The Project Runway Rundown, v4.5

The girls are lamenting Chris' demise in the competition. Jack is discussing what he thought was a pimple, but is getting progressively worse. This might not be a good thing, especially considering we already learned that he is HIV positive.

Heidi brings out the models...except that it isn't their models. These are everyday women wearing very, very large clothes that are falling off of them. They have all lost a large amount of weight, and they are wearing what had been their favorite outfits prior to their weight loss. Their weight loss ranges from 44 pounds to well over 100 pounds. They are going to create a new outfit for them using the old outfit as their materials for the challenge. They don't get to choose their models/outfits. Instead, Heidi pulls their names out of a bag and simply goes down the line. Steve is the lucky designer who gets to rework a HUGE wedding gown.

Tim is going to fill them all in on the rest of the details. They only have one day for this challenge. Tim reads aloud to all of them the note that Chris left for them, then reminds them they need to make this design work not only for their client's every day life, but also express their point of view as a designer. They will have 30 minutes to meet with their clients.

Kevin is excited about making clothes for real people. Rooty Tooty is getting turned on by the idea. Christian is a little bit nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. Steve is overwhelmed by the idea of making a sequined and beaded wedding gown into something that can be worn every day, but he is calling on God for help.

Tim comes back to tell them they get 15 minutes to shop and a budget of $15 for anything else they need to make it work. Steve is getting stretch black to go with his white wedding dress...and using the wedding dress simply as trim. That could be risky. But then again, it could really pay off.

Jack is having a problem that he seems to have had in the past...something to do with a dangerous bacteria. He called the doctor, and they want him to come in immediately. I think he is going to have to leave the competition. This sucks. He goes out to talk privately with Tim, and then Tim asks the designers to "gather round". That's not a good sign.

Jack made the decision to leave and get the medical treatment that he needs. I hate that he is leaving over something like that. He was doing really pretty well. I prefer when the designers leave because they didn't do well on a challenge, not because of something completely unrelated. But it's a good thing that he is doing what he needs to do to take care of himself.

The designers find it difficult to get their heads back in the game. But Ricky decided to try his garment on with some heels, to see how it might look on his model. Wow. He did well in heels. Maybe not as well as Santino, but he did well.

Tim is getting ready to bring their models/clients in for a fitting, but then tells the designers that he has another surprise. In walks Chris, the last designer eliminated. So, since Jack had to leave, they brought Chris back. That really brought up the spirits in the room. He is going to be working with Jack's client and materials, and since he is getting such a late start, he gets the option of working through the night. While the rest of the designers are fitting their clients, Chris is meeting and getting to know his.

Tim comes back in to discuss things with the designers. Christian says his is fierce. Fresh 'N Fruity has Tim concerned. That shouldn't surprise me. Tim thinks that Steve is very courageous to discard the wedding dress almost entirely. Chris is making a bit of a nautical/sailor type theme, but Tim says to be sure that he doesn't go too costumey. Then he says he is an old fart. After talking about the bad decisions he's made at three o'clock. Wow. The designers are starting to get a little loopy. I like it when they get loopy. Apparently they are picking on Christian for being a 12 year old. Time is up for most of them, but Chris stays behind to keep working on his design. He doesn't want to be eliminated twice in a row. No kidding! He has a second chance that is rarely given...and he should take as much advantage of it as he can.

When the designers come in the next morning, Chris has fallen asleep on one of the couches. He apparently did get at least a couple of hours of sleep. I'm sure he could have used more. His outfit was done...but he had no idea if it would be any good. Steve is worried about his time and getting everything done on time. Tim sends their models in and they have two hours for the usual routine. Kevin feels like he could win a competition. Jillian didn't use much of her original materials but is confident. Christian is confident...as usual. Fresh 'N Fruity is only concerned with what the "ultimate judge" otherwise known as her client thinks. Ricky is crying again...remembering why he does what he does. Steve is panicking and in serious trouble, so Kevin is nice enough to help him. He is using glue. Wow. Time's up, and off they go. Victorya is helping with last minute things for Steve too as they are walking out the door.

Runway Time! Heidi introduces the judging panel with the usual faces plus Patrick Robinson from The Gap.

Sweet P designed an olive colored sack dress. The boob area doesn't seem to fit very well. I like that she is showing off the shoulders and arms though.

Jillian designed a bright red halter top dress. It's okay, but not great. Again, we are seeing some leg and some arm and shoulder...and some cleavage. I think the fit on her dress is much better than the fit on Sweet P's dress. It's got a little bit of black striping that really seems to distract from the overall design, at least to me.

Ricky made a pair of close fitting denim crop pants and a halter top with a deep plunging vee neckline. It's a tan color with black and gold accents. Really well made from what I can tell, it looks great on her, and it looks very different from what he was given. I like this one.

Chris made a black pencil skirt with a blue top. The boobs again don't fit right. And he created a red and black belt of sorts. I'm really not sure about this one Chris. I had hoped that with your second chance you would have done a little more to make a good impression. This is just okay at best.

Christian took the jeans he had been given and made them really well fitted crop pants. Then he paired that with a taupe colored undershirt and a black shirt that he really Christianized. LOL. Poofy sleeves, texture, well fitted around the sides. It looks good, and it looks like him. But not so over the top and dated as some of his looks have been so far.

Victorya turned a dark green velvet dress into a shorter dark green velvet dress. It isn't anything special, from what I can see. The color was already fabulous on her client. But I am not impressed with the design of the dress. It fits okay. Again, nothing to write home about.

Rooty Tooty's dress. Hmmmm...well, it is a black sack, with another black sack underneath it, and a red unfitted jacket over it. And nothing appears to be finished. A lot of what she has put out I have liked. This one, I do not. Frankly, you can't see her model's figure. She should be accentuating it, since this is all about how much weight she has lost. I don't know about this one.

Kit designed a black lace over white mixed with red dress. It's got a wrap top and is a nice length. Again, I like that we are seeing leg and arms and a bit of cleavage. I like the ideas that she is putting into this dress, with the black over white on top and peeking out at the bottom under the hem. Also using the same red as in the skirt to trim the top with is a nice touch.

Kevin designed a sleeveless, strapless top that is adorable! He is really showing off his model's recently acquired figure with this one. It is a light yellow with black accents, paired with a black crop pant. Really well fitted, really adorable. Even though it is strapless, it has some length to it, and still maintains its shape without looking like a sack (coughSweetPcough). Really nice work.

Steven's dress looks downright matronly. It is black with white trim. It feels very boxy to me...too long at the bottom, the sleeves are too long, the neckline is too straight. it is just not good. I think he made a huge mistake too, with not using more of the wedding dress in his design. I don't think this looks good for him.

Rami's design is a high waisted knee length brown skirt paired with a white halter top. The top fits amazingly well, and makes her look fierce. I'm not sure it is as innovative as what Kevin did, but it is very well done. Again, we are getting leg and shoulder and arm and cleavage. It is good.

Before we get to the judging, I have to say that I love Heidi's hair! LOVE IT.

Okay, so the top and bottom designers models come out. They start with Kevin's design, and his model says she loves it. The leggings aren't terribly innovative, but otherwise it is great. They think Rooty Tooty might have pushed some of herself onto her client, and they think they have made her look a little shorter and choppier than she is. They question Jillian for not using the shirt that was part of the original material, but they think she looks sexy and tasteful. Only the pearls, the neckline, and the sleeve cuffs are from the wedding dress that Steve started with. They say he went from a wedding to a funeral...or maybe a French maid at a funeral. They love what Christian did with his outfit, and love that it is not only him, but also commercial. They aren't too sure about Chris's design because it is a bit costumey. They think he needs to think about cliche's and maybe tone it down a bit.

Our winner is Christian. I liked Kevin's design better, but I think I understand why Christian won...it was the commercial appeal of his design. Chris also survived another day! Tone it down baby. Tone it down. Steve is out, and Rooty Tooty will be back next week. I'm not surprised about that decision. He really should not have gone with so much fabric that he bought and ignored the dress he was given to work with. And on top of that, what he made was just not good. Not at all.

So next week they are going on a field trip. Should be interesting. Until then...