It’s pretty obvious that Mondo is going to win “Project Runway.”I realize this isn’t exactly a newsflash to anyone right now, but, believe it or not, I had this thought just BEFORE I sat down to watch last night’s episode, the reality show’s most emotional installment.
(I’d been on vacation, and I wanted to be caught up by last night so I actually came to my conclusion after watching Mondo pull out the win in last week’s episode. That episode is better known as, “The Feel-Good 90 Minutes of the Year” – What John Thinks, following Ivy’s elimination. I literally high-fived my girlfriend and did a little dance to the “Project Runway” elimination ditty.)
The fact that this episode turned out to be so emotional was especially devastating because it seemed to come completely out nowhere. Sure, the fact that the contestants would be delving into their childhoods for inspiration was a red flag, but this was also the second consecutive more-overt-than-usual Corporate Shill challenge. (Last week: L’Oreal. This week: HP TouchSmart. Next week: the PiperLime.com “Create a Lime Look…thoughtfully” challenge?)
Mondo’s revelation also hit me like a ton of bricks, but we’ll get to that a little later.
This also happened to be the “Create Your Own Fabric” challenge that Emilio Sosa inexplicably won last season for his shockingly vain creation. When the designers arrived in their workroom, they were greeted by pictures from their childhood, which were (obviously) adorable. (Little Michael C. in his underwear was hilarious, and I liked Valerie holding hands with her sister, even if Valerie spent way too much time crying about Ivy’s elimination early on.)
Some of the highlights: Gretchen (who wasn’t nearly as unappealing as she usually is) used a squash blossom as the inspiration for her gigantic print. April decided to use her parents divorce as inspiration (and I finally understood why everything she makes is black). Meanwhile, Christopher did, um, something. He seems like a nice enough guy, but he’s about as boring as his designs. Oh well, at least he got to kiss his boyfriend on TV.
I usually laugh at reality show contestants who lose their s--- when they seem family members or get emotional after talking to them on the phone. (What? You can’t be away for a few weeks without COMPLETELY breaking down?!) However, in the context of this episode, when Tim announced that he had special guests (and the designers somehow couldn’t figure out what that meant), the ensuing tears were completely justified. Even more impressively, (after last week’s brutal timeframe for the L’Oreal challenge) the designers got the rest of the day off to hang out with their families in New York City.
There were so many good vibes that there were even kind words being said about budding country superstar Michael C.! (Hmm, since Michael D. is gone, I guess I better call Michael C., “Michael”)
The fact that this has been such a bitch-tastic season up to this point made Mondo’s explanation (to us, not his fellow contestants or Tim) that the plus sign on his fabric represented his HIV positive status all the more jarring. There’s been SO much time dedicated to “I hate Michael C. propaganda”, and so much time spent on Gretchen talking about herself and talking about how everyone else sucks, that Mondo’s infusion of bravery and humanity hit me like a ton of bricks. Apparently, he’s been HIV positive for ten years, and hasn’t told his family. (I understand why he wouldn’t want to tell his mom during their lovely NYC outing.)
Even if none of that had happened, Mondo was going to be the clear winner/star of the week. (I’d point out to any potential cynics out there that Mondo didn’t disclose the meaning of his fabric until AFTER he’d gotten his glowing reviews from the judges.) His clothes are impeccably made, and he continues to take chances with bold colors and (conflicting) patterns. Of course, Gretchen found a way to sort of make the moment about her, by saying how touched she was that Mondo chose to share that with her — because everything is about HER. I guess you can forget what I said about her not being unappealing this week.)
No one else got universally-positive praise. Michael (who appears to be slipping) got mostly negative reviews for his dress, which looked like it had a tie and vest sewn in. (Heidi kinda liked it.) Gretchen’s prints were too big (fried-egg boob!), April’s poofy skirt killed her outfit’s chance (and her surly demeanor didn’t do her any favors), and…I feel like I’m forgetting someone. (Oh, hi Christopher!)
The bottom two were CLEARLY birthday girl Valerie and Andy. In the end, Valerie (a regular fixture in the bottom 3) got sent home for being a repeat offender (the dress resembled the one from the party store challenge). That means Andy is a VERY lucky guy, because his sad “memory bubble” disaster was actually the worst look of the week. For some reason, the visit with his mom really threw him off his game. I know this because he said that the visit with his mom threw him off his game about a dozen times.
Goodbye Valerie! Though I seriously question your choice in best friends, you are absolutely forgiven for the heartfelt, customized goodbyes to every contestant. I mean, if the show is going to be 90 minutes, I’d rather see it spent on stuff like that, instead of watching the designers eat and bitch.
So what’d you think of this episode? What were Michael’s parents thinking? (They named their kids Spanky, Peaches…and Michael!) Didn’t guest judge Rachel Roy do a good job? (Also, how many people does Michelle Obama have designing for her?) Finally, will April ever make something that’s not black? (Pretend like you had to bet money on it.)
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