Project Runway All-Stars: Episode 2, 'A Night at The Opera'

One day and 350 bucks to design a couture gown? No problem for some of the designers.

File photo | Associated PressDesigners Mark Badgley, left, and James Mischka are interviewed before the presentation of one of their collections in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

We're launching our recaps of "Project Runway All-Stars" with Episode 2, "A Night at The Opera," for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that in Episode 1 the eliminated "All-Star" was Elisa Jimenez, yes, the spit-on-her fabric Elisa Jimenez, who made All-Star status, one can surmise, so that they'd have someone to auf in the first challenge.

So on to Episode 2, in which the All-Stars make their first visit to Mood, where the mood is just not the same without Tim Gunn giving them advice, telling how much time they have left, and leading the "Thank you, Mood" chorus. Sure, the designers all chanted "Thank you, Mood" as they left ... but it rang so much less sincere without Tim's voice.

But I've gotten ahead of myself. This week's challenge was "all about high-end glamor," host and supermodel Angela Lindvall announces. Lindvall, by the way, seems nice, and certainly has superb credentials, but Heidi Klum she is not. Not that she should be. And I liked Isaac "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em" Mizrahi a lot on Bravo's "The Fashion Show." But this is definitely not "Project Runway." Not that it's bad. Angela and Isaac and even judge Georgina Chapman are quite good. But aside from Isaac, this totally different lineup takes some getting used to.

We have to keep reminding ourselves, this is "Project Runway All-Stars" not "Project Runway" ... it's really another show altogether. Proof is in Lifetime's online url for the series: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway-all-stars/season-1/designers – do you see that "season-1" in there?

So, anyway, "It's time to show us how all-stars can create show-stopping ballgowns for high society events,” Angela tells the 12 remaining designers. Guest judges Mark Badgley and James Mischka, famed evening wear and accessories designers, further explain the challenge: "The challenge is a night at the opera – design a gorgeous evening gown for a very glamorous evening," Mark says. James says the judges will be "looking for a true couture touch."

Good luck on that in the one day and 350 bucks they've given the contestants.

But, of course, some of them come through, two of them amazingly.

Austin Scarlett, the “King of Couture” from Season 1, is the favorite. Everyone whines about Austin having an edge. But Austin sets the bar low when he says a designer "can't design a couture dress in one day – you need weeks if not months.

“This is like the last challenge I would want to somehow fail at,” Austin says.

Michael Costello, ever the underdog, also lowers expectations: “I have put looks together for clients in one day, but not when it comes to couture.”

Guess who finishes in the top two?

Sorry, jumping ahead, but was there any doubt Austin would knock this one outta the park? Is that OK to use sports jargon when discussing fashion?

Joanna Coles

Let's talk about All-Stars mentor Joanna Coles, the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine. To me, the terms "mentor" and "Joanna Coles" are mutually exclusive, but there have been times in the first couple episodes where she sorta seemed mentoring and not, well, judgmental – judging being a role better suited to her. Of course no one can compare to Tim Gunn, and it's not fair to compare Joanna Coles to him. Except, how can you not, she's the mentor, and she's doing what she can to make it work, and I'm not just saying that, I did get a better impression that she was trying to be more mentoring in this episode. But here's a question: If she's a mentor, why isn't she there to console the loser – sorry, sports term again – the designer who's sent home?

Here's what designer Kenley Collins had to say in this episode: “I really appreciate that Joanna Coles is our mentor because part of winning this whole thing is being a guest editor at Marie Claire magazine.”

But here, I think, is not the best example of mentoring: Joanna says to Austin: “... this is absolutely your favorite thing. You're brilliant at it, everybody's watching you.” Austin says, “I'm certainly nervous, because of the judges, because people expect something of me.” That seemed more like pressuring than mentoring.

A cool thing happened while the designers were getting the models made up: Anthony Williams, upon leaving the makeup studio, shouted, “Thank you, L'Oréal Paris people.” That was way more genuine the the group's "Thank you, Mood."

Here's what the designers showed:

• Kenley: pink and pink w/brown polka dots organza
• Gordana Gehlhausen: silk jersey, silk chiffon in a lavendery/pale blue
• Rami Kashou: silk organza, silk charmeuse in dark pink
• Mila Hermanovski: silk crepe, silk velvet, tulle – all black
• Sweet P: silk taffeta, silk chiffon – orange top and floral print bottom
• Mondo Guerra: white floral satin with silvery accents
• Jerell Scott: gold leaf khaki, power mesh
• Kara Janx: silk taffeta, very spring-looking printed fabric
• Anthony: silk georgette, silk organza – all white, plunging neckline, quite the décolletage
• Austin: gold lamé, black tulle – as his model walked the runway, Austin called it "a vision in molten gold ... suave in this cloud of black tulle ... I think she's looks every inch the elegant lady of society."
• April Johnston: red chiffon, red silk wool – she dyed the bottom, trying to ombré it, but it looked like she dropped it in a big vat of ink
• Michael: black matte jersey and feathers, w/crystals around the neck and a totally bare back except for a crystal-laden strap across the bottom.

Safe to leave the runway:

Jerell, Gordana, Mondo, Mila, Rami, Kenley

Highest and lowest, with judges' comments:

Isaac Mizrahi

Michael:
Isaac Mizrahi: "I can't believe you made this dress in a day – it's perfect – the back is really something."
Angela Lindvall: "super sexy – that one strap across the back ... I certainly want to wear that dress"
Georgina Chapman: "I love the use of matte jersey."
Mark Badgley: "exquisite ... so sexy. ... spectacular ... the way he placed the embroidery was really special."
Georgina: "That's what made the dress ... definitely had personality."

Sweet P:
Isaac – "I get more prom dress than ball gown."
Mark: "... it started as a ballgown, looks like a dirndl skirt ."
James Mischka: "... the bodice needs to be tauter and executed more expertly."
Angela: "... more of a day dress."
Georgina: "... the the bodice looked like a swimsuit."
Isaac: "... some crazy '40s swimsuit, some granny bathing suit ... it just wasn't a ballgown."

Anthony:
Isaac: "I love the next context for white that you created ... it looks kind of vampy and sexy ... I love the plunging V ..."
Angela: "I like the black shoes and glove ... it brings a toughness to a very elegant, feminine dress."
James: "It's a show-stopper."

Austin:
Isaac: "... fresh and classic and expensive ... dresses are not modest anymore – I love this dress because it is modest."
Mark: "... tasteful but it was still exciting."
Isaac: "Yes, tasteful."
Georgina: "... the way it cut on the body – it was just flawless."

April:
Isaac: "... opera is not the time for ombré dying or tie-dying ..."
Mark: "... it looks a teeny bit tortured."
James: "... the reds don't go together ... it looks like she was putting gas in her car and just standing in the oil slick."

Kara:
Isaac: "... I think the print is great ... I like the idea of just being completely pure, strapless ballgown ... but when you're going to be so simple, it's needs to be utterly perfect ... the grosgrain is slightly too high or not high enough ..."
James: "... the grosgrain in the back is poor."
Angela: "... I'm not crazy about the choice of fabric."

Judges' Verdict (listed in order of decree):

Anthony: Safe
Austin: The Winner
Michael: Safe
Kara: Safe
April: You are in
Sweet P: You're out

Austin on winning:
To the judges: "Thank you, thank you very very much. This challenge means a lot to me personally, coming from judges like you, who I've respected tremendously for such a long time, is tremendous."

Sweet P's farewell:
"The best thing about this experience has been meeting all the other designers ... some people are gonna love my stuff and some people are not, and it doesn't really matter at the end of the day, I still have a really happy life."

There's no surprise it came down to April, Kara and Sweet P for the bottom three. All three deserved a ticket home, but Sweet P's colorful gown really just didn't read opera, not at all "a gorgeous evening gown for a very glamorous evening."