Warning! The following contains spoilers for Project Runway All-Stars Season premiere. Read at your own risk!
It's the final season of Project Runway All-Stars, and apparently, the show is looking to do things a bit differently. That's at least how things feel following the premiere, which featured not one, but two pretty big twists. After the week's winner, Dmitry Sholokhov, was chosen, it was announced that no one would be eliminated that week. If that weren't crazy enough, host Alyssa Milano added two other all-star designers to compete in the season, Sean Kelly and Juli Grbac.
The news that there would be no eliminations this week was particularly great for Anthony Ryan Auld and Anya Ayoung-Chee to hear, as they both had found themselves on the chopping block. Ayoung-Chee was accused of playing her selection for the challenge too safe, while Auld's design was, in general, viewed as a mess by judges. Auld explained that his grandma had passed away just a couple days prior, which meant his head really wasn't in the competition at the moment.
The judges were kind this week, but Project Runway All-Stars is sure to heat up with its two newest contestants. Australian Juli Grbac is known as the first winner of Project Runway Australia and has had a bit of success in the fashion world since winning the competition in 2008. Project Runway Australia Season 4 winner Christina Exie immediately recognized Grbac when she strolled out on stage and said they'll probably be really competitive due to their shared roots.
American Project Runway fans were undoubtedly familiar with the next addition, although Season 13 winner Sean Kelly isn't American. The New Zealand born fashion designer is now back on the program, and ready to win once again in what is shaping up to be a fairly competitive season. Neither Sean nor Juli competed in the first week, but one would imagine they'll be ready next week with their A-game and a winner's spirit.
Which may be bad news for the bottom two competitors this week, who some fans feel should have been eliminated. It appears the Project Runway All-Stars group hasn't forgotten about the controversial Anya Ayoung-Chee, who admitted during the episode it had been a long time since she last sewed clothing. Ayoung-Chee's lack of ability compared to other contestants has frustrated viewers in the past, and her survival in the opening round seems likely to be a point of ongoing frustration for some.
Project Runway All-Stars is back for its final season, which airs on Lifetime on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. The new year has only just gotten underway, so be sure to keep tabs on all new television coming out over the next couple of weeks with our handy midseason premiere guide.
