Project Runway 3, Episode 6: Who’s In and Who’s Out

This week’s challenge at first glance appears to be a yet another repeat of “innovation” challenges we have seen before… Clothes Off Your Back, grocery store, Flower Power, etc. But actually this challenge was vastly different. In Clothes Off Your Back in Season 2, the designers were working with actual clothing and fabric. With Flower Power (Season 2), they were also allowed plain white fabric to use as a base to help construct their garments. And even with the grocery store challenge way back in the first season, there were so many materials to choose from that they weren’t too restricted.

With this challenge, the designers were working with completely inorganic materials, all of which were never meant to come close to being used for clothing. Additionally, this time around numerous designers faced construction problems – with the exception of the peanut sacks that many of them used, sewing most of the materials just wasn’t an option. Finally, in most of the prior “innovation” challenges, the designers have always been given more time, allowing them at least a little bit of room for trial and error with their resources. But not this time! As Heidi Klum noted, the next few challenges are going to be really tough for the designers. So let’s find out why Michael won and Alison lost!

Who’s IN: Michael

When Michael won last week, I noted that he possesses many of the qualities that are essential to go far in the competition, and we would likely see future wins from him. Lo and behold, only a week later we see just that – another deserved victory on his part. Jeffrey also did an excellent job, but as we will see, there are a couple of areas where Michael was a few steps ahead.

1. Stand out! Be original, creative, and show a unique, strong point of view in your designs.

Michael was very creative, using a wider array of materials than any other designer; everyone else limited themselves to only one or two major ingredients to construct their dresses. Michael used three different sources for his design, and actually made three separate pieces for overall look. It was very ambitious and creative. As judge Michael Kors noted, it looked like an actual garment you could see a hip young woman wearing (which is far more than can be said for many of the other designers!) Michael also demonstrated a strong point of view in his desire to make something which was elegant and sophisticated, something which transcended the trashy (!) resources the designers had to work with. His look was original and beautiful, and he continues to excel in with this rule.

2. Demonstrate flexibility and versatility with each challenge.

Last week Michael showed he was flexible when he revamped the lower portion of his design half-way through the challenge. This week we saw him carefully reconfiguring the pieces of his design before finalizing the overall look; he noted he was playing with the materials, and letting them “speak to him” as he tried to find the best way to make them cooperate and fit on the form he was working with. He was able to adapt to this difficult challenge, selecting materials that he could easily use but which still created the foundation for a very ambitious design. His smart decisions early on saved him the frustration and stress of having engineering problems later, a situation most all of the designers failed to avoid. When Tim Gunn cautioned him that his skirt looked like a blank canvas, Michael made subtle alterations which made it more exciting, for example, by fraying the edges of the peanut sack.

3. Be resourceful and utilize every opportunity at your disposal to make your designs successful.

Michael was one of the most resourceful designers this time around, neck in neck with Jeffrey in making excellent use of the art supplies and raw materials. Michael used the gold, metallic back of mylar tubing to make the top of his dress, and wove an impeccable corset which definitely did not look like it was made of trash! He took clear plastic and draped it to make a wrap for his model, adding a touch of class with the brooch he used to accessorize it. The peanut sack, which was used by several of the designers, looked very different in Michael’s design, because he resized it to make it more form-fitting and flattering, and less stiff and boxy. Finally, as Michael has done in every challenge so far, he made excellent use of his time, perhaps one of the most critical resources for everyone in this challenge. He was not scrambling to make last minute alterations like Vincent or Alison, and he carefully thought through his design at the very beginning, sparing himself the last-minute desperation of Kayne. Michael’s overall resourcefulness and excellent use of time will continue to lead to success for him this season.

4. Actively sell yourself, your vision, and your designs.

Calm, cool, and collected, Michael spoke to the judges about each decision he made with his design, explaining how each piece of the look fit together. He also explained some of his construction decisions, and how he approached the challenge with thoughtful planning. The judges all noted that he is “extremely intelligent” and that he truly grasped what the challenge was about and executed the task impeccably. He drew attention to the strong and successful elements of each portion of his design, and he had quite a bit to work with in doing this!

5. Take your role as a designer seriously, and be professional both on and off the runway.

As is often the case, we can skip ahead because this rule did not play a major role in Michael’s victory.

6. Think carefully about each challenge and do what it requires.

As has already been mentioned, Michael did exactly what this rule advises: he strategically selected his materials from the very beginning while at the waste management facility, and then later reflected on how to best utilize them. But beyond that, he also recognized that his final product should not look like a wearable arts-and-crafts project (an idea that Kayne, Vincent, and Alison all seemed to miss!). Out of all of the designers, Michael’s work looked the most professional, clean, and wearable. This tip is one of the few areas where Michael really pulled ahead of Jeffrey. Though Jeffrey’s work was extremely creative and unique, and he did an outstanding job using his resources, it was clearly made from newspaper, and did look a little bit arts-and-craftsy. He clearly did an outstanding job, but Michael’s dress was more real, more wearable, and the judges appreciated that about it. This aspect of the challenge was one where many of the designers gave either a poor or merely satisfactory showing; Michael was one of the only contestants whose final work truly transcended its lowly origins.

7. Take risks – push yourself and your designs to new levels.

Michael did not take any large risks with this challenge, and thus we can skip over this guideline as well.

Who’s OUT: Alison

1. Stand out! Be original, creative, and show a unique, strong point of view in your designs.

Alison’s work definitely stood out in this challenge – it was boring! When she resigned herself to use only the off-white paper, she severely limited her ability to make something creative and innovative. The paper was not exciting, and the look was far too monochromatic for such a bland color. Alison has typically done well in the challenges, but her point of view has never really been as strong as the other designers who pulled farther ahead than she did. As we are fast reaching the halfway point in the season, the good-but-not-necessarily-great designers will start being eliminated. Though Alison has designed some very creative garments in the past, and nearly won a prior challenge, the judges were so annoyed by her lack of creativity this time around that they gave her the ax.