Project Runway: She’s a Pregnant Mess

So here’s the problem with this season. While we seem to have some really talented designers, we don’t seem to have a lot of interesting personalities. I thought maybe the first episode had too many introductions and not enough time for people to stand out, but then I watched the second episode, and I realize that these people, while probably fun to know individually, don’t make great television. For now. Possibly as the numbers dwindle and the competition becomes more, dare I say, “fierce,” personalities will start to show themselves.

And with that, welcome to Episode 2, wherein the challenge and the designs are much more exciting than the people we watch on television. Let’s begin!

On the runway, Heidi introduces a very pregnant Rebecca Romijn, this week’s subject du jour. The designers must create a maternity look for any occasion or event. Rebecca explains that she wants fashionable clothes that emphasize shape. Tim will decipher this as “form-fitting.” Everyone laughs while thinking “Maternity? Isn’t that just another excuse to design for large people? I’m not in my comfort zone! Freak!” We later learn that Mitchell previously designed commercial maternity wear. So, presumably, advantage to Mitchell.

Back at FIDM (pronounced phonetically, please), the designers have 30 minutes to sketch and $100 to spend at Mood. This is where the boring starts, because there’s a lot of “I’ve never done this before” and “Pregnant people? What?” Ra’mon (roll the “R,” while you’re at it) begins a series of interviews about how everyone else is draping and he’s an iconoclast for doing something different. He makes a dress of mostly purple, and you’re not so groundbreaking when Purple is this season’s Navy and everyone’s using and wearing the color. He wants a three dimensional, slimming look, and designs a dress with panels of purples and light grey. Mitchell tells him that the belly looks like a bowling ball. Ra’mon worries, and Mitchell fake says “no, I didn’t mean it like that.” Ra’mon begins to have doubts.

But not so many doubts to question his place as a frontrunner.

Christopher thinks he’s nailed a top spot again, but doesn’t worry because he has Immunity. Mitchell’s goal is to land somewhere safely in the middle to make up for last week’s debacle.  Shirin (who talks to herself when shopping for fabric) plans to stand apart by making both a simple dress and a coat. Malvin likes that his design is different, risky, and conceptual.

Tim Time. He loves Althea’s dress and recommends that she embrace how formal she’s making it. Louise’s red silk is looking a little lingerie. Tim encourages Mitchell’s attempt to fully clothe his model this time around. Shirin makes a beautiful draped dress with handwork at the waist. He loves the idea of the coat but warns her that the wrong design will send her home. Malvin’s fertility outfit worries Tim, because of the feathering, egg shape of the belly, and the “chicken thigh” design of the pants. Tim warns Ra’mon that he may be emphasizing the pregnant belly too much with his paneling.

After the final model fitting, the cups of Althea’s dress don’t fit her model perfectly, and Mitchell runs into a problem stitching and gathering the maternity shorts. Almost as if…he’s never designed maternity wear before?

Runway! Guest judges Monique Lhuillier in for Michael Kors, and Rebecca Romijn. Heidi warns all the designers that each of the women have been pregnant, so look out!

Logan: Simple, clean. Shirin: Gorgeous dress and coat. Nicolas: Simple, chic. Christopher: Safe, simple, cute, but could buy it now.  Mitchell: Awesome in concept. But…  Qristyl: Eh. Okay. Epperson: Unflattering “jacket” with pantsuit. That’s right: A pantsuit. Louise: Pretty, a little too much lace. Gordana: Meh. But love the model’s hair. Johnny: Boring! Malvin: The photos make it look worse. A baby bump sling! Ra’mon: Well, it is different. Carol Hannah: loves her own ugly jacket, mostly cute dress. Althea: Beautiful floor length dress, indecent pregnant boob exposure. Irina: Cute day dress.

Safe: Johnny, Qristyl, Logan, Nicolas, Christopher, Epperson, Carol Hannah, Irina, Gordana.

Judges. Monique says that Ra’mon’s dress is too busy and the construction sloppy, and all the women comment that the color blocking over-emphasizes the baby bump. So, not so much a frontrunner, but he takes the news well. Louise’s pleated lingerie and silk slip score points for their adjustable qualities, and Rebecca likes the dress, even though it’s almost too lingerie. Date night! Althea’s evening dress accentuates the back in a flattering, slimming way, and Monique loves the color. However, the cups need to be larger, because the belly ain’t the only thing growing on a pregnant woman. The women all agree that it is a beautiful dress. Malvin explains his Mother Hen-themed ensemble. Nina likes the black feathers, but doesn’t like the sling effect of the overall design. Heidi likes the idea of Mitchell’s urban look, but thinks, “Wow. How difficult is it to make a pair of shorts?” Nina calls the model a mess. Rebecca likes the idea but not the execution, and Heidi reminds him that just because the judges are seated away from the runway, doesn’t mean that they don’t have good eyes. Mitchell clearly thought he was in the top here, but his construction (no one mentions his previous experience) dooms him. Shirin’s dress receives accolades from all the ladies, and Monique tells her to get into the maternity business immediately. Nina is also impressed, and that is an amazing feat right there.

Deliberation goes much the same way, with Rebecca also calling Ra’mon’s dress reminiscent of a bowling ball. Line the designers back up and Louise and Ra’mon are safe. Between Althea and Shirin, Shirin wins! This week, we’re all in agreement, so well done, judges! However, between Mitchell and Malvin, it’s Malvin for the loss. What? Mitchell’s construction was awful, but at least Crazy Malvin had vision. I am far more interested to see what he would come up with than what Mitchell can’t pull off in the coming weeks. This is two weeks in a row Mitchell didn’t send out a polished product. He probably should have went home last week, and this week the mistake is even more glaring.

Which puts two of the most interesting designers out of the running. While I think we have great talent this season, I have to agree a little with Ra’mon that there’s a lot of the same “concepts” among the group. Ari and her headstands and Malvin with his ethereal voice at least looked at the challenges differently than the other designers. Both people would have driven me nuts, but at least we’d have some variety.

Next week: Teams of two and someone doesn’t know how to sew!

For another take on this episode, check out When You’re Good to Momma by J.B. Perlow.

Listen to The J Factor with J.B. and Jaimie here or on iTunes.

Season 6, Episode 2: We Expect Fashion (originally aired August 27, 2009)

For more on Project Runway, click here.

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Photographs courtesy of Lifetime