Project Runway 6, Episode 6: Lights, Camera, Fashion!

Previously on Project Runway, the designers finally had to work with something other than fabric, specifically, newspaper. Irina won with a spectacular looking coat. Gordana was inexplicably put in the bottom three. And Johnny produced not one, but two lousy looking dresses. Too bad the only thing creative was the excuse he invented about a wayward steam iron destroying his first dress. He earned not only the boot, but worse, an erudite smackdown from Tim Gunn. What will happen this week? And more importantly, will Michael and Nina be back? Please?

Ra’mon laments the empty beds in their apartment, but then admits that he’s glad Johnny is gone. He thinks the competition is more serious now. Nicolas doesn’t miss Johnny at all and says that now they can focus on design instead of Johnny. Nicolas throws out the classic reality TV cliché and reminds us that he is not there to make friends. In the women’s apartment, Irnia says she’d love to win again, but thinks the competition is getting tougher. Gordana says she was shocked to be in the bottom three. That makes two of us, Gordana.

Heidi greets the designers on the runway and tells them that they need to “get out of that sewing room” and see some movie making. Everyone is thrilled, including Nicolas, who has done a lot of costume design.

Tim and make-up artist Collier Strong meet the designers on a sound stage. Irina notices that Tim is holding the velvet bag, which is really never a good sign. He tells them that they will select a film genre and invent a character who lives in that genre. Fun! There are five genres: action/adventure, film noir (hello, Louise), science fiction, period piece, and Western. Nicolas hopes he doesn’t get stuck with Western, as does Gordana, since she’s not American. Collier says he will help the characters come to life through make-up.

Irina chooses film noir. Logan grabs action/adventure, as does Carol Hannah. Ra’Mon grabs science fiction and says he loves it. Louise grabs film noir, as expected. Althea does as well. Gordana grabs period piece, followed by Nicolas with science fiction. Christopher grabs period piece because he wants no part of denim. Shirin is not excited about Western, nor is Epperson.

Each designer has a dossier about their film genre, 30 minutes to sketch, $100 to spend at Mood, and until midnight to complete their designs. Epperson struggles with Western, as does Shirin. She ponders the shoe wall, then decides to design for a saloon girl. She wonders if her outfit should be red and black or pink and black. Either way, she figures it will look like a costume. Carol Hannah is going to create a sexy assassin. That’s a fun idea. Logan says Carol Hannah is the only woman he’s connected with. Carol Hannah says it’s distracting to work next to Logan. Like the models, she thinks he’s really hot.

Ra’mon says that he’s a Trekkie and is fascinated by science fiction. Nicolas says he daydreams all the time, and adds that his background in costume design separates him from the other designers. Irina decides to do a “wow” piece. Christopher wants his costume to evoke an epic drama and hopes that the judges “are along for the ride.”

It’s time for a shopping spree at Mood. Nicolas is determined to be in the top three, but he also wants to be experimental and daring. Christopher wants to use brocade, but he can’t afford it.

Ra’mon wishes they had more time to complete the challenge. Epperson tells Christopher he would have chosen period piece if he could have, but then says in an interview that he’s figured out a way to design Western as a period piece. It is, after all, a period. He is going to design for a beautiful woman whose husband is off at war. She has to take care of the land and thus becomes much together. That is pretty much the plot of Cold Mountain, but I’m intrigued by Epperson’s idea, so I’ll allow it.

Gordana decides that her period will be the 1920s because it’s the period when women started to become “more emancipated.”

Meanwhile, flapper girl Louise is looking for her bobbin. Irina jokes that it’s sabotage.

Nicolas’s costume is for a science fiction queen of the universe who resides on Orion’s belt. Ra’mon’s costume is for a human-alien hybrid.

Louise is still looking for her bobbin. Carol Hannah says that the vibe in the workroom is more competitive than it was. She thinks that part of the challenge is being able to take the pressure. Carol Hannah thinks that the missing bobbin should be a detective movie.

Louise says she’s not sure what her movie is yet. Nicolas scoffs at that, saying that you should always think of a concept. “You really need to know what your point of view is,” he says.

Logan says that there are a lot of talented designers in the room. He believes the winner will be the designer who interprets the challenge the best. Nicolas says that he still has a lot of work to do. Gordana wants everything to be perfect. She wants to be confident in her own work.

Gordana shows Tim her dress. Her character is in her 30s. Tim wants her to make the neckline lower. Irina doesn’t think Gordana is on the same level as the rest of them and isn’t up to competing in Bryant Park.

Christopher’s character is a vampire bride. Tim admires the Victorian bustle, but doesn’t like that she’d have bare arms. Christopher really appreciates his input.

Tim thinks that Epperson’s outfit is perfect for a Western. Epperson says that he is concerned about the ruffles not coming across as ruffles, but Tim says he is “really seduced by them.”