'Project Runway' Season 8, Episode 5 Recap

It’s team week with two teams of six. Heidi lets Michael C. choose his first teammate since he won the last challenge and he picks Gretchen. April is picked out of a bag and she picks Mondo. There are no team leaders, so after that the last person picked chooses the next person.

Team one is made up of Michael C., Gretchen, Christopher, Ivy, Andy, and A.J. Team two ends up being April, Mondo, Michael D., Valerie, Casanova, and Peach.

The challenge, as if working in teams wasn’t hard enough, was to create a six-piece collection for a Fall 2010 line. There is a tacky board with a list of upcoming trends and textiles from which they choose. There will be one winner chosen from the winning team and one from the losing team for this challenge. Team one decides to choose “menswear for women” in camel textile. Team two decides to mix military and lace.

Team one is working really well. With all the strong designers, you would think there would be many disagreements, but everyone is allowing Gretchen to take over. Michael C. is getting a lot of hostility from this group. Could it be from winning the last challenge? He makes a suggestion and it's out. Ivy even tells Michael he should expect to work and not rely on his immunity. Gretchen is unsaid team leader because she takes over everything.

They decide to name their themselves Team Luxe for their luxurious style.
Team two has no one taking the team leader slot. Peach is worried about this and that most designers in the group want to create their own look. She reminds the group the entire collection is not six separate looks.

We learn they get $1,000 for their budget and it is off to mood. Gretchen and A.J. are dancing. Gretchen won’t stop calling Michael C. Back at the workroom, Ivy is yelling at Michael C. and Gretchen believes he is the weakest link. Gretchen is worried about A.J. and his work.

Tim Gunn returns with Peter Butler, a consulting hairstylist for Garnier. There is a small promotion of the company and then two team members from each group meet with Peter for runway advice. April and Valerie goes for Military and Lace while Gretchen and Andy represent Team Luxe.

Tim comes to visit and checks in with Military and Lace first. Tim warns working with lace is risky because it can look old. He is very excited about everyone's piece accepts Casanova’s design, which Tim thinks looks like the mother of the other outfits.

Tim moves to Luxe next. They go through their collection and are very proud with how well they work together. Tim thinks their collection is looking “ho-hum” compared with the other team.

Casanova needs a break to deal with the stress of constant criticism. He is starting to question his own taste. The team panics with the concern they may have to finish his garment. Casanova takes a nap and calls his family, but all is not fixed until model fittings. Casanova’s model tells him not to let the opinion of others to get to him and just do what he loves. He is back in business.

Michael’s blouse is sewed wrong, so he has to redo it. A.J. has nothing for his model to try on because he had to restart the back of his dress. Luxe is worried their work will hurt them in the end.

With limited time the next day, Luxe uses their models to sew up some of the outfits. It's runway time and the guest is Georgina Chapman, English fashion designer and co-founder of the label Marchesa.

Military and Lace goes first. Their outfits are really edgy and clean. Next, Team Luxe goes and the color is too neutral and seems bland. I am pulling for the underdogs, Military and Lace, because their outfits are better.

And the winner is Team Military and Lace! The judges found the collection cohesive, yet each piece having its own attitude. Heidi finds it young and fun. Michael Kors loves that it doesn’t look like a costume. The judges even liked Peach and Casanova’s garments the best. Everyone from the team thinks Casanova should win except Casanova, who picks Peach.

In the back, Gretchen asks Team Luxe who should they should send home. The team agrees not to push anyone under the bus. On the runway, Gretchen explains the collection, how hard they worked, and how they really loved it. There are tears. Michael thinks the collection is “Vanilla Boring.”

Georgina is lost. Nina thinks every garment has a proportion problem and there is no sex appeal. Gretchen starts changing her tune. She flips completely and was saving an ugly collection. All the judges see the sudden switch, but Gretchen won’t stop talking. I wish Gretchen would just stop talking.

After pressure from the judges to pick a weak link, they all pick Michael C. except for A.J., who picks himself. In all fairness, A.J. did only make one garment while everyone else made three. Judges are annoyed with everyone picking Michael C. since he has immunity and can’t be voted out.

Casanova is named the winner while Gretchen is on the bottom with A.J. As a result, A.J. is sent home. In the back, everyone is saying his or her goodbyes to A.J. when Tim comes in and gives Team Luxe a principle to student talking too.

He can’t believe how people were manipulated on the runway. Everyone wishes Gretchen went home as well. Now Lifetime, that was a Project Runway Episode!

Next challenge: New Models.