By CJ BOMB
Hey guys! I am behind the eight ball as I am having gallery owners over to discuss hanging certain pieces in their space He’s an amazing Atlanta based artist. But nothing will stop me from this Project Runway Recap!
By the time I get them out the door, Les is already into the show reminding me to discuss the Met Gala. The hilarious thing is the challenge this week relates to the artist I was JUST talking about! Will get to explanation about that, but first can we please talk about Brandon Maxwell’s Lady Gaga look(s) at the Met??? Talk about reveals!! If you haven’t seen it, the theme this year was Camp, which is defined as Susan Sontag puts it in her famous short essay “Notes on Camp” is “everything in exclamation points”.
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Christian dressed Janelle Monae, Laverne Cox and Ryan Murphy among others. Les texted me immediately when we found out that Karlie was dressed by no other than DAPPER DAN! How freaking awesome is that? The Met Ball is one of fashion’s biggest nights. Period. So it was nice to see Project Runway represent. Note from TT: Before I forget Garo Sparo also designed a the gloves for Aquaria, a queen from RuPaul’s Drag Race who was invited this year. He was shouted out on the E! Red Carpet coverage!
The Challenge
Speaking of CAMP the designers are following a yellow brick road into the studio when they are met with an ICONIC costume. Inside there are the ACTUAL costumes from the upcoming movie Rocket Man starring Taron Egerton. My husband and I seldom agree on any music but Elton John? We love him. We have seen him in concert several times and he NEVER disappoints.
The artist I was talking about above has 120 pieces in Elton’s permanent collection. Elton also has a place down the street from Les and I. (we don’t hang with him sadly) Can you tell I’m excited? Taron chimes in remotely about how Elton changed the game in terms of performance wear.
The costume designer from the film, Julian Day, is there to explain each look. The challenge is for the designers to create an early performance piece for Elton John. It should be big and showstopping. They have two days, 400 dollars to spend at Mood and $300 to spend at a store that sells embellishments (feathers, sequins, etc) Hester and Garo are literally vibrating. Les texts that this is THEIR challenge. They will be working with male models.
A Big Twist!
There is ALSO a surprise twist. The designers get HELP. The eliminated designers pour back into the workroom and everyone squeals. The button bag comes out and each designer gets to pick an assistant. Garo is first and he picks Sonia. Jamall picks his bud Rakan, Bishme goes with Afa. Venny picks Nadine, Lela grabs Renee and Hester picks Kovid (of course). This always reminds me of fifth grade dodgeball. Tessa is second to last AGAIN but she happily takes Frankie which means Sebastian is stuck with Cavanagh.
We are concerned for Sebastian. Cavanaugh immediately tells us how lucky he is to have her as she has dressed many country stars. Mmmmkay. Also NO MORE IMMUNITY. Hester is the last designer to have that privilege.
In The Mood…
At Mood everyone scrambles for fabric to go big or quite literally, go home. Hester is doing a rock and roll rooster which Kovid thinks is “too much”. If Kovid thinks it’s too much? Hmmm. Garo is doing a Rocketman look with rings of Saturn. Nadine has LOTS of opinions for Venny. He looks like he’s flustered. Bishme goes with high-waisted overalls which is giving me Elton’s pinball wizard. Jamall is VERY excited for this challenge. He is doing a voluminous bomber jacket. Tessa and Sebastian seem a little lost and overwhelmed. Sebastian’s dad loves Elton, but he doesn’t really know much about him. Tessa dresses stick figure women in minimalist looks so this isn’t her thing.
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In the workroom Hester gives Kovid a tiny time frame to finish a whole lot of work. Les texts that he has forgotten what a type A person she is. There’s nothing wrong with being type A as long as you are not a jackass about it. Sebastian’s still confused, but just going to go “big and loud”. Venny is doing red white and blue with…..feathers. Now while Les and I agree that feathers a great option for this particular challenge, Venny doesn’t have the best history using them.
Federal Express Is Missing Some… Packages!
The male models come in and…oh my. Now my fantasy these days consists of a hot guy coming to my house and doing all my kids laundry and putting it away while I take a nap, but these particular models are quite nice to look at. Just saying. Les texts that they are “fuego”. Si, Senora, Si. Sebastian is having a hard time concentrating. As is Tessa. When one model walks by, he smells so good to her she almost follows him. I get up to grab wine and I think I hear Venny say, “Fedex is missing some packages.” Indeed.
Sonia seems to think she’s still in the competition and this is a partner challenge. Venny isn’t worried about restraint on this one. Poor Sebastian is lost. He misses his family who he hasn’t seen in three years since getting married (!!). We are worried about Sebastian. Fortunately Cavanaugh seems to be helpful and nice.
Real Moments With The Designers
At the end of the day the designers are slap happy and the guys are running around in platform heels. Apparently Jamall has an alter ego that is a spoiled 16 year old girl? Mmmmkay. It is nice to see everyone eating together and getting along. Lela is from a big family of entertainers who never quite made it, so she hopes to be the one who busts out.
The next day Bishme calls his mom who is hilarious. She loves a good booty. Bishme was rejected by Parson’s and FIT. His mom told him to make the most of his gifts and go for what he wants. Very sweet.
Christian Mentors The Designers
Christian tells Sebastian his Angel look needs more so make a jacket! With a crazy sleeve! He tells him to make it more fun. We are hoping this advice will essentially save his ass as Les thinks he is fading in the competition.
Christian is loving everything Garo is doing including the corset (of course) and the codpiece (!!!). Sonia will NOT shut up. You are the ASSISTANT in this one Sonia. Garo has done performance looks for Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and freaking MADONNA. Christian is impressed. Les and I are impressed. Sonia SHUT UP.
Oh, Venny. The train on the back of a bell bottom SEEMS like a good idea but as Christian reminds him, these judges are very funny about the fit of a pant (see Renee) and he needs to be super careful. Les texts that the bell bottom trains are not working.
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Christian is liking the voluminous look Jamall has created but reminds him is does need SOME definition and shape. He also needs a top underneath. Jamall assures him he plans to do a mesh t-shirt underneath the top. He then cannot find the mesh he bought.
Like A Rhinestone Cowboy…
Christian tells Lela her Fringe Cowboy look is too big and slouchy. It needs to be more tailored. These guys have to remember that one would have to actually move and perform in these looks.
Christian signs off quoting “I’m Still Standing” and gets crickets. Les thinks it is hilarious that none of these people know the titles to Elton John songs.
Frantic Bedazzling
Hester is lucky she has immunity. Again. She is complaining that she can’t do anything until Kovid finishes her jacket. Oh Hester. That isn’t the problem here. You went for rooster and wound up with turkey. Immunity wasted. Again. We just hope they dismiss her instead of putting her in the bottom three like last time.
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Lela went to iron her lapel and there was glue on the iron. She is going to try and steam the glue off her garment but Cavanagh steps in and tells her it will make it worse. Where was this nice Cavanagh in the first episode? A feather boa is used to cover it up. Her model has side cut outs and she and Renee have created a mesh thong???? Renee seems bemused by this entire process. Her model is SMOKING hot but he looks ridiculous in this outfit.
The Runway
Karlie emerges in a black tuxedo look complete with sequins. Les loves the suit but wants her to ditch the choker. Julian Day is the guest judge. Les texts that Julian looks scary, but in a serious judge, nothing gets by him. He’s a bit like Nina Garcia.
Les texts that Bishme “rocketmanned” this look. The t-shirt is awesome. The pants fit wonderfully (mom would be proud) and there is just enough embellishment. It looks fabulous with the jacket on or off.
Les has a lot to say about Tessa. Here is her text in its entirety: Are you kidding me?? Her self-glorifying is nuts! This is her game avatar look made into Elton’s style. It is so bland! She is on the low end at this point. I don’t mind it, but enough with the raw edges. This is also not a concert look.
Les texts that Venny got the look but her should have put weights in the bell bottoms trains so they didn’t “sail” around. She added a DUH in there. I think this looks like a bad Halloween costume an amateur would attempt. The feathers are not helping.
Shoots For Rooster, Gets A Turkey
We both agree that Hester should never be given immunity. First we got pasties and now a turkey.
We are both happy Sebastian recovered. This will not win, but he will be safe.
Les thinks that Jamall’s look isn’t Elton circa 1970-80 but Elton 2050. She guesses Elaine will love it though because the judgment is never consistent. I think this is very fashion forward, not backward. As if Rick Owens were doing the costume.
Les texts three words about Lela Orr “Wah wah…bottom.” This also looks like a shitty Halloween costume.
Garo Sparo’s look is insane. And awesome. And should win. In my opinion.
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Tops And Bottoms
Les picks Lela, Tessa and Jamall for the bottom with Jamall to go. I pick Tessa, Venny and Lela with Venny to go. Les picks Venny, Bishme and Garo for the top with Bishme to win. I pick Garo and Bishme for the top with Garo to win.
It’s Gonna Take A Claw Hammer…
Hester and Sebastian are safe. The judges send Hester off the stage telling her if she didn’t have immunity this turkey of a look would have sent her home.
Elaine tells Jamall Osterholm she would love to see him dress Elton. I can hear Les rolling her eyes down the street. They appreciate the creativity and the construction.
Brandon says Venny Etienne’s feathers are BAD. He tells him he has some good ideas but the train on the bell bottoms was not one of them. Nina gives her hardest criticism: this look inexpensive. Karlie says that going extra can be so right or so wrong. This is a case where it went wrong.
The Myth Behind The Lies
Julian says Tessa’s Clark’s look is more Elton Day wear than concert wear. Nina tells her that if she had been one of the costume designers that this would have never made it into the movie. Brandon tells her it’s an issue of her playing it too safe….again.
Nina loves Bishme’s reveal after reveal and thinks it could be interesting throughout an entire performance. There are wowed by the t-shirt he created and the fit of the pants. Julian thinks it has glitz and glamour and wishes it was in the film.
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Nina thinks Lela’s look either looks like a bad costume, or the model lost a bet. Julian says the silhouette disappears completely.
Julian calls Garo Sparo’s look magnificent. Elaine says this if from another planet in a good way and the execution is impeccable. They ask who was working with him and he tells them Sonia did a lot of the work. Back in the lounge Sonia is PISSED. She wasn’t just an assistant! These were her ideas! SONIA IS THE REASON THIS IS SO AWESOME. Sonia is an ass.
Results
It’s a close call between Garo Sparo and Bishme, but Garo Sparo takes it for his over the top rocketman. Sonia is furious at first, but then resigned. Sonia? Have a fucking seat. Tessa is safe and it is down to Venny and Lela. Venny keeps overdoing it and Lela is consistently boring. They choose boring to go. Lela Orr exits graciously and Venny gets a hall pass.
Les and I will see you next week for another Project Runway Recap! Tell us your thoughts in comments!
Thanks for the recap. I enjoy you both so much. This was a fun episode. Bishme and Garo were my favorites. Now I want to see other Garo’s designs. Garo’s boots were everything.
Great episode
Agree 100%.
I feel like Kacey Musgraves isn’t getting enough love for her Met look. I can’t say I know who she is, but she LITERALLY turned up as a life-size version of The Moschino Barbie. At an event where, arguably, quite a few did not properly adhere to the theme, girl nailed it.
The only way Gagas look could have been elevated was if the pink column reveal was a Moschino Barbie reveal.
When the designer of all of Elton’s outfits was standing there with all of Elton’s outfits I totally wanted a contestant to ask if he made any of those in two days.
Good one
And I wanted there to be curvy models….
Imo, Tessa should have been booted. I loved Lela’s pieces. I don’t get why Sonia was so pissed off about not getting the recognition, considering it wasn’t a way back onto the show.
I thought Bishme’s look was more interesting than Garo’s and was well made and versatile ….plus he doesn’t make stage performance costumes for a living. Therefore I would have given him the win. Also Brandon sure seems to deeply dislike Tessa. Karlie seems very awkward with her good-byes. Heidi was more genuine / less nervous I think.
Bishme’s was my favorite, too. I get that Garo totally channeled Elton and thought Jamall did a crazy, interesting outfit. Did someone hoodoo Cavanaugh and Sonia? WTH who Face Offed them?
Even though there were some bombs, I thought the runway was glorious. It was crazy wonderful to see such exuberance.
Bishme’s look looked the most Elton John of all and was my favourite, though Garo’s was fantastic too.
I feel like Karlie could start laughing anytime at the contestants, she comes across as too worried in front of the cameras.
I liked Garo’s work in spite of, (or maybe because) it looked like his model was peering out from a bedazzled toilet seat.
“Sonia, take a seat” YAAAASSSSSS. Her behavior in this episode was that of a petulant child. Why did she need so much credit? She is off the show! UGH.
I loved both Garo and Bishme. I wish they could do double wins on this show. Also, I think Lela should’ve been safe. She’s more consistent than Venny.
CJ and Les, thank you so much! Awesome recap! Bishme was robbed! As someone who saw Elton John at Dodger Stadium waaaaayyy back BEFORE ANY OF YOU WERE BORN, I say with authority that Bishme captured EJ in that killer moment! So amazing.
Tessa and Hester should have been sent PACKING! Both of them, in a double “YOU’RE OUT!”
I’m 100% sure TRho was born before you.
I’ve seen Elton John 3 times in concert and agree. Bishme’s outfit WAS Elton John! If Garo had replaced the collar-halo with feathers, that would have been Elton.
I liked Garo’s. Good choice.
I love how hardly any of them knew who Elton John was.
CJ, you and Les are the best!
I want you to use the time machine and give us your impressions of Elisa, who “spit-marked” her fabric for cutting 🙂
Love you!
OMG, I forgot about that! That crazy lady who LICKED her fabric to mark it for cutting! I’m glad she didn’t last long— she sent my germaphobia into overdrive! Can you imagine having to use a cutting table that had other people’s SALIVA on it??? A Project Runway LOW!
Rant over. Back to 2019!
Oh my goodness! You made my day! That has to be up there in the top 10 most interesting contestants. Thanks for making me laugh!
I just love Christian as Tim’s replacement. I’m not sure about Tessa. She oozes negativity and jealousy. Maybe she’s just grumpy by nature. Not to mention, her abhorrence of “normal” sized women… She lives in Ohio, for God’s sake. “Normal” sized women are everywhere, so who does she dress? i just don’t like her.
Both Bishme and Garo hit it out of the park with their designs. I would have preferred that Bishme win because it seemed like the challenge was more of a stretch for him than Garo and Garo went back yet again to the corset well vs. challenging himself to do something different. Also, the fit of Bishme’s pants on his model was the best we’ve seen from any designer this season.
I appreciate Brandon (I think it was him anyway) calling out the fact that Tessa never finishes a hem. I’m beginning to wonder if she actually knows how to do a hem. And, while I think that Tessa is getting a bit of a bitch edit, she does herself no favors with her comments or her excuses. Whether it’s designing for a “curvy” model or a man, she doesn’t seem to be able to move outside of her comfort zone and complains/makes excuses when she fails at it. Between that and Brandon’s obvious disdain for her, I don’t see her as long for this competition.
Yes Garo is corset:ing garments, I appreciate his skill but he does it _every_time.
Judges need to understand the challenges. The look was 70’s, 80’s Elton John and Jamall skated again for doing him instead of following the parameters of the challenge. Am sick of this as it is confusing to the designers.
Sonia feels she should still be there. So do I. But enough with the sour grapes act.
Bishme, my Baltimore boo with the sassy smart mom, was the winner.
Garo did something I’ve kind of seen on Elton, or I feel I have, but with feathers maybe. certainly big collared jump suits. Bishme’s denim is something I SHOULD have seen on him. It also looked impeccably made.
So disappointed in Hester. I LOVED the idea. Fun, silly, zany – right up EJ’s alley! I mean, we’re talking abot a guy that dressed as Donald Duck for a concert. But he should have been head to toe feathers or at least COLOR or bling! Male birds are the ones with all the fancy dancy feathers and looks!
Bishme captured the eclectic rockstar style of the late 70s. That whole fabulous custom denim look. And each piece was special enough to stand on its own. Garo was very Elton but seemed rather formulaic. And yet another corset. When does a so called “signature” become too much? Jamills was visually interesting in an abstract way but I was surprised when they said Elton would wear it. The only way I could see that happening would have been if Elton did a reveal after an initial impact. Especially since he wouldn’t have been able to do anything in it. It reminded me of this artist Nick Cave. Jamall and Tessa should be leaving any time now.
I hate Tessa. She needs to go. Hester as well. I would have picked Bishme to win because I loved his look and he doesn’t do this type of look for a living.
CJ?!!! You and Les live up the road from Elton John? My God, now I feel as though I would have to curtsy if I ever met you in person! Not that you’re likely to run into me at the local WalMart. Good for you! That’s why you know so much about art and fashion. I love all your input.
This show had the best of the best and he worst of the worst. I thought the design worn by the gorgeous model in the gold and tan stripes looked like something from a futuristic prison movie, and lacked anything in the way of style or originality, and Venny’s outfit was horrible , but then I saw what Hester produced. It was then that I knew what horror really was. It was frightful on its own merits, but those high-water pants (for lack of a more knowledgeable description) took it to new levels of hideousness. I realize she did that to add a little more interest, compared to full-length, but “the humanity, my God, the humanity”.
I loved Garo’s look. Yes, he did have an advantage by already designing costumes, and, yes, he does overdo the whole corset thing, but that was Elton John from head to toe. Bishme’s offering was also fantastic but, given the limited mind-set and imagination with which I’m cursed, I could imagine it more on Lady Gaga than Elton.
Oh, and Tessa is still a colossal pain in the ass. What a stupid woman she is to make the comments she does. It should be as plain as the nose on her face that the current trend is to encompass models of all shapes and sizes, and to criticize any of them is tantamount to self-sabotage.
Love Christian. I never though anyone could come close to Tim’s style of mentoring, but Christian is giving him a run for his money.
I actually watched and appreciated your insightful recap CJ and Les last week but it was kinda late, I crashed, then life…Your worlds sound amazing, full of The Arts and the people that make it! Super jelly! I did save this episode because I do want to watch again some day.
I’ve loved Elton John forever. As a teenager my bedroom walls were covered, layered with posters, pictures & lyrics I wrote out that meant something to me. I had every album (or cassette, then CD). I learned to play numerous songs of his & Bernie’s on the piano (dumbed-down lol). I am beyond excited about the movie “Rocketman”! The designers walking the yellow brick road had me tearing up with excitement and I don’t think the had a clue what they were seeing! Tmi, I could go on, lol…
Bishme’s look was my clear, hands down, winning look for Elton in the 70’s. Where can I get the T-shirt?
Garo’s look was amazing and I could see it work with just a few changes. To me though it looked more like something Gene Simmons would have worn. The boots weren’t right for Elton, he always wears a heel, not platforms.
I saw Sonny Bono walking in Tessa’s design. If he’d worn it though I guarantee the hems would have been finished.
Hester’s design looked like a mime artist on something.
I don’t understand Jamall’s designs, at all. I know I’m oldish and probably esthetically challenged and set in my ways but I’m not going to apologize for wanting clothing to be pretty or flattering even if it’s zany and new. Not sure that makes any sense but his clothing seem to take some turn that then results in something I don’t find appealing. That said, he’s so young and personable, the judges see something in his work so I suspect he’s a bright future ahead of him…PR aside.
I have so much love for Christain! He’s an amazing designer and as their mentor? He’s is setting the bar high!