PR7EP3: High Concept. Low Style.

So, here we are in week three and we have our first team challenge; the designtestants no likee. I haven't heard so many moans since a long ago night at the baths. I kid.
The designers are off to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see a collection of couture gowns. There, they fall off into teams of two and then study the couture works for their inspiration. They will make a signature piece for, wait for it, $500. The most money in project runway HISTORYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.
I love a good echo.
It is made quite clear that the Team Leader will have final say in the design, though not in the case of Jay--who has immunity from last week--and Maya, who takes charge.
But, as in all PR episodes, a monkey wrench is thrown at the designers heads. Now, they must create a low-cost, look-for-less, based on another teams high concept.
So, we'll have highs and lows, up and downs, overs and unders. I'm in a tizzy just thinking about it.
Let's rip:

First up we have Emilio--who's one of my faves this season--and Anna--who I never can seem to remember. Their high couture outfit is on the right and it looks a little more High Tea than High Concept; it's a little like Jennifer Aniston, pretty but boring, and you wonder how it got so far in this business.
Their inspiration outfit, made for under $50, was inspired by Maya and Jay. It's got the little shoulder detail, and the colors seem well-suited, but again, Jennifer Aniston: Meh. I mean, I don't hate it, and if it comes on TV I might watch it if nothing else is on, but, well, hand me the remote.
For the judges, Meh = Safe.

Jesus and Amy were apparently inspired by coffee filters; used coffee filters. Because they slipped a couple of industrial strength ones over their model's arms. The dress itself, I loved; it has kind of a mosaic vibe going on, and it flowed and moved and I'm all about flowy and movey.....Movey? Oy!
Unfortunately, Jesus and Amy opted to use Ping and Jesse for their $50 inspiration, and went way too Ping. A lace kerchief, black tank, and velveteen sweats don't say $50. They say, I'm just gonna run into WalMart real quick. i don't need to change my clothes!
But, honey? you do.
Still, Ping-y drapery was Safe.

Poor Janeane and Ben. Obviously they took the challenge of creating a high concept dress for $500 to mean: create a high concept dress and spend $500, but make it look like it came off the Irregular Rack at Target. I mean, from the looks of it they could have created 500 $1 outfits; of course, it still would have been unattractive.
For their low price inspiration they chose Mila and Jonathan, and this looks better than the expensive dress. it's a little canvas rain jacket, a tad too Member's Only, but at least it only costs Fifty bucks.
And it keeps them Safe.

Big Gay Anthony and Duo-monikered Seth Aaron took the challenge too literally as well. They went Gone With The Wind cotillion, and overworked that overwrought bodice. I kept imagining Anthony tossing himself on a bed in a fit of pique, screaming, I don't know nothing bout making no couture gowns. and, while they seemed to go kind of hoop skirt, they achieved more of a whoops skirt.
Their Knock-off inspiration piece comes to us from Jesus and Amy. It suffers from Looks-Good-Far-Away-So-Stay-Far-Away syndrome. Up close, it looks like Seth Aaron came through on his pledge to use napkins and a glue gun to create it. Side note: Seth Aaron stood by Anthony's bad choice without throwing him under the Project Runway Express, so I'll give him points for that!
The judges, however, Bottom Two Miss Brown Sugar and Mister Two Names.

Ping and Jesse. Ping. Scatterbrained Ping. Where is my sketchbook Ping. Where is your talent Ping? Their High Couture creation looks like someone swept themselves up in a nighty and a rug because they got caught in the wrong bedroom with the wrong hubby and needed a quick getaway. The model literally had to carry the gown out and when she let it go, it was like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Puke Coat. Fug. Ly. Kors called it Lady liberty Looking, and I say, Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, and we'll dress them up in this crap.
The knock-off was inspired by the confectionery work of Emilio and Anna, with a side dish of Boring and Doesn't Fit Right. Jesse, who loathed the idea of working with ping even before he was chosen to work with her, threw Ping under the bus. Then the model dragged Ping's broken and battered corpse out from under the bus and threw it under a subway train.
Ping and Jesse. Bottom Two'd it.

Jay and Maya. Jay, of course had immunity, and he did what all designers with immunity do: he chatted up the other contestants and ate an apple while Maya took charge. So, I'll give Maya credit for this one-shoulder, asymmetric, Field of Dreams dress. I think you could plant corn in that shoulder piece. But it really is pretty, and speaks to maya's design sense, and Jay's hunger for another apple.
Then, to top it off, Maya had to find inspiration in the work of Janeane and Ben. And the judges thought Maya's fifty-buck-knockoff out-shone Janeane and Ben's couture Knock-It-Off. The picture doesn't do it justice, and while It looks strikingly similar to the inspiration, it has some lovely details.
Maya sans Jaya--remember Sanjaya from American Idol? See, Maya sans Jaya?
Okay. I'll stop. They're Top Two.


Mila and Jonathan paired up, and Mila played the role of Russian Spy designer Natasha with Jonathan as her Boris. She came up with the design; she made the coat. Jonathan did everything else. Mila was given Kors Kudos, Nina Niceties, and the Heidi Heeeeeeeeys, because she went with pants instead of a gown. I, however, am not feeling it. it looks a little Bond Girl circa 1987; I picture her at the swanky party, then jumping on a jet ski with 007 to chase down the diamond smuggler.
As for their inspiration, I think they went a little to literal in creating something inspired by AnthonySethAaron. And that caterpillar crawling over the model's Woman Pillows gives me the creeps.
But Mila and Jonathan go Top Two, too.
And Mila gets the win and instantly goes back stage to celebrate with a shot of Stoli.
Jonathan is safe. Jesse, too. Maya and SethAaron gets a pass.
Big Gay Anthony and Ping are up for elimination.
Ping gets ponged.
I'm a little sad, because I liked her nuttiness. I liked that she thought outside the box, in a plastic bag, on the top shelf in the closet behind an old pair of slippers and a loaded gun.
Goodbye Ping.

I'll miss the nutty.

That's it from the Fashion Assassin; for the full recap, head on over to DavidDust. It'll be magic!