The season started off slow but Project Runway All Stars is slowly turning around. With less conjured drama and better designs All Stars is shaping up to be one of the most satisfying season of the series.
Last nights challenge not only tested their design skills, but people skills as well. The designers met in Central Park to find a muse and convince her to give up the clothes off her back. They were given 150 dollars to bargain with and shop at Mood. The designer’s final look had to be comprised of half the muse’s clothes.
Anthony Williams, or “Lady Antoinetta” as Austin called him, stole the show. His loveable personality convinced multiple strangers to give up their clothes. He even got a young man to give up his jean shorts, leaving him alone in the park in his underwear.
The workroom was as light hearted as usual, though some designers had trouble with the deconstruction aspect of the challenge. It’s often difficult to be excited about one piece of clothing and still find the inspiration to turn it into something else. Michael and Anthony seemed to be having the most trouble where as Mondo and Austin hit the ground running.
The designs were judged by Angela, Georgina, Isaac and guest judge Sean Avery, formerly of the New York Rangers. Avery is not only a red blooded, professional hockey playing male but he also interned at Vogue and is a budding fashionisto. Could we have the next David Beckham on our hands? The guest judges are not usually as masculine as Avery and a majority of the males can be too embedded in the fashion world. Avery was well versed in the fashion language but still seemed to stay true to his own point of view. His commentary was especially refreshing because he voiced what he wanted to see on a woman. Thankfully he had more tact than the men on last seasons challenge “What Women Want” (Ep. 9.8) where the male spouses collaborated with the designers to create a look for their female counterparts. At least Avery wasn’t sitting around talking about boobs.
Top:
- Austin – Austin went with a punk/glam look with a cropped jacket and fuller miniskirt. The details on the jacket fit his muse but the look was almost over-worked. At least the look was something different for Austin. Props to him for stepping out of his ball gown comfort zone.
- Rami – Rami went with a menswear inspired short suit look. Normally Rami is known for his expertise in draping but no one can deny his skills as a tailor after this look. It was a fun and more casual spin on menswear. The brown plaid was a little safe, If he infused some more color the look would have really popped.
-Mondo – The other designers were envious of Mondo’s ability to mix and match fabrics and prints. His denim and cotton mix jacket with printed shorts were fun and hip. The real surprise came when the model revealed her fun bustier top underneath. The whole look was on trend.
Bottom:
- Michael – Michael took a risk with a nude structured top and super short shorts. The look could have been high fashion but the execution was sub par. If he pulled it off perfectly it could have been in the top. Too bad the construction wasn’t there and it ended up looking cheap and too revealing.
- Anthony – Anthony’s black and red jump suit was stunning. The ruffle at the hip was just enough detail to be dramatic. Avery commented that he would “do a double take” if he saw a woman walking down the street in his look. The only flaw was that he didn’t use enough of his muse’s fabric
- Jerell – What was he thinking? His striped bikini top was cute but the wild print shrug clashed with the amount of skin showing. His ultra low tie dyed skirt just looked like a saggy beach cover up. Isaac said it looked like it came out of “The Lion King”. Avery said it looked like Lady Gaga at Burning Man on Acid. That last critique may have been the most colorful of the season.
After 5 challenges Mondo was finally named the winner. He’s kept his head in the game and has consistently pumped out good work whether he wins or not. He’s easily one of my picks for the top three. The elimination came down to Jerell and Anthony. The judges had a tough decision: do you cut Jerell for making something hideous or do you cut Anthony for making someone beautiful but not in the parameters of the challenge? Sadly we said good-bye to Lady Antoinetta (Anthony). No matter how good your design is, if you can’t follow the directions it’s not worth it. He was a ray of sunshine and his comedic timing and upbeat personality will be missed.
