Project Runway All Stars Makes A Meal Of The First Season 6 Pairs Challenge

Food and wine are the inspiration for the designers' latest looks. Which pair of contestants chokes?

Our Players

Hello, I'm West Coast Editor Tara Ariano.
Hello, I'm East Coast Editor Sarah D. Bunting.

The Talk

Sarah, I have such mixed feelings about this week's episode -- which is, of course, so often how it goes with a team challenge. As the designers were partnered up to design looks inspired by specific food and wine pairings at a fancy-pants dinner, Melissa and Ari turned citrus cured hamachi and chablis into, respectively, a cocktail dress and a gown...with Ari ending up on the wrong side of trashy with a too-bare center panel on the front AND the back? I know we're only three episodes in, but this was, for me, the most righteous boot yet. But! While Melissa's look was far too mumsy -- you have to be so careful with brocade! -- I feel bad that she was brought down too. She had more potential and I am sad to see her go.

Ohhhh God, Ari. My notes literally read "ohhh I hate this; vagina on skates." SO BAD! And that one bit of applique in the back that made the model look like she had a lacy dingleberry! Horrendo!

So I have no problem with Ari going home for that shitfest, but I agree that Melissa's wasn't that bad. The sleeves and hem both needed to come up, but at least it didn't come from the Dolley Madison Maternity Collection, Helen.

I admire Helen for reaching back for classic sources of inspiration, because I definitely made that dress out of pink Kleenex for my Barbies circa 1982. I mean, Helen's gown was at least well executed, if...unflattering and boring, but she had still better buy Edmond a Chenin Blanc for keeping her in the competition. Speaking of people who are skating by: Merline. We get it, you like cut-outs. Have a new idea, please.

Speaking of people who are skating by: Merline. We get it, you like cut-outs. Have a new idea, please.

Or, I don't know, learn to execute your ideas, since this is ostensibly your job in your life? This isn't school. "The 'before' pic from a local ad for a patio paving contractor" is not going to cut it. Although Candice I think got by with more than she should have by dint of showing next to that Flintstones mess. The top looked slapped up and uncomfortable, and even if the hems had been functional, I didn't get that pant. It's a harem...Sansabelt? I'm okay with their staying -- but I thought it was them leaving for sure. Merline must talk a much better game in the room than we see in the edit.

Ari's was definitely worse, but I would have been fine seeing Merline and Candice axed this week. Candice's sparkly copper situation was like a reject costume from American Psycho. Simply resistible. How about the winning looks? I felt for Fabio getting paired with Ken, who can be a lot in the workroom, but I thought his gown was polished in its simplicity, and Fabio's pants take was better executed than Candice's, to name one. I felt they went a little cute with the matching bobs, but on the other hand, it's Week 3: if they're playing it a bit safe, I get it.

I liked both looks a lot. Ken's was not cut as well as I'd have liked -- there was that weird seam around the bazooms, and it feels to me like we saw a lot of that umbrella pleat in, like, Dmitri's original season. But Fabio's: want. That split-hem on the pantlegs! It's maybe a bit junior, but it's also a dress over pants...with pockets. Get in my closet, look.

I was a little disappointed to see Anthony showing a gown with a splatter for the second consecutive week, but he did win on that last week, and could at least feel pretty confident he'd squeak through again -- maybe a bit calculated, but again, this early on you really just have to make sure you're going to be safe.

When Joshua, for instance, saw that he went the right way with his sheer panels as opposed to Ari's very WRONG choice, he was probably relieved.

Oh, Joshua. I was a little sad that Gunne Sluts pairing didn't get clocked, because the only way the looks even complemented each other was by being ass -- never mind having anything to do with Chardonnay or whatever the hell.

But I did like Kimberly's, and I liked guest judge Whoopi Goldberg's comment to the effect that any size woman could wear her garment and feel like a warrior, and like it was for her. Which is the best compliment I myself can give.

I liked Goldberg so much as a judge! She's not an expected fashion icon, but she's been on a lot of red carpets, she's had to think about formalwear as a non-sample size woman, and she's secure enough in her crone years (NOT A SLAM, I CAN'T WAIT TO CRONE OUT MYSELF) that she's figured out a signature style that works for her. God bless her.

She was great; I hope she's back. And I hope she has a word with Alyssa Milano about how to dress for her body, because...it's still so unfortunate, Tara. I'm super-into the new hairstyle and she is very cute! But why does she keep wearing these things that make her look like an egg with feet?!

Oh, I KNOW. A wide-legged pant? GIRL, YOU ARE SHORT. There are things Heidi can do that you can't, and that's okay!

A sweetheart neck and a full knee-length skirt: just try it, once.

You know how they have to design for Heidi sometimes on PR Prime? Maybe they could do it for Alyssa on All Stars, HINT HINT.