Project Runway 9/18/25--"Something Wicked" summary

 

Previously on “Project Runway”: Yuchen is sent home, which is fine. Then it's time for the “real women” challenge, which is actually sponsored by a drug company so everyone can make clothes for people with eczema. Why pay to advertise your drugs if you still need to watch the fabrics you use? Doesn't that imply your drugs don't work? Anyway, there are two men just for added difficulty. One of them flirts with Jesus, which everyone likes until he doesn't want to look effeminate. Veejay ended up in the top, because her client liked the boring look she made. Yes it's time for everyone to shift away from never caring about the client to rewarding any design that the client likes. Also you have to do a reveal. Antonio finally won, but to be fair it was great and had actual reveals. Jesus and Belania were in the bottom, and then Heidi said you're both out and then it was “to be continued”. (click for more)

Y'all, next week is the finale. But I have theater tickets, and then I am out of town, and it's not looking promising for a full recap until like, Monday at the earliest. Possibly the following Friday. I think the best plan is I'm going to try to get a really basic recap up, like, here is who's out and they made collections and then this person won. And get a big recap up later.

Belania feels she can't be out because she's won twice. That means nothing. Jesus had a reveal and Veejay's client just took off a jacket so it's bullshit. Heidi says they're both out...until someone convinced them otherwise. Christian comes swanning in from the side. Oh NOW you use the Save? Come on. It's a non-elimination. I guess, because they haven't had one yet, and this is better than “throw something together in the next hour”. We see a flashback where Christian says they're both talented and they should stay, and then only three in the finale. I'm sure if they feel like it, they'll have four in the finale, or all five, or whatever. I wonder which one of them was supposed to last longer than this, but then shit the bed. Or maybe the one that was supposed to be out this episode did too well and the guest judges insisted because Nina hasn't been here for like three weeks. Anyway Belania and Jesus talk about how excited they are to still be in or whatever. In the Scrap Bin, Veejay does a shit job pretending to be happy about it. But I feel her.

Heidi acts like for sure two people are going to be out today because only three can make the finale. She then says this challenge has to be “special” because it determines who is in the finale. So Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have recorded a video for them. I'd love if one of them was a judge, but I'm sure they have better things to do. In fairness, they did get Paul Tazewell, costume designer for the “Wicked” movies, to come talk to them. The challenge today is to make an avant-garde look based on “the themes” of the upcoming movie. This is called “Wicked: For Good” I guess because “Part II” is dumb and cliched. Whatever. There's a preview of the movie but they spend a lot of it showing Jesus crying and having a moment with his brother. Because siblings. So the themes are “friendship, marginalization of people that are different, and self-empowerment.” And finally, at the very end of this show, we finally have two days to work. So either the movie (or producers, or whoever paid for this advertisement) insisted they have two days so they don't make garbage. Or it's time for the return of the Twist Alert.

In the workroom we have some costumes from the film which are amazing, no matter what this show is. Elphaba has a more organic look to her clothes, bark, mushroom gills. Glinda is all sparkly and artificial swirls. Ethan is freaking out that this is his challenge. Antonio wants to make a beaded bodysuit and a cape, which sounds cool but it's not “avant-garde”, which apparently we are defining as “something we've never seen before”. Belania is inspired by trees? Sure. Veejay is creating a textile from scratch. She does pretty simple looks but she has to be loud for this challenge. Ethan loves this musical, and he of course has huge ideas, but Christian is still pushing him. Jesus is making a coat dress with big hips? He makes a lot of coats.

The Mood budget is actually $1000 today. Ethan goes to pick out some beaded fabric that looks a lot like what he had last week for his client. And he didn't end up using it. He says green is the natural choice, and I feel like there's going to be a lot of green on this runway. Cut to Veejay buying yards and yards of red. It's a risk but I'm hoping she pulls it off just because. Jesus goes over and tries to demand to see her sketch, but she refuses because why should she show you? You've made it clear you don't like her. Christian calls him out and says she doesn't have to do anything, and then says he likes that she won't show Jesus anything, because she's trying to win! Veejay decides to start shit by asking what color Jesus is using, and then fake gasping like oh my God! Ethan is using green too! Jesus bitches that Ethan “was supposed to use silver” which makes no sense. Why were you discussing what you were doing, and also anyone can change their minds at any time. By the end of the episode I had forgotten Jesus tried to look at Veejay's sketch, because he complains about her so much that it doesn't make sense that he'd ever think she's show him her sketch. Spoiler, Jesus spends a lot of this episode complaining that Veejay shouldn't be here and she sucks. Then why ask about her sketch?

In the workroom Veejay immediately continues stirring the pot by asking about Ethan's fabric and then saying Jesus accused Ethan of copying him. I kind of respect Veejay's commitment to this drama. Jesus hears this and gets pissed, because he never said “Ethan is copying me” or anything like that exact sentence. He was pissed about it but I suppose there was never an accusation that we saw on camera. Jesus is trying to clear the air that he never said that, while carefully not saying he's OK with it. Veejay says she was “just asking” why they both had green. Because it's a Wizard of Oz challenge and everyone is going to have green except for your weirdo self using red. According to Jesus, the plan they discussed was Ethan using silver, Jesus using green, and Antonio using pink, and they would be the top three. Behind Veejay's back, Antonio is gyrating, miming stirring a pot. Belania hears this and is minorly offended they think she'll be in the bottom. Ethan says he's not copying anyone, which is true because using the same color is not copying. He is “doing the correct branding”. True. Jesus announces to the room this is just fuel to send people home. Veejay claims to be super calm and not taking it personally. Jesus tries to involve Belania and she's like, I do not have time for your shit right now. You will not be shocked to learn the internet cannot agree on if Veejay is rude, or if she's great TV. She can be both, you know.

In the lounge, as they all eat dinner, Veejay keeps going. Does she really think she's doing anything? Or is she just going for screentime? It's hilarious because one end of the table is Jesus and Antonio practically on top of each other, and on the other side of the table is Ethan and Veejay (a normal distance apart). Then Belania is like, 3 spaces away from them, by herself, at the other end of the table. Anyway Veejay asks the twins if only one of them can go to the finale which one should it be? She of course has an opinion, but it almost doesn't matter what it is. Actually it's that Jesus was on the top and he's been sinking, culminating in his almost being eliminated. So he's offended. I honestly don't know if Veejay is good enough to make the finale but again, I respect her commitment to this course of action. In confessional, Veejay says she's just asking questions to get to know people, and she's lost friends because she's too honest. Come on. No one believes this conversation is Veejay trying to make friends. OK I admit I didn't have this idea myself, but Veejay seems to think she is being shady and we are all frenimies here, but she can't read the room and notice the twins are actually upset. I'm not about to condemn her for being shady, seeing as how my love language is sarcasm, but you have to pay attention to if people are not joking with you and knock it off.

After the commercial Veejay claims she's not trying to create drama, which is hilarious. Jesus is pissed off, and now she's interviewing that of course they won't get along. So you're not trying to create drama, but of course you aren't friends. Whatever motive she's claiming, it's working, because Jesus is stomping around bitching about her to everyone. She seems to get that Jesus goes from 0 to 100 very quickly, but not that she is contributing to that and making it worse.

Christian Time. Antonio is not making a cape anymore, but maybe a shawl and some flowers. It has to have a million flowers if so. Belania has some cool texture in the muslin right now, and she needs to make it cool but not a costume. It's not sparkly so she might not stand out. Ethan wants to cover up the model's body, but is talked out of it. He says he's been toning it down, but now it's time to let loose. Jesus talks about a gown he's already made once before. The one with the red stripe and wide hips that people got stupid about. He probably can get the work done, and he says he needs to send “her” home because Veejay killed the vibe. Oh like you wouldn't have picked a fight if she hadn't done it for you. Veejay, in one of the more staggering shows of ignorance I've seen on any show, says people really are creating drama out of nothing and she doesn't see how she's stirring the pot. Girl please. This is not “someone asked my opinion and they don't like it”. This is “I went out of my way to tattle on people but I don't see how that's a problem”. Christian says the room is talking about her, and she doesn't know why, and now she's crying about how Jesus told her she should have gone home and she feels rejected. What. I don't understand how she can't see how her comments are not people trying to be friends. You can't gloat about how upset Jesus is and then turn around and cry that he doesn't like you. Either she really doesn't understand social interactions or she's extremely manipulative and these are fake tears. And then she brings being transgender into it which has NOTHING to do with the drama with Jesus. I get making jokes and then realizing the other person isn't joking but that's not what this seems to be. This seems to be “I thought I was being friends by making jokes but they've rejected me and I don't know why.”

So we get to Day Two without a twist. Model fitting. Ethan's model puts on his look, which honestly looks like a burka. Or, a chador, which is everything covered but your whole face is exposed. The beading is over her head and shoulders and then the rest is just a lot of green. The poor girl trips over the gown, because it's not hemmed yet. Paul returns, no pressure. The man who won an Oscar for the costumes of this movie you are supposed to be inspired by is here to judge you. Veejay has a red dress with a lot of loops and circles sticking out. It's avant-garde but it needs to have some kind of direction. Or I guess if she can explain her inspiration properly. Paul asks Ethan how her face being exposed tied into the green skin. Are we being that literal? They make the decision that she should have her face covered too. Antonio curtseys because...who knows. He's got an evening gown with a lot of beading and one green boob. Oh...a heart. How is this avant-garde? He has one big poppy flower that is somehow going to be a cocoon, even though it's not big enough to wrap all the way around her, I don't think. Paul is like, just do a crazy silhouette. Jesus also is going to have a heart, which is going to translate to a titscrepancy. It looks like a regular green evening gown right now. Actually they cut to Antonio and the flower is actually like the size of a shawl you can wrap around yourself. Veejay says something about how Antonio should get rid of the stupid flower, and then giggles. See this is why they are rejecting you. You can't tell me that you know you're laughing at them, and you lose friends because you're too honest, but you don't know why these two don't like you. Belania has a lot of green, which you will notice no one has complained about. The different pieces need to talk to each other. Paul announces he's very impressed.

Runway Day. Christian appears to give advice and tell people what to do. Lots of frantic working but no specific disasters. About the only good thing I have to say about this show is there was no twist second look.

As Heidi is talking to the designers on the runway, she actually points out that Paul is over at the side next to Christian. Hmm. So he's here watching, but not a judge? Instead the guest judge is Tyra Banks. Only one though, because Nina is here. I am glad Nina is back, but Tyra? Is she still canceled? Whatever.

Jesus: green beaded gown that ends halfway between her knees and ankles. She has a skullcap on with stuff sticking out of the top, and then the gown has one long sleeve and the other side sleeveless. Well, less a sleeve and more a strip of fabric wrapped around her arm. This shoulder has some small pointy triangles and then a wide collar around her neck. When she turns around, the high neck/collar wraps around the back of her head and becomes the hat. There are boots he covered in the fabric so it looks like she has weird hooves, but there is a gap between the hem of the dress and where the boots start. On one boob (on the side with no sleeve) is a white heart shape. I do like that he gave the model long nails or fingertips because it reminds me of Cynthia's nails.

Antonio: long gown in a sheer with white beading. The beading is in chevrons, centered down the front of her body and covering up anything important. There are long sleeves and a high neckline, and then the giant flower which she is just wearing on her back like a pair of wings. Christian said “Victoria Secret Angel” and that's pretty accurate. On one boob is a heart shape outlined in green. There are a couple of pieces on her hips and shoulders that look like bigger silver paillette sequins, and I think I can see some strands hanging down like fringe. When the model reaches the end of the runway and turns around, the flower is starting to sag a bit. I'm not sure how much it reads as “cocoon” when she just wears it and it's never wrapped around her.

Belania: green shrug with a hood. You know that style of “jacket” that people make a lot on this show where it's a pair of sleeves and then a rectangle of fabric that sits on the shoulders, with a hole to stick your head through? There is some kind of shoulder pad, and the hood, but it's just a piece that covers her shoulders and arms. Then the bodice of the top looks like a wrap top so there's a keyhole over her chest. The wrap leaves a little opening over her navel, and then the bottoms are wide cropped pants that hit just below the knee. The sides of the pants are cut long like a train, so they're all one piece I think. The shoulder piece is a different fabric that the top and pants. Actually I think the shoulder and hood part just has wide shoulders but they stick out like wings, and then she has long gloves on. You can see her biceps.

Veejay: top and short skirt in red. The top has one arm made of a loose chiffon material, and there is a matching panel on the same side in the skirt. Then the rest of the outfit is covered in loops of red fabric that stick out from the body. It kind of looks like a messed up Slinky. I'm not sure it flows, because it kind of looks like she just jammed loops wherever. But it does have movement and it does say Fashion.

Ethan: OK I was wrong about the chador. This look is a short dress with a miniskirt, in the expensive beaded fabric which is mostly sheer. There are tufts of ostrich plumes attached everywhere, and a full hood of the same material so her face is covered. Then a solid green fabric that is attached and flows behind her like a train. In the front it's a narrow strip sort of over where her boobs are, maybe six inches wide, and then down the sides in bunches and then to the floor. But looking at her, she's very exposed, the whole front is sheer with some extra beading around her crotch. Her hands are also covered in lots of beading, like gloves but much thicker than the fabric. I think this solid green is sewn down the front so it starts out close to her body, and maybe the part around her arms is basically the dress and armholes? The whole back is also sheer and the train is very dramatic.

We'll talk to people one at a time. So the twins' hearts are each made out of the other one's fabric. Supposedly Antonio's fabric was pink, but it looked pretty white. Jesus says it's the love they have for each other, just like how Glinda and Elphaba love each other. Sigh. Nina loves it. It's pushing boundaries and is experimental. Jesus cries which is also a sigh. Law thinks it's very beautiful, even if the shoes are draggy. No better time than the avant-garde challenge for drag. Nina and Law fake fight about who gets the look first. I'm tired of Jesus but it does look really good. Antonio talks about poppy flowers, and it's beautiful but it's maybe not reading “Wicked”. Law hates the back, and Nina calls it a bad pinata. Yeah from the back it's just a big flower shape, and there is not really any detail or color or anything to make it look like a flower. Is it “catastrophic”? I don't think it's that bad. Tyra says she likes the flower, and Law makes an excellent face.

Veejay shredded the silk to make this look, like shredding friendship, and she says a symbol of the movie is a spiral. Is it? Sure. Nina is very impressed with the work, because the loops do symbolize shredding, and then she also loves the shoe. The shoe is a pump covered in pieces of the silk, not loops but just little cut-up strips. Heidi thinks the shoe is clunky and it doesn't say “Wicked”. Yeah, it needed to be in green or maybe black to remind people of the movie. They are all impressed with the look of the dress, though. Ethan made something that looked very expensive, but when they do a close up shot the model has regular underwear on that is maybe a shade lighter than her skin tone. Law bitches about this for a bit, but then he does like the dress in the end. It's a stunning gown and the only bad thing was Law hated the underwear.

Belania made something inspired by nature. Nina is torn because she loves the pants, but then when she turns around there's like, an oval piece of fabric like a tail. When she was walking, it looked like maybe coattails, but you can see now that it's just one oval over her butt. Also I am horrified to see the pants are uneven. Like, the legs are not the same length in the back. Belania claims that nature is uneven. Tyra claims “avant-garde street fashion” is a thing. Belania is back to arguing because Nina thinks it's not risky enough, and Belania is like “in your opinion” which does not help her case. I think Nina's point is that Belania didn't push it far enough, and Belania is claiming she did. Nina says she's going to have to be uncomfortable in this business, but I don't think that's true. You can be successful, and have clients, and make money doing exactly what you're good at. If Belania never makes another avant-garde garment that doesn't make her a failure at fashion. Law does Tyra's crash out, like, the “We were all rooting for you!” speech, and Tyra makes the most amazing face. It's part “Is that what I sounded like?” and part “Is this bitch making fun of me?' and part “I did this better”. Law actually is going to agree with Tyra that it is avant-garde, but we have to go back to the stupid “you don't take critiques properly” argument. Yeah she's arguing with them but I'm tired of hearing about this. Law does that “if I didn't care I wouldn't say anything” thing. Belania bursts into tears and apologizes.

It's time for everyone to name who they want to bring with them to the finale, so everyone's feelings can get hurt. Antonio would bring Jesus (duh), and Ethan. Belania wants to bring both twins. Huh. Antonio says “oh it's coming from your heart, that's very brave”. What? No, she's probably thinking it would be very hard to beat Ethan. Ethan wants to be in the finale with the twins. He claims that his work has grown from bouncing ideas off them. Sure. Jesus will bring his brother and Ethan. He then decides to be an asshole and say that Belania should come too, if there could be a top four, because she's just great. First of all that makes it sound like you can't follow directions, and second we all know you just want to be a bitch to Veejay but you are right at the edge where it's going to backfire on you and you just look obsessed. Then he goes right over the edge to say he doesn't think Veejay knows “her DNA” in the competition. See now they all know you just wanted to say you think she sucks. No one else did this or badmouthed the people they didn't pick.

Veejay does herself no favors by announcing that no one wants her in the top three because she'll win. She would bring Ethan and Belania because they're kind. And they need the money more. What? Where did that come from? Jesus tries to ask Veejay that, and Law makes him shut up. Veejay keeps talking about how she likes to work with people who are “kind and humble”. Antonio asks if that means she thinks they aren't kind and humble. I mean, of course, but she should admit it. Jesus says she's started drama with everyone, so don't act innocent now, because she's started all this. Veejay just stares at the floor, which is not convincing me. She was kind of smirking when she was saying “kind and humble” and then when Jesus stood up to her, now she looks like she's really uncomfortable. If you're going to start shit, you have to stand behind it. And Jesus isn't even really going off on her that badly. I've heard worse fights.

Law asks Jesus who is the better designer, him or Antonio, and Jesus refuses to answer. It's a competition and that's a fair question. Jesus says “please don't do that” but does not get yelled at for his attitude. Antonio pipes up and says Jesus is in the top and he was in the bottom a lot, so he's proud of his brother. Law jumps on this and says OK so you think Jesus is better? Antonio says yeah, if you want me to say it then yes. I'm not sure if Antonio truly believes this and the past several weeks of confessionals complaining about how he deserves a win are all bullshit, or if he has guessed that they will have to stand there on the runway until one of them admits someone is the better twin and he's just trying to move on. Law gloats that someone answered his question, and Jesus says “I have different family values, as maybe you should one day too.” What does that even mean. Also it's bullshit that Belania gets yelled at for far less than this, and Law just laughs at Jesus.

In the Scrap Bin everyone is mad. Well, Jesus is mad at multiple people, and Veejay truly does not have any social skills because she is like “See?” Veejay, just be quiet. No, you know what? I think she's playing the victim. When the judges are there, then it's very hurt silence. Now that the judges are no where around, now she suddenly has responses to the twins and eye rolling. She claims they're attacking her, except for the part where she could have kept her mouth shut and not said “See?” and “Oh my God” and waited for them to actually say something worse than “don't talk to me” and then complained about it. The producer tells them not to talk. Antonio for some reason decides he's not going to stand there and be humiliated, so he grabs a duffel bag from somewhere and storms out. He does leave an “especially this bitch” as he walks by Veejay, who is in the doorway looking sad. She knows she loses friends for being honest. You can't tell me she chose to say “I will pick Ethan and Belania because they are kind and humble and only kind and humble people should move on” and now doesn't understand that the twins are mad about that. Jesus also tries to point a finger about how Veejay was wrong, but most of Antonio's interview at the end of this show is about Law trying to pit them against each other. He of course also doesn't want to stand next to Veejay. He declares he's going home, but a producer has run after him and there's always the good chance next week he'll be back. Or he'll quit and then that's one down.

No preview for next week, which is fine because I'm sure it would just be full of the twins and Veejay fighting. Either Veejay needs to be eliminated, or both of the twins, because otherwise they'll just be insufferable for the whole finale.