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Poor Tim. He tries to comfort the designers, even though the judges essentially said they hated everything about them. They had two days and they were frantic. I forgot that Fabio ate out of dumpsters. That must have made it difficult for him to make something luxurious. I still love him. Tim comes in and tells the designers that they have 300 bucks and a little time at Mood. It doesn’t look like it goes well for Christopher and Melissa. That said, Christopher and Fabio interview that the other two don’t have it together. Chris is really indecisive about his styling. That’s scary.
Oh GOD. All of it’s scary. Melissa cuts the cuffs off of her sleeves, like Nina suggested (bullied). Oh my God. They talk so much shit about each other that I don’t know where I am. Melissa finds some fabric that she calls “blood orange” and Christopher says that she’s fucking pretentious because it’s red. He’s a bitch. But… maybe he’s right. Nah. He’s a bitch. And, man, I don’t know how to take this, but Tim is really happy with the adjustments that Fabio made. Christopher is a big baby though and I think I’m done with it. He’s rude to several people about it.
They see the runway the morning of the show and feel all of those typical irritated bowel feelings. Jennifer Hudson is the guest judge, so I guess the season is complete for me now. The show begins with Melissa. There’s a lot of black and white in her show. Stop. I know, right? Dmitry makes some reliably beautiful clothes. Fabio was a weirdo, per usual. Christopher is the first out, which surprised everyone, including Christopher. Melissa is out and we still never see her boyfriend speak.
So, it’s down to Fabio and Dmitry. Oh God. Dmitry wins? Fine? Am I missing something? So this is really strange. I never, not for a second, thought that Dmitry would win this season. I think his clothes are nicely made, but I just didn’t think of him as the winner. Poor Fabio cries in his interview and says that he’s crying because his mother is sad and it breaks his heart, though he knows that this experience has been a blessing for him. I don’t mean to be rude, but not since Chloe Dao’s win in Season 2 have I felt that they really missed the mark with the winner. I think that J Hud wanted Fabio to win. Tim is really emotional when he congratulates Dmitry and I wonder if it’s because the poor guy only has a couple of friends to celebrate with him. I’m not trying to be rude there. I’m sure the prize money will be really important to him and I wish him well.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously: The designers were sent home to make collections, but only three were guaranteed a spot in the finale. Everyone got criticized on the runway. In the end, they were all passed through, though they were given lots of notes for improvement. The show is in two days!
We start backstage at Parson's. It's after the runway show and the designers are sitting around looking excited and exhausted. Tim comes in and says that his wish came true and hugs all of them. Several of them are watery-eyed and he says that this is not a time for tears. He beseeches them not to over think things this evening, but to shuffle a deck of cards in their heads and the day they will go over the various components. Also, Tim will guess the card that is stuck to his forehead. Tim and party tricks -- two great tastes that go together.
Later, at the Yotel Hotel, which really bothers me to have to type, I mean, just... come on with your name -- so, Fabio's playing pool. Christopher whines that it's really hard to be happy right now. Fabio doesn't have that same problem, nor does he have a problem completely ignoring what Christopher said. He says that he had a feeling and he acknowledges that Melissa didn't share that feeling, but he had a feeling that everyone would go through. It made sense to him. They all have distinctive points-of-view and that's what the show seems to be looking for. Melissa seems shell-shocked.
Christopher says that he feels like the judges ripped up what he had done and threw it down the sink, which I hope is a garbage disposal because otherwise stuff that is ripped would just sort of hang out in the drain and then there would be a clog and welcome to another rousing game of LET'S GET LITERAL where I take way too seriously the impromptu and mixed metaphors of these poor tired people as they're just sitting around talking. Anyway, he interviews that the judges were like "There are no clothes." Cut to Nina talking about how skimpy everything was. He seems to be mocking everything she said, which is not a good sign. He interviews that he has been a front-runner during the entire competition and now they're acting like they are doing him a favor by letting him be there. Wow. It looks like he was actually done a disservice earlier by not having gotten more criticism. He has never had to really take a note yet. And, honestly, it doesn't look like he's prepared to do it now. Fabio is still trying to enjoy the moment a little and proposes a toast. Dmitry agrees and interviews that this is a dream come true and a time to really be proud of yourself. Fabio says that they should just go to sleep and wake up with some positivity.
The morning, they all get to work in their fancy new workroom. Fabio recalls Nina telling him that his collection needs to look more luxurious. Y'all remember that Fabio told us he eats food that he found in dumpsters, right? Knowing what I know about him now, namely that he is maybe the love of my life (with stiff competition from some rando on the subway the other day), dumpster diving sounds like a really sensitive and soulful thing to do. Get your tetanus shots, people. Fabio says that he's going to try to create a couple more pieces that will up the sophistication level of his collection.
Dmitry remembers that the judges told him his collection was a little matronly. Michael had a problem with the styling and how old it seemed. He's going to spend his time restyling and making sure his girls look young and sexy. I don't find the collection old as much as it seems really severe. I'm not entirely sure it can be softened. I feel like Evita would wear his clothes were she still kicking. Or Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher.
Christopher seems really hung up on the judges' criticisms. He was confused by their complaints that he wasn't showing enough color. He thinks that what he showed them should have been expected given what he presented (and was rewarded for) during the season. I understand his confusion in a sense, but his attitude bothers me.
Melissa remembers back to Nina saying she was limited because she used only black and white. She says that she didn't sleep the night before. She has decided that she will makes something with color and she will make a dress.
Tim comes in and tells them that they will have model fittings as well as hair and make-up consultations. They will also get to take a trip to Mood with 300 extra dollars. Melissa hoots with joy because she is out of fabric and thought she was going to have to sew scraps together in order to make some sort of sad "mish mosh." Tim cautions them against trying to create new collections. They're just trying to polish the collections that they have. Bitches gotta make it work.
At Mood, Fabio looks for an expensive-looking fabric that will move the way he wants it to move. Dmitry decides that he needs to make an expensive top. The fabric that he finds is not exactly what he wants, but he's in a good place. Christopher decides to make a dress but is having problems finding the fabric that he wants. OK, Christopher has hit a wall. He's gone into a pissy spiral and I KNOW the feeling but he's seriously fucking everything up for himself right now. He's feeling so indignant about the criticism that he got that he's not focusing on the challenge. I think he's making a huge mistake. Melissa finds a blood orange leather fabric and she's looking pretty positive right now.
Back at the workroom, Melissa asks how the others think the judges would respond to her models walking with black fabric over their heads. She's only kidding but no one laughs. That makes me sad for her because Melissa was never a big joker and now she never will be. Not with that sort of reception. "Don't expect any more color, folks! One blood orange shmata and I'm out," is what she's thinking right now. Fabio interviews that he really enjoys Melissa's aesthetic and thinks that her collection is beautiful but he thinks that it needs some visual impact in respect to it being Fashion Week and all.
About Dmitry, Christopher says that it is well-made but is not original nor creative nor innovative. Ouch. About Christopher (Seriously, what the hell's going on here?), Dmitry says that he has no direction. He thinks that he has lost the competition for himself. I mean, honestly? It's kind of true. Suddenly, Christopher is reminding me of Michael Knight, who, when not defined by the parameters of a challenge, made the tackiest clothes ever. I'm still shocked that those clothes got to show at Fashion Week, though he was a complete sweetheart. Christopher isn't that bad but there's nothing really defining about his clothes right now. Where's that shredded fabric? Wouldn't this OF ALL TIMES be the time to deploy that weapon? No, he just makes a bunch of leather short shorts. I don't know what to think. He's right when he says that he was a frontrunner for the entire competition up until now. He's also right that they're doing him a favor to let him go to Fashion Week. There is nothing particularly standout in his collection. At least not in as much as we've seen so far.
Melissa goes into her hair consultation and gets a big hug from the L'Oreal guy. Melissa tells us that she's going with the ole faux-hawk French twist. You thought you'd seen the last of those, didn't you? Well, you wished you had seen the last of those for sure. Dmitry decides to do this foil thing that makes his girls look like they've got icebergs in their hair. While I keep thinking that the rigidity and sort of severity of his aesthetic is something that isn't a plus, I wonder if it truly has just been about the styling not matching. His girls always look chilly, so why not just go with it? Christopher just can't decide what he wants. Frankly, it's painful to watch. I don't understand how he can't have any ideas! It's like his brain has completely fallen apart. He goes back to the workroom and Melissa asks him how it went and he says that it's all fucked up. Have you ever seen someone have this much trouble with HAIR? It's starting to make me think that Christopher might be more of an editor or stylist and less of a designer. He's great at sort of taking away and working with limits, but left with this many possibilities and he's a total disaster.
Melissa tells us that the two days are going to be very busy and she is going to do everything in her power to pull it together and win this thing. Christopher says to no one in particular that he's afraid to look at the door because surprises and just, in general, things that he can't handle keep coming through it. The models come in for their fittings and apparently that fits into the category of things with which Christopher is unequipped to handle. He says of course they're coming in when he's not ready for them.
As she's fitting a girl in her white leather jacket, Melissa recalls Michael and Nina criticizing it and Heidi laughing really hard at Nina tell her to cut the cuffs off. I can't really blame Heidi though because Nina's frustration was so palpable. It was just a really human moment that happened to come at the expense of a poor girl who is right on the precipice of either the greatest accomplishment of her young career or the biggest disappointment she has ever known. Melissa says that it would be crazy for her to not listen to what the judges have to say to her.
Fabio's fittings are going really well. He's listening to the critique that he got and making some items to layer and hopefully make several of his looks seem more expensive. Dmitry is making stuff that he feels is very sexy, though it's debatable if he's going to be successful or not, since he thinks he was already making stuff that was pretty sexy. Christopher tells a model who is trying on a jacket that he made it the day before. He interviews that he's afraid he isn't going to have enough pieces to mix and match. Right now he's just trying to find things that fit the girls. He's not sure if he should maybe scrap some of the looks that aren't fitting well and make something new.
Melissa made a white dress that Fabio finds very beautiful but then he interviews that something was off...the poor model had to take the tiniest steps in the world because the bottom of the dress was so small. Melissa keeps wanting to blame the shoes that the girl is wearing but finally she just says that she has more important things to worry about. Christopher is still completely rudderless. Dmitry thinks that he needs to stop making new stuff and just make the stuff that he has work.
In the sewing room, Melissa asks Fabio how he's doing. "Incredibly calm," he answers. "I know!" Melissa responds enthusiastically. I don't know why that exchange is so adorable to me. It seemed like the lens of the show only settled on Melissa when she was harried before, but we're seeing that she's a real source of positivity for the most part. I have to say, I pretty much liked her on sight. She has one of those faces, especially as a designer -- she seems smart and creative and reasonable, all at once. That's wife material, y'all. Nick better get his shit together. Then, Dmitry alerts the others to the fact that it is 11 o'clock and thus time for them to go home. Fabio had no idea and jokes to Melissa that he was so calm because he didn't know what time it was.
The morning, everyone trudges into the workroom. Fabio, wearing a black long-sleeve tee and a black baseball cap (LOVE IT) says that it's sad for him because you always want the good things in life to go on forever, like the film Pitch Perfect or the song "(212)" by Azealia Banks. He says that his nerves are traveling through the screen right now and, holy shit, they really are. Or the people who make this show decided to make weird watery bullshit happen to the screen when he said that. I say that it is not cool to diminish Fabio's emotion here with goofy special effects.
Tim drops in to tell the designers that they will have their make-up consultations, then they will be able to work until 5pm. Billy B. is the consultant. He's wearing his Murphy Brown uniform again. Christopher finally feels good about a part of this whole process. Fabio loves the make-up story for his show so much that he tells us he wishes he could wear the make-up every day. No words. I have no words. Well, calliope. That was the only thing that came into my head just then. It just makes a kind of visceral sense to me. Please play along. It looks like Melissa is going to have a lip color named Coral Seduction featured in her show. Va-va-voom.
Back in the workroom, Tim comes in for a little chat. He goes to Melissa and asks her how she felt about her fittings. She says that some of the looks fit perfectly, some need tweaking and she has to finish sewing her blood orange dress. I really hope that Christopher is only kidding but interviews that she is fucking pretentious for calling it blood orange and it's actually just red. Wow, is he getting the shit edit or WHAT for the episode? I mean, unless he's having some sort of psychotic break and is just melting down in front of us, I don't know. His humor has been so effortless and bubbly and perfectly modulated. That remark was just nasty. Maybe Gunnar was right? Maybe Christopher is the problem? Either they were really generous to him before and avoided showing us that he was a jerk and a drama queen or they're cherry-picking his bad moments to prepare us for the fact that Christopher is just NOT going to win. Because, he's clearly not going to win. Tim likes the fabric that Melissa is using.
Dmitry tells Tim his hair story and Tim is a little worried. Christopher interviews that he hopes Dmitry uses all of that silver foil. See? How nasty! Tim doesn't want it to overshadow the clothes. I hope he uses it, not because I want to see him fail but because I want to see something that dramatic.
Christopher starts showing stuff to Tim and it doesn't go well. Tim thinks that his new skirt looks cheap. He starts to ask Tim about some new garment that he's thinking of making and Tim just stops him. Meanwhile, Melissa interviews that Christopher seems exhausted and like everything is taking its toll. Tim tells Christopher that he needs to stop making new stuff and just work with the things that he has. Tim gives him a hug, which is sweet.
Fabio shows his stuff to Tim and Tim says that it looks like he's had an epiphany. He loves all of the new stuff that Fabio created. Fabio says he took to heart when Tim said he needed to let go and he has "arrived." Christopher says that he feels that Fabio really took the judges' advice to heart and implemented it well into his collection. Tim tells everyone that he's thrilled with all of the collections!
In the sewing room, Christopher is bitching that his garment that he's working on is cheesy. Melissa says that he's extra feisty ("crispy") today, which supports the idea that he is, in fact, suffering some sort of meltdown. The last couple of hours are Dmitry and Fabio chilling out and having tea and noodles while Melissa and Christopher are flying around like crazy people. Tim comes in to give everyone the 15 minute warning before the day is over. He asks Christopher why he looks so freaked out, since he was already finished in the morning. Christopher, who apparently didn't take the advice to just stick with what he had, says that he did have to garments that he was working on. Tim clearly thinks this is ridiculous. It's really uncomfortable and I feel kind of bad for Christopher because the whole thing just makes him seem like a brat, which doesn't seem exactly fair. They sew like mad for 15 minutes, then Tim comes in with champagne. He has to call Christopher from his sewing machine like three times and finally is like, "This is no time to be petulant." In all fairness, it's maybe exactly the time to be petulant. You want to finish sewing your dress and someone's trying to force you to drink some bubbly? I don't know, I might get a little petulant. They toast and Tim leaves. Melissa seems done at this point, but Christopher is in shitty shape.
At 2 am, the designers are awake and ready to go. None of them could sleep. Dmitry says that they all look like a bunch of vampires. Poor Christopher. The circles under his eyes are really dramatic. I'm afraid he's not even going to be able to enjoy any of this. Dmitry interviews that he gave up his job and apartment to do the show, but he has no regrets. As they approach the tents, Melissa interviews that there was a glow around them because they were living their own dream. They enter the tent and they all freak out a little. Christopher says that this is the moment when he needs to focus the most.
Then, everything starts happening. People start arriving, the models start getting their shiz on, the designers start freaking out. Dmitry's hair is taking a really long time, which worries Tim. Melissa's orange dress fits perfectly, but suddenly she realizes that her white dress is too difficult to walk in. Harvey Weinstein is in the audience. Jennifer Hudson is the guest judge! And I am telling you, I LOVE me some J Hud. Christopher's model rips one of his gowns as she walking and he has to essentially cut the hem in a hurry. At one point, he says that his grandmother is rolling in her grave if she knows what he's doing.
Heidi enters the runway and looks pretty amazing. She introduces Michael and Nina and says that she loves them, which I somehow believe. Maybe Michael a little more than Nina. Then, she introduces J Hud, which is special. Christopher comes out and says that he was inspired by deconstruction and reconstruction. He dedicates the show (with just a touch of a frog in his throat) to his family and boyfriend.
The show begins and I'm not sure what to say about it. Everything is pretty fitted and shiny and constructed. The best thing is this violet coat -- the one that Tim liked so much when he visited him at home. His print works very well inside of his aesthetic, but some of the looks just don't seem thought out. His boyfriend screams for him when he comes out on the runway for his bow, which is very sweet.
Melissa is getting nervous backstage. She comes out and thanks her family and Nick for being there. She says that collection is an exploration of death to life. Her first look is the white jacket and it's pretty special. All of this stuff makes sense and it looks like she found more than a few ways to infuse color into the whole thing. Backstage, she tells Tim that this is the best day of her life. Some of the dresses are just gorgeous. Sexy but a little relaxed. Her white dress comes out and it takes the model like a month or two to make it down the runway. Following that is the orange dress. It has one of her gravity-defying necklines and is really gorgeous. When she comes out for her bow, Nick mouths, "It was so good," to her and I just find that touching. Shit, y'all, something about this year and how worked up everyone is has made me a little choked up for this whole thing. It's just a big deal when you know how solitary a lot of this work is but how you need outside approval for it to really fly. I don't know. It's a big moment for them.
Dmitry comes out and we see his group of friends smiling and clapping and taking pictures. He says that he was inspired by organic architecture. He hopes that the audience will like it as much as he does. His show starts and we see a lot of geometrical shapes inserted into the clothing. It is all made beautifully and it is cohesive. Backstage, Tim and Dmitry discuss that there is no question about the cohesion of the collection. All of the girls have ponytails, which seems like a smart idea. Keeps it young. His final dress is this evening gown with a feathered skirt. I guess no individual looks are getting applause anymore. It used to seem like that would happen once or twice a season.
Fabio interviews that he is feeling nothing but positivity before he goes out to speak. His family and beau look so happy for him. He tells the audience that he decided to name is collection Cosmic Tribalism, which is a reflection on his heritage. The girls start coming out and I just think it looks incredible. Ew, there's Josh McKinley. Fucker. I mean, it looks like he really did up the sophistication with these looks. Pastels and uniforms, that's what I see here. Tim tells him backstage that it's all very beautiful. Fabio says that he feels very blessed to have been able to show at Fashion Week. After the show, he comes out for his bow and maybe it's because of his sweet nature but it seems like he gets the most rousing applause.
After the show, Debra Messing, who was in attendance, says that she loved Melissa's "red" dress. Hmmph, some people don't know blood orange when they see it. "Fashion author" Eila Mell was also a fan of Melissa's red. Now tell me, a fashion author... how does that happen? Bonnie Brooks from Lord & Taylor says that she's rooting for Christopher but I wonder if that's because it would up the stock of the design of his they are already committed to carrying. Uncle Nick from Season 2 (Botox much?) says that he liked the raw edge of Christopher's work. Holy shit, Stephanie Meyer of Twilight fame loved Dmitry's work. Joanna Coles also liked it, but that's not as big of a deal. However, she does say that she wanted to leap out of her chair and rip the garments off of the models because she liked them as much. Valerie from Season 8 says that she loved Fabio's collection. ANYA! She loved Fabio and said that his work was unexpected and sublime. Hell yeah. We see Fabio crying as he hugs his family. Several designers say that they never know the judges are going to choose. I think they just don't want to say that they like anything.
The designers meet on the runway and Heidi congratulates all of them. A model for each designer comes out. Dmitry says that he was trying to use geometrical shapes and make something feminine. Heidi says that she loved the show. She applauds him for listening to the judges. Michael thinks the fit of his work is fantastic. Nina loved his fringe jacket paired with some harem pants. She feels like most of his work was editorial. Wow, she's really excited about him. Jennifer says that she felt like she got to know Dmitry by watching his collection. That's very sweet.
Melissa says that she was working to combine the absurd and surreal. Michael tells her that she understands how a girl wants to look, because she is the girl. The only thing that struck him as strange was the white dress that wouldn't move. He wanted to nail her shoes to a skateboard and pull her down the runway. Jennifer disagrees -- she liked the dress. Heidi thought all of her girls, excepting the one who couldn't walk, were tough, like Melissa. Nina liked that her work is sexy and not slutty. Jennifer thinks that Melissa could be one of the model.
Christopher explains that he was inspired by an x-ray. Michael loved his first look. He loved all of the splattered leather looks. He didn't think the final gown, the one onstage, belonged in the show. Jennifer she loved one of his skirts and wants to find it. Nina thinks that he's good at making fabrics look light, but he doesn't always stay in his sweet spot.
Fabio says that he was inspired by his cultural heritage. Heidi LOVED his collection. Nina commends him for listening to the judges. Michael thinks that his risky use of pastels really paid off. Jennifer loved the colors. They made her happy. She also loves all of the layers. She is so sweet.
The models leave the stage and Heidi asks Christopher why he should win. He says that he is ready to start his career. Fabio says that did this show to become a better designer. He feels like he deserves a brand now. Dmitry says that he has had a clear vision of who he is. The win would give him the wings to fly. Melissa says that she has pushed herself in the competition and her point-of-view has expanded.
The designers leave the runway. Backstage, they all exhale. Dmitry says that he almost fainted. The judges confer. They like that Christopher used a print. Heidi thinks that he over thought his show. Jennifer didn't feel like she could connect to any of the pieces. Nina thinks that he should have been more romantic. Michael agrees.
They think that Melissa exhibited her point-of-view to great effect. Several of the dresses they thought were great, but they think there was nothing surprising. Nina doesn't know that there will be anything different in Melissa's work than what is already on the market.
They loved how dramatic a difference Fabio's show was from everyone else's. He understands the element of surprise. Heidi says that nothing was bad in his collection. Michael says that a great designer needs to know what people want before they want it, which he relates to the use of pastels. But, they're not sure he could do that all the time.
They all feel that Dmitry made his collection very young. Nina thinks that his work is polished yet commercial. Jennifer says that he's ready. She thinks he will make it, even if he doesn't win. Fabio, however, she thinks could use the push. They're clearly battling between Dmitry and Fabio. Oh God.
The designers return to the stage. Heidi tells them that they should be very proud of themselves. She commends Christopher on his use of prints, but they think that he still needs to grow. He is out. He thanks them and says that he can only feel happy. He interviews that he is bummed, but he's fine. He goes backstage and gets hugs and kisses from his family. His sweet boyfriend is crying, which breaks my heart. Melissa is also out. Heidi says they think they'll see more of her in the future. Nothing more. Melissa interviews that she got to show her stuff and she loves it. She's fine. Her mom is crying backstage, but she seems fine. She cries when she hugs Christopher. She tells him that he worked so hard and he should be so proud of himself. Bless his heart, still not content to go softly into the night, he cries and says that this is crazy and that he'll be really upset if Fabio doesn't win. Come on with the sour grapes! Just smile and get ready for a week of non-stop sleep and sex. Not sure what everyone else would be doing. I'm just saying.
Onstage, Heidi tells Fabio that he listened to their feedback and his collection was a breath of fresh air. She tells Dmitry that he put on a real show and his work was wearable and glamorous. Dmitry is... the winner of Project Runway. Heidi tells him that he has his wings and he can fly now. Poor Fabio hangs his head. Heidi seems so sad to tell him that he lost. He says that he feels like he has wings now too. Wow, so I'm crying maybe. He gets his kisses from Heidi then he hugs Dmitry. He interviews tearfully that he's strong enough to hold his head high and know that this has been a blessing. He's just sad because his mother is sad and OH MY GOD this is really emotional. He says that he wanted to win so that he could pay her bills and pay his bills. I hate TV. He hugs Melissa and tells her that he's proud of her. Christopher says that he demands a recount. Whatever. He says that he got what he wanted -- he went on the best fashion show and did his best. Ugh. I love him.
Heidi goes onstage and hugs Dmitry. He interviews that he feels very fortunate. Michael tells him that he's talented and a real gentleman. That's really nice. Nina thinks that he's talented and determined. Jennifer reminds him that it's not only important that your work is good but that you are good to work with. Then, his friends come out to congratulate him. Tim comes out and is completely overwhelmed, which makes Dmitry really uncomfortable. Finally, Cat, his model, comes out. Dmitry vows that his move will be really big. Good luck to him.
Jeff Long is a writer/performer living in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @jblong.