Reality Roll Call

Last week, the designers had to come up with musical genre inspirations. Suede was sent home, and Korto won.

This week was the designers’ final challenge before Bryant Park, so everyone was crackling with tension. I guess this season is sort of an homage to New York or something, because Tim leads Korto, Jerell, Leanne, and Kenley to the New York Botanical Garden. In another egregious display of product placement, we find out this challenge is sponsored by L’Oreal Paris. Collier Strong, consulting makeup artist for L’Oreal Paris, explains the challenge: use the Garden as the source of their inspiration for an evening gown design.

Back in the workroom, they have 30 minutes to choose the inspiration for their evening gown. Purple flowers and leaves were favored by Kenley, Leanne, and Jerell, with Korto as the wild card with pale pink flowers. With a budget of $250 the designers go to Mood. Kenley forgets her fabric, and has to get permission to go back.

In an unexpected turn of events NBC Universal has won an injunction against the producers of the reality show, Project Runway, preventing the show’s move from Bravo to Lifetime.

Project Runway’s producer, the Weinstein Co. announced last winter that it would be moving the show to Lifetime, starting with its sixth season this winter. Bravo’s parent company NBC Universal filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the production company. Today, the results of the preliminary injunction were revealed.

“NBC Universal is pleased that the court granted our motion for a preliminary injunction against the Weinstein Co.,” NBC Uni said in a statement. “The overwhelming evidence demonstrated that the Weinstein Co. violated NBC Universal’s right of first refusal to future cycles of ‘Project Runway.’ After hearing all of the evidence, the court issued an order prohibiting the Weinstein Co. from taking the show or any spinoff to Lifetime.”

Word is that Jennifer Lopez will be a guest judge on the season finale of Bravo’s Project Runway. Last year, her new BFF Posh was a finale judge. Now they’ll have one more thing in common, aside from both being chummy with designer Marc Jacobs.

The finale will be filmed this Friday at Bryant Park, in wrap up Fashion Week, so if you want to loiter around the tents in the area maybe you can catch a glimpse of someone before you get yelled at for stalking. The finale will air in October.

From Bravo:

This week’s Project Runway is full of surprises as the designer’s team up to create a garment around the astrological sign of their partner on Wednesday, September 10 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The designers are taken off-site to receive inspiration from the stars, but the help they receive does not come from the cosmos. The eight remaining contestants are paid a surprise visit by fab designers including Jay McCarroll, Daniel Vosovic, and Christian Siriano. Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa guest judges.

Check out a video preview here and here. Don’t forget to read Mary Jones’ recap on RealityRollCall.com.

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).

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.

Just a reminder to let everyone know that Brooke Shields is a guest judge on tonight’s Project Runway on Bravo. And don’t forget to come back here to  read Mary Jones’ recap tonight:

Last Week: Inspiration challenge: New York City after dark. Kenley won with her Miami-lawn-chair print dress, and Emily was voted off for her Bonfire-of-the-Vanities ruffle.

This week: The designers go on another field trip; this time to the Armory Track and Field Center. On the way there, Blayne complains that he can’t feed his tanorexia addiction on “Project Runway.” I don’t think anyone feels too bad for him. The challenge is to create a look for the opening games ceremony of the 2008 Olympics. Gold medal speed skater Apolo Ohno is the guest judge, which seems as much of an odd choice as last week’s Sandra Bernhard. I’m a bit terrified as to how the contestants are going to present their image of America to the world. I hope somehow guns are involved. The designers are allowed to go through the Armory museum and see old photos and costumes for inspiration before heading off to mood. Surprise, surprise, Stella is going for leather. I’m more into Kenley’s blue plaid myself.

Last week on Project Runway:

Natalie Portman and the “green” challenge with organic fabric; Suede ended up winning for his punk ballerina dress, and Wesley was sent home despite his amazing shorts.

This week:

So I totally read that Daniel has hooked up with the now-auffed Wesley, which kind of makes me wish Wesley had lasted longer so I could watch the sexual tension.

The challenge isn’t announced right away; the designers are promised a night out with Tim to “unwind.” And if Top Chef Project Runway has taught me anything, a night out on the town is usually code for “surprise challenge.” It’s raining and everyone is in ponchos, and rather than take them to a park or a club, Tim loads the miserable herd onto a double-decker bus. The challenge is to design a look inspired by New York at night, so Tim plays guide to a sort of Magical Mystery Tour. Only rather than a bus full of joyful Liverpool musicians, everyone on this bus is wet and cold and not all that happy to be there.

On this week’s episode of  Bravo’s Project Runway, Tim Gunn takes the contestants out in the rainy streets of Manhattan at night for their assignment. You can’t really tell what he has in mind for them in this clip, but it does end with that age-old reality show saying: “I’m not here to make friends.”

Be sure to catch Project Runway on Wednesday at 10PM, then come back to Reality Roll Call and read the weekly recap.