Project Runway All Stars 11/20/14--"Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve" summary

Previously on Project Runway All-Stars: there was a weird challenge with “Wicked” and everyone was supposed to make either “good” or “wicked” outfits. I read that apparently they were told that their clothes were supposed to be 20% the other thing! So Chris had pink ruffles and Gunnar had black chevrons and stuff. Why didn’t you say that? It would have made so much more sense! Plus it was a big thing Fabio made pants but Jay made pants too. And they tried to pretend Fabio was the only one who didn’t follow the rules. Anyway, Sonjia won and Chris was eliminated. (click for more)

Field trip to Marie Claire’s offices. Nina is there just to strike fear into everyone. Well…in the past I would have gloated about how Nina is going to screw with everyone, but she’s been parroting the producer bullshit recently. Sigh. It’s just not the same. People are still claiming to be afraid, although Dmitry says “Who isn’t excited to see Nina? People who suck”. Hee. Also some guy from Zales. The guy can’t read his lines for shit but I’m sure that’s not a thing he does on a regular basis. Nina says they have to make a “colorful party dress” for “a celebration” that must include “your own journey of love”. Elements of past, present, and future relationships. They get $100 so everyone is pissed. Also NO black or white! Winner gets a Zales gift card worth $10,000 and a custom diamond pendant. I’d rather have cash than a Zales gift card but whatever.

Sketching. Mood. The usual. The only thing of interest is while sketching, Gunnar says he’s nervous because the challenge is asking them to put something personal and “sensitive” out there. This is the person who, when asked to make a print related to his heritage, made a design about how he was bullied. So you can throw that out there and not follow directions to try to win, but not your relationships? OK.

I wonder if Ben is going to do another dress with a letter written on it. Kate claims a critique of a dress here is the same as a critique of how you interpret your love life. OR, your execution. But yeah I feel OK critiquing your interpretation. Helen says her ex refused to watch the show with her when she was on before. Harsh, although I also remember you claiming you didn’t watch the show. Look I don’t care that much about these peoples’ love lives. I really don’t. For example, Gunnar says his breakup is recent and maybe this will give him closure. Ben talks about his last relationship. Is that his husband? Did they get divorced?

Zanna appears. Gunnar has some red folds lined with a print. She is not surprised. There is a lot of red in the workroom. Ben has a gold dress that is fine, but not a wow. He insists it’s not done. Sonjia is too old. Helen has ups and downs. Dmitry is cheap. Kate might be too old too. Too much lace and covered up. Justin says he didn’t think he could love anyone because he didn’t want to be a burden. Aww! His boyfriend learned sign language for him. He made a print by painting his hand on the fabric. Did he do that for his print too the first season? Michelle got a divorce after winning her first season and got married again. Fabio has an open relationship so that means he has a partner, but they can sleep around essentially. It is way more complex than that, though. Zanna tells the room she’s not seeing enough of their personal journeys in the looks. Be vulnerable and put yourself in the clothes.

Dmitry is sticking with his plan. Model fittings. Kate thinks her model doesn’t feel “sexy” so she’s got to adjust. Ben has a bunch of straps on the back like a cage. With one hour left it looks like Kate has started over, instead of redoing the dress she has. Yeah…the usual.

Runway day. Kate still has a ton of work to do. Gunner tears up his dress, because he needs to put a zipper in. He says he has to wait until the whole dress is done, before he can put the zipper in. Sure? I don’t know why. Hot makeup guy Scott. Michelle has apparently also been to the Mary Kay Salon because she has a ton of makeup on. It looks like everyone gets done in time without frantic last-minute running around.

Georgina is gone AGAIN. Nina’s taking her place. Guest judges are blogger Danielle Bernstein and Seth Aaron. Dmitry: red dress, sleeveless with some clear bands around her waist and just under her arms, and a halter top. The skirt is knee-length with a ton of ruffles. Sonjia: shiny lace shift dress, cut into points at the hem and short sleeves, with a high crew neck. It’s shiny lace, in dark raspberry, with no lining. I can’t tell if she made underwear or if it’s the model’s underwear. It may be a miniskirt under there. Ben: gold dress with spaghetti straps and a handkerchief hem. There’s a light underskirt that’s a little longer than the gold. The front of the dress is cut strangely. It’s like the skirt starts right under her boobs, but only right in the front so there’s an inverted V of pleats right over her stomach. The back has some pattern of straps like a cage. Jay: short dress with a full skirt, in raspberry. The skirt seems stiff, like the fabric is stiff, and I think this maybe also is a handkerchief hem. The bodice has some stripes in a lighter pink that make a belt and a cool pattern. It almost looks plastic. Fabio: the dress is in a pink and gray print with horizontal stripes, and the skirt has a big box pleat in the front. Over the top is a sleeveless cropped vest that attaches up high on her neck, in a lighter pink than the print. The skirt is weird because the pleat makes a lot of volume. The back is low cut and the pink vest doesn’t have a back on it.

Kate: flowy baby doll dress in a non-color. Seriously it’s not quite gray and not quite beige. It’s maybe a crop top over a baby doll? There’s some draping on the top that’s unclear. All around her neckline are sequins in squiggly lines. Plus the hem looks jacked up and the back doesn’t fit right. The back has a keyhole but it’s really loose. But not loose enough to look like it’s on purpose. Justin: short fit-and-flare dress in red, with a round neckline and no sleeves. The center panel down the front is the same red but with the black painting of Justin’s hand on it. The print is supposed to be his hand signing “I love you”. The model spins at the end of the runway and flashes everyone, judging from the reactions. The print also is in the center panel on the back. Michelle: raspberry lace, but slightly lighter than everyone else has been using. Long sleeves and a knee-length skirt with a little ruffle at the hem. There are horizontal bands of maroon in the skirt that looks like belts. The sleeves have a little volume and tight cuffs. Gunnar: red dress with a bunch of folding. Inside the folds is a print that peeks out. The back is draped too but with some sequins and also it’s draped in such a way that she maybe can’t sit down. I don’t think it fits right. Samantha: yellow gown with a halter top that has a white collar? Or maybe silver? Then a yellow bodice and a darker mustard tulip skirt. The back is silver straps so I guess silver. Helen: tight red dress, strapless, with ruffles across her arms. As if she had ruffle straps over her shoulders and they fell down because they don’t fit right. Eh.

Alyssa claims that Zales thought the show was so great, everyone will get $1000 gift cards! How did Zales know the show was great when there is no one from Zales on the judging panel or probably even in the building? Who cares! Gift cards for all! Michelle, Justin, Samantha, Jay, and Fabio are safe. Sonjia has royal blue in the “lining” for losers and sequins for a bright future. Nina says it’s edgy and modern. The back is a deep V and they love it. I think it looks weird and old but it’s not like it’s actively terrible I guess. Gunnar wanted chaotic fabric. Isaac thinks it got away from him. The back looks terrible. He was going for asymmetry but it looks poorly sewn and like he has no idea what he’s doing. Ben talks about this cage of straps or whatever. Nina likes the fabric but the hem is student work. The bits of light blue look like a mistake (the underskirt thing). Helen’s droopy top was supposed to be armor. Right where the sleeves connect to the dress is a lot of details. Nina loves it. They think it’s emotional, when it’s such a simple dress with droopy sleeves. Sigh. Kate talks about her simple dress and her husband. The top is great but the bottom is unfinished and terrible. Isaac asks how the color reminds her of the beach (that’s what she said it was about) and Kate says it’s the smell of the air. Isaac straight up rolls his eyes and is like “Sure, OK.” Ha! It’s a neutral instead of a color. Nina gets pissed and says it’s sad and there’s a weird piece hanging down like a sash and that’s dumb too. Kate thinks this is “edgy”. Why did you go edgy midway through your design? Terrible. Dmitry’s horizontal stripes are clear vinyl. They rave and rave about how clean it is. Isaac hates the back, though, because the ruffle seam runs right under her butt. Everyone else likes it.

Gunnar was proud of his dress but the back was terrible. Nina only liked the top. Kate’s color was terrible but she went on about how great it was. And the hem is unfinished. Everyone hates handkerchief hems and Ben’s looked like it should be on “Dancing with the Stars”. Dmitry was impeccable, but some of the judges say it’s not their favorite. Isaac claims Helen’s dress is new, which I can’t imagine it is. Just because everything has been done. Sonjia’s dress is “happy” but Nina thinks maybe in the future she wouldn’t like it as much? Nina and Isaac argue as if they aren’t going to do what they’re told.

Dmitry is in. Helen wins. That dress wasn’t that great. Sonjia is in. Ben is in. Kate is out. Gunnar is in, although I would have been fine with either outcome. Kate claims to have learned something. She was too ambitious and couldn’t finish her garment.

Next time: everyone goes to London and Fergie is there and tea and maybe a fight about fabric.