PR15 Ep 10: Power Trips and Power Falls

So, we’re down to eight ... shiz just got real. The Tents are within range, y’all; who’s gonna make it to the runway, and who’s gonna make it to the audience?

Lamenting over losses and bottom slots and such, the designtestants sit in their rooms until, as if by magic, or pre-planned, scripted magic, a missive from Heidi appears hinting that the next challenge may have to do with flying or birds ... or skydiving ... or being pushed off a skyscraper.

The designtestants meet Tim Gunn and Anne Fulenwider, Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire, at an airstrip where the two have landed in the PR Chopper. They explain that Marie Claire is all about powerful, confident women, and so the designtestants will take flight, via the helicopter, over New York City to create an editorial look for a powerful woman. The winner will have their look featured in the pages of Vogue ... I kid, c’mon, it’s another Marie Claire tie-in.

They have one day and $300 to “make it work” so let’s rip ....

THE SAFES

ROBERI went with a flowy fabric, with wings or something, to capture that flight over the city; it’s pretty but hardly powerful.

LAURENCE finally stayed away from a leather jacket, and creates a dress using a print. It’s cute, fun, flirty and very cocktail, but not what I’d call powerful.

THE TOP

MAH-JING

Mah-Jing cried and whimpered and hooted and howled during the air ride so I wondered how he was able to come up with a design at all. But he did; he took an orange tweed—which kinda read like a grid map of a city as seen from above—and paired it with blue denim—to mimic the water around La Grande Apple—that kinda seemed too literal.

Tim likes the idea but is worried about sewing tweed to denim, and the fact that tweed stretches and the denim doesn’t; he warns Mah-Jing that the fit has to be perfection.

WHAT HE SAID

I created a look that speaks to who I am as a designer.

WHAT I SAID

It’s interesting; I love the tweed. But it a literal interpretation of New York from above and those pointy bits of tweed are odd.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina loves that it’s so literal and loved the mix of textiles; she called it powerful and fashionable. Guest judge, actress Camilla Belle called the color combination “extremely flattering.” Zac Posen said it was a great improvement, obviously sparked by his work last week; he called the look ferocious and said the contours were exciting, and loved it more up-close. Heidi also loved it but felt the denim “boobs’ were a little too high on the body while other guest judge, Anne Fulenwider, called it a suit of armor for the chic business woman.

ERIN

She’s doing a coat—only sleeveless, so it’s a vest—again! I get that it’s her vibe, but this isn’t Project Runway: Bulky Coats; that starts next year with judges from Field and Stream, I think.  Plus it’s pink ... even Erin calls it piglet and I was getting an American horror Story: Roanoke vibe as soon as she said that; all it needed was a cleaver and some bloodstains ...

Tim likes the idea, but wonders what about pink pastel says powerful. Erin says she’s trying to push herself because she’s been in the bottom the last four weeks but Tim tells her to do what she does and not think about the judges so much. So Erin scraps the piglet and goes for a dress in a shiny tweed with a frilly trimming done in a reflective workman’s fabric.

WHAT SHE SAID

It looks fun ... energetic ... colorful ... sparkly.

WHAT I SAID

It’s a little bit country; kind of a modern twist on a 70s granny dress. I was trying to find a way to use the line “It put the ho in hoe-down” but it wasn’t really slutty.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Camilla liked it better moving than standing still while Heidi said it would photograph well, making it a great editorial piece. Anne called it fun, feminine and frilly but also confident, though she was less impressed seeing it up-close. Zac liked the odd fabric choices and said the frill gives it an edge, while Nina said it wasn’t the best dress, and it wasn’t Erin’s best ... it was safe. Then she went all perfect Nina, saying, “It’s a charming dress. It’s ... charming.” Ow.

CORNELIUS

The judges found it funny that, during a flight over Manhattan, Cornelius was inspired by a gold course; but, hey, who are they to jud—oh, yeah. Well, let’s talk about Corny ...

He chose leathers in every color he could find and was placing them in small cutouts atop a plain beige dress. Tim liked the idea, liked the pops of color, but suggested the cutouts should be larger for a greater impact. Luckily Cornelius listened ... something others in the room should realize.

WHAT HE SAID

It looks chic ... sophisticated ... an empowered businesswoman.

WHAT I SAID

It’s deceptively simple, but so cool looking.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Heidi dubbed it her favorite look on the runway, calling it powerful and fashion forward, chic, fun, but business; she loved the new way of using the seams to fit the body. Hearing about the golf course inspiration, Zac calls it well landscaped, and said the seams were risky but the risk paid off; he called it wearable and editorial.  Camilla said it was a great look for a powerful businesswoman; not a lot of impact, but still a great look. Anne loved Cornelius’ perspective and the leather work, while Nina loved the severity of form and the whimsy of the colors, and was pleased that Tim used his Save on Cornelius.

THE BOTTOM

NATHALIA

Nathalia was all about the reflections in the building windows and the shapes of the rooftops; but she was also lost without Jenni, who had been her sounding board and advisor throughout the season. She kept questioning her work, and questioning the other designers—mostly Rik—for help and advice; Rik was kind to offer some suggestions while Dexter mostly snarled and snarked about Nathalia seeking help.

When Tim sees her work, and the multitude of fabrics she’s brought to the look, he worries that she’s going to overdesigned; he urges her to pare down the colors and the concept. Unhappily, Nathalia does just that, but she pares the colors down to blue, black and silver, and the design down to a wee jacket and a jumpsuit.

WHAT SHE SAID

I feel a little relieved because it doesn’t look that bad.

WHAT I SAID

It’s a bad costume, or an 80s disco outfit; either way ... uh oh.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Camilla said it was far from powerful, while Heidi called it power ... ranger, and said all it needed was a helmet; she loved the fit on the booty, but not the lack of fit on the boobs. Zac called the construction bad, said it looked slapped together and kind of Star Trek Meets Britney Spears. Anne said the shiny fabric was a gimmick and that it didn’t look like a fashion designer created it ... ouch! Nina said, “Beam me up, Scotty,” and added that it was  Comic-Con Costume.

RIK

Rik drew inspiration from the Statue of Liberty and opted to splatter dye his own fabric and create a draped look like nothing he’d ever done before; I am worried. I’m also worried that he’s helping Nathalia so much and not focusing on his work, and then stopping to take a nap in the break room rather than taking a second glance at his piece.

Tim, however, loved the dyed fabric and the inspiration, so maybe that caused Rik to be surer about his look.

WHAT HE SAID

I took a risk with the fabrication and the print.

WHAT I SAID

Coming at you, it’s chic and cool; walking away, it ... well it should walk away backwards.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Zac said it made a stunning entrance, but then the model turned ... uh oh. It moved well, but the toga back was bad as it went from fabulous front to tragic back. Heidi said, “Wah wah.” She hated the dyes fabric and said it looked like a tablecloth had blown over the model’s dress. Camilla called it incomplete, and Nina called it an apron; she said there was some ... some ... impact from the front but it deteriorated in the back, and said it needed instructions for the wearer. Anne was the lone dissenter; she loved it. She said it made a beautiful statement, and loved the textile, the asymmetry and the drama. She did say that, had it been closed in the back it wouldn’t have needed the unseen under-dress.

DEXTER

As soon as he hears Marie Claire, Dexter says he needs this win because he’s already won one Marie Claire challenge and so if he’s in the magazine twice he’ll have it made. Then he sits silently on the helicopter ride saying he cannot be giggly and fun because he does his best work when he’s silent.

Huh ... where was that all season long? I dunno ... he’s a good talker. He said he sees New York as Goth and dark and so he’ll make a denim jacket with the circle sleeves ... again ... and place it over a see-through lace dress, with the lace carefully folded over to hide the lady bits; he uses an idiotic whistle to avoid saying things like breasts and vagina and ass.

Tim worries about the shoulders but Dexter assures him they won’t be like the ones he’s already made ... those were circles and these are wings. Huh?

WHAT HE SAID

I’m thinking my look is supercool ... on the dark side.

WHAT I SAID

It’s a nekkid Goth Minnie Mouse and it pisses me off because the jacket is the same one he’s already done and the dress underneath is just a throwaway piece.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Anne, who didn’t see the first jacket, calls this one “familiar.” She did like the voyeurism of the lace dress though. Camilla liked the hoodie but said the whole look was “Minnie Mouse meets Marilyn Manson” and kind of off-putting. Heidi was also pissed about the reuse of the shoulder, especially since it wasn’t so great the first time; she also called it scary and was angry that the lingerie under the lace dress was the model’s own underwear and not created by Dexter. Zac liked it better without the jacket repeat which he called both cliché and wonky. Nina, who liked the jacket the first time, said there was no surprise; she said Deter had already played this card and that it was too safe for Dexter.

Well, it wouldn’t be Erin, though she did kind of redeem herself this week; it would be down to Mah-Jing and Cornelius and the win, rightfully, I think, went to Corny. His look was, as I said, simple, but so cool and chic.

On the flip side, it was clear that Nathalia was going home; she’s been so-so most of the season, good once, and bad a lot. So Nathalia got the Aufing she deserved but then ...

I guess Heidi was really pissed about Dexter’s model wearing her own underwear because Dexter was Auf’d too ... as he should have been for doing a nothing dress and a jacket that’s already been done.

Sorry; I’m pleased as punch that Dexter is gone. I liked his style—though not as much as he did—but hated the fact that he seemed to think he was the best of the best, even when doing a replica of a design he’s already shown. And save that “the shoulders were different” line; they were the same.’ I also liked that Dexter was Auf’d while Cornelius won since he spent so much of the season dissing Corny and being the Mean Girl.

And I’ll give Cornelius props for not giving Dexter any side-eye or shade after he was Auf’d because I would’a been all, “Bye Felicia!”

Now, unlike Dexter, who thinks he can do no wrong, Erin started the show off very aware that she’s been flailing in the last challenges; I liked that she seemed to show a sense of displeasure with herself and not blame it people who don’t “get” her. Maybe she will come on back and show at The Tents

Gosh Rik! You’re so sweet and so nice and so helpful, but you should know that you never take a nap during a challenge; step back, maybe, take a five minute break, and then go back to your look; if he’d done that, maybe he would have fixed what ailed his Lady Liberty.

Mah-Jing steps up after mama but his little squeaks and squeals when he’s getting praised by the judges was creepy; I get a vibe that he might be a little Light In The Loafers but has yet to come to terms with it; I could be wrong, as I’ve been before, but he’s quite the flamboyant straight man then.

Line[s] Of The Night:

Rik, upon seeing Erin’s piglet coat:

“What kind of powerful woman would want to look like Patrick from SpongeBob SquarePants?”

Tim, upon seeing Erin’s piglet coat:

“This is going to look boxy or milk carton-y.”

Now, The Tents: I still see Rik because he’s adorable; Laurence will show, and Roberi maybe. Erin has stepped up her game, but she’s been down a lot more than up. Mah-Jing has inched up but can he keep on keepin’ on? And Cornelius? He really showed it this week, but will he continue?

What did YOU think?