Project Runway Season 10 Recap: "Where's Joan Rivers When You Need Her?"

Where's Joan Rivers?

Oh Joan, I Wish You Were The Judge: Joan Rivers E! Fashion Police

This week's Project Runway Season 10 Challenge was to Create a Red Carpet Look to be worn at the Emmy Awards. The official name of the challenge was the LEXUS Team Challenge--hello, the show has to pay the bills!

Car Style: Mentor Tim Gunn tries to keep a straight face (no pun intended) as he announces the "LEXUS" involvement in this challenge

Somehow they created an addendum to the challenge that would somehow make it justifiable for LEXUS to be involved--yes, kids, the designers were "inspired" by the colors of these fab LEXUS GS automobiles...yeah, right. This season's designers were given their Red Carpet clients and no, it was't Sofia Vergara or Claire Danes.

Not so muchey as I like to say. Remember the mustard-mess of a dress Season 1's Wendy Pepper made for Nancy O'Dell (photo above). Yeah, bless O'Dell's heart--she smiled through it and was a good sport but you know she was like "NEVER AGAIN!".

Instead, it was former Project Runway contestants and/or winners--such as Laura Bennett from Season 3, Kenley I-threw-a-cat-at-my-boyfriend Collins from Season 5 (above), Irina (Season 6 Winner), Anya (Season 9 Winner) and several others. Let's just get to the Runway darlings, shall we:

Nina, Michael Heidi, and guest judge, actress Krysten Ritter were there and really--nothing against the lovely Miss Ritter--but I was hoping it was going to be Joan Rivers. She would have let these Season 10 contestants HAVE IT. Especially those who were all "I HATE designing 'Red Carpet'..." Yes, I am talking to you Alicia and Raul!

Anyhow, Miss Klum walked out in a strapless sequin LBD with a wink-and-a-smile secretly saying "THIS is a Red Carpet dress kids! Now, go home!" Speaking of Red Carpet dressing and the Emmys--here are the Best Dressed of 2011 as a refreshner:

2011 Emmy Awards Best Dressed

My favorite was the silver silk charmeuse gown that Dmitry and Melissa created for "Kelly Osborne 2.0" April Johnston (above). Somehow, this ended up in the "middle" and not as one of the top two. What gives? Maybe Heidi, Nina, Michael and Krysten were too tired and "over it" (some of those judging sessions go on 'till the wee hours darlings!)

Four Inches Too Short Wedding Dress: Bitchy McBitchy Gunnar and Kooan created this white gown for Irina and somehow this ended up in the Top Two.  You can read my Recap at the end of this post to really know what I think of this dress...

This was the Winner (above left photo)--a short navy blue silk gazar cocktail dress from Ven and Fabio--for "I Want ALL the Attention" Kenley Collins. It was very pretty and expensive looking but Emmys worthy? Go back to that collage of Emmys 2011 Best Dressed...

Is That Your Pageant Britney? Season 9 Winner Anya and Miss District of Columbia USA 2012 Monique LaShone Thompkins

The Bottom Two were cutie (I am renaming him "Drama Queen Christopher" after this episode) Christopher and Andrea BA MA MFA Katz and the design they created for Anya. I do LOVE a pageant gown and a slit--as long as it's not DANGEROUSLY close to her nether-regions--and this dress was. Poor Anya would have been SLAMMED by the "Fashion Police" --or at least moi on TV Guide's Emmys Fashion Wrap!

But the worst was the dowdy dirndl halter dress that pointy-haired Raul and dreadlock'ed Alicia created. Bad with a Capital "B". Poor Mila. This look really aged her and made her look like a Mother-of-the-Bride as opposed to a Red Carpet Diva.


If you want to know what I REALLY thought of this last episode? Read below:

"Where's Joan Rivers When You Need Her?"

 Team I-Don't-Want-To-Be-On-A-Team
We knew it was going to be a KRAZEE episode the minute Tim Gunn said that this was a "Team Challenge." No One. I reiterate, NO ONE, likes the Team Challenges on "Project Runway" (except the viewers). The challenge this week? To create a red carpet look that is to be worn at the Emmys in September. Lest you forget, our little ol' show is nominated this year! This challenge was also dubbed the "LEXUS Team Challenge" because the designers also had to incorporate the colors of the new LEXUS GS cars (the automobile sponsor) into their red carpet creations. I almost wished they had to make these looks out of actual LEXUS car parts! But oh wait, I think that's already been done...
 
Red Carpet Sacrificial Lambs
Seven Teams of two were created — Christopher/Andrea, Sonjia/Nathan, Elena/Buffi, Ven/Fabio, Gunnar/Kooan, Alicia/Raul and Dmitry/Melissa. Now, who would these teams be designing Emmys red carpet creations for? Heidi? Nina? Sofia Vergara?! Nope, darlings. Remember the debacle years ago when Season 1 Winner Jay McCarroll created La Klum a gown for the Emmys and she ended up not wearing it? (Oops). And the mess Wendy Pepper made for Nancy O'Dell to wear to the Grammy's as a result of a challenge she won? Yeah, in other words, not such a good history of these collaborations. So, instead, the show brought back seven past Runway contestants and winners — Season 9 Winner Anya, Season 6 Winner Irina, Laura Bennett, Kenley, Mila, April Johnston and Valerie Mayen (who?) — to be the Red Carpet Sacrificial Lambs ... I mean clients.
 
Time Complainer, Hissy Fits, Ironing Assistants
Team Elena/Buffi got Laura Bennett as their red carpet client which immediately scared me. If Laura and those two were the last people stuck on an island, she still wouldn't choose them to make her a dress (But, alas, she has no choice). Laura is elegant Manhattan chic, while Elena is Lady Gaga futurama and Buffi is just tacky-licious. Strong-headed Elena is delegating Buffi to steaming/pressing assistant status while she's just running around stressed and panicked. She's also complaining about the lack of time they are given to make an evening dress. Really Elena? What part of "Project Runway" did you NOT understand? These kids, they slay me.

Click HERE to continue reading...
And make sure to let me know YOUR "Two Cents"" on the site--I read ALL your comments!!!