Project Runway Season 12 Episode 5: YOU Choose Your Materials

Well, that was a dramatic episode!

This is going to be a short review, because I've been on the road all day and my laptop was dead so I didn't get to edit until now... which is midnight. And I have to be at school moving in at 9 in the morning. Ugh.

Check out all of my Project Runway Season 12 review posts HERE.

The episode begins with the designers talking about Sandro leaving, and their various opinions.

They meet Tim and the corporate marketing manager of Lexus, who show them multiple lexus cars. They are told that they're going to be working in teams of 3. Each person creates a look, and the three looks need to be cohesive. The teams are:
Ken, Alexandria, Sue. (team crazy!)
Kate, Jeremy, Karen.
Justin, Dom, Helen.
Alexander, Bradon, Miranda. (which, for me, was the dream team!)

Tim then says that they don't have to take inspiration from cars. Huh? I really hate when Project Runway does this, and it's the second time they've done this so far this season. They have a perfectly good challenge, and then they make it more confusing for product placement. They totally didn't need to have anything to do with Lexus on this challenge. Really, they could have made ANY challenge the Lexus challenge at this rate. At least in the past, they've tried to incorporate the Lexus into the design.

They're then told that this is their 3^rd unconventional challenge. Third? Really? This is unprecedented! As much as I like the unconventional challenges, I often find them rather pointless, and 3/5 episodes is simply ridiculous. I understand that doing the unconventional shows that they can think outside the box, but in the real world, when are they going to be FORCED to work with odd materials? Stick with one per season please, y'all!

As if the challenge wasn't already confusing enough, they are also told that each team can choose 2/3 places to go: a store with vintage wallpaper, a home goods/party store, and a specialty foods store.

Jeremy's team chooses the home goods/party store and the food store. 

Helen's team goes for the antique wallpaper store and the food store.

Team Sue/Ken/Alexandria chooses the home goods/party store and the antique wallpaper store.

The dream team went for the home goods/party store and the antique wallpaper store

Even when they were shopping, Ken, Alexandria, and Sue were already having problems. Going into this, Ken was easily my favorite member of this team, but I’m kinda siding with Sue right now. He was doing a really bad job communicating, regardless of how right he may be.

The designers get to the work room and begin to work, when suddenly, Tim and Sandro walk in. Sandro is very calm and says that he's here for closure, and to apologize, especially to Helen and Ken.  He seemed pretty genuine, which I really appreciated.

Back to work, and Tim's critiques! Tim gives Alexander, Miranda, and Bradon a great critique! He gets on to Ken’s team for using a curtain for unconventional challenge, which I think is a duh moment. I mean, when will we finally get an unconventional challenge where SOMEONE doesn't try to pass a fabric off as a fabric. Honestly, I'm not surprised that she did it, because her bio shows that she's not a big TV watcher. Did she know what she was getting into? I'm doubting it bigtime now, as her sewing skills are being questioned for about, oh, the FIFTH straight episode! I mean, I've liked some of the things she's made, and I like her as a person, but when you constantly can't use the machines, I don't get how you remain. After Tim leaves, surprise, surprise: Ken, Sue, and Alexandria get in another argument. I can't even remember what this one was about, because they were constantly fighting. Maybe Sue's lack of experience with machines? Or Ken being a diva? I don't even know.

Day of runway:
More chaos for team crazy! We see Ken duct tape his dress! Oh no! Sue is hand-sewing her dress even though it's getting down to the wire. Ut oh. Alexandria tries to take it to get sewn after Tim calls time and he refuses. Sue has to her model out undressed. Tim has to tell them to stop touching it, but at least it's on her, because last time I saw it, one whole side was open!

Runway comment time!

Alexander: I thought it was cool and sculptural

Miranda: much more simple than the rest of her team, but she had problems
Bradon: WHOA. That is just so cool and sculptural. My pick for winner. Holy crap.

Justin: Top, ok. Pants look ok now too. They got that whole mess sorted out.

Dom: the sculpture is cool but odd fabric to do it with. The antique pattern didn't fit the modern design.

Helen: way too over the top poofy!

Sue: nice colors, but kinda a disaster.

Ken: I think it looks kinda cool, but needs to fit better.

Alexandria: odd sound but the skirt really does look good.

Jeremy: The sides look really pretty. It looks cute!

Karen: Oh hey, baggy! But kinda cool pattern! I'm sorry, I'm never going to get over feeling that Karen makes baggy clothes.

Kate: Cool take on the little black dress.

Heidi announces that Jeremy, Karen, and Kate are the winning team, and Ken, Alexandria, and Sue are the losing team, BUT that my dreamteam (Bradon, Alexander, and Miranda) was a close second. Also, I feel that I really need to start spelling Bradon correctly. I always spell it Braden and then have to go back and fix it. Also, as another note, I really wish that the winning look didn't have to come from the winning team. I feel like Bradon's look would have been the winner if it was just based solely upon individual design. It was just so cool.

Winning team: The judges love how they mixed the conventional and unconventional, and really love how Jeremy's dress fits. 

Losing team: They don’t have any info to tell about their looks. Zac just hates everything. All the judges just hate everything. Alexandria and Ken throw Sue under the bus for not knowing how to sew. Ken also throws sue under the bus saying that her model finished the look. Ken and Alexandria argue again. HOT MESS.

Back in the lounge, Ken gets mad at Alexandria for what she said on the runway.

Tim brings out the models and said that he lost it. Sue’s model actually finished the garment so it didn’t fall off. Alexandria was the only one trying to get everything to work on that team.

Jeremy is the winner! YAY! I'm so glad he's finally won something!

Sue is declared OUT. Alexandria is in. Ken is….. IN.
Tim agrees with the judges and isn’t going to save Sue. All I can say is WOW. I mean, the last couple weeks, we've seen a gradual decline in Sue, and I did mention in one of my posts (not sure which one) that I didn't think she would last quite as long as I originally thought. I didn't expect her out this soon though! Also, from the looks of the preview, I'm thinking either Dom or Helen might be out, and it might be a double elimination. HOWEVER, for some reason, I also got the feeling that Tim might use his save next week, but we'll see!

So, there you go! Hope you enjoyed this week's Project Runway review. Did the judges make the right decision? Did you think it should have been someone else? Was Bradon TOTALLY robbed of a win? Who's YOUR choice for the winner of Project Runway? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading! If you haven't, you should definitely check out my "Ranking Past Project Runway Designers" series HERE! Also, click HERE if you'd like to see all of my Project Runway season 12 reviews! Hope to see you back here for my review next week! See you then, y'all!

Project Runway Season 12 Episode 4: Tie The Knot

Well, this was an interesting episode! I barely even took notes because I was just sitting there freaking out about what was coming next!

Check out all of my Project Runway Season 12 review posts HERE.

The episode begins with Sandro freaking out. He's cussing, screaming at the other designers, and then he storms out. At this point, I was somewhat confused, because I thought the freakout would be after the challenge, near the end of the episode. I almost thought that we were seeing the designers' lounge right after Timothy was eliminated, but I remembered seeing Sandro in the workroom on the previews. So, when they did the "flashback to 36 hours earlier," I was finally un-confused. Hallelujah. All I'm really concerned about is whether or not they're going to eliminate someone after Sandro leaves. Because clearly, you can't come back after storming off the set like that. Look what happened to Keith in season 3!

While they're in their apartments, Jeremy talks about losing his grandma. After 3 episodes of him being just a supporting character, seeing him focused on makes me a little nervous for him. Usually that either means they're in the top or going home. Hopefully, it's not the latter.

Rather than going to the runway, the designers actually meet Tim in the workroom, where there are tons of bows all over the place. Tim says he's going to introduce a special guest... and in walks Jesse Tyler Ferguson! I don't watch Modern Family, but I do know that he's a big deal. The designers are told that they have to make an outfit inspired by bowties that encorporate at least one bowtie in an unconventional way. The bowties are all from Jesse Tyler Ferguson's line "Tie The Knot," which supports equal marriage rights.

They take the obligatory trip to Mood with a suggested budget of $200. Sue spends $404 and says that’s not so bad. Uhhhh…. right. Because it's totally cool to double your budget. I'm not sure what she plans to do if she makes it very far in the competition!

All throughout the time in the workroom, Sandro is having a bit of a freakout about his stuff being too much.

When Tim comes, they have a chat and Sandro can’t understand that he has to make things he likes, and not for the judges. Also, I really loved how Sandro decided to call Tim "Top Gunn" and that before leaving, Tim said, "Be Sandro, I’ll be Top Gunn." Gotta love Tim Top Gunn! When Jeremy talks to Tim, I’m not sure whether this is going to be good or bad. It sounds like he really knows what he's doing, but at the same time it sounds literally like grandma clothes.

All throughout the first day, as well as runway day, Bradon is running around frantic trying to make a jacket. I actually wasn't sure whether or not he actually whipped one up until I saw his look on the runway! Miranda was having a problem with her shirt, so she just chopped it off a bit. It might have looked ok... if the bottom wasn't so wonky. She might be in trouble

Runway time! This time I just wrote little snippets.

Dom: I think it looks kinda cool but I'm not sure if they will like the way she used the bowties.

Jeremy: I’m worried for him. This just doesn't look good at all.

Bradon: I thought his top looked really cool, and the whole thing looked interesting with his model's skin tone.

Ken: Ken used the ties in the seams. I'm not sure that was a smart move, since his dress looks kinda boring. 

Miranda: That top looks really messed up, but I do like the jacket and skirt

Helen: It didn't end up looking as bad as I thought it would, but still doesn't look great.

Alexander: I liked the rainbow bowtie effect!

Sandro: The colors looked nice together, but I don't think the dress looked that great.

Sue: It's way too simple and the bowties look like a spiderweb.

Justin: I thought it was pretty, but knew it would be way too simple for the judges.

Kate: I like the pants, but I thought the top just looked weird.

Karen: Although the pants fit well, the whole effect of the outfit was kinda just baggy, which is what she's done on any challenge on her own. It's not a cute aesthetic!

Alexandria: I thought the skirt was cool and interesting, but the top didn't seem to go with it and just looked wrong.

After Heidi says who is going to remain on the runway, Sandro asks for feedback about his dress. Zac is especially critical of the dress, and Heidi says she'd never wear it. I do have to really commend Sandro for asking, regardless of what the other designers might say. I personally get annoyed when an outfit I particularly like or dislike is just in the middle, and I really wish I could get the judges' opinions on everything! And when a designer is in the middle, how are they supposed to know what the judges thought of the outfit?? So kudos, Sandro, for actually getting up there and straight-up asking for advice. I'm not sure why this bothered the judges. Even Tyra on ANTM likes when contestants ask for advice to improve, and she's easily upset at someone speaking out of turn. 

After the safe designers go back to the lounge, Helen and Sandro get in an argument and start screaming at each other. Ken starts yelling at him too, and Sandro storms out and just leaves. And then he smashes the camera and appears to be going to get a taxi. Before we get full details, we're back on the runway.

Top 3

Bradon: Heidi loves it and wants to wear it. They also loved the colors.

Dom: they really like all the top and the stripes and think that the striped bowties look great!

Kate: They say it's cute, clever, and modern. They also didn't notice the bowtie on the pants until she pointed it out!

Bottom 3

Jeremy: They said that the jacket was highlighting belly button, which is not a cute look. They thought it was too serious and too old.
Miranda: They said it was a non-cool 80s moment and that the top was the worst part.
Sue: They literally asked "What were you thinking?" They thought it looked messy. Keep it simple, stupid!

When Tim brings in the models for the close-up look, he informs the judges of Sandro storming off and says he will update them on what happens.

The top and bottom are back on the runway. Bradon is declared the winner and actually proposes to his partner right there on the stage! Heidi tells his partner, Josh, that he'd better say yes. Dom and Kate are both in. Heidi tells the bottom 3 that because Sandro stormed off the set, that he has eliminated himself, and all 3 of them are safe!

We then get a flash-forward to a week later when Bradon Skypes with his partner, who tells him that prop 8 has been eliminated, and then proposes. Bradon (of course) says yes, and then tells Josh about proposing on the runway. Well, at least we know Bradon will be around for at least another week (which is 3-4 challenges for us)

Hope you enjoyed this week's Project Runway review. Did the judges make the right decision? Who do you think would have been eliminated had Sandro not eliminated himself? I found it really funny that on the actual poll, Jeremy had only 1% of the vote! I think it would have been Sue, but was sure they wouldn't eliminate someone after Sandro left. Thanks for reading! If you haven't, you should definitely check out my "Ranking Past Project Runway Designers" series HERE! Hope to see you back here for my review next week! See you then, y'all!