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The designers got to create their own prints on these hi-tech computers. Then, they were printed for the designers. At this point, everything got weird to me. Emilio made this print with his name on it. It had some cool pop references, but I didn't buy it. I was apparently alone there. Jonathan created this subtle watercolor effect that I thought was quite ugly. Again, no one shared my feelings. There was a little ode to Anthony's personality. Everyone kind of talked about how great it was to have around. He tells us that he gets laughs even when he's trying to be serious. Seth Aaron talked about his family and they showed pictures, which I thought spelled certain doom. Again, I was WRONG. You really got me this time. Maya complained again about not having won a challenge. She was also worried about creating a print, because she's not really a print person. Everything worked out fine for her. At the runway, Seth Aaron, Emilio and Maya had the highest scores. In fact, Michael said that Maya's was his favorite print, which was interesting. They were in love with Emilio's look. Whatever. It did look good, I guess. Mila's dress was a mess and I thought a sure thing to get the boot, but no. Jonathan and Anthony were in the bottom two. The judges thought that Jonathan's print was disgusting. They felt that Anthony's look was boring and... he got eliminated. Heidi even told him that he'd be missed. He will!
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously: The designers worked in teams of two to create looks inspired by four different NYC neighborhoods. Jay and Mila are archenemies but managed to do work together anyway. They were in the bottom two with Jonathan and Amy, who would have seemed like a dream team. Seth Aaron and Emilio won the challenge. Amy, sadly, was sent home.
It's morning at the Atlas building and Jay is vigorously blow-drying his hair. I feel like part of the interview process must include gauging how well the participants are likely to maintain grooming standards during filming. I'm just saying that if I were without sleep for as long as these people have been, they'd be lucky if I changed clothes or brushed my teeth. Jonathan, who we see still asleep in bed, interviews tearfully that losing Amy to an elimination has been very tough. He says that the only thing that has saved him from being a complete mess is Amy's strength. That's because, unlike two-thirds of the people who use this line, Amy really is just beginning. She so completely lacked desperation in the way that she approached this competition. I have total faith in her ability to make something happen in the future. Jonathan says that it's "game on from this point forward."
Anthony, decked out in a monogrammed blazer with a yellow pocket square, asks if anyone has seen his black sunglasses. We don't hear the answer yet, but he interviews that he is closer to Bryant Park than many probably ever expected. That's fair, though I certainly think that he's been an audience favorite. He says that his eye is still on the prize.
It's hair time with Mila and Maya. Maya interviews that she's "a little jealous" that Emilio and Seth Aaron won the challenge. She mentions that she's only one of two girls and the youngest competitor. I guess she's feeling insecure along with her jealousy. Also, fear. She says that she's afraid now that there are only a few designers left. Somebody give Maya a Red Bull.
Everyone starts filing out of their apartments. Emilio, yogurt in hand, says that he won the challenge yesterday but he's "normal" today. Jonathan says, "You're normal?" Emilio laughs as if Jonathan was cracking a joke, but I think that maybe Jonathan was just questioning the juxtaposition of the two states: Winner vs. Normal. Frankly, this is a good example of why Emilio should stick to expression through design as opposed to words. It's like Heidi saying, "You're either in or you're about."
At the runway, Heidi reminds the designers that there are only seven of them left. She says that, for this challenge, they want the designers to take their creativity to the level. She does this lifting move like she's some sort of witch conjuring creativity, her hands weighted with her sorcery. She says that this challenge will involve more than simply choosing fabrics. Mila and Emilio look at each other and hammily stroke their chins. Heidi tells them that Tim will be giving the details on the challenge, then bids them adieu. The designers watch as Heidi walks away. Seth Aaron ponders, in his interview, what her comment about the challenge consisting of more than choosing fabrics meant. Could it be that pocket elves will help them sew. The mannequins are like, "If I see you ONE freaking pocket elf in here, I'm out. Can I get a producer over here? I was promised that there'd be no elves."
In the workroom, Tim greets the designers. He is joined by the amazing Vivienne Tam! She's awesome, but I feel like she hasn't really been in the thick of things for the past few years. I may not be completely right about that, but I would say buzz about her work lately certainly hasn't been at the fever pitch it was in the early Aughts and late '90s. The designers all seem really excited to see her. As we see shots of Vivienne's work (beautiful print dresses), Tim says that she is a master at marrying the art of fashion with the science of technology. He says that, for this challenge, they will have an opportunity that every designer dreams of -- designing their own textile. Everyone seems thrilled! Jonathan interviews that he's very excited about creating fabric and is confident that he will create something that is "him." They will be creating the design for their fabrics on some fancy HP computers. Their designs will be printed digitally. Vivienne explains that the HP technology has made the work of creating fabrics more personal. She shows a picture of a butterfly then the fabric that it inspired.
Tim says that they will have an hour to develop their designs. Then, the company Dynamics will create the fabric and deliver it to them the following day. They will have two days for the challenge. Vivienne comments that this is very challenging. Everyone numbly agrees. Tim says that they will taking a trip to Mood, where they will shop for supplementary fabric. They can create mock-ups of their designs in muslin today. Vivienne tells them that she is excited to see their prints while Tim concludes that they can get started designing their textiles.
Seth Aaron says he's excited by this challenge, because he has never gotten the chance to create his own fabric. This really is a terrific advertisement for this HP product. We see Seth Aaron painting on the screen. Jay has never gotten the opportunity to create his own fabric either. As we see him painting, he interviews that it's exciting, challenging and nerve-wracking all at the same time. Anthony is not feeling so good. He says that prints are not normally a good thing for "Anthony." Whoa! Did he? Yes. Wow. Has he done that before? Anthony, before your wagon travels any closer to Kayne Of Many Colors territory, I beseech you to reconsider. Anyway, despite having to create a print and the crossing-my-fingers for temporary aphasia that he just experienced, Anthony's going to try to remain calm.
Mila says that, for her textile, she'd like to emulate paint dripping down on a canvas. She does this with a paintbrush and feels as if she's really painting. Jonathan is a smarty-pants. He says he's using a subtractive technique to create his pattern. I guess he's referring to using negative space as opposed to positive space? I don't know, but it sure sounds fancy. He adds that it's scrolling and organic, which he finds very painterly. I like it when he says things that I don't really understand.
Emilio says to Seth Aaron that he's having a lot of fun and wants one of these HP set-ups for his personal use. Seth Aaron says that he wouldn't need a TV anymore if he had one of his own, which is as close to a bald-faced lie as we've heard on this show this season. Yeah, you'd sit around painting on your computer instead of watching iCarly. No one believes you, Seth Aaron. Emilio interviews that branding is a huge part of success in fashion, so he has chosen to do a graffiti print with his initials. He grunts and says, "Bryant Park, here we go."
Anthony asks Seth Aaron if they have time to make a test print of their design. Seth Aaron instructs him that he need only press "print" and a giant copy will be created by the giant printer on the other side of the room. I worked in a design office once where I had to make copies on an older version of that thing and everyone was a bitch and I couldn't get anyone to tell me how to figure it out. My bosses thought I was just being a perfectionist when it took forever. They were wrong. I was stumped and stupid. Maya says that she wants to show the judges that she can use color. Her tactic is to use black. But, there is some red and bright orange in it as well.
After the designs have been sent to the manufacturers, Tim enters to take the designers to Mood. Once there, Tim tells the designers that they will be given $100 and 20 minutes to shop. Emilio lets out some breath, indicating that he's a little anxious about those parameters. Tim says that, after all of the time they had to create the textile, they should know what they're doing. Really? What if you're not a painter and you just spent an hour trying to figure out how to paint something? I mean, Vivienne Tam did not create the picture that inspired her print, right? Why didn't they give the designers the option of taking a few pictures or something? Anyway, everyone looks at Tim like, "Yeah, we're assholes. We don't know EXACTLY what to do after spending an hour trying to create a textile design. As if the two things even go together. Tim." You know the look I'm talking about, don't you? They kind of laugh like they're exhausted and agreeing but also a little like they're refusing to actually engage with the question at all.
As they commence shopping, Emilio tells us that he sketches several designs at once and they fabric he finds determines the sketch that he goes with. Anthony is looking in a swatch book and believes it to resemble algebra. Seth Aaron tells us that he is using color for this challenge (specifically yellow, which he loves) and is inspired by a British pop-punk aesthetic. I have missed the Spice Girls. Everyone shops like mad then heads back to Parsons.
At the workroom, Emilio tells us that he is making three pieces: a jacket, a skirt an a top. He figures that, with extra time for the challenge, the judges will expect to see more work. Mila says that her plan of attack is to create a strapless v-neck dress. Is that what we call strapless dresses? You wouldn't just call that a plunging neckline? She says that she will be using her striped textile on one entire side of the dress. She has some yellow fabric that she puts over her head and says, "Hi Jonathan, I'm sunshine!" He says that it's the brightest yellow he has ever seen, but what he's really saying is, "You're not Amy. Shut up." Wait, was that me or Jonathan? Both? Either way, someone was thinking of saying it. Jay interviews that there is something wrong with Mila's self-made textile. Anthony agrees. He says that, when we're children, we like to play with legos, but "I don't want to wear legos. I just want to play with legos."
Jonathan is showing Seth Aaron his textile design, but it's so light that it didn't show up in the mock-up. Jonathan is worried that it might compromise his initial vision. Mila asks Anthony what he's making and he replies, "so far, an ass out of myself." Silly Anthony. He says that he wants to try something new for this challenge. Mila says, kind of tauntingly, "Anthony's trying separates again!" So he is. He wants to create an edgier look, but he says that he's already feeling weird about it. He says under his breath that he is praying for the jacket he's making since he has never made one before.
Emilio decides to start draping a bustier for his look. He gets it on the dress form and decides that he hates it. Anthony tells him to look at it as if it were created by one of the other designers and he was seeing it come down the runway. So, it sounds like Anthony just told him to rip it apart. Nice job there, Machiavelli Devereaux.
With three hours remaining until the end of the day, Emilio gets a message from his viscera: Abort bustier. He just doesn't like what he has made and decides that he needs to start over. He interviews that, as a designer, he has the right to change directions whenever he feels like it. Why so defensive? It's more like, you have the responsibility to change directions when your intuition is speaking to you via viscera.
Maya is quietly walking around when Anthony stops her and asks if she'd dyeing something. She isn't. However, she may have just committed a felony. Maya is hiding something. She interviews that she's worried about this challenge because she does not typically work with prints.
, Anthony presents us with an ingenious, though ultimately fallible, theory: Beyonce is responsible for the problems in his life. You see, a Beyonce song can make you feel like you are a size four and capable of conquering the world. Why hasn't Beyonce sung any songs about the unemployed? I'm going to speak for Beyonce here, as I am wont to do. OK, Beyonce is not there to explain or describe your life. Beyonce is not Joyce Carol Oates. Beyonce is there to inspire you, mostly to dance or buy make-up and an Amex, but also to become the person who is a size four and capable of conquering the world. I'm glad we've had this time to discuss that Anthony. Continue entertaining the room. Jay interviews that everyone loves Anthony and he thinks that Anthony's not even trying to be funny. He loves that about Anthony. We hear Anthony go off on a tangent about how, when he's on the Oprah show, he wants to be on the show where she's giving everyone on a car. He doesn't want to be on the show about women talking about their husbands' porn addiction. Also, his Uncle Leroy suffers from a porn addiction. Anthony tells us that he's not making an effort to entertain the workroom. In fact, even when he is pouring his heart out to someone in great seriousness, people still laugh. It's like the Midas touch. Then, we see Anthony laugh-scream. I don't know if Anthony is actually even interested in being taken super-seriously, but, if that's the case, he should know that a laugh-scream is really hard to erase from someone's memory. You may be talking about the industrial agricultural complex and it's effects on the US worldwide education standings, but, chances are, the person you are talking to is only going to remember the laugh-scream. I can't cite anything, but I'm pretty sure that's scientific.
Mila says that she's really excited to start working with her own fabric. She says that it will look like crap if the colors are off. Hmm, the buzz, Mila, is that it may look like crap even if it comes out exactly as you intended. Jonathan, who is working on some shiny thing on his dress form, says that he's feeling really good about what he has accomplished as they leave the workroom that evening. He speaks for everyone in the room and says that they are all excited to work with their self-designed textiles.
At the apartments that evening, Seth Aaron takes... A PHONE CALL. Is this the end of Seth Aaron? They make us like you right before they kill you. It's his wife and she wishes him a happy birthday. He just says thanks and asks how the puppy is. I wish I were that nonchalant about my birthday. I try to be but have yet to get over the conditioning that I'm the most important person in the world on my birthday. It's so stupid. Anyway, we see a picture of Seth Aaron with his wife and children, a boy and a girl who appear to be in their early to mid teens. Seth Aaron had his family pretty young. That's interesting that he's still pursuing his creative endeavors with such heavy responsibilities. Maybe his wife makes the moolah? In any event, I admire him for sticking to his dreams. He tells us that it will affect his purpose if he thinks too much about how he misses them. He's there to win Project Runway. I'm confused by exactly what he's trying to say. He says that he loves them and hangs up his T-Mobile Sidekick!
The day, the designers return to the workroom to find their textiles waiting for them. It's seriously Christmas. Everyone seems thrilled. Anthony exclaims to his fabric, "I love you and I don't even know you yet!" Jonathan, who was worried because the print-out of his design wasn't clear, is ecstatic with how his turned out. Mila remarks to Maya that her print is incredibly vivid. Then, she asks if she intended it to be so vivid, which sounds a little undermine-y. But, Maya says that she did indeed intend for it to be vivid.
Mila, who must be making the rounds, doesn't understand Emilio's print. It's "ESOSA," with a heart standing in for the "O." Mila interviews that she thinks it's one of the worst in the room. She says that Emilio is very good at fitting things, but she feels that his taste is questionable. You know, Mila should shut up, but she has a point there. I'm not a big fan of Emilio's taste. He's absolutely thrilled with his textile. He says that he feels that he has a very powerful look in front of him. I think that sentence sort of got away from him towards the middle.
In the sewing room, Anthony tells Maya that her look seems to be coming along beautifully. She thanks him and says that she likes her print but reveals that she's not sure how "her" it is. She can't be as sculptural with this challenge as she would normally be, so she's still trying to figure out what to do.
Tim enters for consultations. He tells everyone that he's very eager to see the outcome of their custom textiles. He starts with Mila. Her dress is floor-length and she starts her presentation by saying that it looks evening, but isn't. Tim is a little confused and asks her if she's trying to make it look evening or not. She isn't, which confuses him further. Isn't floor-length evening by definition? His question, not mine. She wants it to look like a maxi dress for a Spring "event." Now, when you say "event," that makes it sound like you do, in fact, intend for it to be a formal dress. Words! He thanks her and, as he walks away, she says, "Thanks, TG." You know, if someone else pulled that, I probably wouldn't care. That said, No, Mila.
Jonathan (and get ready for some REAL words) explains that he designed a three-piece "suite." He sees his design as early Spring. He's making a light-weight leather jacket that wraps to the back. Underneath, he's making a "prim" little dress with his print fabric. Tim questions the proportion of a different fabric at the neckline to the print fabric. Jonathan tries to clarify where Tim thinks there's too much/too little fabric, but he doesn't really do that. He just tells him to think about it.
Tim doesn't understand Emilio's graphic. Emilio explains that it's "ESOSA," But Tim still wonders if "SA stands for Seth Aaron?" Oh, that's funny. And so completely weird, for everyone. Tim has to be thinking, "Does he know this isn't a team challenge?" Emilio, meanwhile, would be thinking, "What? I'm some sort of freaking weirdo stalker? I just put people's names in my clothes? I'm not THAT fucking tired, TG." Tim still sees Seth Aaron. WEIRD. Seth Aaron is even looking over at this point. I hope he can't really hear what they're saying. Emilio assures him that he did not put someone else's name on his fabric, but Tim's kind of not giving up on this. He says that it's all he sees and he'll have to recalibrate his brain to understand Emilio's stalkery print. Um, moving on. Emilio explains that he wanted to create a '40s silhouette with a graffiti print textile. He wanted the print to be the thing. Tim assures him that the print is the only thing, for, without it, he's making a pretty basic silhouette. Emilio correct him -- it's a "classic" silhouette. Damn, some heavy shade is being thrown here and about in that workroom. Emilio interviews that Tim "mocked" his work. Hmm, that's interesting. I didn't necessarily see that as mocking, but... there's certainly room for interpretation. Meanwhile, Emilio continues and says that he does not listen to Tim whether he likes it or not. Now, I'm not sure if Emilio was playing a little fast and loose with grammar there, but did he just say he never listens to Tim? Well, I know he said that, but I wonder if that's what he meant.
Seth Aaron describes his Brit pop/punk inspiration to Tim. He shows him his textile and says that the tiles are a little larger than he had planned. Tim appreciates the work that Seth Aaron has done already without the print and says that the work with the print needs to match it.
Maya tells Tim that she's having a problem because she's not a print person. Tim looks at her vibrant textile and says that she could have fooled him. She repeats that she's having a problem and adds that she's feeling blocked. "Unblock!" he demands. Yeah, it's really that simple. He reminds her that someone will be going home from this challenge, which is a little more inspiring than telling her to unblock.
It's Anthony's turn to sell his look to Tim. He says that he wanted to celebrate the lines in his pattern without being too literal. He'll do that by showing lines in the skirt and detail in the bodice. Now, I like Anthony, but I'm going to have to call a little bullshit on that explanation. I suppose there's a way to be literal about a bunch of triangular angles, but it actually seems that your detailing and skirt shiz don't have anything at all to do with your pattern. Tim tells Anthony that he's worried that the judges will feel that he wasn't ambitious enough for this project. He insists that Anthony "work away."
Tim leaves and sends in the models for a fitting. Jay's girl thinks that his textile is really cool. As Jonathan is dressing Cerri, he explains that a lot of designers never have this opportunity that they have gotten to design their own textiles. He interviews that he really loves the way his design looks on Cerri. Maya complains, to her model now, about how hard this challenge is for her. She tells her that she likes for her work to be dimensional, but prints are flat. Jesus, it's like she's inventing ways to be stumped by this challenge. That said, she interviews that she wants to win a challenge.
Emilio interviews that Mila's dress is a "white teepee." He says that he's baffled that she could call herself a designer and not be able to work with color. I mean, I guess he's correct that she's not gifted with combining bold colors, but there's certainly something to be said for restraint. Bold colors that often come off as tacky are no better than a bunch of blacks and grays. I just think maybe I'm not that big a fan of Emilio's work. I find it sort of obvious a lot of the time. A lot of it is certainly sexy, but I just don't find it that compelling. Mila interviews that she is confident with her color and fabric choices. She is taking a risk but feels that it's necessary at this stage of the competition. She also feels that she is trying to take the advice of the judges.
The models leave and the designers have another five hours to work. Jay asks Anthony how his fitting went and Anthony says that he's trying to decide whether to ditch the bodice that he's working on and start a new one. Mila interviews harshly that Anthony's taste is questionable. She thinks that he's a joy to have in the workroom and she'll be sad to see him go, if he goes before her, but she can't imagine him designing a collection for Bryant Park. Yeouch. I wish they'd take these bitches to get drunk or something. They are so DRY. They're about to make me want to shorten my Lifetime.
Seth Aaron says that he's confident about his design. It's "him," which makes him laugh like a total nerd. "Obviously, I created the fabric!" I'll meet you on the lawn for a game of Quidditch, Seth Aaron. Anthony tells Maya that he has decided to scrap his original top. It was too cumbersome and didn't even really fit that well. He says that he's trying to work through his reality, as well as the reality of what may happen to him the day at the judging. We hear him whisper to himself, "What did I do to deserve this?" I don't know, but thank you for reminding me of the Pet Shop Boys. Consider that the soundtrack for the rest of this recap, because I will almost certainly be singing it to myself the entire time I'm writing it.
The morning, Maya tells Mila that she's exhausted. She didn't sleep the night before. In the boys' apartment, Jay is wearing bright green pants and blow drying his hair. Anthony tells him that he looks like a gay Christmas ornament. Jay does not find this funny. "Why would you say that?" Seth Aaron admonishes Anthony because now Jay is going to want to change clothes. Anthony tries to smooth things over by telling Jay how beautiful he looks, but I think the damage is already done. They must have some sort of counselor or the premises for crises just like this.
In the other boys room, Emilio and Jonathan appear to be putting on their shoes after waking up in their clothes. Jonathan mumbles that it's going to be a nice runway show, then interviews that he's feeling confident about what he has put together for this challenge. However, he acknowledges that he can't be positive of the outcome because "in Project Runway-land, anything can happen."
Is Seth Aaron wearing a fall? He seems to have really long hair on one side of his head today. Perhaps I was just not paying close enough attention to his hair situation up to this point. As they're about to walk out the door, Jay decides to change pants. Everyone groans. Seth Aaron blames Anthony. Emilio playfully acts like he's going to hide Jonathan's glasses as sabotage and they laugh, but Jonathan seems really anxious to get the glasses in his hands. Anthony makes Seth Aaron and Jay join him for a all-hands-in thing. He says that they will leave as three and return as three.
At the workroom, it's the usual jam session. Poor Jonathan is yawning. Mila interviews that she believes she still has a great chance of making it to Bryant Park, but I don't believe she actually believes herself. She says that she has tried to focus on being consistent, as well as pushing the edges of what she tries. Seth Aaron has attempted to make a lot of pieces and tells us that he's pushed to the limit time-wise. Anthony explains that "Anthony" has a lot on his plate this morning. He's trying to think of ways to make his dress more special. Jay says that the competition is so tight, you can't really look around and be sure of who is in trouble.
Tim enters and wishes everyone good morning. He leaves and sends in the models. Anthony is not digging Jonathan's look. He thinks that the look is really pale and Jonathan's pale. He'd like to throw a bucket of colored paint on Jonathan's side of the room because everything is "pale as hell." That last part rhymed when Anthony said it. Jonathan thinks that Mila may be in trouble because her dress is stiff and her model appears to be having trouble walking in it. Maya seems happy with her dress.
It's hair and makeup time. Maya requests a smoky lid. Seth Aaron wants dark -- no colors! Anthony requests a blunt ponytail. Emilio asks for structure to the side, but the hair guy doesn't seem to be paying attention to him.
Afterwards, Tim gives everybody a ten minute warning. More scrambling! Damn, Emilio and Seth Aaron are still sewing. Maya interviews that she's happy with her dress. She feels that this challenge is a matter of taste. Emilio says that there's no way anything in the room can beat his design. Jonathan says that his fear is getting so close to Bryant Park that he can see it out of the corner of his eye. Tim returns and takes everyone to the runway.
Heidi greets the designers on the runway. For a second, I thought she had that baby. She introduces Michael, Nina and Vivienne Tam. The show begins with Seth Aaron's design. So, his textile consists of rows of tiles with this punk cartoon image of a woman with crazy blond hair. Yellow and red are the primary colors. With his textile, he made a fitted blazer with mid-length sleeves. He matched that with gray slacks with black stripes up the middle, a high-necked black shirt and a yellow tie. It's everything he wanted it to be -- crisp and finished.
Here's Jonathan's look. Jonathan's textile is a light gray with darker polka dots of different shapes and configurations. He's made a jacket of champagne-colored leather and gold lame` that opens on the back of the model. When Cerri removes it, it's quite the reveal. The textile is used to make a dress that end above the knee. It has a sweetheart neckline which meets a darker gray transparent fabric that extends to create a closed halter. There is a bow of gray around the neck. OK. So, I think the jacket is pretty cool. I just think it's dramatic and neat. I'm not entirely sure about the textile, or at least the use of it. I think the skirt is either too loose, too short or too long. It just hits Cerri at the wrong place. Also, I think maybe he took Tim's advice the wrong way. It appears that he made the neckline lower and added more of the gray fabric in response to Tim's concern about the proportion. I think he maybe did too much. Also, I think she's wearing the wrong shoes. They are black heels that are a little bit chunky. Something strappy and lighter would have been better. The back of the dress is cute. The dark gray fabric is pleated and puckers where it meets Jonathan's textile. I don't think this is horrible, but it doesn't look like things came together as cleanly as they could have. Jonathan is happy with it, but why do we even listen to the designers during this part? They always love it.
Maya's look is . It's a short dress with panels of Maya's textile running vertically on either side of the model. The textile is black with red and orange lines shooting across it at angles. She has arranged the fabric so that the lines run horizontally. In the middle of the dress is a black panel with vertical pleats. At the neck, there's Maya's structural element. The black and print fabric mix to create a bit of a harlequin look. Maya thinks that the print seems electric, which makes her happy.
Here's Emilio's look. He created a slim dress of his graphic textile. There is a black band at the waist and an inverted triangle of black that meets the bodice and creates a high neckline. He made voluminous black jacket to accompany the dress. I think the dress looks nice and I like the primary color of the print, but I'm not really a fan of this. First of all, I mean, Stephen Sprouse, right? It just seems completely reminiscent of his work. Like, I don't see any separation at all. That said, I think he did an interesting job of making such a bold and contemporary (well, unless you consider that Sprouse was working as early as the mid '70s) print look graceful. As you would expect, Emilio is very happy with the look.
Here's Mila's dress. It's not good. It's like a floor-length column sundress in white. There's a triangular pattern of rainbow stripes on one side of the dress. The stripes are green and yellow, which is pretty cool. She topped it off with a black bolero, which is too fancy for the dress. Mila's only problem with the presentation was that her model picked up one side of the dress, in order to allow herself to WALK. Mila doesn't really accept any blame for that. She says that no one used print the way that she did. Indeed.
Anthony's look is . He made a short cocktail dress, per uzh. His textile is a purple and black geometrical pattern that is pretty interesting, but it is not used to great effect. The neckline is a little droopy and he tried the ombre technique that Emilio used in the first challenge. He needs to try that in private before sending it out into the world. Anthony is, you guessed it, happy with his work. Also, I thought the dress had weird slender wide-set straps, but I think that's actually a disastrous shrug. Oh no.
Wow, Jay's look is pretty complicated. First of all, his textile is this bright green and black striped pattern, like half botanical/half reptilian. He created a bustier in the textile that lays over a dark green turtleneck. His girl is wearing tight dark green pants. There's a short green jacket with a collar and lots of buttons. The jacket is lined with his textile. This is a pretty cool look. Jay says that he intended to make a militaristic look and he really likes it.
After the show, Heidi calls Jay's name. She congratulates him, for his scores got him to the challenge. He leaves the stage. The models of the remaining designers return to the stage. Emilio starts the talky time. He says that he was inspired by graffiti and '40s design. Heidi loves it. She's really interested in the coat, because of its unique shape. Michael thinks that he nailed it and developed a "signature" pattern. So, the fact that it's Emilio's name instead of Louis Vuitton's makes it unique? Whatever. Vivienne likes it too, but feels that there should be some sort of heart shape in the dress, to mimic the pattern. Nina feels that Emilio's juxtaposition of inspirations was fantastic.
Mila says that she wanted to create something painterly. Michael doesn't find anything intriguing about the textile. He thinks it looks like some sort of Mexican gay flag. Also, he points out that the model was hobbled by the dress. Heidi appreciates that the dress was finished nicely, but she thinks it's from the '70s. Nina doesn't think that the print is blah. Vivienne doesn't think that the print goes with the dress.
Anthony tells the judges that he was trying to play around and stretch with his use of color and shape. Nina doesn't like the shrug. Anthony says that his original jacket was a failure. Michael tells him to stop explaining and Nina agrees that she wouldn't have known unless he said something. Sure, like his entertaining talk hasn't been what has kept him on the show to this point. I'm not trying to be rude, but come on. He should definitely NOT shut up. Vivienne thinks that the shape of the neckline is too sweet for the print that he created. Heidi feels like she's seen the same silhouette from him many times.
Seth Aaron says that he likes pop art. He says that his look totally represents him. Heidi compliments him for always staying true to himself. Michael thinks that it's impeccable and the pieces are all well done. Nina feels that the print is adorable.
Mila says that she tried to juxtapose the flat print with the architectural elements of her dress. Nina thinks that the print is brilliant. She compares it to electricity. However, along with the architectural elements of the dress plus the bold styling of the model, she worries that maybe there is too much going on in the look. Michael thinks that she looks like a romantic warrior. Vivienne likes the architectural elements of the look, because it gives her design dimension.
Jonathan explains that his print was to mimic watercolors. Michael hates the jacket. He names it a "disco straitjacket." He doesn't think it makes any sense. He hates the print too and likens it to a dirty tablecloth. Jonathan is not looking so pale right now. There's definite redness appearing in the face and neck areas. He says to refer to it as a dirty tablecloth is preposterous and Heidi raises her eyebrows like he just screamed or something. Seriously? The crazy stuff they say to these people who just busted their ASSES to make Mrs. Seal some money and she can't believe someone would defend themselves? Bitch, please. Michael responds that there is nothing compelling about the print and he cannot understand having an emotional attachment to it. Well, I don't want to get into who has emotions and who doesn't, but... I guess I just suggested that Michael Kors doesn't have emotions. Jonathan begins to put the jacket back on Cerri and Michael says it's so sad. Someone's husband would have to put the jacket back on at the end of the night. I seriously don't think that's all that crazy. Heidi laughs really loud, because she's apparently revealing herself as evil. Nina just burns holes in things with her eyes. Eyes that she bought somewhere, I bet. Or stole. She tells Jonathan that his look is a complete disaster. She says that the pleat in the back of the dress is "beyond upsetting." She's so smart. Instead of just insulting him, she's acting like he did something bad to her. She thinks it looks dirty and POOR. Shit, girl is pulling out some hard stuff now. Poor! Can you imagine? It's like being told that your writing is illiterate. Please don't anyone say that to me. Nina says that the print makes her sad and Jonathan points out that sadness is still an emotion. Eh, that's not really a good argument. Maybe your only argument, but still not that good. Michael says that he has seen clothes that evoke sadness, but they were beautiful. Jonathan says that he stands beside his design. It is more organic and different emotionally than the other designers, but he thinks that's OK. God, he sounds so upset right now. I really like Jonathan. He does that thing I like. You feel like you're just watching an artist trying to birth something when you watch him. He's not all about just scoring some face time on the boob tube or some bullshit. DON'T GO, JONATHAN.
The designers leave the stage and the judges confer. The talk first about the designs that they didn't like, starting with Anthony's. Nina doesn't like that he always has an excuse. Heidi thinks that he uses the same silhouette all of the time. Michael goes a step further and accuses Anthony of using the same basic silhouette for each challenge and just adding different adornment. Vivienne agrees that he needs to have more interest. Nina thinks that Mila took the easy road. Michael thinks there was nothing special about it. Heidi points out, in the most infantile way, that Jonathan got angry when the textile he created was compared to a dirty tablecloth. She actually tries to imitate his face. Nina calls the print poor again. Nina thinks that his look was too conceptual and wonders if they shouldn't have given him so much praise for being conceptual in the past. Gah.
Michael thinks that Seth Aaron's clothes all look polished on a small budget. Vivienne really liked his print. Heidi would wear Emilio's dress. Michael thinks that the print could work in a lot of different settings. Nina thought the movement in Maya's print was awesome. Michael thinks it was the best print of the day. They have made their decision.
The designers return to the stage. Emilio won the challenge! Fist pumps. He leaves the runway and hugs Jay backstage, who points out that this is his third win. Emilio interviews that this win shows that he's a force to be reckoned with. And that will make a difference to whom? And what will that difference be? Whatever, congratulations, ESosheart. Seth Aaron is in. Maya is in. Sorry, still no win. She interviews that she's frustrated. Mila is in. Wow, thought she'd be in the bottom.
Heidi tells Anthony that he made another simple cocktail dress. She tells Jonathan that his look was bizarre. Anthony is... out. She tells him that they will miss him. Jonathan blows a kiss to Anthony and leaves the stage. Anthony thanks the judges for everything and gets his kisses.
Backstage, Anthony enters with a giant, "Hey Boo!" He interviews that life has taught him that you don't have to have the crown to be the queen. Amen! He gets big hugs from everyone backstage. He may be doing it to mask some pain, but Anthony is all laughs right now and I think that I admire that about him. Coming from his background, he says that it's a miracle that he has reached the spot where he is right now. Tim enters and is glad to sense some levity in the room. He tells Anthony that he hopes that he is as proud of himself as Tim is for him. Anthony gives Tim a big hug and thanks him for everything. Tim reminds Anthony that his design is going to be on the cover of Marie Claire! Tim tells him that they love him as he walks away. He interviews that he may have been eliminated, but he still has the opportunity to change his tomorrow. Don't cry for him. In fact, he would like you to toss one back for him. What a magnificent suggestion, Anthony. Will do.
Jeff Long is a writer/actor in Brooklyn. He can be reached at jeff.long75@gmail.com