Project Runway All Stars recap: 'A Kick in the Astro'

The seventh episode of Project Runway All Stars starts off with the remaining designers arriving at the Hudson River Museum to meet with Alyssa, who greets them inside the museum’s planetarium, wearing a sparkly space-themed frock. We love a good on-the-nose fashion moment. *eye roll*

The host delivers a few philosophical lines about fashion and outer space before revealing this week’s challenge: avant-garde designs inspired by the cosmos. Fans of the show will know what this means, but Kimberly translates the fashion jargon: “Avant-garde is basically wearable art.”

The All Star designers are excited to push their creativity to infinity and beyond for this challenge, but what they love the most is their Mood budget, $350. But there’s more — the designers have TWO whole days in the workroom to complete their designs.

“I knew you’d hear my cry, father,” says Anthony as he points his arms up toward the sky.

In order to provide the designers with some out-of-this-world inspiration, the museum holds a special presentation while they sketch. Off to Mood they go, and then the designers are ready to hit the workroom and create some intergalactic fashion.

Helen, always the nervous wreck, is hard at work on her design, which takes cue from a supernova. She really wants to win because this is her third go at this challenge. “Don’t loose your mind, Helen. Lose this contest, Helen, but don’t lose your mind,” jokes Anthony as he sips on his iced coffee and everyone laughs at his read. Anthony is a superstar and I LOVE HIM forever.

The rest of the designers seem relaxed for this challenge since by Project Runway standards, they have plenty of time to make magic happen. As everyone carries on with their work, Kimberly cries out for everyone to “have moment for our girl Char,” and Anthony replies with a witty and shady question: “Damn, did she die or get eliminated?”

“If they get my ass up out of here,” he adds, “y’all better have a whole damn remembrance.” Get Anthony his own show ASAP.

After day one in the workroom, the designers are having fun with their astronomical designs, but not everyone is on schedule — especially Joshua, who is literally making a something out of hot glue on blue tape? He’s a risk taker, that’s for sure.

Anne and her somber fashion shadow enter the workroom to deliver some feedback. Anthony is ditching his well-crafted dresses for pants, adding volume to the pants to mimic the Milky Way, along with some crystals, which Anne doesn’t really love. But worry not because Anthony’s pants are not going to look “pageant, prom, or wedding.”

Kimberly is trying hard to explain how her “dress” resembles a neutron star, which is formed by the collapse of another massive star — well, she achieved the collapse part, and that’s about it. Anne seems to agree. Fabio is hard at work on his fringe armor, inspired by Neptune’s cold and dark vibes, and Anne is worried that the judges might not get the full effect of his work.

Everyone’s least favorite designer, Merline, is really confident about her orbit-inspired dress. She wants to make something that allows “the shapes to do the talking,” and it looks just like all the other dresses she’s made before. Anne tells her that this challenge is the time to exaggerate but adds that she should watch out because the judges have seen her make a dress like this before. *another eye roll*

Joshua and his eyebrows are super confident this week since they won the last challenge. Once again, the rivalry between Joshua and Anne makes for some tense back-and-forth between the two frenemies. He tells Anne that he’s making “editorial bondage gear,” which Anne clearly dislikes because it’s been done “again and again.”

“The wheel’s been done, I’m merely adding a spoke,” Joshua replies in a passive-aggressive tone.

Anne isn’t here to play Joshua’s games, and she rolls off his sass and walks away with a Miranda Priestly-esque side eye. Go off Anne.

Most of the designers don’t take Anne’s advice into consideration, especially Anthony and Joshua. They’re both sticking to their looks, and Anthony is definitely going to put “as many crystals on my damn look as I want to.”

When the models arrive, Stanley has a great fitting. “All the eyes were on her,” he says in his confessional, which is true. Anthony is happy with his avant-garde pants, and Joshua is sort of lost with his color story. I think Joshua is just lost — his glue creation/dress thing is looking ugly, but he’s confident about it, so that’s that. Kimberly has lost her damn mind and is heading nowhere, fast. And at this point, I’m starting to get worried about Fabio and his tassel creation. Anne was right — the tassels aren’t translating into an avant-garde look. My heart is breaking because his look had so much potential. It’s the end of day two and these look are barely coming together.

Finally it’s the day of the runway! Literally every designer is in the Brother sewing room trying to piece together their stellar avant-garde looks until the last second. The models then head to hair and makeup as the designers try to pull together their design. For some, like Kimberly, it’s all about keeping her model in the dress and making it to the runway. Helen loves what Fabio made, but she doesn’t think “it looks avant-garde,” because it really doesn’t. And Merline actually came through with a solid dress, but then again she’s not doing anything we haven’t already seen on the runway.

Anthony captures the feel of the runway this week, saying, “I see Kimberly’s look and her model is ass out, but then I look across the room and see Josh’s look, then I see Helen’s look, and I think to myself, ‘Battle of the streetwalkers.'” (Recap continues on page 2)

3, 2, 1 blast off! And away we go to the runway! Alyssa struts onto the runway in another unflattering dress with a star motif. BORING. She proceeds to welcome back regular judges Georgina Chapman and Isaac Mizrahi and introduce this week’s guest judges — and that’s right, this week there are two iconic judges: award-winning actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and supermodel of the world RuPaul Charles! Alyssa also announces that this week’s winner will get Marchesa shoes for their first professional collection. You bettah werk!

The astronomical designs zoom down the runway, and the judges think Joshua, Kimberly, Merline, Fabio, Anthony, and Stanley have the best and worst looks of the week.

Fabio‘s blue armor turned out OKAY. Georgina enjoys his perspective but wishes it looked a little more polished. Isaac thinks it doesn’t work, but it’s great, but it is hideous. LOL. Jesse loved the way the fringe moved, and RuPaul thinks it needed to be a different length.

Anthony explains why he chose to design pants instead of a dress, and it worked out for him! Alyssa calls his creation new and exciting; Georgina loves the extended peplum running down the pants. Jesse hates the circular top, and as for RuPaul, well, he wants to take a chance with pants.

Merline tells the judges that she loves the idea of an orbit holding everything together, hence her white dress. Isaac thinks the dress is “divine” and wants a collection of this same dress in every different color. Georgina calls her dress gorgeous. RuPaul thinks the model looks dangerous, “like a Bond villain,” just exquisite.

Joshua has a horrible attitude on the runway when Georgina questions his editing and taste with this avant-garde look. “That’s it, baby” he replies. “That’s what you’re gonna get.” RuPaul calls it “next level gay s—.” He thinks it’s outrageous and crazy. Isaac agrees with Ru and blames the color scheme. Alyssa and Joshua get involved in a rather aggressive back-and-forth where Joshua and his eyebrows show their true colors. He is disrespectful simply because his look is a hot-glue mess — sorry baby! In the words of Helen: “C’est la vie Project Runway”

Kimberly admits that she really doesn’t know what “the collapse of a gravitational star” means, and the judges can see that. Isaac doesn’t hate it but doesn’t love it either. Georgina tells her that the dress feels a little confused. Jesse wants to use the cape as a Christmas tree skirt. SHADE!

Stanley teaches the judges about solar eclipses, telling them they happen when the moon covers the sun completely. Georgina thinks the proportions are “wonderful.” She loves the bow, and “it gives her everything.” Isaac loves the exaggeration of the design. Jesse points out that the look is sort of wearable: “I can kind of see Gwen Stefani going to brunch in this.”

Winner: Stanley, for knowing how to do avant-garde fashion

Out: Kimberly, for not buying enough leather for a skirt

Honestly, I’m over Joshua and his annoying attitude. He should’ve gone home.

Do you agree with the judges? Let me know your thoughts about “A Kick in the Astro” and what you think of All Stars season 6 so far. Sound off below!