Project Runway 11/18/21--"Fashion Is Back, Baby!" summary

 

Previously on “Project Runway”: the remaining designers were paired up to make on-air outfits for Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, to wear during the Olympics. I'm sure they'll edit them heavily. Anna decided she would be in charge and got Bones to do what she wanted, resulting in a win. Octavio tried to do the same to Katie, but the judges have decided to mess with Katie by telling her that her designs are amazing and she should always do what she wants. So of course she was not eliminated because we need an episode where they turn on her. Sabrina was unwell and had a garish design so she was sent home. (click for more)

Katie says this was her fourth time on the bottom, which is impressive since this is the sixth episode. Now you see why it's so questionable that the judges keep telling her how amazing she is. She's hoping it's not another one day challenge, which is fair. She gets a bunch of photos of herself when she's younger, and she's ready to show everyone who she is, so that's probably the end of her.

Christian meets everyone in the workroom, and tells them to grab a box off the accessory wall. They've all got random accessories. I thought it was hats, based on the preview, but there are bags and random jewelry pieces too. They want to support small businesses, so the designers will have to do a “collab” with these accessory designers. Create a new look and a new accessory. Shantall gets emotional, because many of these designers are also small businesses affected by the pandemic. She's imagining how she would feel if she was the accessory designer. Everyone is really sweet about it. Then Christian tells them that the winner will get $25,000, to split with the accessory designer. Nice. They have also pre-assigned models. Plus a special shopping trip for notions in addition to Mood.

Everyone meets their accessory designer, and immediately they're thrilled and working hard brainstorming. Bones has a milliner, and he's talking about coral reefs and they have become best friends. Katie has a woman who makes vegan shoes, and they talk about how if they win they could hire some help. She is of course doing something with a lot of colorblocking. Zayden's designer is doing stuff with recycled material? Commercial waste? Something like that. Prajje is wearing long gloves covered in flowers. He interviews about how his grandmother was a farmer and he would make her clothes. I find it very interesting that everyone has been paired up perfectly with someone who shares a background and everyone is getting along swimmingly. I mean, Octavio says he's worked with this guy before. Like, one of Octavio's dresses was paired with one of the guy's hats for a red carpet look. Suddenly Kristina is talking about how her father built spaceships. This is because she is going to somehow combine cowboys with Mars. Shantall wants a phoenix theme.

Mood is Mood. Zayden says he makes quick decisions and when he finds what he wants he knows. He's running through the store yelling. Kristina is making a neon green brocade suit. Coral actually gets some screen time! It's just so Christian can yell at her for always being safe, and only making black clothing. I mean if it's a disaster she certainly won't be safe so at least it's a change. She does pick some red at the last second. The specialty shop has all manner of bric-a-brac, crystals, beading, you name it.

4 hours to work today. The accessory designers return and they gush about the colors and fabrics. Aaron is making a bathing suit and cover-up with a bag. Chasity appears to have drawn squid on her sketch. Anna's partner is making a jewelry halter that is a separate piece, but they'll tack it onto the gown. Bones says he's going to go to Nigeria if he wins. Prajje threatens to crash the trip, and eventually they agree if either of them win, the winner will plan a trip (Prajje would go to Haiti) and the other one will come along. They pinky swear and yell over at the rest of the room to witness.

Back at the house Shantall is exhausted. They talk about the pandemic, trying to keep on paying their employees but not selling anything.

Day 2. 7 hours to work. Prajje talks about his grandmother again and gets emotional that she's not here to share this with him. Coral is actually making a red dress, but she immediately breaks the needle on the sewing machine and blames the fabric. This is more screen time than Coral has gotten in the entire season. Kristina...has a paper bag? She I guess has been carrying around a brown paper bag, and now it's a joke and she needs to incorporate it? I'm not sure.

Christian comes in and he goes to Katie immediately. It is a very colorful dress with a ruffle around the neckline in the same print and then another larger one in navy. Christian convinces her that she can just leave the back open and not put more straps. It's basically a muumuu. Christian also does try to help her make the design better, like maybe make it really short. At least that would be less like a muumuu. Coral's fabric is a red sheer fabric with some floral design so it's not just 100% sheer. She's been complaining that she's going to have to hand-sew everything. Bones is shirtless for some reason, and Christian comes over to ask if maybe he could put a shirt on, you know, just it seems so unprofessional to not have a shirt. So Bones puts on a sheer sleeveless tunic. Heh. Bones has huge ruffles, like a dust ruffle. Christian claims he gets it but it comes across as tattered. It needs to be more refined. He wants to carry on his grandparents' legacy.

Model fitting. The model in the front is wearing extremely low-rise jeans, so you can see most of her underwear. Actually she's over with Aaron, who wanted to make a swimsuit, so maybe it's a bathing suit bottom. Octavio has a huge gown in black and white polka dots. Christian gives Kristina shit for her paper bag. Aaron seems to have planned to have his model drop the cover-up at the end of the runway and just leave it on the floor, which Christian is horrified by. Katie's dress is short. I don't think it's that short but she's freaking out so she makes it a mullet hem. In confessional she's saying it's not a good design if she can't sit on the floor with her kids in the garment. That's so narrow. Maybe she's saying it's not a “Katie” design if you can't do that, in which case that's why everyone is saying this competition is not for her. Zayden gets a phone call and it turns out he's about to be evicted. His partner has called and said he got home and there's a letter about rent and “dispossesory” which sounds like eviction. I'm not sure what Zayden can do about this right now but certainly I think he should know about it.

Runway Day. Five hours to work today, which seems like a lot. The accessory designers come in to show off the new designs. Everyone is thrilled. Kristina's shoes don't have a hand-painted sole but she's still thrilled. Katie's shoes look like Converse hi-tops but in bright yellow vinyl. Coral's hat is a shade too dark but they're going to drape some of the fabric over it. Prajje is wrapping a turban around his model. Octavio and his designer decide his model should carry the hat box. Christian is hovering around Zayden but Zayden is trying to be focused. There's a weird camera shot following Christian around the workroom, but shot from waist-high, so it looks like they're just focusing on his ass. Bones is leaving some threads on his final look.

Anna is wearing a beaded wig. Actually people are wearing some accessories. The guest judge is Steven Kolb, who is the CEO of the Council of the Fashion Designers of America. Octavio: black and white polka dotted dress, with a mullet hem and long sleeves. The hem is above her knees in the front and to the floor in the back, and the sleeves are very loose and voluminous. There's a deep V neckline. The hat is a black hat with a tall rounded top and a wide brim with two strips hanging down either side. It feels like Pharell William's hat from the “Happy” video. The model is also carrying the big black hatbox like a purse. Bones: very loose dress with no sleeves and a ton of volume. It feels like this dress is made up of long ruffles, like dust ruffles, sewn onto a basic shift at various heights so they just hang down like curtains. It's all in shades of blue and lavender. There is one short navy ruffle diagonally across her chest. The base fabric is skin-toned, but maybe one arm is sparkly? The ruffles don't extend up all the way so there's the nude fabric and then a big ruffles sewn on randomly. It's all satin too. The hat is a big sort of swirly thing that looks like a flower. It's a bunch of dust ruffles.

Coral: long red gown in red sheer. The sheer has flower patterns so there are sections that are opaque, and I think maybe she's got a couple of layers so you can't see anything. The dress is a basic design, a long skirt and that kind of top that is two long triangles over her chest. The hat is obscured by a veil of the same fabric, like a flamenco dancer's headpiece, but I think it was a tall oval type of situation. There's a bunch of macrame in the back. Kristina: this fabric was described several times as “neon” but it's not that neon. It's a sort of lime green. But it's a 3-piece suit with a jacket, pants, and a shirt. The shirt is slightly lighter but there doesn't seem to be anything special about it. The jacket doesn't even have lapels or fasteners, and it's pretty loose. The pants are cropped and also loose, but I think there is a lot of extra fabric around her waist. Like there's a sash or another shirt around her waist? She never takes off the jacket so I'm not sure what's going on. Also she's carrying a paper bag, or at least some brown fabric cut to look like one. The accessory is shoes that are tan with lime green edging. They're fine.

Katie: short full dress in a very bright red and yellow abstract print. The top is several ruffles like collars, not covering her face or anything but sitting around her chest and upper arms. One of the layers is navy. It's not exposing her chest because there's a panel filling in up to her collarbone, with buttons down the front. Actually I think there are two prints, one rainbow striped and one floral. The skirt ends maybe halfway down her thighs in the front and is tea-length in the back. It certainly looks better than Katie's previous designs, although it's still very loud to me. But the short length in the front makes it seem like a baby doll or a skater dress, which is better than a muumuu. And the shoes look like sneakers so it works. Shantall: long red satin gown. It's a very deep V and spaghetti straps on the top, and it's draped in such a way that it gathers right at her navel. This is all held together by a silver and gold piece of jewelry that looks like a belt buckle. There's a scarf around her neck, you know when you take the scarf and you put it around your throat and let the ends hang down your back. There is some gathering at the hip, because of how it's draped, but it's not a ton of volume. It's gorgeous.

Zayden: long dress in a striped fabric. The fabric is mostly beige from a distance but it actually has stripes of red and yellow in it. It's a fitted deep V bodice with a high slit skirt. The sleeves are pretty open, like he just attached rectangles at the shoulders and let them hang open near her arms. There is also some “tribal” jewelry and the accessory of a big bag with some of the striped fabric on it. It's a bucket bag with tassels. This dress fits so well. Aaron: white swimsuit with a bright blue cover-up. The coverup has so much volume on the bottom it looks like a dress. I mean there's a sash and it's open in the front but there's a big ruffle at her knee I think and it's huge. The suit is one of those bikinis but they attach front and back with a ring. It looks like it fits. The accessory is a bag that looks like it's made out of a leather grid, with what looks like a smaller bag attached to the side and also a towel? I like this look for some reason. Chasity: black wide-legged pants, a black bandeau bra and a shrug with long sleeves. The shrug looks like it goes across her shoulders (so it makes a keyhole with the bra) and then down to her wrists. There are two orange stripes on each arm at her elbows, which stand out against the black. The bag is white with black trim and eyes all over it.

Anna: huge black gown, the skirt is very full and the top is just a triangle in the front attacked to the jewelry. The accessory is a collar, two shoulder pieces and a long narrow rectangle of metal down her back. It looks like part of the dress. I think also she has a belt. It's not the most exciting dress but it does show off the jewelry. Prajje: the top has a high square neck and no sleeves (you know, when it looks like two rectangles sewn together with holes for the neck and arms), and the skirt looks like a pencil skirt. It's all in a very light blue. There is some vertical pleating on the sides of the bodice, and a matching turban. The accessories are elbow-length gloves covered in fake flowers. It feels like Anna's, where the dress is simple but that means the accessories really stand out.

Aaron, Anna, Chasity, and Shantall are in. Prajje is in the top. He talks about his grandmother's church outfits. I just noticed that Prajje has matching gloves (in regular glove length) also with flowers on them. When the model stands with her hands at her sides, the gloves end exactly at where the waist of the dress is. It was all a collaboration, and everything works so well together. It's timeless. Yeah it's a very classic dress. Zayden is in the bottom. Aww. Brandon couldn't figure out what the accessory was, because she has big fringe earrings on, and a thick necklace, and then the bag, so it's not clear what the emphasis is supposed to be. The judges claim that the dress is too big so they can't see the bag. OK her dress isn't that big. I thought this fit well but we do see in a close-up that the top is gaping somewhat. The sleeves are nice though. Elaine says this doesn't deserve to be in the bottom but we're at that point. They ask him to take off the earrings, and of course it's way better.

Coral is in the top, which is why we suddenly have been reminded she exists. She was inspired by mystery and Spain. Somehow we're conflating “mystery” with “at first we didn't understand Covid”. She only sold one dress in 2020. We're making a big deal about how the judges haven't met her yet, which is no one's fault but the judges. Nina loves the macrame. Elaine asks if the hat is actually a hat or just a support structure for the veil, and I think Coral says it's support structure. But they love the dress. Bones is the bottom, but he knows. He describes a theme of water and waves. He wouldn't put up a look he didn't like so he loves his look. He has ideas but his model is swimming in fabric. The ruffles in the back look last-minute. Brandon stammers out something about how Bones is using the challenges to “find himself”. Bones can't leave it alone and says that Brandon has told him this twice now, but he knows who he is, and he knows who he wants to put this dress on, so he's confused. Maybe you are saying he needs to refine his voice. Brandon tries to explain that he's saying what everyone else is, which is that the dress has too much fabric and it drowns out the hat. There's a big peal of thunder and everyone pauses and Bones says “I'm bringing the RAIN, honey” in a vaguely threatening way. Brandon confirms that they know who Bones is and they like him, but he needs to refine his clothes. Yeah that's fair.

Katie is also on the bottom. I fucking knew it. They told her over and over again that she should be herself and then she was and now they hate it. Elaine hates the fabric, and maybe that design would be better in a sheer. It's very heavy on the top with all the ruffles, and it really needs a belt. Nina says she would not have put the hem where she did, and then says she loves Katie's dress that she herself is wearing, which is garbage. Katie has a loud print and no belt. But this is better? It's the same. Are we going to pretend because Christian told her to make the dress shorter, which is the only thing saving it in my opinion, then it's “not really Katie” so we're still pretending we like Katie's aesthetic? Brandon at least describes the mullet hem as indecisive, and does not pretend that Katie's below the knee hem is not matronly. Kristina is the top. We have to talk about the paper bag purse. I don't know why we are all obsessed with Kristina carrying around a paper bag. So she does take the jacket off, and turns out there was a second shirt tied around her waist. The top is a very long tunic. It's very well thought out, and the look doesn't overpower the shoes. It's versatile. Octavio is the top, to no one's surprise. Her belt is a seat belt-style plastic buckle. The sleeves are huge like kimono-sized sleeves but also with a ruffle on them. The dress moves naturally, and it's huge but the hat is also huge so it all works together.

Coral's dress was lovely, and they loved the macrame in the back. The headpiece was a little theatrical. Prajje's gloves were amazing and he wisely made a simpler dress. It was a classic design, but Nina thinks maybe it's costumey. Kristina tapered her pants to show off the shoes. Listen, I know you can't make shoes properly in two days but these shoes for sure look like they were made in two days if you know what I am saying. It's modern and comfortable. Octavio made something editorial, but was it the best look or just theatrical? Also why are there four in the top and three in the bottom?

Zayden put too many accessories, and Brandon says they've all done that. Katie was almost there but they really hate the mullet hem. Elaine says that it's another cotton frock with a lot of detailing so is she a one-note designer? Well, I don't know, Elaine, the judges have done nothing but tell Katie her aesthetic is fucking amazing. I told you guys, they overpraised her and now they've turned on her for no reason. Nina does like her color and prints but “she doesn't trust herself”. Sure. Bones had no vision, there was too much going on and it overshadowed the accessory. Brandon has figured out how to respond to what Bones said on the runway, which is to say that knowing who you are as a person and knowing who you are as a designer are two different things. I guess that's his excuse for what he said, because Bones immediately refuted him. I wish he would have explained himself to Bones and not the judges. Elaine is framing this about how they're “investing” in as a designer and who has a future. The cannon fodder is gone so now it's time to decide who you think has a future. I guess.

The winner is Kristina. She also has immunity in addition to the money. Huh. I thought for sure that since they suddenly were talking to Coral that she would win. Prajje, Octavio, and Coral are all in. Kristina is so happy the judges saw what she was trying to say. Zayden is in. Nina once again tells Katie not to listen to anyone else. Bones had too many ideas. Bones is...in?? That's not what I expected. Katie is out. She goes on about how she is such an outsider, she never did a runway show or dressed a model. And then my TV died so I have no idea what happened. She didn't get Saved, anyway.

Next week: or probably not, because Thanksgiving? Appears to be fake fur and avant garde.