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WELCOME BACK! Bravo TV’s hit show Top Design is back on Wednesday nights. Watch each week as thirteen interior designers battle it out for the big prize–$100,000 cash and a four-page editorial in Elle Décor Magazine .
Their future is in these hands: This year’s Top Design host, fashion model and style aficionado India Hicks, will join judges Jonathan Adler, Margaret Russell, and Kelly Wearstler each week. World renowned designer Todd Oldham returns to mentor the contestants during each challenge.
Design Warriors: Contestants include actor Ricky Schroeder’s wife Andrea, Canadian born Texas boy Robert, and Martha Stuart Living Style Editor Eddie. Wisit, the opera singer/fashion designer, took some time to show off his pipes this week, while Pakistani designer Shazia talked about her unique quality-“What’s different about me?” she asked rhetorically, “I’m brown.”
The first challenge of the season was to fully furnish, decorate and design an empty two-story loft. Designers were split into four teams and had only two days for the transformation. Nervous contestants met their first clients of the show, the Top Design panel of judges. With brief directions and a slim budget of two thousand dollars, designers scurried to the junk yard and thrift stores for supplies.
Yes, yes, yes: Even with his suggestion to use the bluish toilet bowl water as color inspiration, head judge Jonathan Adler was pleased with the chic dog-friendly space created by Jennifer, Eddie, and Natalie. Judge Kelly Wearstler’s loft won Top Design this week as Teresa, Odine, Wisit, and Nathan (who nearly fainted when he heard the 2k budget) proved that brilliant decorating decisions and good shopping can overcome a meager budget.
No, no, no: Margaret Russell, editor of Elle Décor Magazine , couldn’t understand why Robert, Kerry, and Preston chose a dusty rose sofa when she had asked for hot pink. The lack of a single lamp in the loft was odd as well. Host India Hicks wasn’t impressed with the saggy sofa and depressing atmosphere created by Shazia, Andrea, and Serge either. Voted the weakest member of the team, Serge was the first to leave the show. Things will be heating up for the rest of the cast in the next few challenges when designers will decorate a fallout shelter and compete in a design triathlon.
LEGENDARY LEGACY: This week on Project Runway, designers got to meet uber-famous designer Diane von Furstenberg and were challenged to create a look to complement Ms. von Furstenberg’s fall collection. Giddy contestants plowed through the famous designer’s sample room for fabrics that fit the collection’s theme, the movie, A Foreign Affair, where a beautiful 1940s singer/spy escapes Berlin to come to New York by way of Shanghai.
The Highs: Diane von Furstenberg adored Korto’s flowing floor length black and white gown with bright yellow pick-a-boo slit up the front. Kenley, who spent most of the episode sobbing over how much this opportunity meant to her, created a simple chic dress that made von Furstenberg smile.
Nailed It: Quiet Leanne, who came into this week’s competition with immunity from elimination, sent another winner down the runway. Her flowing blue gown with menswear jacket was the star of the show. Leanne’s outfit will be reproduced this fall and sold exclusively to American Express cardholders with some of the proceeds benefiting CFDA.
The Lows: The ever-smiling designer Joe created something slightly Asian, slightly hooker this week, with an unfinished back and crooked skirt. Suede missed the mark as well with an ill-fitting camouflage inspired gown and herringbone jacket that judges thought would only go together on accident-if you got dressed in the dark.
Going Home: This week we said goodbye to Stella, who created a leather-inspired (of course) vampire cape over an unfinished suit. After sincerely thanking the judges for the experience, she added, “My ego was way too big to be here anyway.”
Tempers will fly during next week’s challenge when we hear head judge Michael Kors exclaim, “I mean, come on. She’s pooping fabric!” I can’t wait to see the outfit he was talking about!
