Project Runway 3, Episode 10 Runway Report Card

Welcome to another Runway Report Card! Vincent and Angela both received failing grades in past episodes, but this week, they got another chance to stay in the competition. None of the other designers were happy to see them back, and I don’t blame them. However, the odds were stacked against Vincent and Angela – they would have had to win to stay in.

The Challenge: At first, this challenge seemed fairly simple: Design a cocktail dress using only black and white. Poor Kayne must have shuddered at not being able to use the colors he loves so much, whereas Laura, who favors that palette, probably shrugged and figured it wouldn’t make much difference to her. But the other challenge, the one that proved taxing for some of the designers, was to use every scrap of fabric that they bought. That meant that it would be a bad idea for the designers to buy extra fabric for use in case of mistakes, and it also meant that they had to get creative with how they’d use it. That creativity served some of the designers better than others, as we’ll see. So, whose black and white dresses were the best? Let’s check out this week’s runway report card.

The Designers

Laura: Laura’s confidence was really shaken after being in the bottom two this week, and I was worried for her. I had also noted that of the remaining designers, Laura was the only one who had yet to win a challenge. Her win in this case was well deserved. This dress was absolutely adorable. The silhouette was fresh and young, but her use of lace, feathers, and a few judiciously added crystals, made it sophisticated at the same time. It absolutely looked like something you’d wear to a cocktail party. Laura must have planned her fabric use very carefully, since she had just enough left over to make a little clutch bag for Camille. Nice work, Laura, and I’m happy to see that she has her confidence back.

Michael: Michael was, in my opinion, a close second to Laura. He was right that his dress stood out from the others by being the only white one. He was also right that the color was stunning on his model Nazri. I liked the simple, assymetrical silhouette of the dress, and the black cummerbund gave it some interest. I’ve said it before, but Michael really makes clothes that make women look beautiful. At this poit, I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t win the whole thing.

Uli: Oh, beware, Uli: the judges are getting frustrated with you! No more crazy printed halter neck dresses to wear in Miami, or you’re in trouble! I could see what Uli was trying to create – a fun, free look – but it just didn’t quite work. The judges were dead-on that the sleeves were too long. The model looked taller and lighter when she pulled them up. The necklace was distracting, especially since the dress had so much interest in the chest area. Uli would have been better off if she’d made a bag out of that fabric.

Kayne: It’s ironic that when Kayne finally listened to his critics and toned down his usual style that he got auf’ed. This was, for the most part, a nice dress. I thought the front was very sophisticated and well cut. I didn’t like the dramatic open back as much, but I could see where he was going with it. The white ribbon that ran through the back was a misfire. It was a little too sweet for the dress – had the ribbon been black, it would have looked a lot better. But, had the ribbon been black, Kayne wouldn’t have followed the rules. He was pushing it anyway, having used such a tiny amount of white in his overall design. I think if Kayne had planned a little bit better to use both of the colors in some way in this outfit, he’d have stayed another week. This dress wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t quite right for the challenge.

Vincent: This dress started with some potential. I liked the simple strapless style, and I liked the tidy pleats he did with the white fabric. Unfortunately, it fell apart from there. The skirt was ridiculously short, and the wrap he made with the extra fabric messed up the proportions of the outfit: Tiny dress + giant wrap = weird. The judges were absolutely right that he’d have been better off using that extra fabric to make the skirt longer. I do appreciate, at least, the fact that Vincent did not tell us that the dress turned him on or got him off.

Jeffrey: If it had been up to me, Jeffrey would have gone in Kayne’s place. Kayne’s dress had its faults, without a doubt, but Jeffrey’s was just hideous. The dress didn’t look at all like something appropriate for a cocktail party. Between the short skirt and the prints, it looked way too casual. The leggings were really unappealing as well. I think the only reason he stayed and Kayne went was that he made a better use of the two colors. I suspect he’ll have a stronger showing next week.

Angela: Yikes. This thing was a mess. Where to begin? Well, there was the strange leather shrug with the giant, ruffle encrusted collar. In his blog, Tim Gunn said it looked “like something you’d wear for a dislocated shoulder.” The shrug was bad on its own, but combined with the backless dress, the effect was just strange. The satin fabric was unflattering on the model and made her look like she had a tummy. Then there were the strange wrist warmers Angela threw in, to say nothing of the fact that she handled her extra fabric by shoving it into a handbag.

Betsy Wasser is the Associate Editor of Reality News Online. She likes to wear bright colors like red to cocktail parties. She can be reached with feedback at Betsywasser@Gmail.com.

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