Banana Peeled

Sorry to have kept you guys waiting but I can't blog from work anymore. Too busy.

This week on Project Runway the designers did not get to meet a famous socialite nor did they design for a "fashion icon". Like last year, they were pimped out to Banana Republic for the corporate sponsor tie-in for a "Day to Evening" design. The twist this time came when even after the designers' wheels had begun turning as to what to design for their "big break" they found out they had to team up.

This time, they did not team up in large groups but by twos. Right away there was a little bit of a problem as Nick did not want to be with Santino though they get along as friends because Santino is an egomaniac who would of course want Nick to do his bidding. Nick was right. Unfortunately for him, though he was standing right behind Chloe and he wanted to be her partner but Emmett crept up from the side and nabbed her first. I think the Top Four will be Nick, Santino, Chloe and Daniel V with possible Santino being in fourth place because of his egoccentricity and flamboyant flair for rebellion which is reminiscent of last year's fourth place designer, Austin Scarlett.

So the pairs were Nick and Santino, Emmett and Chloe, Diana and Marla, Kara and Zulema, and Andrae and Daniel V.

Next they were told they had to design only one dress per team and that the losing team would BOTH be sent home. Uh-oh.

Furiously they began to cut and sew with Kara clashing with Zulema over stylistic differences. Zulema derided the fact that many of the designers were using the same fabric and color. She wanted to go in a completely different direction but Kara was leaning toward convention. Eventually, by the end of the day, Kara was in tears with Zulema taking charge and saying, "I don't care if you cry but you have to cry and cut."

Nick was proven right about Santino, who pushed Nick's ideas aside and insisted he knew what Banana Republic's next direction would be. He felt it was something like a black kimono. (??!!)

Diana was clueless as usual and Marla was no help so consequently they went from a weird flip skirt that Tim Gunn warned them no one would want to deal with to a simple A-line skirt.

Emmett and Chloe worked well but the best-paired team was crybaby Andrae and hipster Daniel V. They had worked together before, on Daniel's winning "Revenge" lengerie line.

At the end of the day, with the models dressed and ready, they were told it was time for a field trip. I realized then how dense they are as they wondered where to. Where to? Obviously Banana Republic! Duh. I was right. Duh.

So then they are told about the next part of the challenge- to design a window display in an hour using art supplies they had half an hour to buy. Also, the window displays would be judged by the street public and the winning window/design would be included in Banana Republic's spring line. The rest would be judged at runway.

Chloe and Emmett chose to paint drawings of their day-to-night designs side by side. The drawings were life-sized sketches and looked nice. But not terribly POW.

Santino and Nick went with the ill-conceived idea of a gallery since they felt the dress they made was meant to be worn by a gallery owner.

Andrae and Daniel did two big clocks- one set to 8 a.m. and one to 9 p.m. The model would walk from one to the other and take off her jacket at night.

At the Diana and Marla window we had a mess of crumpled up paper as they decided to have their secretary looking model be at an office space. Marla thought it was "stupid". But then she didn't believe in the design either.

Nick and Santino's "gallery" was a mess. They could not do what they'd planned and so they just painted a very pedestrian sign that read "Banana Republic Gallery". As Nick painted the second part of republic, Tim Gunn was spelling it for him and said (after Nick did the R-e-) "p-u- and that's what it is." He was right.

At runway all the designers were asked to stay. Santino was once again belligerent as he defended his genius which Michael Kors obviously could not recognize and said that his design was indeed Banana Republic material and that he knew plenty of women who shopped there and did not know Michael Kors. Nick was quietly humbled for being part of this disaster.

Though Kara and Zulema had a very tough time, their black-and-white-circle dress for which they had designed a backdrop of black circles over the white walls and a bit of New York skyline, was actually a very nice creation. Unfortunately the jacket they put over did not go well with it and since they had so much trouble the judges' eagle eyes caught the unfinished touches.

The judges thought Chloe and Emmett's design was fierce but it looked too pricey. They really felt Daniel and Andrae thought about the Banana Republic clientele. And surprise, their window display with the clocks won.

With Zulema/Kara and Chloe/Emmett safe and Daniel/Andrae the winners, it was time to choose a losing team that would pack up and go.

Even though Nick and Santino stank it up I knew they could not go home. Nick is too good and Santino good for the show's drama though all he did this time was sing "Lighten up it's just fashion" in his room and make fun of Diana as per ususal.

So the obvious choice to send home: Diana the science geek and her partner Marla the lame lady who re-did a Chloe dress right out of the Nicky Hilton dossier to present to Nicky Hilton.

I was a little dissappointed this week and hope next week there is something more exciting to report.