‘Project Runway’ 20 episode 5 recap: The latest challenge has the designers ‘Seeing Red’ [LIVE BLOG]

It has already been a topsy-turvy All-Stars season on “Project Runway.” The first challenge was all about redemption from past fashion sins and brought up such painful memories for one designer that he nearly self-eliminated. Then we went straight into an unconventional materials challenge where Mila Hermanovski was eliminated in a controversial result. And there was another surprise ouster in “Coronation Day” when Viktor Luna was sent home despite winning the previous challenge; our readers didn’t exactly agree with that one either. So how does the show follow all that up? Follow along below for our live blog of the episode “Seeing Red” with all the night’s developments as they happen.

There are 11 designers still competing for a second chance at the “Project Runway” title: Brittany Allen (Season 18), Prajje Oscar Jean Baptiste (Season 19), Laurence Basse (Season 15), Fabio Costa (Season 10), Bishme Cromartie (Season 17), Johnathan “Kayne” Gillaspie (Season Three), Rami Kashou (Season Four), Korto Momolu (Season Five), Kara Saun (Season One), Hester Sunshine (Season 17), and Anna Yinan Zhou (Season 19). The winner of the competition will get $250,000, a mentorship with the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America), and a feature in Elle magazine.

This week’s challenge is another toughie. “Seeing Red” is a true test of the designers’ abilities to stand out from the crowd because they’re all working with the same bolt of fabric. So they can’t rely on color, print, or pattern selections to distinguish them. They have to rely on their creativity and construction. And the pressure is even higher because they have to impress none other than Emmy winner Lena Waithe, onboard as guest judge. Read on below starting at 9:00pm (times listed are Eastern).

9:01pm — “I needed to sleep and grieve,” says Kayne about landing in the bottom after two weeks at the top. But as everyone reminds him, “you’re only as good as your last design on the runway,” especially without immunity — Korto, watch out!

9:04pm — The designers cautiously enter a darkened runway. The lights come on dramatically. Christian appears with a giant red bolt of fabric. “I came up with this next challenge myself for this exact moment,” he explains. Now is the time they need to stand out, so each of them will create a fabulous runway look from that single bolt of red fabric. I for one LOVE this idea. First, it saves the designers the stress of a Mood shopping run, but it also is a pure design challenge. We’re comparing apples to apples since everyone is using the same fabric. It’s all about the artistry. Problem is, not everyone loves that shade of red, not Fabio, not Kara Saun.

9:05pm — Now comes the fun part, says Christian as he whips out the scissors. The designers have to decide for themselves how to divide up the 110 yards of fabric. That divides evenly into 10 yards per designer, which I hope is how they split this. They have 45 minutes to divide fabric and sketch. And oh yeah, this is a one-day challenge. Prajje isn’t pleased.

9:08pm — Anna is a conceptual designer, so she has to think outside of the box. I’m just glad she’s working on her own this time. I hate when team challenges end up diluting the designers’ creativity like it did for her and Brittany last week. She’s making a ruffled cage. Hester is, no surprises here, doing something gender-bent with a crotch that has a tie closure. She wants to do pants, a top, a jacket, a hat. Girl, you’ve got one day. Brittany is also planning separates. Hester breaks out her cutter, which sounds like a dying cow. No one is pleased.

9:13pm — Fabio doesn’t like this red fabric, but he’s gonna work with it to make a jumpsuit that looks like a dress from the front. “Unexpected a little bit.” Bishme does avant garde streetwear, so he’s doing a blazer with exaggerated shoulders. Laurence is doing a bomber jacket with flowers.

9:15pm — Just like that, it’s already time for Christian’s walkthrough. Prajje has a great idea of making a young, hip tailored suit, but does it really play to his strengths? Brittany is leaning into her expertise with athletic wear, at which point we learn that she had a stroke during a flight. She was paralyzed on the right side of her body, and used Peloton to help her recover, which she did in six weeks. Wow, I had no idea that’s what inspired her pivot to activewear since her season. Christian thinks her ideas are cool, and so do I.

9:19pm — Korto is creating texture by weaving the fabric. “I believe in you,” says Christian, but she needs a tighter weave. Kayne’s look is way too basic though: “This is what you sell to the store AFTER the show,” says Christian. “Be who you are.” Bishme’s ideas are “strange,” but really “cool and different.” Anna is doing ruffles again, so she needs to make sure it’s “unbelievable.” Kara Saun is planning a reveal where a long dress becomes a short evening dress, but she’s still got a LOT of work to do. Fabio is playing it too “safe.”

9:24pm — Fabio is going with his gut that his jumpsuit isn’t as boring as Christian thinks. Always a BIG risk not to take Christian’s advice. We’ll see how that works out for him. Rami also has an issue where his look isn’t “impactful” enough. With everyone using the same fabric, the designers need to be themselves, but cranked up to 11 to stand out from their opponents.

9:26pm — Prajje has got a serious problem. He wants to take Christian’s advice to work more in his wheelhouse, but there’s no time for a complete redesign, so he needs to adapt his suit idea into a dress idea fast.

9:30pm — “Are we RED-y for a model?” says Christian. Brittany seems happy about her pants. Hester is having fit issues all over the damn place. “I’m really looking to push my boundaries and go beyond what I already do on a daily basis. So I just hope they’re ready for this.” Are they red-y for this, Hester? You’d better have something red-y to show them tomorrow. We’ve seen designers screwed this season already by trying to suddenly change up their style in one challenge, and Hester is doing it with unfamiliar fabric. Fabio’s look is pretty but still safe, according to Christian, but he’s sticking to his guns. Kara Saun’s look is a “cool vibe,” according to Christian. Brittany needs to be careful not to have a “wonky crotch.” Christian worries that Anna’s look is just a dress with ruffles attached. It’s not what she wanted when she started either. “I want to murder myself!” Okay, Anna, it’s not THAT serious.

9:34pm — After model fittings, I’m not sure who’s looking promising and who’s in trouble. I’m really liking what Laurence is doing, looks almost like fallen leaves on her top. Hester and Brittany have ideas I’m intrigued by. Kara Saun’s look is kinda cool so far. But again, with everyone working with the same fabric, it’s going to come down to the most perfect, original finished looks.

9:35pm — Good news! Christian is taking all of the designers shopping so they too can stand out on the runway. Also, the winner of this challenge gets $10,000.

9:37pm — Korto and Kayne both think Anna is repeating herself, making the same dress she made for the unconventional materials challenge. Fabio is comparing the draping he’s doing intentionally to the draping he’s seeing around the room as problem-solving measures. I wouldn’t be so quick to brag though, because during model fittings his dress looked a lot like his playing card dress from the unconventional materials challenge.

9:37pm — Days over, time to go shopping. “I love to shop,” says Brittany. “The fact that we’re on Christian’s dime is really cute, and I know he’s actually rich, so it’s gonna be some pretty good shopping.” Girl, you know Christian ain’t paying for this. Wells Fargo is selling some card or something.

9:42pm — Day of the runway show, and they’ve got three hours left for finishing touches … more than just finishing touches for Hester it sounds like.

9:43pm — Brittany looks around and sees a lot of draping, so she’s hoping her risk with top stiches pays off. It definitely stands out from the rest. I’ m optimistic for her. Then again, there were moments where I was optimistic for her last week too and we all saw how that turned out.

9:46pm — When models arrive, Hester still isn’t ready to dress her. When she does, she’s terrified of her wonky crotch, but Bishme reassures her that she doesn’t need to overthink it. Anna’s got so much to do, meanwhile, that her model is helping her trim her ruffles her ruffles to her dress. She doesn’t end up with the design she wanted ultimately. Kara Saun’s short skirt is suuuuuper short. Prajje’s model is also revealing, um, a lot. “Why is everybody’s booty out in this challenge?” asks Christian.

9:52pm — Time for the runway show featuring guest judge Lena Waithe.

BRITTANY: Runway show starting off strong. It’s clean, it’s polished, it’s unique, it’s flattering, the top stitching looks great. Already a potential top look.

PRAJJE: It’s a nice dress, but this one actually looks kinda like Fabio’s playing card dress from the unconventional challenge. Beautiful draping, though. Should at least be safe.

KORTO: The basket weave of the fabric stands out nicely on the jacket. The pants are nice too, but not as exciting. It’s all about the top.

FABIO: Looks great. Not the most exciting, but looks great.

ANNA: I really like the ruffles on Anna’s look. They came out really well even though it’s not exactly what she was hoping for at the start of the challenge.

KARA SAUN: She wanted something more dramatic with a skirt reveal, but she couldn’t with how short that miniskirt was. Still, this is one of my favorite looks so far up there with Brittany. It’s luxe.

HESTER: Can’t tell if the crotch is still wonky, but I do like the shape of the pants and the top. The hat is also very Hester. That’s a winner for me.

LAURENCE: I really like the design of the jacket. The skirt is a little basic, but it’s flattering. She thinks she’s done enough to be in the top. Honestly, I’m not so sure. I haven’t seen one bad look yet, and I personally wouldn’t put her in the top tier … so far there is no bottom tier, though.

KAYNE: Another winner: a dramatic, beautiful gown. But when we cut to the judges, Nina says something is “alarming.” Is this a preview of the drama they’ve been teasing all throughout the episode?

RAMI: A beautiful look. Could be a little too simple, but the zipper details were smart. They stand out.

BISHME: A top look. Love the silhouetted faces on the back, on the lapel, on the shoulders. Big, bold, and adventurous. Maybe the winner of the challenge?

9:58pm — Top designers for me were Brittany, Kara Saun, and Bishme. Bottom designers were … I don’t have any really. I’ll be fascinated to see who the judges score low and why. To my untrained eye, every look was successful in its own way, even if some were less exciting than others.

9:59pm — “Guess you all turned into drapers and minimalists,” says Nina disapprovingly. She’s not happy. Okay, so she definitely didn’t like this runway show as much as I did. Jeepers.

10:02pm — Nina thought a lot of the looks were too similar. It’ll be fascinating to see who the top designers are, then. I’m guessing Fabio and Prajje will be at the bottom because theirs looked like variations of the same dress. They decide to speak to Rami, Brittany, Anna, Hester, Fabio, and Kara Saun. Huh, no Bishme. I’m kinda disappointed he was in the middle.

10:04pm — Start with a high score: Brittany — damn straight! Nina thought the top stitching was smart, the criss-cross was smart, the snaps were smart. It delivered on design and practicality. Lena thinks it’s “sexy” and “fly.” Elaine thinks the pants fit the model perfectly.

10:05pm — Next is a low score: Rami. I’m kinda surprised, and so are the designers backstage. Brandon thinks the zippers highlight the flaws. Elaine thinks the dress looks like a rushed afterthought. It didn’t flatter her body (I disagree). Lena thinks the zipper doesn’t quite work because it’s too thin. Nina says the styling is problematic; it doesn’t need the bangle or the earring. Really nitpicking now. It’s not modern enough, but Nina admits that she does actually like the dress.

10:07pm — Another low score: Hester. Another surprise. Nina thinks the ruching on the pants looks sloppy, the seams look uneven, it feels unfinished. Lena thinks Hester could have edited the look because there’s so much going on. Brandon thinks Hester threw a Hail Mary. It doesn’t work from a construction point of view. Elaine doesn’t think it’s boring, though it looks a little cheap, but the cheapness speaks more to the fabric than the designer.

10:09pm — A top look: Anna‘s. Okay, here’s where the controversy comes in. Anna is kinda shocked to be on top, and everyone backstage thinks it’s nonsense too. Anna admits that she wore all her jewelry because she thought she was going home tonight. “This is groundhog’s day,” says Korto. “She makes the same exact look and she’s in the top?” I don’t agree that it’s the same exact look. The ruffle technique is similar, but the length and neckline are completely different. Maybe that’s just my untrained eye, but the sculptural elements of this dress worked better than the ruffles on her unconventional dress. Nina thought the look stood out to her as an editor. Lena feels like it’s unlike anyone else. Korto calls “bullshit.”

10:13pm — Bishme was “salty” at first about Anna’s look, but he feels better when he considers that Anna is using ruffles as her signature. I’d agree with that. I really don’t think this was a carbon copy dress. I’ve seen designers praised for looks that are much more repetitive.

10:14pm — Another high score: Kara Saun! So at least two of my three faves ended up in the top. Brandon thought the look was perfectly matched to the model. Nina thinks she showed off her background as a costume designer, but edited herself down successfully. Elaine thought it was “chic” and “dramatic.” Lena felt it was “cinematic,” like a dark fairy tale.

10:16pm — And another low score: Fabio. He’s a draper and a minimalist, so he felt singled out by the judges’ earlier comments. Nina says she couldn’t see the nuance on the runway that it was one piece. She needed his explanation. Brandon thinks it’s beautifully draped, but Fabio has been more forward and experimental in the past. Elaine agrees that it’s “a little boring.”

10:16pm — Of the bottom designers, I think Hester is going home.

10:17pm — Time for drama! Korto says she might as well make her African dress again. Anna feels like the energy is weird, like she’s the enemy, and I don’t think it’s necessarily fair. Anna made the dress, but it was the judges who put it at the top. Anna didn’t make that choice. Anna thought she was a goner.

10:18pm — During the judges’ deliberation, Brandon says, “I can imagine that every designer right now is like, ‘I can’t believe she’s in the top because it was ruffles on a cocktail dress.’ But at least it wasn’t the same Grecian drape thing over and over.” I wouldn’t have put it at the top — if they wanted a break from all the draping, Bishme was RIGHT THERE.

10:24pm — Anna seems almost relieved that she’s safe and not a contender to win. She would not want to deal with that backlash. The winner is Brittany! I agree with that choice between the top designers.

10:26pm — Now for the bad news. The eliminated designer is Hester.

10:28pm — “I think I still definitely deserve to be here,” says Hester in her exit interview. “I don’t really know if being in the bottom one time for a fabric you’re not used to is grounds for elimination. I think at the end of the day it comes down to who can do what with what, and I couldn’t do anything with this and this is where I am now. I wanted to win, but I was aware once I saw some of the heavy hitters who were there that that was probably not going to happen, so mostly I was excited to make weird shit. But apparently weird shit wasn’t on the menu, so I will just continue doing that for myself.”

10:30pm — But no, that’s not all. Back with the designers, Kayne tells Anna thatit’s somehow disrespectful for Anna to still be in the competition when Hester was eliminated for creating something new and unique. Kara Saun begs them not to bring any negativity into the room. They’re all artists who love what they do. And again, I must reiterate that Anna did not put herself in the top, or choose to eliminate Hester, or choose not to save Hester. All the hostility is directed at Anna right now because the designers aren’t about to talk back to the judges who actually made the decision. If Anna had been safe or in the bottom, ain’t nobody would care about her dress this much. Give her a break, guys!

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