‘Project Runway’ 20 episode 3 recap: ‘Toying with Fashion’ found unconventional materials at FAO Schwarz [LIVE BLOG]
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“Project Runway” returned on June 15 with a “Project Redemption!” challenge intended to rewrite history. The All-Star contestants had to take their worst looks from their respective seasons of “Runway” and reinvent them (and hopefully improve them). No rest for the weary, though, because what’s their next challenge? The always highly anticipated (for the audience) and dreaded (for the designers) unconventional materials challenge. Scroll down for our live blog with all this week’s developments and commentary as they happen.
Nora Pagel was eliminated in “Project Redemption!” after she chose an unforgiving fabric in a color that highlighted all her technical mistakes and washed out her model. That leaves 13 designers competing for a second chance at the “Project Runway” title: Brittany Allen (Season 18), Prajje Oscar Jean Baptiste (Season 19), Laurence Basse (Season 15), Fabio Costa (Season 10), Bishme Cromartie (Season 17), Johnathan “Kayne” Gillaspie (Season Three), Mila Hermanovski (Season Seven), Rami Kashou (Season Four), Viktor Luna (Season Nine), Korto Momolu (Season Five), Kara Saun (Season One), Hester Sunshine (Season 17), and Anna Yinan Zhou (Season 19). The winner of the competition will get $250,000, a mentorship with the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America), and a feature in Elle magazine.
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“Toying with Fashion” sends the designers to the famous New York City toy store FAO Schwarz to gather the supplies they need to make playful fashion statements. So who will make the most of their unconventional materials to send stunning looks down the runway? And who will toy with the judges’ patience? Follow along below starting at 9:00pm (times listed are Eastern).
9:02pm — It’s 11:33pm when Christian Siriano tells the designers to “leave the past behind.” They’re taking a field trip tomorrow, and “it’s going to be a wild one,” but he won’t tell them where exactly they’re going in pure Christian fashion. At 5:45am — for those counting that a maximum of six hours of sleep they got — they’re off to their destination: Rockefeller Plaza.
9:04pm — A pink toy car with a “Follow me” sign and Christian’s devilish face directs the designers where they’re going: FAO Schwarz. This place is perfect for Christian’s playful spirit. And also perfect for this season’s unconventional materials challenge — the second challenge of the season! Damn, “Runway,” let the designers get settled in more before dropping this bomb on them. Just kidding, this might be more fun for the viewers this way.
9:05pm — Christian explains that they must create whimsical runway looks from toys, much like other famous designers have done in recent years. “F*ck,” says Fabio with a laugh. Indeed, making something “whimsical” could go haywire and veer very quickly into costume or kitsch. The good news is that this is a two-day challenge, and they have $2,000 to shop with. The designers are thrilled with that, but that amount of money could go faster than you think at FAO Schwarz.
9:07pm — Prajje went home on this challenge, as we saw las week when he had to recreate his doilie dress. As a kid he loved toys but didn’t have many growing up in Haiti. He was taken to this store as a child and it’s one of his favorite places in New York. Brittany’s favorite thing growing up was playing dress-up, so she’s aiming for “fun and playful” with her design. Hester is overloading on teddy bears: “I have five, what if I need seven?” Teddy bears remind her of one of her favorite childhood memories that sparked her creativity as a designer. Hester’s aesthetic has changed since she was last on this show, but I feel like this challenge was made for her. Rami’s grabbin’ kites, Kayne is pickin’ up pandas. Pandemonium!
9:11pm — The designers have 30 minutes to sketch in the workroom. Fabio’s going for a queen of hearts playing card look. Bishme is going for “Space Jam glam” — futuristic. Korto’s planning a short cropped jacket with the stuffing from a toy piano. Laurence isn’t a fan of the challenge at all: “I’m going to do unconventional, but I have the right not to like it.” I feel like she’ll either end up at the top of bottom, but not in the middle. She might have an interesting couple of days.
9:12pm — Designers sawing, tearing, drilling their toys. If this were “Toy Story” it would be a nightmare, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” level carnage.
9:12pm — Kayne bought children’s umbrellas. He’s going to use the wire frame to create the geometric hip line for his dress. Love it!
9:21pm — Christian begins his walkthrough. He’s worried that Kayne is biting off more than he can chew. Mila’s working with stuffed unicorns and puzzle pieces. The top is going to be a fur hoodie. “You sure?” says Christian derisively. He doesn’t think it’s as sophisticated as her usual work, but she wants to “try something new.” Always a dangerous thing to say on “Project Runway.” Brittany is smashing tea cups for a mosaic, but Christian warns her against using children’s tent fabric as just basic fabric. It doesn’t show enough imagination. Similarly, Fabio is taking the easy way out just doing a card dress. “Maybe a little too dry for me, could have used a little lube,” says Fabio of Christian’s critique. Rami has possibly the most stuff. A lot of his inspiration is coming from kites, which represent keeping your head up high during difficult times, but he needs to make sure to edit himself. Viktor is cutting off stuffed heads for a “campy but cool” trench coat look. Laurence’s look is coming out “fabulous” so far despite her disdain for the challenge. Prajje didn’t grow up knowing much whimsy, but Christian hopes there’s at least some “joy.” His mind went streetwear, but he might be using too much stuff. Edit, edit, edit!
9:29pm — They’ve got nine hours on day two, and they return to a workroom in chaos. “This room needs Jesus,” says Brittany. Hester notices that Fabio and Brittany are going “glue gun-hard,” but she doesn’t think a truly successful unconventional look needs a glue gun. Viktor is desperate for boomerang pieces so he can finish his skirt. Brittany borrows some “little piggies” from Viktor, gets in a fake screaming match with Bishme. I love that the drama this season so far hasn’t really been drama.
9:31pm — Time for model fittings … assuming the designers have anything to fit them with. It’s actually going pretty well for most of them. Anna might be on another planet, though, with her look, inspired by her baby. She misses her child and starts to cry, but I, like Christian, am more worried about the, um, interesting design elements she’s got going. He thinks the gray dress she’s created is a “wrinkled mess” and the judges will “tear you apart.”
9:37pm — Anna changes her design, adding ruffled textures to add “fairy tale energy,” but Prajje worries she’s got no actual toys in her look at all. Viktor, meanwhile, needs even more toys and is eyeing Korto’s yellow boomerangs. But he doesn’t know if he’ll get them because when they were on “All-Stars” together previously they were somewhat combative. But she just straight up gives him what he needs. He apologizes for how he acted previously. See, that’s the kind of “healing energy” I like to see on reality TV.
9:40pm — Laurence has finally finished her hood and shoulders. So she needs to think of something quickly for the whole rest of the body of her look. Time’s up and everyone seems to have a lot left that they need to do. It’s stressful AF, so Brittany is relieved they get to unwind at a wine bar, while Anna takes a video call with her husband and child. “I called my boy, and I did not cry!” she celebrates … then immediately starts crying.
9:45pm — Four hours left before the runway show. Christian returns to remind them what’s at stake. The grand prize now includes six months of representation from a PR company. Korto is glad she won’t have to take PR costs out of her $250,000 WHEN she wins the competition. Get it, Korto!
9:48pm — Final model fittings time, and it looks like Kayne is straight-up Human-Centipeding his panda bears together. And he’s gonna spray paint their eyes red to really get the “villain aspect” across. Mission accomplished. Kinda nightmare fuel. But in a good way? We’ll see. Laurence is using closures from her wooden toy to fasten her garment. “I’m doing my best,” she says of her last-minute finishes. I’m a little worried that her look is going to come off incomplete given how quickly she had to assemble the body of her garment. Mila’s got a big problem with the lining showing through her skirt. From what I’m seeing right now that’s a bottom look. It doesn’t look well-thought-out. Kayne’s model isn’t even dressed with eight minutes left to go. Hester’s look is coming off “kinda dark,” according to Christian, but I’m into it.
9:49pm — Catching glimpses of the designs during last looks, I’m excited for most of these finished products.
9:53pm — Today’s guest judge is Stacey Bendet, CEO and founder of fashion brand Alice + Olivia.
VIKTOR: Starting the show with a bang, I love the stuffed animal sleeves and the boomerang jacket and that blue belt that I don’t even know what it’s made of. Already a candidate for top design.
FABIO: I really like the shape of his playing card look. The way he shaped, folded, and assembled the cards is really impressive. The shape of the dress is bold and unique. The dress isn’t easy to walk in, but I’d say this should be a safe look.
PRAJJE: Okay, I already have a new favorite design. It’s cool and punk and he completely reinvented the toys on his look. It could have come off as cluttered and busy the way he assembled so many details together, but it’s totally cohesive. He has more than redeemed himself from his last unconventional debacle.
HESTER: I’m not sure about her unconventional look. The teddy bear collar and toy car shoulders are cool, but aside from the dangly belt, what else is unconventional about it? I’m a little disappointed. But it’s playful.
ANNA: I really like the way she pleated her materials. Not the most whimsical look, but a solid dress. Will the dark color and lack of playfulness hurt her?
KORTO: I don’t love the skirt at first sight, but when the camera gets closer and shows off the cars and tracks circling the whole outfit, I’m sold. I like this a lot.
BISHME: He went in a dark direction, but I really like the look, the wire wings in the back, the big bold shoulders, the varied textures. I’m impressed.
BRITTANY: She nailed this look. The tea cup top looks great, the ruffled skirt she made from her tent material is a real reinvention of that material, and the shoes she styled it with really tie it together. I feel like it’s a more successful version of what Anna was attempting with her materials.
KARA SAUN: I like pretty much everything about it. Another look where you really can’t tell where the toys begin and end. Could be another top look. Big step up from her design last week.
LAURENCE: The look came together alright. “I’m not mad at it, and I’m not in love with it,” she says about it, and that’s kind of where I’m at with it too. It is lacking whimsy, though. Potentially a bottom look?
RAMI: I’m guessing this is a safe look. Not a dramatic reinvention of his materials, but the colors are nice, the shoulder detail is dramatic. I like it.
MILA: I like the top. The bottom is a little so-so. Better than I thought it would look from the workroom. She could potentially be safe with this.
KAYNE: The big voluminous coat comes out and on its own it’s underwhelming, but it’s clear there’s going to be a reveal. Brandon knows it, we know it, and when it happens with that vibrant Cruella De Vil dress and that Panda Centipede, it’s dynamite. Maybe my favorite runway presentation of the challenge. Another win for Kayne?
10:00pm — Okay, my thoughts are that the top are Kayne, Prajje, and Kara Saun (Brittany and Viktor are up there too). There were no outright disasters, but the bottom for me are Anna, Laurence, and Hester. Let’s see what the judges say.
10:04pm — Fabio, Kara Saun, Hester, Anna, Bishme, and Korto. Not the group I was expecting to be top and bottom … and they’re not. Turns out they’re in the middle. A little surprised that Anna is safe.
10:05pm — First top look is Prajje‘s, no surprise there. Stacey loved it. Elaine thinks it’s cool, giving street style, and she hopes he’s proud of himself. “I think this is what this challenge is all about.”
10:07pm — Kayne had another top look, also unsurprissing. Brandon loved it as soon as it came out, it’s a very hard material to work with and the strips came together perfectly. Stacey thought it was fitted and beautifully constructured. Nina loved the humor and joy. “The bleeding panda filled you with joy?” says Brandon. Me too!
10:08pm — Okay, the first bottom look is indeed Mila‘s. Nina loved the movement of the dress, but it’s not telling her a story or giving a point of view. Elaine had elements that she liked, but Brandon thinks it looks unfinished.
10:09pm — Another low score belongs to Rami. Aww, I didn’t think this was a bad look. Stacey loves the concept, but the construction fell short. Elaine thought it felt noisy. But Rami stands by the color story, and honestly, so do I. I hope he’s not eliminated.
10:10pm — Another high score goes to Brittany! Hooray! Stacey is impressed by the ruffles. Nina thought the ruching technique was great and it had a strong point of view.
10:11pm — There’s a fourth high score! And it goes to … Viktor, and rightly so. Elaine thought it was “fantastic,” the complete thought is “elevated.” Nina thinks it’s “beautiful” and “flawless.” Stacey thinks it could be on a Paris runway.
10:12pm — Laurence, unsurprisingly, got a low score. Nina can tell she’s a very good tailor, but she wants to know why Laurence didn’t really try. “I did try,” says Laurence. But Nina is right that you can kind of see her disdain for the challenge in the garment. Elaine doesn’t think the look says anything about her as a designer. I think Laurence is going home.
10:21pm — In the judges’ deliberations, it’s clear that Rami is safe from elimination and it’s down to Mila and Laurence. I’m surprised to say that I hope Mila stays. I liked the top of her look better than I expected, and she at least came to the challenge with the right mindset. For the top, Brittany is ruled out of winning the challenge due to how much of her dress she simply built over muslin. The winner for me should be either Kayne or Prajje, but the judges are actually torn between Viktor and Prajje, and I’m not mad at that.
10:25pm — The winner of the challenge is … Viktor! I would’ve gone with Prajje, but he was more than worthy of this victory. And he also wins a Singer suite of sewing products.
10:27pm — The eliminated designer is … Mila?! I’m pretty surprised by that. I thought Laurence’s dismissive attitude and kinda dismissive design would be her downfall.
10:30pm — Mila says in her exit interview, “Leaving the runway feels really surreal. I really did think that I was going to be safe. I had a concept, and I had the passion for it. It just feels too early to go. I just want more time. It’s really hard to leave that room full of awesome people. I wanted to come back to ‘Project Runway All-Stars’ not only to push myself and make things again, but also just to show the world who I am. I don’t really think I had enough time to do that.”
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