Project Runway is still missing Tim Gunn and an interesting villain, but this week, the designers had an intriguing challenge.
New Yorkers are known for the care—and money—they put into their wardrobes, but the designers had to ask these city folk for the clothes right off of their backs. The designers are given $100, two days and sent out to the streets of New York to buy clothes from fashionable muses. They could buy fabric from Mood with the rest of their money, but the outfits they designed must be at least 50% street wear.
A number of the contestants had trouble with this challenge because they are apparently “shy.” Unbelievable, of course, but it would be intimidating for most to go up to a stranger and ask for his jean shorts. Most of the people on the street are game, though—probably because the camera is trained on them—and hand over their clothes for much less than they probably paid in stores. Ah, the lure of the camera.
At Mood, Kara runs out of money and begs $3 off of her fellow designers, and they hand over their meager leftovers willingly. Yawn. I want to see somebody call her out for cheating.
The guest judge this week is Sean Avery, a hockey player and fashionista who grunts more than actually speaks (making his Vogue internship that much more incredible), but is handsome and dresses well.
In the top are Austin (again) for a punk-inspired number with a leather skirt and a grey blazer with hard rock detailing. It’s very impressive that he can pull off such an edgy look with such class, but he doesn’t win. Also in the top is Rami, who makes shorts, a ruffle top and a menswear-inspired vest and Mondo, who pairs a short, striped skirt and a matching bikini top with a cool jean jacket. Since Mondo’s known for his street wear style, he needs to win and does.
On the bottom are Michael, Jerrell and Anthony. Michael makes a really terrible short-short shorted jumpsuit with a squishy top that is impossible to distinguish from a swimsuit. Jerrell makes a schizophrenic ensemble with a striped bikini top, an orange, African-print shrug and a tie-dyed skirt. Anthony makes a cute sleeveless jumpsuit with fuchsia pants that is really cute, but he is sent home because the judges wanted to admonish him for slacking on the 50% street wear rule. Jerrell and Michael’s looks were much worse, but living inside the lines is apparently more important to Lifetime.
We’ll miss sassy-mouthed Anthony.