Project Runway Season 13, Episode 4: Suited for Battle

Meanwhile, back at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Headquarters, we join the monthly marketing meeting already in progress....

Greetings, Project Runway Fans!  This week's challenge was the long-awaited Red Robin challenge.  The weekly chat room folks  at Blogging Project Runway were wondering what sort of challenge we could possibly get from a company that is already awarding "the opportunity to design a fashion accessory for all servers" as part of this year's prize package.

It was a triumph of marketing over fashion.  First, they trotted out Jerrod, the guy with the "fake VP Title".

That's Jerrod on the left.

Then, they set up the challenge project placement opportunity.  Guys in vintage suits came out holding burgers.  Great display.  It's a good thing I ate dinner before watching the show, right?

Designers were to make a "red carpet outfit" inspired by the suit, using the material from the suit as the main fabric.  But there was a "suitable twist!"

What happened to the burgers?  Marketing assured me there would be close ups of the burgers.  Patteye will NOT be pleased!  Heads will roll!!!!

Sandhya, the winner of last week's challenge (again) got to have producers whisper in her ear who gets which suit (note, you only see her from the side...) pick for everyone!  Now those conspiratorial, paranoid designers hate her even more!  Drama!

Designs were fueled by "bottomless fries" which I assume are fries not wearing any pants, and a cocktail.  I would have insisted on a cocktail.

I love repurpose challenges.  They go back to the roots.  Think about it.  Many designers get their start repurposing cast-away clothes.  The producers allowed them to supplement with fabric from Mood.  Most of them would have been better off just sticking to the suit fabric.  

I'm going to start off with my personal fave of the week.  

Mitchell

No, it wasn't the best design.  Yes, he has some taste issues, but nothing near those of his competitors.  He reminds me of someone.

Remember Joshua McKinney?

Joshua wasn't afraid to use color or unconventional materials like plastic inserts.  He thought out-of-the-box and teetered dangerously on the precipice of good taste.  It brought a creative tension and sense of playful fun to his designs.  Mitchell has that playful sense.  Every week I expect him to disappoint and he really hasn't delivered a clunker yet.  What could trip someone up more than polyester, fake denim?

When life gives you fake, polyester denim, cover it with plastic.

Listen, he was given absolutely craptastic fabric.  There was no redeeming that fabric. He had to disguise it enough to get past the judges.  It made Heidi smile.  For all we know, this is her favorite outfit and she wants one in every color of fake, polyester denim.  He was safe this week by taking a very calculated risk.  So I tip my hat to Mitchell this week.

Samantha

Listen, we're only four weeks in and there are too many designers right now to care about.  Sam is fading into the background, despite her....scoops.

Listen, your scoops might bring all the boys to your yard, but I'm really starting to forget who you are.

Best tattoo, however.  If I didn't think I'd look ridiculous with one, I'd get one similar to that.  

Zzzzzzz

Wake me when she designs something interesting.  I know she got a black suit, however, simply using the suit without some interesting visual element is a sure-fire way to ensure that when she finally gets a critique, it will be "we can't tell your point-of-view."

fäde 

Four weeks in and fäde is fading into the background.  His aesthetic is very sophisticated and subtle...perhaps too subtle for the judges.  I can totally see Kerry Washington in this look.  Up to now, however, the winning designs have been the most attention-getting. fäde has yet to put anything provocative on the runway.  How long will his low-key style keep him in the game?  Sometimes contestants like this break late (Leanne Marshall) and sometimes, they trip up (Epperson).

Emily

Emily had the iconic, red plaid suit.  You could hear Alexander McQueen screaming from the great beyond.  He was probably not screaming out about high-waisted, dropped crotch pants.  Now, we all know that Heidi loves a dropped crotch pant...not that she would ever wear one, of course.  But the idea is "cool," as Heidi would say.  

But we also know that Nina Garcia hates dropped crotches with a passion that burns like a plasmic miamsa.  So Nina would cancel out Heidi, which leaves her at the mercy of the other judges, which is why she was firmly ensconced in "safe" this week.

Char

Too much origami up top, too much slit on the bottom.

Korina

This was a solid effort from Korina this week and one of my favorite designs.  The skirt was too low and the slit was too high.  I think the skirt could have used some balancing black detailing.  All the interest was in the top.  

Sandhya

The other designers just need to shut up.  Sandhya picked the worst suit for herself before she assigned the producers picks picked suits out for the other designers.  She was on the right track with "pop art" but she never really succeeded in delivering it.  Using the yellow and purple suit as "patches" with other colors was very inspired.  She should have embraced that more and not combined it with the top.  This would have been better served with simpler and fewer design elements.

Each of these next three designers failed to overcome a roadblock.

Sean

Sean was assigned the gold, corduroy suit and sunk into a deep depression.  Inspired, no doubt, by the bottomless fries at Red Robin, he decided to turn the corduroy around and work with the reverse.  That problem solved, he set about using it as strips with shear fabric insets.

And that's when all the trouble started.  

When Tim came around to see the design, every sloppy seam puckered and strained.  As they looked at both sides, Tim suggested using the raw edges.  Thing is, they were a bit too raw and the flesh colors made the model look like a mummy.  

Kristine

What a disaster of an outfit.  why the detached sleeves and organza pantlets hanging down from the cropped pants?  I don't even know what to call some of this stuff.  The outfit didn't need it and neither did Kristine.

Hernan

But the worst outfit without question belongs to Hernan.  He hated his white suit with brown, velvet lapels so much, he bought a bronze metallic vinyl that looked just like it, but shinier.

He complained about the fragile, difficult polyester from the vintage suit.  So what did he get to compliment it?  Bronze metallic vinyl.

And after all the whining and complaining, we are left with a simple dress with a bad collar and weird graphic elements.  

Adios, Hernan.  

Alexander

The skirt is too long, too poorly constructed and the top is poorly constructed.   This is just the producers judges giving Alex and "worst to first" moment and they said as much about three or four times.  

Kini

Kini had this in the bag....but....despite finishing an hour before everyone else and giving his outfit another critical look, he finished and took a break.  Look at the seaming along the bottom.  

Yes, the judges kept saying the "tailoring was good" but their heart wasn't in it.  The closer they got, the more uneven and puckered it looked.

The idea was good, but the execution, maybe not so good.  When Nina tossed out the "I've seen this before" that was the kiss of death.

I really believe some poor construction here cost Kini the win.

Amanda

"Look into the fringe!  You are getting very sleepy...your eyelids are getting heavy....when I count to three you will regain consciousness with a sense of well being and a desire to declare me the winner of this challenge..."

"Fringe!  Must...like...fringe....Amanda wins!"

"Heh, heh, with my Jenny Haskins Fringe Maker and those lessons I took at the Hypnosis Institute, those judges are putty in my hands AND I WILL RULE PROJECT RUNWAY!!!  BWAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

See you next week and join us in the Blogging Project Runway chatroom next Thursday night starting around 8:30!