by Todd Betzold

We have seen 10 designers eliminated on Project Runway All Stars and now we are down to the final three, Michael, Mondo and Austin, as they are at the final step before a winner is announced next week.

 

The finale challenge: design a mini-collection to showcase their skills and talents as designers. They'll have to create five different looks in four days...they are All Stars, so the pressure is on. They will get to choose the five models for their runway show and will get to meet Joanna Coles in her office instead of her coming to the workroom.

 

They all head over to meet with Joanna. The designers get a chance to ask her questions and get tips on what they need to do for the final runway show and talk about the guest editor position at Marie Claire...they all feel inspired after the talk.

 

They head out to start sketching their final looks. Michael is inspired by the weather and is inspired by the green...Austin will be doing a wedding dress...in only four days, with four other looks to do as well? Time for them to go shopping...one hour to shop for the five different looks. Michael is inspired by the African Safari, so his looks will take you on an adventure. Mondo is struggling with what looks he wants to go with and what fabrics to buy.

 

Back to the workroom and they changed it around and will each have their own little room to work in...Mondo is glad because he needs to block everyone out to get things figured out. He does not like the fabrics he bought and wants to quit. He is in a big funk and is blocking everyone out and Michael and Austin are aggravated by him.

 

Georgina comes into the workroom and sits down with the designers for her own Q&A...are they going to work or just sit and ask questions all day? Another inspiring talk for the designers...now let's make some dresses people!

 

Mondo decides to take the day off because his mood won't allow him to design, so he sits on the couch. Meanwhile, Michael has already finished a dress. They are done for the night and go get some dinner and Mondo is over it and leaves early...Michael says this mood he is in is when Mondo does his best work.

 

Next day and Mondo says he needs therapy and that is his theme for his look...therapy. Now time for the models to come in and the designers cast their models. Mondo and Austin fight over a couple of the same girls, but a simple flip of the coin settles it for both of them.

 

Well, now it is time for Isaac to come in and talk with the designers...apparently the four days to get five looks done is not that hard of a thing to do because they seem to be taking off a lot of time to talk...and yet another inspiring talk. End of day two and they critique each other...Michael's looks are not able to be work by anyone but models not wearing bras...Mondo's looks are good...Austin's look is true glamour.

 

Next day and we have another visitor...Angela. She comes to announce the All Star twist of this challenge...you knew it had to happen, things were going too smoothly. They will now have to create one more look. For the sixth look, their models come in with all the scraps from their previous looks they have made this season. They will need to create the sixth look using these fabrics and it must correlate with the theme of the collection.

 

To help them get things done, all the designers that were kicked off this season come back to offer up some help. Each finalist will get to choose one designer to help them for 24 hours. Since Mondo won the last challenge, he gets to choose first. He chooses Mila Hermanovski...Austin chooses Anthony Williams...Michael chooses April Johnston.

 

The finalists get to show their looks to their new helpers and get them to work. I am so glad Anthony is back...love him! Austin is not sure what he is going to do for the sixth look. The models come in for a fitting. Mondo gets scattered with his looks and has a lot to get done...maybe you shouldn't have taken a day off then, huh?

 

A new day and it is the last day in the workroom before the runway show. The other designers had a little time to help them today, but then Joanna comes in and sends them home and then takes a look at what they have so far. She questioned Austin in how he is persuading the judges that he is really pushing it. For Mondo, she loved the sense of humor about it and thinks it is coherent and strong. For Michael, she said that she would know it is from him and they are a collection.

 

The day has ended and all we have left is the runway show...plus all the frantic moments of the designers trying to finish their looks before sending the models out onto the runway. We will see how that all plays out next week.

 

Project Runway All Stars airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Lifetime.

 

(Image courtesy of Lifetime)

 

Follow Todd @tbetzold