Project Runway All Stars 2/1/18--"Fashion's New Superheros" summary

Previously on “Project Runway All Stars”: it's time for the unconventional materials challenge, which this season is rubber balls. At least I assume they're all rubber. It doesn't matter. Helen bragged that she won the unconventional challenge her season, but then immediately started complaining about how terrible all these materials were. I don't know. Stanley won, for making an orange dress with scales. So basically a fish. Listen, it looked good so I'm only slightly offended my boy Fabio didn't win for golden armor. Anyway, then Helen bitched about how gluing was a copout, then she got called out on her attempt at shade, then she pretended she would NEVER do such a thing. Girl. Shade has plausible deniability. Also don't come for a room full of gay men with your terrible attempt at shade. Fabio and Anthony schooled her. Then of course she was safe and Candice went home for making her model look really wide. (click for more)

Alyssa plugs the makeup brand, but hot makeup guy Scott isn't here so who cares. Some woman from the brand is here, with a stack of envelopes. Because Stanley won, he gets to pick out his envelope first and then distribute the rest. He gets “smokey”. The other envelopes are “dragon's blood” (Anthony), “pink diamond” (Amanda), “24 carat gold” (Helen), “magic gel” (Merline), “bee venom” (Char), “concealer” (Josh), “contouring” (Edmond), “illuminating” (Kimberly), “super acids” (Ken), and “snake” (Fabio). Stanley just passed out envelopes without looking inside so it's fairly random. The best part is when Kimberly says “Give me something good, Alyssa!” and Alyssa says “It's not me!” But when Kimberly likes her envelope, Alyssa says “It's totally me”. Heh. Anyway, there is then a nebulous tie-in to fearlessness or whatever, and superheroes. You must channel your woman's inner superhero. She will also have a secret power inspired by your card. Winner gets a year's supply of makeup.

Everyone gets makeup to be impressed by. Anthony is the funniest, insisting he can smell the luxury which is hilarious. The makeup woman comes back to the workroom while people are sketching, so she can give them buzzwords and whatever. Listen, the makeup sponsor challenge is usually dumb. No one cares, but everyone will pretend to care because of the monetary worth of the prize. But we certainly don't need to see this woman meet individually with each designer. Anthony plans some huge sleeves that will let his model fly. Edmond says his girl encourages other women to appreciate themselves. Mood is Mood. Fabio asks Helen for money. She laughs, so I guess she's not holding a grudge from last week? Amanda says something about layers and then buys paint.

Ten hours to work. Amanda is quickly lost. I think she's thinking about painting fabric? Anthony coughs because he's apparently caught a cold. Aww! Helen mentions it used to be quiet in here, or something, and Anthony calls her out. When Fabio said Anthony was getting sick, she said something like “I know, it used to be quiet in here”, and Anthony immediately called her out about how that wasn't nice. He then says in interview that she threw everyone under the bus last week, and that adults who act up in public are essentially children and should be dealt with accordingly. He makes a comment that he's going to pull a Helen and sit in the sewing room all day, or whatever. Maybe after being made fun of she'll realize it sucks and stop. Oh, Anthony. You know that's not going to work because that strategy never works. Amanda claims her brain loves the colorblocking process. Sure. Edmond managed to get his hands on those sequins that stay flipped when you run your hands over them. The kind they make those pillows out of. Helen actually tells someone their look is nice.

Anne shows up. Amanda has good colors, and a good idea, she just needs to execute. Anthony hasn't started his big sleeves yet. His dress needs to be less wedding gown and more fashion-forward. Merline has created a giant pointy collar that she probably needs to scrap. Helen has shiny fabric that can easily go tacky. Kimberly has a dress over pants. Fabio's look is too old. It looks like a basic sheath dress. Edmond's super power of “she empowers other women” is pretty cheesy. Also he has a cape. Josh has made lingerie, which he is quite proud of, but she points out that it's not a lingerie challenge. Seriously. Quit making your tacky shit. Anne tells the room in general that “classy” is not “bland” but many of them are making those things the same.

Ken and Anthony come over to Fabio to give him a bunch of advice. Helen interviews that this isn't a place for friendship and they're cheating. Look don't be jealous just because no one is your friend because you're a bitch to everyone and they all hate you. Model fittings. Anthony shrieks in confessional about his dress. Amanda doesn't have anything to try on. Kimberly doesn't like her look as much now that it's on someone. Helen interviews about it, and it doesn't matter what she said as much as I clock the barely concealed smirk she has. Don't smirk about how other people's looks are terrible and then later be butthurt that everyone knows you don't like them.

Runway Day. Fabio and Anthony joke about compliments. Fabio has also picked out open-toed stilettos with giant puffs of tulle on the toes. He helps Ken, and then makes Anthony help. Amanda whines that it's not fair. People can do what they want. Hot makeup guy Scott. Ken wants his model to be bald. Helen's zipper breaks and I'm willing to bet no one cares.

Alyssa is wearing bronze sequins and giant bell sleeves. Guest judge is model Karolina Kurkova. Fabio: long sheath dress in a very dark bronze with dark blue flowers. I think he maybe made this print himself? Over this is a black skirt with a paper bag waist that's open in the front. I'm not sure how this is a superhero or actually why this isn't horribly boring. I love Fabio but I don't get this one. I think the sheath dress is below the knee and the black is slightly longer. Helen: long strapless gown in light gold. The fabric moves very well, but she put two weird cutouts in the bodice. It looks like she took a bandeau top and then sewed like, six inches of fabric right in the center, at the bottom of the bandeau. This then drapes down to her waist, so the cutouts are basically the entire sides of her torso. Also the hem is about an inch too long. Edmond: first of all there is a big black cape. Under this is a long dress made of black sequins. The skirt looks pretty standard, but the top is basically two triangles that attach in the middle of her stomach and then cover her boobs on the way to attach behind her neck. It looks like a bathing suit top, where you want to show a lot of skin but are too chickenshit to just get a bikini already. The whole skirt is not the sequined fabric, just over one hip and along the opposite hem. I'm not sure why there are two different fabrics. The back is just one strap holding the triangles to her chest. It's pretty tacky.

Char: loose pants in black with thin white stripes, and then a long top in black and white stripes. The top has crossing straps that loop around her neck. It looks like those diagrams of scarves, where you're supposed to make a beach coverup by tying the corners behind your neck. So there are some narrow gaps, and then it hangs down pretty low so at first I didn't notice she had pants on underneath. It moves nicely though. When the model turns around, it's clear the top doesn't wrap all the way around her body, and the edges kind of stick out, so it's maybe too apron-ish. Kimberly: A-line dress, sleeveless with a V-neck, that hits mid-thigh. Under this are flared pants. The pants are terrible, because the flare is wrong and they look super 1990. And they're made out of a floral rose print and are dusty rose. The dress has the same print at the hem but is mostly just a plain blush color. I know I put that the dress was A-line, but it's impossible to tell if that's on purpose, or because this whole look fits horribly. It looks shapeless and vaguely shiny. And the pants are too long. Merline: long sheath dress, with a mid-calf hem. There's a high crew neck, and the dress is gray with a strip of blue across the top of her shoulders. The only interesting thing is the shoulder treatment, which is basically boxes. Like if you made two boxes and then sewed the open side to the dress at one corner so they don't look attached. Anne said it was “Star Trek” and it totally is. Listen, it fits way better than Kimberly's, though.

Stanley: long ball gown. The skirt is a print with a black gauzy overlay, to muffle the print. The top is weird. So the print gown I think is a full gown, with your basic spaghetti strap bodice. The black overlay that is on the skirt is then on top of this bodice, but not sewn over the pattern of the bodice. Instead, it looks like he took two rectangles, sewed them to the waistline, then gathered them around her neck. There's a vertical keyhole, so you can see the dress underneath. It just seems unnecessary. Amanda: long gown in shades of pink and red. The top has a bunch of straps over a basic deep V with no sleeves. The skirt is colorblocked, so imagine some geometric patterns with gold accents. The straps cross over her chest, then go under and around her arms. The skirt seems heavy and I'm not sure all these shades of red and pink go together. I think the straps actually attach at her waist. It's confusing, though, because it looks different based on the angle. Josh: Jesus. So it's basically a corset and garter belt. She clearly has garters and stockings on, because you can see the straps. Then there's a bodysuit with thin black straps to make it look like the boning on a corset, and no pants. Over this is random-ass bunches of black tulle. Like he just took a handful and sewed it between her boobs so it hangs down over her body, but actually does nothing in terms of covering anything or having shape. She just looks vaguely spiky because there's nothing done to the tulle except to sew it in bunches so there's some volume. And carefully placed to pretend to hide how his model is basically in lingerie. It fits well, but it's even tackier than Edmond's.

Anthony: long white sheath dress, with a hem below the knee, and giant sleeves. They're not mutton sleeves, because the volume is at the ends of the sleeves instead of at the shoulders. Imagine a huge bell sleeve, but instead of the ends of the sleeves being open and ending at her hand, they're probably twice that length, but gathered back at the wrist. So it drapes. The silhouette is like a capelet and it fits really well. Ken: bright red jumpsuit, with a plunging neckline. The pants are full, and the sleeves are tight. But over the sleeves are big ruffles in the same fabric. I think the fact that the whole thing is the same fabric keeps it from looking like a costume. Also his model is bald which is pretty striking to be honest.

Edmond, Amanda, Ken, Anthony, Merline, and Fabio are the top and bottom. Are you fucking kidding me with this. Why are you letting Josh get away with this bullshit every week. He was complaining about not being noticed and asked if he needed to send out a naked model to be noticed. Does that mean he deliberately made lingerie so they'd at least put him in the bottom and give him more screen time? Because I'd rather believe that than believe that he thought that shit was good. Fabio talks about snakes, which I think is why the skirt is like that. They love it. Huh? It's elegant and the black overskirt comes off, which they also love. I mean, it is very wearable, but it's kind of boring? Whatever. Merline talks about liquid that melts things or something. Look, no one cares about the super powers. Georgina hates the proportions, and the seams down the front. You can see the seams don't meet at the waist, they're a little off. But it is streamlined. Alyssa has seen this shoulder from Merline before so she's not as impressed. They harp on the seams a bunch, how they don't line up and there's a horizontal seam right across her boobs. Oh but Josh's model is way better than this? Please. Or Kimberly's for that matter? Anthony describes how his model inflates her sleeves and flies. Alyssa asks him to make it for her. Aww. They really like it. Karolina asks how it is underneath, I think because she wants to know how it's constructed. Anthony immediately is like, mm-mm, let's not look up under the bed. It's funny, but then again, if you're going to harp on Merline's construction and seaming I'm not sure you can let him get away with that.

Amanda's skirt actually doesn't have gold like I thought, it's just a shinier pink. Her superpower is that she “reflects the goodness in the world”. Uh huh. The waist needs to be taken in like two inches. The skirt is too heavy and sad, says Georgina. Ken talks about penetrating the soul. The ends of the sleeves are not finished, but it's good otherwise. He says that someone is watching who doesn't have hair, and he wanted to show that was beautiful also. Georgina kind of nods at that. Alyssa claims she didn't notice the model was bald, then tells him not to play it safe. Edmond says something about confidence, as I notice the cape is shiny and cheap looking. They kind of like the sequins, and how the sequins aren't covering the whole dress. Oh, the cape is leather. Or at least pleather. Alyssa claims to really like the cape, and Isaac is horrified because every Kardashian and drag queen has that cape. Hee. She and Isaac giggle about how they're totally going to fight about it in a minute.

Merline thinks she's going home because she's been in the bottom twice. Maybe. Fabio made a gown that doesn't say “superhero” but is chic and not literal. Ken's jumpsuit was not his usual look, and they do appreciate that and they liked it, but Isaac feels the bald cap is just a desperate attempt to be edgy. The judges agree he is safe but is not winning. Anthony's dress was fresh and fit really well. Isaac says he has something bitchy to ask, but is that dress too pretty? Yeah, that's bitchy. Georgina yells at him. Isaac doesn't want to see Edmond go home, because it's pretty good. They argue over the cape, sort of, in that they can't agree on the cape and Georgina finally says that the cape doesn't go with the dress and that taste level worries her. Amanda's colorblocking was too busy and not worth the time it must have taken to do all of it. It's just bad. Merline has made that dress before, and the judges had told her what was wrong with it, and she never fixed it. The seaming was terrible, on top of that. She's a great thinker but Georgina is disappointed today.

Ken is in. The winner is Fabio. What? That dress is too boring. I love Fabio but come on. Anthony is in. Edmond is in. Amanda spent too much time on her skirt and not on the rest of the look. Merline made a fine dress but it's not enough at this point. Amanda is out. What? Merline is in. That is not how I expected that to go at all. Amanda thanks them again for the feedback, as she's already sniffling. She says the competition was so high she should feel better, but she doesn't.

Next week: Betty Boop. This is dumb. Josh interviews that no one wants to wear a dress that looks like a tissue you blew your nose in, which is fucking hilarious since that's exactly what he sent down the runway this week.