Episode Report Card Jeff Long: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Teaching With Hate
By Jeff Long | Season 8 | Episode 8 | Aired on 09.16.2010
Tim comes in for consultation. Valerie asks Tim a bunch of questions about what she should do and he finally tells her that it has to be her choice. He is amazed at Mondo's fabric, because he thinks it's totally him. Cute Michael interviews that, if Jackie O went to the desert and dropped acid, you'd have Mondo's fabric. Meanwhile, Tim thinks that Cute Michael's skirt is "Annie Oakley." Cutie reasons that old stuff is recycled in fashion all of the time.
Tim leaves and the models come in for fittings. Mondo's model calls his fabric "First Lady fabric" and Mondo changes that to "First Tranny." Promising. April interviews that Jackie O would never wear Andy's pants, which she deems "saggy saddlebags." Other Michael made two dresses for the challenge and Valerie thinks that they both look like Donna Karan. She doesn't know who he is as a designer. OK, I guess that really is a problem. It sounds kind of esoteric and like a bullshit excuse to hate on him, but they clearly all think the same thing. That said, Donna Karan's strengths have always been in problem-solving. She covers this or that or flatters this or that in an effort to emphasize the positive. I don't feel like that's the same as having a design aesthetic borne of truly independent vision, which is not to insult her. To have work reminiscent of hers doesn't necessarily make you a copycat.
Cute Michael insists that his look is going to be chic. He adds some black lace trip and Gretchen says it's very Prairie Home Sex Shoppe. She imagines Heidi telling him that she's not sure if she's supposed to harvest wheat or smack him with it. Gretchen interviews that Ivy is a great tailor but not a fashion forward designer.
The next morning, April says that she thinks all of the girls will be safe. All of them think Andy's in trouble. April says that his look is "more Jackie, Yo than Jackie O." Touche.
At the workroom, Tim enters and tells them that he has an announcement. They won't be showing their looks on the runway today. Instead, they will be adding a piece to their look. Outerwear. Valerie has already created a jacket for her look, so she's concerned. Ivy is psyched, for the first time in this challenge. She seems to know exactly what she wants to do. Valerie is going to make a vest that she thinks will be very versatile.
At Mood, Other Michael finds a fabric that he likes and Gretchen totally tells him that she was already looking at that fabric and he can't have it. Junior High. Christopher chooses some animal fur and has some very, very faint pangs of conscience, but, bless his heart, he's able to push through them.