Project Runway Season 5: the Final Finale

Season Finale Part 2: The actual finale

Last week Jerell was sent home for being too embellish-y. This week is the final three: Korto, Leanne, and Kenley.

Tim goes around and helps the girls critique their collections. Kenley, as usually, attacks Tim’s advice to toss off her Alexander McQueen knock off. He also says she uses rope arbitrarily, to which she got even angrier. Korto “Big Sleeves” has decided to whip up two new dresses for the collection instead of her bridal suite. Leanne seems to have everything together.

Everyone’s in tears, but luckily not enough to make an all-female Final 3 look like Lifetime. No for reals, it’s totally not even as bad as previous years. Disasters abound—one of Kenley’s tops went droopy, and Kenley had to practically shove her model into a dress.

By the way, how much am I loving the commercials for the new season of Top Chef? Padma Lakshmi is like the hottest woman on the planet who’s slept with a literary star. Ever!

When J. Lo doesn’t show up, Tim Gunn pinch hits, to which Kenley gives the priceless line, “wow. Maybe I should have had a better attitude.”

Kenley goes first with her “dream wardrobe.” Her music was some kind of weird ersatz drum n’ bass style that didn’t fit in with the bright colorful tone of her collection. Kenley was all about the forties—emerald green, hot pink, Miami lawn chair prints. Pencil skirts with structured shoulders. Occasionally there were structural elements like exaggerated hips or voluminous skirts, but it mostly looked like a thrift shop on parade.

Korto debuts her “nature inspired” line. Her music was much more appropriate—rock African fusion. She had a couple of America’s next top model contestants in there, which I thought was fun. But Korto’s collection was also a lot of green, a lot of khaki, a lot of rustles. Pleating and crazy collars and deep-v’s. I was disappointed, because Korto’s stuff has, before this, been quite strong.

Leanne looks like a mess as she debuts her collection of sea-inspired dresses. Her collection debuted to the clicks and clutters of some post-rock band. Pleated minis, ruffles, all in whites, beiges, and aquas. Everyone knows I’m bias towards Leanne, but when I saw the collection all laid out like that, I was a bit bored. I wanted her to take it to the next level, but she seemed too afraid.

Michael Kors thought that Kenley’s collection was fantastic and had spirit. But everyone agreed one of her dresses look like a Balenciaga silhouette. Just as with the Alexandre McQueen dress, Kenley pleaded ignorance.

Korto’s collection was also loved, though a bit overworked. She needed to edit, which I agree with. Leanne’s collection was considered the most versatile in the amount of separates, but a little one note, which I also agree with.

And the winner is…LEANNE! Poor Korto, so close, and yet so far. I’m hoping Korto gets a ridiculously big contract making ridiculously big sleeves for someone.

Project Runway Episode 8: Why I’m a Card Member

Last week: Poor Keith got sent home for his boring car-materials dress and cried all the way home.

This week, Tim announces the challenge will involve a fashion legend. As they are speculating as to who the guest design judge was going to be, Blayne gives one of his usual gems: “My first thought about a fashion legend is Mary Kate Olson. I want every challenge to be involved with Mary Kate. I want to marry Mary Kate, who doesn’t? Besides Tim Gunn.”

Tim brings them down to the Meatpacking district, where Mastercard spokeswoman and wrap-dress maker Diane VonFurstenberg greets everyone. The challenge is to make a dress inspired by Marlene Dietrich’s Berlin-to-Shanghai spy movie, A Foreign Affair. The designers are allowed to paw through von Furstenberg’s fabric collection in order to get what they need for their garment. The winning designer gets immunity, and his or her designs will be sold as part of von Furstenberg’s collection (but only to Mastercard members. Typical).

There’s a relative lack of drama in the workroom today. Everyone’s doing layering, everyone’s stressed. Not too much cattiness, but I felt that Leanne summed it up best when she looked over at Joe’s pink and sparkly Shanghai surprise and asked “Joe seems overly confident in his design. I don’t know where this confidence is coming from honestly, to me it looks kind of like a cheap costume. I’m kind of surprised Joe’s still here at this stage of the game.”

On to the runway judging!

1) Joe

Pink satin skirt with black above the knee skirt and a black hooded vest

2) Leanne

Purple dress ruffled fishtail and with shrunken light grey wool coat

3) Terri

High waisted brown trousers with black trench coat and silk print shirt

4) Jerrel

Navy pencil skirt, black sweater with bright blue belt and high-necked gold blouse

5) Korto

Black and white slik dress with yellow petticoat and shrunken black puff-sleeve

6) Blayne

Polka-dot jodpers, black minitrench with exaggerated collar, brightly colored ruffled blouse

7) Suede

Floor length green and cream patterned dress with grey vest

Stella

Tan pants, halter blouse with bow detail, caplet

9) Kenley

High-necked belted dress with lace detail and a bright floral pattern

The designers left on the runway are Joe, Leanne, Korto, Suede, Stella, and Kenley. Korto’s dress seemed to be dismissed as altogethe, “nice.” Diana hates the low back of Joe’s garment, which was generally criticized for being messy. Kenley’s dress was considered nice, but too simple; I could tell Heidi was not grooving on Kenley interrupting her, and the fact that all the other judges disagreed with her dismissal of Kenley’s dress. Stella’s tailoring was criticized, and Leanne’s dress was agreed to have “a lot of design” which, as usual, was not enough praise for what it is. Poor Suede seemed to get everything wrong—slit in the back, pattern, and the hearing bone mixed with the geometric pattern.

Leanne won the challenge, which delighted me (yes, I am bias), and Stella went home, even though her dress was not even a fraction as hideous or poorly made as Joe’s was. But she made a speech about how she was too good for the joint, and I respect that.

Project Runway Episode 7: Saturnine

Last week on Project Runway: The designers created outfits for drag queens; Daniel gets voted off for his Miami train wreck, and Joe’s hideous sailor suit.

This week, the designers head onto the roof of a parking garage, discovering a bevy of Saturn hybrids (which is the car sponsor of Project Runway, in case you didn’t know). Since Saturns are made out of recycled materials (or a majority thereof), the designers are asked to use recycled materials. Stella displays the first bit of awesomeness all season by refusing to run around: “How embarrassing!”

Back at the studio the designers are given a few minutes to plan their dresses; everyone is throwing down carburetors and smashing mirrors, so I have high hopes. Stella decides to do something pretty instead of her usual biker thing. Keith is freaking me out with his insecurity. He’s so needy! I can’t stand it. “Don’t ask my opinion; my taste is questionable.” I’m beginning to hope he’s voted off.

Kenley’s model dropped out of the competition, so Kenley has to refit her dress for the new model. Terri accuses Korto of creating a “Jeepers Creepers” dress. Stella talks to her boyfriend ‘Ratbones.’ Stella’s slowly winning me over, I hate to admit it. Keith yells at his model for sitting down for hair and makeup–how dare she disobey him when he asked such a simple task? Gosh, so selfish. The outfits are all very exciting, so it’s with a great deal of excitement (for once) that we head towards the runway.

1. Jerell

Dress: paneled bustier and black pencil miniskirt

Materials: Seat covers, carpets, resin moldings, and metal dashboard trim

2. Keith

Dress: crocheted cream top and nude miniskirt with wide belt

Materials: Seat covers, liners, cushions, and cargo netting

3. Terri

Dress: Black tube top with netting neckline, dual tone jeans

Materials: Seat covers, carpets, cushions, and cargo netting

4. Kenley

Dress: Black sleeveless top and pencil skirt with ruffle overlay

Materials: Air Filters, Seat covers, seat belts, and window shades

5. Leanne

Dress: Structured black minidress with bodice detail

Materials: Seat covers, cushions, and seat belt

6. Suede

Dress: Black dress with interweaving with silver fringe skirt

Materials: Floor mats, sun visors, cargo netting, and seat covers

7. Korto

Dress: beige short kimono dress with bell sleeves

Materials: Seat belts

8. Blayne

Dress: floor length beige ball gown with silver detail

Materials: Seat belts and mirrors

9. Joe

Dress: Black minidress with red detail and cutaways

Materials: seat covers, cushions, seat belts, and car logo

10. Stella

Dress: banded skirt with beige and black corset top

Materials: seat belts, seat covers, seat backs, carpet stays, and keys

Korto, Leanne, Blayne, Jerell, Keith, and Stella are left on the runway. Laura Benett and  Rachel Zoe are the guest judges for the night–though Rachel Zoe only because she has a new show on Bravo. Jerell’s dress was praised for its intricacies and  futuristic nature. Blayne’s dress was poorly fitted on top, and the judges noticed. Everyone agreed Korto’s dress was chic and wearable. Leanne’s dress finally got the praise she deserved for her  dress. Stella’s dress was considered to random and mismatched. Keith started  fighting with the judges about how they didn’t understand his work and they were being too critical and blah blah blah. Michael Kors squarely smacked him down without being too mean, which I appreciated.

The designers come back out, and the judgment is handed down: Leanne is the winner, breaking the tradition of anti-Leanne bias and Keith went home. It was so hard to watch Keith cry–like, totally devastated. But if Keith gets out of Utah, homeboy might have a chance.