| Season AS2 | Episode 6 | Aired on 12.06.2012
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.The designers meet Carolyn on the High Line in New York! The organizers of the whole thing present the challenge for them, including Robert Hammond who is maybe New York's most eligible gay bachelor, DON'T GET ME STARTED. Like the High Line, the challenge is to create a look that is green. They get their choice of eco-friendly fabrics, a lot of which are two-sided. Diane von Furstenberg is going to be the guest judge and, because she's such a big fashion deal, Carolyn says that she will wear the winning design at her big red carpet event. That could be anything right? Girl shows up for the opening of an envelope.
Laura Kathleen says that she doesn't feel so bad about Emilio winning because he's a costume designer and she's totally something different. She's a monster. We see him speaking Spanish to Casanova and Ivy says that she can't wait for the show to air so that it will be subtitled and she can finally find out what they are saying. Rest easy, Ivy. It wasn't that exciting. Uli is sad that her fabric is darker than she thought it was. Laura Kathleen, who is obsessed with Diane VF, decides she is going to make a pant-suit. For the red carpet. OK!
This Billy Crystal/Bette Midler/Grandkid movie? Not excited about that.
Part of the challenge being green means that the designers can recycle the trim and notions from challenges. When Joanna comes into the workroom for her consultations, she is wearing the same exact color as Emilio's design! She tells Althea that it's time for her to swim to the top of the designers in terms of acclaim, but Emilio thinks that she has made a poor choice of fabric. Emilio also says that Ivy can't design? I had to check my closed captioning to make sure that he actually said that. He doesn't think that she's comfortable outside of her own aesthetic. Uli is criticized by the other designers for making something that looked a lot like her last look. Ivy spends too much time cutting her dress and she hardly has anything to put on her model when they come in for their fittings.
At one point, Uli says, “Androgyny sounds like a walk in the park right now,” which was kind of amazing. Um, so, Holly's Holiday and All About Christmas Eve, the Lifetime Christmas movies that are undoubtedly about leads named Holly and Eve? And one of them is starring Haylie Duff? Yeah, those are already on my DVR schedule.
Diane von Furstenberg shows up at the runway show and everyone seems really excited. On the runway, I think Casanova's look shines. Anthony Ryan's is pretty cool too, though some think he was ripping off Laura Kathleen. Emilio's look is nice, except for the unfinished hem. Joshua and Casanova are safe. I wait for Josh to freak out backstage, but he doesn't do that. Ivy, Emilio and Althea are in the bottom! It's a whole new group of shitty people! Anthony Ryan, Uli and Laura Kathleen are in the top. Laura Kathleen wins and Carolyn says that she's going to wear the design, which is a boo. So, it's down to Ivy and Althea and Althea is out. I feel like we didn't get to really see enough of her. She gets choked up as she's leaving, which kinda breaks my heart. KYLIE MINOGUE IS THE GUEST JUDGE HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MERRY SANTA CLAUS.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously:The designers were asked to create androgynous looks for their models. Then, they had to create another androgynous look for boy models. Emilio won the challenge. Laura Kathleen almost got the boot, but ultimately Kayne of Many Colors was asked to pack his valise and go home.
We start out with the designers walking on the High Line in the daylight. It's really beautiful there. Who let the designers out? Some PA is gonna get fired. Laura Kathleen interviews that she did not do well during the last challenge. She says that she is going to stick with what she knows best, which is femininity. Don't forget garish displays of nouveau wealth. Althea points out that she was in the middle of the pack again during the last challenge. She says that she has to be on her A-game for the rest of the competition. Josh says that they were walking along soaking up the sun and vegetation and he was like, "Oh Lord, what's this challenge going to entail."
Carolyn greets them wearing her first miss of the season. I see a dress with a pleated skirt, armor-like bodice and cable-knit sleeves. This is not a joke that I've just made. She tells them that, since they have been cooped up for weeks now, they wanted to get them into the outdoors. She explains that they are at the High Line, an elevated railway that has been repurposed into a public park. She introduces the founders, Joshua David and Robert Hammond. OK, I just need to get this off of my chest. I used to work adjacent to Robert Hammond during the nascent stages of the High Line and it was all I could do to not throw myself at him. He's 100% husband material. I lament my failure daily. They are standing on a part of the High Line that hasn't been converted yet. It's still overgrown and dilapidated (but still really pretty, honestly). So, essentially the High Line is a testament to recycling, while Robert Hammond is a testament to good genes, a proper arts education and a mother's love.
The challenge is to create an environmentally friendly look for the red carpet. Everyone seems pretty excited about this idea. Carolyn shows them all a bunch of swatches of fabric made by this green textile place. They use hardly any water or power in the production of their fabrics, which is a big deal for the environment. The fabrics are double-sided and they each get to choose one. Emilio chooses first (he goes with a solid), then lets Casanova choose. Josh is , then Uli, then Laura Kathleen, Anthony Ryan after that, then Ivy. Ivy chooses a golden fabric that is like the sun and she tells us that she chose it because she feels like a woman should feel like she's a star on the red carpet. Gah, that's so literal. Althea is the last to pick and chooses a chiffon that is pink on one side and blue on the other. She wishes that it had been a bolder color, but she says that she's going to work with it. Carolyn tells them that they are also allowed to recycle notions and trim and stuff that they purchased for challenges.
| Season AS2 | Episode 6 | Aired on 12.06.2012
The guest judge is Diane von Furstenberg. Laura Kathleen is super excited. There's a part of the High Line named after her. Joshua David says she helped make the High Line possible. Carolyn says that she will wear the winning design to her red carpet event! Everyone is psyched about that. They take to some benches to sketch. Ivy thinks that this is going to be a real challenge for her. Uli is happy with her print, while Althea is trying to draw inspiration from her chiffon.
When everyone gets back to the workroom, they sprint to the room where all of the recycled trim and stuff is. Anthony Ryan says that he's not going to rely on trim, because red carpet looks usually aren't about that. Emilio is feeling confident and Laura Kathleen has her eye on him. She reminds us all that he's a costume designer and there's a big difference between fashion and costumes. Whatever. Here's my question: are we, as a general public, of the assumption that if you make costumes, you can't stop making costumes? Like, you can't switch gears and think from a fashion point of view? Because, Emilio is obviously not stupid. I'm sure he's well aware of the differences between fashion and costumes. I just think that's a tired argument and shitty to slam the guy for finding a way to get paid for what he does. He and Casanova speak in Spanish about their designs. I hope that it makes everyone really nervous, like they're planning on taking over the world or something. You really can never trust a costume designer. Emilio has chiffon as his fabric, so he's going to create a line, so that the flimsy chiffon is not responsible for too much of the design. He says in Spanish to Casanova that Uli always makes the same "bedsheets" sort of things. Ivy is looking at them and says that she can't wait of the show to air, so that this will be subtitled.
Uli says that her strength is making the challenge fit her strengths as opposed to the other way around. She is not feeling great about her fabric though, it's darker than she thought it would be. Laura Kathleen explains to Joshua that she's going to make a pant-dress. He interviews that she's a killer designer and she takes lots of risks. He thinks it's courageous that she's making a romper for the red carpet, though she keeps correcting him and telling him that it isn't a romper. It's a pant-dress.
Laura Kathleen says that this is her most anticipated challenge, because her idol will be judging her and she wants to impress her. Uli goes back to the trimming recycle bin. She's going to use feathers to add volume to her look. Emilio is still making fun of her, this time to Joshua. I'm thinking he's just feeling a little bit nervous about her and feels that he needs to tear her down a little bit. Anthony Ryan is feeling stuck because he is not very used to working with chiffon. He wants to show something a little more flowy, but he's not sure how to do it. Ivy is making a lot of different pieces for her look and she's worried about not having enough time to finish. She remembers back to her season when she got eliminated during a red carpet challenge.
| Season AS2 | Episode 6 | Aired on 12.06.2012
Joanna comes in to consult with these guys. She starts with Laura Kathleen and acknowledges that LK is a big DVF fan. She confirms that and says that she has never met her. Joanna hears the idea about the pant-dress and seems really on board. Laura Kathleen says that she wants to make sure that DVF has nothing bad to say about her look. Joanna moves to Emilio and it appears that his red dress is the exact same shade as the dress that she's wearing. She's really excited about his look because she's wild about the color. Joanna moves to Anthony Ryan and says that she really likes the periwinkle shade of his fabric. She says that it's a color that she would be looking for if she were thinking about the cover of Marie Claire. Something bold and exciting. He tells her that he doubled the fabric because it was so sheer and she thinks that's a good idea because you have more coverage from the flashes of the photographers.
Joanna finds Althea's fabric pretty dreary. Althea agrees and says that she's exposing the shoulders on her model to make it sexier. I don't see why dreary and sexy have to be mutually exclusive. Widow chic could be the newest rage. Patent pending. Joanna points out that Althea has been hanging out in the middle for the entire competition. She wants to see her rise. Casanova shows his look and sort of describes a technique where he would show part of the other side of his fabric. Joanna reacts negatively because it takes the focus to the nipple of the bodice. Again, bad thing?
Ivy explains the shearing technique that she wants to use. Joanna likes what she hears and she likes Ivy's fabric, so things seem good on that front. So, I'm afraid that the Emilio I remember is back. The arrogant one who can't seem to stop bashing everyone else. He says that Ivy can't design and she struggles any time she is not doing something exactly like her aesthetic. What does that even mean? Why would you even be a designer if you didn't have a particular aesthetic?
Joanna notices that the trimming Uli is using is similar to what she used in the last challenge. She agrees. She needs something to spruce up her fabric, which she described as a rainy day in Miami. That doesn't sound good. Anthony Ryan thinks she's in trouble because she has essentially made a simple dress and added a lot of trimming to it. Joanna wishes them luck and leaves.
Ivy is feeling hot. Casanova confirms and says that he is smelly. This completely capsizes Ivy's giggle box and she loses it, which is actually kind of fun to watch. He smells himself and says that it's like a rat died in his armpit. Fun times.
| Season AS2 | Episode 6 | Aired on 12.06.2012
Later, Anthony Ryan notices that Ivy is still cutting while he is ready to start sewing big stuff. He thinks she needs to get to sewing, because she doesn't yet have a dress. The models come in for their fittings. Josh explains to his girl how the challenge is all about using green supplies. Ivy realizes that she has spent too much time patterning her look. Now, she's pressed for time and wants to make changes. She feels screwed and she kind of is. For some reason, this is deemed a good time to hear Josh say that he thinks Ivy has good ideas, though he designs for a different customer and wave length.
Casanova likes the design of Althea's dress, but he thinks that the fabric is all wrong. Emilio is fitting his girl and says that he has a lot of work to do. The lining has been taking him a long time. His model jokes that she doesn't help with the work load and he agrees. I can't really figure out what it is about her that makes life and work more difficult for Emilio, but at least they are in agreement. Anthony Ryan is happy with the outcome of his dress, especially since he is not used to draping in this manner. Ivy doesn't think it looks so great. She feels like he has made a bad mock-up of Laura Kathleen's drape sleeve.
The models leave and everybody scrambles to finish their work. At one point, Uli is running with some fabric and says, "Androgyny sounds like a walk in the park right now." Ivy says that she's feeling really freaked out. She kind of has to jettison part f her design and just finish something. Emilio is also still complaining about having a ton of work to complete when it's time to leave.
Later that night, at the hotel, Emilio asks who has a dress that it ready to be on the runway. Laura Kathleen jokes that she doesn't have one, but that's because she's not even making a dress. Emilio says that he doesn't have a dress. He only has a bodice. Josh asks if any of them have actually dressed a celebrity. Althea says that she dressed all of the Kardashians. Well, that's horrible. Audra McDonald wore Emilio's dress to the Tony Awards. She's amazing.
The day, they get to the workroom with two hours before the show. Emilio's dress is half cut on the floor at the beginning of the day. Joshua notes that Emilio always seems to be running short on time. Ivy shortens her dress at the eleventh hour. Althea has a lot of work to do too. Uli thinks it looks like Marie Antoinette. She adds that it's pretty, but she wouldn't wear it.
| Season AS2 | Episode 6 | Aired on 12.06.2012
Laura Kathleen is looking like she's in a safe spot. Anthony Ryan says that she's a great designer and this challenge is exactly in her wheelhouse. He says it's like a little pig squealing in the mud. They go to hair and make-up. Scott Patric is there. And, because I know it's important for everyone to know, I'd choose Robert Hammond. I mean, I don't want to get too into it because I get more pathetic with each keystroke, but I honestly don't know that there's a more eligible gay bachelor on this here God's green earth, TV anchors and weathermen excepted. Anthony Ryan has to tack up the hem of his dress because his model is having a problem walking in it. Laura Kathleen says that she feels that Uli is her only real competition. She remarks that she has done "her whole trim thing again" but also notes that the look is refined without looking austere. Emilio doesn't have a zipper in the back of his dress and the hem is not completed. He's a little embarrassed that he's not showing his best work.
On the runway, Carolyn shows up in a floor-length green gown and she looks amazing. She introduces Georgina (also looking gorgeous), Isaac (who puts a finger to his lips when introduced and I hope that he does that forever) and Diane von Furstenberg. Diane is really ebullient and seems truly excited to be there. That's fun.
The show begins with Joshua's look. It's a one-shouldered gown that is draped on the bias. It's belted with, I guess, the opposite side of his fabric. The major color is this sort of grey-green that is actually very pretty. His model looks sensational in it.
Uli's dress is and it's a short dress that would be strapless were it not for one strap that Uli has created with the embellishments. There's also a large feather on the front. You don't even see her fabric very well, which is actually a pretty good thing seeing as how it was a pretty depressing color. Uli thinks that it looks really young and she would like to be friends with the girl who would wear it. She acknowledges that it looks different from what everyone else is doing, but she likes it.
Althea's look is . She was completely screwed from the beginning with that fabric. It's dowdy. It looks like something some little girl's prairie doll should be wearing. That said, her design is way too structured for such a... rustic(?) pattern. I don't know. It's a form-fitting short dress with like some sort of ass cape in the back. There are cut-outs on the shoulder. Everything is essentially made pretty well, though she may have over-thought this just a little bit. She feels like she innovated and she's proud of that.
| Season AS2 | Episode 6 | Aired on 12.06.2012
Casanova's look is . It's a strapless gown in this sort of chaotic red and white plaid. There's a high slit on the leg and you can see the other side of the fabric, which is bright red. It's really gorgeous and I felt like it was quite the little moment when his girl appeared onstage. He thinks it looks beautiful. Anthony Ryan's dress is . It's a periwinkle draped thing with a black belt. It's low-cut in the front without seeming vulgar. He says that he has never made a dress like this and is proud of it. He notices that the model's underwear is showing slightly, but he says, "Who doesn't love a good panty?" Find me the person.
Ivy's look is . This is really not very good. It's a short golden dress with this elaborate scalloping thing on the bodice. Seams for days. Everywhere a seam. There's like a side train that is kind of cute, but overall this dress is really a miss. Ivy knows that she struggled with it.
Laura Kathleen's look is . It is indeed a pant-dress. It's cute and luxurious. Laura Kathleen stares at DVF the whole time. Emilio is up and he's embarrassed about the hem of his dress. He declares that this is the sloppiest dress that he has ever presented. The dress is pretty though. It's a red number with one shoulder. It fits beautifully and the imperfections aren't really visible on the television, though judging from the way Emilio is talking it must be some sort of disaster.
After the show, Carolyn calls Joshua and Casanova. They are both safe. The remaining folks have the high and low scores. Anthony Ryan starts first. He says that he was reminded of the South by the High Line and wanted to create something comfortable. Diane thinks it's pretty but wonders if there may be a little too much fabric on the side. Isaac think that it's a mix between hare krishna and Anthony Ryan. I'm not sure that I understand that but I'm going to just go with it. Carolyn loves the color, but she doesn't want her underwear to show. Georgina loves the feel of the look and thinks that he has done a great job.
Ivy says that her woman wants to be a start, so she tried to make something like the sun. Isaac says that Ivy has successfully made her fabric look the worst that it has ever looked, as a fabric in fabric form. Ivy counters with the declaration that red carpet is not really her thing. Isaac says that he doesn't even know what that means. Red carpet means a good dress on a good girl. Laura Kathleen laughs at this. Does that really happen? Carolyn says that she would not wear this dress and asks Ivy if she would change her design if she had the challenge to do over again. I feel like that's a pretty thoughtful question. I wonder if she thought of it herself. Seriously. Ivy says that she would indeed do something different. Diane sees the sun in the design, but she thinks the execution was off.
| Season AS2 | Episode 6 | Aired on 12.06.2012
Carolyn tells Emilio that she can see all of the trouble happening under his dress. Diane thinks that it's a miss. Uli promises that she won't use feathers again. Isaac really likes it. Diane thinks that feathers are great and that she does a good job with them. Georgina thinks that the back is a little unfinished. Althea says that she was trying to mix feminine and sexy. Carolyn says that it doesn't make any sense. Diane thinks that it's a mix of Marie Antoinette and Frederick's of Hollywood. Ouch. She does acknowledge that Althea is obviously very skilled. Georgina thinks that the dress would have been more successful had she draped instead. Laura Kathleen says that she loves to mix flowing garments and tight garments. Diane says that she has made a pajama palazzo. Isaac doesn't get what's happening with the underarms, but he likes what she did. Georgina thinks that she made the shoulders a little narrow, but she does like the look.
The judges confer. Carolyn says that fabric choice was key to the success of a lot of the designers this week. Anthony Ryan, Uli and Laura Kathleen get kudos from them. Georgina thinks that anyone would feel good in Laura Kathleen's look. Isaac says that Emilio's fabric didn't look like a new textile. Georgina thinks that Althea tried too hard. Diane thinks it looked like student work. Isaac liked Ivy's thought but the execution was horrible.
The designers return to the runway. Anthony Ryan is safe. Laura Kathleen wins the challenge. Carolyn will wear her look on the red carpet! LK seems really happy. Uli is in. They go backstage and Laura Kathleen says that she didn't want to fall over DVF with compliments. Emilio is safe. Ivy is in. And, Althea is out. That's so sad! We didn't even get to see her.
Jeff Long is a writer/performer in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com and on Twitter at @jblong.