“Project Runway All Stars” Season 5

Episode 6 recap: “Going for Baroque”

The “All Stars” episode began in a medieval arena where host Alyssa Milano arrived dramatically on horseback, talking about how the practicality of medieval garb gave way to the more ornamented Baroque era.

With that, the designers were told they had two days to create a couture Baroque-style gown, when the reality is that such garments, even today, might take months to create. Milano warned the designers, “For one of you it will be off with your head.” Lucky for them that today, that just means getting booted off a reality show.

I love a challenge like this because it also gives me a chance to brush up on costumes prior to the 19th to 21st centuries.

Everyone was anti-Sam Donovan this week. He chose a beautiful lace fabric, and Mitchell Perry said that the fabric was doing all the work for him. His lace gown was beautiful, but it looked like a contemporary halter-style dress. There was nothing Baroque about it, but he made the top two. The other designers were peeved that once again, he didn’t give credit to Dom Streater, who helped him with the idea and placement of lace cutout flowers. During a team challenge it was Hawaii designer Kini Zamora who went uncredited for creating Donovan’s outfit.

Zamora opted for a fitted red gown with gold-embroidered applique details and a skirt that in his illustration looked a lot like his famous “Rainway” dress from the original “Project Runway” Season 13. In execution it turned out more like accordion details. For this, he ends up safely in the middle of the pack.

For the first time, I really liked one of Layana Aguilar’s creations, a sort of Spanish matador interpretation of the Baroque, in what started out with a short dress. Because the challenge was to create a gown, she scrambled to create a skirt, and I really liked the movement of the skirt in contrast to the severe bodice. The judges hated her color choice of yellow and brown. They also thought there were too many ideas in the top, and sent her to the bottom of the pack, but I think her previous work for Oscar de la Renta shows.

This is the first time Ken Laurence claimed a win for an elegant sheath with capelike sleeves. It looked more like a medieval-inspired garment than Baroque, but it is stunning.

And Perry, finally, goes home for a disaster of a short-long dress.

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