This week on Lifetime's "Project Runway", the designers flew to Austin Texas for their last Challenge before NY Fashion Week. As it turns out, it was yet another Unconventional Materials Challenge using materials found from Georgetown Farm Supply and Stubbs BBQ. I was honored to have been on hand to help Tim Gunn introduce the Challenge at the Best Western Plus Austin City Hotel. There is lots to discuss so let's just get to my "Top 5 OMG Moments" of this Episode as well as my MyLifetime.com RECAP at the end of this blog! 

First, click below to watch my "Top 5 OMG Moments Project Runway: Episode 12" on YouTube:

#1 OMG! The Designers Are Off To TEXAS Y’all! In the beginning of the episode, Tim and Heidi decide that the designers need a change of scenery and send them on their second trip of the season! This time, to the city that “Keeps it Weird”: AUSTIN TEXAS!!  WHAT…In TARNATION…would make “Project Runway” send these designers to the Lone Star State?? Well…that leads me to…
#3 OMG! No Brisket or BBQ Sauce Dresses for These Designers! In the spirit of Austin and “Keeping It Weird”, the designers were able to steer themselves away from clichés such as Gingham table cloths, Cowboy hats and BBQ sauce, and instead get inspired by Meal Worms, Guitar Picks, Vinyl Records and Dog Treats of all things! Looks like they’re on the right track to following the city’s motto. Now…if they can just step outside their silhouette comfort zone!!!
#4 OMG! Consistent Or…Uncreative?? While consistency is key to any successful designer’s aesthetic, and creating a cohesive identity to your brand is essential…It’s important on a show like “Project Runway” to show the judges a variety of design ideas and give them little “nuggets” of surprise…Keep them INTERESTED! Unfortunately, all five designers seemed to have fallen into a bit of a design rut:

Now, here's my MyLifetime.com RECAP:

Season 15, Episode 12 Recap: It’s High Fashion, Y’all!

Season 15 is heading into the final stretch and we are down to the top 5 designers for this season of “Project Runway.” Even though last week’s episode featured an avant-garde/unconventional challenge, for some reason, this week’s was unconventional as well. Am I the only one getting the feeling that Tim, Heidi and the producers don’t think these designers have pushed themselves to their design limit? With this episode, they were given the impetus to go farther than ever. Let’s see if they did…

The episode begins with Tim and Heidi walking onto the runway stage with Heidi reminding the designers that this is the “big final challenge”–the last one before NY Fashion Week. Tim then tells them that “a change of scenery” is due. Miss Klum, in her best German-accented Southern twang, announces that the designers will be going to Austin, TX! She reminds them that the city’s unofficial motto is, “Keep Austin Weird,” and that they will be taking the town’s eccentricities and diversities and bringing their experiences right back to NYC. With that, Tim and Heidi sashay away.

The designers arrive in Austin, TX and check into their Best Western hotel. A note from Tim awaits them saying to “drop your bags, freshen up and meet up by the pool.” Along with Tim Gunn, someone very special is there to announce the challenge: me! 

Click HERE to continue reading on MyLifetime.com "Project Runway" Blog!

So...here we go:
 #1....OMG! Go BOLD or Go HOME! OK...So even before Tim announced this week's Challenge, Heidi greeted the designers and told them that they needed to be BOLD and that their designs should STAND OUT. Then, the Lexus guy says that his company's automobiles are BOLD, right before Tim tells the designers to GO BOLD for this Challenge. If that wasn't BOLD enough, Tim announces that it will not only be Avant-garde but also, an Unconventional Materials Challenge...

#5....OMG! What Happened??? While I understand that the competition is stressful and the pressure of the Finale looms ever closer, it's imperative to realize that the Avant-garde Challenge is THE moment to express yourself and really WOW the judges with not only your ability to step outside the design box, but also a chance to marvel them with your technical prowess. In other words I wanted to see a COAT that SPANS THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY! Made out of CHICKEN WIRE! And...make it COUTUUUUURE! I'm starting to  worry that these designers don't have the ability to Wow the judges , or for that matter, us. Let's hope they can prove me wrong and end the season with a BANG!

Now that we have moved on from overindulging on turkey, pie and cyber shopping, it’s time to get back to more important matters: “Project Runway”! This week’s episode tried to merge the avant-garde with the unconventional as well as conventional. With all that, it had the prospect of design gold! Instead, we got aluminum, copper and a wire mesh mess. Time to recap!

For this week's episode of Lifetime Network's "Project Runway", the designers had to design looks for what Tim Gunn called "the First EVER Pop-up Store!". There was LOTS of drama, Evil Step Sisters (Erin and Dexter) and Cinderella (Cornelius)...and in addition, a TIM SAVE!!


There is lots to discuss so--including a certain similarity to a challenge I was part of back in Season 2...Let's begin with my "Top 5 OMG Moments" of the episode via YouTube:

This past week on Lifetime's "Project Runway", it was time for the designers to attend an Absolut Elyx party. As we know, there's no such thing as a party on "Project Runway" since this one, of course, involved a challenge: To create a "luxurious" Cocktail Dress. For some reason, a lot of this season's remaining designers struggled...