Project Runway Episode 8: "Starving Artist"

Guest judge Anna Sui, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, and Heidi Klum prepare to review the runways eighth challenge of season 10.

One of Alicia, Dmitry, and Elenas final designs.

Alicia, Dmitry, and Elenas other final design.

Guest judge Anna Sui, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, and Heidi Klum prepare to review the runway's eighth challenge of season 10.

Photo: MyLifetime.com

No matter how talented a Project Runway designer is, there's always the question - can he or she make designs that will sell? After all, isn't it some measure of a designer's success to create garments that people want to actually wear?

The eighth challenge, "Starving Artist," had the designers scrambling to earn fabric money on the streets of New York City. Before they could buy materials at Mood, they had to sell items that they had made.

The challenge stared off with the designers being grouped into three groups of three designers each.
Each team had to come up with two complete, cohesive looks for fall.

The teams were Alicia, Dmitry, and Elena; Melissa, Fabio, and Ven; Gunnar, Christopher, and Sonjia.

The guest judge was designer Anna Sui, who's known for her gothic princess designs and for savvy business acumen (she has a very succesful and widely offered garment line, plus cosmetics and perfumes).

On to the results and the autumn designs!

The winning team

Sonjia, Christopher, and Gunnar designed two looks that the judges just loved for fall.

The winner

Sonjia won.

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Sarah McFarland, contributor
Posted on Sep 10th, 2012 in sewing, design, garment construction, fabric, Project Runway, designers, getting the look, project runway recap

Comments (6)

allthatjazzercize writes: Like @kdr said, one or two team challenges are fine, but more than that and it turns into a complete snoozer! It’s like, we get that the designers don’t get along so let’s move on! I’m just glad that I wasn’t home and ended up recording the whole episode so I could fast-forward through all the bickering. Who knew that it would turn out to be a blessing in disguise that I got caught up in my office at Dish last Thursday?! LOL! I’m also glad that I didn’t have to miss out on all the other momentous events that aired that night, like the DNC and VMAs, since luckily my Hopper DVR can record up to six things. I hope that tonight’s episode features less fighting and more stunning designs!
Posted: 8:42 am on September 13th

user-1139531 writes: I loved Sonjia's jacket and would like to buy the pattern. Hope it will be made available
Posted: 6:04 pm on September 12th

Serral writes: I respectfully disagree with kdr. No really successful designer works completely alone. Collaboration is an essential component of large scale success in fashion and allegedly this show is looking for the next great American designer. I don't think that Elena is so talented hat she could run a successful business with the wrecklessly foul mood she brings to everything. Ven is talented, at this point has a limited point of view, and has no ability to bend his design to the body in front of him, which is another form of inability to collaborate. I recently watched a documentary about the annual fashion industry award competion for young designers. The designers are evaluated on not just design, but also how they run their business.

Alicia's departure I think was appropriate. She has shown little sparkle. Although Elena should be next in line. Her Star Trek silhouette, poorly executed was attractive on no one. Dimitri should design dresses for Victoria Beckham as it appears to be all he really can do well. It is a shame that Fabio is not as creative with his designs as he is with his own wardrobe.

Christopher, Gunnar and Sonja at least listen and respond well to the task at hand, but again good not great.

This season has been very disappointing.
Posted: 7:31 am on September 12th

kdr writes: I hate the team challenges. One or two yes, but not 3 out of 5. You really do not get a feel of who the individual designer is if they are always in a team challenge. I like to see the individual interpretation of each challenge with their own asthetic. Please stop so many team challenges. I know it would be less drama, but there would be more design.

Posted: 7:12 pm on September 11th

sews4fun writes: I loved Sonjia's team, everything was coordinated and I really thought Gunnar's dresses were nice, they looked expensive and redeemed him from his loss the week before. My husband swears Heidi and Christopher have the hots for each other, he says he can see the sexual tension between them every time she is on the stage, he says thats why Christopher gets so many high votes....eh. I don't know what happened to Fabio, Melissa and ven's team, their stuff looked like rags from a thrift store, how they thought that drab shapless mess was fashion forward is beyond me. I can't help but wonder if they treated themselves to a nice dinner with all the money they had left from their day on the street because they sure didn't use it to buy fabric!
I am not surprised Alicia was sent home, I think that asthetic of hers ( gender neutral) in everything she makes has really put her in a tiny little box. Not all of us want to wear clothing that is neither specific to males or females. I like feeling feminine in my clothes and like the song goes, I have the feeling, I'm not the only one.
I wish Elena would just disappear,her attitude is so crappy, I don't know how anyone stands to be around her for even a minute. I don't know HOW she could be the "fan favorite" as was shown on the screen last week. Christopher is right, she and Dmitry ARE Natashia and Boris straight out of Rocky and Bullwinkle, that was priceless!
Posted: 8:51 pm on September 10th

Cherlyn writes: Ias glad to see Gunnr and Christopher get along so well. I really didn't care for Gunnar's dresses. I loved Sonja's jacket and was glad to see her win. What happened to the other two teams? Wow, their sewing techniques were way off base!
Posted: 7:46 pm on September 10th

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