Project Runway Episode 7: "Can't We Just All Get Along?"

Anya's skillful mix of two Team Chaos prints in a little dress earned her a personal win for this episode.

Photo: Lifetime Television

"Quite frankly, let your ego go, as much as you can. Because it's a team challenge." - Tim

Is Tim Gunn known for giving bad advice?

He warned a five-designer team at one point in Episode 7. But his words came too late. They were already midway through construction when he told them to come together as a team. "I have to tell you what I see right now, the potential for this all coming together and being a 'Wow' moment...I don't see it now," he finished. Can Tim see the future? We'll see.

In this week's episode, the designers were split into two teams for the HP/Intel challenge. Each team had to design digital prints with the provided computers and software. The prints would be included in a five-garment fashion show. On top of designing the fabric prints, each team had to record and edit a background video for its fashion show. There were no team "captains" in this two-day challenge.

Fashion designer Betsey Johnson popped by to offer her advice: "Come up with a narrative," she said, describing her process of thinking about the woman who's going to wear the clothes and the music that goes with her story. It was fun to see Betsey - too bad her joy, exuberance, and good advice didn't have more influence.

Team Nuts & Bolts: Joshua, Laura, Kimberly, Becky, and Bert had a vague idea about time, clocks, and gears.

Team Chaos: Anthony, Anya, Viktor, Olivier, and Bryce. Anthony had a very interesting idea right off the bat of referencing Rorshach tests in the prints and in the theme of the show. It was all about finding meaning and form in chaos, hence the team's self-chosen name.

"When something's enjoyable, I think the results we create will inevitably be stronger." - Anya

Team Chaos worked as a unit from the start. They had a great concept, a rapport, and the individual designers were able to contribute to each other's efforts.

Team Nuts & Bolts, however...well, Bert and Joshua had an altercation before the team had even chosen the prints for their fabrics. Becky was not overt in her dislike of Joshua, but I think he earned a lifelong enemy for that remark about her designs being "dowdy" last episode. Kimberly and Laura looked at their train wreck of a team and just tried to get by.

"Your look was weak in a weak collection." - Heidi

The tension within Team Nuts & Bolts undermined the team's collection from the beginning, when the team members were reluctant to jointly come up with attractive prints and a clear concept. The collection was doomed without their working together. Unfortunately, the team's prints were ugly, too, so no redemption there!

The guest judges this week were designer Rachel Roy, a former stylist and fashion correspondent and actress Rose Bryne, who was recently in Bridesmaids.

Winning team: Team Chaos

Individual winner: Anya, for a chic little dress that mixed two attractive prints from the team's graphic design efforts.

The losing team: Team Nuts & Bolts

Who went home: Becky, for a blah, three-piece look.

Becky delivered such an uninspired, undesigned oufit. It was Joshua's graffiti print in a little pencil skirt, a yellow shell top, and a jacket with "articulated" elbows with slits. The elbows were the most interesting thing about the whole outfit.

Heidi told Becky, "In the real world of fashion, no one is going to tell you what to do. Your look was weak in a weak collection." Ouch.

Goodbye to Becky. I'll miss her dry comments and habit of delivering them, then only moving her eyes. She was a character, but it's true that her designs were not exciting, and she was always looking for direction.

As Michael Kors said, "It's Project Runway, not 'Project Seamstress.' "

But I'd watch "Project Seamstress"! Wouldn't you?

Sarah McFarland, contributor
Posted on Sep 12th, 2011 in sewing, design, online extras, Project Runway Season 9

Comments (14)

soxfan999 writes: I stopped watching PR too. Way too much drama! I old love to see a bigger emphasis on couture details such as perfect hems, piping in seams, etc. More skill and less backbiting. Maybe if the designers were given more time? The show would appeal to more of those who sew and love fashion and the creative minds behind it.
Posted: 6:47 am on September 19th

Stormee writes: I love the idea of project seamstress. There is too too much drama on PR. I am so disappointed. I would like to see the focus on the creative process also. I do the same, I don't look at the drama, I look at the end and see what the fashion show is like. It is obvious that Anya is already the winner. No one has said it any better than Spiewaks. " I'm convinced that some of them are gluing their garments. They can't possibly be able to turn out couture garments in 3, 6 or 12 hours. If they can, then couture doesn't mean what I thought it did. Bring on Project Seamstress!!"
Posted: 1:46 pm on September 16th

alaskapsych writes: I've watched this episode again and from my perspective at this point, it seems unlikely that any of Team Nuts & Bolts will make it to the finals. Makes me sad because even though Bert is a pain, he's still my favorite.

Posted: 7:51 pm on September 15th

lucelu writes: This season is very depressing. I don't care about any of the designers and actually dislike a number of them. If I want to watch a bunch of cliquey high school drama queens, I'll tune into The Real World.

I wish to see competent talented adults work through a creative process and deliver technically realized results. The manner in which the challenges are set up and the time constraints are true obstacles. The teamwork that is displayed is horrible with egotistical grandstanding, backbiting and passive aggressive digs at other teammates. Even Kimberly was horrible. I'd fire the lot.

The judges often give unconstructive critiques. It just seems like every person on there is vying for a soundbite and willing to be worst possible human in order to do so.

This season even the models and the hair/makeup stylists seem below par. What is with the horrible makeup and hair this season?
Posted: 6:50 am on September 15th

knittingirl writes: I'm sick of Josh's fits. He should go home. I liked Anya's dress but I think the win should have gone to Vicktor. As for the seamstress comment, well no matter how great you can sew, you still need a good design and fabric. Anya has supposedly been sewing for about 4 months, but her design sense is so strong, it appears to make up for her lack of sewing experience. Though I must say, I find it really hard to believe that she has so little sewing experience.
Posted: 1:21 am on September 15th

KayGV writes: I have stopped watching the Project Runway soap opera on TV. I just wait for Threads to tell me who won! Heidi Klum treats the contestants like her own group of creative workhorses--unpaid and unloved--or as my father used to say about his own horses, "Rode hard and put up wet!" And it seems they select more "colorful" personalities each season. So, Threads is my perfect solution to keeping up with fashion forward ideas without all the drama. THANK YOU!

Posted: 10:39 pm on September 14th

thomy writes: Project Seamstress as a Threads magazine streaming video competition? YES, YES, YES. I would totally watch it. Challenges could include construction techniques, such as seam finishing, zippers, hems, fabric use, pattern drafting, alterations etc...the ideas are endless. Lets clog up the blogs with gentle polite demand/requests to improve on Project Runways failings...just thinkin. :)

Posted: 6:32 pm on September 14th

GreyBird writes: It is so hard to watch this group, the absolute worst of all of the seasons. The producers keep Josh for ratings, the resident drama queen probably keeps the non-sewers coming back for the next mean spirited and egotistical hissy fit. I also vote for Project Seamstress. On second look, Anya's dress is very interesting in the mix of the two prints, but I adore Olivier's jacket and Victor's gown.
Posted: 10:58 am on September 14th

racu writes: I'm still watching P.R. I don't know why....I still don't have any favorite, they are so bitter, depressed, angry people. There is no joy in what they are doing. I wish I have a tivo or something like that to FF like mgoldiemar said!
Posted: 8:33 am on September 14th

chicagochef writes: I agree - I would love to watch project seamstress.
I don't like to see designers rewarded for such lack of skill.
Next they change the show to project no sew. Just glue and go.
Posted: 10:43 pm on September 13th

mgoldiemar writes: Thought Victor's dress or Oliver's jacket should have won. This season started out promising, but the bickering and negativity of Josh have ruined it for me. I want to see how it ends, so until then I will record it and use the FF button. I simply can't abide listening to Josh.
Posted: 8:49 pm on September 13th

aislinnluv writes: I thought Viktor's and Olivier's garments were far more interesting tha Anya's. I would wear Olivier's jacket in a NY minute, but wold probably not give Anya's dress a second look on the rack. Snore.
Posted: 5:05 pm on September 13th

Spiewaks writes: I stopped watching Project Runway a few seasons ago due to the constant bickering. I don't find that entertaining. Also, the constant rehashing of what you're going to see, what you see, and what you just saw got too boring for me. I would have LOVED for that show to simply focus on the design and construction of the garments. That alone would have been riveting competition and great entertainment. I would enjoy seeing more of 1) the designers' thought process as they design; 2) how construction methods change the design or enhance it; and 3) how they do the actual construction. I'm convinced that some of them are gluing their garments. They can't possibly be able to turn out couture garments in 3, 6 or 12 hours. If they can, then couture doesn't mean what I thought it did. Bring on Project Seamstress!!
Posted: 4:25 pm on September 13th

alaskapsych writes: Why, yes I would watch Project Seamstress! What I find interesting was the choice of words Josh chose for his graffiti: Cancelled, Delayed, On Time. The bulk of those words were negative in conception and the whole thing went down hill from there. From a psychological (see alaskapsych), Josh already has subliminal doubts about the team . . . or something!

Posted: 2:13 pm on September 12th

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