ENTERTAINMENT REALM

Project Runway. Season 16 Episode 9 on LIFETIME. judges: Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen. Guest judge: Kate Upton. Host: Heidi Klum. Mentor and co-host: Tim Gunn.

Episode 9: A “Little” Avant Garde

The twin saga continues. After Michael storms off because Claire won, Margarita goes to find him while Batani starts to tell Heidi about the measuring that Claire [and Shawn] did. Michael tells Tim Gunn that Claire has a retractable ruler and measures garments back at the hotel. Michael comes back onstage. Heidi looks titillated that there’s a storyline, that there’s drama.

“Michael, Why are you running off the stage?” asks Heidi.
“I couldn’t stand here and listen to a win I think wasn’t well-deserved,” Michael responded.
“But are you a judge?” Yolanda asked.
“No but I see what goes on in the workroom and back in the apartments,” Michael stated.
Heidi: “I think you all borrow from each other.”
Nina says: “You all know your own strength and your own creative power.”

BATANI is OUT.

Meanwhile . . . Tim backstage: “If Claire used a measuring tape outside the workroom there will be consequences.” Margarita feels awful about how it all went down and how it made everyone look. She regrets not bringing up her concerns before the runway show. Talk in the green room is pretty tame. No yelling. No tears. Claire’s relatively composed. She’s a restrained upset. Tim comes in and with a crackling voice asks: “Is it true that you have had a measuring tape in your room?” Claire doesn’t look at Tim and in a monotone, responds: “I have a measuring tape.” Tim says: “Is it true that you have been measuring garments in your room.” Claire says that she has done. Tim says that they have to rescind the win and send her home. Dixie will now used dream machine Brandon’s design. Batani will stay after all.

This week’s sponsor is something called Shopkins. Little kids come out with dolls in hand and get assigned to designers. The challenge is to create an avant garde look inspired by one of the young people’s favorite Shopkins “shoppie.” Shopkins will create a one-of-a-kind shoppie inspired by the winning design. Also a 5,000K cash prize. They have 30 minutes to consult with the children and to sketch and one day for the challenge with a budget of $300. Brandon’s kid wants him to put chocolate on and in the design. Brandon looks befuddled. Ayana doesn’t want to be safe anymore. Her design with tiers of ruffles looks amazing.

Amy gets behind because she chit-chatted with the girl instead of getting input on design. There’s a lighter mood in the workroom without the twins.

Tim comes in for critique. He likes Margarita’s smart idea. He tells Ayana “it’s a lot” and that she needs to edit. To Michael, Tim says: “You can’t hide anything with a look like this.” He tells Amy that her look is a mismatch of different looks and her textile looks like “cheap pantyhose.” He wonders why it’s taking Brandon so long: “This challenge is difficult for you isn’t it?” Of course Michael thinks that Brandon’s relying on Kentaro too much for ideas. Just STOP Michael! As Nina said, you need to just MYOB and do your thing. Of course more drama=more camera time.

Guest judge this week: Kate Upton

Runway notes:
Brandon—pretty color and design
Batani—package
Kenya—another mermaid dress
Ayana—super cute
Kentaro—bridal
Amy—interesting lines
Margarita—flowing
Michael—futuristic disco

Heidi announces, “It was an amazing runway show. Very exciting.” So good that there are four high scores and only two low. Oh, and in his spare time, Zac Posen wrote a cook book, Cooking with Zac. If you follow him on Instagram you’ve seen his dishes.

SAFE: Kenya and Kentaro

HIGH SCORES:

AYANA

Kate: “It’s a show stopper. I love the entire look.”

Heidi: “I love the imagination.”

Zac: “Surrealist Bo Peep. Fun. Expressive.”

Nina: “Sophisticated but child like.”

MICHAEL —he explains that he wanted a disco ball melting away look

Nina: “It looks so well made.”
Kate: “I definitely want to go dancing in that look.”

Zac: “I totally got this liquid melting quality. It captures the imagination.”

BRANDON

Brandon: “I think it’s really cool. I think it’s really great work.”

Nina: “I respect the fact that you kept to your aesthetic.”

MARGARITA

Heidi: “I love this look. It is beyond stunning. It is like a cloud.”

Zac: “You can feel the sensuality and emotion in it.”

Nina: “I love that you took different fabrics with different textures and built this 360 explosion.”

LOW SCORES:

BATANI

Heidi: “I’m not in love. A lot of scraps come together. It doesn’t look intentional.”

Nina: “It looks like you ran out of time.”

Zac: “I wrote down laundry day.”

AMY

Heidi: “I was not the biggest fan of this look.”

Zac: “I don’t feel that it’s that risky.”

MICHAEL is the WINNER

Both BATANI and AMY are OUT