| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
The remaining four designers meet Carolyn on the Intrepid in the Hudson River. They meet four female veterans from all four branches of the armed forces. They are paired with each of the designers, who will design a look for a special event. They match the ladies with the designers beforehand. Josh has this lovely lady from the Army who had her leg amputated at the knee when she was in Bosnia. I have to say, Josh is at his most charming with her, and it's really fun to watch. Anthony Ryan designs for an Air Force veteran who wants a dress for her 40th birthday. Emilio's client is a Navy veteran. He feels very honored to be part of this challenge. His lady is going to her buddy's bachelorette party in Las Vegas. Uli's client is a Marine Corps veteran. She's going to a wedding.
Josh's girl tells him that she likes leopard, which seems like a perfect match. Emilio's girl loves yellow. Uli's girl says that she loves purple, but Uli says that she can't find anything, which seems a little strange. Anthony Ryan decides on a system for taking emphasis away from his client's bust, since she's what she calls a "boob hider."
When Joanna comes in to consult, she remarks that Uli is making the very same dress that she happens to be wearing. She also notes that Josh seems very inspired. He talks a little about how he has a brother in the military. Joanna asks him about it and it sounds a little like maybe Josh hasn't had a lot in common with his brother and him being on the show did a lot to bring them together.
When the ladies come in to be fitted, Anthony Ryan has a lot of fit problems. Granted, the lady has a really large bust, but it's a problem. Josh and Uli seem really confident.
I'd like to take this time to say that 2013 is ALL about Jennifer Hudson and I love her so much on the new Weight Watchers commercials. Smash can't start soon enough.
So Katie Holmes is the guest judge this week. I wonder if I will ever care about anything she has to say ever again. The other guest judge is designer Carmen Marc Valvo. I wonder if he got picked on with that name. Uli's dress looks great. Everyone seems almost shocked about how good it looks. Emilio's dress is cute too. Honestly, I don't hate Anthony Ryan's dress in its final state. Josh's dress is cute and shows off her legs, which I think was a great idea. Also, he made something for her service dog to wear!
The judges are wild about Josh's look. Georgina had a few problems with Emilio's execution and Isaac agreed with her. I can't tell, but it feels like they work kind of hard to have problems with Uli's dress. Wow, y'all, Isaac completely stands up for Anthony Ryan during the judging. He essentially tells everyone to shut up.
Joshua wins the challenge! This is his first win! Uli is safe (should have won). It's down to Emilio and Anthony Ryan. Well, we know that Isaac wanted Anthony Ryan to win, so it will be interesting to see how this goes. Anthony Ryan is... safe! But, Emilio is safe too! I did not expect this. Wow. Carolyn just says that they didn't see any reason to eliminate anyone this week. Gosh, I can't help but be happy about this.
Previously: The designers had to create ready-to-wear looks for Elie Tahari to sell for charity. Uli was worried that her white dress wouldn't pop, but everyone loved it. Anthony Ryan won the challenge. Josh and Carolyn sort of got into an argument, but Ivy was the person who was sent home.
We begin with some very grand music and the remaining designer walking towards Carolyn on the deck of the Intrepid in the Hudson River. The Intrepid was an aircraft carrier in World War II that is now a military museum. It's incredibly impressive to see. Carolyn welcomes them and explains that the Intrepid has one of the most distinguished records of any Navy ship. Also distinguished are the records of their guests, who arrive on some sort of elevator thing. Its four ladies who are veterans! They introduce themselves. We have Jessica from the Marines, Donna from the Air Force, Lisa from the Navy and Leslie from the Army. Leslie also introduces Isaac, her service dog. We see that Leslie is missing some part of her left leg (the rest is obscured by pants). OK, that's really interesting. From my experience watching this show, I'm gonna just go ahead and say that if they try to hide her prosthesis, they are going to run into trouble. Also, Leslie is gorgeous and vibrant and they shouldn't try to hide her anyway.
Carolyn explains that each of the guests will be attending an event where they would rather not wear their uniforms. So, the challenge is for the designers to create a look specific to the event to which they will be attending. Also, the ladies will be the models on the runway. Anthony Ryan comments that these women have given so much to our country and this is their chance to maybe give a little something back. They will have 30 minutes to meet with their clients and find out about the special event to which they will be wearing the design. Carolyn says that the judges will be looking to see how well they work with their clients to create a special look.
The ladies step over to their designers. It appears that they were matched before meeting. Josh is matched with Captain Leslie Nicole Smith of the Army. She has a real brightness about her. She tells Josh that she wants a hug. Josh interviews that his own brother is also in the Army. Leslie tells Josh that, when she was deployed in Bosnia, she developed a blood clot in her leg. Infection was involved and she was hospitalized and the Army had to tell her family that it appeared as if Leslie wouldn't survive. Josh gets emotional as she's telling her story. Or, some mascara gets in his eye -- there's no explanation. Leslie finishes her story and says that, after her amputation, she wondered if she'd be able to wear high heels again. Josh laughs in his interview and says that he loves that the first thing that Leslie thought about was high heels. Well, to be fair, check out your context. I'm sure she didn't tell her superiors that was the first thing she worried about. Right now, though, she's sitting with a fashion designer who happens to be wearing every artificial color that has been created up to this point in the history of man and she's probably thinking, "Of the list of things I thought about when I heard that I would no longer have all of my leg, this one will probably make an impact."
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
So, the part isn't edited perfectly, or maybe it just isn't spoken that clearly, but it's one of my favorite moments of this entire season. Josh asks Leslie if she is partial to a particular color. She says that she is a die-hard fan of leopard print. Well, shit, she has come to the right place. They giggle together as she says that she absolutely loves leopard print. He points to his own outfit and says that he's not sure that what he's wearing would pass in the Army. "Don't ask, don't tell," he says. Then, he says, "I don't even have to tell anyone and they don't even have to ask." All the while, Leslie is getting a kick out of it. So much fun. I'm sure that Josh has to be a total blast to hang out with at one of his fire escape or rooftop parties. I think his competitive nature is so fierce that it makes it unpleasant to watch him a great deal of the time. All of that was shed for this and I believe that we just got to see the very best of him.
Officer Donna Barrios explains to Anthony Ryan the different roles she has played in the Air Force. She's pretty serious, Donna is. She tells Anthony Ryan that the event that she is looking to get dolled up for is her 40th birthday. She says that she is looking for something long and "definitely" strapless. Anthony Ryan says that he feels like he might be more nervous than Donna. That seems obvious to me. He is behaving very stiffly right now, though you can't really blame him. Donna isn't revealing a lot of lightness or humor, that is for sure. But, Anthony Ryan doesn't seem to be working really hard to make her more comfortable either. Everyone is to blame. He asks if there is a part of her body that she's not fond of and she says that she is a "boob hider." You see, that's funny. I wish she'd talk more about being a boob hider. Anthony Ryan says that designing for a specific woman is a real challenge because you have to take into account their needs and their body type. Stuff like this is what shows how these guys are true all-stars. There's nothing shitty about that comment. We've heard time and time again people complaining about designing for "real women" and what a dirge that is. The truth is, if you're designing defensively at all, you aren't able to maybe express your true intention as a designer. I could still probably think of a few problems with that, but Anthony Ryan is expressing that without any rudeness or silliness and to me that makes him an all-star.
Petty Officer Lisa Dalhouse explains to Emilio that she has served in Afghanistan and was a mechanic. He tells her that she's an inspiration. Her event? The bachelorette party of one of her best friends. The location? Las Vegas. Oh, hell yeah. I'm sorry, this is a cute, young girl. A bachelorette party in Vegas? Any designer worth is weight in, I don't know, buffet chicken teriyaki or condoms should be able to design something super fun and sexy for a this specific occasion. Right? He tells her that he sees something young, sparkly, short and fabulous. She adds that she likes yellow and I am on board for that. She has the most beautiful dark skin and she probably rocks some yellow like a hero. He gives her a hug when they are finished talking.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
Corporal Jessica Lord of the Marine Corps is talking with Uli. She asks Jessica how long she has been back from overseas. She explains that she is out of the Marines now, which confuses Uli because she looks so young. She entered the Marines in 2006 and is now 25. Wow, that's still really young. Jessica is going to be attending a wedding for her big event, so Uli asks her if there is a particular color that she is fond of. She says that purple is her favorite color. I don't know how well that is going to work for Uli. Also, she asks Jessica if she likes longer or shorter dresses and she says that she likes the dress that Uli is wearing. Uli happens to be wearing one of her long, flowing numbers. Her freaking signature. So, aside from the fact that she's fairly allergic to color, this should be a slam dunk for Uli, right? Uli says that she really wants Jessica to be happy with the dress.
At Mood, the designers begin their work. It looks like Emilio is going with yellow. Josh finds a black and white leopard print, but he knows that Leslie doesn't really like graphic prints. So, he decides that he will dye the fabric. Anthony Ryan finds an ombre fabric that seems very feminine to him. Uli can't find a purple print that she likes. How did I know that would be a problem? She decides to go with "classic colors" black and white and she hopes that she likes it. That Uli. You cannot get her away from the white.
Back at the workroom, Anthony Ryan restates the hard part about the challenge- this dress isn't for a thousand women; it's for one woman. The dress has to be perfect for this one woman. Josh suggests to Anthony Ryan that he will be boning the bust of his design. Anthony Ryan says that he has boning and canvas. There will be a lot of engineering in the boob area. I don't know if it has been expressed yet, but Donna is gifted upstairs. And, I'm not talking about her brains, though she does seem like a very smart lady, at least if seriousness is a measure of smarts. She seems very serious and she has large breasts. And, she likes to hide them. He's feeling some pressure from these boobs. He is working really hard to compliment her figure though and he doesn't seem lost at all.
Josh needs to test dye his fabric and asks Anthony Ryan how long it will take to dry. Sounds like someone has never dyed fabric before? Anthony Ryan warns him not to get it on his hands, because it will stain them. Josh, walking towards the sinks or wherever, whines, "I have to wring it out with my hands?" Heh. Anthony Ryan laughs in an interview that Josh is afraid to touch the dye (well, you're the one who scared him) and he says that it's Project Runway: All-Stars and he's just going to have to get his hands dirty. Uli says that Josh's experiment with his fabric is the biggest risk that anyone is taking right now.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
The designers are plowing ahead. Emilio says that he's designing a dress for Lisa(r). I love it when people put an "r" behind a word that ends with "a." Much like I love when people lose the "t" in the middle of words, like how Brittany Murphy (RIP) says "Elton" in Clueless. Emilio says that Lisa doesn't want anything flashy, so he is working against type. As Uli is working, Josh asks her if she is just using the monochromatic scale. He giggles but you know he means it. She says, "Of course." He replies, "Gorgeous." He's gonna be so mad at her if she wins. It's funny, Uli relays the story about how Jessica said she liked the dress that Uli was wearing and she starts laughing like it's unbelievable. And, really, it sort of is. Remember how they got the '20s challenge right when Uli was ready to purge herself of her feather habit? It's like she's Al Pacino in The Godfather, Part 3. She tries to get out but they keep pulling her back in. So here she is, ready to try something new and the girl tells her that she wants the dress that Uli is wearing. It's too perfect! Uli says that Jessica wants a "long, flow-y Uli dress."
Joanna comes in for her consultation and starts off with what a privilege this is to be able to give back to our women in the armed forces. Because of that, she says that she is going to be extra vigorous with her criticisms. Sometimes I get a little hard on people when they are defensive on this show, but I don't even know how I'd react if someone said that they were going to be extra vigorous with guiding me at this point. As if a) I'm already not feeling enough pressure because of how close we are to the finish line and b) somehow, by myself, I'm not giving enough respect to the women of uniform. But, she's not wrong to be vigorous with her critique. Anthony Ryan explains Donna and her shape to Joanna. He says that she wants long and strapless, but maybe she would be open to one-shouldered. Joanna thinks that he should go with the one shoulder, since it will give her more support and she is going to want to be comfortable at her birthday party. Anthony Ryan is feeling strongly about the straps now and says that he thinks it is something that he can talk Donna into.
Uli explains that she is making a dress for a "vedding." Heh. Joanna points out that she seems to be making the exact dress that she is wearing. Uli still seems almost incredulous about the fact that Jessica told her that she liked the dress that she was wearing, like she can't believe her good luck. Joanna asks her if there is anything that she is worried about and she pauses and sort of smiles then says, "Always." Joanna tells her that is a good answer and moves on. Man, Uli is just the cutest.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
Joanna suggests to Emilio that is client will have to be a very brave woman indeed to wear all of the yellow that he is apparently using. He tells Uli that yellow is her favorite color. And, she's going to Vegas, which is fun. Joanna says that she imagines that this challenge may be difficult for Emilio because he is more accustomed to the red carpet and less in touch with the everyday woman. I never really felt that way about Emilio. I don't love all of his stuff, but I never think of him as inaccessible in any way. Emilio explains that not all of his clients are celebrities. Joanna says that she hopes that Lisa likes what he makes and he says that he hopes that too. Well, that seemed needlessly terse.
Joshua explains who Leslie including her prosthetic leg. Joanna asks him if Leslie had any specific requirements and Josh says that she just wants to look beautiful. Her love of leopard print made him think that it was a match made in heaven. This really is the perfect challenge for Josh. It's making him seem just lovely. He shows her the before and after of his fabric dyeing work. Joanna thinks that was very nice for him to dye the fabric. She suggests that he seems much more inspired for this challenge than he has in the past and he agrees. He says that it hits home for him because he has a brother in the military. Apparently, his brother served in Afghanistan. Joanna asks him what his brother thinks of his work as a designer. We might be getting into delicate territory here. He says that the airing of his original season gave his brother some perspective about his life. We see a few pictures of Josh's brother, including one of the two of them. They look a lot alike. Josh is very politic as he's speaking, but there are hints that maybe Josh and his brother haven't always seen eye to eye, probably for the easily imaginable military guy vs. fashion guy differences. There's something fascinating about the way he handles it. My guess is that his brother and he are still moving to a good place, which is good. But, things aren't great yet. Joanna says that thing that she is most excited about is seeing Josh excited. She feels like he has the wind beneath his sails. He replies that he is happy to be doing this for Leslie.
Before she leaves, Joanna tells everyone that she is very impressed with everything that she has seen in the room. However, she feels the need to remind them that this is a competition and someone will be going home after this challenge. The remaining three will be going to the finale. Uli looks around kind of like, "You really had to say that?"
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
With three hours remaining, they all get back to work. Josh says that, with so few designers remaining, the competition and the pressure is getting more intense. Josh says that he has been in the bottom but he has never been eliminated, so..."get used to it." I guess that's really the only thing that you can say, right?
Joshua is in the kitchen area or whatever place it is where these guys do their dyeing when Anthony Ryan walks in. "Hello Dye Master," Joshua says and shows him how different his fabric looks now that it is dyed. Anthony Ryan interviews that he dyed a lot on his season and it's only natural for Joshua to ask him questions about the process. Josh asks him what he should do to deepen the green, but Anthony Ryan tells him that he may lose the black in the print if he goes any deeper. Anthony Ryan continues in his interview, saying that he is only giving his opinion to Joshua and he can take it or leave it. Jesus, get over yourself. He's obviously feeling that he may look like a hypocrite since he kept kvetching about Casanova and Ivy helping each other. You said it, get over it! Now you're helping someone that you want to help and it's not the end of the world. Just keep your mouth shut time you see two designers being collegial. Josh goes ahead and tries to deepen the color, which means there is drying time involved as well.
The ladies come in for their fitting. As Jessica is getting fitted, she tells Uli that, when she told her mother that she was going to be on the show, her mother said, "I hope you get Uli. She makes the most beautiful dresses." That's so nice! Uli interviews that she wants to give Jessica a dress that she can love and wear many times. Emilio is having problems pinning his bodice to match Lisa's small frame. He decides that he is going to have to make drastic changes. It sounds like he's going to create an entirely new bodice. He explains to us that he is trying to do something with a high level of difficulty in a very short amount of time. I mean, I don't even understand what's happening. From what I can see, he has a very small amount left of the fabric that goes beneath the pretty yellow fabric. That stuff underneath is used to give structure to the yellow. So he has to fuse the two and I don't know what that entails.
Anthony Ryan says that this first fitting is crucial. Seeing something on a mannequin is one thing, but it's completely different once it is on an actual body. Once Donna is wearing the dress, he will be able to find out what changes are necessary to fit her specifically. She impresses upon Anthony Ryan that she doesn't want to accentuate her bust- she wants to hide it. Sounds like she has issues? Anthony Ryan has snapped into problem-solving mode because Donna is indeed fuller in the bust area than the mannequin. She suggests that she's going to need a strapless bra, to which I'm like...duh? Emilio says that he doesn't like Anthony Ryan's dress. He says that Donna is a beautiful and confident woman and the dress does nothing for her. To be fair, Donna is not that confident. One of the major requirements she had for the design was that it hide her. She may be solid in what she wants but that doesn't mean it's confident. Anthony Ryan shows Donna several strap options (because support is necessary) and lets her pick out her favorite.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
Josh isn't ready for a fitting. He's so great with Leslie though. He tells her that he's going to sew something while she sits. He explains to us that he doesn't want to rush his design, because he feels that it could hurt the final product. I like how purposeful he seems right now.
The ladies leave and they have one hour of work time left. That means that Emilio has an hour to make a complete bodice? He's really worried and Uli notices. When Uli says that it's time to go back to the hotel, Emilio suggests that he may jump out of a window when they get there. She assures him that everything will look better once they have slept. You know? Probably true. Once they get back to the hotel, the reminisce about how far they have made it. Anthony Ryan notices that everyone in the group made it to second place, except for him. He's not sure if he knows what he has gotten himself into. Wow, that's a pretty great accomplishment. Josh does a cheers with fake glasses and they all comply. Those kids are tired.
The day, they are back in the work room bright and early, with two hours to work. Emilio has to reconfigure and construct his dress entirely in two hours. Lord. Anthony Ryan isn't sure if the work that he has done to create a waist is going to work for Donna. Uli announces that she is as nervous as she has ever been in the competition.
The ladies come in for their fittings. Anthony Ryan realizes immediately that he has a lot of work to do with the waist. Emilio interviews that Anthony Ryan's dress is a mess and the bust region needs a lot of work because it is currently very unflattering. Emilio says that it makes her look bigger than what she is, which I don't think is really true. Her clothes may have been constrictive, but they weren't flattering. This at least dances near the area of pretty. Josh assures Leslie that the peeps in the Laura Mercier make-up area are great.
The designers take their ladies to hair and make-up. They tell Lisa that they are going to turn her out and make her gorgeous. The beautiful violet on her eyes indicates that they are living up to that promise. Leslie tells make-up daddy Scott Patric that she's really big on her eyes. It looks like they are going the natural route with Isaac the service dog.
Back in the work room, Uli is looking at Jessica in the dress. She tells Jessica that she is glad it is not purple because she thinks that she will get more use out of this black and white creation. Emilio thinks that Uli's dress transformed Jessica. In fact, he thinks she may win the challenge. I hope it doesn't make me too much of a wet noodle, but I love to hear when they like something that the other one is doing. It's not as if it changes the competition for them to appreciate something that one of their competitors makes. I guess I just trust what they are saying more when it's something positive because I'm not entirely sure of their motives when they shit talk.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
Josh finally has his garment to show to Leslie and she loves it! She tells him that it's very sharp. And, it's so cute when she puts it on! She's obviously turned on by the short length and that's awesome. I haven't heard any discussion about the prosthetic yet, so I don't know if they decided this beforehand, but I love that they are showing her legs. She looks fantastic, she's young and fit- it would be such a shame to hide her. She loves that it's short and thinks that it's cute and sexy! Uli thinks that he has done a fantastic job. She points out that he even made an outfit for Isaac, so she thinks he has a good shot at winning the competition. Emilio can not get his hands to move as quickly as his brain. Anthony Ryan is scared because his dress is not really his aesthetic. Emilio has made a bandeau top that transitions into a slim sexy skirt, per his description. He says that adrenaline and fear is the only thing that got his garment finished.
On the runway, Carolyn greets them wearing a beautiful red dress. She says that they are happy to be honoring our female veterans of the armed forces and she mentions Fatigues to Fabulous, an organization that focuses on women's issues when they return from combat. She introduces Isaac and Georgina. Then, she says that our first guest judge is one of America's most talented actresses. Also, she is the founder of the clothing line Holmes & Yang. Then, she introduces Katie Holmes. OK, I'm confused here. I know that Katie Homes is the founder of Holmes & Yang, but where is one of America's most talented actresses? Somebody got cut out. The guest judge is an evening wear designer who has dressed lots of fancy people. Don't they all? It's Carmen Marc Valvo.
We begin and the first dress is Uli's. Jessica looks so cute. It's one of Uli's traditional high-waisted flowing dresses with a halter top. It's a black and white print that is super flattering. The hem is higher in the front (about to the knees) than it is in the back, which is floor length. There's a lot of neat strap action. The straps are think and black and they sort of criss-cross at the shoulders. In the middle of the neckline is a little shiny trim, it looks like a beaded rectangle or something. Uli says that she is really impressed when she sees Jessica, because she looks like she belongs on a runway.
Emilio's dress is . It's a beautiful yellow that looks smashing on Lisa. From the front, it looks like a fairly straightforward party dress. It has fairly thick straps and is fitted to the knee, where it ends. The back though is where the bandeau business happens. There's a think strap across the top of the back and it's cut-out through the rest of the back. This would be pretty cute except that it seems the cut-out goes a little too far around the sides of the back. You can kind of see it from the front and it's dissonant. He whispers to the other designers, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Poor Emilio. Katie Holmes nods at it though. Emilio says that he thinks the dress might be better than he thought it was. Ehhh, I'm sorry, Emilio. It's not. I wish it were.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
Here's Anthony Ryan's dress. It's a beautiful gray ombre fabric. In a reversal from the typical, he has used the darker part of the fabric at the bust and it gets lighter as it travels down the length of the dress. There's a lot of pleating that starts at the bust. It's belted in black right below the boob area. There's a white band at the top of the neckline and two white halter straps. There's a slit on the side two that shows an attractive leg. I think it's kind of pretty. I know we've been talking about it like it's going to be a disaster, but it's really not. Also, it seems the designer is always set up for failure when the model has a figure that is not model proportions and I don't know if that's always the designer's preconception or lack of experience with "real women" that hurts in the end. It seems that they always get in trouble and I feel like it's for not making a bigger lady look thin, which is unfair. Anyway, Anthony Ryan is moderately happy with the dress.
And, finally, here's Josh's look. It's a two-piece black look with green leopard print. trim. The top has short sleeves and a v-neck. The skirt is crinolined and has the green leopard print at the hem, separated by a little sliver of black lace, which is adorable. There's a panel of the print up the back of the top and a think belt of the material as well. Joshua says that Leslie is radiating positivity and looks divine. She does look really great. This is sporty and stylish and sexy. It's quite an accomplishment. Also, her prosthetic is showing and it seems like a badge of honor in this ensemble. Isaac the dog is wearing a little vest that has the green leopard on it! Love it.
Afterwards, Carolyn says they are going to hear from everyone, so the veterans return to the stage and make their place beside their respective designers. I'm disappointed that no one has said, "These ladies are the real all-stars" not once during this entire episode. Joshua starts and Isaac flips out when he finds out that he and the dog have the same name. Katie says that the dress is beautiful and looks like it really suits her. Carmen asks if it was a decision to show the prosthetic. Leslie says that it was, in fact, a decision that she made. She is very proud of her service and her story. She's great. Carmen says that he is so happy to hear that. He seems like a nice fellow. Carolyn loves the silhouette and the neckline and she thinks that Leslie is beaming. Isaac loves the dress, but he thinks that Isaac should have more glamour, because of his name. Jokes! Georgina loves the way that the animal print is broken up with lace at the hem, but she thinks that it would have been great as a dress instead of two pieces.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
Emilio introduces Lisa and she says that she is going to Vegas. Katie loves the color. Georgina loves the color but she can't tell if it's all the same fabric. The fusing thing that Emilio described earlier apparently looks like two different fabrics. Georgina says that she likes the shape of the dress, however she was disappointed with the execution. Isaac loved the idea of the dress, but all of the details needed more attention. Carmen thinks that the angle of the cut-out on the back needed to be cheated to better fit against the body. Carolyn didn't notice the imperfections because Lisa looked so beautiful in the color. Also, she thinks the design is perfect for a bachelorette party.
Uli explains her design and Carolyn loves the back. The back is low-cut and all of the straps meet in the middle. Uli says it is like that so that Jessica can tighten it to her comfort level. Georgina says that she loves the high-low hem and thinks that you could have a really fun time in it. She asks Jessica how she likes the dress and she says that she loves the hem as well. She and Uli had talked about the fact that she wanted to be able to dance in the dress. Isaac loves the neckline, but he thinks that the embellishment was unnecessary. She says that it was a last minute addition and Isaac says that it looks that way. Ouch? Katie doesn't like the embellishment either. She would have chosen maybe a feather? Isaac is apoplectic. He thinks that maybe Katie is psychic or some sort of mad genius. Isaac says that Uli happens to be the "feather queen" and Katie just smiles and says that she has been watching. OK, Katie Holmes has gotten enough heat in the past decade than most people deserve but I'm starting to find so much about this appearance tone deaf and it bothers me. Like, why would you let them say that you were one of America's most talented actresses? That's just asking for trouble. I guarantee you that Ellen Pompeo would not let someone describe her that way and I actually really enjoy her as an actress. OK, I have no actual way of guaranteeing that. I know that I would not let someone call me one of America's most talented actresses without the benefit of a true consensus (a raft of awards? a reference from James Lipton?) and a sex change. Whatever, you can call me an actress if you want. No, actually, no. Don't do that. And, this last part. What is she talking about? Did she actually know about the feathers from this season? If so, why are you acting so mysterious about the suggestion? If not, why are you lying? If so again, and you were doing it to add flavor to the show, why admit that you have been watching? Hated it. Carmen loves the fit.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
Anthony Ryan introduces Donna and Carolyn says that she loves it. She asks her how she feels. She says that she feels hidden, which is what she wanted. Carolyn asks her why she wants to be hidden and she says that she is curvier that she is used to being due to an injury and she is not very happy with that. Carolyn wishes that she had celebrated her curves because her only problem with the dress is that she is hidden. Ouch. Carolyn says that she doesn't feel that the bust is the most flattering. Donna replies that the bust is the area that she wanted to hide the most. Carolyn insists that she should "rock them." Georgina thinks that there would be a conservative way to show more of Donna's body. The straight-across neckline that Anthony Ryan has utilized she finds very difficult to pull off with full figures. She thinks that the white straps are a little claustrophobic. She says that she loves the overall idea of the dress. Katie suggests that if had used beaded straps to take the place of a necklace, it would have been fun. That's actually a pretty good suggestion, but since the straps were an adjustment after he had been to Mood, I'm not sure he could have done that even if he thought of it. Isaac loves the spirit of Anthony Ryan's dress, which I completely agree with. Isaac says that it's not completely figure flattering, but it's chic, fresh and young.
The judges confer. Carolyn says that it was a great show and it was nice to see the designers inspired by the veterans. They love Josh. They think that he found his elegance. Isaac thinks it's amazing to make something as ambitious as Uli made, though they were all not into the embellishment. They are really critical of Anthony Ryan's look. They feel that he really went off the tracks with his handling of Donna's bust. Isaac gets kind of irate and says that he won't hear anymore about how Anthony Ryan's dress was unflattering. I think you have to read between the lines a little and, since I'm always eager to do that, I have and it sounds a lot like Isaac is breaking this shit down. The fact is, Donna has the least flattering figure of all of these ladies. It's not fair to beat up on Anthony Ryan for not making this lady seem as if she has a small bust. She doesn't. It's big. I don't feel like he did anything to her body to make her look worse. I'm TOTALLY NOT talking shit about this lady either, I'm just saying. It's not like they have a ton of budget for restrictive undergarments. They work with what they have. Georgina counters that it's your job as a designer -- Isaac cuts her off. He says that, "No, it's your job as a designer." He says that Anthony Ryan is a different designer. Georgina finishes saying that it just wasn't a proper design. That was awesome! Carolyn liked the overall idea of Emilio's dress. Georgina thought that it looked homemade and disconnected. Isaac says that he's not mad about that color on Lisa. However, when they try to decide who was more successful of the worst, Georgina and Isaac pick Anthony Ryan. Katie and Carmen pick Emilio and mention the color and Isaac says that it looks like he dyed the fabric in the bathtub the night before. Somebody gonna get cat scratch fever! They are torn.
| Season AS2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.03.2013
The designers return to the stage. Carolyn says that all four of them raised the bar, but someone is in and someone's out! First time we have heard that this season, right? Carolyn asks Katie to name the winner. It's Joshua! He's so happy. "Boom!" he interviews. Uli is safe and goes backstage with Josh. They hug their clients backstage and he plays with Isaac and tells them that he has never had a critique as good as that.
Back onstage, Carolyn says that they loved Emilio's color but not his execution. She tells Anthony Ryan chose a fresh fabric but didn't celebrate his client's figure. Bleh. Anthony Ryan is...safe! Emilio is ALSO SAFE! Carolyn says that, for the first time on Project Runway: All-Stars, no one was deemed worthy of elimination. Emilio says that his heart almost stopped and they go backstage. Everyone is so happy for them. Emilio interviews that he is happy to still be in the competition so that he can meet the goals he has set for himself. Anthony Ryan believes that he has a fairy dragmother. OK. Uli tells the veterans that it was a pleasure working with them. Jessica tells her that she loves her dress. That was AWESOME.
Jeff Long is a writer/performer living in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @jblong. He is currently one of America's most talented actresses.