Project Runway All Stars: "Double Bind" & "Let Me See Your Peacock"
August 27, 2023 11:01 AM - Season 20, Episode 11 - Subscribe
Another two-fer! In Double Bind, The designers are faced with one of their hardest tasks yet: a one-day challenge that forces them to create one runway look that showcases two opposing fashion styles. In Peacock, create a red carpet ready menswear look, that was both striking and chic.
In Double Bind, designers are randomly assigned a brief to create a garment which incorporates "formal & casual", "basic & bold", "fitted & oversized", sexy & modest", and "elegant & edgy". Brittany has an interesting interpretation and Korto thinks her last week's judgement as "safe" means "boring" and she's not boring.
In "Let Me See Your Peacock", for "the first! time! in Project Runway! History!" designers are tasked with making a Red Carpet Look for male models. Two days and a lotta cash. Fan favorite Rami gets his first win and Prajje's hand painted pants fail to wow the judges.
Episode 11 recap
Another Episode 11 recap
Episode 12 recap
Another Episode 12 recap
No photos, naturellement.
Next week: Last episode before finale, the dreaded avant-garde. Hopefully they have more than one day to complete the challenge.
In Double Bind, designers are randomly assigned a brief to create a garment which incorporates "formal & casual", "basic & bold", "fitted & oversized", sexy & modest", and "elegant & edgy". Brittany has an interesting interpretation and Korto thinks her last week's judgement as "safe" means "boring" and she's not boring.
In "Let Me See Your Peacock", for "the first! time! in Project Runway! History!" designers are tasked with making a Red Carpet Look for male models. Two days and a lotta cash. Fan favorite Rami gets his first win and Prajje's hand painted pants fail to wow the judges.
Episode 11 recap
Another Episode 11 recap
Episode 12 recap
Another Episode 12 recap
No photos, naturellement.
Next week: Last episode before finale, the dreaded avant-garde. Hopefully they have more than one day to complete the challenge.
I'm behind an episode so I can only comment on Double Bind. The minute Korto started talking back to Nina it was obvious she was a goner. I don't know anything about Nina outside of what I've seen in the show, but I get the very distinct impression that she expects people to bow down to her and accept her word as the final judgment from God. She certainly doesn't seem like a person who accepts any kind of backtalk from a bunch of lowly contestants.
posted by sardonyx at 7:20 AM on August 28, 2023
posted by sardonyx at 7:20 AM on August 28, 2023
Since all the episodes are filmed before producers start editing to craft the various stories, I can believe every kvetch was guaranteed a spot in the final reel so Korto’s story is disgruntled OG designer, the last one except for Rami who seems genuinely sweet and who has his own story going with Christian, mates but one is wildly more successful. Prajje was in the bottom four times in a row before being voted off the fifth time; Korto only once. He was also in the top four times, Korto twice (winning once) but mostly “safe”. So he’s a much more uneven designer and she was upset because safe meant boring to her. At any rate, the judges haaaaate brocade whenever it pops up (just like they lurve neoprene) and it’s all so subjective.
I think Laurence will make it to the final just so judges can see if she can wow them this time. In her regular season she was up against Erin who was just light years ahead in creativity (even if you would never wear her designs) and she played it too safe. Rami, god love ‘im, just doesn’t have much range or color sense. Brittany never made much impression on me. Bishme, the clips they show of his non-PR work look very interesting, he needs some guidance but IMO he’s getting the winner’s edit.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:26 AM on August 28, 2023
I think Laurence will make it to the final just so judges can see if she can wow them this time. In her regular season she was up against Erin who was just light years ahead in creativity (even if you would never wear her designs) and she played it too safe. Rami, god love ‘im, just doesn’t have much range or color sense. Brittany never made much impression on me. Bishme, the clips they show of his non-PR work look very interesting, he needs some guidance but IMO he’s getting the winner’s edit.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:26 AM on August 28, 2023
Okay, I desperately needed a break after working non-stop for...I have no idea, I've lost track...so I caught up on the menswear episode. And I have thoughts.
How could anybody like that cheap, shiny, tacky fabric that Brittany picked and also run down those gorgeous pants that Korto made that looked rich and luxurious and expensive? Actually Brittany's whole outfit gave off a whiff of circus clown to me (the striped blouse with the big lopsided bow probably helped).
When it came to Bishme's look I didn't get western vibes at all. I just kept having jokes run through my head along the lines of "who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" because between the shape of that hat (which is not a fedora) and the scarf/train, I was getting major Bill Sienkiewicz does the Shadow flashbacks. (Yeah, I know that's not an association a lot of PR viewers, or any PR judges, would make).
I don't normally agree with anything Elaine has to say, and today was no different. I didn't find that Rami's material looked cheap. It absolutely didn't. It looked like it could have used a tiny bit of something behind it (interfacing or a stiffening backing of something) to keep it from bunching and buckling when the model moved.
Prajje's look started to go wrong the second he started painting it. There was no way that design was going to work. Even the issue with the pink fabric appearing darker in colour wouldn't have been a problem if the rest of the outfit was better.
I don't really have much to say about Laurence. As the judges said, the pieces were fine, they didn't go together. They weren't red carpet fashions. They looked like some modern cosplay of a "historical" movie like Gladiator or The 300 gone wrong.
I'm unfamiliar with the guest judge, but he seemed to be able to articulate his thoughts about fashion in a way that indicated he knew what he was talking about, which is a huge step up from some (most) of the other guest judges. I'd be more than happy to see him back again. And yes, Elaine did what she always does, agrees with whatever the guest judge says. (I should say that I think she skipped off the second part of her act, which is to keep agreeing with the guest until Nina disagrees with the guest's opinion which causes Elaine to get all confused trying to play up to both her boss and the guest.)
posted by sardonyx at 5:13 PM on August 29, 2023
How could anybody like that cheap, shiny, tacky fabric that Brittany picked and also run down those gorgeous pants that Korto made that looked rich and luxurious and expensive? Actually Brittany's whole outfit gave off a whiff of circus clown to me (the striped blouse with the big lopsided bow probably helped).
When it came to Bishme's look I didn't get western vibes at all. I just kept having jokes run through my head along the lines of "who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" because between the shape of that hat (which is not a fedora) and the scarf/train, I was getting major Bill Sienkiewicz does the Shadow flashbacks. (Yeah, I know that's not an association a lot of PR viewers, or any PR judges, would make).
I don't normally agree with anything Elaine has to say, and today was no different. I didn't find that Rami's material looked cheap. It absolutely didn't. It looked like it could have used a tiny bit of something behind it (interfacing or a stiffening backing of something) to keep it from bunching and buckling when the model moved.
Prajje's look started to go wrong the second he started painting it. There was no way that design was going to work. Even the issue with the pink fabric appearing darker in colour wouldn't have been a problem if the rest of the outfit was better.
I don't really have much to say about Laurence. As the judges said, the pieces were fine, they didn't go together. They weren't red carpet fashions. They looked like some modern cosplay of a "historical" movie like Gladiator or The 300 gone wrong.
I'm unfamiliar with the guest judge, but he seemed to be able to articulate his thoughts about fashion in a way that indicated he knew what he was talking about, which is a huge step up from some (most) of the other guest judges. I'd be more than happy to see him back again. And yes, Elaine did what she always does, agrees with whatever the guest judge says. (I should say that I think she skipped off the second part of her act, which is to keep agreeing with the guest until Nina disagrees with the guest's opinion which causes Elaine to get all confused trying to play up to both her boss and the guest.)
posted by sardonyx at 5:13 PM on August 29, 2023
I'm unfamiliar with the guest judge, but he seemed to be able to articulate his thoughts about fashion in a way that indicated he knew what he was talking about, which is a huge step up from some (most) of the other guest judges.
I believe that was Colman Domingo, an actor who's best known for a role in FEAR THE WALKING DEAD and with supporting roles in films like SELMA and MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM. We did a play together in 2003 and he has ALWAYS been one styling dude.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:58 PM on September 5, 2023
I believe that was Colman Domingo, an actor who's best known for a role in FEAR THE WALKING DEAD and with supporting roles in films like SELMA and MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM. We did a play together in 2003 and he has ALWAYS been one styling dude.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:58 PM on September 5, 2023
I believe that was Colman Domingo
Yep. I feel bad because I'm sure he's a perfectly okay guy, but the first movie I really noticed him in was Zola, and so seeing him I want to be anywhere else.
Korto...I do understand being at a point in your creative development where critique isn't all that helpful, but being at that stage is incompatible with going into a competition like PR, even the more respectful all-stars edition. I also understand being made wary by life, but on a show like this that translates to extreme defensiveness which can just be exhausting to watch. (You can see it in Laurence, too, but she's far more self-contained and internal, so she doesn't give as much for a villain-lite edit.) I don't know if it's a double bind, but it is a trap, and I don't think the PR environment facilitates her best work.
I'm amazed that Prajje went out on a menswear challenge. He always dresses himself so well!
posted by praemunire at 7:43 AM on September 6, 2023
Yep. I feel bad because I'm sure he's a perfectly okay guy, but the first movie I really noticed him in was Zola, and so seeing him I want to be anywhere else.
Korto...I do understand being at a point in your creative development where critique isn't all that helpful, but being at that stage is incompatible with going into a competition like PR, even the more respectful all-stars edition. I also understand being made wary by life, but on a show like this that translates to extreme defensiveness which can just be exhausting to watch. (You can see it in Laurence, too, but she's far more self-contained and internal, so she doesn't give as much for a villain-lite edit.) I don't know if it's a double bind, but it is a trap, and I don't think the PR environment facilitates her best work.
I'm amazed that Prajje went out on a menswear challenge. He always dresses himself so well!
posted by praemunire at 7:43 AM on September 6, 2023
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I am so glad Rami is hitting his stride and that the judges are appreciating his designs. His peacocking outfit was wonderful - I could see Tilda Swinton in that on a red carpet. I am kind of done with Laurence, who is a bit too much of a one-way monkey (™Dimitry Sholokov). I know leather is her signature, and she sews it beautifully, but other designers have been criticised for a lack of versatility, so I don't know why Laurence is being given a pass.
I'm glad someone pointed out the hypocrisy of sexualising the male models when that wouldn't be tolerated with the female models. That said, Bishme only has to smile and I melt ...
posted by essexjan at 12:24 PM on August 27, 2023