Finally! Project Runway has emerged from the depths of their Christmas break. Not that the designers actually TOOK a break during filming, but we can live with the delusion that Project Runway designers aren’t completely sleep deprived.
We already know, due to the incessant repetition of the preview for this night’s episode, that it’s the ‘make something fabulous out of crap’ episode. I love this episode — it’s crafty, it’s creative and has the potential for pretty big meltdowns.
We begin this episode ordinarily enough — designers starting their day. Kevin’s all alone in his Gotham apartment, since all of his roommates have been ‘Auf-ed.’ Kevin is lamenting being all alone. Kevin is lonely, and nuts. I can’t remember where he’s from, but he’s apparently unaware of the rarity of having significant square footage all to yourself in Manhattan.
And the designers are off to the next challenge and model selection. For some weird reason, since we’re supposed to believe this is morning, Heidi is all evening-glammed out. Even at this point I’m seeing that Sweet P is getting a lot of screen time, so I’m scared for her. We’re handing out buttons, models are getting swooped up and finally, it’s Ricky’s turn. Ricky will decide which 2 models will be out. Do you even need to ask if he’s going to get teary? The designers are told they will have an early wake-up for the next challenge.
Project Runway‘s definition of early isn’t the same definition I have of early. I could cut designers some slack if I knew they were sewing until midnight the night before, but Project Runway doesn’t give us that kind of helpful context. Tim knocks on the designer’s apartments at 6am and asks them to meet him in the lobby. To all the designers’ credit, they’re almost all awake at that hour. I do a superior dance since I’m generally getting on the treadmill at that hour.
Designers are walking down the street. Oh, the excitement! They don’t know where they’re going. The drama!
Tim and the gang arrive in Times Square, which only slightly narrows down the possibilities of where they might be going. Tim finally ends the torture and points out the Hershey’s store. Elisa is happy because she thinks the candy store is full of magic, magic, MAGIC! Christian is less excited since he deduces that they get to make s*** out of candy.
Tim introduces the designers to an animatronic Hershey’s spokeswoman. She’s a little lifelike, but it’s impressive that robotics have come so far.
Oh, wait, she’s human. Interesting choice, Hershey’s.
The designers don’t have a monetary budget this week, but a time budget — they’ve got 5 minutes to shove as much crap in a bag as they can. Of course, whatever they create has to come out of that pile of candy. The smart designers are grabbing pillows, bags and anything that might have a scrap of fabric in it. Others are grabbing candy galore. Chris, the Broadway designer, has worked with food on dresses in the past and wisely avoids it in this challenge. I had mentally questioned Jillian’s choice of Mork/Office Space (minus flare) suspenders, but they actually served her well to hold a couple of Twizzler pillows for her.
This challenge starts off fun, as they normally do. And with this challenge, as opposed to recyclables or plants, there’s the added bonus of candy! Designers are getting silly — throwing candy in each other’s mouths and generally sharing the magic, magic, magic of this candy moment. This magical feeling, of course, doesn’t last. Designers have until midnight to put this thing together.
The designers are falling into 2 general camps: the overconfident and the cautious. Christian remarks on the instantaneousness of his design. Jillian is having fun using Twizzlers — until she actually begins to work with the Twizzlers. Chris is watching those who are using food have problems with using food. Elisa wants to make a fanciful Gretel dress for her daughter. Christian finishes early, then comes around to annoy others. I mean ‘help’ them by offering really helpful unsolicited advice.
Generally, though, the stuff designers are coming up with is really fun. Rami’s doing great things with his ‘girly edgy’ dress made out of Twizzler and York items. He even beads a purse with Good ‘N Plenty’s. Jillian’s outfit looks cool — if she can keep the Twizzlers from falling off. Sweet P also panics — and decides to scrap her first look entirely to make a second dress. A dress that Tim Gunn says looks like a coffee filter or a maxi pad. That’s never a good critique.
Commercial time — I can’t believe this episode is sponsored by Hershey’s! It’s shocking. Just as shocking as Bravo finally, FINALLY airing the gay version of the Levi’s ad they’ve used all season. Way to connect with your audience, even if it took you a while, Bravo.
Let’s start the show.
Heidi is a little more natural looking than the last time we saw her. She mentions that Hershey’s is going to auction off all of the pieces for some young woman breast cancer charity I’ve never heard of. However, if you check it out, they get a great rating from Charity Navigator, so it should be a great cause to donate to if you’re in the market. Hershey’s isn’t saying when or where they’ll be auctioning the dresses off, but here’s their site about it.
Most of the items coming down the runway are fun. Ricky does a good job, as does Chris. Elisa thinks her dress is a dark & disturbing Gretel. Elisa is the only person who thinks her dress is dark & disturbing. Rami thinks he caught guest judge Zac Posen’s eye with his design. I know he’s a successful designer and all, but when I see Zac Posen, I think Saved by the Bell. Not sure why. Victorya’s model has this weird walk with her hands parallel to the floor. The walk is weird and the dress is boring to me.
Right away Kevin, Christian, Ricky and Kit are safe and are sent away. The rest of the designers get ‘the grilling.’ Ok, Rami doesn’t since the judges love, love, love his magic, magic, magic. Jillian also gets love when Michael Kors calls her design ‘deliciously chic.’ Even Chris gets the love — Michael Kors thinks his dress is smart and appreciated that Chris didn’t go for the candy float he so easily could’ve made.
On the losing end of the judge’s comments are Elisa, Victorya and Sweet P. The judges wanted more joy out of Elisa and hate the silver showercaps on the model’s arms. Zac Posen says it’s not wearable or fabulous. Heidi thinks Victorya’s dress came from Dairy Queen. Sweet P’s dress didn’t bring a smile to the judges — it just made them sad.
So in the end Rami is the winner and Elisa and Sweet P are in the bottom 2. Probably due to her numerous appearances in the bottom, Elisa is Auf’ed this time and she’s actually really, really sweet & generous about it. She may have been the DO — Designated Oddball — of this season, but she was at least a nice oddball.
Namaste, Elisa. I’ll miss you next week.