Pharrell, the Grammy Award-winner and designer, who co-founded the Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Clothing lines, sparked the designers' imaginations.
"Project Runway All-Stars" Challenge 9 judges, left to righ, Isaac Mizrahi, guest judge Pharrell Williams, Georgina Chapman and Angela Lindvall.Finally, something – someone – motivated the designers on "Project Runway All-Stars" Season 1. Thank you Pharrell Williams.
After eight mostly lackluster shows by the All-Star designers, it only took the guy once voted best-dressed man in the world, a Grammy Award-winning singer who's also a fashion designer who co-founded the Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Clothing fashion lines to spark the designers' imaginations.
Well, Pharrell and an electric challenge that probably was the best of the season. The challenge was to use lighting technology to create an avant garde look. The winning design would be used with one of the artists Pharrell works with, a list that, according to host Angela Lindvall, includes Beyonce, Madonna and Snoop Dog.
The designers were given $300 to use at a lighting store and $100 at Mood. The runway show would be done in black light.
"I'm very much in love with this challenge," designer Austin Scarlett said. You could see it on his face, which lit up brighter than Angela's skirt when she introduced the challenge. When we saw Austin talking to his mother via Skype, we knew he was either going to lose, or win. I'm happy he won. Austin's "starry sky" look was spectacular, a knock-out dress that literally lit up the runway. I think of all the "All-Stars" this season, he and Mondo are the designers most-deserving of the designation.
View full sizeAustin Scarlett's design
View full sizeKenley Collins' design
View full sizeMondo Guerra's designThe tale of his mom also made me root for Austin. Despite being in middle of a foreclosure, she was upbeat and positive, and a teary Austin, the poor kid, wants "to win this for her."
He did. "Now I know what God must have felt when he was creating the heavens. It's not easy," Austin said. His dress was heavenly, and on the black light-lit runway, it evoked the starry night sky he was shooting for. He incorporated his well-chosen lights onto a fabulous black tulle dress and achieved exactly his goal: "I thought that I could really create this sort of whole heavenly galaxy around my model." He laid his lights over the dress perfectly and it sure looked like a galaxy, a spiral galaxy, if my memory of Astronomy 101 serves.
Kenley Collins came in a close second. She answered judge Isaac Mizrahi's challenge to try to do something different that her typical retro dress. She did an awesome job of creating a plaid design with neon tape. Her use of lights and upholstery fabric for the top and huge sleeves was super cool.
View full sizeMichael Costello's design
View full sizeJerell Scott's designMondo's dress was very good, but, as Isaac questioned, not particularly avant garde – except for, as Pharrell noted, the breasts, which he likened to "old Cadillac wings." Judge Georgina Chapman was reminded of Madonna, and Isaac was reminded of the Teletubbies, which he noted as a positive.
Michael Costello's "avant garde, futuristic neon Ninja warrior princess" was really cool looking, especially if you're into Ninjas. But it was just a bit overdone.
Jerell was sent home, and it was the right decision. He had the start of something really interesting, but the long black skirt made no sense. I knew it looked bad, but thank you Pharrell Williams for perfectly describing what was wrong with the look – "The styling just came off as, like, grandma." Pharrell used "grandma" three times, Angela once, and who knows how many other "grandma" comments were edited out. Jerell's use of neon tape on the shoes actually made them look like grandma's sandals.