In the second episode of the new season, the designers actually had the perfect fashion industry challenge: to create a look that defines the Marie Claire woman. The winning look was to be featured on a billboard in Times Square. Guest judge Marie Claire editor-in-chief Joanna Coles warned the designers that every detail of their design had to be perfect, since the photo would be blown up extremely large for the billboard.
With 16 designers still around, they are beginning to settle in. Most of the guys are getting along, with the exception of Mondo being the wierd guy and Jason being the scary guy. On the girl's side, Peach is becoming "Mom" to April, and the four girls on the other room are all becoming best of friends. Maybe a clique is forming? A few tears (a la the always stressful Project Runway) are forming as well. I don't really care about the drama at this point. Seeing what they turn out is the exciting thing to me right now.
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The twist comes in when Tim Gunn says they each will have a Marie Claire photographer and get to do a photo shoot with their look. These photos will be taken into consideration for their judging. It becomes apparent that Jason will be in trouble as he chooses (against advice!) a photo that makes his dress look horribly constructed, and then you wonder if others will squeak by with so-so design because the photo shoot can help them.
I jotted down the photo shoot looks that stood out to me. They were Christopher, Gretchen, Casanova, Michael Costello, Mondo and Valerie. I was suprised thet Mondo's look worked as well as it did because I though it looked too immature for Marie Claire, until I saw the photos and the runway. I loved (loved!) Gretchen's look – a dark jumpsuit (but I am personally into jumpsuits right now). The judges seemed to hover between Valerie's red dress and Gretchen's jumpsuit, but it was Gretchen's design that finally won out. This is her second win. Can she keep it up? It can be lonely at the top!
Some of the fears of the designers during the runway show were quite appropriate: A.J.'s yellow dress was creeping up on his model and it looked like she "was impregnated by some kind of alien" and Michael Drummond had to "keep a poker face" as he could see his model's skirt was getting ridiculously shorter and shorter as she walked back. However, both were saved.
Jason was voted "out" so there is no longer fear of a murder on the show, and they also knocked out Nicolas who went overboard with his over-designed, as Tim Gunn said, "Little Red Ridding Hood" ensemble. Incidentally, I thought Tim Gunn was funnier than Michael Kors this week when it came to 'Memorable Quotes'.
Gretchen's Design – wins again!
Valerie's Design
Mondo's Design
Peach's Design
Jason – You are out!
Nicolas – You are out, too!
Memorable Quotes
"Peach is really really sweet, she like my surrogate mother right now." —April
"There are a lot of high maintenace boys in that bathroom." — Peach
"Then Jason's really quiet guy and Christopher is like this hot guy. Mondo …my first impression is like..weird guy, you know…" —Micheal Drummond
"If I don't click with people right away I tend to run away." —Mondo
"People get anxiety and fear when they think about death. What's better than infinity?" —Jason
"I grabbed this polka dotted stuff and this brown dupioni and…it's bad." —Peach
"If I do contrast it may look too too Ann Taylor." —Valerie
"No offense but I am not going to help you…ever! Sorry, I'm not." —A.J.
If this is the way he is…I'm cool." —Casanova, referring to A.J.
"I think it looks cheap." —Time Gun to Valerie
"Oh Gosh Tim, Kiss of death!" —Valerie
"I'm concerned about you. I'm going to tell you right now." —Tim Gunn to Jason
"I'm a straight guy in a gay world." —Jason
"This is so matronly looking…I'm just baffled." —Tim Gunn to Casanova
"I know he thinks he made a lovely dress but he ripped me off." —Gretchen about Nicolas's dress
"I'm scared about the orange." —Michael Costello to Sarah
"Does she become little Red Riding Hood?" —Tim Gunn to Nicolas
"As an artist I feel like this gift and my talent is sometimes a curse." —Mondo holding back tears
"Casanova could be incredibly annoying if he wasn't so charming." —Gretchen
"It's old. It's Blanch Devero." —Tim Gunn to Miichael Costello
"I don't think that I am going home but I am a total disaster." —Nicolas
"Iva is covered. Covered is good but she is covered with Barbie's sofa." —Peach about her own design
"Jasion is kind of creepy so you never know if he is going to come up behind you with a sizzors. Na Na Na Na." (jabbing gesture with Phsyco sound effects) —Michael
"Mondo is definitely wack-a-doo, but it works for him." —Valerie
"It looks like my model was impregnated by some kind of alien." —A.J.
"I'm just going to use my poke face and I am not going to use any expression." —Michael Drummond when he sees how his model's skirt is way too short.
"I feel like I'm off the hook this time." —A.J.
"I feel like those safety pins are like coffin nails." —Christopher on Jason's design during judging
"Like and Amish cocktail dress." —Michael Kors on Peach's design
"It looks like an animal climbing down her back." —Joanna Coles on Peach's design
"She wouldn't wear it at night and for day everyone at the office would say, 'Is that a walk of shame dress?'" —Michael Kors on Peach's design
"It is utterly unsexy." —Joanna Coles on Jason's design
"The back without the cape is a little bit…strange." —Heidi Klum
"I'm glad you said Mary Tyler Moore, because she is why I moved to America." —Joanna Coles to Mondo
"It's really worth it, even if you are just here for a short time." —Nicolas
Also, don't forget to check out one of our favorite sites dedicated to all things Project Runway…Blogging Project Runway
—Carol Calacci
Photos: Lifetime
Great!!!wonderful!!