Project Runway 8/31/17--"A Leap of Innovation!" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: everyone had to make clothes out of recycling trash, and also work in teams. But the teams didn't really have a ton of drama until judging, where everyone resented Shawn for sucking and taking up all their time. She also complained about her “curvy” model, who wasn't even plus sized and she got nailed for it. Sentell also got in trouble for basically wrapping his model in trash bags. In the end of course Shawn was kept around, because people don't like her, and Sentell is basically a nice person but is also boring so he went home. The winner was Ayana, for an overworked dress with very long fringe. I mean I guess. I like her, but that dress was not great. We also learned models are “randomly” assigned to people each week, meaning the producers control who goes home (I fear the smaller models) and who gets which model (so they can screw with people). (click for more)

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Tim and Heidi shimmy in an embarrassing fashion. It's seriously painful. They come from behind the scrim and continue dancing. Sigh. Tim wants them to watch a clip from some new movie, which I think is about a girl who wants to join a ballet school but not do ballet? She has dreams? I mean...sure, never give up on your dreams. But if your dream is not ballet, then why are you at a ballet school? You know? There are so many other ways to pursue your dreams. I mean, I have been watching a lot of YouTube and those people are certainly making their own way without trying to fit into a school or a role that isn't what they want. If you don't want to do ballet, then don't be at a ballet school, but that situation doesn't mean the ballet school is wrong to exist? Right? So anyway, this week's challenge is to be inspired by “dance, movement, and innovation.” That's pretty broad, Tim. Heidi demands they get creative and inventive. One day and 30 minutes to sketch, and $200 at Mood.

Then Tim introduces some dancers who combine hip hop and ballet. There's a shot of Shawn's overblown surprised reaction. They're just walking out on stage. Calm down. Anyway, imagine doing hip hop moves on pointe. Brandon has a “boyish” model, which he is glad about because he's a menswear person. Kentaro has a larger model, and he's a little scared because he's unfamiliar, but he also thinks it will be fun. I still have no idea what “innovation” is supposed to mean here. Do they want “avant garde”? Do they want futuristic? I have no idea. Mood is Mood. Ayana wants something with movement, but also stars, and I note her interview mainly because it sounds like she's losing her voice and I feel bad. Deyonte has expensive tastes.

Kenya has some fabric that she's treating as reversible. It's a black and white chevron pattern that looks cool but dizzying. Kentaro is more classical, in that he used to be a classical pianist, which influences his style. So he's thinking “Black Swan”. The twins continue to help each other. Kudzanai has a ton of ribbons in bright colors. Also feathers in pastels. He learned to sew from his grandmother. OK so that's two people with personal stories already. Brandon talks about his “Zen Zone”, where he just works and I guess ignores everyone else. I don't know why that's a bit the show decided we needed to know about. Batani cuts up a very 90's Fresh Prince fabric. She tells the room she does belly dancing and Aaron bugs her for a demo. It's very cute and it reminds me of how the workroom used to be, where people would talk about their lives and hang out. Michael and Margarita have gravitated to each other as the two Spanish-speaking designers. Michael also gets some personal time about his sisters and how his mom dreamed he was a famous designer. Deyonte ended up with chartreuse, and he says the garment is coming together really easily. Then his sewing machine makes a scary noise and as he's trying to fix it, the needle goes through his finger. Gah!

After the commercial Deyonte gets a medic. Everyone talks about it and Ayana does that full-body shudder you do when you're freaked out. Same, girl, same. Now he's got to clean the blood off the machine (…gah) and try to finish. I'm not normally grossed out by blood but I have stuck myself with a needle doing cross-stitch and I'm having sympathy twitching. Aaron is making a one-shouldered jumpsuit. Shawn is dying fabrics to make “silk cargo joggers” which I am sure are dropped-crotch. She manages to break a table. Like, the legs collapsed. Kenya is tired of both twins running around and apparently falling a lot. Kudzanai has his work station near them and he's not really thrilled about it.

Tim Time! Deyonte tells us he's from Chicago, and he liked the movie so he's making a flowy gown and some ruffles. Tim tells him to keep it clean. Brandon is constructing a shirt dress, but not fitted at all. Tim calls it stunning? Sure. Kenya wants her client to go to the dance show and then drinks? She's cut up her chevron print with some gray. Samantha designed something she'd wear to a concert. Michael says “geisha” and “kimono” and “vogueing”. Tim loves it. Claire tells Tim she wasn't sure if part of the garment should change or what, and Tim says she's thinking too hard. OK THANK YOU. It was very unclear about what “innovation” meant and I'm glad to see at least one of the designers didn't get it either. Tim tells her to stay away from Red Bull and coffee. Aaron gets “pupu platter of different treatments” which is not supposed to be good. Too gimmicky, which means he didn't get the instructions either. Well, that's what you get when you do vague bullshit like “creativity and innovation”. Amy has some kind of transforming thing. Like, the outer layer comes off and does a thing. Shawn says “sweatpant silhouette” and Tim says to ask yourself if you are being too literal, and Shawn's reply is “And I was wondering that. Yes.” I get that everyone is aware of being on television, and that people are only on this show to be on TV and get exposure, but the utter fakeness of the twins is so obnoxious. I don't know if I could stand it enough to hire them to make me something, but then again, as I'm fat they probably wouldn't do it anyway. Kentaro is pleating a skirt. Batani is using that 90s fabric for a butterfly cape. Very dramatic. Margarita doesn't have a lot done yet, meaning she still has four layers of skirt that aren't even started. Plus it's so much, it's maybe becoming costumey.

OK so Margarita and Kentaro are talking about something, and they subtitled Kentaro, which I don't really need but whatever. But then the subtitles are fucking tiny. I mean, they subtitled him earlier and that text was fine, but this text is like one quarter the size. What the hell, Lifetime. She's making a bodysuit with very puffy sleeves, and wondering how to do the bottoms, like a leotard or boy shorts? They agree on boy shorts. Oh, that was a Commercial Interlude. Goddammit Lifetime, put up a fucking title card or something. Also get the same editors to subtitle those as subtitle the show! Get your shit together!

Meanwhile back at Tim Time, he tells Margarita to think about maybe not having sleeves. Ayana has painted the stars on her outfit, with a blue overlay. Too many layers. Kudzanai has so much happening. Feathers and print and many colors. Tim doesn't seem concerned? I guess the point of the look is to be a lot of look so it's successful in that sense. Tim gives a gather 'round and says he's very happy with all the risks being taken.

Four hours left. Ayana says she has to redo a bunch of stuff to satisfy Tim's suggestions. Margarita is now complaining she's not innovative enough, but then she turns the top around and that's super innovative? I guess so. Model fitting. Batani's model is not very happy about being asked to wave her arms around to show off the cape. I'm not sold on this trend of models interviewing about if they like the clothes or not. It doesn't matter. It's better, obviously, if a model likes the clothes they're being asked to wear, but it's not a requirement. Margarita tries to slide her garment off her model and stabs her with a pin, and now there's blood on the fabric. Kudzanai is scrapping some stuff because he just doesn't have time. Aaron has to repattern the whole jumpsuit because his model's torso is too long. He does it with a maximum of drama. I did notice in the cards they gave everyone you get a height, and then bust-waist-hip measurements. So it's entirely possible the proportions of his jumpsuit are off because none of those measurements will give him that information. Deyonte is still in pain, and apparently his finger is still bleeding which sucks.

Runway day. The usual frantic working. Brandon is still focused, so I guess when people ask him questions they do a shitty ripple effect and play a gong. I am offended. Still don't know what the hair studio is about but no one cares. Batani is almost done. She's going to steal her garment after this. Not hot makeup guy Scott. He's cute, but I miss the casual flirting and sass of Scott. Kentaro suddenly realizes he didn't do anything “innovative”, and that's why everyone has been making transforming garments. But Tim didn't say anything to him about innovation, did he? This challenge is so confusing. As Kudzanai shoves his garment onto his model, because he doesn't have time to put a zipper in, her hair falls off. Sigh. It's very tight. Deyonte is maybe not finished.

Guest judge is dancer and actress Maddie Ziegler. Kenya: long slim pants and a jacket with a high collar. The kind of collar that you can hide the bottom part of your face in. The print is alternating vertical strips of black and white chevrons, and gray. There's a peplum on the jacket, and when she takes it off it's revealed to be a jumpsuit. It fits really well, actually. Brandon: very short black dress with a turtleneck, or possibly a bodysuit with boy short bottoms. Over this is a big white shirt, with a bunch of straps hanging off it so my first impression is of a straitjacket. I think the top part is leather? It looks like a slightly different shade. The bottom pieces of the shirt have button loops like you would see on old jackets. The sleeves are very long too. I guess? I'm not sure what is happening with his look. Michael: there's a gold coat that I think he had said was a kimono, but his model takes it off and drops it on the ground at the start of the runway so who knows. Short dress with long sleeves in that satiny olive fabric Laurence made her vagina jumpsuit out of that season. There is some interesting seaming and it doesn't look that wrinkled so I guess that's good.

Margarita: the skirt is knee-length and has one ruffle at the bottom. The top has puffy elbow-length sleeves, and then meets at a point over her sternum, leaving her stomach and upper chest exposed. There's a bow over her chest. The sleeves slide down to become longer. Deyonte: short dress with a sleeveless top in chartreuse. The neck is high and has a big Elizabethan ruffle. The skirt is pretty short, but in the back it goes to the floor. I dislike mullet hems and this one really looks like he just tacked a train on the back of her waist. Amy: OK. So the model comes out in what looks like a jumpsuit in navy with white elastic at the hems. Like, a cap sleeved off the shoulder top and dropped crotch pants. Then she gets to the end, takes off the whole outer layer, and is in a tank top Lycra jumpsuit. Like 80's workout wear. The outer layer goes back over her head and is now a tunic with one strip of the elastic at her waist. The jumpsuit underneath is electric blue stripes. I'll give her credit that it looks well made. But it's weird. Kudzanai: bright pink dress, knee-length, with bands of yellow and blue on her sleeves. It doesn't look very fitted, but also like that is a mistake and not a design choice. The skirt has two layers and a drawstring? So it looks like a wrap or a backwards apron. Down the sleeves are rows of ribbons and also feathers. The bottom layer is tight and the hem is lined with feathers on the back.

Claire: tomato red jumpsuit, with very loose pants (I am pretty sure they're pants and not a skirt) and sheer sleeves. The top is a cold-shoulder top, but it looks really baggy. Like she wanted to make it loose and went too far. There are long ribbons at her wrists. The pants are good, but the top is lumpy in weird places. Ayana: black jumpsuit with silver stars painted on it. The pants are slim, but she's sewn sheer bell bottoms from the knees down, then a sheer skirt/peplum, and then some sheer over her shoulders. Also a head wrap and a sheer silver piece over the lower half of her face. The sheer pieces just are weird and they're too short to move well, plus the bell bottom thing. Shawn: beige harem pants, that don't have a severe dropped crotch, and a white long-sleeved crop top with long ties that hang down almost to the floor. The top is very close to the one she made for the first challenge. Aaron: dark purple jumpsuit, with a black belt and a weird wrap top that gives her a titscrepancy. One side is pointed, with just a lavender strap, and then the sleeve is not sewn to the bodice. The other side has a purple shoulder and then a giant lavender bell sleeve. The opposite leg is also a big lavender dust ruffle and it looks bizarre. Especially since the rest those light parts are poofy and the rest of the jumpsuit is not very tight. It looks bad.

Batani: wrap top and harem pants in that 90s fabric. To picture the top, imagine you wrapped a long piece of fabric around your boobs and then over one shoulder. Then the cape is big pieces of fabric with illusion netting between them, so they float. And it's big. It's very dramatic. Kentaro: black blousy top with a boatneck and dolman sleeves, and then black granny panties with a sheer black skirt. The skirt is pleated, but the fabric is so sheer you can't really tell. There are also matching black stockings or leggings from her knees down. Samantha: short sleeveless dress in what looks like black leather that's woven into panels. The skirt is kind of full, and overall there's an armored effect. When she's partway down the runway, she unzips two zippers in the skirt, which...do nothing as far as I can tell. There's a bronze center panel on the bodice and the back of the skirt is all tulle. It looks like a good dress, I just don't know what the zippers were supposed to do.

Kentaro, Deyonte, Kudzanai, Margarita, Batani, and Brandon are the top and bottom. Batani was inspired by butterflies and made sure it was shiny also, like a butterfly's wings. Nina loved the movement of the whole thing. Zac was mixed, in that he loved the movement but he didn't love love the metallic. Deyonte wanted to show some leg, and it is vibrant. That's all Zac has to say. He's over a sheer skirt and a lace top and a mullet hem. And he CALLS it a “mullet hem” which makes me happy because that's what it is. It's costumey. Ice skater. Yeah I can see that. Nina thinks she's uncomfortable and now they're invoking taste level. Kentaro mentions “Black Swan”, and the leg warmers and top are warm-up clothes but the skirt doesn't go. Also no one is impressed because it's boring. He could have used another color. Nina says at least she can move. Margarita says something about tropical dancing and whatever. Also under the skirt there's a lining of red tulle which is cool. The exposed midriff is maybe too much, but they don't seem to be really that upset about it. Sleeves are hard to do so Nina is impressed they look good. Brandon talks about Rhianna and Ariana Ggrande. They love it. The dress looks like a smock, with a loose fit, but with flaps and the button loops along the hems. It's very Fashion, but I don't see any “dance” in it necessarily. Kudzanai explains why there are so many colors. It's very junior and not flattering. When she turns around, you can see the skirt is very tight. Also the top is so baggy because it's supposed to be like a hoodie? That's the hood? It's unbalanced and the construction didn't follow through. There are also two big yellow panels on the skirt that look unfinished. Too many things.

They really love Brandon's look, and I still don't get it but I also get that it's Fashion so that's what they like. I'm not upset it's in the top. Batani doubled her fabric so there wouldn't be a backside. Margarita gets what I feel is too much praise for turning her top backwards. Her skirt is very cute though. Deyonte's model comes over, and they talk about her looking short-waisted, and she's like “it could have been dropped more”, and again, I don't care what the model has to say. What she's saying is true, but unless she's the client I don't care about her opinion. Then they discover the whole back of the bodice is pinned. Kentaro did a great job on construction, except for the part where the back of the skirt is weird. They're all bored. Kudzanai had too many ideas and they're all mostly terrible.

Brandon is the winner! Yeah, OK. It was good. Also he has immunity. Batani and Margarita are both in. Kentaro is in. Deyonte's proportions and construction was off. Kudzanai put too much into his design and it didn't work. Kudzanai is out. Deyonte is (barely) in, and promises not to fuck it up next time. Kudzanai doesn't think he did a terrible job, but he gets that these are personal opinions. He doesn't seem fazed at all.

Next time: Empire State Building, Heidi is around the workroom so I guess this is the “be Heidi's personal sweatshop and design for her line” challenge.