Last Dance - SYTYCD Finale

This is it, dance fans! Time for this season's finale--can Cyrus possibly be unseated? Will Tiffany ride her underdog status all the way to the winner's circle? Wait and see. All we know for sure is that Carly Rae Jepsen will be singing "Call Me Maybe." Aww, they've invited back the top 20! They all get introductions, more or less in the order they got dumped, I think? There are a couple of dancers I don't remember being on the show, actually.

Of course, since the votes are based on last week's show, none of tonight's dancing will affect the outcome. I don't really love how that worked this season--makes the votes feel arbitrary or unfair, even if at the time they made sense. Our judges tonight are all of the show alums--Tyce, Adam Shankman, Lil' C, and Debbie Allan. Cat is already milking introductions, and methinks someone has been told to stretch--our dancers are doing a quick change backstage. There's a bit of back-patting about Emmys (they won an Emmy for lighting, and Cat and the show are both nominated).

Turns out tonight's show will be "The Best of Season 9." Man, we just saw most of these dances! How can I miss them if they won't go away? But first, we have to have "the best group dance Nigel has ever seen," choreographed by both Sonya and Christopher Scott, for all 20 dancers. Let me guess, it'll look like the Matrix?  No, this looks like Titanic. There's a wind machine, and girls in vaguely period-y dresses, and everyone is doing their best mimed "walking into the wind."Guys are in gray Hammer pants and hoodies that look like they're the "Cozy Weekend Wraparound Cardigan" from Eileen Fisher. Not so butch. Cyrus gets a little slo-mo solo across the front of the stage, and then the dance is obscured by the spotlights shining right into camera. Way to earn that Emmy, guys. Overall, it was a nice dance, but to be honest, I don't really see why it was so amazing--it was definitely longer, at least.

SYTYCD Performance Finale - Ballet vs. Dubstep (and Tiffany)

We're here already! Tonight's episode features our four finalists--Eliana, Chehon, Tiffany and Cyrus--performing for the last time. The intro makes it sound like we can still vote tonight...will they be announcing winners tomorrow? I'm confused. But really, all I care about is that we get to see a ballet dance with Eliana and Chehon.

Cat looks cute, even if her red lipstick is a little intense--she's in a flirty red dress that isn't crazy at all! (I'm a little disappointed, to be honest.) Our guest judge is Rob Marshall, who I persist in mistaking for the lead singer of Matchbox 20, but is in fact the director of Chicago. We'll be getting FIVE dances from each of the contestants, which just might kill me.

Jumping right into it, we have Eliana and Cyrus (t-shirt: "I Heart You but I've Chosen Dubstep") dancing a Jason Gilkinson paso doble. The twist? Eliana is the matador in this one. They're dancing to Daft Punk, and the piece begins with a shirtless Cyrus dragging himself across the floor on his belly. Eliana's in a long black dress with bright red ruffles. She still looks pretty cape-y to me. It's all very slow and stagey, and Cyrus isn't strong enough to let Eliana really push off him. You can see all the places where the lifts would have been better if Cyrus had more experience partnering. OK, not great, overall.

SYTYCD Top 6

Wow, we're getting down to the end! And for real this week, I have to make this a quickie, because I'm leaving town in the morning and still have to clean the house and pack. You all get Abby Lite tonight, sorry!

We open with a Sonya-looking piece--girls in black tutus, boys in cargo pants, everyone in masks. (Do I think everything looks like a Sonya piece? I feel like I say that a lot.) They're dancing to Kelis, and the movement is very balletic (favoring Eliana?) for the first half--but then the disco lights start flashing and the funky galloping strides start up. It's sort of poor man's Gaga, but appealing enough. Everyone feels a little low-energy tonight, even on the intros--Cat, are you feeling OK? (Cat is wearing a dress in shades of orange and gold that looks like 60's wallpaper. She also confirms that the group number was, in fact, choreographed by Sonya. I am vindicated.)

Oof, each of our six dancers are performing THREE times tonight--with each other, with an all-star, and a solo. I think I'll have to skimp on descriptions tonight. We meet our judges, including returning guest star Christina Applegate! I hope she toughens up from last time--I like her as a judge when she gets specific. Let's get into it!

We start off with Tiffany, who's drawn Jean-Marc Genereux as her choreographer for a jive number with Benji. He was so much fun in his season--it's nice to see him back! I cannot, however, get behind his sideways baseball cap in rehearsal. For the actual performance, he's dressed as a soda jerk behind a counter while Tiffany's in a magenta bodysuit with frilly miniskirt. They're dancing to the Lillix cover of "What I Like About You." Hrrrrm. Wow--Benji can still move his feet. We'll actually see what a jive is supposed to look like, a rarity on this show. (Lillix can bite me, however. This cover is terrible.) Tiffany's doing OK, I think, but there are a lot of spots where she appears to just stand there while Benji dances around her. They manage a triple cartwheel, though!

SYTYCD: Top 8 Perform

Every week I swear I'm going to write a shorter recap, and every week I natter on for pages and pages...but I really would like to a) eat dinner and b) get to sleep on time, so we'll give it another go. At least with only eight contestants left it might get a little easier!

The show opens with a group number to "Run Boy Run" by Woodkid. The four guys are dressed in black pants and rather sheer black turtlenecks, while the women are in black-and-red cheongsams, holding fans. There are lots of angular poses, lifts and a sort of battle-y feeling. There's one rather amusing move where one of the women (can't tell in this light--maybe Eliana?) is doing a classic HMV to the audience, and Witney (I think) reaches over and touches her thigh like a concerned parent saying, "Close your legs, dear." I don't think that was the choreographer's intent. I'm guessing it's Sonya who did this one, but it feels too smooth for Sonya?

Cat is positively sedate this evening, in a pretty black dress with a v-neck. What, did wardrobe take the week off? Anyway, she thanks our new choreographer, Peter Chu, who was actually the person who did this week's group number. Nice to have some fresh blood on the show, even if I wasn't blown away by the routine. Cat reminds us that we're losing two more tonight, another man and woman. Think Witney and Chehon will be in the bottom again? If so, think it's because no one can spell their names? Cat goes on to introduce our judges, including "one of the favorite judges I've ever ever ever ever everrrrrrr had on the show," Jesse Tyler Ferguson. While it's true he's a total fanboy and therefore can reference anything that happened on previous seasons, I don't remember JTF being a terrific judge the last time he was on. (Or am I misremembering, and it was Neil Patrick Harris who was a disappointment?) Anyway, tonight everyone gets two dances--one solo and one dance with an All-Star. (There go my dreams of a short recap.)

SYTYCD: All-Star Night!

Tonight might be a little short--I forgot it was Wednesday! But I couldn't miss SYTYCD, because tonight we're going to meet this year's all stars! Yes, now that we have our top 10 contestants, it's time to bring out all our old favorites. But first we have a group dance from our young hopefuls...

It's a Gene Kelly theme, to big band music, and the director (Cole's) clapper board says "Nikki Parsons" on it, which confused me because I thought that was Nikki from The Glee Project, and all my reality shows ran together. While watching the dancing, there was one brunet man I couldn't identify--I kept thinking, "It's gotta be Cole, right? But it doesn't look like Cole--it looks more like Broadway Jess from last season." Well, at the end of the dance Cole comes walking out--he was the "director"--and it turns out the mystery man was...Tyce! Cole is "slightly injured" per Cat, so Tyce stepped in. (Cat, incidentally, is wearing a relatively sedate silver minidress.)

The Gene Kelly theme is because it's Kelly's 100th birthday tomorrow (well, if he were still alive), and his widow is in the audience tonight. His widow must have been MUCH younger than he was when they married, because she looks like Annie Lennox and can't be more than late 40s--or she's had excellent work done.  Moving on to our guest judge for the evening, we are getting very fancy indeed! It's Mr. Natalie Portman, Benjamin Millepied, esteemed ballet choreographer of Black Swan fame. Cat is adorably giddy about her success at pronouncing his name.

Back at last!

I love the Olympics, and watched everything from archery to synchro diving to the modern pentathlon (and of course, all the equestrian events!), but it's great to have Cat Deeley and her crew back on my TV screen! Cat seems happy to be back too, if we can judge from her Heidi-braid and dress that seems to be made out of leftover New Year's Eve confetti.

Tonight we're down to 14 dancers, and will be kicking off four more! That seems like a lot, but I guess it's to make up for the missing Olympic weeks? How long is this season? Anyway, we're (re-)introduced to the dancers in pairs, starting with Eliana & Cyrus, Tiffany & George, Janelle & Dareian, Amelia & Will, Lindsay & Cole, Witney & Chehon, and Audrey & Matthew. Last time we lost Brandon and...who? I'll check. Cat comes out through her usual gauntlet of dancers, and in the background I can see that Eliana is in THE most unflattering outfit ever. Seriously, ever. Sleeveless plaid flannel shirt over high-waisted granny panties.

Hmm, tonight's theme is: Mia Michaels. That is, the dancers will be performing "classic Mia routines from previous seasons." I know Mia's had some of the most talked-about dances in the show's history, but to be honest, I've always thought her choreography (on this show, at least) was overpraised. And I kind of suspect that a whole show of Mia-dances will all look the same. Prove me wrong, Nigel!

Hold That Thought!

I'm away at RWA this week, dear readers, but I will do a recap of SYTYCD when I return! (I'm watching some of it in my hotel room now, but am beyond jet-lagged and have no Tivo with which to pause, so Funny will have to wait.) Till then, keep tapping those toes!

SYTYCD: Four Go Home

I'm still so happy to have this show back. Even when it frustrates me, I love seeing all this dance on TV. Gordon, shockingly, has been making noises about us taking a dance class together, so maybe soon I'll be ready to bust a Sonya Tayeh move or two! Tonight's episode still features all 20 contestants dancing, but the die (and the votes) have been cast, so two will leave us tonight. The dancers are introduced in their couples, which is probably a good idea at this stage to help us remember them all. Case in point, the first couple is Tiffany & George, and while I know who George is, I'm shocked to have a Tiffany on this show at all.

The opening dance starts with Cyrus doing his best "Freaky Day of the Dead Dude" in a close-up, as the strains of a Marilyn Manson song start up. The dance feels Sonya-ish, with lots of right angles, a voodoo mood, and I believe a kind of guys'-hands-through-girls'-legs that seems a little questionable. However, when Cat emerges, I'm shocked to learn that this was a NappyTabs joint! Huh, who knew? Didn't think they had it in 'em. Anyway, Cat reminds us that America voted last week, and our bottom three guys and three girls will be revealed. At the end of the show, the judges will save one man and one woman, sending home the unlucky remaining four. Joining Nigel and Mary tonight is "Mr. Step Up Himself," Adam Shankman. Step Up 4--excuse me, "Step Up: Revolution"--is coming out next week, hence his appearance. (I prefer to call it "Occupy Step Up." Viva la Dancelution!)

SYTYCD: Top 20 Compete!

Hello, long-forgotten visitors! I have sorely neglected this blog, and was just too exhausted to recap, but now it's SYTYCD season again, and I feel the need to snark! I hope you'll join me.

We've already finished our auditions and named our top 20, none of whom I can remember since we took a week off for the All-Star Game. We open tonight with a group dance that seems to be about the enervating boredom of working in an office, set to an instrumental string piece. The only part I especially noticed were Chehon's pirouettes (although I forgot his name and called him Stefon). The intro seems to go on forever and yet I probably need to redo it just to figure out who all the contestants are. (Janaya? Did we let in a Janaya?) But nonetheless, I'm glad to be back!

Wally has joined us this evening, and is re-enacting "Tokyo Drift" as he gallops from kitchen to living room. He would like you all to know that he is a badass.

This is our first night of actual judging, after meeting all of the contestants. Cat looks super-tan--must have had a good time at her 4th of July BBQ this year!  Our judges are Mary, Nigel, and Kenny Ortega. In the past, Kenny has been a little soft-hearted, so I don't expect a lot this time. Tonight we're getting a little 9-second squib for each dancer to talk about themselves, conveniently bullet-pointed for the home viewer.

Whitney the ballroom twin is first, and we learn that she can make a "flower" with her tongue. Looks more like a W, but still, more than I can do. She is partnered with ballet dancer Chehon, who impressively gets through more than his hypenated name in the 9 seconds...but not much more. He thinks in 2 languages, but speaks in neither, alas. The two of them are doing a samba from Louis van Amstel, who wants them to "shake that money maker." This includes a hilarious demonstration from Louis of how the Brazilians basically just shake their hips and don't move their upper bodies. Chehon is concerned because his training is the exact opposite of what one needs for samba. At least he looks the part!

Sew Long, PR All-Stars!

Wally and I are ensconced on the couch, eagerly awaiting part 2 of the Project Runway finale.  As you'll recall, Mondo's collection is about therapy, and is varying black & white patterns, inkblots, and red blood spatters.  Austin's is inspired by Fragonard and Hasidim.  Michael's is safari resort wear.  Who will reign supreme? (Sorry, wrong show.)

The designers are nervous, dressed in their Sunday best, and ready to go. ("Does Liza Minelli know you went through her wardrobe, girl?" Mondo asks of Austin's sequined black blazer.) Each of them feels they deserve the win.  Since there's no Fashion Week going on, the show had to find a different venue for the runway show--they've chosen Gotham Hall, whose atrium is set up already for the show. The designers are stunned and pleased. (It is very nice.) With a final hug among our top three, they head backstage to unpack and set up.

They each have a little roomlet with an accessories cubby (Neiman Marcus branded, of course), ironing board, steamer and sewing machine. Austin is still sewing. Michael had so much time he could have sewn a whole new collection--and perhaps he should have, because the fit of his garments doesn't seem to be great, and he's having to redo seams. Mondo is debating whether to make a model in a sheer tunic walk bare-assed down the runway or not. Mondo! Don't make that poor girl be naked on TV! Joanna walks around to fret maternally at all of them, including de-linting Mondo's shirt. Mondo finds it "a little uncomfortable--like your aunt rolling you down." Um, I would have no problem with that.

PR All-Stars: Final Cut

So this is it, PR fans! We're down to the bitter end. It looks like we begin right after last week's runway show, with Austin, Michael and Mondo sitting in the chairs waiting for Angela. And halle-effing-lujah, Austin has shaved his pornstache! He looks so so so so SO much better! Great styling, Austin. Mondo disagrees, however, saying he went from Errol Flynn to Kermit the Frog. Meow.

Angela introduces the challenge by asking them to welcome "some familiar faces." The designers are nervous, but it turns out to be just Georgina and Isaac. They're instructed to design a mini-collection of 5 looks in only four days, after which they'll put together a runway show. (For whom? Angela says "VIP guests" will be invited, and it's at a very special location. I'm going to guess...the Intrepid.)  Because we won't have home visits with this abbreviated finale, the three finalists have been invited to the Marie Claire offices to meet Joanna there.

The three of them arrive at the building, where Michael seems impressed with the very concept of an office building. He likes the escalator. (Well, fair enough--it's the Hearst building.) A minion of some sort escorts them to a conference room with an amazing view of the park, but I'm distracted by said minion's sloppy presentation and mumbling escort. That can't be Joanna's assistant, surely?

PR All-Stars: The Lost Episode

OK, the episode isn't lost, so much as un-blogged, because my poor laptop expired after I accidentally doused it in Diet Coke. Frustrating, not only because I wrecked my computer, but because the challenge was actually GOOD this week! Designers had to work in Nanette Lapore's showroom to design a piece that would fit in her line, and that they could sell.  Plus, they were held to real-world restrictions about the cost of making their garment, which was determined with the help of Nanette's "coster." Who knew that was a real job?

I wish we'd seen even more of that...right now, the coster would look at the designer's sketch, consider things like seams & arm holes in estimating the cost of labor, decide what they could sell the piece for, and then tell the designers things like, "We would charge $350 for this. You have $48 for fabric." Astounding! And much like making a book, the raw materials (whether fabric or paper & ink) are one of the more minor costs of production.

Anyway, short version is that everyone is exhausted, Mondo was having some sort of depressive episode, Michael and Austin talked smack about all the other designs, and Kenley was the president of the Kenley Fan Club, as always.  In the end, Mondo's boxy patchwork shiftdress won the day, Austin's lovely swing coat came in second, and when faced with Michael's unwearable-except-by-a-model jersey caftan vs. Kenley's awkwardly-sewn print and bad attitude, they decided to give Bettie Page the old heave-ho.

So we're off to the finals with Mondo, Austin and Michael. No word on what that will look like--presumably they're not showing at Fashion Week, so does that mean no home visit craziness? Guess we'll have to tune in to find out!

PR All Stars: Your Name in Lights!

I'm back from sunny Florida, which was 90 degrees this weekend--alas, I didn't even have time to get in the hotel pool. But thanks to any Sleuthfest readers! You were gracious hosts.

Since my elite cadre of readers (hi, Mom!) have probably already watched & forgotten the show, I'm going to try to make this a quickie. (And we saw how well I did last week.) Anyway, the challenge this week is to make an avant-garde design incorporating lighting effects, for display on a blacklit (blacklighted? lit with blacklight?) runway. So basically, it'll be like a skinny Blue Man Group. Pharrell Williams will be the guest judge, and the winning designer's look will appear in a video.

Off they go to the lighting shop, which has all sorts of twisty, bendy light sticks in various colors and sizes. Michael's drawn to a string of white lights that look like mini-vanity lights, while Jerell likes magnetic LEDs and the fiber optic glowstrings you used to see at Spencer Gifts.  (I used to love Spencer Gifts! So much glow! I don't think I fully understood the raunchier elements of their stock.)  After some haggling, the designers bring their haul straight to Mood. (No light-up bow tie for Swatch? A missed opportunity.)

Failing the PR Time Challenge

I'm away at Sleuthfest, and thus missed last night's Project Runway! But my faithful Tivo has saved it, and I'll put up a belated blog on Sunday night. (For all six of you who were waiting with bated breath!)

PR All-Stars: O Say Can You Sew?

Hello, PR fans! I am beat tonight, and still have to do a bunch of reading, so I'm going to try to keep things short and sweet. (Ha. Like I could stop running my mouth--er, fingers.) Here's a little blogging party game you can play at home: Gordon is currently sitting in the living room with me. How many minutes do you think he'll make it before he gives up on watching the show and runs away?

We start in the hotel, and Austin bitchily says that Kara deserved to stay more than Jerell or Mila (but not to their faces, of course). Nothing much comes of it, and soon the contestants are off to their next destination: the U.N.! We see the classic view of the black slab building ringed by the world flags, and then cut to what I think is the U.N. Peace Garden. Angela greets them, standing by a table of six flags chosen from each of the six major world regions: Chile, Greece, India, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, and the Seychelles. Each designer must make a dress inspired by the colors of the flag, and the culture of the country.

Mondo chooses Jamaica; Michael chooses Greece and shouts "Opa!"; Mila picks Papua New Guinea because of the colors; Jerell picks India for its embellished ethnic flair; Austin picks the Seychelles and makes a dumb lispy joke I won't transcribe; and Kenley is left with Chile, but says she's happy with it.  Looks like the designers also get a binder with some information about their chosen country as well.

PR All-Stars: Puttin' on the Glitz

Hello, PR fans! Don't know about you, but I'm still stinging from last week's results, and the generally disappointing judging over the last few episodes.  Tonight's challenge is to create an outfit for the revival of Godspell. Now, I have a soft spot in my heart for this musical--along with Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar, it pretty much comprised my religious education.  But that said, is there anyone who hears "Godspell" and thinks "glamour"?  I mostly just picture mimes.

We open on Columbus Circle's Flatotel, where Austin is doing Kenley's hair, and all the contestants are reeling from Rami's dismissal. Then off they dash to Times Square (ish--Circle in the Square Theatre on 50th) to get their challenge. I think I saw The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee here.  Angela is waiting for them, and introduces their guest judge, the composer of Godspell (among many others), Stephen Schwartz.  Now, that is definitely high-powered in the theatrical realm, but for fashion? I remain skeptical. But the contestants seem delighted, especially when they learn that the winner will have their look featured in the show, and they'll get a bio in the program.  I wish to stop here and point out that Kenley's hair is apparently still up in rollers, because her head looks enormous and she's wrapped it in a giant scarf.  Not the done thing, Kenley!

Ah, and here is the "glitz"--the actress they're designing for is playing a wealthy, ostentatious woman who has stolen her riches from others. (I'm scrambling to think of which song this goes with...maybe "All For the Best"?) Then I get confused because the director starts explaining that the whole cast should look as though they've assembled their own costumes from their own closets, or thrifting, or whatever. So...she's supposed to look like she's made her own costume of Rich Woman? Incidentally, the stills from the show indicate that a copious amount of confetti is involved in the production.  Ah--the challenge is also that Rich Woman will have her costume assembled onstage by the other actors...so the designers must do separates, and they have $200 and one day.

PR All-Stars: Fashion Face-off

Hello, lovelies! Just spent a lovely evening drinking wine with my best girls, and now am BUI for sure (blogging under the influence!).  Probably the best way to deal with TV recaps, actually.  Well, at least we can be reasonably confident that no one will fall off the stage tonight, barring any model mishaps!

This week's challenge begins with Angela onstage, looking like she's gone on a mad shopping spree.  She's festooned with eight tote bags, and each designer must choose one. Of course they all vie for the most fashionable version--there's an orange leather bag, a green-and-white striped one, and one that's all faux fur--but in the end, it doesn't matter. Inside the bags are luggage tags with a season written on them, and the designers are to design a look for someone planning a weekend getaway in the season they've been assigned. Angela does the math for us--4 seasons, 8 designers--to explain that the two people on each season will be facing off against one another.

PR All Stars: Whose Muse is Whose?

The designers are exposed to daylight, which doesn’t seem to agree with all of them. Austin, naturally, is sporting a straw boater. I’m amazed he’s not clad in a white flannel suit to go with it.  Must have left his punting pole by the Thames. Anyway, they’ve been trotted out to Central Park for some fresh air and panhandling—though in this case, they don’t need money, they need a muse, chosen from among the various people in the park.  And of course, that’s not enough—they have to convince their muse to give the designers their clothing! I don’t really like this challenge—it stretches the designers’ skills, but I always become preoccupied with how sad I’d be if one of my favorite outfits was chopped up into something I didn’t like.

Anthony tells us in a talking head that although he’s often dinged for his big personality, that will be the quality that puts him ahead in this challenge.  He’s right—I would die if I had to approach strangers and convince them to give me their outfits.  “Excuse me, ma’am, would you mind…oh, never mind, I’m sure you don’t want to. Sorry to bother you.” And then I would auf myself and save Heidi the time. (Sorry, Angela, you don’t have a good catchphrase, so I’m casting Heidi in this scenario.)

Ha! Angela throws them a bone by saying that the budget is $150, and the designers are allowed to use any portion of that to convince their muse to cough up the threads. Of course, then they’ll have that much less for Mood, so there’s some calculation at work.  Rami observes that they’ll have a difficult time in New York, because “we know that New Yorkers don’t take that shit very well.” Heh.

PR All-Stars: Good Taste Tastes Good

Hello, PR fans! I type with weakened fingers, as I finally made it back to Zumba tonight and am now spent. Lifetime, be gentle with me. The title of this week's episode gives me some pause, given that last week we had Miss Piggy as our guest judge/client. Tonight are we going to see Charlie the Tuna?

No, but I'm not as far off as one might think. The designers' next challenge is to make an outfit inspired by the colors and flavors of gelato, and they've actually got some poor scoop jockey with a cart from "L'arte de Gelato." April points out that the board of flavor options is rather over the top, and she doesn't even know what some of these flavors are (notably, "Fruits of the Forest"). Michael is last week's winner, so he gets to pick first.  He scampers over and chooses grapefruit, and is handed a tall skinny cone from the server.  He's a little disappointed, because the ice cream is sort of pale blush-colored, not the ruby-red grapefruit color he'd hoped for.

Michael then chooses the next person to pick--Mondo. Mondo wants cantaloupe. Mila chooses "Milk and Sour Cherries." April chooses blueberry. Jerell chooses the infamous Fruits of the Forest, which turns out to be a rich red color. Kenley chooses passionfruit. Austin chooses Vanilla Madagascar (I have visions of a white gown with a Carmen Miranda hat). Anthony chooses green tea. Rami chooses kiwi, and last is Kara, who winds up with "chocolate with cayenne pepper." She's disappointed, but I don't think it's a bad pick--I'm not sure why she's so upset.

PR All-Stars: Model Muppets

Hello, all-star readers! While I'm enjoying the season thus far, I can't say that I'm particularly excited for tonight's episode, "Patterning for Piggy." Not only has the Muppet movie come and gone, but I don't care if these designers can design for a puppet. And I don't really need to see a talking ball of foam judge the dresses.  But hey, maybe they'll surprise me.  And it's certainly ripe for a Surprise Twist, in which the designers think they're making a dress inspired by Piggy, but then at the last minute ALSO have to make a matching dress FOR Piggy! (If it happens, you totally heard it here first.)

Angela comes out and does a coy intro to the challenge, telling the designers they're to design "a flamboyant cocktail dress for one of the most famous fashionistas in the world." She also tells them that this guest has had everyone from Burberry to Prada design for her. Huh. I did not know that. Austin thinks it'll be Cher or Lady Gaga, but the designers all laugh, and a lot of them seem really psyched. The Muppets touched us all, I guess. We see a lot of Miss Piggy shots in various outfits, and there's one with straightened hair that kind of reminds me of Jill Zarin. Ah--"the winning designer's cocktail dress will be modified for Miss Piggy's figure." So they still get to build human-sized clothes, at least. (Good thing--you know how these designers all are about working with plus-sized models!)

In the workroom, Mila decides to go 60s Mod for Piggy, because it doesn't need to be costumey. Kenley tells us she loves Miss Piggy because she grew up watching the cartoon, and I immediately start grumbling that that isn't authentic Piggy. Muppet Show is where it's at! Statler & Waldorf 4eva!  Let's go to Mood and walk it off.

Austin wants a hot pink fabric, but Gordana notes that a lot of other designers are grabbing black. I also observe that this time, the designers keep their own time...no Tim (or even Swatch!) to chivvy them along. With an "All right, Mood, Imma holla atcha!" from Anthony, we're off to the workroom to sew, sew, sew!

Gordana doesn't want to do structure, like the other designers are--she feels that her vision is more free-spirited and flowing, which is beautiful on a woman (or a pig, I guess). Mondo tells us that he thinks her dress is beautiful, quiet and soft, and doesn't fit the challenge requirement of "flamboyant." I'm thinking that all this working footage would be improved if they played the theme to the Muppet Show over the top.  Here you go (here you go, here you go again...)!

PR All-Stars: A Night at the Opera

Hello again, lovely Runway fans! I have made my peace with this new, Tim Gunn-less runway, especially because I have it on good authority that he will definitely be back for next season. Whew! (Also, for all you fans of Gunn's Golden Rules, he's working on a new book!)  I've tuned in early enough to catch the "coming up on this season," and it looks like Isaac definitely won't stay as sedate as he was this week--for good or ill.

Angela welcomes the designers and announces the guests who will deliver this week's challenge: the two men who make up Badgley Mischka! Badgley (or Mischka) demonstrates via self-tanner that orange is always in fashion. The task tonight is to design a dress for attending the opera, and it should be fabulous and creative. (I assume they're referring specifically to opening night at the Met, which I know is fancy because Alex and Simon made a big deal of it on RHONY. See how educational reality TV can be?)

The designers all retire to the workroom to sketch before heading to Mood (with $350, but only a day to make the dress), and I find it interesting to see how few of them embrace the sponsor's HP Think Pads for sketching. April tells us that on her season, she used a ton of black, so this time she's embracing color. Not, apparently, in her hair, however.  Austin tells us he was called "the king of couture" on his season of PR (was he?), and will be humiliated if he doesn't do well on this challenge.

Project Runway All-Stars: Retro Edition

I'm back, lovely blog-friends! And having just come home from seeing The Book of Mormon, I am high on life. (Don't worry, Mom, they didn't convert me--but I am still humming.)  And to quote another sacred text, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I am breathless with antici...PATION at the prospect of seeing all (OK, some) of our favorite PR alums! Into the dressing room we go...

We begin with introductions and--whaaaaa? Where's Michael? Where's Nina? That's right, we have all new judges for this season! I am shocked...but it does eliminate the possibility of playing favorites. Interesting! We get quick clips with all the designers, but while all the faces are familiar, I'm not sure of everyone's names, so we'll wait and see.  There's also a replacement Heidi--another model I don't recognize. But what about Tim? Is there a Through-the-Looking-Glass Tim? I don't think I could handle that.