Project Runway All Stars 3/22/18--"Nina's Crushing It" summary

Previously on “Project Runway All Stars”: everyone had to make stagewear looks. The show tried to pretend we'd never seen stagewear before but if you've watched the regular show (and wouldn't you assume everyone had?) you've seen it. Anyway, random draw for genres. I feel like “country” gets screwed the most because the definition has changed and most people like me don't understand how exactly that's happened. Edmond won again with a rock-and-roll jumpsuit. Whatever. Helen was finally eliminated for making a black sequined peasant dress with sleeves that weren't attached to the dress. For “country”. (click for more)

Oh, Alyssa's dress is cute! It's not oversized and has some shape to it. She asks everyone how All-Stars is different from the regular show. Anthony says the regular show is where you find out who you are as a designer, and All-Stars is where you SHOW who you are as a designer. She then says that someone is coming who is familiar with their work. They all know it's Nina. She tells them she has an opportunity for them, which somehow involves video games. Don't front, Nina. Anyway, they're teaming up with Candy Crush. What in the actual fuck. Listen, I like Candy Crush. I play a lot of Candy Crush. But I think it's a stretch to list it as “a video game that designers are involved in”. Fabio loves Candy Crush. There aren't even people! It's candy! Also this franchise has a “narrative designer”. That's dumb also. No one gives one shit about any kind of story in any of those games. Anyway, make a resortwear look inspired by one of the “lands”. Also you have to play a level of the game, and the high score will get first pick. Winner of the challenge will be able to “collaborate on a design for King, the creators of Candy Crush”. For what? Candy Crush has merch? This is dumb. This is worse than Red Robin.

Anyway watching people play this dumb game is not fun. Ken somehow destroys everyone by like 50,000 points. He picks Brulee Bay, which is apparently “beach resortwear”. So there's different categories of resort wear now? Fabio takes Taffy Tropics (tropical). Stanley says he is taking “Lemonade Lake—lakeside resort wear”. Anthony picks Sticky Savannah (safari) and Edmond gets Marshmallow Mountains. Which I guess is mountains or more probably ski. I'm still annoyed at this ridiculous product placement.

Anthony sketches a romper because “it's hot in Africa, I'm thinking.” As I predicted Edmond is doing a ski suit, but ultra fitted. Ken makes a Hamptons-inspired outfit. Mood is Mood. Fabio wants to make a jumpsuit. Stanley wants to make a beautiful flowy dress with pants which he for some reason believes has never been seen on this show before. Stanley. First season, Kara Saun did that for that stupid Nancy O'Dell challenge. Edmond finds some 80's print. Ken and Fabio discover they're both making jumpsuits with wide legs.

Everyone gets to work and discusses how they were in the bottom and how “Stanley is doing pants too” and whatever. They discover everyone is doing pants. Every time someone talks about what they're doing, someone else is also doing it. Fabio was going to colorblock his outfit, but after draping he's rethinking it.

Oh look, Anne is back. Sigh. She tells the boys that she knows what Nina likes. They all know what Nina likes. Everyone knows what Nina likes at this point. Edmond is making a ski suit, but Anne tells him he doesn't need to make the actual athletic equipment. So I guess she wants him to make whatever outfit his girl would wear in the lodge or whatever. Stanley says he wants to put pants under the dress and Anne wants it to be easy, and this ease is very Nina. And a scarf tie. Anne shows some personality and makes a horrified face. Anthony doesn't even know if it's “safari” or “sahari”. I think he's actually not making pants, which would make him the only one. Anne asks him to make her the perfect safari jacket. After she leaves he mutters “in my neighborhood 'Safari' is a stripper.” Hee. Ken has an outfit for a party hostess in yellow. Anne basically just tells him to make sure to tailor it. Fabio does have a gown over pants, and he says that the nights in Brazil are cool. They discuss that Nina is from Colombia so she would know? I don't know.

Edmond claims to be thinking about what Anne said. Model fittings. Fabio brings the waist in because he knows the bottom of the outfit will be heavy. Edmond has like a black catsuit basically, and the crotch is maybe insane. Stanley's pants fit really well. Ken is changing the hem of his pants. I'm not sure how? I think it's whatever the difference is between straight leg pants and cigarette pants. Maybe he's putting in a notch so she can get them over her feet? Stanley has a lot of work to do.

Runway Day. Edmond has some hot pink faux fur he needs to put on his outfit somewhere. Fabio is anxious because he loves his design, and usually when that happens he gets in trouble. Edmond has made a black scuba suit. Hot makeup guy Scott. Ken puts blue heeled open toed gladiator booties with his all-yellow outfit. Fabio is freaking out because this is when he was eliminated his first All-Stars season.

Guest judges are Nina and Kelly Osbourne. Stanley: green and white print dress, that hits just below the knee, with long puffy sleeves that are gathered at the wrist. It looks like a wrap dress, maybe? Or at least a V-neck with a matching choker. Under this dress are wide legged white pants with a wide dark green border at the bottom. This is a very cute dress and doesn't need pants. You can't see her feet at all. Edmond: black neoprene jumpsuit, fit tightly, with a hot pink fuzzy scarf and a knit hat. There's long sleeves and a popped collar, and also a turquoise and pink belt. I can't see the crotch properly now but the waist does look high.

Ken: strapless jumpsuit in bright yellow. The pants are straight legged and look great, and the whole thing fits really well. Along the top of the bodice, he's attached long pieces of fabric like a dress, but since it's just at the top of the garment, as she walks it floats behind her so it doesn't cover the jumpsuit at all. From the back it looks like a floaty strapless gown. I don't wear yellow and I really like this. Anthony: short sleeveless romper in white cotton eyelet. There shorts look great and there's a tie belt. Even the giant safari pockets look good. Fabio: long gown, the kind that looks like you sewed fabric at the shoulder, then draped it over the body and then belted it. One side is red and the other side is pink. Under this are slightly baggy black pants. Sigh. Also when she turns around, it's not a dress. The colored fabric ends at the sides of her hips, so from behind it looks like pants and an apron. Fabio laments that the two sides of the dress move differently.

Ken didn't want to make a swimsuit, so he went Hamptons. They love it. Georgina thinks it's like a sarong and jumpsuit which she likes. Nina thinks maybe the fabric is a little heavy. It's a wool/Lycra blend? The color is great, though. Kelly wishes you could remove the sarong/drape part on top. Edmond tries to make sure they know he got last pick. Georgina says resortwear does not mean what you wear when you are skiing, because that's athletic wear. Isaac says that snow bunnies are his favorite. Sure. Then he says he likes how it doesn't fit perfectly. Nina calls him out on being safe, and Kelly calls him out on making a wetsuit, and a black one at that. Alyssa says the crotch looks like she's packing a penis. Ha! That was good, Alyssa. Anthony gapes and then whispers “a big one”. I love you, Anthony.

Stanley immediately starts talking about lightness. Sure, but then pants. The dress is light, and the whole thing is maybe fresh but the pants are weird. They seem to think he's got like half a good garment. Maybe a white dress with the pants, or maybe the print as a blouse. Nina says there's too much volume happening. Alyssa tells him his risk paid off. I guess. Fabio says something about escaping New York in the winter. Alyssa loves the back. Georgina likes the color story and the playing with proportions. Isaac doesn't like it though, because it doesn't move well. It's front heavy, Nina agrees. It's heavy but Kelly likes it anyway. Anthony tries to talk about Candy Crush. It's very nice, but the shorts are “moderate”? Isaac. What? The jacket closure is tricky, because it wraps around or something. Anthony says that to get into it you get zipped in the back and then the front wraps around and ties. That sounds annoying but not impossible. Nina also thinks the back is boring. Kelly likes that he took the risk not to use color. Georgina complains that it's “contemporary” and not “fashion”. It's a little like an apron. Whatever, you guys.

Ken had a wonderful color, although Alyssa thinks she's seen it before. Oh but not Stanley's? Whatever. Isaac says something intelligent, which is that the outfit is both “beach resort” and “tailored” which you don't often see together. Stanley played with proportions, but it failed. Fabio went “back to Fabio”, which according to Georgina is being close to his own personal style which is lovely. But it's heavy in the front. Edmond made a wetsuit. Nina says he's not trying. Georgina says at least he didn't make a dress over pants. Anthony made something safe, but he did go with white at least.

The top four are going to go to Washington, DC to “receive a special challenge”. Stanley is in. Ken is the winner! Yeah, I agree. He's thrilled. Fabio is in. Edmond is out. Anthony is in. Good. He would have loved to show his collection, but he's come a long way.

Next week: oh it's the finale. It's collection time. I know. I know, you guys. It sucks because it's Holy Week and I have church! I'll try to get the recap up Thursday. But then the season is over!