Project Runway Season Three: Recap of Finale Part One - 10/12/06

Welcome to my recap of the Project Runway Finale, Part One.

I chose not do a recap of the reunion episode because I see reunion episodes as a painful and pointless ritual, like picking a scab. The surrounding area is already infected, so poking at the festering wound only drives the infection deeper.

I didn't need the disturbing footage of a potty-mouthed Vincent going psycho on the producer who mistakenly sent his $100 shirts out to be drycleaned. It spoiled my whole image of Vince as a happy-go-lucky hat maker.

And I knew that if Keith Michael showed up, he'd turn his cold Jude Law stare on Heidi and Tim and hint at there being some sort of conspiracy against him.

Don't mess with Jude when he's mad

When will Jude learn? If you sleep with the nanny and get caught in the act, just admit the deed and move on. 

Keith needed more of Malan's grace. Humbled by his time on the show, Malan made the most of his fifteen minutes of fame and even presented a gorgeous show of his own at Fashion Week. That's a class act. Malan, your maniacal giggle and wacky European charms can still work their magic. You rock!

Okay, onto what happened with the finale, part one.

The designers have been given a budget of $8,000 each and need to create 12 looks in the two months before Fashion Week. Heidi reminds them that the winner will receive a photo spread in Elle Magazine, a mentorship with INC, a 2007 Saturn, and $100,000 to put towards their own business.

Some weeks later, Tim Gunn visits the designers in their respective homes. First stop is to see Michael Knight in Atlanta. Michael is now wearing braces, and he encourages people to call him "Brace face." But I can assure you that Michael looks nothing like this:

Sid from Toy Story

He's far too lovely, and his braces are barely noticeable.

He shows Tim the initial pieces he's put together for his collection. He's going for a "street safari" theme. His sketches look great.  Tim likes the garments Michael has been working on, but he warns him that he needs to keep the collection cohesive. Each design needs to look like it came out of the closet of the same woman.

Michael takes Tim over to his family's house where he cooks dinner for everybody. We see Michael's cool mom again and get to meet his friendly dad.  This is a tight family filled with the Spirit. They join together in a circle for a group prayer of thanks before dinner. Now I know where Michael gets all that great energy from!  That family is chock full of good vibes. Michael says he is thinking positive as he prepares for Fashion Week, and he imitates closing his eyes and chanting a little mantra.

I have to give Michael another Mystic Point for his mind over matter powers. Way to go, bro!

Next, Tim visits Laura at her apartment in mid-town Manhattan. Instead of the immaculate penthouse I'm expecting to see, her place turns out to be a huge, empty, cavernous place. Rather like the inside of a ship, complete with echo.

Laura is coming along now in her pregnancy and reveals that she is expecting her fifth boy in a row. This screws up her chances to reform the Von Trapp singing family, because she won't have enough sopranos. But she's got a head start on a basketball team.

The Bennett Boys in a Few Years

Laura already has most of her outifts made and just has some finishing to do. Tim looks at everything and cautions her to youthen things up in the detailing. God forbid that anybody in the design world design for the 30+ woman instead of the rabid 19-year-old everybody else is brainwashed to design for. We can't have that!

Tim is not amused by a complex green dress with layers that looks very vintage and 1920's.  I love the look of it.  Tim hates it, but states so in his typical polite fashion. "Is this even pretty? I'm not sure" - hinting that maybe Laura should put the pretty back in.

Laura's architect husband turns up with her boys in tow. The littlest lad, a charmer with a big smile, proudly presents Tim with a log of brown stuff. Tim asks what it is, and the boy announces, "Turtle poop."  Tim declines his offer of turtle poop.

Laura sums up her family this way. "Welcome to our clan. Have some poop."

A hunt begins for Frank the Turtle, who apparently wanders freely through the house. When he is located, Tim inspects him. He pronounces Frank "A good-looking tortoise." And the turtle does look rather distinguished. Just like Tim.

Separated at birth? You decide.

Now it's time for Tim to visit Uli, who lives in Miami. She has a great apartment overlooking the water. She tells Tim that the theme for her collection is "beach safari." Uh-oh. That makes for two safari themes in the collections to be presented at Fashion Week.

Tim and Uli go to the beach for a chat, and Uli describes how when she was a little girl in East Germany, she loved watching Miami Vice. In East Germany before the wall came down, things were very drab and everyone was poor so Uli learned how to make things like clothes. She was always fantasizing about the bright colors in Miami and has been very happy living there.

Don Johnson Inspires Countless Foreigners to Seek Their Fortunes in America

Uli has a few of her dresses done, and Tim reminds her that the judges need to see some original stuff. He doesn't want them to call her a "one-note." She doesn't want that, either.

Now it's time to visit Jeffrey in L.A. Jeffrey confesses to the camera that his dad left when he was eight but that dad was a very angry type and that Jeffrey grew up pretty damaged. He got into drugs at a young age, and later on was so deeply immersed in junkie-dom that he planned to hang himself. His roommate came in and saved him. After that, he got help, and he's now been clean for five years.

Good for Jeffrey for turning his life around. It can't have been easy. I'm giving him one Mystic Point for demonstrating his spiritual warrior talents.

We meet Jeffrey's girlfriend Melanie, hidden beneath a Mohawk, and their adorable little boy, Harrison. Jeffrey says he's been really busy working both on his own collection for his existing business plus the one for Fashion Week.

Jeffrey takes Tim over to his work space, a huge sewing room in downtown L.A. He shows Tim some of his work, and Tim loves the designs he has completed. There are some very sophisticated-looking dresses hanging on that rack with lovely detailing.  Tim says he's proud of Jeffrey.

Fast forward a few weeks, and we're now in New York in the week before Fashion Week. The designers are back together again, having prepared their collections.

Michael says his collection is "Nasty," but I think he means "nasty" in a good way.

Laura is feeling more and more competitive. She wants to win if, for no other reason, than to prevent Jeffrey from winning. There is a complex relationship between the two of them - sort of an "I love you/I hate you" thang.

Over at the workspace sponsored by Macy's they get out their designs and Tim comes around for a chat. Jeffrey's, like, all done. He says he wanted to have everything done because he figures that the producers would throw some surprise challenge at them at the last minute and he wants to be prepared. Note: I REALLY THOUGHT IT SUCKED last season when at the last minute, Heidi made all the designers create one last look, and then they brought in the eliminated designers and forced them to help out. Bogus!

Tim checks over Laura's garments and is delighted to see that she has gotten rid of that "chartreuse popsicle" dress. I guess he really wasn't a fan of that green dress.

Michael has been overdoing the sequins and the bling on some of his dresses, and Tim warns him about it.  He either needs to tone it down or go way over the top and be strong with his vision.

I'm giving Tim Gunn one Mystic Point here for using the word "bling."  That's pretty hip for a square design teacher. Now I'm half-expecting to hear Tim erupt in a spontaneous rap.

The designers go through model casting, where models come in and they figure out who would look good wearing each of their designs. We briefly see Amanda the red-headed model again.

The designers also consult the Tresemme people about hair styling. Jeffrey already has that one covered. He's brought along 12 really ugly farmmaid blonde wigs and wants all his girls to look the same. Can we say, yuck?

Then the designers talk with Collier Strong about makeup, and thank God Jeffrey doesn't say "I want them all to look like deer," like Santino infamously did to the poor models who modelled his lingerie in one of the challenges last season.

Back at the workroom, Laura says she isn't buying that Jeffrey magically doesn't have a single hem, hook, or eye to alter, and that his work is 100% finished. Also, she questions the refined sewing on most of his garments, since she never saw that level of sewing talent from him before. She doubts he had time to execute things to that level of fine detail, especially if he was simultaneously working on his other showroom collection back home. She's convinced he had help.

I guess that's a no-no -- the designer's work must be 100% their own.  But it's never been clearly stated on the show.  I've often wondered about that. Like, Jay McCarroll had some funky, unique, knitted looks in his final collection in the first season, and somehow I don't think he knitted those himself.

Remember this knitted sweater thing from Jay? Did he make that himself? Does it matter?

Anyway, everyone is hinting that it's grounds for disqualification to have anybody help you out in sewing your final collection. And Laura is prepared to go on record with her suspicions. She talks to the other designers about it, and first, they're like, "No way." But then they take a close look at one pair of leather pants that even Michael says looks suspiciously great.  And now they're wondering if Jeffrey had help, too.

As Laura puts it, "You don't just pull that level of craftsmanship out of your ass."

Laura speaks with Tim privately about it, and Tim says they will look into it, even though it's exceptionally difficult to prove.  He hints that he has had his own questions about this same issue but doesn't go into details.

Laura also tells Jeffrey that she has raised this concern with the producers, giving him a heads-up about it. And Michael stands up with her and says it isn't just her who has questions about it.

To Laura's surprise, Jeffrey doesn't react by saying "F%&* you, bitch" and getting in her face about it. In fact, he is very quiet about it.

Hmm. What does this mean, or what does it not mean?

Tim talks to Jeffrey about it and asks him about some specific garments that display an exceedingly strong level of expertise in the craftsmanship. He asks him about a bunch of different outfits. Jeffrey says that he did have someone do some pleating on two pieces, and he shows him.  But he says he did everything else himself.

He explains that in his business he's gotten used to having to do, like, 100 garments at a time, and he can sew really well really quickly. Plus, when he has the luxury to really take some extra time, his work is much better.

Jeffrey says to the camera that he's scared now that he won't be able to show at Fashion Week, and that he feels like he's headed into a black hole.

And the screen goes black, and that's the end of the episode.

Whoa, the drama!  Will Jeffrey have come all this way and done all this work only to find that he doesn't get to present at Fashion Week?

Well, from the reports and photos of Fashion Week, we do know that Jeffrey presented and that his designs came off very well. But is it possible that he only presented as a decoy, like Kara Janx did last year, and that he was disqualified for the finals?

It's certainly possible.

We see a brief preview of next week's episode, and we see Tim making a dramatic announcement about something. And we see what looks like Jeffrey crying and being held by someone as he sobs.

Oh my!  Jeffrey made Angela's mother cry in the moms episode, and he wasn't very apologetic about being so abusive to someone who was supposed to be acting as his client. Is it karmic payback time for Jeffrey?

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I like a lot of the photos I've seen of Jeffrey's final collection. So I hope he isn't eliminated. But if the rules really state that you can't have any outside help with your work, then it would seem that he already admitted he broke those rules by outsourcing some of that pleating work on those two garments.

So what's the deal?

We'll just have to wait until next week to find out!

When I post next week's final recap, I'll also be telling you about something special that you'll want to check out -- here is a sneek peak:

The Purse Pooch - Purses, Pup Culture and Shopping from a Doggie on the Go.

This is the soft launch of my new fashion and humor site. More will be added to it in days to come, so come back and see more cool stuff as it is added!

If you missed my earlier Runway recaps, you'll find them here:

Articles index

Lipstick Mystic Points Awarded So Far:

Vincent Libretti:      1 Wacky Mystic Point from first week; 3 Mystic Patience Points from second week; grand total: 4 Mystic Points (eliminated - and then eliminated again tenth episode!)

Alison Kelly:       1 Cute and Kittenish Mystic Point from first week; 1 Enthusiasm Mystic Point from third week; 2 Sweet Ingenue Mystic Point from fourth week; 1 Sweet Moonbeams and Fairy Dreams Point from sixth week: Grand Total: 5 Mystic Points (eliminated)

Robert Best:       2 Funny and Fabulous Mystic Points from first week; 1 Remember You're Fabulous Point from fifth week; 1 You Rock Mystic Point from sixth week; 1 Sweet Soul Point from seventh episode; (eliminated) Grand Total: 5 Mystic Points

Malan Breton:       2 Mysterious and Villainous Mystic Points from first week; 2 Mystic Patience Points (for not killing his evil mother) from second week; sub-total so far: 4 Mystic Points (Eliminated second episode; we'll miss you, Malan!)

Laura Bennett:       1 Cool Mom Mystic Point from first week; 1 Well-Dressed Pup Mystic Point from third week; 2 Taming the Rosette Mystic Point from fourth week; 1 Mystic Pregnancy Point from seventh week; 2 Mystic Taste Points from this week; 1 Pink Dress Loveliness point from eleventh episode; sub-total so far: 8 Mystic Points

Michael Knight:       1 Fierce Talent Mystic Point from first week; 1 Underappreciated Genius Mystic Point from third week; 2 Taming the Rosette Mystic Points from fourth week; 1 Zen Master Mystic Point and 1 Well-Deserved Recognition Point from fifth week; 1 Mind Over Matter Mystic Point from sixth week; 1 Wickety Wack Intervention Point from tenth week; one Using the Force Wisely point from eleventh episode; 1 Mantra Point from eleventh episode; sub-total so far: 10 Mystic Points

Jeffrey Sebelia:       1 Pageants Are Weird Mystic Point from first week; 2 I Finally Get You Mystic Points from fourth week; 1 Villain Point from fifth week; 1 Ugly/Beautiful Mystic Point from sixth week; 1 Spiritual Warrior point from this week; sub-total so far: 6 Mystic Points

Keith Michael:       1 Model Strategizing Mystic Point from second week; grand total 1 Mystic Point (eliminated fourth episode)

Uli Herzner:       1 Dining Mystic Point from third week; 1 Model Strategizing Mystic Point from third week; 2 Uli Love Mystic Points from sixth week; 1 Party Girl Mystic Point from eighth week; 1 Uli Love Point from tenth week; 1 model stealing point from eleventh episode; sub-total 7 Mystic Points

Bradley Baumkirchner: 1 Trust Your Vision Mystic Point from third week; 1 Best Roommate Ever Mystic Point from this week; total 2 Mystic Points (eliminated fifth episode)

Angela Keslar:       1 Dr. Evil Mystic Point from second week; 1 Incomprehensible Aesthetic Mystic Point from third week; 1 Wow You Have Talent Point from fifth week; 2 Mystic Patience Points from episode seven; grand total: 5 Mystic Points (eliminated - and then eliminated again tenth episode!)

Darlene, Angela's mom: 2 Mystic Patience Points from seventh episode

Tim Gunn: 2 Adoration and Worship Mystic Points from fourth week; 1 Hip-Hop Know-How Point for using "bling" in conversation from this week; sub-total 3 points.

Kara Janx: 1 Viva La Janx, Long Live the Janx Mystic Point from sixth week

Kayne Gillaspie: 3 Mystic Weight Loss Points from seventh week; 1 Country Star Mystic Point from eighth week; 1 Pretty Design Point from tenth episode; total: 5 Mystic Points (eliminated)

Jia Santos - 2 Grace and Beauty Modeling Mystic Points this week

New Shop Opened for Runway Gear!

"Full tilt boogie quilted extravaganza of puff"

"Proud member of the Michael Knight Secret Admiration Society"

And more goodies, check them out!

And if you missed out on Season One & Season Two, check out the DVD's:

 Project Runway Season One - The Complete First Season

 Project Runway Season Two - The Complete Second Season