Project Runway 2: The Barbie Competition

Break out your blonde wigs and your unrealistic breast-to-waist-to-hips ratio, it's the Barbie Competition! This week's challenge had the designers creating an outfit for a famous fashion icon. To reveal the icon, Tim took the designers on a field trip through Times Square to the icon's own home. For a second, I was legitimately worried that they would end up at the revolving doors of the Millennium Hilton. But alas, they went to Toys R Us and the icon was no other than Barbie herself. Or at least, a version of Barbie -- My Scene Barbie, which is essentially a Bratz rip-off.

Their challenge was to design a lifesize outfit appropriate for a My Scene Barbie. The designers were given real My Scene Barbies to act as muses, but they really had nothing to do with the creation of their own designs. We then got an early clue as to what a total nutbag Kara Janx is. She is SUPER HYPER TO THE EXTREME! While she was riding the escalator in Toys R Us, her Barbie's hat flipped off (her fault) and fell between the escalator and the wall. Most people would shrug it off (especially with the cameras watching), but Kara went totally nutzo. She had practically everyone in the store trying to retrieve the mini-hat like it was a small nugget of gold. It's sad to say that while she's manic in all aspects in life, she hasn't really brought that same sort of crazed passion to her designs. Her Barbie outfit, a skirt with a pink top and a psychedelic ballcap, managed to look overly childish and boring.

While Kara's designs were too young, Raymundo and Marla made outfits that were too old and frumpy. Raymundo's was supposed to be some sort of motherly version of a surfer girl, but it just looked more like Senior Discount Day at the Yarn Barn. And it turns out that Marla doesn't know how to sew. She's a nice lady and self-taught, but she doesn't know much about draping fabrics around mannequins. I mean, I don't either, but I'm not in a national fashion-designing competition. Her outfit didn't look too horrible, but it was made with cranberry-colored fabric. Ick! Cranberries are good for curing UTIs and mixing with vodka, but not so much a hot color with the younger crowd.

In the middle of all the design chaos (designers had two days and $150 in material), it was announced that in addition to designing a lifesize outfit, they would also make a replica for their doll. The winning design from this week's challenge would be made into a limited edition Barbie and will feature the designer's name and face on the box. Wow! Every gay man's dream. This last minute curveball sent some designers into a tizzy. Namely, Daniel Franco who spends way too much time on average designs, and finds it necessary to constantly stand back and admire his work as if it's a gallery painting.

Once again, Andrae produced a bunch of crap -- a balloon skirt, a hooded vest, and an asymmetrical top. It didn't look like anything that Barbie would ever let near her yellow plastic skin. Plus, he refused to let his model (a black woman) wear the Barbie wig. He said that it would make her look ridiculous. Well, no duh. That's the point. All the models looked ridiculous. Somehow Andrae took the entire competition too seriously and it's a miracle that he didn't get eliminated.

Instead, the Frumpy Twins (Raymundo and Marla) were in the bottom two, and somehow Raymundo got sent home early. This is the first time that I disagree with the judges. While I don't think that his design was better than Marla's, I think he was just having a bad week. I know this competition has no room for bad weeks, but if you're gonna go by that, then Andrae should have been sent home. He had a bad week this week and a bad week last week. I think the producers are just holding on to him for more inappropriate emotional outbursts. And I can't say I blame them. I do love the crazies, really I do.

Nick was the winner this week and rightfully so! His design fit the competition perfectly. He described it as being an outfit a rich European tycoon's daughter would wear in Capri. It was silky and green and flirty and fun and I absolutely loved it. Santino did not. His design (a purple fitted dress with a tutu skirt) was a close contender for the win, but it just didn't have that certain flare that Nick's did. And Santino threw a fit backstage when he lost to Nick. He sulked in the corner and threw a hissy fit in proper big baby form. And, if the previews for next week's episode are any indication, it looks as if more Santino temper tantrums are in the future. Didn't his mother teach him how to play nice?

Random Highlight of the Week-- Diana perfectly balancing her Barbie doll on her shoulder during the runway show. How did she do that? Must be all the scientific training...or her long-standing affair with Mr. Gravity.

Random Lowlight of the Week- Santino's wicked awful comb-over. Ugh, put the hat back on!