Episode Report Card Jeff Long: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Muses Without Shoeses
By Jeff Long | Season AS1 | Episode 5 | Aired on 02.02.2012
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Angela meets the designers in Central Park to give them their challenge. She tells them that they will have to find a muse in the park and convince them to give up their clothing which the designers will then use to create a fashion-forward new look. Anthony points out that, while he has gotten some heat for having too much personality, it will take personality to get people to give up their threads. They have to go up to people and get them to change out of their clothes and wear a white t-shirt or some nonsense instead. It's so painful to watch. I love it. Anthony even gets some underwear model to take his pants off and it's all very remarkable. Money was tight because they had to use part of it to buy the clothes from the people and ya'll know New Yorkers wear some expensive clothes.
No one really has an easy time in the workroom. It ended up where a lot of the designers' first instincts were to just adorn the shit out of the clothes that they had. Wow, speaking of which- Jerell really, really goes over the top. His look is something so... fully insane that I'm surprised he wasn't subjected to immediate consultation with mental health care professionals. Anthony feels that Kenley is too loud. Then, Michael whispers in Mila's ear that Kenley helped Kara finish her sewing and Mila's all up-in-arms. Seriously though, I'm so happy that Kenley is not being a surly and hateful person all of the time that I really can't be bothered by this. I mean, fine, Kenley is obviously going through a manic phase right now which is manifesting itself in her blindingly sunny disposition, one that reminds me of Burgess Meredith in The Day of the Locust, but isn't this softer? I like soft. She's like the Snuggle teddy bear on coke.
Sean Avery, of hot rabblerousing hockey player fame, is our guest judge. He is handsome and vacuous, always a delicious combination. This show is certainly the best so far of the season. It was really rigorous creatively while giving them time to really do some nice craftsmanship. So, when you were offended (i.e. JERELL), it wasn't because something was made for shit, it was because it was damn tacky. The top are Mondo, Rami and Austin. The bottom are Anthony, Michael (whose super-skimpy onesie I actually thought was pretty cute) and Jerell. What's interesting is it really wasn't poorly made. It was just so completely ugly. I don't even really have words for it right now. Rami is safe. Mondo is the winner of the challenge! Austin is safe. So is Jerell!! I can't believe it. It's down to Michael and Anthony -- Michael for poorish construction and Anthony for being lazy. And, Anthony is out. Michael gives him the biggest cry face hug. But, Anthony goes out with his head held high.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously: Hateful Diane Von Furstenberg required that the designers make a dress for her in six hours or no going to the ball. CinderApril lost the challenge and is now a pumpkin. Michael won his second challenge in a row. Crazy.
It's a lovely day in New York and the designers are walking through Central Park. They have been summoned by Angela Lindvall, who is a wood nymph and you know they live in the park. She greets them with a handful of pixie dust and tells them about their next challenge. It's about designers and their muses. They have to find a muse and it could be anyone. Mila wonders aloud how they're going to find something interesting amidst all the peeps in their "park attire." Not a bad point. Angela adds that the "all-star twist" is that they have to convince their muse to give them the clothes off their back. Wow. This is interesting. The power of television, my friends. We're about to see some people get naked just because they've been told to by some people who have been on television, because they're on television. The designers are nonplussed. Kara reiterates. Yes, it involves getting a stranger to take their clothes off.
Anthony interviews that this is great. He says that he has taken "so many daggers" during this competition because of the fact that he has a personality, but it will ultimately take a designer with personality in order to succeed in this challenge. He sounds a little more bitter than I'm used to hearing from him. Who's giving Anthony daggers? They get $150 for the challenge. They can use it to convince people to give up their clothing and the rest will be used at Mood. That's really interesting. It's all about economy and resourcefulness. This is neat. Angela adds that half of their look must come from their muse's clothing, which makes Kara's jaw drop. Sister was already thinking she'd get somebody to give her a bracelet or something and she would make whatever she wanted then say she was inspired by the bracelet. Nice try. Everybody seems stunned so Angela gives them some good news. They have two days for the challenge. They are indeed happy.
So, it's off into the park (actually Union Square 40 blocks away), the designers immediately start talking to people. Anthony interviews that it appears that Mila has suddenly grown a personality while him having a personality is just being Anthony. OK, that makes me think that maybe Mila has given him a dagger at some point? The girl that Anthony talks to has maybe one of the cutest faces in the history of mankind and I'm pretty serious. She is full stop adorbs. Her liberal arts education in Vermont has fully prepared her for this moment. She'd probably shave her head if he asked her to. Because he's a Creative. She? She's of the earth right now. Farming and loving mulch and cheese. But, you don't make it out of a New England liberal arts education without a personal pact that you will do WHATEVER to help the Creatives. Anthony wants to use her top and she's fine with that. The real problem with this challenge is that people in New York pay a lot of money for their clothes and can't necessarily afford to give them away. And, for most interesting stuff, anything within $150 would still be like giving it away. Kenley's noticing that a lot of people are like "Get the eff away from me" and she's mortified. That's where I'd be.