Project Runway 11/9/17--"Finale part 1" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: they told everyone to make a winter look, and Brandon made his same clothes again because UGH, and then they didn't eliminate anyone because of reasons. But basically it meant another wasted 90 minutes. (click for more)

Ayana knows a twist is coming. Brandon doesn't know how they would do it, because he clearly doesn't watch the show enough. Heidi and Tim come out to let the designers know they will be getting $10,000 to make 10 looks. But only three of them will “show”. Actually Heidi says they are only “guaranteeing three spots”. That's the exact wording. They'll each present two looks when they get back, as a preview of the collection, and then they'll supposedly eliminate two people. Tim repeats the “guarantee” wording, which sounds like it's carefully worded to account for if they decide to have four showing. It's at least three, so only three are “guaranteed”, but if they wanted another one they could do it. Otherwise they'd say “there are only three available spots.” Tim asks if they're ready for him. Also everyone gets an embroidery machine. Sweet. Did they say how much time they get? If they did, I missed it.

Everyone packs and talks about how much they want to win and beat everyone else. Now it's time for a montage of everyone working. It's too short of a montage to get any sense of anything, really, except that Brandon lives in San Francisco because of course he does.

Time to visit Ayana in Salt Lake City, and the chyron says “Five Weeks Later”. But not how much time until Fashion Week. You know what, now that I think about it, I wonder if Ayana gets business from Mormons who want to dress conservatively, and if she's picked a perfect location for her style. She's very glad to have Tim to herself. She lets him know that when she got home, the apartment above her had flooded so she's not as far along as she had hoped to be. That sucks. They meet her friend and her mom in a park. Tim has a giant bandage on his forehead and says he fell and has stitches. Ayana tells us (and Tim) that she's one of 11 siblings. Dang. Mom says life hasn't been easy for Ayana (married young then divorced) but Ayana feels good things are on the way. She's started taking risks but also realizing she needs to do it.

Ayana brings Tim to her workroom and talks about going back to upstate New York and getting inspiration from nature. She wants a range of things. Her collection is fully modest, which I think is really cool. She shows Tim a dress with a million ruffles, and one that is a miniskirt over slacks situation. There's also a sheer jacket which looks cool. That's pretty much all so far that's made, but she's got sketches of things. Tim cautions her against ice skating dresses. She says she basically has to do a look a day, so if she's got three looks done, then that means seven looks to go, meaning another week, meaning they had six weeks to make collections? Does that sound right? Tim says work smart.

Time for Atlanta and Kenya. She's stuck and needs Tim's advice. I do not see a chyron telling us how much time is left before Fashion Week or how much time it's been since the end of the show. Tim tells her she looks fabulous. I think she has a separate studio that's not her house. She says something about the ocean and sun and sand. She's got a peach/pink pleated look, and a mermaid skirt with what looks like pearls. She wanted to do a beaded trenchcoat. Interesting. She has a bunch of ideas for the beginning of her looks, but near the end she's run out of ideas. I think she's lost. Tim likes what she's done so far, and he likes the peachy coraly pinks. But he is underwhelmed by the colors. It's a lot of light coral and light gray, which is nice for maybe one look but for a whole collection it's a lot. Plus that coral is very dependent on the skin tone of whatever model you have. So if you can't get the models you want, it might be a disaster. Tim thinks it's too somber. She needs something saturated, like a navy bottom to go with some of the peaches. Tim really has started to give very specific advice.

Time for a break and Kenya's family. It's all the women of the family and some soul food. This looks like so much fun. Everyone is clearly proud of Kenya too. Her mom says she's determined. They laugh about how much they are all in each other's business.

L.A. and Kentaro. He is calling his family, which is cute. His mom thinks Heidi looks like Princess Diana, “that woman from England who passed away.” Hee. Tim comes to his studio where he has a bunch of stuff done. He says his inspiration is classical music. There's a long pink skirt with pleats and a big red top and some leggings in denim. Tim is confused, because it's not cohesive. There might be at least three collections here. He didn't want his collection to be too cohesive and boring. Tim then claims he can't give him any advice or make decisions for him, and it's up to Kentaro to make something both cohesive and not boring. Then Kentaro says he composed music for his collection and he'd like to play it. That is really cool. Tim says it's beautiful and asks what gave him the idea. Kentaro says he found a dead cat on the street and so put his ear to the ground and this is the kind of sound he heard. I love you Kentaro. Never stop being a total weirdo. Tim abruptly says to keep practicing and he has a lot to do so he's leaving now. Hee.

San Juan and Margarita. Tim has donned a red blazer. So we do get a chyron on this one, which says “6 weeks before Hurricane Maria.” This puts the visit August 9^th, although that's not as helpful because we don't know when filming ended. Margarita and Tim walk around to look at the buildings and all the colors. All these buildings are painted different colors and it looks really cool. Margarita takes Tim to her parents on a gorgeous patio and they talk about how much she wanted to be on the show. She tried out 9 years ago, and then didn't go back until she thought she was ready. She interviews that this career is her baby.

They go to her parents' house to see the collection. She is inspired by her parents' old couch, which is a rainbow print. She's made her own print for the collection and everything is full of colors. It's a brightly colored striped print that Tim loves. Also there is crochet everywhere and a bomber jacket with some crochet and all the crochet is like macrame with gold rings. Tim says it kind of looks cheap with the gold rings. So for example there's a two piece look where the two pieces are linked together with macrame and gold rings. She's afraid if she takes them out she won't know what to do, but Tim tells her to do it. No more rings. Also you need to take your girl off the beach and put her on the city street. I don't know that you need to cater to New York all the time but whatever.

Oh no, you guys, is this really two hours?! UGH. Time for Brandon. Tim finds Brandon and his girlfriend in a park somewhere. Actually it's Alamo Square (I think) which is lined by Painted Ladies, those Victorian houses you always see. Like on “Full House”. His girlfriend is also a designer. Brandon interviews that he'd only done menswear before coming on the show. His girlfriend loves his collection, of course.

Brandon says a bunch of stuff about layers and most of the collection is a pink floral print with a gray background. Or is it flamingos? Anyway, it's “home” fabric, which sounds like upholstery fabric. At least he did some treatments and fading to some of it. There's some pants and complicated things happening and an oversized leather piece. Tim says the girlfriend said there was a lot of skin, but where is it exactly? Brandon laughs and says that she is always completely covered up so a crop top is a lot of skin. Tim has zero advice because he loves all of it. Well that's not helpful.

Time for everyone to return to New York, to stay in a much nicer apartment and talk about how much they've been working. At least they're all happy to see each other. Everyone finds a note and all it says is “welcome back, we hope you are ready to fight for your spot” or whatever. Ayana says she's finished 8.5 looks in 12 days. So...7 weeks to make a collection? That sounds about right. Ayana tells everyone she really wants to see her ten looks on ten girls. Kentaro says “What? Ten? I only prepared for eight!” pretty convincingly before laughing. That was some good acting.

Workroom. Tables full of shoes and racks of clothes. Brandon tells Ayana her collection looks like an amphibian, which she takes as a compliment. Kentaro says she always does something surprising. Margarita loves Brandon's flamingo print. Actually no one says anything really rude. Margarita is a little worried because her collection sticks out and the other collections are really good. Tim comes in and reminds them they need to show two looks, and the judges will decide “who moves forward.” Tim himself does not say how many will move forward. Ayana is starting to cry because she doesn't feel better. The lost time from the flooded apartment is really weighing on her, and she's starting to freak out.

Oh look you guys, a new season of All-Stars in January. Yay.

Tim returns for Tim Time. Tim loves Margarita's two looks, and says if those are her two looks, then he would definitely want to see more. He reassures her it's cohesive, and then she shows him a bomber jacket and wants to put it over a bodysuit, but that means making some shorts. She's willing to do the work if it gets her into the finals, and Tim says she should do it. Kentaro has one pink look with a pleated skirt, and he's trying to decide the second look. One option looks like the pink look, but the other one doesn't, which shows range. He's afraid that not using the looks in the right order won't look cohesive but Tim says that's not what it's about. Brandon doesn't seem to have picked out two looks, because he has three options for his models and I guess he's going to see what looks the best. He gets no help. Kenya is not doing well. She thinks something is missing but she can't figure out what is missing. She's got a black dress with pleating, but it's too old compared to the peaches and embellished sheer jackets. The problem is that that model won't fit anything else but the black dress. Tim tells her to put a sheer jacket embellished with pearls over it and now it's “elevated”. Ayana is also freaking out. Her two looks are very similar, and they're both “dressy”. Tim advises using one of her more sportswear looks for some range. Actually Tim wants her to not use either of the ruffled looks she'd planned to. It would tell the judges she's evolved. All the women look worried, while Brandon doesn't, of course. Tim claims it's anyone's game, but we all know Brandon is showing. Come on.

This season doesn't have as much frantic working as usual. I mean people have shown up with entire looks that aren't started. But these guys are much further along than usual. Model fitting. Margarita wants Nina to actually smile. Hee. It goes mostly well, but Ayana doesn't like the looks Tim suggested to her. She feels they're drab. So she goes back to the original looks, because that's what her gut tells her. She doesn't want to hurt her chances, but she also doesn't want to bore anyone. Everyone looks nervous.

Runway Day. Ayana goes back to the looks Tim suggested. Not hot makeup guy Scott. All the models love their looks, or at least if they didn't we weren't allowed to hear from them. Brandon can't choose a top for Liris, which is terrible. It's Liris. Get your shit together, Brandon.

Once again, Heidi is not here. That is some serious horseshit. The HOST of your show CANNOT SHOW UP TO DECIDE THE FINALE. Your host has better things to do. Anyway, she says after today there will be “less than five” so I was right about the vague wording. There are three spots in the finale, but if they feel like having four they could. No guest judge today. Brandon: long loose pants and a crop top. The pants have slits up the sides, with button loops lining the slit, and a paper bag waist. The top is all gathered and looks like it has elastic in the hem holding it just under the boobs. Maybe the upholstery fabric was a mistake, because everything looks stiff and the top especially is not sitting right. It looks baggy, but not on purpose, as if he just seriously failed at fitting it to Liris. Oh and straps of course. The second look is a shirt dress in the print with a coral shirt. The shirt has elbow length sleeves and a crew neck, and is basically an oversized T-shirt. The shirt sits over the dress so only the skirt shows, which is a mullet hem. Also there are thin suspenders somehow. When the model turns to the side at the ends of the runway, you can see that there's actually a regular miniskirt there, with two big panels draping down front and back to make it look like an oversized men's dress shirt. You can also see that it's not suspenders but a small backpack.

Margarita: the top is a navy blue sleeveless top with a high neckline and a sash. The pants are insane. They're very tight to the knee and then they flare out into very wide bell bottoms. It's a patchwork of several prints, all somehow sparkly. It feels very 80's somehow, with the many prints and a million bright colors. The second look is a bodysuit in an 80's pink and white and turquoise and black print with zig-zag lines. Over this are a pair of navy shorts that look very baggy. I think they're too high-waisted because they look gigantic. Also there is a sparkly bomber jacket in another print. They both have the same vibe, but it is very loud.

Kenya: the first look is a pale pink bra top and a pair of pants. I think it's just pants? It looks like there could be a miniskirt under there but the model has a sheer robe over everything and she never removes it. The robe is a slightly darker color with a fern pattern and knee-length. The second look is a black dress with a square neckline and a very tight mermaid skirt with a big flounce. And pockets? Over this is a peach sheer robe with pearls. You can't see the robe as well because the model has her hands in the pockets the whole time. The skirt is almost a tea length and the robe is close to the ground. I don't know that they go together, but I also feel like the black dress looks younger and the first look is a very “old lady lounging in a robe and pajamas” feel.

Kentaro: off-the-shoulder top in white, with long sleeves and a crop top. It's very 80's “Flashdance” cut up sweatshirt in silhouette. The skirt is a full knee-length skirt, except for over her left hip, where there is a big bunch of fabric. But not shaped like a flower or anything. Imagine if you made a full skirt, then you made another full skirt but a third of the size. Then sew the waistband of the smaller skirt to the hip of the other skirt. It sits the same way it would sit on a person. Straps also. The second look has a long pleated pink skirt and a camisole. The camisole is leather, draped in such a way that it's lumpy and folded all around her waist. The skirt is lovely though.

Ayana: ankle length pants in a slim cut, a silk shell, and a jacket, all in a light dove gray. The pants have some kind of embellishment up the sides, although it might just be ripped artfully. The jacket has a band collar that's buttoned, then the jacket falls in a triangle to her hips and isn't closed anywhere else. Second look is more gray pants in a slim cut, and a tunic length top in a shiny gray print. The top has long sleeves and some lace/sheer pieces at the wrists and hemline and neckline. I like it, but then again I feel like I owned this shirt at one point in the past and decided to stop wearing it because the shininess wasn't flattering.

Kenya describes her collection as “vacation, dreamy, and a little business”. The pieces are polished. Zac feels the “cover-up” story, because of the two robes, but the black dress doesn't fit? Her boobs move too much? I'm not sure. Heidi is not excited. Nina thinks everything looks luxe, but there's a styling problem, for example why is the pearl robe over the black dress? That should stand alone. I KNEW IT. Tim told her to do it! And now the judges are telling her the opposite! Tim says nothing because of course not. They get the models to take off the robes, and that pink look is just high-waisted pants with a weird crotch. They don't like the robes. Heidi tells her now they look cohesive. Ayana is telling the story of her life, and she wanted to show something they hadn't seen before. Heidi really likes all of it, the colors and the easiness of the clothes and even the high necklines. Nina likes how it's modest but it's not obviously a modest look, if that makes sense. She wants half the girls in hijab, and Zac says something dumb about “what is the new wrap for covering.” Shut up, Zac.

Kentaro doesn't talk about classical music, but instead says something about a lake. I don't know. Heidi doesn't like the white look, but she loves the pleated pink look. They don't go together. He tries to explain about how he didn't want his collection to be super cohesive. Nina likes how beautiful the clothes are but he gets conceptual and that doesn't always work. But now the models both have tight high buns and thick eyebrows and Nina complains that they look like robots and so therefore the clothes are soulless. Jeez. Zac doesn't think it's enough. Brandon says some stuff but it doesn't matter. Everyone loves it. Nina loves the shirt dress (which has shorts underneath), even though I distinctly remember the judges telling him not to send another shirtdress down the runway. At least she thinks the other look has too much going on. The top has shirring and straps and a placket and everyone hates it. I think it's baggy and ill-fitting, not too busy, but I'll take it.

Margarita explains about her parents' old couch. I love this inspiration. Zac tells her the print is on the border of hideous. Heidi likes it because it's fun, but she hopes it's not all loud. Margarita fires back that they told her to bring it. Heh. Maybe don't make it tropical. I don't understand this objection to how her collection isn't “New York” enough. Don't people make collections inspired by other places? And they don't get nailed for it. It's such a nonsense objection that they've never, ever made before and it makes the alarm bells go off. Was Anya's collection “New York”? Fuck no. I think they decided Margarita should go so they're making shit up to get rid of her. Well why didn't you just get rid of her last week? Her dress was unfinished! Her model's ass was hanging out! Come on.

Now everyone has to say why they should move forward. I was going to write down what they said, but you know everyone is just going to say they really want it, they're ready, they have something to say. Wait, Kentaro is saying he thought he was ready, but he's not actually really ready, but maybe in the next couple days he'll be ready. Kentaro, don't do that. Everyone else says what you would expect.

Heidi meets with Nina and Zac. Tim is not there, and neither are any models. Heidi is feeling confident about Brandon (duh) and Ayana. Nina and Zac quickly agree. Margarita is a great print designer and has a point of view. Kentaro is struggling and maybe shouldn't have said so. Plus the styling is weird. I don't know that his styling makes his clothes “soulless”. Kenya “loves bodies”, according to Zac, but her two looks don't go together. Nina acknowledges that Kenya can dress a range of body types. Zac says he wishes he could have seen all of Kenya's looks, because I guess he doesn't understand the concept of how if he passes her through, he can see all her looks?

Heidi says the final runway show is in two days, and four of them will show in it. Told you. Brandon is in. Ayana is in. Margarita is in. Heidi makes sure to tell her that shit about New York, which I still think is weird because we have never heard that complaint before, and there certainly have been designers who didn't make “New York” looks. They didn't like Kenya's looks, and Kentaro's white look. Kenya is out. Sigh. So Kentaro is in. Heidi tells Kenya they love her and she wishes she was there and could give her a hug. Nina and Zac hug her though, and Zac reminds her that a lot of people have seen her work so this is a beginning for her. That's true. Tim comes in and says he feels sick, and he wishes he had another Save. Aww! He's crying. I think (I hope) he feels super guilty about telling her to put that robe with that black dress and then the judges hated it. I'm sure she showed as a decoy, probably.

Next time: the show finally ends, and apparently the show was filmed at the same time as Hurricane Maria so Margarita is worried about that too.