Project Runway 2/3/22--"Finale" summary

 

Previously on “Project Runway”: the final four designers were asked to create a look that would showcase what their collection would be about, as they always do. It's supposed to be an advertisement that makes the judges eager to see the rest of the collection. They said it would be down to three but you know and I know they so often claim they can't decide and let everyone through, which is exactly what happened. They also claimed a bunch of times that this is the first all-female finale which is absolutely not true. I mean the judges said it, but their social media from this past week also says so. Not a great sign, honestly. (click for more)

We start with a softly-shot montage of the final four arriving at “The Shed” where the final runway show will take place. There are lots of confessional clips and dramatic music, and shots of looks. You know what it is. Nina repeats her wrong assertion about the final four all being women, but you know what? I think she's being pedantic. There have been all-female finales before, but they only had three. So if she says “this is the first time in Project Runway history we have four women showing at Fashion Week” that is technically correct, because it was three women before. But come on. Why are you making such a huge deal about “the first time in history” when you have to be so careful about your language?

So now we're doing flashbacks, which I hate because just start at three months ago or whatever. Anyway, it's three months before the show and we are in Miami to visit Shantall. She's at a fashion school, which has lent her space to work. Already Christian seems way more relaxed than Tim ever did. So she's been working for two months, and has three outfits done, mostly. Actually I think it's two looks and one that's half done. She's inspired by Quetzalcoatl, but also the art deco found in Miami. Lots of pieces. Christian asks if something is woven or if it's just a print. It looks like two snakes, in different prints, squiggling back and forth down a long coat. When Shantall says it's a print, he admits that making sure the print lines up at the seams and so forth does take a lot of time, but on the runway no one notices that. But if she actually takes two strips of fabric and weaves them together, everyone will be really impressed. I think she has one piece that is done that way already? So it's not like she doesn't know how. Christian also bitches about the suit being a light yellow-green. It's too pastel, and he hates the color but that's the piece with the weaving so how much work would she have to do to replace it?

They go home to meet Shantall's husband and son. She tells us that he's in therapy because they believe he has autism. Which is why when she had her phone call home and he spoke, she was shrieking at the top of her lungs about it. Christian raves over lunch and wishes her luck. Outside he says that he didn't like the color palette but he loves how it looks. He likes the aesthetic. If she can get there.

Chasity is up next. I don't think it's that much later? When she greets him he gives her shit about wearing his “cowboy outfit”, which is low-heeled booties and leather skinny pants and a vest. Hee. Chasity immediately says she doesn't have a horse, what are you doing, and I will miss the sibling energy of these two. She's got pieces of things but I am not sure she has any one single outfit. She's been playing with fabrics. Nina told her they wanted to see “Chasity”, so of course she thought she'd give them ten versions of herself, but that means having to define herself. Chasity is all in her head about what to do, and Christian thinks she doesn't want to make decisions because she'll be judged for it. I mean, it's a competition, but it's not super logical. Just make something and let go. Of course there is plenty of beading.

Christian goes to meet the family, flirt with her fiance and chat with her kids which is really cute. He asks her oldest daughter if she wants her mom to win, and when she says she's proud, Chasity immediately is like “don't do that” but Christian flaps a hand at her to shush her. Her kids are proud of her but I'm not surprised. Christian tells everyone to call him if she doesn't work all day tomorrow. Chasity interviews that she's so lucky to have her family (her sister and mom are here too) rally around her. On the way out Christian says next time he comes back they're going to a rodeo and he's getting on a horse, and Chasity says “yeah bring those boots”. Hee.

A trip to LA for Coral. She has a million plants everywhere and of course every hanging pot has macrame. She talks to Christian about her family and traveling to Mexico City to meet relatives and learn about her indigenous heritage. That's the inspiration for her collection. Lots of color and patterns. Christian interviews that it's so great to be from somewhere with so much culture, because he's just from Maryland and that's boring. She has a lot of stuff done, and the macrame is so great and looks so well done. She has a signature and that's important. However, he hates to say but this is exactly the collection the judges are expecting. She needs to push it and do more to really wow everyone. Use the macrame in an unexpected way. I mean yes, but the judges never once got tired of it so Coral never would have thought she needed to do anything differently.

They end up in the kitchen, with Coral's son (Christian tells him he's cute of course) and they learn how to macrame. Y'all didn't think Coral was old enough to have a 20 year old son, did you, because I sure didn't. Anyway, Christian learns macrame, because it's not like Coral has to learn. She reminds us that she's never won a challenge, and she wants to win to show her son that she can do it. Christian thinks if she goes abstract, and moves away from perfect clothes, she could win.

Time for Queens and Kristina. Immediately Kristina interviews that she doesn't have anyone to distract her so she can get a lot done. I mean it sounds kind of sad also but sure. Christian is giving her shit about just having like, one picture on the wall. But her mood wall is full of digital floral prints and a whole row of photos. Kristina has been working with a graphic designer who used Photoshop to make pictures of the different possible looks. That's cool, actually. If you can get a basic like, jacket and pants on, you can see how the different prints and colors look. So she's got basic muslin or twill looks, and then the prints are put on digitally. Oh yeah that's a great idea. But it means she's got a lot of looks done at least to the mock-up stage. Lots of coats though, so Christian suggests she do something that's totally different from what she's done. He wants something tight and sexy.

So one of the “digital flowers” is actually stalks of celery so they go make celery juice and I guess now we know who drove all of that all season. Christian hates celery juice. No family meeting I guess.

Now it's time for Fashion Week and everyone is back. All of them are getting picked up by black SUVs or walking around as if they only brought one regular sized piece of luggage with them. Once they all get to the workroom there is running and hugging. Chasity has braids that are basically to the floor. They unpack their boxes, which are those wardrobe boxes you get when you move. Everyone looks at each others looks and gushes about how great they are. Chasity and Shantall both want some of Coral's looks. Chasity has a skirt that looks like miles of fabric. They all shriek about Kristina's celery print. Shantall now has mostly black and gray with pops of red.

Christian arrives to talk about the venue they're at, which is whatever. They have 48 hours until the show. They do model casting, and as Christian is talking about the importance of someone who can sell your looks or whatever, Kristina says she has a special request. She wants someone who has dance or skiing or snowboarding experience, because one of her looks she wants to put on a hoverboard. What. Why? Christian is like, you guys can fight about it. They all want some diversity, and then Coral is all “oh yeah I have one male model” which would be good to know. Everyone has favorites from the season, and then they draw names to take turns picking models. There is no drama. I think there are some plus-sized models in there?

As the models come back in to get measured, Kristina takes the hoverboard out of the box. The one model who said she snowboards, which is what Kristina was looking for, is like “Oh that's what you meant? No”. Kristina rides on it, very slowly. I think maybe one of the other models might do it instead? Five models go back home and five will stay for fitting today.

Shantall has some textures here and there, and the twining snakes motif is great. She doesn't have any spare pieces. Coral has a big headpiece that is a metal hoop with strings radiating from the middle, and it goes behind your head like a halo. I think one of her looks also has a macrame hood. She has a weird skirt that is open lace down to the knees and then a mermaid flounce in satin. Christian hates it. Chasity has a lot of beading on sheers and big ruffles. She's not done with her looks. Like, she's got beading to do still, not just hemming and alterations. Kristina is testing her hovercraft look. “She's going to Mars”. But the length has to be absolutely perfect or she'll run over her dress and crash. There are also two looks with boobs all out. Like one has no top, just some straps. Not even a sheer top where you can see everything. Kristina is mad she's finally done sexy like he said and now Christian is scandalized. Christian just says she has to convince Nina.

They go for makeup consults. I miss hot makeup guy Scott. Coral and Kristina talk about the one look Christian didn't like, and Coral is going to add tulle. She goes to cut it from somewhere, and I don't know if it's from the rest of her skirt, or another look, or something Chasity had that she is giving to Coral. But it seems to work. After work time is over they all go to a hotel which is very fancy. They have a champagne toast on the balcony.

Day Two. Shantall says yesterday went very well so hopefully today will also go well. She wants to show the judges she's ready to make some money and her collection is wearable and commercial. Remember when “wearable” was used as an insult? Chasity still has too much work to do. Kristina tells her that Christian wants her to line her sheer tops but she doesn't want to. The other models come back for fittings.

Christian returns to give his two cents and plug the hair people. Chasity has to think about her runway order. Maybe the simpler pieces early. There really is a lot of finishing to do. Kristina has a sheer top, like it's just a sheer poncho. Christian whines that nipple covers look dumb and couldn't she just make a little tiny top? Yeah there's not making giant oversized clothes and there's sheer tops and pressuring the model by asking on camera if she's fine with her boobs out, like you're fine right? (to be fair she says she's fine because she's French.) Shantall is not doing well because her gray dress isn't really perfect on any of her models. It's sort of OK but not perfect. Christian starts going on about cutting up one of her jackets, open the sleeve, that pant needs to hit the floor, etc., etc. The gray dress is too boxy. I think he convinces her to put a model in just a coat? Nothing under it? I don't know. Coral put more tulle on that one dress, and it's better. But Coral wants to open with her white look, and Christian hates this. He just says “no” a bunch of times. She needs it to break up all the black in the rest of the collection. They decide (well, Christian tells her) that her one menswear look should open.

Kristina is making a little bra top, but Chasity still has a ton of zippers to put in and stuff. Christian returns to do a gather 'round without saying gather 'round. He promises to tell the judges how much work they put into their collections. They should all be really proud. They do a group hug (they are all the same height, including Christian, which I found really funny) and he leaves so they can finish.

Runway Day. Chasity interviews that if she wins, she's building an empire with the money and handing her kids the keys. Shantall hopes she did what the judges want. She asks Christian which look he thinks she should use. I think she is not using the gray dress? But then she just puts it on because it cost so much and there's no way they won't see it? OK but you can only have ten looks so how does that work? I know they have you walk out after your model to wave and take your credit but they'll just be impressed by what you're wearing. They shouldn't consider your own outfit in judging.

So Elaine isn't here. But Tommy Hilfiger is here. I know people don't like Elaine but I feel bad she's not here.

Kristina is up first. They have a shot of her parents who are watching by livestream which is so cute. As she walks off to start the show, the eliminated designers are all sitting off to one side. When they yell at her, she runs over for a hug before leaving. So that first look is basically a sheer caftan, in white with a red flower over one hip, and then a little bra top and a miniskirt underneath. I think it looks better with the bra. There's a lot of that sheer flowy white with the red flower in skirts and tops. Also I think a bunch of paper bag purses. There's one model with a long pink gown, with no back, and with black spots on it. I'm sorry but it makes me think of Hairspray (the one with Ricki Lake) and Tracy's pink dress with the cockroaches on it. She's also got a full skirt attached to her hands. The celery print is in one of her sideways “jackets” that's just fabric wrapped around her. She's put white gowns with black leather gloves and combat boots which is a look but I personally don't like it. Then the last model comes out, in a blue gown that's very shapeless. There's a big ruffle at the top, but limp, not sticking out. And then it just hangs down straight, no sash, no pulling in at the waist. But she doesn't fall off the hoverboard. There is so much volume in everything, and mostly the dresses and skirts move really well, but sometimes the volume is just a big top and it's sort of whatever. But the prints look great and the whole thing looks very expensive.

So Shantall comes out in her dress, which almost looks like one of Coral's with all the knit and cording. But I see why it wasn't working on anyone, because it's boxy with no defined waist and it hits like, three inches below her knee. Her husband is watching on a livestream. There's a repeating motif of twining snakes, or to me it looks like DNA. Either in prints, or the second look is a red suit where the snakes are running down the arms of the jacket, but they're the same color so they're subtle. But the twining creates small keyholes down the arms of the jacket. There's a bunch of suits, some with the pattern in the pants. Whichever suit Christian wanted to change a lot looks good. The pattern does tie the collection together. There are several tops that are split up the back, so it looks like a regular blouse from the front but the back is all open. The red looks are a nice pop of color. There's a very long coat, and a black dress underneath, and when she takes the coat off they cut in someone gasping but it's not a very exciting dress. The coat is the most important part. That boxy gray dress she wore herself doesn't go in anywhere. The knit cording makes it looks so busy. I liked the use of the pattern to put cutouts, and for texture. It's very cohesive and interesting.

Chasity is up next. She talks about “the black sheep that blossomed”. Aww, her kids are there. So her first look was one that was supposed to have a bunch of beading along the neckline, but she left it plain so it's just a deep V black netting and a very short full skirt, almost like a tutu. There are a lot of sheers but it's not vulgar, no one is topless. The black net sheer is like tights, for example. There's a very long coat that's all tufts of tulle, over a sheer body suit covered in black beads. Everything is black with some purple highlights and one blue look. Lots of pieces with just a ton of ruffles. The last look is a black halter top with a giant ruffled skirt with one hip in purple ruffles. It's nice but I feel like I've seen it. Hell, I probably saw it in one of Christian's collections. It feels very Chasity but less dated than some of her other work. It's a little tacky? I don't mean that in a bad way, but Kristina's sheers read as “fashion” and Chasity's read as “sexy” and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's sheer with beading over it? Maybe it's all black on black? I don't know. I don't mind a little tacky anyway. Someone like Rihanna would wear these looks.

Last up is Coral. She screams like she didn't expect the eliminated designers to be there at all. She almost can't get her spiel out because she's so emotional. So it starts with the menswear look and actually I think that's a good idea. It's so different. A strong jacket, but with open weave sleeves. Of course plenty of macrame, but like, a top paired with leather pants. The strings hang down to the ground but they aren't like a full skirt. One look is pink wrapped around like one of Kristina's looks. There was so much black and then a short white dress so I think Christian was right about breaking up the black. There is one purple look, pants with a macrame top and lots of fringe. A couple of looks with woven hoods, like open weave. Her last look comes out, a multicolored jacket with side cutouts and black straps, and a black tulle skirt. We actually hear applause, and if the editing can be believed that's the one look that got applause and also people gave her a standing ovation at the end. I would have loved to see more than one menswear look honestly. It's very Coral, and I think Christian was complaining that it was too perfect and too “dressmaker” but I guess to me that's not such a problem? The macrame is a signature and the fact that no one else really does it is a benefit, at the moment I don't see how people would be tired of it.

Of course after the show we talk to random people and former contestants and as ever they find at least one person who likes each collection. Randomly Zayden gives his interview in a full face mask and sunglasses. Like a neoprene hood that just leaves his eyes exposed, but he put on sunglasses. I don't know, maybe it's a Covid precaution.

So the judging is just in the same venue, but at night. Nina tells everyone she was so moved, and proud. Kristina admits she cried during her show. She had some conceptual looks, and it was a little abstract. Less wearable. OK some of her looks previously are not wearable. That last sideways jacket with the drawstring is not that wearable. Nina loved the hoverboard but immediately Brandon is like “YOU DID NOT NEED THE HOVERBOARD”. Each look has its own print. But Brandon did like the styling a lot. Tommy thought some looks are couture, but he believes the prints will not sell as well as solid colors. First of all, how do you know that's true, and secondly, so what. Is commercial success that important? Bah.

Coral is the only person to do menswear, and Brandon does seem to confirm that she is the only one to get a standing ovation. Her collection had soul. There were two ideas, some tailored pieces and some macrame. Tommy loved the jacket at the end. The white look is not a print but embroidery, which is lovely. Nina says that the pieces that were not in black were breathtaking.

Chasity's look next to her is the one with the sheer beaded bodysuit and the big tufted tulle coat. It's very Chasity, but evolved. Tommy asks her where she wants to be in five years, and she wants to go worldwide but also nurture future designers. Tommy also says she should dress the stars, but he specifically names singers so I wonder if he is thinking this is amazing stagewear. I mean, someone has to design all that stagewear, it's just not what this show is looking for? Or maybe I'm wrong because remember way back in the day when being labeled “commercial” meant there was no way you were going to win? Tommy doesn't like the ruffled pants but Brandon wants them. Nina wanted more range, but Chasity does do what she does very well.

Shantall had a signature look all the way through. The black dress under the long coat is perfect, but it's a black slip dress. There's nothing weird going on but everyone is drooling over it. She's got the motif in both print and manipulated fabric. Nina asks if her dress she's wearing was supposed to be in the collection, but then that doesn't go anywhere. Sometimes there was too much styling, too many accessories. There's a complaint about editing, but it's very Shantall.

Nina thinks they could give the win to any of these four. They're all different, and Brandon says he saw the growth in each of them. Kristina had phenomenal tailoring, and Brandon thinks that it's designing for “real women” because it's wearable. They've maybe seen it before though. Tommy continues to insist that the prints hold her back because you can't carry them through more than one season, as if she can't come up with new ones and I guess no one likes prints? Coral could either do macrame, or the tailored zippered jackets. She never won a challenge but she had one of the strongest points of view. Tommy asks if you would buy more than one of the macrame dresses, and Nina was like, maybe not but I'd also buy the jacket dress and the zippered jacket.

Shantall took her pattern and cutouts and made them commercial. Maybe? How many people are trying to wear pants that are made up of two squiggly strips of fabric that overlap and have thin cutouts all up and down your leg? Tommy is really obsessed with how commercial and salable everything is and it's getting on my nerves. He's arguing that Kristina's prints can't be sold past one season, but the snake pattern can go on and on. As if people who make collections with prints try to use the same prints over and over again for years. You hate prints, we get it. Brandon tries to argue that it's not the most modern, but then Tommy is all “everything is cyclical” except you just spent like five minutes harping on how you can't use last year's print, TOMMY, so maybe give it a rest. Brandon asks a very leading question about who has the most potential for a “global business”, so that Tommy can talk about how Chasity can sell her stagewear to stars and women who want to look like them. Brandon looks at it like an investment in her future company, which he would support. She had an idea and executed it.

So they spent a LOT of time arguing about Shantall, or at least discussing how great the snake motif is. And much less time on the others. The final four come out and they're already crying. Tommy wishes they could all come work for him. Hmm. No matter what, you all have talent. The winner has a brand that can carry on, so I guess you need a salable brand now. Shantall is the winner. I told you guys, they argued about it too much. She says it's not just about her but her family as well. She says she's been told she's too Latin and too loud and had doors close on her and finally they recognized her. I'm not that mad about it, I just hated the stupid argument from Tommy about the prints and his obsession with how much of a commercial success the winner has to be.

So the Aftershow is being filmed at 2am. I had to watch it on YouTube because Bravo's website is a trash fire. First up are the three runners-up, and Christian gets them drinks and then there is a lot of awkward silence. Kristina is clearly upset and with some prompting she says the judges were wrong. Christian says the criteria is someone who can take it further as a brand. Kristina thinks they can all take it forward. Christian does point out that Jennifer Hudson didn't win American Idol, which is a fair point. Chasity talks up Kristina and Coral and how great they are. Kristina talks up Chasity. Christian is obsessed with the hoverboard and he wants to ride it right now. He doesn't get hurt but still. So they called Kristina “pumpkin” because she had a cute laugh and Chasity called her that. Aww they're all friends. Coral's boyfriend composed the music for her show, incorporating the sewing machine into the music. That's really cool. Christian is obsessed with Chasity's kids and how you could tell when they liked something. They have a group hug and they go away so Christian can talk to Shantall. She insists he is responsible for her win, but he will only take credit for Saving her. She says sometimes the people around you believe in you more than you believe in yourself. You can tell as she sits in the director's chair, how baggy the dress is on her. She has a lot of work to do. They gush about the slip dress, but it does have one seam which is impressive. But I've seen it before. The yellow suit that Christian told her to get rid of, she just remade into gray. If you had forgotten, Shantall was on one of the international versions of Project Runway, where she was a runner-up. And she says that if she had won then, she wouldn't be where she is now.

Thank you so much for reading with me this season! Please come back for weekly Amazing Race recaps and in one month Top Chef will be here!