By Jeff Long
Cindy's feeling vulnerable to begin. Michelle tells her that she wouldn't have been in the bottom if there weren't teams, which is a very nice lie. Heidi greets them wearing what Amanda made for the last challenge. She tells everyone that they are keeping the same teams. I like that. They meet Tim at Spin NYC, which is co-owned by Susan Sarandon and her freaking hot baby boyfriend. It's a ping-pong place. They are going to create new looks for the employees. Brandon Hirsch is the General Manager and it seems a little odd that a ping-pong bar would have the hottest employees in NYC, but there you go. Tim tells them that each team will make three female looks and two male looks, which excites Michelle. That makes me like her.
They start by having to wait tables. It doesn't really go well. Tu drops multiple glasses. They talk to other employees about what they might like to wear. Benjamin takes a lead in his group. Matt decides to make some jeans, because he's frankly uninspired by the challenge. Benjamin hovers over Cindy at Mood, which chaps her hide. Joseph Aaron Segal finally gets to talk and the production totally throws shade at him when he says that he's sold "like a thousand" of these sweaters that he redesigns. Meaning he has taken in $78,000. Apparently, that's not something to brag about? Whatever.
They start working and it's really fascinating watching them work together because they have to verbalize what they are thinking. Daniel says that he would marry Layana if he were straight, but I feel like there's a little shade there as well. Benjamin and Cindy are working together and she is getting really frustrated with being micromanaged. He apologizes but he explains that he is only trying to be supportive. Michelle thinks that Cindy is being too sensitive. A screenprinter comes in and that's cool. Tim consults and seems to be happy with Amanda, Daniel and Layana of Team Keeping It Real. There's some drama with Patricia because she is worried about not having designed enough -- she's just making leggings. He tells her to get over herself.
Dream Team presents to Tim and he likes what Michelle is doing. He is not fond of the jeans that Matt is thinking of. They joke about making a kilt and Tim tells him to go with it. He also doesn't think that Ben's top and Cindy's jacket belong together (I disagree, if that's worth anything). He also hates James's shirt and thinks that she should scrap it. Michelle wonders if Ben should focus on himself a little bit instead of on everyone else. To be fair, that's what he did during the last challenge and it didn't help.
The models come in for their fittings and they are all beautiful. The day of the challenge, Dream Team really works hard together. Susan Sarandon and her breasts are the guest judges. Dream Team's stuff ends up being kinda rad, if you ask me. Team Keeping It Real goes and they are really good as well. I kind of like it all. Team Keeping It Real wins again! The top three looks are Layana/Daniel, Stanley (which is awesome) and Richard/Joe. The bottom three are James, Ben/Cindy and Ben/Matt. For the record, I like all of these. Layana ends up being the winner of the challenge. The bottom two are Cindy and James. Cindy...is in. Again. James is out.
Tim arrives to take everyone to Mood. Each team has a budget of $500 and thirty minutes to shop. Amanda says that Team Keeping It Real doesn't have a solid idea yet. Daniel decides to team up with Layana and he explains in an interview that the judges had some problems with her look in the first challenge. He remembers Heidi saying that you are only as strong as your weakest link, so he's going to give her his support. Kate and Patricia are going to work together as well. Patricia is worried about having to fight for her design a little bit. Matt thinks it's funny that he is making jeans. Denim is the only fabric he needs. Cindy is getting riled up by Benjamin hovering over her as she is choosing fabrics. I mean, come on. You have to expect that people are going to be involved when their fates are intertwined with yours and you made such a crazy bad outfit before. Seriously, when I think back, if Emily had managed even to finish a little bit more of her look last week, I think Cindy would have gone home. That print has haunted be throughout the week. It looked like pollution. Cindy thinks that maybe Benjamin should be looking after James seeing as he is choosing the ugliest blue fabrics in Mood. Well, she would know from ugly fabrics, wouldn't she? Samantha questions a fabric choice of his and he says that he is fine with it. Then, she says, "I don't really dig that, so I'm like, uh...." I had to listen to that ten times then just turn on my closed captioning to finally understand Samantha. I have to say, you know, don't anybody feel sorry for me, but that is the HARDEST part about recapping a reality show. If you're on, say, Revenge and you slur your words, they are either going to fire you or reshoot the scene after you've gone to a voice coach. Every single episode on this show there is some moment where I'm like, "What in name of all that is Marc Jacobs did that woman just say?"
Joseph says that he thinks it's a good idea to use polka dots on the uniforms for the guys. Richard warns him away from that idea, which is probably a good think. Joseph is super odd and reminds me of a rangy art Brooklyn version of Stanford from Sex and the City
. I feel this so strongly that I wonder if maybe I have already written that more than once. If so, it's because I really mean it. He interviews that he wished he could do something unconventional. He says that he has a business where he takes old sweaters and spray paints cats onto them. They are very popular. He has sold about a thousand at $78 a pop. Project Runway does us the courtesy of showing us that the total of that would be $78,000. And, they show their work. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a dig on Sanford or not, like, "Wow, you sold a THOUSAND? That's only $78,000. Loser." Joseph lets himself be toned down by Richard though.Michelle remarks that Team Keeping It Real seems really cohesive as a team. They all have distinct points of view and are able to work together. She feels like their team is two or three steps behind. Cindy is getting more and more annoyed with Benjamin. She says that he is micromanaging her and she doesn't like it. She says to him that shopping with him was difficult because they have different aesthetics.
Back at the workroom, the groups continue to caucus. Richard tells us that he is not really a menswear designer, but he is going to go for it. In general, their team is pretty positive. Kate is excited to be working with Patricia, but Patricia is feeling she is hiding her design light under a bushel by having to make a simple black legging.
Dream Team has their team talk too. Matt says that his greatest fear is being generic. Benjamin has his fingers in a lot of pies, because he apparently thinks that he can save his team from being on the bottom by spreading his energy. Everyone feels like James is on his own planet.
Everybody gets to work. Layana is really enjoying working with Daniel, because he is so experienced. Daniel's all like, why wouldn't I help her? She is the weakest link after all. I don't think he means that to sound insulting. He teaches her some great time-saving techniques. He interviews that he loves Layana and would marry her if he was straight. Wait, he's not straight? Mind blown.
Cindy sketches a jacket and tells us that they are her favorite thing to make. Benjamin is still over her shoulder. Then, they have this exchange that I find really frustrating, yet is a window into the personalities of Ben and Cindy. Cindy tells him that she feels like he is micromanaging her efforts, at which point he says that he will step back because he is not trying to do that (which is, of course, a lie- he's totally micromanaging); but she keeps on talking to him as if he hasn't just said he'll stop looking over her shoulder. For some reason, that makes me crazy. She continues saying that she would like to finish her design without him checking in at every step of the way. Seriously, everything was solved a full minute before she finished talking. Benjamin interviews that he has been very successful as a designer working for fancy folks in London. Shit, guy, Cindy is still talking. It's like she's some sort of robot who has been fed a script and it has nothing to do with outside stimuli. She says that she does not have the same experience as he does, but she needs to get her point-of-view across to the judges. I guess when you work with dead people most of the time urgency isn't really that key to your success, but Sister Christmas spit it the fuck out! Benjamin says that he is just trying to be there as a support for Cindy. Michelle agrees that Cindy is being too sensitive. She herself enjoys his input.
Then, James presents his look and says that it was inspired by a ping-pong table. Maybe a ping-pong table in a flooded basement. Tim declares it a disaster. His team members suggest that he ditch the top altogether. James's feelings are hurt and he wonders where all the hope is. Tim tells the team that they seem like they're in trouble.
Tim tells these bitches to make it work then leaves. There are only a couple of hours left in the day. Dream Team tries to figure out what their problems are. Benjamin kind of inserts himself into everyone else's design process and Michelle interviews that, at this point, it would probably make more sense for Benjamin to concentrate on himself. Tu thinks that he needs to change his dress because it doesn't go with the jacket that Samantha made. Matt decides that he is indeed making a kilt. We see him tell Stanley who gives him a high-five then interviews that it's inappropriate of Matt to make a kilt. How? It's a ping-pong palace. Are there any sorts of standard for that sort of thing yet? Just do what you want. Matt says to no one in particular that he had felt like he wasn't being himself and now he does.
The models come in for their fittings. A lot of Dream Team's stuff is not finished enough to go on the models. James's pants are long way from completion, as are Benjamin's shorts. Joe seems a little nervous around his hot male model and Layana interviews that a lot of times the quiet ones are the geniuses. After the fitting, Michelle tells Richard that she is ready for this challenge to be over. That night, at the Atlas Building, Dream Team is feeling shitty. Samantha says that they all get along but it doesn't show in their work. Benjamin feels like he made decisions for the right reasons, but they haven't served him or his team well. Michelle says that Dream Team is pooping the bed. She's done and wants OFF.
The day, they are all jamming to get finished when Tim drops in to say hello. He tells the designers that they look fabulous and Samantha, who looks particularly scrumptious in this graphic multi-colored frock says that they were just trying to look as good as him. He laughs and says that they exceeded him. Aw, sweet Tim Gunn. Dream Team works together to at least finish everything and they feel good about that. You see poor Michelle have a moment where she's like, "I can help, but...no buts. I can help." It must be scary to let your own look out of your head at this moment and just commit to working on someone else's stuff, but that's what the whole teamwork thing is about, I guess. Kate's not looking around Team Keeping It Real and she doesn't like anything that she sees. She thinks that Daniel and Layana's look belongs in a theme park. She feels like the ribbing in Stanley's look doesn't fit correctly. She thinks Amanda's black dress is far too little.
Benjamin and Cindy's look is . It's a cute little black tuxedo jacket with three-quarter sleeves and black shorts. Benjamin is really unhappy with the shorts that he made. He feels like crotch is unsightly and that they are boring. They are pretty boring. Cindy agrees that the shorts have some fit problems but she thinks the look is upbeat and high-end. I kind of like the jacket. Matt's kilt is and it's super cute. The model is really working it, which Matt loves. He's wearing the top that Benjamin originally planned for a companion to Cindy's jacket and I think it's really cute. There's a chaotic line design on the front of it and it's loose and kind of unstructured. Benjamin is not sure about the top, but he thinks that guys in kilts are fun and edgy. Amanda says that she didn't understand some looks on Dream Team.
Team Keeping It Real is . We first see Layana and Daniel's look. It's for a waitress and it's a long-sleeved white top covered by an interesting vest that has all sorts of graphic cuts in the lapel and a racer back. That's Daniel's esoteric ping-pong ball trajectory stuff. The shorts are more skort, with a built-in apron in the front. The model looks so cute and acts like she's ready to take an order when she reaches the end of the runway. Layana is very happy with it. Stanley's guy look is and he made a loose black short-sleeved sweatshirt and drop-crotch pants. They're pretty cool and young. He's happy with the look. Patricia and Kate's look is . The black leggings are now covered by a tight black skirt and there are shiny strips of black across it. The top is a lavender halter deal that exposes a lot of the back. It's cute though it won't look good on everyone. Kate thinks the girl looks like she's going to yoga. I could see a waitress wearing this though. It's maybe a touch austere. Amanda's little black dress is . It as square straps and there's a lot of movement in the skirt. It's adorable and very short. The ball boy look is and it's awesome. It's a t-shirt with white starting and the chest and up, black on the bottom. The logo is on the chest. The pants have large pockets that also sport the slogan. The model is wearing the harness, which has thin straps. It looks like a tiny bow-and-arrow harness. I freaking love this. Susan says aloud that she loves this one. Michelle says that the team has some real clunkers, so she thinks that it's going to be a close contest.
After the show, Heidi tells Team Keeping It Real that they are the winning team again. Dream Team leaves the runway, while the judges talk to the non-losers. Backstage, James says that he feels that they could have worked as a team better. Onstage, the three top looks return. They are Daniel and Layana's, Stanley's and Richard and Joe's (they apparently call him Joe- though we see his freaking driver's license complete Christian name every time he speaks). Layana explains that SPiN seemed young, so she thought shorts. Also, the waitresses at the club said they wanted to look sexy, for tips. Daniel explains his crazy ping-pong vest once more. Zac says that he likes the formality they gave to the t-shirt under the vest, though he thinks there are some balance issues. Heidi likes that the girl isn't too sexy, because she doesn't want to compete with the waitress when she goes out. Nina thinks that it's adorable and very practical. Daniel says that Layana should get immunity if they win. Nina thinks that Stanley's look is futuristic and retro at the same time. Susan says that "the guys" would like wearing the pants. Apparently, "the guys" are very picky. They weren't so happy with "balls are our business" when she first thought of it. You know those rough and tumble ping-pong guys -- they're very serious about how they represent. Zac doesn't like drop-crotch, but Heidi loves them. Richard says that they made the t-shirt white at the top, because it dimly lit clubs a black t-shirt can look like it's sporting dandruff on the shoulders. Gross but true. Heidi likes that they used the slogan appropriately. She has seen the slogan on the wrong place in some of the designs, though Zac coyly says that maybe it was the right place. Cheeky monkeys everywhere. Balls. Zac likes their uses of the typography on the clothing. Nina thinks that the top three looks work very well together. Nice teamwork. Team Keeping It Real goes backstage and they are so excited to have won again.
Dream Team comes out with the bottom three looks. They are James, Cindy and Benjamin and Matt and Benjamin. What? Lame. Matt's was awesome. James goes into this weird description of consumer science where he says that a consumer has to see something nine times before they will buy it, which somehow explains the placement of the logo on his look. Huh? Nina's eyes bug out when he's talking about it, because, really. Seriously. What? You don't really need to be branded if you are already at the place, right? Unless you were kidnapped and brought there and you didn't know where you were. Nina hates the length of the pants. She thinks he looks like a cabana boy. Susan thinks that it's a nice outfit, but nothing about it says that he's a server. Heidi has a problem with it being a tank top that would reveal his armpit hair. That's not as bad as Heidi talking about armpit hair though. Heidi tells Cindy and Benjamin that their look belongs at the reception desk of a hotel in the suburbs. Benjamin says that her comment breaks his heart. Cindy says that they were trying to dress up a sporty place and Zac says that they did that, it just wasn't appropriate. Nina thinks that it looks like it came from a dated catalog. Benjamin offers that, because he stretched himself thin trying to be a leader, he compromised himself as a designer. I can't tell if he's trying to let himself off of the hook or if he's putting himself on the chopping block there. I almost feel like he's being a little noble.
Heidi asks Matt, the model in the kilt, how he likes wearing a "skirt." Seriously? He says that it's nice and breezy. Matt, the designer, explains that basic jeans didn't feel expressive enough, so he took the slogan literally and made a free-balling outfit. Susan says that her "guys" wouldn't wear a skirt. Seriously, who are these dudes? Are they straight off the bus from a wrestling meet in Omaha? It's not even that freaking wild for New York. Susan does say that the idea is "ballsy" though. This gets a big laugh from everyone. Zac thinks that there is too much going on. The frenetic design from the logo on a mesh overlay, the slogan on a little pouch right over the model's own pouch, which I guess is a little inappropriate. I just didn't realize how serious ping-pong is. Nina says that she loves when the designers are provocative, but he had a client that he needed to please for this challenge. Matt explains that he feels like he is more of an artist than a commercial designer. Zac very politely explains that fashion is married to commerce, which is why it is not a fine art. Nina thinks that it's sad that the team hasn't been able to balance the more creative designers with the less so.