So, Ivy has been passed out in the hallway since last week.
Everyone is worried. Seems she's been burning the midnight Diet Coke, cigarettes and stress. But all is well, and by that night while they're sleeping, rehydrated Ivy comes a-creeping back around (Q2) with visions of hospital curtains dancing in her head (Q3). She vows to remember to eat and drink water.
After that tempest in a teapot, the designers are presented with their challenge.
The models parade onto the runway in an array of really amazing hats by none other than Philip Treacy, Irish milliner extraordinaire ("I will write a sonnet, about your Treacy bonnet..." Q4).And he's there as well!
The designers will choose a hat, and will work with the model wearing it. Interestingly, instead of going by the hat and changing up models, they all choose to stay with their models and work with whatever hat the model has on. They should have done a full model selection earlier, before everyone bonded.
The challenge: to design a look worthy to be worn with the hat. Incredible challenge, because they can be as creative as they want.
Tim is pretty excited. |
Not Kristin. Her hat is too literal. |
Mondo has no choice, he hears the fabric's voice (Q5). |
And this is what he heard. Hmm. |
Should I stay or should I go? (Q6) |
Tim's walkabout highlights:
Ivy is adorable as usual as she awaits Tim's opinion on her concept.
Sometimes I look like Parker Posey. |
"Why are there tiny little women stitching on my garment?" |
Let the good times roll! (Q7) |
Tim thinks Casanova's dress looks like Donna Karan 1988. I knew Donna Karan 88, Donna Karan 88 was a friend of mine, and Casanova, you are no Donna Karan, 88 or otherwise (Q8). Casanova is worried.
"I am not a cat with seven lives." |
Michael C's fabric has puckered and he's worried. So is Tim. Michael C is despondant, but he gets to talk to his son Giovanni, which cheers him up considerably.
Long may you fish, my little son (Q9). |
Runway day. Much designer grooming occurs.
In hair and makeup for the models, hiding the hair is the order of the day to show off the hats. Mondo is having a mustache put on his model because she's wearing menswear. Not sure why he didn't simply bring the fake mustache he was modeling last week. Back in the workroom, Philip Treacy himself is putting the hats on the models, and asking questions about the clothes.
Runway time! Heidi enters to the strains of her husband's Kiss From A Rose, wearing a Philip Treacy creation with the aforementioned flower. It's jarring because the music on Project Runway never varies.
The judges are Michael, Nina and of course Philip Treacy. By all rights this should be a fabulous show.
All told, this runway show was disappointing considering the inspiration of those remarkable hats. Can you imagine what Christian, Chris March, Daniel Vosovic, Austin, Laura, Korto, Epperson, Mila or even Kenley would have done with this?
Heidi calls April, Michael D, Christopher, Michael C, Valerie and Kristin to step forward. Everyone else is Safe and goes backstage. There they opine that Christopher is in the top, and April, Michael C and Valerie are the bottom.
And out on the runway, it becomes clear that they're only 25% right. April is indeed in the bottom with Christopher and Kristin, while Valerie and the Michaels are the top or as the French would say, de trop (Q12).
Michael D tells the judges that that hat made him think of warriors and farmers, not that there's anything wrong with that (Q13). He feels the outfit references the sun. The judges love the texture and the architecturality.
Kristin also claims to have done something architectural, but the judges beg to differ. They say it has no shape or flow, and the satin is too heavy. Nina especially hates the shoes.
Christopher says that he wanted to balance the delicacy of the hat with a powerful outfit. The judges tell him it's forced and heavy. He saves himself, not that I think they were going to send him home, with thoughtful questions. But the judges can see that he understands his mistakes.
The judges adore Michael C's dress. They love that it's harmonious but not matchy-matchy, and love the effortlessness and playfulness in conjunction with the hat.
April is not so fortunate. They think she was working in the right genre, but the execution was bad. Michael Kors says the triple panty looks like someone wanted to go on a three day weekend without packing, and he shudders at the visible zipper down the back.
Michale K, Nina and Heidi like the weird zipper on Valerie's dress, which looks to me like the place you change the model's batteries. They like the hard and soft contrast of the bolero and the zipper with the dress, and the geomertry of the skirt.
Philip T concedes those things, but doesn't see a connection with the mask. Valerie explains that she wanted to do something unexpected and more "her." |
Valerie works her magic on the artist himself. |
Ivy and Gretchen are very happy for Michael C. |
April is sad that an outfit that she considers very "her" didn't resonate with the judges. |
The top and bottom designers are summoned back out for the verdict.
Valerie is third, and in. This is her third week in the top three.
And it's the Battle of the Michaels for the win. Michael C gets the nod.
And his fellow designers are thrilled for him. |
And his fellow designers are thrilled for him. |
Happiest auf ever |
April and Cassanova share a moment as they both vow to stay out of the bottom in their best Puerto Rican accents. |
And next week, the answers to the Quotation Challenge.
OK, it's taken a few hours. Here are the answers:
ReplyDeleteQ1 Go Dog Go, Dr. Seuss
Q2 Poison Ivy, The Coasters
Q3 The Night Before Christmas, Moore
Q4 Easter Parade,Irving Berlin
Q5 Like a Prayer, Madonna
Q6 Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Clash
Q7 Let the Good Times Roll, Shirley & Lee
Q8 Lloyd Bentsen, vice presidential debate, 1988
Q9 Long May You Run, Stills & Young
Q10 The Princess Bride, Westley
Q11 Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Captain Hammer
Q12 You're the Top, Cole Porter
Q13 Various characters, Seinfeld
Nice blog!
I was so underwhelmed by this episode. I wanted to love it, I did. The hats? Beautiful. I can even get behind April's idea of resort wear - totally was looking forward to seeing what she was going to do... until we got to Diaper-gate. She could have adverted it! Make a normal pair of shorts! You could have been on the top, April! I had confidence in you, and you blew it. Boo.
ReplyDeleteI know one of the quotes is "Easter Parade" by Irvbing Berlimn (too lazy to go back up and mark which one it was) - that made me laugh, cause my sister and I love that song, and the musical, so we were thinking of the Easter Parade as the hats came down the runway. Nice to know we weren't the only ones channeling Berlin. :)