Everyone feels like the competition is getting stiff, and it certainly is. This week, the designers are challenged to select from five film genres, invent a character that lives in that genre, and design for them. Irina, (her nemesis) Althea, and Louise will each design pieces for Film Noir. Logan and Carol Hannah both choose Action/Adventure. Ra'Mon and Nicolas go for SciFi. Gordana and Christopher each choose Period Piece; and Epperson and Shirin are stuck, to their horror, designing for a Western.
They are given 30 minutes to sketch, $150 to shop, and only one day to complete the challenge. Though they are working individually, Logan and Carol Hannah chat about their designs. Love is in the air. Or, well, Carol Hannah thinks he's "really hawt!" Ra'Mon is adorably excited about his SciFi opportunity, being a lifelong Trekkie.
The vibe in the workroom is getting more competitive. Louise casually accuses everyone of stealing her bobbins. She's more worried about that than she is about the story she needs for her character. Tim Gunn comes in, encouraging some and striking fear in others. He encourages everyone to be as ambitious as they can be.
The models arrive for fittings and makeup consultations and Ra'Mon starts doubting his reptilian jumpsuit. Yeah, with a description like that, how could it not be working, right? Well, it isn't. With two hours left, he starts over.
The morning of the show, no one is ready, and everyone is snappy. They finally hit the runway, and the results are theatrical to say the least. There are some amazing creations, and definitely some awesome hair and makeup, but a few bombs. Ra'Mon's snake dress is a mess, and Louise's film noir ensemble was bland. The judges once again disparage Gordana for being a good dressmaker, but perhaps an unimaginative designer. At long last, Epperson gets some love with his Western design -- his rustic ruffles look great and his model works it. However, Nicolas's ice queen is named the winner of the challenge. The bottom two are Louise and Ra'Mon and sadly, because his dress just did not come together well at all, Ra'Mon is sent home.
Okay, first of all, my Tivo has finally bit the dust and I am having to recap this from the full-episode video Lifetime provides on their website -- a video that is apparently incapable of being paused or reversed without causing the whole Internet to fall apart. Rage. So, I'm ultra-crabby. However, fear not. Al Lowe will rise above.
It's a new day in the room shared by Ra'Mon and Logan. "It's kind of weird waking up... to two empty beds," Ra'Mon says, and remembers his two booted roommates with a sad: "Oh, Malvin! Oh, Johnny!" That being said, he also adds that Johnny's exit is good for the competition. "I wish Johnny luck," he says, "but I'm kind of glad that he's gone. It makes the competition a little more serious for everyone." The roommates in the neighboring room agree. "We can focus more on design," Christopher says. Nicolas: "Not on comforting Johnny." Perfectly stated. I know the majority of our passionate forum posters don't like Nicolas and think he's the season's villain, but I have to disagree. He just wants to win. He may have been bitchy to Johnny, but Johnny was trying to sabotage himself and whoever he could take with him, crying on his throne of unnecessary lies. Now, Nicolas may not be the best designer -- I don't know, it remains to be seen -- but even when he says the standard "I'm not here to make real good friends" reality show line, I think the truth is, he is no more bitchy than anyone there. They all want to win.
The ladies are nervous about the stiffening competition. "I don't even know what to think about the challenge," Gordana tells her roommates. She then reminds us in an interview that yes, she was once again in the bottom three last time. "I was shocked, to tell you the truth," she says. It is shocking, really. She's very talented, but I think she's facing a generational problem -- she's there to make clothes, not be on a reality show that requires you to have an above-and-beyond personality and willingness to go way out of the box on your designs. I just don't think she's down with the concept, really, and kudos to her, because let's keep it real -- this is a ridiculous way to get a job.
The designers arrive at the runway to be greeted by Heidi in a demure, classic black dress... that is so tight you can see her navel. Can I make a request that in future seasons Heidi doesn't sport so many bun hairdos? Can the Garnier people back there not whip up some fructis for a sister? She reminds the designers that Irina has immunity and tells them that today, they'll be getting a chance to get out of the sewing room. This challenge, she says, will be all about the thing for which LA is most famous. Botox? Terrible reality programming? Two-and-a-Half Men? No. Movie-making. The designers are thrilled. Nicolas interviews that he has done quite a bit of costume work for films, and thus feels like this challenge could be "very, very interesting" for him.
The designers meet Tim Gunn on a "real Hollywood soundstage" where he holds the ominous, Sorting-Hat. Well, you know, the velvet bag. Irina says they are all wondering if this means it's a team challenge, which you can tell would be her worst nightmare. Am I the only one who thinks Irina's voice is grating? She has only one dynamic: loud. In the bag are cards containing the names of five genres of film: Film Noir, Action-Adventure, Science Fiction, Period Piece and... Western. Tim explains that they will each choose a genre, create a character from that genre, and then design a look for that character. Joining Tim is Collier Strong, professional film make-up artist from L'Oreal Paris, who will be consulting with each designer as they put together their final looks. Everyone is horrified by the prospect of being stuck with Western, which is hilarious. I think it would be awesome. Gordana is my fave: "Western would be kind of tough for me," she says. "Because... I'm not really American."
Since Irina was the winner of the last challenge, she is allowed to pick first. She chooses Film Noir. Logan and Carol Hannah choose Action Adventure. Ra'Mon shocks me by very excitedly choosing Science Fiction, but he says in an interview that he has loved Sci-Fi his whole life, and is a total Trekkie. I love it. Louise does NOT shock me by choosing Film Noir. Way to go out of your comfort zone, Louise. "That has your name written all over it," Tim says. Althea also chooses Film Noir, which is a bit of a shame, I think. I'd love to see her really stretch and go for Science Fiction. However, I am thrilled when Nicolas chooses SciFi, instead. Christopher is so excited to be called , as only Period Piece and Western remain, and he fears having to work with denim or gingham to do Western. Dude, don't be such a wuss -- and hmm, let me guess what Christopher will make as a "period" dress... something with a big skirt? We'll see. Gordana also picks Period Piece, leaving poor Epperson -- who somehow is ALWAYS last to choose in these things -- and Shirin with Western. They are obviously disappointed, which really surprises me. I think Western would be pretty fun, if you consider the options.
Back at the workroom, everyone is provided with a dossier on their genres (a binder containing what appears to be a single piece of paper). They're given time to sketch before going to Mood and, here's the kicker, are told this will be only a one-day challenge. "Crazy," Althea says, and I could not agree more. What is with the one-day challenges? It invariably leads to hot messes on the runway. Epperson is a little stressed about his theme, and decides to approach it by thinking of female actresses he's seen in Western movies. Not a bad idea. Too bad Shirin can't focus enough to consider it from a similar angle. Instead, she goes to the accessories wall and complains that they don't even have a cowboy hat. So, she decides to design for a saloon girl. Ugh. This challenge is lame. Why can't the challenge be to consider these genres when designing something people can actually wear, instead of a straight-up costume challenge? It's weird that the judges spend half their time jumping people's asses about their pieces being "too costumey" and then tell them to design costumes.
Carol Hannah is very excited about designing a costume for her "sexy assassin" and wonders, since they share a table and a genre, if Logan would like to see her drawings. That's generous of her, of course, and Logan says yes, that he thinks comparing notes will benefit them both. Also, he says, "Carol Hannah is the only female that I've really connected with," he says in an interview. "She's been a lot of fun getting to know; she's nice to have around." First of all, I hate it when people say "male" and "female" when they should say man or woman, or hell, even guy or girl. Please say girl instead of female, if what you're worried about is being anti-feminist. It is okay -- I'd rather hear "girl" than have you sound like you're describing the genus and the phylum of a cat species or something. Oh, how the hater sites will love that I wrote that... "Does she not just understand the difference between kingdom and species? Or is she just stupid?" Really, I'm just making a joke, so maybe just calm down. I'm just saying. And for the record, the answer to both questions is just no. What was I talking about? Right, Logan. He of the sleepy hotness; he of the unnecessary hats. Carol Hannah luuuuuvs him, y'all. She is looking at him so moonily with her overly-mascaraed eyes, she is about to fall over. "I don't know who decided that Logan and I should have tables to each other," she laughs in an interview. "Because it is really distracting. He's really ha-awt!" I wish she'd wash her face, but I love her.
Ra'Mon expounds again on his love for science fiction. He is a die-hard Trekkie, he says, and is excited to have the chance to work on the challenge. Sharing this excitement is Nicolas. "I'm a daydreamer," he says in an interview, and adds that what separates him from other designers is that he can bring in elements from the costume industry, in which he has experience, and mix them into his Ready to Wear. Except... is this supposed to be R-t-W that they are making today? Maybe he is just speaking generally.
(Oh my God, Lifetime! Get a better video player! Someone might want to pause something, sometime, and then restart it! I know it sounds crazy, but think about it!) The Film Noir girls seem to all be on the same page. Of course Louise understands the 1930s-'40s concepts, being the retro-hipster that she is. Althea likes the idea of designing for the femme-fatale, film noir woman. She feels it will be "very... sort-of like, classic, and edgy." Irina, though, rounding out the film noir trio, is the one who needs to be knocked over the head in a dark alley (as often happens in a noir film). "From the last challenge, and coming into this one," she yells, nasally, "it reminded me of how good I am at doing these WOW pieces. Do I really need immunity? I have a hunch that I could live without it right now." Siiiigh. To borrow from another film noir character... is it that she's not bad, she's just edited that way? Because I really admire her work, but man, she's rubbing me the wrong way.
Christopher explains in an interview what a Period Piece is. He's so innocent and hopeful (like a puppy?), I can tell he's probably repeating verbatim whatever was in their dossier. He defines it as some other era or time period where there's an epic drama going on. That seems about right, and I wish he'd consult with Gordana, who also has Period Piece, because I am feeling like she's not getting it. She says that she can choose the time period -- anything from the '80s to Roman times -- which is technically correct, but don't y'all feel like when people say "period piece" they are thinking... Victoriana? Napoleonic France? English country house at the turn of the century? It's true that it can mean any period, but I feel like the term generally evokes those things, because those are the types of "period" films that have become popular within the genre. I hear period piece and think that the judges are going to want to see bustles.
Everyone is off to Mood with their $150 budgets. The typical madness ensues. How the designers can keep from stabbing the judges each week when they accuse various looks of appearing "cheap," I don't know. It's got to be hard to come up with stuff for these challenges that doesn't LOOK cheap, but IS cheap. Nicolas says in an interview that he is in it to win it -- he has been in the bottom three and does not want to return there. Christopher says he had intended to design something made of brocade, but as brocade is $30 per yard, and he needs seven yards, he can't make it happen. There is a lot of panic math going on as everyone tries to get what they need for practically nothing.
Back in the workroom, Christopher asks Epperson what he would have chosen if he had not been forced to take Western. Epperson says he would have taken Period Piece, but that after thinking about it, "I figured out how to design something for Western as a Period Piece, because... Western really is a period." Y'all, Epperson is too smart for this show. Instead of complaining about stuff, he makes it work. Which I believe is the point, no? His concept, he says, is a beautiful lady whose husband has "gone off to war," so she has to take care of the land and become a lot tougher. Not sure which war he's thinking of, but I'm with him. It looks like he picked up a lot of denim and is making something ruffley out of it, which is cool.
Gordana says she picked the 1920s as the period she's working with, "becawze zat waz ezactly the time when the woman stahted becomeeng more emanzipated." She's awesome, but I immediately get a worried feeling about her going with the '20s. The fashions of that period were so simple, I am afraid she will get dinged for being too safe.
Meanwhile, Louise is hitting the panic button a little bit, because she's not able to find her bobbins. "Sabotaaaage," Irina says lackadaisically as she pieces her own outfit together, probably sitting on the bobbins. At the sewing machines, Nicolas announces that, yet again, he'll be doing a white outfit. We can only hope it is less Space Hooker than the last one. He tells Althea and Shirin his character's story: She is to be one of three space queens that reside on Orion's Belt. One of the queens decides she wants to be the ruler of the whole universe. "Is that your girl?" Althea asks, and Nicolas laughs yes, of course. In the dyeing area, Ra'Mon is dyeing some kind of rubbery fabric green, and whispering to himself that it is frickin' amazing. We never see this fabric again, so who knows whether or not he is right. His concept, he says, is to design for a human-alien hybrid who has come to Earth. "Green, reptilian," he says. "I think I'm on a good path with this."
Not on a good path is Louise, who is flipping out again about bobbins. "What the hell?" she asks. "Somebody took my damn bobbins!" Everyone laughs, evilly, and someone off camera says that's been happening all day. Louise is really pissed. Carol Hannah, in an interview, says that the vibe in the workroom has become a little more competitive. "That's another factor in this whole competition," she says. "There's talent, there's a little bit of luck, and then there's: 'Can you take the pressure?'" Apparently Louise is falling into the latter category this week. Not only can she not take the pressure, she has not come up with a story for her character. This surprises me -- she seems fully capable of being theatrical. Of course, maybe she is just withholding her info, not wanting to share with her adversaries. Speaking of theatrical, when she says she's not really sure of her character, Christopher cringes behind her back like he's mugging for the back row. Nicolas interviews that he's worried about Louise. At this point in the competition, he says, everyone really needs to be clear on their points of view.
Nicolas shouldn't be wasting any worry on Louise, however, because his ice queen dress is nowhere near as far along as it should be. Logan compliments his progress, but Nicolas sets him straight with a nervous laugh. "You know I still have to stitch all that on, right?" he asks, pointing his dress form. Gordana's approach is to do her best work and remain confident in it. Epperson gives her a few words of support, saying that as long as she's happy with the design and knows she's doing her best, she should feel good. "You never know with the judges," she says in an interview, and that has certainly been borne out in her case a few times. Tim has arrived to check in and starts with her. When she says that her character is in her thirties, he turns the form around and is about to say something about the back. She asks if he thinks the back should be higher. "Higher?" he asks, surprised. "I'm thinking lower." Poor Gordana -- she cannot figure this place out. Irina wins my eternal dislike moments later in an interview when she says she can't imagine Gordana showing her designs in Bryant Park. "I think the rest of us are on a different sort of level," she says, "and I don't think she can compete with that." Well, obviously she CAN compete, since she's here along with your loud ass.
In the Period Piece vein, TG moves on to Christopher. Y'all, I know I have said it before but, despite his tragic facial hair, isn't Christopher kind of adorable. He is so excited to tell Tim Gunn about his vampire bride from "1800s Paris, France." Tim points out that the bustle is very Victorian. "I would reference that," he says, and he is so right -- bustles are key to this whole Period Piece thing. Tim is concerned that Christopher is going for bare arms in this piece -- the top is halter-style and there are no sleeves. Tim even goes so far as to do the smirking headshake, so you know he's really not feeling it. "That's not very Victorian," he says, "or 1800s." He's right, I guess, but herein lies the problem with this challenge -- are they supposed to be making a full-on costume, or something for the runway or what? It's not really clear. In any case, Christopher appreciates any Tim-isms. "He is truly a mentor," Christopher says in an interview, adding that Tim tries to guide them without telling them exactly what to do.
Over in Epperson's area, Tim is loving what he's seeing. "All I can say is, Annie, get your gun!" he says, laughing delightedly. Epperson is thrilled. He says he had been worried that the tight denim ruffles he did may have been "too... something else." Tim, however, is downright "seduced" by them and their visual impact. Yay, Epperson! Tim tells him to carry on, and heads for Ra'Mon.
Things are looking... not that good over at Ra'Mon's station. He has panels of what appears to be green alligator-ish leather strategically laid out on his dress form. It's all very space-age looking, but Tim is torn. "This could be sublime," he says, "or it could be a big hot mess." He's right -- I mean, the guy is making a lizard jumpsuit. From space. "You have a lot of work ahead of you," Tim says, and moves on.
Louise has completed the champagne underslip of her dress, and shows Tim how she plans to use mitered pieces of lace as she builds the rest the gown. Tim says it is beautiful, and offers some good advice. "What I love about you is what you can achieve with subtlety and nuance," he says. "But that does not hold up very well on the runway." He is such a kind man, honestly. Louise says in an interview that she realizes that some of her designs are too minimal and not standing out in the crowd. "Take the DNA that you have as a designer," Tim tells her, "and push it." Yes, do push it, Louise. In the immortal words of Salt 'N Pepa, push it real good, even, because what you've got going now is kind of bland.
Nicolas smiles brightly to see Tim arrive at his station. "So," he says, waving at his crazy space queen ice gown. "I'm obviously doing 'Western.'" Heee. They both laugh, and it is very cute. He explains his concept about his "villain in white." He's especially excited about these crazy, feathery shoulder appliqués that will shine when light comes through them. Tim seems impressed and suggests he exaggerate it even more. "I totally get it," Nicolas says. "I can go much bigger." This seems to be the message Tim is trying to get across to all of them. As he leaves, he says he is enthralled and excited by some of their work, but has to remind them that someone will be going home the day. Everyone blanches. He encourages them to be as ambitious as possible as they complete their designs.
Speaking of completing, no one is sure how Ra'Mon is going to be able to do it. Nicolas says in an interview that when he thinks of SciFi, he thinks of beautiful women and fantasy, not Godzilla and lizards or whatever Ra'Mon is trying to do. The thing is, however, Godzilla is totally SciFi. Good Lord, it defines one whole section of the genre. Anyway, Ra'Mon's real problem is not his subject matter, it's that he is really not far enough along on the project. Tim sends in the models and everyone gets to fittin'.
"You're probably like 'what the hell?'" Ra'Mon says to his model, Vanessa, as she looks askance at his dress form. "Nooo," she lies. "I'm reeeally exciiited." No, she isn't. I am sure she is terrified, especially when he fits her into the jumpsuit and has to kneel in front of her, staring at her crotch and pinning things for an extended period of time. Along with the fittings, everyone has a consultation with Collier Strong, make-up man. "The make-up is very important to this challenge," Irina drones, and I suppose it really is. Costuming is nothing without appropriate hair and make-up, so this is a big part of it. Most of this segment, however, is shots of the packaged make-up, itself. I am glad L'Oreal and Garnier are giving the show so much money, but all the artful sponsorship promos are turning this into the Texaco Star Theater or something. The most painful part of this to me is hearing the guy say "a very red lip" over and over. I cannot take the singular of lip, pant and shoe. It drives me bananas. Speaking of bananas, you'd think my pain in that area would be particularly acute when watching The Rachel Zoe Project, and yet somehow I love that show. I mean, I DIE. It is the most fake, and yet most honest, show on TV. Possibly because their whole world is so ridiculous and fake, and so it just seems like a real documentary. But let's not get off track.
While Collier does "a smoky eye" and "a classic lip" over and over again in the make-up room, Ra'Mon is back in the workroom, flipping. "Something's not working, all of a sudden," he says, looking at his model. Yeah, it could be that he's got her in a skin-tight green jumpsuit, decorated with leather lizard panels, and that the center panel, which is supposed to cover her belly somehow, is ALSO supposed to go BETWEEN HER LEGS, which, if they dared to show it on TV, would strike a really fascinating alien diaper effect, I am so sure. "It's looking like Kermit the Frog gone wrong," he says in an interview, and not since Lady GaGa stormed the scene wearing the severed head of that sainted amphibian have I been so offended.
"It's just not what I thought it would be," he tells Vanessa, as he tries to make changes. "I think I need to make a dress, with the bodysuit underneath, or something." Vanessa tries to be helpful, afraid she'll be going home, herself. "Or a coat?" she offers. "Or a vest?" Ra'Mon interviews that unfortunately he only has two hours left and needs to start from scratch. "It's not like there's another option," he says. "I have to do it." All the designers seem (from the way this is edited) genuinely worried about Ra'Mon -- I am sure they know he is talented, and that starting over now will put him in a very severe deficit. As he tries to figure something out with his remaining fabric, everyone else turns back to their own work.
Nicolas says in an interview, as we see him gluing (?) appliqués to his dress, that being in this contest is one of the most challenging things he's done in his life. "I know I've almost lost it a few times," he says as we see a shot of him running crazily through the workroom, looking for something. He says that he can tell that the pressure is really getting to other designers, as well. Shirin, for example, is really stressed, she says. She's not the only one. Louise is rushing so fast, she sends the sewing machine needle right through her fingernail. Oh, wait... what? YES. SHE STUCK A NEEDLE THROUGH HER FINGER. Give me a second, give me a second... y'all. I will never sew again. I know it happens a lot, and I admire the way Louise stoically bore the pain, but... I am just not going to think about it. Here, let us all educate ourselves. Safety first, people! Louise says that despite her stress, she feels like her garment is really pretty and hopes she is in the top three for this challenge.
Most stressed of all, however, is Ra'Mon. He realizes now what a disaster he has on his hands. Carol Hannah gives him some encouragement as they all prepare to leave. "If I am going home off of this challenge," he says, "I want to give it a fight. But, I only can do what I have time to do." Admirable. Poor Ra'Mon. This is a ridiculous pressure cooker and it has got to be so hard. I think he got so excited about the subject matter, he didn't fully think out the whole idea, and it was just a wreck. Normally I would think that the designer should just stick with what they have and make it work, but man... that front panel on the jumpsuit. It would have been embarrassing for everyone involved had he stuck with it.
Runway day arrives, and no one is feeling great about what they have left to do in the short time allowed. "I would give you my newborn for a hot-glue gun right now!" Nicolas says, mangling the first-born expression. Christopher tells him "Gordaaaana" has one. The lady in question is currently eating her breakfast, telling her roomies she was thinking of making a cigarette holder to complete her look, but realized she has too many other things to worry about.
Ra'Mon, who should definitely be worried, is trying to muster his confidence. He says in an interview that he changed his look to, "as Tim put it," take it to the level. Now, R'M, don't blame Tim for your changes. He says he doesn't think he'll be in the top three this week, but somewhere in the middle. He feels like he'll be safe because he took a risk with his concept. He's not happy with the design, he says, but it's too late to make changes and he just needs to go with it. When Tim comes in to get the models into fittings, he sadly reminds everyone that they should work like there is no tomorrow, since for one of them, there won't be. Aw, Tim!
Craziness ensues. "A lot of dresses are like, half-way done," Nicolas interviews. "And people are getting cranky." No kidding. When Louise prays aloud that she not stab herself in the finger again today (eeek!), Irina snaps like a school marm that there be "no talking; working." UGH.
Meanwhile, Gordana is still going strong on her theme. It appears she made the changes Tim suggested to the back of her dress. She tells Nicolas that it looks simple, but the dress took forever to make. "Trust me," he says with admiration, "I have worked with that material, and I know it is really hard." I wish they'd tell us the name of the material, but they do not, and I am not sure what it is, exactly. Some kind of bronze, lacey, beady thing? I know that she added beaded elements. She's working now to get the right accessories together, she says, because that's what the '20s were all about.
Epperson says in an interview that he thinks the judges will have a really tough time today as every designer really stuck to their assigned genres. However, he is confident in his design, and pleased with it, so he doubts he is going home. The make-up room is unusually intense today, due to the costume element of the whole thing, and when Tim comes into tell everyone to rally, everyone starts rushing. Althea says in an interview that she knows Ra'Mon is really stressed, and that Irina is also rushing to get finished. We see poor, beleaguered Louise trying to get out of Irina's rude way, so rushed herself that she gets her dress caught on the table. "You're like, accident prone!" Irina yells as Louise gets free, and I wish Louise would step hard on her emaciated foot.
Finally, they head off to the show, where Heidi once again meets them in sequins, this time a pair of sequined pants. (Y'all thought I was going to say "a sequined pant," didn't you? Never!) Heidi can rock some sequins, and I so admire that. May we never reach a period in history where sequins aren't acceptable in every form of clothing. Sparkly things make life worth living, especially if they can be done right. I love the way Heidi says genre: John-ra.
The judges this week include American designer John Varvatos, Zoe Glassner and costume designer Arianne Phillips. These people are all well and good, but I am pleased to say that Michael Kors will be back for the episode! Praise the Tan One! Praise him with spray tan and Crisco!
First down the runway is Irina's film noir dress. It is gorgeous. Black satin with lay inlays on the top over what appears to be a gold underslip. She also did a white diaphanous cape and the model, Kalyn, looks perfect in it all. She could walk into my gin joint anytime.
Carol Hannah is thrilled with her sexy assassin design, and admittedly it looks great and like it was well-constructed, but... yawn. The vinyl (I think) black romper with some kind of gold belt and high boots? I'm not making it sound as good as it looks, but that is because we've seen it 1,000 times. On every episode of Alias and on Angelina Jolie just about every time she's on film. The exact same can be said of Logan's leather(ish) jumpsuit. It's cool and everything, and his model looks good, but... eh. Neither of them, however, bore or disappoint me as much as Shirin's saloon girl. OMG, this is like a costume from the Wild West Review at Six Flags. The model looks beautiful and really works it, of course, but seriously? Corset with a tiered ruffle skirt? Also, I can't see them very well, but she appears to be wearing men's shoes...?
Christopher's vampire bride is and -- spoiler alert -- this is a dress the judges flip out for, and I cannot figure out why. Well, let me take that back. Again, something maybe is not coming through on camera that they can see in person -- especially the colors. In a ballsy move that I admire, he set aside Tim Gunn's advice and retained the halter top design. It's got a cool high neck and the back ties in a tiered effect. The skirt of the dress is two colors, what looks like a pale mauve with a gray bustle, all tied together with a black corset piece. There's just too much going on, to me, and the corset is only fitted around the waistline, or it has ruffles along the top and bottom, which leaves it to kind of look billowy on both the top and bottom and that plus the huge skirt plus the floaty top... it doesn't look as good on camera as what he usually sends down. It just looks kind of jumbled, is what I really want to say. Maybe that's part of it. When you sleep in a coffin, maybe you just roll with that look every day.
The beautiful Celine, Nicolas's ice queen from space, floats evilly down the runway . The dress appears to have come out beautifully and actually looks less like a costume than like a really interestingly-styled dress. His appliqué technique on the shoulders came together perfectly, it appears, and overall, the dress looks great. He is very happy with it, he says, and feels like he really pushed the envelope. Celine sells it perfectly, as well.
Althea's film noir ensemble, an asymmetrical, tight black skirt with an open white blouse over a sequined bustier, looks good. It mostly looks really well made, so that keeps it from being boring. It's just something we've seen a lot, is the thing. Almost like she made a replica of a really good film noir costume. The back of the skirt with it's asymmetrical hem that almost looks like a train is really cool and moves very sexily.
Oh, good Lord. Ra'Mon's dress is . Hot Mess would not even begin to describe it. It looks indeed like an alien-human hybrid returned to Earth but, not to dominate the world, to attend a business convention in Atlantic City for Lizards Limited Liability Corporation. The skirt of this thing hits below the knee, managing to make the model, who weighs nine pounds, look short and dumpy. He's done an artistic high neckline on the top, but that's all it has going for it. On one arm, she's wearing some kind of glove, and Vanessa gamely rips something off of it on the end of the runway... but what? Who knows? It appears she just tore a piece of her glove off. That can't have been what was supposed to happen. Topping it all off or, rather, the reverse, Ra'Mon picked the worst possible shoes for this monstrosity -- chunky gold mid-heel sandals. Man, oh, man. She looks awful. I'm glad to say that Ra'Mon, however, is feeling no pain. He interviews that he is experiencing a feeling of joy. The placement of a few things, he says, was not quite how he wanted, but he's hoping the judges see that he was trying to take a risk. I love how he is confident even in the face of tragedy.
Louise's dress is and... mess. First of all, it looks like her model, the amazing Fatma, slept in it. Louise knows it's bad, though. She says she thinks it's pretty, but sees that it is not as showstopping as some of the others.
Eclipsing all of them is Epperson's Western dress. It's fantastic. Sleeveless dark denim accented with these denim ruffles, all wrapped around a flowing white full dress and fastened with a leather belt. He even included a leather gun holster on the outside. It's a costume, yes, but I think it's totally fantastic. He loves his model, Matar, and she's perfect for this, stomping down the runway like she's going to drive some injuns off her property. Epperson is so proud, and it is well-deserved.
Also proud is Gordana. Her model looks great. The sheath dress she made is beautiful, and styled perfectly to look like a flapper straight out of Gatsby. The thing is, it's boring. I mean, not boring, but by no means is it "interesting" within the context of this show. It's simply good, and that's not what they want.
Judging begins. Logan, CH, Shirin, Irina and Althea are all named safe. Shirin surely just scraped by on that one. I really like her designs, but that dress was lame. Also, the action adventure designs were too stereotypical, but at least they were well-constructed. Same for the film noir ladies.
The highest and lowest scores remain on the runway, and the judges start with Gordana. First of all, is there not a make-up crew around? Gordana could almost always use some Cornsilk, and it frustrates me that she's getting this sad-sack edit like she is out of her league or something. She isn't. I am afraid she thinks she's in the top three, but of course the judges jump her. Varvatos says he can see that she's put a lot of work and detail into it, but doesn't know if this could be called a signature piece of Gordana's. Um? So was she supposed to make a costume or what? Arianne also questions the "specialness" and says she's not sure it's as memorable as it could have been. Zoe Glassner kindly, but frankly, condescendingly, says that there is no doubt that Gordana is a skilled dressmaker. However, she doesn't see how Gordana's dress differs from say, her great grandmother's dress. "I don't feel like you brought anything new to the table," she says, and I see where she's coming from, but damn. Was she supposed to design a costume, or not? Zoe says she sees Gordana's hands in the work, but not her eyes. She's obvs proud of that little turn of phrase.
They love Nicolas's evil frozen queen and how he got into the character. Arianne declares it fabulous and especially congratulates him on the makeup that he helped style. She says she is sure the dress will photograph well. Zoe, also, loves it. "It's so cool, Nicolas," she says. "I wrote 'clever, bold and risky.'" The Feather Prince has scored big!
It's time for Louise, and as if the dress alone was not cringe-worthy enough, she babbles on in her presentation about how the character was supposed to be an aspiring film actress in the '40s, dressing as if she's in the '20s. What? No, girl. It doesn't matter, because the dress looks bad, and the judges say so. Zoe states it perfectly when she says that the whole thing looks like a French maid Halloween costume out of a bag. "It looks like a snooze-fest," she adds, making a deeper cut, and it really must be snoozy, because Varvatos can hardly keep his eyes open long enough to tell her how much he's bored by it. "There's nothing strong about it," he says, "and it doesn't seem to have a style about it." Louise tries to thank them for their words and say she's been wanting to get on stage in front of the judges either way, just to hear what they have to say, but Heidi cuts her off. She says that this kind of challenge was supposed to show their creativity, and obviously Louise's did not do that. Do not disappoint the German lady!
Sweet, goofy Christopher opens his explanation with a cute disclaimer about historical inaccuracies. His story is of a bride on her wedding day who has to decide whether or not to curse her lover by marrying him and turning him into a vampire, or to run away and therefore hurt her lover as well. Varvatos loves the way he thinks especially, he says, since designers need to create these kinds of stories when they are starting off collections. Zoe is really impressed with the details of the neckline, and says the dress has "wow factor." Most in love with it, however, is Arianne, who calls in fabulous, especially the back. "It's definitely worthy," she says, "of being photographed for film."
Sadly, it is time for Ra'Mon. I can't even stand it. Lola, his alien from a planet of reptiles, has come to Earth to attend a fabulous party in order to quench her insatiable desire for men. I love the story, and so does Zoe. "But," she adds, "I really don't like the dress." She says it looks like Swamp Thing, like a B-movie, and she is so right. When they do a close-up of the model's face, you can see the threads of the fabric in the spotlight. Zoe says it's shoddily made, and Varvatos, though he congratulates him for a good idea, says that Ra'Mon missed the whole mark. "It looks a little bit like a school project," he says. Heidi twists the knife: "Hot green mess." Poor Ra'Mon. "You're a good designer," Heidi says. "We've seen some great things from you." But, she adds, it's really hard to see from this outfit that he can actually sew. Arianne sweetly says that she sympathizes with him. He chose leather, a difficult material to work with, and sort of sabotaged himself. He admits that he changed his design at the last minute. Arianne says she really wants to like it, because it's clear that he thought more ambitiously than others in the challenge.
They move, gladly, on to Epperson who describes his character as a wife who is left behind at the homestead when her husband goes off to fight. She's a natural beauty, he says, who is tattered at the same time. This outfit, to my great pleasure, goes over huge with the judges. Arianne says it is fabulous and that she appreciates the way he thought about the whole thing. "This certainly has bravado," she says, and notes that the dress even has real contemporary value. Zoe loves it also from the fabric to the styling. Varvatos says that both Epperson and the model just nailed it. "Matar," he says, "you can manage my farm anytime." Yay! I love Matar and Epperson. Heidi brings up the rear, saying that what's nice about it is that he stayed within the genre while creating something new, which is what is important for a designer.
Time for discussion. Arianne says Gordana's dress was thoughtful, but just not special enough. Heidi confirms my earlier theory and says that, you know, when thinking about Period Piece, "you could have made some amazing other choices instead of 'flapper.'" John Varvatos says that the people who stood out today were the people who were dreamers when they looked at who their character was going to be, and Gordana just did not stand out. They were all disappointed with Louise's dress and they feel like it missed the challenge. Of course, Ra'Mon's dress was a shambles, and they all know it. Heidi says it looked stapled and glued together. They were impressed with his idea, and sympathetic at how wrong it went, but... Heidi throws in that he had more of a vision than Louise, but still -- it was awful.
Moving on to the designs they like, they begin with Nicolas. He loves to work with white and lace, Heidi tells them, and where it hasn't worked for him in the past, today it did. Arianne says that the fabric, to the naked eye, looks cheap, but that she believes it will photograph beautifully. "The detail on that garment," Varvatos says, "was spectacular." Heidi says that if you were watching a movie with that character, you would probably go home and remember her beautiful dress.
They also love Epperson's dress and are impressed with how he rose to the occasion even though he did not initially want Western. They are obviously impressed with his work, but this is all we get to hear about it, which is disappointing.
More time is taken with Christopher's vampire bride, which they declare "perfection." Strong words -- this is why I am a mere recapper and not a taste-making designer. I think what he did was interesting, but looks messy. They are all over-the-top thrilled with it, though, especially that he made it for $150. Varvatos: "I was really blown away." Heidi: "Christopher made something really spectacular." I really like Christopher, so whatever. He's good, and I am glad they see it, even if I don't see it in this one garment.
Back on the runway, the top and bottom trios hear face the results. To my great relief, Gordana is declared safe, as is Epperson. I wish he had won the challenge, but I am equally glad to hear that Nicolas won. He thanks them and tears up. "Your ice queen blew us away," Heidi tells him, and all the judges grin hugely as she goes on to say that they were impressed with how his outfit matched his story. "It is absolutely amazing," he says in an interview. "The judges loved it. Somebody even called me an artist, if I say so myself!" Heee. Sorry, y'all. I just love him! What can I DO?
Left on the runway now are Christopher, who is quickly sent backstage with a "good job" and the tragic Ra'Mon and Louise. Heidi delivers some awesome lines about how Ra'Mon's character may have been out of this world, but what planet was she from? His home-sewn mess has gotten him into hot water. She tells Louise that a lot of times the judges say "too costumey" as a criticism, but that this time Louise could have used more drama. Ultimately, Ra'Mon's unacceptable execution gets him the axe, and Louise is declared safe to terrorize her fingers again. Ra'Mon is shocked to be declared out, but handles it with his usual class. Louise hugs him and cries, and he tells the judges that he was honored to participate. It appears that everyone backstage sheds tears for Ra'Mon, almost even Tim Gunn, who says he is a fabulous designer and a fabulous person. Ra'Mon says that he came there to be a strong designer and competitor, and thus, he can leave with a genuine smile on his face. I hope he continues designing, because he's very smart and appears very talented. week: another dreaded team challenge.