Project Runway 9/26/13--"Next Generation..." summary

Previously on Project Runway: it was the “real woman” challenge, and for the second year running no one was an asshole about it. I know! But we couldn’t celebrate that because Ken and Alexander are jerks. Mostly Ken, but Alexander started something he didn’t want to finish and then pled fear for his safety. Ken should never have been cast on this show. So once he started screaming at the production assistants the end was in sight and he was quickly eliminated. Ken claimed on Twitter he threw the challenge, which I guess maybe he could have because he made sure to listen to his client and buy the “ugly” fabric she wanted. I don’t think it was that ugly, but whatever. Even if you threw the challenge, does it have to be done when random super fans are having the experience of a lifetime? Can’t you make an ugly dress some other time? Anyway, Ken is finally gone and Helen won because she got the skinny nerd girl. Is this show over yet? (click for more)

So after all that? Bradon and Alexander move in with Justin. Alexander complains that he is just so upset he’s drained creatively or whatever. I didn’t forget you promised you can bring drama too. Dom gives a dumb interview about how there’s 7 of them and there can’t be that many of them at fashion week. Do you watch this show? If they only had seven people show that would be a GOOD finale. Kate whines that she’s tired of second place.

No Heidi today, just Tim and someone in the workroom so we can announce it’s the “make your own print” challenge. I will admit this challenge is usually pretty good, for all that at heart it’s a product placement challenge. Tim says the “inspiration” is a group of “next generation innovators”. They have to pick out their own innovator, who is not a model or a client. Everyone watches the videos of people. It’s a random selection of “creative” types. We all know everyone is just going to do whatever. Sorry, I am so tired of this show and all its crap. Helen gets to go first because she won and then the button bag comes out for everyone else. I’ve already forgotten these people. Winner gets a bunch of computer stuff. Plus so does their “innovator” or “inspiration” or whoever.

Everyone goes to meet their person. Justin got Miss USA? OK. Her top is unflattering. What? It is. Everyone is super passionate about their causes. Kate is empowered. Apparently she is empowered every time she makes a new garment which seems excessive. I’m pretty sure all the innovators are passionate about things and the designers are inspired. I’m not sure why this is titled “Next Generation” because it’s not like any of the designers left are old or anything. I mean, they and the innovators seem to be the same age mostly. Helen talks about how her parents are artists. So she’ll win or be out? This is how bored I am with this segment, I’m trying to predict what will happen. I wish I could get excited about these innovators and their programs, which seem really cool, but I know after this segment is over they won’t appear again and most people will make something that is only sort of related. Alexander is whining about getting his inspiration back. Maybe he wins. He’s also whining about not being inspired by cake, but he didn’t go last so he could have maybe not picked the pastry chef.

Alexander brought the cake back to the workroom with him. What? They’d better eat it. Everyone hangs out and talks about their person with everyone else. Tim shows up to give them an hour to design. Alexander is making swirls from chocolate ribbons. Kate wants something that looks floral but is really binary code? Her girl was a computer coder. Justin is sketching lines that look like the “I love you” hand sign and thinks they’re abstract enough it isn’t too literal. Bradon is just drawing straight lines to show a trick cyclist. Mood is Mood. Tim tells everyone to spend money. Justin says he’s making another gown to prove he can. That sounds ominous. Especially since they don’t have to make dresses today. However, in a weird twist, after shopping Tim sends them home for the day. They’ll start tomorrow with their prints and all their stuff. I wonder if anyone’s stuff is going to go missing. They have to surrender their bags, so if a producer wanted to sabotage someone it would be really easy.

I guess it makes sense to send people home until their prints get made. I know this challenge is usually two days but I feel like the first day is mostly people futzing around because they are waiting for their fabric. Everyone loves their print, of course. Has anyone ever gotten their fabric and hated it? Dom has a big black and white and pink zebra print. Helen is asking people for advice. She’s asked the workroom, but then is asking the sewing room what they think? Like she doesn’t agree with what the workroom told her. Why did you ask then? Everyone interviews about how Helen is insecure and is constantly asking advice of everyone. Dom gives her the best advice, which is to get as much done before Tim shows up so HE can tell her what to do. Hey, no one was missing anything from Mood!

Tim Time! He loves Dom’s print, which is interconnected lines that show how people are connected around the world. Tim also loves the sleeves. Bradon’s print sort of turned out like a plaid. Another plaid. Tim is so perplexed he cannot find the words. So you KNOW he’s perplexed. Mainly it’s because Bradon wants his skirt to be floor length. Kate has what appears to be a pencil skirt with extra pieces of fabric attached like fans. Or maybe like handkerchiefs. It’s weird. Justin is making his print into a gown, but just in the bodice. Helen has a refreshing confessional where she says it looks at lot like the dress that got him eliminated the first time, but who is she to judge because she has no idea what she’s doing. I mean, not that I support Helen’s insecurities and pity party, but at least someone is recognizing they’re not in a position to trash talk anyone else. Tim comes to Helen who says she’s awful and she’s freaking out and whatever. Everyone else gives her an irritated side-eye. I don’t think she took Dom’s advice because she doesn’t seem to have anything to show Tim. He pretty much tells her to make it work. I’m not sure what Alexandria is doing. There seem to be a lot of pieces, and a vest, and a top with rouching. Alexander’s print ended up being brown sunbursts. I’m not digging it. Tim is worried about the silhouette which is “clerical”. Alexander’s response is that Tim doesn’t get it and doesn’t get HIM. Whatever. Tim tells everyone to go with their viscera.

Helen is still asking everyone advice. Bradon tells Alexander his dress looks like a nun and Alexander is happy about that. Model fitting. Helen doesn’t seem to have anything for her to try on. Everyone works and Helen is still freaking out. Alexandria and Alexander eat and talk about how much Helen sucks.

Runway day. Dom thinks the judges expect her to do a good job because she’s used prints well before. Helen is now making a crop top and a long skirt. Tim gives everyone two hours to work. Kate’s dress has a lot of fit problems, in addition to being kind of ugly. Hot makeup guy Scott, who flirts with Bradon again. Hee. Alexandria says Kate’s dress looks like a giant tampon and she’s not “honoring” the challenge. Calm down. It doesn’t look like a tampon. Tim appears to tell everyone their innovators will be here to see them! Ha!

Heidi is wearing some weird top that has a mullet hem. Like, the front is sort of tunic length? Maybe just like a normal top? And then the back comes down to her ankles. Guest judge is Peter Som. Bradon: black pencil skirt and a jacket in the blue and black plaid-looking print. The jacket is kind of a weird cropped length, but it’s fine. Underneath is a plain black top. Justin: long gown. The bodice is a strapless sweetheart neckline in the print, carefully arranged so you can’t really see what it is. The skirt is just a long white skirt with a beige overskirt. It’s nice, although not super exciting. Kind of colorless, all black and white. Kate: the top is a sleeveless top with a collar. It looks like a sheer button-down shirt with no sleeves, in white, over a strapless baby blue bodice. The skirt is a pencil skirt with big sheer white pieces. Like, she made a pencil skirt, then slit it in several places. Then took white sheer fabric, pleated it, and sewed it to the tops of the slits so it looks like handkerchiefs. It’s ridiculous. The print is the blue? I guess? It’s blue with tiny silver dots. Ugh, the back is terrible because the sheer pieces start right under her butt.

Alexander: long sleeved dress, above the knee, in his weird brown sunburst print. There is a fat white stripe right down the center of the dress, and then across the front and down the arms. So it makes a cross. The whole back is open. Dom: tight dress with long sleeves in that pink/black/white zebra looking print. She’s cut it so that the lines meet down the front in a chevron, and then the pink is mostly on the sleeves. There are black side panels. I really like it. Alexandria: short skirt, with an asymmetrical hemline. It looks like you wrapped fabric around your waist and it’s hanging down like a towel? Then a white tank top and a black vest that is cropped and looks ragged. I’m sure that’s on purpose. The skirt is in the print which is a light beige squareish design. There’s an outline of black fringe on the front of the skirt where the edge of the towel would be. Eh. Helen: long skirt and crop top with a high neck and cap sleeves. The print is stars arranged in a U-shape, and she’s put the print down the front and back so they are right down the center.

Alexandria is safe. Heidi all of a sudden is all “one or more of you will be out” which, I’ve heard it before. Dom talks about the internet bringing people together and interconnecting lines. They love it and Zac says if he was a woman he’d wear it. Nina is thrilled with the styling. Justin talks about Miss USA and Heidi looks bored but they could have cut that in from somewhere else. Heidi notices the line between the bodice and the skirt is terrible. From the back you can see he tacked the sheer overskirt part on top of the bodice so you can see the bottom of the bodice. The judges seem to want a short dress, or maybe just a skirt with the print on it. Zac pretends the judges care about seeing the inspiration in the dress. Bradon says something about seeing New York from above or something. The judges rave about the jacket and how the dress is so fantastic but the dress doesn’t have the print on it so should it count as much as the jacket?

Alexander says even though he’s “super gay” he’s never decorated a cake. OK, that was funny. He also says there’s a cross on purpose because his last name is Pope. They are bored with his print, or at least Heidi is. Zac says the stripes make her look like a cult leader, and then he says “landing strip” which is almost a Kors-level comment. Nina does actually like the print but she says the model is so covered up it’s too much. Helen does admit to the judges she is nervous and doesn’t work with prints much. Heidi for some reason likes it. They love the crop top because it’s crack smoking time, apparently. It’s a crop top and a long skirt. Dumb. Kate says if you connect the little dots there’s a code or something. She also says she likes how it turned out and Nina immediately says “Oh GOD.” Hee. Her print is secondary to all her designing and the panels and stuff. Too many elements and they are not working together well. You can’t see the print because of all the sheer pieces and the bodice doesn’t fit either. I think she claimed the baby blue was masculine? Oh, Kate. When she turns around the skirt looks terrible, all bunched and lumpy.

Back in the Scrap Bin everyone speculates about whether or not there will be a double elimination. Kate cries about Fashion Week but I know she showed so no sympathy. The judges rave some more about Bradon’s dress, which I think shouldn’t hold as much weight as the jacket. If you’re going to yell at Kate for not using her print enough, then you can’t go on and on about the dress with no print. They love Dom’s dress which sits really well. There is some nonsense about Helen’s design. Tim tells the judges he thinks Kate was smart to cut up her print, but they know the dress is not about the print and the skirt is not made properly. Nina likes Justin’s print, but he should have just used it and ditched the plain skirt. Alexander’s dress and white stripes make you see a cross, not the print.

Dom is the winner! Yay! She’s so thrilled. It’s cute. Bradon is in. Helen is in. Alexander is out. He says he’s a good designer but “I guess I shouldn’t mix religion and cake. Except for a wedding.” Ha ha. He tells the Scrap Bin he thought he was safe. Justin is in. Kate is out too!? Wow. Surprising. Why suddenly the decision to have two people out? Don’t they usually announce that at the beginning of the challenge? Is that why the episode started with Tim in the workroom? Because Heidi said “Today there are 7 of you but after tomorrow there will be 6” or something similar, and then later you decided to get rid of another person so you had to edit things? Somehow Kate’s decided when Heidi said “one or more” she knew they’d make sure she went home. Or, you made a crazy skirt. She’s crying a lot. Kate says to stand by who you are. Tim says he’s shocked.

Alexander’s decoy collection is shiny and weird. He’s the one who did that giant collar/cape thing with the huge wig with the dreadlocks. Kate’s was pretty.

Next week: nature, people freaking out, some cursing. Heidi says the judges have a tough decision to make, as if they don’t fail to make a decision half the time and just bring everyone along.