Project Runway 10/20/16--"There IS Crying in Fashion" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: there was a team challenge but the teams were 6 people and they only had to make 4 outfits! I know! There was a dumb thing where you had to pitch your idea to the judges to win your budget, but it was for the new show Lifetime is premiering tonight which I am not watching. It's basically “Shark Tank” for designers. Anyway, the team that seemed like they would be the misfit team, Dexter's team, ended up winning. Supposedly the other team lost for not sticking to their pitch enough. Dexter won, as far as I can tell for helping everyone, and Alex was sent home for a bad dress but also for being the one who did the terrible pitch. (click for more)

So now we're at a “press party”? With bloggers interviewing the judges? I don't remember hearing about this but then again, I wouldn't have cared. The designers get to show up to the party and have drinks. They make it seem super luxurious but it just seems like a fancy hipster space. Everyone's drinks are in hollow copper pineapples. Tim appears to drag individuals off to talk to bloggers, which I think is suspicious. It's the middle of the season and this is technically a spoiler, who is left. Plus some people get to talk to the judges and hang out. Just talk about their lives and kiss up I guess. Some guy from the booze company calls them all over to welcome them or whatever. The pineapples are some kind of signature. Not gonna lie, hollow pineapples are fun. But of course, this is not a free evening out, because there is never a free evening out.

Heidi says each one of them will be making a “luxurious cocktail dress.” Not dresses inspired by actual cocktails? No, they will be inspired by the bar. Fine. Laurence seems to be sketching a long dress. I thought cocktail dresses were short? Like gowns are long? Tasha wants to make a baby doll dress, but edgy. Mah-Jing is inspired by the condensation on his pineapple (which he calls the “drizzle”). Rik sketches a leather apron cocktail dress. People are still sketching long dresses which bugs me. Cocktail dresses are short. At Mood Tasha buys some florals and denim. Nathalia buys expensive beading.

Jenni has a lot of bling. Brik is all, “Shiny is a color, right?” Tim appears to give them the rest of today to work. Erin has some feathers. Dexter babbles about a sexy cocktail party and rich girls. There is a lot of working and it seems quiet. Oh, there's Cornelius to shittalk someone else. He asks Nathalia if she sees herself in her fabric, then says in confessional that it's terrible. She later asks him why he's throwing shade, but he insists he's just asking. Nathalia has his number though and knows exactly what he's doing. Roberi wants a bell silhouette. Cornelius tries to ask Nathalia's opinion but she calls his dress a couch which is what he deserves. Tasha is not second guessing herself like usual.

Tim Time! Rik has a leather dress and it really looks like a full-length apron. He's going to paint on it or something, but Tim I think tries to tell him not to mess with it. Erin has copper and feathers and beads and whatever. Tim says not to put more on. Jenni also has copper but she's got a basic shift dress and then sequined appliques. They blend in better than the stupid ones the team did last week, but they're pretty close in idea anyway. Dexter tries to spin it like this giant conspiracy to copy Erin. Erin is all, well of course people can do what they want, but I would never do that, I mean it's just not fair to a designer. Oh please. You people copy famous designers all the damn time. It's sequined appliques, you don't have a copyright on it. Dexter has a bunch of fringe. Fringe like Sean used to do? You see? Brik gets a good review. Laurence quilted some leather for shoulder treatments. It looks really good. Remember how Mah-Jing was going to be inspired by the condensation? The hem of his dress is cut in blobs. Like if you drew a wavy line like drippy paint. And it's in red. Tim is just like, no, Mah-Jing. No. Do not. Roberi has some striped fabric that seems too casual, and then he wants to put a pleated brown skirt with horizontal light blue stripes and it is a lot. Cornelius is using a print he's used before, which is a feat because they've only had 5 challenges. Too causal. Tasha's floral is too junior and too casual. Tim says to only use her dark denim, so she can stay true to the street feel she wants but still be elegant. “Don't put street into the cocktail, put cocktail into the street.” Nathalia has a pink dress covered in beaded lace. It looks very fancy, but Tim thinks it looks like an ice skating costume. It kind of does? But it isn't the worst thing here?

Four hours left. Half the designers are starting over. Pretty much everyone is freaking out except Erin and Dexter, who are approaching annoyingly smug. Jenni lends Nathalia some lining to put under her beading. Cornelius's solution to his print that Tim didn't like is to...turn it inside out. It's still houndstooth, Cornelius. Model fitting. Nathalia has to hand sew everything because of the beading. Jenni gives Tasha some fabric too. She hopes it's enough.

Runway Day. As always there is a good amount of frantic working. Erin thinks her dress is clean but I'm not sure how a dress with ostrich feathers is clean. Not hot makeup guy Scott. Dexter is wearing a black hoodie and when Tim says something and Dexter ignores him, Tim calls him Grace Jones. Heh. Erin is very proud of herself. Nathalia sews her model into the dress, after a struggle to get her dressed at all.

Heidi is wearing a baby blue velvet blazer with matching pants. Guest judge is Emily Ratajkowski. Laurence: black sheath dress, knee-length. The fabric most of the dress is made out of ends in a sweetheart neckline, and from there to a high crew neck and some puffy cap sleeves she has pleated leather. Over the shoulders it's quilted. It looks really impressive. The whole back is open. Rik: short leather apron. It's dark orange, and has a bib part and a strap around her neck. There are some grommets but you can't not see the apron. The back has one strap where her bra would be and a giant exposed black zipper right up her butt. Sigh. Jenni: short loose shift dress in copper, sleeveless with a V-neck. Over this are gold sequins in a drippy pattern. Like paint drips or maybe like coral. There is a choker collar for some reason. Erin: bronze brocade tight dress, with two layers of feathers over her shoulders. The lines of feathers run from her armpits, over her shoulders, down the open back of the dress to her butt. She may have flashed the judges because of how short it is and her hair has a weird narrow ponytail which I don't like. Tasha: black dress with a sweetheart neckline and a copper sequined sash. That's pretty much it. There's a thin strip of solid copper fabric at the hem. I can't tell if it's wrinkled or there are ruffles or what, but it's very basic. Cornelius: strapless dress, to the knee, in houndstooth. It's gray and white, instead of black and white, but that doesn't stop it from being too day. Plus the skirt is weirdly stiff.

Nathalia: a red bra and short skirt, with the beading overlay. The undergarments looks sort of coral, because of the overlay. The beading is pearls, small ones in vertical stripes and then a horizontal part of larger ones. She's put the horizontal parts over her hips and just under her boobs, so because the top doesn't cover her stomach it looks like two pieces. When they show a closeup you can see it's one piece, but the beading blouses a bit over her waist. Brik: black and silver sheath dress. The black and silver is in vertical lines that bend in and narrow at her waist, so she looks really curvy. The whole thing is metallic. The back has a narrow opening with two horizontal tabs. It's not bad, and he had all of 30 seconds of screen time today so I'm sure he's fine. Mah-Jing: red dress with a slit up to her hip. It's got a sweetheart strapless neckline, and over her shoulders are two pieces of sheer fabric with red lace flowers. The sheer doesn't match her skin, and the whole thing fits horribly. It's way too loose in the waist and it's very bunchy. But around her hips and butt it's tighter so it's not like he can pretend it's loose on purpose. Roberi: sheath dress in a print. The print is horizontal stripes of reds and oranges on a blue background, and then at the bottom is a strip of red and purple vertical stripes. It's pretty casual and it looks like it's stretchy. You know? Dexter: short tight brown miniskirt and then fringe. Solid long fringe from her neck to her waist covering the entire front. There is a narrower piece of fringe in the back but basically fringe.

Laurence, Nathalia, Jenni, Tasha, Rik, and Erin are called out as top and bottom. Before everyone leaves they make sure to tell Dexter that he's lucky to have immunity because his dress was terrible. Ha! He spent all day talking about how great he was. However, how did Mah-Jing slide through with his shitty fit? This damn show. Nathalia talks about chandeliers and how beaded fabric is luxurious. Heidi hates it and says it looks like a cheap prom dress from the mall. Ouch. Nina points out the back is lopsided. The back doesn't have the draped fabric, so it's basically the back of a bra and her skirt. And one side of the bra is higher than the other. Nathalia does that thing where you say “no excuses” and then give a bunch of excuses, like how she had to sew everything by hand and she made this in four hours and whatever. Nina just sniffs that she had $300. The guest judge says at least it was creative, and Zac uses his time to complain that everyone was boring and so grading on a curve this is not horrible. Rik talks about the apron inspiration, and the judges praise his construction. It's very eye-catching, and not every woman could wear it, but it stands out. Zac doesn't like the zipper, and I'm glad someone said it. Laurence's dress is inspired by the couches. Of course they all love it because it has her “signature” shoulder (I guess Laurence owns pointy shoulders) and it's a perfect little black dress with wonderful tailoring.

Tasha says something about marrying street and cocktail. Zac says the fit is off, but looking at it, it doesn't look anywhere as far off as Mah-Jing's. There aren't ruffles, I guess it's just wrinkled. They hate on the sash because it's clearly just an afterthought. Erin was inspired by the space but also the flamingo bathroom. It's overdone, with brocade and feathers and frizzy hair and heels with tassels. They don't think it looks like her and it's too costumey. Jenni wanted sparkle and she mentions speakeasys. I guess that's why it's loose like a flapper dress. Everyone thought this was Erin's dress because of the sequins. Come on. Sewing sequins on a dress is not a fresh and new thing that no one has ever thought of before Erin. Plus I think the execution of these sequins is much better than the execution last week. Also has Erin done that more than once? I thought she only did it last week? Oh, I guess she made a fabric for that blacklight challenge. They accuse Jenni of copying, which I find infuriating because of how much people copy actual, established designers, to the point where they could sue, and no one talks about that. But then the judges just kind of shrug that it happens and praise how great the dress is! Weird. It's cool and flattering and modern.

Cornelius celebrates in confessional about Erin being in the bottom. Erin can't resist telling everyone the judges thought Jenni's dress was hers, I guess because she thinks people will jump in about the copying. You can tell by the look on her face. Jenni points out the only thing that's like Erin is the embellishment, because Erin usually does that, and Nathalia jumps in to say “Erin's not the only person to ever embellish something.” Exactly. Erin gets the most obnoxious look on her face, that says “Oh well I guess if that's what you think, even though you're wrong, but I won't say anything because I'm such a great person.” Shut up, Erin.

The judges argue about Nathalia's. They are arguing that it's a hot mess but at least she tried. At least they all agree the construction is terrible. Erin is terrible and they all pretend the decision is based on today only. Tasha's dress is jersey on top with a denim skirt. There is too much styling happening, but Nina says she'd rather wear this than Nathalia's. Rik's apron is sewn really well. Up close, you can see Laurence's details and it just makes them more impressed. Jenni's dress is great, but of course Heidi wants to harp on how she's stealing from Erin. Laurence's dress looks like it costs thousands of dollars. Zac would like to see more than her strong shoulder but they don't seem to doubt she has more. Jenni's dress is feminine without being tight or too flashy. Nathalia decided on her fabric and wouldn't give up on it. Erin's looks cheap, but Tasha's has no design. Heidi says do you send home someone with no design? Or someone who overdeisgns?

Jenni is the winner! Ha on you, Erin. That has to be the reason she beat Laurence. She wins immunity in addition to a free dinner for 12. She says it's her rebirth. Rik and Laurence are both in. Erin is in. Of course. They wouldn't get rid of her because they think she's great. Nathalia is in. Tasha is out. Figures. This show doesn't tolerate people who do streetwear. She's very grateful for this opportunity. Aww, when she goes back to the Scrap Bin Mah-Jing is literally sobbing. And then my recording cut out but judging from Facebook Tim didn't save her.

Next week: apparently a field trip to Universal Studios Orlando. Sigh.