Project Runway: Blue? Really?

It’s the return of Michael Kors! And I warn you now, a lot of the outfits this week are pretty ugly. Especially after last week was so much more fun.

And so! Gordana compares PR to the Olympics. For real. Louise wants “to go over the top” since she produced a “snooze-fest” last week, and we’re reminded, ominously, that Nicolas has immunity.

In the workroom, Tim introduces Martine Reardon of Macy’s INC brand. She issues the challenge: create two blue outfits that fit into the INC line. The winner will design a holiday dress for Macy’s to be sold in select stores and on Macys.com. The designers will work in teams of two for a one day challenge: each designer will pitch their ideas to Martine, who will choose five team leaders. Then the leaders will choose their partners. Because of the prize, there will be no immunity awarded.

The team leaders and their partners: Christopher and Epperson; Irina and Gordana; Barbie and Logan; CH and Shirin; and Louise and Nicolas.

Irina doesn’t like working with anyone because she doesn’t understand the concept of leading a team: she’d rather do it all herself and feels as though she needs to look over her partner’s shoulder the entire time. She dislikes working with Gordana, who complains that she received no direction and no encouragement to incorporate her own ideas. Somehow, Gordana’s influence comes out in the top and skirt that she’s working on, whether because Gordana pushed for her ideas or because Irina gave up on Gordana, we don’t see. Irina dogs Gordana in her interviews throughout the episode.

Shirin says she wouldn’t have designed CH’s outfits, but she’s resolved to help execute. In that “I’m only doing this because that’s my assignment” tone. She doesn’t sabotage CH, and that’s all I care about. Shirin calls them “Team Awesome,” and I hate the way “awesome” sounds coming from Shirin. I immediately resolve to strike the word from my vocabulary. Which is going to be a problem since I use “awesome” all the time. Don’t blame me, blame Scrubs. I love you, J.D.! But for some reason, hearing the way Shirin says it is an immediate turn off. I now have to find something else to describe everything.

Louise can’t do “over the top” this week because of the nature of the challenge. Her two dresses both have ruffles coming down along the front, and Nicolas hates hates hates ruffles. So do I – didn’t I tell you I loved this guy? He feels that designers use ruffles when they’re stumped or to hide flaws, implying a lack of creativity. Then he gossips to Barbie about Louise.

We hear from Epperson about how he enjoys his partnership with Qrystopher more than his experience with Qristyl. Christopher encourages Epperson to add his own details, and they’re both in love with working with each other. It’s nice to see them get along so well, but they’re a little much. Christopher calls them “The Dream Team” because of their shared aesthetic and good craftsmanship.

Barbie and Logan get along well, and Gordana explains that all the girls and boys love Logan. I think Barbie’s crushing on him. Together, Barbie and Logan are boring.

Tim Time. To CH’s team first. Tim laments the use of leggings as a personal prejudice. He claims they have the potential to knock people’s socks off. I have to trust him because I don’t see it. He worries about Louise’s dresses – he’s excited by the potential but gives no clear advice. Irina and Gordana clash over ideas in front of Tim regarding the blouse of Gordana’s outfit. Of note: Irina creates a patchwork of blue stripes for her dress since she hates walking around in bold, solid colors. No comment from Tim, but the dress looks awes— amazing. Really pretty. Tim tells Christopher that he’s worried that the outfits don’t work together, but there’s potential for “serious reinvention” of the shirt dress. Amazing, right? Considering, the shirt dress is pretty basic as far as I can see. Epperson and Christopher feel really, really good after Tim’s critique.

Judging. Michael Kors finally returns! Guest judges: Zanna Roberts and Martine Reardon.

Irina & Gordana: Beautiful dress, I’d wear the second outfit. Barbie & Logan: Boring on both. Louise & Nicolas: Neither dress would ever fit in the Inc. collection. CH & Shirin: Too simple, don’t like the second look. Christopher & Epperson: The shirt dress isn’t fitted or “reinvented.” Second look okay.

Safe: Barbie & Logan.

CH & Shirin and Irina & Gordana have the higher scores, so they’re up first. Kors loves CH’s tunic, and Zanna thinks the first look has instant appeal. The judges love that Irina created her own print, especially since everyone else only used solids. When asked how they worked together, Irina and Gordana argue politely and Irina looks more gracious than she really was during the entire process. Heidi loves the dress and Gordana’s top, so both women did equally well – though as Irina’s designs, she would receive the most credit.

In the losers’ bracket, Heidi disagrees with Louise’s choice of ruffles. Zanna calls Louise’s first look bridesmaid, and Kors expands on that idea. When asked, Nicolas concedes that he doesn’t like ruffles, but he was there to help Louise create her vision. Kors looks like he wants to say something, but doesn’t. Heidi rubs it in that he’s lucky he has immunity. Ordinarily, he’d probably hear no end about not trying to advise his leader about the stupidity of her ideas.

Over with The Dream Team, Christopher breaks down in tears as he listens to the judges’ negative critique his work, and I have to say, I feel like Heidi turned up the bitchiness this week – she seems to be looking for sound bites because she’s actually nasty. She says no modern girl would wear either outfit. Kors says the shirt dress looks like a librarian’s shirt dress from 1979 and the material makes it look like a tablecloth, and calls the other tunic top “a teal charmeuse disco pumpkin.” We’ve missed you, Kors! When the tears start, Zanna looks disgusted and Epperson steps up to try to cover for Christopher. Martine didn’t like the materials used.  I didn’t see The Dream Team’s outfits as being as bad as the judges believe them to be, but what do I know?

Deliberation means more of the same, so bring them back out! Irina wins (rightfully so) with Shirin, Gordana, CH, Epperson and Nicolas also safe. Between Louise and Christopher, Louise’s “bad, overworked bridesmaid dresses” are worse than Christopher’s “clueless” and un-saleable outfits, and she is eliminated. Christopher is safe, and there go the tears again. Seriously, I think Zanna wants to punch him.

Again, I didn’t see The Dream Team’s looks as being that bad, but I do agree that Irina should have won. She might be a snooty bitch, but she’s created some great outfits. As for Louise, I wonder if she wasn’t set up for failure – Martine liked the pitch, and I can’t imagine that Louise changed it that much. I’ve shopped Macy’s INC line, and I never see anything like this in their collection – why approve it if it doesn’t fit in the first place? I also wonder what Martine saw in Christopher’s shirt dress that made it different from what you can buy at the Gap right now.

Hey, I just realized all the models have been mixed up. Does this mean I have to watch a rerun of Models of the Runway to find out what happened?

Next week: New models, tears, and someone designs “a tragedy.” Fun!

For another take on this episode, read The Case of the Pumpkin Disco Ball by J.B. Perlow.

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

Season 6, Episode 7: The Sky’s the Limit (originally aired October 1, 2009)

For more on Project Runway, click here.

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Photographs courtesy of IMDbPro