PROJECT RUNWAY.....Season 8 Project Runway Recaps: Episode 9

High Fashion Messes, More Kooky Looks from Mondo, and One Angry Central American Nation...On last night's Project Runway Episode 9--the Sponsor Tie-in L'Oreal Make-Up Challenge--the designers got to create a "High Fashion" look worthy of Paris Couture Week (can't wait to see that!!) and an accompanying more "mass market" version (this was yet another Season 8 "Twist" kiddies). There were no "Michael C-can't-sew" hissyfits, Gretchen kept her "Critique Corner" on the D.L., and two of the boys got to move in with designers Andy and Michael, making Andy happy since I guess he also cannot stand being in the same room with Michael (along with the rest of the cast). The show was packed with lots of visual candy--some bad and some good. Here were my highlights:

Mondo's New Look of The Day: Chain-Smoking Slot-Machine Playing "Crazy" Grandma from Boca

Oh Mondo, I have a burning question: How, on Earth, did you pack SOOOO many Looks into your one allotted suitcase? I think when I was on the show, I packed two jeans, one pair of pants, a couple t-shirts and a jacket or too. But huney, these kids now arrive STYLED!!!!! They are far more "TV Ready" than I ever was back in the day! Just sayin'.

For this episode, that kooky top, plus the hot pants plus that headband: He looked like a Grandma Madge getting ready to hit Caesars Palace in Vegas!

Michael Costello's Train Can't Be Stopped

I mean, really...LOOK at the other designer's faces!! There should be "Pop Up bubbles", and if there were, they would say "What the H***??" There was NO POINT for the train to be THAT long! There never is. But it is a sign of younger fresh-out-of-design school designers to always wanna go over the top to prove a point. Point taken, but it didn't work.

A Peak at Nina Garcia's Judging Card for Michael Costello...

Love that! This is for you doubters who think that the judges don't have photos or don't have any info on those cards. I, for one, can tell you, that when I was a Guest Judge back in Season 6, we did!

Now, onto Miss Guatemala...

I actually did not hate Valerie's white one shoulder gown-as much as Miss Nina Garcia. When I saw the "Coming Up" clip of her saying "She looks like Miss Guatemala", I though she was talking about this...

Mondo's cheap-poly satin concoction which actually won! Now, back in Season 6, when I was a Guest Judge, I said a minor little comment about contestant Gordana's outfit, looking like "a Pre-Cold War secretary in Warsaw Poland" and I got LOTS of HATE emails from just about anyone of Polish descent (they're very sensitive!). I am wondering if the ENTIRE country of Guatemala is doing the same to Nina. And just in case you are wondering what an actual Miss Guatemala looks like in a gown, I give you...

Exhibit A:

Miss Guatemala 2009, Lourdes Figueroa at the Miss Universe 2009 Pageant

And Exhibit B:

Miss Guatemala 2010, Jessica Scheel, from the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant

But the lowest in the bunch was Ivy Higa's dresses, both very bright turquoise and both very prom-meets-pageant (was that a theme?). That gown of hers did remind me of...

a Pinata! I wonder if there was Candy under that gown! I guess we'll never know...Bye Ivy. Here is a Sneak Peak of my mylifetime.com Recap:

Paris High Fashion or the Miss Guatemala Pageant? OK, let me just get this out of the way: I am still NOT over those nasty pants from I'm-the-new-Alexander-Wang Andy South's "Jackie Kennedy American Sportswear" ensemble. I actually had draping nightmares over it. Before last Thursday, I remembered Jackie O as an oversized-sunglasses-and-Oleg Cassini-wearing DIVA who loved the Greek Isles (and a few other things, thanks to my fellow recap blogger Laura Bennett!). Now, I can only think of BAD-pants-Jackie O: from Camelot to Cameltoe in one hot minute. Darn you, Miss Andy! Oh well, let's progress to nicer thoughts: A New Roommate Situation (no, not that loser with two left feet from "Dancing with the Stars"!) and a New Challenge.... To read my entire mylifetime.com recap click HERE.