5/7 It’s Saturn Time: Car Clothes

Hey, it’s not prudent to be a major sponsor of a hit TV show and get only a tiny bit of airtime, no way. Hence, tonight was Saturn night (as in the automobile), so instead of the winner of the whole Project Runway shebang getting the car as part of package…well, tonight the designers actually had to make a garment out of Saturn car parts…for real. The notion was that Saturn uses recyclable materials, and the designers’ challenge was to recycle car parts into a garment creating an innovative look with a twist.

Terri was worried that she didn’t have a blow torch to disassemble one of the half dozen or so cars parked on top of a 24-hour parking garage at 142 W. 31 Street. So it was very kind of the people at Saturn to fill the vehicles with car parts such as headlights, seatbelts, seat covers and floor mats. The designers made off with as much as their little rolling shopping carts could carry.

Let’s face it, there was an obvious bias to the edit tonight and Keith was a goner.
He was incredibly mean, pompous, kvetchy and blaming everyone but himself for failure. His bland outfit was less the culprit than his attitude. Michael Kors gave him a little something to remember about criticism: “You got to let it roll off your back.” but the guy is out. And yet, you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him – he wept and worried about going back to Utah. Truth told, we were glad it was him and not Stella who was also on the chopping block with him for creating something too safe and not cohesive. She said it had a “Planet of the Apes” quality. You have to like her…she’s so darn real and her boyfriend's name is Rat Bones. Blayne’s carwash dress of seatbelts dappled with broken mirrors prompted Heidi to reinvent the mirror superstition, “Seven years no sex.” We don’t think Blayne was a bit scaredlicious.

We wish they could have awarded two wins tonight because Korto’s coat of seatbelts was 100% killer. Guest judge Rachel Zoe wanted it for her own wardrobe … it was simply stunning. She didn’t win. Instead Leanne took top honors for her shapely, couture style dress of seat covers that looked to be embellished with peacock feathers, though they were really shredded seatbelt. Zoe said she was “blown away” by the look and that Leanne could go straight to Paris, as in France, with it.

So where was the Nina tonight? We don’t know, but Laura Bennett, the redhead from Season Three sat in and was a very good judge as was Zoe.

Early on, Terri calls Korto’s gorgeous coat a “scarecrow,” and literally rolls on the floor, laughing hysterically. Korto responds, and we think maybe jokingly, with, “I’m hating on you.”

And there wasn’t a whole lotta love tonight. Kenley misses BFF Daniel – weird, because she basically dissed him big time on the runway in an earlier episode. She has a mini-freak out session when she learns her model bailed and she was going to have to refit her air filter skirt. Also, speaking of models, it’s kind of weird that they have to stand there barefoot in stark black shmatas to be eliminated at the beginning of each show. - Anne Bratskeir

We've Got Christian Siriano's Brand New Look

Here's a sneak peek at a look from the collection of Christian Siriano, Project Runway Season Four winner, which we'll see coming down the catwalk on Thursday, September 11 when he presents at Fashion Week. And while you’re probably thinking that the young designer's duds will be fierce, (they sort of are, in a good way), or tranny, (definitely not), Christian says, “I was inspired by a combination of the futuristic and the feminine.” We dig this particular sketch – especially the transparent sleeves. Do you like it? And truthfully, even more than the clothes, we can't wait to see Christian's signature better- than- the- model strut down the runway apres his first real runway show.
Anne Bratskeir

Guess the final 3

Let's start with some basic math:

Project Runway's show at Fashion Week at Bryant Park is Sept. 12 at 9 a.m.

Today is Aug. 25.

That leaves us with 10 contestants and three more episodes before Fashion Week.

Barring some crazy double switches, rule changes or whackings at an Al Capone pace, we're going to be left with some interesting decoys on Sept. 12 (unless Bravo decides to just say "Screw it" and gives away a week or two worth of suspense by only having one or two decoys).

So here we go with the second annual "Guess the Final 3" contest. We made our predictions and listed them below. It's now your turn. Use the poll in the upper right area of this blog and vote for the final three.

Stella Zotis

She is just whacky and wild enough to make it through to the final.



Terri Stevens

Solid mixed with funky and creative makes for a legitimate spot in the final three.



Joe Faris

A bit of a wild card here, but after careful consideration, he edged out Korto Momolu and Kenley Collins for the final spot on my list.


I may be 100 percent wrong on these predictions (likely, since I was 100 percent right last season), but that's the fun of it all. Let's get your thoughts on the matter at hand.

- La Monica

Runway 5/7 guest judge Rachel Zoe

OK, so maybe this post isn't the most enlightening, but hey, it's a picture of Rachel Zoe, the Week 7 guest judge on "Project Runway" so that's not so bad.

It could be worse. It could have been a picture of me.




- La Monica

Project Runway: Where are they now?

These folks may not have won their respective seasons of "Project Runway" but that doesn't mean they're crawled into a tent and stopped making clothes.

Have at what these past 10 Runwayers are up to these days.

5/6 THE TRANNY DIARIES

Talk about a niche market. Tonight’s challenge? Create a new look for a drag queen. Hearty boy and owner of perhaps our favorite guffaw in the universe, Chris March (from Season Four), presented the mission -- you must remember the wonderful laugh and in the finale, his human hair adorned clothes – yes? In Viking garb complete with sci-fi sequin bosoms and horns, well, our fellow Chris was quite a sight.

The “models,” too, were something else with names like Hedda Lettuce, Farrah Moans, Sweetie, LeMay, Miss Understood and Annida Greenkard but far more bizarre than how they looked in drag, was seeing them sans costumes. Yeesh, they aren’t the prettiest gals, and without the glitz they’re regular, in some cases, nebbishy, guys.

Winner Joe got it right on the money when he decided to design a Halloween costume – like he would for his daughters -- though he went totally Pepto-Bismol pink on his model Varla Jean. His gal was going for an Ann-Margret meets Love Boat vibe and his cute sequined jumpsuit with belt that guest judge RuPaul said, um, “hid the candy,” was really charming and fit the persona. “It was a match made in heaven,” said RuPaul. Look, sometimes fashion must entertain, and this well-fitting bon bon did it.

As for Daniel, who was aufed for his dullard, normal, bad dress shop Flamenco style gown, well, we haven’t loved his attitude one bit during the show – hence the moniker Prima-Daniel – but we felt sorry for him in this particular challenge. He withers when criticized and had he been a little open to suggestion – well, it could have been Keith who got the axe for his tangled, sloppy Tina Turner wannabe rag that once again featured patches and strips. Michael Kors called it a “sad chicken.” Keith weeps uncontrollably when Daniel is booted, but we had to wonder if perhaps these were tears of joy, because he was saved for another day. Daniel is probably a sweet guy; hope he lightens up in real life.

We think Jerell’s sequin dress for LeMay with its fab pop-up lizard collar was clever, but the judges said it was a “yawn.” They kvelled over Terri’s Gene Simmons-meets-Diana Ross Kabuki job – for us, not so great. Korto really captured fire for Sweetie in her boom-laka-laka red confection – there was a real Divine quality there, and Stella’s Vivienne Westwood-dominatrix number was great.

The gang is getting sickalicious of Blayne’s overused suffix, and he was lucky to be spared tonight for his malfunctioning ensemble which Tim said looked like a “pterodactyl out of gay Jurassic park.”

It’s nice that these dresses will be auctioned off for charity by Broadway Cares and the proceeds will go to fight AIDS, but we’re wondering who’s buying.

Here’s the question of the night posed by Bravo. Who would you rather see in drag?
Michael Kors (he got 46% of the votes) or Tim Gunn (54%). We’re absolutely dying to know what you think. Let us know.

– Anne Bratskeir

Coming Monday: Pick the final 3

Get ready, 'Runway' fans. This Monday, we'll post our predictions for the final three to show at Fashion Week in Bryant Park on Sept. 12, then give you the chance to vote for your final three.

(Or at least the three that will actually count as the finalists regardless of how many people actually send stuff down the runway to act as decoys and protect the integrity of the show since the producers can't quite seem to match up the show and Fashion Week calendars.)

We're not going to toot your own horns here, but we nailed the final three last season with Jillian, Rami and Siriano. This year, there's no way we'll get all three right but that's the fun of making predictions online.

The Tim Gunn highlight, Week 6

We heard this line on the tease last week (and prior to week 2), but dadgammit, it's so good:

"It looks like it's a pterodactyl out of a gay 'Jurassic Park.'"

Bless you, Tim Gunn. What brilliance!

Week 5 poll results

Honestly, people. You're a perfect 5-for-5 in disagreeing with the judges. They whacked Kelli Martin. Y'll disagreed.

It's getting a bit out of hand, but we love a good rebellious spirit. (Of course, none of this voting is scientific and the margin of error is roughly +/- every vote.)

The reader poll results from Week 5

45% - Daniel Feld
33% - Blayne Walsh
17% - Kelli Martin
nbsp;5% - Leanne Marshall

5/5 DRESS BROOKE SHIELDS FOR “LIPSTICK JUNGLE”

Ooh. Project Runway producers pulled out some serious stops for the challenge tonight: design a look that goes from desk to dinner for a high powered and professional woman. And who would that classy lassie be? None other than Brooke Shields, who in her “Lipstick Jungle” TV role as Wendy Healy, top movie executive, wife and mom, will actually wear the garment in the second season of the nationally televised fashion focused show. Huge for the winner.

Brooke consults with the designers -- picks six of the twelve based on their proposal sketches, and, here comes trouble -- they have to work in teams. There were egos, haters and a few surprisingly sweet moments.

First up, the massive “Jungle” bungles. Loser Kelli who teams with Prima-Daniel produced a hoochie mama leopard ensemble accented with royal blue. Michael Kors called it, "slutty, slutty, slutty." Brooke, who is not a meanie, is almost wincing when she comments on how cheap it looked. To be frank, it put the “w” in “working girl.” Team leader Kelli tells the judges that her partner Daniel should be aufed…they beg to differ.

Then, there’s Blayne's disastrous capri pant, with halter and jacket, that is so crazy wrong for Brooke and the character that it’s hard to fathom.
But if loving him is wrong, we don’t want to be right. Even though he is off the mark and as the Nina puts it “shows a reluctance to listen that is very bratty,” the kid is a stand-up guy. When asked by the judges if he or Leanne should go, he says, “This is an integrity issue... it should be me.” Very fine, but please Blayne, listenlicious next time.

The winner? A drop dead gorgeous frock – floral on top with a fish scale like skirt -- designed by Keith who is assisted by strong-willed Kenley. There was a J.Mendel meets Prada vibe about it – cool, sophisticated and expensive looking. Brooke could wear it and so could a lot of other women. We are wishing Keith would exude a touch more humility. And though Kenley is one bossy broad, she’s talented and adds some levity to the night when she cracks up on the runway as Daniel proclaims he has “impeccable taste.” Seeing is believing bud.

We’re happy that Jerell and Stella almost snare the win with their swanky silk animal print ensemble wrapped by a buttery leather cummerbund-like belt. Poor Stella was picked last – what a lousy feeling -- and Jerell was fantastically gracious about getting last pick. Their design blew many others out of the water. Yay, team.

In the attitude department – Terri, on camera, graphically questions Suede’s sexuality and was incredibly negative towards him until Tim said he liked the work. Not nice, Missy. Korto thought Joe was backstabbing her but in fact, we think he was gently and appropriately trying to get her to modify her overly voluminous silhouette.


It was no love fest tonight. Cannot wait for next week’s challenge…design an outfit for a drag queen. No kidding. – Anne Bratskeir

The Tim Gunn highlight, Week 5

Tim Gunn creates a great dichotomy on this show. While the designers are busying dressing their mannequins, Tim Gunn gets busy undressing the designers' work. He lit up Korto and Joe's orange jacket thingy.

"I mean, it looks like a big sweet potato."

Wow.

Week 4 poll results

Seriously, I'm really starting to think that you're all voting against the judges just to keep the streak going.

They whacked Jennifer in Week 4. Our readers went a different route.

51% Daniel
35% Jennifer
13% Jerell

5/Episode 4 The Olympic Games People Play

So it’s another field trip and quite a timely challenge: Create an outfit for the U.S. athletes to wear to the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. The kids are hustled off to the Armory Track & Field Center where a lone skater powers down the track, and hello, here comes Apolo Ohno, five time Olympic medal winner (no one mentioned Dancing with the Stars) who laid out the challenge and later judged, and man, he is one cool cat.

The designers get 30 minutes to examine archival Olympic looks at the Armory, and $150 to spend on fabric.

Was there brilliance buried within this episode? Would we score it a 10? Hmm, not so much. But Korto kept it lean and clean with her white ensemble featuring red and blue accents. She used lightweight leather as a vest, and her pants silhouette was fitted yet fluid. All in all, very handsome. And she won it, graciously declaring, “It’s about freaking time.”

The loser is sort of a sad sack case…poor, poor Jennifer. Her outfit, a gold pleated skirt with short embellished dark sweater didn’t emit a whiff of the Olympic games, but it wasn’t hideous – in fact, rather cute, but oh-so-off the mark. Daniel, whose prima-Daniel personality is really ruffling some feathers in the fashion coop, created a 40’s style fancy frock that was supposed to be blue but read purple. “Where is she from?” queried Michael Kors. “The Republic of Cocktail Land?” Later he added, “If her sport is drinking, this is a good dress.” God we love him.

Jerell was in the bottom this week for a mad look that involved multiple ascot ties, a floppy dotted hat and pinstriped skirt.

In our notes, we wrote, "ungapatchked" referring to the ungainly, overwrought, ridiculously weird look. Kors went Yiddish too, but he called it “meshugene,” as in really crazy. Even the Nina let him have it describing the outfit as “Mary had a little lamb.” Imagine, then, our athletic team marching en mass into the arena in this costume with every other country in the world looking on…baaaaa U.S.A. Back to the judges for a moment, Apolo was fabulous, thoughtful and knowledgeable – probably one of the best guest judges we’ve ever seen on the show.

So, the individuality medal goes to, once again, Stella, who is no phony. She buys black stretch fabric as the basis for her look and everyone thinks she’s nuts. She wants it to be, “bold, progressive, dynamic, like gladiators.” And if the judges didn’t like it, she planned to tell them, “A lot of bikers in this country watch the Olympics.” Jerell did Mary, Stella wanted “bad ass.”

Blayne does not know who the Beatles are much to Tim's chagrin. On the sorta’ funny side, his tanning issues, and the fact that he considered himself an Olympic athlete at tanning…though it only goes to the - ha, ha - bronze medal.

The annoying meter was going haywire on Kenley’s cackle, people were going insane. Also, did she or did she not throw her little boy Daniel to the wolves by instructing him not to add the cape to his look? Hmmm, we must ponder.

Finally, off the subject, you’ve all probably heard that mighty Heidi’s legs have been insured for some $2.2 million. Didn’t they look great tonight?

-- Anne Bratskeir

(Photo from BravoTV.com/runway)

Week 3 poll results

You guys hate the judges' rankings this season. Once again, you disagreed with their pick. Here are the results from the Week 3 "aufing" reader poll.



46 percent - Keith Bryce
40 percent - Jennifer Diederich
8 percent - Emily Brandle