Project Runway 2/20/20--"Olympic Game Plan" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: everyone had to tie-dye. Also stay up all night. Geoffrey made a beautiful gown in dark olive green with some mustard starburst patterns and won. Delvin made a “cheap church dress” that was well made, but didn't have anything interesting happening. So he was sent home over Victoria's ugly outfit. (click for more)

There are three bouquets of roses on the table in the designer's penthouse. Brittany and Nancy speculate they belong to, which is,Victoria. It's her birthday, but she is huddled in bed? She's really milking the story.

Karlie shows up with Olympians (and para-Olympians). This week's challenge is to make each of them a “victory dress”. Lots of talking about “athletic bodies” or whatever. One day challenge. Karlie says “Don't fuck it up”. There are “random” assignments to pair everyone up.

Geoffrey immediately says he knows what rugby is, it's the one with the net, right? No. Then he says his muscles are for “visual sport” because Geoffrey. Victoria's client wants red, but also is OK with an asymmetrical design so I guess we're back to old Victoria. Sergio has a client who is pregnant. He says that he doesn't have any experience with this, because pregnant women don't want to spend a ton of money on clothes, especially with how expensive some of his clothes are. Smash cut to one of his dresses with a $12,000 price tag. Thank you editors for being overdramatic for me. Nancy's client is the one with the wheelchair, who wants a train and also sparkly silver and black. Nancy, because she is a sweetheart, is thrilled to make her something. She does track, so her shoulders and arms are really broad, making it hard to find clothes most of the time. I think there is a train planned for the wheelchair. Brittany does not use black (what her client wants) but she says she's done bridal for a long time, and you do not push your aesthetic on a bride. Unlike Tessa last season insisting her client loves black when she said her favorite color was pink. She also has to deal with a farmer's tan line. Marquise's client is petite, and has trouble finding clothes that are for adults. She also asks for a little red.

Christian reminds the designers at Mood that they need to please their clients while keeping their point of view. There is a lot of red happening. Christian basically hollers that they should “surprise” their clients with something not red. No one seems to budge. Brittany is planning some straps around the arms to hide the tan line.

Marquise puts his dress form on a stand with wheels and almost immediately rides it across the room. Brittany goes straight to Sergio for advice on her plunging neckline. I guess. Unfortunately this means we have to have a confessional where Sergio says Brittany doesn't have the technical skills he has, but of course he loves to help everyone out with his vast knowledge. The end result of this conversation is that she's going to put in a modesty panel in the chest. Not to be modest, necessarily, but as a structural component to hold the sides of the deep V together. Nancy is very excited to make her dress and wheelchair train, and now she's talking about how it's not about the challenge but about her client's fantasy. It's not a great sign, because I feel it foreshadows Nancy's client loving it but the judges hating it, and Nancy not caring. But she's got to make a corset and two piece train in one day which is also not a good sign.

Christian comes in to bother everyone. Sergio talks about how his client is more classic, but Christian is bored. Sergio's response to this is that Christian was not in the client consultation so what does he know anyway. This is what his client asked for, so that's what she's getting. He also gets a confessional about how he played soccer to hide the fact that he was gay. It's random and also foreshadowing. Cut to Christian dancing around with a ribbon. Geoffrey is lengthening his skirt because his client wants a slit too. Victoria tells Christian her client wanted all the things she makes all the time: asymmetry, straps, cutouts. Sure. Marquise is braiding straps. He's making something sexy, but Christian worries it's not cool enough? It's also not very Marquise. Brittany's outfit isn't very Brittany either. It is kind of late to do the “design for a client” challenge. Nancy has too many ideas. They're lovely, but last week she didn't make a top, so maybe focus a little more this time.

Model fitting. Victoria takes the sleeves off her design. Brittany is taking up the lining of the skirt, so there's just the sheer overlay. That's more Brittany? Nancy is putting Velcro on the train, so it can be removed easily. Marquise's client has never owned a long dress, and she's thrilled which is cute. Geoffrey's dress looks weird. The waist is in a weird spot, but the top is low, and the short skirt and slit is a balancing act. Marquise is making himself a shirt to match his client. Geoffrey starts freaking out because he's almost started over? There were a lot of problems, and he didn't think he could fix what he had.

Back at the apartment, Nancy talks at Brittany. I'm not sure why, because Brittany was one of the people who was shittalking her. I guess she only focused on Delvin. Why is this clip here? It's just here to make Nancy look rude by keeping people awake. I guess I'm supposed to dislike Nancy for talking, but why can't Brittany just go to bed? Or say “Sorry, Nancy, but I'm wiped, I'll talk to you in the morning.”

Runway Day. Geoffrey says “word” to Victoria, and there's a long scene where she says “yes, nerd” and then says “word” means “weird” and I guess it's supposed to be poking fun at her shitty English? Except I have no idea why Geoffrey was saying “Word.” Like, he was showing off his sneakers. Also he says that Victoria is everything you could want in a woman, which is funny and mean. Thank you Geoffrey for affirming how awesome I am. Sergio is unconcerned because his design is just that amazing. Victoria's dress is very short. Suddenly Geoffrey curses because he was ironing and the iron is covered in...something. There are a bunch of shots of the iron, which is clearly dirty, so why didn't Geoffrey see that? He says there are only two black looks, so it was either Brittany or Nancy. Cut to Nancy saying she hopes it wasn't her, and a flashback shot labeled “10 minutes earlier”. I know the designers don't like Nancy but why are the producers piling on too? Like I said, it's clearly dirty. Geoffrey should have checked. He's got a bigger problem though because it looks baggy around the hips. Cue really frantic sprinting. With like, one minute left, Geoffrey is standing in the doorway sucking down a cigarette and insisting it's fine.

Guest judge is Lindsey Vonn. Victoria: short red dress with an asymmetric hem. So the skirt is cut with a long panel down one side, but not in the sense that it's one longer panel in the skirt, or a long strip, but that the actual skirt fabric is cut in a curve. Then there are some side cutouts, and a V neck bodice that looks like a bra on one side, and a wider piece on the other side that looks like part of a wrap dress. It's very Victoria but her client looks good and seems happy. Sergio: long yellow gown with elbow length sleeves. It moves really well, and has side cutouts. Actually, the cutouts

extend to the back. It's like a crop top, almost a bra with sleeves, and then the skirt is attached in the front over her stomach. She clearly loves it. Marquise: long red gown with a very high slit to show off her prosthetic leg. The bodice is one shouldered, with some straps made of braided material. The skirt moves well. It's kind of boring though. Most of these dresses are boring.

Brittany: long black gown in sparkly fabric. The bodice is off the shoulder, and has a deep V with some illusion netting to hold the sides together. It's pretty basic, but she's a bigger girl so I am sure she's never had a dress that fit that well. Geoffrey: short shiny red dress with a slit. The skirt has a bunch of folds at the hip and around the front, and then the top is basically two triangles and some sparkly straps. It's backless, with just the straps. I'm not sure it fits all that well, but at least the pleating in the front is interesting. Nancy: long black gown with a strapless neckline. There's some trim around the top of the bodice, and then two straps that kind of hang on her arms. I'm not sure why those are there. Then some fabric attached to the back of her wheelchair for a train. The fabric is like a shimmery look, but not sequins. And the train isn't getting stuck.

Sergio's client says this is just what she asked for. It's not the usual maternity wear, and they really like it. It's also the right shade of yellow. Brittany's client loves her. So interestingly they praised Sergio's design, but then they just ask Brittany's client if she wanted a deep V and then they move on without saying anything about the dress. Nancy made an underskirt so there are multiple looks going on. When she shows the judges, Brandon says “It's a reveal!” but kind of quietly which for some reason made me laugh and laugh. They want to see it close up, which does not look great for Brittany. Nina loves that it's functional but also fashion. Geoffrey's client is a classic athletic body who can't find clothes off the rack. Then when Brandon asks about the seam (or the stain, not sure) Geoffrey gets bitchy and says it was someone with a black dress that ruined everything. Brittany immediately says it wasn't her and then covers her mouth and giggles. Like, that simpering “oh hee hee” thing. The judges praise Geoffrey a little bit before moving on. Victoria's client explains how she used to be a big tomboy, and she loves her dress. Nina acknowledges Victoria's things that she does all the time, but I think she likes it? Marquise's client is so tiny compared to everyone else, and they want to look at it closer. Plus Marquise just casually drops that he made the shirt he has on, just now, so he could match his client.

OK, so they are sending the athletes away before they critique anything. Why did it take 18 seasons to do this? Sergio's dress was lovely but very day. Also the skirt was loose enough that she didn't look pregnant. They wanted him to celebrate her bump more? Sergio says he would never put a pregnant client in a form-fitting dress. But that's a thing? Elaine wanted to celebrate her body more. Sergio just wants to argue that she clearly was comfortable. Elaine makes a face where I think she wanted to roll her eyes, but she didn't, but her facial expression looks like she did. If that makes sense. Brandon says the sleeves didn't fit perfectly. Brittany's dress is very cliché, although the fabric was nice. Also I don't think Brittany was able to raise the hemline like she wanted. Lindsey talks about having an idea but also hoping the stylist or designer might have an idea she'll like more, but wouldn't have picked out for herself. It's the eternal struggle I have with this challenge. I have ideas, but I want someone to also have suggestions. You do not know how many dresses I own that I picked out as a joke, only to show them to Kmanpat and have him say “Oh that's cute” and then it turned out the dress WAS cute. But I was joking! If I'm going to have a custom dress, I want the designer to have some ideas. That being said, I would try to find someone who makes clothes I like so they don't have to make something that's completely not them, you know? I hate designers who just ignore their clients, but I also don't like when they just blindly do everything their client wants.

Anyway. Elaine says Nancy's color is boring. Nina likes the color, though. Karlie didn't like the trim, but they all agree that Nancy accommodated the wheelchair wonderfully. Geoffrey didn't fit the chest that well (although Elaine says they get it about the iron). The slit was too close to the center, because Nina says she almost flashed everyone. Victoria wants to say, before the judges do, that she gets it was very short. Brandon replies that it didn't bother him, but what did bother him was that it was polyester? Oops. Lindsey says it's beautiful and that's it. Marquise didn't line his dress at all. So Karlie didn't mind the skirt, but the bodice was sheer. It was a mesh, sort of, but the openings aren't that big so it didn't register with me. Lindsey thinks it was still too young.

Lindsey's top two are Nancy and Victoria. Elaine says Victoria is the only one who stayed true to herself. Yes, but that's because you put her with the client who wanted EXACTLY what Victoria always does. I was on the lookout for shenanigans in terms of like, giving Sergio a difficult client to screw with him. But I didn't think about making sure Victoria could do the same thing she always does that no one calls her on repeating every week. I'm not giving her credit for staying true to herself when she didn't have to even try to do so. Nina loves that Nancy thought about everything. Brandon argues that Nancy always cares about the person she's dressing. True.

Marquise didn't put any effort in, and the fact that he made a very simple dress and then made himself a shirt is not going over well. He could have taken that time and made a better dress. Sergio's maternity dress is a “standard” silhouette, according to Karlie. Brandon doesn't like the failed tailoring, but then he tries to stick up for Sergio by saying his client felt great. But they all felt great, Brandon. Back in the Scrap Bin, Sergio is saying how great he is (I'm guessing this happens a lot). Brittany says if she was pregnant, she'd love to have a tight dress. She's self conscious about her stomach, so I think being pregnant gives her the excuse to wear a body-con dress. Exactly! I carry my weight in my stomach and I have considered buying maternity clothes for that reason, but I feel like if I was pregnant I'd show it off because now I'm SUPPOSED to have a huge stomach! It's natural! I hear you Brittany. Sergio replies that he doesn't understand any woman who would want to wear a tight dress, and Brittany fires back that he's a man, so. Meanwhile Nina is hating on Brittany's dress, because while her client liked it, it was very boring and they've seen it. Elaine says Geoffrey's dress was tacky, but Karlie argues that it's a victorious party dress for a woman in her 20s to go out to the club. True. But I've seen that one too, if we're going to be making that argument about Brittany. Elaine is not budging, because everyone else seems to love it. I don't think it was so stellar, but I do think the judges love Geoffrey.

Nancy is the winner! Victoria is in. Nancy says if she had won every other challenge she'd give it up for this moment. Karlie tells the remaining four designers that they all at least made their clients happy, and then she says they're all safe. BOO. Make a decision. It is literally your job. See that just says to me that whoever truly made the worst outfit was a person they didn't want to send home. Even though supposedly they're all safe because they made their clients happy. Geoffrey knows it's very likely next episode is a double elimination.

Next week: it is a double elimination, avant garde, Geoffrey needs a band-aid, some crazy building.

Hilariously the first thing Christian says on the aftershow is how terrible it is because how do you have an aftershow for eliminated designers if you don't have eliminated designers! Hee. So he talks to one of the clients, Helen Maroulis. The wrestler. And then he starts with a joke about how he wore this polo shirt because he looks like a coach. Also some of the clients worried they didn't ask for anything more complicated. Yeah. Christian talks about his struggles as a designer, and people not liking his looks even though he spent months on them. Then Helen says he should be a wrestler which is hilarious. Christian is a tiny man. He better be slippery. Helen talks about having to be masculine to fit in. Then Christian asks for wrestling moves, and this woman is taller than him, and then she picks him up. You can hear a producer or someone laughing in the background. “I wanted to do more but I got scared.” I love Christian. Then there's a segment with the hair person so whatever.