Recap: Project Runway S8:13 (aka Finale Part 1)

So here we go..

Michael C, Mondo, Andy and Gretchen are getting really really itchy for Fashion Week.

I'm going to say now that Mondo should win and Gretchen should meet a firey death.

At the onset, Heidi welcomes the final four and each get nine grand and six weeks to make a ten piece collection.

Tim does his mushy Tim stuff and then they all head home to start their collection.

Did I mention that Gretchen should meet a firey death?

Tim heads to Hawaii to meet up with Andy and we find out that Andy's family immigrated from Laos and he has a "different" kind of childhood.. working on a farm growing up, raising catfish.. basically doing what needs to be done to help his family survive.

Tim's reaction to the catfish was hysterical but the fact that Andy and his family live in an actual wood shanty was kind of sad. And even thought I always liked Andy's work, it made me want him to win. A little.  Especially when he was getting emotional about not wanted to go back to "the farm".

His Loas inspired designed certainly are a tip of the hat to his heritage but .. ehh.. I dunno. He didn't have any pieces made because he had been waiting for his material to be delivered. Now he has two weeks to sew sew sew.

Michael C has always been my favorite because he was the underdog and all the mean kids picked on him... dismissed him.. didn't think he had any talent or could sew.

I have to tell you that I LOVED the feather skirted dress he first showed Tim.

He does need to edit and I think Michael is like a create-create-create machine but needs to learn how to make one fantastic piece instead of 6 almost fantastic pieces.

What really got me teary though was when Michael's partner Richard said that Michael's parents were never supportive of him until he made Project Runway. Michael  said that he knew his parents wanted the best for him.. but on their terms. They obviously did not approve of his sexuality and given he has a son, I'm assuming he tried to be what they wanted  him to be. So very sad and it makes so much sense now why being accepted by the other designers was important to him. At any rate, his son Giovanni has a great role model.

Mondo's house is just as colorful as his designs are. Living in, as he stated, the VERY Mexican section of Denver.. his inspiration is a cross between an old Mexican circus and the Day of the Dead. His collection is more muted then what he's shown before but it did impress me. Dinner with his family wasn't really that enlightening.. his Mexican Catholic parents tried to "macho" their son by forcing him to play baseball in exchange for playing the piano but given  Mondo recently came out as being HIV+ on the show, it wasn't known during the filming at his house.

Maybe Mondo's parents need to call Michael C's parents and educate them a little.

At any rate.. I always liked Mondo and was looking forward to seeing his pieces. He didn't disappoint.. but did surprise.

This should be good!

Gretchen, Gretchen, Gretchen,.. omg, I just can't stomache her.

She was whining that she came back to Portland to a failed relationship, an empty bank account, an empty house and so in the middle of designing her collection she had to move and whined about what ever else she whined about. I tuned her out.

Sorry, but if you weren't such a high on the hog bitch during the regular season I might have more sympathy for her. There was a moment with her and Tim (who I seriously think she has a "daddy" complex about) where he told her that he had a devastating break up but that's what made him move to New York.

I love Tim. Mucho respect for him.

Her collection is rural inspired but I've never been a fan even though the judges went ga ga over her. I got a little giddy when Tim said her stuff looked "customy" ..

So it's back to New York they go and damn.. there's Tim with the dreaded velvet bag.

But surprise! It's a gift vacation for each of them provided by the Hilton.

Um.. so big deal. Funny that Andy got the HAWAIIAN vacation since he LIVES in Hawaii. Can we say, oversight?

Back to the work room they go and three looks have to be presented to the judges in order to determine the final three. The hitch is that two existing pieces are to be shown and they have two days to create a third piece. They grown, but come on. Project Runway has been on for 8 seasons and this ALWAYS happens. Every season.

So sew, sew, sew they do and at the end of day one, Mondo is having issues with his piece and feels that he wasted a day's worth of work. Personally, I think he did to. Brown striped jersey with hot pink sides is not really on my wish list. But then again, these size 16 hips needs to stay far far away from jersey AND stripes!

Day two and Mondo really needs to trim his arm pit hair if he's going to wear a tank top.

Michael is confused about what he's going to show and it goes back to him being a creating machine and not being focused on the amazing. Tim feels good about Gretchen and that makes me what stick a finger down my throat. Mondo did scrap the dress and made a skirt and top which was.. um.. okay. But Andy's piece? OMFG!! I loved.. loved.. loved the pleated dress he created.

The day of the runway show arrives and Michael is crashing because he can't decide what looks he wants to show. He's floundering because he's questioning his confidence. But the models come in and it's the flurry of hair, make up and last minute stiches and finally runway arrives.

Heid and the crew sit, watch, grimmace, smile and look confused.

The judges have mixed feeling about what Mondo presented. Heidi liked one piece, Michael Kors another, Nina Garcia something else.

For Andy, Michael Kors and Heidi both loved the same dress I did but Nina was concerned that there wasn't enough of a range because everything was short and bare.

Michael C didn't fare any better. The judges liked one thing or another and Nina wasn't thrilled with his monotone color palette.

Nina had THE BEST line when commenting on Gretchen's presentation... it looks like crunch granola! They felt her collection didn't look expensive.. was too "hippie-ish".. and didn't really qualify for the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Totally agree but I think Gretchen should meet a firey death anyway and can't for the life of me figure out how she made it this far to begin with..

The judges were perplexed on why each designer didn't show more of a variety of their line and I guess I see the designers point.. wanting to try to hold things back to pique the interest but the opposite happened. They feel Gretchen wasn't dramatic enough for the runway .. Granola Deluxe as Kors said. Mondo is the opposite of Gretchen.. too over the top and Nina is afraid he won't be taken seriously. Michael thinks it looks like a crazy polynesian party where they stuffed all kinds of things in their hair. He's worried that the cirus is coming to town. Heidi thinks that Michael is a great draper and a fine designer but like Nina said, his confidence is waning. Beads, feathers and satin doesn't make a show. All three agree that Andy has grown during the season but feel he's "ify"..

So who's going to Fashion Week and who's AUF? Thank God I DVR'd the show and was able to fast foward through the commercial's because I think I would have smoked a hundred cigarettes in anticipation!

Mondo's IN!!
Gretchen's IN!! (how? how? how? omg!! how?)
Andy's IN!

Poor Michael. I can't understand why Michael is out and Gretchen is in..

I thought there was going to be a last minute suprise... and four designers would be going because there is no way in HELL that Gretchen would go and Michael wouldn't but no. He's out. His breakdown was so emotional and so raw. It was painful to watch.

One more week to go... Go Team Mondo!