[Heidi] Previously on Project Runway.
[designers cheering]
You will be creating an avant-garde look
based on the upcoming movie Wicked: For Good.
These decisions are the ones that are going to push me into the finale,
so I gotta make the right decisions.
Knowing that two of us are going home, I can't mess this up.
[Veejay] Jesus said you copied his color.
Get it straight, bitch. I never said that he was copying me.
Don't put words in my mouth.
[Antonio] Y'all are spicy.
Think you can do all this? It's a lot of work.
I can handle it.
[Nina] It really is pushing the boundaries.
-It's gorge. -Thank you.
This is unique. This is special.
[Nina] There was a lot of creativity to it. I really loved it.
Does it read Wicked? No.
The construction on the actual dress is really beautiful.
Let's talk about the back.
This is catastrophic.
I think it's absolutely stunning.
Everybody took a chance. This was pretty safe.
[Heidi] Should you be in the finale?
What two designers should come with you?
Ethan and Belania, because we need the money more.
What makes you think that?
It's her chance to speak.
I like to work with people who are kind and humble.
Are you saying that we're not kind and humble?
Oh, my God.
You're the one that started all the drama in this competition, Veejay,
and you know that.
So don't stand right here and look like you're the innocent girl.
-You're the one with the big mouth. -They're attacking me.
I'm not going to stand there and have her humiliate me,
especially this bitch. I'm leaving.
[Jesus] Antonio, [in Spanish] relax.
[in English] He is gonna leave, and I know my brother.
[Antonio] She doesn't know my financials. Who the [bleep] is she?
[groans] I'm going home.
[Heidi] At stake for the winner is $200,000, a spread in ELLE magazine,
and a life-changing mentorship with the CFDA.
This is Project Runway.
[Antonio] They can have the third spot. I don't want it.
[Jesus] Shame on you, Veejay,
because you know that we're the most humble people that you've met.
Did you hear anything from me
when you stood there saying that among all of the other designers,
you don't want to take me to the top three?
You didn't hear anything from me because I respect your opinion.
[Jesus] Veejay is a vicious snake.
Antonio and I have been nothing
but humble and caretaking throughout this whole competition.
The way that you said it. Like, how you said,
"Uh, we could use the money more than them."
I mean, it's just your thought and opinion.
-Exactly. -[Ethan] In a way, Veejay has a point.
Y'all are very established.
So, like, in a way, there is… there is some truth to that.
[Veejay] It's not just me. Other people can also see it,
because if you're arrogant, it's fine to be arrogant.
That's who you are. If you're cocky, it's fine, but you need to own it.
-They're so… [whining] -[Heidi] Yeah. [laughing]
As they should be. It's a competition.
They wanna fight each other. They wanna fight y'all. I was like, "Whoo."
The question is what designers deserve to go to the finale,
and which two should be out?
What about Belania?
You knew exactly
-who she was as a designer. -Yeah.
As much as I loved it,
she kind of redesigns the look that we've loved
over and over and over again with the many different pieces.
I mean, we want to see a collection where people don't play it safe.
And we want a surprise.
But still see their DNA as a designer, but you want something new.
I like Belania. I feel like she could be a winner.
Ethan's, I love.
[Nina] It gave me Wicked in an unexpected way.
In a way that I had not seen Wicked before.
Avant-garde, but it's not as original as Jesus, in my opinion.
What Jesus did, immediately, Wicked. I can totally see Cynthia wearing this.
-Yeah. -[Heidi] It was like
already in the silhouette, I was like, wow, she looked stunning.
Okay, but are his clothes up to par?
I think so.
I'm not sure.
[Heidi] So do we think his brother deserves a spot?
He has tried very hard. This competition means a lot to him.
-For sure. -[Nina] But I mean,
think about Antonio's work.
It's inconsistent. It's sloppy.
I don't think he is an evolved designer.
-Agree. -[Nina] I don't think he's ready.
[Law] I agree.
I question a lot of their attitude after what we just heard.
-[Tyra] Veejay is a threat. -Veejay is a threat to them.
Is a threat, but not on brand.
When I think about Wicked, I think about green.
I think about pink, and that's it.
-[Law] Same. -[Heidi] We wonder why is her look red.
[Nina] She took a chance.
She showed something that was very unique to her.
-It was really creative. -Yeah.
So have we made our decision?
-Yes. -We have.
[Jesus] I'm gonna go check on Antonio.
At this point,
I wanna go home, I'm done, but I spoke to the producers.
If my brother makes it to the finale,
he is gonna need me if they're bringing designers back to help.
I just don't know how much more I can take.
[Jesus] How do you feel?
I wanna go home.
Listen, I think I can win this for us.
I really truly do believe…
I really, really, think I can win this for us.
Cause if I win, this is for both of us.
You know that we need this money, bitch.
And I'm going to do everything…
I know, but I am just tired.
My brother needs me, and we've made it this far.
So, no matter what happens,
we're still going to be there for each other.
I would do anything for my brother.
-[Antonio] I love you. -[Jesus] I love you more.
All right, let's bring them back in.
This was tough, you guys.
All five of you have really shown some brilliant designs,
but unfortunately, only three of you will move on to the big finale.
And two of you will be out.
But first, it's time to name the winner.
The winning look was the most popular Wicked: For Good look.
Congratulations.
Ethan, you are the winner,
and that means you're moving on to the finale.
Shut up. [bleep] up.
I'm what they call gagged.
I am in shock.
I really thought that I had this in the bag.
At this point, I'm just hoping my name is next.
The next designer heading to the finale is…
Jesus, you're going to the finale.
-Congratulations. -[Jesus] Thank you so much.
I'm full of gratitude and humbleness to be standing here.
[Jesus] I feel so amazing.
I'm so proud of myself.
I'm so proud of everything I did throughout this whole competition.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity.
Sadly, only one more of you will be moving forward.
The look that you created, Antonio, was beautiful,
but we feel like we've seen it before.
[Nina] Veejay, we loved your construction,
but the choice of color had the judges confused.
Belania, we believe that your designs defy streetwear,
but we don't believe they will be popular on the runway.
[Heidi] Antonio, Belania, Veejay,
one of you will be moving forward to the finale.
Veejay?
Congratulations. You're moving forward to the finale.
-Aw. [cries] -[Belania chuckling]
[Veejay] Thank you.
-Thank you. Oh, my God. -[Heidi] Aw.
Thank you.
-Congratulations. -[cheers]
Whoo-hoo. Oh, my God.
Yes, I'm going to the finale. One step closer.
Unfortunately, that means Antonio and Belania, you're out.
Thank you.
You're amazing designers, and I'll be looking out for you guys.
[Belania] Not glad about leaving the competition
but, um, it feels good that I made it very close to the end.
I have confidence in what I design
and this newfound je ne sais quoi about myself.
Now that I have this new lens, it's only up from here. I'm proud.
I really appreciate this opportunity.
[Heidi] Thank you, Antonio.
[Antonio] Thank you, Heidi.
I feel like, maybe, they did the right decision.
I don't know if I have the capacity or the mental ability to do a collection.
I am exhausted, but I am full of gratitude for the opportunity
and very, very proud of what I created,
and I can't wait to see my brother's collection.
Congratulations. You're the final three.
-Thank you. -Oh, my God.
[Heidi laughing]
So let me tell you about the finale.
You will have five days to create a collection of five looks,
and that should showcase you as a designer.
At stake for the winner is $200,000,
six months of representation from Agentry PR,
a spread in ELLE magazine
and a life-changing mentorship with the CFDA.
-Wow. -[Heidi] So the pressure is on.
This is an incredible opportunity. Stay true to who you are.
Ethan and Jesus said that they don't want me to be in the finale,
but I'm still here.
I wanna see your point of view and bigger and better and more exciting.
[Jesus] They tried to tear me down. They tried to separate Antonio and I.
Veejay, you have created a monster.
Honestly, this is giving me such fuel to just create the most beautiful collection
in the history of Project Runway.
So now it's game on.
Good luck to all of you. Mwah.
May the best bitch win. [scoffs]
[Jesus] I wanna add color. This is it.
It's finale. It's five pieces in five days.
This is day one.
[in Spanish] It is pretty.
[in English] I'm not gonna hold back.
[grunts] [bleep]
[sniffles] I'm doing pink,
because if Antonio made it to the finale
he wanted to do a pink collection.
[Jesus] No one will ever understand
the bond and the connection that I have with Antonio.
I wanted to do something very special for him,
so I'm doing tones of pinks for my collection.
But also that's my mom's favorite color.
She's been my biggest inspiration in life,
she's such a warrior, and she always wants to feel beautiful.
So, my goal for this collection is to make women feel beautiful, sexy,
and make them feel like the best version of themselves.
This is gonna be sick.
Oh, hello.
My inspiration for this collection is rich,
and I really want my work to look expensive and regal.
Two of these.
I'm going for pure tones. I'm going for crystal.
I want it to allude to how Utica makes me feel:
powerful and free, and so I want to be able to amplify that in my clothes
and present that on the runway.
When you find cool shit, you find cool shit. [grunts]
I've worked my little bony ass off, but I'm a little bit intimidated.
I've not only not done a collection before, but, like,
the other contestants are established designers already.
Wish me luck.
[exclaims]
Hi. Do you have a leather that kind of looks like metal?
-Yeah. -[Veejay] You know the Mercury Man
from the movie Terminator?
[worker] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, so I kind of want to achieve that using leather.
So this collection is inspired by this character.
He just transforms into different various shapes.
Oh, my God. Yes. [gasps] Oh, my God, I'm obsessed with it.
I'm exploring the idea of asymmetry,
different angles and different weird shapes.
I want to achieve that villain power that that character has.
You know, like you can't kill him.
And for me, I've been through a lot, but I'm still here.
You can't kill me.
Oh, my God, I'm so excited.
[♪ up-tempo music plays]
-[Jesus] Wow. -[Ethan] Wow.
[Jesus] Oh, my gosh, we have our own sewing machines?
[person] Yes! Come on.
[all cheering] Aggressive.
-Oh, my God! -[Antonio, Joan, Yuchen] Be aggressive.
-B-E-A-G-G-R-E… -B-E-A-G-G-R-E…
[all cheering]
[Joan] Guess who's back in the house.
Roomie! [laughs]
[Veejay] Oh, my God.
[Yuchen] Oh, my God.
-[Ethan] Aw. I love you so much. Sorry… -[Yuchen] Oh, my God!
Everybody tried to separate us, but, bitch, I'm back.
Are you ready? [gasps]
You did pink?
I did pink for you.
[Jesus] I really just need Antonio's energy to be around
because it's been really tough competition.
-[Antonio] I'm ready. Let's get to work! -Are you ready?
He will boost me up and remind me why I'm here.
I really wanna win this, and with hi-his help, I can achieve that.
-What are-- Yeah. -We're going to go full evening. Yeah.
-Do you wanna hold my boobs? -Okay, yeah.
My plan is I can be an emotional support for him,
and I'm a very good sewer, so I can sew my ass out of it.
-[Yuchen] What are you gonna do? -We're gonna make some cool shit.
Tell me what is going on.
[gasps] Ooh. This is beautiful.
[Jesus] Oh. I wanna see your collection.
-Huh? -[Jesus] I wanna see your collection.
-No, not yet. -[chuckles]
-It's not ready yet. -You know she wasn't gonna let you, chile!
-[laughs] -[Jesus] Bitch.
You closed that book, and it was like, "I will snatch your finger."
Drama in the workroom, honey. Well, it ain't gonna be all Kumbaya.
[Veejay] I think that Jesus wants to see my work
so that he can elevate his taste level a little more.
[Christian] And we're back!
[Ethan] It's the morning of day two.
We have a lot to do. You know, I didn't go to, like, fashion design school.
I didn't go to pattern school,
so sometimes I feel like I skip a lot of steps to create my work.
Voilà. Like, I love draping.
I love, like, creating beautiful shapes on the mannequin.
And once I get the vibe, I can just dive in and create beautiful pieces.
I love it.
[Jesus] Ethan's collection is very him, of course.
But have I seen it before? Yes.
Hmm.
[Veejay] So today, the first thing that I need to figure out
is how I'm gonna execute to what I have in mind.
It's so abstract that it can lead to a disaster
or it can lead to a success.
[Jesus] I think I'm really ahead of the game right now.
I have so many pieces, so many ideas that I can't wait to share with Christian.
But Veejay is giving nothing.
[exhales]
-[Ethan] Hi, Christian. -Hi.
This is my favorite time: model casting.
-Yeah. -Yay.
Oh, I'm excited.
[Ethan gasping]
-[Jesus] Oh, my God. -Oh, look at that!
-[Ethan] Yes, cowgirl. -[Jesus] Uh! [chuckles]
[all cheering]
-[Ethan] Yes! -[Jesus] Yeah!
-Oh, wow. -[Veejay] Male model.
I'm open to casting some male models.
-Can you walk in heels? -Yes. I actually do drag.
-Ooh. -[Jesus] Okay, well,
I think Ethan just got inspired, right?
It would be so fun to just bend the gender.
[Ethan] Hi, Mama!
Oh, yeah.
Jessica has literally become my muse.
She's won two challenges with my designs.
I feel like Jessica was brought to me for a reason.
Everything that I make for her is exactly who I want to be as a designer.
We're gonna keep her pieces.
I don't know.
[Veejay] Everybody wants to work with Jessica.
She's tall, she has a very fierce walk.
I really wanna work with her if Jesus doesn't get to her first.
No way in hell is Jesus's gonna let go of Jessica.
He's so possessive over his models.
[Veejay, Ethan] Oh, wow.
[Christian] Mimi is back, and she's here for vengeance.
-Oh, wow. -[Ethan] Work.
It was a huge achievement for the trans community for Mimi
to be the first trans woman model ever appeared in Project Runway.
It's a no-brainer not to pick her as my finale model.
Love you guys.
Okay, are we ready?
-[Veejay] Yes. -Write your name down, and I will draw.
[Veejay] Clear.
[Veejay] Having the right models is essential.
They're the ones who are going to sell our work.
They're the difference between winning the whole thing,
or going home with nothing.
Okay, Veejay, you go first.
Ethan you go second.
Jesus, you go third.
Pick who you really want first, you guys.
Jessica.
-[gasps] Wow. -[Ethan grunts]
-Really? -[Veejay] I really wanna work with her.
Really, Veejay? Like, you know I really wanna keep her as a muse.
And I told… And I talked about it.
-I really wanna work with her. -[Jesus] I know, but honestly,
you know my dynamic, my… how spiritual I am with her, you bitch.
Girl, messy. [chuckles]
There's so many [bleep] models. You had to pick Jessica?
-I haven't worked with her-- -No, you've been--
You've worked with her so many times.
[Veejay] This muses thing, I don't even buy it.
The reality of this competition is that Jesus has been hostaging Jessica,
and I think it's very unfair.
Jessica is one of the strongest models.
-You're just being a spiteful bitch. -No, I really wanna work with her.
You are a [bleep] spiteful bitch.
-Oh, my God. -That's who you are.
No, don't say, "Oh, my God."
You know what you do and what you cause.
So now guess what, it's gonna be a lot of [bleep] tension in this workroom.
[Jesus] There goes Veejay again stirring the pot, you know, creating drama.
I don't know if she's doing it to piss me off,
but she knew that that was really gonna make me upset, and she did it.
A friend would not do that.
-[Ethan] I knew it. -It's the finale. It's getting cutthroat.
-You're just being a spiteful bitch. -No, I really wanna work with her.
You are a [bleep] spiteful bitch.
[Ethan] Why are you doing this in front of Christian?
Wildly inappropriate.
When you don't get what you want, you don't throw a tantrum.
And also, Veejay, like, why are you purposely messing with Jesus?
Like, what game are you trying to play?
'Cause you know what she means to me.
You say, "I wanna be friends. I wanna be friends when this is over."
Guess what? You're not gonna be my friend, bitch. 'Cause you're spiteful.
I think if you're only comfortable using one model, you're not a good designer.
But I don't want drama. I just want to focus with doing my collection.
So, fine, you know, Jesus, go take Jessica
and just leave me alone.
Okay, so, yeah, get her.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Okay.
-Sorry for calling you a bitch… -[Veejay] It's okay. Yeah.
…but it's just, you have been a bitch.
Zero to 60. Oh, my God, I'm getting a workout.
No more dramatic outbursts.
[Ethan] Spicy in the workroom.
[Christian] All right, I'm gonna walk around. Wow.
Oh, my God, there's things done?
We got a lot of girls.
[Ethan] I'm making a collection of gowns.
'Cause I wanna bring back notes of what I'm really good at.
I can really slay a gown.
And, yeah, I just want to show that I can,
you know, bring something magical to the runway.
[Ethan] This one is a little cowl gown, so it covers the head.
[Veejay] I see Ethan doing this beaded helmet.
It reminds me of the look from the avant-garde challenge.
We already know that the judges wanna see something new from us.
Why is he doing the same thing?
[Ethan] I love this one. Yeah, got little hands to come out.
[Christian] They're gonna be like, "You just made this look."
That would make you not win, just from that.
-[Ethan] Really? -Yeah. Definitely. 100%.
This one, I think, is in okay place. The cowl's really cool.
I just think, again, like, the same thing.
I have five pieces draped on the dress form to try to fill out this collection.
And Christian is saying no to all of them.
What are we doing? How we gonna change it?
My lack of experience is showing.
This is a lot to take on in this amount of time, so I'm, like, freaking out.
I want to win. So this is going to be the biggest pivot of all.
[gasps, yelps]
[Jesus] I see a lot of confusion in Ethan.
Since he's never done a collection, I'm nervous for him.
And there's really nothing you can do about that.
He just has to figure it out.
-Wow, we're pink and feathery. -Yes.
[Christian] It's a party.
It's only five looks, so you got lots of options if one doesn't work.
[Jesus] Yeah.
The challenge was to do five looks,
but I was never going to just have five looks
because I am an extremely fast sewer.
So I think my strategy is to have more looks.
So I have the opportunity in these next few days
to just take things away and edit.
You're really committing to pink.
Law is going to say it's Valentino collection,
Valentino pink, right?
I just think it's nice to have a little break.
[Jesus] Christian's right. I know the judges don't react well with references,
so I have to make sure that I stay true to myself, my aesthetic and my DNA.
[Jesus] I'm obsessed with this.
-It's cool. -Yeah.
-Yeah, I mean, it's beautiful. -Yeah.
[Christian] And it just breaks it up a little bit.
I just don't want you to make any silhouette
-that feels like it's been done. -Done. Yeah.
[Christian] Like that gown.
I love that shape, but I think you can make a cooler, more interesting shape.
-I want you to push it, don't you? -[Jesus] Yeah.
Yeah.
[Jesus] I wanna show who the Estrada girl is.
Sexy, sophisticated, with a touch of glamour.
I truly do feel like I can win this
because I know what I'm capable of doing, and I can push myself.
Veejay, you have nothing made. Have you kind of sketched it out?
[Veejay] Since my collection is this transforming mercury guy,
I'm trying to manipulate the leather panels
to create these different angles and different weird shapes
so that it looks like a liquid metal.
Right now I have a strong concept in mind,
but I feel like that I am falling behind.
[Christian] Why don't you cut this in the leather?
Okay.
Start to stitch it and see what it looks like.
[Ethan] I don't know what Veejay's doing.
All I'm seeing is just little glimpses of silver.
And she seems a little confused.
You got nothing on your dress form. What is happening?
[Jesus] I think Veejay's in trouble.
You gotta kinda just stop playing around with the conceptual ideas
-and you just got to do it. -[Veejay] Yeah.
I'm very determined to show the judges things that I've never done before.
Compared to Ethan and Jesus,
who just using the same pattern over and over again.
It's a very risky move for a finale collection.
But taking this risk is the only way that I can win this competition.
Let's hope that I don't [bleep] it up.
-[Ethan] Let's circle it like a sleeve. -Okay.
[Jesus in Spanish] No, the lining goes inside.
We need to drape this around her.
[Ethan] Day three. I have been forced to pivot, but somehow I did it.
This one was a lot of work, so I'm really proud of myself.
Now, I can just really focus on the model fitting.
We only get two model fittings.
So if you don't have something to fit on the first one, you're [bleep].
-[Ethan shrieks] -[Jesus] Models are here.
[Ethan] Hi, baby.
-[Jesus] Hi. -[Jessica] Baby.
[Ethan] All right, dive in. It fits.
Christian comes in 15 minutes.
-[Jesus] Bitches, I think we got this. -You know.
I'll make sure that I, like, get 'em up there.
Wow.
Jesus, this top, you love it? Perfect.
[Jesus] No, it's a maybe.
[Christian] It's a maybe? What's the other option?
[Jesus] This could be something cool with this, right?
I'm so happy that I kept my strategy.
I have more than five looks at this point.
I have a couple separates.
So now it's just piecing stuff together. I have to pick the right ones.
[Jesus] I feel like this one needs something.
-[Christian] No, let it be simple. You-- -Maybe a little silver--
No. You've got so much going on.
-This is like a breath of fresh air. -[Christian] Like, yeah.
[Jesus] I just want more and more and more and more.
You gotta play around with this a little bit.
Yeah, yeah.
It's making me nervous to see that Jesus already has done a lot,
but me, I'm still figuring it out.
So that is really scary because this is not the right time to figure things out.
[Christian] What's going on over here?
[Veejay] We're still figuring out.
Veejay, Mimi has no dress at all.
Do you know what you're doing, Veejay?
[Veejay] I am envisioning Mimi
wearing this beautiful silver chain mail kind of fabric.
When I picked that fabric, it was actually a strategy
because I know that the judges love sparkly fabrics on the runway.
But I haven't started yet.
-You gotta drape Mimi. -[Veejay] Okay. Yes.
-[Christian] Because you have no gown. -[Veejay] Yeah. Okay. Get naked.
I'm a little nervous over here.
Let's go in the… look in the mirror.
It takes a lot of guts to use that fabric
because if not done right, it's gonna look cheap
and it's gonna look costume-y.
So today, I need to start draping that fabric with Mimi.
She is my finale look,
so I am going to be in a bad situation if this chain mail gown does not work.
-Wow, so much energy. -Wow, it's all different.
This happened today.
[Ethan] My new plan is to marry my Utica sensibilities
with my Ethan's strength as a creator
and bridge the two to create a really cool collection
that's also kind of accessible.
I'm creating this dark evening, gender-bending energy
throughout the pieces.
[Christian] I don't think you should go too costume-focused.
I do wish you were doing one of your gowns,
'cause they haven't really seen that.
Like, your big sculptural gown moment.
It takes a lot of time.
My big gowns take, I would say, like a week to build.
I'm already pivoting so much. Like, you want me to pivot again?
[chuckles]
I'd have to get more fabric.
Well, go get more fabric.
Think about it.
[Ethan] It's very ambitious.
I'm hoping that this is possible, but I don't think I have time.
I might flop.
[Jesus] Your collection reminds me of, like, Terminator.
Oh, my God, you got it even though without seeing it.
That's really the inspiration.
[Jesus] I'm a witch, bitch.
[Veejay] Since this is the finale collection, I wanna share a piece of me.
When I was a little kid, me and my dad used to watch Terminator,
and it brings so much joy.
It was 2001 when my father passed away.
And after that, our family suffered so much.
You know, like, our family became super poor.
-[gasps] -Yeah.
Because he's the breadwinner of the family.
[Joan] Mm-hmm.
[Veejay] It's been hard without my dad.
But I still support my mom and my sisters back home in the Philippines.
I told myself… [sobs]
"I'm gonna make sure to take my family out of this mess."
[Veejay] Winning Project Runway would give me the money to take care of my family
and to give them a better life.
My mom is coming for the finale show, and trust me, Mom,
I promise you that no matter what happens,
I'm going to make you proud.
Well, I try to finish everything.
[Joan] But, I mean, you're at a good point.
-Yeah. -Okay, that looks good.
-[Veejay] Yeah. [chuckles] -[Joan] All right.
We have two days, and I gotta make a gown, honey.
I have made similar gowns like this, but making something this quick is nuts.
[Yuchen] Veejay, Veejay.
[Ethan] Coming into this competition from a different world, I had a lot to prove.
I feel like a lot of the world views the drag community through the eyes,
like, of a zoo.
See the beautiful animals but never let them out in real life.
Winning the title will show that we, as drag queens,
as drag designers, deserve to be taken seriously.
[Yuchen] Oh, boy!
After the fitting with the models yesterday,
it's now time to get out of that concept mode and start working.
Start sewing really, really fast.
Ah! Why's it gray?
Because there's no time to experiment.
Now is the time to finish.
[chuckles] My arms are already tired. It's really heavy.
-Hello. -Hello.
-[yelps] Hi, hi. -Hi. Déjà vu.
Right? Even though it looks very different,
because we started with 12 designers, and now there's three left!
Wow.
I have a very special announcement for a very special person
-that will come to the big grand finale. -[Ethan] Ah!
One of the original faces of Project Runway. Who could it be?
Michael Kors!
-[Veejay screams] -[Ethan laughs]
[Veejay] Oh, my God. As a superfan of Project Runway, this is my dream judge.
Being able to see him again in this finale,
with me as a final three, is just so perfect.
Best of luck, everybody. Mwah. See you on the runway.
Wow.
Oh, [bleep]. I don't know if I'm excited to see Michael Kors. [bleep]
The last time I saw Michael Kors was 15 years ago.
You know, he was a judge in my season.
Michael was not nice to me in my season.
You took a checklist of everything
that can turn tacky and combined it into one garment.
So now it's like redemption.
I feel like I have to make sure this collection is even more amazing,
because if not… [blows raspberry] …I'm [bleep].
And I'm sure he will remember you.
Oh, no. This is bad.
Mmm. I'd be scared.
I have the worst headache.
-Here we go. Last day. Girl. -Last day in this workroom.
-[Veejay] Good luck, girls. -After today, we will have a winner.
This is the end. I think this morning it kinda, like, finally hit me.
Like, you know, you could potentially, like, take this home.
[Jesus] Veejay, are you excited to see your mom?
Um, yeah. What about you? Your mom is gonna be here too.
[Jesus] Yeah.
I'm so excited for my mom to see this collection
because it's truly inspired by her.
I'm also so excited to surprise her
that my collection is pink, her favorite color.
My mom has always been a warrior, my hero and our first model.
Oh. I haven't seen my mom since, like, last year.
-Oh, wow. -[Jesus] Yeah.
[Jesus] You know, when you grow up with a single mom,
you know your entire purpose in life is just to make her feel beautiful.
I think seeing my models feel powerful and beautiful
is a true testament of what my mom means to me.
So to me, winning,
it would literally take me to the next level of where I wanna be in my career.
-What's your mom's name? -Um, Dore.
How do you say, "Your daughter is crazy"?
[both laughing]
[Ethan screams]
-[Veejay screaming] -[Christian] Our queens have arrived.
Are my bitches ready?
I better see some perfection on these bodies.
It's day five. It's the final fitting with the models.
-From here until here, yeah. -[Joan] And from here.
Ms. Joan and I, we're doing a lot of hand sewing.
Because I want it to look asymmetric.
[Veejay] Just really making sure that everything is fitting really well.
And after knowing that Michael Kors is going to be the judge,
it's really important to make sure that everything is perfect.
I kind of like the train, honestly.
"Do one of your big crazy gowns."
[Christian] Well, it looks way cooler, doesn't it?
[Ethan] I'm so shook
that I'm able to achieve these big shapes in this amount of time.
I still have an extensive amount of work to do, but I'm doing it.
I'm going for it.
You've been really, like, pushing me off a cliff,
but thankfully, I have wings, and I can fly, baby.
Fly!
Oh, bitch. This is sick.
[Christian] Every look better be major.
This is it, you guys, like hours, not days.
-We love a deadline. -[model] Yeah.
[Jesus] Guys, so this is it.
Question. What is your most favorite moment of the season?
Fighting with you.
-[Veejay laughing] Oh, my God. -[all laughing]
Wait, wait. Okay, since you started, I really want to apologize.
-Same. -Yeah. I really want all of us here
-to leave the competition… -[Jesus] Yeah.
-…like, really friends. So I apologize. -Yeah.
-I apologize too. I'm sorry. -[Veejay] I'm sorry too.
-[whispers] Wow. We did it. -[Antonio exhales]
[Jesus] We did it.
One of us is gonna win.
Why are you whispering?
[all laughing]
-[Veejay laughing] -[Ethan cheering]
[Jesus] Let's go!
I made it to the finale. [screams]
I think that these are the moments
that make a collection perfect, so I really wanna do my best.
[Ethan] You look so good.
Hi, baby. You look hot!
Chain mail, it's not an ordinary fabric. If I cut it wrong, it's over.
Oh, my God.
It's an hour until runway. And then we can have a cocktail.
Make that two.
Twenty, 30, 40.
I want your advice because you're the professional.
The possibilities really are beautiful, so…
[Veejay] So the idea is center parts.
And there's going to be a silver wrap that's going to go on the hair.
Make him look like the hottest vampire you've ever seen.
A little more pink. Yeah, for sure.
-Great job. -[makeup artist] Yeah. Thank you.
There we go. I'm gonna shove it in.
I need to jump right into this gown.
[Ethan] I'm under here if anyone needs me. No one talk to me.
I still need to hem the whole thing.
It's these moments that are really going to make or break this look.
[Ethan] Yeah, okay.
-Um… Hook an eye. -[stylist] She needs earrings.
[Ethan] All right. [sighs] Let's get into this
'cause we need time to adjust the bottom.
[Christian] Five minutes left.
-[grunts] I got it. -[Jesus] Minutes until the runway.
We're doing styling, we're doing fitting. This is crazy. This is crazy!
[Veejay] We don't have time so I think that's fine, yeah.
Okay, I'm gonna lace you up.
[gasps]
Oh, shit.
-[Veejay] Oh, my God. -[Ethan] It broke.
[Ethan] The corset part is busting out of the dress,
and I'm afraid that I'm not gonna have a way to get her in this dress.
-[Christian] The laces broke? -Yeah.
-[Christian] Can you zip? -[Ethan] It's gonna be too small.
[groans]
This cannot be happening now.
Oh, shit.
I'm looking over, and Ethan's zipper breaks. It's chaotic.
Ethan, you're screwed.
-[Ethan] How am I gonna… -[Veejay] Oh, my God.
[Ethan] This is my finale piece, and so help me God,
I am gonna make sure that she gets into this dress if it kills me.
-[Christian] Is she in? -[Ethan] Almost.
[Jesus] Jewelry. Jewelry. Jewelry.
[Christian] One minute.
-Snatched. -[Veejay] We don't have time,
-so I think that's fine. Yeah. -Designer, that's it. That's time.
-[person groans] -Let's go. Oh, Lord.
[crowd cheering]
There's new levels of frankness this year.
-[Nina] Yes. -[Michael] Spectacular.
Thank you so much.
Oh, my God. It's been a very, very long time since I've said these words.
Welcome to the big finale of Project Runway.
Wow. We made it.
As you know in fashion, one day you're in, and the next day…
[crowd] You're out.
I'm your host and judge, Heidi Klum.
So let's meet our judges.
CFDA award-winning stylist and image architect Law Roach.
[crowd cheering]
Editor-in-chief of ELLE magazine, Nina Garcia.
[cheering]
And our guest judge, and I have a goose bumps,
fashion royalty, industry icon,
and no stranger to Project Runway, Michael Kors.
[cheering]
And we're joined by our very fabulous mentor,
esteemed designer Christian Siriano.
[cheering, applause]
Mwah.
All right, let's start the show.
-[Ethan] Love you. -Kill it.
[Ethan] All of these moments in this competition has led up
to this final ultimate moment.
Hello, Project Runway. We have a queen on the stage.
[all laughing]
Before this competition, I created clothes for women of the night.
And I hope that after tonight,
I will create clothes for the people of the world.
Thank you. Enjoy the show.
Yes. Let it rain, baby. Let it rain.
[Ethan] First collection ever. In the rain.
I'm so proud of myself that I was able
to make my model feel so beautiful in her skin.
Why wouldn't he send that as his first look?
This makes me think Gaga.
[Ethan] And I love the movement of this piece.
Ultimately, this is the story that I wanna tell,
that men can make femininity beautiful as well.
-[bleep] yeah! -[Heidi] I mean, he's cute and all.
-It's vampire kind of. -[Nina] Yeah.
[Ethan] Yes, the statement piece.
This gown did not exist two days ago,
so for it to hit the runway is a huge triumph.
It's a pretty dress though.
[Ethan] This challenge was so incredibly difficult.
[trilling]
[Ethan] I mean, this collection was a pivot that goes down in history
as something completely different than what it started out to be.
I think that, like, this collection is the embodiment of my resilience
and my true testament to what I can make out of nothing.
And, yeah, I just hope it pays off.
[Heidi] Yes!
He should have walked his own show.
[Veejay] I told my mom, "One day, you'll see me there."
"One day, I will be part of that show." And this is my time.
This is the moment that I've been waiting for.
Hi there. [chuckles]
This collection is inspired by a movie that my dad…
that my dad and I used to watch when he was still alive.
The title of the collection is "A Beautiful Moment." Enjoy. Thank you.
[Veejay] My collection represents me as a designer
because it is very innovative, it's modern.
I think it's the right balance of concept and wearability,
and I hope that the judges agree.
After my dad's passing, I made a promise to take his role
and become the breadwinner of the family.
[Christian] The wrap is beautiful.
-It's great. -Kinda fabulous.
[Veejay] This moment is just the perfect moment to honor him.
Mimi is wearing this asymmetric chain mail dress.
It's very dramatic and it's the perfect dress to end the collection.
[Nina] Is that chain mail?
[Christian] It's like a beaded chain mail.
-It's heavy as hell! -How heavy?
-[Michael] So that's done by hand? -Yep.
[Veejay] This collection is everything that I have envisioned.
I did my best to show them that I am the designer who doesn't play it safe.
I'm really proud of myself.
As a trans woman, I want to inspire my community
that they can accomplish anything that they want.
-Thank you. -[kisses]
[Jesus] It feels pretty iconic that I'm going last, right?
Because don't they say that they save the best for last? [chuckles]
[cheering]
Hello, everyone.
My name is Jesus Estrada, and this collection is inspired… Well…
Hi, Mom. [chuckles]
Aw. Hi, Mommy.
This collection is inspired of the powerful woman
who never gave up on her kids and always told them to dream big.
So, Mom, this is for you. And, Antonio, this collection is for you as well.
So enjoy the show.
I remember him.
[Jesus] I've always had just big dreams,
and I'm living the dream right now by standing on this stage
showing a collection as a finalist on Project Runway.
This is crazy.
This is so surreal, and I'm just living the moment.
Antonio is my fashion icon.
He's my inspiration.
And he is the reason why I'm here.
Every one of my girls feels sexy, confident and powerful,
which is who the Estrada girl is.
It's pretty.
[Jesus] Jessica is just owning the runway.
It is a moment. It is a feeling. It is moving perfect.
[audience applauding]
[Jesus] I'm just so happy. I'm so proud of each piece.
I'm so proud of the collection.
I know that I gave it my all.
And I'm really happy that I've got the opportunity
to share this with the world,
and I really showed who I was as a designer in this competition.
-We did it, girl. -[cheering]
They had five days to do this?
I'm just… I'm floored. Looked like it took five months to make.
So I really don't understand the magic that they pulled.
I'm very impressed. Good job, kids.
We tore it up.
It's so cool to see these designers compete
and really put themselves out there.
I think we saw a lot of interesting and fresh pieces on the runway,
and so I'm really excited to see who comes out as the winner.
[Joan] Mama!
Veejay's finale gown was such a stunner.
I think Veejay should win because what she presented was so cohesive
and had such a distinct point of view
and it's speaking to the future,
and that's kind of what I wanna see from fashion.
-Babe! [cheers] -[cheers]
-You made it happen! -Whoo!
The black dress Ethan made, his finale dress, was…
[in French] Breathtaking. I adore.
-[laughs] -Sexy man. [kisses]
I would have loved to see some eyelets on it
just to tie it back into the first four looks,
but the impact that that collection had,
like I could see Miley Cyrus wearing any of it.
-[cheering] -[chuckles]
[Antonia in Spanish] Everything was worth it, everything.
All your efforts, everything.
[Jesus] Did you like it?
-[in English] This is my mom. -[cheering]
I really loved Jesus's collection.
I saw different uses of tailoring technique.
I thought the fit was really beautiful. That's the one that stood out for me.
I would give it to Jesus.
I appreciated that he used color, and I would wear most of it.
We did it!
[cheering]
Yeah! [laughing]
Oh, my God.
Welcome. You should be very proud of your daughter.
-You'll see in the show we fight a lot. -Oh.
We fight a lot because we're sisters, but we still love each other.
-We're like sisters. I know. -[chuckles]
[Belania] Each designer gave a different market, a different mood.
So I don't know, it's anybody's game at this point.
Clutching my invisible pearls. [grunts, chuckles]
Now, that was a finale.
I can't believe they did all of that in such a short time.
No, it's crazy that they could do something that ambitious.
All of them really delivered on wowing us.
Yeah. Their point of view really showed up on the runway.
Why don't we bring out our final three and their models.
[Jesus] Hello.
[Kors] First off, all of you,
how impressive to see the construction
and the thoughtfulness in all of your collections.
-Very commendable. -Thank you.
-Ethan. -Michael Kors.
This… [sighs]
The work that's in it is spectacular.
I think a lot of girls would wanna wear that dress.
-Me. -Yeah, sign her up.
You are a storyteller, which I love,
because I love when designers create this world and they live in this fantasy.
Look two, I can definitely see one of the pop girls wearing it.
You know, Charli XCX. It could be, maybe, Addison Rae.
Look three, the vampire.
I love the cutouts.
But one of the things that we talked about is trying to separate Utica from Ethan.
All I saw on this runway tonight was Utica.
Your clothes, I can see,
even though we've just met, they're inherently dramatic.
Sometimes too much can be good if the hair would have been simple,
makeup would have been simple.
Why do you love bedazzling everything so much?
I'm gay.
[laughs]
You do have all these amazing ideas.
I did say don't bore us, and you did not bore us.
Just channel that drama with as much editing as possible.
Because the elegance and the mystery with the editing is the powerful,
ultimate powerful combination, because you have it.
All right, Jesus.
-Hello. -Hi, Michael. [giggles]
Hi, good to see you again.
-It's been 15 years. [chuckles] -[shushes]
Do you remember Jesus? He--
-I do. I do, of course. -Yeah.
I think I was 12 and he was 7.
-[laughing] -Okay.
I think you started fabulously.
I love that top, I thought the pants were great.
-And I think this gown is fantastic. -Thank you.
Is there anything one can do so that the zipper is not as obvious? Or…
That's what tore me apart.
-Of course you can. -Yeah, because that's tough.
Originally, I had a fuchsia zipper, but I wanted the teeth because it was stronger.
You should have done it without the sleeve. I love--
-Does the sleeve come off? Sorry, Nina. -Yeah.
-[Michael] Oh, it does? -Let's just see without the sleeve.
[Nina] Oh.
-[Michael] Yes. -That is a lot better
because she looks more balanced.
I mean, now she looks like a model.
-With the sleeve, it's more of a Muppet. -[laughs]
Less is more.
Yes.
What I do love is that you can tell that the model loves this dress.
When the first look came out too, I was like,
"Yes, breath of fresh air."
I also, I love the model too.
Your girls were very happy. They looked really excited.
You put on a show, and it definitely showed.
Thank you so much.
Veejay. All in all, I thought you did a wonderful job.
I do think that the first look was a gamble.
I'm sure some people could have thought that she looked clunky.
My favorite look was really the black one with the slashed trouser
and then the little detail of the silver buttons.
That just killed me.
-Thank you. Thank you, Nina. -[Nina] I loved it.
To me, she was kind of, like, lost within this collection.
I was kind of confused where she all of a sudden came from.
Maybe one other look to be black and silver.
But this gown is
spectacular.
It's glorious-looking. This really had that kapow factor.
Thank you.
The third look, I love the model.
I love how curvy she is and how you drape this around her.
Yeah, I was excited that I saw you introduce knits.
The way you draped it, the shape on that model was absolutely incredible.
-Thank you. -You can leave the runway.
-Thank you so much. -Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.
It was pretty impressive.
Ethan, for me, was the biggest surprise,
not in a good way.
[Heidi] He was like, "Let's go."
He was like, "Wow. I'm gonna go to town and I'm really gonna show them." You know.
-Whoa. -I appreciate explosive creativity.
The talent is there.
The love of fashion is there.
-There's drama. -For sure.
And there's a lot of workmanship
-in those clothes. -[Heidi] Yes.
[Nina] It was extravagant.
-[Heidi] He likes a wow moment. -[Nina] Yes.
He wants… And it is. Every time when someone did come out,
it was like, "Wow."
-He loves more is more. -[Michael] I think… More is more.
I mean, listen. I can see that Ethan could actually be out there
and really be… [clicks tongue]
-…front and center. -Yes.
We have to remember, in fashion,
there is a place
for everyone and everything.
Let's talk about Veejay.
So when that first dress walked out,
I was a little concerned there.
But then I thought, interesting to take this wool rib knit,
nothing that luxurious, and drape it.
-Yeah. -Fabulous.
-[Michael] How good was that? -That was very good.
That was great. Sensational, actually.
Now, I think we all disagree about the black outfit.
I like the look, it's just kind of… she was lost in the show.
So to you it looked like it came from left field?
-Yeah. -Yeah.
-And, Law, to you the same? -Yeah, same.
It's not that I don't like the look--
I was happy that it did take me somewhere else.
Because it was almost like a snippet of a very commercial and sellable look.
-Yeah. -Mm-hmm.
And then that gown at the end,
it kind of was like just liquid and it went on.
It didn't look tortured, didn't look worked.
[Heidi] She looked beautiful, yeah.
It's probably my favorite dress out of the collection.
This was a very surprising…
-Subtle. -In a good way.
Yes. In a very good way. And she delivered.
And what do we think about Jesus?
[Nina] After the Gothic,
I was so happy to see color and bold and joy.
I wish there was a little something else than just fuchsia everything.
-Oh, my God. -No. But, guys,
-confidence though. -Is a good thing.
The meek will not inherit the earth in the fashion world.
What's the… the Jewish word for it?
-Chutzpah. -Chutzpah.
That takes chutzpah to say, "You know what?
I'm doing all five of my looks pink and I'm going there."
-[Michael] That's what's great. -About fashion.
-That's fashion. -Yeah.
I mean, give me the different flavors.
I was happy to see the sportswear opening.
-She looked amazing. She was my favorite. -[Michael] She was great.
-Right girl. Right outfit. All good. -[Heidi] Yes.
That last look was my favorite.
You can be over the top and still have elegance.
The construction was really beautiful.
[Michael] The way the hip was done.
I mean, his intention is always there to make a woman feel and look beautiful.
-He delivered on that. -And I will say that the audience,
when that pink gown came out, they loved it.
[Heidi] They loved it, yeah.
He does have the talent.
-He does. -Yes.
And I think Jesus has got a more commercial point of view.
-There is a client that will like this. -Yeah. Yeah.
They gave us a great finale collection.
This is a tough one. But I think we made our decision.
-Yes. -I think so.
All right, let's bring out the designers.
[cheering]
[chuckles]
Hi. Welcome back.
Look who it is.
-[Veejay chuckles] -[Ethan] Hi.
-You have the best view. -[laughs]
Designers, when I decided to come back to Project Runway,
I was hoping to see amazing designers, amazing fashion
and breathtaking runway shows.
And all three of you have really made my decision worth it.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
But as you know, there can only be one winner.
[Michael] Ethan, Veejay, Jesus.
I was really, really impressed.
All three of you have really bright futures ahead of you in fashion,
and I can't wait to see more from you.
Thank you, Michael.
The winner not only grew over the competition.
They gave a finale collection that was inspiring,
cohesive, and one we won't soon forget.
And we can't wait to see what the winner does next.
The winner of Project Runway is…
Veejay, congratulations, you're the winner of Project Runway.
[cheering]
-Congratulations! [cheers] -[Veejay chuckles]
-Oh. -Congrats. Congrats. You enjoy it.
-[Ethan] Good job. -Thank you.
-[cries] -[Heidi] Oh.
Veejay, they all wanted her out because she was really the dark horse.
Yeah.
[Law] We always knew that the craftsmanship was there.
[Heidi] It's quite amazing.
It's fragile but strong, unexpected.
Everything was really smart.
I think you did an amazing job with that. That jacket is tailored to perfection.
And then, you know, to have the panels of the leather
in the pant makes everything more elevated.
[Nina] The deconstruction looks fantastic.
The shoe is spectacular.
Kind of took my breath away.
Oh, my God. I don't wanna be dramatic. This is… Again, this is tears of joy.
I've seen you, Heidi, since season one.
I'm just a little gay boy in the Philippines watching the show,
and I've always been wanting to do this.
Now this is my time, so thank you.
-Thank you so much. -[Heidi] It is your time, Veejay.
[Veejay] Thank you for being part of my dream.
I'm happy for Veejay, and I know that I gave it my all.
I did so amazing in the competition.
I'm leaving self-content and proud of myself.
To have my first collection hit the finale of Project Runway.
I mean, who else can say that?
That their first collection was here of all places.
So for me, it's a triumph.
-You did it. Let's celebrate. -[all cheering]
Thank you. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
I am the winner of Project Runway season 21.
Oh, my God. I can't believe it.
Congratulations.
Thank you, Christian. Mmm.
[Veejay] Oh, my God! [speaks indistinctly]
I came here with a goal to be the first trans woman to win this competition.
And I think that will really inspire my community that
you can actually reach your dreams by being who you are.
-[cheering] -[Heidi] Yes!
Auf Wiedersehen. Mwah!