The HP challenge! I knew it was coming.
In the apartments, Jay is perfecting his feathery mohawk, and we see that some sort of bedside cream, possibly Tucks or Vaseline or Cerave, is on Jonathan's bedside and is all blurred out. Do the lotion people really not want to be associated with him? He interviews that Amy leaving really crushed him, but it's game on now. Anthony correctly states that most people wouldn't have expected him to get this far in the competition. Hell, his blue dress is on the cover of Marie Claire magazine as we speak. Maya is one of two girls left, and the youngest, and is still feeling the anxiety of influence (thank you British Lit 101, for supplying me with that literary reference).
Funny, Heidi is still pregnant here. Tim is with Vivienne Tam, who is known for marrying technology and fashion. They will be designing and creating their own fabrics for their looks. Vivienne shows how she used the image of a butterfly to create a butterfly print. She seems to not mind shilling for HP at all, though the designers look a little bored by the blatant product placement. The nature of producing their own fabric means that this will be a two day challenge. And they're still going to Mood, for fabrics that they can use to prototype, which, thanks Tim Gunn, I never realized could be a verb.
So it's "sketch time", and Seth is creating a Bratz doll look alike. Jay is creating something vibrant and electric green (my favorite color), while Mila uses a paintbrush to create multi-colored stripes. Well done, Hewlett Packard, well done. Emilio is not self-involved or anything, but his fabric will consist of his initials, over and over. Maybe my aversion to that idea is related to the fact that I don't like clothes with designer's names or initials splashed all over them. It's why I've never been able to be a Louis Vuitton fanatic. The designers print their designs, and they all look promising.
Supplemental fabric time at Mood, y'all: they have 20 minutes! Seth loves yellow, so is going with a British take on pop punk. I don't know how that first phrase connects with the second, but I'm sure it'll all come together and look like a raincoat Sid Vicious would wear. Thank you, Mooood!
So I guess without the full fabric, what can they do? Well, I guess fiddle around with their printouts and do additional sketching. Mila's print looks Miro-esque to me, but Anthony thinks Legos are for playing with, NOT for wearing. What happened to Jonathan's print? He designed something, but it's invisible. Hmm, not great planning there, Jonathan. Mila asks Anthony what he's making, and he replies, "So far, an ass out of myself". No, you are making yourself the running laugh track to this show! Never leave, Anthony! Anthony is trying separates, and is trying out an edgier look. Oh my. Project Runway rule #549- if your specialty is Southern cotillion ball gowns, don't go for edgy all of a sudden. And always stay true to your design aesthetic! Don't fail me now, Anthony. Emilio tries placing a periwinkle blue bustier on his mannequin, and doesn't like the way it looks. We then see him thinking about whether to scrap or carry on. As long as his model isn't wearing a bikini made of washers, it's all good (yes, I still shudder at the thought of that dress).
Nighttime at Parsons, and the designers are busily constructing. Emilio bought the light blue hours ago, but now decides he doesn't like it. Why does Nina Garcia think he's so promising again? We are then treated to Anthony hilariously riffing on Beyonce and Oprah. This actually concerns me, because any designer who is lavished with air time is either about to win, or...about to walk the plank. I still don't totally get what the designers could do without their primary fabrics, but they are gone for the day.
Oh dear, Seth has made the phone call home of doom. Or has he...?
Next morning, the designers arrive at the workroom to find...their fabrics! So what kind of material is this exactly, cotton? Jonathan's design has actually turned out pretty, with gray bubbles and stenciling, BUT when compared to the vibrant colors everyone else is doing, it will probably be the most boring. Mila feels the same way I do about Emilio's Emilio-centric fabric, and says that while he is a good fitter, his taste is questionable. Very true. Maya is having trouble using her fabric in a way that represents herself, and her love of structure. That fabric is so fabulous, I am sure she will pull something out.
Tim Gunn consults with Mila first, and she calls him T.G. Love it! Emilio's ESosa dress gets Strike Two from Tim, who, like me, only sees the initials S.A., for Seth Aaron (or for my own name), and Seth Aaron himself looks very amused and a bit flattered at the unintentional shout-out. Tim thinks that without the print, it's a very basic silhouette. Emilio proceeds to commit Project Runway cardinal sin #38- never ignore the oracle of fashion that is Tim Gunn. Kenley Collins did, and while she actually made it to the final three, she eventually was arrested for throwing her cat at her fiance in a domestic dispute. So you see, you cross Gunn, and bad shit finds you. Eventually.
Tim adores Maya's print, and commands her to unblock! Tim, I see endorsement opportunity here, I'm just sayin'. Sorry, leaving my current health issues, aside: Anthony's bustier is great in my opinion, but Tim is concerned that the judges may find it unambitious.
The models come in for their fitting, and Emilio says, "Oh, I hope the judges don't notice I got some water there". I suspect that Emilio doesn't really give a shit at this point. Ooh, I hope he's out. Maya is flipping out. How could this not be a good challenge for her? Emilio comments that Mila has made a white teepee of a dress, which is kind of true, but I think with that swirl of color it will look great- but this is the hippie in me talking. I wear shit like this, okay?
Crunch time on day two: Mila notes that Anthony's taste is questionable, although he's a joy to have around. I agree. He can't step out of the tasteful evening gown comfort zone. He starts to scrap his original top, with what looks to be about 1 minute left till midnight. Uh oh...
Zooey Deschanel singing for Cotton. She has a so-so voice, and yet she sings in every movie role I've seen her in. Even as a Christmas elf in "Elf". I love her as an actress, but as a singer? Stick to your day job, Deschanel.
Time for unnecessary filler. Yes, we could have more airtime for seeing the fashions, or judging time, but instead we get Anthony telling Jay he looks like a gay Christmas ornament (a complement in my book), and yet this prompts Jay to change out of his neon green jeans. Seth seems very ADHD as he mumbles to his sleeve, and Jay's outfit is looking like a troll costume. Anthony wants to throw a bucket of paint on Jonathan's pale dress and pale model, while Jonathan observes that Mila's model can barely walk in her dress. Hair, makeup, now runway time.
Let's meet the judges: of course guest judge Vivienne Tam. First up is: Seth Aaron.
I admire his talent as a designer, but I don't get a lot of it. This is a fine example. The jacket, plus the yellow tie, and-ack!- gray jodhpurs, all equal a garish mess in my book. But the judges will probably love it.
Interesting: Jonathan made a jacket that seems to fasten in the back. The model removing the jacket definitely created a wow moment, but the rest of the outfit is boring and gray.
Maya's fiery red dress looks dramatic and awesome, and she managed to work in the structural elements. A+
Emilio's light blue print dress with the black jacket actually looks chic- I like the pencil skirt effect.
Mila's dress looks great, with just a splash of color, but Nina makes a face when she sees that the model can barely walk in it. Uh-oh.
Anthony's dress has some purple fabric strips papering over the messy bodice, and I have to say, this simply doesn't have the wow factor of some of the other looks. Yawn.
Jay's green and black tribal/military/turtleneck/short shorts look is all sorts of hideous. Ick.
Jay has moved to the middle of the pack-yay?
Heidi loves Emilio's look, which we now learn was inspired by his two passions: graffiti, and 1940's French fashion. Kors thinks he nailed it. Kudos all around for Emilio. Michael Kors thinks Mila's dress is like a Mexican sarape/gay flag (hey, Juan Gabriel would rock that look!). Heidi thinks it's too stuck in the 70's, and Nina says it's not much of a print. Vivienne Tam thinks the print doesn't go with the dress. Ouch. Heidi says that she's seen Anthony's silhouette many times before. Predictably, the judges love Seth Aaron's consistency, and Kors says the look has personality. Excessive personality, I'd say. Nina though the print was charming- has she never seen a Bratz doll? Kors thinks Maya's model looks like a romantic warrior, and Nina thinks the dress looks like electricity. Kors, who is on a roll tonight, thinks Jonathan's jacket is like a disco straight jacket, and that the print looks like a dirty tablecloth, with food stains. Wow. Jonathan talks back and says that the tablecloth comment is preposterous. I like when the designers stick up for themselves! Nina says it is a total disaster, like the pleat in the back, and she sees sadness in the dress.
Bitchback time: Anthony always has an excuse, and the same silhouette. He just decorates basic forms. Mila took the easy route. Jonathan's look was a total car crash. It's too conceptual and weird. Seth Aaron's look is polished, and he is always full of ideas. Heidi loves Emilio's dress. Kors thinks it's a versatile design. Maya's side silhouette is dramatic, and Heidi thinks she did the best print. I hope she wins.
Emilio is the winner, and Maya looks pained. She totally deserved it. Mila, of course, is in, saved from the bottom yet again. Anthony is...out. Shocker. Once again, the designer with the ugliest dress is safe. What the auf??
Anthony is joyful in defeat. Tim says he hopes Anthony is proud. He seems helpful. Oh, I WILL toss one back for you, Anthony.
Next on: design for an opinionated, headstrong celebrity.
Aufwiedersehen, Anthony from Alabama!
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