[Upbeat music]
Project Runway 10x00 Road to the Runway Season 10 Original Air Date on July 19, 2012
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
>> Welcome to Project Runway
Season Ten.
♪ ♪
This is the road to the runway.
♪ ♪
Tonight kicks off Project
Runway's tenth anniversary and
one of the most exciting seasons
in the history of the show.
I'm here to give you a sneak
peek at the workroom.
This space is designed to
celebrate and pay homage to the
ten great seasons of designers
and the drama on Project Runway.
Many designers' lives have
changed because of the work they
did in this very room.
Behind me, you see the nine
previous winners.
Tonight, you will meet 16
talented hopefuls, one of whom
will take the tenth title.
So how does an aspiring
designer get here to this very
room?
The selections process begins
with a nationwide casting
call, where thousands of
aspiring fashion designers
submit their portfolios and home
videos.
>> Hey, what's up?
>> From there, the most
promising designers are invited
to an audition for a coveted
spot on the show.
The panel of judges have their
work cut out for them.
Thankfully, there are moments of
pure comic relief.
>> G-o, go New York.
G-o, let's go.
>> I got rejected from every
school that I applied to in, um,
in New York.
>> My aesthetic is--it's like--
oh.
>> Come on.
>> I forgot my--
>> my girl name is Francesca.
>> Uh-huh.
>> Okay.
>> My boy's name is Raul.
>> I try to lift you up, get
your chi flowing, you know what
I mean?
>> Right.
>> 'Cause when your chi is free,
you know.
>> You know?
>> This is not project lingerie.
>> Who would you fit that
thong on?
>> Project Booty Call.
♪ ♪
>> Happily, on the opposite end
of the spectrum are 16
incredibly gifted designers
that stood out from the crowd.
Who are they and who has the
best chance of winning?
Two former Project Runway
designers, Nick Verreos and
Mondo Guerra will tell us
exactly what they think.
>> We'll even debate who our
top three of the entire season
are.
>> Nick, would you like to see
my top three?
>> I'll show you mine if you
show me yours.
Ooh, what's that about?
>> You know.
>> First up, designers with a
flair for drama.
They're gifted and they really
seem to know it.
Is their bravado due to a
healthy dose of confidence or is
it just cockiness?
You decide.
>> Hi, and welcome.
Is that stupid?
Hi.
My name Christopher Palu and I'm
24 years and I currently live in
Astoria Queens.
Fashion is my life.
I'm constantly thinking of
designing and pulling things
from inspiration, from
everywhere.
Nothing feels more amazing to me
than seeing my clothes on a
woman and making her look like a
ferocious bitch.
I love rendering fur.
I love just holding fur.
I wanna die laying on fur.
>> Christopher.
>> Nice to see you guys.
>> Oh, this is--this is cool,
though.
>> Tell me about this dress.
>> These illustrations are
wonderful.
>> This is black organza.
Thank you.
I had a dream of this dress.
>> I love this black dress by
Christopher.
His execution of the dress
coming from a dream into reality
just was really beautiful.
>> I was made fun of my entire
life for being gay and
being, you know, flamboyant.
I have severe asthma, and I
actually had a heart attack in
senior year of high school.
Wild.
It was called myocarditis.
I caught it as a virus.
So hopefully I don't have a
heart attack on set.
This is my--my gown.
>> I'm really digging your
gowns.
So is evening wear, would you
say, your strong suit?
Do you do--
>> I do pants, like
ready-to-wear, yeah.
Yeah, and I just wanna be
a designer.
>> He seems like one of those
designers that's very confident,
very self-aware, and
self-assured.
>> I'm so ready.
I-I'm so competitive.
I have a great personality.
This is, like, my time to shine.
♪ ♪
>> Hey, guys.
I'm Dmitry.
Welcome to my house.
I'm definitely a leader.
Like, it's in my blood.
I'm an alpha.
>> Hi, Dmitry.
>> Hi, Dmitry, how are you
doing?
>> Oh, you know my name already.
That's cool.
>> Yeah.
>> Uh, I was born in Belarus.
It's Eastern Europe.
It's a post Soviet Union
country.
And I was a very happy child.
And since I was a little kid, I
knew I wanted to be a designer.
I moved to the United States and
then I actually started modeling
a little bit.
But it wasn't for me because
if you wanna be a model, you
have to be a girl, and I knew
that I wanted to do something
else, and here I am.
I'm so ready for the next stage.
>> All right, cool.
So let's talk about your
clothes.
Show us what you--what you
brought us today.
>> I brought this coat, and it
has a surprise element to it.
So the lining, it becomes a
separate piece.
>> Dmitry, Dmitry from Belarus.
All I could think of was Paris
Fashion Week.
That coat that then turned into
a short-cropped bolero jacket, a
lining underneath.
I thought, yes, it was
conceptual, but at the same
time, it was modern.
He reminds me a lot of Albert
Elbaz of Lanvin.
>> I think this piece, it's,
um, the best representation of
me, who I am as a designer.
>> I have to say, the clothes
themselves don't have a lot of
hanger appeal.
What's selling me is seeing it
on the model in your portfolio.
There's a sort of lack of
excitement for me.
>> Are you serious?
>> I'm sorry.
There's a lack of excitement,
but I have to say, you clearly
know how to make a garment.
>> If you're a good designer,
you can make a piece of
look like candy.
>> I'm a maybe.
I'm a maybe for you.
>> Maybe?
Come on, guys, give me a chance.
>> Well, and you made this.
>> Yes, and this is--
>> the pants and the sweater and
the--that's all you.
>> Yes.
>> That's what selling me.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> I would wear that.
>> It's kinda elegant but
casual.
>> I love it.
>> I have big talent.
I have a lot of experience.
I have personality.
I'm so ready to be on the show,
and I think the show would be so
much more better with me.
>> Hi, how are you?
I'm Lantie Foster.
Come on in.
This is my studio.
I just recently opened up a
180-square-foot office here in
the garment center, and I want
to take over the whole floor.
>> So you make your living as a
designer?
>> In the garment center.
>> How's it doing?
>> It's doing really well.
Since I Feng Shuied my desk,
even better.
Some girls might think I'm
pretty or something.
If I see, like, somebody who's
really talented and pretty
across the room, like, you're
instantly part of our group.
Come here.
You're gonna join our
pretty girl group.
I grew up in Northern
California, and my father
wanted me to go to law school,
that I could get any car I
wanted, but when I told him
that I wanted to, uh, go to art
school, he called it basket
weaving and he, like, cut me
off.
But I went anyway.
I like to take the basic classic
shapes and, like, really ramp
them up with unusual textures
and things.
The front of this, it has spikes
here, detailed and pleating,
and this is metallic stretch
elastic.
So this is real python, and
this is water snake.
Again, one of my favorites.
This actually has, like, silk,
wool, and linen combined, and
then leather trim accent here.
>> You know, I think that some
of them are a little
over-designed.
They're not for me.
>> I understand your opinion.
I appreciate it.
I really like the spikes and
and then the bow.
To me, that's, like, one of my
favorite parts.
>> Lantie's clothes, I thought
they were pretty.
The--you know, what she had on,
the dress she showed with the
cut-out.
You can see that there's talent
there, for sure.
>> When it comes to my designs,
I get really, like, protective.
Kind of like I'm, you know, like
a mommy bird, you know, like
those are my babies, and I don't
really think you know you're
talking about.
♪ ♪
>> For me, it's like, I think
the reason why I'm competitive
is why I don't have too many
friends.
My name is Ven Sekhar Budhu.
I was born in a third world
country.
Like, no one even knows where it
is when I say it sometimes.
It's Guyana.
It's in South America.
I came to New York at age four.
I grew up in Queens, New York.
When I was about five or six
years old, the famous movie
Beauty and the Beast, I used to
watch the cover and draw Belle's
gown on the.
I think, from that point, my
family really saw that there was
potential there.
It was always fashion,
and I pursued my dream.
But for me, I really do think
that I would really stand out,
not just because of my ethnicity
or the way I look, but I think
the work.
>> It's beautiful.
>> It's gorgeous.
>> Thank you.
>> Absolutely gorgeous.
>> Thank you.
My work is more geared towards
that modern, sophisticated
glamorous look, but it still
can be young.
>> So you obviously have a
favorite color palette here.
>> Obviously, red is my favorite
color.
>> Red?
>> But--red.
But I wanted to, um, create a
look that was very romantic but
als--at the same time, it had
very strong lines.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> This is where I sew,
and these are photographs of
the looks.
My aesthetic is definitely
sexy but it's sophisticated.
My customer, if she walks into
a room, she owns it.
>> Ven, I'm really impressed.
You're probably one of the
best we've seen.
>> Very strong.
>> Thank you very much.
>> When Ven walked into the
room, I was like, "Who is this
guy?"
Beautiful seam work and piece
and piece and piece and just--
just simple silhouettes.
Tone on tone, and it's just
beautiful.
>> The minute Nina Garcia
sees Ven and his designs, she's
gonna have a fashion Colombian
orgasm.
>> Everybody wants to be a
designer, but the reality is,
you either have it or you don't.
>> Last year, we did things a
little differently on
Project Runway.
We started off with 20 designers
and sent four of them home on
the first day.
Gunnar Deatherage was one of
them...
>> It was devastating,
devastating.
>> Which is exactly why this
feisty designer has returned
this season with a vengeance.
>> Welcome back, Gunnar.
>> Hello, Gunnar.
>> Hey, how are you?
>> I'm good.
>> This eyebrow goes up, I'm
a bitch.
Nobody wants--nobody wants to be
around me when this brow is up.
I'm very competitive.
I don't like to lose.
That's why going home last time
was like--it blew.
I'm really on this vintage kick
right now.
I think that there's a lot to
learn from the vintage
categories in fashion.
>> With Gunnar, you know, he
walked into the room, I thought
he was very energetic.
His personality really filled
the room.
>> First thing I wanna point
out, and this is kind of my
pride and joy, is I handmade all
my buttons.
I sawed branches through, sanded
them, stained them,
polyurethaned them, so...
>> Wow.
>> The most memorable piece that
Gunnar brought in, for me, was
the capelet.
His clothes really speak
for themselves.
>> So I did this equestrienne
jacket.
It just curves in on the girl's
body that wore it.
>> It's a great shape.
>> Italian Vogue actually put
this look--they chose it as one
of their photos for the day
really recently, so that was
kind of like--
>> Amazing.
>> A pride and joy moment.
>> Yeah.
>> So I also made these little
jockey hats.
>> Those are cute.
>> I don't wanna to put it on
because it will mess my hair up.
It's kind of my take on the
jockey hat kind of meets the
aviation.
I'm trying to incorporate
that equestrian style meets that
kind of Amelia Earhart kind of
machine gun.
>> That's exactly what felt from
this whole collection.
>> Awesome.
I'm pretty quirky.
Like, I have a thousand
different things going on my
head all the time.
Like, right now, I'm thinking
about, I want another Starbucks
mocha.
I mean, but that's just, like,
kind of, like, in the space
somewhere in my head.
>> Well, I'm not gonna waste
any more time here.
You're a definite yes for me,
and I think that, like, this is
so much different than what you
showed last year.
>> Thank you.
>> And I really respect and
appreciate that.
>> It's a yes for me, Gunnar.
>> Thank you, guys, so much.
>> Really good job.
>> Thank you so much.
>> Good job.
>> Okay, cool.
I guess I will see you guys
someplace here.
>> And I want one of those
little hats.
>> Well, you contact me.
You Facebook me, and I'll get
you one.
>> I will, I will.
>> I'll even let you pick what
you want on the inside.
>> Okay, and I want one of those
wooden buttons, a big one.
>> Okay, I'll work on that.
>> Up next, four no-nonsense
women who may just give our
more flamboyant and dramatic
designers a good old run for
their money.
>> What kind of fashion crack
are you smoking?
'Cause I want it.
♪ ♪
>> Welcome back to Road to
the Runway.
I'm here in the season ten
designers' lounge.
Looking around at all of these
amazing moments is like a trip
down memory lane, a Project
Runway scrapbook of sorts.
♪ ♪
Now, let's catch up with last
year's winner.
I sat down with Anya to see what
she's been up to since winning
Project Runway.
Now, tell us, what have you been
up to since all the excitement
of winning Project Runway?
>> Well, it's been quite a
whirlwind.
I'm now living in New York.
I'm working on my line.
>> What's the name of the line?
>> Anya.
>> Of course.
>> It seemed obvious.
>> Now, I can't help but
notice, there's something
blinding me on your finger over
there.
I got engaged, um,
January of this year.
>> Congratulations.
Is there any advice that you
took from the show that you
would be giving the contestants
of this season?
>> Just really enjoy it because,
otherwise, it will just
disappear.
Winning--I was really as shocked
as anybody else.
>> And exhibit one.
>> That was in the finale.
I look exhausted, and I think
that's because we really
hadn't slept in days.
But you know what?
When I look back on it, I have
great memories about it, and
I have great friendships that
have come from it.
>> Thank you so much for coming.
>> Thank you so much for having
me.
>> Now, I'd like to introduce
you to four spirited women.
Their designs are a direct
reflection of their
individuality.
Be it casual, avant-garde or
just plain unconventional,
they are not afraid to express
themselves.
>> Well, hello.
I'm Sonjia, and this is my home
in Boston, Massachusetts.
I'm gonna make it to fashion
week, I'm going to make it
to fashion week.
I just--I keep telling myself
that I'm going to make it to
fashion week.
I actually don't have a job
right now, so I don't wanna do
anything for money.
There's nothing else in the
world that matters to me but
designing clothes.
It's very much my style to make
pieces that are structured.
I'm all about lines and mixing
colors and patterns and fabrics.
I have something special to
offer as a designer that, you
know, I'll hopefully be able to
show while I'm on the show.
>> Good morning.
>> Hi.
>> Good morning.
>> I love the little dress that
you're wearing now.
>> Thank you.
Yes, this was one of my pieces.
>> And is it lambskin shoulder?
Actually, we were getting rid
of this chair, and it was all
leather, so I took--
>> Yeah.
>> The whole leather off the
couch.
>> It's a good use of repurpose.
>> Exactly.
Especially, when you're on a
budget.
A lot of people do think about
their budget, and so they want a
piece that's not something
that, "okay, I could only wear
this if I'm going to a gala."
Yeah, like, who goes to galas?
Like, you know?
>> This piece right here, it
has, like, these pleats in it
that, uh, give it a really nice
detail.
I'm very excited.
I'm very bubbly, and I think my
clothes show that.
I made all these pieces in the
past week, um, so I wanted to
show something very new and
current.
>> Smart.
>> I love these pants.
>> I know, these pants are
like--
>> I love this pattern.
>> Over-sized bow and--
>> I love it with the crop top.
That's beautiful.
It looks great.
>> They're absolutely gorgeous.
>> Yep.
I really thought that she was
fun.
She's not afraid of color.
She works it in classic
silhouettes.
>> Sonjia is very Tracy Reese
meets Trina Turk, and I was very
happy that she mitered all her
prints.
Those pants were so well made.
>> I'm gonna make it, I'm gonna
make it.
I just--I'm gonna be--I see
myself going down this runway.
>> Hi, I'm Elena.
Welcome to my house.
My favorite things to do is
avant-garde.
I'm a junkie for the dramatics,
and it shows through in a lot of
my designs.
>> What are you inspired by?
>> I have very dark themes.
>> What's your favorite piece?
>> My favorite one is this one.
>> You made this?
>> Yeah.
>> Sewed it?
>> Yeah.
>> Look at me, straight in the
eye.
>> I sewed it.
>> Mm-hmm.
Where are you getting these
ideas?
>> You know, sometimes, I get
'em in my dreams.
My stuff breaks the barriers of
female/male.
You'll never see any flowers or
any butterflies.
That's not me.
This is a corset.
>> Okay, Elena.
>> And this is just a--
>> I can't breathe.
We might need CPR soon.
>> I always take my inspirations
from very masculine, almost,
things--video games, anything
futuristic.
>> Oh, my God.
Oh, are you kidding me?
>> You need two people to put it
on, though.
>> You do?
>> You do.
>> Okay, I got it.
I got it, okay.
What kind of fashion crack
are you smoking?
>> 'Cause I want it.
You're going to get people in
the Midwest to start to shake,
and that's where I get excited.
>> I grew up in Ukraine.
My immediate family moved here
when I was ten years old.
It was really hard to adjust to
this culture, and kids were
really cruel.
The language, the culture, what
I wore--we didn't come here,
like, rich.
I wore the same thing almost
every day sometimes, and I got
teased a lot of about that.
My parents did sacrifice a lot
for us to come here.
>> It's hard to do futuristic
or modern without being
gimmicky.
>>Hank you. Oh!
>> You're--wow.
All I could think of was Thierry
Mugler meets Claude Montana,
Lady Gaga.
She sculpted some things that
I've never seen before.
>> If I could show at fashion
week, it's my dream come true.
It's any designer's dream come
true.
If anybody says otherwise,
it's bull crap.
>> Hi.
>> How are you?
>> Good.
>> Really nervous.
My name is Beatrice Guapo.
I'm 29, and I live in
Los Angeles.
I would say my aesthetic is
mixed knits.
I do like linen, and I'll
mix it with, like, a different
fabric.
I always loved clothes.
My mom said I wouldn't leave
the house until I felt like it
was perfect.
Since losing my father, it was
really hard.
It's so unfathomable to really
grasp that you are really never
ever gonna talk to this person
ever again.
We're all trying to manage life
without him.
He was very supportive.
I've gone through a lot of
things in my life so far and,
uh, I think it's definitely
given me that kind of strength,
that really you can do anything
you want to do.
These are all different colored
jerseys.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> And I blocked them together.
>> Pretty.
That's really pretty.
>> It's slimming, you know.
>> Yes.
>> Comfy and fabulous, all at
the same time.
>> I love Beatrice.
I think everything on her rack
would sell out in a second.
>> This is another one of mine.
I did the scarf as well.
I designed all these scarves.
They can change your outfit
in a second.
I'm on the go constantly, and
that's my girl.
Like, she's on the go, she wants
to look great, and she doesn't
want to think about it.
I like to make things that can
do more than one thing.
It can be a poncho, and now it's
a vest.
>> And you sew all these
samples?
>> Yes.
>> It's cute.
I like this a lot.
>> Thanks.
>> They were modern, they were
directional, but at the same
time, young and fresh.
>> Good job, thank you so much.
>> Yeah, good job.
Thank you.
>> Yay.
You just made my world.
>> Hi, welcome.
I'm Andrea Katz.
Welcome to my apartment in
downtown Manhattan.
>> Hey, Andrea.
How are you doing?
>> Good, good.
>> Tell us about yourself and
what you think your point of
view as a designer is.
>> Well, I think I'm a little
different than other designers.
♪ ♪
I call myself an
anti-fashionista fashionista.
I don't go for conventional.
I don't look to be totally
trendy.
I really don't fit in.
I am progressive politically.
I'm a radical feminist.
My values are just very
different.
I call my collection
architectural objects for the
body, and they're about
structure.
I want my garments to
look good on the body.
I want a woman to be attractive
in them.
I love vintage fabric,
so I try to find as many fabrics
that I could use that reminded
me of, you know, your mother's
tablecloth or my mother's
tablecloth, okay?
>> I like you a lot.
You remind me a lot of my
mentor.
>> Oh, I thought you were gonna
say your mother.
>> No, my mentor.
>> I think I have an advantage.
I'm older.
I'm more confident.
And I--and I have brass balls.
I have been up against the
business already.
I had my own design studio and
retail store, and then the
economy tanked and so did my
business, and I lost everything.
I was in debt up to my eyeballs.
I was homeless for a year.
I lost my savings, credit
cards--you name it, everything,
and so now I'm in the process of
pretty much putting my life back
together.
This is Gaston and this
uncooperative cat is Gielle, and
they're brothers.
They were so cute, and I had
to have them.
And now I'm an old woman with
cats, which I never thought I
would ever be.
>> This selection has
experience.
>> Right.
>> It's colorful, it has
character, and you look at it
and you want to know more.
>> What Andrea is giving us is
wearable art.
She had taken poetry that she
had written and she applied it.
She actually silk-screened it
onto her garments, and I thought
that was really cool.
That's something I have never
seen.
>> I have this, I don't give a
flying attitude.
If you don't get it, you don't
get it, you know?
>> Up next, a group of designers
who embody the true heart,
soul, and spirit of an artist.
>> My uniform is sequined shorts
with ripped up leggings.
I wear these in the winter,
I wear these in summer,
I wear these to bed.
♪ ♪
>> Welcome back to Project
Runway Season 10 casting
special, the Road to the
Runway.
Weird, wacky, and wonderful--
these designers tend to zig when
you think they're gonna zag,
they're unpredictable, and
they're offbeat.
But the one thing you can always
depend on--their personalities
are just as colorful as the
garments they design.
>> My name is Kooan Kosuke.
Not everybody in Japan is like
me, just so you know.
Hi.
I'm from Japan.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> I came here, 2001,
and I learned English and I went
to a school here, graduated.
And now I work as a freelance
designer.
I like jumpsuits that they can
just wear.
>> Very cute.
What's next?
>> I have "a stage frightening."
I have to go to the bathroom,
so the whole time when I was in
front of the judges, I was like,
"I want to go to the bathroom.
I want to go," so I didn't think
about trying to be shy at all.
My thing is more about fun.
Also this is not a costume.
It's--I like something that is
movable.
You can dance in the club.
It's sparkly.
It's just really a traditional
kimono.
I wanted to bring something
that would represent my culture.
Is my English understandable?
>> Yes.
>> Okay, that's good.
>> I liked Kooan's style.
I liked his sort of hip, cool,
young fashion artsy kid in
Tokyo.
I think that he'll do well in
the kooky challenge, you know?
Or maybe avant-garde.
He might surprise you.
It might be like a samurai
warrior goddess couture.
>> This is in Queens.
Come on in.
Ta-da.
Rice cooker.
Eeehh.
My father's side is mad
conservative.
My mother's side is kind of
crazy.
And my mother is a graphic
designer, but my mother died.
I got the notice by email
because my phone was dead.
It's really weird, but now that
I say "we," but I really feel
like she's in me right now.
I like mixing fabric because
it's like mixing cultures.
>> Camouflage leopard.
It's interesting.
Almost looks liquid.
>> Oh, oh, oh.
>> I really like your stuff.
I think it really has a fun
sense of humor and a lot of
spirit.
He has a really strong point of
view, and it's a different point
of view that we've ever seen
from any of the contestants.
I don't think we've seen this
kind of aesthetic walk down the
final runway, and I think that
he has a really good shot to
make it to fashion week.
>> 'Cause I came all the way
from Japan to learn this
English, you know what I mean?
Oh, I shouldn't curse.
Thank you so much.
>> Thank you so much.
>> Ehhh, I have to go to the
bathroom.
Ah-ah!
Nnn-mmm, hmm hmm hmm.
>> #makeitwork, Kooan, I love
you.
>> Hi, I'm Buffi, and I'm going
to walk you through my wardrobe.
I love mixing prints together.
You're thinking right now,
sequins, animal, skulls, big
no-no.
Big yes, actually.
My uniform is sequined shorts
with ripped-up leggings.
I wear these in the winter.
I wear these in the summer.
I wear these to bed.
I don't think you can ever have
too many tutus.
Hi.
>> Hi, Buffi.
>> My clothes are, you know,
fun, entertaining.
I like to wear things that make
me happy.
>> Should we get into it?
>> Um, I brought my famous--it's
gonna be famous--famous circle
top.
It's reversible.
It can be belted.
It can be loose.
This is fitted along the bottom
like this.
>> Star trek, huh?
>> Yeah, it's like, um,
Barbarella.
>> It kinda--it kinda looks
like that on the hanger,
but when you see it on, it--
>> It looks--
>> Doesn't look so techy.
>> And the problem with my
clothes is, they don't hang well
on a hanger, which is, like, a
bit of an issue.
>> Slightly.
>> So I brought these, which are
called angry mittens.
They're little, uh, gloves.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> And I like mixing in--
>> that's cool.
>> Some colors and stuff like
that.
>> I'm not crazy about all the
metallic fabrics.
>> You aren't?
>> Because they can easily read
as sort of cheap.
>> I do agree that the metallic
does kind of look tacky but, you
know, I am a little bit tacky,
like, you know?
I am half-Indian,
half-Australian.
I was born in England just so I
got the passport.
Such a good passport.
I grew up in Dubai in the
Middle East.
MTV followed me around for Dubai
Fashion Week.
So everyone on the show will be
like, "Buffi think she's a big
deal in Dubai."
I'm so single.
I have a really bad habit of
dating the same guy over and
over again.
>> I'm a huge fan of Buffi.
We had a lot of hopefuls come
into that room with this kind
of kooky, kitschy kind of
aesthetic, but Buffi did it
really well.
>> I really liked her look.
She impressed me by her
presentation.
She looked funky.
She looked cool.
It was sort of like, "oh, look
at pat field 20 years ago."
>> This isn't an actual outfit.
Please do not be horrified.
>> And I would give you a yes.
>> I like the fact that you're
wanting to send out a signature.
"This is my thing.
This is what I want to be known
for."
No one we've seen has that,
so I applaud you for that.
>> I'm gonna say no just because
he said yes.
No, it's a yes for me too.
>> Oh, God, don't freak me out.
You know, I said I was famous
in Dubai, didn't I?
Okay.
>> Hey, guys.
My name is Fabio Costa,
and I live in New York City.
I have frames on my wall that
don't have any image in them.
An empty space means that I can
put whatever I want in it.
I wear hats almost every day.
I am a freegan.
Being a freegan means that you,
um, do your grocery shopping
at dumpsters at any supermarket.
I'm gonna wear this on the show
for sure.
I love wearing dresses.
I love wearing skirts.
And I love the shape of this.
>> Hey, Fabio.
>> My influences are very
Japanese, and I like the
structure, and I like the way
of pleating, and I like
juxtapositions and contrasting
proportions, so if it's short,
it's wide, and if it's long,
it's slim.
And then, for the top bodice, I
call it dissecting, so it's
almost like you dissect
the back piece so it's not like
typically joined at the front.
With this piece, I like to play
a lot with, like, seaming.
>> It looks beautiful.
It looks almost very come what
may, you know, but, you know--
>> oh, thank you.
That's a great compliment.
>> I would totally agree with
that.
>> I really liked his designs, I
have to say.
It looked intellectual, a little
conceptual, but at the same
time, elegant.
>> I would love to get into
Fabio's head for a day while
he's working in the workroom.
He has so many great ideas,
and he's so fearless, and he has
a very distinct voice.
>> If you bring the neck piece
down, it gives you a very
monastic feel about it, you
know?
>> What I like about you is--and
your clothes say it too, is that
you're not afraid to get really
involved in your process
and experiment and really
approach it in an organic,
artistic way.
>> I'm from this small town in
the southeast of Brazil,
and my family, being very
Catholic and very, like,
narrow-minded, and being that
I wanted to go to fashion
school, but my mom is like--
she's like, "I'll pay for it,
as long as you don't turn gay
on me."
I'm like, "Well, I--you can't
be turned any more 'cause
I'm already gay."
And then the phone dropped on
the floor.
"What did you just tell your
mother?
She just fainted."
I was like, "oh, I just came
out."
If I make it to fashion week
and if I have a fashion show,
if I get on that runway before
I have to, like, explain my
collection, I would faint.
>> Up next, the out-of-towners
take on New York.
You know what they say.
If you can make it here, you can
make it anywhere.
>> I'm not scared of, like, any
other designer.
Like, I just wanna kick some
ass, and that's my biggest goal.
♪ ♪
>> New York City has a special
kind of energy.
You will not find it anywhere
else in the world.
Making your mark here as a
fashion designer really does
mean you've arrived.
This next group of talented
designers hail from the
Midwest, but don't let their
small town charm fool you.
They are in it to win it.
>> Take one.
>> Hey, Project Runway fans.
My name is Alicia.
I'm originally from Kentucky.
I grew up there.
I was always really creative as
a kid.
I liked to draw and color, and
now I'm working on my thing.
>> Alicia?
>> Yes, I'm Alicia.
I think where my aesthetic comes
in to make it different is the
silhouette, is the shapes.
I think all of that comes
together and creates something
different.
>> Is this one of yours?
>> Yes.
It's called original tomboy.
>> I loved what Alicia was
wearing.
It was practical, it was
functional.
That's really cool.
>> That's cool.
>> I would wear that.
>> It's groovy.
>> Yeah.
>> This shirt, I actually
designed for a company
not too long ago.
We have the zipper trims here.
This piece here is sort of
emblematic of my style--
a long-sleeved knit top.
It's simple but modern with a
fresh new take.
I've actually been telling my
family since I was young that I
didn't want to get married and
have kids, and then it wasn't
till college that I figured
out why.
This is my girlfriend Lauren.
We've been together, I think
it's been four years.
♪ ♪
>> The jeans are amazing.
I love them.
>> Yeah, those are really cute.
>> Alicia's design aesthetic was
very Williamsburg lesbian chic.
>> I love the little well pocket
on the inside.
>> Oh, yeah, it's like--
>> You could carry your knife in
there.
>> Exactly, lipstick, knife.
>> Everything that she was
showing was her lifestyle.
>> There's a tomboy look in
fashion that comes in and out,
you know, and I think right now
is a good time for it to hit
big.
♪ ♪
>> Hi.
I'm Melissa, and welcome to my
flat in San Francisco.
♪ ♪
I was born and raised in
Michigan.
I remember my mother, uh,
growing up.
She saved all her clothes from
the '60s, um, so I would
dress up in her clothes, just go
around in my house.
Hi.
>> Hi.
>> Hi, Melissa.
>> Hi.
>> Tell us about yourself.
>> Well, I just finished my MFA
at the Academy of Art in
December.
>> Okay, and who is your girl?
>> She's independent.
She likes to travel.
>> She likes to wear a lot of
black?
>> Yeah.
♪ ♪
This is my closet.
My favorite color is black, and
I wear it almost every day.
I would say my look has somewhat
of a Gothic edge to it without
being too Gothic in a way.
So this is my prized
possession.
This is my--it's called the
"vute" perfecto.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Here comes this blonde, sweet
girl.
You almost expect leggings and
Southern California Boho chic,
but then you look at her rack,
and it was all black, and it was
like, "who are you?"
♪ ♪
Your rack is--I love it.
You've got a definite style.
>> And I would wear your own
clothes.
>> Instead of that vest, put
that vest on.
>> See?
>> Yeah.
>> Hi.
>> Better.
>> 'Cause you're selling
yourself, you're selling your
line.
No one's gonna sell you
better than you sell you.
>> This is now--this is
believable.
Like, I get it.
It was a simple, "take off that
vest and put on that vest that
you made," and it completely
changed the entire picture.
She really does have a shot to
make to fashion week.
>> The universe has spoken.
It's my time.
This kind of fell in my lap and
I'm ready to do it.
>> Hello.
Welcome, come in please.
Oh.
Hey, what's up?
Welcome to my New York
apartment.
I'm Nathan, come on in.
My name is Nathan Paul McDonald
II.
I was born in Zanesville, Ohio,
and it's this very small, small,
kind of backwards, I think, kind
of town.
There's around 40,000 people
there.
Hi, how are you all?
>> Good.
>> Good, how are you?
>> I'm good, thank you.
>> Tell us about yourself.
> I would classify myself as a
social occasion designer.
This is actually a square piece
of fabric that I've taken and
pleated and tucked so that it's
just one piece that wraps around
the body.
>> I really liked Nathan.
You could just feel it that he
loves what he does and that he's
born to do fashion.
I was raised in Ohio.
My father, being a pastor, he
always had this notion of how we
were supposed to look.
I wore suits to school.
And so it was good growing up
in a big family.
We went to school, we came home,
we ate dinner, and we went to
church.
You go to the bowling alley,
you're going to hell.
You go roller skating, you're
going to hell.
We had to wear a full--go to the
beach fully clothed.
My father didn't really
understand fashion and all of
that.
I had moved away, and Project
Runway actually came on TV, and
he called me up and, for the
first time in my life, he's
like, "Nate, this fashion
industry is a real thing.
This is like a real business."
Project Runway restored my
relationship with my father, and
now he's like my number one
supporter.
♪ ♪
I'm designing to win,
and so I don't think it's always
about who is the best designer
but who plays the game the
smartest.
I think I could definitely win.
>> I think he was the whole
package, and he designs really
well.
He doesn't over-think and he
doesn't under-think,
and he doesn't underestimate
himself or his work.
Tell dad I said hi.
>> I will.
He'll probably know who you are.
>> You've got that attitude.
>> Your bitchy attitude.
>> Hey, I am Raul, and this
is my house.
Um, welcome.
So this is my place.
It's in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
This is my closet.
My style is a little bit, um--
like I said, there's an
influence of midwestern.
I made this one.
This shirt is just fun to wear.
Every time that I wear it,
people ask me where I got it
from, and I'm like,
"made by me."
Hello.
>> Hi.
>> How are you?
>> This is a very simple, hot
dress, some front slits.
I try to keep things a little
provocative, but also I want it
to be classy.
I don't want it to be vulgar.
This is a part of a show that I
did called, "the little
black dress."
Um, and, uh, we were
supposed to, like, have our own
interpretation of what the
little black dress should be.
>> Right.
>> People are free to have their
own opinion.
I'm not designing for the whole
world.
I'm designing for a very vain
woman.
Like, she doesn't care.
She's very secure.
She will go to the grocery store
wearing it.
Like, she doesn't care people
will think that she's
overdressed.
♪ ♪
Years ago, I used to be
very shy.
From a previous relationship, I
felt, like, very tiny.
You know, like, very little.
After that was done, I decided
that I was gonna concentrate on
making myself the best designer
that I could be, 'cause this is
the only thing that I actually
have is my, you know, the
talent.
I'm not scared of, like, any
other designer.
Like, I just want to kick some
ass, and that's my biggest
goal.
>> I think that Raul definitely
has a good chance in the
competition.
He talks, his clothes talk, and
that's what we need walking down
the runway.
>> The fashion world is huge,
but this is Raul's world, and
I'm the one who's doing it.
>> Up next, 16 designers in less
than five minutes--your final
recap before Project Runway
Season Ten begins.
>> So now you're privy to all
16 Project Runway finalists.
To help you keep track, we leave
you with a brief recap of each
designer.
But first, Nick and Mondo have
some very definite opinions
about which designers will be
placed in the top three.
>> Here are my top three.
>> Okay.
>> Are you ready?
>> I'm ready.
>> Ven.
>> Okay.
>> Dmitry.
>> No.
>> Melissa.
>> Eehh.
>> Oh.
>> My top three, I agree
with you, Ven.
Technically, I think he's the
strongest designer here.
>> Yes.
>> I love Fabio.
>> Thank you.
That's a great compliment.
>> Who's your third?
>> Beatrice.
I know.
>> Really?
>> Yes.
>> But don't you think that
she's a one-note knit girl?
>> One-note knit girl?
>> Yeah.
I just made that up right now.
>> Well, maybe.
Listen, they all have their
point of view.
>> Right.
>> It's really just about
getting the challenges done.
>> That's true.
All right, now, that we've
completely confused you guys,
here's a scorecard to get you
back on track.
♪ ♪
>> I wanna do my best
and I wanna win.
I wanna show Nina Garcia,
Michael Kors, and Heidi Klum,
and Tim Gunn that I am the next
big thing.
>> I'm influenced definitely by
the '80s, and I love putting
together, like, prints in
different loud, fun colors,
and I do think outside of the
box.
>> I love clothes.
I live for it.
I breathe for it.
I'm on the go constantly, and
that's my girl.
Like, she's on the go, she wants
to look great, and she
doesn't wanna think about it.
>> I think I can totally win
Project Runway.
I have big talent.
I have lot of experience.
I have personality.
I have what it takes.
>> I call myself an
anti-fashionista fashionista.
I think I have an advantage.
I'm older, I'm more confident,
and I--and I have brass balls.
>> I've always been a little,
you know, a little bit of a
black sheep in terms of fashion,
so I've been used to,
like, going against the grain,
you know, pretty much since high
school.
I think I could produce some
really cool stuff.
>> It makes me emotional, and
it makes me, like, choke up
a little bit when I think of the
possibility of, like, showing on
fashion week, 'cause it's
something that every designer
dreams of.
>> My whole resume is just
winning.
My aesthetic is sexy but it's
sophisticated.
I feel like the talent is there,
and I've worked really hard to
be where I am.
>> I like to take the basic
classic shapes and ramp them up
with unusual textures and things
that people wouldn't normally
even consider doing.
I definitely think I'll be one
of the top three to finish, for
sure.
>> At the end of the day, I'm an
evening wear designer.
I view fashion as an art, and I
feel that I have a voice, I have
a message to give to the world,
and I want to have a platform to
do that.
>> I have a unique point of
view that, you know, honestly,
not to toot my own horn, I
haven't seen before.
If somebody is trying to
sabotage me in a way, my claws
will come out, and they will
feel the wrath of Elena.
>> Yeah, I can become, like,
that kind of crazy artist,
I think, sometimes, where I just
start pacing and getting in the
zone and trying to problem
solve, and I guess it just
becomes my life in a way.
The universe has spoken.
It's my time.
>> Clothes is a great way to,
like, empower people, and
that's what I like, I work
to do.
The fashion world is huge,
but this is Raul's world.
>> You know, I made everything
that I did in a week.
I did--you know, there wasn't
much sleeping, there wasn't much
eating.
There was a lot of coffee,
you know, and a lot of
cigarettes, and a lot of tears.
Sometimes it's a fight to death.
I'm coming back.
This is my year for redemption.
>> What I wanna do is, uh, make
clothing that makes people happy
when they wear.
So I make some love, right?
That's what I think I do.
I made a love.
>> There's nothing else in the
world that matters to me but
designing clothes.
I see myself going down this
runway.
Like, my clothes are
gonna go down the runway.
I'm going to make it to fashion
week.
I just--I keep telling myself
that I'm going to make it to
fashion week.
>> What a diverse and
fascinating group.
I cannot wait to see how they do
on the show.
Happy tenth anniversary,
Project Runway.
== sync, corrected by elderman ==