Keeping It Dreamy

S11E01

Heidi and Tim start us off telling us that the designers are going to be working in teams and they don't know it. Tim says that it's his favorite season ever because of the teamwork. There are billions of people. They meet at the runway. James seemed stoned when he came in and was tripping over everything. Cindy runs a funeral home. She just graduated from fashion school. She seems super sweet.

Heidi and Tim enter the runway to applause. My optimistic side feels, on first glance, that no one is horrible. They begin splitting into two teams of eight. Hmm. I was wondering if they would have the same small teams throughout the entire competition, but this means they will have to change often, if they do it like that. Tim tells them that their first challenge is to show something that displays their personal aesthetic with the input of their teammates. I don't understand. New York City is the inspiration for the challenge. One team will go on a boat ride on the Hudson for inspiration. The other team will see the city from above.

The team on the roof has a champagne toast. People are voicing in their interviews some reticence about the group work. On the boat, that team decides they are Team Keeping It Real. The others decide they are the Dream Team. Benjamin from Sydney doesn't seem to like James very much. Patricia is Native American and her native name is Water Lily. She uvulates when they are on the boat and it is awesome though Layan thinks that she needs to take it easy.

The day, they go to Mood and get to work. Patricia paints a print onto her fabric and everyone seems to doubt the logic in doing that. Daniel from Austin seems adorable and he has a really interesting moustache. Tim comes in to consult and starts with Dream Team. Emily started out puffed up but becomes more humbled as the consultation continues.

Team Keeping It Real's consultation is interesting. Patricia doesn't get any grief from Tim for her handmade print. Daniel seems to have the approval of all of his teammates.

When the models come in for their fittings, Cindy and Emily seem like the people who are suffering. It's unclear if Patricia is in danger or doing really well. At the end of the day, Emily doesn't even have anything completed. The day, Cindy like makes a skirt for Emily (who, incidentally, was ragging on her earlier.)

On the runway, Zac Posen is replacing Michael Kors. Cute. There's Nina. Christian Siriano is the guest judge. Team Keeping It Real is first. Patricia's print is a hit, if you ask me. They were all pretty good. Dream Team has some good stuff too. Matthew, who is maybe the only crushable dude -- sorry, it's what I do -- has a pretty good showing. Samantha's looks pretty good too. James's looks a little boring. Emily's is, in the words of Siriano, a hot mess. Cindy's is not poorly made, but it doesn't look very tasteful. Team Keeping It Real wins the challenge. The top three designers are Daniel, Richard and Patricia.

The lowest scores from Dream Team are James, Cindy and Emily. I know crap when I see it. Daniel wins! He is really emotional about it. It's sweet. James is safe. Cindy is...in. Wow. The old ones always go first. Nina did say though that Emily's garment was the most unfinished she had ever seen on the show. She's really sad about it.

Seems like just last week that we were watching all-stars triumphing in a climactic, truly memorable finale. Strike the climactic. They're running a new season immediately. Tim and Heidi greet us in video clips. They tell us that every challenge will be a team challenge. There will only be one winner, but all designers have to work as a team so this is truly applicable experience that they will be gaining. Tim says that the teamwork element makes this his favorite season of Project Runway yet. Then, we start meeting people.

First up, Layana is walking into Parsons. She's 28 and originally from Brazil, though she now lives in New York. She tells us that she was up the night before thinking anxiously thinking about what garments she would have to make. She walks into the runway area and is joined shortly by Richard Hallmarq (brilliant name). He is 39 and hails from Sacramento, which he jokes is the "other fashion capital." He says that he has always liked to push the envelope. And his menswear is drag wear, so yeah... he's a women's wear designer. Layana tells him that she likes his leopard print pants. They are pretty special. Kate Pankoke, 23, and from Chicago excitedly enters . She says that she likes to work alone, but works in bridal wear so she has to get along with others. Cool chick Michelle Lesniak Franklin interrupts to meet everyone. She interviews that she is "thirty-fourdorable" or "thirty-fadorable." In any event, she's 34. She has tattoos. She seems fairly cool. She tells the other designers that the runway is bigger than she had imagined. She tells us that "geek chic" is her thing. Wait a second. Where is she from? Portland. Hmm. Sometimes there is a dissonance between appearance and references. She looks a lot cooler than her product. She says that her woman is stylish and could recite the Periodic Table. So she would look cool, but you would not want to talk to her. Ever.

Here are some leopard print loafers staring at us. Who's wearing them? His name is Daniel Esquivel and he is 48 and from Austin, the other Portland. This is his first time in New York and the mannequins are like, "Does he have like a little tiny handlebar mustache?" Why yes ladies... he does. Daniel has the neatest accent. It's everywhere. He tells us that he dropped out of school in the 9th grade because of bullying. That's really sad. He has no formal fashion training. He is self-taught. When he enters the runway, Richard tells him that his mustache is "everything." Bully free zone! Hopefully. So far, at least. Daniel interviews that his design aesthetic is simple, elegant and glamorous. Patricia enters , but we don't hear from her. James Martinez from Dallas stumbles in , literally. First, he knocks his hat off of his own head then trips over a bunch of stools. It's kind of brilliant. Also, I think I love him for that. But then he acts like he's peeing on the runway, as a way of marking his territory. I don't like that as much. I guess this is our straight guy for the season. Emily Pollard, 24 and from Falls Church, Virginia, enters . There's something slightly affected about her air. She interviews that she is used to not sleeping. She thinks that gives her an edge.

By Jeff Long

Then, Heidi and Tim appear behind the scrim. They walk out to applause. James interviews that he's not sure if he should throw his "underwears" at them or have them sign his underwears. James, are we going to have a problem? Heidi welcomes everyone to Season 11. Patricia Michaels is 46 and from Taos. She says that it is a real honor to be here. I have to say, there's some really interesting energy straight away. Tim congratulates the designers for being chosen. They will move into the Atlas Building that evening. Heidi tells them that there will be a twist. Michelle says that she hopes it's a martini. Strike two, Madam Curie. They are going to have to eat each other. No, that's just a joke. You see, what she really told them was that they were going to have to work in teams. Kate is all "Hell No." Samantha Black who is 28, from Brooklyn and so far the most crushable person present on this here program says that she's a team player but she would prefer to work on her own. Richard says "sad face." Daniel seems like such sweetheart. He says that he doesn't want to see any childish player. He adds that he rather likes working with others, so he is excited to see how this goes.

Tim says that he's excited about this aspect of the show because the real world of fashion is about team work. For this challenge, they will be working in two teams of 8. The first team is Layana, Daniel, Stanley, Layana, Kate, Richard, Patricia, some dude named Joe and a girl named Amanda. Benjamin says that the other team is not cutting edge, though he adds that you can't judge a book by its cover. Emily says that she doesn't think that she has much in common with Cindy.

Tim tells them that the first challenge is to create a look that displays who they are as a designer with the input of their teammates. One designer from the winning team will be the winner of the challenge and a designer from the losing team will be eliminated. The inspiration for the challenge is going to be New York City. The cutting edge team will view the city from atop the Atlas Building, while the other team will view the city from a boat. Fun! Heidi and Tim leave and the designers proceed to kill and eat each other. I am kidding about that.

We see the team on the rooftop first. They share a champagne toast and Michelle interviews that she is not sure that she wants to work with the people on her team. Who cares? She tries to make, out loud, some weird analogy about how they are winners because they are on top of a building and the others are at sea level. It's pretty lame. She should stick to some sort of silent persona is what I think. She has pretty much failed every time she has opened her mouth. I mean, this is so pointless, but I have to point out that she says, "They're already at sea level. They can't get much higher." I think we all know that pretty much the only thing they can do is get higher. At least if they're on land.

On the boat, Patricia tells us that she is Native American and thus her native name is Water Lily. Pretty! She ululates off of the back of the boat. It's loud. She turns around and real chill just tells everyone that's her prayer. Layana thinks that she's weird. Um, it's just a prayer Layana. Richard is looking at all of the sights, like the bridges along the Hudson River. He almost shed a tear from seeing the Statue of Liberty. Amanda notes that everyone is being very nice but that is likely to change. I have to say, I hope we see a lot of Richard. He seems like just the sweetest guy in the world. We need some sweetness.

Later, they make their way to the Atlas Building. Benjamin says that he has dreamt about New York for most of his adult life. Amanda and Michelle room together. Amanda, whose last name is Valentine, says that she knew she would like Michelle because of all of the tattoos and bones in her ears and the fact that she is from Portland. They discuss their team situations and Michelle says that it's a good way to learn who you don't want to work with. As if you will always have a choice. Michelle says that she is worried that the Dream Team hasn't discussed what their group aesthetic is.

The day, they all get acquainted with the workroom. Daniel, who is also so adorable, says that he felt like a big wave of fashion hit him. I hear the undertow is fabulous. He adds that you can feel the excitement in the air. Cindy is pretty emotional and says that she has dreamed of doing this forever. Wow, I think it would be so crazy if this lady ended up knocking it out of the park. She is so unlike anything we are used to seeing really. She says that she is afraid she's going to gush all over Tim Gunn.

Tim enters the room and everyone gives him a rousing round of applause, which he notes. Stanley says that seeing Tim brings to mind all that it took to get to this position. I can see that. Tim tells them about the resources available to them. HP this and accessories wall that. He repeats that the teamwork aspect of the season is really exciting to him. He wants them to all take advantage of each other's feedback and support. They are going to Mood momentarily. They will have $1200 a team, which translates to $150 per designer; however, they can distribute it any way they would like. The runway presentation is the day. Benjamin interviews that he is a perfectionist, which is not always the friend of time management. Well, that's a kind of a brilliant way to put that. It's obvious, of course, but still. It can at least make you feel better about the people who manage their time properly. You can take comfort in the fact that their work isn't perfect or some other perversion of logic. We do what we have to do.

Tim leaves and they start sketching. Kate proposes that they spend whatever they want, and then find out who might need more money. Everyone agrees. She interviews that she just knew being on a team would feel like babysitting. I don't know how she feels like she's babysitting by proposing a fairly straightforward financial plan; I have a feeling that some parts of Kate are going to come out that we do not really enjoy. The Dream Team isn't quite as agreeable. They decide to sort of split the budget, though it sounds like it's coming from a bad place.

They have a few more moments of sketching and Richard says that he notices that most women in NYC have really nice dresses. There's something so endearing about the way he says that. It kind of breaks my heart a little. He wants to make something that a NYC gal could wear from day to night. Cindy says that she likes this challenge because she is inspired by architecture. She feels like the collection of buildings resembles a quilt.

When they get to Mood, everyone is super focused. Daniel says that he really likes his idea and he hopes the judges get it. Cindy gets a little panicky. It actually looks like everyone does, but they make it out alive.

At the workroom, Benjamin remarks that this is the point where you look at your purchase and think, "That's totally not what I meant to get!" Emily says that she doesn't know much about the other designers yet, but she is sure she is one of the best. She thinks she will at least be in the top 3 for the competition. Wow, them's some famous last words.

Patricia is making her own print to emulate the windows in NYC skyscrapers. She is doing this painting technique that is pretty striking. She says that she used to change to the color of the skin on her Barbies when she was a little girl, so she's comfortable adapting stuff to fit her needs. Layana thinks that what Patricia is doing looks too arts and crafts. Layana seems to have a lot of problems with Patricia. Emily thinks that Patricia should be using her time more wisely.

Amanda's worried about being on a team. Daniel is worried, too, because some designers are weak in construction skills. He remembers that they all have to work together to move forward. Michelle notices that there appear to be some senior designers helping the others on Team Keeping It Real. Her team members are keeping to themselves and she finds that to be the big difference between the teams. She thinks that could hurt them in the end.

By Jeff Long

With eight hours remaining in the day, Tim Gunn arrives for a consultation. He starts with Dream Team. They are going to be present and vocal for everyone describing their looks. He is "wowed" by Michelle, so she's fine. Cindy starts to describe her look, which would be a dress-like shirt over slacks. Tim and the team recommend that she forego slacks and just make a long dress. She doesn't argue with them. Benjamin interviews that he doesn't understand Cindy's inspiration. I guess that would have been helpful to have vocalized instead of saving it for your little sit-down. James is and Emily says that she worries that his look is not "enough." Tim says that he could work with more volume in the bodice than he had planned. James interviews that his instinct is to stick with his original idea, but he wants to be a good team player. Benjamin is and is discussing using different colors to break up his look. Tim likes it. Tu (that's how you spell it) explains his look and Michelle says that it sounds architectural, which she likes. Matt is . He is going to focus his design on the vertebrae of the model, because it takes a lot of backbone to survive in NYC. I kind of like that. Emily interviews that she is starting to get intimidated by everyone's experience. She describes her look and Tim wonders if there is too much going on. Benjamin suggests that she desert her jacket idea, because you can't send someone down a runway wearing just a jacket. Tim tells Dream Team that he is very impressed with all of them.

By Jeff Long

Team Keeping It Real is up and Kate describes her look as a structured sweater dress. Her team tells her that she should lose the sleeves on her dress, but she resists. She interviews that she doesn't give a shit what anyone on her team thinks. She just wants Tim's opinion. She asks and he agrees with the team -- she should lose the sleeves. Kate is obviously emerging as the least team-ready person of the season. Tim questions whether an element of Richard's look is necessary. Layana describes her dress and how it's simple in the front and surprising in the back. She gets applause from the team when she turns her dress around. Daniel presents his look, which is very structured. Stanley interviews that Daniel is on trend and impeccable. Patricia has added another element to her look. There's a blue fabric below her hand-made print and it is revealed in little "windows" that she is making herself. Tim tells her that she should use the effect all over the dress and she takes that as permission to just have fun with the dress. Richard interviews that people with a touch of genius are often a little eccentric, but he really likes Patricia. I like him. Such a positive guy.

Tim leaves and they all get back to work. Michelle says that she is worried about her team. She starts offering some assistance to other people on her team. We see her give time-saving tips to Matt. Benjamin interviews that he is worried as well and is a born leader, so we see him giving some advice to Emily.

Richard's look is . It's a black dress with a vertical panel of gray fabric down the center of the garment. The tubing stuff that Tim was questioning creates an effect where the dress is shapeless on one side and fitted on the other. It's very modern. Patricia's look is . It's this short dress with all of these painted panels all over it. When the model moves, so do the panels and you see little glimpses of blue fabric. Super chic. Patricia is thrilled with it and her teammates seem to notice its worth now.

Amanda's look is . She made some slacks in gray with square patches placed randomly on them. It is matched with a simple blue camisole-style top that's asymmetrical at the bottom. This is pretty simple stuff, but also well made. She says that the model looks like she's "almost" her girl, though she doesn't as much feel like she'll be eliminated now. Layana's look is . It's a pretty simple black dress, with some elaborate lacing action on the back. She notices that it's not really a stand-out look.

Joseph Aaron Segal's look is . We haven't heard from him at all. His dress is interesting. It's this flowing number of different colored scarves of different lengths. He feels good that he has shown a unique point of view. I can't really decide if this is a good dress or not. Daniel's look is . It's a smart little black suit, with pants that are cropped. The waist of the jacket as a sort of Dior New Look thing. It's cinched, and then flares with some really intricate molding. Man, Zac Posen is cute. He looks like a total bitch, but I think I love him. Daniel is really happy with his look. The team's models walk out together at the end and Benjamin notes that they are pretty strong.

The Dream Team is up and Matt's look leads the show. It's super cute. A short black and white print skirt that has pleating and flares. The shirt is a white sleeveless button-down with a ribbon tie. I really like this. The back of the shirt has a strip of white sheer fabric down the center, emphasizing the backbone like he had said earlier. He interviews that this is the most surreal moment of his life. Samantha Black's look is and it's gorgeous. She made a short midnight blue dress with tulle floating off of it and some sheer panels at the neckline. It's really gorgeous. She's really happy with it.

Tu's look is . It is very cool and modern. It's a skirt and top combo with a bare midriff. The top is zippered with full sleeves and it sort of peaks in the middle. The front is white and the back is black. Tu is very happy with it. Here we have James's look. It's a black and tan skirt with a white camisole. The top has some weird ruching at the shoulder. I see what he was getting at, but it doesn't look like he executed that element well. He seems reserved but happy that he has something on the runway.

By Jeff Long

The judges confer. Heidi thinks that the team stuff is scary. Nina likes it because they have another set of eyes. Also, Christian points out that people may end up giving criticism not designed to be helpful, though Zac thinks that the good hearts and souls will shine through. Wouldn't that be nice? Somebody said before on this show that being easy to work with was one of the most important things you could do. I have no idea who that was now. It was... I don't know. Somebody cool. They liked that Patricia manipulated her fabric, while Zac likes her strong female point of view. Christian points out that the shoulders of Daniel's look are very difficult to make, while Zac reminds everyone that similar looks were just shown at Fashion Week. Nina liked the versatility of James's look. Christian says that making something effortless can often be the hardest thing to do. They think that James's look was bland, or "intern couture" as Zac puts it. Zac said that Cindy's look was old and sad. Nina thought it looked like Coming To America. Wow. Heidi says that Emily's look was butt ugly. Seriously. And a shredded hot mess. I love it. Nina points out that her team seemed to believe in her somewhat.

The designers return to the stage. Oh, Daniel's jacket. I didn't notice that before. It's like the flamingo wallpaper my cousin Jennifer had in her bathroom in the '80s, which is not a diss. I love Jennifer. Also, Daniel wins. He's very emotional about it, which is touching. Richard and Patricia are in. Patricia says something in her native language before she leaves. James is in. Cindy... is in. Emily is crying. Cindy goes backstage to applause and hugs. Emily seems really dejected and is of course sad that she doesn't get to show what she can do. Tim comes in and seems to feel really bad for Emily. She interviews that this experience has helped her think about her priorities and what she should be looking for. Maybe a time management course?

Jeff Long is a writer/performer in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @jblong.

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By Jeff Long

Dream Team comes out. James, Cindy and Emily have the lowest scores. James says that he was going to color block the top, but he says that the team steered him away from his idea for the top. Nina says there is nothing wrong with the outfit, but it is not inspiring. Zac thinks that the ruching on the top is gnarled. Heidi says that they did like a couple of outfits from Dream Team, namely Tu and Benjamin. Heidi tells Emily that it looks like a kid made her outfit. Christian can see some hints of design, but nothing was finished. Zac can see it too, but he thinks that she needs to have her craft ready. Nina says that she has never seen such an unfinished garment on this show. Ouch. Cindy explains that she was going to make a short dress and slacks, but the team convinced her to make a long dress because everyone liked the pattern. Heidi, incredulous, asks for a show of hands for who liked the print. Samantha explains that a long dress made more sense. Not "sense" but "more sense." Heidi doesn't like the dress at all. She thinks that the mix of fabrics is all wrong. Nine doesn't think there is anything urban or NYC about this. Christian likes that it's a gown, but he doesn't find anything designer-quality about it. Zac says that he wants to see who Cindy is as a designer and she says that this dress is not her. Then, he just smiles and reminds her that this is the first challenge and that's what the challenge called for. OK, it has started. I'm just going to apologize from the beginning, but I'm having a whole relationship with Zac Posen right now. He's running hot and cold for me and it's fun with the safety of a TV screen between us. Nina reminds them that the low scores for this team overpowered the high scores. Zac says that one hole in a boat will sink the boat.

By Jeff Long

Jeff Long is a writer/performer in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @jblong.