Project Runway went green on Wednesday – and no, not the color. The design competition entered the au courant world of eco-design. The challenge: to create cocktail dresses out of organic materials. And while nobody sent a hemp sack or anything equally crunchy down the runway, several designers were foiled by the same shiny, unflattering fabric choice.
First, the contestants were thrown off their game when their models were sent to do the shopping. Then, time became an issue. Didn’t it seem like everyone – even the speedy sewers – bumped up against the clock? Tim Gunn sure thought so. The typically unflappable mentor squawked that the slow pace in the workroom was making him a “wreck.”
The biggest problem, though, came down to fabric choice.
Poor Joe, Wesley and Leanne were handed the same shiny brown fabric from their models – and they suffered for it. Both Leanne and Wesley stood in the
bottom two, each with equally overworked and messy garments. Guest judge, actress Natalie Portman, looked on nervously as Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Heidi Klum offered their typically unfiltered criticism. (Portman’s contribution to eco-design, as she termed it, is a line of vegan shoes she launched recently.)
In the end, Wesley was auf’d for his crumpled minidress which Klum said flat-out was her least favorite look of the night.
Check back later for our exclusive chat with Wesley, but first, some of our other favorite moments from the night:
• One word: “leather.” How great is Stella? The self-professed creator of “tough” looks from Queens offered one of the night’s most genius monologues as she professed her love of all things leather to her colleagues’ delight.
• Blayne’s comparison of Heidi Klum to—wait for it—Darth Vader. At first we wondered if he was making some comment on her halting German accent. But no, it was about her personality. He described her as all “shiny” on the outside and scary on the inside.
• Finally, is it us or can the contestants please focus on the designs and not coining their own catchphrases? Blayne continues his “girlicious” assault on our ears and Suede —who won the challenge for his intricate dress—continually refers to himself in third person à la Bob Dole. –Brian Orloff
Tell us: Did you think Wesley deserved to go home? How do you think Natalie Portman fared as a judge? And what were your favorite moments of the night?
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