Project Runway Recap: The Chaos Of Nuts And Bolts

by Sarah Devlin | 12:55 pm, September 9th, 2011

When the designers go to meet Heidi Klum in the studio, she tells them that this time they will be working in two teams of five. Not again! Enough with the team challenges! We’re down to the top ten and I feel like I still don’t have a sense of what each designer’s aesthetic, because they only times they’ve worked alone they’ve been making clothes out of their pajamas, pet store merchandise, and children’s artwork! Whatever.

Last week’s winners Anthony Ryan Auld and Joshua McKinley each pick team members first, and then their picks select the next picks, and so on.

The teams are these: Anthony, Anya Ayoung-Chee, Olivier Green, Bryce Black, and Viktor Luna. Joshua, Bert Keeter, Becky Ross, Kimberly Goldson and Laura Kathleen make up the second group.

Each team will create their own textile design, which they must use in a five-look collection. They will also produce their own fashion show, complete with a video background and music that they select. They have two days. I have a nervous breakdown just listening to this. Betsey Johnson stops by the workroom with Tim Gunn to advise the designers on production. While she is super kooky and great, she does neglect to mention the large creative staff and crew she has to help her pull off each of her shows.

Joshua’s team has zero vision. Anthony’s team is already clicking and talking team names (they settle on “Team Chaos.”) Joshua and Bert nearly come to blows when Bert’s textile (their theme is clocks, BTW, and their team name is “Nuts and Bolts”, and the whole thing is just terrible) won’t print. Seriously, Joshua picks a major fight over this. Not that it matters — Team Chaos’ prints are way more dynamic, fresh and interesting than Team Nuts and Bolts’.

The following morning, the designers are psyched to see their prints on their fabric. It looks like both teams went with black and white prints and will be adding color when they construct the rest of their garments. Kimberly expresses her dissatisfaction with the rest of her team by refusing to use any of their prints. Laura, who hates Becky all of a sudden, thinks her look is “Judy Jetson with a vacuum cleaner.” This animosity came out of nowhere, but she’s not wrong.

Tim is thrilled by Team Chaos’s cohesion. He is “troubled” by Team Nuts and Bolts. Very “troubled.” He repeats this several times.

During the model fittings, Anya becomes the latest of several designers to express doubts about Bryce (whose shorts and top are definitely the weakest look in the collection). Olivier is still a frustratingly slow worker.

This week’s special guests are the totally gorgeous Rose Byrne and Rachel Roy, and Heidi’s leather trousers.

This is the least suspenseful runway show ever. I want to be a girl who is WORTHY and SOPHISTICATED enough to wear Team Chaos’s clothes. Game over. Rose and Heidi look ready to rip the outfits off the models. I’ve never seen the judges this enthusiastic. Heidi interrogates them all about who should win and everyone picks him or herself but Bryce, who chooses Anya.

Next, the judges talk to the losers: the print is too literal, no one wants to wear something that says “DELAYED” or “CANCELED” on it (accurate), Joshua has a huge chip on his shoulder. The judges seem so confused by how much everyone hates each other that I wonder if they’ll even look to the losing team for someone to send home. They’re coming for you, Bryce!

Anya wins this week for her cocktail dress. Becky and Joshua are in the bottom two, and Becky is let go. After all, Michael Kors says, “This isn’t ‘Project Seamstress.”‘

Next Week: the designers create couture clothes for regular dudez. I don’t foresee any communication issues there!

Quote of the Week: “If Tim is asking you to do prayers, that might be a ‘Project Runway’ first! – Anthony, after Tim made Team Nuts and Bolts form an actual prayer circle.

Insult of the Week: “All of the three prints [for Team Nuts and Bolts] are horrible. How about that?” Nina Garcia, we missed you last week!