Project Runway All Stars 2/6/19--"Pedal to the Metal" summary

Previously on “Project Runway All Stars”: the designers were supposed to be inspired by animals to make an outfit for a night out. Basically that meant make something that doesn't look terrible and have some kind of connection to an animal. They were not super strict about the challenge theme. There was some very dumb drama about how Michelle made a dress with sheer strips and floating panels, like Dmitry always makes. The producers were unable to find any clips or shots where Dmitry gave a shit about this. Irina and Anthony Ryan gossiped about it to different people, and Michelle got stupidly “offended” about how supposedly people were talking behind her back, but Dmitry acted like he couldn't be bothered to pretend it mattered. So of course Michelle won. Juli made a boring little black dress and then spiced it up with off-white ruffled panels on her model's hips for some reason, so she was sent home. (click for more)

Alyssa's dress has a weird bell shape to the skirt that maybe isn't super flattering, but the length is just above the knee and that is perfect. Cynthia says she misses everyone from home. This week's challenge is the one where they are supposed to showcase the makeup, and then they pretend that hot makeup guy Scott isn't the person doing the makeup every week and there's some other random guy. Their new collection is metallics, so the challenge is to make an “elegant red carpet look” using metallics. Also a “unique texture”. Alyssa specifically says they can design for whatever red carpet event they want. Very important because you wouldn't wear the same outfit to the Oscars as you would to the VMA's. The winner will get a year's worth of makeup also, in addition to $5,000 from Southwest and the imaginary JC Penny design.

Oh look! They let Scott talk to everyone! The designers play with the makeup and sketch. Sean is making some fringe. Lest you forget that he does that. Django tells us that he's very famous in the Netherlands. Biddell appears to make fun of everyone for playing with the makeup, and then brags about how he was a weird kid. Anya mentions Rhianna at the Fashion Awards. You know, that dress that was completely sheer and everyone clutched their pearls because she was basically naked. Anya interviews that it's going to be very hard to find metallics in the fabric she usually works with. Oh no, you'll have to make something different! I have zero sympathy. At Mood she is looking at chiffons and trims and whatnot. Michelle says a bunch of stuff that just makes her sound smug. Swatch is there but he can't be bothered.

Time to work. Irina is still harping on Michelle copying Dmitry. Is she bored? Upset about her lack of screen time? Meanwhile Michelle is over telling Dmitry she is sorry she snapped at him last week like a mature person. Christina says she needs a win. Anthony Ryan thinks his jacket will work itself out once the pants happen. Everyone has a plan, even if some of them are not particularly innovative. Except Anya. I think she's trying to spin her lack of sewing ability into spending more time on “construction” as if everyone else half-asses their garments. Why is she even here? I know she won, which in my opinion she shouldn't have. But if she still can't sew why is she on All-Stars? Halfway through the day she doesn't even know if she's making pants or a skirt yet. Michelle has stripes. Irina got her hands on those sequins that you can swipe your hand along and change the colors. Django is very salty about Anne's critiques because he feels she never likes his stuff.

Oh look, here's Anne. Irina's dress is too prom. Also trashy. Irina just shrugs because she's totally doing more things to it. Biddell has a cape or a draped piece in the back which is bad, but the front is great. Michelle's dress is horizontal stripes and much of it is sheer. Anne says it's curtains at a cheap hotel, which is RICH considering the striped pillowcase Mondo put out during his All-Stars season that everyone thought was amazing. Anthony Ryan says his fabric is great in the sun, but we all know the lighting on the runway is garbage. Anne says the runway is not in the sun. Dmitry has made a flowy dress in a silver on black print, and it looks like all the dresses he's been making. Anya doesn't have much done, but she claims to be planning a miniskirt. Sean has what looks like a coat over a skirt made entirely out of fringe. Anne tells Django that he has a really cool fabric, but it could go granny if he covers her up too much. Then she calls it a muumuu.

After Anne leaves, Django says he designs clothes that are “ageless”, and he starts cursing and flinging paper around on the floor. It also looks like he storms out of the room and takes his mike off. Model fitting. Django returns for this. Michelle's dress is so low I think her model is about to flash everyone. Anya has the central part of the top, one sleeve in muslin, and nothing else. Anthony Ryan fills us in that she's planning a leather skirt, that she probably can't sew. Truth. Biddell apparently has so much time to spare he's making himself a new fanny pack. He then says he's a threat and he hasn't been on the bottom yet, so that's some heavy foreshadowing. To his credit, he's dicking around so he doesn't overwork his dress. But Anthony Ryan has a point that if you've got three or four hours to spare, you maybe aren't pushing yourself hard enough for All-Stars.

Runway Day. Anya is still behind, so Sean offers to help her. He says his look is done and it doesn't hurt to help someone else. YES IT DOES. In this case it does, because this isn't a situation where something got ruined and now Anya's behind. She's behind because she can't sew. By offering to put a zipper in for her, or do her other sewing, she won't suffer any consequences for her lack of skill. She'll skate through and learn nothing. Sean promises he won't make her win. Hot makeup guy Scott, with air kisses for Sean. Then Anthony Ryan is like “Anya, what can I do? Finish the bottom?” Goddammit you guys. Let her fuck it up and get eliminated because she is not a damn All-Star.

Guest judges are Wendy Williams, Danica Patrick, and Victoria Secret angel Lily Aldridge. Why three judges? Who knows. Also there's a literal red carpet. Cynthia: the whole dress is in a hot pink and silver brocade-looking fabric. The top is a crop top, and over this is a long piece of fabric that has some origami folds on the front to make a folded spray effect. The fabric then flows into a peplum and a long skirt, with matching cigarette pants. The peplum is part of the one piece that's folded, so the peplum doesn't extend all the way around but hangs off one hip. I really like this actually, I think because the pants and the skirt are the same fabric. The whole thing is backless. Dmitry: long black and silver dress with one shoulder. The top is opaque, with horizontal stripes of black and silver, and then the skirt is silver with sheer black pieces. I swear he has made this dress before. Michelle: long dress in mustard, black, and sheer horizontal stripes. It's very loose through the waist, and the top layer is sheer so it looks like she's about to flash everyone. Even the mustard and black are kind of sheer. It seems shapeless to me without being on purpose. There is a short train, and the stripes on the back are in a chevron pattern.

Django: long rose dress, with a vertical pattern of sequins. OK. So the dress is long, with a short train, and a side slit. The top is draped and cut as if he cut a hole in a horizontal panel to put her head through. That sounds bad, but that's the best way to describe that style of top, with a high neck and dolman-style sleeves, you know? That would be fine but then over her stomach and torso, he cut vertical lines in the bodice, twisted the panels, and then reattached at the skirt. So there are twists just under her boobs and most of her waist and stomach are showing. I don't even know. The back is just a low drape. Christina: silver pants and top. The pants are wide-legged, but the fabric is very stiff so the pleats keep their shape on the sides of the pants, and then the bottoms cover her feet so it looks like she doesn't have feet. The top has a mock turtleneck and cap sleeves, with a sheer chevron pattern. Like a band costume. There's some beading at the shoulders too. Anthony Ryan: dark blue brocade, made into tight pants and a jacket. The jacket has a mandarin collar, and the sleeves cover her hands but they're so stiff it looks like he just sewed long rectangles at her shoulders and draped them over her arms. There is also light blue piping at the edges of everything.

Biddell: long dark gold gown with a lot of side boob. The bodice is basically a rectangular panel draped over her front, and then a V in the back, with the sides exposed. The top has gold and black stripes, and he's set three different panels so they are in different directions. The skirt is just plain, and he's put her in earrings the size of the palm of my hand. Sean: jacket and skirt in pink. The skirt is all fringe, and to his credit, it's cut to different lengths so it has a lot of movement. The jacket has short sleeves and is cropped, and then along the front he's sewn two long rectangles that are folded and pinned to make wings, kind of. They stick out from the front of the jacket. Also I notice he's put his red carpet as “The Met Gala”, which is the perfect place for weird fashion. Anya: miniskirt and top with a mock turtleneck and long sleeves. Like, the sleeves bell out slightly and go down to her knees. The whole thing is in shiny gold brocade, with triangular panels of gold leather on the sides of the skirt. It doesn't look right. I know I don't like Anya, but I just don't know if the fit is perfect. Irina: long strapless gold sequined dress with a high slit. The skirt has a lot of volume and folds, and the sequins are all mussed so it looks very textured.

Cynthia, Anthony Ryan, Christina, and Dmitry are safe. You're not going to call Dmitry out on making the exact same dress you've seen from him a million times? Fine. Sean went for something more artistic. The fringe sets off the brocade. Wendy gives Isaac shit for using big words, and then says she wants more leg. Danica feels the top is too heavy. When she turns around, there's just the crop top with some skin showing, and then the skirt, and Danica likes that balance better. Georgina and Alyssa like it though. Anya claims she wanted to do something different, instead of what we know is the case which is that the one type of fabric she knows how to sew doesn't come in metallic. Danica doesn't get it because the sleeves are ridiculous. Isaac hates the sleeves too, but Wendy likes it because Wendy is contrary. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Anya tells the judges she is miles away from everyone else's construction skill level and she had a lot of last minute help. I think she is blaming being so behind for her lack of editing that maybe would have caused her to rethink the sleeves.

Irina talks about her sequin fabric. The back of the dress is also draped beautifully, and it has pockets and a lining. Everyone loves it to death. Django says he liked the texture of his fabric. Georgina claims it's growing on her, but the back is not draped properly to show her figure. It's a little shapeless and heavy. Biddell made those ridiculous earrings. Alyssa loves how it's a different shape from every angle. Georgina likes the stripes in the bodice. There is some disagreement on the earrings. Isaac points out that he did the same as Django, which is to have a narrower front and a draped back, but he is showing her body more so it works. Michelle says something about a “quilted maxi dress”. Horizontal stripes are hard to do, and then at the bottom there's a curved hem to show her feet. Why? Danica is looking for a pop. The stripes feel forced, and not organic.

Biddell had perfect tailoring, but the judges disagree on the earrings. It does have some good drama. Sean's coral color was perfect. The folding on the jacket was wonderful and interesting. Irina knows how to handle design, and color. Wendy and Isaac have a sassy fight about the color. Django's fabric looked like it should be light but it didn't move well. Alyssa and Georgina discuss that maybe it grew on them because it's better when it's not moving. Isaac says Michelle was an epic fail. The weird hem is terrible. I would agree; you can't have horizontal stripes all through your garment and then a curved hem. The fabric is all rammed together. Everyone hates Anya's sleeves except for Wendy. They're straightjacket sleeves, and the rest of the design isn't innovative enough to compensate and make the whole thing avant garde.

The winner is Sean. Nice. Biddell and Irina are in. I think his match of location to design was spot on. Django is in. Anya is out. Michelle is in. Wow. I did not think that was going to happen. Right? Didn't you all expect her to win tonight with other people's work? She says she kept going and she's OK with going home on a garment she took a big chance on.

Next week: the set of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical, avant garde, Django is still salty about Anne, Andrew Rannells with some truly bad facial hair.