What's Your Sign?
Updated 2008-09-11 09:14:27
Previously: The designers had to design a look that would fit into Diane von Furstenberg's new collection. Kenley cried all over her plaid because she was so honored. And, she upped her annoying quotient by about 60 percent. She's kind of a pill, that one. She's pretty critical of others and, at the same time, hugely defensive. Recipe for that girl we all hate. Leanne pulled out her second win in a row, creating a beautiful gown and firmly placing herself in the front-runner position (or so I believe). Stella's outfit, though not horrible, misses the mark design-wise and the tailoring is not so hot. Holding her head high and telling everyone to eff off, she is eliminated.
Rise and shine, Empire State Building with fast-moving clouds surrounding it! It's time for a new episode of Head of the Class , I mean, Project Runway . I guess. These people remind me of Head of the Class . They all fit in some stupid cliché little niche and they're just kind of caricatures. Santino would eat these bitches ALIVE. To make a point, I saw Elisa Jimenez on the street yesterday. First of all, she's really gorgeous. But, do you remember how hippy-dippy she was? Well, even at her most cringe-inducing, she was so much more authentic than almost any of these losers.
We see Terri dancing around in her pajamas singing, "The witch is dead. The witch is dead." Hmm. She interviews, "Peace out Stella." She says she won't miss her -- she was only one more person to worry about. We learned last week that Stella didn't "trust" Terri, but I'm not sure where that opinion came from. Weren't others saying that she did the same thing for every challenge? So, why would you worry about that person stealing something from you? Was it because they both make pants? I don't know. I just think it's funny that the one-note accusations have been leveled at Terry when, you know, there's Stella. Come on.
In the boys' apartment, Blayne and Rayon are still in bed. Blayne asks him if he had any dreams and, wouldn't you know it, he did! Rayon says that he dreamed their challenge was to make sweetheart neckline dresses out of chiffon and pop-tarts. I have no reason for really feeling this way, but I think he's full of shit and didn't have that dream at all. Because, aren't we all the people most shocked or excited by our own dreams? Rayon is presenting it so nonchalantly and I need to just step back and get ahold of myself. Blayne asks Rayon if he drank before he went to bed because they are sound bite machines and breathing, breathing.
Korto, Leanne, and Kenley are getting ready in the other girls' apartment. Leanne says that they are the only apartment with three winners in it. Kenley, sporting a yellow flower in her hair, says that she's feeling very confident. She says that she's going to win the competition. No she isn't.
At Parson's, Heidi greets everyone on the runway. Karalyn and Kendall are brought out for the model-choosing. Kendall looks like she's already been crying a little bit. I like a little passion in my models, sorry that you're about to get kicked off. If there's anything we've learned this season, these designers are pretty loyal to their model when they win a competition. And, she does indeed stick with Karalyn. Kendall sniffs and leaves the stage. Godspeed, K!
Heidi says that she has some "special guests" for this challenge. Let's bring them out. Rayon says he's suspect of Heidi saying that there would be multiple guests. And, it's the eliminated designers from this season. Didn't see that one coming from a mile away, or rather, previews 7 days in advance of this airing away. Terri interviews, "You were sent home. When it's over it's over." I'm sure they didn't petition the producers to be brought back and I'm sure Terri's smart enough to know that. What's going on here? Jerell interviews that it's good to see them, but it depends on what they're here for.
Heidi explains that each of the remaining designers will be teamed with an eliminated designer to create an avant-garde look. Jerell interviews that this news makes him feel better because he can pull an avant-garde look out of his ass all by himself. I would imagine that anything pulled from someone's ass and then worn would certainly be avant-garde. It ain't Ann Taylor, that's for sure. Heidi says that this is not an opportunity for the eliminated designers to get back into the competition. They are merely performing as assistants. Kenley says that she usually works alone, so she's concerned about who she might be paired with.
The designers convene in the workroom where Tim Gunn is waiting. He tells them that their avant-garde look has to be inspired by the astrological sign of one of the two people in each team. That's interesting. Joe interviews that he's happy to have some direction, because being told simply to make an avant-garde design...well, that could be anything. For instance, you could take a sock and put it over your head and call it avant-garde. Really, Joe? Tell me, America, is this what your next big fashion designer looks like? Well, I just checked out the Schott Brothers' stuff and some of it's actually pretty awesome, so book/cover/lesson learned.
Tim says that the remaining designers have been arranged by the month and day of their birth and that is how we will proceed. Tim is holding the lovely "black velvet bag" (I love it when he says that -- please don't make me find it). Korto is an Aquarius and gets to choose first. But, it's not really choosing. Tim pulls a button out of the bag. She interviews that she's "like, God, Jesus, help me." She is working with Kelli, who is a Cancer. Korto is happy. She interviews that since Kelli won the first challenge , which was about innovation, she knows she'll be a big help.
Kenley is also an Aquarius and she will be working with Wesley, who is a Scorpio. I'm so ready to be all, "I knew it!" about someone's sign, but I really don't know much about most of them. Or maybe any of them. For instance, Joe and I share the same sign, Aries. Wouldn't have guessed that. I would have thought Joe was a Libra. I just blew your mind right now. But, yes, I would have guessed Libra. He is paired with Daniel. Wow, this could be fun . Daniel is a Sagittarius. I'm not sure if that's the whiny boohiney sign, but I'm guessing it is. And, Leanne is a Libra. I guess she's kind of academic about her designs, but I really wouldn't have guessed that either. Maybe astrology is not the cold hard science that I thought it was. Leanne interviews that she was chanting to herself, "Emily or Jennifer." And, she gets Emily, who is a Scorpio. I miss Emily. She's a sweet girl. Blayne is also a Libra and gets Stella, who is a Scorpio. They hug and it gets a laugh from the other designers. Terri is a Sagittarius. She interviews that, if she gets Keith, it's not going to be pretty. Guess who she gets. Keith is a Leo. Again, I know me some Leos. I wouldn't have guessed it with him. The hot crying was the only Leo move we've seen from him. And, maybe the bossy bitching about the sewing machines that time. Terri interviews that she and Keith have nothing in common in regards to design or creativity. She says she's screwed.
Jerell is a Sagittarius and he'll be working with Jennifer, who is a Taurus. She totally seems like a Taurus. And, I mean the Ford automobile. Rayon is also a Sagittarius and will be working with Jerry, who is a Libra. I'm waiting for Rayon to call himself a "Sadge." It's bound to happen. Let's just prepare ourselves. They will have 2 days for the challenge. They will have 30 minutes to decide what to do and which sign to use. Tim has dossiers for everyone with info about the different signs. I wonder if Jackie Stallone is going to be the guest judge.
Stella schools Blayne on what his sign means. She tells him that Libra is an air sign. Also, they believe in justice and equality. So much like Blayne. The colors for Libra are ivory, pink, and turquoise. Perfect for Blayne. He's psyched. Korto and Kelli are going with Korto's sign, Aquarius. Korto says they are going to try to reflect the flow and color of water. The TV screen tells us that Aquarius is "The Water Bearer" and its colors are silver, aqua, and purple. Traits are unconventional and eccentric.
Kenley and Wesley are going to go with Aquarius too. Kenley thinks that the traits are perfect for her design aesthetic. She tells Wesley that the signs are accurate -- she really is an Aquarius. Jennifer and Jerell are looking at the dossier and learning about what it means to be a Sagittarius. Positive, adventurous, carefree, fun-loving. Jerell says, "Hey, I'm me. What can I say?" Does anyone like watching him? I'm just wondering. Sagittarius is what they are going with. The sign is "The Archer" and its colors are maroon, tan, and orange. Jennifer is sketching for Jerell and telling him that they could work the arrow angle of The Archer. Maybe we'll finally see some of this surrealism that she was always talking about.
Aries, "The Ram," has colors of red and white. Its traits are assertive and competitive, thank you very much. Once, in college, this girl said to me, "You're not Aries. You don't seem violent at all." So, I gave her a fat lip and ended that discussion. Daniel suggests to Joe that they emphasize the horns of a ram. They're all talking mighty literally about these signs, aren't they? Except for Leanne. We hear her tell Emily that she doesn't want to be like, "I drew a scorpion." They're going with Emily's sign, Scorpio, "The Scorpion." Its colors are maroon and black. The traits are determined and emotional. Leanne says that Libra is all about balance and that's really not her (told you), so they're going to use Emily's sign. She thinks it would be really stupid for them to have a model walking down the runway holding scales. Can you imagine? Blayne can. He thinks that it would be really great if they played with scale, say, have the model walking down the runway holding scales. Love it.
At Mood, Kenley is as bossy as shit with Wesley. She interviews that he takes direction very well. Good for him. Terri chooses Keith's sign to work with, Leo. The colors are gold and orange. The traits are risk-taking and proud. Keith tells her to give him some direction. She interviews that he's having problems grasping the concept. Keith interviews that Terri wants to do a faux fur piece and he's all, "Don't use faux fur." Care to elaborate, Keith? He thinks it's like creating a lion costume and that it won't work.
Back at the workroom, all of the designer have a little inspiration card at each of their worktables. Rayon and Jerry have chosen Jerry's sign, Libra. "The Scales." Jerry explains a sketch for Rayon. They are going to make a chiffon jumpsuit. Sounds positively revolutionary. Terri is telling Keith that she doesn't want to trace. Girl just likes to cut. She interviews that Keith's skill level is not where hers is -- she doesn't know what she's going to do. He suggests to her that she cut the pieces and he'll do all of the machine sewing. "You won't even have to touch a sewing machine." Doesn't sound like a horrible offer. But, Terri responds, "Oh, I'm touching a sewing machine." Whatever she wants, Keith says. Then, he asks her to be fragile with him. He reminds us in his interview that he was recently sent home and that's difficult for him. He tells Terri that he's trying to think of how she can get the most out of him being there. She interviews that perhaps he can count the pins that fall on the floor. Well, that doesn't sound like much help at all. I think we're having a bit of a breakdown in communication here. Truthfully, Terri's being a bit hard. But, she's not being impossible. Together though, it's not working.
Everybody's busy at work. Daniel and Joe are inspired by the ram of Aries and have started draping. Jerry interviews that he has won awards for avant-garde design. It should be something new and exciting that the audience hasn't seen before. Kenley shows her design to Stella and tells her that she will "freak out" when she sees what she's going to do. She says that Aquarius is very strong and progressive, like her. Leanne interviews that Kenley is "insanely overconfident." She's being really loud and annoying about it. In the workroom, she tells Emily that Kenley never shuts up, which Kenley can kind of see. She's at her table with Daniel and she says that she can't stand it when people talk shit right in front of her. She interviews that she can see Leanne and Emily rolling their eyes. Have you considered that's because you never shut the fuck up? Of course you haven't considered that. She says that she's just having fun and "some girls don't like that." Yeah, it's a girl thing. Can I just say something? That whole type of girl who thinks they are so cool and that's why other women hate them? Try taking a look inside every once in a while. Not saying you're wrong or anything, but sometimes -- all of the other women in the world are right.
With 2 and a half hours left in the day, Tim enters. Blayne describes their idea for Tim. It's like Libra is nude but then she starts to sprout the situation and she's got leather straps on that are teaching you the rules. I actually liked hearing it, but it looks absolutely nonsensical written down. Tim tells them to make sure there is cohesion in the design with all of the different ideas. When Tim walks away, Blayne says that it went well. Stella corrects him and says that she thinks Tim didn't get them. Jerell and Jennifer present their Sagittarius idea to Tim. He has serious issues with the houndstooth that they are using for their skirt. He feels that it looks schoolmarm-ish. They stick by the design though and Tim says that it will either win the competition or crash and burn. After he's gone, Jerell convinces himself that you can't play it safe. Jennifer weakly chimes in, "It's avant-garde."
Leanne describes her idea for Tim. They're working an exoskeleton idea that Tim really likes. He tells her that they have a lot of work to do. Kenley describes her design, showing Tim all 17 clashing prints that she's using. Then, she waits for him to love it. He tells her that there's a fine line between avant-garde and costume and she demands to know what movie has costumes like this. OK, how about Glenda the Good Witch of the North, he offers? She would never be this fabulous, Kenley replies. Tim suggests that she not listen to him, then. She says that she can't wait to show the judges. Wesley interviews that he doesn't want to add to the garment, because he feels like it's going to be ripped apart on the runway.
Tim asks Terri how she's doing and she says it's OK, but she's not intending for anyone to believe her. She talks about incorporating the fur into her design and Tim says that she should concentrate on making it look like the fur really "belongs" to the dress. He says that Keith is very innovative, so hopefully we have a good partnership. Crickets. Keith giggles a little when he realizes that Terri's saying he's a shit team member. I think that was a little bit of bad behavior on her part. He suggests that they could construct something a little differently. She says that earlier he was on board for what they are doing. He disagrees, saying he never liked the idea and tried to offer something different. She says, "Ruffles" is all he offered. OK, it's clearly more important for her to appear injured in front of Tim than to actually get anything from their partnership. She's making a huge mistake. Also, he calls her "darlin'" and she tells him not to call her that. I agree that he was probably trying to be a little bit condescending, but let's someone be a grown-up here, OK? Tim just says that they have to make it work. Keith tells Terri that she's not the easiest person to work with. Then, we hear him say, "What a fucking nightmare," as he's moving to the sewing room.
The next day, at the apartments, we see shirtless Wesley ironing. He really did get kicked off too soon, don't you think? Rayon, sporting a blue camouflage bandana (has he learned his lesson with camouflage yet?), is getting ready. He interviews that he has so much work to do that he will probably be finishing his design in the last minute. Korto says that she knows she won't finish her design in time.
At Parson's, there is a note from Heidi. They will be previewing their designs that evening at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the Museum of Natural History. Also, two designers will be eliminated for this challenge. Nice. Rayon is freaked that they lost four hours because of the reception. Everyone is scrambling. Stella says that she's not worried about other people, only Blayne. Kelli says that she's going to do everything she can to help Korto finish. There's a moment where Jerry and Rayon are whispering about what to do with their design. Finally, Jerry is like, "Why are we whispering?"
With 3 hours remaining until the party, Terri and Keith are not getting along. I really think she's cutting off nose her to spite her face. She clearly has some beef with Keith -- you're only hurting yourself, Terri. She should get over herself and delegate some stuff for him. He interviews that he's being pushed aside. For his part, he decides to split. He says that Terri is "an angry, bitter person" and he's not going to stand around looking like a fool. Jesus guys, it's clothes. So, he goes to the lounge and tells Jerell that she can defend her lion, with it's mane. "I didn't design for The Lion King ."
Tim enters the workroom before sending in the models. He announces that there will be no immunity for the challenge nor for future challenges. Everybody is scrambling. Kenley says that she's not impressed with anyone else's design -- hers is the only one that looks avant-garde. Korto says that she has pinned her entire garment.
At the Rose Center, the designers enter with their models. Who's waiting for them? Designers from previous seasons of the show. We have Daniel Vosovic, second in PR crushes only to Bradley Baumkirchner; Christian Siriano, Carmen Webber, Alison Kelly, who looks lovely; Robert Plotkin, who is still looking pretty yummy; Jay McCarroll; and Kara Janx. So, Kara Janx is still the only PR designer whose stuff I've seen on actual people. Heidi says that the past designers will be picking the winner of the challenge. Terri interviews that she's doesn't feel so great about that, since not all of them have completed designs.
Everyone starts mingling. Heidi thinks that the bustier on Kenley's design is too low. Kenley insists that the boobs of her bustier are exactly where Heidi's are. She's not right. Kenley interviews that, if Heidi's "talking nonsense" she'll have to step in and correct her. This girl is too much. Alison tells Leanne and Emily that their design is stunning. Robert chats with Terri and Keith about their design. Keith interviews that Terri won't even talk to him. He feels disconnected. She's totally fucking up with that. Christian asks if the fur is removable from her design. It is. He thinks it's prettier without the fur.
Carmen tells Rayon and Jerry that she likes the shape of their design, but she's worried that they repeat elements too many times. Korto asks Jay if he can guess their sign. He can. They're impressed, but he's like -- it's water, it's Aquarius. Not that hard. Heidi tells Blayne that his outfit looks like granny panties. He asks her if she can at least see how he's fulfilling the needs of the challenge and she takes a moment. Oh my God -- the lighting in this moment...Heidi Klum Seal is so ridiculously beautiful. It's crazy.
Daniel is really impressed with subtle use of trims in Jerell's design. Kara thinks that Joe's bodice is really beautiful. She calls it a "pillar of fire and strength." In reply, Daniel whines, "Wow, that's so poetic." Somebody give that boy an iron pill. Jay tells Leanne and Emily that he really likes their work. They repeat that they didn't want to be too literal and he says that they weren't. The former designers vote on the winner and that's the end of the party.
The next morning, the designers are back to work. Terri decides to ditch the fur collar. She's going to add color to the front of the dress. Meanwhile, Keith is asleep in the lounge. Can't really blame him at this point. Tim enters and sends in the models. Kenley says that she "fixed" the bustier. She says that Heidi was like, "Where are the boobs?" and her model doesn't have boobs. I think she was really saying that the bustier didn't fit properly, but I guess it makes Kenley feel better to just say that Heidi was insulting her poor model.
The designers are scrambling in their last 10 minutes before the show. Stella is hammering away. Rayon says that he's not going to be able to do everything. Joe says that Kenley's design is "truly Mickey Mouse" and that she should be in the bottom. It's time for the show. Korto finished in the nick of time and is thrilled. Tim has to wake Keith in the lounge before the show.
On the runway, Heidi greets everyone. She introduces Michael, Nina (she's back!), and Francisco Costa, Women's Creative Director for Calvin Klein Collection. He's also CFDA Designer of the Year. The show begins with Blayne. Oh no. It's like a camisole jumpsuit that sideswiped a clown. Seriously, there's all of this blue and red chiffon on one side of the look. There are leather straps randomly placed across the model's body. At the end of the runway, the poor model does this weird scales imitation with one hand up and one hand down. Blayne says that it's conceptual and interesting to look at. Stella says that the design represents Libra -- it is unbalanced and has an outburst of emotion. She thinks it's Blayne. She described it really well, but that shit is still incorrect.
Here's Kenley's design. It's a bubble skirt, ala the skirt she made for the challenge she won, in a floral print chiffon. There's a leather bustier covering a bodice in tartan. It's high-necked and long-sleeved with enormous puffed sleeves. It looks kind of like a joke to me. It looks like one of her regular outfits got drunk. I just wonder about Kenley. What's actually original about her? Is it a unique mixture of different styles that already exist? I don't know. Kenley thinks her design is like her. Wesley thinks she missed the challenge -- there's nothing Aquarius about her outfit.
Terri's design is next. She says there was no team, just Terri. Keith says that her design looks cheap. It's a long gold dress in body-hugging fabric. There's a leather corset and red puff sleeves that attach to the corset and meet in the back to create a train. It doesn't look bad. But, that's just me, and I'm apparently all wrong about Terri. I will grant that she has been difficult with Keith, she was only really hurting herself.
Here's Korto's design. It's a long gown in chiffons of different blues. At the neck, there are rings of violet in horizontal parallel arcs. The fabric billows in the back of the design, creating a look of a wave. Korto feels like they accomplished what they were trying to do. It's a pretty dress. The waves in the back are particularly impressive. It's all a bit literal though.
Here's Joe's design. It's a long gown that is fitted over the bust and hips. Then, it flares. There is a transparent shrug with bell sleeves on top. There's nothing particularly avant-garde about this dress, but it's well made. There are oranges and golds in the fabric and Joe feels like the dress resembles a flame -- because Aries is a fire sign. Daniel has nothing to say.
Next up is Jerell's design. It's a high-waisted, floor-length skirt in houndstooth. There are little panels, almost like gills, on the hips of the skirt. It's interesting. It's paired with a shimmering gold camisole. On top is a jacket that rounds the silhouette and has a peacock print. Jerell says that Sagittarius is fun-loving, just like him.
Here's Leanne's design. It looks like a red cocktail dress with a loose silhouette and a low back that was overpowered by some sort of black armor that protruded from the dress. It reminds me of the Batmobile in The Dark Knight , which is a good thing. The armor protrudes in arcing scales and surrounds the models head. It's very cool. Leanne thinks it's strong and structured and very avant-garde.
Rayon's look is next. It's a pantsuit in blues. The top is a camisole covered by transparent chiffon with long sleeves that bell at the cuff. There are bells of fabric hanging from the shoulders in the back. It's pretty, but it's kind of dated. It's something Lauren Bacall would have worn in Applause . Rayon thinks it's light and airy and sophisticated. Jerry is glad that Rayon listened to him.
Korto and Jerell and Leanne and Joe are asked to step forward. One of them will be the winner. They have to leave the runway right now though. The models return for the losers. Blayne explains that he wanted to play with scale. Nina thinks it looks haphazard. Blayne says that they hand-sewed everything. She thinks the bizquik going on near her hoo-ha is a "monster." Blayne thinks it's interesting but Costa says that it wasn't effective. He thinks it looks like a costume. Heidi says it's not pretty and asks the model to turn around. Ouch. It's so horrible. Michael pulls a Heidi and says that, "she is pooping fabric." This is tickling him. He says that he likes odd beauty, but this is just odd.
Terri explains that she wanted to create something that represented the heat of the fire sign. She says that she took away the fur because it looked like The Wiz . Michael says that because Terry is a Sagittarius and Keith is a Leo, they should have worked perfectly together. Keith rolls his eyes and Michael asks what the problem was. They start bickering and Michael stops them and says that they will never have serious careers until they learn to collaborate. He thinks it looks like "voodoo princess in hell." And, holy shit, Terri's model says, "Oh my God" and starts laughing. Wrong move. Costa says there's no strength to the design, which I find odd. Terri says that she is shocked to hear the comments. Her and me both. Was Joe's design really better than this? Michael says that she pushed the envelope but lost her taste.
Kenley says that she thinks her design is really cool. Nina says that it has nothing to do with the zodiac. Kenley gets very defensive and head-poppy and says that she was definitely inspired by the zodiac. Nina pushes ahead and says that it appears that Kenley did whatever she wanted to do, disregarding the challenge. Michael says that the skirt looks like Dolce & Gabbana and Kenley says that she doesn't look at collections. Nina looks at her like she's a lying fool. Michael adds that the top looks like Ralph Lauren. She's so completely petulant right now. He says that he has seen clothes like her design. She says, "This is avant-garde!" Michael replies that avant-garde means something that we haven't seen before.
Rayon is asked to describe his look and he begins, "Rayon and Jerry chose Libra...." This is going to be good. Heidi thinks that they didn't push the envelope and Rayon says, "Rayon didn't want to take it too crazy." He doesn't even believe himself right now. Nina thinks that it's expected. Costa thinks that they could have played with proportion. Michael finishes, saying that this wasn't the make-it-for-a-department-store challenge.
The judges confer. They hated Blayne's look. Costa said he couldn't bear to look at it. Heidi goes, "Ooh, that's bad." Nina thought that Kenley's design was not the challenge. They also think that she's too defensive. Michael is annoyed that she says she doesn't pay attention to other designers. He calls her a tourist and says that she's stubborn. I don't really understand the tourist thing in this context, but I like it. Backstage, you see Kenley saying that this is "bullshit." Nina says she didn't like Terri's look. It looked cheap. Michael says that she should have used Keith's help. Costa doesn't like that she didn't take responsibility for the way things went with Keith. That's a very good point. Nina thought Rayon was boring. Costa thought it was tacky. Michael thinks he's not ready for the third-person talk from Rayon. They've decided.
The top designers return. The winner, as voted by the previous designers, is Jerell. Heidi says the judges liked him best too. Leanne, Korto, and Joe are in. Kenley is in. Boo. Blayne is out. He leaves the runway. Everyone hugs him backstage. He says that it's like a slap in the face. That could have helped him a long time ago. Rayon is...in. BOO! No, seriously, BOO! This whole thing is such bullshit. Fine! She didn't get along with her partner, but Keith was bipolar and we all knew it! She should have been more diplomatic, but I seriously think this is so stupid. She looks pissed. She should be. She interviews that she never thought she would get kicked off before Bryant Park. Jerell is crying, presumably about Blayne. Terri says that people will hear from her. Blayne says that you have to be confident. He tells us that he's going to rule the world. I'm so upset. Seriously. Look at what we're left with. I mean, Leanne and Korto are great, but...I hate his.
Jeff Long thinks that Terri should have WON this shiz. He can be contacted at jeff.long75@gmail.com
See where Runway fell on our Tubey Awards winners list.And examine and judge all the flaws of the next cast of Make Me a Supermodel here!