And then there were four! Four designers are left on this season of “Project Runway” and this week they took a trip to sunny Los Angeles for the Best Western Red Carpet Challenge. Their designs ranged from safe elegance to glam goddess and even stretched into “Mamma Mia” musical theater territory. And of course, there was that cliffhanger-like ending (To save or not to save?). We’re getting closer to NY Fashion Week, so there’s no need to dilly-dally…time to recap.
The episode begins with a shot of a red carpet-lined runway stage. The designers are there as Heidi calls out to Tim to “bring the tickets.” Immediately, she announces that for their next challenge the designers will be heading to the “land of glam. Where the lights shine and the stars shine brighter.” Los Angeles! Tim hands the designers their “Project Runway” super economy class tickets and tells them their challenge: to design a look for the red carpet and use L.A. as their inspiration. He tells them that they will be designing as well as constructing their creations in Los Angeles. The segment ends with Ashley saying she is excited to be thinking “outside of the box.” No crop tops or pleated circle skirts, I hope.
The designers arrive in Los Angeles and check in to the Italian villa inspired Best Western Plus Sunset Plaza Hotel. Tim has made it to L.A. and is by the pool with Tammy Lucas, managing director of marketing and advertising Best Western Hotels. Lucas explains that Best Western is an iconic brand, especially pointing out its award-winning loyalty program, Best Western Rewards.
At this moment, she drops the prize surprise: the winner of this challenge will get 100 FREE reward room nights that can be redeemed at ANY Best Western Hotel worldwide! Side note: that’s CRAZY! Think about it, a typical yearly vacation can be 5-7 days, if one is lucky. But now, you’ve got ONE HUNDRED! I want to raise my hand and ask if there’s an expiration date on that prize.
Post pool time, the designers head to a gorgeous home in the Hollywood Hills where Tim awaits. As the designers stand there staring at yet another beautiful pool they cannot use, Tim introduces Keltie Knight, correspondent for “The Insider.” She gives the designers the “Fashion 411” on the importance of the red carpet as a platform for designers. Knight tells them that all her big red carpet moments involve drama, color and fit, and adds that this is “not the time to play it safe.” Really Keltie? I might have to disagree with you. Have you seen the Academy Awards red carpet lately? Three words: safe (and) more safe! Last week’s avant-garde challenge was THE TIME to NOT play it safe and yet, they mostly did.
After sketching time by the pool, the designers head to Mood where they get a $400 budget (nice!). Post Mood, it’s time to get settled in at their West Coast workroom. They will be constructing their designs at my alma mater, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM). This will be their home for the next day and a half. PS: I love that they flew these kids all the way to L.A., only to spend most of their time working. As we know, these designers are in desperate need of inspiration, so a movie premiere or a visit with a red carpet designer like Monique Lhuiller would have been just the ticket. Last season’s designers hit the jackpot when they visited Rome and enjoyed a Coliseum tour, Caprese salads and Italian red wine…and no work.
The designer’s first day working shows Kelly cutting out white leather triangles to create her own textile, Ashley is using gold sequins and not making a crop top/pleated circle skirt (Yeah!), Candice is obviously doing a black gown, and Edmond is having difficulty getting his multicolored sequined fabric to “talk to him.” Next day, Tim checks in. He likes Candice’s strong and sleek silhouette and lets her realize the gold trim is a no-no. He is less socratic and more forceful with his critique of Ashley. He tells her to ditch the contrast fabric and make the entire gown out of sequins. Tim thinks Kelly’s textile is beautiful and questions her doing a long dress. She tells him that she originally wanted to do a jumpsuit. At this moment, I want to hurl something at Kelly but then stop myself and remember how on “Under the Gunn,” a designer won the red carpet challenge with a jumpsuit design.
The remainder of this last workday, Edmond gets scissor happy, cutting his sequined design shorter and shorter, giving it a fishtail hem, adding cape sleeves… I want to yell at Edmond in slow motion and say, “STOP!” Kelly’s sewing her triangles onto her jumpsuit pant legs, finding out that by stitching them, it naturally shrinks the fabric. This could be an “uh oh” moment.
The following day the designers say bye to L.A. and are back in NYC. Edmond is still cutting his dress shorter (good God!) and Kelly finds out her jumpsuit did not become a shrinking disaster and that it fit just right. Time for the runway. “Project Runway” superstar Christian Siriano is there as the guest judge. The designs come out. Ashley’s gold sequined gown is very glam and slightly good, except for the wonky fit of the top. I was on “Team Nina” in regards to the strap. The entire time Ashley was making that corset, I kept thinking, “Girl! How is that going to stay up?” I just wonder how these designers are not thinking of these things AS they are making the garments.
Candice’s black gown is red carpet safe and would totally work for a high-profile award show. Yes, the back was a little Nancy Kerrigan (I love a good figure skating costume reference!), but it was impacting. I agreed with Heidi, the front was too short. Kelly’s was HOT, HOT, HOT! Her model looked like a young up-and-coming Hollywood starlet. The look was modern, the fit was perfect and it still had enough of a red carpet “wow” factor. Kelly, of course, won. Did I mention that I love this girl? Not only does she seem sweet, grounded, charmingly self-deprecating and yet oh-so-talented. And now, she’s got TONS of free Best Western Hotel nights!
And then there was Edmond. Okay, several things. The look was a mess. It looked like a costume from “Mamma Mia.” The hem was janky and it was over-designed. But could I see Heidi Klum wearing this crazy get-up as she hosts “Germany’s Next Top Model”? Totally. And yet it was still a tasteless mess. The judges were surprised that this was Edmond’s design. Something tells me (since it was an anonymous runway) that they all probably thought it was Kelly’s. Ha!! She got them!
During the elimination discussion, Heidi goes through the, “Why should you go to NY Fashion Week?” and, “Which two designers would you take?” cringing scenarios. Thank goodness no bitch-slapping happened. In the end, Heidi and the judges stick to the “one day you’re In and the next day, you’re out” mantra and eliminate Edmond. But…the entire time I kept thinking, “Wait, doesn’t Tim have his Tim Gunn Save?” Will he use it? I’d bet 10 free nights at a Best Western that he will. Stay tuned…
