Something weird happened to me. I'll talk about it in a minute. First, before the designers leave for home, Heidi tells them that they have another challenge. They have to design a wedding dress that reflects their aesthetic as well as their lines. Kenley leaves without saying goodbye to the other designers.
So, Tim visits everyone's homes and sees what they've been working on. Korto works in this lovely arts village in Arkansas. Tim thinks that her work is sophisticated, but he feels that some of the work looks like vagina. Also, he doesn't think that her wedding dress looks like it belongs in a wedding. She drums for him, which is pretty amazing. In Portland, he visits Leanne and meets her adorable boyfriend, Nathan. He loves the theme for her collection. He wasn't wild about her wedding dress -- he thought there was no "flow." At Jerell's, he meets friends and family, as well as Jerell's "love interest." Seriously, Jerell called him that. Tim thought that, per usual, Jerell's wedding dress was too messy. At Kenley's, in Brooklyn, he was pretty wild about her collection. She confessed, via interview, to being interested in the man's opinion. He did suggest that she think about one dress that had a rope element that seriously looked like a noose. Of course, she lived on a tugboat, and that's just the way they do things on tugboats.
Back in New York, there was tension between Kenley and the rest of the designers -- she weakly apologized for her behavior on the show. But, here's the thing. She so passionately responded to Tim's approval of her collection and clearly wants this so badly…it kinda made me want her to win. Really though. She WANTS this. In a way that I found sort of chilling and admirable. In New York, they have a new challenge -- to create a bridesmaid's dress to go with the wedding dress. On the runway, Jerell's is messy, Korto's is boring, and Leanne's and Kenley's are pretty awesome. And, Jerell goes home. He's a great sport about it -- except for saying that Michael Kors designs boring stuff. [My purple corduroy blazer says otherwise! - Zach]
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Previously: The remaining four designers were required to design evening looks inspired by nature (flowers, to be specific). The gloves came off in regards to everyone's feelings about Kenley. On the runway, Leanne, Korto, and Jerell all said that Kenley should be sent home. Also, the judges told her that her smugness and defensiveness made them want to send her home. Tears everywhere. Jerell's design was declared the winner. All of the designers were sent home and told to create a collection. Upon their return, one of them will be eliminated.
The designers are still at the runway. Heidi enters carrying the velvet button bag. She congratulates them for making it this far. They will all have eight thousand dollars to create their collections, which will consist of 10 looks. They'll have two months to put it together. She reminds them that only three of them will compete for the prize. She says that the evening gowns created in the last challenge were a "misstep" for the designers. Thanks, Heidi. But, they still think that the designers will be able to do something great. And, they're all being sent home with one more challenge. They can't stop it with the challenges, can they? They have to create, for their collection, a wedding dress that represents them as designers. It also needs to be a cohesive part of their line. I guess that's not so bad. A lot of shows end with a wedding dress. Or, at the very least, it's a conceit that's not totally bizarre. Korto interviews that she's a little annoyed because she thought they were free, but she's still going to bring it and work it, respectively.
Heidi says that they will be keeping their models from the last challenge. Now, she brings out "a familiar face." It's just Tim. He says, "It's just me." He tells them that he will be checking in with them at their homes in the month. Geez, I hope they get some warning. Can you imagine? A knock on your door and you are in your underwear making a dress. He tells them to "Do it!" And Heidi requests that they amaze them. Sounds simple.
We're in the lobby of the Atlas Building and Kenley is wheeling her stuff out. She interviews that she was "completely sabotaged" in the last challenge by the other designers. You could say that. Or, you could say that you reaped the results of your behavior towards everyone up to this point. I have a feeling that more people are going to agree with my interpretation. She walks past Jerell and out the door without saying anything. Korto and Leanne are right behind Kenley and they stop and hug Jerell. He makes a joke about there previously being one other person with them. Korto interviews that it was typical Kenley -- "rude as hell." She says that she's glad that the judges called her out on her attitude, but she doesn't think their remarks will change her. She's probably right.
Jerell tells Leanne and Korto that they'd better bring the fire, because he's going to bring the pain. I'm not sure if that's some sort of cheerleading rhyme or perhaps the text from an old IcyHot ad, but I like it. It's total bullshit, just like most of what comes out of Jerell's mouth, but I've grown a little accustomed to the whole front. He interviews that he's not sure what the other designers will be doing with their money, but he will be constructing pure magic.
As she's hailing a cab, we see a Leanne interview where she says that this is the opportunity of a lifetime. There is no way she's going to procrastinate on her collection. Shh. To name it is to claim it.
The screen tells us it's four weeks later. Leanne is still sitting in her cab. Kidding. We're in Little Rock, Arkansas. Tim is checking in on Korto. She answers the door and they embrace. She explains that her studio is called Park on the River and it's run by the city of Maumelle. She rents workspace there. Korto interviews that, as much as she loves her family, she needed a place where she could get away and focus on her work. It's really beautiful there. Tim seems to dig it, too. As they move to another room, Korto tells Tim that she has been very nervous about his visit. He reminds her that he's a friend, not a foe. She tells him that the focus of her collection is culture and color. She wanted the looks to be "ethnic, without being too ethnic." She has incorporated her own beadwork and Tim says that it's gorgeous. He says it's very sophisticated.
Korto interviews that her looks are a reflection of her workspace. For instance, she created a green dress based on some beautiful green grass that she saw. She used snakeskin because there are snakes everywhere in Arkansas. That would be one of my least favorite things about the South, FYI. There's one dress that is green and has an undulating panel of snakeskin starting at the point of the bust all the way to the hem. Tim remarks that it has a sexual vibe to it. It's true, the snakeskin totally looks like some sort of makeshift vagina. Korto giggles and says, "I hear ya." Tim continues, "I don't want a snatch shot." Wow, that's pretty bold for basic cable, yes? I believe that Tim could say just about anything and get away with it though. AND, my TV is on pause right now and I'm looking at his suit -- is that Neil Barrett? The double pockets are a signature of his. I LOVE NEIL BARRETT. If that's him, that's awesome. There was a layout in GQ with Dominic Cooper at the end of the summer with one of his suits in gray flannel, and I'm obsessed. Of course, with the economy the way it is, buying it seems about as rational as a hurricane party. On the other hand, I love hurricane parties. We'll see.
She shows him her wedding dress. She points out that it's not traditional, but it is the color that she wore at her own wedding (gold). Snakeskin is incorporated and she says that she really loves the texture that it provides. He asks her if she's using a veil or a train and she says that she isn't. His point is that she needs something that distinguishes the dress as wedding and not red carpet. She giggles that she has a lot of work to do, but he tells her that, wedding-signifying additions notwithstanding, it's sensational. He hugs her and says that he's very proud of her. She says that she's been having nightmares about his visit. I'm so in love with Korto right now. I love her attitude, the workspace -- I love it all. With the possible exception of... her clothes. There's something just a little tone deaf about the taste in a lot of the glimpses we just saw. But, she's smart, so hopefully she'll be able to bring everything around.
Korto brings him to meet her friends and family where, Korto says, they will give him a little taste of Arkansas and Africa. They arrive at her cute little ranch-style home. I don't understand why people don't have trees in their yard. Doesn't everyone love trees? Get a tree, Korto. Her husband, Benny, greets them at the door. Their sick-cute little girl, Elise, is right behind him. Tim compliments her on her skirt. She's that age where kids are super-curious about visitors, but really shy, too. Korto interviews that she's been married for nine years and Elise is four. Tim tells Elise that she looks like a princess and Korto says for her, "I act like one, too."
Korto's family and friends are in the living room and Tim meets all of them, including her friend named Starr. Tim replies, "There's only one star in this household," and grabs Korto. We meet Ince, Korto's drumming partner. That is so awesome. I want a drumming partner! Korto kicks off her shoes and performs a little number with Ince. Meanwhile, Korto repeats her back story. She was born in Liberia. She says that it's very important for her to stay close to her roots, because she doesn't want to forget who she is. Her strength comes from her parents. Her father worked for the government in Liberia, so they had to leave when the revolution began, for fear of execution. She tells us that something dies in you when you leave under those circumstances. They were penniless and had to go on welfare and start from scratch in America. I swear I'm not trying to get political, but when I hear stories like this, I think -- what would have happened to these people had America not been a place where immigrants were welcomed? We see a snapshot of Korto and her siblings and father eating ice cream beside a car -- it's very sweet. She says that she has seen where her family came from, so knowing that they had what they had, lost it, then regained it -- she knows that you can accomplish what you want with hard work and persistence. She wants to show Elise that she can be anything she wants to be. She emotionally explains that her family knows how hard she has worked and how long she has dreamt of the goals that she is achieving right now. They're so proud of her, she doesn't even need to win the prize. That's really touching. Korto finishes drumming to applause from everyone. As he's leaving, Tim gives kisses to Korto and to Elise.
It's on to Portland, Oregon, where Tim will be visiting Leanne. Tim's wearing a blue suit with a red gingham oxford that I'm also loving. Leanne greets Tim at her front door and they hug. Then, she introduces him to her really adorable nerd-cute boyfriend, Nathan. Leanne says that she's very excited to see Tim and she "LOVES" her collection. But, she's nervous about whether or not Tim will like it. Tim asks her about her inspiration and she explains that, in order to clear her head post-show, she spent a few days sketching by Portland's waterfront. Wave patterns intrigued her. Now, I think Leanne is very talented, but wasn't she already doing a lot of waves? Did she really need to spend time on the waterfront figuring that out? She's still a contender. Sorry, I had to do that. She shows Tim a skirt with wave-like panels and Tim wants to know what she's pairing it with. It's a simple top, and he likes it. She qualifies that none of her stuff is finished and he understands. He does suggest that perhaps she lightly tea-dye the top that she showed him because, while he liked the shape, he wasn't crazy about the white color. She interviews that she will probably dye those pieces that are white, in order to make it more cohesive.
Tim asks Leanne how her wedding dress is coming along. She says that she doesn't want it to be too costume-y. Tim looks at what she has done so far and tells her that it doesn't have the ease and flow of the rest of her pieces. Since it is supposed to reflect the rest of her collection, he thinks that is a problem. She interviews that there is a lot riding on this wedding dress. She has to go to Fashion Week, so she's going to be making some changes.
She asks Tim if he would like to go for a bike ride and he says that he has to check his medical insurance policy. Laughs. Oh my God. A helmeted Tim joins a bareheaded Leanne on a two-seater bike. This is the cutest thing that's happened since Olivia had that hangnail on The Cosby Show. Tim seems kind of nervous. She takes him to Laurelhurst Park, which she describes as this "forest-y retreat in the middle of the city." Sitting on a bucolic hillside, Tim asks Leanne when she decided she wanted to be a fashion designer. She was 12 and a ballet dancer and she started designing her own costumes. We see a shot of a young Leanne in a very full white gown -- unless she was playing Clara in The Nutcracker, I can't imagine that this was one of her dance costumes. There's a really cute shot of her when she was just a wee Leanne and she says that she was always drawing when she was little. It eventually occurred to her that she could have a career as a fashion designer. We see a photo of her graduation from FIDM. She says that she is so proud that she's actually a designer now. Tim thanks her for letting him experience her parts of Portland and she says that she's glad that he got to visit.
, we're in Los Angeles. Tim is visiting Jerell Scott. The two meet and hug outside of Jerell's studio. Jerell interviews that he is excited to have Tim there. He's excited for Tim's input regarding his collection -- in fact, he's hoping that Tim can be the second wind that he needs to finish his stuff. That doesn't sound promising, considering Jerell has already been slammed multiple times for his finishing. He tells Tim that his overall theme is evening. Also, he's working with multiple textures, as that's something that he feels that he is good at.
He shows Tim his wedding dress. He says that he thought it would be cool to do an "asymmetrical swooping thing." Tim asks for permission to be blunt. Jerell grants it. He feels like the bust is too loose. It looks like it "popped out." It looks like he's going for that romantic and fucked-up Vivienne Westwood stuff. Her stuff is pretty meticulously constructed, though. Jerell interviews that Tim didn't think his dress needed to be so "asymmetrical" at the top. Not what he said. He said it looked like it popped out. It looks unfinished. You could finish it asymmetrically. When people start hearing things incorrectly, you know you've got a problem. He says that the dress still has to be "him." Oh no, Jerell.
Jerell shows Tim some other pieces from his collection. One in particular, with like chainmail and a snakeskin bustier, Tim finds to be "a lot of look." He suggests to Jerell that perhaps he should consider editing himself. Jerell says that he still has six looks to create (three weeks before Fashion Week!!). This doesn't look great for him. Tim suggests to him that he needs to make his collection believable. It's an awkward moment. Tim breaks the silence with, "Can I still meet your family and friends?" He can.
At Jerell's apartment, an assortment of family and friends are waiting. Tim meets Jerell's sister, Valerie, and tells her that she's stunning. She is really pretty. Jerell introduces his "love interest" Dan. He just referred to his boyfriend as his "love interest." Perhaps (and most likely) he was just attempting a little clever turn of a phrase, but to me it just emphasizes how everything Jerell says is an attempt to be camera-ready. Like, he sent out casting breakdowns for the people he needed at his apartment to meet Tim. Tim asks Jerell's mother, who is lovely in purple, if she knew when Jerell was little that he would be a designer. She says that she knew it would be something creative. I can imagine that most moms aren't guessing that their sons will be fashion designers. Jerell tells a story about his four-year-old self making a dress with a train out of a tube sock.
Jerell interviews that he grew up in South Central LA and that it was "interesting." They lived 2 blocks from where the riots started and the liquor store to their house was burnt down. Yikes. He says that his folks did everything they could to give him and his sister a better opportunity. Jerell tells Tim that his father couldn't be there to meet him because he had to work. Jerell goes further in his interview and says that he didn't see his father much growing up because he was a truck driver and was always on the road. He was working hard for them. There's the cutest photo of an afro-wearing pops holding Jerell. His dad was kind of a hottie. Jerell becomes emotional describing the sacrifices that his father made for him and his sister. He tells Tim that he thanks his parents for giving him the freedom to be creative and take chances. His mother seems really pleased to hear him say that. She says that she is very proud of him for striving for his dreams. We see him doing a little dance for Tim as he leads him out the door.
In Brooklyn, Tim checks in on Kenley. Of course she lives in Brooklyn. From the exterior of her building, it looks like she lives in Williamsburg or Greenpoint, which is even more perfect. You know she wears one of her little head feather concoctions to even pick up her morning egg sandwich. Tim enthusiastically greets her when she opens the door of her apartment. She interviews that she was really happy to see Tim and it almost sounds like she was surprised to be happy to see him. She interviews that she hopes that he loves her line. Tim looks around her place, which is small but well appointed, and tells her that it is a classic New York apartment and he loves it. She replies, "I know." She says that she values Tim's opinion, even though it "seems" like she doesn't. If by "seems," she means that she said she didn't value his opinion, then, yes, I guess it "seems" that way. We see a photo of Kenley's grandmother when she was young, sitting on the ground with a floral print dress spread on the ground around her. Kenley explains that she was a calendar girl. She says that her grandmother was involved in fashion in the '40s, had great style, and was a huge influence on Kenley. We see shots of Kenley throughout her childhood with her grandmother. It's very sweet. Kenley cries and tells us that she passed away a couple of months ago, so it has been hard. That's really sad. I'm sure she'd have wanted her to be at Bryant Park to see her show. Kenley says she'd be really proud if she could see what she was doing.
Kenley explains that she was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and she painted her fabrics. We see a silk dress that she painted that Tim declares "fab." She also shows him a dress that has a rope around the neck. Tim says that he's reminded of someone hanging themselves. She says that had never occurred to her. She interviews that she is influenced by all of the ropes that are on tugboats (where her father worked).
She shows him a dress of feathers and tulle that Tim says is spectacular. It's certainly beautiful, but I'm more inclined to describe it as Look #34 in Alexander McQueen's current collection. Seriously. I know it's not incredibly original of either of them, but it is practically the same dress. Tim tells Kenley that he's very impressed, and she hugs him and tells him that she's going to cry. She starts getting a little emotional and says, "That's what I wanted to hear." She says that putting her collection together has been really hard. She says that she's not thinking of winning, she's thinking of putting together a collection that is her dream. Okay, I... sort of feel for her right now. I'm starting to understand her a little bit. To me, she's someone who doesn't feel the luxury to have a learning process. No one wants to feel that way. She clearly hasn't felt supported in environments like that, so she's not open to it. In order to make it through, she has to say that any criticism of her work is just wrong and stupid, because I'm not sure that she can really let herself feel vulnerable enough to incorporate someone's criticism into her process. She'd probably just sort of fall apart. That sucks for her more than it does anyone else. So, a moment like now, when she has gotten approval, is the only time she can really let herself feel a little. I feel kind of awful for her right now. As we see her saying farewell to Tim, she interviews that she thinks she has a "huge chance of winning." That's our girl.
We see a plane arriving in New York. Did Tim fly from Brooklyn? Oh, it's the other designers. They're coming back. Korto arrives at the Westin, the ugliest building in North America. She says that she loves her collection. It's six days before the Bryant Park show, and she says that she still has a lot of work to do. She's alone in the suite reserved for the designers. She interviews that she hopes she doesn't have to room with Kenley, because of how they all left each other. Leanne arrives and she and Korto embrace. They're happy to see each other. She interviews that she's rooming with Korto to avoid drama. Later, Jerell arrives. He hugs the girls and interviews that he still hopes that they accompany him to Bryant Park. They break it to him that he's rooming with Kenley. He takes it well. Kenley arrives and says hello, but only Jerell replies. As she wheels her suitcase to her room, she lamely says that she is sorry for having been a bitch. I'm not sure she really means that. But, she's trying to clear the air instead of having tension. Smart move. She interviews that it's not even worth holding a grudge when she's never going to see any of these people again. Didn't I see all four of them on Regis and Kelly last week? Best laid plans.
The doorbell rings, and room service brings in some champagne and a note from Tim. It reads that he will see them all the day. Jerell interviews that Kenley's apology lightened the mood in the room. She pours champagne for everyone.
The day, they excitedly make their way into the workroom and start unpacking their collections. Jerell makes a joke about coming around to critique everyone's work once they're unpacked. Tim enters and asks everyone to gather 'round. He welcomes them to the Bluefly.com studio, where they will be working until the Bryant Park show. He tells them that they are getting one more challenge. Kenley rolls her eyes and shakes her head at the news. She interviews that she is really pissed off. They have to design a bridesmaid dress to accompany their wedding dress. Jesus. I'd be tempted to just pull another look from my collection and be like, "Boom. Bridesmaid dress." Korto is really choked up in her interview and says that she's freaking out.
Tim tells them that the day, they will be presenting their wedding and bridesmaid dresses to the judges. They'll have $150 at Mood for the new look. When you consider that they had $8,000 for the ten looks in their collections, that $150 seems a little paltry, no? At Mood, they start racing around. Korto interviews that she has actually made quite a few bridesmaid dresses. She says they're not that bad -- just evening dresses made to "froufrou up a wedding." That's a really interesting way to look at it. Leanne knows exactly what she's going to do. Frankly, this challenge isn't that huge of a leap conceptually for the show. I can't be positive, but I think maybe I would have expected this. Jerell is looking at a fabric that Tim wonders whether it's too somber or not. Jerell doesn't think so. He interviews that he finds materials he likes and he lets them tell him what they want to be. Newsflash: Fabric is fabric -- and not a fashion designer -- for a reason; because it can't reason.
Back at the workroom, Tim tells them that they will have until midnight to finish their dresses. Jerell asks Leanne if she's going to make a headpiece and she says that she planned on it, but she's not sure if she will have enough time. She interviews that she is going to make a beautiful bridesmaid dress and is using this challenge as an opportunity to use more color.
Korto says that she's calm and will try to stay that way. She says she hasn't snapped on anyone yet. Kenley says that she can snap on her, because she's already gotten it from her. Uh, snap. Korto doesn't seem to know what she's talking about, and Kenley reminds her of when she said that Jerell and Leanne should join her in Bryant Park essentially because they're better people. Kenley is pretty good-natured about the whole thing. Korto interviews that they all know that the old Kenley is still in there, but she's good in her book until she pisses her off.
Jerell asks Korto whether she thinks he should shorten his dress. She says that, since his wedding dress is so voluminous, his bridesmaid dress can be long. He says to her that his dress isn't the prettiest dress, but that's okay because bridesmaid dresses are ugly. Yeah, I think that's the thought process everyone has when planning a wedding. Korto interviews that Jerell thinks that the bridesmaids have to be butt-ugly, but she wanted her bridesmaids to be pretty at her wedding. She wants her bridesmaid dress to be as pretty as the wedding gown. Then she says that it's okay for your bridesmaids to look cute, ladies. Do women really do that? That's effed. You already got a man, what do you care if somebody else gets some?
Later, Tim returns. He checks in on Kenley first. She describes it for him and he says that he senses ambivalence from her. She says she's stressed and doesn't want to be excluded from the top three because of this extra challenge. He tells her that her dress is ambitious, but he likes the spirit of the wedding she's creating. He wants to attend. Perhaps there he might find the winner of "Jumping the Gunn: TWoP's Quest To Find Love For Tim Gunn." Tim sees some puckering in Jerell's dress and tells him that it looks sloppy. There's some weird placement of flowers on the waistband and Tim tells him that it should look like it's growing from the dress -- don't fight with Mother Nature. "Or Nina Garcia," adds Jerell. So witty, that one. Leanne tells Tim that she has a lot of sewing left to do, but he's more interested in her wedding dress. She has changed it since he last saw it. He says that he has been thinking about her old dress and how it was technically masterful, but "it wasn't making music." Now, she's making music. He suggests that she shorten her bridesmaid dress. Korto presents her dress and Tim tells her that it looks like she has two wedding dresses. The colors are very close. He feels like the dresses are competing.
Before he leaves, Tim tells them that it's very important they be able to stand by all of their decisions tomorrow. Then, he says that he cares very deeply about all of them. He doesn't want to see any of them not move forward. Oh my God, he's crying. This is so touching. He says that they've all worked so hard. He tells them that he really believes in all of them. He apologizes for crying, says he loves them, and then leaves. Come on! He is one of the top five nicest people ever.
Korto says that she has too much work to finish and she's about to have a breakdown. Leanne says that she's utterly exhausted, but this is her chance. She's going to do it.
The day, Jerell interviews that it all comes down to the two dresses. The thought of not making it to Bryant Park is horrible. At the workroom, they all look sacked. Korto says, "You been a good girl?" to her bridesmaid dress. Sounds like she went ahead and had that breakdown. She interviews that she's going to finish what she didn't get to do last night. Tim comes in and says that they have an hour for hair and make-up, but no one's listening.
The models enter and it looks like they each have two. Kenley says that she was annoyed when she saw that Korto and Leanne shortened their bridesmaid dresses, because she was originally the only one with a short dress. Leanne says that she's not sure about Korto's wedding dress -- it's too labored over. She, however, loves her own dress. She says that Tia looks like she loves wearing it. Okay, Tia is amazing, right?
Tim leads everyone to the runway. Korto cries in her interview that someone is going home and she loves everyone, even Kenley. She doesn't want to be sent home, but she doesn't want them to be sent home either. It's a sad situation.
On the runway, Heidi greets everyone. She introduces Michael, Nina, and... that's it. The show begins. Here's Jerell's wedding dress. It's a full gown in ivory. The lower half of the skirt is all exposed white tulle. The bust is jeweled and has ivory fabric spilling over the jeweled area. The look kind of like wings. There's a sort of cape/bustle/hump of ivory fabric in the back of the dress that I actually think looks pretty cool. There's a branch, nay, a tree of orchids in Nicole's hair. You know, it's a pretty chic silhouette, but the dress is sort of a mess. It looks kind of draped and unstructured. Mostly unrefined. Jerell thinks that, from the judges' faces, they seemed to like it. His bridesmaid dress is a long strapless blue iridescent number with an ivory sash. The bust is pleated and tapers into the waistband. There are orchids that just sort of protrude from the waistband. I guess the girls won't be carrying bouquets in that wedding. He thinks it's beautiful and is very proud.
Here's Kenley's dress. It's a strapless number of ivory feathers with a cinched waist and flared skirt. The feathers end halfway down the skirt and white tulle completes the look. It's absolutely impeccable and 100% Alexander McQueen. Topacio is also wearing a matching cloche hat with a puffed veil in a peak above her head. Kenley loves it and says she will wear the same dress when she gets married. The bridesmaid dress is a blue, short, pleated, puffed skirt a la Kenley. The top is essentially strapless, but with a see-through blue material creating a boat neck. It's so freaking cute. Kenley says that it fits in well and any girl would want to wear it.
Korto's stuff is up . I could write a book. Seriously, there's like a book of stuff going on here. I don't even know where to begin. It's gold. It's floor length. There are straps of ruffles. It's a fitted bodice and waist and ass, then it flares into a full skirt. It doesn't fit the model well. It seems huge. The bridesmaid dress is of an almost identical color. It's a halter dress with a short a-line skirt. There's a little band of yellow at the waist that's pretty cute. I like this better than her wedding dress. There's horizontal pleating along the halter section. I find it pretty.
Finally, we have Leanne's dress. The only white dress. It's beautiful. It's strapless, with a fitted bodice. There are two layers to the skirt section, both are created with Leanne's signature waves. The top skirt creates almost a bustle effect and it's gorgeous. There are apparently pockets, as Tia seems to have her hands in them. She looks magnificent in the dress too. Leanne says that she's very glad she made the changes to the dress that she did. Her bridesmaid dress is a short blue strapless number. The bodice has several of the waves that are in the skirt of the wedding dress. The skirt is flowing and has a little bit of the Kenley bubble effect. Could someone be borrowing?
With the show over, all of the designers are onstage. The models return. Michael says that Leanne's dress is chic, well-crafted, and he knew it was hers. People keep saying that about her -- that's got to be some of the highest praise that you can get. Nina thinks that her fabric choice is very interesting. It's dreamy and it's her. She also loves the bridesmaid dress. Heidi asks her how these dresses fit into her collection and she explains her wave inspiration. The colors are also reflected her collection. Heidi thinks she did a fantastic job.
Michael says that he likes Jerell's wedding gown from the waist down. He doesn't like the "wings over her boobs." Um, that would be the part Tim warned against. He thinks all of the jewels and the orchids are garish. Heidi thinks it looks messy. She and Michael think the bridesmaid dress looks old. Nina thinks that the gray tulle in the wedding gown looks dirty -- she thinks he didn't put a lot of thought in it. Heidi asks him why he should go to Fashion Week and he just says that he thinks that they'll be pleased. Not a hard sell, Jerell.
Michael tells Kenley that her dress looks "a little Alexander McQueen." Seriously, I'm not just cribbing off of Kors' critique. It looks exactly like a McQueen. She says, "Really?" He goes further and says, "It bothers me a touch, quite honestly." Nina says that it's a dead-ringer for a McQueen that just walked the runway. Kenley persists saying that there is not a silhouette in the world right now like her dress. She may have a tiny bit of a case with that, simply because the McQueen plays a bit with asymmetry and her dress is so neat. Michael says that he wishes the McQueen weren't in his mind, but her dress is executed beautifully. It's romantic, but not syrupy. And, it looks like Kenley, even though it looks like McQueen. True. He says the bridesmaid dress is the "cutest damn dress" he has ever seen. Heidi says she could see Kenley wearing her wedding dress on her actual wedding day and she responds, "I will." Heidi says it's "crazy good." Kenley is stunned and says she loves her.
Heidi tells Korto that she wouldn't want to wear her wedding dress because there are so many elements in it. "It never ends." Korto says that she doesn't think it's unflattering. Michael says that the wedding dress is overworked while the bridesmaid dress is underworked. Nina says that the bridesmaid dress has no relevance to the wedding dress. That's painful. Heidi asks Korto why she should go to Fashion Week and she says that she has a unique point of view, one that isn't always seen in the fashion world. She seems desperate right now. I feel sorry for her.
The judges confer. Michael and Nina remark on how it is difficult to translate Leanne's modern, architectural style into a wedding dress, but she did it. Heidi liked Kenley -- she thinks it would be a fun wedding. Michael says that she's "kooky and meticulous at the same time." Nina thinks that she could possibly have a really fun show. Her final dress is "a dream, a fantasy." Nina thought that Korto wanted to show too many things in her wedding dress. "Overkill," offers Heidi. Then, they found the bridesmaid dress boring. Michael says that you could buy that dress anywhere. Backstage, Korto is mumbling to herself about how it's all a big mess. She definitely went through with the breakdown. Michael thought Jerell's wedding dress was overwrought "like, times 20,000." Heidi says that he wants to show how much he can do and Nina smacks that down. She says that all Jerell does is embellish. Michael thinks that he went "hog wild" with excess. They've made their decision and the designers return.
Kenley and Leanne have the highest scores and are passed through to Fashion Week. They leave the runway and hug backstage. Heidi says that Korto's dresses did not relate to each other. She says that Jerell's looks were garish. Korto is... in. She starts to cry as she walks off. She hugs Jerell and tells him, "You did beautiful work." He's trying to maintain and says, "It's all good." Leanne hugs Korto backstage. Heidi doesn't say "Congrats for making it this far," "Fuck off" or anything. Just an "Auf Wiedersehen" and Jerell's off the runway. They are some cold judges.
He tells the other designers to "Tear it up." He interviews that he thought his dress was beautiful. He's going to make "heavily adorned, opulent bits." He furthers that, if you want a basic white t-shirt, you can get it from Michael Kors. Okay. The mannequins are like, "We don't like the orange one anymore than you, but let's not be ungracious, shall we? When did I become patrician?" Tim seems sad to see Jerell go. He gently tells him to clean up his space.
Jerell says that his goal is to be one of the world's top designers. He wants to be 80 and have retrospectives of his work. He wants to leave a legacy and he says he will still do that. More power to ya', Jerell. Lay off the catchphrases, yes?
See what the peeps in the forums think of the final three.
Jeff Long would like to ride on a two-seated bicycle. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com