by Todd Betzold

 

I guess it paid off to make it this far in Project Runway All Stars, as the final four designers are heading to Paris tonight to get inspiration from the city of fashion for the next challenge. Is it the final challenge or will a designer go home tonight? We have one more episode left, so I am guessing they are all staying, but let's find out!

 

Carolyn Murphy comes out and meets the final four designers and we can all stop wondering. Only three designers will make the finale, so one definitely will be cut tonight! She then tells them they are going to be making couture looks for this challenge, but they will be doing their shopping in Paris!

 

The designers pack up and head to Paris, where they meet Joanna Coles. She is with Maria Graza Chiuro and Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative directors at Valentino. They get a look at the workroom and the gowns that will be shown the next day, which the designers then get tickets to attend! They are all ecstatic.

 

It is a night of celebrating together, as they get to enjoy the city and have dinner together. The next day arrives and the designers head to sketch in front of the Eiffel Tower, which makes me so jealous! They then do some shopping with a budget of 3000 euros and hour to do it in. Emilio didn't come to France to buy black fabric, like Anthony Ryan did, so he gets a bright red fabric and Joshua gets some rotten floral print, which I guess is fitting for him.

 

The Valentino Couture Fashion Show takes place, but then the designers must rush out to the airport to head back to NYC and the workroom. They get started right away and everyone is very tired.

 

Six hours into working and Anthony Ryan is not liking his dress, so he throws it on the floor and starts over! That is insane, but can he pull off a new dress in time? Joanna Coles then comes in for her critique and she is thinking all of the designers were inspired by being in Paris and it is going to be tough to see one of them go home!

 

The first night ends and everyone has a ton of stuff to do to finish their looks. Runway day arrives and with two hours to go, the designers are all stressed out. How they can pull out these looks in one day is beyond me! Everyone rushing to the very end, but they get their models in their dresses and head to the runway.

 

Time for the runway show and Carolyn Murphy meets the designers on the runway. The judges tonight are Carolyn, Georgina Chapman, Isaac Mizrahi and guest judge Cynthia Rowley. The looks I enjoyed: Anthony Ryan (nice fabric and very nicely done, especially in six hours) and Uli (nicely done, but of course). The looks I did not enjoy: Joshua (it is bad fabric and looks homely) and Emilio (it had no design and was all about the fabric).

 

For Emilio, Isaac said he loved the dress, but maybe five inches shorter. Georgina said it looks so beautiful and elegant. Cynthia said it is well done in its simplicity and it is all about the fabric. For Anthony Ryan, Georgina said she looks divine. Isaac said it is sexy in a new way. Carolyn said it is simple elegance, but she feels the dress should breathe a little bit more.

 

For Uli, Cynthia said it is so interesting, but didn't love how you could see a nude lining. Georgina said the lining is an issue. Carolyn said it is a very Uli dress. Isaac said the dress is great and expensive, but it doesn't look couture. For Joshua, Georgina said she likes the floral and the lace together, but maybe a didn't floral print. Cynthia said it looks ill-fitting. Carolyn said something about the shape of the skirt is off, but it is a brave combination and she likes it.

 

Time for the judges' discussion and I feel they are liking what Anthony Ryan did and he will win. I am torn between Joshua and Uli, but I think they go with Joshua going home. The designers come back to the runway and the winning designer this week is Anthony Ryan. Emilio is safe, so it is down to Uli and Joshua.

 

Carolyn throws a wrench into it and the designers will have to earn a spot in the finale and do a challenge that most designers can't complete! They had to deconstruct their current dress and make a new look in one hour! This is some intense stuff, but they both make completely different looks.

 

The judges are still torn after the challenge and they write down the name of who is moving on. That designer is Uli, so Joshua is going home!

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

 

(Image courtesy of Lifetime)

 

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