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Project Runway Review: Waste Not, Want Not

Friday

The Challenge: Construct an ensemble using recycling materials (paper, plastic, and/or metal) and $25 worth of art supplies. The recycling materials must be sourced at a waste-management facility in 30 minutes.

The Judges:
Linda: 49-year-old designer with 20 years' professional experience; studied at both Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Danielle: 36-year-old writer with 15 years' editorial experience; no formal fashion training.
Amy: 33-year-old stylist with 10 years' experience in television, film, theater, and print.

Linda's Take: Several designers suffered from the same misstep this week: They were trying to achieve drapability, but you can't really get drapability out of paper. In Allison's case, this is probably what got her Auf'd (and the hair bow, of course). Although she started off well, with those gorgeous color swatches, Allison didn't take the limitations of the materials into consideration. Still, I don't think hers was the week's worst showing. That honor goes to Kayne, whose dress looked like something a futuristic forest nymph would wear. The green was an interesting choice, but the original skirt looked like a Hawaiian tablecloth with mini paint pots attached, and the redo wasn't much better. Meanwhile, for all of Laura's lashing out, I think her design and Vincent's were about on par this week. Nothing about her austere dress, including the flower, appealed to me, and although Vincent's gown clearly wasn't the fine-art masterpiece he thought it was, he was smart to stick with embellishing a simple silhouette. True, it didn't move well on the runway, but none of them did, except Jeffrey's dress, which actually seemed to drape a bit, perhaps because of the paint; the belt was a clever touch, too. I was equally impressed by Uli's silver braided ensemble, and much to my surprise, I actually liked Angela's design, which did a good job of showcasing her crafts and quilting background. Given all of this, I don't think Michael should've won--the bustier was great, but the wrap and the skirt were blah--but I'm beginning to think he's the judges' new golden boy (much like last season's Daniel V).
Scorecard: Uli 4.5; Jeffrey 4.5; Angela 4; Michael 3; Laura 3; Vincent 3; Robert 2.5; Alison 1.5; Kayne 0.5.

Danielle's Take: Oh, the irony! Alison and Kayne, who were the most psyched to use garbage, ended up making the trashiest outfits this week, though Vincent and Angela were pretty close on their heels. Vincent's dress might have gotten him off, but it just got me a whole bushel of dry heaves. Art in motion? I'd call it a walking nightmare, except that the model couldn't move in it. And didn't Bradley get kicked off for an ensemble similar to what Angela sent down the runway this week? I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I just don't get it. And that goes for the winner, too. I liked Michael's bustier and the ideas behind the various components, but overall, I wasn't crazy about the look. Maybe it's my inner Ayn Rand speaking, but a plastic bag is a plastic bag--even if it has a beautiful pin stuck on it. On the other hand, I would wear Jeffrey's (finally his twisted genius got its moment to shine), Laura's (that flower was a perfect touch), Robert's (supershiny yet supercute), and Uli's (a bit roomy in the boobs and bubbly, but striking all the same). After several seasons watching Project Runway, I have to say that this was possibly the cheesiest episode ever (did we really need that horrible reworking of The Sopranos theme song as they were driving through Jersey?) and one of the most frustrating because Vincent really should have gone home (I was totally feeling Laura when she just lost it at the end of the show). While he's been consistently awful or mediocre, Alison has been the opposite (she really should have won the dog challenge). Okay, so she sent a papier-mache cheese puff down the runway this week (and she doesn't know the meaning of the word zaftig and she's got a Cindy Brady-like lisp); she's still 20 trillion times more talented than Vincent could ever wish to be.
Scorecard: Jeffrey 4.75; Laura 4.5; Robert 4.25; Uli 4; Michael 3.5; Kayne 1.75; Angela 1.25; Alison 1; Vincent 0.

Amy's Take: Much like last season's Makeover challenge (the one in which Nick was sent home), this week's episode is sure to infuriate many viewers. Although I'm not convinced that Alison should have been eliminated, I'd hardly characterize it as a tragedy, since she's been shaky since day one (yes, her dog ensemble and INC pants were great, but she missed the mark on everything else, including this week's bloated creation). Was Vincent's trashtastic gown more deserving of the pass? Probably not, but I never pegged either of them for the final three anyway. I actually thought Kayne's freaky-fairy dress was the worst of this week's designs, but I would've been more upset if he'd been eliminated than Alison. In her defense though, the judges seemed far too focused on gender (as a woman, is she any more responsible for making women look thin than a male designer?) and the hair bow (at Gaultier's last couture show, the hair was fashioned into actual hats, and I doubt Nina was berating the creative team backstage). Plus, if it was a lack of innovation that doomed Alison, I don't see the appeal of Laura's too-basic, same-old-silhouette frock (the flower and the gimmicky lettering on the butt did nothing for me). Robert's and Angela's pieces were well-constructed but tacky (I was expecting a bitchy quip from Kors on how their ensembles looked like hooker uniforms, but alas). Although I liked Michael's outfit, Jeffrey bested the field (the pleating, painting, and trompe l'oiel belt were all fabulous), and Uli's design was the real runner-up (although it had some fit issues on top, the woven mylar skirt won me over).
Scorecard: Jeffrey 4.5; Uli 4; Michael 3.5; Laura 2.5; Robert 2.5; Angela 2.5; Alison 1.5; Vincent 1.5; Kayne 0.5.

Judges' Total Talley: Jeffrey 13.75; Uli 12.5; Michael 10; Laura 10; Robert 9.25; Angela 7.75; Vincent 4.5; Alison 4; Kayne 2.75.

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