Project Runway, Episode 4: Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

To recap Episode 3: The designers’ assignment was to create a dress for Banana Republic's winter line. Wendy was the “winner,” getting her design produced for select stores and online. Starr, the loser, and was sent home. Now, we are down to nine designers and ten models.

The designers are competing for a layout in Elle Magazine, a mentorship with the design team of Banana Republic, and $100,000 to create their own fashion line. The models are also competing for their own spread in Elle. Supermodel Heidi Klum hosts, with Tim Gunn, head designer of the Parsons School of Design, as her sidekick.

Heidi, in a saucy peach off-the-shoulder top and jeans outfit, meets up with the designers at the Runway and explains that fashion and music go hand in hand. Their next challenge will be to design a new look for a rising rock star. For a moment, I think I am watching Cindy Lauper on an eighties MTV video. Wrong again! It is Sarah Hudson singing "Girl on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," from the Naked Truth CD! Where have I been?

Sarah is introduced to the designers. The challenge: Collaboration - A complete Image Makeover. The designers are to give Sarah a head to toe, completely new look. Sarah explains that she wants the same type of look, sexy, girly, little girl gone crazy, but classy. (Now I just watched her music video and that doesn't sound like much of a complete makeover to me! Maybe she should watch The Swan!)

The models are brought out in their little black matching slips, with winner Wendy getting first pick... Morgan. As normal, the designers randomly pick their flavor-of-the-week gal, leaving Audrey and Josieane with Robert, once again, stuck deciding their fate. You know the old saying, "three strikes you're out," hence, Josieane, is out. AL VEE TER ZANE! Robert feels bad, as he saved Josie last week, but he knows her limitations, and rolling on the floor looking like a French Snow White hooker probably wasn't her niche. (OK, ok, I said that Robert didn't.)

At the Parsons School of Design, Tim welcomes the designers to Challenge Numero 4, restating they are to design a performance outfit for Sarah Hudson. Each designer will have five minutes to personally pitch their ideas to her. That said, the designers take pen in hand and start sketching out their brainstorms.

At the Idea Pitching Room, (I made that up), Austin tells Sarah he sees broken Victorian doll; Little Bo Peep-y with a definite edge. A brief glimpse shows Alexandra speaking of corsets and hardware. Kevin is selling the Edwardian circus look (and this time, his design is not going to be mediocre). Now Winner Wendy has a different slant on things. She wants everything see through. No overt sex, NOOOOO, more like classic, erotic, pornographic lingerie. (I think Wendy has been away from home too long.) French Prostitute 2050, with a pop-off skirt is Jay's vision. (He thinks that Sarah... umm... wants his body.) Sarah is enthusiastically into French prostitutes! Nora likes the "run through glass" look. 1940's pinup girl meets Marilyn Manson is Vanessa's pitch. Kara Saun bores Sarah with her credentials (ok, it was me that got bored), then has a few "gone bad" ideas, little girl gone bad, debutante gone bad, to which Sarah gushes, "It's so perfect"!

Back at the workroom, Tim instructs Sarah to pick her three favorite designers. She selects Jay (maybe he was right!), Austin, and Kevin. The fellas are then to choose amongst the rest of the designers, their teams. By the luck of the draw, (in this case Tim pulls names from a velvet bag), Kevin goes first, snatching up Nora. Kara, "the sewing bunny," is Jay's, and Austin snatches up Winner Wendy. Lucky Kevin takes Alexandra, Jay wants Robert for comedic value, and Austin is stuck with Vanessa, a.k.a. the gal that can't sew.

Each team is given $150 and one hour of shopping time. At the "Mood Designer Fashion Shop," Jay orders Robert about, while Nora shares that she thinks she and Kevin are a good team and that she won't rub him the wrong way. (Remember this!) Wendy and Vanessa are grabbing thread and notions, though Vanessa has issues with Austin’s vision. Vanessa thinks Winner Wendy is playing her "good workhorse" card, and not sharing her thoughts... weird. (No kidding, Vanessa!)

Back at the Workroom, tensions rise. Austin and Jay think Nora is unwilling to do things the way Kevin wants them and that she can't get it into her head that this is not her design. Nora, the team player that she is, shares, "We're going to lose this competition." Robert breaks Jay's sewing machine. There's a lot to do, and Nora is stressing about time. OH NO!! She finds that a huge piece of fabric is missing, and the search begins. Kevin and Nora start discussing the best way to recreate the missing piece, and when Kevin stands firm, out walks Bratty Nora. Meanwhile, Wendy and Austin are being huggy and cheek kissy (double YUCK), as Vanessa decides to break a needle in her finger. TWEEZERS! Yeah, they need tweezers, as Kara comes to the rescue, and Austin stands guard. Robert, being Robert, gets in the way which earns him a shove from Austin. "It wasn't a violent attack (even though I am a lot bigger and stronger than him," he explained. (Is Austin delusional? My dead granny could whop Austin's butt!) Now Nora's still pacing in the hall thinking Kevin is being strange. (Paranoia will destroy ya!) She's keeping her eye on him, but finally returns to the workroom and extends her apology. She whispers that she doesn't think the fabric piece was misplaced though... da... da... daaaaaa... it was STOLEN. Bratty Nora continues to carry on about others stealing their stuff, "STEAL ALL YOU WANT," which makes Vanessa burst into song about Nora's nervous breakdown. (Vanessa, don't quit your day job!) Nora is not loving being the center of a Vanessa's Broadway show. while Jay is loving every moment of it, thinkin' someone's going to get stabbed.

Kara calmly explains to Nora that just maybe she should have remade the missing piece, without accusations. Nora, in a burst of insanity, says she never accused anyone of anything. "If it was me, you would have heard it through my mouth," Nora wailed. (Nora, I did NOT see Howdy Doody in the room!!!) The tears start waterfalling all over the fabric while I am left to ponder if Nora has ever had a good spanking in her life. As Jay fans her, trying to cool her down, she says she's too good for this and she wants to go home. Later, she explains that this meltdown was good for her, as once it was over, she was running and ready to get the job done. She also thinks she saved Kevin's butt by making HIM do work. Nora, are you still trying to make your parents proud?