Project Runway Recap: Remarkably little drama...and that's fine with me!

Elisa Camahort — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:46:38 -0600

Even teamwork doesn't seem to bring out the "bad boy" contestant.

Typically the first time the Project Runway designers have to work together is the first time we start seeing who's naughty and who nice. Or perhaps more accurately, who's passive-aggressive, and who's just aggressive. Well, while there may have been a little bit of passive-aggression on display last night in Week 2 of Project Runway, Season 4, I didn't see any big, nasty guns drawn.

And I'm totally fine with that. I do not enjoy the Santino-esqe snark or the Jeffrey-esque jabs. I like watching them figure out the challenge, execute, and then show me pretty things walking down the runway. I'm a simple gal.

Last night, when they said a fashion icon was going to be part of the challenge, for once they weren't indulging in hyperbole. Sarah Jessica Parker...wow! I could almost understand the enraptured reaction of the designers...well, except for maybe Chris getting all blubbery about it.

SJP is launching a clothing line called Bitten, and the challenge was to design a two-piece outfit for the Fall/Winter line, and moreover, in keeping with Bitten's mission to make fashion and quality affordable to every woman, they had a $15 budget to work with. (Can I be all pernisckety and point out that if they wanted a retail value of $40, they'd really have to spend a lot less than $15 on raw materials to make any margin at all...because there's the cost of labor, shipping, marketing etc., and the wholesale price to the store would probably be about $20 for a $40 retail item? hello? Anyone still out there? I didn't think so. Shutting up now.)

The 14 designers would present their ideas to SJP, she'd pick 7 to be made; those 7 would pick a team member, and then we're off to the races with 2-person teams having a ridiculously short amount of time to create the 2-piece outfit.

The chosen designers were:
Elisa
Kit
Victorya
Marion
Ricky
Christian
Rami

So, the three highest scorers from last week, and the two lowest remaining scorers from last week. Interesting, huh?

The designers chose teams, and as luck would have it, wackElisa chose last, so there was some nice manufactured tension over who would get stuck with her. And it was Sweet P, who is none too mainstream herself, but looks like an oasis of sanity compared to our little spit-marking namesake.

What is this "spit-marking" of which I speak, you ask? Why use pins, when you can add some of your essence to a creation with your own bodily fluid, wackElisa would answer.

But other than Sweet P suffering massive anxiety attacks about having Elisa pull her down with the ship, the rest of the teamwork seemed to happen without incident. Sure, some teams were more ready than others, but no catfights occurred.

So, on with the show (where SJP joined Heisi, MK and ninagarcia as judge.)

1. Kit, aided by Chris
To her credit SJP seemed very concerned, when looking at designs, that women of all sizes could wear them. Kit & Chris sent something down the runway that only a Size 0-2 could wear. There were a couple of things about this outfit that didn't do it for me. First of all it featured brown capri leggings. While the ties at the bottom of the Capris were cute, I'm not sure why Capris are all the rage right now. They're not actually flattering for lots of people. Secondly, I'm old-school, and I hate the color combo of black and brown. The top for this outfit was a back clingy top with pockets that didn't even approach covering the model's ass. Hence my opinion that only one of these skinny-as-a-rail models could wear this as designed. But the beret was cute.

2. Elisa, aided by Sweet P
The dress is what made this ensemble. It was a short teal dress ("polymorphic, according to the designer) with a tie around the neck and some fabu sleeves. The dress was sexy without being slutty...hot, hot, hot. Over the dress was a big cape thing. I admit was not feeling the cape thing.

3. Rami, aided by Jillian
This outfit featured a brown shirt tunic thing with, again brown capri leggings. The model also wore a wide headband and a beehive hairdo. Net effect, she looked like one of the chicks from the B-52s, but given the dull color palette...not in good way. Snooze-city.

4. Marion, aided by Steven
oh, yeah, this was a disaster. The moment it appeared on the runway you knew one or both of these guys were going home. It was a knit taupe skirt with a big, shapeless knit off-the-shoulder top, and between the two pieces there was lots of fringe. I want it noted for the record that I wrote down "Pocahantas" way before MK said it. And you could see her bra through it. Could they maybe have found her a beige bra? No, i think it was white. tacky, drab and a big, huge mess.

5. Victorya, aided by Kevin
This was, to my eyes, a big, drapy, charcoal grey mess. To my viewing companion's eyes it was a chic anthracite vision. So, there you go. I thought the little, open, racer-back vest was cute, but you could barely see it amongst the folds and volume of the dress. And I thought the volume made it look costume-y. Like Fanny Brice as baby Snookums. Victorya may be the designer this year that the judges seemto love, while I jus don't get her.

6. Christian, aided by Carmen
This was a highly unflattering turquoise dress with a gray jacket with stripes. It was oh-so-very 80s in general feel, but the two pieces didn't seem to go with one another at all. and when she took that jacket off? The dress made even one of these models look flabby and droopy. It was nasty.

7. Ricky, aided by Jack
I was surprised this wasn't Top 2 material. I thought of all the designs it was the most wearable, the most upbeat and joyful...the one I could most see SJP herself actually wearing to Sunday brunch. It was a red dress with a wide belt with fringy ends. There was some detailing at the sleeves and bodice that made this pretty, feminine and very very accessible.

After the show, 4 designers were pulled out as follows:

The 2 best:
Elisa/Sweet P
Victorya/Kevin

The 2 worst:
Marion/Steve
Christian/Carmen

Best line of the night? wackElisa: "I'm coming to your planet...with gifts."

In the end Victorya won, which escaped me a bit. And Marion was Auf'ed.

Couldn't argue with the loser, although I was kind of rooting for Christian to go, because he's so closed off to coaching from fabulous Tim Gunn. That will surely, eventually be his downfall.

What did you think?

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Project Runway Recap: Remarkably little drama...and that's fine with me!