Project Runway 1/2/20--"The Ultimate Upcycle" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: we pretended it was actually Christmas time when they filmed and had the unconventional materials challenge! Make a garment out of all these decorations and whatnot. Sergio, for all his annoying cockiness, made a beautiful bell skirt out of wrapping paper and a basket, with bells inside. I don't like Sergio but he did make an amazing dress and won so I'm not that mad about it. Alan did some whack-ass nonsense so he was eliminated. I'm sad because he was entertaining, but his designs weren't that great. (click for more)

Tyler says he's better than his bottom performances these past two weeks. Sergio says they won't give him more chances, like, we get it. No one asked, Sergio. Tyler says in confessional he's “Project Runway's most popular bottom”. Ha! Christian appears and tells everyone Karlie is waiting on the runway with “a special guest”.

Said guest is Karla Welch, who is one of the most powerful stylists in the industry. None of this Marni bullshit. Anyway, Karlie has a fashion industry event in Paris and she'd like the designers to make her a look. They all seem to react like they can't believe the honor. Like previous seasons never designed for Heidi or anything. Also please the stylist. The catch is that it must be upcycled. That means that you have to use “discarded” clothes, or vintage clothes I guess, to make new clothes. Sergio visibly celebrates because of course he already only uses discarded clothing from like, Prada, so he's not a “burden on the environment”. Sergio, I spent 4 hours on a plane today and I'm not in the mood for your bullshit. Get all your materials from Goodwill. I mean they just made outfits from wrapping paper or whatever. This isn't that hard, except that it's the first one day challenge. Go shopping right now with $150, which is a fortune at Goodwill. Karla will be the mentor? Not Christian? Maybe both of them. Karlie also hands out models, which to me says that they've carefully assigned models to fuck with people. Actually, I was wrong. They've hired new models so everyone has a tall skinny blonde model. Sigh.

Everyone has to sketch in the van while they drive, which is hilarious. Brittany is very excited this could be her breakout moment. Sergio makes sure to ask what Karla thinks about when dressing Karlie, which is to make it classic and not too short. Victoria worries about finding good materials. Chelsey is excited because both Karla and Karlie complimented the wide-legged pants she is currently wearing, so she's going to make them again. Melanie (I think, she's had like 30 seconds of screen time so far this season) laughs that she found a dress she actually used to own. I don't think like, it's her actual dress that was in her closet, but the same dress. Tyler wanders around and says his persona both in and out of drag is super classic First Lady. Maybe it's not fancy enough for Paris. Everyone is asking Karla a ton of questions and opinions. Nancy especially. Shavi learned to sew by buying things at Goodwill and putting them back together with the help of his grandmother. She now has dementia so it's bittersweet.

The next morning at breakfast Sergio feigns interest in what others are doing, especially Tyler. We all know he doesn't care. Tyler's look sounds interesting, and someone else says something about self-taught designers. Sergio wants to know how Tyler learned? How he's planning to pull this off? He calls it “terrifying” which...doesn't make sense. Sergio is so full of himself I refuse to believe he is terrified about someone else's skill level. Also I know what happens on this episode and I also know that people have been pointing to this scene as some kind of shady mind games on Sergio's part. Oh, he meant “If I came to this show without formal training like you, Tyler, I would be terrified”. Because there's math, you see. See, then everyone accused him of trying to throw Tyler off. First of all, as a math teacher, stop acting like math is scary. Secondly, Tyler knows full well that Sergio is trying to fuck with him, so it's not as effective as it might be. “But that's just my opinion.” Oh my God, no one cares. Tyler just launched his line, so he interviews “Don't come for me. You made one dress for Billy Porter and you think you're fucking God.” I love Tyler.

Lots of tearing seams today. Delvin is doing “elevated street style”. Chelsey has always been tall, so now she's fully used to sewing her own clothes and making clothes for tall people. She's bought 15 pairs of jeans to make her outfit. Dayoung comes over to measure her. Victoria appears to be making the same deconstructed top she's made every challenge so far. Marquise is trying to get into his zone. He's not deconstructing anything, but tailoring his garment. I'm not sure that's really in the spirit of the challenge. Geoffrey is really judgy about this. Melanie tells us that she and her mom upcycled clothes all the time. Her mom just passed, and this is more screen time than Melanie has had all season so far put together, so I'm a little worried.

Christian appears and tells everyone their guest judge is Laverne Cox. Who started shopping the women's section at Goodwill when she was finding her identity. I like her a lot. Chelsey freaks out. Tyler has wide legged pants and a ruffled top, but Christian thinks it might be too specific a sailor outfit. Tyler does too many “costumey” outfits and he keeps doing it, so Christian is trying to help him. Especially the gold buttons on navy pants. Shavi has a moto jacket and skirt, but it's all pinstripes so maybe it's just another suit. Lots of suits today. Brittany's made sleeves out of a pleated skirt, and a satin bathrobe. It's certainly upcycled, seeing as how she's used four different tops for the bodice. Chelsey only has denim. “Committed”. She hasn't gotten any feedback yet, which isn't necessarily great.

Shavi talks to himself as he works. Nancy has a cute skirt but then a backwards shirt for a top. Maybe not enough. Tyler was very thrown by Christian. Sergio gives him advice, because what if Sergio is the only person who knows some piece of information and then he dies? Then no one will know! Literally this is his argument for telling people what they should do. Sergio tells Tyler to make palazzo pants out of the men's pants he bought, which will totally be fine and not get him yelled at for making pants from pants. Delvin calls sabotage.

Model fitting. They all look the same. Nancy's pleats look crazy. Victoria's top is a wrap top with skin showing, aka every top she's ever made. Christian is not super helpful but makes comments and wanders off. Victoria comes to the sewing room to brag she's done before Delvin. Hee. She talks about moving to the US, and I only understand about half of it, because they won't subtitle her. But you subtitled Justin and he was a native English speaker, just deaf. I see how it is. Sergio tells Tyler to make a skirt, or something, claiming he just is concerned. Shavi puts a hole in his skirt by accident.

Back at the penthouse Shavi tells everyone he fucked up and they do all seem to have sympathy. Sergio asks him about how he's feeling, because I guess he's decided to be that guy? He spent how many episodes talking about how he was above this show? And then suddenly this episode he's concerned with how everyone else is?

Runway Day. Sergio tells Tyler not to eat dairy because of inflammation. What. Tyler has been up all night and is now making a skirt this morning. Shavi's skirt is very short now, since he had to trim off the hole. He's making a band for the bottom? That sucks. Karla appears to add her two cents about styling. Marquise is using double sided tape because he doesn't have time to re-tailor his jacket. Are they allowed to use tape now? Wasn't that a thing? Tyler at least dressed his model. Although he does seem to be sewing his model into the top. He's also shittalking everyone else, and how cutting the shoulders out of a jacket isn't good enough for Karlie, while his outfit is perfectly suitable for both the Hamptons and Paris.

Geoffrey: short dress with a miniskirt, paired with a long sleeved top. The sleeves are a little puffy, and there is a narrow keyhole slit down the front. Her whole left arm and that side of the bodice are gray instead of black like the rest of the outfit, so she's like one quarter gray. Around her middle is some faux leather, like an obi, and a big visible zipper up the back. It's fine but also I'm pretty sure they said not to make anything too short. Victoria: short black dress with a wrap jacket. There's a belt, and then a cutout along her waist on one side. It's the same “deconstructed” wrap jacket with big shoulder pads and a cutout that she's already made more than once. Nancy: the top truly is a backwards pink dress shirt, but at least she made it off the shoulder. The skirt is black and has some kind of detail that I can't make out. It kind of looks like a midi skirt that she's cut triangular holes into. I don't know.

Delvin: black jumpsuit (or maybe pants and a fitted jacket). The pants are shiny harem pants, and the jacket is a fitted suit jacket with lace sleeves. Dayoung: black city shorts (long and fitted) with a brown tunic top with a belt. The top is sleeveless and has an asymmetrical neckline. Like, one side comes straight down from a strap, and the other is like a diagonal wrap top with the lapel left on. I think maybe the two sides of the top are from different garments. The back is asymmetrical too, with one side loose and flowing. Tyler: a black pencil skirt and a halter top with a tall collar neckline. There's a ruffle down the front like an ascot, and then a sash I think. I mean it fits fine, but I am sure I could go to the mall and buy this right now.

Sergio: black pants and a fitted black blazer. The neckline of the blazer has been widened? Or pinned carefully, so that it outlines her boobs. There is a sash or a bow that hangs over the jacket, so it gives the impression of a white bow over her chest, on a black background. Melanie: black dress with a wide V neckline and an asymmetric skirt. The top is pretty wide so you can see a lot of boob, then there's a belt and the skirt has some layering. It looks like a pink/flesh toned pencil skirt, with the black draped over it but cut short on one side so you can see the pencil skirt. Actually the skirt looks like strips and not just a continuous hem. It's interesting, anyway. Marquise: white dress that looks like a dress shirt, and a suit jacket with the shoulders cut out. I mean she's wearing the jacket open so I'm not sure he even tailored it. The dress has a layered skirt, in tiers, but they're all open in the front so the front slit is very high. When the model turns around you can see that he cut out the shoulders and upper back, and the top part is not fitted properly because it's gaping. The judges can see the double sided tape.

Brittany: the top looks like it's open to her waist, with black along the neckline and white for the rest. The sleeves are from a full pleated skirt, and have red from the elbow down. The skirt is short on one side but long on the other. Maybe it's supposed to look like the top is draped over one side? Chelsey: wide legged pants and a crop top, all in denim. The pants look great. The top is basically a bra with long sleeves and some interesting straps in the back. These are basically some high-waisted JNCO jeans but this woman made a top from upside down pants (the bra strap under her boobs is the waistband). Shavi: tight black skirt and a black motorcycle jacket with silver zippers. It looks fine but this model is walking at a snail's pace because that's how tight the skirt is. Both the skirt and jacket have pinstripes, and under the jacket is a shiny draped black top.

Victoria, Nancy, Chelsey, Shavi, Tyler, and Marquise are the top and bottom. Chelsey heard “cool” and “American” and decided on denim. Then she says she's from St. Louis! Woo! Anyway, they love it, and then Nina says something about how making denim pollutes a lot or something. It's very American, although Brandon doesn't think the fit is perfect. Back in the Scrap Bin Delvin doesn't think anyone will buy patchwork denim because it's been done. Marquise talks about blazers, and how he wanted to show off Karlie's legs because she's tall. This is in response to Elaine's question of what about Karlie's style prompted Marquise to design this exact look? She's tall. He does admit he used tape, but Karlie believes it implies the tape is holding the garment together. The judges do that thing where they ask the designer if they made the clothes they are currently wearing and then when they did, how those clothes are so much better than the clothes they had to construct in hours with whatever materials they could scrounge. Not a great week this week. Victoria elevated her outfit, and this is Karlie's aesthetic? But Victoria's “aesthetic” also? So sometimes when the judges like a person, then when they make the same outfit a million times it's their “aesthetic”. When they don't like the designer, then they're a one-trick pony and it's boring. Elaine thinks this is the only outfit up there that is a fully conceived outfit. Victoria starts crying because her dream was to be on this show and it's coming true. Aww.

Tyler wanted something traditional and I guess snobby white people. He's happy with it. Brandon hates it, because it's not cool or chic. He says he cannot see Karlie wearing it anywhere, and Tyler says “Not even to dinner with the Kushners?” Damn. If you didn't know, and I didn't, Karlie is married to Josh Kushner, who is Jared Kushner's brother. You know, the Jared Kushner who is married to Ivanka Trump. I'm not sure where Tyler was going with this, unless it was just “Come on, it's not even good enough to wear to dinner with your shitty in-laws?” His weird description of “traditional, Hamptons, Martha's Vineyard” would fit in nicely to that dinner, I must admit. Karlie flounders for a second (as Tyler adds, “That's your husband!”, like, stop digging) and then stammers that the challenge was to make something for her to wear to Paris. It's not what she asked for, the fabrics suck, the pockets suck, and it's not about him, it's about Karlie's aesthetic and her stylist's input. This...is probably the end of Tyler.

Nancy is also crying, because she's 64 and on this show. The top is still recognizable as a shirt, but just under the collar in the front are a couple of pleats that are not overworked, and the skirt is eight pairs of jeans, with the ruffle being all of the back pockets. It's light and comfortable. Brandon congratulates Nancy and then offers her a hug. He offers everyone else a hug but no one seems to take him up on it. Shavi explains how his skirt is too short because of the hole. Laverne says “dystopian bargain basement office party”. Wow. It's not inspiring and it clearly has fit issues.

In the Scrap Bin Tyler claims his comment did not come out like he meant it, but he doesn't explain how he meant it. Chelsey's look was fresh and different, but Brandon doesn't want her to be in the top two. He likes Nancy's look, as does Nina. It would be a good representation for American fashion. Laverne says that Victoria was very inventive, and Elaine argues that it's cooler than Nancy's. I think she's also trying to argue that Nancy's look is too covered up for a supermodel.

Time for the bottom. Marquise's jacket was terrible. Shavi's skirt problems were unrelated to having to make it shorter. Tyler didn't make an outfit for Paris, and it was boring and outdated.

Victoria is the winner. It's very interesting they made a big deal about representing American fashion and they picked the non-American. She wins immunity also. Nancy and Chelsey are also in. Tyler is out. Aww. I mean, he made something boring, but I'm assuming this was not 100% fashion based. Before he leaves, he asks to speak, and he apologizes to Karlie, saying his comment had no hidden agenda or meaning or whatever. Actually, I take it back, he never actually apologizes. He says he will stand by his look so much he's going to go to Goodwill and make himself this same outfit. Then he starts talking about Christian's Save and how he hopes he can be saved, and then Christian appears and tells him to go clean up his space. You can watch his face fall.

Next time: Cyndi Lauper, teams, so of course arguing and chaos.

First of all, on the aftershow, Tyler's shirt is open all the way down to his waist. I'm not complaining. Christian once again bitches about the garnishes in his drink. Tyler insists you could see his outfit on a bougie white lady, which is true, but not exactly what they're going for here. Tyler is 1000% in love with his outfit, and it certainly was more interesting than a backwards shirt. His goal was to finish, which he did, so that's something. Also he loves his model Deedee, who is awesome. Now Christian wants to hear all of Tyler's shade. First, though, when Tyler says he plays to win, Christian makes a “well...you didn't” face, just to prove he's the shadiest. So now we're going to shade other designers. Victoria has made this dress four times. It's true and he should say it. Then he says Chelsey's jeans are JNCO jeans! I knew I liked you, Tyler. Then they put up a picture of Tyler in drag and he says this is fashion. Hee. Christian tells him he should have made that, and Tyler says if they'd had stretchy sequins at Goodwill he would have, so Christian fires back that Delvin found some stretchy sequins. Mm-hmm. Then Christian makes Nick appear. Yay! I love Nick. I'm not sure why he's here but sure. Nick immediately asks what country Kim Onassis (Tyler's drag persona) is the first lady of. Tyler's response is to ask how he spelled “country”. Is there an O? Then he says Kim is an “Americunt”. I'm pretty sure that's what was bleeped. Kim Ono for Drag Race. Nick chokes and then asks if he gets a drink or what. Nick is supposed to be there for advice on what to do after you get eliminated. Tyler should be inspired by these challenges and grow. Tyler does admit he was there to learn too, because he didn't go to design school. Create your brand. He hopes Brittany will win. Because she has big dick energy. Nick doesn't even know what that means.