Project Runway Rundown: Moms and Grads

For the second week in a row, the producers behind "Project Runway" decided to WAY overstuff the week's challenge and for the second week in a row it resulted in a couple of decent outfits and a lot of heinousity on the runway.

Last week the designers had to be avant garde AND be inspired by an astrological sign. This time, the designers had to create an outfit for recent college grads that will help them in their upcoming chosen careers. As if melding their own aesthetic with a guest client isn't hard enough (usually they deal with blank slate models), the show threw in the girls' moms into the mix for extra spice.

Of course the designers figured out the guests on the runway were SOMEBODY'S moms, though Jerrell (pictured, right) was the one who pointed out it wasn't the designers' moms because he didn't see his or Korto's mom on the runway. I would say his assuming Korto's mom is black is a little racist if I hadn't been thinking the exact same thing right before he said it. The challenge was sponsored by TRESemme, which was appropriate because all the college grads were hair disasters.

In the workroom, the designers met with their clients and we found out that Kenley apparently had herself cloned more than 20 years ago ("I shall call her mini-me). Meanwhile, Joe (in his last moment of clarity on this show before going back to his clueless self) summed up the challenge perfectly (moms won't like what their daughters like and vice versa). Also, Korto called herself a hip mom and crowned herself the new queen of leatha, and Jerrell bonded big time with his fellow lanky, androgynous client.

Also, Suede was partnered with a client who wanted pants, but Suede said Suede doesn't (can't?) make pants and pushed a dress on her. If only there were still a designer around who was really good at making pants still in the competition (we still miss you, Terri).

You just knew there was going to be a pain-in-the-ass mom in the bunch, and Leann had the misfortune of being paired with her. The mom complained about the pattern on Leann's dress and, most hilariously, about the fact that the dress made her daughter look too flat-chested — because we all know elementary school teachers (like her daughter) are all about the boobs. Still, even she wasn't THAT bad, at least not compared to Christian's sassy partner during last year's prom challenge.

The time in the workroom was dominated by Kenley dissing everyone else's outfit and pumping up her own (what else is new?). Still, Jerrell got in his own digs, mostly at Joe's expense, who decided to make a jacket with a pocketsquare for his client (which she didn't want) and a pinstripe skirt (her client didn't like pinstripes). The main difference between Jerrell and Kenley is that Jerrell doesn't appear to have total contempt and misplaced superiority over every other person in the competition, and his comments are (intentionally) funny more often than not (his calling Kenley's client's mom "Hedda Lettuce was a nice call back to Suede's trouble during the drag queen challenge).

Kenley on the other hand is continuing her rapid slide, once again ignoring Tim Gunn's advice. I can admire a designer who sticks to his or her vision, but I just can't behind one that gleefully says "I never change anything for Tim", as if that's a good idea. This is two week's in a row she's done so (though the tulle DID seem shorter on the runway).

That didn't keep her out of the top three for this week, though the judges could NOT have been more lukewarm about her dress. Never has the word "charming" sounded more condescending than when Nina used it to describe Kenley's ensemble. To me, it looked like an "Ugly Betty" outfit (and, no, that's not a compliment).

Jerrell and top 3 mainstay Korto also earned high marks with Jerrell taking top marks because he made the controversial decision of listening to his client's wishes and getting to know her a bit. I wish his outfit had a little more color (and I wish he'd stop wearing ridonkulous hats), but he deserved the win over Korto, who made another pretty print dress/impeccable jacket ensemble.

That left Leann and her off-the-mark jacket, Joe and his hopelessly dated, unimaginative outfit, and Suede with his inexplicable outfit in the bottom three.

I thought the judges could've been a little harder on Leann (what elementary school teacher in the world would dress like that), but we all knew she wasn't going anywhere.

Instead, they were content to tear into Suede and his terrible jacket with the random print pockets, and the fact that nothing about the outfit said "photographer" (his client's profession). Suede tried to defend his outfit by saying it could be worn to work and to go out, but guest judge Cynthia Rowley ("Design Star") had a great comeback by suggestion that she go home and change before she goes out again.

While Suede's long overdue for an auf'ing and his outfit was a disaster last night, I still agree with the judges' call to get rid of Joe. I don't know what the opposite of creative is, but that's been Joe too many times this season (maybe the opposite of creative is "joe"). Of course, when I go on a job interview, I think to wear a jacket, and I'd probably reach for my pinstripe pants. Then again, I'm not competing in a major creative competition looking for the next fresh fashion designer. Joe boringly designed the most generic "job interview" outfit ever. Also, the blouse was a mess, and the jacket was too tight. No wonder Kenley let out another laugh on the runway. And, what's this? Her mini-me laughs in the exact same way too! (Best moment of the episode.)

So what'd you think of this episode? Who doesn't like pinstripes? Has there been a more unlikely guest judge on this show than next week's guest LL Cool J? How awesome does that Tim Gunn/Kenley confrontation from next week's previews look? Finally, why is Suede still here? (Honestly, put this guy out of his misery — it seems like he's dying inside a little more each week.)