles in a geometric pattern. The sweater ends at the elbow and there is a silk blouse underneath that only shows at the arms. Then there are gray jeans with snap-on leather chaps on the front. Huh. Next is a long dress, that somehow is silk but there is neoprene over it? Like an overskirt? And then over the top (which is long sleeved with a button down collar) there is a leather quilted breastplate. It looks good in a steampunk kind of way. Last is the black quilted coat with all the bags on it, and some skinny jeans.

Michelle explains about her wolf inspiration. Overall the judges seem to like how busy it is, and how well made. Heidi thinks it’s wearable. Nina would like a little more color. The pants under the black coat are actually quilted and cool looking. They do wish she had fewer bags. Nina does anyway. She also wants more makeup and cleaner hair. I do like that Nina is disagreeing with everyone. The pattern in the sweater is the wolves in a circle. Daniel talks about his zippers but he’s calling them something weird. I can’t make it out. I think it is stingray? That he’s put zippers in? Zac has seen it before. It’s well made, but the knitwear look doesn’t have enough drama for an all-black collection. If he had some color, then that would provide interest. Heidi is underwhelmed. Patricia’s cape is really going over well, although Heidi doesn’t like the print skirt. And even though Patricia had some common things running through (like the horsehair and the sequins) the looks don’t seem to go together. Plus the blue headpiece is weirding everyone out. Nina hates the horsehair. The scarf with the print skirt is beautiful but there are too many things going on to notice. Zac seems to like it all though. The judges argue about the headpiece for a while but nothing is decided. Stanley does not have enough “wow”. Zac also hates the proportions. Somehow Stanley thinks this is sportswear, but no and Zac becomes by favorite by hating on the exposed zipper. He didn’t hate on Daniel’s exposed zipper, but he hates this one. Heidi says it’s not hot, but Nina sees promise.

The contestants go back to wait and freak out about how much they want to move on, and the judges rehash what they just said to everyone. It’s always the same and it’s late and I’m tired. They are proud of Michelle because there was some doubt that she would make it this far. Patricia has a ton of ideas but she needs to focus and clean it up. They do want to see her show, though. Daniel was disappointing but maybe he can turn it around. Stanley’s clothing was impeccable but the judges are bored and Zac especially gets in some hate for exposed zippers.

Michelle is in. They tell her to watch her styling and work on hair and makeup and no gimmicks. I put this because in the past people have been overly rewarded for doing what the judges tell them. Patricia is in, she needs to work on cohesion and not go over-the-top. Unlike Michelle, who just got a generic “you did a good job”, Patricia gets a “if you get this right you can win”. While both Stanley and Daniel did not have youthful collections, Stanley is in. Heidi tells him to listen to them. Heidi almost sounds choked up when she tells Daniel he’s out. Tim comes in to comfort and Daniel admits he’s not OK but he did the best he could. Daniel says he’s a better person and it’s never too late.

Next week: the end of this show, loved ones, the final collections and Kors is finally back! Nina shakes her head in disgust.