PROJECT RUNWAY.....Season 19 Project Runway: Episode 7 Faux Fur Avant-Garde - Photo Recap!

 Fur Fabulous--Models (L to R) Mimi Tao and Cassandra in designs by Chasity Sereal & Prajje Oscar Jean-Baptiste and Shantall Lacayo & Kristina Kharlashkina--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

For Episode 7 of Bravo's "Project Runway" Season 19, the designers were paired into design "teams" of two, to create an original Avant-garde look using Faux Fur. This was one of the most fun and creative challenges so far in the season for what it was about: Creating something fabulous in faux fur, and also since many "Project Runway" fans LOVE the Avant-garde Challenge...

Faux Animal--Fur bolts from Sorona Faux Furs--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

The wonderful company, Sorona, provided our designers with bolts and bolts of their plant-based (!) faux fur, which has been used by the likes of Stella McCartney, among others. As you can see from the photos above and below, they looked GREAT, almost real, and for the designers, was wonderful to work with (besides all the fur left on the workroom floor after all the cutting and shaving...yes, SHAVING!).

Bold Fur--Sorona Faux Furs--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

Cheetah, Lion, Tiger--Sorona Faux Furs--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

And now, time to see the creations:

(L to R) Models DD, Mimi, and Grace in Avant-garde Faux Fur designs from Coral Castillo & Zayden Skipper, Chasity Sereal & Prajje Oscar Jean-Baptiste, and Octavio Aguilar & Anna Yinan Zhou--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

Model DD in Avant-garde design featuring faux fur, buckles, straps, macrame, and horsehair headdress, from Coral Castillo & Zayden Skipper--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

Model Mimi Tao in Avant-garde design featuring pink faux fur and a caged hand-painted skirt, from Chasirt Sereal & Prajje Oscar Jean-Baptiste--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

Model Grace Brown in Avant-garde design featuring animal print faux fur, and rubberized faux leather fabric, from Octavio Aguilar & Anna Yinan Zhou--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

(L to R) Models Cassandra and Luz Lopez, in designs from Shantall Lacayo & Kristina Kharlashkina, and Aaron Michael/Bones Jones--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

Model Cassandra in Avant-garde design featuring patchwork animal faux fur lined in quilted satin, with a quilted satin full shirt and crop-top, from Shantall Lacayo & Kristina Kharlashkina--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

Model Luz Lopex in Avant-garde design featuring faux fur corsetted coat-cape with an ivory gown, from Aaron Michael & Bones Jones--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

Our Fabulous Guest Judge was none other than...

Billy Porter!!--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway

And the "What Models Do For Fashion" Award Goes To...

Mimi Tao!!! Mimi--who modeled the pink fur-and-hand-painted design, ended up quite bruised from the runway...what people didn't see was that underneath the structure of the design, there was wiring, boning, and tulle creating the shape. It seems that the ends of the wiring/boning kept poking into Mimi's legs while she effortlessly did the runway walk. After Mimi finished, we had to call in the studio medic once we realized that Mimi was bleeding and in major pain from the scratches. What took it to another level was when Mimi began asking us to start taking photos right then and there with the medic! Even in pain, Mimi saw a chance for a PHOTOSHOOT!

Suffer for Fashion--Mimi Tao in Avant-garde design from Chasity Sereal & Prajje Oscar Jean-Baptiste--Episode 7 Avant-garde Faux Fur, Season 19 Project Runway