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Project Runway Season 12, Episode 6: “Let’s Go Glamping”

Alexandria von Bromssen's winning design.

The Project Runway designers have varying degrees of tolerance for the great outdoors. The conditions of “glamping” or “glamorous camping,” however, made an outdoors overnight in upstate New York quite pleasant for all 11 challengers in the latest episode.

The flora, fauna, stream, scents and sounds of a comfortable adventure inspired the designs in this episode. The natural setting was appropriate for the challenge’s sponsor, resource natural spring water, a bottled water from all-natural sources.

Each designer took different inspiration from the trip. Alexandria spent time alone, concentrating on creating a design that wouldn’t put her in the bottom three this time. Helen was influenced by a dead moth in the sink at the campsite. Alexander studied the trees at midnight. Justin focused on the sound and visuals of flowing water. And Karen focused on the fabric and style of the tents the designers slept in.

Tim introduced the challenge wearing a camouflage suit (of course!) quipping that it was as close as he came to camping. The guest judge was actress Allison Williams, one of the stars of the HBO series “Girls.”

On to the glamping-inspired designs!

The winner

Alexandria von Bromssen’s winning design. Didn’t you admire Alexandria’s resolve to separate herself from the others, to sit down and concentrate on creating something innovative? The drop-crotch pants were a risk, but they actually worked.

Alexandria von Bromssen's design

The losing design

Justin LeBlanc, too, took a risk, but his was not successful. Justin decided to make a lace from melted glue gun glue. In theory, it was interesting, but in actuality, it was not pretty. It looked like foam or froth, and Justin didn’t use it to its potential.

Justin LeBlanc's design

 

The almost-losing designers

Karen Batt’s design was very ill-conceived. Karen was inspired by the tents at the campground and created a muu-muu with a leather belt strap harness. Then, because Tim’s critique mentioned that the dress was boring, Karen tried to enliven it by dying it an egg-yolk yellow ombre. Blecch!

Karen Batt's design

Ken Laurence, to imitate the flowing water near the campsite, chose three colorways (white, red, and green) of a wool print. He twisted and manipulated tubes of the wool on a sheath dress bodice. Neither the fabric choice nor the embellishment placement worked. Ken was almost out too, but his look was not quite so bad as Karen’s.

Ken Laurence's design

The emotional save

It was a very sad scene in the designers’ lounge, when Justin came back to announce that he was out. During the camping trip, he’d been teaching the other designers more sign language. He was such a lovely, interesting person, and given more time, he probably could have made something amazing from his lacework design concept.

Tim came in the lounge, and voice breaking and with his hands shaking, announced that he wanted to use his save to keep Justin in the competion. Tim didn’t feel the judges had made the correct choice, and Justin was saved from elimination.

The rest of the designs

This challenge brought out the best in a number of the challengers – maybe it was the sleep, fresh air, and roasted marshmallows! Aside from the losing and nearly losing designs, almost every designer created something interesting.

Jeremy Brandrick created a bias dress, with a calligraphic love letter painted on the silk:

Jeremy Brandick's design

Miranda Levy created, not a pencil skirt!, but a long column dress, with a leather florette embellished hem:

Miranda Levy's design

Alexander Pope created a dress inspired by “trees at midnight”:

Alexander Pope's design

 

Dom Streater’s design:

Dom Streater's design

Bradon McDonald’s design:

Bradon McDonald's design

Kate Pankoke’s design. Jeremy Brandrick called it “pregnant fairy” and that stuck with me.

Katelyn Pankoke's design.

Helen Castillo’s design, inspired by a dead moth, but still quite nice:

Helen Castillo's design

What did you think?

Wowee, the Tim Gunn Save comes into play! Were you surprised at the turn of events?

Which designer do you think should have gone home instead – Karen or Ken?

Do you agree with Tim’s choice to keep Justin in the competion?

My thinking is – I don’t believe Justin will win the competition. I can’t think of a single design he’s created that was really stunning. So then I wonder why Tim used his save to keep Justin in the competition.

On the other hand, Justin wasn’t the worst designer in this episode. Justin does deserve to be in the top 10. I’m predicting Karen and Ken are soon to go, if simply because it appears that neither one has a good understanding of fabric.  

Discuss

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  1. Cherlyn | | #1

    I was glad he was saved because I think we are just beginning to see his creative side pop out. I think what nailed Justin in this round was he over-did the lace technique. I agreed with the cluster of lace at the side. I thkn he over used the lace.

    I wasn't a big fan of the winning design, but I don't care for those pants! The jacket was okay but I thought the fit was not that great in the back. I didn't care for the dorsal fin! But after last week, I guess Alexandria needed a lift.

    I didn't like Karen's dress--looks like she didn't try. Personally I would have sent home Ken over that dress he created. It was ugly!!!

  2. sews4fun | | #2

    I've seen awful before but boring always was sent home over awful. I think they kept Ken for the drama. Jeremy's dress was just awful and he should have gone home. He is a sweetheart but that dress was just......hideous and I don't really recall anything he has made thus far as being anything special. I think Tim Gunn "jumped the gun" by using his save for Jeremy, it could have served a better purpose further on down the line in the competition.
    I think Alexandria won because of last weeks drama with Ken, I was not impressed with the "poopy pants" look at all.
    Add to that the fin on the back of the jacket and you have sharks in diapers. I don't buy in to the idiotic idea of "glamping" the whole term is an oxymoron and I think it's just stupid.
    Another disaster was last season's teams challenge, Kate Pankoke is a glaring example of how horribly wrong last season's format went as she is clearly a very talented designer whom I feel will be in the final three. She was sent home early on while less promising designers were allowed to stay. I personally liked her pregnant fairy look and thought it rather avant garde. That's why I don't like team challenges, they stunt the designers creativity and everyone loses due to limits placed on them.
    Brandon's dress was an abomination while Miranda, Alexander and Jeremy did very nice work although I'm not a fan of fabric with messages written on it. I just feel the design should tell the story all by itself without relying on "newsprint" to get the point across. Still, the execution was spot on.

  3. User avater
    kprincegentry | | #3

    The judges lost their mind this week. I hate poopy pants and I really hate poopy pants with some kind of long johns hanging out below them. Pair that with an ill made denim jacket and you have one of the ugliest things I have seen this season. Why did you pick this as the best!?

    I think Tim used his save because he owed it to Justin, Justin told him at Mood what he was going to do and Tim thought it was a great idea. It was a great idea if this was an unconventional challenge but it wasn't. I am sure that Mood had lace that he could have used to represent water.

    Alexander's dress at least represented the nature, I loved that he painted the silhouette of the trees on his dress, but he got a little carried away with that leather trail on the back. Less is more sometimes.

  4. User avater
    Soli | | #4

    Don't think that Alexandra's look was that awful. The "poopy pants" looked more like a mini over capri leggings. Personally, I really preferred Jeremy's love letter dress - the sentiment was as beautiful as the bias-cut execution. Was kind of surprised that Bradon's look came off at all. That was an awful lot of trouble for draped fabric that just got tacked to a yoke. I did like the "trees in the night sky" dress. I was surprised at Tim's save this early in the season. I thought he was going to wait until later in the season when it was more important to direct, say, the final five. Personally, I want to see Ken go away. He's a big talker, but his execution doesn't necessarily live up to the legend in his own mind. I can't think of anything that Karen has made that has impressed me I was impressed with Miranda's dress - we also commented that she wasn't making a pencil skirt. Seems she's capable of more than we suspected. I dunno, once again disappointed in the selection of designers as well as what they've done. There are no more Laura Bennetts, no Chris Marchs, or Christian Sirianos. Think the last season that really wowed me was when they were here in L.A., and I was still disappointed by them selecting Meana Irena instead of anyone else.

  5. susanri | | #5

    "Poopy Pants". Lol exactly! I can not believe those won. It does fall into what were they thinking?

  6. frenchseams | | #6

    Karen's design was inspired by the white tents. It looks like someone didn't make it out of the tent during the night to drain the lizard.
    Why yellow, why not blue?

  7. GMterrie | | #7

    Tonight is another episode of PR and I am looking forward to it. Even though I'm occasionally disappointed, I still enjoy the show.

    Ken is so insecure and obtuse that he sets himself up to look more like an idiot than he is. It always irritates me (as nails on a chalk board) when the divas get going trying to cover up the fact that they're scared and/or don't know what they're doing. Why not act as a regular human being? Acting as a 5 or 6 year old never goes over well. I think PR needs a time out corner somewhere; one where they have to face the wall for awhile.

    I'm glad that Justin is staying. He is a fine example of a real person. Even with his handicap, he never complains and he is always so kind, never critical. He had his attempt at doing something funky, now he has that out of his system. He'll do better this week.

    If only Jeremy had left the calligraphy off of his fabric, his bias dress should have won. Bias is so tricky. That, and it needs to hang 24-36 hrs before cutting it. He stitched it well given the time limit handicap. It draped beautifully.

    Why are these guys doing all of this love stuff to their significant others on PR? It needs to go.

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