What Did We Learn From Project Runway This Week? Season 13, Episode 5

Project Runway needs to plan its airdates a little better because going into this week's challenge — which was to design a dress for Heidi to wear at the Creative Arts Emmys — I already knew the winner. After all, the Creative Arts Emmys took place last Sunday, so there was no suspense if you had already seen her red carpet look:

Thanks, Lifetime

Of course this week's episode was not about suspense. It was about how stressful it is to shop at Mood — and how nobody should have to design and sew a red carpet gown in a single day. Seriously, don't hate the player, hate the game.

I suspect most of you feel the same way: I would rather the challenges on Project Runway be designed to encourage success — not force an an ill-fitting fug fest due to arbitrary time restrictions. But that's what we got this week on Project Runway. By my count, there were only four dresses that were red carpet-worthy. In order below, Fade, Sean, Kini and Sandyha:

In addition to the lowest scoring gowns, which we will get into in more detail when we talk lessons, there were a couple other dresses I thought were so bad it begs discussing:

Emily's dress (far left) is so short, and yet it had a slit. A slit! In a miniskirt! A slit!! You could catch an STI if you sat down in this thing! How did they not call her out on that? It's also rumpled and so sad. Like a stewardess on Blade Runner Air. Meanwhile, Alexander's dress (center) with its many stitched-down folds was so stiff it looked like it was made from an emergency rescue blanket. Next!

Amanda, of course, was actually in the top 3 with this Cleopatra costume. And in this small picture I admit it actually looks better than I thought it did up close. Still: stripes? On the red carpet? I believe there was actually rickrack in her design:

Rickrack! Moving on.

Lesson 1: Mood can make you or break you

Now, I don't sew for clients so I can't say for sure, but I'm pretty certain that if you were custom-making a special event gown you would OK your fabric first before purchasing, cutting and sewing, right?

Of course, the designers on Project Runway don't have that luxury and instead have to shop on a hunch and a hope — and all in just 30 minutes at Mood. I've said it before and I will say it again: I've shopped Mood many times, but I don't believe I've ever made it in and out in under 30 minutes. It would take me that much time to choose a plain white shirting at Mood. There are just that many choices — and that many distractions. I completely sympathize with the designers who couldn't find the right fabrics.

Still, if your client hates your green fabric and you are given a second chance at fabric shopping, would you buy MORE green fabric like Korina did? Because truly, the two fabrics were not all that different:

That choice made in the harried aisles of Mood was the design world equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot (stabbing yourself with your own scissors?). But somehow she still dodged a bullet, thanks to Kristine and Mitchell's red looks:

Droopy, ill-proportioned, and committing multiple crimes against cleavage, there's not much to learn from these two dresses — other than the fact that a single day is just not enough time to create a red carpet-ready gown. I felt really bad for both designers.

Sandyha, meanwhile, made the most of her second trip to the fabric store by hustling her way around the workroom to gather the remaining Mood money from those few designers who were happy with their initial purchases. She ended up spending a whopping $432 dollars — most of it on a $120/yard black lace, which she overlaid on yellow to great effect.

Of course, the other designers were sour grapes about Sandhya's sneaky dealings, but all's fair in fashion and fabric shopping. I was most surprised that the others neglected to shake down their fellow designers for extra

Lesson 2:  Fringe is in?

How many challenges have been won on a fringe dress this season on Project Runway? This many:

Make it stop.

What did you learn this week watching Project Runway? Who was your fave? And will you be sewing fringe this Fall?