Project Runway All Stars 1/9/19--"Top of the Class" summary

Previously on “Project Runway All Stars”: Six winners from original Project Runway and six from international Project Runway came together to be “inspired” by their “country of origin”. Whatever. Dmitry made a black dress with blue/green embroidery and his signature floating cutouts, and won. I didn't notice last week that he did cutouts like he often does, because it's been that long since I've seen him. Anya made one of her usual boring maxi dresses, and Anthony Ryan made a really weird disjointed dress. But of course, because these producers suck, no one is eliminated. Oh and here are two more contestants: Sean (the guy with the fringe) and Juli (from Australia). This is why I always say I hate this show. (click for more)

I saw some speculation that Juli and Sean are at a disadvantage because everyone else has already had a challenge to remember how this show works. Anyway, then Georgina comes out, and talks about the charity Magic Bus, which works with youth in India to support education. One of the former kids comes out, to talk about success and graduation. This week's challenge is to design a spring or summer dress for a graduation celebration. “Random” draw of tassels to determine what two colors they get stuck with. Oh, no, I lied. Dmitry won last week so he gets to assign all the colors. He picks red and gold, which seems hard but maybe not. I mean you can guess all of these combos, and we'll see them later. The best part is where Anthony Ryan complains that he doesn't really like orange, in confessional, as he is wearing an orange shirt. Also Michelle whines a little bit about green and gold. Alyssa says this season's designs will go up for sale on eBay and all the proceeds will go to Magic Bus. Then she says they'll go to Mood in the morning. $150 to shop. They edit it like this is super weird, but that's how the schedule usually works. Someone is eliminated, then as they do their final interview and clean up their space, everyone else is at the runway getting their next challenge.

Sketching happens at Mood. Irina says her dress is elegant. Christina (I think) looks like she's sketched big red and navy striped pants. Sean is going to attach “embroideries”, which look like little puffs of fringe. Anthony Ryan is going for separates again, which he did last week, which did not look good. Seth Aaron talks about his life which isn't the best sign. His design has a cape. Sunny finds a brooch? To balance his colors? I'm not sure how this is supposed to happen.

10 hours to work. Dmitry wastes no time interviewing that Sean is all about fringe, and if he sees any fringe from him, he'll throw up on Sean's dress. Random aside: have you guys seen the video of Christian in the new workroom? It's gonna be loud. Anya is glad for another chance. Better not make another maxi dress. Sunny's sketch appears to be a torso and a big circle. Not a round skirt, or a tulip shape. He just drew a circle over her crotch. Christina has too many ideas. Michelle says something about basic bitch colors. No one asked you. Biddell assumes she's whining about her colors, which I don't know if that's what she was doing? Anyway, he snobs that it's All-Stars and you should be able to handle any combination of colors. Seth Aaron has decided to make multiple dresses for some reason. I guess to make dresses out of different fabrics and see what happens? HE snobs that they're not doing prom dresses. Well, sure, but I wouldn't be that surprised if people heard “graduation” and assumed 18 year olds. Irina says she does a lot of gowns and bridal and whatever.

Anne arrives. She makes stiff jokes with Sean about tassels as the editors cut in a shot of Dmitry shooting daggers from across the room. Hee. Of course there are tassels over everything. Juli wants to do a minidress, but Anne says “tacky”. Anthony Ryan has orange under a blue open lace, but Anne says to do the orange uncovered. Christina is doing a similar thing with red lace over the navy, but it's kind of fall and there are a lot of things happening on the dress. A list of quick critiques, none of which make any impression on me (oh, surprise, Anya's making a maxi dress again). Sunny is making a paper dress? He's got all yellow tulle, and his blue is only the brooch. Seth Aaron brags about how he's going to make another dress in a minute. Jasper feels very lucky to have an education so his dress has a bunch of emotion in it. Michelle gets “it's not horrible” and she celebrates. Irina's mullet skirt is very short in the front.

4 hours left. Seth Aaron's second dress is “cool” and he seems to like it better. Model fittings. Anthony Ryan has decided to embrace the orange, and he immediately curses about it and rolls his eyes. Irina's dress is very short and looks like a Barbie dress. As everyone is frantically working, Biddell says his dress is finished, so he takes a nap. Juli confirms to the sewing room that they're allowed to sew the models into the dresses. Christina is starting to freak out.

Runway Day. Only 2 hours to work today. Anthony Ryan has pants to fit. Christina asks for advice from Sunny. Sunny himself has made a yellow dress with the brooch pinned to the back of her shoulder. Hot makeup guy Scott. Plenty of trash talking.

Guest judges are Sofia Carson (a Disney star) and model Kiera Chaplin. Biddell: red and white short sleeveless dress with a V neck. The front of the skirt has long panels that swoop from the front of her body, along her thighs and then attach and the shoulders. It's done very well, so it doesn't look sloppy, and I like the shape. You can't sit down in it, though. Anya: green and white vertical stripes. It looks like one of her usual maxi dresses, with a very deep V, but only closed just above her belly button. Then shorts in the same fabric. The “dress” is really open so it floats behind her. I mean sure but how is this different from anything Anya ever does? Also the proportions seem off, because of how the top only has one closure and it's just barely above the waistband of the shorts. Dmitry: short yellow dress with an A-line skirt, a high crew neck and puffy sleeves. The sleeves are covered in red embroidery (or maybe lace) and there's also some red along the neckline and outlining pockets. It looks like sort of a flame design? Credit for making a red and yellow dress that doesn't make me think of McDonald's OR China.

Jasper: fit and flare dress made of white eyelet fabric. It's almost knee length, and strapless. She also has on a matching jacket, which just looks like the dress has a triangular neckline and cap sleeves until she takes it off. She shoves it in her purse for some reason. It's supposed to be blue and white, so is the blue underneath? Also the bodice looks a little big, and as she walks, the skirt is doing something weird like there's another layer of fabric bunched up under there. Django: very shiny gold shift dress, with red tulle draped over one shoulder and attached at her waist somehow. I thought the skirt was bunching weirdly as she walked, but apparently the skirt is supposed to have lumps? I'd be more concerned but this is the first I think we've heard from Django all day. Sean: Sean made an Anya dress and then sewed yarn to it. That's what it looks like. A white maxi dress with “tassels” sewn randomly over it, only the tassels are three or four strings each. Cynthia: orange shift dress, with no sleeves and a big white shirt collar. There's a huge vertical bow at her waist, in the same fabric as the dress, and no back. Sunny: short yellow dress, in tulle, one-shouldered with the opposite side exposed. As if you wrapped the fabric around one shoulder but didn't have enough to touch the ends on the other side. She has one small blue brooch on the back of her shoulder.

Irina: ice blue dress with a very short mullet hem. The back isn't very wide so it almost looks like it's supposed to be short all the way around and then there's a train or something, but there are several layers to the skirt so there's some movement. The top from her boobs up is just two stripes of fabric over her boobs. It looks like an ice skating outfit someone sewed a bustle onto. Christina: navy skirt, and a sparkly red top with long sleeves and a V down to the waistband of the skirt. The skirt is knee-length, but longer in the back, with a flounce that seems to be lined with red stripes. The bodice has the navy underneath, but not on the sleeves, and the back is open except for a couple of spaghetti straps. Michelle: loose green and yellow dress. I think what is happening here is there is a tight dress underneath, with one of those necklines that comes up to a point, and which is very short. Then over this is a loose, sheer dress, with yellow along the neck and shoulders, flowing down the sides to the knee-length hem. It's just weird on this show to see a baggy dress, because the outer garment is just loose like a muumuu.

Juli: very short purple dress in a shiny fabric, draped over a hip and one shoulder. There is a bit of yellow lace along the hem and the slit of the skirt. The fabric is bunched over the shoulder somehow and pleated over her chest. It's a weird purple, very red. I think I don't like the shade. Seth Aaron: loose white dress in two layers. The bottom layer is very short and opaque, and the top is a loose lace with a mullet hem. The bottom layer I think is also loose, so the whole thing is like a trapeze dress with a keyhole. The back is supposed to look like a cape, I think, and is lined with wine red. The problem is with the crappy lighting they always have on the runway, and the darker skin of his model, it just looks sheer and therefore looks like he only used one color. Anthony Ryan: loose pants and a crop top. The pants are dark blue lace, with orange hot pants and an orange stripe up the insides of the legs. The crop top is bright orange, with a slight bell shape. You know, when the front of the garment slopes outward and holds its shape. The back is attached at the nape of the neck and then falls open into an inverted V, and is blue lace lined with orange at the hem.

There are too many damn people here right now. Seth Aaron, Sunny, Anthony Ryan, Christina, Sean, and Irina are top and bottom. Seth Aaron says his girl is a hipster from Brooklyn, and her party is on a rooftop with her friends. You know, I can see that person wearing that dress. Isaac says it looks expensive, and everyone likes how it's sexy without being vulgar. Georgina thinks there are maybe too many things going on, though. Sunny doesn't immediately admit he ignored the blue for whatever reason, but after some praise from a guest judge he basically admits he bought blue fabric but chose not to use it. Isaac is sad because the dress is quite nice, but he was supposed to use two colors. Georgina feels like he basically said “fuck you” to the challenge, although she adorably calls it “a finger up” and has to demonstrate what that is to Alyssa by flipping her off. Anthony Ryan doesn't really like orange, but Georgina and Isaac are very glad he's here because they love it. It's blue lace pants. Whatever, clearly he shit the bed last week but they didn't want to get rid of him. I mean Anya and her pajamas are safe. They like the proportions of the back and that it's young and “funky”. The model does have on platform wedges in beige and white, and Alyssa feels she should have worn sneakers or had longer pants. True.

Christina does serious looks. It's very old, which is true. She looks like a sexy secretary. The skirt is fine but the top looks cheap. You can see on the close-ups that the neckline isn't lying flat along her chest. Isaac doesn't think the two halves go together. Sean says some nonsense about how his girl spent a lot of money on education so her dress should match? So the fringe is beads and ostrich feathers he hand-made? It does move really well but it's maybe more red carpet. Isaac thinks it's also matronly. She's someone's mother—someone's fabulously dressed mother, but a mother nonetheless. Irina says her dress is joyous and glamorous. She's fun but the dress is very short. The fabric is maybe not the right fabric, because Isaac is thinking quincenera. They don't really seem to like it, but they try to work in some praise.

Back in the Scrap Bin, Sunny talks about how they nailed him for not using any blue, and Django basically says “You really should listen to the challenges”. And Sunny is like, “Well I didn't know I had to use equal portions of color”. Come on. It could have been more equal than one brooch. Anthony Ryan made something with energy, but it was a little sporty. But he did use both colors. Seth Aaron made something appropriate and fun, but it's just missing something maybe. Or has too many things happening. Everyone loves Sean's fringe, but then Isaac pinpoints why the dress feels kind of matronly, which is that it's in a weird heavy fabric that doesn't move as well as it could. If it was in a cotton knit, it would have been better suited to the challenge. Yeah, I can get behind that. The girls start arguing that they wore long dresses to graduation, or something, and Isaac starts yelling about graduating from prostitution school. I don't know.

Irina chose the wrong fabric and it ruined everything. Aside from it being too short. Christina's dress was confused, even though she tried. But it's too heavy and matronly. Sunny ignored the challenge. It's a good dress, but then putting the flower on says he knew he was ignoring half the challenge. If he had just done the dress, then you could maybe argue that he thought he was just being inspired by the colors. But putting the brooch on says he knew he was supposed to have both colors.

The winner is Anthony Ryan. Really. I see how it is. The man made dark blue lace pants and paired them with white platform wedges. But sure. I can't get on him for the color because he couldn't control that. Sean and Seth Aaron are in. Christina is in. Irina has great construction but terrible design. Sunny has a pretty dress but didn't follow the challenge instructions. Sunny is out. Hmm. I kind of expected them to ignore the challenge requirements and decide bad design is worse. But I can get behind this. He's not very happy about being the first person to go home, and he still thinks he did what was “right” for the challenge and it wasn't disrespectful.

Next week: unconventional materials challenge involving airplanes, some shots of looks. As far as I can tell not one shot of judges saying anything negative.