Project Runway All Stars: Mix and March.com

December 19, 2014 8:23 AM - Season 4, Episode 7

It's the Real Person* challenge. Designers work in pairs to outfit couples going on their first date. That means PANTS...menswear in less than a day because the date is that night. Then they are forced to come back the next day and talk about how their date went. *Now adjusted to ensure that all Real Persons are suitably attractive and height/weight proportionate.

Sonjia gets to pick the teams and everyone seems happy enough with their teammate. Michelle is unwell and feels that Samantha isn't supportive enough and that's about the only drama this week. Fabio wins. Helen and Justin are the bottom two. Is it the first time that the bottom dwellers have gotten teary? Seems like the auf'ees have been very pragmatic about their loss this season. But hey, Allyssa gives them a reprieve for some reason. Has someone miscalculated the weeks until FW again? [jk, there's no FW at the end of All Stars.]

posted by TWinbrook8 (14 comments total)

Side by side comparisons from BPR.

I agree with the judges that Fabio's was the best; loved the color of the pants, a clean, sharp look.

Samantha should've been in the bottom instead of Helen. Her outfit was seriously unflattering to her client. Sometimes when a person says they want a crop top, you have to talk them out of it.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:35 AM on December 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

Agreed, that crop top and skirt combo was highly unflattering. That said, they were really unnecessarily harsh on Justin's look, I thought. Menswear is hard to make that quickly, and his look was polished and neat (though also boring, definitely -- I'll give them that).
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 2:18 PM on December 19, 2014

Isaac: Don't make boobs your problem.
Laverne: Boobs are lovely!

Laverne Cox is stylish, gorgeous, and hilarious, and clearly should be added to every tv show. I was underwhelmed by a lot of these looks, and thought Helen should have been sent packing.
posted by missmary6 at 5:45 PM on December 19, 2014 [3 favorites]

Oh my gosh, Sam skated by again. Not a conspiracy theorist by nature, I think it is very odd she is still there. That much said, how much do I wish I could wear those TOTALLY GREAT pants she was wearing on the runway?

Speaking of wearing. Holy cow, Zanna. Initially I thought she was wearing a simple silk tank and skirt, which frankly would be a nice change for her. But no. She had pants on underneath, but not just that. When she turned around, she only had the pants and no skirt. That's right, long-legged skort. I mean, you saw that, right?

I really liked Justin's. But it didn't hurt that his model was really quite dashing. He did not deserve to be on the bottom. I will further admit I did not see the appeal of either Fabio or Jay's. On the one hand, hospital scrubs with ill-fitting shoulders and on the other, well. I guess I don't know what I'm talking about but they made two totally handsome men look less handsome.

And finally, I was worried that Dmitri was turning into a kind of mean, negative guy. But I don't think so. I think he's just being Dmitry. I hope he sticks around! But the show would still be SO MUCH BETTER with Chris March on. Or Anthony Ryan. For pure entertainment value.
posted by Glinn at 6:30 PM on December 19, 2014

[Full disclosure: Sometimes I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist.]
posted by Glinn at 6:31 PM on December 19, 2014

Snore.

Justin has been skating by for a while now, but the show needs to decide what they're aiming for with these challenges. Yes, his outfit was perfectly cromulent, but it's exactly what the slightly above average hetero dude would choose to wear on a first date.

Fabio and Jay had more latitude because it's assumed that gay guys would be happy to wear outré stuff. So they made some gear and frankly I don't know anyone, gay or straight who would wear either outfit.

Helen's outfit was so strange and awful. Her person was pretty game to wear it. And Samantha's dress was so cheesy looking. BLARG!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:09 AM on December 20, 2014

So because the two that this show really wants in the final (Helen and Justin) had the lowest scores, we just let them pass? With tears from Alyssa? I mean...what in the what?

Seriously, though, I thought Sam should have gone home for her outfit. Helen's was bewilderingly bad, but at least it was kind of an idea. Sam's was just nothing, and badly executed.

It's hilarious that the 90s are back in full swing, with zippered cashmere sweaters and boxy short sleeved medical tunics and pastel Members Only jackets being considered "fashion forward."
posted by xingcat at 7:14 AM on December 20, 2014

I had issues with Fabio & Jay's outfits. They both had guys who clearly worked out and at least one of them mentioned liking to see the muscles of his date. So you would think they would make sure to show off what they liked in themselves and their dates. But nope, they both covered up their models upper bodies. Fabio with stiff fabric and Jay with a baggy jacket. I thought it was disappointing.


Has anyone here watched PR: Threads? Is it worth checking out?
posted by bjrn at 7:25 AM on December 20, 2014

(D'oh, I meant Anthony Williams, above.)

I don't think I could watch Threads. But I have finished Project Catwalk and Project Runway Australia. So maybe.
posted by Glinn at 7:29 AM on December 20, 2014

Oof. I just don't understand why when they get these "real people" challenges everyone goes with boring colors and no patterns! Not a single pattern on the runway except that awful nude colored textured skirt thing.

I'm a normal person and my closet is full of patterns, colors, textures, layering, etc. I mean even Justin's look could have been saved if he picked a chic pattern for that guy's top and maybe a jacket or tie.

I mean, in general I think the designers on these shows should use more patterns, but this just felt SOOO boring. Like that woman in the blue dress, why didn't you put an awesome pattern on her?? She could have totally pulled off some neon flowers or a watercolor look or something.

I also really hated how most of the guys' stuff was so dark. I'm glad Dmitri admitted that he should have used a brighter blue - however I think he maybe shouldn't have even used blue at all. Why not green or something?

At least no one seemed to complain about them not being model sizes although there were definitely some fit issues. And yes, that crop top and skirt was awful. Sorry lady, but that skirt give you a belly! It was so unflattering form the side and she's such a pretty woman.
posted by Crystalinne at 5:13 PM on December 20, 2014

I don't understand why Samantha and Justin are still around. Neither one has any originality. Helen and Jay are the two next worst. Michelle is coasting. I think it's going to come down to Sonjia, Fabio, and Dmitry.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:08 PM on December 20, 2014

I hope you're right, TWinbrook8. Of the contestants left Those three would be my pick for the final as well. Although I'm usually not a fan of Dmitry's aesthetic at least his clothes are (almost) always well made, and his talking heads tend to be entertaining.
posted by bjrn at 4:58 AM on December 21, 2014

Menswear done in just a few hours is almost guaranteed to be boring and I didn't like any of the looks on men in this challenge. Everything was boring and simple and even the winning look ended up looking like a uniform from a bad sci-fi show filmed decades ago.
posted by mathowie at 9:28 PM on December 21, 2014

Alyssa: *announces the challenge*
Michelle: Thwt means we have to design menswear!
Me: You could get 2 chicks going on a first date!

And then they did not, in fact, have a lesbian couple. I wonder why - did none volunteer, or did they want to force them to do menswear?
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:53 AM on December 23, 2014