What Did We Learn From Project Runway This Week? Season 13, Episode 4

There was a lot of misplaced anxiety on Project Runway this week as the designers faced off over a tacky suit challenge that was somehow meant to evoke sponsor Red Robin's "designer hamburgers." (But really, these suits: don't they just make you think of B.O. and grease stains? Not what I would want associated with my family friendly fast food chain):

But all the worry wasn't just over how they would rework a couple yards of red velveteen or mustard corduroy as the case may be. They were also worried about Amanda. So much screen time spent worrying about Amanda.

Oh, Amanda. What kind of contract do you have with the producers of Project Runway that you somehow managed to win another challenge with yet another fringe dress? I know a little about how my reality TV sausage is made, and it looks like this:  

Looking ahead, the big question is: what will Sandyha do next week when she doesn't have immunity? And will the judges love it? (Or hate it — which could bring the Tim Gunn Save (TM) into play!) Sigh. Moving on to the lessons:

Lesson 1: Vinyl is not fabric

It's not uncommon on Project Runway for the designers to lay blame on their fabric. And those of us who sew definitely know that feeling you get when you realize you've been trying to force something stiff into a drapey design (or vice-versa). 

So what do you do when given a couple yards of suiting? I don't know exactly... though I do know what you DON'T do: stitch it to something intended for upholstery, like Hernan did:

V for vinyl...or very long vulva

You didn't even have to see Hernan's look to know just how bad it was. Just look at these faces:

He did a lot of complaining about the coat he was assigned, though in off-white it hardly seemed as significant a challenge as some of the other suits. 

That didn't stop that lying liar from telling lies about his fabric. Quoth Hernan: "My jacket was very, very old, so every time I sewed something it was like (makes cracking sound)." 

He should know better than to bullshit Zac Posen about fabric. Upon closer inspection (I LOVE how they do that now!), Zac declared Hernan's poly "strong enough to withstand a nuclear disaster." 

So why the vinyl? No one really knows — least of all Hernan. But he'll have lots of time to think about it. Bye bye.

Lesson 2: Flesh mesh is not the besh-t

Sean, the Kiwi who narrowly escaped elimination last week for his horrid Mary Poppins-meets-the-new-millenium getup, was the unlucky recipient of the aforementioned mustard corduroy suit. He hacked it and stitched it in strips to the lining, some coordinated silk and beige power mesh (thank you, Zac Posen for pointing out that Sean essentially chose something most commonly used in bras for his main fabric):

This is the face Zac made when Nina said the multi-layered bandage-colored top made the model look like she just had breast surgery:

At least the styling was good? I'm hoping Sean can dig deep for the next challenge and prove us all wrong. Otherwise, his days are numbered; three strikes usually means you're out on Project Runway.

Lesson 3: Good pants take time

I don't know about the rest of you, but the only pants I could make in two hours would have an elastic waist and a rolled hem. 

So I don't blame Kristine for choking when it came to drafting and sewing a pair of pants in a single morning:

Seeing how poorly these fit — and how the exposed zipper ran down the center back, ugh! — made me feel a little better. Drafting and sewing pants takes me a week. Meanwhile, those organza calf covers....I don't even. No. What? I just. Hmmm.

So what did you think of this week's episode of Project Runway? Whose look did you love? And did you learn anything?