Project Runway: Season 8, Episode 5

WIN: Casanova
AUF'd: A.J.

Wow. Drama, drama, drama. I LOVED this episode! First of all, there is nothing better than an underdog succeeding. Second, everyone loves to see the bad guy go down and not only was Gretchen nearly eliminated, but Tim Gunn called her a "bully" and said she manipulated the other designers on her team! Oh, snap! Don't mess with the Gunn, friends!

As for the fashions, I completely agree with the judges on this one. Team "Luxe" was anything but. Their designs were frumpy, ill-fitting and booooo-ring! Team "Military & Lace" nailed it. With a textile like lace, their collection had the potential to be either very granny or very vulgar. They managed to make it look edgy and current. Also, they incorporated the military aspect in interesting and unique ways. It wasn't just your basic structured jacket looks with epaulettes and buttons down the front. They used chains instead of braided trim and buttons and studs in unexpected places- like down the side of Casanova's skinny pants.

Speakng of Casanova, I am SO happy for him! He has had a rough couple of weeks, but his look was truly beautiful. The funniest part of his diva-meltdown was the line, "And I'm getting fat!" His green sweater was an unfortunate choice and didn't do anything for his body, but that line was so over-the-top, I died laughing. And in the end, his look was a real stunner. It was one of the few designs that came down the runway and made me think, "Wow, that's hot." The pleating detail at the knee of his pants was beautiful and I thought his use of brass studs down the side was genius. It reminded me of a tuxedo stripe, but the fact that it was studs made it so much more innovative and edgy. Brilliant:

Honestly, team "Military & Lace" didn't have a single miss- everything worked together AND each designer managed to maintain their own individual point of view:

April- I'm so proud of April for this look. It's an amazing comeback after her diaper disaster last week.

Mondo- It's hard to see in this picture, but the shoulder detailing on this look was amazing.

Michael D- This is a lot of look, but I adore the chains draped over the arm. Very modern and unexpected.

Peach- Another underdog comeback! The top is amazing. I don't love the skirt because of the studs and chains, but I suppose she had to incorporate the military aspect somehow.

Valerie- I like that this look is white. It helped add a bit of lightness to the collection. But even more than her look, I was dying for Valerie's hairdo all throughout this episode! I have to find a way to style my hair that way- so cute!

I love how she tied the scarf. This was the best picture I could find of it, but trust me it was so much better from the back.

Ok, let's talk about the losing team. The judges were spot on: everything was boring, out of proportion and ill-fitting. As Michael D put it, "They have a garment called a grandpa sweater!" That really says it all. The ego on this team was just ridiculous. Between Ivy and Gretchen, this team looked like a bunch of jerks! Also, I wish Gretchen would just STOP TALKING! Her statement, "I don't think our collection looks like any of us and that's a Project Runway first." Well, guess what, Gretchen- just because it's a first, doesn't mean it's good! I feel like I have to show you all their looks so that you can see exactly what the judges are talking about:

I didn't label any of these by the designer who made them because it was so hard to keep track. They each made various pieces, but only Ivy made all the pieces in an entire look (3rd picture).

The best and worst part of the episode was Gretchen. Her ego was just ridiculous from the moment the challenge was presented, right up until the end. And then the way she said that she would not stand on the runway and throw anyone under the bus, yet as soon as things went really downhill, that's exactly what she did. It was horrible to watch because she was such a jerk. That really is the only word I can think of to describe her in this episode. Tim Gunn had an even better word- bully. I absolutely deplore the way they all treated Michael. Especially since his blouse (4th picture) was one of the only pieces in the collection that was beautiful. At least Tim Gunn let her have it at the end. I really wish she had gone home, but since she didn't, I really hope she has a lot more humility next week. At this point, she's the kind of person that no one wants to see win because she seems like such a terrible person. No one wants a bully and a jerk to win. I would have been happy to see her sent home this week after that display.

Do you think I'm being too hard on her? Is she really a nice person who just had a bad week? Or is she a manipulative bully? Leave a comment!