In fact, that’s her only special request. They divvy up models to start: Chasity wants strong Black women, Shantall is looking for similar diversity, Coral wants “warriors,” and, well, Kristina's coveting a hoverboard. When the ladies finally land in Manhattan for the run-up to runway day, they exchange embraces before getting down to business.

The four designers competing in the finale: Shantall, Chasity, Kristina and Coral. Working with a graphic designer, she’s dreamed up digital prints and then Photoshopped them onto mock-ups of jackets, pants, and skirts, all of which Christian finds brilliant: “Maybe I should start doing this.” Although most of her textiles are drawn from a poppy, one print features a lime-green celery stalk, which makes me cackle the girl’s devoted to her veggies. Kristina, either failing to catch or outright ignoring the insult, admits she has more ideas than finished work, but what she does have is artfully technocratic. “Look at me, I’m in Queens!” he cries, as if such a trip belongs in an absurdist fantasy novel, not in his actual life.

Surely she has some ideas that can spark shock and awe, something a bit more high-fashion?įinally, he lands in Queens to see “crazy-cool artist” Kristina. What do I got? Blue crabs?” As she gives him a literal peek behind the curtain, he gasps at her works in progress so much is already finished! Still, there’s a tinge of concern in his voice as he takes in all that macrame. Her collection, influenced by the embroidery of indigenous peoples in Mexico, spurs Christian’s jealousy: “I’m from Maryland. In Los Angeles, he drops by to visit Coral, whose airy workspace is stuffed, unsurprisingly, with macrame: macrame planters, macrame citrus bags, macrame dresses. As Christian restrains himself from flirting with the designer’s fiancé-“look at this gorgeous person,” he notes to no one in particular-he helps her settle on a theme for her pieces: the black sheep who blossoms. As it stands, she only has a mish-mash of black and purple ruffles to show him, and what does exist is missing a cohesive narrative. “If she gets there, the collection is insane.”Īt Chasity’s home in Houston, he dons his sorority-cum-couture “cowboy outfit”-white crocodile boots and a vest-to sort out why she's completed so few of her looks so far. A little panicked, she struggles to stifle laughter: “I’m basically starting from scratch.” But Christian stresses the issue isn't the design it's the execution. In fact, he wants her to ditch her pale yellow hues entirely, and rather than work with a woven print, he suggests she physically criss-cross the fabric, so as to display her skill and precision. That isn’t to say Christian has no critiques. As we watch, she welcomes him to her studio in a chic white suit, already embodying the accomplished businesswoman, and her collection is a sophisticate's urban dream: blacks, whites, reds, yellows, all knitted together with inspirations from the Mexican mythological quetzalcóatl and the art deco architecture of southern Florida. A few months prior, Christian jetted around the country to visit each hopeful as they prepared their collections, starting with Shantall in Miami. Tonight’s episode begins as our remaining designers-Shantall, Coral, Chasity, and Kristina-arrive in New York City to present their 10-piece collections for New York Fashion Week. But, really, couldn't we all see it coming? He deserves a second serving as thanks for his mid-season premonition, forecasting how tonight's momentous finale might wrap. Christian Siriano is pouring himself an extra glass of champagne tonight-and not only because he somehow survived another season hosting Project Runway.

Project runway season 19 episode 10