Designers struggle with the concept of whimsical in the eighth episode of 'Project Runway.'
Project Runway’s emotional inspiration for designs this week is through the roof. If only the judges reciprocated the same tugs from their own hearts.
This episode, “Broadway or Bust,” bases itself on the musical Finding Neverland. I still have tear stains from that movie with Johnny Depp.
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Matthew Morrison, of Glee fame, stars in the main role in Finding Neverland, decides to pop in and tell the designers about this challenge and invite them to the show. Using the musical as inspiration, they have the freedom to create whatever design they want.
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The next day they stop by Mood for fabric. What a sight to see normal materials purchased for a design. It was like running into an old friend.
After they came back to the workroom, you can tell everyone still had feels from the musical the night before, which isn’t hard with its poignant plot. All but two designers brought in the big guns with emotional backstories to add as inspiration.
Laurie was inspired by her daughter; Ashley by her grandmother; and Candice just got emotional about Peter owning up to his “dark side” in the musical.
And what goes better with the dark side than a leather corset? Nothing, I tell you.
Swapnil finishes an entire skirt with only one smoke break. It shows he’s trying hard to be on top. Tim Gunn comes in and tells him he’s been on the top five times and has yet to win a challenge, and that was enough motivation.
Tim walks around and discusses the group’s insecurities of their designs, noting there’s only eight of them left. There are only two men and six women, and Tim has yet to use his “Tim Gunn save.”
Time flies by so fast in this episode. It feels as if no one even finishes their designs by the end of the day.
Candice is struggling to see her design through someone else’s eyes. She loves it so much that she wants everyone to see the heart she put into it.
As soon as the models went through the Mary Kay and Sally Beauty salons — and all of its product placements — the models took on the runway.
Ashley was lost in her design this week, and she knew it. The inspiration is muddled in her dress and the draping isn’t flattering.
Laurie’s three-piece look is not congruent. She got her inspiration from Tinker Bell and her daughter, but I wouldn’t wish on the second star to the right for ANYONE’S daughter to wear it. Laurie’s model had these itty bitty shorts that barely covered her bum and her nipples were exposed under the holey top. There wasn’t enough pixie dust in the world to salvage it.
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Lindsey’s green dress is practical. She’s a bland person and that’s what shows up week after week — bland outfits that seem safe.
Swapnil and Merline got the OK to continue to the next round, leaving the other six to further be either praised or shamed.
Critiques were odd in this episode. Judges were looking for a little more level-headed designs, and it wasn’t matching with how the designers were interpreting whimsicality and imagination.
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Heidi Klum and Zac Posen did not enjoy Kelly’s vision of “going to a Broadway show,” but Nina Garcia pictured the design in a magazine. Heidi was impressed with Edmond, but guest model Coco Rocha hated it.
Nina’s one-liners were on point calling Laurie’s design “Tinker Hell” and scrutinizing Lindsey’s solid green dress by saying “Green is the color of hope, and this is hopeless.”
The only one they all agreed on was Candice. Everyone did so subpar that it became obvious from the judges’ reactions that Candice would win, and she did.
Lindsey’s out, and when she said all of her goodbyes to everyone, it was the nicest and most sincere moment we’ve seen from her the entire season.
I keep waiting for the client challenge to rain upon the runway.
Project Runway airs every Thursday at 9 p.m., on Lifetime.
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