Episode Report Card Angel Cohn: A- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT I Can See Right Through You
By Angel Cohn | Season 2 | Episode 2 | Aired on 11.16.2010
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.The designers meet Iman at the creepy Bodies exhibition -- you know, that one where there's skulls and muscles and no skin. She tells them to create a collection inspired by the inner workings of the body. My mind immediately jumps to Lady Gaga's meat suit. Iman's final instruction is to create something that makes her heart skip a beat.
Mike tries to suggest that the members of the House of Nami switch it up: if they did evening wear last time, show day this time. He's overruled by Cesar. The Emerald Syx is letting Calvin go on and on about a storyline, but he nearly got eliminated last time, so they shouldn't bother listening to him. Isaac walks in and Emerald Syx has nothing to show him because they fought the whole time. House of Nami goes first -- they are going with the layers and the skin tones. Issac actually gives them helpful suggestions. Emerald Syx goes in with nothing -- Issac tells them to change their name to House of Emerald, since they are just five people. They start fighting; Isaac tells them they are going to be losers.
Jeffery takes the lead for his team and they seem to get somewhere. Well, until Isaac walks in and tells them that everyone needs to incorporate something reversible into their design. Twist! Designing. Fighting. Stressing. Designing. Fighting. Stressing. Repeat ad nauseum.
Michael from House of Nami refuses to complete a look because he doesn't like the way his is coming together, so he literally cuts it to shreds, throws it in the trash and storms off. He knows full well that the team will lose if they don't have six looks, and doesn't particularly seem to care. So he quits the show and then the Nami group starts scrambling to make another look. It actually appears kind of decent.
House of Emerald is up first. Their collection is entirely blood red. (FYI, taking a scarf and untying it is NOT reversible by definition). Some of it is more convertible than reversible. House of Nami goes for more peach and pinky colors and by in large understands the concept of the challenge. Isaac says he thinks their collection worked and credits Emerald for getting their shit together so quickly. They especially love Calvin's dress, which, to quote Iman, "had more tricks than a hooker." House of Nami takes the win. Their favorite look belonged to Eduardo. He gets an extra hour of work time the following week.
House of Emerald faces the panel of judges (which includes photographer Douglas Friedman). They like Jeffrey's dress. Golnessa dresses herself cutely, but her model not so much. Cindy's dress has a weird pinchy thing happening on the butt. Calvin's is awesome, though they don't care for the fact that one item turned into a backpack. Tamara's dress is falling apart during the judging panel -- not a good sign. And she gets called out for the ugly pleat that she was forced to put on by her bossy teammates. They bring in House of Nami and say that since Mike up and quit, no one is going home. Isaac thinks Emerald is sinking, so he sends Calvin to House of Nami, Then the House of Nami has to send one member to the other team. It's just like grade school. Cesar takes the bullet for the team. -- Angel Cohn
Want more? The full recap starts right below!It's morning at their apartment, which, from the outside, makes the Atlas Building look like the YMCA. Tamara says that, as soon as they got back to the apartment, everyone was talking about how Francine should have gone home. She kind of chuckles and I think that's because of how they all mostly got reamed on the runway, so it's funny to see them quickly change the subject to how unworthy Francine's stuff was. That said, glad to see her gone.
Mike, who I don't believe has yet to remove that hat, tells us that he has always been interested in design. If you give him cardboard and duct tape, he can make something, like a sign that explains to passers-by that, given food, he will work.
The designers find a note from Iman. They have to meet her downtown. Everyone's excited. They end up a the South Street Seaport. At the Bodies exhibit! The designers seem a little freaked out and I can understand why. There's actual exposed insides all around.
Iman's there and she's wearing fur, which I find somehow ironic and perfect. She tells everyone that they're going to look within for inspiration. Their challenge is to complete a collection inspired by the inner workings of the human body. Mike tells us that this is exciting to him because he is inspired by the human body. That's fantastic.
They will have some time to look around, then 45 minutes to plan a collection for Isaac to love or hate. "Design something that will make my heart skip a beat," says Iman. She's a regular Will Rogers. They start looking around and most of the House of Nami is grossed out. Understandably so, This is an INTENSE exhibit. Cesar is particularly skeeved. David says that he is really inspired by female genitalia. He kind of elaborates about folds and stuff, then just stops and kind of genuflects with his eyes. On just about anyone else in the world, this would have seemed creepy, but this dude just sounded so sincere and romantic. He made hoo-ha romantic.
Calvin tries to relay an idea he is having for the story that House of Emerald Syx can show on the runway. He is talking about "big-ass silk chiffon." It goes without saying that his story-telling style is very dramatic. Jeffrey found it gimmicky.
Back at the workroom. Mike tells us that he thinks Cesar is very good, but he thinks he is just as good.
Calvin can't translate his vision into English words. People try to ask questions so that he can clarify and he just screams at them. If you don't want to lose, listen to him. That's his version of clearing things up for people. Because of the horrible communication style of these folks (and who can really blame most of them for not being able to have an effective conversation with Calvin?) they have nothing to show Isaac when he arrives.