This week on PRAS: We've hit the final four: Austin, Kenley, Michael and Mondo battle it out in what Mondo so accurately describes as "the last challenge before the final three." New York City designer Nanette Lepore is this week's guest judge, and the winning look will be sold in her stores across the United States. The theme this week is "saleability." The designers are challenged to create a ready-to-wear look for the retail customer. Profits from the sale of the winner's look will go to Save the Garment Center, an organization dedicated to encouraging, highlighting and promoting "Made in NYC" and "Made in America." Also, did you guys know Mondo doesn't sketch? Like, at all? Well, he doesn't.
Well, it only took an entire season, but Project Runway All Stars has finally given us some truly fascinating content. After a sketching session, each designer consults with Nanette and her coster, Kelly, to see how much each outfit will cost to produce and sell; the difference between the retail cost and the manufacturing cost determines each designer's fabric budget. BRILLIANT. Michael's "fabric-eating" (Nanette's word, not ours) jersey jumpsuit will retail for about $350, leaving him with a $48 fabric budget. It's on. (Kenley: $350 retail/$41 fabric budget; Austin: $500 retail/$65 fabric budget; Mondo: $300 retail/$32 fabric budget.)
Continuing the trend of getting interesting at the last minute, Mondo's "I don't sketch" thing comes up again. His meeting with Nanette Lepore is awkward since there are no actual sketches to look at in order to estimate costs. Immediately following that painful exchange, Mondo walks out into the front of Lepore's boutique and hears Kenley talking smack -- apparently she doesn't think you're a "real designer" unless you can sketch. She throws up her hands in frustration when Mondo gets pissed off. What's a pin-up wannabe got to do to get a little understanding?
The anger is assuaged, at least temporarily, when the designers are set loose in Lepore's own fabric floor. They shop and work with coster Kelly to "purchase" their fabrics and then it's back to the workroom to battle for their spot in the final three. Plans begin to go awry when Kenley's peacock-printed fabric won't allow for the keyhole detail she intended, and Michael's fabric has a print that stops short of the fabric's border. Quelle horreur! Michael's caftan will have to be sleeveless! Mondo feels completely defeated and he's Grumpy Gus in the workroom.
When Joanna finally brightens the workroom door with her smile, we see she's brought along Nanette Lepore. Joanna describes this as the most important challenge because it decides the final three, and it's also where "art and commerce meet." Why can't PRAS have been addressing interesting issues like this all season? Seriously. Can someone tell us? As Joanna addresses the designers, everyone stops working...except Kenley, of course. Joanna pulls out her best British schoolmarm: "Kenley! I'm talking to you!" and Kenley snaps to attention.
