A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Heidi tells our designers that they will be working with new models this week and that while they are "inexperienced" they are an "attractive little group". And then out toddle 11 little pumpkins, none older than probably 8, who sweetly lisp the name of the designer with whom she has been paired. Meanwhile, the designers are alternately entranced or panicked. (Jesse says, "Oh crap!" and the stink of fear is so thick around Jonathan that smelling salts must be handed out to passersby).

The challenge is to create an age appropriate kid look (no slutty babies, please) that is fashion forward. Seth Aaron who, surprise surprise, has a daughter, is on top of this challenge like Seigfried on Roy. He knows kids, you see. He knows what they want, what they like and what they will wear. Houndstooth is involved. Amy, too, is particularly delighted with the challenge as she enjoys "mini clothes". Anthony, on the other hand, is befuddled as to how to make clothes for people lacking "bootie or breasts".

Emilio has decided that he's going to stand out from the pack this time by not being fashion forward and is making a pretty little dress just exactly, btw, like the pretty little dresses I saw hanging on a rack at Costco the other day. Ooh, looky! Jay is working with a combination of plum and navy fabrics! Yummy!

Jonathan has recovered enough from his fear of children to deliver a spot on impersonation of Michael Kors. (If the designing thing doesn't work out he and Santino could get together and take their PR schtick on the road).

Mila is color blocking. Again. Emilio (who really seems to believe that he is, in fact, all that and a bag o' chips) is snarky about that. The other designers, however, engage in playful banter with Mila about her signature. Because, as she informs us, she gets along with everyone.

This challenge is definitely breaking out along very clear lines. Most designers are embracing the challenge but the haters are clear.

Kid Hater Theater

Emilio: "If I get eliminated because of a kid..."

Jesse: "That's what I'm saying..."

Oh, hey, I forgot to mention; Portland has a husband that she misses veryvery much. She's really pretty. I bet her wedding photos are stunning.

As the day ends Tim arrives to announce a "nice surprise for you!" Is it money? Champagne? Dinner with Donna Karan? Of course not, silly. The designers are being given another day and $100 to make an adult companion look. And it is not, Tim stresses, to be a "maxi me from mini me". They must innovate from the child look.

Seth Aaron is so clear about his vision that he doesn't even bother to sketch anything.

After a trip to Mood and a contest to see how long Anth-annoy can keep his mouth shut (14:56), Tim comes in for a walk about.

He tells Jonathan he "loves what you've done here" but warns Portland that she is "really rocking Halloween here" and warns her to "be prepared for a response to that". Portland is mystified by this remark as she hates Halloween. But it is pretty orange over there.

Amy is composing pants out of many, many petals of fabric and Tim tells her it will either "stop the show or be clown clothes".

As for Seth Aaron, who has never wavered from his rock solid vision for this challenge, Tim is "really excited" and "profoundly wowed".

When our models come in for fittings there is a smidge of kid chaos (and Jonathan says the workroom is like "Romper Room on crack") but I must say, the children in question seem to be very nice little girls....not to diva-like or anything...just ordinary little kids who get to play dress up. (Which totally flashed me back to my one experience with the runway....a mother-daughter fashion show for the PTA. When I was in 7th grade. Remind me to tell you about it sometime).

The Runway
Tory Burch is the guest judge.

All of the designers manage to achieve distinctive kid and adult looks; nothing is matchy matchy. Some are cute. Some are boring (like Ben's...because Ben is a bore). Sometimes the adult look is better than the kid look and visa versa. But one thing is certain: Seth Aaron hit it out of the damn ball park. And we like Amy's fluttering mommy pants.

Top Three/Bottom Three

Jesse's kid dress is asymmetrical (and a little disconcerting in that, if you ask me-forced whimsy isn't whimsical) and Heidi says she would have preferred if he'd made it straight. But Tory likes that he used grey for a kid look and Nina found the whole thing "adorable" and adds that "the model mom looks pretty good".

Seth Aaron hears nothing but praise as both looks are equally wonderful. Kors calls them "super and strong" and Nina loves that he thought about every element, down to the little purse for the kid model to carry. (Apparently his daughter owns over 200 purses. And she's not a grownup. That's not judgement, btw. More like jealousy).

Jay is praised by Heidi for the obvious thought that went into his looks. Kors refers to them as "really chic" and Nina declares them "really striking, modern and urban". (And did I mention how much I personally adore the plum/navy combo?)

On the other side of the coin, we have Nina telling Portland that she doesn't like that everything is too plain. Heidi goes farther, declaring that the kid look is like a "cheap mall outfit" (although she is careful to use her best mommy voice and tell the little model that she, personally, is adorable). Kors dismisses the mom jacket as a a "home ec" project.

Heidi tells Jonathan that his kid outfit looks "uncomfortable" (which the little model confirms when asked..."it is sticking me a little") and Nina complains that it is all "too sophisticated, too conceptual". Kors likes it even less, claiming the models look like they were caught in a "tornado of toilet paper".

Poor Amy, who decided to go out on a limb finds said limb crashing to the ground. Kors says the kid look suggests the house was on fire and the little one just threw on whatever she could find. (The kid likes the outfit, especially the sweater...which is kinda ratty and kinda cool). And he calls the pants a "train wreck". Nina finds the looks "confusing and circus-like" and Heidi just calls it all "hideous". Now mind you, The Neighb, MAB and I all like the pants. We can only assume this is one of those "must be something in real life that we just can't see" deals.

When we take our own vote we are quite sure of the outcome. Seth Aaron will handily win and Amy will be spared because she is a good designer and one miscalculation will hardly be her undoing when Portland has so consistently been a big "meh".

And we were right. Seth Aaron is the winner for creating something "chic and polished" for the adult while perfectly meeting the initial challenge of something "age appropriate and fashion forward" for the kid.Photo courtesy of Lifetime Networks by way of Blogging Project Runway

And Portland's aufing includes the dreadful judgement: "you bored us". But after the auf Portland declared that she wasn't going to "stop just because Heidi Klum said she wouldn't wear any of my pieces". And you gotta admire Portland for that. Because the truth is, Heidi Klum gets it wrong easily 50% of the time. You want proof? How about that horrible toga she wore tonight? Eewww.