Project Runway recap: episode 5.7 "The Fashion That Drives You"

Episode 5.7 “Fashion That Drives You”
Original Air Date: 08/27/08
It’s week 7 and it looks like things are going to start to get a little messy when it comes to materials. The designers have yet to showcase their real range (at least I hope this is the case, or else they aren’t capable of much) and I have yet to choose a favorite. It might be Kenley, if she could lose the personality, of course.

Photo: Barbara Nitke

The Challenge
Kenley misses Daniel, and Keith is realizing that being in the bottom two can really shake your confidence. After meeting the designers on the runway and selecting their models, Heidi tells the group to head to an address. Yet another PR field trip! These are getting a bit boring. The gang arrives at a parking garage, and aren’t sure what to expect.

The challenge: to use recycled Saturn cars to create their designs. Oh jeez. Bravo, come up with something better than this! This whole let’s-take-junk-and-making-something-gorge got old a few seasons ago. A rep from Saturn gives them the lowdown on Saturn’s 85% recycled hybrid cars. Tim tells the designers they have four minutes (yes, four!) to pick and grab parts and pieces of the cars to gather materials. Jerell is thinking some sort of “futuristic, bustier thing,” while the majority of the other designers are a bit clueless. Stella finds it embarrassing to “rush” in looking for her materials, so I’m curious as to see what she’ll come up with. After all, as the saying goes, you snooze, you lose.

In the Workroom
Everyone heads back to the workroom, and everyone is on edge when it comes to this challenge. Folks are throwing around rubber floor mats, and headlights, trying to think of anything that the judges will see as new and innovative. It seems that a lot of the designers are looking to head in a new direction. Stella wants to move away from grommets, leather and studs, while Keith says he’s sick of sending an outstanding garment onto the runway, only to have the judges pick it apart. Frankly, I’m sick of hearing everyone complain! Have we ever had such a whiny bunch?

Joe is glad he has immunity from last week’s challenge since this week’s is proving to be a little more difficult. Keith is taking the tan leather from the interior of the cars and making what looks like a bandage skirt with a very high waist. Korto is going for a classic, clean look with just a hint of avant garde. And we heard Stella say she’s looking to make something that’s “pretty.”

Blayne is having issues with the sewing machines, which aren’t used to working with such crazed materials. Jerell is feeling great about the challenge and feels pretty damn confident about his design. Leanne is thinking of a futuristic cocktail dress, and is using the car seats for the body of the dress, and implementing seatbelts “in a way that nobody else is.” We’ll see!

Tim waltzes in and tells Kenley that her model has had to drop out of the competition. Like Jerell says, “the girl has to eat,” meaning she probably booked a job that was actually paying her. I remember reading rumors that the models aren’t paid, but are they really NOT PAID at all?! I know Project Runway can give the winning designer’s model exposure, but if you aren’t in that Elle magazine at the end of the season, forget it. The chances of anyone remembering you are far and between. Hell, it’s like that on America’s Next Top Model, and those models actually get airtime.

Always the one to give constructive criticism, Tim gives the designers stuff they can actually work with (their own feedback to each other is pretty lame). Leanne’s dress looks fab, as does Korto’s woven seatbelt coat. I love this thing! The fabric gives off this amazing sheen that moves on the model. Kieth is feeling a bit defeated after Tim doesn’t give him the loads of compliments I guess he was expecting.

Terri described Korto’s coat as something out of Jeepers Creepers. Jerell feels Terri is someone to watch for, and describes her as having “two faces and four patterns.” LOLZ!

Everyone is feeling Keith’s gross attitude. I can see what they’re saying, as he’s wearing on me, and I’m not stuck living/working with him.

Leanne feels it’s anyone’s game at this point. I think a lot of them have a solid chance of winning this challenge, as lots of the looks are smart and innovative. None are insanely horrible (from what we can see at this point anyway), so I’m thinking the judges will be more satisfied than usual once they see what’s presented on the runway.

Keith specifically tells his model that she cannot sit down in her garment, but of course she does! Those models are such great listeners, aren’t they? I’m sure everyone remembers the crazy Morgan from a few seasons ago on Project Runway. Now I’m not sure if Keith tells her this because the skirt is too small or poorly constructed, but at any rate, she does have specific instructions. She ends up with a tear in the very front of the skirt and Keith (whose temper is already always hot) is peeved, but handles himself a lot better than I thought he might. When there’s work to do, there’s no time to bitch about what went wrong, so he tackles the job and gets the skirt in line for the runway.

On the Runway
This week season 3 finalist Laura Benett is covering for Nina Garcia, and Rachel Zoe is serving as the guest judge for this week’s challenge.

Jerell- The styling itself is a little out there, but the dress it self is nice.

Keith- Cool, but not great

Terri- I’m surprised Stella didn’t make this.

Kenley- Cute, not crazy about it.

Leanne- I LOVE THIS! Leanne is winning me over on this look alone.

Suede- Very nice!

Korto- I’m nuts for this. No way in hell does this look like woven seat belts unless you KNOW you’re looking at woven seat belts.

Blayne- Nice idea, but it’s poorly executed.

Joe-Not special enough.

Stella- I love the skirt portion of this look.

The Elimination
After dismissing the designers that are safe, we’re left with Jerell, Korto, Leanne and

The Zoe is nuts for Jerell’s dress, and Michael Kors feels the same way. Like he says, the styling works with the dress, but if you take the styling away, the dress still stands on its own. The mark of a great design.

Blayne’s dress isn’t loved by many, and I can see why. The fit is so terrible that you really can’t get past that to examine the dress itself. Korto’s coat dress is loved by the panel, and Zoe says she would easily leave the house in it. Leanne’s dress also wins the panel’s praises, and I think this dress is the winning piece. It is so beautifully constructed and the silhouette is interesting, but still chic. Stella isn’t so lucky, and Kors points out that it seems like the top half is all her, while the bottom half is Stella-trying-to-do-something-pretty.

Jerell is told he’s in, and Leanne is selected as the winner. She also wins immunity for the next challenge, which is great because she has been turning it out about two or three weeks in a row now (excluding the drag queen challenge, in which everything was hideous). Korto and Blayne are in, leaving Keith and Stella on the runway.

Keith is told his piece is boring and poorly constructed, and Stella is told hers was too simple. Stella is in, and Keith gets the boot. Yowza. Kors looks like he almost feels bad, and Keith gives us tears in the aftermath of his elimination from the competition. Has this guy ever heard of moving? If Utah is so oppressive, save a couple hundred dollars and hightail it out of there!

Next week brings a challenge unlike any other, stress, and the gorgeous Diane Von Furstenberg!