Oh, and to get it out of the way early: Of course Denver designer Mondo Guerra passed this challenge.
For those of you still reading, last night's challenge seemed interesting until those two dreaded words were spoken: "avant-garde." Those are probably the two most overused words in Project Runway, and probably the entire fashion industry. If you call everything avant-garde, nothing is. The challenge only got worse from there, as the All Stars decided to go with the cheese of '80s neon instead of anything futuristic or light-show-like with their designs.
The designers were allotted $300 to spend at lighting and special-effect shop Barbizon Lighting, and while the rest of the designers were buying L.E.D. light ropes and fiberoptic twinkle lights, Kenley spent almost all of her money on neon tape. For a light challenge. At least she wasn't trying to make twinkle-light polka dots.While everyone else went more sleek and modern with their designs (black sheath dresses and pencil skirts), Austin decided to go in a different direction, saying his inspiration was a "grand, dramatic, light and airy ball gown" and that he wanted to "play up the star dust look."
Then it was time for the designs to hit the runway:
Jerrell (voted off): I can't coherently describe what he put down the runway. There's nothing that properly conveys what it looked like except maybe "'40s lampshade."
Mondo: Black dress with a pink back covered in neon tape casing tube lights with a strange head piece that Georgina described as "Tron-esque."Kenley: Plaid skirt made with neon tape and a white jacket that looked an awful lot like a repurposed fence.
Austin: Black ball gown wrapped with blue fiberoptic lights.
Michael: Black dress with sleeves covered in green neon tape that he described as a "crazy ninja turtle look."
When the looks were done coming down the runway, the judges deemed Mondo, Austin and Kenley's looks the best and Michael and Jerrell's looks the worst. Austin won this week, and it was well deserved, as earlier in the episode it was revealed that his mother's house had just gone into foreclosure and he said he wanted to win this challenge to give his mother hope.
Jerrell's hope was taken away, however, as his design was deemed the worst of the worst and he was sent home.
