Project Runway season 16 episode 4 recap: Sleepwear dreams and nightmares

On this week’s episode the designers were tasked with slipping their models into something more comfortable: a sleepwear piece inspired by the Empire State Building.

When Thursday night’s Project Runway kicked off with Heidi and Tim Gunn greeting the designers carrying backpacks, I thought for a second we were going to get to see Tim Gunn go camping, and I was thrilled (think of the bespoke sleeping bag!). Instead, the hosts’ bulky luggage was for the designers. They were the ones going camping, though glamping would probably be a more appropriate description—and Tim Gunn’s bespoke sleeping bag was nowhere to be seen.

The Challenge

The designers’ camp-out was actually a slumber party on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. The whole schtick a nod to their assignment: designing a sleepwear piece inspired by the Empire State Building *and* creating their own textile while they’re at it. The winning design would be manufactured and sold as part of Heidi’s Intimates line.

The slumber party itself was more of a working vacation as the designers—decked out in old school full-length jammies themselves—were supposed to be looking for inspiration and sketching their nighties and robes. And between the geometric lines of the building, the Art Deco details, and the sights and sounds of the city from their sleepover perch, there was no shortage of ideas. For some of the designers with more tailored experience, the idea of sleepwear, in all its flouncy glory, was an intimidating one, as was the fact that they’d be creating the fabrics themselves.

Side note: This little field trip looked fun and all (they appeared to have the whole place to themselves) but sleeping on the concrete observation deck floor? Even in a fluffy sleeping bag, it sounds pretty brutal. Here’s hoping that was a magic of reality television trick and they really got some rest on a bunch of air mattresses or something.

The Textiles

After they’d gotten their (likely terrible) rest on top of one of the city’s most iconic buildings, it was time to head to the design studio. But not before Tim Gunn played alarm clock in a dashing double breasted suit. Can we all agreed being woken up by Tim Gunn armed with a bag of breakfast sandwiches would be a dream come true?

Back in the studio, there was quite a spread of supplies for the textile-making. There was a touch of tension when everybody had to grab the base fabric they wanted to work with, but then it was down to business. The fabrics they were working with were a dreamy (pun intended) collection of pastels that each designer then embellished with prints or dyes.

From the start it was clear twins Shawn and Claire were going to twin it up and get on everybody’s nerves. (Seriously, what’s their deal?) The two were working together which bothered some of the other designers who could have used an extra hand on their pieces. There was stress for designers like Kenya, who wasn’t used to working on sleepwear or hand-made textiles, and Kentaro, who had no background working with bigger models like the one he was assigned in Thursday’s episode.

Other designers like Shawn and Michael took right to the textile dying and stamping. It seemed Kentaro’s stamping and dying, in an attempt to recreate both the lines of the Empire State Building and the colors of the sunset they witnessed on top of the building was too involved for the challenge (spoiler alert: it wasn’t).

When Tim and Heidi stopped by they had more practical concerns about Shawn’s jumpsuit (Heidi rightly wanted to know how her customers would pee in the middle of the night if they had to get a jumpsuit off and on), Michael’s strappy details being too spider-webby, and pretty much everything Kenya was doing (which wasn’t much at that point).

Kentaro’s final look, Project Runway season 16 episode 4, image via Lifetime

The Final Touches

As always, the designers were scrambling as the runway show drew closer. Deyonté in particular was struggling, as he didn’t have enough teal dye to create the pieces he envisioned. Instead he went with something a little simpler (read: boring. More on that later), though his model wasn’t happy with the look from the beginning. In her confessional, she told the cameras she felt frumpy and the piece didn’t flatter her body. Kenya was having a hard time too and when she finished her piece, a romper/robe duo, she knew it was sloppier than her usual work. Aaron was also concerned. Even though he’d created a beautiful silvery fabric inspired by some Art Deco grates that Tim and Heidi had loved on their visit, Amy’s ominous warning from earlier in the show (who does she think she is, by the way?) that the printing would alter the draping of the fabric, came true. Aaron was scrambling

The Show

Demi Lovato, who apparently has her own capsule collection for Kate Hudson’s Fabletics athleisure line, was the guest judge. With the silky fabrics and eye-popping prints, this was a particularly pretty runway show. The bulk of the designs were lovely but largely forgettable (of course they edit it that way so you’ll focus on the top and bottom three).

The six designers whose pieces were in the top and bottom three were Michael, Deyonté, Shawn, Kentaro, Aaron, and Kenya. Michael, Shawn, and Kentaro’s designs were the clear top three. Deyonté, Aaron, and Kenya weren’t so lucky.

Michael’s final look, Project Runway season 16 episode 4, image via Lifetime

The Top Three

Michael’s piece was almost breathtakingly beautiful. He created a bias-cut dusty rose nightie stamped with a silver Art Deco design in all the right places. The straps Heidi and Tim had been concerned about earlier actually turned out to be one of the piece’s most striking features as they reflected that geometric Art Deco vibe, along with the unique pointed neckline.

The judges were surprised by how good a job Shawn ended up doing with all her twinsy chatting. Her jumpsuit fell just right and was printed with great care. It looked great on the model and the silvery color palate was sophisticated. She could even get away with wearing it out of the house instead of just to bed. True “pajama glamor,” as Nina said.

Kentaro, who earlier had appeared to be too ambitious and “anal” (which prompted a delightful exchange with Samantha in the design studio), really ended up making it work, after all. His nightgown, with a blue ombre hem, colorful hand-printed designs that looked like stained glass, and a delicately scalloped neckline was a real stand-out. Back in the studio, Kentaro had sought help on how to design for plus-sized women and he clearly took the advice he was given to heart. His model said she loved how she felt in the piece and it looked effortlessly sexy and fierce AF.

Deyonté’s final look, Project Runway season 16 episode 4, image via Lifetime

The Bottom Three

No surprise here. Aaron’s heavily printed two piece silver faux rompe…didn’t look great. The neckline was too high (Demi Lovato said she felt claustrophobic just looking at it) and sloppily constructed and there was nothing flattering about it. Aaron also got some negative comments for his own get-up—a pair of tan see-through bloomers with whitey tighties underneath—which Zac Posen rightfully described as distracting.

Deyonté seemed super confident about his piece but he got a harsh dose of reality when the judges told him what everyone else was thinking (including his model): the outfit looked sack-like, cheap, and maybe worst of all, boring. Some of the judges took issue with the color, though I thought it was sort of pretty (Heidi backed me up there, too). The sleeve holes were also cut too high which any woman could tell you is the WORST.

Kenya was just all over the place this episode and seriously doubting herself which resulted in a not so stellar design. Demi was confused by the choice of adding a robe that wasn’t practical and no one seemed to like the construction of her piece, though Nina did give Kenya points for putting forth more effort and imagination than the other bottom two and some judges liked the color combo. It also seemed that Kenya wasn’t actually in danger of being cut as the judges knew sleepwear wasn’t her thing.

Auf Wiedersehen

Ultimately, Michael’s vampy design was the clear winner in this challenger and Deyonté got the boot from Heidi.

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY – JUNE 14: Host Heidi Klum, model Monique Roninson and designer Michael Brambila Project Runway – Heidi’s Sleepwear Challenge on June 14, 2017 in Long Island City City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Heidi Klum)

As of Friday morning, Michael’s “Deco Doll Chemise” was already available online, exclusively at HeidiKlumIntimates.com. The slip is selling for $200.

Deyonté was understandably emotional but it was nice that he was able to appreciate the fact that he won the first episode challenge and because of that could return home to his family with his head held high.

Next: Project Runway recap, episode 3: Innovative designs aren’t over embellished

Will Kenya have a change to get back to her tailored roots next episode? Will Shawn and Claire stop bugging everybody? Will Aaron wear more bloomers? We’ll have to wait and see.