Project Runway designers create a chic pregnancy look for Rebecca Romijn

Rebecca Romijn  - Photo: AP/Dan Steinberg

The challenge: Create a "pregnancy-chic" look for supermodel and actress Rebecca Romijn, who at the time appeared to be in the latter half of her second trimester with the twins she and hubby of two years, Jerry O'Connell, welcomed last winter. Each designer's dress form was fitted with a somewhat realistically-shaped "belly," and they were set free to design a look with whatever kind of event  they chose in mind.  Simple or elaborate, casual or elegant didn't matter as long as it was designed around the pregnant figure.

The wrong kind of wow factor

We spotted some rather hair-raising designs begin to take shape right from the start, not the least of which was Malvin's. He explains that he's going for a look that represents fertility. Okay, sounds great. But the second the words "bird's nest" came out of his mouth, we knew this was bound to be interesting. And it sure was. The end result was a sloppy piece that didn't appear to have had any thought put in to it, despite the sophisticated brooding artist facade he puts on.

Fit for a (pregnant) goddess

Others' looks showed more promise. Those which stood out  most to us were two striking red numbers belonging to Shirin and Louise. Shirin's showcased a beautiful crisscross effect around the waist, which flawlessly accentuated the swell of the belly without appearing too showy. Louise tells us she's going for a 1920's negligee-inspired look, using lace she herself hand-dyed. Both could easily have found a place on the body of, not only a supermodel, but a goddess. Indeed, the goddess look seemed to run rampant in the design room, with a lot of satiny materials and draping going on. Vibrant solid jewel tones were also a dominant theme.

In the end, our favorite was Louise's with the hand-dyed lace, tiered, mid-thigh-length skirt, and overall ultra-feminine and old-Hollywood design.  

Repeat performances

Other looks stood out for less-than-wonderful reasons.  For the second time already this season, we were disappointed by a look that was gorgeous in back, but fell flat in front. Such was the case with Althea's long dark piece, which sported a lovely crisscross design in back (loving the crisscross theme in general), but was rather boring in front, and not substantial enough for the average pregnant woman's burgeoning bosom. Another second-time thing this season was the fact that Mitchell, just as he did in the premier, had a fabulous idea that in the end just didn't cut it. His urban-chic t-shirt and shorts look was spectacular on paper, but the 3D version was sloppy, with hostess and judge Heidi Klum describing his model as "a pregnant mess." Mitchell has strong ideas, but his execution is lacking.

Standing in for Michael Kors this week was the stunning Monique Lhuillier, who I personally believe should be on the runway as well as backstage. Alongside her were Klum and her fellow regular, Nina Garcia, and Romijn herself as the celebrity guest. All came to the almost immediate consensus that Malvin's design was simply too bazaar and confusing, and ultimately, he was our second designer to receive the boot. "I guess I'm just too conceptual for America," Malvin sighs as he quietly accepts his fate.

The winner of this week's challenge was the one who came in second in our eyes, but was no less deserving: With the judges deciding that Louise's dress was a little too "nightgown-y," Shirin's red goddess look was deemed the winner, earning her immunity from elimination in next week's challenge.