Project Runway's final challenge goes to the circus

Anthony gets auffed. Again.

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It was fashion under a different kind of tent this week. For some twisted reason, the fashion Gods at Project Runway decided that there was inspiration to be had at Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. So the remaining five designers saw the dancing elephants, clowns, and trapeze artists in search of their final couture inspiration before the finale at Fashion Week.

Producers, what were you thinking? The circus. Really? Most of us think of animals and foul smell when we hear the word circus.

What came out of the designers were the rehash of stripes, stripes and more stripes. I was shocked that none of the judges pointed out the utter blandness of this week’s collections.

I predicted in last week’s article that Anthony was not going to make it to Fashion Week, and I was right. It isn’t that Anthony isn’t talented. It’s just that it seemed very early on in the competition that the judges had already decided who was going to make it to the very end. That person in question is of course none other than steely-browed Mila who has shown very little in terms of versatility and use of imagination. The Project Runway pattern has always been to keep bitchy contestants in towards the very end. Let’s recall… Jeffrey Sebelia, Irina Shabayeva, Santino Rice ring a bell?

Michael Kors was being a brute again when he jumped out of his chair to ridicule Anthony’s fabric choice. And of course Heidi followed suit and the two judges had a field day picking on someone for a cheap laugh. Why do they keep doing this? Clever quips are one thing but as we all saw in a previous episode in which Jonathan got bullied on the runway, no one likes to see constructive criticism get nasty. Especially when this happens to such sweet and fun guy like Anthony it was just too painful to watch. Especially when he was already auffed once before.

It was one of the lowest points in Project Runway history.

It’s also very strange that Heidi, Michael and Nina always agree on the same designs. Absolutely horrifying that most of them agreed that Mila’s design was actually good. Michael Kors called it “dramatic and impactful” when it was just a tacky mess and carbon copy of Seth Aaron’s design. I did hear Nina Garcia speak the truth when she said she wasn’t “sold” on Mila’s concoction, but of course she was out judged.

It would be so much more interesting if they’d argue more, like the way Simon Cowell used to do with Paul Abdul on American Idol. Wouldn’t it be great if Nina got into a brawl with Heidi and Michael in the judging process?

I’d tune in for that.

For more on the good, the bad and the truly fierce happenings on Project Runway, please visit:

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