PROJECT RUNWAY.....Season 11 Project Runway Recaps: If It Walks Like A Duck

If It Walks Like A DUCK, Talks like a DUCK, Then it must be...Made out of DUCK Tape!

Heidi Klum...and a DUCK--Season 11 Project Runway

What Does This:

 Restaurant Swan "To-Go" Foil

This:

80's Prom Photo (bless their hearts!)

And This:

"Duck Tape" brand Duct Tape...

Have in common?... Well, of course: PROJECT RUNWAY!

Read on:

Tim Is Not Convinced: Tim Gunn--Season 11 Project Runway "Duck Tape" Challenge/Episode

On this past week's Lifetime Network Season 11 Project Runway episode, the remaining designers/teams were given a SECOND "Unconventional Challenge": Design and create a Prom Dress out of "Duck Tape" brand DUCT TAPE. All they had was the tape (and they could chose from colors and prints besides the famous silver color!) and muslin.

Which One Is The Sluttiest? The designers then went to a NYC high school gym--along with Tim Gunn--to "unveil" their Duck-a-licious Prom Designs--I thought the looks were very well done....considering. The Manhattan high school kids were allowed to cast their vote for their favorite dress. Some of the designers commented on how high school kids only LOVE the HOOCHIEST and (therefore) sluttiest ones. After the kids voted, then, it was time for the actual RUNWAY the following day...

Guest Judge was fashion designer Chris Benz--whom I met before at one of his fabulous fashion show presentations several seasons ago here in Los Angeles:

Fashion Designers Chris Benz and Nick Verreos

The Top:

Patrica Michaels and Layana Aguilar: This collaboration won the votes from the high school students. I think it was a bit "Jiffy Pop" looking for my taste, but may I must say, that model is working it OVERTIME: LUV her!

Michelle Lesniak Franklin and Amanda Valentine:  My favorite of the group--and the judges as well. Well structured, love the folded pleat slight high-low silhouette and the custom "Houndstooth" duck/duct tape print. If only the pointed strapless bustier was....a one-shoulder strap...

Michelle FINALLY got a win! Yeay Michelle!

Richard Hallmarq and Daniel Esquivel: 1984 Called And They Want Their Dress Back. Oh Dear and Huney! This gold drop-waist Prom confection was an big MESS. Not only did this look like a bad 1984 Prom Dress, it also reminded me of those steak restaurant foil "To-Go" things the waiters would wrap up for you (see top of this post). This was awfully tacky. And not in a good way. One of them--or both , should have gone home for that, but...

Kate Pankoke and Tu Suthiwat Nakchat: For some reason, the judges deemed this blue gown above, to be the worst of the bunch. I, personally, liked it. I was with judge Zac Posen, in that long dresses, are OK for proms. Glad he stood his ground with Miss Nina in the episode. But that didn't help:

Kate and Tu: Bye Bye

And now...here's my MyLifetime.com Project Runway Blog Recap:

If It Walks Like a Duck...

Ducks. Yes, Ducks. Miss Heidi walked out with a DUCK. Last week we had "Mature Ladies" and this week: ducks. When La Klum walked out with a duck this week, I instantly thought "I didn't know Aflac was one of the sponsors of this season and how are they going to make stylish uniforms for Insurance Salesmen?!" I am sure that most of the designers thought the same thing. But, alas, I was wrong...

Unconventional Part Deux
After the "Heidi and Duck Show," the remaining Season 11 designers headed to their 1407 Broadway Workroom, arriving to tables piled high with "pyramids" of Duct Tape. In case it isn't 100% obvious at this point, the challenge for this week--as described by Tim Gunn and Bill Kahl, Executive VP of Marketing at ShurTech Brands—was to create a garment made out of Duct Tape. But not just any ol' garment: a Prom Dress, darlings. In case you're counting, this is the SECOND Unconventional Challenge this season. I am not sure if there has ever been a season with TWO Unconventional Challenges, but it's smart of the producers to do this, since the fans LOVE this stuff.

Duct-a-Licious
Tim tells the designers that the judges want to see "fresh and innovative thinking" in terms of their Prom-a-Licious designs. He also says that they will have one day to do it and that they will later meet with high school students who will vote on their designs, which will count for 20% of the final "Who's In" and "Who's Out" decision. The designers are paired up in 5 teams of two: Stanley/Layana; Kate/Tu; Michelle/Amanda; Richard/Daniel and Patricia/Samantha. There's no Mood shopping; just duct tape and muslin.

Teams Duct Prom
Back in the "Duct Workroom," Mustachioed Daniel is paired with Richard and thinking of Beyoncé for their look—using only gold tape. While Tim makes his requisite visit, those two boys add that there's also a "Mexican Mariachi" inspiration to their dress. Ay Dios Mio! Of the other teams, Layana is not happy that Team Daniel/Richard got all the gold tape and vents to her teammate Stanley who secretly wants to backslap her. Tim likes what they're making and is "not concerned." Samantha is not on the same duct tape-wavelength as her teammate Patricia, but then again, I wouldn't be either: let's just say Patricia has a design aesthetic that is unique to her. When Tim surveys what they're up to, he notices that they are on two different "design pages." He wonders why they're not collaborating and suggests that their design might look like a "Bride of the Tin Woodman." Ouch. In the Kate/Tu team, Kate is the boss and Tu is her assistant. They're making a gown for the prom and Kate is too focused on making the tape look like actual fabric (is that a bad thing?). Tim thinks their end result may be too "flat and lackluster." We'll see.

Short & Slutty
Time to head to a secret NYC high school gym and have privileged NYC high school students judge the creations on how "prom proper" they are. The models saunter down and by the looks of it, all is pretty good. Some of the designers comment about how high school kids these days want "short & slutty" for their proms. PS: When haven't they? The kids interact with the designers and...

Click HERE to read the rest of my RECAP!