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Posted
Friday, September 04, 2009 9:50 AM
| By
June Thomas
After three weeks in Southern California, Project Runway finally took a trip to the beach.
The challenge was to create a "fun and fashionable surf wear look,"
along with a coordinating avant-garde design. And—drama alert—it was a team
challenge.
The producers ignored Logan and Christopher, Shirin and Carol Hannah, and
Althea and Louise, so it was clear they were safe. Meanwhile, Qristyl and
Epperson squabbled all the way from sketching to judging, reminding viewers that
all unhappy couples are alike: awkward and no fun to be around.
The train-wreck pairing was Mitchell and Ra'mon. Mitchell—who had miraculously
avoided elimination in both previous rounds—seemed incompetent and lazy, a team
captain who left his partner to produce everything except a two-piece swim suit
that was hidden under other garments. Only 35 minutes before the models were
due down the runway, Ra'mon was in the bathroom dyeing fabric, but in a
shocking "first time on Project Runway" twist, Ra'mon was named the
winner, while Mitchell got the boot.
The Contestants
Designer superpower: Is Johnny a living, breathing Hairy
Gary facial hair toy? Every time the camera pointed at him, he seemed to
have sprouted an entirely new beard/sideburn combination.
The Judges
Michael Kors was mysteriously absent for the second week in a row, but Max Azria sat in the
"foreign-born designer who needs subtitles" chair. Rachel Bilson was the
guest judge.
Tim Gunn's cattiest caution: "I feel like I'm in a cartoon with a superhero and a
Greek goddess." (To his credit, Ra'mon immediately abandoned the offending
garment.)
Heidi's biggest dilemma: "On Project Runway, you actually have to design and create and sew. ... I
don't know how I'm supposed to judge someone if they don't actually do
anything."
Stats
Number of times
Tim Gunn said, "Make it work!": 2
Number of crying contestants: Zero. This was a week for bickering, not blubbering.
The Results
Garment of the week: Althea
and Louise's avant-garde look, which featured a glittering bodice made from
zippers and pins with a beautifully executed cascade skirt. Unfortunately, it
got just 10 seconds of screen time.
Should Ra'mon have won? Not on the basis of his hand-dyed off-the-shoulder neoprene dress, which was bold but very poorly
finished. Still, he did the work of two, and the other design, a wave-inspired
blue, green, and brown beach look, was nice if a little gauzy for the
surf set. Johnny's
and Irina's
outfits, which both featured some form of macrame, were the only looks that seemed
coordinated.
Should Mitchell have been eliminated? Hell, yes! As he said himself, "I didn't try hard
enough," but after two weeks of playing the villain, he
at least came across as a nice guy.
Bold prediction for who'll be auf'd next: Qristyl. The judges haven't had a nice thing to say about
her since Day 1.