Previously: things fell apart when the designers worked in teams for the rock and roll challenge. Morgan almost ruined Kevin's chances by wearing his design out for a night on the town. As well, she showed her vagina to the planet. Alexandra was sent home. Only six designers left!
The designers are waking up at the apartment. We see Austin doing some sort of scissors-ish leg exercises on the edge of his bed. Robert remarks upon how they are getting closer to the end of the competition. This is juxtaposed with Jay, in an interview, saying that some good designers have been eliminated in this competition, and that "today was the first time where [he] just looked at Robert and was just like, 'What are you doing here?'" That seems a little unfair. Robert hasn't knocked it out of the park or anything, but I believe he is a much more deserving survivor in this competition than Wendy Pepper. Robert's tailoring is impeccable and several of his designs have been quite good (i.e. the "Envy" suit and his wedding dress).
Wendy, in her interview, calculates that Kara Saun and Austin are the "golden children" of the competition, with a "scientific formula" for designing good clothes. Some would call that "scientific formula" an imagination. Wendy has no time for semantics, though, as she adds that one more person will be going to Fashion Week, so Wendy just needs to be third best. I guess that is a pretty good method for taking the pressure off of yourself: removing your two greatest perceived threats from the equation. Maybe Wendy will be able to design more freely. One of the things that frustrates me most about Wendy, though, is her contamination of the spirit of this game. The drama of alliances and backstabbing and all of that Survivor crap doesn't seem necessary here. I'm not being Pollyanna, I swear. But think about it -- there has to be a really large pool of fashion designers who need the chance that this program offers. Therefore, you can almost be guaranteed to have a super-talented group of designers if you look hard enough. Now, the stereotype of creative types being interesting people is usually fairly accurate, so just watching them go nuts over their designs and time constraints and so forth seems like it would be all the drama you'd need. And, watching a group of really talented designers with high stakes in the opportunity they are being given design the hell out of the challenges they are faced with sounds like riveting viewing. But, we get Wendy Pepper, who seems so mediocre in her design skills that I'm left wondering how much of this whole thing is bullshit. Then, I think that if she'd just shut up for a minute and stop with all of the strategizing and manipulating, I'd realize that she has simply been, as some one on the forums pointed out, "second worst" in most of the challenges. But who can see the forest for the annoying suburban seamstress who won't stop acting like Hannibal Lecter?
At the runway, Heidi tells the designers that half of them are "wowed." The producers have made a habit of showing shots of the designers "listening" as a voice-over of Heidi explains something. Why can't she say this stuff when they are sitting there? She tells them that they will have one day to design an entire collection. There will be a leader, and each of the designers will create a piece for the collection, per the leader's specifications.
Time to choose the models. Heidi reminds the models that this is a competition for them, as it is for the designers. Austin, the last challenge's winner, chooses Erin. When Kevin's button is pulled out of the bag, he says, "No more drama," and chooses Martinique. Morgan looks pretty dejected. Wendy is the last to choose. She holds her button in both hands and kind of points it at Morgan as she says, "I obviously have a very special relationship with you, Dear. [Cut to flashbacks of Morgan crying.] And, you and I are going to go above and beyond this." Morgan tells Wendy's to stop or she's going to cry. I tell her to stop because that made no sense. I'm assuming that she meant, "You and I will be friends after this," but the word "friend" causes Wendy's tongue to burn, so she wasn't actually able to say it. Then, she points her button at Melissa and says, "I choose Melissa." In her interview, Wendy offers that Heidi had told them it would be a team challenge, and that no one wants to work with Morgan, so Wendy chose for the team. What did I tell you? That's the Dichotomy!
Morgan is gone! As Julia gives her a kiss backstage, Kara interviews that everyone was relieved she was gone. We get no exit interview from Morgan. However, I think she gave me hepatitis.
At the Project Runway Workshop, Tim Gunn explains that this challenge will give them a "taste" of what the Fashion Week collection challenge will be. He explains that their "design brief" is to design for the year 2055. Kara Saun seems thrilled. Kevin applauds and says what I believe is an abbreviation of the word "awesome": "Oh, that's awes [soft s]." I don't know how I feel about that. Tim says they need to think about 2055 issues, such as, "Is it The Jetsons or is it Blade Runner? Pretty provocative." My guess is that Austin will be dressing the same way he does now. They will be shopping for supplies at a vintage store, with $50. Kevin epiphanizes, "Vintage is dated. It's the opposite of future." He is immediately whisked away by the President's brain trust in order that they may feed off of such chestnuts and thus preserve civilization as we know it. (Not really.) Robert asks if they are allowed to deconstruct the clothes they get, and Tim Gunn says, "We're expecting you to." Or, "Duh." What happened to these guys? Those were both such inane responses. Tim reminds them that they are supposed to design clothes that will fit into the leader's concept. He reaches into the "lovely, notorious black velvet bag" and pulls out Kevin's button.
Kevin interviews that he felt like everyone was disappointed when they heard his name. That makes me feel a little bit bad for him. Austin interviews that everyone was a little nervous because of the earlier challenge, when Kevin led and Nora lost her mind. While Kevin is entirely too soft-spoken and passive, I think a great deal of the blame for his earlier team's failure falls on Nora's shoulders. It seemed like she was refusing to be led. Wendy, of course, is on a different show entirely and is glad that, as a leader, Kevin will be most vulnerable. Jay leads a "go team," "all hands in" thing.
After Tim's exit, the designers brainstorm. Everyone has to contemplate the future, which is interesting. Ever the optimist, Kara Saun does not believe that 2055 will be the end of the world. Peach and tan are their colors. Wendy thinks that people will be wearing a protective gear, which leads to an idea about a "pod" that each model might wear over her outift. They come up with a lot of pretty interesting ideas. Jay talks about the "bullet points" of their concept.
The designers go to Cheap Jack's Vintage Clothing with their $50 each. I think someone mentioned on the forums that this place was ridiculously expensive. It was -- nothing cheap about it. They can get, like, a trucker cap and a pair of polyester slacks each with $50. If that's what the future is going to be like, it sounds horrible. Robert registers shock at some of the prices. Austin mentions that he wants a big gold lamé gown.
Wendy interviews that Kevin would come around, as they were shopping, and ask a few questions, but was ultimately pacifying instead of leading them. It sounds like she is going to call him a poor leader no matter what. A graphic explains that Wendy's portion of the concept will be "2055 Youth Outfit." ["And who better to guess what the youth of 2055 will be wearing than Wendy? That was totally a set-up for her to fail and get eliminated." -- Wing Chun] She purchases a sweater, a crochet top, and pants.
Jay interviews that he is glad the group has been intelligent about their concept instead of being "queer" and making it sci-fi. His design for the concept is "2055 Nightclub Outfit." He will be using a knit top, a gown, tights, and vintage lace. He mentions that Robert does not seem to be "understanding" what they are doing.
We see Robert carrying a lot more than $50 of vintage clothing. He clarifies for the camera. "I have about $800 worth of things on my back right now." Jay says that Robert is "just trying to keep his head above water." Again, I don't think Robert is the most talented person there, but it really doesn't seem that he is that out of place. He's not a Mensa member, but being a fashion designer isn't about genius IQs. We hear Kevin tell Robert that he is worried about him. Robert interviews, "You can go kind of gazoo thinking about the future. I like to think of the power of now. I like to focus on what the hell is going on right now. And, as of right now, I'm confused about this 'future' project." We see Kevin and Robert arguing about a few articles of clothing.
Tim Gunn informs them that they have fifteen minutes remaining. Kevin interviews opaquely that he had thought earlier of making a futuristic coat, so now he will make a uniform. His design for the concept is "2005 Service Uniform." He will be using a quilted jacket, vintage lace, and a skirt.
Back at the Workshop, the designers lay out all of their pieces. Kara Saun interviews that it all looks pretty good, and that she thinks it will create a cohesive collection; however, they don't have much time. Commercials.
When we are back, there are six hours until the deadline. Kara Saun brings up "bullet points" again. She says that one of the points is "nostalgia." They are imagining that people will be retro in 2055. If that's true, someone is going to have to invent some new words to denote a revisiting of another style, as every version of neo-, post-, retro-, proto-, etc. has been used to death. Kevin reminds us that each girl will be wearing a protective pod over her design. Austin gently declares that Kevin is not "the best communicator," but that he is "making an effort." He believes that the leader's responsibility in this challenge is to make sure that each design is a coherent part of the concept. Austin's design for the collection is "2055 Cocktail Party Dress." He is using an opera gown (for attending the opera or performing in the opera? I'm not sure), a jacket, and vintage lace. He interviews that his dress is luxurious, and that people won't be sewing in the future. Whether that means that his dress will not look constructed or that it will have intricate stitching as a nostalgic statement remains to be seen.
Jay is using fabrics from everyone's design, but is interpreting the concept for himself. We see some sketches of his work, and it looks pretty cool -- or, at least, that he has a very clear idea of what he is doing.
Kara Saun's design for the collection is "2055 Business Suit." She is using a leather jacket, a dress, vintage lace, and a "newsboy" cap. Jay is stunned by her pattern and says, "How do you know how to make this shit?" Has Queen Latifah ever had a futuristic video? Well, maybe Kara Saun thinks she should. Kevin interviews that Kara Saun is kind of a co-leader in this challenge. We see her giving advice to Robert. Kara Saun interviews that she has had problems with Kevin's sneakiness; the editor's example of this quality is when he was so nasty to poor Starr during the Banana Republic challenge. Kara adds that Kevin has not been very nice. The moment with Starr seems more an example of not being nice than it is of sneakiness. Anyway, Kara says that she is still going to do what it takes to help the team.
Robert's design will be "2055 Street Wear." He will be using pants, a parka vest, a dress, and vintage lace. Robert explains that he believes the world of 2055 will be unable to sustain coffee plants. Apparently, fashion designers will be called upon to provide an alternative. Robert's idea is solar panels on the clothing. I'm guessing that he has imagined that humans will evolve and be able to break down sunlight into not only Vitamin D, but into caffeine as well. I'm starting to understand why Jay thinks Robert doesn't belong here. Austin finds the idea silly: "In my opinion, he's always the weak link." What's happening? Robert's reputation is dissolving before our eyes.
Wendy is explaining her garment to Kevin. She's clearly thinking a lot about functionality and the needs of the 2055 woman. Then, in the skin-crawlingest moment of my entire week, Wendy whispers over her worktable to Kevin, "I'm cool. You didn't know that. That I'm cool." Then, they laugh as they kind of do a high-five clutch. Where's my Valium? Kevin interviews that he and Wendy had the worst relationship, but that suddenly, that has changed. "I don't know if I'm being played or not. I know I can't trust anybody." Jay adds that Kevin and Wendy have been "buddy-buddy" during this challenge, but he surmises that it is only for the good of the team: "I'm sure, later on, the truth will come out." I didn't realize that those two hated each other so much. I would have picked Wendy and Austin as the big rivalry up to this point.
Lots of shots of the designers designing away. With four hours remaining until the deadline, Tim Gunn enters the Workshop. Kevin's progress report for Tim includes, "As long as we have all of the right pieces..." and Tim stops him. Tim reminds Kevin that the "design" of the pieces is what is important. He wants the collection to be cohesive, and reminds Kevin that his leadership position makes this his responsibility. He asks Kevin if he is checking on the other designers, and Kevin's reply is, "It'll take me a lot of time, but I'll do it." I sense a little attitude. He shows Tim a sketch of their pod coat. Tim is disturbed. He kind of rips Kevin a new one. He doesn't really offer any advice, but it seems that he is unhappy with the lack of cohesion in the collection. He points out that the process of judging has turned into a question of who the weakest link is and Kevin, as the leader, is vulnerable. It's kind of unclear what is making Tim so unhappy. Could be that the designs are unfinished. Maybe it was Kevin's lack of leadership. In any event, Tim tells the designers that he leaves them "reluctantly," but he does leave.
Jay clarifies that Tim couldn't see the direction of their collection, but that their pods will pull it all together. This is followed by Kevin, who explains that they are running out of time on their personal designs. The pods will be the last thing they make. Everybody is getting nervous about the time crunch. We see Jay show his design to Austin and say, "Why do I end up hating everything I make on this fucking show?" Austin replies, "What are you talking about?" Jay describes his design, which is standing before them on a mannequin, as follows: "It looks like a fucking apron from Ragamuffinville USA." Isn't that just south of colonial Williamsburg? Jay says in an interview that, due to the time constraints of the challenges, his designs never look as planned.
With one hour until the deadline, Robert is asking questions of Kevin about his design. Kevin whines in an interview that being the leader has taken 20% of his time. He's concerned about how his own design is going to look. Jay says he doesn't know what the hell Robert is doing with his design. Ringing endorsement, that is. Kara Saun agrees that Robert's design is not cohesive with the collection concept. She thinks it looks like it's from "another country." In a backhanded way, Kara Saun interviews that it is amazing how Robert has been able to charm the judges into letting him stay. Granted, he's acting a little dim during this challenge, but his past designs have not been that bad! We see flashbacks to Robert on the runway joking about penis envy and sports cars.
With thirty minutes left, Kevin asks if they "should go through with the pod." They have no time. There is no pod. Once they decided to ditch the pod idea, Wendy interviews that everyone just started doing his or her own thing. She thinks that this would be the point where a good leader would have been helpful. And, she's right. I think they were all kind of hoping that the pod would be the link among all of the designs. Without it, the color palette is the only similarity in the collection. That was exactly Tim's concern. Jay starts to freak out, because he thinks his sticks out as most different from the others. Commercials.
With the workday finished and everyone back at the apartments, Kara Saun leads a meeting in which they discuss their plan for defending their designs on the runway. Wendy interviews that leading the meeting must have been a dream come true for Kara Saun. No, making over your clown face was a dream come true; this is more a necessity. Kara, for her part, interviews that being a good leader requires that you listen, which Kevin did. She adds that being a "great" leader, however, requires never letting someone take over your project, which is what Kara did. Again: it was necessity. They all take turns reciting their explanation for their designs, and Wendy is laughing. In her interview, she says, "I'm listening to these yahoos talk this pseudo-intellectual crap about how they're going to justify this 'connection.' I was laughing my ass off and just thought they were the biggest bunch of idiots." Wendy, this is an assignment. They didn't all just decide to sit round robin and talk about the fucking future. She's a fucking nightmare. Jay resolves to tell the judges, "We don't really know what the future's going to be like, so we just kind of made these things." Commercials
The day, at Parsons, Tim Gunn is talking to Jay about his design. Jay explains that he is a little disappointed with it. He was excited about the challenge, but the limitations on time and supplies have transformed his idea into something that he hates. Tim says that his design is beautiful, but wonders if it fits in with Robert's and Wendy's. Tim says he doesn't see 2055 in Jay's design. "Yeah, me neither," replies Jay. Tim replies, "Aiee, Jay, I want you to bullshit me." "Oh, I thought we were talking truthfully." Jay explains that he has a hard time bullshitting. During a smoke break, Jay elaborates that he is going to have a hard time selling the script that Kara Saun & Co. devised the night.
Tim asks Wendy about the pods, and she tells him that they have dropped the idea due to time constraints. Wendy twists the knife in Kevin's back by adding, "It really is the job of the leader to figure out how much time we have and how many things we can incorporate into the collection." Tim asks her whether she would say that in front of the judges, and her reply is, "I'll go this far: I want to be here tomorrow." So, what you're saying is "yes." It's not the CIA, Wendy. Just answer the man's damn question.
Tim, getting more and more flustered, asks Kevin why there are no pods. He says that they thought they were "tacky." I'll bet that's what they rehearsed last night, and that Wendy has already fucked it up. Tim reminds him that it was the only thing that connected the designs, which Kevin disputes. The consistent color palette is his defense. Kevin interviews that abandoning the pods might be his downfall. His desire is that no one will ask about the pods. Tim says that each of the designs alone is lovely, but put them together and his "brain is bleeding." Wow, Tim does not like the future. As well, the silver fox points out that Kevin's design looks most different from those of the rest of the group. Kara Saun interviews that one of the group's bullet points was "deconstruction," which requires a tattered look (per Kara Saun). Kevin's design is as clean as a whistle. Maybe he has created a deconstructed hobo's outfit.
Jay is in a foul mood. He's still bitching on his cigarette break that his design looks like a "Holly Hobby" crafts project. Inside, he gets upset about the time and materials they had to use. Then, he pieces together this lovely sentence: "This project sucks my asshole inside out."
The models arrive and get their L'Oreal treatment. Austin thinks Wendy's design is the worst. I'm really loving this grudge he has against her. She doesn't think much of hers either, but thinks that Robert and Kevin are more vulnerable than she. We see Robert dressing Olga and explaining what everything on his design "does." Like he's goddamn Carl Sagan or something. Wendy interviews, "I just don't think Robert has the intellectual heft to contribute to some of the concepts we've been throwing around." This from a woman with all of the sophistication of a very special episode of The fucking Hogan Family. Not that I didn't watch every single episode. What? Sandy Duncan was Peter Pan! I'm only made of flesh and bone, people.
Heidi welcomes the designers back to the runway, and reminds them how many people have been eliminated. She's not done yet: she ALSO reminds them how many people remain. It's a surprise a minute with Mrs. Klum Seal. Then, she cryptically adds that "this competition is just as ruthless as the fashion business itself." I may have added some of the is's, as's, and the's. Sometimes, I just can't tell. Austin is wrapped in some sort of cloud-like fabric -- or "swathing," as he might say. Our judges are Michael Kors, Anne Slowey (who's looking a lot like Sandy Dennis), and Betsey Johnson -- who I've alternately thought has either rocked or, eh. She's smiling a little maniacally as she's introduced as "fashion legend."
The show begins. Austin's contribution is first. It's really interesting. It's the 2055 cocktail dress. He must have found that gold lamé dress he was looking for earlier, because that is the major fabric in his design. It has long sleeves that flare at the forearm but gather at the wrist. It has a high neck as well, which I think shows that Austin is adhering to the concept that Wendy & Co. were "throwing around" -- that the environment will be harsh in 2055, requiring us to protect our skin. Austin interviews that he likes his design because it is futuristic yet still personal. It's kind of like a space age Von Trapp outfit. He even manages to cinch the waist of the dress enough that it pleats just a little in the back, giving it a suggestion of his signature crinolined look. He will not give up on that shit, will he? I do enjoy it, though.
is Robert's design. It looks horrible. It appears that he understood "deconstructed" to mean "strip every seam in this Member's Only vest and stick it over Olga's head." Holy Christ, this thing looks ridiculous. Luckily, Olga has a little cap on that gives her an apocalyptic Newsies feel. Not that it ever did Max Casella any good. Seriously, there's nothing good to say about this design. There are a few random patches on the slacks, and a tunic-like top under the destroyed Member's Only vest. It's a disaster. Robert says, "[super high-pitched] Yeah! Mine is not the best, but it's not the worst." This, for Robert, is positive thinking. More power to him. Betsey Johnson looks like she just remembered that she forgot to feed her dog.
Now we have Kevin's service uniform. It's pretty. I'm a little confused, though. I've been hearing discussion of Kevin's design not being deconstructed (and it isn't). It's clean and neat. It's a short dress with long sleeves. The bottom two-thirds of the dress is tan vinyl or similar fabric, and the top is pink quilted satin. I remember Kevin talking about the color scheme of the collection, and Kevin's design is an exact manifestation of the palette upon which they had decided. Maybe it's deconstructed messy -- so it's actually clean. I'm guessing he is thinking that the colors will pull the collection together. Kevin interviews that he likes his design a lot. As well, it represents "the other end of the spectrum" because it isn't deconstructed. That would be the end of the spectrum entitled "Not At All a Logical Part Of the Collection These People Are Creating." It looks a little like Kevin started making this dress and got really excited by it and couldn't force himself to adhere to the collection guidelines. That gives me a little more respect for his creative process, but as Kara Saun reminded us, if Tim Gunn tells you to fix something in the Workshop, you're going to hear about it on the runway. And Kevin has not taken the Gunn's advice.
Here we have Wendy's design. It's a "2055 Youth Outfit." Whoever gave Wendy the responsibility of conveying youth must have it out for her. Give me their address and I'll send them chocolate. It certainly looks deconstructed. The top is a beige cardigan. The bottom of the sweater has been shortened, and she has attached these darker strips of fabric to it. It looks amateurish. The skirt is a darker color (I think the fabric strips on the sweater were removed from it) and fringed at the bottom, which ends just past the knee. I kind of like the skirt. However, Wendy has this stupid Mad Max tool belt over it that seems dumb to me. Wendy interviews that the design is informal; however, it will be appropriate for "whatever kinds of events might be in 2055." Wendy should go into politics.
Jay's outfit is . His design was for the nightclub outfit. It's a high-waisted dress. The bodice has some of Jay's signature asymmetries -- one side is off the shoulder, and the other has a tattered, feathered look. The bodice fabric is tan, and there is a high satin collar. As well, there is this black patch on the front that looks kind of like the Human Rights Campaign's logo. Except black. On the back of the bodice is an oval plastic patch that covers most of Julia's back. I don't know if that's a continuation of Robert's solar patch mutant idea or if it's just a futuristic effect. The skirt of the dress is multi-colored earth tones. It looks kind of like a calico cat. There's a brown belt, and Julia is wearing brown socks or something over her forearms. She's wearing a tights/boots medley. It adheres to the "bullet points" concerning color, deconstruction, and protection. Jay interviews that he will be upset if he is eliminated, but that he'll be more upset if he's eliminated before people that are worse than he (i.e. Wendy, Robert, and Wendy). I don't know what he is worried about. I'm assuming that since they were required to use specific materials and work in a creative theme that wasn't self-decided, he has designed something he would never make outside of this circumstance. It fits the theme, though and, in my opinion, looks pretty good. And, it actually looks "Jay" too, so I really don't know why he's freaking out so much. He must be tired. We see Anne Slowey make a face indicating that she has mini-vomited in her mouth. Subtle.
We proceed to Kara Saun's "2005 Business Suit." It consists of a long-sleeved, floor-length coat. It has a collar that wraps around the bottom portion of the model's head and mouth. The coat opens at the waist, revealing short shorts and leather boots worn beneath it. In the year 2005, ZZ Top is a fashion inspiration. There appears to be an MP3 player holder on the model's inner thigh. Hmm, intimate. Kara Saun interviews (as she said about her wedding dress) that she is glad that she gets to show her diversity. Okay, I love me some Kara Saun. She is such a hard worker and she is kind to others and I think she, maybe single-handedly, has raised the competition of this show to the level where it is. To me, she sets the tone of Project Runway -- talented designers who want to show what they can do and get the help that they need to take their careers to the level. Austin and Jay are like that, too, but I think they are a little more internal. Kara Saun is game to create something on the spot and make it really good, which is different than the intention of someone like, say, Vanessa, who'd have preferred to bring the clothes that she made in Houston last year and compete with those designs. Sure, it's not ideal to have to create eveningwear with cotton jersey (The official fabric of Project Runway), but that is what makes this program exciting, and Kara Saun is totally committed to proving herself within those parameters. Having said all of that, I'm starting to see a sameness in Kara's designs that is becoming a bit tedious. The coat has a leather bustier that's almost identical to her rock star design. There's a lot of boob, and the bodice is like a second skin. If I had never seen it before, I would think it looks great, but I'm starting to wonder if she is a one-trick pony. Maybe the similarities of her designs are not the worst crimes that you can commit, but I'd love it if she just took something in the exact opposite direction from what she usually does.
The show is over, and all of the models return to the stage, so that the designers can see all of them together as a collection. When they leave, the designers take the runway. The models return again to stand to their designer. I wonder if the judges are told which design belongs to whom when they first see them. I'm interested to know if, after the runway display, they are like, "Yeah, I thought that piece of shit looked like Robert's." Or, "Wendy did that? But, I liked it." Kevin is asked to explain the collection. He says that they imagine 2055 to be a post-war period. Earth tones are the colors because people will be nostalgic for nature. That sounds so depressing.
Michael Kors asks Kara to explain her design. She removes the collar (explaining to Michael that people will be seeking protection from the elements), and opens the front of the jacket, revealing a lacy satin bodice. It's day-to-evening wear. Michael remarks that the design is versatile, and remarks, "Let's be honest -- that's gonna be the future. It's how we all live." There's an odd scolding tone to this comment. Why "Let's be honest"? Were you hearing an argument that none of us heard, Michael? Take your pill.
Anne Slowey asks Robert, "What's going on?" This doesn't sound promising. Then, Robert finally brings home the car/woman analogy by pitching his design to Anne as if Olga were a used Honda. He's all charm and white teeth as he explains how he's a coffee drinker and needs caffeine, so he's put this solar patch on the back of the ratty-natty deconstructed vest to give the wearer constant energy. That can't be good for your liver. Or your kidneys. Anne's just like, "Okay." I think he may have sold her. The guy's good. Kara Saun is looking on like she's expecting the judges to think Robert's ridiculous, but doesn't want to reveal that she feels the same way.
Jay is asked to describe his design. He says, "This is like the 3 AM girl." Laughs. Then, he explains the patch that is on the back of the design. It's for the girl in her twenties, who is an emotional wreck. The pad will show what mood the wearer is in. Everyone likes it. "Sensory," says Anne.
Austin is asked if there will be bullfights in the future. Laughs...from everyone but Austin. He doesn't seem amused. He imagines that there will be a move toward modesty in the future. Then, he removes a small bolero-like jacket from the model. Betsey Johnson says, "It's a little too wearable. But something I wouldn't want to wear." Well, you're dressed like the lead singer of Living Colour, there's not a lot here that you're going to want to wear, Betsey.
Michael Kors asks Kevin how his model will move (because the sleeves cover the model's entire arm). Kevin shows an opening in the bottom part of the sleeve, and Martinique flaps her arm around like, "What's that? You been faced, Mr. Kors." Then, Michael comments that it looks like a jacket you would see now, "except you can't move in it." Looks like someone is REFUSING to acknowledge that he's just been faced. She can move, bitch!
Anne tells Wendy that she doesn't like her design. Wendy unloads this pile of crap about her concept until Anne stops her with the now famous "Quite frankly, it looked like my cat chewed up a ball of yarn and like spit it out an hour later." Not only does she look like Sandy Dennis, but -- I'm not sure if anyone is aware of this -- Sandy Dennis had, like, fifty cats or something like that when she passed away. Passed away...or started telling people that her name was "Anne Slowey." Then, she asks Wendy to comment on Kevin as a leader. There is a close-up of almost everyone staring at Wendy, waiting. Then, she says he wasn't "involved" as a leader. Austin defends Kevin in a gentlemanly way, saying that they were all addressed individually. Then, Wendy counters that she feels their ideas were diluted. Kara Saun steps in, saying that Kevin allowed them each to retain their individuality. However, when asked if Kevin was a good leader, she repeats that he let them be individuals. That's a pretty tepid endorsement. Wendy repeats that he didn't lead them. She won't stop -- she annihilates the guy. If Kevin had been smart, he would have started ripping on Wendy's design, saying that you can lead but you can't make people talented. However, he's on Project Runway, while Wendy's on ThefuckingApprentice. He doesn't stand a chance. Instead, Kevin lamely says that he had specifically told everyone to come to him if they had anything to add to the "bullet points." Ah, the bullet points can't save you now, Kevin. Wendy's got that infuriating defensive look on her face, as if she is somehow the victim. If she cared so little about what these people thought of her (expressed with the "I'm here to win, not make friends" bullshit that people like her are always spewing), then why does she look so uncomfortable when she becomes so grossly unpopular?
Offstage, Kevin is pissed. He interviews that "it's too easy" to win the way Wendy is trying to do. He's right, too. That's what I mean when I say Wendy has contaminated this whole game. Kara interviews that Wendy is desperate because she wants to remain in the competition, "but so does everyone else." Then, we see pee-pee baby Wendy crying -- yes, crying -- in her interview about how she was "the only one to speak out against Kevin's leadership," though she was "hardly" the only one to have problems with him. I don't think I heard anyone complaining besides her . Why do you care, Wendy? Oh, I see. She cares because, since no one else talked shit about Kevin, it makes her look like the outsider, thus making her vulnerable. For a second, it looked like Wendy was upset about being such a jerk. She is such a train wreck of a person. Five bucks says her daughter's going to be a writer.
On the runway, Heidi asks the judges how cohesive they felt the collection was, on a scale of one to ten. Michael says he felt that Jay, Kara, and Robert's designs looked like they belonged in the same collection. Anne's nodding yes. The others, he felt, were scattered. Proving that Tim Gunn's advice should always be followed, he adds, "Color is not enough to bring it in." He repeats that Jay, Kara, and Robert "got" it. Looks like Robert is safe again. Betsey Johnson says that Austin and Kevin had designs that were completely stand-alone. Michael says that Austin is very talented, but has a problem straying from his focus (which was NOT represented in this challenge -- deconstructed, futuristic). Betsey likes Kara's design. All of the judges dig it. Apparently, the judges and I are on a different page, because they really like Robert's design. I think the parka is unbelievably ugly. They all hate Kevin's. Anne did not like Wendy's design. As well, she dislikes Wendy's disloyalty to Kevin. Michael thinks she may have been right, though. Comparing Kevin and Wendy, Anne says that she would take no deconstruction (Kevin) over bad deconstruction (Wendy). So, I guess no one was into the whole rating from 1 to 10 thing, huh?
The designers come back to the runway. Austin is "in" because he won last week's challenge. Kara wins the challenge! Okay, so scratch all that stuff I said earlier about her design not working. She tells Betsey Johnson that it was a pleasure meeting her, and she leaves the stage. She interviews that she is very happy to win. Jay is "in." After an unbearably long pause, Robert is "in." It's down to Wendy and Kevin. Heidi tells Wendy that, though her design fit the collection, it was butt-ugly. Kevin was the leader, yet his design was most separated from the collection as a whole. Wendy is "in." You are shitting me. What? Michael Kors, this is your fault. Why? I'm sorry, I need to pull myself together. This was our chance, though! Wendy leaves the stage as Kevin gives her a shrug. Heidi gives Kevin a handshake and a kiss and he leaves the runway. He interviews that Wendy's treatment of him was the "biggest scam" he has ever experienced. Don't buy one of those Rolexes on Canal Street if you want to hold onto that record. Wendy interviews that she has "no regrets." She is just focused on getting into the final three. I hate her so much right now. She gives one of those stupid looks of hers that say, "Oh look, he's mad at me. Isn't he immature? Can't he take getting disemboweled like a man?" I wish someone would take some L'Oreal Paris hair gel and smear it all over Wendy's face. Tim Gunn seems stunned. Another shit look from Wendy. Tim sweetly tells Kevin that he is a great designer, and that he's sure we'll hear more from him. As he leaves, Kevin turns back, shakes his finger, and weakly says, "It doesn't pay to be nice." Is that what you learned from this, Kevin? No. He adds, in his interview, that he has learned how to be a better designer. He also says he is now aware of how nasty people can be. We see him write on one of the Workshop tables, "J- Kick ass -KJ." And, he's off.