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The Challenge: Using their models as clients, the designers' mission was to create a cocktail dress with environmentally-friendly fabrics. The jaw-dropping twist? The models would hit Mood to buy the fabrics of their choice with $75. Kenley's model said Kenley "had a look of complete disgust" when she heard the news. Cut to a model in Mood asking: "How much is a yard?" This caused additional stress for some designers who ended up with the same rusty-brown satin to work with.
The week, the winning designer would not get immunity, but instead their dress would be sold and manufactured by Bluefly.com. Natalie Portman, known for her green conscience and her vegan Te Casan shoe line, was the guest judge, and, as you'd expect, was kind in her criticism. Ultra-tan Blayne is still making up -licious words—this week it was calling Heidi Klum "Darthlicious," his cute version of Darth Vader because she's "all shiny and put together" on the outside, but on the inside she's "cr-azy!" No, it's not going to stop.
The Winner: Third-person talking Suede won with his youthful yellow and red frock, made with many, many strips of satin on the bodice and a tulle skirt. His response? "Suede fucking rocked it!" But then he momentarily slipped into first person with the excitement, declaring: "Natalie Portman loved my dress!" Portman said she would wear the dress, and Heidi Klum said she would if she were 10 years younger.
The Loser: Wesley was one of the unfortunate designers who ended up with that crusty-looking brown satin. The result was an ill-fitting sheath with a wide bottom hem. Portman mustered a compliment, saying that she like the little bow-like flourish at the neckline, but other comments included "It looks like 20 sets of human hands touched it," and that he'd "tortured the fabric."
The LA Connection: Emily was safe again this week—read, not in the tops three or bottom three—with a very short, strapless black, white and khaki jersey dress with a full, slightly asymmetrical skirt. We agreed with Emily when she said she wished she had had more fabric.
· Reality of Fashion: Project Runway, Season 5, Episode 1 [Racked]