Quick Take: Project Runway All Stars, “Return to the Runway”
Some of the greatest personalities and almost winners return to Project Runway to try again.
Review: Project Runway All Stars, “Return to the Runway”
(S1001) It’s like a walk down diva lane as Project Runway All Stars invites back 13 of its most infamous, talented, and controversial designers to compete once more for the smack talk rights and a whole lot of cash and prizes. The returnees are: Anthony Williams, April Johnson, Austen Scarlett, Elisa Jimenez, Gordana Gehlhausen, Jerell Scott, Kara Janx, Kenley Collins, Michael Costello, Mila Hermanovski, Mondo Guerra, Rami Kashou, and Sweet P.
It’s an interesting cast and there are some incredible talents that came oh-so-close to winning their respective seasons previously so seeing their competitive fire roar back to life on camera is a genuine pleasure. However, while the faces are familiar, as is the format, there is a whole lot that’s different this season – and that’s good. The new hostess, stepping in for Heidi Klum, is supermodel Angela Lindvall, who doesn’t quite have the perkiness or the accent of Heidi but she’s certainly got the gorgeous face and body. Lindvall welcomes the contestants to Limelight in New York City to hear the stakes of the game. It’s a three month competition and because these are all-stars there will be no immunity rounds. If you screw up, you’re gone. As they compete for the top spot, the producers have amped up the prize pot to epic proportions.
The last designer standing gets to sell their line at an exclusive retail boutique at Neiman Marcus and their online site. The designer will get a spread in Marie Claire Magazine and a one-year guest editor position. They’ll also get new sewing equipment from Brother and a $100,000 office set up by HP. Last but not least, the designers also get $100,000 from Loreal to build their business. All toll, it’s almost $500,000 in cash and prizes which makes all of the designers drool a little…or at least glisten fabulously in excitement.
To further cleanse the palate, Lindvall introduces the new judges: designers Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman. There will also be guest judges per the challenge and a new mentor. Let me just say, I really don’t want a design world or a PR workroom with Tim Gunn not in it (as I get the vapors just typing that) but I understand the need for change and I will give Marie Claire editor-in-chief Joanna Coles my quiet disdain until she proves her worth. Make THAT work, Lifetime!
After all that news is broken, the designers are tasked to dress up models in a design they brought with them that defines their style now. It’s a rather impressive catwalk of ideas and designs which bodes well for the season. A-games, people. They’ve been broughten!
The next morning the designers assemble outside a 99-cent store where Lindvall explains they will embark on an Unconventional Challenge, like Scarlett did on the first ever PJ, where they each have $100 to purchase items from the store to create a look that is inspired by the runway look they showed off the day before. The drama queens all fly into the store like mice in a cheese factory and sideswipe the hell out of that poor place picking it dry of anything sturdy, colorful, mop-like (who knew?) or shiny.
Back at their new workroom, the designers get right to work and it’s kind of mellow overall. Only Scarlett suffers a setback when his glue gun barfs all over his plastic dress and burns a hole in it. While a lot of eyebrows raise and Austen gets a bit crazy, he fixes it in a hot minute and then it’s back to work for everyone.
In no time, the designers and models are ready to strut for Mizrahi, Chapman, and guest judge Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus. No one really creates anything embarrasing, which you would hope considering they're all-stars. I have to say, it’s a little bit of a letdown at first that only “spit goddess” Elisa Jimenez creates a frock mistake that looks like it might appeal only to fans of Stevie Nicks and Crayola markers. Everyone else pretty much knocks it out of the park. Even the judges don’t go after anyone with lethal bite. It’s kind of lofty nitpicking, which is fine for now and serves to reorient the viewers to a higher level of criticism and expectations for the season, something the series in general has been lacking overall.
At the top of the pack are Rami, Jerell, and Mondo. In the bottom-ish are Sweet P, Elisa and Georgiana, who is guilty of overdesigning. After the judges pick everything apart showing their individual judging styles, their decree is kind of expected – loopy Elisa graciously packs her things and spits some blessings (maybe) on the catwalk home.
Hard to believe that proj runway is up to its 10th season already! I was a regular viewer for several solid seasons (even while knowing next to nothing about fashion) but tailed off at some point.