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!)