Episode 7: "What's Mine Is Yours"

With Peach's exit off of episode 5, April is forced to move in with the other remaining girls: Valerie, Gretchen and Ivy. However they welcomed her right into the fold (as the "Fab Four"):

The next buzz on the street is the flash back to how disappointed everyone was that Michael C won last week. Andy is seriously doubting his design skill at this point and wondering if he has what it takes to be there.

The designers meet with Heidi Klum on the Runway and Twitter was all abuzz with discussion of her "MC Hammer" or pirate pants:

Heidi informs the designers that they deserve some relaxation and that they would be meeting with Tim Gunn at the Harbor to discuss the next challenge.

The designers walk up to the port and SURPRISE! It's Project Runway Judge and American Fashion Designer Michael Kors!!

The Challenge

This week's challenge is to design resort wear based on each designer's point of view. MK informs the designers that it must be luxury, trendy and all that jazz. Resort wear includes swimwear, casual and evening looks.

Tim invites the designers for a cruise around the Harbor and MK gives the designers MK sunglasses (JEALOUS) for the ride. Of course they aren't just cruising around in a tour boat; They're riding in style:

Seriously...a yacht

While on the yacht, Tim tells the designers that he brought their HP tablets so they could start sketching right there! How thoughtful! So the designers get right to work brainstorming:

After their relaxing cruise, the designers head off to Mood with Tim Gunn to pick out their materials for executing their design. Swatch, the Mood mascot, made an appearance to help Tim Gunn announce the 5 minute warning:

What a cutie!!

The Workroom

Back at the workroom, the designers get to work unloading the Mood bags, when...Tim Gunn shows up with...the dreaded Velvet Bag!!

All the designers know that nothing good ever comes out of the bag. It usually signals a twist in the challenge. (so of course...there's a twist this week).

The Twist

Tim Gunn tells the designers that they will be "wearing two hats" in this challenge. One as a designer for their own work and the other as the sample room for another designer's work. The designer will be ultimately judged on their design, not on the one they sewed. I probably don't have to tell you, but the one who's probably freaking out the most: Ivy the control freak. So basically they would be working in teams of two:

Valerie and Andy; April and Chris; Michael C and Mondo (who was definitely NOT happy about his partner choice); Casanova and Gretchen; (poor) Michael D and (OCD) Ivy.

Soon Tim Gunn pops in (yet again) to surprise the designers with a guest critiquer: Michael Kors!

Michael Kors is concerned with Ivy's print looking too professional. He also is worried about Gretchen and Valerie's color choices. Gretchen is still hanging on to the color combo that got her on the bottom for the team challenge. Overall, MK leaves impressed. However, Ivy continues to hover over Michael D in the sewing room and he's getting nervous because she keeps simplifying her design due to her lack of faith in his abilities.

"Serenity NOW!" (Seinfeld reference...sorry)

After the first day is completed, back at Atlas, Ivy is beside herself with frustration. She is freaking out because Michael D has not finished her design in the specified time frame (one day). However the next day it was announced that 10 mins before the looks went out on the runway, the designers would be given that time to take over their designs and tweak whatever needs fixing. Ivy could not have jumped on the sewing machine any faster.

Runway Show

I was actually impressed with Michael C's design. He might be a bad seamstress...haha but he's not a bad designer. I also liked Christopher, April, Andy and Casanova's designs. My "eh" category were Gretchen (I know I love her but the colors ick) and Mondo (thought it was a little too aeropostale/justice (or limited too for us old farts) for me. Dislikes: Ivy, Michael D, Valerie.

Judges Weigh In

This week's guest judge was Kristen Bell (from forgetting Sarah Marshall and shamelessly plugging her new movie "You Again")

Top 3

April: MK: "Tough punk baby doll" The judges claimed that it was editorial and very wearable.

Andy: The judges thought the garment was very commercial and sophisticated. They felt that he was able to stay true to his dramatic aesthetic and create something wearable. The judges loved the bathing suit.

Michael D: Michael Kors was impressed with the cutouts and the interesting neckline of the garment. I'm sorry I thought it looked awful...it looked like a priest's vacation robe.

Bottom 3

Mondo: The judges were really disappointed. They thought it looked inexpensive and junior. They also thought Mondo's excuse that he didn't know what resort wear was a cop-out. Nina Garcia stated that it looked like a jumble of clothes from KMart.

Ivy: The judges were BORED with her "design." The worst part too was that she threw Michael D under the bus by stating that she had to keep dumbing down her design in order for him to sew it. Heidi thought that it had NO design. Nina Garcia thought it looked bland.

Casanova: Honestly I didn't think it looked that bad. Definitely not worse than Ivy's design. The judges thought it was too matronly and MK thought that it didn't "read vacation to me." Heidi stated that there was "nothing cool about [the design]." MK was wondering if Casanova was designing for "hooker[s] or a grandmother" feeling that they didn't get where his aesthetic was.

Results

In the end, the Judges felt that April's design was the winner. I was happy with that. I also would have been happy if they had picked Andy's design.

The judges decided to send Casanova home. I was SO surprised with this decision. I really felt that Ivy should have been sent home for that gray potato sack. However the judges warned her after telling her she was in, that next time, she had to wow them.

So that's the rundown on what happened this week. Stay tuned to the Runway Rundown if you've missed any episodes. Click on the tabs above to see the "Winner's Circle" and "Designer Stats" to see who's still here and who's on top! Project Runway airs Thursday 9p EST on Lifetime.

Episode 3: "It's A Party"

[Sorry for the hiatus, but I've been on vacation at the beach and working hard!]

SO anyways, after Gretchen's second win, many of the other designers' claws come out. April, Peach and Michael D seem to have the biggest problem with Gretchen. Maybe if they put the same amount of effort into their actual designs they might get out of the bottom or the middle of the pack.

The Challenge

This week, Heidi announces on the runway that getting through the first 2 challenges is a "cause for celebration." She tells the designers that they will be meeting Tim Gunn for a party and the designers are automatically skeptical (as they should be).

Tim is waiting for the designers outside of a party store called "Party Glitters." He announces the challenge for the week: The Unconventional Challenge. This season, the designers were to take party supplies and transform them into a runway look. Tim also pointed out that the judges haven't responded well to items that resemble fabric for example: tablecloth, wrapping paper etc. Then the designers were let loose into the store. AJ declared that this was his element. Apparently he loves designing with unconventional items, as well as talk about his love for using unconventional items. Casanova is lost. He decides to grab the "plush puppies" and tablecloths. The designers grab their items and head off to the workroom.

The Workroom

The winner of this challenge would win immunity for the first time in Season 8. So all of the designers are eager to win the security of immunity and start working away. Casanova starts to tear up his "plush puppies" and draping the "skin" over the dress form:

After brutalizing the "plush puppies" Casanova declares, "I feel like I workin at meat market instead of designer." Casanova is not happy with the challenge. It's almost as if he feels like he's too good to make clothes out of party supplies. "We're not making a pinata. We're making a dress, you know."

Andy has started a weave for his dress. His goal is to weave ribbons and use the weave as the entire dress. It seems a little ambitious and the going is verrrry slow.

Michael D...again I am NOT a huge fan of his. He seems to spend a lot of time criticizing everyone around him. Michael D doesn't like the fact that Gretchen is going around the room and giving her opinion:

I think that if the girl who won twice was giving advice, I would definitely take it into account. I feel really bad for Gretchen that these petty designers are taking out their jealousy on her.

Tim enters the room and talks to each of the designers. The highlight of the trip was when Tim was talking to Kristin about her "Animal Wooly Balls:"

Tim visited Peach, who tried to explain that she was going for subtle. Tim balks at this idea telling her that he feels she's too uptight. "It's like you have a piece of coal up your rear end," he tells her. Tim wants her to take a chance--it IS a party supply challenge.

Sarah seems to have a good idea brewing. She had taken a palm tree decoration and spray painted it different colors. Her dress form had potential as she was layering the leaves:

Tim walks over to Casanova and he looks distressed. Casanova explains to Tim that he only bought tablecloths and "plush puppies." Tim tells him he just has to "Make It Work!"

At the end of Tim's visit, he announces to the designers that their models will be coming in for a fitting with a "surprise." Again, the designers know better than to think this is a good thing...

The Surprise

The models enter the workroom with silver gift bags. Tim explains to the designers that they must make an accessory out of the supplies in the bag. All of the designers groan as their workload just got heavier. I was kind of disappointed in the designers because none of them really gave the accessory much thought. Just a lot of bracelets.

Runway Day

Gretchen is fearful of winning again because she feels that if she does, everyone would hate her. Isn't that awful? I really feel like the other designers are really into the petty high school dynamic. They are so consumed in their jealousy that instead of actually trying to get over it and beat her, all they do is constantly b*tch about it.

This week's Guest Judge: Betsey Johnson. This is a great match for the challenge.

I'm kind of disappointed that she didn't do a cartwheel on the runway!

This week my favorites were: Christopher, Andy, Michael C, Gretchen and Valerie. My "eh" picks were: Mondo, Casanova and April. I didn't like them but I didn't dislike them either. My NOT favorites were: Michael D, AJ, Ivy, Peach, Kristin and Sarah.

But let's see what the judges picked...

The Judges Weigh In

After sending the designers who were safe, the judges called the top3/bottom 3 models out for the evaluations.

Top 3

Valerie: Nina Garcia called Valerie's design fun yet sophisticated. She created her dress from paper napkins that she had cut and folded so that they made a pleated skirt. The judges were not impressed with her bracelet accessory, but over all were pleased with her design:

Andy: His design was truly pure craftsmanship. Andy had woven ribbon into intricate braids of black and silver that covered the entire dress. The judges were very impressed that it didn't look like party supplies. Betsey noted that she thought that it might have been a little TOO beautiful, "it could have been more fun."

Gretchen: She is definitely my favorite designer. Gretchen's design aesthetic is right up my alley. She used metallic fringe as a skirt and crumpled paper to create a faux leather jacket look. I LOVED the over all look. So did Nina Garcia. Nina is so impressed with her styling and that she created separates. Heidi liked the look, but not the boots.

Bottom 3

AJ: Awful, Hot Mess. Heidi said that she thought it looked "silly." The dress looked like he just took a lot of shiny decorations and hot glued the hell out of everything.

Michael Kors pointed out the crotch area and AJ explained that he ran out of fabric:

Casanova: The judges are really starting to doubt Casanova's taste level. He tried to explain that he was going for a "couture" look. Michael Kors stated that it looked like a "transvestite flaminco dancer at a funeral."

Sarah: All I can say is SNOOOZE. She had SO much potential in the beginning. Nina Garcia thought it was too simple. Heidi said that she had written sad in her notes.

Results

In the end, Andy ended up winning the challenge and immunity for the next week. The judges narrowed it down to Sarah and Casanova, with Sarah ultimately being asked to leave.

At the end of the show, apparently Ivy fainted in the hotel and had to be rushed to the hospital. You'll have to tune in next time find out what happens, here at the Runway Rundown!!