PROJECT RUNWAY.....Season 13 Project Runway Episode 8 Recap: "RAINWAY"

Check Out This Flat Screen TV! Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum--Lifetime Network Season 13 "Project Runway" Episode 8 "Rainway"

This past week on Lifetime's Season 13 "Project Runway"...it was time for the Avant-Garde Challenge sponsored by Samsung and their SuperDuper Fab HD Curved TV. Tim and Heidi introduced the challenge which involved creating "Out there" looks inspired by the...

 Samsung Curved HD TV

Naturally, there was a Twist and it involved water. More specifically...RAIN. The runway would be a RAINway, Heidi explained.

 RAINWAY Samsung HD Curved TV--Season 13 "Project Runway" Episode 8 

When the Challenge was introduced, I couldn't help but think of these UBER fabulous looks from (naturally!) Alexander McQueen which were (somewhat) inspired by rain...

 Umbrella Fab: Alexander McQueen

The Workroom:

Dubious Tim Gunn: Tim Gunn is not sure of what designer Sandhya is doing...

Rainbow Jumpsuit: Sandhya Garg is working on a rainbow-colored jumpsuit which--to me--reminds me of a Charles James "Rainbow" Coat at the "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Metropolitan Exhibition NYC...maybe she was "inspired".

Eye V Jay Jay: Designer Amanda Valentine was called (by Tim) on the placement of her "Cleopatra Hieroglyphic" eye--Season 13 "Project Runway" Episode 8

Thunderbird Korina: Designer Korina Emmerich wanted to create a design inspired by the Northwest "Thunderbird". I loved her sketch. Unfortunately, her final creation had no Thunder and Less Bird--Season 13 "Project Runway" Episode 8

Finally, designer Fade Zu Grau was struggling during the entire episode--Season 13 "Project Runway" Episode 8

The RAINWAY:

Rainway Judges: Tim Gunn, "Masters of Sex" actress Caitlin Fitzgerald, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen, Heidi Klum--Season 13 "Project Runway" Episode 8

The Best:

Kini Zamora: Designer Kini Zamora really, really, wanted to win this one. He created an upside down umbrella gown that was loved by the half of the judges--and myself!

Sean Kelly: Designer Sean Kelly created a dress that had seams filled with fabric dye that once the dye interacted with the "rain" water, it would make the dress "bleed". It was a great idea and won over the judges. I also LOVED it. I thought "Done and Done...Sorry Kini, Sean is the Winner!". But then I also thought "wait, this really reminds me of..."

 Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 1999 Finale Dress Spray Painted by Robots--worn by model Shalom Harlow

 Don't Get To Close: Happily--both Sean Kelly and Kini Zamora won this challenge. I am sure Kini was like "Stop hugging me soooo close!" to his nemesis Sean--Season 13 "Project Runway" Episode 8

The "Uh Oh":

Korina Emmerich: Korina decided to not go the FAB "Northwest Thunderbird" route and instead, ended up with a "Halloween Robot"-looking thang with a turtleneck mini dress under it.

Emily Payne: Emily created this look above which part of me liked--the curves, the structure...even the model stomped it like "The Rent Was Due!'. But the judges deemed it too "been there/done that".

Fade Zu Grau: Oh Fade...compared to the other avant-garde looks, this was more Anime Cartoon. It was obvious that Fade just got overwrought with A) the Challenge; B) just being on the show; and was done. Literally.

Auf Wiedersehen Fade.

Here's my RECAP of the week's episode--Lots of things to discussed (that I touched on above)...Check it out--and let me know what YOU think!

Season 13, Episode 8: A Runway Downpour

We are past the halfway point in Season 13 of “Project Runway” and after seven challenges, including three involving evening wear, an unconventional challenge, and a few team kerfuffles, it's naturally time for the avant-garde challenge. At the end of this episode, Tim declares that this is "The best runway ever!" Was it? Let's see...

As the remaining designers gather around, Tim and Heidi (What is she doing here? Isn’t this her day off?!) are onstage flanked by two Samsung Curved Ultra HD TVs. After a long-winded diatribe on how essential innovation is to the fashion industry as well as the technology industry, how fabulous these new Curved Samsung TVs are, how one can watch TV from every angle, and how this next challenge is supposed to test your ability to push the boundaries of design just like these TVs are pushing the boundaries of technology, we finally discover that all this is to announce to the designers that it’s -- drum roll -- the avant-garde challenge, also known as the Samsung Challenge.

The designers have to create forward-thinking designs with the “spirit” of the Samsung Curve TV in mind. I have a question: What does this mean? Should there be curved style lines in EVERY designer’s creation? The designs must be cutting edge, innovative and “A ‘wow’ from every angle." And there’s a twist (cue the water visuals on the slick Samsung TVs): RAIN! The models will be walking the runway on (as Heidi says) a RAINWAY! Get it: RAINway as opposed to RUNway. Clever...

Click HERE to read the rest of my RECAP!