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 3: An Unconventional Coney Island

It's time for season 12's third episode, and our second unconventional challenge! Woot!

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

The episode begins at 5:30 AM with Heidi going into all of the designers' apartments and waking them up. As hilarious as this was, the thing I find ridiculous is that poor Heidi had to be awake that early to wake them up! And she did literally nothing else with them until the runway. Poor, poor Hodi! (Season 1 Jay reference, anyone? No? Just me? OK then.)

Heidi tells them they are taking a trip to Coney Island that has to do with their next challenge. Clearly much later, in the daylight, Tim meets them on the Coney Island Boardwalk. They meet a guy from Yoplait frozen yogurt. Before their challenge, begins, they have to take carts of Yoplait fro yo and give it away to people. The people they give fro yo to will give them a word to describe their experience. The designers are to choose 3 words and write them down. These will define theme and direction of design. They then discover that this is a team challenge. They'll be working in teams of 2. Tim pulls out the velvet bag to choose the teams. They are: Alexander and Justin, Alexandria and Dom, Ken and Jeremy, Braden and Karen, Kate and Helen, Sue and Sandro, and Timothy and Miranda.

At this point, I was already slightly confused by what was going on. This was possibly because I knew from previews that this was the unconventional challenge, and I couldn't quite see how this whole Fro-Yo thing fit in. Since I was typing notes as they went along, I actually had to pause the show to figure out what they were actually being told. I couldn't keep up with Tim's instructions, and I type really quickly. But more on this in a minute.

They have 15 minutes to hand out samples and get words from people. These people have to be people that Project Runway got to come onto the show, because most people would just say "delicious" or something like that. After their 15 minutes are up, Tim announces that they are not going shopping at Mood. They’re playing games and winning prizes, which will serve as their materials. They each get 100 dollars with their go bank card and 30 minutes to play games.

In my opinion, this is really 2 challenges put into one. The whole Yoplait Fro-Yo thing could be quite successful as a standalone challenge, and clearly the unconventional challenge works quite well on its own. Project Runway does a lot of promotion stuff like this, like with the HP challenges, and the Garnier challenges, but this one just seemed way too forced. I mean, I can't even remember what words the teams used, besides maybe one or two teams that were in the top/bottom. And the judges didn't even seem to factor it into their judging, which just shows how completely pointless and forced this product placement was.  

Everyone seems to be having fun and getting along. This is why carnivals are so awesome. The highlight of this whole sequence was, of course, the UNICORN moment. I know many people don't like Timothy, but I just love him, and that little segment with him finding the unicorn, freaking out, and running over to win it was just the funniest part of the whole show. And the fact that he rode it around just killed me. He's precious. I also had to laugh seeing them all standing in front of the carnival with their huge bags full of prizes. They all had SO much stuff!

We got a lot of workroom drama this week courtesy of Miranda and Timothy and Sandro and Sue. I definitely think that most of the drama between Sandro and Sue is due to Sandro just not being able to compromise on anything. He has too strong of a personality and is coming off very rude. 

FLUFF! FLUFF EVERYWHERE!

We get another segment of Timothy and his unicorns. Apparently, according to him, unicorns are not simply horses with horns. I think he also said that unicorns have cloven hooves, which, in case you were unaware, are not what horses have. Cloven hooves have points that are kinda like toes, but horses' hooves are that perfect half-oval horseshoe shape (go figure). I knew the stuff I learned in Equine science would help me someday!

... No, really, I legitimately took that class my sophomore year of high school. And I didn't learn anything, because I did horseback riding in elementary school.

But I digress. A LOT.

Timothy also says that he doesn't want to cut up the unicorn. And adds that unicorns are apparently more like hippos than horses. And unfortunately, no equine science knowledge can help me understand what in the world he was talking about there.

Miranda left the room at some point, and while she was gone, Timothy re-sketched and designed the look and she got upset. During Tim Time, Sandro and Sue started fighting again and Sandro was being really rude. Tim also sees that Miranda and Timothy’s look is not great.

Later, they're all sewing, and Miranda begins badmouthing Timothy and their dress. And when he walks in, Miranda badmouths him right in front of him. Poor Timmy. I like Miranda, but I’m starting to get really annoyed that she’s being so incredibly rude. Timothy is thisclose to quitting, and when he walked out of the workroom, I was almost convinced that he was leaving. But, having seen the previews, I knew he hadn't, because it showed him on the runway.

What he was actually doing was going and sitting (with his unicorn, I might add!) and reading the card that his model, Sophie, gave to him earlier that day. This girl is just the sweetest! I'm not sure why she wrote him a card, but seriously, how awesome is she! Last week, when he went on and on about her being so nice and giving him hugs and encouragement, I figured she was just doing that to be nice, but it seems like she's really a supersweet girl who genuinely cares about him. That's the model you want to have when you're on this show. One of the sweetest Project Runway moments I've seen!

The next morning, Miranda gave Timothy a tearful apology for badmouthing him, but Timothy shoots back that actions speak louder than words. Ouch. While I can appreciate that he was extremely hurt, and that yes, actions speak way louder than words, she seemed genuinely upset and sorry. I think she probably took time reflecting that night and realized that she had been very wrong, and was trying to remedy their relationship before sending the look down the runway. She didn't handle the first day well, but he didn't handle runway day well at all.

RUNWAY!

Bradon/Karen: very sculptural. I was excited to see this completed, but I don't think I like it. It looks like there's a huge green tumor coming out of her hip. I'm surprised they got away with that one.

Dom/Alexandria: It's basically just a blue dress with a domo face on it. To me, it looks very junior, which is something that usually doesn't go well with the judges. Which is why I was completely surprised that the judges liked it. Seriously, what?!

Sandro/Sue: even with all their bickering, I think they ended up with a good look, even if Sandro was completely overpowering.

Helen/Kate: I think I may have been even more impressed that Kelly Osbourne. Seriously, when that walked out, I decided that if that didn't win, then there was something wrong with this show.

Alexander/Justin: I liked the colors. I thought the top looked good when the jacket was taken off. But that's about as good as it got. 

Jeremy/Ken: For me, this was the dream team. And for the third week, they made something really impressive that got passed over for the top. I'm not sure what the judges were thinking this week.

Timothy/Miranda: When I saw it on the runway, I actually liked it! I really don't know why the judges hated it. Yeah, it may have been a little safe, but it wasn't the bad color pallete that they made it out to be!

Top 2:
Helen/Kate
Alexandria/Dom

I'm really surprised that Alexandria and Dom were in the top. Sure, it looked well-made and clean, but it looked SO junior! What are they thinking??

Bottom 2:
Timothy/Miranda
Justin/Alexander

Once again, I was surprised that Timothy and Miranda were in the bottom. I thought that in the end, they were able to pull it off, even if they didn't get along. I thought Bradon and Karen deserved it more, maybe only because I predicted Karen to be gone by now... but I like Bradon, so I'm glad he was safe. All the Timothy/Miranda drama came out on the runway, and I did think that Timothy handled it incorrectly. Sure, Miranda messed up big time, but she seemed to legitimately be upset about it. At least, in the lounge, it was pointed out to him that he was doing the same thing that Miranda did the day before. 

Helen is the winner. Kate is in. Alexandria and Dom are in. Alexander and Justin are in.
Three strikes, and you're OUT, Timothy. Miranda is in.
Timothy goes out in true Timothy style. He says that he should’ve danced more. As he cleans up his stuff, he says that he won’t ever stop believing in unicorns and takes his cute unicorn with him.

So far, if you ignore the fact that i predicted Karen to be gone first, I've done pretty well. It looks like we'll have Sandro storming off the set next episode, which probably means he's going to quit. That's great for me, because it falls right in line with my elimination order which, in case you forgot, is this:

15-Karen
14-Kahindo
13-Timothy
12-Sandro
11-Helen
10-Dom

This gap represents the talent gap that I believe exists between those above and below...

9-Alexander
8-Alexandria
7-Justin
6-Kate
5-Jeremy
4-Ken
3-Sue
2-Bradon
1-Miranda

Right now, I'm thinking that I might re-do this just a touch. I feel like Sue probably won't make it as far as I originally guessed. Helen will probably make it farther than I thought. So, here's a new, top 13 order:

13-Sandro
12-Karen
11-Dom
10-Alexander
9- Helen
8-Alexandria
7-Justin
6-Sue
5-Kate
4-Miranda
3-Ken
2-Jeremy
1-Bradon

So, there you go! I'm really curious if Sandro leaving means that a previous designer returns. Maybe Timothy??? I doubt it, but we'll have to see! Also, Saturday, I'll be posting the first section of my list of Project Runway designers from best to worst! So make sure you check that out! See you then!