Project Runway 408 Recap: "En Garde!"

Ricky should have been the one to go down. I really can't believe he is still in the running. How many times has he been in that losers group? All I can say is that from the previews of next week, in yet another teary emotional burst, it appears he may finally get booted off the show. Through his sobs he blubbered something about "an emotional roller coaster". Even his analogy is a loser, what good is a roller coaster sans the soaring heights that precede the precipitous plunge? His run on the show has been more like a painfully slow funicular ride down a low grade hill. I am almost ready to give up on the show, honestly! I can't bear to watch him make it through another round. I'd rather strain my puke through one of his meshed hats and eat it!

Ricky needs to go in the next episode.  He is way over his head.  Every season there are one or two designers that manage to survive way past when they should have gone.  All his designs have been simple to mask his limited construction skills.  I feel sorry for him because a lot of people are angry at him even though he doesn't make the decisions. 

This was definitely the best episode of the season.  Team Fierce and Team Passive Aggressive made memorable designs worthy of winning.  Christrian and Chris both deserve immunity but at this stage of the game giving two people immunity would be outrageous.

Kit deserved to go.  Both designs were her doing.  She has a knack for making things look poor.  With that said she is a very nice person and I wish her the best.

I like Sweet P, she is my favorite female designers (based solely on her personality).  Rami is my favorite designer overall, he is talented and great looking.  When they were paired toghether I knew it would lead to disaster.  Sweet P tends to be the most creative at the 11th hour and true to forn she pulled off a beautiful ready-to-wear dress at the last minute.  Knowing how Sweet P works it is no surprise that Rami closely monitored her.  They both overracted.

I totally hate you for coming up with this brilliant phrase:

Team Passive Aggressive

I'm so jealous I didn't come up with that.

I'm ranking the Final Seven based on who I think would create more compelling Bryant Park collections (and by extension, whose designs I find myself most excited to possibly see striding down the Big Tent runway come Fashion Week).

 

1) Christian: There's a firmly-established color palette and an offbeat European sensibility set in stubborn stone here, but Season Four's resident wunderkind continues to surprise and innovate even as he stays close to his comfort zone of earth tones, quirkily cropped tailored pieces, and signature pleated detail work. I am very intrigued about the possibilities surrounding a 12-look collection from this self-styled "Diva Ferosh".

 

2) Chris March: His taste level may be erratic at times, but for the most part Chris is an eclectic and accomplished creative artist. My mind goes wild just imagining what might happen if all the usual Project Runway challenge constraints were stripped away, giving him complete freedom to create pure, unbridled Chris March eye-candy couture to be displayed before some of the biggest players in the industry.

 

3) Jillian may (from time to time) encounter time management issues, which she then deals with in the most unbecoming passive-aggressive manner – but she more than makes up for it by demonstrating that she has her own singularly unique perspective on fashion; showcasing a versatility that doesn’t compromise her aesthetic values; and displaying an assertiveness when it comes to making sure her point of view is expressed and heard. The apocalyptic trench coat she insisted on incorporating into Victorya’s punk-equestrian concept was what really gave the ensemble its avant-garde punch. As a stand-alone garment, the flawlessly constructed trench coat had me utterly seduced and left me craving for so, much, more…

 

4) Sweet P: Her track record’s a little hit and miss – but when Sweet P delivers, she doesn’t disappoint. There was the Xmas-gift-inspired sack dress with ruby red and baby blue trim from the first episode; the polymorphic, spit-infused, two-piece Bitten outfit she worked on with Elisa that landed them in the Top Two that week; the downright adorable sweater dress that was her contribution to the Outdated Trends team challenge; this week’s off-shoulder confection of a Ready-To-Wear piece in beautiful shades of gray, charcoal and silver; and the Prom Dress from the week before which evoked timeless Hollywood Glamour and was red-carpet worthy without being flashy, vulgar or age-inappropriate.

Given $8000 and enough time to conceive plus develop 12 thematically-linked designs, I‘d be somewhat interested to see what Sweet P might come up with. She's probably the least conceptual designer left standing at this point – but as the last two challenges have shown, her design work and construction skills are not to be underestimated. Of the 7 remaining designers, Sweet P is the one who has wearability on her side.

 

5) Victorya is a little bit of a one-note: she has a minimalist approach to design that she feels most comfortable demonstrating through the execution of vaguely formless mini-dress after vaguely formless mini-dress, usually coupled with some embellishment, like: that metallic floral brocade from the first episode; the racer-back vest over the admittedly bitchin’ shirt-dress that won her the SJP Bitten challenge; the horror that was the underwear-as-outerwear inspired garment with its color-blocked bodice; and that shapeless electric-blue shift masquerading as a prom gown with fake jewels festooned all over the front panel of the halter.

Actually, cutesy details are probably Victorya’s other trademark: witness the giant checkered brocade that was tacked onto the back of this week’s equestrian-motif ruffled blouse in such a way that it hovered over the model’s jodhpurs unflatteringly – was that supposed to be some avant-garde addition? Given the chance, Victorya would probably send out 12 loose-fitting shirt-dresses with identical silhouettes and an embarrassment of tacky adornments like a silk sash slung diagonally across the shoulder beauty-pageant-style, bedazzled scrunchies stitched together to be worn as a bracelet, etc.

 

6) Rami: I am pretty sure Rami would send out 12 beautiful, Greek-inspired dresses artfully draped in the manner of togas, with pleats and ruching and braiding and corsets appearing in different areas on different individual garments (meant to distinguish one design from another) while the entire line is bathed in tastefully muted shades of charcoal, cream, chestnut, cerulean, mauve, burgundy and beige and somehow I can’t bring myself to be very excited at the idea of viewing this possible collection..

 

7) Ricky: No.

 

I think I would bump Jillian over Chris, but otherwise... yeah. Pretty much. You actually made me re-evaluate Sweet P with your comments. Although I couldn't have raved harder about her prom dress, and think it should have won, I hadn't really stopped to consider just how good she is when she's good. But you're absolutely correct.

I loved Victoria and Jillian's outfit the best. The black coat was amazing!I think Ricky should have left instead of Kit but based on the circumstances with Kit being team leader I can see why she was sent home..As for Rami and Sweet P. I am on the fence with this one.. It is clear that they both struggled working together. Rami has been impressive with his lack of stress, organization and timing skills, which always lead him to produce beautiful designs that express his vision clearly. Sweet P appears as scattered and lacking a point of view in her work. As Chris said about her, she is a hit or miss designer. She struggled with Time management and has sent out some terrible outfits down the runway before... I can't forget that terrible mens design she made for Mr Tiki. Even though I think she is a sweetheart, she would be make a bad team with Rami since she didn't even know what the challenge meant.it seems that he did not trust her input since she didn't have much of it that would have saved them. I think that Rami felt the need to add pressure on the situation in order to finish and in the end they finished and it wasn't bad at all. Having produced reality TV before, they are usually under a LOT of pressure and probably very little sleep.. so stress can be a major part of this team not succeeding on top of lack of compatibility. In the end I would rather work someone who gets the job done and does not cry because of added pressure ..

Thanks Christie.

Last week I praised Victorya's prom dress.  After looking at a picture of it I want to reconsider.  It wasn't as good as it looked on the runway.  The construction wasn't top notch.

I want to see Jillian, Christian, Rami and Chris at Fashion Week.  They have distinct sensibilities and can put together a complete collection.