S04.E07: Mix And Match.com

[meep.meep]

I think they really want Justin to win and that's why they didn't auf anyone.  Although his outfit was far from the worst thing up there - it was just matter of fact.  Helen's too short and too shiny was much worse, and Sam's bizarre sweater skirt with boob exposing crop top was much much worse.

 

And Michelle, that was not Lewinsky blue.

[Julia]

The last one I remember them doing was a disaster.   I realize the challenge was silly, but the results were awful: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-11/rate-the-runway/episode-8#id=1 .  So I'm resigned to the Project Runway All Stars not dealing well with men's clothing, though the All Stars this time did men's wear better than they did in Season 11 (really, look at those photos; could they have done worse?).

 

Ah, yes. The team stripper challenge. Michelle was on team Lame Sexual Reference, which was squaring off against team Lame Sexual Reference to make tearaway costumers for a crew of mountainous steroidal australians with not enough time and not nearly enough people to make the garments required. I remember that too, which is why I'm not giving our little Michelle the slightest benefit of the doubt this time.

 

Because what Michelle got accomplished last time was running out the clock by sloooooooowly doing meticulous handwork on detailing far too small to be seen from the stage on a steampunk vest for one guy. Then, when the clock had run out and she wasn't at any risk of being asked to do substantive work, she asked if there was something she could do to help her team in the last twenty minutes.

 

Stanley, who had done the lion's share of the work with some assistance from Daniel while Patricia was off weaving a textile on one shirt (oh, Michelle had words to say about that) and Michelle was whipstitching watch cogs on a lapel or something equally stupid, asked Michelle to tack in the velcro on a shirt. Which there was ample time to do. Michelle, feeling that a few moments with the sewing machine or a basting needle was too much to ask when working on someone else's garment, decided to use the hot glue gun instead and ruined the garment she was working on (something she never took credit for on the runway).

 

So yeah, Michelle remembering how dreadful that challenge was and then talkng about how a good team member volunteers to do more than their share of the work? Pretty funny.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Julia

[cpcathy]

I may get pelted with tomatoes for this, but I actually liked Justin's outfit (I won't go so far as to say it was a design). I dislike the menswear challenges because a) everyone has a freak out and b) everyone feels the necessity to over design all the outfits. Zippers, extra pockets, really? I liked that Justin made an actual outfit for a nice looking man to go on a date.

 

Fabio's looked like not only a medical assistant, but a medical assistant on the Enterprise.

[Tippi]

Samantha's and Helen's outfits were just awful.  I could have gotten behind a double elimination right there.  I agree, this season Fabio has the designated win. 

[cee]

I am shocked that production happened in one day. Not only did they need to complete the look, but the couples needed hair/makeup and then sent for a location shoot. My guess is the dates didn't happen until very late at night. 

 

The couples made the episode fun at least. And Michele's commentary was especially brisk & acidic (even being on death's door the day before). 

[roctavia]

So what exactly do the 'scores' do for the judges when they clearly don't mean anything later? At least 2 of the judges admitted that they gave Justin's look a high score... but yet he was one of the bottom two?

 

I guess I shouldn't expect anything to be consistent or make sense... but it was annoying to hear "half of us gave you a good score, but because some people really thought your look was boring, we are going to consider kicking you off"  Especially when with other team challenges, they used the scores specifically to decide winning/losing team, which meant the worst possible outfit was saved by a really good teammate having a high score. Either the scores mean something or they don't... stop changing it to fit your whims!!

 

And really, half the judges liked Justin's outfit when it walked the runway... there were other outfits, like Samantha's, that were universally bad...

[sinkwriter]

 

At first I thought she had shorts under that horrible top, but...no.

 

I didn't even realize it was a skirt! I thought those were shorts. I didn't catch otherwise until reading it here. Yikes.

 

 

For a show that's progressive enough to give us a male couple dating (and a history of so many gay contestants), there sure seemed to be an awful lot of shock and awe at the very idea of a man wearing pink. Gasp!

 

For me personally, I have no issue with a man wearing pink. I just eye-rolled because it felt like a cliché for Jay to choose it for a gay man. Just because you're gay doesn't mean you're automatically into pink or feminine styles.

[carrps]

I hated Justin's. Hated it. Anything that would look boring in a J.C.Penney's catalog has no place in a fashion-oriented program. And in boring janitor grey. Again. Why does he want to be a designer? He can sew, but he has no design talent at all. The only pieces he made that were remotely interesting zoomed to the opposite side of the dial with gimmicky, tacky details. And with the dramatic save, we're treated to his tears. Again. Just put him out of his misery. Ugh.

 

That said the actually ugly pieces were Sam's (why did she use that icky fabric for the skirt?) and Helen's (I thought she'd made shorts for underneath, too).

 

Sonjia's was a little too minty green, and it made her model look bulky on top. I liked Dmitri's, but the detail didn't read very well on the runway. Jay's was nice, but a little juvenile. I like Fabio, but his was just weird and ill-fitting.

 

Michelle's was just o.k. The pocket detail looked interesting on the runway, but anyone wearing those pants would start hating it immediately, I'm thinking. I also think she had a panic attack (the tunnel vision was the clue), but she tried to spin it off into an actual illness. I'd be curious if their on-set first aid people took her temp and told her "Nah, you're not sick. Buck the fuck up."

 

I wouldn't have had a winner at all and would have eliminated the entire bottom three (Helen, Sam, Justin).

[Dirtybubble]

I may get pelted with tomatoes for this, but I actually liked Justin's outfit (I won't go so far as to say it was a design)

I liked Justin's as well.  Nicely done and yeah the pants were too but it seemed every friggin' body had trouble fitting the men's pants.  And yeah the outfit in general was boring but I'd rather take boring and well made to wtfudge Fabio's was which neither looked well made or fitted properly.  One a side note a may be a bit biased with Justin's designs because I just like him as a person so much and want him to do well =)

 

 

[sinkwriter]

I think part of the issue with Justin's was that he just didn't take any chances whatsoever. But part of that is impressive to me, because he cared more about making the client comfortable than about winning the challenge. I think Justin could have tried to do something a little more 'outside the box' with the pants or shirt (or by adding a vest or something), but I don't mind that he wanted to make the client happy first and foremost. I also do think that if the design hadn't been for a 'real world' person, he might have tried a little something more interesting. Not a ton - he's not an adventurous designer like Fabio - but I do think he would have been a little more experimental because he wouldn't be worried about upsetting an actual client. The guy who created that pipette gown is not devoid of clever ideas. He's just too nice sometimes (and isn't that just a terrible thing to be?).

Edited December 19, 2014 by sinkwriter

[BusyOctober]

 

SO sick and tired of the oooohing and aaaaahing over Alyssa everytime she shows up either in person or behind the screen, where she has to turn and show everyone she's still preggo so we won't just think she's insane in her style choices.  I guess this has taken the place of the beautiful GC... she (Alyssa) must have had it written into her contract that all contestants must genuflect at the altar of her reproductive-ness.

 

PepperMonkey - I have a theory that the designers aren't oohing and ahhing because they are enamored with AM or her pregnancy.  I think most of them gasp audibly because of one of the following reasons;

1) OMG!  How many babies are in there?!?

2) Yikes, who did she piss off so badly in Hair & Makeup to deserve another shitty styling?

3)  When that baby explodes out of her, will I be safe from errant amniotic fluid sitting here in the back row?

4) She knows it's not 1984 anymore, right?

[DHDancer]

At this point, I don't even feel like there's anyone to root for. No one is jumping out as a spectacular designer who I want to see win the season. I mean, if you put a gun to my head, I'd go with Dimitry. But only if you put a gun to my head.

 

Would that be like, Russian Roulette, then?  lol

[Bosman]

How in the name of holy hell did Sam not get eliminated??? That pile of fug she created accentuated every figure flaw of that woman and probably created a few more. Hideous on every level.

While I agree that Justin's was a bit boring, he did deliver what the client wanted. And those pants looked really sharp.

Oh, and Michelle, sweets, you might want to take a gander and what you're designing before you start trashing other contestant's looks. That mess of buttons and zippers is something that no man is going to want to wear, unless he's headed to a Slovakian disco circa 1985. And btw, STFU! You are not clever. You are not amusing. And you are not particularly talented.

[meep.meep]

 

Sonjia's was a little too minty green, and it made her model look bulky on top. I liked Dmitri's, but the detail didn't read very well on the runway. Jay's was nice, but a little juvenile. I like Fabio, but his was just weird and ill-fitting.

 

Michelle's was just o.k. The pocket detail looked interesting on the runway, but anyone wearing those pants would start hating it immediately, I'm thinking. I also think she had a panic attack (the tunnel vision was the clue), but she tried to spin it off into an actual illness. I'd be curious if their on-set first aid people took her temp and told her "Nah, you're not sick. Buck the fuck up."

 

I've been tempted to say this to a few of my employees, but Employee Relations never lets me have any fun.

 

Sanjia's minty green number - didn't the top drastically change between the fitting and the wearing on the date?  It was asymmetrical, hanging off one shoulder with a lot of folds, then morphed into two shoulders with the cutout.  She must have looked huge in the first look.  But, through the miracle of modern editing, nothing said.  More time for the wit and wisdom of Michelle.

[KFC]

Would that be like, Russian Roulette, then?  lol

 

Only if Helen's grandmother is the one pointing the gun!

[ToraLora]

I really thought that Jay and Fabio's couple looked like toddlers going on a play date rather than grown adults going on a date-date. The colors and the cuts were just so childish. Ugh.

 

Also, Helen's model looked like she forgot to take off her silky robe before going out in a sexy skin tight dress. Gross.

 

Sam: if you are designing around boobs, please don't make something flowy and short. All that means is that anyone below you gets a great view. I am speaking from experience here. I think she could have very easily given the girl a tight crop top and a higher a-line skirt a la Taylor Swift and nailed it. A tiny little sliver of midriff is really all this girl needed.

[LexiconDevilOne]

Lifetime should have bypassed this episode.

I like Dmitry and Justin's outfits, because they fit well, and weren't...weird.

The rest of the outfits were god awful. Gay, straight, or whatever, no man should ever be seen in public wearing those tacky castoffs that poor Fabio put his guy in. I don't understand how he won, I don't want to...

[venezia54]

Of all the colors Justin could have picked for a boring button-down shirt, he picks GRAY? Dude, even the J Crew catalog offers men's shirts in burgundy, cobalt blue, and deep purple. A little print, a nice plaid even--or how about giving the guy a cool tie? When his model came out, I thought, "Oh, Justin forgot to dress his model. When is he going to get him into the runway look?" It was almost aggressively unimaginative, like he set out to make the most generic, boring off-the-rack look he could think of. As for menswear, they all need to look at how European men dress. Euro men aren't boring dressers like Americans are. They don't think using a little color is some big affront to their masculinity. They all need to look at a few episodes of "Hannibal" and study gorgeous Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen's wardrobe, with those incredible couture suits in crazy plaids and fabulous fabrics and colors. Granted, they are over the top and only elegant Mads can pull them off, but the point is--menswear CAN use colors and patterns. My beloved Dimitri didn't get that memo either, although I died when I heard him say "No hokey pokey!" The rest, you've all covered, but I really don't get how Justin got a pass. Nice guy, but he just keeps putting out one unmemorable look after another. Fabio's look was boxy and awful, but at least he attempted to do something different.

Edited December 19, 2014 by venezia54

[Atony]

When the judges started bitching about the quality of the final designs and how they couldn't figure out why the designers didn't do well, I shouted at the screen, "MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE YOU GAVE THEM LESS THAN ONE DAY??" I mean, come on...

 

Word!  I wonder if that was the real reason for the non-elimination.  The judges had to realize they gave them NO TIME to do these outfits, not even a full work day.  That was ridiculous.

 

Also I agree if anyone is on the judges/producers winner track a la Mondo and Anthony Ryan were it is Fabio.  Though honestly I wouldn't be upset about it if he ends up winning.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Atony

[Bebecat]

Sometimes all of the designs are pretty awful, this was one of those times.

I liked Dmitri's the best, for being most realistic as to what someone might really want to wear on a first date, Imo.

Did not like any of the women's outfits...Helen's was awful, also Samantha's.

My hatred for Michelle feels more justified all the time. I hate everything she makes on principle.

Did not like Justn's short sleeves. Do not care for Justin anyway and his stuff is so basic and generic.

Did Dmitri mean "hanky panky" lol, rather than "hokey pokey"? I still love him.

[MortysCleaningLady]

Sonja girl , paraphrase "I really like sexy but classy like Kim Kardashian". Bahahahaha. Really? Classy? Girl please.

Funniest moment for me was when Michelle was discussing Helens dress, it's Monica Lewinsky blue, will it come back with a stain? Hee totally silly but I laughed out loud.

 

I was getting a baseball player vibe from Fabio's.  And yes, baseball players are hot.  Plus, Fabio's and Jay's models were hot.  I think that helped their looks.

 

Dmitry's look was my favorite.  Properly fitting and age appropriate.  The diagonal stripes were really attractive on the most average person there.

 

Hated Helen's tribute to Monica Lewinsky (true!!) AND Sam's bra revealing crop and pencil skirt.  Ugg. 

 

Why was Justin's boring, but well made, look in the bottom over Sam's?

[BrittaBot]

Helen's made me want to barf. I literally groaned/gasped when I saw the girl come out of the car. I mean, it was just god-awful. I feel like with at least every other outfit, there was SOMETHING okay about it, something that showed the attractiveness of the other person. Helen made a baggy, wrinkly, button-up shirt that made the girl look like she was pregnant. It was so bad that when she was trying it on the model in the room, I assumed it was unfinished and it was going to look somewhat okay later once she had more time to work on it. Nope. 

[SSAHotchner]

I honestly don't know why I'm watching anymore. I thought all the looks were terrible. And if they couldn't decide who to send home, they should have sent them both home. They weren't worth saving. 

[Linderhill]

I definitely think that Fabio is on the short list to win, just like Mondo and Anthony Ryan were for their season.  And I think that's a shame.  There was no reason that Mondo should have been beaten in his season by the horrible Gretchen, but I never saw what it was that Isaac saw in Anthony Ryan, in his season or on All Stars.  Especially after that monstrosity that he designed for the veteran lady.  That being said, there's no reason to go thru a farce of a season just for righting a "wrong."  I liked Fabio in his initial season but his designs just don't do it for me and I couldn't figure out why everyone was going gaga over them.  They all looked the same to me.

 

 

That top is straight out of the 80's and not as hip as Michelle seems to think.

This pretty much describes everything about Michelle and her designs to me to a tee.

[Julia]

The funny thing, to me, about Michelle being upset about dressing someone with a penis is that next to Bea Arthur, the celebrity I can most easily see wearing her clothes is Eddie Izzard. 

[heythere]

I must be boring because I would have given the win to Dimitry or Justin based on how nicely the clothes fit and the nice fabrics they chose. 

Agreed. They were both boring as heck but they both looked really well made. 

 

Helen and Sam should have been in the bottom, for certain.

[Surrealist]

Michelle and her attempt to bring back the Members Only aesthetic?!  Zippers?  There?  I'm surprised she didn't have the guy drenched in Axe Body spray and forget hair and makeup.  All he needed was to step out of a Trans Am with the cassette stereo blazing "You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right round, like a record baby...."

 

Yeah. I felt the same way. I didn't mind her outfit, but the zippers and buttons distracted me. Plus, it looked like the pants were slinking down into the guys' shoes.

 

I'm glad that she wasn't in the top because her whiny attitude over having to create menswear drove me nuts.

 

Don't these designers take classes on menswear and kids' wear? I think they should be required too, even if they choose to specialize in women's wear later on. I think it would be cool to design for men.

[KLovestoShop]

Fabio's outfit was awful. Since when are "floods" fashionable? It's not like these two men were having a date on a beach.

I laugh when Isaac's comment about KMart was off the wall, and ballsy, because the place where he sells the most, QVC, is considered VERY KMart.

What's with Jay and the hot pants? He looks so awful. Please, wear some long slacks.

[EyesGlazed]

Laverne Cox can come back anytime. Loved how she was as interested in the date gossip as much as the clothes. And, of course, getting us a free show with "Do you want to kiss now?"

I actually hated that moment.  She wasn't interested in the straight couples, she was just intent on treating the two gay guys like lab rats.  Did you kiss?  Did you want to?  Show us now!  Look everybody, two gay guys kissing!  What a lesson for America!  I found it disrespectful.

 

So what exactly do the 'scores' do for the judges when they clearly don't mean anything later? At least 2 of the judges admitted that they gave Justin's look a high score... but yet he was one of the bottom two?

 

I guess I shouldn't expect anything to be consistent or make sense... but it was annoying to hear "half of us gave you a good score, but because some people really thought your look was boring, we are going to consider kicking you off"  

Word.  I don't understand Fabio's win for these same reasons.  Mizrahi actually made fun of the look.  I don't remember any of the other judges loving it unreservedly.  His real guy model looked uncomfortable in it.  So how did he walk away with the prize?

 

But what do I know.  I liked Michelle's look.  Maybe it helped that her guy was super hot and could wear clothes well.  I especially liked the sweater.  The zippers made it interesting and they called attention to the guy's great shoulders.  And cashmere, mmmmm on a man.  The pants fit very well.  Yes maybe there were a few too many buttons or snaps or whatever they were, but I still liked them.  I also liked Dmitry's outfit.  

 

Fabio's and Jay's looked like costumes to me.  Maybe I'm too hetero and old to get it, but if a guy showed up on a date with me wearing either of those outfits, I'd laugh my ass off.

 

And I'm not even mentioning the women's looks because they were all lame in one way or another.

[NikSac]

Helen-Too short, too tight, too open in the back, hated the shiny material. It was way too much for a first date. How did she not get sent home?

 

Maybe she was actually designing something for Heidi?  Heidi does seem to go for clothes that are short, tight, and shiny...

 

I really hope Helen is gone soon. I don't want to watch her anymore, or even try to. Michelle at least makes me laugh.

[NikSac]

They should have one men's challenge each season - to push the designers outside their comfort zone.

Helen did not deserved to be saved.  Whereas Justin did not deserved the harsh criticism - for designing what suited the client.

 

Ooh you know what might be fun?  An entire season of menswear. I'm not sure how it'd be to watch, but seeing the looks on the designers' faces when it's announced could make it all worthwhile.

[Tony]

That was just awful. Everything just ranged from hideous to bleehhh. There were absolutely no winners this week. Just send them all packing and call it Project Sponsors. Could they make it any more obvious that they just shoehorned a crapload of advertisers into the show? That was just embarrassing. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

First things first - WTF was Alyssa wearing on the runway? Good lord. It looked like something straight out of 1987.

 

Zanna can STFU. A gay man can't wear pink! Gawd, what year does she think it is? Mr. EB is straight and he has more than one pink shirt.

 

Michelle can also STFU. How convenient that she got "sick" after she got stuck with doing menswear. All the whining about how her partner wasn't helping her was so annoying. Girl, please. Like you would help anyone if you weren't done with your design.

 

Hated Sonji's turquoise dress. I hated the cutout which looked tacky and messy. I hated the triangular wings on the front and the back which made it look like she was wearing a vest over a shirt. Dmitry's navy and black sweater was okay but nothing to write home about. I get what he was gonig for.

 

I didn't like Sam's outfit. I agree that it looked like an outfit you could find in a store. I didn't like the fabric she chose for the skirt which reminded me of a little girl's Easter dress. I didn't like Michelle's outfit either. The zippers on the shoulders were a little too wannabe edgy. I hated the hem on the pants. They were pooled up on top of his shoes.

 

Justin's outfit was boring but exactly what his model said he wanted, so I guess that fulfilled what the client wanted. It also looked well made which is more than some of the other designers can say. Helen's was a nice color (STFU, Michelle - not everything that's blue is a Lewinsky dress), but i agree that the fabric wasn't great. The sheen made it look cheap. The skirt was too short. When she walked up to her date on the stairs, I was afraid I would see her cheeks.

 

Hated Fabio's outfit. His model looked like a little kid playing dress up. The pants were just a little too short so he looked like a kid who was outgrowing his pants. How did Alyssa find that look sexy? I also hated what Fabio was wearing too. The colorblocked kimono over the rest of the outfit was weird. Jay's outfit was a little too messy looking. I think it was mostly the neckline on the grey tank. If it had been a little higher or had a finished edge, it might have looked better.

 

I was so annoyed every time Alyssa or Zanna said the designers were playing matchmaker. Uh, no. They didn't set up these dates. They were just making clothes for people who already agreed to meet each other in person.

[Beden]

 

I feel like most of my comments in this forum relate to what I wish the show would be doing versus what it is doing, and here I go again: Yes to the quote above. As nice as it is to look at pretty dresses and gowns, why not dictate more variety? They've done a coat challenge, and every now and then they freak them out with menswear, but at least every other week they should dictate the type of garment the designers have to make. Pant suits, business separates, sportswear, maternity, bathing suits, lingerie, uniforms, resort wear, cold weather wear -- most of these have been done on occasion over the show's many seasons, but why not mix it up more within each season? Sure, we'd probably get a lot of designer whining about how "I don't DO pants", but we'd get to see who's truly creative and skilled, rather than seeing Helen make the same dress eleventy billion times.

You're right, there's much more to the fashion industry than women's wear. And yes, if you go through a good fashion course/school, you should have advanced classes in mens wear, patterning, tailoring and all the rest. To do more complicated, intricate garments takes more time. You need time to conceive, plan, search out suitable fabrics, make a pattern, construct the garmet, do several fittings--throw together a caftan and you'll probably at least have something to go down the runway.

 

The problem (okay, a big problem) with this mess of a show is that, first of all, men's wear--to do really right--is frigging hard. It takes time to get the tailoring right, to have the seaming correctly placed and to have a garment actually look good and that's assuming that you actually have a good idea to begin with. It's faster and easier to make a tee shirt and cross your fingers that the jacket you made to go over it doesn't look like hell. Plus, leave the jacket unbuttoned/unzipped and the fit doesn't become quite as critical. The same goes for women's wear--making a straight skirt is faster and much easier than a pair of pants--fewer pieces, less patterning, less critical fit. Yes, I sew, have for decades, even get paid for it. I've made men's suits and it's major difficult to have them look good; that may well be my own limitations (damn, I wish I have Dmity's technical abilities!) but high end men's tailoring is a specialty and not something even good technicians can always do well.

 

I've read here that the schedule for the episodes had to work around Heidi's overstuffed commitments and that may well be true but clearly the content of the show is seriously suffering. A Helen is a limited designer/seamstress but someone like Dmitry who is head and shoulders beyond her in terms of basic talent and technical skills is still severely hamstrung by having to produce a full look in what amounts to about 10 hours. I can only imagine the frustration of being forced to produce second rate garments. Sure, they signed on of their own free will but...c'mon. This is bullshit. I'd like to see this show, see what the designers could come up with if they had the 2 or 3 days challenges of days gone by. It would be a different show.

 

Yeah, time is money...

[ellystar]

The problem (okay, a big problem) with this mess of a show is that, first of all, men's wear--to do really right--is frigging hard. It takes time to get the tailoring right, to have the seaming correctly placed and to have a garment actually look good and that's assuming that you actually have a good idea to begin with. It's faster and easier to make a tee shirt and cross your fingers that the jacket you made to go over it doesn't look like hell. Plus, leave the jacket unbuttoned/unzipped and the fit doesn't become quite as critical. The same goes for women's wear--making a straight skirt is faster and much easier than a pair of pants--fewer pieces, less patterning, less critical fit. Yes, I sew, have for decades, even get paid for it. I've made men's suits and it's major difficult to have them look good; that may well be my own limitations (damn, I wish I have Dmity's technical abilities!) but high end men's tailoring is a specialty and not something even good technicians can always do well.

All of this. With almost every judge's critique (not just this episode, but all season), I just wanted to throw things at them and say "WTF do you expect, you gave them NO TIME." It drives me crazy. I have no idea why I still watch this show. I think part of me still hopes that it will be great again. I'm convinced that a lot of potential designers are turned off from doing the show because they don't want to deal with the time restraints.

 

And it showed on the runway this episode. Everything was boring because the designers didn't get enough time to design, shop, or sew. It looks like they barely even get enough time to sleep. Maybe that's why Fabio won, even though his look was odd at least it was something different with some design to it.

[kelslamu]

What a monumental waste of time!  Someone should have went home.  Sam's made her girl look like a bowling pin.  Helen's was just ridiculous.  I thought it was hootchie looking.  Of course, ymmv.  Dimitri's was allright.  Michelle should have went home due to whining and then her, "Yeah, I'm fabulous and know it." attitude after.  Ok, I'm sorry, but Fabio's guy was in no way fresh or sexy.  His shirt made me think bowling league.  He basically looked like he dressed in the dark out of someone else's closet.  Strangely, Jay's looked better.  I think, and I can't believe I don't remember his name, the guy on the chopping block was ready to cry before they said anything.  People show us some talent! Pleassseeeee!  Make me remember why I liked PR to begin with.  Zanna may look better if she did dress in the dark.  Poor Alyssa.  Enough said there.  

[kelslamu]

Pointless episode. Not getting rid of anyone when there were so many ugly outfits  on the runway yet again. It was a perfect oppurtunity to finally kick Helen to the curb.

This season sucks ass!

Yeah, and it's not even fresh, young, or edgy ass!  Bleah!  

[izabella]

Jay's outfit was a little too messy looking. I think it was mostly the neckline on the grey tank. If it had been a little higher or had a finished edge, it might have looked better.

 

I agree.  I hate that kind of neckline on men's t-shirts and tanks, but I've seen it here and there recently.  It looks really messy to me and I'm not sure why it became a style.  It looks like someone grabbed the neckline and pulled on it, stretching it all out and making it droop.  Yuck.

[PepperMonkey]

I'm still holding out hope that if this is a redemption arc for ANYONE, it's Fabio. I hated his "toddler look" as someone above said, for that gorgeous guy on this week's challenge, but he's not heinous and most importantly, he's not Helen.

 

I would be fine with almost anyone winning except Helen, even though I must admit, she has not been as bad this go-round as she was on her original season. I still think she reeks of entitlement though and has always been told she's the specialest snowflake that ever snowflaked, so I think she can't figure out why she didn't win originally and is expecting to win this one.

 

But we are talking about Project Runway and also about Isaac, who decided Anthony Ryan's boring ass shit was worthy of a win, so all bets are probably off. With the way I usually predict things, Sam will probably take the whole thing. Which is honestly still okay, since she's not Helen...

Edited December 21, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[sinkwriter]

I go up and down on how I feel about Helen, but she cracked me up this week with her unintentional innuendo, explaining her outfit. Something about "Well, it looks serious up front but says 'I'm really fun from the back'!" You could see her brain caught up with her words after they came out of her mouth and she realized, "Hmm... I probably could have said that better." LOL. But the judges loved it.

[Glade]

It really makes me sick to see how narrow and rigid PR wants to keep the male gender role.  As if the mere fact of wearing a pink jacket makes you "look like a woman!" and no homosexual male would or should even be caught dead in such a thing!  Oh please!  There was nothing wrong with the jacket.  And then Dimitry's comment using "little boy" as a pejorative, was disgusting.   It was shockingly refreshing for me to watch Project Runway Australia for how infinitely more open and accepting it was to androgyny, open homosexuality, and genderf*ck as fashion.  On that show, they didn't all squeal at the very idea of menswear (the designers often even included it in their final collections) or go throwing around the word "masculine" in the most traditional and conservative definition imaginable. 

 

In my opinion, Michelle should have gone home for that sweater that was heavy and un-fitted,  just hanging off the guy's neck and clinging to his pecs (which were further accentuated by the zippers right above them.) I would never wear something like that, it was so unflattering.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Glade

[nottopbravo]

I go up and down on how I feel about Helen, but she cracked me up this week with her unintentional innuendo, explaining her outfit. Something about "Well, it looks serious up front but says 'I'm really fun from the back'!" You could see her brain caught up with her words after they came out of her mouth and she realized, "Hmm... I probably could have said that better." LOL. But the judges loved it.

 

I still can't stop laughing at her playing Russian Roulette with Grandma.

[Julia]

I thought that was a bit odd. _Even_ if he's on a date with a man he should look like a man? I'm pretty sure his being a man is kind of the point of that date, Miz Zanna. I'm just not sure what the color of his shirt has to do with it. Hell, Wall Street is packed with oinkeriffic alpha male brodudes in pretty, pretty, pastel Brooks Brothers. Some of them are even gay.

The best part of this, though, is that she's passing on this wisdom about the importance of butchness in male attraction in front of a polyamorous guy in a skirt.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Julia

[potatoradio]

I hate to quote a PR cliche, but I have to ask: where the heck were these boys and girls GOING in their outfits? First date dress totally depends on where you're going and what you're doing. It looked like they met on some bleachers somewhere and then went for drinks? Wow - hot! Another awkward sponsor placement ruins a challenge.

 

So, let's see, if I'm going on a first date, I want to look good, but not like I'm trying too hard, and it's definitely not the time to try a fashion that's not me. Yes, Justin's was boring, but hey, that's what happens when you design for "real people" and need to take into account what they want. Justin's boy didn't want widgets and cogs and whatnots hanging off his butt, so I respect Justin for respecting that.

 

Wow, Helen created a memorable first image. Poor girl had to run up stadium bleachers like a giant blue bat. If she flapped a little harder, she'd have taken off and wheeled into the night. Romantic.

 

Honestly, I thought Michelle was the one about to give birth with all her hysterics. Was she permanently scarred by the Dr. Suess tale "the pants with nobody inside them?" Because WTF with her temper tantrum? Wow, Michelle, you're so edgy and forward and cool  that designing pants (that have to accommodate a PENIS yet!) made you come undone. Color me impressed.

 

Perhaps she should have asked Zanna for help - Zanna who sounded about 12 years old, squeeing at the idea of a manly Aussie in a jacket*. Also, Zanna, I know plenty of men (gay and straight) who don't necessarily want to dress "like a man." Shut up and go play with your barbies.

 

Samantha's was beyond awful and Sonjii's looked like a bulky Easter contraption with a smile in the middle. Both safe. Whuuuuuuuuuuuuut?

 

And every time I think, "oh, AM's outfit isn't so bad this week," I get a close up and then I realize that, yes, it is that bad and does she not realize she's the butt of some joke?

 

*I get squeeing for a hot Aussie in a jacket, but one can choose to use an adult squee instead of a tween squee.

 

 

 

[Empress1]

Sam and Michelles' couple totally did not hit it off.

Nope. And that dude needs to call me. I thought he was really cute. But when she stammered "He's Indian, and I ... studied abroad in India ... I think we'll try again!" and he didn't say a word, it was very awkward.

I liked the skirt Sam made, but not on that woman. It was a bad length and that, coupled with the ankle boots, chopped like six inches off her legs and made her look stumpy. And I totally saw her underboob in that crop top.

Michelle is an asshole, but she always has been. No surprises there.

I thought they were too hard on Dmitry. His look wasn't that interesting but the guy seemed to like it, and it suited him - it looked like his taste.

I thought the pink and gray jacket was way too young for the man wearing it. (Adorable couple though - you could tell they DID hit it off.)

HELEN. That was so ugly. The woman had great legs so showing them off isn't a bad thing, but oh my God, was that ugly ugly ugly. It looked cheap as fuck. Straight up Forever 21 shit - and she said she was going for sophisticated! I think there's a taste issue there, because that thing was hiiiiiideous, and it's ridiculous that Helen is still there.

[ratgirlagogo]

Two things I liked about this episode:

 

1)  Nobody freaked out about having to design for real people.  They were worried about having to do menswear because it's harder and requires more tailoring and fitting than this show ever allows, but that's different.  All the designers were totally cool with their clients, and that was nice to see.

 

2)  All the clients looked happy with the outfits they got.  Maybe some were more thrilled than others, but we didn't see anyone walking the runway looking miserable and brave as we have in so many previous Real Person challenges.

 

Oh, and I loved Dimitri's line about no hokey-pokey.  Beyond that I got nothing.  I wasn't nuts about any of the clothes.  Plus I just kind of have a problem with the whole "dressing up for a first date" premise.

 

So, let's see, if I'm going on a first date, I want to look good, but not like I'm trying too hard, and it's definitely not the time to try a fashion that's not me.

And that's the problem I have.   For a first date,  I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt and I expect the other person to do the same.  Let's figure out if we even like each other before we start getting all fancy.

 

 

But when she stammered "He's Indian, and I ... studied abroad in India ... I think we'll try again!" and he didn't say a word, it was very awkward.

Oh yeah, that was awful.  

Edited December 20, 2014 by ratgirlagogo

[Empress1]

For a first date, I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt and I expect the other person to do the same. Let's figure out if we even like each other before we start getting all fancy.

I respectfully disagree - sort of. I think it depends wildly on where you are going. A very typical first date, at least for me, is after-work drinks. I work in a business-casual office so I wear dresses on first dates of that ilk, because I came straight from work. A weekend daytime coffee date would mean jeans but not a t-shirt - something one notch above that, with fun jewelry because I like fun jewelry. I actually appreciated that these couples were getting dressed up For a Date, treating it like something special.

[ratgirlagogo]

 

 I actually appreciated that these couples were getting dressed up For a Date, treating it like something special.

No problem,  I understand what you're saying.  For me the dressing up part always overwhelms me with stage fright if I actually care what my audience thinks of my outfit, which is  just me I suppose.:)

Edited December 20, 2014 by ratgirlagogo

[Thylacine]

Remember when Banana Republic style was a complement on this show (season 1 prize of a BR mentorship, season 2 challenge to design a BR look)? Now it's apparently an insult, unlike bra-exposing tent monstrosities and scrubs-wear. This show becomes curiouser and curiouser.

[carrps]

 I can't believe I don't remember his name, the guy on the chopping block was ready to cry before they said anything.  People show us some talent! Pleassseeeee!  Make me remember why I liked PR to begin with.  

 

Justin. And he always cries.