As usual, the show opens to reveal our remaining designers performing their morning ablutions and discussing the performances in the last challenge.
Stop talkin' and start steppin' already!
At Parsons, Heidi emerges from behind the scrim with the Holy Black Velvet Bag.
Time for a model shake-up! Kenley takes Joe's model Carpaccio, and then Leanne shows her bloodthirsty side and gobbles up Suede's model.
Thus three more models are sent out into the world to wait tables and pray for their big break now that their hopes have been dashed by the inconsiderate designers who have the audacity to be aufed week after week.
Heidi sends the final five up to Tim who gives them their challenge: they will be designing for each other! Tim assigns Jerell to Suede, Leanne to Kenley, Suede to Korto, Kenley to Jerell, and Korto to Leanne. If that's not trouble enough, Tim drops a bombshell:
That would have been fun, right? Instead, Kenley is assigned Pop, Suede gets Punk, Korto gets Country, Jerell gets Rock and Roll, and Leanne, appropriately, gets Hip Hop. She immediately gets into the groove and changes her name to "Loop Doody."
Despite the rubber bracelets and blue-tinged faux hawk, Suede insists that punk is not his thing, musically. He reveals he is a classically-trained cellist who played for fourteen years.
I suppose he'd rather be dressing like a classical musician, Yo Yo Ma perhaps. Or Liberace.
Leanne doesn't have a lot of confidence that Kenley can design something that's not 50s style and knows she's going to end up looking more crap than rap. Especially after Kenley picks out yet another hideous floral print from Mood, telling a dubious Tim that it looks like graffiti.
Korto is amused by her impending transformation into a country music diva, putting on cowboy boots and flapping around like a wounded chicken while warbling nonsensically, saying she was line dancing.
Go on, show her, Tim.
Tim's there for the daily dose of mentoring. He loves Jerell's silhouette for Kenley. Jerell insists he's going to bring out the sex goddess in her. Doris Day, anyone?
Then Tim has the nerve to tell Kenley that she's wackadoodle if she thinks those high-waisted grandma jeans is any kind of hip hop. Kenley gets defensive once again.
The next day, Jerell has thoughts of sabotaging Suede, but figures he can do a good enough job of that on his own.
The five of them are given one hour to in the Corporate Sponsorship Beauty Lounge for transformation into their new musical personas.
Then they put on their shiny new duds.
Kenley displays some of her usual braggadocio.
Time for the runway show!
This week's guest judge is LL Cool J, who's putting out a fashion line, so of course that makes him qualified to judge the competition.
Korto's punky outfit for Suede gets the win. Her finely crafted look included bleach-stained jeans and an appliquéd shirt, but anything combining "punk" with "fine craftsmanship" is a costume. Any punk who would wear a t-shirt with chains pre-attached is a poser. Or a 16-year-old who doesn't realize that punk was a movement from the mid-70s, and dressing in that style is as anachronistic as dressing in Kenley's favorite 50s crinolined look.
Speaking of Kenley, Jerell's pop goddess look for her came in a close second. The judges loved it and called it sexy without being vulgar. I guess Kenley didn't flash her va-jay-jay at them after all.
Leanne's country music get-up for Korto was borderline. The judges said nice things about it to her face, but mocked it behind her back, saying it wasn't sophisticated enough. Personally, I think it was awful, particularly that nasty gold belt.
Not as awful as Kenley's misguided attempt at hip-hoppery. The pants were singularly unflattering, the blouse was ugly, and there was too much jewelry that somehow didn't add "bling." The jacket was cute, but it didn't seem like it fit quite right.
Despite the ass-itude of Kenley's design, Suede got the boot. And them's some big boots that Jerell's wearing!
The judges thought that the pants weren't special enough, and that the outfit looked very much like something Jerell would wear anyway. I blame that on the low-cut tank top, which could have come out of his own closet. They did seem to like the vest, but that wasn't enough to redeem the outfit. At least he didn't make him a feathered hat.
Kenley's was clearly the worst of the bunch, so I think Suede was eliminated for other reasons.
Hey, you're lucky you didn't get deported.
It appears that Victoria Beckham has started to morph from her normal plasticized state into something even more quasi-android. What the hell is she wearing on her legs? Black rubber leggings with 
Here's my latest creation - a slab of drusy jasper (can't quite remember what kind of jasper) surrounded by gray-lined light amber beads, gray-brown and gray-green freshwater pearls, and more jasper, strung to about 19" with the same pearls and jasper plus pretty faceted labradorite lozenges. The photo doesn't show the blue flash of the labradorite or the subtle sparkle of the glass beads, unfortunately, but overall the piece is subtle and elegantly somber.
Those blue eyes have closed for the final time. Paul Newman died of lung cancer on September 26, 2008 aged 83 at his long-time home in Westport, Connecticut. He was surrounded by his family and close friends
I like everything about it - the prints, the palette, the voluminous pants, the billowy dresses, and especially the jackets. I'd wear all of it.
And equally tasteful gowns, lightly embellished, and ready for the red carpet. Lovely stuff.
Stop talkin' and start steppin' already!
Time for a model shake-up! Kenley takes Joe's model Carpaccio, and then Leanne shows her bloodthirsty side and gobbles up Suede's model.
Thus three more models are sent out into the world to wait tables and pray for their big break now that their hopes have been dashed by the inconsiderate designers who have the audacity to be aufed week after week.
That would have been fun, right? Instead, Kenley is assigned Pop, Suede gets Punk, Korto gets Country, Jerell gets Rock and Roll, and Leanne, appropriately, gets Hip Hop. She immediately gets into the groove and changes her name to "Loop Doody."
Leanne doesn't have a lot of confidence that Kenley can design something that's not 50s style and knows she's going to end up looking more crap than rap. Especially after Kenley picks out yet another hideous floral print from Mood, telling a dubious Tim that it looks like graffiti.
Go on, show her, Tim.
Then Tim has the nerve to tell Kenley that she's wackadoodle if she thinks those high-waisted grandma jeans is any kind of hip hop. Kenley gets defensive once again.
The next day, Jerell has thoughts of sabotaging Suede, but figures he can do a good enough job of that on his own.
The five of them are given one hour to in the Corporate Sponsorship Beauty Lounge for transformation into their new musical personas.
Then they put on their shiny new duds.
Kenley displays some of her usual braggadocio.
Time for the runway show!
This week's guest judge is LL Cool J, who's putting out a fashion line, so of course that makes him qualified to judge the competition.
Korto's punky outfit for Suede gets the win. Her finely crafted look included bleach-stained jeans and an appliquéd shirt, but anything combining "punk" with "fine craftsmanship" is a costume. Any punk who would wear a t-shirt with chains pre-attached is a poser. Or a 16-year-old who doesn't realize that punk was a movement from the mid-70s, and dressing in that style is as anachronistic as dressing in Kenley's favorite 50s crinolined look.
Speaking of Kenley, Jerell's pop goddess look for her came in a close second. The judges loved it and called it sexy without being vulgar. I guess Kenley didn't flash her va-jay-jay at them after all.
Leanne's country music get-up for Korto was borderline. The judges said nice things about it to her face, but mocked it behind her back, saying it wasn't sophisticated enough. Personally, I think it was awful, particularly that nasty gold belt.
Not as awful as Kenley's misguided attempt at hip-hoppery. The pants were singularly unflattering, the blouse was ugly, and there was too much jewelry that somehow didn't add "bling." The jacket was cute, but it didn't seem like it fit quite right.
Despite the ass-itude of Kenley's design, Suede got the boot. And them's some big boots that Jerell's wearing!
The judges thought that the pants weren't special enough, and that the outfit looked very much like something Jerell would wear anyway. I blame that on the low-cut tank top, which could have come out of his own closet. They did seem to like the vest, but that wasn't enough to redeem the outfit. At least he didn't make him a feathered hat.
Hey, you're lucky you didn't get deported.
These are about the only two looks in the collection that don't look like complete hell.
Avital Aronowitz was Suede's client in the "Transformation" episode of Project Runway, and as you can see in the photo at left, she rocked his "Pucci-esque" dress. I posed a few questions to her about her experience on the show.
Sean Coombs, aka Poop Doody, stepped into a pile of his namesake and messed up his tacky gold sneakers.
It's hard to choose a favorite from the collection - I really do love all of the looks, even if I wouldn't actually wear most of them.
Dennis Basso - love the green dress, the patterning in the jackets, and the ruffly bits.
Monique Lhuillier's gowns are always stunning, and her fabric choices this season were especially so, reminding one of the beach, waves, and shells.
Badgely Mischka's collection was elegantly floaty and light and refreshing for the duo known for elaborately decorated and encrusted surfaces.
Isaac Mizrahi's collection was full of color and sparkle, with sequins and lace. But my favorites were his more subdued pieces, particularly the green coat and the orange outfit.
Black was once again a popular color on the red carpet, as Deborah Messing (in Monica Lhuillier), Kristin Chenowith (in Armani), America Ferrera, Sandra Oh (in Oscar de la Renta), and Hayden Panettiere (in Badgely Mischka) were among those appearing to be in mourning. I will admit I like the plainer dresses of Chenowith and Panettiere to the casket drapery of Messing and Ferrera.
On the brighter side, there were a number of happy yellow gowns in attendance, most notably on Mariska Hargitay (in Carolina Herrera) and Teri Hatcher. Top Design contestant Andrea Schroder (with her husband, Rick) wears the Daniel Franco design seen in the window dressing episode of Top Design. It looked better in the window. (Thanks, DD!)
Not everyone wore solid colors. Embellished gowns were in full force, as evidenced by the beauties worn by Kathy Griffin, Marcia Cross (in Elie Saab Haute Couture), Christina Applegate (in Reem Acra), and Jennifer Love Hewitt (in Carolina Herrera).
