Project Runway Review: Ivy Takes The Wheel

This week on Project Runway, April is exposed, Ivy talks too much and Casanova checks out.

After last week’s win, Michael is upset that none of the other designers were excited for him. Andy, of the Grotesque Quartet, says it’s just because Michael’s work doesn’t really show his design aesthetic. And while Michael tries to explain what his aesthetic is, Andy looks incredibly un-interested. With Peach’s elimination last week, the four remaining girls in the competition suddenly find themselves roommates. April moves into the apartment with Gretchen, Ivy, and Valerie. Now, I am more than a little concerned about this relocation as Gretchen has not yet managed to turn April into another mindless Hater druid. My fear is that proximity to the virus will corrupt poor innocent April; gotta keep an eye on that.

Designer/judge Michael Kors makes a surprise appearance to unveil a very Kors challenge; he will also be monitoring the designers’ progress throughout. The designers are excited to see Michael Kors away from the runway, but excitement soon turns to dread as their challenge is revealed. This week the designers must fashion a design for resort wear. Their design must be inspiring, show their point of view, and be interesting. Casanova is freaked. He’s never made resort wear and seems to be unable to understand the concept. Whether this is another Casanova attempt to blame his inadequacies on ‘translation’ issues, I don’t know. Also afraid is Mondo, whose idea of a vacation is trolling his apartment in a nightshirt. So, he’s got a long way to go. Not all the designers are testy, and in fact some are looking forward to it. Andy is hyped because, living in Florida, resort wear is something he can do. April is a little anxious, her last attempt at resort wear failed abysmally, so she’s eager to prove herself to the judges. But looking back on April’s diaper-like catastrophe on the Phillip Treacy hat challenge, there is a lot of making up to do.

As if resort wear weren’t enough to throw the designers off, Tim Gunn approaches them with yet another challenge. There is a twist, though the designers design their garments and chose the fabrics, they will not, in fact, be sewing them themselves. The designers will be paired up into teams of two. They will then switch designs sample room style and have someone else execute their design. The point of this is, you don’t always get to execute your designs; to be a top designer you have to be able to explain your vision. {Enter meltdown here.}

The pairings for the teams are chosen at random, and the only thing the designers seem to want is expressed by Mondo, just “NOT Michael.” Mondo, no! I had such hope for you. To see you jump on this Michael bash breaks my heart. What about ‘this gift is a curse?’ Shouldn’t that make you someone with, I don’t know, a heart? This is horrible news. And it gets even worse for Mondo as he is teamed with Michael. Other pairings have Valerie and Andy, April and Christopher, Casanova with Gretchen, and the other Michael (who we might as well call Michael D.) with Ivy.

As you can imagine this test is trying for the designers who struggle to give their vision to someone else. Casanova and Gretchen seem to have communication issues as Casanova’s language failure creates discord in the group. From the first, Ivy doubted partner Michael D.’s skills. So doubtful is she of his skills that she completely dumbs down her outfit because she doesn’t think he is capable of completing anything.

And the nightmare has only begun for Mondo and Michael. For the vast majority of the time that they are working Mondo proceeds to criticize, criticize, criticize. He hates Michael’s construction skills, fabric choice, and just doesn’t respect him as an artist. For most of the time, Mondo treats Michael like he’s nothing. And just when I’m about to completely wash my hands of Mondo and his self-importance, he cracks and shows the bit of sense that God gave him when he judges Michael’s work and decides ‘hmm, Michael isn’t that bad.’ He apologizes to Michael and from there the collaboration goes smoothly as the two seem to be bosom pals.

April and Christopher are very comfortable in their partnership as the two have similar styles and they work well together. Andy’s worried about how Valerie will do with his garment because she’s never done swimwear. Things look well until Valerie gets a particularly harsh critique from Michael Kors in the design room. She breaks down and calls her mother for guidance. And unlike last week’s play for sympathy (Gretchen) this one seems genuine.

Actress Kristen Bell serves as guest judge.

On the Runway Michael’s look is cute and funky, Mondo’s is hip but very young, Michael D serves up the chic-ness, and Ivy bores away. Christopher makes some rockin’ pants, April sends down a negligee, Casanova dresses his grandmother well, and Gretchen gives her model a stomach pooch. Finally Valerie has a pretty vest with some weird pants and Andy shuts down the runway with a superhot swimsuit/cover that screams GLAMOROUS!!!

In the top this week are Andy, April, and Michael D. There is a whole lot of controversy about Michael D being at the top seeing as how Valerie sewed his design and her design that he did turned out HORRIBLY! And even though April’s outfit looked more suited to the bedroom than the beach, the judges love it and she wins.

In the bottom three are Ivy, Casanova, and Mondo. The judges think Mondo’s look is too young and appeared cheap. And even though Mondo was in the bottom, I am pleased to say he didn’t throw Michael under the bus. That’s refreshing and unusual. We are brought back to reality with Ivy who not only throws Micheal C. under the bus, she hops on, gets behind the wheel and plows over him over and over again. She blames her poor design on the fact that Michael D. can’t do anything! The judges call her out for her excuses and calls her failure to the lack of design and poor color choices. In spite of this, Casanova’s matronly suit was so far away from resort wear that he gets his walking papers this week. Ciao! Now can someone translate that to Casanova-speak?

Season 8, Episode 7: What’s Mine is Yours (originally aired September 9, 2010)

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Photographs courtesy of Lifetime.