Logan's Run

We're down to 6 designers this week: 4 girls and 2 boys left. It's almost over, and I must say I'm relieved at the prospect of getting a new crop of designers. This group has been disappointing to me.
This week's challenge: Create a companion piece for your best look. They seemed to indicate that the designers did not get to choose their best look, with the turn around reveal. All of them had challenge-winning looks on the stage except Logan, whose look was selected from the first challenge where Christopher won.
I don't dislike the remaining designers' best looks - but does anyone notice how colorless and monochromatic they are? I want some vibrant color. I'll die if the Bryant Park shows are all brown and black.
They are given time to sketch - I swear I heard a lot of talk about pants, but only one pair showed up in the end, and then $100 in Mood money.
Irina claims to be good at spending money - no surprise there.

They all head back to the work room and Gordana does a tension monologue. Suddenly, the tension orchestra cues and all the close-ups show agonized faces. It's easy to create tension through editing, isn't it crappy production company?

Then the producers kick into a humble beginnings theme for the bottom two designers. Logan does the born in humble Idaho routine and Gordana blows him out of the water with her Bosnian/Serbian border number. No wonder he lost.

While Logan works on his outfit, Althea and Irina are kicking it high school mean girls style, eating In & Out and talking gossipy smack on him.
Since when is anyone friends with Irina?
Obviously, big mistake since Irina turns on Althea a few hours later in front of the judges.

Althea is the first to identify the Logan effect and says of Logan "He thinks because he's cute he can do whatever he wants." Maybe she broke the spell?
I'm sure it didn't help him that the judges/producers had to reflect on the designer's past work product for this challenge - he doesn't really have anything worth a second look.

Irina turns on Althea calling her "insane and drunk" for copying her knitwear in her Aspen look.

The judges this week:
Nick Verreos (from Season 2 of Project Runway aka the good ol days)
Nina Garcia
Kerry Washington


Althea

BEST LOOK (episode 4):

That either of these won boggles my mind. Really. I think the paper bag waist is a sloppy style. I think the new look is crazy bag lady sloppy with that shapeless sweater. I don't understand why the tops she makes are always so unsupportive and nipple-y. I think it's a hot mess and I would never have chosen it as the winner.


Carol Hannah

BEST LOOK (episode 9):

Maybe a bit plain - but super cute and pretty.


Chris

BEST LOOK (episode 1):

I was completely torn on this. It really is two different dresses. The black and the applique are gorgeous and the heavy white petticoats are not. It would've been transformed by an airy chiffon under the applique - in some color other than white!


Gordana

BEST LOOK (episode 8):

Drab. Bland. Gordana. I was surprised that this won over Logan's design, but I'm sure she is destined for the chopping block.


Irina

BEST LOOK (episode 10):

It's nice. I get the feeling every time I see one of her designs that it would make the average woman look like a fat Russian prostitute (aka Mariah Carey) but is only saved by the coat hanger model frame. Plus, she's a bitch.


Logan

BEST LOOK (also episode 1):

I kinda liked it. It reminded me of costumes from the movie Hackers.

It wasn't really a couture design...and I think that Logan doesn't deserve to hit Bryant Park, so I'm not gonna cry about it.

Final 3:
1. Irina
2. Carol Hannah
2. Althea

Around the World in 80 Days

The episode pretty much kicks off with a Nicolas monologue about how the competition is kicking into high gear and he's got his eyes on the prize. "Right now it's just me me me." As opposed to the rest of the time when he's off doing humanitarian projects for the Peace Corps.
Heidi doesn't make a stupid pun or come on this episode about the challenge...though she does mislead. She tells the designers they're headed to Rodeo Dr to meet a world renowned designer. All true except they've already met him; much more accurate to say meet WITH.
When she announces this, everyone has stars in their eyes and will only be disappointed when they get old hat Kors, even if he is a fabulous hat.
Kors, or the editor of this episode, might have been drunk because he made an "encouraging" statement that really didn't make logical sense.
"Whether real or imaginery I wanna see what kind of fabulous outfits you're gonna come up with." Was he inviting an emperor's new clothes scenario? How can you have an imaginary outfit? All of the places of inspiration were real, so it can't be an imaginary place...*scratches head*.

The challenge:
Choose a location that embodies who you are as a designer and the locale.

The designers are given 30 minutes to sketch and a $150 budget at Mood.
Then the usual boring workroom stress and Irina bitching about everyone being less talented than her.

The judges:
Michael Kors
Nina Garcia
Milla Jovovich
The family is all back together! I was beginning to think that MK and Nina Garcia were Superman/Clark Kent.
I loved that everyone genuinely responded to Kors' greeting and Nina's faux enthusiasm was met with a few half-hearted grunts.
My husband commented that Milla J was the first nice judge they've had. He doesn't watch them all, but she did have a special something. She seemed very enthusiastic and kind.

Althea
St. Tropez


Plain but nice. They didn't even bother photographing the back...

Carol Hannah
Palm Beach


Pretty, but looks like an Uli dress more than a Carol Hannah design.

Christopher
Santa Fe


The colors are good. The belt is great. I looked at it and I was warm towards it, yet felt dubious. I realize that it's the proportions that bugged me. It looks like a hourglass - and not the flattering, sexy hourglass. More like two triangles that are horizontal reflections of each other. It's quite unflattering.

Gordana
New York


Great top, but I'm not loving the dress. the puckering of the fabric and the bulge on the model's ass make it look a little messy. I think for me it's just a personal style issue. I wouldn't wear something like that and I don't really admire it.

Irina
Aspen


I kinda like it, but it reads really bitchy and the monochromatic color scheme is so boring. How awesome would it look if that sweater were a royal blue or some jewel tone. Her color choices are always so yawn-inducing. You can be chic AND colorful.
PS- Leggings still aren't pants!

Logan
Hollywood


A bad outfit for an extra in a movie set a few years in the future. Like Gamer!
The LOGAN EFFECT is in full effect, though Milla Jovovich seems immune. Is it because she was engineered by Umbrella Corp? Maybe it's just that actors learn to discount physical beauty since they see a lot more of it than us mere mortals.

Nicolas
Greece (I love how all of the rest of the locations are cities and this is a friggin country. Guess they thought the typical American wouldn't know a city in Greece.)


I actually agree with Milla. I like the top. The sleeves I could take of leave, but the torso reminds me of Herve Leger. The pants are a fugly fail.

I've decided that Christopher should be an accessories designer. This is his second fabulous belt.
Heidi tells Gordana she needs confidence and Gordana bows her head and mumbles okay. What an on-the-nose response!
Heidi begins with "The Rest of You"
and I imagined her going: You're all out.
and felt good. It would have been just. Everyone is just so boring.

Still, I felt that Christopher was acknowledging that he is lucky to have survived as long as he had and had made his peace with his impending Auf. I was shocked to see Nicolas go over him, though I feel both departures were inevitable. Both certainly deserved their bottom status this week.

Bryant Park 3:
1. Althea
2. Irina
3. Logan

The Witches

This week's challenge:
Create an extravagant stage look in the manner of Bob Mackie.

I enjoyed seeing Mackie. He seemed genuinely enthusiastic, unlike most PR guests, and very happy.
The way the footage was edited from beaming Nicolas to Mackie, it seemed like the Feather Prince and the Sultan of Sequins were having a moment there.
After the Mackie reveal, the designers discover that they will be making a stage look for Christina Aguilera.
They are given 30 minutes to sketch, 2 days to construct their garment, and a $300 budget at Mood.
The workroom looks like Vegas threw up on it when the designers get back from Mood.
Tim comes in and slams Shirin: "looks like student work."
Irina follows up: "I don't see her as a designer"
But Nicolas gets the last word, calling Irina a bitch. If the bitchy feather prince is calling you a bitch...
I think Gordana had a nervous breakdown. She was really in off-her-meds lunatic territory. It's weird because she had immunity.

The judges:
Bob Mackie
Nina Garcia (notice that when she comes back, the designers are not happy or excited as when Kors returned)
Christina Aguilera


Althea


I'm not really feeling it. I think the fabric looked kinda sloppy and I don't like the shrug.


Carol Hannah

I like it. It seemed more like a red carpet look than something for the stage...


Christopher


I don't have pictures of the tear off top piece, but it pretty much went like this:
meh, tear off to reveal meh
They were right saying the reveal looked like a cheap halloween version of Lady Marmalade. But awkwardly, it looks more like Mya's outfit than Christina's.


Gordana

Horrid. It needs to be burned.


Irina

This looks like CH's feared ice skating costume. The producers are shaping up to turn Irina into Cruella Deville.


Logan

It's a little lost and sloppy, but I think it's cute. It is very PG Barbarella.


Nicolas

I think this looks beautifully crafted. This is Nicolas's niche. He shouldn't be having runway shows, he should be a costume designer for the stage.


Shirin

Fail. Second only to Gordana. That being said, I had my money on Christopher being off. He has been in the bottom of the barrel for awhile and I was shocked to see him squeak by yet again.

Bryant Park 3:
1.Carol Hannah
2.Logan
3.Althea