‘Venture Runway’ Season 20 Episode 7 Recap: Beneath It All

Spoilers beneath.

This week, Venture Runway is all in on the no-pants development. It’s an intriguing immediate for the remaining designers, who should spend this episode’s one-day time restrict placing collectively a couture look that includes undergarments as the principle attraction. The catch—there’s at all times a catch—is that these knickers mustn’t give off the impact of lingerie. They should be stunning however not coquettish, boundary-breaking however not vulgar, costly buuuut able to meeting inside 24 hours with lower than $450 in material. Should you’re shocked by the seeming impossibility of such a job, effectively—sorry, however what present have you ever been watching?

The primary supply of rigidity fueling tonight’s problem is just not inter-designer drama, however the self-doubt some significantly barbed feedback from the judges has wrought. Fabio, specifically, has struggled to beat again accusations that his appears to be like are too “safe,” and so his huge swings in episode 7 have an air of unsettled desperation. When Christian argues the designer’s work-in-progress prime is simply too “Doris Day at the beach,” the wilted look on Fabio’s face is so crushing I wish to attain by way of the display screen and provides him a hug.

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Nonetheless, others are using a wave of confidence. Perhaps it’s the mermaid hair, however one thing about Kara Saun’s vitality, specifically, is untouchable; she’s fully in her component as her Roaring Twenties sheer robe with silk wool underpants takes form. Impressed by the ladies of Black Wall Avenue, devastated by the Tulsa race bloodbath in 1921, Kara Saun’s design has substance in addition to type, and it’s clear from her earliest draping efforts that she has one thing particular on her fingers.

In the meantime, Prajje is experimenting with sizing a jockstrap—correct fodder for a hilarious becoming along with his mannequin, throughout which Prajje laments there’s no measurements for “crotch and nutsack” on his mannequin card. Then there’s Anna, who nixes her motherhood-inspired “bleeding nipple” prime in favor of a tulle cage headpiece. (I’ll take this chance to reiterate how a lot I like her.) Lastly, mannequin Mimi will get her personal zinger in as she surveys her environment, significantly the a number of shirtless males clad in corsets and boxer briefs: “I like this challenge. I like to see boy naked.”

A handful of our 9 That Stay find yourself remodeling their appears to be like, together with Prajje, Korto, and Fabio. By the point the alarms begin ringing on runway day, Fabio has confided to Kara Saun that he doesn’t “even want to finish” his look, however the black-and-white pictures of his household on his resort vainness remind him to maintain going. As Prajje and Anna strip right down to their very own undergarments—in a actually cheeky show of solidarity, maybe—the opposite designers shuttle their fashions to the make-up studio and hair salon earlier than frenzied final appears to be like.

With Nina unavailable for this week’s runway present, episode 7 introduces us to 2 visitor judges: designer Sergio Hudson and mannequin Paulina Porizkova. Now, for a couple of notes on the underwear parade:

• Prajje: I wouldn’t say that is Prajje’s most couture ensemble, however personally, I couldn’t care much less. I like the refined inventiveness of his males’s corset and kilt; it’s not the primary time I’ve seen a gender-neutral tackle a skirt, however neither is it a carbon copy of different appears to be like popularized by designers like Thom Browne. The outfit as a complete is subversive however wearable, particularly sans jockstrap.
• Korto: Mannequin DD may make a plastic grocery bag seem like Gucci, however it’s nonetheless apparent that is one in every of Korto’s weaker appears to be like. Her skirt is gorgeous—I admire the asymmetrical high-low drape—however it doesn’t spotlight any explicit undergarment, and the lace bralette provides off the air of an afterthought.
• Bishme: Perhaps that is the week the judges lastly give Bishme the applause he deserves. His design accentuates an identical set of lace bra and panties whereas constructing completely separate (and lovely) items round it. And his signature—these huge, structural shoulders—contrasts effectively with the slouchy satin material of the matching joggers. I find it irresistible. Judging from her strut, Bishe’s mannequin (Mimi) loves it, too.
• Fabio: That is a type of irritating designs the place I discover myself satisfied that, ought to one or two parts change, the entire look would fall into place. However as it’s, Fabio’s sheer orange not-quite shirt, not-quite costume, not-quite shorts invention appears completely confused in its intentions.
• Kara Saun: The Black Wall Avenue costume is a triumph, completely toeing the road between alluring and angelic, dynamic however engaging. The way in which the sheer white material falls is so easy, and the cautious positioning of particulars—the boning of the bustier, the feathers on the bodice, and the pleating on the sleeves—provides the design the additional oomph it wants.
• Anna: I wouldn’t essentially name Anna’s design emphatic when it comes to undergarments, until you’re counting the corset prime and the low-rise hold of her skirt. Don’t get me flawed, I just like the costume for what it’s: a costume. (And mannequin Kale makes it work.) However I’m unsure this creation matches the theme of the problem sufficient to impress the judges.
• Brittany: The queen of athleisure herself pulled off one other nice sportswear ensemble this week. The peekaboo boxer briefs beneath Brittany’s lime-green skirt—with a cutesy matching bra prime, no much less—is equally attractive and purposeful. My solely nitpick? These belt strings. Wasn’t there a option to have gathered them so that they didn’t accumulate alongside mannequin Luz’s crotch?
• Rami: My private favourite design of the night time, Rami’s low-slung silk slip skirt and lace tank screams supermodel. The metallic particulars add slightly edge to what’s in any other case a wonderfully laid-back (but nonetheless couture!) look.
• Laurence: The professional tailoring and intelligent pastel-pink colour of Laurence’s swimsuit may save her this week, however I’m involved the judges will lambast her for the near-total lack of precise underwear. Neither the half-moon corset overlaying mannequin Taurean’s abs nor the elastic waistband sewn into his pants is sufficient to qualify as true “undergarments.”

After deliberating, the judges agree: Prajje, Rami, and Kara Saun are within the prime, whereas Fabio, Korto, and Laurence fall to the underside. It’s instantly apparent to me who’s going dwelling, as a lot as I hate to confront it. Fabio’s been within the backside for a number of weeks now—and of the appears to be like offered on this explicit problem, his appeared essentially the most at odds with its personal goal.

As Kara Saun celebrates a much-deserved journey to the winner’s circle (and, wow, that ’20s costume actually was fabulous), Fabio is distributed dwelling with hugs and tears from his fellow opponents. I do know, I do know—it’s not the Bravo approach—however I proceed to thrill in how this 12 months’s group of designers take care of each other. (Typically talking, anyway.) Vogue is commonly lauded as a essentially “cutthroat” trade, and Venture Runway has had a task to play in upholding that concept. Twenty seasons in, it’s fascinating to look at the franchise try to shed these roots.

Learn final episode’s recap

Tradition Author

Lauren Puckett-Pope is a workers tradition author at ELLE, the place she primarily covers movie, tv and books. She was beforehand an affiliate editor at ELLE.