Project Runway's 'Most Feared' Challenge Ends In Harsh Words From Nina Garcia: 'Why Did You Want To Come Back?'

Project Runway sent its all-star designers to FAO Schwarz on Thursday, but Nina Garcia was in no mood to toy around.

Episode 3 featured the franchise's "most feared" challenge, with the remaining 13 contestants making whimsical looks out of — you guessed it — unconventional materials. The fact that those materials were toys from one of the most iconic stores in the world only added to the madness. (Bleeding pandas? Unicorns being ripped apart and gutted of their stuffing? This was gorier than any battle on Game of Thrones.)

For the most part, the judges were impressed by what they saw on the runway — especially with Viktor Luna, who went from being one of last week's bottom designers to winning this challenge. (Stuffed dinosaurs as puffy sleeves for spring? Groundbreaking!)

But we're not here to talk about who did well this week. We're more focused on that super uncomfortable confrontation between Garcia and Laurence Basse, whose look failed to meet the judges' standards of story, whimsy and execution. And they weren't exactly subtle about how they felt.

"While I do know you're a very good tailor, what I want to know is — why not try?" Garcia asked after hearing her fellow judges' critiques. When Basse responded that she did try, Garcia shot back: "Did you? I don't know."

Basse tried to explain that "whimsical" isn't really part of her vocabulary, but Garcia didn't accept that, asking, "Why did you want to come back to Project Runway?" (Um, ouch!) "I think I've grown in the six years since I've been on the show and [I wanted] to show you what I've been doing," Basse replied.

Fortunately for Basse, she will get another chance to show the judges how much she's grown; Mila Hermanovski was the designer sent home this week, with Basse narrowly escaping elimination.

Do you think Garcia was too hard on Basse, or was it just the push she'll need to succeed in the competition? Drop a comment with your thoughts on this week's Project Runway below.