Previously on “Project Runway All-Stars”: the unconventional materials challenge asked the designers to make clothes from stuff in FAO Schwartz. Some stuffed animals and a lot of vinyl from floor pianos were used. Viktor won by making a dress out of the ends of foam boomerangs and two stuffed dinosaurs. Mila had a good idea to make a skirt out of strips of jigsaw puzzle pieces, but she needed at least twice as many strips as she actually made, and then the top was just cut up stuffed animals, so she was eliminated. (click for more)
Laurence says she was never on the bottom during her season. Christian very flirtily says to get some rest and he will see them soon. They wonder what the next challenge is. Korto thinks maybe bridal. Kayne says “I'm all about a drag queen” which would be fun. I'm pretty sure some of these people have been designing for drag queens. Then some “royal trumpeter” person in livery starts playing to cause cursing. There are actually two of them and they are on the runway, flanking Christian who is now in a cape with a scepter. Give him a tiara you cowards. There is also a table with a tea set and one of those towers you get when you go for high tea.
Christian dramatically flings the cape off and then says how the world just witnessed a historic coronation. Not when they taped this, of course, this was taped months ago. Anyway, make a formal gown fit for royalty. It must be modern and fresh. They flash some pictures of examples across the screen as Christian says “the royal of today”. Catherine and Megan (actual royalty) and then Michelle Obama (from an inauguration ball, sure) and then Beyonce (...honestly watching one of them try to spin a Beyonce-inspired gown to Nina would be entertaining). They are going to be paired up, but they will make one look between the two of them. It will be “random” choice via selecting tea sandwiches. Kayne and Viktor find each other and scream and hug. Brittany and Anna, Hester and Fabio, Kara Saun and Laurence, Prajje and Korto, Rami and Bishme. Prajje and Korto are doing a dance about it. Rami and Bishme are immediately the weird pair, but they might pull it off. I'm most interested to see Hester and Fabio, two designers who frequently push gender boundaries. Christian reminds them only one person is going home, so be very clear about your contributions. They will have two days, and Viktor gets to pick his model first because he won the last challenge. I think they're passing the model cards around. I would like to note no one picked Liris, but Hester and Fabio did pick the trans model (if I am remembering past seasons correctly). Christian says he has “royal obligations” and so won't be at Mood with them. Hilariously Korto snaps and says “pay your bills, honey” as if he's doing a show at the club. You get $1000.
Korto immediately pulls out the fabric she brought from home which is sheer with a million sequins and beads. Prajje is thrilled. They want to do African royalty. Kayne spies on them and says that's what they have to compete against. He and Viktor are of course getting along wonderfully. Brittany says she and Anna are very feminine designers so of course they might have one of the best looks in the show's history. Hester and Fabio are making queer statements as you might have expected. I don't see a sketch though and I would like to see one. It implies they spent the whole half hour talking about what statement they want to make about genderqueer individuals and no time actually sketching. Kara Saun and Laurence plan a cape. OK I know I said Bishme and Rami were clearly supposed to be the “bad” pair but I think Kara Saun and Laurence may also be in the bottom. It's just a hunch, I have no proof. Bishme and Rami are talking about shapes and making sure it's modern.
When they get to Mood, Prajje says, “Designers...Christian is currently in my basement.” Hee! “So I am your new mentor!” Lots of fan waving. I don't know why that was so funny. Fabio and Hester are doing gray pants, a skirt, a top. Rami says something about everyday women who all deserve a “royal moment”. Kayne complains that $1000 is not enough when they had $2000 last week. A fair point. Brittany says they're spending $700 on a “novelty” fabric, whatever that means. Since Korto is using her fabric from home, they actually have a whole pile of money. Viktor buys a silver metallic leather.
9 hours on Day One. Prajje finds a crown on the accessory wall to wear on his own head. Brittany and Anna immediately sort of argue about padding the mannequin. Kayne has bought raspberry fabric and they are planning a corset. Korto and Prajje have a reveal and they are quite pleased with themselves. Kara Saun is very used to working in groups, although I think they are making a mullet hem which is not the best choice? Hester says they and Fabio are going to use this challenge to be genderqueer ambassadors. On the one hand, you can't ignore the challenge, but on the other hand, I wonder if the judges will be desperate to not seem prejudiced and they'll praise it but look mad about it. They could also do something really cool, although I hope they don't spend all their time on their message. Bishme and Rami are getting along, and then Rami reveals he's actually dressed literal royalty. He's made a dress for the queen of Jordan.
Anna is telling Brittany what to do, not in the sense of demanding they do her design, but in the sense of explaining to Brittany how to gather the fabric. Brittany is of course not happy about it. Bishme is making some architectural thing. Laurence doesn't want to do everything Kara Saun's way, but she is fine mixing the two viewpoints. Anna takes time off from fighting with Brittany to look over at Laurence and say “ours is better”. Korto is cutting up her fabric to get the patches of beading for appliques. Prajje says the fabric was “flown in a private jet by my future husband from Dubai with all the oil money and the gold and the diamonds”. Hee. It's gonna be “the Queen of Wakanda”. Hester and Fabio agree on their to-do list and Hester says “I got you babe!” and immediately says “that was unpleasant, I'm sorry everyone.” Which the editors cut carefully to put after one of Brittany and Anna's disagreements in the last commercial bumper. Viktor's “corset” just looks like a costume from a fantasy movie.
Everyone goes to the “night lounge” to drink and hang out. Korto tells everyone how Christian has a different relationship with the newer contestants, because he is the one who mentored them the last time so he already knows them in that light. She also tells everyone she's not going to have regrets. In confessional she says there is a respect due to her and the other older contestants.
Day Two, 9 hours to work. Brittany immediately wants to lay out what each of them is doing, so it's a partnership and they don't end up on the runway and one person has not done enough. She and Anna pretend to trust each other's skills. That's not how they were acting yesterday but sure. There is some frantic working before Christian arrives. Someone pins a little rectangle on a hem that says QUEEN.
Christian arrives and immediately says he loves a gown. He doesn't have a lot to say to Prajje and Korto except to make it perfect. Rami says his line about royal moments. I don't know what that means in terms of this dress but sure. It's not “different” enough or I guess exciting enough, so they're going to figure out something. Laurence is also using her fabric from home, for that cape. Kara Saun references her mother again, and says she always had on white and gloves and I don't remember this from her story the first week. Then it was about the beach or something, right? Anyway I think Christian had implied her dress was looking a little Disney, but he loves the story. Lots of work to do. Kayne says “modern music icon”. It's a little costumey, with the breastplate and purple and crown. They need to do something cooler. Both Kayne and Viktor interview that they don't want to step on their partner's toes. Hester and Fabio have a reversible fabric with a grid pattern, and Christian tells them the white side is not as fancy as the gray side. Brittany has some crazy-ass story about how their queen is the queen of a planet with nothing but women (Christian can come but he has to be celibate (no really, she says that)) and they reproduce by drinking from a spring or something. This is too much story for a dress that currently is three patches of beading and a third of a skirt. Anna insists it took six hours to make that much skirt so how is she going to get done. Brittany immediately says “I can see that, that's fair” and throws Anna under the bus.
We come back after commercial and everyone is back working so they're not going to fight about it I guess. Fabio reveals in confessional that he came out to his mom at the same time as he was telling her he wanted to go to fashion school. It was rough going until he was on the show, making the finale and showing his collection. Aww. Christian brings the models out. Rami and Bishme have removed some of the bodice and it's now a bra top and just the sheer beading over her stomach. Christian says Kara Saun's dress looks “icy” which I just assumed was a Frozen dig but she's interpreting it as calling the dress an ice skating costume. She's very offended but it's a white and silver dress that is very short but also has a ruffly skirt. I can see a figure skating outfit. Plus the cape is black with leather accents. Anna's skirt is sitting weirdly. I think she's got a very short, very full crinoline but it looks like a tablecloth over a tutu. Christian throws out some ideas, but Anna says in confessional that they don't have time to do anything but finish the dress. Viktor and Kayne have a big ruffly collar that stands up in two wings. It looks like orchid petals. They do get yelled at for still wanting to put the silver breastplate over the thing. Fabio and Hester have made a gown with some cool hip treatments, like upside-down U's of stiff fabric. But the pants are not great; they need to be tighter maybe.
Runway Day. Christian is still wandering around saying random comments. There was a lot of working as usual but no one had a big meltdown or finished a whole look or something. Weird.
Guest judge today is Wes Gordon. He looks like he's not old enough to drink. He's creative director for Carolina Hererra. Brittany and Anna: the gown has long sleeves and a mock turtleneck collar. It looks like several layers of sheer fabric, in a skin tone, with silver triangular patches of beading sewn over the collar, the shoulders, and the front of the bodice. There are shoulder pads to also make the shoulders stand out. The appliques continue down the front panel of the skirt, or maybe over the whole skirt. There are layers of the sheer chiffon around her waist, and I can't tell if they're the sides and back of the skirt, or if they're draped over the actual skirt. The back looks like it's just the sheer, so maybe it's just a front panel. There's a slight train, and the layers are just on the sides so the back doesn't have tiers of fabric.
Kara Saun and Laurence: the gown is white and silver that is sheer over most of the bodice. There is silver beading that comes up from her waist over each breast, but keeps her stomach just sheer. Then a thin black leather belt, and a miniskirt with a big white ruffle. Then somehow there is a very sheer long skirt, with big white ruffles at the knee, a midi length, and the floor. So it's just ruffles floating around her legs. I think there is also a ruff at her neck. Over all of this is a black cape with leather accents. The black has a subtle paisley pattern and shoulder pads with leather over the shoulders. And one fingerless glove. The model takes off the cape and the shoulders of the dress also have a big stiff ruffle, and the whole thing is backless.
Kayne and Viktor: a gown which everyone has been saying is purple but it looks like that dark raspberry color to me. The top has big wings coming out at the shoulders, ruffled like orchid petals. The sleeves I think are attached to her biceps and are just long flowing tubes. So sleeves just because they are on her arms, but structurally it's just fabric wrapped in a circle. There might also be fabric at her shoulders, but it's not a cape. The skirt is long but slit up to her hip, and then the silver leather “corset” which is not a corset. It's a breastplate, with two pieces that come up from her waist over her boobs, and a peplum. Then it looks like the model has silver beads down the one leg the slit reveals. This same applique or whatever it is has been placed on the silver leather. She also has a big collar and a close-fitting skullcap, in pearls and silver beading, and giant hoop earrings.
Fabio and Hester: the top and skirt are both in a dark gray kind of shiny fabric with a white grid pattern. The top is sleeveless and has a deep V neck with lapels. It's fitted at the waist with a black belt wrapped around twice in an X, and then a short peplum. The skirt is very full, and over each hip it's sculpted in arches. Like upside-down U's of fabric to make panniers. Then there are tight charcoal gray pants. The back has a racerback bodice, and the ends of the belt trail down over the train.
Rami and Bishme: I thought initially this gown was a dark blue but it's actually black. The bodice has this black across her breasts in a bandeau top, and then sweeping from one armpit across the front and over the opposite shoulder. The skirt is a mermaid skirt. Over this, from the top of the bodice (underneath the sweep) to about her knees where the skirt fans out, is a sheer fabric with beading. It's sewn to the skirt and flows to the floor on one side. You know what it makes me think of? The bandeau top and the drape over one shoulder makes it read as a sari. There are also little tufts of feathers sewn to it in random places. In the back the sweeping fabric over her shoulder goes down to the floor, and now it really does look like an interpretation of a sari.
Prajje and Korto: their model comes out in a big coat and matching headwrap of what I know is blue fabric with a pink design. I know this from the workroom footage. These lights suck, though, because it looks like two shades of dark pink. The coat has big puffy sleeves and also seems to be lined with a different fabric? Beneath this is a chocolate (or maybe dark red) gown with gold beading and sequins over the whole bodice and down each hip. There is a deep V, but maybe not to her waist, and cap sleeves. The beading is in the back as well, and it looks like the skirt has extra panels at the sides. Not as much as Fabio and Hester's skirt, but enough for some extra volume and interest.
Nina says there were no bad looks tonight. With only six gowns they can talk to everyone. Rami and Bishme are up first. Upon closer inspection the sweeping fabric over her shoulder is actually stiffened so it sticks out like a hood. Nina asks if they were trying to be safe, and Bishme says even if it looks simple it's a lot of work. It's very chic and it is modern, but is this woman the one being crowned? I think Nina wishes it was not black. Brandon hates the beading but he can't shut up about her ponytail. Brittany explains her crazy story which still is weird. The train looks wilted and heavy. Oof. It's tulle, and the guest judge suggests maybe an organza would have more structure. Nina thinks it's a costume, and Elaine says it looks ill-fitting. When they zoom in on her waist, where the plain fabric is sewn to the beading, it doesn't look skin-tight. I'm not sure how they could have gotten that to look more fitted. It's tulle, it's not going to fit her like a glove. It's not young or modern.
Kara Saun tells the judges that “royalty” makes her thinks of capes? They wanted a European queen. She claims to love the contrast of the black cape and white ruffles. Laurence explains that originally the plan was to show Kara Saun her fabric from home, and then find a similar fabric at Mood. Only they couldn't find a similar fabric. Brandon knows he can see both of them in this look. Elaine loves the ruffles? The weird sheer skirt? I don't know. Wes loves both pieces but not together. Nina's comment is, “Ladies, was this an homage to Karl Langerfeld?” Yikes, that's a trap. Laurence loves him. I thought this was a pointed question about to accuse them of copying but Nina says it's royalty from the future and she likes it. Kayne and Viktor are next, and Kayne says this is music royalty. The collar is actually part of the dress; it's sheer mesh over her chest and then the beading around her throat and down each shoulder. It's a little costumey, and they like it much better without the corset. Nina tells them the accessories are so over-the-top she can't see it as anything but a costume. Kayne explains the breakdown of labor, and it's not looking good for Viktor because the breastplate they all hate was his doing. It's amazing stagewear, but not a good gown for a royal occasion.
Fabio and Hester talk about their viewpoints, and when someone wants to look more closely at the pants, Hester just pulls some snaps and takes the skirt off. All the judges love it immediately. Not just the pants but the fact that it's separates. It's a risk, but it's so modern. Wes doesn't like the color, but everyone else really likes it. I don't think they're pretending, and I think they are very impressed it's three separate pieces. Korto also has a big speech about the meanings about her fabrics. The coat and the dress maybe don't go together, but when you match the coat and the headwrap it does. It's amazing and Brandon says this is what this challenge was about. Korto says a lot of her inspirations are from here. She just wants to be seen and she has a lot to say. It sounds like Korto did most of the work and placements of things and Prajje did sewing.
So after claiming everyone met the challenge, which is questionable, the judges agree that Hester, Fabio, Bishme, and Rami are safe. Elaine thinks Kara Saun and Laurence had the best dress. But no royal would ever wear that dress. No royal ever does anything that crazy. Korto and Prajje had such a perfect moment when everything came together. Brittany and Anna were boring, but Kayne and Viktor were too overwhelming. If Anna and Brittany are the worst, who goes home? Elaine says whoever did the long sleeves in the mesh, which is Brittany. But Wes says the tulle dragged the skirt down and the whole dress down, and that was Anna. Between Viktor and Kayne, Viktor made the corset and they hated that. Elaine's counterargument is “But what we don't like about this look is how costumey it is and Kayne is a costumer!” Oh please. They really were reaching for that one.
The winning team is Korto and Prajje, and the winning designer is Korto. She's very thankful to be able to be seen. Laurence, Kara Saun, Prajje, Hester, Fabio, Bishme, and Rami are all in. Brittany and Anna played it safe. Viktor and Kayne needed to edit. Viktor is out. Brittany, Anna, and Kayne are in. Viktor kisses Nina's ass a little bit and makes her emotional. That's what happens when there's no immunity, you can go first to last. Viktor says he's going to doubt himself for a few months but it's part of growth. Christian does not Save him.
Next week: there is one bolt of fabric for everyone to share. So they'll all be the same color? Interesting.
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