Project Runway 12/12/19--"Cats of the Urban Jungle" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: sixteen new designers met at the airport for our new season. Everyone had to pair up and make a jumpsuit and a happy hour look for a space hotel. But they were allowed to pick their own partners! Brittany won, with a jumpsuit with clear insets and some mullet detailing on the ankles and wrists. It was a pretty cool jumpsuit. Jenn and Asma were the losing team, and in a twist the judges decided to eliminate both of them for two looks that weren't very good and didn't go together at all. I was surprised, but then again not, because Christian has a Save this season, so I would assume at some point he'll use it and they'll have an episode where no one goes home. So this balances. (click for more)

The designers freak out in the lounge after the double elimination. Dayoung is exhausted already. Next morning, at like 7am, an ambulance is here. Dayoung says she aches all over and is dizzy. The EMTs kick the camera crew out for a minute. She interviews that this morning when she woke up, she couldn't move and she felt disconnected from her body. Yikes. So they take her off to the hospital.

When the other designers arrive at the workroom, there is a giant door. Like, to the ceiling. When it opens it's just Karlie. She also asks where Dayoung is, and Brittany says something about medical care but appears to leave out the part where she went to the ER. So this giant door is a prop from the new “Cats” movie. You guys. “Cats” is the one musical I refuse to watch. Ugh. There's some clips about the dancers, and I'm still never watching this movie. Anyway. This week's challenge is about animal prints which are “timeless”. Make a “chic street style” look with animal prints. A two day challenge, but individually. Brittany has immunity, and she can decide to keep her model if she wants. She does, so everyone else has to fight over models again.

20 minutes to sketch. Geoffrey doesn't really use animal prints, because they are already too loud and he can't do any designing around them. That's basically what he says. Marquise is inspired by his shoes. He's already wearing animal print anyway. He tells us that he has applied to fashion school but was rejected.

Mood. Alan does dumb puns because this is who Alan is: very extra and a camera whore. Christian has an animal print shirt but it's not flattering on him? It's like, a bowling shirt and it doesn't fit right or something. Veronica loves glamour so she implies that animal print is not glamorous. Delvin finds a green fabric that seems to be parrots? But very subtle, like green feathers with pops of yellow and red. Christian declares it fabulous so I guess it counts. He then yells at Veronica, because I guess she went to him to say she hated everything. It appears we have a very loose definition of animal print today. For example, if your print is hounds tooth but instead of just abstract black and white shapes, it's actual cats, then that counts as animal print. I don't know. Nancy has eight fabrics. Geoffrey has designed a caftan, which is maybe not streetwear. Plenty of running around. No, Geoffrey, putting your bag in line doesn't count as being in line. I guess he gets it together.

Day one, 11 hours. Does it shock you that Alan did theater in high school? It shouldn't. He is every drama kid I have ever seen. He and Tyler talk about coats and how to have the model put one on and be dramatic. “I want to give you like, old cats, but STYLISH. You know what I'm sayin like, mmm, that cat looks like she's gonna die, but STYLISH.” Then he says “so catty!” Calm down. Delvin is making a coat dress from that green fabric he found. His street style is rich streets. He grew up without money, so he's fascinated by anything that's higher class than where he came from. Lots of jackets being made today. Brittany has a ton of work to do, but she's immune so it's fine. Sergio is making a train, for a diva, which seems impractical in terms of street wear. Marquise has designed puffy sleeves. He says he's been involved in the ballroom scene for a decade. If you have seen Pose, then you know what this is. It's an underground scene where members walk, like a runway, and compete.

Christian comes in and makes the same dumb joke Karlie did about making a door his size. He tells them Dayoung is out of the hospital and back at the penthouse. It's hard to be on this show. He's going to do critiques. Victoria has a snake print, and some white fabric that is all in woven strips. She tells Christian that Moldovan streetwear is dressed up every day. It's looking really evening, though. Tyler has an origami figure, and he's basing the shape of his outfit off that. He actually is folding paper in his interview. Christian asks him if he's doing anything new with the animal print. I mean, they did say to be “new and interesting” but it's an outfit. It's clothing. You know? I guess because Christian thinks animal print drop crotch pants are not new and exciting. I do hate drop crotch pants. Shavi has cut up his zebra print to make a new “print within the print” that Christian loves so I guess that's a way to use it in a new way. Veronica talks about movement and dancers, but she doesn't have a ton right now. Christian does say that this is totally her. I think what she's got right now looks like a leather jacket over a chiffon skirt? She wants to do some shorts.

I guess Alan was up for his critique, but he's currently in the lounge getting fruit snacks. Christian says no one has time for snacks when all they have is Yoda on the dress form. Hee. When he says he's designed a three layer handkerchief skirt, Christian tells him to make that. Alan interviews that Christian scares him. I think because Christian out-dramas him. He then admits he's in the US under the DREAM act, so he can't leave because he won't be able to come back.

Hilariously when Christian goes to leave, he bats at the giant door as if it's going to open up, and then when it doesn't, he says “OK” and just walks around it. Christian had said he'd be back with the models, but I guess he meant tomorrow, because nothing else happens.

Back at home they go to see Dayoung, who is in bed. She says it's exhaustion. She hasn't been taking care of herself. She promises Nancy and Alan she's going to get up tomorrow and fight for it.

Day 2. Dayoung is out of bed, at least. She's very nervous, because she doesn't work with animal prints, but she's going to use a tiger print. Veronica is sewing an oversized black leather swing coat, with poofy shorts. She has nothing to line the coat with though. Dayoung arrives with stuff from Mood. Everyone is really encouraging to her, which is so sweet.

Christian returns to tell them that the guest judge this week is going to be Marni. Sigh. I don't like Marni that much, but fine. She's qualified to judge a streetwear challenge. Model fitting. Victoria's outfit looks like it's straight out of “Coming to America”. It's the square shoulders and the fin on her shoulder. Christian yells at her to quit making accessories and focus on this dress. Sergio has a dress with short sleeves and pockets and a mullet hem with a train. Christian thinks it's “super lady”, and Sergio responds that he doesn't make “young people's clothes”, because young people are poor so why design for them? No really, that's his argument. It's not worth it to design for young people because they can't afford expensive things. Christian tells him that's not true and this dude laughs at him. Sergio designs for 45 to 60 year old women. And I guess Billy Porter, because you know he tells everyone about that every chance he gets. Anyway, that's his market, so he's not changing it. Idiot. Christian argues that just because young people tend to be broke, doesn't mean they shouldn't have something new and exciting. Plus, I'm not sure how you thought you could come on a reality show and not design out of your comfort zone? Delvin asks in confessional what woman wants a gown with a train on the street, where it'll drag on the street and get dirty? Fair. Sergio pretends he gets it, but you know he's just saying that to get rid of Christian and he's not changing it. Alan's look is hot. Geoffrey is still in muslin which is not great right now.

One hour left. Plenty of hard work, but no one seems super frantic at the moment. Nancy tells Delvin she's going to shred her fabric because her person is a cat that got mauled? The camera captures the perfect moment when Delvin slowly looks up from his sewing machine to stare at Nancy. He looks terrified. Nancy says when she designs, it's “we”, her and the fabric. She is seriously shredding her garment. Dayoung has no time to think. It's kind of sad they're not giving her any extra time at all.

Back home everyone hangs out while Veronica gets a phone call home. Her daughter is adorable so she's a little emotional. Sergio has decided his story for his look is about how animals are going extinct and soon we'll have nothing left but the prints. I'm going to strain my eyes from rolling them at this dude. Tyler interviews that he likes Sergio, but he thinks he's come to Project Runway with a character to play. That's certainly possible. Tyler names it “Saint Sergio”. But what about your gown tells that story? Sergio just starts talking about taking care of animals again. Tyler doesn't buy it, but in a nice change of pace, he does admit he feels bad for not believing Sergio. “I'm a tiny person with these big ideas!” I wish he had chosen a less annoying character.

Runway Day. They're getting an extra half hour today. Dayoung still has a ton of work to do. Delvin is done, so he's just sitting around dodging Christian. Heh. He seriously is talking to people, and leaving when Christian walks over, and duck walking to hide behind tables. Victoria knows she needs perfect styling, so she's made an oversized yellow triangle bag. Christian of course doesn't want anyone to stop working to make things perfect. Veronica has made bloomers, which look like a diaper, because bloomers are so tricky. I think they always look like diapers, honestly. Nancy and Victoria offer to help Dayoung finish. Interestingly, I don't see Delvin over there working. The person who has stated he's totally done. He interviews that she's getting help so he just...let her get that help.

Just Marni today, in terms of guest judges. It's another Flash Sale challenge. I can't find who won last week, but you can buy Brittany's jumpsuit for $250 if you want. Down from $330! However the website DOES say you can purchase sizes from XS to 5XL so that's something. Tyler: black leather crop top, that is very short. It ends just under her bra, with a high neck and a bunch of pleating. The pants are knee-length harem pants in a cheetah print. It's hard to see if they're still dropped crotch, but they are weirdly droopy. Think Aladdin's pants from the Disney movie, but knee length. I think there are also some flaps at the shoulders lined in the print. Victoria: short dress that's made of a lot of strips of fabric, all interwoven and running diagonally across her body. One side is a snakeskin print, with a fan at the shoulder and a wide stiff lapel. There's exposed skin here and there, and long sleeves. The skirt is fuller, at least near the bottom, but it's above the knee. A couple of long strips of the print hang down at the side like a sash. I don't know.

Geoffrey: tight yellow pants and high black boots, and a tunic length top with long sleeves and a hood. The top looks like chiffon, so it's flowy, in a cheetah print with horizontal black stripes at her hips, waist, and bust. The hood is unlined, so it's translucent. The back is cut so it looks like a poncho, without defined sleeves, and there are stripes there too. Honestly it looks like a bee. Brittany: navy skirt with some flaps? I think she did the same thing as last week, with longer and shorter panels making the hem uneven. There's a beige jacket, with puffy sleeves, and then under that is a crop top. It looks like a strappy bra with a piece of some kind of animal print sewn to the top, so it hangs down like a curtain. The jacket has a lot of straps at the wrists, and the sleeves are gathered at both the wrist and the elbow. I think one sleeve is a print. The bra thing looks terrible though. Alan: tight long sleeved top in a snakeskin print, with a V neck. The skirt is beige, and looks like a pencil skirt with a looser layer wrapped around her waist, both in the same fabric. The top layer is loose but not that much longer than the pencil skirt. It almost looks like she tied a sweatshirt around her waist, you know? Anyway, I have to give Alan props for fitting this outfit so well, and cutting the neckline the perfect amount for her chest. She looks hot. The back of the skirt is draped strangely, like there are two pieces of fabric over her hips so there's an inverted V over her ass.

Shavi: tight halter dress, knee length, in a zebra print. He's cut the print into pieces and then sewn them back together, so it doesn't read “zebra” as much as it reads “black and white stripes”. It fits very well but it's not a crazy silhouette or anything. It's backless too. Melanie: print top (I think this is the print made up of a tessellation of cats that Christian said was an animal print) and a beige skirt. It's a wrap top, with sleeves? Or if not sleeves, then fabric sewn to the shoulders that hangs down almost to the floor. There are weird gaps in it, which is why I wonder if it can be called sleeves. For example, when we see it from the back, one arm looks like a shorter sleeve, and then some fabric sewn onto the sides, open in the front and back so you can see her whole arm. Then the sides of the top are also asymmetrical, so the sides have pieces that hang down to the floor, but it's short in the front and back. I don't know. The skirt is not exciting even though it has a pointed hem. This whole outfit makes her model look really wide. And the sleeves look like she just sewed random pieces to the top. Brandon literally asks the other judges if this is an animal print. Delvin: short green coat dress. The print is parrot feathers, I think, and stands out simply because everyone else is using beige. The dress has a double lapel, and some buttons and a wavy belt. The sleeves are a little loose, but gathered at the wrist. This feels 80s too, but it's a very nice dress. Delvin interviews that he knows it's fancier than everyone else's looks, but he's going for the top and the top is luxury. See, that's so much less irritating than “young people are broke so who cares about them”.

Chelsey: leopard print crop top and super wide-legged cropped pants. I thought it was a dress at first. The pants are a gray but have accents of the cheetah print. The top has longer sleeves, and the crop top is pretty long. The back has some gray pieces, but we don't see them very much. Veronica: black top and bloomers. I thought this was going to be a jacket, but it looks like it's just a draped top, the kind that you drape from the shoulders so it hangs over your chest like a bell. I think it's not skin underneath but the chiffon animal print she found. The bloomers look like diapers, as bloomers tend to do. There's a matching scarf tied around one shoulder, like from her shoulder, around her neck, and back, and hanging down her side. The pleats in the bloomers are nice, but the top is starting to look like a hairdresser's cape. Sergio: this dude made a gown. It's a cheetah print gown with a mullet hem and short puffy sleeves. There's a high neck with a zigzag of black, repeated just beneath the waist. The hem looks like there was a plain hem, and then a ruffled flounce below that. There is a train. This is not streetwear. Also what 45 year old is wearing this? He is completely delusional about how amazing this is and there is no way he'll be in he bottom.

Dayoung: it's a tiger print dress with some black accents, a belt and the lower half of the sleeves. It looks very shapeless. The back is in all black, with the tiger print across the back of the bodice. It doesn't look like it's falling apart, anyway. Marquise: brown shorts and a print top. There is a pleated skirt, but only on one side of her body, which is how I know there are shorts. The blouse is long sleeved, and has multiple prints. The main part of the bodice is cheetah, but over the shoulders is zebra, then the sleeves are different too. Nancy: shapeless top with a hood. It has short sleeves, but it's not closely fitted or anything. All the shredding is hard to see from far away, but I do see an exposed shoulder. The skirt is alternating vertical panels of weirdly shiny material, and it's a midi length. It's weird.

Victoria, Geoffrey, Marquise, Tyler, Delvin, and Veronica are the top and bottom. Everyone else is in. I'm upset Sergio is in because I think he needs the judges to yell at him for not following the challenge. Also I felt Melanie's was terrible but I'm less upset about that. Veronica talks about dancing and movement and exaggerating the sides of the top. She does admit she knows the look has issues, like a lack of lining in the top. She didn't have anything to line it with. Nina doesn't mind bloomers, but the styling is not great because hair down + high heels + bloomers is not really “street”. Brandon says “exotic diaper”. Marni loved it, because Marni. Delvin was inspired by tailoring and “nipped waist”. He also knows he took a risk doing a feather print instead of traditional animal prints like everyone else. Luckily everyone loves it. The detailing like the cuffs on the sleeves is more casual, so it reads as daytime. But he still took the time to cut the back of the bodice so it was symmetrical and looked like wings. Elaine says she has a crush on him. Hee. Tyler says “Tokyo underground street style”. I can see that, I think. We get a close-up of the top, which has a line of hook and eye closures up the front to the high collar, and wing sleeves that are attached to the backs of her arms, so they sit forward and have the animal print in the lining. There's a close-up of the pants too, which aren't harem pants, but are only attached to the leg band on the inside of her leg. On the outside, it's a very stiff hem that just sticks out like a hoop skirt. I thought it was just really baggy. Elaine and Brandon go up for a closer look, and Elaine says it's way more impressive up close. Nina thinks it's maybe too costumey, because nothing in “street style” matches usually. It's very well constructed, but Brandon doesn't think it's chic or fresh. Ouch. Elaine says Spice Girls. It's stagewear.

Victoria claims to hate abstract fabric and love clean lines and geometry. How is this dress with a million straps hanging off it “clean lines”? They tell her she's in the top. I guess? Everyone goes to look at it. Brandon says it's not his personal favorite because the white needs to be lined. She tries to argue she didn't have time, but she had time to make the bag. OK side note: people who were perfectly understandable have been subtitled on this show, but for some reason we aren't subtitling Victoria, who is very hard to understand when she's speaking quickly. Brandon says it looks like a snake wrapped in toilet paper. Nina tells her she has very good ideas, but she has to be more careful with execution. Marni says Serena Williams, and Elaine agrees. True. Geoffrey says he was going to make a floor length poncho, but Christian said it wasn't street, so this is now much shorter, with pants. Nina shakes her head. He's happy with his look. The pants don't look as good as they could have. Marni says they look like slacks. The styling also could be better. Nina says there are too many ideas and they aren't working. Brandon knows his nerves get to him, and he needs to relax. Marquise wanted something playful. Elaine says this is one of the few looks she can actually see on an actual woman. Marni says she would totally wear it. It has pockets. The blouse is perfect, and combining prints is very hard. Brandon appreciates that it's not a “cats are sexy” look. You know what I mean.

Brandon says that the top three designers were all designing for a different street, so their looks are different. Victoria's look is conceptual, but it's a little dated. She is quickly removed from the running. Everyone loves how Delvin used something different, in a sea of beige. Nina thinks the styling was too “lady”. Marni brings up that it would be different with a sneaker (I don't know about that) but Nina's point is that he didn't do that. It's uptown street style. Marquise nailed the challenge. The blouse is key, and it's a fresh take on animal print. Elaine keeps arguing for Delvin, because she's saying it's “a luxury interpretation of street style”. But a double lapel fit and flare dress isn't street style no matter what fabric it's in. At least I don't think so.

Time for the bottom. Tyler's outfit was the most dated and costumey, but his garment was the most well made by a mile, so he's safe. Geoffrey stood behind his piece, and it was terrible. Brandon makes a smart-ass remark about chokers not being in style, but they are, so shush. Karlie points out that Geoffrey's look was at least finished, as opposed to Veronica's top. Marni argues that Veronica had a cohesive idea. Brandon thinks he knows where Geoffrey was going with his look, which was to a “Cats!” place with the gloves and long nails or whatever. Nina compares Veronica's top to a tarp. Marni wouldn't put any of the clients in either one.

The winner is Marquise! Yes. He gets immunity. Delvin and Victoria are in. Tyler is in. Veronica didn't make a street outfit, and it was unfinished. Geoffrey had too many ideas. Geoffrey is in. Veronica is out. Brandon says he can see the poetry in what she does, and sometimes it's just not your day. She leaves without a hug from Karlie. Then she says she's excited to see her kid, but she wishes being away had been more worthwhile. Christian tells her he liked her look, it was different. Veronica says she's showing her kid it's OK to trip and fall, as long as you can get back up.

Next week: it's Christmas time and also unconventional materials time! So you know it's going to be dumb.

On the aftershow Christian and Veronica do shots and talk about how no one left is really a romantic designer, and it set her apart. Christian actually likes her looks, she just ran out of time this week. He loves what she's wearing. She tells him she's been making all her own clothes for a year, including lingerie. The house called her “Sleevey Nicks” which is amazing. Her favorite judge was Marni, because she liked the outfit. She and Christian bond over how they charge clients more if they have dumb ideas and they want ugly outfits. Ha! They're drunk. Veronica admits she was familiar with Chelsey before the show started, so she was a little freaked out when she saw her in the airport.