Previously on “Project Runway”: it's been a couple of years since we saw this show, and they ended with an All-Stars season for Season 20 so it seemed like maybe the show was ending. And then there was nothing for a long time. I have hesitations about this season, because we've moved off Bravo again. When the show was on Lifetime, the judging was...not great. Not that the judging has always been stellar all the time on Bravo. But I felt like Lifetime put so much emphasis on casting people with backstories, and drama, and things that were not design. And now there are no designers on the permanent judging panel! It's Nina and Law Roach, and Law is great but he is not a fashion designer. Also Heidi is back, and that's more drama. If you recall, when she and Tim left the show, they left at the same time. You remember that one year where we didn't get Project Runway but instead got Under the Gunn? That's because Tim and Heidi had an agreement that they would not do the show if the other one wasn't involved. Under the Gunn existed because Heidi couldn't film a season and Tim refused to do it without her. And now the current producers of Project Runway approached Heidi and not Tim, and when Tim's agent went asking about it, they said they were not interested. So there's some level of betrayal, added on to the fact that I did not miss Heidi at all. Anyway in summary I don't have high expectations for this season but I guess we'll see. (click for more)
This montage is all drama which I am sure is misleading editing. I did see a plus-sized model so I guess that's something. There are only 12 designers, but I know some of them are returning.
The workroom is very flashy, and has a doorway that is a giant zipper, and some clothes already on display. It doesn't look as functional as it could but I suppose that doesn't mean it's not actually functional. They are doing entrances like Drag Race now, where people come in one at a time. We first meet Joseph McRae, who says “Joseph McRae” is one word. I guess. Lol the next person is Ethan, who sits down in confessional and is too tall and out of frame. Ethan also goes by Utica Queen, who you may remember from Drag Race. I am excited because there was some great drag design happening. Veejay is next, so I guess they are coming in one at a time but there isn't the same posturing and one-liners. You can see two things when Veejay comes in: Ethan really is that tall, and Joseph McRae is introducing himself with his full name so I guess he was serious. Like he says his full name, Veejay says “Hi Joseph”, and he insists on her using his full name. I'm already tired of this.
Madeline looks normal, and then we have Jesus, who was apparently already on this show on season 7. That was the season Seth Aaron won, and Jesus was out like, on the fourth episode. I don't remember him. Honestly I don't remember any of the returning people, but to be fair he was on the show 15 years ago so I'm sure even if I did remember him he's not the same. Joan comes in, and they put her age as 60 which is wild. She does not look 60. Yuchen has a lot of straps hanging off his pants.
Caycee is another returning contestant that I don't remember at all. And she was on season 19! She was first out, and then that drama with Meg and Prajje happened so I guess I forgot about her. Angelo and Belania do not get screen time. Neither does Alex. But of course Antonio gets an interview because Antonio is Jesus's twin brother. Yes because this show has such an AMAZING track record with casting twins. This is not a good sign. At least Antonio has a mullet so you can tell them apart.
Heidi and Christian come in under the big zipper doorway, whereas they made all the designers come in just from the lounge on the side. I do like Christian a lot and it's not like I want Tim to be back but they did treat Tim poorly here and I certainly was fine not having Heidi. Honestly not having a host was fine.
Time for the first challenge. Christian says that if you ask a fashion designer where they first fell in love with fashion, one answer comes up more than any other: the Disney Princess. Really. It's been 6 minutes and already you're shilling the network you moved to? Fine. Also villains, I guess. Time for teams! Wow we really just took all the things people hated about the Lifetime seasons and jammed them all together. The designers will be forming fashion houses: the House of Princess and the House of Villains. The clothes displayed around the room are their own clothes, so they've been pre-divided into teams. I assume “randomly”. House of Princess is Joseph McRae (sigh), Madeline, Antonio, Caycee, Belania, and Joan. House of Villains is Angelo, Alex, Ethan, Jesus, Yuchen, and Veejay. Well at least they separated the twins. You must make a cohesive collection in one day. 45 minutes to plan. They put up a chyron that this is challenge 1 of 10, the name and how many days they get. Interesting.
Caycee is immediately freaking out because this is exactly how she went out last time: in the first episode in a group challenge. Jesus has lucked out and gotten Liris as his model so he's doing an Ursula inspired suit. Ethan wants a cape, but he is a little worried about making his look too drag. It seems like Villains wants to all use the same fabrics, while Princesses is going for color palette. Antonio is desperate to win for himself to show his brother. He tries to sell his team on using the colors in the fabric he bought from home, which is oranges and pinks, I think, and butterflies. So butterflies. Madeline is not sold and she says in confessional that she's not putting butterflies on her outfit. I don't agree that it's not princess, but I can see it not being her style. She does historical fashion...and pants. Joan is also not pleased, but she's more vocal about it, saying she's not agreeing before they see the fabric. It's...fine. It's orange and pink with dark blue butterflies. It's not particularly elegant. No one is really sold on the fabric except Antonio.
$600 at Mood and 45 minutes. Joseph McRae is harassing the poor Mood workers into saying his full name. Christian hassles Team Princess for not being cohesive, because it looks like everyone is just buying whatever they want. Someone says “Christian it's 2025 baby” which doesn't even make sense. Christian says listen I work in 2025, I'm doing OK. Jesus demands his team join him in the beaded fabric section. They are talking, but Veejay says she needs lining and wanders off again. Jesus has an interview where he complains that Veejay is not a team player, but when Christian appears the rest of the team has left too, so I'm not sure why he singled Veejay out.
There is a countdown to the end of the day and it's just under three hours. So you want them to make an outfit in three hours? Why? You couldn't give them six hours? I mean I guess so. Belania asks if they should sing Disney songs, but she just like, sings high notes. I mean I guess you could sing Disney songs on the Disney-owned network. Caycee is hand-pleating tulle but somehow also not running out of time. Veejay I guess watched season 19 and is doing that thing where you don't really say that much about the person because you're pretending to be nice on camera. Then we discover Veejay was runner-up on Project Runway Philippines. That is a big help.
Suddenly there are 15 minutes left and we have seen nothing. Ethan tries to ask Veejay how she's doing, but she's just working and ignoring him. Or maybe didn't hear him, I don't know. Ethan is offended because it's a team challenge and she needs to respond I guess.
Runway Day. This says “Time until Christian's walkthrough” and it's about an hour. OK but how much time will they have after that? They're not even talking to Christian until the day of the runway? Is this a situation where they are actually going to get 6 or 7 hours, but because the producers fucked up, they had to split it physically over 2 days? Whatever. Antonio is pleased with himself, because their team does look somewhat cohesive and he believes the team loves his fabric now. Madeline says she hates it. But it's pink and ruffly and has butterflies so I guess that's princessy.
The story edit of “Veejay is not talking to her team” continues. Jesus declares her “standoffish and bitchy”. She's not bitchy, she just isn't responding. Bitchy would be if she told you to leave her alone or something. Although then she starts with the age-old stupid argument over the sewing machines. Yes Jesus is using the one you were using, but you got up and in this camera shot there are literally two open machines in view. Does it really take that long to thread the sewing machines? Jesus declares that she better not start, and Veejay thinks he's distracting her on purpose? In a team challenge? Come on. She tries a villain laugh in confessional but it's terrible.
Christian comes in to do his walkthrough, and the chyron says “Time until first runway” and it's like 7 hours. So in total they're going to get like 10 hours to do these garments, which is a one day challenge, but that one day is split up in the most annoying way possible. They should have sketched and gone to Mood, then started the next morning, had all day, next day is the hour or two you get before the runway and hair and makeup. Or do this by hours and not days. Caycee is not super modern and Christian doesn't like the pleated tulle. Caycee does not want to give up the asymmetry or the waist design Christian doesn't like. Joseph McRae has a weird puffy coat that has pointed shoulders like it's a duvet. Also upholstery fabric for the skirt. And it's all in periwinkle, so I'm not sure how it goes with Caycee's pink dress. Christian does point this out. Belania has a lot of sheer parts to her garment, and Christian is like “This is Disney! Where are my pearls!” Belania shrieks and I am sure rethinks what she is doing. Antonio has his fabric in a basic tube dress, and he wants to make a big coat and do a reveal. Christian asks why he's making two dresses, and the one that's done is super boring so maybe he should focus on the big dramatic one and not the boring one. “The butterfly thing is because of you, right? So then you gotta be amazing.” I like Christian's mentoring quite a bit. He also says the tube dress is something his intern could knock out in 30 minutes.
Villains. We do find what time it is, so it looks like it's been a couple of hours. I'm sure Christian takes his time. Yuchen usually does futuristic clothing, and he is encouraged to do that instead of...whatever he has made here. But he is challenging himself with a long gown and a veil. Jesus has a couple of pieces, but it needs to be elegant and modern. Ethan is doing a cape that connects to the head, and then..something underneath and then a glove pattern? Christian warns him against making a costume, although he does have a dramatic moment. Because I am sure Christian can sense drama, he asks how the team is going. Ethan says there are “independent creatures” on their team. Jesus uses the word “bitchy” and I notice that Christian does not use the same word but asks who the “sassy” one is. Jesus says “this thing over there in the corner” which seems excessive. You are not making yourself look good here. Ethan says that Veejay is what they call “in the business” a cunt. Now, they bleep it, and the captioning bleeps it, but there's a preview video of this episode where they do not censor it which is how I know what he said. Christian is just like “wow” and leaves. Ethan interviews that he doesn't have a problem with being a cunt but not when it's your own team. We do not see Christian talk to Veejay about her outfit.
Also as a sidebar, there are some interviews happening in another room, where you sit in front of random mannequins or whatever as usual, and then some which are clearly in the workroom, during the day in front of windows. I kind of feel like they pulled each designer for a few minutes to react to their critiques which is kind of nice. I think otherwise they do interviews at the end of the day and so you have to act like it just happened.
Christian tells everyone they have four hours to finish. Ulta is maybe doing both hair and makeup? Jesus demands a Villains meeting because Christian wasn't super thrilled with their collection. It's maybe not cohesive, but they've all got flowers maybe? He tells Yuchen he's the only one with lace so everyone else needs to add lace. When Yuchen says he doesn't have any more lace, Jesus basically demands he cut some off his garment. Dude, come on. He asks if Yuchen has ever made a collection before and even though he says yes, Jesus explains cohesion and how everything has to match. Yuchen points out other elements of other designs that are only in one garment, because he's not the only one that is using something no one else is. Jesus claims he is not trying to sabotage, but I don't see him cutting pieces off his own garment. Also everyone has black but there's one red garment and no one is mad about that. Jesus calls Yuchen a “shitty bitch” in confessional and pretends this is about the team instead of not letting Jesus boss him around. Also Veejay has not been mentioned once in this whole argument.
There is one hour until the runway and this is the first time we're seeing the models. So are we not doing model fitting? Antonio has made a poofy coat and Christian doesn't like it. OK but you guys have structured this so model fitting is so late there isn't time to do anything. Christian says it looks like a pinata. Antonio whips up a belt real quick. Everyone has to transfer things to the venue and someone is still sewing, which seems par for the course.
Then Heidi is walking down a staircase and there's an audience? Like I know they said this wouldn't be on the regular runway, which is whatever, but why are there so many people here for the first challenge? Nina is still here because we will riot. Also Law Roach, whom I do like, and I like the idea of a stylist opinion. You know what I don't think they said who was doing the accessory wall this year. Anyway, I like Law but the fact that the regular/”main” judges do not include an actual fashion designer doesn't sit well with me. Heidi says “One day you are in, the next day you are out. And in my case, back again!” Heidi that doesn't make sense.
Villains are up first. OK listen, immediately I am pissed off about the runway. There are too many smash cuts and they don't really show the clothes very well, and also Heidi and Nina have a whole-ass conversation about the look. Save it for judging. Yuchen: black gown that looks like tulle wrapped around the body, but not evenly. So there are horizontal stripes where the fabric is thicker, and then gaps that are sheer. Then a long veil that honestly doesn't even read as lace. The dress ends at the knee and she has tall boots. Ah, there is also lace as an overlay, so from the knee down it's sheer lace. I think. Angelo: black leather (or pleather, it looks cheap) tube top and loose pants. They're not those super loose pants that look like a skirt, but they might be harem pants. There is a narrow scarf of black fabric just draped over an arm, so she can drop it and trail it back up the stairs. Alex: long formal black velvet gown with a narrow skirt, with a stand-up collar. It's not one of those super tall avant-garde collars, it's maybe halfway up the back of her head. The collar is lined with sparkly lace and a dark purple background.
Veejay: I'm not sure what's going on underneath, maybe a bandeau top, but over this is a loose top of vertical pieces of shiny fabric. Imagine you made a very basic rectangle top, and then slashed it into even ribbons from neck to waist. There are loose pants and this is all in black. I guess it's a leather top? Jesus: black skirt, and a sheer black lace top. I guess it's not traditional lace but a sheer fabric with some sequined leaves or something. Over all of this is a red, almost copper coat that hangs down to the floor, with a cinched waist (later you can see it's a belt of black leather flowers) and for some reason a huge ruffle at the knee. It is criminal that they didn't let Liris wear a bra but you know she worked the shit out of it and the judges always love when the plus-sized models are showing a ton of skin. Ethan: black dress in maybe velvet, or possibly two pieces. There's a big gap over her midriff, with a gold buckle between her breasts and at her waist. So I'm not sure if they connect in the back or not. There's a sweetheart neckline and narrow straps. Over all of this is a black satin cape and hood that moves very well and stays attached to her head. I kind of wish he had put some kind of design on the cape but it is dramatic.
House of Princess. Joseph McRae: a wrap skirt, just above tea length, where the fabric leaves a slit in the front. Is that what a tulip skirt is? Then over this, a giant puffy coat. It is so big it looks like it used to be a comforter. But it's so huge and both pieces are in dark periwinkle and the coat is tucked into the skirt. And if this is one of the plus-sized models, and I think it is, they are going to skewer him about it. Madeline: slim cropped pants and a cropped jacket in the same periwinkle. The pants are fine, there's a weird belt that looks like she made a horizontal cut in about six inches from the waistband and attached a belt buckle to make a belt, but it looks interesting. The top has a collar that wings out and sits on her shoulders and buttons down the front, with a notch cut out under the last button. There are puffy sleeves (not Kenley levels of puffy but not closely fitted) with cuffs. The collar is quilted and that's not helping my memory of the last outfit. Belania: tulip skirt and top in lavender. The skirt hits below the knee, and it's maybe a silk crepe with a matching satin ribbon lining the edge of the fabric and the waist. The top almost looks like a corset, and it comes up into points under her arms. Then more satin ribbon runs around the back of her neck, attaches to the corset, and then wraps around her arms. Attached to the ribbon is just some sheer tulle with cutout butterflies on it. She's also wearing a tiara.
Antonio: this is a big poofy dress which hits at the knee, and has pink tulle puffs all over it. They are probably ruffles, but you can see the supporting fabric beneath it, I assume because he didn't have enough time to make enough ruffles to cover it. There's a black belt, and then at the top is his fabric that he insisted everyone use. It's just about a handspan of a strapless bodice, and then two lapels. It looks like the puffy tulle is a coat, and the lapels are turned down, but I'm not sure if this is actually two pieces or if he just made the coat and put a bodice in it like a dickey. Hilariously even when belted this dress reminds me of nothing so much as some of Christian's first designs, with all the volume. Caycee: long pink ballgown, in some shiny pink fabric. The bodice looks like when you take two wide pieces of fabric and put them over the shoulders and attach at the waist. Then over one shoulder and diagonally down the skirt in a spiral, she's put non-shiny pink tulle in a bedskirt dust ruffle. It looks terrible and tacked on because the main fabric is so shiny. OK actually the back is not wide pieces of fabric, those end at her shoulder and there's ribbons crossing in the back. Joan: dusty rose sequined gown. Long skirt, and a high neckline. It's almost a mock turtleneck but it's not tight. The sleeves aren't really sleeves but I think big squares of fabric sewn to the shoulder and then hanging down over her hands. In the front is an enormous flower, and I'm not talking like a Ven pleated fabric flower. I mean separate petals with something in them so they're stiff and not flopping down, and this thing reaches from her shoulder down past her waist. The flower is in what looks like a brocade, or actually it might be the shiny fabric from Caycee's dress.
I don't like the judges making comments during the runway, with the exception of no one knowing what Antonio's fabric print was supposed to be, and Christian saying “It's butterflies” in a delicious catty way. Also the problem with hour long episodes is you have to cut things like model fitting, because we had to leave time for judging. So sewing and runway got crammed into like 3o minutes.
Now we are back on the “regular” runway but the judges are sitting on the opposite side than they usually do and that is weirdly upsetting. The winning house is Villains. Interesting. Jesus is like “this team is hard to work with but we won” and he was the one doing all the complaining? If you run into assholes all day, you know? Princesses gets kicked out for later.
Law says they stuck to the challenge but were more modern than the other team. Also it “at least looked cohesive”. The top three here are Ethan, Yuchen, and Jesus. I was hoping Jesus wouldn't make it but sure. Angelo, Veejay, and Alex are declared safe. Yuchen has sheer and that is modern, and it's beautiful, young and sexy. Law says he can see it at a premiere of Wednesday, which is that new Addams family spin-off. Maybe not with boots, though. Nina says if the dress was in pink, he could have fit into the Princess group, which I think is a good thing. It means he made a dress that was flexible? I don't know. Yuchen says he's versatile, and Law is like “oh me too” so that's the energy he's gonna bring this season. Also Nina rags on the flower in the back, which you can't really see, but which I'm sure was one of Jesus's ideas to force cohesion. Ethan says something about “distinguished panel of judges” which is very funny, and also while he talks you can see someone else's hand fixing his ponytail. His model is petite but she feels very “grandiose”. Law says there's a little puckering but it's a great job. And it's not a costume.
Jesus was bold to pick a color, but he stood out. Nina loves the coat, but Law says he hates it and he was out-voted. Jesus is like, sorry if you hate the coat, and Law is like “oh I hate the whole look”. Oh shit. Jesus bursts into tears but Nina and Heidi promise him it's a good outfit. I certainly think there are worse things on this runway but it's the weakest of the three up here, that's for sure. Law refuses to go along and says she looks like a “Nigeria auntie” and not cool or young. Mainly because Liris is not necessarily a woman who looks good with no bra. Not everyone does, it's not like a failing or something, but that's facts. Also if having Law here means we return to the days of people asking “but can she wear a bra?” then I'm OK with it. Heidi says the usual dumb line of “oh you can't put the curvy girls in something loose” but no one said loose, they said breast support. The winner is Ethan.
Back in the Scrap Bin everyone chants Ethan's name and Jesus is freaking out about his critique. But not so much that he's not telling Yuchen he has to listen to others. Hilariously Yuchen is drinking wine and purposely not looking at Jesus. They fight about the lace, and Jesus pretends he was just requesting Yuchen cut up the lace, and then Yuchen says he is “mature” and isn't listening to anyone unless he wants to. Somehow Yuchen being offended (which I think is fully justified, they won and Jesus got the worst critiques and is still talking about this) this is throwing Jesus off. Guys, you can't put a shot of Jesus going “wow I'm shook by the judges critiques” and then in the next shot he's talking down to someone else and calling them a child in confessional. Come on.
House of Princess comes out, and Heidi says Belinda, Joan, and Madeline are safe. I do feel bad for Joan because I think she could have been in the top if the rest of her team didn't suck. They do not tell her this for drama. I do notice Heidi says “Joseph” and he doesn't correct her. Antonio asks if he's being punked, and they cut to commercial like there's gonna be a big fight about it, but then Heidi just says no and he says OK. Joseph McRae's look doesn't say “princess”. Nina says the coat has so much volume but then the skirt is strangling her. Law likes it, and he likes the coat, so maybe he's just going to disagree with everyone all the time. But he does agree the back isn't great, because it's satin and her ass looks lumpy and the coat looks like a couch cushion. For real, I think I used to own that couch.
Law turns to Antonio and says “If you asked ChatGPT for a Giambattista Valli $400, then that's what that look was.” I don't even know what that means but I love how specific it is. Oh it is still two pieces. He says he changed his dress after Christian talked to him, but they of course want to see the dress underneath, so he has to comment Christian said his intern could make it. Law knows he's trying to blame Christian for everything. Christian speaks for the first time to defend his intern comment, and you can't present just a tube dress, but he could have sent it down the runway with the coat open. Of course they love it more like this. There is some more sniping about blaming or not blaming Christian, with Antonio being like “I'm a Gemini” and Law looking over at Heidi like “for real right now?” Heidi demands to know which princess is the inspiration for the butterflies, which is not how the challenge was structured, unless they edited out some instructions. He says every princess. Hilariously when Nina is like “you're being defensive” Antonio immediately says “No I'm not!” Law takes him down a couple notches for being rude. Caycee has lovely fabric, the shiny one, but the ruffles are terrible. Heidi thinks it's like a nightgown, and then they hate the ribbons in the back too. It could have been way better.
Law declares he's having fun. Joseph McRae is safe, because at least the fabric was nice, and the color, and it does seem that Law liked it. Caycee made a mess and it was boring. Antonio made a cute dress, but the coat should have been open. But without the coat he didn't really do anything. Plus Law hates his attitude. Nina says bad attitude is a problem, they have seen it. Back in the Scrap Bin Caycee is sobbing and Antonio is insisting he's not defensive or rude. Later Antonio sobs too. Oh and then the episode ends because fuck you.
Next time: I mean the episode is now, but not even a preview.
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