‘Project Runway’ Season 22 Episode 5 Live Recap: Who Was Eliminated?

Read on to see who went home this week and what challenge the remaining designers faced.

Heidi Klum | Luigi Iorio/Getty Images

It’s Thursday, folks, and you know what that means! A brand-new episode of Project Runway airs on Freeform at 10 p.m. ET, and we’re covering the action for you live as it unfolds.

As always, there is a major prize package on the line: including $200,000 cash, a spread in Elle magazine, mentorship with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and professional representation for the winning designer to launch their brand.

This week, joining host and judge Heidi Klum are fellow judges Tyra Banks and Law Roach, as well as guest judge Willy Chavarria and mentor Christian Siriano. And just in case you need a quick refresher before diving into this week’s episode, keep reading for a brief recap of what went down in Episode 4.

What happened last week on Project Runway?

Last week, we said goodbye to Chloe Magleby and Andriy Volkov. The remaining 10 designers were tasked with a “Catwalk on the Wild Side”challenge, which required them to create fierce looks inspired by animals while using cruelty-free fabrics.

While Jude Mikulencak was deemed the favorite look of the week and the winner of the challenge, the episode ended with the fates of three designers up in the air. Bi Pham, Bryan Barrientos and Aaron Potts received the lowest scores from the judges and are at risk of elimination.

Who was eliminated to start this week’s episode?

As Episode 5 opened up following last week’s cliffhanger, Pham and Barrientos remained in the competition, while Potts was eliminated. However, the sportswear designer left the competition on a positive, proud note.

What was this week’s challenge?

Episode 5 will put the remaining nine designers to the ultimate test, as “Viva La Fashion” challenges them to transform paper towels into runway-ready looks suitable for a night out on the town. In addition to securing immunity from elimination, this week’s winner will earn a $20,000 prize package.

The evening before the challenge started, designers were given an hour to dye test the paper towels they would incorporate into their looks. As designers got started on their pieces the next day, Siriano critiqued Anna Molinari’s methods while praising Elizabeth Shevelev’s “amazing” lace work. Meanwhile, Joseph McRae shared his desire to stick with his authentic vision over simply impressing the judges, a decision he ultimately began to second guess.

Siriano also critiqued Mikulencak’s suede garment while simultaneously applauding Pham’s “perfect” paper pant construction and Naheim Muhammad’s denim streetwear-inspired top, making for mixed feedback across the workroom floor.

Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner, cohosts of the Giggly Squad podcast, made a surprise appearance and offered their own opinions on everyone’s looks—with their trademark comical lens. Soon after, designers put the finishing touches on their looks and models went into hair and makeup before it was time to showcase pieces on the runway.

While the judges were left incredulous that particular pieces were made out of entirely paper towel, designers didn’t hold back from calling out perceived flaws in each other’s looks. Klum then upped the drama factor by asking each contestant to call out which fellow designer they were least impressed with during the challenge. Many called out McRae, urging him to step things up, while Molinari named herself, which was not well-received by the judge’s panel.

While Shevelev, Molinari and Bobby Diakonenkova found themselves in the bottom three this week, things quickly turned sour as Roach got into it with his fellow judges. After praising Pham’s look as one of the best this season, he then got into a tiff with Chavarria and Banks. Once again, the episode ended on a cliffhanger, so stay tuned to see who won this week’s challenge and who will be leaving the competition when Episode 6 drops next week.

When is the next episode of Project Runway?

The next episode of Project Runway airs on Freeform on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 10 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ the following day.

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