by Ruth Anne Boulet
So this is the episode that declares it all — who will the winner of this season of Project Runway be? Well, if it’s not Leanne, I’ll eat my hat. But I’ve got about 58 minutes until I know for sure. Then I’ll be able to flip over to America’s Next Top President.
Hey, and why did we not get a recap/let’s rip on everyone episode? I mean, yeah, it’s a cheesy reason to have a clip show, but we also got to hear what designers REALLY thought of each other. In a very TV sort of way. And we get to find out who the Fan Favorite winner is. We’ll see how they handle that this year.
Tim has 2 important announcements — the designers have to cut 2 pieces as they’ll only be showing 10 pieces on the runway. And secondly, they have to go cast models.
Kenley likes to tell the other designers who they should pick, which Leanne finds annoying. I can’t imagine why.
Tim gives the designers a final once-over, starting with Kenley. She gives massive attitude to him. He’s only trying to remind her that the piece she puts her main model in will be in front of the judges again. Apparently she doesn’t find that reminder helpful. Korto and Leanne need to figure out what to cut, and in the end Kenley sees Tim’s point.
Korto decides that since the judges hated her wedding dress and bridesmaid dress, she will remake them. Now. Korto is pretty much insane. Then it’s time to meet with Collier Strong of L’Oreal. Yay makeup!
Korto is freaking out because she’s got so much work to do, and so little time to do it. Wow, did you think you wouldn’t have a lot of work to do in these last 2 days before the runway show?
Time for Tresemme hair consultation! The stylist declares a big attachable bun as ‘hot.’ I recently saw a video of myself with a bun in college. Hot was not the word that came to mind. Maybe it was the tie too.
One of Leanne’s models thinks it’s appropriate to bring her little dog with her to her fitting. The dog proceeds to crap on the workroom floor. Charming.
Tim does his final gather around & announces the order of Kenley, Korto and Leanne. He does not explain the reason for this order. Group hug!
So now it’s runway day, and of course they have to get to Bryant Park at the crack of dawn. They individually discuss how important this is to each of them. Like it’s not important at all.
Each designer gets students to help them prep their collection. Kenley doesn’t let her students do anything at all. Smart move, Kenley. I’m sure they would have sabotaged her. So much filler until the big payoff of the final result.
I discovered something I won’t miss with the end of Project Runway! The creepy naked Bluefly commercials. I can not see that for a while and still feel quite fulfilled.
So Heidi starts the show as usual and announces the surprise guest judge — Tim Gunn! Hooray! Kenley thinks maybe she should have checked her attitude.
Kenley’s collection is up first. She blabbers something incoherent & then the parade of ’80s comes streaming out of the back. Some of it I like, but it’s just way too ugly ’80s, rather than cool ’80s. And what the hell kind of shoes did she pull off the Bluefly wall to go with her wedding dress?! Blech! They’re hideous ’80s white ankle boots. It’s wedding porn.
Korto dedicated her show to her husband & daughter. Hey, is one of Korto’s models Bianca from ANTM? Man, it sure looked like her. Korto’s collection has a lot of fun dresses in it, but I don’t like the color of the new pieces. It’s just kind of a putty color. I know that’s the fabric she had, but I don’t like it. Now I’m wondering if she also had Dani from ANTM. Hmm, I’m going to have to do a little research tomorrow.
UPDATE: I totally called it. Both EW and Top Model Gossip are reporting that Bianca and Dani were in Korto’s show. That’s too awesome.
Leanne is in love with her collection & hope we all are, too. I already am, Leanne, I already am. I can’t wear most of it, but I like it a lot. Cut to Christian Siriano, looking fierce as ever. I don’t like the wedding shoes she chose for her model either. What is with these designers and crappy shoes? Ok, I’m sure they’re expensive crappy shoes. Leanne also needs to work on her own walk.
Post-show reaction is blended as one might expect. Some folks loved Kenley, others Korto and of course others love Leanne. Tricky, Project Runway. So tricky.
Aw, crap, we get the other creepy naked Bluefly.com ad. I’m so not going to miss those, that’s for sure. Can someone else sponsor the accessory wall in the next season? Please? Get on it, Real World Producers. Oh, yeah, and Korto won the fan favorite. She doesn’t get a big oversized check in front of other designers, she just gets a commercial.
We dive right into the judges talking behind the designers’ backs. Not for long, though, and the designers are back out on the runway. We’ve got 15 minutes to fill, so this is going to take a while. I wish I were watching this on tape so I could forward through all this stuff we hear every week.
The models are out on the runway. Michael Kors congratulates Kenley on painting her pieces herself. Nina’s the buzzkill and mentions that her flower print dress was like another designer’s show. Kenley now realizes, in a snotty way, that she should maybe look at what other designers are doing so she doesn’t look like she’s copying them.
Korto also gets great feedback, except that her pieces are at times overworked. Leanne gets lots of love as well, except that she maybe had too many petals and would be called Petals Marshall. That’s Michael Kors stripper name for Leanne now. Actually, Michael, her last name would have to be a pet’s name. That’s the rule.
So each designer has to say why they should win Project Runway. Kenley needs to learn to not talk through her nose. That’s part of the snotty attitude.
Judges talk behind the designers’ backs. Nothing too dramatic. Then Heidi tells them the obvious — that only one of them can be the winner of Project Runway. Oh, I don’t know Heidi. You always tell us that only 3 people show at Bryant Park and we all know that’s a lie.
And hey, how does being fulfilled relate to American Express? I still don’t see the connection. And is it just me, or does the movie Australia look like the Aussie version of Far & Away? Kathy thinks it’s the Australian Out of Africa.
We’ve got 5 minutes, so it’s time to get to the meat of it. First cut is Kenley, leaving Korto and Leanne. Kenley’s crushed & thinks it’s BS. Whatever, Kenley. And the winner is…. Leanne! Like I said, if she didn’t win, I would’ve eaten my hat. Now I don’t have to.
Congratulations, Leanne, and the model chick. Don’t fall out of your dress.
Whew! Now that that’s settled, I can think about picking a president!