Queer and Screaming: PR Recap Episode 6

Before I start my weekly Project Runway Recap, I'd just like to start off by saying that this is the second time I've had to run to get home in time for this show, and this time, I tripped and fell on the street, and now I have huge scrapes on my hands and knees, and I might as well have just taken my sweet time, because I basically missed the first 10 minutes of the episode because I had to clean myself off. See what I do for fashion? Too much. I did something similar last summer (I went to fast on a bike and fell off and had nearly identical scrapes to the ones I have now), and I'm pretty sure I'll just have no knees left if something like this happens again. (And remember when I fell off the treadmill? I had scabs from that too.) The worst part is, I'll have nasty, huge scabs during fashion week. Scabs are never chic. Not even grunge chic. That's just dirty.

Back to the show.

Please note that I write this as the show is going on, so any predictions that I make are just that--predictions. Don't think I'm giving something away early on, because I honestly have no idea.

Episode 6: The Art of the Matter
(guest judge Kenneth Cole (and substitute of Zanna Roberts Rassi for Nina Garcia))

For this challenge, the designers met with students from the Harlem School of the Arts (kiddies from age 10-18-ish), and had to create a painting together that the designers would use as inspiration for an avant-garde look. By definition, avant-garde means "new and unusual or experimental ideas," and this proves to be a difficult concept to grasp for some of the designers.

A lot of the designers were not really feelin' it; Josh M. was so unbelievably uninspired by his painting of a tree, but when he got a hold of his fabrics, he started getting some really...interesting ideas. I wasn't so sure how it would pan out, because he was painting his fabric to look like tree bark and he was even writing his mom's initials on the fabric the way people do with real tree bark. Maybe a little too much for me, but who knows.

* Quick note: * They've started including a lot more about what goes on while in Mood, and how freaking difficult it is to choose the right fabrics within a budget. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Another designer who struggled a little at a different point during the show was Josh C., because he'd never been to Mood before. All these designers were struggling to stay within their budgets, while he'd only spent $166 of his $300 that he was allowed to use. He was flippin' a shiz because he didn't want to go home again. That would just be embarrassing, now wouldn't it?

Then, Olivier, who we all know just doesn't use color, decides to buy all chiffon, which he's never worked with before, and only one color, when he had a really colorful painting to work with. I usually love Olivier (I can't figure out why, it might be the accent, because him and I have very different styles), but I think he ended up going a bit too boring.

In the end, the people who struggled the most were Olivier, Josh C and Becky (well, not so much, but she was making a denim gown with 3D squares on it, and Tim said it was looking a bit too arts and crafts-y, but I liked it in the end).

In the last few minutes, Olivier was actually gluing his model into his garment, which Tim informed him is against the rules. I was worried that he'd be like, disqualified or some craziness like that, but the glue hadn't even stuck, so it was fine.

I was actually kind of shocked when the runway show started. I didn't start liking any of the looks until about halfway through. Look after look came down the catwalk, and I was either repulsed or I just didn't like them. I actually liked Becky's look a lot, but then more came down and I was bored again, and then Anthony Ryan's look came out. It was gorgeous--colorful, abstract, sexy: avant-garde and wearable. Winnah?? I think mayhaps. Then, Anya's walk out, and I'm like, "Oh damn, I dig this so hard." As I was writing down notes, I wrote several exclamations followed by the word "love" in parentheses next to her name (and Anthony Ryan's).

The ones where I was like, "What the *@#% is that???? That's atrocious as hell," were Bryce's and Bert's. Somehow, Bryce was safe, but Bert was in the bottom.

The Top 3: Josh M, Laura, Anthony Ryan
The Bottom 3: Josh C, Olivier, Bert
Safe: Becky, Anya (I was shocked about this one, I thought she was in the top for sure), Viktor, Kimberly and Bryce.

Here's what the judges had to say:
They liked Josh M.'s because of the texture of the skirt and the top, as well. Michael Kors actually went so far as to say that if she had a ponytail and clean make-up, someone could actually wear that, which is just false. Please look at it and tell me that you'd wear that on the street or to a party with a ponytail and minimal makeup. It's just not possible.

They really came down hard on Josh C. Michael Kors always has snarky comments and quips to make, but always has the perfect analogies. Well, not perfect, per se, but funny nonetheless. Everyone thought his garment looked hooker-ish, dominatrix-y and Vegas cocktail waitress-y. Not so good, especially when he's already been kicked off once.

I liked Bert's concept, but the final product? Yeah, not so much. That model's bottom half just looked 20 times bigger than it was. There's a difference between having a voluminous garment and looking like this woman is wearing high-waisted ski pants with her children packed into her pockets instead of walking alongside her. Then the top is just a mess. It would've been much better without that crazy tulle flopping and sticking out everywhere. I really liked the original sketch, but the ending result was just flat out unattractive.

When Laura's came down the runway and they showed the painting she had for inspiration, I was like, there's this huge red rose in it--where's the red, Laura???? I didn't dislike it, but I didn't dig it. Then when she explained it, I got the concept, and the same thing happened with the judges. They really liked the mix of the hard with the soft (the "stems" made of boning with the silk organza ruffles). I did too, but I would've liked to have seen some of that red.

They were disappointed by Olivier's, as was I. It was boring, and the colors didn't really work. However, everyone agreed while he was in the room that the construction was phenomenal on the top, but the second they started judging him while he was in the other room, they suddenly decided that his garment was constructed poorly. Like, WTF, guys? Rude. I'd say that Michael Kors and Kenneth Cole liked it the most out of the judges--Kenneth didn't even think it was boring.

The judges loved Anthony Ryan's, like I did. They thought it was incredible, which it was. I already discussed his, so I won't repeat anything. The one new thing is that Kenneth Cole thought that had the colorful pieces been placed more strategically, it would've felt more professional, or something picky like that, and that the look "wasn't all there," whatevah da haylz that means. Haters gonna hate.

In the end, Anthony Ryan won, and Josh C. was kicked off, again. Awks.