Divamensch
Project Runway season 21
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E P I S O D E O N E
This season of Project Runway is dedicated to my dear friend Francesca for sharing her Hulu subscription with me. Freeform doesn't have a channel in New Yawk so Hulu was my one and only available option. Grazie mille, Franceschina!
The preview of the full season was enticing as ever. Of course I was thrilled to see Heidi back but I hope she will forgive me if I say I'm even more grateful to have Nina Garcia back in my life. She is supreme.
It makes me smile how they start the designer intros with High Sass. Joseph McRae, love his attitude love his style. Ethan, lanky and skanky! I mean that in the best possible way. Hilarious that their first speaking-to-the-camera shot of him had it framed badly because he's so tall. Very clever. Do they give an Emmy for Most Cheeky Use of Camera Framing in a Reality or Competition Series?
Veejay. Poor thing, getting stuck on Joseph McRae's name. I have a feeling that's going to be a recurring motif this season, and not just with her. Pre-emptive heavy sigh. She and Madeline had almost no camera time, which seems to send a signal. Maybe they'll get more in the episode but I've got my eye on them.
Jesus, a repeat offender! He was on Season 7, yeesh 15 years ago. Joan and Yuchen, also mere blips ln the radar. Caycee, another repeat offender , from season 19! It cracks me up that she said, "Being eliminated on the first episode, I didn't get to show who I was." Yeah, because your outfit was HID-JISS! I'm just sayin'. BTW two repeat offenders in one season seems excessive. Have they officially depleted the pool of available, talented, and/or telegenic designers?
More blips: Angela, Belania, and Alex. What is this.
Antonio - - wait a minute, twin brother of Jesus. The PR producers clearly know their audience, putting a cute young pair of Latino identical twins on the show.
Heidi looking good! She really nails the tone as host, she always has, she's engaging and entertaining but still somehow skirts around being phony baloney. Maybe she's cheese and macaroni. A concept I just invented. May I make two uncharitable observations? Her makeup was so heavy it appeared she was wearing a Heidi Klum mask. Available at Ricky's on 51st and 8th. And of course she's wearing evening in the daytime. So on brand.
Christian, also looking good! Did you see those chunky soled shoes on him? Very smart, edgy, youthful, good choice. Plus I imagine they give him an extra two to three inches in height. I anticipate at some point they'll have him standing next to Ethan for a tall and short visual joke, like Kristin Chenoweth interviewing Adele on the Oscars red carpet a few years ago. Did you see that? Memorable.
The Challenge: Christian says that if you ask a designer about the source of their first fashion inspiration their answer would be...I thought he'd say the red carpet. Or a stylish aunt or similar. But what did he say? A Disney princess? And a Disney villain? The designers are split into two teams - - one will create a cohesive collection of Disney princesses, the other of Disney villains.
Can we talk about word choice? I would used the term "villainess" rather than "villain," since we're talking about females. But maybe the current style is to use gender neutral nomenclature but I like the Glenn Close point of view: she uses the word "actress" rather than "actor" in honor of the actresses who came before her. She said (I'm paraphrasing, as per yoozh) that Bette Davis called herself an actress - - did that lessen her talent or her impact? Do I hear a HELL NO.
For the record, between pausing the show to (a) write my column, (b) check on my lemon blueberry pound cake, and (c) deal with my laundry, it's taken me over an hour to get through eight minutes of the show. At this rate I'll be here until Passover. Off topic, yes Miss Thing, I have a washer and dryer in the unit in the new apartment - - an Emmy for THAT, please.
Madeline, totally adorkable! And seems like nobody's fool, she is quick with the sardonic delivery. #sardonicdelivery Ditto Joan - - clear a path for her, she is not having it. I have my eye on her, she seems like she'll bring some grown up energy to this toddler-adjacent enterprise.
Our first trip to Mood. Can we have a moment of silence for the dear departed Swatch. He died in 2022 at the ripe old age of 15.5. Love that pooch!
I feel a little bad for Jesus but then I deal with this every freaking season: have these people never watched the show? Does he not realize that the self-appointed leader of a team challenge will invariably be the one thrown under the bus? With reason, most of the time.
Caycee cracked me up in her talk-to-the-camera moment. "In season 19 I had a lot of ideas..." Um honey, you were on ONE EPISODE. It would be more accurate to say, "In my solitary episode of season 19, I had a lot of ideas." Cue Heart singing "Tell It Like It Is." Which I prefer to the Aaron Neville original. Which is my right.
Veejay is a former beauty queen, bless her heart! She proved herself by doing a beauty queen wave to the camera. Looked legit to me. On a side note, may I predict that at some point one of the designers will refer to her as Veejay Vuh Jay Jay? You read it here first.
Did you notice the anonymous producer making a tinny overhead announcement, "Designers, end of Day One!" They used to give this task to one of the designers. The overhead announcement felt very Squid Game to me. Not in a good way.
Ah yes, our first bit of manufactured drama. Veejay had words with Jesus about him using "her" machine. Again, has she not seen the show? This happens constantly and is not a good use of your time. If Jesus had broken the machine and then walked away from it (like someone did with the shared printer at Tiffany the other day, not a pretty moment), then we could talk. But in episode one and what was clearly an incident based in a false feeling of ownership, then no ma'am. I call it manufactured drama because they amp this up in an effort to make it seem worthy of inclusion. It was not. It was a throwaway moment, hardly like Judith Light's seismic courtroom scene on *One Life To Live,* 1979.
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A few highlights from Christian's check-ins. Antonio feels like he doesn't need critiques, he knows what he's doing and doesn't need guidance or advice. We'll see how that pans out! Also Ethan informed Christian that Veejay was their team <bleep.> Let me ask you: would Tim Gunn have tolerated such disclosure? I imagine he would have said something along the lines of, "Be that as it may, you have a dress to make, she has a dress to make, and it all needs to come together in a cohesive collection. Focus on the work, rise above the petty drama." Especially since Veejay more or less appears to be staying in her lane and minding her own bizniss!
Runway Day and oh what a treat, the show was at the United Palace Theater, mere steps from my apartment! True, I haven't been there yet but I saw it on the Tonys and I have every intention of finding a show to attend. Can you imagine the joy of going to a show and having a two-minute walk home...?
Wait a minute, did I miss the model fittings in the workroom? I guess they didn't include that.
Welcome to Miss Nina Garcia and guest judge Law Roach, extraordinary stylist, image architect, and subject of a somewhat recent New Yorker profile.
Here goes:
HOUSE OF VILLAIN
Yuchen: well done.
Angelo: maybe a little underpowered but we know that there will be many looks much worse. The slithery train was a smart idea.
Alex: looks a little like a prom dress.
Veejay: super fashion-y as oppopsed to costume-y, a good expression of the challenge.
Jesus: good impact but I thought the coat was a little heavy. Looked great on his curvy model and expert boob masking.
Ethan: perfect choice for the finale.
HOUSE OF PRINCESS
Joseph McRae: what in the name of Aurora does that have to do with a Disney princess?
Madeline: the judges admired the construction but again, no Disney princess vibe for this viewer.
Belania: rather unresolved.
Antonio: I think it's good. Sort of.
Caycee: pretty good.
Joan: gorgeous but a smidge mumsy.
The top three were Ethan, Yuchen, and Jesus. I would have given the third spot to Veejay but I'm not going to complain. Maybe they're setting up some drama for the two of them for an upcoming episode.
Heidi said she'd wear Yuchen's look, which is of course the ultimate PR stamp of approval. Law Roach called it "very commercial," which in my book is an even higher compliment! Thank you, Nina, for using the word "ruching." I don't hear it often enough. She also said that if it were done in pink it would be a princess dress! Yuchen did a pivot and said that made him versatile. Um, why not.
Nina said that Ethan's model didn't just convey a look, she delivered a FEELING. High praise. Law Roach was impressed and Heidi (surprise surprise) said she's wear it. On a side note, didn't his model (Rebecca) look quite a lot like cover girl Lydia Hearst, daughter of Patty "Tania" Hearst...?
The judges responded to Jesus using a color. Law hated the whole look but the coat in particular. Oh wow, he said she looked like a "Nigerian auntie." He thought the boob handling was a misfire. Jesus was rattled by the judging, even though he was in the top three, and he took it out on Yuchen in the green room. Jesus is gonna be trouble, he has no filter. I wonder if his brother will intervene now and then or talk him off the ledge.
As expected, Ethan was the winner. Totally deserving.
The bottom three were Joseph McRae, Antonio, and Caycee. I'm sure Caycee was quaking in her boots, horrified that she would be sent home once again on the first challenge. Heidi announced the bottom three and Antonio said, "Am I being punk'd?" HILARIOUS. i think this might have been a PR first.
Nina felt like Joseph McRae's outfit was confused. Law Roach liked it and thought some of his clients would wear it. Though he did say the back looked like a couch cushion (which was not the challenge).
Oh whoa, Antonio threw CHRISTIAN under the bus! The judges asked to see the dress under the loofah coat and they liked it better. Law Roach tried to counsel him on how to accept criticism and Antonio's response was "maybe it's my Latina side," which got an eyeroll from Nina Garcia. Don't go there, hermana.
Nina loved Caycee's jacquard fabric but thought the outfit was not good. Heidi thought it looked like a nightgown. Thank you, Caycee, for your response to the criticism. Two words: "Thank you."
They gave us a cliffhanger of not announcing the auf. But whew, thankfully they went straight to the second episode.
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E P I S O D E T W O
​Sometimes the delusion makes me sad. Antonio started the episode saying, "My brother and i were supposed to be going to the end together. I can't be going home." Clearly the two of them came up with that story line without consulting the producers.
Oh Lord I can't even imagine the degradation that Caycee must have felt, being eliminated on the first challenge for a SECOND TIME. I was Emmy-happy in my previous post. I think she should get an Emmy for Best Sacrificial Lamb.
Christian gave an enticing tidbit about the next challenge. The designers will stay in Houses (aka teams) but Ethan, as winner of the previous challenge, will have the opportunity to swap a designer on his team for another designer. I hate that kind of grade school, choosing teams for kickball situation, it's triggering for me. But I'm taking my own medicine and accepting that it's something that happens to the show all the time and I should not be surprised.
The designers were given a goody bag of activewear and met up in the workroom to do some yoga poses. OK, one yoga pose. Christina asked Ethan if he wanted to do a swap and he swapped Jesus for Madeline. He told Jesus and Antonio that he was ready for them to show their alleged invincibility as a duo. Bring it on.
The challenge: each team needs to create a cohesive activewear capsule collection that goes from workout to weekend. Christian brought out VP and head designer of activewear brand Calia, Alycia Scott. She said their brand juxtaposes fashion, femininity, and function. Fascinating fun fact! Christian said that the runway would have actual fire on it.
Some of the designers talked about their aesthetic:
Alex: grew up in the South with a Japanese grandmother who was a professional tailor.
Antonio: a mixture of streetwear and elegance. His life is inspired by his adorable daughter Ava. Aw.
Madeline: she takes vintage and puts her own spin on it.
Ethan: we didn't hear much about his design process, more about his experience growing up on a farm and bringing his family to a place of acceptance.
Belania: she referred to herself as a technical designer. I'm not sure I know what that means.
The model fittings led to loads of big ugly. I am frightened to see the runway show.
Heidi started the runway festivities, wearing a jacket that had a lot of gazanga action. Hey, that's a choice. Law Roach was back so I guess maybe he's a semi-permanent judge for this season? I'm into that, he's got strong opinions and isn't reluctant to share them. The guest judge was Sara Foster, co-founder of Favorite Daughter. Never heard of it or her but don't be surprised by that, I know very little.
HOUSE OF BURN
Angelo: I think it's OK!
Yuchen: super sporty but is the skirt too short?
Alex: she said it herself - - "It coulda been worse, it coulda been better."
Madeline: harmless.
Veejay: super interesting but is it functional?
Ethan: wow wow, that is super sharp.
HOUSE OF LOTUS
Antonio: a little too Bob Mackie For Cher.
Belania: hot mess.
Joan: nice bit of drama but is it good?
Joseph McRae: major attitude but again, is it good?
Jesus: that looks good, I'm surprised.
House of Lotus was the winning team. It was cohesive and even the worst wasn't that bad. House of Burn was all over the map and had more failures.
The judges were into Joseph McRae's outfit, they thought it fulfilled the challenge. I was surprised to see Belania in the top three, I didn't like the outfit at all. Jesus's outfit was a win with the judges. Nina loved all the details. Jesus was the winner. Which is ironic because Heidi told his brother Antonio that his look was the worst. Ouch.
Sara Foster had good things to say about Veejay's outfit but Heidi thought it was so not activewear. Nina saw it as a cocktail dress.
Nina thought Angelo's outfit lacked drama. Law Roach thought it was well made but had no showmanship.
Alex explained her kimono inspiration. Law Roach said that the corset was a super bad idea - - he said, "You cannot piss on me and tell me it's rainin.' " PR quote for the ages!
Lots of tears in the workroom. And the cliffhanger auf is reserved for next week! Maybe they'll do that each week?
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E P I S O D E T H R E E
​It's been a waaaall. I didn't just forget that they saved the elimination for the start of the next episode, I also forgot what the challenge was. And to a degree, forgot who some of the designers were. I guess this is why they give us a recap at the start of the episode...?
I am so tired of designers saying, "I don't want to go home." It's very rare that a designer DOES want to go home. This is part of the game, girlfriend. Alex was sent home and I think we can agree that her outfit looked like ass. Thank you, Alex, for saying you "don't disagree" with what the judges said. That's grace and insight. Please leave some of that to a few of the remaining designers.
Moving on: Christian announced that the winning designers from the first two challenges, Jesus and Ethan, will be head of house for a team challenge.
Christian and Heidi brought the designers to the runway where there were three large burlap bags full of boring fabrics. The challenge was to create a cohesive collection using these boring fabrics in an inventive and fashion-forward way. Silk purse, sow's ear, baby.
Oh no! They're doing that cruel, tired old middle school ritual of choosing teams one by one, ending with one unloved person being the default last person chosen. I can't! I'm going on the record saying I don't ever want to see this again.
Here they are, in the order in which they were chosen (Ethan won the coin toss and could choose first):
ETHAN: Yuchen, Joseph McRae, Joan, Angelo
JESUS: Antonio (natch), Madeline, Veejay, Belania
Thank you Belania for the eye roll. Jesus's bag was drab-colored wool and Ethan's was denim. I would never describe denim as boring, and really, that wool didn't look too bad. I was sure it would be some God-awful polyester gorgette in a hid-jiss floral print. They got off easy, they should be glad I wasn't at Joann Fabrics choosing the horrors for this challenge. RIP Joann Fabrics btw - - the last stores closed at the end of May... I would have gotten those fabrics at a 90% discount.
One more little tweak: the winning look would be worn by Sofia Vergara. [In her apartment with no one looking.]
Jesus decides that the inspiration for the collection woud be the catarina, a variant of an orchid. Hm, really the best choice for some muted-colored wool? We shall see.
Ethan, of course, decides that the House of Ethan should be called H. O. E. Ethan had two key words for the collection: showstoppers and fringe. A womp womp reaction from a few of the designers. This was his version of being a leader - - he actually said this to the designers on his team: "He loved my piece, so I'm a good spot, but I want to make sure that you're all in a good spot." Insert my own eye roll.
Christian did an early walk-through and had basically nothing good to say to anyone! I think Tim Gunn would have been encouraging rather than relentlessly discouraging. Am I wrong?
Oh dear Lord, runway day Ethan showed up in full drag mode as Utica. Seemed a touch desperado.Why don't you come to your senses?
Runway city! The judges: Law Roach, designer Sara Foster, and La Vergara herself.
HOUSE OF JESUS
Madeline: well done.
Veejay: hm, unexpected! And not too much skin.
Belania: super sharp, beautifully taiored.
Jesus: not flawless but lots of impact.
Antonio: I would have liked it better if it had been mid-calf rather than to the floor with a train. But very good.
HOUSE OF ETHAN
Ethan: wackalicious with the three-foot extra piece above the head. Sofia, bless her heart, said, "How do you get inside the car?"
Joan: sloppissimo! Like from a community theatre production of Dune: The Musical.
Angelo: OK, or is it just that the first two looks were so awful?
Joseph McRae: thank you, Miss McRae. As Miranda Priestly once said, "I'm glad SOMEONE came to work today."
Yuchen: also well done, and executed in six hours!
Of course the House of Jesus was on the top. Their three favorites were Jesus, Belania, and Antonio. Law said they were the best looks they had seen all season. Heidi said any one of them could be the winner.
Jesus: Sara said it was risky and impeccably tailored. Sofia said it would look beautiful on any woman. Law said he shut him up TWICE.
Belania: Sofia said, "It's a lot but it's not." Whatever that means. Law said, "All the pretty parts of a woman are showing." He also said it looked like nothing he had seen before. High praise.
Antonio: Law had one small edit but thought it was very strong.
The winner was Belania. Such a triumph from the last designer chosen.
Joan, speaking the truth in her talk-to-the-camera moment - - she said she was not surprised they were on the bottom and laid all of the blame at Ethan's feet. He was the leader, he had the vision, he was responsible. The three H. O. E. designers on the bottom were Joan, Angelo, and Utica aka Ethan.
Angelo: Heidi thought it was "so busy in all the wrong places."
Joan: Sofia said, "It looks like something bad happened to it." She threw Ethan under the bus.
Ethan: Law said, "The cervix is dialted and she's crowning!" Heidi said she had a bottle opener at home that looked like that.
I feel bad for Joan and Angelo but I believe part of the challenge is to do something good within the confines of the direction of the team leader. The judges thought maybe they'd send all three home!
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E P I S O D E F O U R
​I have mixed feelings about the cliffhanger structure in this season. It helps that I was behind and watched three episodes in two days...
Back to the denim horror show. Joan was safe. I knew they'd send Angelo home. Ethan/Utica is too strong a personality to send home this early. It was clear that Ethan/Utica's design and leadership were worthy of an auf. Sadly personality counts for more on a reality competition show. This has always been the case and will always be the case.
Finally a solo challenge. Law took them to a public school gym where they met two actors from Abbott Elementary, Chris Perfetti and Lisa Ann Walter. This was the unconventional materials challenge. Their materials were gathered from the science fair on display in the gym. Joseph McRae was a demon, grabbing anything and everything. Poor Madeline "doesn't like to be rushed." As my friend Mick wouuld say, you can't always get what you want! Miss Walter was wearing a wonderful pailletted dress - - I would have taken that dress of her and left her in her jacket and girdle! She said we could take anything in the room...
Veejay and Ethan were both bothered that the twins were helping each other so much. No your problem, focus focus focus.
Veejay: shuttlecocks and boning.
Ethan: plastic butterflies inspired by Alexander McQueen.
Joan: popsicle strips and cardboard.
Belania: thank you, Christian, for talking her out of using vinyl mats. Total copout. Using cellophane is more innovative but still sort of fabric-adjacent, no?
Antonio: flags and vinvyl bubbles.
Madeline: metallic stars. She had never done anything using conventional materials. Don't you think you'd do one or two when you were preppng for the season?
Joseph McRae: banner and electric cords.
Yuchen: soccer balls and not enough of them! Her lady parts were there for all to see, all of them.
It was two and a half hours before the runway show and Christian announced that the show would happen...in the workroom! A Project Runway first. They also had one single judge. Law Roach. Is this another PR first, one judge?
Yuchen: a little too revealing for my taste but cute and definitely not a copout in terms of materials.
Veejay: so beautiful, extraordinary.
Madeline: not bad but I was worried for the safety of the model. Those sharp points were gonna cut her and draw blood.
Joseph McRae: super cute but a copout, the banner was basically fabric.
Belania: dittto to what J McR did. And The back of the shorts was too roomy.
Jesus: extraordinary, total standout.
Joan: lovely, very well done.
Ethan: stunning look but is it what Law had specifically warned them against - - lots of stuff glued onto fabric?
Antonio: sloppy, shapeless, awful.
The winner was Yuchen. Law loved the underboob and made him think of Lady Gaga, Yuchen's personal hero. Law also liked Ethan's look and Veejay's. I agree with Veejay that her dress was more impressive than Yuchen's. I guess Law was looking for Wow rather than pretty.
The bottom - - first, Joseph McRae. Law thought it was overdesigned and didn't like that he signed it. Second, I was surprised that Joan's dress was in the bottom three, I thought it was very strong. And third, Antonio. Law said it was the styling that made it go wrong. Law said it could have been at the Grammys "but not with that boot."
Oh dear, cliffhanger! Full Survivor - - the auf will be decided by the designers themselves, with the exception of Yuchen and the three bottom designers. The voting designers talked through all of the pros and cons. It was tense and Madeline was crying quite a lot.
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E P I S O D E F I V E
​The episode, of course, started at the end of the previous episode. What is it Maria said in *The Sound of Music*? Let's start at the very end, a very good place to start? Something like that. The group of safe designers had to vote to decide who would be auf'd from the challenge they just did, the unconventional materials challenge. Veejay put it perfectly: "It feels like you're crushing someone's dreams and there's blood on your hands."
Christian and Law went through the votes one by one. Excruciating. Joseph was sent home. He gave a sassy goodbye.
Christian announced the next challenge. They would be creating a runway-worthy look that complements their unconventional materials challenge, but made out of fabric. Both looks would walk down the runway together so the judges would need to see the connection. I was excited by this idea, it would really showcase their creativity and artistic vision. Er no.
The designers have a discussion about the twins and whether or not they're able to work independently. Veejay gives them the challenge to do this next challenge without helping each other. It didn't pan out that way, they were still all over each other in the workroom.
Christian's check in was non-committal yet skeptical. Can I just say that I love Joan? Even before I heard her story - - she was cast on PR in 2020 but she had to withdraw because she found out she had breast cancer and had to start treatment immediately. She is a survivor, literally. Even if she's sent home on this challenge, that will not stop her. But I hope she lasts for a while!
Belania was thrown a curve ball, her plus-size model had called in sick and they gave her a smaller model so she had to retool her dress, which had been fitted to her original model. In three hours. Yikes. But many of the other designers had no such surprise and yet seemed to be in even deeper doo doo. I was very curious to see how the runway show would go. Sometimes they pull a rabbit out of the hat. And sometimes, to stay in my fecal theme, the magician pulls out a turd.
The judges: Law Roach, Nina (Ninissima!), and designer Jenna Lyons.
Yuchen: cute but a little cheesy.
Veejay: love the black and white, the choice of fabric shows the inspiration but it's not too on the nose.
Madeline: sloppy and dull.
Belania: Law said, "The construction isn't bad, the dress is just ugly." Um, yeah.
Jesus: very nice but I like the unconventional look better!
Joan: gorgeous pantsuit but I don't see the connection.
Ethan: really good.
Antonio: is it OK?
Joan and Yuchen were safe. The top three:
Jesus. Law loved the exaggerated hip and the red strip on the back. He said it had a 360, it looked good from every angle. Nina called him out because the red strip was a steal from Ethan's look for the athleisure challenge. Ethan had brought this up earlier in his interview. Ouch!
Veejah. Law was all a-giggle using the word "shuttlecock." Grow up. Nina described it as "fragile but strong." Jenna was impressed with the trailoring.
Ethan. Did Jenna invent a word, "phatasmigal"? Heidi asked Ethan to remove the filmy butterfly fabric extra from the look - - and it was transformed and made so much stronger. The dress stands on its own. Nina encouraged him to learn how to edit.
I knew that Veejay would be the winner. I was thrilled for her.
On to the bottom... Heidi said, "Oy vey."
Belania. Heidi was confused, she said Belania herself is so hip and fashion-forward but her dress was so flat and lifeless. Nina said it would have had more impact in a different fabric. Law said the two looks were sisters: Tacky and Jackie. He is a scream! Of course she brought up the fact that she had so little time to remake her outfit but the judges brought up other solutions that would have worked better. And she did the worst thing you can do: she talked back. And the judges jumped on that like a duck on the june bug.
Madeline. Nina said the skirt was a dud. She said a runway look has to be a "complete polished look." Madeline was sensibly mostly silent.
Antonio. Heidi liked it. Law thought it made a good stripper costume. But Nina was all over the construction. Christian had brought up the asymmetrical top in the workroom - - it wasn't enough to look intentional, as it was it just looked like a mistake. Nina: "There is no reason you want this girl out of here with these incredible glaring errors. I don't know. I don't know how you made it this far."
I thought they needed to use the ultimate litmus test: if you had to wear one of those, which would you wear? The very last choice would be Madeline's look which was just sad and lifeless. If you ask me.
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E P I S O D E S I X
​The auf from the previous challenge went to Madeline. It helps that it feels like she knew she was heading in that direction. She said that she wished she had the opportunity to show what she can do - - um, you had five challenges to do that.
Wow, that brought us down to seven. We're closing in on the big finish. Heidi announced the next challenge: the designers were tasked with making a streetwear look that spoke to their individual aesthetic. Christian sent the designers where else, into the street! Is this why I had "Takin' It To the Streets" by The Doobie Brothers in my head all morning?
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Could we please have that song playing during the runway show? And another question: there has been no discussion of immunity i this season. Is that a thing of the past?
Child please! A highlight of the season: Ethan dragsplained his use of the word c-nt or c-nty to Joan, who was having none of it. Touchy word, honey. Use it at your peril.
Christian said this about Jesus's coat: "He lives in London, he carries an umbrella." Yow! And hm, a bit of a pivot - - when Belania thinks about streetwear she thinks about Audrey Hepburn. To use my favorite line from *Breakfast at Tiffany's,* "the mind reels."
Antonio has never heard of Hammer Time? Has he not seen *Charlie's Angels,* the movie?
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Ethan had a mini meltdown and I loved Miss Joan even more when she went over to comfort him and help him focus. Gold star for her, please.
The runway! Wouldn't it have been nice if they had done the show in the street? There must be a street in Staten Island that they could rope off for for little money. Judges: Law Roach, designer Christian Cowan (looks like Austin Butler's gay brother), and model Joan Smalls.
Jesus: I'm not convinced.
Veejay: oh yes, well made and super sexy.
Antonio: again, not convinced.
Ethan: does not read street at all but very strong.
Belania: unlike the others, it looks like something a woman would actually wear. Loved it.
Joan: too costumey, too much volume. Very Madame, not street.
Yuchen: no impact. I would have liked to have seen the jacket with maybe a super short short.
On the top: Antonio and Belania. I wasn't nutty for Antonio's look but the judges loved it. I don't see it. Law thought the waistband was a miss. I felt like it was totally dependent on the fabric for its street vibe.
Belania just can't catch a break! She explained her look and Law said he loved her look, his favorite of the night, but he hated her explanation! Her eyes went wide and thankfully she didn't say anything but her eyes said it all. She needs to learn to internalize her thoughts. Heidi said the best thing, she said it was "something new, something we haven't seen before." She was the winner, the only designer to win two challenges.
On the bottom: Joan and Yuchen. Law thought Joan's look was "so far off from streetwear." He said it looked old - - "she could go praise the Lord in this outfit." Judge Joan Smalls said the fabric was too loud.
Yuchen was an epic fail. He is a streetwear designer but he got in his own way. Law said he was so mad he wanted to get jump of his chair and beat him up! Whoa, rein it in. He said it looked like something that you'd get on Canal Street, it would say Balenciaga but they spelled it wrong. The judges were on fire, I give THEM the win
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E P I S O D E S E V E N
​Of course we start with the auf from the previous week. I was surprised that Joan was sent home, I felt like her look was stronger. Plus Yuchen's look was dull as dishwater. I also love her, she's my favorite of the designers. Snaps to her for sharing her age. That's what 60 is supposed to look like, people. How strong and gracious of her to comfort Yuchen.
Oo Lordy six designers left. Down from the original twelve. The new challenge: your take on western chic. Hm.
Jesus had a little mishap - - he tried ironing interfacing onto his white leather and it burned the leather and gave it a big weird pucker. Antonio thought it looked cool and that he should use it as the centerpiece of his top. Ethan had this hilarious quip: "The burning on Jesus's leather is giving kind of an armpit energy."
The highlight of Christian's check-in was his visit with Yuchen. Yuchen was using a silver sequined fabric. Christian was worried but said that to make it work it had to be big and bold, like Dolly Parton. But Yuchen had not heard of Dolly Parton. Christian swooned and nearly passed out. The PR writer making the captions was earning their salary: Dolly Pardon? and Hello? Dollly?
You know what I miss about PR? The early seasons had a lot more interaction from the models. They were part of the competition, too, and beyond that we knew their names and knew a bit of their stories.
My favorite quote from this episode: Veejay said, "I don't want to cause a lot of drama." I laughed out loud there on 175th Street! She told Ethan he should be prepared for the judges to tell him he was referencing her look from the boring fabric challenge. He was unconvinced.
Yuchen solved his What is Western? conundrum by adding bull horns to the bodice of his dress. Belania did not get a lot of screen time, ditto the twins. I was super curious to see what was going to be on the runway.
The guest judges were country music star Mickey Guyton and the darling Zac Posen! Who suddenly has a big new job title: creative director of Gap and chief creative officer of Old Navy.
Jesus: cool, very finished.
Belania: cute but a little flat and a little too similar to the week before.
Ethan: of course Heidi noticed that the boob fit was off. It had a lot of impact, though.
Antonio: very sweet, well done.
Veejay: can you say CAR WASH?
Yuchen: oh Lord the horns are horrid.
Top three!
Antonio: can you believe I didn't notice that the bandeau top had a giant buckle in it? Mickey loved that he was inspired by his Latino heritage.
Belania: Mickey said it was genuine and honest. Clearly the judges liked it better than I did, I wasn't wild for it. Zac loved that it used lots of disparate elements and yet she pulled them together and made it harmonious.
Jesus: Law was seeing Woodstock, Zac loved the burn technique, he said it was often in mistakes where you see true ingenuity and creativity.
Jesus was the winner and Antonio was not happy about it. He felt like he was going to get his first win. But he didn't.
And the bottom three...
Ethan: Zac thought it was something he had seen before but acknowledged that it was well made. Law called out the boob fit issue. The judges all agreed that he was just a few points off from being in the top three. Big sigh of relief from Ethan, I'm sure.
Yuchen: Mickey didn't feel it was authentic. Law said it was a bad evening dress. Zac felt like if it was going to be out there it needed to go further. Law summed it up with this King Lear-esque utterance: "We hate the dress. We hate the dress. We hate the dress." And scene.
And Miss Veejay: Law said she understands a woman's body and that the dress was beautifully cut. Zac called it a Project Runway nightmare. Law said, "We asked for Country Chic, you gave us Country Sh-t, and I'm not gonna hold that back.” Ouch!
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E P I S O D E E I G H T
​Funny how a week goes by and I had totally forgotten about the previous challenge. But then I saw the sequined horns sticking out of Yuchen's dress's bodice and it all came back to me in a Proustian rush.
What a relief that it was Yuchen who was sent home. His dress was a much bigger fail. Plus we have to acknowledge that Veejay is a stronger personality and therefore better TV.
Wow, only five designers left. Veejay said, "I need to be careful with my decision making." Um yeah, now is definitely the time for that! Maybe you could have started that idea a few weeks ago.
The new challenge: the real people challenge. The five "muses" all had eczema and they needed to make an evening outfit with a special reveal. The five muses were all rather bashful and cute with the exception of Jesus's guy, who was drop dead gorgeous. They definitely had a connection but would it lead to a winning outfit or just a hookup?
Ethan's client wanted to show some leg. Ethan was concerned that he wouldn't be able to do an over-the-top creation for a "real person." Belania's client liked to wear "nudes" and didn't like prints or anything sparkly or bold. Hm!
Antonio had experience with "real" clients so he seemed to have an advantage over the others. His client said she totally trusted him. Veejay's client had a sweet, winning energy. He liked to go out dancing and his favorite colors were black, blue, and green. Just add water and stir.
Michael Kors once said that a challenge is often decided at Mood, it's all about the fabric selection. Jesus's client had said he didn't like anything effeminate and yet he was buying a sequined tweed. Let's see how that goes. Veejay was choosing a wool - - the best idea for someone with a skin condition? Belania also chose wool (though she was choosing a double-faced wool that she said wouldn't irritate the skin) but it had a big-ass plaid and her client had said she didn't do prints. Also silver lamé and remember she liked to wear "nude"? I don't know what these people were thinking.
The model fittings were a visit to Disaster City. Belania's client was not sold on the silver fabric and it was definitely prominent. And Jesus's client who didn't like anything too effeminate? He made him a jacket that was totally Liz Claiborne for the working woman! And oh dear, Veejay's Christmas sweater was an epic fail, so lifeless, not helped by the wide black elastic waistband. Ethan was potentially doing a third complete pivot? Have we seen that before? Antonio's client was totally sold on him, that was a relief.
Off topic, am I the only person who, every time they hear the name Belania, they think of Signora Trump...?
The judges: the inevitable Law Roach, designer Harris Reed, and comedian Nikki Glaser.
Antonio: I was surprised that the client started her walk with the reveal but then she had another reveal at the end of the runway. All three pieces were well made and clearly the client was happy.
Veejay: yes Law, unzipping the jacket was not a reveal. Sharp outfit, though.
Belania: no, no, and no. The plaid was not harmonious with the silver, the silver dress looked wonky and wobbly, and you know that her client was going to say she was not on board for any of it. Belania said she couldn't go home on this challenge because her look didn't represent who she is as as designer. Um, that's EXACTLY why you should go home.
Ethan: love it! The Rorschach print was divine and the client was working it.
Jesus: it was OK but not at all what the client wanted. Jesus said, "Maybe I should have listened to Jarrad more...?" That might have been a good idea.
JUDGING
Ethan: his client felt good, that's essential. Law liked the duality of the outfit: "She came out and I thought, 'Oh she's so demure,' and then we had the reveal and, 'Oh, she's a whore!' Which I love."
Antonio: Law and Harris both thought the coat was very couture. Doesn't get better than that, honey.
Veejay: Heidi felt like the client had a positive energy. He agreed. However the judges called out the lack of a reveal.
Belania: this is what Law said - - "If an outfit could be a mullet, this would be it." He said she looked like a girl who put on her plaid coat, said to her mom, "I'm going to bible study," but she was going to her job as a pole dancer. Hilarious. None of the judges had anything good to say.
Jesus: thank you, Law, for saying that the primary problem was that Jesus didn't listen to the client. Nikki used that dreaded word "magician" and Heidi topped it by saying it was *Dancing With the Stars.* Hm, I guess Jesus and the client are NOT getting married.
Antonio and Veejay were on the top. Antonio was the winner, his first. Veejay could not have been surprised, with her lack of reveal.
That put Ethan, Jesus, and Belania on the bottom. Clearly Ethan was on the top of those three. Jesus was shocked to be in the bottom three. Deh-LYOO-zhun. Ethan told Veejay in the green room that he should have been in the top rather than her. What's the point? The decision was made.
As expected, Ethan was safe. And shocker - - Jesus and Belania are BOTH out? I feel like the cliffhanger aspect implies that it might be altered at the start of the next episode. As in, "You are both out...unless one of you wins this mini-challenge to prove that you're worth keeping in the competition." Remember when they did a head-to-head one hour challenge? They might have done it a couple times. I hope they do it again.
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E P I S O D E N I N E
​Just as I thought, Belania and Antonio were not both being eliminated. Heidi brought out Christian - - I thought maybe the choice would be up to him, or he'd announce a one-hour challenge to determine the winner. But no, he said he convinced the judges to keep them BOTH in.
Give me a C!
Give me an O!
Give me a P!
Give me another O!
Give me a U!
Give me a T!
What does it spell? Cop out. They didn't even choose ONE loser in this challenge. They could easily have chosen one. I could tell that Law Roach was having none of it, he would have been thrilled to send them both home. I have an idea? How about next season we bring on sixteen designers and call them all the winner.
The new challenge is allegedly the one that will decide which three of them will go to the finale. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo made a pre-recorded video announcing that the challenge would be inspired by *Wicked: For Good.* The Oscar-winning costume designer for that movie, Paul Tazewell, came out to give more details.
Paul and Christian did a walk through in the workroom, checking in with the designers. They went to Mood where they had 1000 clams to spend. Veejay tried stirring up some drama in the workroom, trying to pit Jesus against Ethan because they were both wearing green and then trying to pit Antonio against Jesus. This is not a good way to spend your energy or your time, it didn't reflect well on her. And then she had a teary moment talking about her kinship with Elphaba, her challenges as an immigrant and a transwoman. She is complicated, to be sure. I'd say, "She needs some time on the couch," but don't we all?
The judges: Law Roach, welcome back Nina Garcia, and La Regina, Tyra Banks!
Jesus: super *Wicked,* very strong.
Antonio: a little too Bob Mackie for Cher for my taste.
Belania: sort of flat and dull compared to the others.
Veejay: very avant garde, very well done.
Ethan: another Cher look, lots of skin but not vulgar, very true to his aesthetic.
Jesus: Nina liked how it pushed the boundaries. Law thought the shoes were too draggy. Tyra couldn't believe he did it in two days. Heidi loved the placement of the sparkles.
Antonio: Heidi thought it was more Vegas than *Wicked.* Law said the back was a disaster, Nina agreed. She used the word "catastrophic."
Veejay: Nina loved the craft of it and was crazy for the shoes. Heidi, Law, and Tyra all thought the red was a bad choice. I thought the red caught the spirit of the challenge without being too literal.
Ethan: Law said it was a couture dress ruined by her tacky beige panties. Apart from that, he "did an incredible job." Nina appreciated the mix of modesty and sexiness.
Belania: Nina felt that she didn't take enough of a risk. Law hollered at her yet again for not being able to take criticism and she got weepy. This is a problem and she hasn't grown in that regard. It might be something that gets her eliminated.
Ugh. The judges asked the designers what two other designers they would take with them to the finale. What is the point apart from making one or two people feel really bad. I think this exercise is mean spirited and I'm not going to document what their choices were.
Of course Veejay said something that set off Jesus and Antonio. They need to learn to not rise to the bait! The episode ended with Antonio having a world-class hissy fit, snatching his two enormous man bags, and walking off the set, trailed by a production assistant. I'm sure this is temporary drama, like in the previous episode. They'll give him a cookie and everything will be fine again.
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F I N A L E
​Of course i was curious to see how the high drama moment of Antonio's walk-out panned out. We saw a TMZ-esque shot of him and a production assistant out on the curb somewhere, hiding behind a parked car, his pink cowboy hat serving as a flashing sign saying PROJECT RUNWAY MELTDOWN.
And in the workroom! Since the situation was still brewing, I guess it's not a post mortem - - would you call it a mid-mortem?
The judges had their own discussion. I was pleased it was based mostly on the work of the designers and not their drama. Of course they had to discuss the drama but it is a design competition.
Antonio was talked into coming back into the building (maybe TMZ has footage of someone giving him a cookie, as I had predicted last week) and he and Jesus had a touching moment together. They both seemed to have accepted that Antonio was being eliminated and Jesus was moving on to the finale. Jesus said he was going to win it for both of them.
The winner of the challenge was Ethan. Surprise, I would have given it to Jesus, I thought his look was stronger. Of course Ethan was moved forward. Next up was Jesus, no surprise there. And another no surprise, Veejay was moved forward to the finale. Belania and Antonio were rather gracious in their exit (somewhat surprising).
The three designers left on the runway were, left to right: Jesus, Veejay, and Ethan. They stood there, quiet and well-mannered, listening to Heidi rattle of the list of prizes for the winner. They applauded mildly when the list was over. Call me rude but I was waiting for Jesus to turn to the left and give Veejay a sucker punch. POW and DOWN.
Straight to Mood. Jesus was choosing lots of pink because (holding back tears) Antonio would have done a lot of pink if he had made it to the finale. He was also inspired by his mother, his primary inspiration in life. His goal was to make a collection that would make women feel beautiful and sexy, the best version of themselves.
Ethan was choosing fabrics with crystals and jewel tones. He wanted his work to look rich, expensive, and regal, the way that his drag alter ego Utica makes him feel. I was worried we'd have a repeat of my beloved Laura Bennett from season 3 - - the judges basically said, "Yes, a collection of evening gowns, stunning. But can you do a suit? A blouse, a pair of slacks? Something a woman would wear in the daytime to go to work or to lunch with a friend?" Ethan would be smart to include a day dress or pantsuit in his collection.
Very interesting - - Veejay went to a leather specialist rather than to Mood. Her inspiration was the chrome villain from the *Terminator* movies, she saw herself as a compatriot of his, you can try and get rid of her but you can't. She found a chrome leather that looked fab. If she did it right, her collection could be totally high fashion.
The designers typically go home to create their designs but this season they were planted in the workroom. With the other designers, which I would see as a major distraction. Ah well, not my call and maybe that was the whole point...? They got to choose an eliminated designer as an assistant: Jesus chose Antonio (natch), Veejay chose my beloved Joan, and Ethan chose Yuchen.
They did model casting on day two (of five) and what a treat to see the return of Mimi Tao! I follow her on Instagram, she's amazing, the first transwoman model to be on PR. Veejay was determined to get her.
Oh no she didn't. Christian randomly picked an order for the three designers, the order they'd be using to choose their models. The order was Veejay, Ethan, Jesus. Of course Veejay instantly chose Jessica, Jesus's favorite model. And of course Jesus went from 0 to 60, called her a bitch about six times, et cetera. Ethan made the insightful observation that it was bad form for Jesus to have a hissy fit in front of Christian.
I thought for a minute that Veejay was doing this strategically. It is a competition, she had the first choice, and of course that gives her first choice of any of the models who they'd seen. But then wow, major surprise - - she decided it wasn't worth the trouble and gave Jessica to Jesus. He said thank you but said she was still a bitch. Does he have no concern about how his behavior will come off to potential collaborators or investors...?
Christian did check-ins. You wouldn't have to look at Ethan's five pieces for more than two seconds to see that they were all not-at-all divergent variations on the pieces he'd made throughout the season, especially his piece for the PREVIOUS CHALLENGE. How can he not see that himself...?
How do I feel about Jesus's hot pink Breast Cancer Fashion Gala collection. Feathers, sparkles, appliqued flowers, blah blah blah. I was reminded of something Chanel said about Dior (I'm paraphrasing): he didn't design for a woman, he designed for his IDEA of a woman. Thank you, Christian, for talking him into doing one look that was not pink.
Veejay was the only one of the three who didn't have any pieces on her dress forms, she only had pattern pieces on the forms. Christian encouraged her to stop conceptualizing and start cutting into the fabric, sewing the pieces together, and making a damn collection. Veejay said (accurately) that Jesus and Ethan were doing repeats of what they had done already whereas she was doing something totally new. We know the judges would respond to that but it also needs to be GOOD.
Day three, model fittings. Jesus's pink collection was looking totally one note. Christian was concerned that Veejay only had four pieces to fit, nothing for Mimi. I had a feeling that Veejay was going to pull that rabbit out of her hat. Ethan had done a major pivot and while Christian was pleased he still wasn't convinced. Ethan wasn't sure he could do a second pivot.
Day four, the reveal of the finale judge. Oh dear, the KING, Michael Kors! I was so excited for that. Jesus, not so much! They showed a clip from Michael critiquing him in season 7: "You took a checklist of everything that can turn tacky and combined it in one garment." Timelesss, hilarious!
Day five, final model fittings. Nothing of note there but an impressive moment in the green room - - the three models and their assistants were sitting around the table after dinner and Veejay asked them to look back on their time together. She turned to Jesus and said, "I really want to apologize," and Jesus said, "Same." An impressive moment of maturity from both of them, especially Veejay.
The finale! Ethan was the first to show his collection. His collection was all too similar, too costumey, too expected. All of the pieces were well made and beautiful but nothing surprising. He would have been smart to use some color - - I could see a collection of five solids, one black, one purple, one acid green, one electric blue, one red. That would have been much more impressive.
Veejay! So much variety and yet totally cohesive. She made looks that were different from what we had seen over the season yet somehow they also expressed her point of view. And the gray knit wrap dress was the most effortless and beautifully draped garment I've seen on a large-size model maybe even in the history of Project Runway. I was knocked out.
Oh Lord I was laughing out loud. Jesus made a teary little intro speech and in the two seconds before his show started they had a reaction from Michael Kors saying, "I remember him...!" Ouch, the reactions from the judges said it all. They were not impressed. It was all too similar, nothing particularly fresh, and yikes, some of those satin pieces looked wonky in the fitting.
We saw a few reactions from people in the audience. Christopher Palu, season 10 - - he's the guy who said, coyly, "Thank you, Debra Messing!" Alex Foxworth from last season. Are these people contracted to attend the finale show...? Laurence Basse, season 15 and All Stars season 20. I had forgotten about her, love that gal!
OK on to the judging. Ethan first. Michael loved the finale gown. Law called him a storyteller, which he responds to, but he felt like it was too Utica. Michael thought maybe he could have toned down the hair and makeup. Nina urged him to learn to EDIT - - to temper the extravagance with elegance.
Michael loved Jesus's first outfit and everyone liked the finale gown though everyone hated the big clunky exposed zipper. Nina thought maybe the gown would look better without the sleeves - - they were removable and voila, it looked so much better without the sleeves. Why did he not see that himself? I would have had her take off the sleeves on the runway and throw them into the pools of water on the sides. Big laugh from Law, he said with the sleeves she looked like a Muppet. Not the challenge!
They had nothing but praise for Veejay's collection. Nina was "killed" by the pants outfit, that was a stunner. They were also taken with the draped knit dress.
Heid was not fond of all the pink in Jesus's collection but Michael said, "The meek will not inherit the earth in the fashion world." Ha! Law asked Michael what the Yiddish word was and Michael said, "chutzpah." The boy's got chutzpah.
I was so thrilled that Veejay was the winner, she was so deserving. I've been thinking about her tendency all season to stir up drama. I think it could be something she enjoys doing and/or maybe she uses it as part of her strategy, a useful tool to further her in the competition. She puts a quarter in Jesus's slot, he flips out, he's distracted from his work, she goes back to calmly cutting her fabric. Devious.
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