Project Runway 1/30/20--"Sheer Genius" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: a collab with artist Ashley Longshore, where everyone had a print inspired by Ashley's works. So I guess this was instead of the “make your own print” challenge. Dayoung was still not well. Brittany used her pre-existing love of Ashley to make a weird Frankendress and win (it worked, trust me). Marquise messed up his blouse so he was sent home. (click for more)

In the morning, Dayoung lies in bed and interviews that she is exhausted. The show is hard on her physically. Victoria is not handling her criticism well. I get that criticism is hard to deal with sometimes, but having watched the show, I know this is the stage where the “favorite” gets dumped on for the exact thing they've been overpraised for. So it's not 100% a fault of Victoria's, because they've spent like six episodes overpraising her, and then suddenly turned on her for no reason. But she's really upset and in tears.

Brandon is also here to introduce the challenge. Supposedly he understands how women feel in the clothes. Sure. Also sheer fabrics are in. Create an “editorial” look using sheer fabrics. Victoria has to ask what sheer means. It must be tasteful. They all pick models, but instead of the models actually being there, it's all done on a screen. Lame. I'm not sure why we're seeing model selection for the first time. As expected, the thin models go first, and Nancy takes DD again. Karlie says they have to work with the models to make sure they're comfortable. Also only one day to work. Immunity for the winner, but it's the last immunity for the season.

As they leave, Dayoung says she feels sick to her stomach, and a lot of people say her name, and the medic shows up to check her out. Geoffrey offers to make her a ginger tea, although I'm not sure he has permission. Just let the medics work. One of the directors has a conversation with her that boils down to “I don't think you're well enough to stay, and I don't want the liability if you really get hurt”. Everyone comes over, and Dayoung says she's quitting for her health. Aww. I really liked her, but I think physically she really isn't doing well. Everyone seems sad too, because they all like her.

Side note: so previous information said the filming schedule was that the challenge is introduced immediately after the previous runway, and then shopping and work is the next day. This must have changed, since we got footage of Dayoung in the apartment before this, and if this timeline were true, she'd have left before that footage would have been taken. Unless that was all from a different day and they just left it in. That's a lot of work, though.

Everyone meets with their models to sketch. DD loves Nancy's design because it's “prom fantasy” and they never went to prom. Nancy is glad, but she also interviews that your finishing has to be perfect because you can't hide anything on a sheer fabric. Sergio interviews that he's using his model's story about marrying into a Chinese family. Whatever. He of course thinks he will win, because he's made a sheer gown before. Not in one day. Chelsey usually makes everyday looks, but she's determined to win. Geoffrey isn't sure what to do, which is not great because he's telling his model he has no idea what he's doing. He has a color scheme from a pair of earrings he wants to use.

Christian meets them at Mood, to tell them someone is returning to replace Dayoung. Really. Marquise walks in. OK props to them, because they had the aftershow last week and there was NO hint. Christian yells at everyone that they're all in the same aisle and he's bored. Victoria says she doesn't understand what exactly counts as sheer. Geoffrey says he felt responsible for Dayoung. OK calm down. She's an adult. They show a clip of him cutting her food for her, which is ridiculous. Dayoung was ill, but she's an adult and can make her own decisions. Chelsey is stuffing layers with feathers? She asks the cashier to pray for her.

12 hours to work. Marquise has a chance to talk to his model, who says as long as her butt isn't exposed, she's fine. Marquise says his first collection was all lace with boobs everywhere so he's pretty confident. Delvin declares to the room that only having 12 hours is sabotage.

Christian returns to announce a twist. He's so pleased with himself. Then he says no, there's not really a twist. Hee. Brittany has a lot of pink. Maybe some shorts? Geoffrey tells Delvin his model is fine with being naked, and Delvin says don't make her actually naked. Christian likes Delvin's skirt, and tells him to start playing with the top. Nancy is going to use up her scraps for a collar? So she doesn't waste anything? Chelsey has made “sleeves” out of rings of fabric running down the arm. She's also using too many layers, and Christian tells her it's not “sheer” anymore. Christian looks at Victoria's sketch, and he's not happy. He says she can't keep doing this dress. She swears it's not the same, but Christian has her number and he knows it's the same power shoulder long sleeved jacket with cutouts. The judges have turned on her, so it's time to do something else. She starts crying about how hard she is on herself, and she probably is, but I also can't believe she thinks this is a totally different dress. It needs to be different. It also needs to be amazing, but Victoria says life is cruel?

Chelsey changes her poofy, slightly baby doll look to a blazer. She talks about taking care of her brothers when she was a teenager. Delvin makes a crop top. Sergio babbles, but I think the point is that he's not lining the garment because he believes the combination of fabrics doesn't need it. Also no one else is as technically advanced as he is. Brittany asks if anyone can see her mistakes, and she runs around in the sewing room while everyone giggles. Model fitting. Geoffrey's model is going to have pasties. Victoria's outfit isn't sheer. When Christian asks her about it, she says she used sheer fabric. I don't think she understands. Or she's just refusing to do the challenge again. Geoffrey is fitting outside for some reason. Who knows.

Geoffrey asks what Victoria is working on, and she says “please don't help me”. Oh you know the producers made him ask that, come on. Victoria completely loses it and says she's leaving because she doesn't have fabric or time. I was behind her not wanting hugs after judging last time, and not really wanting to rehash everything. But this really seems like an overreaction.

After commercial, everyone talks her out of it which is too bad. She says it's better to go home than to be on the bottom again. Brittany is pissed, because it's not fair to everyone who's been eliminated for her to quit now. Honestly Chelsey is yelling at her that everyone is tired and she can't quit. Eventually they do what they should and just leave her in the lounge so they can do their own things. She spends like, 90 minutes laying around in the lounge, and then decides her husband wouldn't want her to quit so she's not quitting. That was a lot of pointless drama.

Runway Day. They seem to have an extra half hour? Victoria has a lot of work to do. Sergio...is helping Nancy? It's weird, just because he's usually so proud of how he's so much better than everyone. Chelsey can't get her skirt to fit right, so she's just throwing it out. Victoria gets something done.

Karlie is wearing a black bodysuit and a completely sheer dress. Guest judge is Paloma Elsesser, who is a model. Sergio: the dress is black with a print to it, and is long and slim. It's got a high neck and no sleeves, kind of like a cheongsam. There are random tufts of long fringe at the shoulders and around her hips. Karlie can't tell if it's lined, and neither can I, quite frankly. Sergio does not say what political cause he is co-opting this week. Brittany: very short romper in pink. The sleeves are huge and poofy, and then the bodice has vertical seams, like pleats. The bottoms are just ruffles and are really short. I think it's a romper with shorts? The sleeves keep it from looking like lingerie.

Marquise: long dress in a sheer that has a metallic print on it. Actually, half the dress is the print and half is black. The dress itself is not very exciting, although he's put like, a loop of fabric over her chest like a cowl neck, that I think covers up her nipples. The whole skirt is sheer and there's a keyhole in the back. Geoffrey: short dress in a bright blue. It has long sleeves and ends above the knee, and it appears to be totally sheer. There's a heavy shoulder piece, like epaulettes, in black and white stripes, and a matching belt and cuffs.

Chelsey: long jacket that's serving as a dress. There's only one layer of fabric, so you can see the muslin skirt and weird bra top. The sleeves are rings of fabric running down her arm, all connected by a strap that runs from her shoulder to her wrist. It's one layer of organza so it's not really holding its shape. It's just kind of there. Nancy: long gown in a black with white flowers. It does really look like a prom dress, with a poofy neck piece running around one shoulder.

Victoria: yellow dress, hits below the knee, with a cutout on one side. One sleeve is just a plain sleeve that hits at her elbow, and the other one is all ruffles and is only attached at the shoulder so it flutters. Actually there are two fabrics, one solid and one that looks like an eyelet, with strips of little holes. The bodice is half and half, as is the skirt, but it looks like a mistake and not deliberate. The skirt is like, a miniskirt in the eyelet fabric, and below the knee in the plain. Delvin: bra top and long skirt in black. There's a horizontal red stripe in the skirt. It's fine but kind of boring.

Brittany and Delvin are safe. Chelsey tells the judges that she changed her look after talking to Christian, and she also explains that the skirt isn't also blue because it didn't fit. But the sleeves were always in the plan. Brandon thought she was going to flash everyone. Elaine hates the fabric, because it doesn't flow properly. There are other ways to celebrate women than a mini trench. Nancy made a prom dress, that was on purpose. And it has pockets. She also tells them she used all the scraps in the collar. Nina loves the shoulder. It's beautiful and dramatic and expensive looking. They also give her credit for not drowning DD in fabric. Marquise barely mentions how he feels for Dayoung, and then Brandon is commending him for coming back and being in the right mindset or whatever. And he's on the top? It's elegant and the collar treatment hides any nip slips. Then it turns out he made himself a T-shirt out of the leftover fabric and Nina gushes about how wonderful it is that he incorporated himself. What? He tried to match his model because there was extra fabric. He didn't set out to make them twins. They just got rid of him and now he's the greatest.

Geoffrey loves his look, it's just what he wanted. But it's in the bottom, because it's too sheer in the bust? I mean, you can see his model doesn't have a bra, but you did ask for sheer. I actually like his look, it's a nice bright color and the shoulders are cool. Geoffrey loves breasts. Hee. Brandon says he loves breasts too, and in the middle of his sentence he realizes maybe that's not appropriate, but he and Geoffrey don't know any better. I guess they don't want the belt and shoulder to interrupt the flow? Elaine asks who he designs for (celebrity stagewear and “fearless” women) and now she actually likes the look better. Sergio explains his model is German and married into a Chinese family and it's cherry blossoms at night and it's raining. Fine. It's tailored very well, and it is burnout chiffon with a mesh on top. This means it's not lined, but Sergio planned the print and burnout parts so well that everything is covered and you can't tell it's unlined. I'll give him credit for that, it's very well made. The guest judge says this dress could be worn by any model in this show, which is great praise. Victoria blames her problems on not knowing what “sheer” meant and then she tells the judges she wanted to quit yesterday. Brandon tells her that everyone up here has failed, and this industry is not for babies. You need to get up and fight. Nina doesn't want to hear any excuses. The yellow is nice, and it's very well fitted so her model looks hot. But it does look like she made it in a couple of hours. It's also not sheer, but no one cares because it's Victoria. Both Nina and Brandon yell at everyone that they need to push through because they're final eight and so no one is a terrible designer.

Back in the Scrap Bin, when Victoria complains that she doesn't know what the judges want for this challenge, Chelsey says critical feedback is good for the soul. Ouch. It's pretty harsh, but Victoria needs to either stop complaining that she's in the bottom, or actually follow through and quit. Marquise is now great and lovely, however both Sergio and Nancy had far superior construction. Nancy's prom dress was personal, and it was editorial. The shoulder piece is nice too. Sergio's tailoring is miles better, and Brandon admits that the fringe moves well. Plus they thought it was lined.

Brandon starts that Geoffrey's look wasn't his favorite, but it was well made and Nina actually liked it. So the bottom two are Chelsey and Victoria. Chelsey ran out of time and ideas, and the bra was terrible. And they hate the sleeves. Victoria managed to put out a complete dress, even though she basically gave up. They hated her complaining.

Marquise is in. Sergio is the winner. Nancy is in. I don't like Sergio, and you'll notice he's only a political designer when he feels like it, but I can't deny that dress was perfectly sewn. He's very cocky, of course. Geoffrey is in. Chelsey made several poor choices. Victoria's struggles showed in her attitude. Victoria is in. Bleh. Chelsey is out. Elaine yells at Victoria first, though, that she needs to get it together. Brandon tells Chelsey she just had a bad day and then Karlie is like “St. Louis represent!” which is cute. Chelsey isn't proud of what she did, but she's surprised because Victoria basically quit yesterday. Christian does not save her. Aww.

Next week: reinvent the tuxedo, eliminated designers for help, Sebastian from last season appears, drama of course.

So first up on the aftershow is Dayoung. She is feeling much better (it's been a couple days). She's posted recently on social media she's been diagnosed with an immune system disorder. They toast with electrolytes and seltzer. Christian agrees that it's hard sometimes to take care of yourself on this show. Then he tells Dayoung that her look was Ashley Longshore's favorite look. Aww. Dayoung has been a fan of Christian since he's been on the show. Aww! They hug and Dayoung agrees to invite him to her first show. Then we talk to Chelsey, who feels that she's better for having tried to work with sheer fabrics. Christian insists that he knows women who would wear this, and it's miles above what she had before. Chelsey is like, I got strong Frozen Do You Want to Build a Snowman vibes. Heh. Maybe she should have made it in black. Then Chelsey says she hated Victoria's look, but the judges love her. Christian tries to defend them that when the show is over, you need to be able to stand on your own, and a strong “point of view” is needed for that. I think we're confusing “point of view” and “does the same thing all the time” but sure. This was a dramatic episode. Chelsey reveals that they've all talked about quitting, and also that she and Brittany told Victoria what fabrics were sheer. So her excuse about language was all bullshit? I mean, I thought it was anyway, since it's not like she didn't have several chances to find out. Like, she could have asked Christian while in Mood. Chelsey then says she wants to ask Christian who he thinks will win. He says everyone is talented and have good technical skills. Chelsey is less diplomatic and says her honest answer Geoffrey will win. Sergio can tailor, but his ideas are not futuristic.