| Season AS2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.15.2012
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.The theme of this week’s challenge is to live up to stuff that readers of USA Today present. My first thought is that it will be will fancy dog breeds and what they do. Apparently, people who read that stupid paper are going to decide what they design. Damn. The people who wake up in stupid lame hotels are designing now. So, people tweeted shit what they have to design. NIGHTMARE. The winning designer will be featured in the lame paper. Emilio finds some picture from some young girl in Cali. Jesus, they all find pictures from different places. Everybody still hates bad about Laura Kathleen. I don’t understand what the vetting process was for getting these designs in front of the designers, but whatev.
Everybody is feeling really competitive. LK is disgusting. She knows that everyone hates her but she can’t stop sounding like a stupid gross bitch. It seems weird that this is a challenge that is based on the viewers, but did you hear about this? Whatever. Andreae is a total weirdo about his design. It’s weird. Really. Joanna comes in with a chick from USA Today and they look at everyone’s stuff. Laura Kathleen is so freaking offensive about her shit. She says she’s not worried about what the farmers of America are going to wear. Lame. Emilio’s theme is “Sophie’s Choice.” Wrong. Joanna feels that Ivy is showing a lot of strength.
Althea decides to drape her pant. Crazy. Ivy thinks that it’s unflattering. The other tacky people are having problems as well. Everybody’s cool about trying to honor the viewers, but it’s wrong. Scott Patric is there! Casanova was finishing his stuff in the last minute, but it happened! Andrae seems too stupid to get anything.
Fashion blogger Gevinson Charlotte Ronson are the guest judges. LK’s dress is stupid. A lot of the looks are great. Uli is worried that her dress is not a bright color. Emilio’s look is fairly avant garde. Afterwards, Carolyn calls, LK, Anthony Ryan, Andrae, Joshua, Emilio and Althea.
Isaac hates Althea's pants. Carolyn finds it drab. Anthony Ryan gets the love of Isaac and Georgina, though Georgina wishes he would work with more exciting colors. Poor Andrae tries to explain his thing but it falls apart and is really embarrassing. LK gets big props for her print, which is unfortunate. Georgina is really into Emilio’s look.
Anthony Ryan made the most gorgeous look. Laura Kathleen made a really pretty look as well. They’re tired of talking through Andrae’s look in him. They all hate Josh’s look.
Anthony Ryan is the winner of the challenge! Which means he’s in USA Today! And Laura Kathleen is not! Andrae and Joshua are the ones with the lowest score. Andrae is out. Boo. He gets a group hug before he leaves.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously: The designers were asked to create wearable art. Aerosol art. Kayne of Many Colors has it out for Laura Kathleen and says that she is on everyone's last gay nerve. Rayon was removed from our lives. For now. I don't feel safe about it yet. Emilio won his first challenge!
This prize from Laura Mercier where they're traveling all over to the different Fashion Weeks? I'd want a little more information about it. Like, are they going to have to work while they're there? Sweeping and shit? Or, are they actual guests? It sounds a little nebulous right now. On the runway, Carolyn comes out looking smashing. Andrae even makes a little face to acknowledge just how pretty this woman is. She says that they're gearing up for the first ever interactive challenge. The fans will be deciding what they do. Huh? I'm sorry. Did anybody hear about this? Did you vote? I'm feeling a little left out right now. She tells them that Joanna is waiting for them in the workroom to tell them about the challenge. Then, someone whistles at her as she leaves the runway.
The designers gather in the runway and are greeted by Joanna and Sandra Micek, who is the Senior VP of Marketing at USA Today. Ugh. So, during Season 6, which I am still thankful for missing, I was on a theatre tour in the Midwest. Love the Midwest now. Hate their hotels. Every morning, a copy of USA Today would be waiting for me and it was so completely worthless. I would know more about the world if I just read Bill Cosby's Picture Pages. Sandra vomits this spiel about how USA Today pioneered visual storytelling. Meaning, you're wasting your time if you try reading the articles. Stick with the pie chart. Joanna repeats the chestnut "Every picture tells a story" and says that's the theme of this week's challenge. The show apparently went to the fans and asked them to tweet inspiring pictures. They will choose a photo and base a runway look on it. Sandra thinks that they should consider the headline that they would want their look to convey. That's an interesting way to look at it.
Because he won the last challenge, Emilio gets to choose his photo first and he gets to choose a designer to join him as he's choosing. He chooses Casanova. Emilio interviews that Casanova doesn't have any ulterior motives and likes everyone there. Sandra has one thing to add. The winner of the challenge will be featured in the paper with a photo and an editorial piece. Laura Kathleen and Kayne of Many Colors are both hoping that they win. Unique point-of-view there.
| Season AS2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.15.2012
Emilio sees a picture of a young girl and thinks that it has a lot of innocence. Casanova chooses a shot that is fashion-related and is a mix of feminine and masculine. They choose Althea and Ivy to go . Althea chose a photo of a train station. It reminded her of the time her husband invited her to get married to him. Ivy chose a photo of a butterfly because she feels that butterflies represent evolution and change. All of her references are late '90s- Girl Power (Spice Girls) and Butterflies (Mariah Carey). It's either amazing or hugely embarrassing. Kayne of Many Colors and Uli are chosen . Laura Kathleen gives a tiny eye roll, because she is tired of being chosen last. I guess she should have a little more consideration for everyone's gay nerves then. Kayne chooses a picture of a bunch of gaudy vintage jewelry, obvi. Uli chooses a photo of clouds taken from an airplane. It's makes her feel peaceful. I remember liking Uli, but I feel there's this really sort of poignant sweetness about her now and I really think that's nice. Especially, seeing as how she's a frontrunner. It's nice to have a lovely person that you want to see win.
Anthony Ryan and Joshua are chosen . Laura Kathleen is grumpy about it. She interviews that no one likes her, OR everyone thinks that she has too much and doesn't want to give her anymore. Ooh, the last one. Go with the last one, smart girl. Kayne says that Laura Kathleen has insulted everyone in the room. Then, we see a clip of her talking to Ivy last week and asking her why she was being mean. OK, here's the thing, Laura Kathleen sounds like she has been a real princess jerk from the way other people have been describing her behavior, but in that moment? She was sitting at a table with Kayne of Many Colors and Laura Kathleen and she started laughing to herself right after LK sat down. It was rude. Ivy was impolite to her. She should have made up something that she was laughing about or not laughed in the first place. It's more than easy to deduce that the person is laughing at you, if you were LK, and that's not a fun feeling. That said, did she really just say that the people there expect her to talk like they came from the same place and it's not going to happen? That's what she said, but did she really just say that? I'm going to have to believe that we maybe didn't hear some surrounding context, because otherwise that shit's crazy. The same place? First of all, money is not a place. And, it's an old litmus test that I've always found pretty reliable, those who have money don't talk about it. I find that Laura Kathleen can hardly stop talking about it?
| Season AS2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.15.2012
Andrae and Laura Kathleen choose last. Andrae chooses a photo submitted by Debra from Alabama (Woo Hoo! Dixie!). The photo is of a girl looking forlorn, which is how he feels because he was chosen last. But, everyone has chosen and now they will sketch for a short while. Anthony Ryan shows us his photo which was taken from inside a building with the lights off at a twilight hour. So, there is much graphic about it from the shadows that we see. He feels like it represents paths crossing. Laura Kathleen chooses a picture of water that has been disturbed by a rock or something. She thinks that the movement of the water is beautiful. She's going to make something fluid, because it's water. Althea is making her first pair of pants. She wants to make an impression because she hasn't even talked to the judges yet. She's the only one who hasn't talked to them yet, isn't she? Emilio says that he's making a dress that is young and fresh and all-American. What's important about for him is that he's going to be able to show his softer side after mostly bold stuff.
Everybody gets to Mood and does the traditional scramble. Andrae, who really does seem a little bit deflated now, tells us that he's going to create a set of modular knits. He wants to make something that resembles the "tinker toys of fashion." That's what I'd been calling the actual designers of Proenza Schouler all this time, but I guess it still applies.
Joshua's photo is of a gas/electrical meter on the outside of some building. It's a blue color with orange rust. Joshua wonders why someone would take the picture in the first place and feels that it's because of the unique colors, so he decides to stick as closely to the colors in the photo as possible.
Back at the workroom, Uli says that the pressure is really high for this challenge because they only have one day to complete it. Everyone claims their sewing machines to begin, which seems like a really smart idea. Laura Kathleen says that everyone is already competing like this is the final three. Althea says that she sees herself as a separates designer. She has only made dresses so far, so I guess she's saying that this particular challenge is not challenging so much because she's doing separates, but because she's really pushing herself. I guess she's going to make something unusual.
Laura Kathleen is making a silk charmeuse gown and she's creating her own print to resemble water. Joshua passes her and says, "I need a drink." Laura Kathleen says that she's dealing with everyone hating her because of the "whole privileged thing." Is that really it, Laura Kathleen? They hate you for being privileged? Or, just spitballing here, they hate you for never shutting up about what you have imagined your privileges to be? It's gross. Stop it. Josh tries to tell her gently that he's been hearing what people say. He also interviews that LK can come off a little harsh if she isn't thinking about it. She thinks that she's unable to talk about her home life because people can't handle that she's so fabulously wealthy. This shit doesn't happen to people that don't ask for it. Josh just tells her to not let other people's opinions affect her.
| Season AS2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.15.2012
Everybody's working and working. Ivy thinks that it will be difficult for the judges to critique the work for this challenge, because the guidelines are arbitrary. Josh starts on the top of his dress, because the "linear lines" will be time consuming. I'm sure that means something, what he just said. Besides saying the line-y lines. Anyway, something's going to take a long time.
Anthony Ryan says that he's feeling a lot of stress and panic, but he's able to push it out. Andrae says that he imagines that he is a probably an outsider in this group of designers. You don't say? Andrae is being a weirdo. I honestly don't know how to describe what we just saw. He had a tiny glamorous moment with himself? I think that's what happened. He displayed a tiny fabulous flourish to himself, then he sank below his work table where he'd set up a different level of stuff. This, he says aloud, is where he works on his "precious things," accompanied by a voice like that of Gollum from Lord of the Rings. Uli interviews that she thinks of Andrae as Gollum. I'm not sure which came first, his impression or people being reminded of Gollum. Emilio says that he's a very nice guy, but he doesn't seem him as a designer. He sees him as a personality. Andrae makes some sort of joke about Al Jolsen and Emilio just sort of nods and agrees.
Alison Maxwell, the style editor from USA Today, comes in to help Joanna with consultations. They start with Andrae, who describes his design as a sort of choose your own adventure-style outfit. Joanna says that she can't decide if his design is brilliant or bonkers. Andrae believes that it is the latter, but brilliantly so. Laura Kathleen, looking on, interviews that they're used to seeing weird stuff coming from Andrae. I don't know. Yeah, he's certifiable, but I find it pretty authentic. They talk to Laura Kathleen and she says that her picture relayed vulnerability and emotion. Joanna senses that LK herself is feeling a little emotional and she says that tensions are running higher as the competition continues. Laura Kathleen is making a long gown and Joanna asks her when is the occasion when a lady will wear a long gown. "I wear long gowns everywhere I go." Oh my. So, I'm never going to forget that she said that. Perhaps it's true. Perhaps it's not Laura Kathleen just pushing this misguided brand of her as freaking Eloise or whatever the hell she thinks she is. Even if it's not those things (and I'm sure some perfectly nice people wear gowns all of the time- Fabio, from last season, leaps to mind...often), it sounds so gross coming out of her mouth right now. Joanna says that she's not at all surprised to hear that from her and she turns to Alison and asks her when was the last time that she wore a long gown. It has been a long time and she suggests that Laura Kathleen keep, you know, potential customers in mind. Laura Kathleen interviews that she's not trying to make clothes for "the farmers of America." She's trying to make clothes that are fashion forward and progressive, which obviously some dumb farmer wouldn't be able to appreciate. She's a monster.
| Season AS2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.15.2012
Joanna congratulates Emilio on his win in the last challenge. He says that he liked the attitude in his photo of a little girl named Sophie. He's going to make a shirt dress. Joanna asks him what his headline would be and he says "Sophie's Choice." Heh. Joanna nixes that and says that he needs to remember what Sophie's Choice was really about. OK, I kind of can't stop laughing right now. Maybe the headline could be "Deer Hunter" instead? Or "Cry In The Dark"? Yeah, I like that one. He's just kind of like, "Dude, I'm just playing with the name," but damn that's funny. Josh tells them that he's trying to stay true to the colors in his photo and Joanna warns him against letting it look to arts and crafts. Laura Kathleen generously says that she knows that Josh is better than the work that he is doing right now. Alison tells Uli that the crack folks at USA Today believe that you should be able to feel a design when you look at it. Seeing Uli's design and her photo inspiration, Alison feels that she is on the right track. Joanna warns Kayne of Many Colors that his mix of black lace and red could come off as, and this is I believe a clinical term that she is using, hooker-y. I do all of my Christmas shopping at Hooker-y Farms, so I don't know why the hell she's acting like that's such a bad thing. The British ruin everything.
Joanna likes the pants that Casanova has made, but the hat that he has hanging at the top of the dress form is driving her crazy. He says that he is going to add some masculine elements to his look. Ivy tells Joanna that you don't realize that a caterpillar can turn into something as beautiful as a butterfly. Meh. You know, some caterpillars turn into moths. Moths eat your clothes. Think about that, Ivy. Anyway, she's really pushing the 90's right now, I feel. She should have a giant Big Gulp in her hands at all times. She says that humans evolve. Joanna says that Ivy has found a new character, I mean, "energy" in this season and it's obvious that she's feeling strong. Anthony Ryan tells Alison that his headline for his industrial-looking photo is "Always Moving Forward" and he relates it to his battle with cancer. He interviews that designing is what got him through his struggle. That seems a stretch to connect to that photo, but whatever you gotta do. Joanna tells Althea, that, why she's glad that she's stretching herself with a suit, she is not sure that the design is as special as the photo that inspired it. Alison's parting words of advice are for the designers to make sure that the emotion of their photos are in the final design.
| Season AS2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.15.2012
With three hours remaining in the workday, Althea decides to do a little drape in her pant, because she's here to take risks, dammit. The models come in for their fittings. Everyone has plenty to say about each others' work. Ivy thinks that Althea's look is really unflattering. Laura Kathleen says with glee that there's nothing that can happen to change Kayne of Many Colors' aesthetic, which she finds really boring. Now, I'd call him many things, but boring? Nah. Hooker-y? Yes. But nothing's boring about being a hooker. Or, so I hear. Josh thinks that he bit off more than he could chew. Everybody scrambles to finish by closing time.
That evening, the girls talk at the hotel. Laura Kathleen says to Uli and Althea that she is not in the mood for any drama. Whatevs. The morning, everyone gets back to work. Anthony Ryan says that Andrae is crazy and is always thinking 10 steps ahead. He thinks it's a miracle that he ever finishes anything. We just see a shot of Andrae smiling wildly as he gets to work.
The models return to get ready for the big show. Laura Kathleen thinks that Althea needs to push herself more. Good to know. Scott Patric is there to do some make-up. I haven't learned anymore about him since my original phase of cyber stalking. Oh well. Anthony Ryan says that Casanova is really a fast worker. Uli thinks that Emilio's look is very bold. Anthony Ryan feels that his design is very personal. Casanova interviews that Kayne of Many Colors has created a French prostitute with a "chicken in the head." The hat that Kayne of Many Colors has chosen is apparently the chicken part. A girl's gotta eat. Andrae is still thinking about Debra from Alabama (Whoop!) and her sad face in the photo. He wonders if maybe she is a creative soul like him trying to get his work out into the world. Ivy thinks that Josh's look looks like Rainbow Brite. Nice one.
On the runway, Carolyn greets the designer wearing what appears to be the pedals of a go-cart. She introduces Georgina, Isaac and guest judges fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson and designer Charlotte Ronson. Kayne of Many Colors' look is first and it's just a boring red dress. Laura Kathleen's long gown is, well, gorgeous. It looks like she dyed the silk charmeuse to resemble the movement of water as well as the reflection of light. The long flowing quality also has some aquatic elements. There's a flap in the front that hints at the idea of skin, but there's actually cover everywhere on the bodice, though it is sleeveless. Andrae's look is . It's a green knit dress with lots of strips of different-colored fabrics around the neck. I love the palette, but the strips hanging around the neck are odd. Andrae is really happy with it. He's convinced that this is good. The back of the bodice is orange, so maybe that's a mistake. And, the shoes are pink. Andrae finds all of this whimsical, which I guess is a valid take on the whole endeavor.
| Season AS2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.15.2012
Casanova's pant suit is upon us now. It's cute, though there is some spiraling print on the pants that I'm not especially fond of. In fact, this is nicely tailored but doesn't feel especially original or full of feeling as the cats at USA Today mandated. Also, his girl is wearing the damn hat that Joanna hated so much. Why, Casanova? Don't you listen to your mentors? I thought that maybe Joanna was being a little knee-jerk about her earlier reaction but I really do think that it cheapens the whole look. Also, other than the brown leather belt that has a little thickness to it, there's nothing really masculine about this look. That is, unless you consider the video for "Smooth Criminal" like really butch. That's what I thought.
Althea's pant suit is and I have to say, it does look inspired by the photo of the train station that she chose. It's taupe with a blue top underneath, mimicking light and shadows. She's really proud of it and feels that it could be loved by a lot of people. Josh also thinks that he could make clothing that people would love, but hopefully he's not including this. I don't know what to say, except that it doesn't look anything like that poor power meter. It's this color-blocked orange themed Navajo print of a vest. And, a blue satin skirt. He is well aware that he won't be winning any awards with this look and hopes that he can at least get past without being eliminated. Uli's look inspired by the photo in the clouds is . It's a long gown, though Uli didn't have to describe the kind of person who wears long gowns. You know, as a whole, Joanna is much more transparent about the ways that she pushes the different themes of the show than Tim is. She's obviously pushing the Laura Kathleen as Nellie Olsen story, though Laura Kathleen is living up to the comparison beautifully. Also, she is single-handedly running the Ivy Redemption Arc. It has to be on purpose and Mssr. Gunn never seems this deliberate. Uli's dress is gorgeous, though she is worried that it is not bold enough.
Ivy's look is and she kind of just made a cropped short-sleeved version of the jacket from last week over a flowing skirt. It's cute, but I don't see no butterfly happening up there. I'm worried that Ivy is making her story too big. Laura Kathleen, no shit, YAWNS while Ivy's look is on the runway. The cameras see it and so does Ivy. Anthony Ryan's look is and it's white and blue and cancer. It's cute though and resembles the different shapes created by negative space in a building. Emilio's look follows and it's an enormous version of the little girl dress from his picture. It's yellow and gray and is a huge shirt with a flouncy skirt. Really freaking interesting.
| Season AS2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.15.2012
Laura Kathleen explains that she made her print and Isaac says that it's great as a dress and as inspiration. Tevi likes that the dress references the photo without being literal. They're all wowed by the fact that she made the print herself. Carolyn wants to wear it! Isaac thinks that Emilio's look was fresh and light as a feather. Charlotte thinks it's tricky but fun. Georgina loves his girl.
The judges confer. Backstage, Althea explains what happened in the judging. Her take is that the judges want color and you have to have a very good reason if you're not going to use it. Back onstage, the judges really liked Anthony Ryan. This Tevi child is adorable. They think Laura Kathleen was smart to play up her print. Emilio gets kudos for being bold. Carolyn thinks she would not look good in the dress.
They are all experiencing Andrae fatigue. They hated the styling and Isaac thought it was like Foot Locker. Carolyn thought that Althea's pants looks like a kangaroo. Georgina thought that Joshua's look didn't even represent his photo. Carolyn said it looked like a military geisha. My new band name.
The designers return to the stage. Emilio is safe. Anthony Ryan is the winner of the challenge! It's his second! Wow. He interviews that he's really excited about the editorial in the paper. Laura Kathleen is in. Althea is safe. So, it's down to Andrae and Joshua. Joshua...is in. Andrae is out. Carolyn tells him that they've loved having him there. He says that this show is something he's proud of. He goes backstage and asks for a group hug. He interviews that he was excited to be around a group of people who were so driven. "I shall be OK." The Red Lobster is getting their first son back.
We see Anthony Ryan and his model posing for photos for the editorial. He looks really cute in a blue shirt that matches that on his dress. We see him give an interview where he brings up the cancer again and I still don't see how it pertains to the photo that he chose, but the interviewer sees it. Good for him!
Jeff Long is a writer/performer in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @jblong.