Project Runway Season 5 Nick Verreos Recap--The Fugly Edition

The Not-So Fantastic Four:
We are coming to the end of Season 5 of Project Runway, and to be honest, it has been a disappointing season, overall. Talk on the street (and webosphere) is that characters overruled talent, and the quality of the work--especially coming on the heels of the Christian's and Rami's of the previous season-- has been less than stellar. With that, there was much at stake for this last episode where the designers who would make it to New York Fashion Week would be chosen. And now, my "Uncle Nick" recap...

First...a Nick Verreos "Model Shout Out" Moment:

I have been thinking about this for a while, so let me just get this off my hairy Greek-Venezuelan chest: It is so sad for the models to be kicked out for NOT DOING ANYTHING!!! I know it is NOT A MODEL SHOW, so people may argue and respond with a "Who Cares?". Well, the agencies who send these girls for the casting, the models who go, and so on. Why even do it, when there's always that chance you will be "auf'ed" for not even actually modeling. It's a bit ridiculous and there has to be a better way.

The Challenge:

After taking a drive outside Manhattan, the remaining designers, Jerell, Korto, Leanne, and Kenley, arrive at the New York Botanical Gardens, where they are met by Tim Gunn, and another one of his "pocket gays", this time it was Collier Strong, Consulting Make-Up Artist for L'Oreal Paris. The four designers are asked to create a gown inspired by nature. This challenge, also dubbed the L'Oreal Paris Challenge (is it in the Vendor Contracts to have at least one challenge named after them? You may remember "the Saturn Challenge" and others) was their last moment to prove to the judges who definitely needed to be at Bryant Park.

Mood Shopping:

When the camera began showing what these kids were choosing in terms of fabric, I knew we were going to have trouble. There was a lot of FUGLY fabrics being displayed on the tables and FUGLY fabrics=FUGLIER creations. I was frightened for Korto's orange satin and quinciniera lace. But I just kept thinking "Oh, Miss Korto will Make it Work!" In case you want a defintion of Fugly. Click HERE.

The Workroom:

Kenley vs. Everyone Else:

From the beginning of the episode, the scenes and interaction between the remaining designers at the Atlas Apartments hinted to us that this would be the Nail-In-the Kenley-Is-A-Bitch coffin. This was continued to the workroom. Jerell, Korto and Leanne all got along swimmingly, but Miss Cut-and-Cry Kenley was the "odd (wo)man out". Now, a lot of people will again, cry "Oh, that's just editing...I'm sure she is so sweet..." But, listen people: THREE people do not like her. Not just one. All THREE!!! It's one thing if one person has a problem with you, that's expected. But THREE? (that we know off) It is painfully obvious that someone "done did Kenley wrong" in the past, and she needed to work that out prior to arriving on set for Project Runway

Kenley: The Santino of Season 5?

Like I suggested last week in my recap, who knew that Kenley was going to be the Santino of this season. Never. The flower in her hair, the I-Love-Vintage style, the almost folksy demeanor. As a viewer, I never saw "Bitch" coming. I do feel sorry for her, in terms of being in that workroom and knowing and feeling that no one likes you. But child, you dug your own fashion grave on that one.

Kenley vs. Tulle

This was best exemplified when she needed tulle and all the designers had extra that they were not using in their gowns. Yet, not one gave her their unused tulle. Madness. I'm all about helping people out, but in this instance, I also might have gone along with the rest of the designers. Luckily, a Mood Fairy Godmother came to her aid. Kenley left a bag of tulle she had already purchased at Mood Fabrics and was allowed to return to the store and retrieve it, much to the rest of the designers' snickering chagrins.

Kenley vs. Tim:

Oh kids, if you thought there would be an Andrae-Loves-Tim Saga played out during this season with Tim and one of the designers, you were clearly mistaken. Just the opposite. It's the Kenley Disrespects Tim Love Story on Season 5. When Tim makes his rounds to see what the designers are working on, he comments on the designers, and most take it with respect and aplomb. Not Miss Kenley. She has to bite back, roll her eyes, and make some snide remark about "What does Tim Know?" Sit down girl, get some red wine, and I will tell you... Tim is a bigger man than me, because (like I said in one of my previous recaps), I really would have bitch slapped her from here to Timbuktu by now.

The Runway:

Harvey's Girl

Heidi walks in, in funeral black (is this how she really feels?), and introduces the judges, as well as the Guest Judge for this all-important Going-To-Bryant-Park episode, and it is the beautiful Georgina Chapman, designer of Marchesa. Her gorgeous gowns make it on the bodies of every A-list "It Girl"-from Jennifer Lopez, to Anne Hathaway. One look at Wikipedia also enlightens us that Georgina is the daughter of Brian Chapman, British Millionaire businessman and owner of coffee empire, Percol and as most of us already know, happens to be married to Harvey Weinstein.

The Good Nature
Well, where do I begin? There was a lack of pretty this week, unfortunately. I was dismayed and disappointed at their gowns. Maybe they were tired, maybe they do not like creating gowns, who knows. But this wasn't their week. As a gown designer, I always get perturbed when these kids can't design a gown. And it also frustrates me when people (sometimes those judges) think it is so easy. It is not. As it was evidently proven in this episode. If I had to pick, I would have agreed with the judges and chosen Jerell. Yes, the hems were unfinished (an omen of what was to come for Bryant Park?) and it was, as my good friend always says,"a little JANKY". But it was the Best of The Worst, and since the judges had to pick a winner, then the prize reluctantly went to Jerell---for the THIRD Time!

The FUGLY Nature

The look on the judges faces spoke VOLUMES of how they really felt. My dear Nina Garcia

looked as if she was angry that someone had wasted her time and she could have been having a manicure instead of sitting for hours watching these "Nature Gowns" pass before her well-eye shadowed eyes. The judges expressed disappointment in the designers' creations--echoing the "Oh No They Didn't " sentiment which I am sure a lot of viewers were thinking as well.

Leanne's gown was very "Hello Dolly", as biting Michael Kors commented. Carol Channing and Barbra Streisand would have been proud! The unintentional back bustle, the bland color, the hand-pleated "Leanne-esque" detail-- none of it screamed Beautiful Flower. It was more like a sad petal floating in a pond, unfortunately.

Korto's Orange Hot Quinciniera Mess was well constructed (I mean, really take a look at those mitered corners in the top portion of the gown: Flawless!), but the color, silhouette and fabric choices were all cheap and tacky, which put her in the bottom (or so we thought).

Personally, I thought Kenley's was the worst. It was such a predictable, uncreative gown. The supposed petals at the bottom of the gown looked like fish scales and the fabric jacquard-like print didn't help. What was more painful was that it just looked like a Student Project (and I can say that--after all, I am an Instructor at FIDM, and I've seen many in my years of teaching).

If someone had to go home, it should be her. However, I still had that gut feeling that the judges would keep Kenley because the show needed "a Bitch" in the Final three, for good viewing, so I was afraid Korto would be crying her way back to pack her belongings.

In the end, all four remained of course (now Nina is REALLY PISSED she wasted her time "judging" instead of having that mani-pedi!).

Jerell, Leanne, Korto, and yes, even Miss Kenley were allowed to create a collection for Bryant Park, unfortunately one of them will be cut before the Finale. Hopefully, NONE of them, will try and do evening gowns. Leave that to Rami and me!

See you next week kiddies!