Project Runway, Season 10, Episode 4, Not for Sissies!

Greetings, Project Runway Fans.

This week, we visit Michael Kors "gorgeous flagship store on Madison Avenue."

All I can think of is that finally, Peggy Olsen will have something decent to wear.

In 2012, I'd be 72, retired to a nice house in Westchester County.

But before we can dive into this week's challenge....

This just in.  Designer Andrea Katz from New York has been reported missing from the Atlas Apartments where the other designers were staying during competition.  Let's go to Mary Carillo for more.

Bob, I'm here at the Atlas Apartments at the foot of Andrea Katz's unmade bed.  Apparently she left in the middle of the night and hasn't been heard from since. 

Thanks, Mary.  That was...insightful.  I'm getting more breaking news from the Parsons Stitchingdrome...the Chinese competitor, Kooan, is threatening to leave.

Kooan: Please do not cry.  I will be happy Kooan once I leave.  No one wants to work with sad Kooan.
Buffi: I do.  With you gone, the judges will see how inadequate my skills are for this competition!

I can totally understand why Kooan left.  He's right, a sad Kooan is not good for Kooan.  This isn't exactly his culture.  He's got such a strong vision but with such poor sewing skills, Kooan and his vision would get left in the dust.  He needs to work collaboratively with a team of supportive people.

But Andrea Katz, MSA, MFA...she's a BFD.  She's a teacher.  How will she ever face students again once they've seen her wrestle with a sewing machine on national TV?  How will her students ever respect a woman who couldn't cut chiffon and laughed in the face of certain defeat?

I may have just answered my own question.  She left for the sake of what shred of dignity and reputation she might still have left.

So with Andrea and Kooan gone, the designers set to the task at hand-- make an outfit for the woman-on-the-go in one day.

Now, here's an active woman on-the-go....

I don't know what this outfit says to you, but to me, it says, "I may be divorced, but I'm not dead!"  Heidi, you're trying too hard.  It's Lifetime Television, not HBO.  We can see your fishwhistle in that dress.

Melissa

Melissa's on-the-go woman robs from the rich and gives to the poor    kicks ass at Gregorian Chant  likes to dress in layers.  She made approximately 14 different pieces for this outfit, mostly scarves and belts.  She's safe for another week.

Alicia

Alicia's aesthetic is quite causal.  Apart from the little touch of whimsy in the elbow patches, there's not much visually arresting enough to put her before the judges.   The elbow patches would have worked better had the sleeves been 3/4 length instead of half.  The patches don't exactly hit the center of the elbow.

Elena

Still sticking to her guns and her silhouette, Elena produced a coat that just about swallowed her model.    From the back, it looks as if Elena attempted to produce a coat that hugged the body on the cop and flared out at the waist.  But somehow, she didn't quite execute the fit and the coat ended up being blocky and overwhelming.  Still, with points for producing three wearable pieces, Elena is safe for another week.

Gunnar

Gunnar's original design was a lot more ambitious.

Perhaps he didn't find enough blue jersey at Mood.

I ate all the blue jersey.

And perhaps he ran out of time, too.  Whatever the reasons, his end result was completely different but still pretty sharp.

What you can't exactly see here is that the top was sort of burgundy and the bottom was a truer brown.  The contrast was a little distracting.  I'm also starting to tire of the triangle cut out in the back.  As Joanna Coles would ask...

How would you wear a "brar" with that outfit?

Ven

Once again, Ven went to familiar territory.

The dress was expected, the folding details were expected.  The zipper running down the front gave it some edge.  This woman is appropriately on-the-go to several cocktail parties, but the outfit probably didn't have the versatility for which the judges were hoping.

Nathan

Nathan continues to be unremarkable.

Raul

Can you look past this mess of a jacket vest top thingy to see how brilliant my pants are?

Judges?

Guest judge McKayla Maroney is NOT impressed.

Fabio

It's short and sexy.  Perfect for that woman on-the-go, right Heidi?

Michael: You wear goofy outfits just like Jerell Scott.  How come you don't design like him?

Michael Kors has a point.  Fabio's unique personal style just doesn't translate to his garments.  That dress was horrible...just not as horrible as....

Buffi

My woman on-the-go needs a sheet of chiffon to cover up her hideous dress.

Judges?

McKayla is SO not impressed.

Bye bye, Buffi.

Dmitry

So simple and classic...perfect for the on-the-go woman.

But maybe a bit too much like something Michael Kors would have designed himself.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see a variation on this dress in his next fall collection!

There's that cut-out back again.

Chris

Separates....a leather jacket....what more could the woman-on-the-go want?

Perhaps not the big, fat sash in the front that hangs down past the knees.

Sonjia

OK...this view doesn't quite do the dress justice.

Perfectly proportioned.  It's one of those "I want one in every color" dresses.  You could take this from work to evening with the right accessories.  It's nice to see Sonjia soar to the win this week after a few challenges flying under the radar screen.

As we close this episode of Project Runway, I leave you with news of Andrea Katz, who has just sent us a Tweet.

andreakatz:
Listen losers, u can call me a quitr, but i don't need a stinkin' competition 2 show the world my artistry.  

Well, I think it's safe to say that no one could hold Andrea Katz in higher esteem than she holds herself.  That wraps up another evening of fashion.  See you next week.