'Project Runway' Season 20 All

Project Runway collides with Below Deck for the infamous client challenge.

Spoilers below.

And just like that...Nina’s returned to the runway, right in time to ensure the Below Deck crew members are capable of twerking in their new outfits. That’s right, friends: This week’s Project Runway adventure is the client challenge, and this season’s clients are the cast of fellow Bravo property Below Deck. As Christian explains during a brief field trip to Greenpoint Pier, the task before the designers in episode 9, “Below Decked Out,” is to update, elevate, and modernize the crew’s signature yacht uniforms. The two-day challenge will, in theory, give the remaining competitors plenty of time to dream up a beautiful look—so long as it maintains a black-and-white color scheme and features the all-important pair of epaulettes. We mustn’t forget these people work on a boat!

After blowing their $400 at Mood, the designers skedaddle to the workroom, where the client-designer relationships are smooth ~sailing~ until Captain Sandy (and of course it’s Captain Sandy) asks Prajje for some “bling.” The grim stare he tosses the confessional camera deserves its own fancam edit. Still, he’s a professional! He can make this work! He opts for a black-and-white asymmetrical print and prays it’ll fulfill Sandy’s need to sparkle.

Meanwhile, Kara Saun crafts a tuxedo-tracksuit hybrid (for which the PR producers design a helpful dictionary graphic, complete with the phonetic spelling for “tracxedo”); Christian frets over the “big decision” of Anna’s kimono jumpsuit; and Brittany stresses over her male model, her brain playing flashbacks of the menswear suit that nearly got her booted from season 18. All this stress culminates in the night’s happy hour, during which the Project Runway and Below Deck casts celebrate at a bar together. This seems intended as good, innocent stress relief, at least until Gary cozies up to Anna. He pulls her outside to flirt in more intimate proximity, calling her “so cute” (barf) before leaning in to kiss her cheek. This woman is married, Gary! Anna downs a few more tequila shots and bounces her way around the bar, giggling all the way, though she later clarifies to the confessional, “No crush on Gary. No drama. No. I love my husband ’til death.” Sorry, then what was all that about? Producers? Anyone?!

Anyway, Anna escapes without a hangover—or any further dalliance with Gary—and launches into the flurry of activity that is runway morning. This week’s guest judges are Below Deck alumna Kate Chastain and Real Housewives of New York royalty Luann de Lesseps, both of whom know the Bravo game well. As for this week’s looks, let’s dig in:

After Nina ensures that Rami’s look “passes the twerk test”—a moment I’ll need to watch at least five more times to finish processing—the judges determine their rankings: Rami, Brittany, and Bishme are in the top, with Kara Saun, Anna, and Prajje in the bottom. These are the right picks, as far as I’m concerned, and Bishme finally gets his well-deserved win. It’s about time, y’all! The man’s been waiting!

And so it’s Anna who, after an objectively weird week, is forced to go home. I don’t think her look was the worst this episode, so I was surprised to watch the judges axe her anyway. But losing Prajje would’ve been unthinkable, and Kara Saun has also proven her mettle in multiple recent challenges. Maybe saying goodbye to Anna was a necessary evil, but I’ll miss the drama—whether intended or not—she’s sprinkled like fairy dust into season 20. At least now she can get back to her family, and (thankfully) away from Gary.

Next week is a Project Runway first: The designers get free rein to create whatever they want. I hope they know we’re expecting chaos.

Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE.

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