After watching last night's episode of Project Runway, I have a suggestion for next season: start out with 10-12 designers, max. I know that the show is a phenomenon and the producers want to keep it on as long as possible, but 16 designers (down to 15 at the start of episode 2) is just too many. So much is crammed into each episode that, come 11:00, it's hard to remember much of the fabric and fierceness (if any) that was flying around. (It's a good thing I'm a fast note-taker.)

Of course, it doesn't help that there are still no standout personalities in this season's group. Either all the fabulousness is being edited for time or there isn't any to edit in the first place. I hope it's the former or it's going to be a loooong season.

The beginning of last night's show found Mitchell thanking his lucky stars that he didn't get the boot last week after sending his model down the runway in a see-through dress. I assumed that all this early focus on Mitchell meant that he would either be this week's challenge winner or screw up again and be auf'd.

Heidi informed the gang that this week's challenge was to design a look for model/actress Rebecca Romijn, who was still very pregnant with twins at the time the episode was filmed. Rebecca gave the designers the freedom to design any type of outfit for any occasion, as long as it was "form-fitting." Of course. Because when your baby could drop at any minute, you want to make sure that you're in the tightest clothes possible. Supermodels. Sheesh.

Image © Lifetime

The contestants had two days to finish their "pregnancy chic" designs, each receiving $100 to spend at Mood.

I have to mention that I hated how Heidi kept referring to this look as "pregnancy chic." It just sounds wrong…like they're trying to make the concept of pregnancy stylish instead of the clothes. Wouldn't "chic maternity wear" have been a better description? Ah, but what do I know? I've never been pregnant OR chic.

Back in the workroom, the designers were amused to find that their dress forms had been equipped with fake baby bellies. Ridiculously large baby bellies. Like, Octomom size baby bellies. Season 6 pin-up boy Logan tried to wrap some fabric around the "alien" thing while trying to wrap his mind around why anyone would ever want to have a baby, considering they're so "scary."

Ra'Mon and Mitchell found themselves on opposite sides of the "safe" debate. Even though Ra'Mon was in the Top 3 last week, he was concerned about the judges' comments that his design was too safe and vowed not to make that mistake again. On the flip side, Mitchell was determined to play it safe, in the hopes that his design wouldn't be offensive enough to land him in the Bottom 2 again. Then he giggled and pranced around the room, showing off the atrocious size 80 shorts he'd poorly constructed. And if that wasn't a big enough failure, he tried to casually use "fierce" in a sentence. Uh-uh, sir. I know Christian Siriano, and you are no Christian Siriano.

Malvin's fertility-themed design looked a little "cuckoo," as Tim Gunn put it. As if the belly sling "egg top" wasn't odd enough, Malvin wanted to make jodhpurs that looked like "chicken thighs." Sounds wonderfully flattering, no? No. Malvin eventually came to his senses and went with good ol' black leggings.

Instead of worrying about his horrific shorts, Mitchell warned Ra'Mon that his purple color-blocked dress made the baby belly look like a bowling ball. Louise was concerned that her flouncy, red cocktail dress looked too much like a nightgown and decided to add a longer lining. Nicolas's claws came out, as he called most of the dresses ugly. (Since he looks like the lost member of Fall Out Boy, he really has no room to talk.) Qristyl poked fun at Johnny's outdated, floral "Easter Sunday" jacket (which he smartly ditched). Logan worked on some "leatha," and appropriately gave a shout-out to Season 5's Stella.

Then, it was finally time to parade the fake baby mamas down the runway. Rebecca Romijn returned to guest judge and Monique Lhuillier filled in for Michael Kors, who must have been out shopping for black fabric. Apparently, Lhuillier is a designer but since her name is hard to say/spell and I have no idea who she is, I will just refer to her as Brunette Rachel Zoe.

The fashion show was a bit underwhelming, with most designs landing squarely in "average" territory. As always, there were a few horrors and a few highlights.

Althea, Louise, and Shirin received the highest scores, and Shirin was named the winner. I can't argue with this choice. The maroon dress featured cute gathers at the waistline, allowing it to drape beautifully over the big baby bump. She also designed a black jacket with a patterned lining, all of which was perfectly constructed. It's hard to believe that she whipped that outfit together in only two days.

Image © Lifetime

I do disagree with Althea and Louise's Top 3 status. Although their dresses were pretty, I don't think Althea's was very practical because of its length and the details/tailoring in the bust area. For a pregnant woman, those cups would definitely runneth over! As for Louise, she put a lot of work into her dress and it was pretty, but it looked more like lingerie. I would have put Christopher and Logan in the Top 3 instead, as both of their designs were comfortable, stylish, and suitable for any woman - pregnant or not. Of course, I am a child of the '80s so I'm a sucker for the long top-over-leggings combination. I might also have a little crush on Logan. More on that as it develops.

In this week's Bottom 3 were Malvin, Mitchell, and Ra'Mon - a ranking with which I wholeheartedly agree. Although the judges all gave Malvin props for having and sticking to a concept, Nina found the baby sling top "disturbing," and Rebecca moaned that she didn't want to "look like an egg." Everyone liked Mitchell's basic idea, and even though Brunette Rachel Zoe swore that she has friends who would wear that outfit, neither she nor Heidi could forgive the "messy" shorts. Ra'Mon's dress was dismissed across the board as a sloppy "bowling ball bag."

Image © Lifetime

I found it strange then that Ra'Mon was the first to be left off the hook. It didn't seem that anyone had anything nice to say about it. Perhaps he still had some runway cred left over from last week?

It came down to Malvin and Mitchell and, much to my surprise, Malvin was told to flap his chicken wings back home. Okay, so the egg-in-a-basket look was a bit odd, but did he really deserve to go home instead of Mr. Sloppy Shorts? Especially considering that Malvin performed well last week and Mitchell has thus far made his home in the Bottom 2. I don't get it. Is he Tim Gunn's nephew or something?

Auf wiedersehen - see you next week!

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"The Pop Eye @ Starpulse" is a column written by native Pittsburgher and current New Yorker, Becky Broderick. You may contact Becky directly at beckeyeam@gmail.com, or check out her other ramblings on The Pop Eye.