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Project Runway<\/a><\/p>\n Complimentary Couture<\/p>\n \n Season 21<\/p>\n Episode 5\n <\/p>\n \n Editor\u2019s Rating<\/p>\n 3 stars<\/p>\n ***\n <\/p>\n \n Project Runway keeps the holistic judging going by asking the designers to expand on their unconventional-materials look. Can you believe we\u2019re already halfway through this season? It\u2019s now episode five of ten, and I\u2019m wondering: Which of these designers do I really want to see an entire collection from? Yuchen\u2019s tendency toward nudity is not my thing, and I worry about his taste level, but I think he has a strong individual perspective. The same goes for Ethan, who knows how to play with shapes, and Veejay, whose ability to work with challenging materials is impressive. But do we think either of the twins could deliver an individual collection, without help from the other? Jesus and Antonio dig their heels in on being a package deal in \u201cComplimentary Couture,\u201d and I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s going to work out with them. Not if Nina has anything to do with it, because guess what, she\u2019s back, and she\u2019s disgusted with the quality of the work she\u2019s seeing. Furious! Nina, maybe you should also level some of your complaints at the producers who keep forcing one-day challenges upon the contestants, I\u2019m just saying!<\/p>\n Let me back myself up; I got too hyped up by Nina in \u201cugh\u201d mode. We get it so rarely we need to treasure it. \u201cComplimentary Couture\u201d begins by picking up on the cliffhanger vote from the previous episode. The contestants write down whom they want to vote out, then hand their votes to Law and Christian. \u201cIt feels like you\u2019re crushing someone\u2019s dreams, and there\u2019s blood on your hands,\u201d Veejay says, and yeah, you kind of are! It sucks! Law then reads the votes out to the amassed designers and shows them each a card; I\u2019m hoping some Project Runway megafan will do some zoomed-in handwriting analysis to figure out who voted for whom. It plays out like this: One vote against Joseph, one vote against Miss Joan, a second vote against Joseph, one vote against Antonio, and then a third vote against Joseph, meaning he\u2019s out. (I\u2019m so sorry, but I did laugh when Law finally used the full \u201cJoseph McRae\u201d name as he was reading the votes out; now is when you respect this man\u2019s preferences, Law? Damn.) Christian tells Joseph, \u201cI know who you are,\u201d which was clearly the name recognition Joseph wanted out of this season \u2014 and Joseph gives the weeping Madeline and Belania good-bye hugs before heading out. His final words, \u201cI\u2019m about to be famous. Still iconic, bitch!\u201d dripped with so much attitude and fuck-y\u2019all energy that I felt like I was watching a Faithful get voted off The Traitors<\/a>. (This is praise.)<\/p>\n Because this season of Project Runway is making the designers work so hard that I wonder if we\u2019re actually experiencing meta-commentary on fast fashion\u2019s use of sweatshop labor, Christian tells the designers their next challenge starts right now. (Ethan accurately sums up the breakneck pace: \u201cThis competition is a challenge, a runway, a one-day challenge, sewing, a runway, a club, a challenge, no time, no sleep.\u201d But um, where is the footage from the club? We\u2019d like to see that!) The next challenge is to create a \u201crunway-worthy version of your unconventional-materials look, completely out of fabric,\u201d which I think is actually a little misleading, because Christian tells them they shouldn\u2019t make a copy of the existing look. They should make a look to pair with it, and this one should use traditional fabrics instead of the materials they collected from faux Abbott Elementary<\/a>; the two outfits will walk the runway together. Get to sketching!<\/p>\n As the designers sketch in their loft, the contestants\u2019 growing resentment toward the twins bubbles over when Antonio admits he doesn\u2019t sketch \u2014 he has Jesus sketch for him. I am not saying you have to be an illustrating genius to be a fashion designer, because some artistic skills don\u2019t always translate between mediums \u2014 but also, what the hell? What would he do if Jesus weren\u2019t there? That revelation leads to Veejay and Madeline basically losing it and confronting the twins about how the fact that they\u2019re constantly working together is a huge and unfair advantage. (Again, they are right, and again, these are actually complaints against the series\u2019 casting team and producers, who knew that exactly this type of drama would spin out of the twins\u2019 casting.) The twins get a little nasty in return \u2014 \u201cLet\u2019s shut this bitch up,\u201d they agree about Veejay \u2014 and take Veejay\u2019s bet that they work \u201ccompletely solo\u201d for this challenge. But is there even any tension to this wager when, the next morning at Mood, Jesus and Antonio are consulting each other about which fabrics to buy? There is not. Poor Veejay tried, but unless someone from the series itself tells them they can\u2019t work together anymore, there\u2019s no way they\u2019re going to split up.<\/p>\n Which \u2026 might happen eventually? After the challengers head to the workroom to start their one-day challenge, Christian loses it a bit with the twins, too. When Antonio interrupts Christian\u2019s conversation with Madeline, who seems to be spiraling after losing Joseph and struggling to translate her silver-star outfit into something more birdlike (Girl, why!?), Christian tells him, \u201cYou can wait.\u201d When Jesus is suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion that leads to him collapsing on the floor and admitting to Antonio that he\u2019s not sure if he can keep going, Christian has no sympathy: \u201cSuck it up \u2026 get it together.\u201d Everyone here is dealing with the same absurd expectations, and at least Jesus has his brother for emotional support, Christian basically says. It\u2019s not exactly an empathetic moment toward Jesus and Antonio, but I could see it as empathetic toward everyone else, who don\u2019t have the luxury of a hug and an assisting hand from someone they love when they\u2019re feeling down. And when Christian says to the twins, in his particularly playful yet barbed way, \u201cMaybe you two need to separate \u2026 I\u2019m gonna separate you two,\u201d I wonder how much we should take that as foreshadowing.<\/p>\n Elsewhere in the room, certain people are doing surprisingly well: Miss Joan\u2019s black-and-gold suit is chic; Christian looks the most excited he\u2019s seemed all season when he spots Veejay\u2019s black boning corset. Some are correctly taking Christian\u2019s advice (Ethan ditches a sheer scarf dress he was designing to go underneath a second dress when Christian tells him the layered effect isn\u2019t working); others are not (Yuchen\u2019s flag skirt looks too basic). And then there\u2019s Madeline and Belania. Madeline is self-taught, and she\u2019s having a hard time translating her vision (she wants a look that evokes a \u201csnowy egret\u201d) into the actual work. Her gray top and miniskirt with frayed accents look deflated, and when Madeline describes the look as being more like a \u201cdirty, dirty little pigeon,\u201d I unfortunately had to agree. Meanwhile, Belania\u2019s size-20 model has called in sick with only 90 minutes before the runway show, and Belania has to hastily refit the dress to her replacement model, who is a size 14. When Madeline said of her outfit, \u201cThere\u2019s never enough time \u2026 I just need it to be clothes,\u201d it really applied to both of Joseph\u2019s former allies. I feel bad for them!<\/p>\n And then I felt worse for them, because it was runway time, and Nina did not return to this show after two episodes away to be nice. (I will take any theories as to what Nina was doing while away, although you cannot suggest her actual job running Elle magazine. Here\u2019s an interview<\/a> you can use for clues; this is how I learned, to my disappointment, that she watches Yellowstone<\/a>.) Everyone\u2019s paired outfits walk together before Heidi, Nina, Law, and guest judge Jenna Lyons, who once upon a time made J. Crew hip and then joined<\/a> The Real Housewives of New York City<\/a>. The new looks are:<\/p>\n Yuchen with a bomber jacket and a skirt that utilizes the soccer-ball design in the crotch area and then has multicolored flags hanging off of it. Yuchen and Miss Joan are safe, which I\u2019m sure must be a comfort to the latter after two episodes being in the bottom. That leaves Ethan, Veejay, and Jesus in the top three and Belania, Madeline, and Antonio in the bottom. Let\u2019s talk about the favorites first. The judges are unanimous in their praise for Veejay (Nina calls the look simultaneously fragile, strong, and unexpected) and Ethan (the judges love the surprise side boob in his look, and how the butterfly fabric on his bra cups evokes his unconventional-materials dress). But when it comes time to talk about Jesus\u2019s look, the judges split. Earlier in the episode, Ethan had shared in his confessional that he thought Jesus\u2019s black gown, with its single stripe of cardinal-red fabric in the back, was aping his athleisure design<\/a> \u2014 and Nina makes the same critique! Law had been gushing about how Jesus\u2019s gown \u201ccould be on any runway in Paris,\u201d and Nina just comes right out and says the red stripe is \u201ccalled plagiarism in my book \u2026 Ethan did that same stripe.\u201d Shots fired! And not everyone agrees! Law agrees that it\u2019s \u201ca little bit\u201d of plagiarism, while Heidi tries to be diplomatic and says, \u201cI think they inspire each other a lot.\u201d That would be the case if, say, Ethan were copying a design element of Jesus\u2019s, too, but that\u2019s not what happened here, Heidi. Interestingly, even Ethan says he thinks \u201cplagiarism is a little harsh,\u201d which, my dude, then what did you want out of this callout? Maybe Ethan is just happy that Jesus didn\u2019t win \u2014 instead, Veejay gets that honor. Her looks absolutely made the most sense as a pair; good for her.<\/p>\n Then it\u2019s time for the bottom three, and wouldn\u2019t you know it, Antonio is furious to be here again. Earlier in the episode, Antonio said, \u201cThe only complaint in my life is Law Roach,\u201d and that was because Nina hadn\u2019t gotten to him yet. She is brutal in judging his look, tearing apart the barely asymmetrical top, the crotch-baring pants, the styling, and the construction. I honestly think Nina\u2019s \u201cI don\u2019t know how you made it this far. There\u2019s a lot of problems here\u201d is more casually cruel than anything Law has said because it\u2019s clear Nina really, genuinely means she doesn\u2019t think Antonio is good enough to be here, and whew, that\u2019s cold.<\/p>\n But Nina\u2019s not alone. All around, the judging panel seems extra mean this episode. They tear Belania\u2019s dress apart for being old-fashioned and looking cheap because of the shiny material, and Law says she\u2019s \u201ccoming off really, really rude\u201d when she refuses to engage with their negative comments, which is a jerky thing to say when Belania is clearly holding back tears. Most irritating to me is when Jenna tells Belania that she thought too much about what her size-20 model would want and didn\u2019t stay true to her own design aesthetic, which feels slightly fatphobic and also confirms something I already thought about Lyons. When I used to shop at J. Crew, a decade or so ago, a stylist I befriended there apologetically told me once that it was policy to not stock any sizes larger than 12 in stores because they didn\u2019t want a certain clientele. That clientele being, like, me? I\u2019m laughing at the absurdity of it! Finally, there\u2019s Madeline, whose look Heidi really seemed to hate. She calls it \u201csomber\u201d and says the skirt looks like a napkin. She\u2019s not wrong, but man, they really went all in on these poor competitors.<\/p>\n After the judges dismiss the bottom three, Nina keeps firing off zingers \u2014 calling Madeline\u2019s clothes \u201csad and poor\u201d and Antonio\u2019s aesthetic \u201csmoke and mirrors.\u201d The judges may disagree on Belania (Law\u2019s deepest cut this episode is when he scoffs at Nina\u2019s praise for Belania, \u201cYou think that\u2019s great personal style?\u201d), but I think her look, even if it felt like a Carmen Miranda copy, had a personality that Madeline\u2019s didn\u2019t. And let\u2019s be honest, don\u2019t you want to see Belania\u2019s look for next week\u2019s streetwear challenge rather than Madeline\u2019s? I\u2019m sorry to her, but I think we know who is getting Heidi\u2019s next \u201cauf Wiedersehen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 Uh, the use of complimentary in episode title \u201cComplimentary Couture\u201d is incorrect, right? Should it not be \u2026 complementary?<\/p>\n \u2022 The outfit I most wanted to wear this episode: Miss Joan\u2019s suit! I loved the textile and the sassy deep-V front.<\/p>\n \u2022 Highlights of the episode for me: Nina refusing to use the term \u201ccameltoe\u201d while describing Antonio\u2019s look and saying \u201cwedge\u201d instead, which I\u2019ve never heard before. So genteel, our Nina. I also totally agree with Law that Antonio\u2019s look was actually a great stripper costume \u2014 if we were ever going to remake Showgirls, which we don\u2019t need to because it\u2019s a perfect movie, that outfit would fit right in. Finally, I\u2019m on the record as finding the twins\u2019 whole deal annoying, but Antonio quietly asking the freaking-out Jesus, \u201cShould we go home?\u201d broke my heart a little.<\/p>\n \u2022 Heidi calling Antonio\u2019s outfit her favorite \u2026 this woman\u2019s ability to embrace any and all tacky fashion is one thing we can count on in this cruel and unjust world.<\/p>\n \u2022 I wanted to learn more about Miss Joan. Now I know she strenuously objects to visible thongs (understandable) and that she is four years cancer-free after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, which kept her from appearing on Project Runway when she was first cast. I will now be rooting for Miss Joan in both this competition and in life overall.<\/p>\n \u2022 Thank you all for commenting on these recaps, and I\u2019m glad that we basically seem to agree: We\u2019re not spending enough time in the workroom or on the runway! I struggled taking notes during this episode\u2019s runway because, since twice as many looks were walking as normal, we spent a shorter amount of time with each outfit. My fingers are slow compared with the briskness of this pacing. I really wish there was an official behind-the-scenes package for each episode that let us spend more time watching the designers work, like how HBO Sunday night shows have \u201cInside the Episode\u201d bonus content. This is what the Project Runway website should be for: Upload each designer\u2019s sketch, upload a picture of the final look, upload some lightly edited B-roll \u2014 give the people what they want! \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 And finally, a question for commenter swellcattnew: Should I watch Dress My Tour?<\/p>\n VULTURE NEWSLETTER<\/p>\n Keep up with all the drama of your favorite shows!<\/p>\n Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/p>\n
\n Photo: Spencer Pazer\/Disney\n <\/p>\n
\n Veejay with a jumpsuit composed of a black-boning corset with exaggerated shoulders and full-length lace pants.
\n Madeline with a gray flouncy miniskirt and puffy-sleeved blouse.
\n Belania with a purple-blue-and-green striped gown with a mermaid-style silhouette.
\n Jesus with an exaggerated hourglass-shaped black gown with one red stripe down the back \u2014 hold that thought \u2014 and spiky black sleeves.
\n Miss Joan with a black-and-gold metallic suit with a deep collar and open back.
\n Ethan with a gray tweed dress with a butterfly-shaped bodice design and aggressively padded hips.
\n Antonio with a silvery-gold sheer asymmetrical tube top and sheer pants, complete with a tinselly-looking top layer.<\/p>\n