For the first time this season, the judges might be a little too harsh in their criticism. In “The Sky Is the Limit,” Season 6, Episode 7 of “Project Runway,” designers are grouped into teams, and asked to create two looks in blue for Macy’s INC brand. The night’s winner will be tapped by Macy’s and Pink to design a holiday dress to be sold in Macy’s stores and Macy’s Online. Egos clashed as the paired designers struggled to work through creative differences and shortcomings in organizational skills. Gordana prefers to collect a number of fabrics and figure things out once she’s returned to the studio, whereas her partner Irina likes to make her final decision at the fabric store. Similarly, Louise wants ruffles, and Nicolas hates the idea. In refreshing contrast, Christopher and Epperson quickly find common ground and work to face the challenge head-on.
Each team creates designs worthy of mass production. But in a stunning upset, judges Michael Kors, Martine Reardon, Zanna Roberts and Heidi Klume gave the lowest scores to teams Christopher/Epperson and Louise/Nicolas. The judges, especially Kors, who says “no modern girl would wear ruffles,” doesn’t seem to get that ruffled dresses are perfect for young ladies who do not seek to look like tramps desperate for sexual attention. That said, Louise’s ruffles might be a tad too prominent for everyday wear.
The judges are equally hard on Christopher and Epperson, whose shirt/dress and disco-themed outfits send the judges flying off the rails. Kors thinks the shirt/dress looks “like a table cloth.” Reardon struggles with the shirt’s fabric. She says a skirt/dress should never be made with shiny blue and white pen-stripe patterned fabric, but rather a flat fabric in a neutral, black, crème or white color.
While Christopher and Epperson’s outfits are not the ‘best’ in this episode, they still have mass appeal. Many female lawyers are probably thinking the skirt/dress is just the item they need to mix with the usual business suit routine. As for the disco-bubble dress, hipsters might race to shops to get one. Of course, since Macy’s wants a holiday dress and doesn’t appeal to conservative professionals or hipsters, it is understandable that Martine would dislike the outfits.
Irina wins with a risqué cocktail dress, and Louise’s ruffles earn her the boot. Was Louise’s design aweful? Take a look:
And what about Christoper and Epperson’s designs? Were they bad or merely not a good fit for Macy’s? Take a look:
