Project Runway: 3 Finalists, 1 Meltdown

By Dodai Stewart | October 22, 2010 | 4:55pm

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Last night, Tim Gunn visited the four remaining designers at their homes in Hawaii, Denver, Portland and Palm Springs, and checked up on the collections they’d been designing.

Andy’s Hawaiian catfish farm was pretty great, especially since we got to see Tim scream and squick out.

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Mondo can design, tap dance and play piano, because he is awesome.

Gretchen was experiencing serious upheaval: She’s broke, her relationship failed and she has nowhere to live. As for Mike C, we met his boyfriend and friends. But onto the runway…

Mondo
Each designer had to show 2 looks from the collection they’d been working on and one new look that fit in with the collection. Heidi Klum loved this polka-dot dress, calling it elegant.

Mondo
Michael Kors and Nina Garcia appreciated that Mondo’s separates — like this sheer blouse — can be won with jeans or a plain skirt and still look great.

Mondo
Everyone loved the skirt Mondo made for his new, additional look… the turquoise blouse, not so much. Michael Kors said something like he didn’t want it to be a circus… but Mondo was inspired by the Mexican circus! In any case, Mondo is going to fashion week, as if there were ever any doubt.

Andy
The judges were mixed about Andy’s ensembles, asking if he showed enough range. I, for one, was IN LOVE with his headpieces. Love!

Andy
Heidi Klum called this fairy bikini with cape a “throwaway” piece.

Andy
All the judges were impressed with Andy’s new piece; Michael Kors said, “The dress sings!” Andy pleated the silk shantung himself. Beautiful. Andy’s going to fashion week.

Gretchen
Obviously I don’t get Gretchen, we don’t share the same aesthetic, she loves colors I hate, and so on. But seriously. Seriously. Is this flattering? She managed to give a model — a person HIRED for her near-“perfect” physique — some kind of muffintop or whatever.

Gretchen
Gretchen’s commitment to fug is astounding. Sad, droopy, dismal, depressing.

Gretchen
This attempt at “fashion” probably saved Gretchen. She and her doo-doo colors are in the final three.

Michael C.
Poor Michael Costello. He worked really hard, but there was something off about his pieces. The feathers here are pretty, but Heidi was correct when she called the shape “boxy.”

Michael C.
Yeah… no.

Michael C.
This last “new” gown was really quite stunning when the model walked down the runway — the flow and shimmer was totally liquid and sexy. Michael Kors declared the dress to be “good at every angle.”

The back was breathtaking! But in the end, Mike C was auf’d.

Then Michael Costello had a breakdown.

But Tim Gunn gave him a hug and told him he should be proud of what he’d accomplished.

Next week is the finale, and, as you know, TEN designers actually presented collections during New York Fashion Week. The three real finalists and seven decoys to throw us off the scent! All the pictures are here, so take a look and decide for yourself if Mondo is going to win this whole thing!