Project Runway: Season 7 Episode 5 Designer Inspiration

So I've been keeping up with Lifetime's Project Runway (Bravo lost it two seasons ago) via the internet. I figured Season 7 would be a good season because on the first challenge there was no clear "throwaway" contestant. It seems in past seasons there would always be someone on the first challenge who would be revealed not to know how to sew or never to have heard of clothes or something and in this season there was no clear loser on the first episode. It is both exciting as a viewer but a teeny bit sad as a home sewist. I have never had any illusion of going on Project Runway--I don't draft and I don't know how to draft. However, I always could have been that first contestant who somehow against all odds manages to get on the show only to flame out spectacularly before anyone learns your name and you have the chance to cry/backstab on camera. I guess those days are over!

Anyway, back to this season. It does indeed seem like a talented group of designers, most of whom have a strong point of view (a little too strong in some cases where they keep churning out the same garment every challenge). None of the garments had really slain me until this episode, when Ben Chmura produced the kimono above.

LOVE. Man. I love everything about that dress. Love the kimono styling without being too literal, love that there is no obvious closure (I'm guessing his dress in fact has no closure but you could do hidden snaps), LOVE the color story, and how much do we love that open back with the lapels???? I've seen plenty of open backs, but I am not sure I've ever seen a lapel like that. It is genius. I also love that there is a back neck and the back peek-a-boo is a cutout rather than just a standard open back.

I hope this will be Ben Chmura's Kara Janx wrap dress (also a kimono style, hmmmm); even if he doesn't win it ought to put him on the map.

**edit** I didn't want to put a spoiler in but enough commenters have noted that this look didn't win the challenge that I will add my two cents! I knew it would be down to this dress and Anthony's teal confection (my favorite color); however, magazine covers generally favor solid colors and Anthony nailed Heidi's taste so I was not surprised by the win, and was very happy for Anthony. Heidi will look fab in his dress. Although, did anyone else see her look of alarm/resignation/depression/hunger when Anthony mentioned her having her "pre baby" body back by April (and considering magazines come out a month before their cover date and the cover shoot probably occurs at least a month before the magazine is released that gave her about five months from the baby's early October birth). I'm glad I'm not a model is all I'm saying.

So many of the other entries this week were huge fails! I couldn't believe how many people went with pale colors. Heidi is a blonde, people! With fair skin! Such people as us cannot wear washed out colors because we end up looking like a pile of dishrag. And *nobody* used the kiss of death words "Renaissance Faire" for Emilio's? Just add a pair of fairy wings and it could be walking ye olde dustie lanes.