:
It's morning and Dominique is kind of tooling with her suitcase, presumably because they don't have anywhere to put their clothes. Are there no storage solutions for these designers. She says that she's a little melancholy after the judging, when she had to plead with David to speak up for himself. David interviews that she's sad because she was attached to Rolando as well as his highness. He feels that he now has to prove himself. Prove himself as something other than adorable, I guess. Cause that shiz has already been proven. Theory confirmed -- the scientific method worked like a dream in this case.
The House of Emerald is obviously on cloud nine, though, if you ask me, their win was a lot like Al Pacino's Oscar for Scent of a Woman. It was just sort of time. Cindy is really happy to have won, as is Jeffrey, who is all "hallelujah!"
A note is slipped under the door and Cesar gets it. They are to meet Isaac at an Upper East Side location. They get to the address and it's Daniel, the restaurant. Fancy!!! Seriously, that place is really fancy. Eduardo says it looks very expensive. Jeffrey says that sees people "mingling" and eating, but I'm not sure about the mingling part. I don't know what he thinks mingling means. Isaac is there waiting for them in the middle of the dining room where no one is really mingling. Plus, I don't think I see any food. Isaac says that Daniel is one of the most prestigious restaurants in Manhattan. The challenge is to design a high society ball gown appropriate for a New York City event attended by out-of-towners. Dominique says ball gowns are not her forte and that Cesar has the advantage because he makes gowns all of the time.
Isaac says that a twist of the challenge is that they'll be working with "real" clients. Calvin is all "ugh" in his interview and says that he doesn't work with clients. Why? Because they are bitchy. It just got Inception up in here because I swear I was just dreaming that he said other people are bitchy.
Isaac introduces clients by asking these ladies at two separate circular tables to turn around. The edit makes it look like it took them a good 15 seconds to turn around. It's the Real Housewives of both Orange County and New Jersey. Shit. Jeffrey is thrilled. Calvin says, actually quite astutely, that the California ladies are all sparkles and blondness, while the New Jersey ladies are all dark hair and bosoms and bosoms and bosoms. Isaac jokes to the New Jersey ladies that the irony of the name of the restaurant (pronounced "Danielle") is not lost on him, though I bet it was completely lost on him until a production assistant showed him the way. You really think Isaac Mizrahi is hanging out watching the Housewives? The ladies reply demurely that they don't know who he's talking about.
Isaac says that the inspiration for the challenge was Harper's Bazaar
photo story where they made-under the New York housewives. The ladies don't seem insulted to hear that they need to be made-under. Emerald gets to choose the Housewives that they want to work with, since they won the last challenge. Cesar interviews that he watches both shows and finds the New Jersey ladies to be a little too feisty, so they choose the Orange County gals. Calvin says that the New Jersey girls don't need to dress down, but rather to class up. Astute.Time for the challenge starts now. The designers start consulting by going to the Housewife on their team that they want to work with. Jeffrey says they all ran to women that they wanted. He goes for Lynne. After talking, she seems to think he's amazing and that she got the best designer. Cindy gets Lauri and asks her how much cleavage she can show. Lauri says a lot and knows right then that Cindy doesn't watch her show. Cesar works with Ashley. Golnessa works with Gretchen, who brought sketches. Hmm. Golnessa says that isn't a good sign. Gretchen is very vocal during the consultation and adds that she wants bling. She knows that Golnessa is probably worried.
Over at the House of Nami, Eduardo works with Dina. They have a bit of a communication problem due to Eduardo's accent and Dina's lack of actually listening. Dominique gets Jacqueline who explains that she's modest. David gets Caroline and he tells her that she is built like his mother, but with bigger bosoms. She wants Calvin, which makes me think she's crazy since David is the cutest thing since lunchboxes. Calvin is working with Teresa, which is kind of a match made in heaven. He agrees because she's all boobs and butt -- his kind of girl. She loves him and says that their personalities mesh. She wants the "winner dress."
Back at the workroom, they have 30 minutes to design. Calvin presents a swatch that they all like. He's seriously bossy and Dominique is still sad, which makes David feels they aren't a team. David presents his design, which has an open back. Calvin says that a woman Caroline's age shouldn't show her back. David says her shoulders were really nice, but he says it would be very, very slutty. Absolutely hell to the no. Calvin is an asshole. Then, Calvin says something about David being retarded. Maybe he doesn't realize that the words he says are as offensive as they are? It's just so boldly mean that I wonder if something different is happening in his head.
Cesar says that the most important thing is that all of the gowns have a similar palette. Champagnes and subtle golds are the color story that they choose. Isaac enters and asks them to meet in his office with mood boards. He reminds them that this challenge is about bringing out elegance in these ladies. He likes their palette but tells them to beware of the cheapness of pale gold. Jeffrey presents his design and says that he wants to show Lynne's back instead of her cleavage. Isaac likes it and says that he's copying it, which gets a laugh. Cesar says Ashley has a natural bosom and needs to be held in to enhance her natural hourglass. Isaac says that's been a problem from beginning of time. Hunters and gatherers were like, "What to do with these boobs?"
Isaac consults with House of Nami and tells them that darker colors flatter. Dominique says that Jacqueline is self-conscious. Isaac says to not deny her best asset, even if she wants to. He's talking about her boobs. David presents his idea and Calvin offers suggestions. He says it should be corseted. Dick move, but Isaac loves his ideas. David says that Calvin is a successful guy, but he won't listen to him.
At fabric store, each team has $400 for their collections. Jeffrey says that they were searching until they find a pretty silk jersey in champagne. Sea colors for Nami. Eduardo is worried about the brightness of the greens that David chooses. Calvin says it looks too old.
Cesar says that likes working with real women because it's a real challenge. Talking about his real woman, he says natural breasts are harder to keep in place. Cesar is helping Golnessa because she seems to be having a lot of problems. Cesar interviews that she's stylish but doesn't sew well. Cindy says that Golnessa is her partner and she knows how to do this stuff. She's confused by her inability to shine in this setting. Jeffrey says that he lives in NYC and understands fashion here. He says it's a different finesse here. All true, though the design he's working on doesn't really seem all that NYC to me.
It's 7:30. Eduardo is moving along swimmingly. Dominique says that she is distracted by her feelings for big sexy David. You and me both. Calvin wants to show lots of butt on his design. He thinks his teammates have lost their spirit since losing the last challenge. David says that Dominique is still sad about Rolando going home. He asks her if she's OK and she says that she's fine. He says he's not getting tongue action from her. Brakes. What? Tongue sticking out. Oh. She's leaving the room and considers, you can tell, coming back in and sticking her tongue out, but she decides not to. At the end of the day, Dominique says that her dress looks really bad.
The day, Dominique says that some problems arose that her original pattern couldn't predict. Calvin is almost finished and says everyone is slow. He decides to make another dress, because he's bored. Bitch. Cesar is still helping Golnessa. He says to his entire team that the most important thing is to have something for the client to see at the first fitting or the window will be open for them to demand lots of changes.
The ladies arrive. Gretchen says she was looking around and hoping certain gowns weren't hers, which is really lovely. Lynne is super weird about Jeffrey's. She thinks her chest is too covered, which is maybe true but come on. Jeffrey thinks she's getting a little crazy and he's correct. She does seem totally weird. He decides to cut it on her body and takes it from high neck to plunge. He says that she wanted to be naked.
Lauri loves her dress, says Cindy. She says it's an Emmy, maybe an Oscar dress. Gretchen likes her dress too. Then, the dress splits on the ass. Golnessa isn't sure what she can do other than add a strip of fabric where the dress has split open.
The Nami fitting is chaotic, says Dominique. Dina tells Teresa her dress looks like something from Scores, the strip club. Doesn't seem to faze her. Calvin has her try on both dresses that he made. Everyone is torn on which dress they prefer. Dina notices Calvin getting upset with Teresa because she can't make up her mind about which dress she prefers.
David is having a hard time. Caroline is a real bitch about the dress not being long enough. Dominique says his dress is a disaster. It looks like Peter Pan. Caroline interviews that she's going to look at the length first thing the day. Oooh. David knows that the color isn't working. Plus, he says that the models aren't the same size as their mannequins, which makes it hard to get the proportions of the dress right.
Dominique is weirded out by TV people walking around, in real life. Cesar wants to create a red carpet moment, so he gathers all of the ladies in their dresses. Jeffrey says the dresses look great together. Lauri is very impressed with the work. She's very supportive. I like her.
Dina thinks the House of Emerald's dresses look more like a collection and she wants to be with them. She considers trading places with Lynne, since she's blonde anyway. The Nami line-up is a disaster. David says their collection is not cohesive and his color is off. The rest of his group is aqua and he is green. Teresa concedes that the second dress is better the she starts waffling. Calvin shuts her down and lays down the law. She is not hearing him and he says that he almost has a heart attack.
Dominique offers to help David. She says his disaster of a dress is not pretty. She feels like David is going home. It's not easy for her to deal with and she cries. Calvin asks what the fuck is this, in regards to the open weeping. Cindy notices their dissent and feels confident because of it. Eduardo gives some chiffon to David so that he can remake his dress. He says he doesn't really have an option and starts to work.
Jeffrey tries to make adjustments to make dress beautiful. Golnessa likes everything but the fit on the hip. The thing she adds makes it look like a vagina, which makes her laugh. "A side va-jay-jay."
Dominique is still crying! David and Calvin bicker. Calvin says his dress is ugly and David says Calvin's dress looks cheap like a prostitute would wear. He says that he came to their team because of his failure on the other team. Calvin seems stunned, which is funny. If you can stand the needle, stay out of the sewing room. Time's up and the go home for the evening.
The day, the wives show up. Dominique says a miracle couldn't save them. Caroline loves the changes to her dress. She says it's more her style now. In the hair room, Calvin yells at Caroline when she insists that her dress be finished. Is he feeling defensive for David?
OK, Stefan's on the scene. I'm starting to find his brutal authority sort of sexy. The House of Emerald show begins and there's string quartet onstage. Lauri's dress opens. That pretty champagne color looks lovely on her. Lynne is in Jeffrey's gown and it does NOT fit well. The girls backstage notice that the boobs are off. There's not enough structure. Golnessa's dress is and I think it looks great. It may just be because Gretchen has a rocking bod. There's some tightness at the knee, but she's walking fine in it. Cesar's is kinda big. It doesn't look so good, actually. Dominique thinks their collection looks beautiful, and she says there is no way her team can win. I don't know though.
For the commercial break nugget, Cesar dishes on the NJ housewives, specifically about how Jacqueline's daughter was out of control. He says that she grew up too fast. Jeffrey says that you never know what happen and Cesar facetiously replies that he KNOWS because he watched the show.
Nami is still faltering. Dominique cries AGAIN that she is upset about the quality of her work. Jacqueline tries to comfort her. Stefan says he'll pull their team if they don't stop working. Caroline tells everyone to not worry, because she and her crew shine when under pressure. The show begins with some gents in tuxes onstage. Calvin is surprised by Teresa's energy when she walks. He thinks she transformed it on the runway. They sit on chaises and pose demurely. Their direction was to be genteel. Jacqueline looks fine, but Dominique hates it. I guess it is a little bland. The audience loves it. She struts that shit. Caroline works it! She looks great. David made a Givenchy neckline which is wonderful for her. Dina looks fab. Eduardo says the ladies really played their roles. Jeffrey says that Nami nailed it.
Judging time! First, the House of Emerald has their time. Iman says that they want to hear from clients. Isaac introduces Laura Brown and Susan Fales-Hill. Susan liked the sound of Jeffrey's original neckline. Isaac says he should have convinced Lynne to like it. Ashley loves the corset in her dress. Susan doesn't like the lampshade of a skirt that Cesar made. Isaac thinks it wrecks everything. Iman can see tattered petticoat hanging from the bottom. He says that he made the best thing he could with the time constraints, but Iman thinks he should have rethought the design to fit time constraints. Golnessa says she was going for a goddess effect. Susan loves the top. Isaac thinks she fucked up the waist. Gretchen freaks out when he says she put weight on her, but he meant actual fabric. Lauri loves her dress. Isaac loves it too. Laura loves the layers, though Iman doesn't love the length.
Nami enters. Calvin says that Teresa loves herself and he loves himself too. Isaac thinks the waist is effed up. Teresa seems personally insulted that he's talking about Calvin. Weird. Calvin holds her hand, which is sweet. Dominique says she was going for slimming and Jacqueline says that she loves the quiet look of the dress. Isaac likes it the least. Laura thinks it's meek. Dominique says she let herself down with construction. Caroline tells what was wrong with her dress and Isaac says he wants to hire her. Gingham dog and calico cat, anyone? David says that his team came through for him. The judges say that it was great for showing the woman instead of just the dress. Susan seriously loves Eduardo's dress, but Iman wonders if it's too much like his last dress. He says it's his style but Isaac wants to know if he can do anything else.
The teams come together and... Nami is the winner! Dominique is stunned and starts crying again. Shit. The crying. She says it's a miracle -- the only one that would work, I guess. The best are David and Eduardo. The winner? Eduardo. Dina hugs him. If he makes it to finale he gets an extra $500 on his final collection. Iman thanks the Housewives.
Iman tells Emerald that they have to please the client while staying true to vision, while Isaac says their color palette was muddled and their designs seemed not thought through. Cindy can stay. Step aside. Jeffrey's dress would work poolside, but not in high society. Don't move. Also, that shit would not even work poolside. Golnessa's dress was awkward. Don't move. Cesar's hemline was too short and there was too much dress for model. He can stay. It's down to Jeffrey and Golnessa. And, it's Golnessa who is going home. She is out of fashion. She hugs Jeffrey and cries in interview. Cindy hugs her. Isaac says "Goodbye, darling," which I still think is awfully sweet. Golnessa feels that Cindy is her other half, so, in a way, it's like she's still in the competition.