As if being one of the five remaining designers wasn't enough pressure in itself, this week's Project Runway challenge had the final contenders stepping into a dual role- they would each be designing a look inspired by a musical genre. Their client? A fellow contestant. Time flew by as they struggled to play designer and model all at once, and the pressure manifested itself in all sorts of ways- Leanne embraced her hip-hop persona with a hilarious rap, Korto started feeling the country twang, and Kenley, despite being outfitted in a getup that was purely pop, had an attitude that was quite the opposite. When it was time for Heidi, Michael, Nina, and guest judge LL Cool J to weigh in, it seemed as if many missed the mark- some held back in their designs for fear of going over the top, while others decided going all out was what it would take to win. Kenley's frustrations flared, and Kors' comments were some for the record books- specifically towards Leanne's design for Korto's country persona ("It looks too much like a woman going out for ribs") and towards Suede's look for Jerell ("It looks like rock n' roll going to the grocery store"). In the end, the win went to Korto, whose punk look for Suede was the perfect balance of over the top and believable, and one unlucky designer saw that the outfit he created, while well put together, just wasn't enough. Read on for my exclusive interview to find out who it was.
