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make it work
January 6, 2012

Project Runway All Stars Recap: Making Unconventional the Norm

By Alex Rees

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Photo: David M. Russell/Lifetime

As if an all-star season of Project Runway wasn’t exciting enough already, it’s also a boon for recapping purposes because, of course, we already know all the designers in the competition — looking very fierce and high-end in their new opening credits, it must be said. Look, there’s cute little Mondo in shorts, the ever-controversial Kenley Collins in short-shorts, and even season-one vet Austin, striding purposefully while carrying a garment bag that floats wistfully in the wind. Isn’t it great to be back?

After they’d all gotten together and gleefully squealed themselves out, the designers head into Chelsea’s Limelight Marketplace — probably the largest group to be in there in a while — and there’s barely time to meet the actual first-timers (host Angela Lindvall and judges Georgina Chapman and Isaac Mizrahi) before the first fashion showcase. Each designer must present a pre-made look they think best illustrates their aesthetic. So surely the first all-star challenge will then force them to tear another competitor’s look apart — bare-handed, if not with only their teeth — and re-create it, much improved, right?

Well, no. The runway goes off with no twists, and it’s not until after the obligatory “look at our pretty apartments” segment that the challenge gets revealed. (Oh, and you know, there’s also a good-luck video message from Valentino Garavani, no big deal; he’s promoting his virtual museum, but of course.) In what’s now the quintessential Runway season’s first task, the designers have to craft a look that’s inspired by the gown they’d presented to the judges earlier using only “unconventional materials” — specifically, in this case, 99¢-store produce. Austin’s corn-husk dress gets name-dropped specifically as a success from the past — no pressure there, then. Season eight cast-mates Michael and April buy the same mopheads, and should thus forced to duel using them as weapons (but aren’t, boo), but otherwise the store yields no particular messiness.

Underscoring just how short this challenge seems to be (a one-day challenge with a 10 p.m. mandated finish, perhaps because all-stars demand more time for beauty sleep in their contracts?), new mentor Joanna Coles makes only a brief appearance for her critiques. There’s no mention of underwear just yet, but she seems to develop a good dialogue with the designers she engages with — perhaps other than kooky-lady Elisa, that is. (Really, the visibly flummoxed Coles is probably just glad she didn’t have to crawl around Elisa’s seemingly bizarre under-table workspace.) While a respite from the 90-minute-long episodes of recent seasons is nice, it’s certainly a whistle-stop tour through the workroom this week, with some designs-in-progress hardly seen at all, and an inordinate amount of time spent on Austin fixing a glue-gun-burnt hole in his blue plastic dress.

Angela’s entrance onto the first judging runway makes it clear she’s inherited Heidi’s sparkle-centric wardrobe. And then, woo hoo — just as quickly, it’s time for the designs. There’s binders and bath mats and cheap-looking terry towels, hankies and plastics and yes, two sets of mop heads all woven together — but, really, for a challenge touting innovations and the incorporation of unusual materials, it’s not a particularly exciting combination. Just where are the corn husks? Or the coffee filters, the “wickety-wack” trim, the wicker baskets even — dare we suggest a Vincent Libretti cameo? It’s a question that must be asked. (Well, the one about the lacking creativity, not about Vincent’s return.)

Oddly, the judges miss an opportunity to make Michael and April gripe at each other over their similarly draped dresses — not that it seems to matter because the promos for next week’s episode suggest they get into it after BOTH PICKING RED FABRICS. (Eek!) Instead, Rami, Jerell, and Mondo earn the top scores, with Rami’s wonderfully constructed take on plaid well-deserving of the victory. Less lucky are the three ladies on the bottom: Gordana, Elisa, and Sweet P. Somehow, despite Sweet P’s raggedy striped terry-towel sundress, it is Elisa and her take on story-time that get sent home. This time, there’s no “auf” to be had, just a handshake and good-bye from Angela. As Elisa was arguably the most unconventional choice as an all-star in the first place, it’s particularly surprising to see her out of the running so quickly — she surely had more spit marks blessings to give. And yet it’s maybe fitting, because no one was going to accept the first elimination as gracefully as she did.

And in case you’re still maybe a little confused by what’s old and what’s new (or, to coin a well-used phrase, who’s in and who’s out) on this special season, here’s a handy little video primer. You’re welcome!

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Anthony Williams Anthony's description of this dress said that it "[turned] a lot of nothing into a whole lot of something." Unfortunat... Anthony Williams Anthony's description of this dress said that it "[turned] a lot of nothing into a whole lot of something." Unfortunately, that "something" wasn't exactly a good thing — a tissue-paper dress that looked like tissue paper, and clusters of gold safety pins that, while from afar read slightly rich and Romanesque, looked otherwise like, yep, safety pins.
April Johnston April should have been given a top-three spot only so she could repeat her description of materials as "a clusterfuck of mops... April Johnston April should have been given a top-three spot only so she could repeat her description of materials as "a clusterfuck of mops." Despite the consensus that her take on said mops trumped Michael's (coming up in a few), we felt her take on pattern fell rather flat.
Austin Scarlett Austin gets the prize for this week's "make it work" moment after he burned a hole in his plastic dress with a glue gun... Austin Scarlett Austin gets the prize for this week's "make it work" moment after he burned a hole in his plastic dress with a glue gun, and you'd certainly never notice it here. We loved the use of shiny pot/pan scrubbers as an intricate take on ornamentation, and this piece certainly flowed and shimmered as much as Austin rhapsodized in his runway voice-over. But this is no corn-husk dress. Is it unrealistic of us to have expected that? We're not sure — but if you're feeling slighted, Austin, we will say we love you're new bouffant.
Elisa Jiminez — <s>Auf'd</s> Out Despite the presence of roses front and, er, center on her outfit, things did not come up rosy for E... Elisa Jiminez — <s>Auf'd</s> Out Despite the presence of roses front and, er, center on her outfit, things did not come up rosy for Elisa this episode. Elisa described it as "high art," but of course, the judges hadn't signed up for a book group. (And are we to believe Elisa tried to weave a tale in her on-the-runway critique for a half hour, as Georgina said during the judges' deliberations?) Suffice to say, Elisa came and did her thing — and while the judges didn't respond, it's unlikely to affect her outlook. That's surely to her credit as a creative individual, if not as a successful Runway player.
Gordana Gehlhausen — Bottom Three It turns out that Anthony had a bunch of hard candy from the 99¢ store he hadn't used. If Gordana had... Gordana Gehlhausen — Bottom Three It turns out that Anthony had a bunch of hard candy from the 99¢ store he hadn't used. If Gordana had only managed to snatch that up, she could have created the piñata that Mondo referred to in his snarky confessional, and made a much more memorable runway impression. That she said her outfit could be "hit or miss" for the judges only cemented the missed opportunity. And, sadly, it was a bit of a miss — no doubt made worse by Gordana's defeated stance on the runway (get some posture lessons, really!) and her decision to list her design flaws for the judges. Not smart, Gordana — the last thing you want to do is give the judges their reason to eliminate you on a plate. Or, you know, written on some big white wings.
Jerell Scott — Top Three However "cheap-ass" Jerell's handkerchiefs may have been — and our guess is 99¢ — making a floaty dr... Jerell Scott — Top Three However "cheap-ass" Jerell's handkerchiefs may have been — and our guess is 99¢ — making a floaty dress out of them seems like rather weak sauce, and certainly not worthy of being named among the top three in a competition focused on innovation.
Kara Janx Perhaps it's for the best that we saw very little of Kara's look this week? She's perhaps our sentimental favorite based on her previou... Kara Janx Perhaps it's for the best that we saw very little of Kara's look this week? She's perhaps our sentimental favorite based on her previous Runway showing, but this look doesn't seem to demonstrate a whole lot of all-star potential. The red, woven/knitted blouse has potential from the front, but looks bulky from the back; the skirt makes pretty much no statement at all. And the hat!? Were Nina Garcia still around this season, she'd had torn that styling choice apart — and it would have been for the best.
Kenley Collins It wouldn't be a Kenley Collins design without a cutesy little fascinator now, would it? Barring some slightly odd construction ar... Kenley Collins It wouldn't be a Kenley Collins design without a cutesy little fascinator now, would it? Barring some slightly odd construction around the bust, this look struck us as one that was overlooked for a top spot (and yes, certainly over Jerell's piece). Kenley's sterile color palette juxtaposed nicely with the sharp pleats and tailored lines, and the rubbery suction pads on her chosen bathmat worked successfully as a pattern of sorts, too.
Michael Costello When Michael said he just wanted to spill something on this dress to watch it soak the mess up, he hit upon quite the missed opp... Michael Costello When Michael said he just wanted to spill something on this dress to watch it soak the mess up, he hit upon quite the missed opportunity. And not just to sound skeezy, no no — giving his dress a quick and easy dye-bath would have differentiated his dress from April's. With that said, for us this was the more successful of the two mop head dresses, as the draping had sophistication, symmetry. Michael still strikes us as a bit of a try-hard though, it must be said. p.s. Hi there, Top Model cycle six alum Leslie Mancia! Nice to see you back on reality TV.
Mila Hermanovski Meet Mila, she's quite steely and competitive! She does nice, mod-style things with graphic lines and prints! That's about all. ... Mila Hermanovski Meet Mila, she's quite steely and competitive! She does nice, mod-style things with graphic lines and prints! That's about all. (But that's not to say this wasn't nice, and well-made.)
Mondo Guerra Well, clearly Mondo has inadvertently started the feud to end all feuds with his design this week. Uh-oh. Because, yes, he's taken ... Mondo Guerra Well, clearly Mondo has inadvertently started the feud to end all feuds with his design this week. Uh-oh. Because, yes, he's taken on Kenley Collins with his use — and, in the judges' eyes, more successful use — of a FASCINATOR. It will be on like a light switch from next episode forward, we're pretty sure. While an all-black look was somewhat unexepected from Mondo (in the extended judging session, he says that's because he was expecting an unchanged judging panel, and wanted to show Michael and Nina something different — interesting, considering it was their votes that cost him the season 8 win.) it was still executed sharply and yet whimsically too.
Rami Kashou Now this is a corn husk dress. Rami's look represented such a clear winner that it perhaps explains some of the other All Stars lack... Rami Kashou Now this is a corn husk dress. Rami's look represented such a clear winner that it perhaps explains some of the other All Stars lackluster designs — once they saw "this bitch owning it" (Rami's words, not ours), they maybe gave up, and with good reason. The transformation of plaid laundry bags into a sleek skirt and sculptural jacket may not have been that far out of the box, but the flawless execution, rightfully applauded by the judges, more than made up for it. And tinsel — Rami, who we remember as being quite (too) serious, used tinsel and making it look as chic as the ostrich feathers he said it was there to represent.  The bar has been set.
Sweet P We picked this look as the week's weakest by a terry toweled-mile, and Sweet P was very lucky indeed to squeeze by at Elisa's expense. In... Sweet P We picked this look as the week's weakest by a terry toweled-mile, and Sweet P was very lucky indeed to squeeze by at Elisa's expense. In her mentor's critique, Joanna sensibly points out there's nothing surprising about P's materials, nor was there anything particularly surprising about her re-working of them. As the judges noted, not even that harshly given the look, the dress semed raggedy and unresolved — with, yes, a "chew-out" hole in the back. Sweet P herself said she'd never own or wear a terry cloth dress, and we can understand why, in this context particularly.
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