In the third episode of Project Runway, designers are paired up for an exotic inspired challenge where designs are anything but
In the third episode of Project Runway, the 14 designers meet Tim Gunn on the Celebrity Cruises cruise ship where the show reveals its first partner challenge of the season. High fives all around for the passive aggressiveness yet to come!
The first partner challenge had the designers pick suitcases with a country and fabric inside to inspire designs for some kind of interpretation of exotic
day-to-evening wear.
Here’s how the pairing ended up:
- Amanda and Gabrielle — South of France
- Ashley and Candice — Venice
- Jake and Lindsey — Hong Kong
- Laurie and Swapnil — India (shocker!)
- Kelly and Blake — Greek Isles
- Edmond and Hanmiao — Caribbean
- Merline and Joseph — St. Petersburg
After last week’s Hallmark Greeting Card challenge, Ashley wants to redeem herself because she would have gone home (bless that immunity). Joseph also somehow sneaked passed last week. That pink makeshift Hallmark skirt still haunts my dreams. I’ll never understand how that got off scot-free.
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Like, what is that?
The pairs start off cohesive. They are sharing ideas. There is motivation. It’s great.
Then Lindsey gets upset that she couldn’t make a kimono for a Hong Kong challenge, and Jake shuts down the rest of her ideas.
Hanmiao doesn’t work well with others, even though it would be in her best interest to do so because her partner Edmond has immunity. This means she would be the only one on the chopping block if their design goes down. Cue flames.
Joseph banishes Merline’s dancing. She suppresses her emotions — along with her ideas — to appease Joseph, but that won’t go far as an excuse on the runway. Tim Gunn is even concerned on the design’s “matronly” look — an adjective no one wants to hear in the work room. Nothing in this design screams St. Petersburg, which I’m sure myself and everyone else would like to be know what that look is.
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Kelly hits it on the head when she says their dress looks like something “One of the Golden Girls would wear to bed.” I agree Kelly. I agree.
The morning of the runway show, the camera turns the corner and boom Edmond whips up a different bathing suit in literally no time. Interesting that happened so quickly while Jake takes six out of the 12 hours to make a collar for a top.
The swimsuit is sporty and cute and very reflective of Edmond’s style, which has better structure than Hanmiao’s ever had. In his own way, he’s trying to salvage the bathing suit Hanmiao made. Do I blame him? Not really, because he is motivated. Hanmiao went behind his back and hand sewed her swimsuit onto the model, while hiding in a closet mind you. Too far. Edmond was beside himself. It shows how much he cares about the challenge. He could let the design go to crap if he truly wanted to because he has immunity and it won’t affect him.
They end up using hers because of her sneaky hand sewing tactic. That model’s poor bum was half out, covered by a yellow skirt that looked like a dust ruffle.
The designers did a double take in the design room to see Hanmiao on the floor straddling a mannequin to stubbornly remake another poorly made swimsuit.
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Those who did not fight proved to be the dream teams. Ashley and Candice, Kelly and Blake, and Laurie and Swapnil never had to bring out the claws.
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It was great to see Ashley and Candice work so well together. Collaborations can bring out the best and worst of people, and it certainly brought out an even better side of them.
The high and low scores were rather predictable. But who takes the heat for the lowest scores is not as predictable — except for Hanmiao, sorry Hanmiao. Those who collaborated well ended up on the top. The exception is Lindsey and Jake who end up on top, but had a terrible relationship. Yes, I felt for Lindsey — think Taylor Swift meets school teacher — with Jake’s snail-like sewing. He didn’t do anything to help create a Hong Kong outfit for someone who has actually been to Hong Kong.
Joseph smothered Merline’s fire and personality, and then threw her under the bus when they ended up on the bottom. Not cool. Nina Garcia said it right when they threw together a boring asymmetrical dress with an “odd side bib.”
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He was so focused on watching Merline’s every move to realize he cut the neckline crooked.
Ashley and Candice are both the winners of the challenge, which is neat. They both receive immunity, and what was cool to see is how grateful they were to work with each other. Yay team Ashley!
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Hanmiao is eliminated, and it was no surprise. The cotton, non-stretch swimsuit hurt my eyes. Her lack of communication and stubborn intellect led to a gaudy Caribbean nightmare. Hanmiao’s aesthetic had boxy shapes that were more structured than woven for women. It won’t be missed.
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Some favorites and least favorites:
Ashley and Candice technically won for best design and best couple. There’s just something about Candice that I love. She looks all dark with her black boxy hair and strong eyebrow game, but she’s a nice person and not bitter. Ashley won me over when she let Swapnil borrow some of her supplies in the first episode.
My least favorites are Blake and Joseph. We didn’t see much of Blake this episode, but in the second episode, he really annoyed everyone in the work room with his mouth and his glitter dress — which I did not like.
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And Joseph just needs to go. Why can’t you cut a basic neckline? Like seriously? Get in the game.
Project Runway airs every Thursday at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.
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