Project Runway Season 15 Recap: Power Trippin

Image via Lifetime

Project Runway goes high fashion for Marie Claire in a New York inspired helicopter challenge while some of the looks crash and burn.

We once again join our Top Eight in the middle of gossip time at the branded hotel. This gives us an opportunity for Heidi Mail, a trope we haven’t seen since people forgot about America’s Next Top Model several years ago. This is all to introduce the Project Runway Branded Helicopter, which has arrived with Nina Garcia’s boss at Marie Claire, Anne Fulenwider.

Since Fulenwider is here, obviously the prize this week is to have a spread of the winning look in Marie Claire. The helicopter leaves Fulenwider (I assume she got a taxi back to her office) and takes away the Top Eight, who are treated to an aerial tour of the city to inspire them to design a high end editorial look for a “powerful woman.” There’s a $300 budget for Mood when they land. This is a one day challenge. (Which, when you subtract the helicopter ride time and the trip back, is really more like a 3/4 of a one day challenge. But Who’s Counting?)

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Tim announces after they get back to the workroom that his walkthrough will be earlier than usual in the day. This is supposedly to give them more time to course correct if they get ripped apart. This might also be because Erin has bought felt again and is considering making another oversized shapeless cocoon of a coat. Or perhaps Dexter’s thinking that it might be ok to show a woman’s *insert whistle here* as an editorial style choice.

Let’s see how badly it goes!

• Rik: White Stretch Denim + Statue of Liberty = Oily/Dried Blood Stained Patterns. Tim loves it. Let’s move on.
• Mah Jing: He’s been inspired (perhaps a bit by mom last week) to go back to his roots. He’s going African with a really great knit textile, combined with denim. I agree with Tim, the combination could be a knock out.
• Cornelius: His picture of a golf course could turn into ketchup and mustard stains if he doesn’t do it right, but Tim has confidence that he can pull these curved puzzle piece seam lines off.
• Roberi: His dress is rather pretty, but I swear I saw it in the party section of Khols the other week. Tim notes the basic-ness of the design.

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• Laurence: She’s doing the skyline as the leather overlay waist cincher on her dress. Another designer would do this and make it look basic, but this is Laurence, so it’s divine.
• Dexter: “Dark Gothy Superhero” + Hoohah + Wings = Potential time management disaster.
• Nathalia: She is all over the place. She has a ton of fabrics and too many ideas. Tim is concerned, especially because she said “complicated jacket” and “simple jumpsuit.”
• Erin: It’s not a coat, it’s a vest. Tim is not pleased with the pastel pink or the volume. “Why have you taken her figure away?” He compares it to a milk carton. Erin gets the message.

A lot is made of Nathalia consulting with Rik, but the one we should all be really concerned about is Erin. She throws away her outfit five minutes before the models arrive. Not that everyone else is in a better position. Dexter has muslins. Cornelius has a table of unassembled puzzle pieces. So she’s no more screwed that they are. Roberi is semi-redesigning since he’s decided his base dress is too “spicy latina.” And Nathalia is crying in the branded sewing room. Only Rik is in a good spot–good enough that he’s taking a nap.

Day of runway, and Dexter is asking what underwear his model wore, since they’ll be on display on the runway apparently. The models are paraded through the Product Displaying MakeUp People and the Name Dropping Hair Salons, while the designers who were in such a bad place attempt to put the pieces together before Tim calls time. Well, at least Nathalia is trying to pick up the pieces–and Rik is helping, since he’s been basically done since yesterday anyway.

Let’s see how the judges take all these looks.