Welcome to Project Runway week three everyone! Is anyone else as disturbed as I am watching Heidi trying to get Tim to “shake his booty”? No. There are very few things this man cannot do, but shaking his butt is one of those few things. Please make the awkwardness stop. When they come out on the runway dancing Samantha is reminded of her parents, which I’m sure would THRILL Heidi. The Hiplet dancers come out and proceed to blow everyone’s minds with their combination of traditional ballet and hip hop and the designers ALSO watch some of the new children’s movie LEAP about a young girl who aspires to be a ballerina against the odds. I’m sensing a theme…….don’t know why. Les and I both love the Hiplet dancers. Tim tells the designers they are to create a look inspired by dance, movement and innovation. They have one day and $200 to spend at Mood. We like this challenge.
Deyonte wants to take a traditional gown and turn it into something new. Les comments that his fabric choice isn’t the best decision (which is hysterical because he was lamenting how hard it is to find an affordable fabric because of his high-end taste). Chartreuse is a hard color to pull off. She also notes that this is one of the more stressful shopping trips we’ve ever seen. I just think it’s because the twins create chaos wherever they go. Hopefully that will soon be home. I love Kenya’s black and white fabric, but Les is worried about the movement factor. Kentaro is inspired by the ballet and Tchaikovsky. Of course he is. Les and I are totally down with the Black Swan as a muse though. Kudzanai is working a West African vibe. The colors are pretty intense and I’m worried about it getting too costumey. Same goes for Margarita’s Puerto Rican Bomba inspired look.
The twins get into the workroom and immediately drop pins everywhere. Brandon has a model with a more boyish figure this week (no boobs or butt) and is excited to take his look in a menswear hip-hop direction. He has been labeled the fashion ninja by Aaron as his demeanor is very zen. He is the opposite of the spaz sisters. Apparently all the models have a crush on him and to be honest, Les and I do as well. Batani is designing a butterfly dress? She also has some actual dance moves. Les calls her multi-talented. Ayana has picked a fabric on which she is painting stars for her “reach for the stars” theme. It is very literal. We both cringe as Deyonte stabs himself through a finger with the sewing machine. A medic patches him up and he soldiers on. That was really scary, actually. As much as I like Aaron I’m confused by his wraparound jumpsuit. He shows us a dance move and I still don’t get it. Shawn is doing silk cargo joggers and a crossover hoodie top. Michael and Margarita have bonded over their Latin roots and are being cute together. Michael has four sisters! Kudzanai calls the twins “a lot” which is the biggest understatement ever uttered in that room.
Tim’s Critique
Tim is having trouble with Deyonte’s ruffles on his chartreuse gown. He tells him to keep it clean. Tim loves Brandon’s oversized shirtdress and says it could be relevant in year 1500 or 2500. He calls it stunning. It is pretty damn cool and different. He tells Kenya her print heavy dress is “smashing” tells her to “GO! GO! GO!” Les texts, hmmmmmm. Samantha tells Tim she loves rock operas and her inspiration is a “metal ballet”. Tim thinks her dress is magnificent. Les says she’s pulling on my goth ballet heartstrings. He also tells Michael his Kimono for a “Geisha who wants to vogue” is fabulous. He tells Claire to stay away from Red Bull and coffee. I was laughing so hard at that I missed what he said about her outfit. Aaron is trying to explain his Martha Graham inspired jumpsuit, but Tim is worried it’s too gimmicky. He calls it a Pu Pu platter of elements. Amy’s outfit is two outfits. It’s very complex and cerebral. Tim says it’s remarkable but I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. Tim tells Shawn she’s being too literal with her look. I wrote: I don’t FUCKING care. I enunciated it. Les writes:she’s inspired by sweatpants?
Tim is wondering where Kentaro is going with the pleating on his Black Swan dress, but is still impressed. We think it’s a bit simple. Batani gets a “Good Heavens!” from Tim, but in a good way. He thinks it’s very dramatic. I think it’s too costumey. Tim IS worried that Margarita’s look is veering into costume territory and tells her to edit. She responds by turning the top around. Kentaro mentions they have similar looks. She flatly tells him they don’t. Tim tells Ayana that he loves the painted stars on her fabric, but he is worried she has too much going on. Speaking of a lot going on Kudzanai is using fringe and A LOT of color. Tim tells him to go for it, but I’m worried for my Atlanta man.
Tim leaves the workroom very happy that everyone is taking risks. Aaron is having fit issues with his model. Les writes “Bless him.” Kudzanai’s dress looks like a freaking party favor. Deyonte is in a lot of pain. I don’t think this dress is worth that much pain. Kentaro is finished so he graciously helps Margarita finish her look. He then realizes he forgot to be innovative. Shawn loves Brandon’s look and Claire hates it. I wrote “It’s fabulous and you are both still idiots.” They are running around like 3 year olds on a Mountain Dew binge. Les and I still having issues with the JCPenney wall. She says they should get RealReal next year. We can dream. Aaron shows his model how he wants her to leap. She doesn’t want to do it.
The Runway
Heidi looks nice this week. Maddie Ziegler is the guest judge. Sigh. Of course she is. Nothing against Maddie, but the only young judge we should ever have on this show is Tavi. Period.
Les loves Kenya’s look and I like it too, but am worried about the lack of movement. Brandon’s look is simply cool. I would wear that in a heartbeat. Les doesn’t like it. I like Michael’s look but I’m not sure it’s the right fabric. Brandon’s felt effortless. This does not. Les thinks Margarita’s look was strong. I love Margarita, but no. Deyonte has sent out a weird skater mullet dress in the worst color EVER. Les writes: horrible. Amy’s transformative look is very cool and Leslie loves it. Amy is her favorite again. Les writes that Kudzanai did remarkably well for his fabric choice and she is impressed. I tell her she’s obviously high. For Claire I wrote: That’s a LOT of whatever color that is. Leslie is bored by it. Les likes Ayana’s design concept and thinks she will be tough to beat, but this was meh for me. Les and both write that we are “not bothered” by Shawn’s look, but Leslie points out that she now has that asymmetrical tie wrap top on repeat which the judges will definitely notice. Aaron’s model did not leap. I don’t think it would have helped. We are worried for Aaron. Batani’s model looks like a disco butterfly. Les says it’s definitely creative.I write “boring” and Les writes “blase” for Kentaro’s look. Samantha’s look is badass. Les thinks she rocked it.
My top three: Brandon, Samantha and Amy with Brandon for the win. Les picked Kenya, Samantha and Amy with Amy for the win. My bottom three are Kudzanai, Deyonte and Aaron. Deyonte to go home. Les picked Aaron, Claire and Deyonte.
Judging
The judges say they have a lot of high scores this week. Top three are Batani, Brandon and Margarita and the bottom are Kudzanai, Deyonte and Kentaro. HUH????
Batani is in the top three? WTF? Nina loved the print and how it flowed. Zac had mixed feelings about it because he is worried about the taste level. He referenced Flashdance. Heidi loved it because she is very, very cool and goes to Burning Man and this is what people look like there. If Heidi Klum is at Burning Man, Burning Man is so over.
Zac says Deyonte’s dress is dull. Heidi says it looks like a bad eighties ice skater dress. Nina says the model looks uncomfortable and constrained. Maddie says it looks like a costume she once wore and Heidi points out that that is this problem. If Heidi Klum is questioning your taste level, you are in trouble.
Maddie thinks Kentaro’s outfit looks like something she would warm up in. Zac said it did not make enough impact even though there is refinement in the top. Nina tells him he didn’t make enough effort. Which I guess is a worse offense than Aaron making too MUCH effort. Heidi likes that see can see the mode’s curves through the skirt.
Heidi thinks Margarita’s look is crisp and sophisticated. Maddie loves the salsa feel. Nina adores the sleeves and Zac says that it makes him want to have a great night out. I guess turning the top around worked.
They all adore Brandon’s look. Maddie says it’s “modern, lyrical and stunning”. I find myself warming to Maddie. Nina says it is superb and applauds his boldness and creativity. Heidi loves his taste and the color. Zac says he WAITS for moments like this on Project Runway, It made him want to dance. Damn. That’s some next level shit. Brandon smiles and my crush intensifies.
Poor Kudzanai is having the opposite issue of Kentaro. Nina says it’s just too much. Zac says the balance and construction is a mess. Heidi says it’s TOO inspired by a kids movie.
Brandon wins and he does a little dance. I LOVE HIM!! Kudzanai is auf’ed and I am sad. I would have liked to see more from him and I truly think Deyonte should have been sent home. What do you think?? Happy Labor day weekend everyone. Prayers for our Texas friends. xoxo
I loved Tim Gunn’s dancing! Talk about stepping outside of yourself. Bravo!
Brandon is a fashion savant. I thought he was doomed to be the first to leave mid-way through the first challenge. And you would think that because he has never designed for women that that would put him at a severe disadvantage. But his designs could have easily won any of the first 3 challenges. And he’s just so adorably quiet, humble and gracious.
I’m calling it early… Brandon for the win!
You just think he is hot.
Nothing wrong with that I suppose. I haven’t had any sort of er,,, attraction to anyone in years. Today at the Whole Foods I was getting a couple sausages to make these egg roll thingys I make to keep in the freezer and the butcher who I barely noticed at first wrapped them up and handed them to me and I finally looked at him and he looked me in the eyes and smiled and said, “Can I get you anything else?” and I sort of blacked out after that. He was HOT! Then I broke out in a menopausal sweat for the rest of my shopping. LOL.
T: You need to go back to Whole Foods and ask that Butcher out! What a skill he has and he sparked you. Girl, I spotted my guy and asked him out and here we are. GO for it. If you don’t A.S.K. You don’t G.E.T.!
Keep us posted!!!!!
I can’t watch this show live, because of Big Brother and Flipping Out taping, so I chose a repeat later in the night and it was only an hour long show, It started with the designers in the workroom with no opening and ended right after Brandon won but before the auf’d designer was shown. So I missed the dancers and he booty shaking. 🙁
When Lady C sent me the photos for this episode, which I GREATLY appreciate because this is the WORST show for getting photos, I saw the butterfly dress and said, that’s the winner.
I still have my money on my girl Kenya for the win. Her construction and attention to detail and sewing skills and conception and the ability to put out a perfectly tailored and completed project that is not pinned together amazes me.
I was surprised the Japanese pianist was in the bottom. If he had put a shocking pink detail somewhere on there, he could have won.
I did not understand Brandon’s look, nor was I able to understand how it fit the challenge. That said I missed what the challenge was other than get inspired by this advertisement for a movie.
I am not a fan of children critiquing the work of adults. That said, Maddie handled herself perfectly and only discussed positive things.
I had forgotten Margarita was on the show and did not like her look. I did like the dress, but I found the way it fit the model underneath where it tied distracting in a very bad way. It was like ribs and also pregnant. All I could look at was what was happening in that hole.
Thanks CJ and Leslie for another great blog.
Oh and did they show who the judge is next week? I need Yolanda to guest judge ASAP because Shawn is still there when she does and I am ready for that shit to go down so she can GTFO.
I don’t understand Brandon’s look either. But that just makes it more intriguing for me. I think, “Well that’s not actual clothing and that’s not how you wear actual clothing.” But each of his models have looked so polished and confident wearing his designs. I can’t explain why I respond so positively to something I don’t understand, lol.
Am I mistaken or did I hear Zac call Brandon’s design “smashing!”? Phwoar!
What’s up with Yolanda and Shawn? I ready for both twins to go, they are an act, not talented at all.
I agree; Margarita’s model has an odd shape in the rib cage area. She was not the one to show this dress off well-although I would not have liked this dress on anybody. Can’t imagine someone buying it and wearing it. Hated the flounces and the sleeves.
Has Tim gotten soft with his criticism because he should have stopped Kudzanai from his overly ambitious multicolored costume outfit?
Loving how you can tell that Tim adores Swatch the dog.
Kentaro is so adorable and he is my favourite, seeing him in the bottom was horrible!!!!
I still hate the twins, I literally gag each time I see them (my SO always looks up from his tablet and shakes his head)
Love Brandon, his look, no drama, nose to the grindstone attitude and sweetness. And no whining! Also team Kenya. Okay, it wasn’t dance based, but oh so striking and she radiates joy.
The twins are insufferable. They confuse frantic activity with hard work. Shawn would give me homicidal thoughts. I wouldn’t care if they were the next big thing, which they aren’t, I just want them to go away. Indeed.
This was my favorite episode in a long time. I didn’t want anyone to go home this week. I probably would have sent home the blue/pink outfit where one sleeve matched one leg,but I didn’t hate it. When they called up Margarita, I was afraid she was done for. I love her, but I was surprised how much they liked her dress since the skirt seemed so costumey and obvious. I would have liked to see some of the other outfits up there for the critique. I didn’t care for Brandon’s myself, but it’s just not something I would wear.
I know Deyonte’s was a mess, but I really like him and I’m glad he got to stay, especially where it wasn’t a good day for him. Perhaps if he wasn’t injured, he might have come up with something better. He and Kudzanai both needed more time… Kudzanai needed A LOT more time to EDIT. If he had made that and then taken half of it off and worked the sweatshirt/zipper angle a little better, he might have been fine. Sad to see him go.
Does Tim Gunn have a save? I thought if they sent home Kentaro or Deyonte, Tim might have used it.
When this group was cast, I thought I would hate this season, but I’m loving it. Love the different model sizes. Looking forward to at least one of the twins going home. Thanks for the recap!
I loved the butterfly dress. Margarita’s dress just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t hate it but felt it was neither new nor inventive. It looked like a salsa dance dress worn backwards. I hated the tummy sticking out under the tie in front as well and she wasn’t even a big girl. Didn’t like the winning look either that much. Wouldn’t have put it on bottom but not 1st.
Tim has a save.
I think he has learned to hold off on using it too soon.
I liked Amy’s outfit, and Kenya’s.
The twins are nightmarish. ? ?? ?