It's the morning after the Simon Doonan challenge, and everyone is sad that Eduardo is gone. Cesar says that it's weird to not see him in the morning. Wait, not everyone is sad. Calvin, always dependable for a dose of nasty, says Eduardo was nice but only made one dress over and over again. He, for one, never thought Eduardo would make it to the finale. Well, that's that.
The super-secret letter is slipped under the door. Iman apparently hates texting. She summons the designers to the west side of Manhattan, where she reminds them that for this challenge they are making their last effort as a house. House of Emerald has only won two challenges. That's sad. Their challenge is to design collections inspired by the elements earth, wind and air. The winning team will get a freaking car! Each of them will. They won't have to share. Can you imagine Calvin and Dominique fighting over who gets the car on Oscar night?
They go on a boat ride on the Hudson. Cesar and Jeffrey get to work. Jeffrey is inspired by clouds. They work in tandem per usual. Calvin is hit by a concept. He's thinking ancient culture and how black represents water and white for air. He's thinking camel shades for the earth.
Back at the workroom, they start to work on their storyboards. Jeffrey is finding pics of the sky and water. Cesar says they are like sisters and have each other's backs. Remember: as an award for winning the last challenge, Jeffrey gets to choose an accessory from New York Vintage. He chooses this giant tiara thing to create a "regal air/water goddess?" Hmm.
Calvin says that he feels more focused than ever. He wants to do something spiritual. Well, of course he does. It's written all over him. Dominique is exhausted and doesn't feel that she can really think of anything right now, much less argue with Zen Master Calvin's vision. We see flashbacks of last week's criticisms, when people were telling Dominique that her work was jokey and over-the-top. Calvin recognizes her fatigue and is ready to push her. He gives her a little rock and roll fist pump.
Isaac arrives for the consultations. Cesar says they are combining all of the elements in their designs. Jeffrey describes a column dress that Isaac loves. His air-goddess-thing look scares Isaac, because he's worried about the movement of the skirt as described. Cesar's looks seem solid. Jeffrey says their strategy is to trust their work.
It's House of Nami time. Calvin describes his Chinese inspiration. Dominique is making a tsunami dress. She seems down and Isaac is worried about her. He tells her to enjoy the process. Calvin describes a dress that sounds like maternity wear. Isaac tells him that he has to be solid, because he has a lot to prove. His design is risky. Calvin doesn't think he translated his idea well to Isaac.
It's fabric-buying time. Each team has 600 bucks. Calvin thinks he's more focused than anyone. Jeffrey loves the colors that he's finding. Cesar says they are looking for silk charmeuse, then jersey. He says that they have to win.
Back at the workroom, Dominique's first coat is not working. Calvin hates it and thinks it looks like a poncho. She's worried about being stuck in Ojai (her hometown) and going to community college. She vows to not let that be her fate. Cesar is dyeing again and calls Jeffrey chicken shit for not going for some dye. He says that he's exhausted but wouldn't be anywhere else.
Calvin is dancing around his mannequin. He thinks their earth color (camel) is a big risk. Cesar doesn't find their colors inspiring at all. He says that he knows he'll be in the finals.
Here we are at Day 2. They're preparing for fittings with their models. Jeffrey finishes his first look and moves onto the second. Cesar says that this experience has been important for him. Seth, his late partner, is his inspiration because he always pushed him. This experience has not only been a distraction from his death but also a way to honor him. God, that story never gets less sad.
Calvin says that the House of Emerald does the same dress over and over, which is interesting because he keeps saying that over and over again. Dominique says Calvin's like a little boy with excitement.
The models enter. Calvin's earth look is weird and pregnant, but kinda rad. Jeffrey doesn't like the shape of one of Cesar's jackets, but Cesar is not having it, especially if Jeffrey isn't dyeing anything. He only hears people who dye. Calvin thinks Emerald's collection is horrible while he thinks his own vision is out of this world. Dominique thinks it's beautiful as well, so that's something. Calvin laughs like a crazy person, frightening all of the poor models
.Jeffrey has his tiara. God, it's huge. Dominique has a lot to finish after the fitting. Cesar says his dresses are ready to go to a store right now.
That night, they toast at the apartment. Dominique says that they have bonded and she has made some real friendships during this competition. They do not flash to a shot of Calvin when she says that.
It's the day and they book it to the show. Stefan is there! Hair and makeup time! People start filing into the audience. Glenda Bailey, editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, is a guest judge. Love her. Emerald's show begins. All of the girls are onstage at the beginning. Jeffrey's crown look is first. There's a white jacket over the top and it's really interesting, if not exactly "right." The zipper looks cheap. Second is this look that is inspired by the bottom of the ocean. It has neat leggings underneath and a geometrical shape. His last look is a column dress with a shear top. Jeffrey is crying from pride backstage. I love that he's always so moved by the shows. Cesar's first look has that big jacket, and it's kinda poufy. Isaac is making a face. The dress underneath is gorgeous. The is a dress cut on the bias. It's inspired by waves. The third is a gown that is inspired by the shades of the ocean. Dyes!
Nami has girls in white face, which makes the whole spiritual thing make sense now. They look like ghosts, and not altogether contended ghosts. Hungry ghosts. Stefan tells them to take their hands off of their models and Calvin declares that it is what it is. "The Lord has saved me!" Yeah, I don't know, either.
The show begins, and there is fake snow on the runway. They're walking so slow. And, they're barefoot. Dominique has a look that is a giant sheath top and shorts which gets applause from the audience. The last of her looks is a black gown that wraps around the head like waves. Calvin's first look is the pregnancy dress. It looks like a dress with a Baby Bjorn under the bodice. Isaac is confused. The look is camel and black. It's a neat shapeless silhouette. The last is a white dress that is lovely and odd -- very dramatic.
The Bravo fun times commercial break is the designers talking about how none of them know Isaac's CRAZY references like Irving Penn and Cecil Beaton.
It's judging time. Isaac introduces Glenda and Gilles Mendel, from J. Mendel. They start with Emerald. Isaac likes the fluid thought apparent in the collection. Jeffrey says they wanted to make a goddess from air returning to water. Isaac doesn't like that white jacket with the cheap zipper.
Cesar gets a critique. He says that he started with dyeing the draped dress. Glenda thinks it's one of the most successful of the collection. She doesn't like the unfinished hem though -- she finds it too jolting. Isaac congratulates him for making it with one seam. Glenda doesn't mind the big jacket, but she doesn't like the accompanying dress. Isaac thinks the fabric looks cheap with the dye. Cesar says that he wanted more expensive fabric, but Iman says that's his fault. She thinks this dress destroyed the entire house.
The talk about Jeffrey's model with the dress from the bottom of the ocean. Glenda likes the dress but not the leggings. Isaac shuts that shit down. He thinks they look fresh. Gilles thinks it's a winner. Iman loves the back, with its very chic knot. Isaac says it's VERY SPECIAL.
They think the tiara doesn't work. Iman doesn't like it. She thinks it's a weird pastiche of a bunch of different ideas.
It's Nami's turn in front of the firing squad. Calvin says their collection is about more than elements -- it's about human spirit. Glenda thinks that the models looked miserable because they didn't have shoes. Heh. Iman says it struck a chord with the audience.
Dominique shows her shorts look, but Gilles doesn't like the unfinished hem. Isaac does like it. Glenda likes the tailoring of the shorts with the flow of the big top. The dress and coat look comes forward. Iman doesn't like it, neither does Glenda. Isaac thinks she should be wearing some kind of shoe, because the length is perfect and you can't tell when the model is barefoot.
Calvin's camel coat girl comes forward. They think it's very modern. The pregnant dress comes forward. Isaac thinks it looks like cancer. Iman says it was like "what the hell's going on?" Glenda thinks it looks like an ad for pain medication. It's the writing room of Modern Family up in there. Calvin asks if Isaac hates it, and he says he doesn't care enough to hate it. Embarrassing.
There's some deliberation time, and the winner is the House of Nami. Damn, those Emerald kids never could catch a break, could they? Dominique is psyched that she won a Ford Edge! Calvin is happy that his concept won. Isaac says they won because the clothes were fresh and audacious. Calvin is going to the finale. What?
Jeffrey's on the block because of his white jacket look and Cesar for his jacket and dress. Iman tells them that, backstage they have 45 minutes to revise their weakest looks. Then, the final decision will be made. This is crazy and great.
They get to work and Stefan is there giving them time. They're still nice to each other, which is refreshing. They return to the runway with the revised looks. Cesar gets props for really changing his look. He made a new skirt. Jeffrey makes a nice plunging blouse with rolled-up sleeves. Isaac loves that part.
Iman says the choice is harder now. The judges write down their choices. Jeffrey gets the first vote. Jeffrey gets the second. Jeffrey gets the third too. Cesar seems sad and gets a hug from Isaac. Cesar doesn't think that he should be leaving. He'll be rooting for Dominique or Jeffrey in the finale, if you can guess what that means.
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Jeff Long is a performer/writer in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com.