Project Runway Review: Is That My Knife In Your Back?

There has been a lot of trash walking down the runway of Lifetime’s Project Runway; unfinished garments, safety pins…Casanova’s unfortunate flamenco transvestite. But Thursday’s episode of Project Runway contestant Gretchen the Ghastly brought a new low in her bid to become the most disgusting contestant ever.

In the challenge this week the designers are tasked to create a collection for Fall 2010. In teams of six, the designers are split into two groups, schoolhouse style. One designer picks the next, who then picks the next, so on and so forth. As winner of the last week’s challenge Michael gets first choice; very unwisely he chooses Gretchen. This is a horrible mistake! Can I say ew! The girl is a good designer, of course, but her ego makes it impossible to work with her. Add into that her disdain for Michael (which he probably doesn’t know of at this point) and that is a very bad move. From this point on, the team turns decidedly anti-Michael as Gretchen’s cohorts quickly join the stage. Gretchen picks Ivy (resident hater) who then picks Andy (another hater) thereby completing the perfect haters trifecta. Include also a bitter Christopher and a sulking AJ and it’s like… WHAT?! This group is full of heavy hitters, and as we the viewers know heavy haters. There’s going to be drama flying around, criticism and barbs thrown everywhere. Ouch.

On the other team, the not quite dramatic team, is Peach, April, Mondo, Casanova, the other Michael, and Valerie. This team is being rooted as the underdog, and with the winners of the previous four challenges all on the other team, this does seem like a David/Goliath situation if say Goliath was schiznophrenic.

The affect of all of the “superhero” designers on one team is tragic. For Team Lux, aka Goliath, instead of individual pieces the designers will create pick and choose elements of each garment to create. This is meant to cater to each designer’s strong suit. But what it really does is eliminate any chance of expressing individual style. To forward the spirit of group unity, selfless Ivy proves she’d rather offer criticism than help. And when Michael comes to her for help, she rejects him and then spends the next forever minutes telling him he screwed it up. Gretchen completely overrides the rest of her team and sticks her arrogant nose into everything that everyone’s doing. “I’m in every one even if I’m not the one sewing.” Remember that Gretchen. After Tim comes in for evaluation, he warns the team that in comparison to the other team Lux’s collection is “ho- hum.” And in truth these designs do look like Peach’s model’s grandmother would wear them in the good ole’ days. In spite of this insight, Team Lux is confident with their designs and refuses to youth-en up their looks.

Whereas Lux is a cathastrophe, Team Military and Lace are completely calm and confident with their work. Everyone is doing their own design under the themeof Military and Lace and though they have their differences, they settle quickly. Really they’re quite boring. When Tim comes in he seems to be right on board with Military’s collection. He loves Mondo’s garment and is wowed by Valerie’s. Unfortunately for our dear Casanova, his garment gets hit the hardest. Tim thinks his lace top is matronly; it’s something the mother of the other designs would wear. This hits Casanova pretty hard; frustrated with all the negative feedback he receives Casanova has a breakdown and feels like giving up. But after a call to his aunt and a few kind words from his model, Casanova decides to give it one more shot. This time he rocks out a cream pair of pants that that the judges later call “super-chic {and} sexy.”

Designer Georgina Chapman serves as guest judge.

On the Runway Team Lux is surprised by their challenge loss and are sent offstage while the judges talk to the winning team. In the waiting room, Team Lux ponders over the judges’ bad decision as they try to rip apart the other collection. In an attempt to show why they should have won, Gretchen says that in a Project Runway first, the group created a collection that didn’t show any of the designers’ individual style. Like that’s a good thing. The team decides to make a pact to stand united in front of the judges. This is Gretchen’s idea and when AJ questions whether anyone will change their tune and throw someone under the bus on the runway, Gretchen denies this as a possibility.

On the runway the winning team is being praised on the individual style Team Lux has forgotten. The judges love that the collection was cohesive and still retained each designers’ signature style. Judge favorites include Casanova, whose pants bowled the judges over, and Pearl, whose smart navy and red suit Casanova called the best work he’s seen from her. But Casanova wins this one; his first.

The united Team Lux comes out and Gretchen acts as spokesman. She starts off by saying how proud everyone is of the collection and they stand united, blah, blah, blah. But after a while her bull runs out and she shows the true cretin she is. She says she hates the collection and Michael C. was the weak link. Now we see where the true unity lies as a spineless Ivy, Christopher, and Andy quickly second Gretchen’s nomination. When the judges direct their attention to people who can actually be eliminated, (Michael has immunity this week), Gretchen keeps the Michael bash going pointing out how flawed his garments were. Unfortunately for her, this puts Michael’s garments under scrutiny and his work is praised. They love his garments and Georgina calls a top that he made “perfect.” AJ declines to jump on the bashing wagon and chooses himself as the weak link. Unfortunately for him the judges agree (he made one ill-fitting garment out of the whole collection) and he is sent home.

Before he leaves Tim Gunn sits all the designers down and reprimands Team Lux for their behavior on the runway. I’ve never loved him more as he calls out the designers for their poor antics. He’s calls out the team for letting Gretchen manipulate them and just like a light bulb the designers realize ‘oh yeah, we were manipulated.’ Gretchen is hurt by that accusation, but her tears don’t burn her skin off so I don’t care. AJ says his goodbyes and so ends another week.

Season 8, Episode 5:   There Is an “I” in Team (originally aired August 26, 2010)

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Thursdays at 9pm EST on Lifetime

Photographs courtesy of Lifetime.