Project Runway 4, Episode 7: Hide the Pig’s Blood, It’s Time For Prom

Your regularly scheduled recapper Betsy and I decided to switch things up, so this week I’ll be your recapper and she’ll give you her thoughts on the episode in the Unbuttoned column. Next week, things should be back to normal.

Previously on Project Runway, the designers raided the Hershey store for their newest challenge. Sweet P restarted in the middle. Elisa wanted to rethink Gretel (as in Hansel and Gretel), which worried Tim. Rami won for the second time. Sweet P and Elisa were both criticized by the judges, and Elisa was out.

At the designers’ apartments, Rami tells us he’s gotten his second win, and he’s confident he has something that sets him apart from the others. Victorya says that, crazily enough, she misses Elisa. She’s moving in with the other women now that she’s the last one remaining from her apartment.

The designers gather at the runway, where Heidi greets them in a simple black outfit. She tells them that this week they’ll be making an outfit for one of the most important days of a woman’s life. Rami hopes that doesn’t mean a wedding. Someone appears behind the scrim and Kevin interviews that since it was a short person, he thought it was a midget or an Oompa Loompa. No, Kevin, the candy challenge was last week! Instead, out come teenaged girls in school uniforms. One totally looks like Elia from Top Chef 2. Sweet P is worried because the girls are short.

Heidi explains that the girls are from a high school in New Jersey, and the designers will be making prom dresses for them. Christian interviews that the other designers are excited, but he thinks prom is “horrible and tacky and gross.” The girls have seen the designers’ portfolios and have chosen who they want to design their dresses. There’s lots of giggling, and not just from the girls. Chris interviews that he wonders what’s wrong with the girl who chose him, since his portfolio is full of craziness. The teens pick their designers, and then Heidi leads them off as the designers keep laughing.

In the workroom, Tim tells the designers he’s sending in their “clients.” He warns that it’s inevitable that the girls will have strong ideas about the designs of the dresses, and designers should keep those in mind but also put in their own points of view. They’ll have 30 minutes to meet with the girls, and then they’ll head to Mood, where they can each spend $250. They’ll have till midnight tonight and then all day tomorrow to work.

The girls come in. Jillian has Erika, who has never had a dress made for her. Chris’ teen, Krista, wants something elegant that will stand out. He interviews that he knew an eveningwear challenge would come up eventually, but he didn’t expect to have to design an evening dress for a teenager. It’s forcing him to change his thinking. Krista wants something low-cut.

Kit’s girl, Brie, says she chose Kit because she’s edgy. Kit interviews that they have to consider that the girls are younger than their usual clients and they should keep the dresses modest. Kevin tells us that he went to high school in Jersey, so he knows what Jersey proms are like - mainly, everyone does a lot of tanning. We see evidence of that in Kevin’s own prom photo. Speaking of Oompa Loompas! Kevin jokes in an interview that his client Tizi’s parents shouldn’t worry because he’ll put a chastity belt in the dress. Hee.

Rami has Bianca, the Elia look-alike. She doesn’t want a traditional dress, which he says is perfect for him. Victorya asks her girl, Jessica, why she picked her as a designer. Jessica admits that she had the last pick, but it turned out all right because she did like Victorya’s portfolio. Sweet P’s teen, Nicole, talks about her butt. She wants an off-white dress with a plunging neckline and a low back. She wants it to be really glamorous, like something you’d see on the red carpet. Sweet P likes the idea, but isn’t thrilled that Nicole wants an ivory dress, since it’s not her wedding. She adds that she hopes Nicole isn’t going to lose her virginity. Sweet P, parents are watching!

Christian has met his match - his client, Maddie, is a designer herself. She doesn’t like his ideas, so she takes his pencil and starts sketching for herself. Christian says she’s cute but has strong opinions. She wants white, brown, gold, and lace in the back. He thinks that’s tacky. Christian announces that there will be no more changing. He admits he’s scared.

Tim tells the designers to say goodbye to the girls. When they’re gone, Christian lies down on floor and says he’s going to cry. The designers then head to Mood, where there’s much running around. Kevin grabs some red silk and says he thinks it will glow on the runway. Sweet P doesn’t want ivory or black, which Nicole requested, and instead finds some “champagney charmeuse.” Chris teases Tim that he’s making a Christmas dress with green and red fabric.

Back in the workroom, Christian announces that he was the best dressed at his prom. We see a photo. Chris asks if that was just his opinion or if there was a vote (it was the latter). Christian interviews that there are a lot of important things to remember in this challenge - the fit, the fabric, and making sure the girls like the dresses, of course. He’s never had to worry about so many requests, and he’s not feeling fierce. Jillian realizes that she’s using more fabric than usual, and Chris teases that she’s going a little Tina Turner. I like her design and colors, which are some nice blues. She wants Erika to just look pretty.

Chris asks if anyone was a prom queen. Kit says she’ll be the king and Christian will be the queen. We see her prom photo, in which she looks completely different because she has brown hair, and she admits that she was a prom princess and her date was a prom prince. It was “very Orange County.” She tells us her dress for Brie will be unconventional, but also pretty. Chris tells a joke about the Flintstones and cracks himself up.

Ricky interviews that while he was working, he was thinking about his mom because she was a seamstress and made his sisters’ prom dresses. She was self-taught and he learned technique from her. He calls her as he interviews that as kid, he wasn’t allowed to be creative because that didn’t pay the rent. Ricky cries (shocker) as he says that if he wins this, every door will open up. His mom sounds very supportive.

There are three-and-a-half hours left till the end of the day. Sweet P tells Rami that Nicole basically wants her butt sticking out. He helps her drape fabric on herself. She says she’s giving the dress her own interpretation of what Nicole wanted. She hopes Nicole likes it, but she’s not going to be going home because she listened to a teenager.

Two hours are left, so it’s time for a design and sewing montage! Chris is tired. Victorya is tired. Rami is tired. Sensing a theme? Sweet P decides she’s at a stopping point and is done for the night. Jillian has possibly fallen asleep. Christian hates his dress. Victorya thinks it’s because it doesn’t look like him. Christian says it’s because it’s tacky. He wants to put in his own point of view, and he won’t let a 17-year-old girl “overpower” him.

In the morning, Sweet P interviews that she needs to do well in this challenge. Christian interviews that he’s changed some things from the original design. He’s doing lots of intricate beadwork and lace. He’s going to try his best to make something both he and Maddie love. Kit is worried that Brie won’t like the blue she picked out. Victorya doesn’t think her dress looks like her, even though she likes it - she says it’s something an older Italian divorcée would wear. She’s changing her dress’ silhouette, but she’s worried Jessica won’t like it.