We shouldn’t relish in the designers’ anguish but we we can’t help ourselves! As soon as Heidi told them there were special guests, we saw each and every one of their hearts drop down in their stomach. Lucky, or unlucky for some, the guests for the challenge were the eliminated designers from the season. Naturally the first question we had, and are sure you the fans did as well was: ‘How are they are going to pair them up?’. Would they let the designers pick? Of course not! That would be too easy.

It was interesting to see designers confess who they wanted and who they didn’t want. We found it a sorted twist of faith that Blayne would get Stella after he teased and teased her about her “leatha”. Terri hoped one minute she did not get Keith only to have Tim announce a mere second later that they would be paired together. Korto was pleased with Kelli and was confident with her design capabilities, as was Leanne with Emily whom she hoped she would get.

If having to choose whose astrological sign would serve as muse for their designs wasn’t quirky enough the designers were thrown a curveball when they received a note inviting them and their models to the Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space . Naturally stress ensued and the designers arrived at the Planetarium both anxious and fearful at what would happen next. Surprise! The Planetarium was filled with old designers from various seasons of Project Runway including season 1 winner Jay McCaroll, and Season 4’s winner Christian Siriano and designer Carmen Webber,  as well as Daniel Vosovic and Kara Janx of Season 2. At the end of the night the PR alumni voted on their favorite piece and gave the designers some input on their pieces that could help them on the runway.

We were not surprised that Kenley, Terri, Blayne or Suede ended up in the bottom. Kenley and Wesley’s piece was not avant-garde but rather over-the-top and just as “costumey” as Tim warned. Which is precisely why Leanne and Emily were skeptical about her confidence. Of course, Kenley got defensive again on the runway and swore her design was inspired by Aquarius regardless of the judges comments. Terri disregarded all input by Keith and ended up making a piece that was totally “her” but looked cheap to both her partner and Nina. Blayne and Stella’s piece was whimsical as expected but failed to wow the judges; especially Micheal who delivered one of our favorite lines of the show when he said: “She’s pooping fabric!” Finally, rounding out the bottom four was Suede and Jerry who delivered a bland ensemble which left the judges wanting more.

The top four designs were simply brilliant. Leanne and Emily’s Scorpio design was strong and innovative and perfectly embodied the sign. Korto and Kelli made a beautiful flowing chiffon gown  for Aquarius that actually looked like water floating down the runway.  Joe and Daniel made a ruched gown that represented  fiery Aries, and Jerell and Jennifer made a long gown of mixed sequin and plaid  fabric with a jacket to match to represent Sagittarius.

Alas, Blayne and Terri were eliminated and Jerell snagged his first win by impressing both the PR alum and the judges with his design.

I still get excited looking at all the Project Runway originals we have in our office. Some of the designers were innovative in their design and execution of their garments from the first challenge, promising much talent for future challenges.

We put Terri’s garment on the mannequin–it has been one of the few that has been big enough to actually fit our bust form! Terri used safe materials to create her garment: a red plastic tablecloth for the skirt and mops for the halter top. Even though the materials were ordinary, Terri’s execution of detailing and construction were well done. She made a simple a-line skirt, but added ruffles to the back to add interest and create volume. The skirt had seams to make it fit well, but it didn’t have any closures, so I’m not sure how it stayed on the model. It was obvious Terri spent most of her time creating a braid pattern for the halter; the pattern was intricate and well designed. My favorite part was the open structure of the back–very sexy. This was sewn onto the model, so we had to use a rubber band to dress our mannequin. Even though Terri played it safe in design and fabrication, her work was solid. In last week’s auction, her dress was continually bid on by three persons and went for $70.

I also got to examine Wesley’s paper tablecloth dress–which had been completely cut off of the model! This dress was among my favorites as it was with viewers. In last week’s auction, this was one of the top dresses, with a max bid of $115. The same bidder nabbed both Terri’s and Wesley’s garments. Wesley, like many of the designers, played it safe with a paper tablecloth, however, his keg cup and flyswatter flowers added a pop quality to his design. Wesley used a muslin base for his dress, allowing him to create a good shape and movement.  Most of his time was spent cutting out individual petals for his flowers, but his craftsmanship and attention to detail were evident. The rubber gloves were interesting–they were tacky in design, but on trend in design conception. Wesley used rubber kitchen gloves adorned with a smashed keg cup. This dress was good, but the color is what made it standout on the runway.

Make sure you place your bid in this week’s auction and I’ll keep you updated on all the dirty design details!  

We’ll be the first to admit that after seeing  Suede in the first challenge we were a little skeptical about how long he was going to stay on the show. However,  as soon as we heard that they would be designing a cocktail dress we knew Suede and the rest of the designers would be okay. After all, they almost all made dresses for the first challenge. But of course there was a twist! Not only would the model’s be picking the fabric, they would be using “green” or eco-friendly material. I can only describe the look on the designers faces as pure horror.

I was actually pretty surprised at what the models picked out. I mean that in both a good and a bad way. Some models really picked out some great stuff, while others where completely lost ( Shannon with her Jersey - interesting). As the designers struggled in the workroom to make lemonade out of lemons, I was sure many might not even finish. Luckily, I was wrong.

My pick as the best ( I agree with the judges) is obviously Suede. His dress was beautiful and would make any woman feel like the belle of the ball. I also loved Blayne’s ( who knew after last weeks diaper design) and Kelli’s designs. Although, I don’t think Wesley’s dress was the worst, it did look the most un-organized and haphazard. I was completely shocked given how great I thought his first design was.

I am definitely more excited about the season and can see the potential for some really great designs that will blow past seasons out of the water. I am also looking forward to all the great guest judges that will be appearing. I loved seeing Natalie Portman tonight, she is a great role model on and off the screen and one of my favorite actresses.

Remember, you can own a piece of the runway by bidding in our auction on these fabulous eco-friendly frocks! Bid now!