Project Runway: Project Pop Up

November 6, 2016 2:25 AM - Season 15, Episode 8

Designers split into three teams of three to design a mini collection based on a color. Garments are modeled in a store front window in Soho and passersby vote for their favorite.

Team Blue: Laurence, Rik, Roberi
Team Red: Erin, Dexter, Cornelius
Team Neutral: Mah-Jing, Jenny, Nathalia

The judges liked all three collections. Team Neutral won the public vote and was declared safe. It didn't dawn on them that the 25% credit they received for winning boosted them from being the bottom group. Team Red had serious styling issues. Team Blue slayed as could be expected.

Individual winner: Roberi
Loser: Cornelius but oh hey! here comes another unwarranted Tim Gunn save.

posted by TWinbrook8 (11 comments total)

In this season, being a victim of group dynamics seems as worthy of a save as anything else - it's hard to imagine myself feeling someone was robbed. But Cornelius didn't seem to be so innocent of mean girl behaviour in the edits of earlier episodes?
posted by carbide at 3:55 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I think in the context of this particular challenge, Cornelius wasn't the worst in his group and appeared - according to the edit - to have been ganged up on by Dexter and Erin. So I thought his auf was unfair, and, much as I dislike him, I think it was fair for Tim to save him in the particular circumstances of this challenge.

I hated Roberi's skirt, and overall I thought all three teams' looks were dull. Laurence needs to not make a jacket next time. Not my favourite episode of this season.
posted by essexjan at 6:20 AM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Mrs. W and I both thought Dexter was going home based on the judging, and were surprised when it was Cornelius. But wait! We forgot about the Tim Gunn save. So, maybe the producers want this particular drama to play out some more.
posted by wittgenstein at 6:49 AM on November 6, 2016

Yeah, I'm torn. Cornelius has been one of the weakest designers for a while (I'm amazed that none of the judges pointed out that, once again, we get a Cornelius top that utterly fails to understand how breasts work), and it really is well past time that he goes home. But he probably shouldn't have gone home for this, and I guess this way they get to play up a "Tim Gunn doesn't like bullies!" story arc.

I'm just kinda bummed that Cornelius, of all people, gets a save when Alex didn't.
posted by Itaxpica at 7:49 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

From the way they edited things, it really didn't seem like Erin and Dexter threw Cornelius under the bus. They both stated clearly that they chose him as the weakest because they were friends. They never said that they felt that he was actually the weakest. And I think they made that clear to the judges.

As we get further into this season, it feels like it is fairly easy to look at the remaining contestants and choose who needs to go and who would have an interesting final collection.

Cornelius is not on my list of people whose final collection I'm all that interested in seeing.
posted by sciencegeek at 8:22 AM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Dexter's expression after the save makes me very curious about how next week will go, though I hope they get past the drama.
posted by carbide at 10:25 AM on November 6, 2016

This felt like a total producer-created episode. The groups were pre-picked, I'm sure and I think Dexter might have been the real choice to go home. Even Zac said it would be hard to make Cornelius's pleated skirt in a day. The ending was obvious once Tim Gunn told the judges Erin and Dexter were "mean girls."
posted by Lil Bit of Pepper at 11:21 AM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Embroidering random shit on things is this season's fringe
posted by en forme de poire at 3:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I liked Roberi's skirt but feel like I've seen that kind of faux-boyfriend's-flannel look before.

The producers have made it clear in previous seasons (hi Swapnil) that the two things Tim Gunn hates are 1. perceived laziness and 2. cliquey/aggressive social dynamics, so it was kind of obvious from the middle of the episode that Cornelius was going to get eliminated and then saved to teach Erin and Dexter a lesson. It felt super "produced," as Lil Bit of Pepper said.
posted by en forme de poire at 3:19 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I absolutely loved the blue plaid that Team Blue picked, it just sang out. Pairing it with black and white made for a stunning combination. Rik's dress was divine, so simple. I also liked the red tweed (?) and Erin's coat. After the neutral team was declared safe, I hoped the judges would decline to name a loser. I mean, Cornelius's skirt was a mess but Mah-jing's dress was a snooze.

When Heidi put Dexter and Erin on the spot (who should go home) and the judges were shocked shocked that they pointed their fingers at Cornelius, I wish Erin had called their bluff and nominated herself.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:33 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I thought the blue collection was going to be the bottom. If there is one thing I cannot stand it's random squares sewn on things. It smacks of "I got nuthin" and has zero fashion cred. I just hated that sweater so much. And the leather and plaid skirt was sort of ridiculous. Editorial maybe but not for the real world. Once again the hypocrisy of the judges shines through, as they deride the red pleated skirt for being shorter in the back as the blue plaid leather skirt was also shorter in the back (and in other places.....ugh hated it. Did I say I hated it? It's like Kurt Cobain got dressed in the dark).

The whole Cornelius thing was a joke. But can I have his jumpsuit? I do think red would have been in the top if they use more black and white solids to go with the red. Also, red can come across cheap sometimes, and it was unfair to give the other two teams more chic colors. Also...uh where was the violet? They got red/violet, right? I would have thrown some violet in there for sure. Also, what pissed me off more than anything was Cornelius giving Erin his skirt, and then her not making or even helping him make a new bottom for his jacket.

Also, why even have teams? There was no edict to make the looks cohesive, and no one actually even had to work with anyone else. And once again Mah Jing gets butthurt for no real reason and looks sad the entire episode.
posted by the webmistress at 6:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]