RECAP: Project Runway Season 22, Episode 7
Guten tag, Designers!
Looks like we’re starting right where we should: on the runway with a new challenge, just as God and Tim Gunn wanted it to be.
The Challenge
Unconventional Challenge Season 21 vs Season 22
Budget: unconventional bygone-era tech materials
Time: 2 Days
And now I understand why we had a full episode last time (and probably never again): the twins (Jesus and Antonio) are back, and they continue to suck all of the oxygen out of the room and try my last damn nerve.
Read on for my take on Episode 7. SPOILERS AHEAD!
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Immediately we’re watching The Joseph McRae Show because, as he reminds us, nobody on either season wants him to win. And he was eliminated (BY VOTE) on the unconventional challenge last season. I feel for him. He has been knocked down by the show across two seasons, and now you’re bringing his original television bullies back?
Christian brings all 14 designers to a room full of tech from “bygone eras.” You know, like cassette tapes and wireless keyboards, ethernet cables and…Christmas lights? Sure. Hand me my acetaminophen and a heating pad, because I’m so very old now.
They dash about for 10 minutes and just grab anything and everything they can. Bi grabs keyboards; Ms. Joan (S21) waves people off her bag of tricks; Bryan gravitates towards bubble wrap (groundbreaking for him …); Christian taunts Season 22; Naheim grabs “old music stuff” like iPod Nanos (more acetaminophen please); Anna stresses because she is the unconventional girlie.
The Work Room
The designers from each season grab a table and design together, because while they’re each working on collections, they don’t have to be cohesive. And honestly, great. I love that for us.
…except Joseph McRae. He’s at his own table, kind of in his feelings: he was rejected by Season 21 designers by being voted out on that season’s unconventional challenge, and Season 22 designers almost unanimously said he was the weakest designer. So, no. I don’t think I’ll sit with you today.
It looks like Ms. Joan (S21) grabbed some quilted blankets and Naheim is rightfully mocking her and the Twins (S21) for wanting to use fabric for the unconventional materials challenge.
The Twins (S21) go over and chat up Joseph McRae about his Christmas light curtain, but honestly, it’s the best way I’ve ever seen to store Christmas string lights. Not a tangle in the bunch.
Christian does a walkthrough: we learn that Bi has never done anything with unconventional materials and doesn’t know about shucking keyboards; Bryan is weaving a cocoon (his word, not mine) out of bubble wrap and Christian points out that this is a tech challenge, so do something techy; Joseph still wants to be in his wheelhouse and wants a cute poncho; he’s also not going out of his way to help S22 because he’s “the weakest designer in the room”; Anna wants to be grey and clear and…very similar to everyone, and she keeps talking about how she is the unconventional girlie; Jeffrey is doing a blazer that looks like something a drag queen is gonna wear; Christian tells Jeffrey that he needs to kick his team into gear, and that man does it.
Over to the S21 designers: Ms. Joan barely gets a mention, just a wow, about her cords being twisted; Ethan gives us fan collar realness; Jesus is doing his macrame thing again with a ton of wires; Yuchen is making a motherboard jacket.
Nara Smith is an upcycle girlie and follows Anna on the socials. She has a lunchtime chat session with the designers, where it’s really just stirring the pot and getting the Twins to cause more drama. It’s focused on Joseph McRae, who points out again that he’s never been in the bottom this season, so it’s odd that everyone is always on his case.
The current designers have a meeting about each other’s designs because they really want to win this challenge. Bryan is questioned about his bubble wrap again and nothing is going to be seen. No one believes in him at all, except for Bryan, though he changes his design. Joseph kinda snubs everyone and continues to do his thing, so they all just kinda continue without him. Naheim hopes that S21 falls on their face.
It’s the second day and S22 is in trouble because no one is ready. Christian brings in the models and the girls are excited to see the S21 folks again. Bi is still popping the keys; Naheim’s model is wearing nothing; Jeffrey is using chicken wire and cording; Bryan has started over and is doing a knotting technique which Christian points out is exactly like what Jesus is doing, but Bryan just dismisses it as Forever 21 braiding. It’s good to see that Bryan will keep his delusional fantasies; Joseph McRae fully ignores Christian and just sits at the machines.
S21 clocks Bryan’s attempt at braids and tries to clock Jude’s look because it’s the same materials as Ethan’s; Antonio says that Jeffrey is copying his look and says that a good designer should switch up the look. The Twins are back to sucking the oxygen out of the room and being menaces for the drama. I would love to see either twin on this show without the other. Last season, they were basically a team, which they were called out on, and this episode it fully feels like they’re being as abrasive as possible because they can and have each other. Truly, just give me one or the other for a full season and we can see how tough they are. Put them on “House of Villains.”
Nicky Campbell arrives to give unsolicited advice to the designers. We learn nothing new, but I kinda like this human, I think.
We’re approaching the end of the day and Jeffrey walks over to Bryan to get this garment spray-painted now, which Bryan says yes to and Jeffrey helps with, neglecting his own look. We also see “Project Runway” model icon Liris as the lucky lady that will be wearing Bryan’s wires, and she gives some lovely thoughts to Bryan about how uncomfortable this look is. “You have a bunch of wires on a ring, and you just put her out there naked. Create something. Something.”
So what is Bryan’s solution? TAPE! He’s just taping her up “like a rotisserie chicken,” according to Naheim. And everyone (including me) is agog and aghast. Christian just tells him, “No.” But truly, at this point, what else can this man (with immunity) do?
“You got immunity, so fuck us then, huh?” as Naheim so eloquently quips.
The Runway
NINA GARCIA LIVES! WE ARE SAVED!
Also, Tyra is gone, and in her place we have the icon Iman! Thank you fashion gods! Law Roach is also there.
Let’s get to the runway.
House of Season 22
Jeffrey (and model Amanda): here she comes walking down in chicken wire and some turquoise wires and some zipties. I won’t lie to you, this look’s a mess.
Naheim (and model Rain): chains and the backs of iPod Nanos. Apparently it’s very noisy. There’s nothing exciting here, though. It’s RoboCop Fashion Week.
Anna (and model Anastasiia): this entire look is made out of cassettes. The top is a very cool kinda chevron built just from the tape ribbons, and it’s very cool (and Law agrees, and I don’t like agreeing with Law). I do wish she had taken the advice (and maybe had the time?) from Nicky Campbell and made it a gown. Instead, we have this mini-skirt made from the empty cassettes and it’s…a choice. I think it really brings the garment down.
Jude (and model Briana): I actually don’t know what material he used here, but this is a garment. And he probably used something very close to workable fabric. But I really like this look. The sleeves/wings feel very chic to me, and that transparent, layered blue plastic skirt is really lovely. I do think this man has a career ahead of him. Nina isn’t so sure.
Bryan (and model Liris): Ethan (S21) says it all for me when he calls it a “jellyfish carwash” and questions whether or not he’s a bitch. I hate this look. If there was any justice, Law would read him to filth and make Bryan quit the competition. It just gets clearer and clearer each episode that Bryan is not cut out for this. Maybe he should go intern with Bi to understand what fashion is.
Joseph McRae (and model Anna): he did the thing. This is what Bryan thought he was doing. J-McRae achieved a structured collar out of Christmas lights! What?! He also fashioned some boots out of what looks like motherboards, not to mention a necklace. Say what you will about J-McRae, and then eat those words. He has vision. He is a moment. I love this.
Bi (and model Yu): holy hell this is gorgeous. This is expensive. This is fashion. This is forward thinking. Nina is SMILING! I’ve missed that SMILE! The white zipties against the black keys give such a great pop of color and flare. The corsetting up the back is stunning. Give him the season now.
House of Season 21
Antonio (and model Jessica): here we have the second ziptie dress. Honestly, I dislike both ziptie looks, his and Jeffrey’s. This model in particular, though, is made to look like a virus. And if that’s what he’s going for, then okay. I will say that I’m glad the base of the dress, a kind of winding road of metal parts, is on the body and not chicken wire floating above it. If I had to choose between this and Jeffrey’s, this wins.
Yuchen (and model Khoudia): this is wonderful. I actually gasped at how busy but refined this jacket of computer innards is. Even the AUX cords on the head are fun. The skirt is boring and takes away from the jacket.
Ethan (and model Rebecca): this just looks so uncomfortable. The Elizabethan neck with a left sleeve to match? Eh. It’s fine? But it feels so unfinished. And I don’t understand why the Twins were making a federal case out of Jude using the same materials. Other than to cause drama.
Joan (and model Naimah): what to say about this one? I like Ms. Joan, but sometimes her taste level is questionable. This feels like someone’s woven trivets were placed on some plastic wrapping from discarded Easter baskets and slapped onto a model. And also there’s a nipple. Ma’am.
Belania (and model Christina): this is also fine. I’m not sure why everyone thought that wires were the way to go, other than because it feels like cording. I think this two-piece look would have been better without the cords crisscrossing over it. The pieces of CDs, though, give it an extra oomf.
Jesus (and model Lexii): I’m so annoyed that I really really like this look. Damnit, Jesus! The macrame weaving on the torso is gorgeous. The colors all look so good together. And the way it falls for the skirt of the dress? Perfection. I really love this look. Now I understand why everyone was inspired to use the cords.
The Judging
At the end of the runway, Nina turns to Heidi and says just how much fun this all is. Yeah, Nina. That’s because you’ve been gone. You’ve missed this.
Belania (S21), Antonio (S21), Naheim, Jude, and Anna are all safe. I’m sure Anna is sad that she’s the unconventional girlie and is safe.
Jesus’s (S21) is loved by everyone. Iman loves the colors; Law loves that it looks like leather. Heidi wants to know who started this weaving look, was it him or Bryan? It’s because Heidi is messy and knows that the twins will stay messy. Jesus states that he was done first so obviously Bryan was inspired by him after he scrapped is first look. Bryan must defend himself by talking about studying with Ecole Lesage in Paris and brings haute couture instead of arts and crafts.
Ms. Joan (S21) is next and is told that it’s silly and that it does nothing for the body.
Yuchen (S21) has Heidi obsessed. And Law talks about how it looks like a Schiaparelli dress. Funny how no one is talking about how he’s copying another designer, because after seeing the picture, wasn’t he?
Ethan (S21) is up and it’s a mixed bag. The collar is giving electrocution, it’s giving Saw, it’s giving whore, it’s giving queen.
Bi is next to be judged and he has to point out that the neckline of his dress says “BITCH PLEASE” and I’m here for this. Law says this is incredible, and he’s correct. It’s stunning. It’s perfect. Nina tosses her cards. She has no notes. Iman says he is why AI will never be used in fashion. Bi cries happy tears and I love this for him.
Jeffrey comes up and is nearly read for filth, but I think the judges are saving that. Law says it’s trash. Nina says it’s chaotic and doesn’t have a lane. Heidi wishes that he had leaned more into his costume and drag aesthetic instead of editing himself down. Jeffrey does try to defend himself, though you can tell he’s deflated, and says he spent a lot of time helping other people. Law says that this is a competition and he could be going home instead of somebody else. And Law’s not wrong. But I get why Jeffrey helped. The weakest link was Bryan, who is in no danger of going home because of his immunity.
Joseph is next, but just in a photo because it’s just so damn heavy. Law loved this look (thank goodness). He redeemed himself from last season’s unconventional challenge.
Bryan is also shown in a photo because of the weight. He talks about how he was going to go with a different look but pivoted, and really emphasized how everything was done by hand. Nina says, “Okay, so did everybody else.” And the panel talks about how his model was miserable. Bryan’s talking head is as delusional as ever because he doesn’t think this bronze jellyfish corpse is bottom-worthy. He’s here for the learning.
As it stands, if Season 22 loses this, and they very well could, Jeffrey is going home. He and Bryan are both in the bottom, and Bryan has immunity. What I’d love to see? Judges break protocol and say that because Bryan’s is the worst and he’s consistently in the bottom (and honestly has no vision), he should be going home, and they’re going to do a double elimination the next challenge. Jeffrey’s is hashtag not great. But Bryan’s is dreadful. Is this the second time he’s saved because of his immunity? Ugh.
And Jeffrey is feeling the pressure, and he’s unhappy as hell. He asks why Bryan didn’t mention that he taped his dress to his model. And Bryan doesn’t have a response to the taping of the dress. He just deflects and tells Jeffrey he’s tired and doesn’t know where this criticism is coming from. Bryan wants to shut it down because he just can’t handle the stress. J-McRae stands up for Jeffrey and I am here for it. He may not want to help his team out with their looks, but what I do enjoy about him is that he will stand on business for people who have been wronged.
But we will have to wait until next week to find out what’s happening. All I know is that we have Bryan for at least one more challenge and that’s a travesty.
What do YOU think of “Project Runway” Season 22? Who are you rooting for? Drop your comments below!
