High-powered, successful women Shields and Nina Garcia. / Bravo Photo: Barbara Nitke
SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers for Project Runway coming up after the jump.
So this week the designers are making an outfit for a high-powered, successful businesswoman. She needs something she can wear to the office and out on the town. Turns out it’s Brooke Shields. But not really! It’s Wendy—the character she plays on Lipstick Jungle! Which is on Bravo’s NBC Universal sibling NBC! And is returning next season even though the ratings weren’t so great! And NBC really thinks more of the Bravo audience could be watching it! Dear God, please! Did we mention season 2 starts next month?
Project Runway is not exactly a blushing virgin when it comes to cheesy commercialism, but this was aggressively tacky even for them. (Granted, at least Shields used to be a model.) Though it does open up a world of possible future challenges. An improved cardigan for Pam on The Office? Outfits for the chicks who hold the briefcases on Deal or No Deal? (“It needs to look slutty and whorish!”) The most entertaining aspect of the show, though, was the constant references to the show—designers excitedly telling the models the winning design would be on Lipstick Jungle—without a single person asking, “What the hell’s a Lipstick Jungle? Is it on TV?” The editors must have been working overtime on that one.
On a competition level, it was nice to see the designers team up again, as that brings out conflict and thus distinguishes the still-mostly-forgettable cast. For instance, we learned that Terri, paired with Suede, can also refer to herself in the third person. And it was good to see Jerrell redeem himself after his Little Bo Beep disaster last week. But I can’t think of any good reason for Blayne’s not having been eliminated, for his hot-pants design (what “business” is his client supposed to be in?) except that he’s too good on TV for the producers to let go. But tell me if you disagree.