The episode started off with Brendan taking a nap! Which seemed like a clear indication that he would NOT be the winner. A few weeks ago I had a hunch that the producers were setting him up for a fall, and the footage of him asleep in the lounge seemed to seal the deal. I feel like finally, after sixteen seasons, I'm beginning to crack the code.
I have a comment about each of the judges. Is it just me, or was Heidi's purple outfit just a teensy bit trashy? I was tickled (and a little barfous) over Zac showing off his Heidi Klum underwear. Please. And Richard picked up on Nina giving the side eye to guest judge Jessica Alba. There was a split second where her expression clearly said, "Girl, will you shut up." Just for a split second.
The results are in: Margarita came in fourth, Brendan in third, Ayaya in second, and Kentaro was the winner. I'll talk about them in that order.
MARGARITA
No surprise that Tim had the best comments about her. In the workroom he said, "This is a customer who would own each and every one of these looks." And while they were watching the show, he said, "You put on a SHOW." Too many feathers, maybe. But personally, I would have put her in second, Brendan last, and Ayana third. But did they ask me?
BRENDAN
Of course his stuff was well made and had his signatures, but the overly unified color palette made the whole thing seem very flat. It's not that he needed to use more variety in his fabrics - - season 2 was won by Chloe in a collection made of TWO fabrics. But her stuff was so extraordinary, Brendan's was just this side of blah. It was a little heartbreaking to see him break down like he did in the lounge. I think he might have been counting his chickens.
AYANA
There were a few looks that I loved (the light grey sporty look, the final gown), but too many of the other pieces were washed out and mumsy. The judges liked the silky dress with the tiers of ruffles, but I thought it was ruined by the fabric. Her collection would have had so much more presence and attitude with a different choice of fabrics. She has a clear idea of what she wants to do, I hope she does well. Actually, I wish that for all four designers.
KENTARO
This was a big surprise, yes? He didn't know it at the time, but he put himself on a winning path when he said early in the episode that it was clear to him that either Brendan or Ayana was going to win, "so I'm going to do whatever I want to do." His collection was the coolest, the most sophisticated, and strangely enough, given the criticism from the week before, the most cohesive. He really pulled it together. He set the tone with that stunning opening look - - so full of drama and confidence.
I love what Nina said, that there are two ways that you can tell when a show has impressed the audience: either they yell and scream, or they are completely silent. Heidi cracked me up by saying, "You could hear a mouse fart in that room." You can take the girl out of Germany, but you can't take the Germany out of the girl.
One more word before I close it out: I thought of my beloved Laura Bennett, who was driven mad by the judges going on and on about styling. She said they should change the title of the show to Project Stylist, if that's all they were going to care about. Anyway, my point is - - I don't think the judges said a word about the styling on any of the four runway shows. Interesting.
Next up: PR All Stars season 6, premiering in January. Sixteen designers, EIGHT of whom have been on a previous All Stars season. They really are getting worn out. But of course I'll be watching it. Do I need to seek professional help?