Last week, Char was sent home after she created a truly hideous deconstructed yellow “dress.” Although she deserved to go home based on what she made, her fellow designers already miss her and they feel like she was supposed to be here longer.
All That Glimmers
Tim and Caroline Scheufele, the artistic director for Chopard, meet the designers on the runway, along with millions of dollars worth of gems. Tim tells them their challenge is to create an extravagant evening wear look inspired by the jewel that they choose. The models will wear the look down the runway. Another evening wear challenge, huh. Third one in three weeks! And based on what the designers showed in the last two challenges, I’m not looking forward to this one at all.
In the work room, Tim asks the designers to gather ’round. He brings in Char and tells them that her elimination has been weighing heavy on his heart. When he saw the designers gathered for the next challenge, he noticed a void, and that void was her. Awww. So he uses his Tim Gunn save to bring Char back.
I have to say, it’s pretty early for Tim to use his save. But Char has a fun personality and really seems to have potential as a designer, so I don’t hate Tim’s decision.
Next, Tim takes them on field trip to the Met to see the Charles James Beyond Fashion exhibit. The designers are all inspired to see the vintage glamour of his looks from the 1920s to the 1970s.
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The Rocks That They Got
Sean picks a necklace that is dripping sapphires, but wants to move away from navy since he’s used it in the last two challenges. He picks a blue with more of a shine, but Samantha picks pretty much the same fabric. Sean’s not worried though, because he has immunity. He’s making a simple floor length silhouette but with intricate details.
Sam’s jewelry is a diamond watch and a HUGE diamond ring. She’s making a structured bodice, but Tim warns her that it’s a little too basic. He tells her to push her limits, so she re-designs a more structured bottom.
Instead of a necklace, Kini chooses large diamond earrings. He’s making a corset top with a long flowy skirt. He’s trying to show his technical skill with attention to detail, but he’s having trouble with the fit of the breast cups. Tim notices them right away. Kini knows he has to reconstruct it, but somehow can’t get the right fit on the corset.
Char feels a lot of pressure to live up to Tim’s save. She was really inspired by Charles James’ abstract lines. Because of its weight and asymmetrical neckline, Tim worries that it looks too bridal. Which is probably what she should have done in the last challenge, am I right?
Korina chooses a statement piece of jewelry with a bright pink jewel on a strand of black diamonds. She somehow thinks this necklace will go well with a thick coat made of a red Northwestern patterned upholstery fabric. Tim is worried about her construction because the seams are a little off. She decides she needs to rework it. She also makes the most basic of dresses (literally, she just throws some black fabric over her dress form) to go under her coat. While it’s not necessarily cheating, it does seem like a short-cut a good designer wouldn’t have to make.
Amanda has a heart-shaped (because her last name is Valentine, get it?) pink diamond bracelet as her piece. She wants to make a ’50s style “over dress” with a jumpsuit underneath. The “over dress” is white organza and looks exactly like what the judges hated in the future of fashion challenge, but she had immunity so she wasn’t technically in the bottom. I still don’t know why she’d push it by making something she knows the judges won’t like.
Inspired by the Charles James exhibit, Alexander wants his dress to look like its own effortless textile. His necklace is also a stunning pink jewel on a diamond collar. He uses crinkled taffeta to create his desired textile and hand sews it together piece by piece. Tim tells him that he has to open up the neckline to show off the jewel, otherwise he’ll be in big trouble.
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Dazzling Designs
Caroline Scheufele from Chopard is joining Zac, Heidi and Nina’s broken foot as judges on the runway. Heidi also tells them that this is the last challenge where they can win immunity.
Top
Amanda- Heidi loves that Amanda always gives them looks that are “outside the box” and that she takes risks. Nina can see it as an Instagram or editorial sensation. Caroline likes it too, but Zac thinks it’s awful. Finally, someone who isn’t drinking the Amanda Kool-Aid.
Korina- Nina loved how the coat made her feel like she was somewhere else and that it really played on the exoticism of the necklace. The judges even love the simple (slapped together in five minutes) black dress under the coat. Zac says it’s her best work so far. That may be, but there hasn’t been anything that great so far soooo…
Sean- Nina thinks the look is absolutely stunning and picking the velvet as a trim was a very smart move. Caroline says it looks like she belongs in their catalog and on the red carpet. They all appreciate how it managed to be beautiful and interesting all without taking away any attention from the diamonds.
Bottom
Kini- At first I thought Kini was in the top because most of his comments were complimentary. The judges liked how it moved on the runway and the design, but the construction is what worried them. It didn’t fit right in the breast and Heidi and Zac agreed that it should have been shorter. Zac says he’s worried Kini just chose the wrong fabric to work with.
Alexander- The biggest complaint they have is that they couldn’t see the diamond when the model walked out. Heidi also doesn’t like how the fabric hid his model’s figure. Zac says it’s a tortured, scary fabric, and points out all of the exposed pins. He doesn’t think it’s a bad dress, but Nina strongly disagrees. She thinks it’s a terrible dress.
Samantha- Zac thinks the dress is just drab and doesn’t have a lot to say about it. Heidi says that there’s a serious lack of design for a design competition. Caroline says it’s too basic and not for the star, but for the star’s assistant.
Korina wins the challenge this week. Ugh. There will be no living with her now.
Alexander and Samantha are in the bottom. And in the end, the judges award the over-designed as opposed to the under-designed. Alexander is in and Samantha is out.
If you’re sick of evening wear challenges, don’t worry: Next week is an avant garde challenge. And in the rain on the runway, too!
Project Runway airs on Thursdays at 9pm on Lifetime.
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(Image courtesy of Lifetime)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
