Project Runway: It's All In The Cards

August 15, 2015 6:10 AM - Season 14, Episode 2

It's time for the unconventional challenge. As usual some designers struggle while others shine (or at least glitter).

All looks side-by-side and slightly larger pictures.

posted by bjrn (12 comments total)

I thought the materials were a bit dissapointing. Unconventional challenges are a mixed bag, but it can be fun to see what kind of different materials the designers find and use. This time it was a bit too much of the same for my tastes. But by the end of the episode the thing I wished for the most was that they would just take away all the muslin during the unconventional challenges. Every time there is at least one designer (or three in this episode) who lose track of the challenge and design something with the muslin instead of the "unconventional" materials. This time I found it especially bad since Blake got praise while he was doing the same thing Ashley & David were being scolded & aufed for.

As for the looks, there were some really terrible pieces up there.
I was surprised to see Jake just waved through. His design wasn't super special, but it was a fine little dress and I thought he'd gotten it quite far away from paper looking.
I was dissapointed in Gabrielle's dress, when she had just started with those strips I thought that it could have been something nice, maybe if she'd patterened the colors differently it might have worked better.
I thought Edmond was very clever in his work, although having Hallmark plastered all over the top was a bit much.
Kelly's top/bottom combination looked a bit weird to me, but looking at them separately I think she did very well.

I was sad to see David go. I kind of liked his look from last week and think he could have made some interesting work.

Amanda provided some highlights this episode with her rant against Merline's silver rectangle, which Amanda apparently found offensive because it "looks like a manatee penis". And then a nice touch of editing with:
 Amanda (about Blake's dress): Glitter on glitter on glitter on glitter on glitter on glitter-- Whaaaaaat!?
 Cut to Amanda's top: Glitter is always an option

Blake just annoys me so much.
Blake: People think I'm mean, or dumb, or naive. But actually... I'm adorable. *grins* *tilts head*
Ugh.
posted by bjrn at 6:34 AM on August 15, 2015 [2 favorites]

Edmond's wedding dress design was brilliant, and it had nothing to do with the dress. It prominently featured the Hallmark collection logo! Unless your design is really and truly heinous, highlighting the episode's sponsor is a surefire way to get yourself into the top 3. I'm sure the producers eat that crap up.

And good on Amanda for being angry. She's absolutely right. Her skirt was far from the worst thing on there (cf. manatee penis, vulva dress) and her top was pretty neat. And EVERYONE on the judging panel liked it. But she was in the bottom two?? (By the way, Nina? Have you even ever seen a toilet plunger?)
posted by phunniemee at 7:24 AM on August 15, 2015 [3 favorites]

Ugh I do not understand why they haven't eliminated Gabrielle, who has produced the two worst dresses on the show so far, in my opinion, and also has no personality. I really don't get it.

There were quite a few that I thought were nice, aside from the ones in the top, and I'm thinking about Laurie's in particular. I hated Joseph Charle's dress -- the model was basically wearing a gigantic paper mache balloon, and the top looked ripped off from Ashley's winning top from last episode.
posted by likeatoaster at 7:59 AM on August 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

I was torn [sic] between Edmond's and Swapnil's for the winner. I LOVE black and white polka-dots combined with colored flowers and he did a fantastic job. OTOH, Edmond's was breathtaking in scope. That skirt! and I liked using the Hallmark logo for the bodice... if it had been completely white, it would not have been as interesting so why not kill two birds with one stone. He also glued on some crystals. His restraint was admirable. I think they both should have won. (So two designers would have immunity, so what. Both of them are going to be around for a while as they winnow out the chaff like Gabrielle and Jake)

I liked Kelly's outfit as well. She trod a fine line there and I wasn't expecting her to be able to pull it off. Someone called it a Katy Perry costume and that's fine by me. Her choice of papers to use for the mosaic top was masterful--it so easily could've been too chaotic--and she picked the perfect bodice for it. I don't mind the gold-fringed skirt. So many designers started with a good bodice but then couldn't figure out the bottom half (Amanda, Laurie).

The Christian wannabe, ugh. I did like the segue between the colors but otherwise: glitter skirt. Absolutely should not have been included in the groundbreaking (teehee) Top Four.

Bottom Four is where they should've innovated: Merline! Joseph Charles! Gabrielle? Amanda and David because too much muslin. But they should've kept David just to see what he'd do next. Also for the eye candy and the accent.

But def Merline and Joseph Charles at the bottom. Her outfit was... what was it? boring? slapped together? ugly? I quite liked Hanmiao, she understands color and let's face it, all her silhouettes are going to be shapeless but there was nothing interesting/pleasing about Merline's. Joseph Charles made a beer barrel skirt, just awful.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:33 AM on August 15, 2015

Yes, Merline and Joseph - one of those two should have gone home. Definitely bottom. Ugh.

Edmond, Swapnil, Kelly, all quite amazing for one day of unconventional materials.

Blake... can go.
posted by Glinn at 5:21 PM on August 15, 2015

No matter what the judges say otherwise, I'm convinced the producers have some say in the final outcome, and Blake will be around for a while because he makes for good TV.
posted by QuakerMel at 7:11 PM on August 15, 2015

Blake's comment about 'not speaking Indian' to Swapnil made me pause the screen in rage. His rebuttal of "oops I have no filter sometimes, people think I'm rude, but I don't meant it, I'm so cute!" sealed the deal on him. I could roll my eyes at his narcissism and catty superiority schtick, but saying racist things and then wide-eyed excusing himself is a no-go. He and his Lisa Frank glitter mess can go home.

Can't believe vulva dress was safe. I mean. What.

Listening to Nina Garcia wax rhapsodic over how Hallmark celebrates special moments is a new high in corporate wankery. Take me to Red Robin, Nina, let's watch a curved Samsung tv.
posted by missmary6 at 7:52 PM on August 15, 2015 [3 favorites]

Here are this week's looks, side by side.

I was also horrified at Blake's "I don't speak Indian" comment. He needs to go, but I'm sure he'll hang on for a few more weeks for the drama factor. (I actually quite liked his dress this week, though.) Expect to see him paired with Swapnil in a future challenge.

I wonder how many of the judges thought (before they knew who designed what) that Ashley's shapeless horror had been made by Hanmaio. Maybe Ashley just got lucky last week. Is she more than a one-way monkey, designing just boxy tops and high-waisted skirts? Does she struggle with anything else? We shall see.

Lindsay's dress was awful, boring as hell. If she keeps trying to play safe by making boring outfits, Nina and Heidi will gut her like a fish. I find her really annoying too. She's not nearly as good as she thinks she is.

Merline's outfit was fugly and looked like something an 8-year-old would make. How she avoided the bottom I'll never know. At least the pinata skirt showed some skill.

I loved the wedding dress. I rarely agree with Nina but she was spot-on here when she said it totally fit the brief - a celebration outfit, featuring the sponsor's logo but in a discreet way, and beautifully made, even the jewellery.

I want to see a 2-day challenge, so we can see some actual design and construction skills, rather than this mad dash to finish something for the runway.
posted by essexjan at 3:42 AM on August 16, 2015 [2 favorites]

Once again the tearful phone call in the middle tells you who will be auf'd.
posted by drezdn at 8:53 AM on August 16, 2015 [2 favorites]

I disliked many of the "safe" looks. I think the producers purposefully put someone we will root for and someone we will root against in the bottom, then keep the one we hate. It sets Amanda up to be the villain, which makes for better TV.
posted by mai at 9:13 AM on August 16, 2015

The "outtakes" during the commercial breaks are my favorite part of the show.

I do not get how the judges view Blake. Liked last week's dress a lot, and his week's clearly did not rise to the top.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:22 PM on August 18, 2015

Also, I think immunity should make you immune from any Heidi speeches on how much your design sucked.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:36 AM on August 19, 2015 [3 favorites]