Project Runway 3, Episode 8: Leaving on a Jet Plane

Ah, it’s another madcap kooky week of designing FUN FUN FUN! How can I go a full seven days without my favorite designers in the world? Last week there was a family visit, with the moms and sisters getting a makeover of sorts and Robert being shown the door because he was just too boring.

There were a few of you that kinda got down on me for basically defending Jeffrey and being biased against Angela’s mom since I’m not a big fan of Miss Rosette USA 2006. So let me clarify. I don’t think Darlene did anything wrong when Tim Gunn asked for her opinion. I do think that she may have jumped to conclusions on the color aspect since she didn’t see the dark purple on the workstation since he was working on it. Also, she never really gave him a good design brief, and when their 30 minutes of collaboration time was up, he really had very little to work on. If you really think about it, he gave Darlene a variation of the outfit that she was already wearing. Also, with Angela definitely fanning the flames with her mother - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Don’t get me started. I’ll have lots to say later.

It’s “let’s be sad someone else left the show” time and Kayne is a little despondent that his playmate, Robert, was auf’d in our last show. Hmmmm. Considering that there were rumors of a love affair in the room shared by Andrae, Santino, Nick, and Daniel V., I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a Robert/Kayne love affair as well. On a side note, if I had to pick two people to be the lovebirds, it would be Santino and Andrae. I don’t know why, but I just am. Mainly because I know Nick is partnered and have a pretty good feeling that he wouldn’t cheat on his other half, and I’m choosing to believe that Daniel V. has better taste in men.

In the women’s apartment, Uli comments that she can tell Laura is pregnant now. Laura, who must be like me (i.e. not a morning person), says, “Yeah, you don’t think I’m making it up to get attention?” There’s some polite laughter and Uli jokes back that sure she thought that at first but she can definitely tell that there’s a bun in the oven. Now, I’m kinda wondering where Laura got that Southern lilt of hers for this episode, because all of a sudden she’s gone from sophisticated New Yorker to Shelby from Steel Magnolias with her, “Ah buh-leave I bee-long in thuh fay-nuhl thuh-ree.”

In Vincent and Jeffrey’s room there is some talk about not letting Angela come downstairs if she wants to smoke a cigarette. I’m sure that has something to do with the fact that Laura is pregnant and she can’t smoke in the apartment that they share. Jeffrey says that he’s glad that he’s still around since Angela was trying to get him eliminated in last week’s show. And for the record, not just on the runway. According to a Project Runway interview surrounding that episode, it was revealed that Angela went to the producers to have Jeffrey kicked off the show because he was mean to her mother. Unless he hit her or made her a dress right from the pages of one of Keith’s pattern books, fat chance of that.

This week we go back to the runway to pick models again. There are seven designers and nine models, so two will be kicked out at the end of this round. Since Vincent won the last challenge (I know, I’m shocked about it, too) he gets to pick his model. He opts for Jia again. Remember now, I mentioned in an earlier recap that Jia has been rumored to be a final three model. It’s Loyalty Day as everyone picks the model that they worked with in the last show. Kayne is the last person and he picks Amanda, who he told to shut up in a previous challenge and threatened to tape her mouth shut. She runs to the back and is all excited but none of the other models seem glad to see her. In a rare model interview, Lindsay tells us that Amanda really wants to win the competition and thinks she deserves to win this.

Heidi tells the designers that their next challenge is to design for a hip international jetsetter. They are all wondering who it can be and Kayne, while I thought he was kinda cool in the beginning, said that he thought it was Tara Reid since she had her show Taradise where she “showed her boobies.” He must have missed the episode where she said she needed to get laid and wanted a “piece of ass.” Tim will have more details for them in the workroom. Additionally, there are benefits to winning this challenge that will be revealed in a later round. Hmmmm. Interesting. Loving the intrigue.

Back in the workroom, Tim Gunn tells the designers that their outfits are being designed for themselves. Vincent is shocked since he’s never made men’s clothing at all. Oh, did I forget to mention that they are also the model as well? The models they just chose will be used in the next challenge. I guess that means whomever was picked by the losing designer is auf’d as well. They will have $75 to buy fabric, one day to design, and 15 minutes to sketch out their design.

Angela is already having problems since she can’t wrap her mind around the term “jetsetter” and what it means. She says that she and her husband live on a farm and that the whole notion of international travel just isn’t in her repertoire. Uh huh. And this comes from a woman who claimed in her audition video that her dresses looked like they came from the Yves Saint Laurent collection. Jeffrey is going for a rock and roll star look with a single-button jacket and right pinstripe pants, while Laura is going for something simple in a cocktail dress. In their confessionals, most of the designers note that the jetsetter is looking for comfortable, well-made clothing that won’t wrinkle easily.

At Mood, Kayne has discovered this Versace print that looks hideous. However, he’s determined to use it in conjunction with a black tailored shirt. Jeffrey compares it to something Liberace would wear and, quite frankly, I think Liberace would roll over in his grave at that. Michael is doing a Hamptons-meets-the-hood outfit and I’m curious to see how this turns out. Uli has gone for a litany of different patterned fabrics and colors which is definitely representative of Uli and who she is as a designer. I do not have the most sophisticated of styles, so when I see all of these different colored patterns being put together, I do question Uli’s sanity.

Vincent, meanwhile, is doing what is called a “rub off.” He is taking the pants he is wearing (and thankfully he has on underwear) and using them to make a pattern for his outfit. He actually claims to be very comfortable in his boxers (as I am in mine) and jokingly considers just wearing underwear to the workroom to make his designs.

Mad sewing montage ensues and we go to Jeffrey and Uli in the sewing room. Jeffrey is joking about how amazing it is that he sent the ugliest dress he has ever made down the runway and still survived. Throughout the entire conversation that continues on into the workroom, he’s talking about his garment and how he didn’t like it and would rather be eliminated for an outfit he loved rather than an outfit he didn’t. Angela finally can’t take it anymore and says that if he has something to say, he can say it right to her face. Um. Huh? He wasn’t talking about you, Angela. Or your mother. He was talking about his dress. It’s not all about you, ya rosette-making freak.