Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week, Season 11 Finale!

Y’know, I’m kind of relieved Project Runway is over for this season. I’m not sure how many more Lea Michelle L’Oreal commercials I can handle. (Also, I feel unfairly targeted by those ads for Riders by Lee Jeans. Sure, I could benefit from a tummy control panel, but I don’t want to be reminded of it while I’m enjoying my stories!).

Going into this week's big finale episode, I had a lot of questions: Would Michelle jettison her silly compass that everyone hates? Can Patricia get it together and send a cohesive collection down the runway? Would Stanley actually crack a smile if he won?

And would anyone be upstaged by Mondo's Shriner hat?

Lesson 1: Procrastination leads to puckered hems.

Years ago in university, I came up with my own favorite maxim: If you leave it until the last minute, it only takes a minute. I often treat my own work this way, telling myself I work best when the pressure is on. That means I often wake up early to write articles the very day they are due. (As a parent I’ve become even more accepting of procrastination. For example, you can start potty training your kid at age 2 and be done with it by the time she’s 3, many exhausting months later, or you can start when she’s 3 and be done in a day).

But when it comes to sewing, I never leave things until the last minute. After all, you might try on the skirt you just hemmed and discover that it's uneven or that the technique you used was the wrong one for that particular type of fabric. 

I don't think Stanley's procrastination did him in, but it certainly didn't help. Throughout the finale we heard countless times how much work he still had left, and indeed the day of the runway show he had sewers setting in sleeves backstage! The dude had more than four months to sew his 12 looks, and somehow he still needed a team of stitchers to get him runway-ready in less than two hours. Tim Gunn was seriously distressed.

I need to set in your sleeves? You're kidding right?! 

Nope. He wasn't kidding! 

I don't actually think his show suffered all that much for his harried, last-minute hemming and such. Nearly all of the clothes looked reasonably well-finished and expensive. But they definitely didn't hold up to the high standard set by Michelle. See the dress below, which was barely assembled just an hour before the runway show:

The shoulder seams are off, the hem is uneven, and it could stand to be better pressed. But it still wasn't the worst look in my estimation:

Lesson 2: When in doubt, DIY!

Continuing my anti-Stanley tirade, I thought it should be noted that he paid (in his words) "two little Russian ladies" to do $800 worth of beading and embroidery for him: 

Patricia, meanwhile, pounded out hundreds of sequins from mica (the mineral is traditionally used by her people to make pottery), and created numerous textiles for her collection.

And though Stanley's pieces were arguably more sophisticated than Patricia's, the judges appreciated her handiwork. They felt that just because Stanley had the budget to farm out the most painstaking details, he shouldn't have. Patricia's love for her craft shows, even if some of her garments looked like something you would see in the hippie store at the mall (Amanda's words, but I agree!).

Lesson 3: Sometimes the fabric shouldn't come first.

For those of us who sew, the question is often "what comes first: the fabric or the design?" I find that sometimes I'm inspired by a print or textile I just really want to use, and sometimes I begin with a pattern, trend, or overall look that I'm trying to create (and then search for the right fabric to achieve that end). And, in my experience, the most successful projects are not those that come from choosing a fabric first — and then trying to find some good way to use it.  In those cases, I sometimes end up using the fabric in a less-than-ideal way.

To that end, I think Patricia's allegiance to the fabric first is her downfall, and the reason why guest judge Michael Kors said her collection looked like "an art teacher on an acid trip." 

Each of those prints she created is lovely. But it's what she did with them that looks like a dog's breakfast. (That said, I would love to see a collection in which Patricia contributes the textiles and another designer creates garments from them. I bet it would be amazing).

Lesson 4: Quilting and sweaters? Sounds frumpy. Except, of course, in the hands of Michelle — who totally deserved to win! Witness her cool printed sweaters and quilted pants and jackets. I love the colors she used, the layering, the pleating in the skirts, the studs on the burgundy dress and yellow top, and the consistent use of the shoulder patch detail. I'm super inspired by Michelle's tendency to mix textiles: 

My faves

Not my faves, but still a lot to like.

(My apologies for the fact I distorted some of the pics above when laying them out; I'm trying to finish this post so I can go with my family to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for the day. It's Cherry Blossom time in NYC and miraculously my seasonal allergies are under control this year, so I can actually enjoy it!).

What did you think of the designers' respective collections? Will you be watching next week’s Project Runway Reunion Special? From the previews, it looks NASTY! 

Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Episode 13, Season 11

If you don't much feel like partaking in pop culture today, I understand. I feel pretty distracted by what's going on in Boston too. It's harrowing, and I hope it ends soon without any more deaths so the people there can get back to living without fear (if that's even possible now; cowardly sociopaths seem to be all too common these days in America). Come back and read this another day if you need some time to enjoy jokes again.  —Suzanne

Let me just say how sad I am that this season of Project Runway, and thus these recaps, are nearly done. I actually thought this week's episode would be the finale (it was two hours long after all!), so I am happy to have one more occasion on which to hash out who's deserving of the title "America's next big fashion designer" or whatever the false promises are that Heidi makes.

After the field was narrowed to four designers (and, apparently, Layana drowned her sorrows in babymaking!), they were each given $10,000 to create a 12-look Fall collection. It's at that point they all go home to their respective cities to spend four months sketching, sewing, and planning an appropriate gathering with Tim Gunn. (This is also the point when the designers changes their hairstyles, I'm guessing because the show has begin airing and they've now seen themselves on TV. I loved Amanda's new fringe, but Stanley looked like a shorn sheep. Don't even get me started on Daniel's afro...).

I was really hoping that Tim Gunn's trip to see Michelle would be like a Portlandia sketch. (It wouldn't be much of a stretch for Carrie Brownstein to play Michelle, after all, and wouldn't Fred Armison be hysterical as Tim Gunn?). Then Michelle appeared wearing a version of the "fettucine bib" that got her slammed early on in this season, and talked about her inspiration being a woman/wolf/hunter. Woefully, her collection appeared to be quite normal, save a few steampunk details. She did not, it seems, "put a bird on it."

Meanwhile in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, Tim was truly touched by his time with Patricia at her childhood home. Though he had the unfortunate job of telling Patricia that her work thus far looks "literal" and like “student work” — the worst possible diss in Project Runway terminology! — he seemed to be on the verge of some raw emotion:  “You’ve given me an epiphany about you,” he said. I think I saw a lip quiver. (Seriously, how much would you love to host Tim Gunn? He is the most gracious guest of all time).

Stanley, of course, barely cracks a smile when Tim comes to his West Hollywood home for lunch, while Daniel (the antithesis of Stanley in almost every way) is practically beside himself with excitement. Looking at Daniel's collection, Tim Gunn invokes his monkeyhouse analogy with regards to one coat: when you first go in the monkeyhouse, he says, it stinks to high heaven. But after 40 minutes, you don't even notice the stench. What does that mean? That Daniel's coat is a shitty mess? That's what I got.

Lesson 1: Teamwork!! 

It seemed Michelle actually learned something from the experience of working with others throughout this season of Project Runway, because one of the most successful garments in her three-piece mini-collection was a wolf-print sweater (seriously, how Portlandia is a wolf-print sweater?) that she collaborated on with Joe, the quirky cat sweater guy, who was eliminated many full moons ago! Was she inspired by amazon.com's Mountain Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee? (If you have never read the reviews for this shirt, please do. It's a short fiction genre unto itself). No matter, I love the ombre effect on Michelle's sweater, and the half-sleeve, and the fact that the wolves are so subtle. Yay for teamwork! 

I thought the other two looks in her preview mini-collection were cohesive, and featured numerous interesting pieces. The judges mostly ragged on her hair and makeup choices, which was a good sign they found little to fault in the clothing. Except for Nina, who hated the compass on this look:

They also had some quibbles with the number of add-ons buckled to this jacket below: a messenger bag and two "saddlebags" (I would have called them panniers!). But it's easier to edit than it is to come up with new ideas, so Michelle is in a good place to win this thing (argue with me in the comments section if you disagree!): 

Lesson 2: Don't blame the body! 

How much time do we spend blaming our own bodies for the fact that ready-to-wear clothes don't fit or flatter our figures? (I know it's the reason many of us started sewing in the first place). But in many cases, it's not our fault: it's the designer, who creates proportions that can either slim or widen us. And sad, staid Stanley should have known better than to blame his model, whose body he claimed was not right for this silhouette:

It's a lovely bodice (which, I should note, he has made before!), but the pleating and the length of the skirt make her look bottom-heavy (and she's a model for goodness' sake, so she clearly is not!). Who then would this possibly look good on? The judges called him out on it: Zak Posen said it should be at least a foot to a foot-and-a-half shorter. 

Before I saw his mini-collection in full, I was actually thinking Stanley might be the ultimate winner, mostly because there were a few interview clips in which he actually smiled:

But the other looks in his collection looked like the sort of expensive, buttoned-up, boring clothing you can always buy at Bergdorf's or Lord & Taylor or whatever:

I would love to know more about Stanley. What has him so repressed that he feels it's his job to cover up all of womankind in turtleneck shirts and calf-length skirts?

Lesson 3: Less is not more. More is more. And it's always better to have more than less.

Last night, Patricia had a lot more than Daniel:

Patricia's mini-collection 

More color. More visual interest. More cray-zay:
 

Daniel's mini-collection

On Daniel: Heidi was underwhelmed; Nina said his collection lacked shape; Zack said he’s seen it all before (not only from Daniel, but from others too). Daniel tried to sell the fact that he used stingray in all three pieces. Zak conceded it's not easy to work with, but that wasn't enough to save Daniel Dali from elimination.

Patricia's criticism was much more colorful, of course: "Tina Turner Smurf.” Dr. Seuss. Nina was unimpressed, but Heidi (a producer of the show as one commenter pointed out) said she would rather see Patricia's runway show than "one of the snooze boys,” referring, of course, to Daniel and Stanley. Zing! 

So who are you rooting for after last night's preview of their final collections? Is Stanley smiling for a reason? Do you think Patricia will ever learn that a single "out there" element is enough for one outfit? 

Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Episode 12, Season 11

This week's episode of Project Runway raised some big questions for me: Does free will exist? Is everything predetermined?  WOULD HEIDI REALLY LIKE TO WEAR A PILE OF GARBAGE?

Episode 12 "Europe Here We Come" featured the same five designers from last week, because the judges/producers can just change the rules whenever they feel like it. Michelle, who teetered on the brink of elimination in Episode 11, got to stick around, though her punishment for producing a disappointing white T-shirt and '90s pants combo was to stay in sad, rainy New York City while the others jetted off on (very) brief trips to the style capitals of the world: Patricia went to Paris (along with Kate, her seamstress, who clung to her the whole time squealing "Can you believe we're here!"); Daniel went to Berlin with Amanda; Layana and Samantha spent a day exploring Barcelona; and Stanley landed in London with RICHARD (the Project Runway contestant who just wouldn’t die! Can I get a “yeaaayussss!!”).

Their challenge was to create a high-end runway look, with a budget of $1,000 US. The designers have all day in their respective locales to sightsee, sketch and go fabric shopping, before flying back to the workroom for 24 hours of furious sewing. It's an emotional trip for all of the designers (except Stanley, who is a robot), and I can understand why; I get weepy when I'm sleep-deprived too. 

Meanwhile in NYC, Michelle is crazy bitter about her circumstance, though she and Tu seem to have a decent time atop a double-decker in their matching brightly colored fedoras — even when they're nearly decapitated by a red light (I bet Gray Line was not happy about that footage making it onto the show!). 

Lesson 1: Home turf advantage is EVERYTHING.

The idea was to capture the essence of a city, and NYC-bound Michelle — well-rested compared to the others, thanks to the fact she didn't do two red-eyes in a row — spent her $1,000 at Mood, the sprawling, three-floor fabric store she already knows so well. Also, having spent weeks now in New York City, she already had a good sense of what makes this city unique. 

Heidi said the skirt looked like a "dirty horse blankie,” which IS actually very New York.  (I live in NYC and I can attest this place is DIRTY. Last weekend I saw three rats running around on the 1 train platform at the 168th Street stop. One nearly ran onto the car we were in, but the doors closed just in time. My four-year-old watched the whole thing, and then announced loudly: “We are SO lucky! Those rats almost ran on the train!” Some poor tourist's jaw nearly hit the floor, which is also nasty and likely covered in urine and vomit residue).

I think without the quilted breastplate, Michelle’s dress looks like a wool blanket that firefighters would wrap you in before carrying you down the fire escape. But all together this outfit nails it: shiny and new next to old and nasty. How very New York. The judges were very happy they gave her a second chance.

Meanwhile in Berlin, Paris and Barcelona, the designers all struggled to find the right fabrics; apparently the producers didn't do their research because Daniel had to settle for white vinyl over leather (seriously? They took him to a store without leather?) and Patricia couldn't find anyone to speak English (or help her keep a running tally of her fabric). Layana was thrilled with the lace she found, but didn't realize the custom there is to cut it yourself. That would never happen at Mood!

Patricia, of course, created her own fabric. There were a lot of Patricia-defenders commenting last week, and I would love to hear what they have to say about this:

Lesson 2: There is no spoon.

That the outcome of Project Runway is predetermined is now without question in my mind. We are in the producers' matrix; how else to explain why Patricia has never been eliminated, and is in fact heading to Fashion Week, even after this disaster? The model looks like she's peeking out of a pile of white garbage bags stuffed with all the trash found at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. 

Heidi liked it, but the thought of sending Patricia to Fashion Week sent Nina on the most interesting diatribe: “Fashion is not art. Stores are not museums. You go to stores to BUY clothes. You don’t go to stores to just look at clothes!!”

But to Fashion Week she goes, nonetheless, and I am fascinated to see what she produces. 

Lesson 3: There's always All-Stars.

Scroll back up and look at Patricia's shirt. Then look at Layana's jacket, which got her sent home this week:

I don't love it, and those shirt sleeves look like jellyfish dangling where her hands should be, but seriously? This is somehow worse than Patricia's shirt, which makes her model look like she has elephantitis of the upper arm? 

Somebody remind Layana that the prizes are actually better in All-Stars!

I know, I know. None of my lessons this week have anything to do with sewing, etc. So here are a few thoughts: I do not think anyone should paint on $100/yard cashmere, like Michelle did. I do not think anyone should layer fabrics to the point where your shirt looks like an overstuffed garbage bag, like Patricia's.

And I do not think you should attempt making pleather thigh-high boots unless you're making a "Pretty Woman" costume (though somehow it totally worked for Daniel's Berlin-inspired outfit):

Nor do I  think you should use $100/yard sequined fabric to underline a skirt; that is wasteful to a degree I just can't condone!

(Did Richard actually help sew any of Stanley's garments? I can't recall a single scene depicting their working relationship....maybe I'll have to rewatch it tonight.) 

So what did YOU think? I can't wait for next week, when apparently Daniel grows an afro!!

Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Season 11, Episode 11

With just one episode left until the Fashion Week show, the end is nigh for Project Runway Season 11. That means these are the days in which even the most talented designers can be eliminated. (Or can they? We won't find out until next week! Ack!).

This week's challenge finally gave the designers the freedom to create their own work, free from meddling teammates with poor taste and even worse sewing skills. (Well, not for Patricia, but we will get to her later.)

The remaining five contestants were tasked with creating an "editorial" look for Marie Claire magazine, to be worn in a fashion spread starring actress Jordana Brewster — someone I have never heard of (nor did I know there are now SIX movies in the "Fast and the Furious" franchise. Barf!)  Judge Nina Garcia, who of course is fashion director at Marie Claire, gave them their marching orders, instructing the designers very specifically: no red carpet looks, no gowns, and no T-shirts and pants. To be considered "editorial," a look has to be bold in color, in shape/ silhouette, and be forward-thinking, she added. Did I mention they were told not to create a T-shirt and pants? Sigh. Oh, Michelle. 

Anyone who's seen more than one season of Project Runway knows the eliminated designers are going to come back at some point and play assistant to the remaining contestants. And it was clear from the outset that the drama in this week's episode would come at Patricia's expense; because no one wanted to be paired with Richard, she found herself stuck with him thanks to the dreaded "button bag." Awkward! 

But there was one other pairing that was surprisingly combative, and that brings me to...

Lesson 1: It pays to be an asshole.

Stanley had his pick of the lot, and he chose Tu, saying he was the best sewer in the bunch. But I think he chose Tu because he saw how effectively Kate bossed him around when they were paired up for the prom challenge.

Poor Tu. He was pretty unhappy working in Stanley’s sweatshop. But he took all the abuse, and kept sewing his heart out without complaint. In the end, Stanley won this challenge, and the judges even lauded his management skills (much to the amusement of the other designers, which was apparent from their raised eyebrows). I learned a lot about Stanley in this episode, chiefly about things he does not like (these are all direct quotes):

• Losing
• Mistakes
• Things that are no good
• Saying “please” and “thank you” 
• Picking out stitches — especially out of leather

Though I hated the way he treated Tu (and also the word "culottes," which sounds too much like "clots"), I really liked Stanley's winning look:

I certainly wouldn't work for the guy, but I would buy his clothes. Even Daniel said he would wear these culottes.

Lesson 2: You don't have to know how to sew to be on Project Runway! 

The deadline to apply for Season 12 is April 8. Think you don't have what it takes, or that your skills aren't at par with triple-threats like Stanley and Michelle? Neither did Richard, and he somehow made it onto the show! (And he made it pretty damn close to the end too.)

In fact, I could namecheck at least two dozen of my readers whose skills far surpass that of Richard, who reluctantly returned to the workroom in this week's episode. To add insult to injury, he had to work with Patricia — his partner in the avant garde challenge for which he was eliminated. Though he was supposed to be her seamstress, Richard apparently doesn't know how to sew wovens, and Patricia had to teach him how to sew a French seam!  (Let's not forget he also was unaware that a men's shirt needs a collar stand, and didn't know how to insert an invisible zipper).

“I feel like I’m taking a class! You’re educating me so much,” said Richard to Patricia, whose eyes were so wide with disbelief at that point I thought they were going to pop out and roll across the workroom floor into a pile of shredded leather fringe. 

Richard, to his credit, just stood there and took it with grace as Patricia told Tim she had to change her look thanks to the fact he wasn't up to the task of sewing it. But still, we can't blame Richard for this tent-shaped, one-shoulder wonder, the saving grace of which appeared to be the fact that it had some visual interest (and wasn't a white T-shirt. Why, Michelle? WHY?):

(FYI: You can apply here for Season 12 of Project Runway).

Lesson 3: Zoom in. Closer. Closer still......Now: does your garment still look good on the page? If not, then it's not editorial. 

In the case of Michelle's white T-shirt, the answer was obviously a resounding no — and the result was perhaps the biggest upset in Project Runway history. (Or was it? We won't know until next week what her last chance will be. I can't stand the suspense! Also: I love Michelle).

Michelle's surprising failure to produce something that would send her on to the next challenge is actually instructive for those of us sewing bloggers who care about building an audience. Everyone loved her white T-shirt, and would want to buy it. But white T-shirts do not sell magazines, and they probably don't earn you page views either. Those of us who have attempted it know that sewing a really great T-shirt is not as easy as one might think. And Michelle's was superlative (though I think paired with those baggy green pants the outfit looked like something a mid-'90s raver would have worn paired with a soother on a chain):

Meanwhile Daniel's banana yellow shorts-suit set met the criteria of being interesting to photograph, though everyone agreed he should have paired his winged vest with a long flowy skirt. I think Daniel's thought process goes something like this: "Of course I'll do a jacket...with crazy shoulders...but how to make it young? I know! Short shorts!!"

Miss Chiquita 2050

Layana likewise nailed this challenge, with her armor-like pieced leather bodice inspired by the exterior of the Heart building. I don't love it, but you have to imagine it would jump off the page:

I got up early this morning to watch this episode online (because I don't actually have cable). And when Lucy woke, she joined me for the runway. At some point during the runway show I said, "I wonder who’s gonna win."  Lucy replied: "I wonder who’s going to cry." And then she totally predicted Michelle's elimination/Patricia's tears. So maybe she should be writing this thing? Either way, tell me what you thought! Any predictions as to Michelle's fate?

Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Season 11, Episode 10

Each season of Project Runway we can expect to see a number of the same challenges: the Unconventional Materials Challenge, the Ready-to-Wear Challenge, and the Challenge Where They Bring Back All of the Bitter Eliminated Designers So They Can Undermine the Work of the Remaining Contenders. (That's next week's challenge; I know I can't wait!).

And for several seasons now Project Runway has also featured the "HP Design Challenge," in which the designers have the opportunity to create their own printed fabric using state-of-the-art touch-screen technology. It may just be the greatest bit of cross-promotion ever attempted on TV: how many of us wish we could create our own perfect prints so easily in an hour without any special training? 

I love this challenge. I think it has produced some of the best garments on Project Runway. Remember Mondo's amazing HIV-positive-inspired pants?

How simple is that? It's just an outlined plus sign repeated ad nauseum. But the scale is perfect, and the contrasting colors work together to create something chic yet whimsical...if I were a Project Runway contestant I would be taking notes. 

This time around, the designers were given an additional consideration: their garments must be inspired by the Guggenheim Museum — and be avant garde. (What that means exactly is often a challenge for Project Runway contestants.) And because they are in teams of two, each pair also had to design a ready-to-wear companion piece. 

Head ready to explode yet? Poor Richard's was (and his cranium is unusually large, so I would caution his partner Patricia to stand back!). Doesn't he look like an angry lion?

We all knew from the outset that pairing Richard with Patricia was going to be a disaster akin to locking a fox and a badger in a room full of fabric. This combination even managed to somehow put Patricia in the unlikely position of clock-watcher as Richard dragged his feet on his garment, instead crafting a fiddly bracelet THAT DID NOT EVEN MAKE IT DOWN THE RUNWAY. 

I don't know if this can be corroborated, but Patricia even alleged Richard did not know how to install an invisible zipper. It seems unlikely that someone could make it on to Project Runway — and not be eliminated for nine episodes! — without first learning how to install a zipper. But this is the same guy who claimed to not know that men's dress shirts require collar stands, so I wouldn't put it past him. Not surprisingly, I can't find much to learn from his ready-to-wear look: 

It's not the worst thing I've seen on Project Runway. I would never wear a white skirt (too many tampon commercials burned into my brain, I guess). But how does it relate to Patricia's avant garde look? There's our lesson:

Lesson 1: If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. And in Richard's case that means falling right under the proverbial wheels of the reality show bus that is just waiting to crush you the moment you flinch.

Not having the use of your arms is pretty avant garde, isn't it? I think Patricia's look was quite pretty, though I generally prefer garments that don't totally ignore function in favor of form.

Since Patricia was handling the avant garde look, Richard felt he had to cow to her vision. But her visions apparently can't be explained, so what was the poor guy to do? As terrible as he is, you had to feel a little bad for the guy.  

Lesson 2: If you throw enough crap at the wall, some of it will stick. But if you just keep throwing, soon enough your wall is covered in crap. And is that what you really want? 

Layana, whose whining finally put me over the edge into the eliminate-her-now-please-NOW camp this week, threw a lot of crap onto her dress, which was supposed to be her team's avant garde look:

The judges described it alternately as "Eliza Doolittle," "Southern Belle," "Kentucky Derby," and the worst — that it looked like Daniel designed it. Ouch! This 19th century gown does not relate in any way to the modern print they created (which I think reads plaid from afar). But take all that crap and organza off this dress and what have you got? Something that's neither avant garde nor even all that attractive.

As for Richard, when he's good, he's very, very good (but when he's bad, he's abysmal). So....

Lesson 3: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. This week Daniel reprised his Joan Collins jacket (remember it last week in hot pink?!), but added an edge (which Layana took full credit for):

That jacket is inspiring. It's a case study of how the same design can be made with wildly varying degrees of success, depending on your fabric choice (how much do you love the sleeves and collar in leather?). Also, Richard has done those same shoulders five times now, so naturally they were perfect.

He also somehow made that ho-hum skirt out of the teeny scrap of fabric that Layana left for him. (Do you think she was spoiled as a child? I do.)

Michelle and Stanley, meanwhile, are clearly headed for Fashion Week (argue with me in the comments below if you disagree!). Unlike the other teams, which failed to bring out the best in each other, these two hit the ground running with their original and inspired "woman on the verge" print and a shared silhouette inspired by a sculpture at the Guggenheim.

Lesson 4: Sometimes it's good to be judicious with a print:

See it used for the shoulders of Michelle and Stanley's avant garde look

And sometimes a whole bunch is just right:

Stanley's ready-to-wear dress, made from Michelle's print

What was your favorite look this week? Did you learn anything you can apply to your own creations?

Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Season 11, Episode 9

First, can we share a sigh of relief that this week's challenge was an actual fashion challenge? I for one was thrilled for the poor designers, who were clearly rattled by their brush with the male burlesque troupe Thunder From Down Under (FYI: if you're feeling a thunder down under, don't delay seeing your doctor. I hear it spreads faster than an overturned box of pins!).

The challenge this week was to create ready-to-wear looks for Lord & Taylor's Spring 2013 line, inspired by the luxury department store's signature rose emblem. The winning designer had their look reproduced and it's now on sale at Lord & Taylor (An idea they no doubt stole from Fashion Star! Michelle's dress is $259, but it has already sold out, of course).

It was clear from the title of Episode 9, "He Said, She Said," that this one was going to be all about team relations. And indeed, watching it I was struck by how each of the guy-girl pairings was dysfunctional in its own way. In fact, I was so distracted by the histrionics of certain male contestants that I nearly forgot to pay attention to their usual sewing/design-related foibles!

Before we get to the looks and what we can learn, let's conduct a little couples therapy — and think about who we would least like to be in a relationship with based on their conduct in this particular challenge.

• Patricia & Stanley — Patricia felt bullied by Stanley's hands-on approach to this team challenge. In her eyes, he was being controlling. But Stanley hasn't lost a team challenge yet, and he wasn't about to start. So rather than taking the passive-aggressive route (like most other designers have in the past with Patricia), he actually forced her to communicate with him, by doing what I always do: calling his partner defensive and then inviting her to answer back to his criticism.

It never works for me. But it seemed to do the trick for them; Stanley smartly reminded Patricia they were on the same team, and that he's looking out for her. Oh, and he reminded her that whatever garment they send down the runway will be judged for its ability to be mass-produced (and sold for under $250). So Patricia avoided undertaking one of her intricate (and time-consuming, so therefore expensive) fabrications and made something simpler for once:

It's not great, but it was enough to keep her around for another week. And as for who would make a better partner out of this pair, I think Stanley is the clear winner. Nothing would fester unsaid with this guy! 

• Richard and Layana —  Richard just couldn't let go of his ill feelings toward Layana after she criticized him during judging last week (even though he was the first one to turn on a teammate, let's not forget!). And rather than have it out with her and move on like Stanley might, Richard gave Layana the silent treatment for the duration of this one-day challenge. But the silent treatment only serves to amuse when its target cares little for your opinion. (And later when the judges started laying into Richard for his boring maxi dress, you could just picture him adding all their names to his do-not-speak-to list — written in lipstick on his vanity mirror.) Point for Layana.

• Daniel and Michelle — You've got to love Daniel and Michelle for their shared ability to absorb criticism like it's a compliment. When Tim says Daniel's original garment, a cropped jacket, looks like something Joan Collins would wear, he retaliates with a sunny "Who doesn't love Joan Collins!?" (Shades of Michelle, who earlier in this season delighted in a critique that said her country/rock look was hair metallish!)

But when Daniel decided to unpick his cropped jacket, he really started to unravel, which was apparent in the way he shoveled blame pre-emptively on his teammate, saying things like "You can't bring me down, Michelle!"

All that time spent projecting his fears onto Michelle would have been better spent pressing this dress, which I think looks like the new stewardess uniform for Air Barbie:

Michelle neither accepted Daniel's crazytown accusations, nor let them affect her ability to tackle this challenge. Which makes her the winner in more ways than one, and brings us to:

Lesson 1: Mixing fabrics looks luxe, when it's done right.

Michelle's winning look was created from several fabrics: chartreuse silk crepe de chine, sheer chiffon, and leather. It takes skill to sew together two fabrics of different weight and drape — and not have it be puckered or pull at the seams. This lesson is a mental note to experiment a little with layering and adding design elements in another fabric.

Lesson 2: A bad print makes a good design moot:

The judges were divided on Layana's Spring dress except when it came to the print — which they unanimously hated. I think the back is divine, and a second trip to Mood would probably make it a masterpiece. (Perhaps if her teammates had been speaking to her, someone would have suggested this looks a little Mrs.-Roper-muumuu for a full length dress.).

 Lesson 3: Coco Chanel is credited with saying that before you go out the door, you should take one thing off (presumably an extraneous accessory and not your pants!). And when it comes to design, taking one thing off would have helped Samantha salvage what could have been a cute little dress for Lord & Taylor's younger customer:

Color blocking, three-tier ruffled skirt with asymmetrical hemline, AND a heart cutout? I think Samantha could be right, and that a young customer would opt for this design. But this busy look did not pass muster with the judges, who don't really care about what it is that girls like. (It's all about what THEY think girls should want to look like!).

So what did I miss? Who's your current pick for final three?

Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Season 11, Episode 8

Before I get started, I need to tell you about something that ACTUALLY JUST HAPPENED. I was watching this week's episode of Project Runway in the public library on my laptop when this librarian walked behind me, saw my screen, and said: "Oh Project Runway! Such a shame Amanda got kicked off."

Uh, spoiler alert much, lady?! I told her I wasn't at the end yet, and she just shrugged and walked away. You think New York City is supposed to be all "keep your head down, mind your business" but it is clearly not, my dear readers. (The same woman looked at me with great suspicion when I told her I actually wasn't Jewish. She made a huge point of telling me the cake they were serving for a special event was Kosher. My neighborhood is pretty Orthodox. I guess it's time to start wearing more bright colors?).

Anyway, there are some weeks on Project Runway that you just feel really bad for the designers. Like, if you could bake them a pie and run them a hot bath, you would. And this week, with its unfortunate male stripper challenge, was one of those weeks.

The designers were tasked with creating three performance looks for the "Thunder From Down Under," an Aussie men's revue that reads like a modern-day Village People (except I don't think the Village People ever stripped down to their Aussie-flag-emblazoned boxer shorts, did they?).

Challenges like this make me wonder: Do the Project Runway producers want the designers to fail? Because seriously: patterning, fitting and sewing three full outfits for men with unusually muscular bodies in ONE DAY? Oh, and the outfits all have to tear away easily, for stripping purposes? C'mon!

Tim Gunn warned them at the outset: "Some of the worst work to ever walk the runway on Project Runway has been menswear." And he's right. It's always terrible (but sometimes it makes for very good TV). Remember this poor guy from Season 9?

The challenge then was to create Rolling Stone cover looks for the Sheepdogs (a rock band from Saskatchewan!). Incidentally, that episode featured my favorite Michael Kor-ism of all time: "He looks like Peter Brady at a Harvest Festival!" It was also hilarious to watch odd little Olivier refer to his client (a tall man with a body much like my husband) as "plus size" repeatedly — right in front of him. And what did Olivier do? He made him look like part-owner of the feminist bookstore on Portlandia (if she soiled herself).

So what were the judges expecting, giving this week's challenge to a group of women's wear designers? The male models were the only ones who were gracious about the difficulties the poor designers faced. Heidi kept saying she just couldn't wait for them to take off those awful clothes, while Nina practically had to be resuscitated, she was laughing so hard.

Those of us who make clothes for men can learn a lot from their errors. (Or maybe they can learn from us?).

Lesson 1: MEN'S SHIRTS NEED COLLAR STANDS! (And plenty of women's shirts do too (I sewed one just this week). Is it really possible that Richard doesn't know this?  He feigned innocence over this very basic detail in men's shirt construction:

Wow. Just....wow. Why didn't anyone else step in and say, "Where's the collar stand?! You can't make a men's tailored shirt without a collar stand!" (Yes, you can make a roll or shawl collar, but that would be unusual in a tailored button-up). Maybe it's because Richard only wears tank tops...maybe he should have looked at Stanley's shirt? Layana would have!

Lesson 2: Proportion is key in menswear. Small (collars/cuffs/etc) = feminine. Witness Layana's tuxedo-style jacket:

Poor guy looks like he stole his lady's coat. Granted, he has trapezius muscles the size of yams, and I bet given another day Layana would have made some key fit adjustments. She has a good eye. Perhaps she was distracted by all the flirting?

Lesson 3: It doesn't matter what your shirt looks like when you're just going to throw a coat on top of it:

Now, like I said, I was watching this episode on my laptop at the library, and it was very low res, so I thought maybe I was missing out on some of the details. But when Nina said Daniel's trenchcoat looked like a "beauty smock" — something you would wear while getting a haircut, I realized, yep...I am seeing exactly what they're seeing. A black beauty smock. I don't actually think it's that terrible, but for an all-male Vegas revue? If some guy walked out on stage in that, I would check my ticket because clearly I'm in the wrong theater.

And underneath it was Patricia's shirt, a macrame disaster that Heidi compared to a potholder. Patricia, of course, spent the full 24 hours making this shirt, leaving her teammates to pull up the slack.

Lesson 4: Just because you CAN do everything, doesn't mean you SHOULD do everything. 

Sad Stanley did a lot of the heavy lifting for his team, making three pieces, a pants pattern and a shirt pattern. He also advised Layana on how to fix her suit coat, and constructed a men's shirt in 20 minutes. But trying to do too much may have been his downfall this challenge (or maybe it's the fact that he's kind of boring? I think maybe Stanley needs to lay off the Paxil, because his downers seem to be working a little too well. Has that guy had a single moment of levity this season?).

Wake me up when this is over:

Again, it's not terrible, and I'm sure the fit issues would have been fixed given more time. But the team was going for a business look, and this is more "Death of a Salesman" than Financial Times Bump N' Grind, amirite ladies?

So did Amanda deserve to go home this week for her pants pattern (which was somehow perfect in the hands of Samantha, but ended up too tight in her variations)? If we're at an all-male strip show, do we really care what their pants look like? And how many collar stands should Richard be forced to sew as penance for his poorly patterned men's shirts?