The show starts with three days before the runway show. The designers still have their helpers! Tim comes on the first day surprises them -- they get $500 to go to Mood. They all joke about how Swatch, the Mood mascot, has gained weight. That was fun.
Back in the workroom, Amanda and Michelle are really on the same page, which makes Stanley sad because he has Richard. Patricia looks like she's flailing and Layana is worried that she doesn't even have twelve looks for the runway. We get the chance to catch up with Season 10 winner, Dmitry. He tries one of his dresses on Heidi, which looks OK. He tells us that he has admirers from all over the world but only names Germany and Australia. He's perfectly nice. I don't know why I'm picking on him, except that Australia and Germany do not a world make. Heidi tells him that she is always there to support him and it's really kind of sweet to see.
We again see that Patricia has a lot of work to finish. The show separates the hair and make-up consultations, which gives a nice perspective on how each is really different. Based on his critique, Stanley has to ask for help from the experts and it's really kind of cool to see. The same with Patricia. The hair guy recommends incorporating horse hair into the hair of the models and it looks really cool and modern. Tim consults and warns Michelle agains all of her accessories. She has a cool moment where she says that, if you listen to every criticism, you would walk the runway with a bowl of oatmeal. That's not untrue.
Tim tells Stanley that his collection is looking vintage. I can't tell if he's listening or not. Patricia is having problem. Her collection is not cohesive and it seems really lucky that she has someone as vocal as Layana working with her, because she is immediately translating Tim's critique into real time change. I feel like the relationship between Tim and Patricia has been one of the neat things of this season. She really seems inspired by the things that he recommends.
OK, this show Devious Maids that Lifetime is advertising? I don't know what to say. It's either a boon for Latina actresses or horribly offensive.
At one point, the helpers leave and Tim introduces new visitors! Patricia's kids, Margeaux and Gabriel, are there to see her and it's so sweet I can't stand it. I think maybe they are twins? And Margeaux is a freaking KNOCKOUT. Manny and Cyril are there for Michelle and are incredibly impressed by what she has made. Steve is there for Stanley as well as his mother. Her name is Lovie. I can't stand it! How adorable is that? It's also sad to think that she just lost her daughter a year ago.
Tim tells everyone that they will have a little time to work backstage the day at the fashion show. He tells them that Michael Kors will be the guest judge. Then, he gets emotional and tells them that he has never seen the strength of character that he has on this season. Stanley still has a ton of work to finish. It's looking scary. Michelle, though she never stops talking about Stanley's lack of preparation, helps him pack his stuff for the fashion show. That night, Michelle tells Patricia that she doesn't think he can even have a fashion show. Wow.
It's looking right now that Michelle is a shoo-in. With two hours before the show, Stanley employs his backstage sewers to do A LOT. It's so weird. I'm not sure what happened to him, aside from the dyeing mishap he had while at home. Michael Kors walks the runway with Heidi, Nina and Zac. Tim says to a camera that he has never seen anything like how Stanley is unprepared.
What has happened to Lifetime? There's an ad for A Sister's Revenge and the tagline is "Payback is a blond." I can't decide if that's brilliant or not.
Michelle's show is great, with an emphasis on tough fabrics worked into really pretty silhouettes. Fabio is in the audience! I'm not sure how I feel about Patricia's collection. It's certainly original, though in some sort of dated sense? Some of it is truly extraordinary though. She really edited herself with styling and I wonder if Layana had a lot to do with that. There's Melissa beside Fabio! I miss her.
There's a commercial break before Stanley's show, to capitalize on the tension that has been built up about his lack of preparedness. Does Jewel not know that there was already a movie about June Carter Cash? Sorry guys, the Lifetime ads are bonkers tonight. But, SHIT, y'all, the reunion show looks like it's going to be off the freaking CHAIN.
Michael tells the designers that he saw very distinct points of view from everyone. Michelle really sells her wolf motif to the judges. Her bleeding heart sweater is loved by everyone. Nina seemed to really love her collection and she loved the modular quality of a lot of her looks. Michael and Zac hated her final gown. Michael thought that she was just feeling like she needed a gown in the collection and she copped to doing that. Zac picks on her for not being as cool as she thinks she is and I love it.
Michael loves Patricia's lumberjack look! However, he thinks that a lot of her stuff looks like the art teacher on an acid trip. God, I've missed him. Heidi says that the audience loved her collection. It feels like Heidi is defending her appreciation for Patricia from Nina's disdain. Nina thinks that she needs to clean up her silhouettes.
Shit, Michael KILLS Stanley's final look. He says it's Betty White on Dancing With The Stars. Ouch.
From the judging, it seems that Michele's victory is an afterthought. Man, Stanley's downfall is kind of a surprise, considering his how well he did throughout the season. Nina is NOT into Patricia. Stanley is out. Patricia is… out. Michelle wins. You know, I really think she is awful, but her clothes are fine. Bring on the reunion.
Previously: The designers came back from their time away from the runway with three-look mini collections. Daniel got the boot, which sends Michelle, Patricia and Stanley to Fashion Week.
It's nighttime at the Intercontinental Hotel, where the final three are mulling over the day's events. Michelle says to Patricia and Stanley that she really thought that all four of them would be sent to Fashion Week and Patricia replies that their victory is bittersweet. Stanley is freaked out that he got so much criticism from the judges. He needs to raise his hems and modernize his styling. Patricia thinks that he is going to pull something out of his hat. Michelle mentions that Patricia is in edit mode now and she agrees. The judgers want her to make her collection more cohesive. Michelle tells the others that she is glad that it's the three of them and then she interviews that she has a "33.% chance of winning this." It would mean the world to her. Stanley says that he is hungry to win. Patricia doesn't even have the words for how badly she wants to win.
The day, the designers are back to work and they have their helpers! Amanda seems like she would be a really positive person to have around when you're feeling that frenetic end-of-the-line sort of energy that I'm sure all of them must be experiencing right now. She'd say something really calming in her dulcet alto, maybe sing a few bars of some Maroon 5, and you'd be as Zen as Gary Busey. Michelle seems very grateful. Patricia tells Layana that Zac and Heidi liked her collection but Nina thought it was too much. Then, she says that she doesn't care because Nina can't be a "right-wing conservative sometimes." I love that so much, mostly for the fact that Nina can't really be a right-wing conservative, can she? I don't know. I guess I'd never really considered it. It's funny to consider. It can't be. I love that Patricia gets so fierce when she's crossed. Like, when Stanley was bossing her and she said that he looked like the asshole. Stanley tells Richard that they have a lot of work to do because some of their stuff failed majorly on the runway.
Tim shows up and congratulates all of them for making it to Fashion Week. He tells them that he is so proud of them, then he kind of shudders at the memory of the runway show the day before. That was a pretty epic judging. Richard is wearing the nuttiest pants right now. They remind me of Jams from the '80s. Jams crossed with Bea Arthur. Certainly, no one ever needed to go to that intersection ever. So, thanks a lot for that, Rich. Tim says that they will have their make-up consultations today. He reminds them to consider the entire arc of their show when deciding upon make-up options.
, Tim says that he has a big surprise for them. That's really what their nerves need now -- another big surprise. But, it's a good one. They're going to Mood with $500. Everyone is psyched. Tim leaves and Stanley starts reviewing the work they need to finish with Richard. That blouse and skirt that Nina liked so much but suggested he pair the top with slacks or something? He's only shortening the skirt. It seems like a mistake for him to not listen closely to Nina, since she is obviously his biggest fan amongst the judges. He interviews that he is not making anything new, but he has to "remake" five of his dresses. Wow, that's a lot of work. Michelle decides to lose her yellow quilted vest that is in her collection. Instead, she is going to make a vest based on her finale dress. That's a smart idea, especially for cohesion's sake. Amanda thinks that it's a great idea. Michelle is also going to simplify a lot of her looks and remove some of the flare. Patricia is planning on remaking or making a lot of stuff. Layana is worried that they have too much work and not enough time to do it in.
Back at the workroom, Michelle and Amanda make jokes about Swatch, Mood's mascot, having gained weight. Poor Swatch. Body-shaming strikes again. No one is safe. Patricia is making leather pants, while Layana is making a tank top. Patricia sees holes in the leather. Ouch. She says that she will be able to patch it. Stanley tells Layana that he farmed out some beading in his collection to a lady who does that. He envies the relationship between Amanda and Michelle.
They begin their make-up consultations and Billy B. is there to represent L'Oreal. Michelle explains that she got slammed for her styling on the runway, but she mostly wants to stick with her original idea. She is accepting some of the critique though. They decide on a strong lip and a strong brow. Stanley comes in and says that he has been told that he needs to sex up his look. He thinks that a Bordeaux lip is the way to get there, but Billy suggests that they go with a smoky eye instead, because a pronounced lip can look very "lady." Billy talks Patricia into going very polished and monochromatic, which he thinks will be very chic.
Back in the workroom, Amanda is hammering away at Michelle's new look. At the end of the day, Layana says that Patricia doesn't have twelve looks. She wonders what she would do without her there. I wonder what would happen if everyone were just positive about the other designers. Because, obviously, no one was sitting at home thinking that they would just finish when they got back to Parson's. Shit happens. Just be a positive force for the short time that you have. Like Amanda was when she was working with Daniel. They are two of the more different designers featured this season, in terms of their end customer, yet Amanda lent her point-of-view and always with the most respect. That just doesn't seem that foreign a concept to me and I wish these guys were better at it. Instead, Patricia and Stanley feel doomed to me and I think a large part of that is that they've got such snippy people surrounding them. Whatever, I guess Richard isn't snippy, but snippy is probably better than useless. He's probably not useless either, but they sure talk about him that way. Michelle, always at the ready with a complete and loaded assessment of everyone around her, declares that Stanley will pull it together but Patricia has a mountain of work to complete.
The day, they enter the workroom and Michelle jokes that she thought elves would come during the night and finish their work. Amanda says that she would totally wear the new garment that Michelle has put together. Also, Stanley is feeling very confident. He knows how he is going to change things, so he's in good shape. Patricia is nervous because she has a lot of work to complete. She tells us the things that she has to do and...I don't think anyone can make everything in time. Michelle still wants to accessorize the hell out of everything, but it looks like Amanda is helping her edit those impulses.
Now it's hair time. Michelle wants to stick with her messy look, but they decide to make the girls a little more polished, for the sake of cohesion. Stanley asks for help. They suggest that he go younger and less formal. Patricia is employing her weird hat elements, so there's that. They are going to braid horse hair into the hair of her models. She is so excited.
Back in the workroom, Tim enters for a consultation. He loves the new garment that Michelle is working on, especially its simplicity. He thinks she should lose the compass, because why would a modern woman need one? Maybe because she loves steam punk? Gross, I know. She has a knit sweater with a bleeding heart woven into it and Tim says it looks like it's from a different collection. She interviews that you don't have to always accept constructive criticism. That's true. Tim seems worried that Stanley still has so much to do. He also thinks several of the pieces look vintage. Michelle hears that, because she hears everything. At some level, I do believe they use Michelle's quips more than the others because everyone else is boring or something but, Jesus, you'd think she would be savvy enough to just bow out a few times. "I DIDN'T HEAR NUTHIN." Try that in your life, Michelle.
Patricia looks a little harried when Tim gets to her. She says that her collection may not be totally cohesive, but it's more cohesive than it was before. Her workspace is kind of chaotic too. At one point, she goes searching for some fabric and everyone is watching her. Amanda, bless her heart, says that she knows that everyone works differently, but there has to be something inherently better about being organized, right? They find the fabric they were looking for, but it doesn't help. Tim tells her that she MUST make her collection more cohesive. She has to try harder. She's in remarkably good spirits, considering he has so many problems with what she has completed.
Amanda is looking at Patricia's collection and says that, while she is happy that someone as "out there" as Patricia has made it this far, she thinks that something about her work smacks of the hippie store in the mall. Now, see this doesn't sound like shit talking to me. Her observation doesn't feel designed to pack the biggest punch. She is making an observation that, while critical, isn't off base.
The models come in for their fittings. Layana has decided to just go with the flow, instead of trying to understand Patricia. Michelle is really excited about her models. Stanley is the last person to finish his fittings, mostly because he is constructing the actual garments on the girls. That's not good. Later, he is making a dress and realizes that he doesn't have enough fabric to make it floor-length, so tea length it is. Layana tells him that he's great with tea length, so there's that? Michelle whispers to Amanda that she's annoyed that Patricia and Stanley are so unprepared. Then, she realizes that she shouldn't be annoyed at all, seeing as it might secure her position as the winner, so she says they might still be able to pull out a win. It just seems like she was most interested in trashing them just now. Like, seriously, they came to Fashion Week unprepared because it was a choice? Honestly, though, I'm tired of talking about it. She can be whoever she wants to be. I can hate it, but I don't have to dwell on it. Godspeed, Michelle.
The day, Stanley says that he is overwhelmed because of the amount of work he has to finish. It's the day before the show. Patricia also has a lot to finish. This is sort of a broken record. Michelle does have a problem with a zipper, adding some excitement. Eventually, the helpers have to leave and Michelle cries just a little. Tim asks her what the problem is and she says that Amanda has been wonderful, so it's just a little bit emotional.
Tim tells them that they have some special visitors. Then, the door opens and first we see two young adults who are calling Patricia mama. It's a guy and a girl and I think they might be twins. They look exactly the same age. Patricia gets really emotional and it's actually kind of cute. I think she's just happy to see them in the midst of such a stressful time. Cyril and Wally are there for Michelle. She tells them that she's exhausted. Cyril is really impressed by a handbag that she made. In the workroom, Stanley hugs his partner Steve and his mother, Lovie. What a great name! I'm sad for Lovie, knowing that her daughter died in just the past year. I hope she is close to everyone else. Steve interviews that he has seen Stanley create a lot of great clothes, but this is really special and he actually fights tears. When was the last time you saw someone on a reality show actually fight tears instead of forcing them out of their eyes like they were trying to get blood from a turnip? Anyway, it's refreshing. Stanley says that seeing his mother took the nerves away and he wishes that she could stay and sew. I love that.
Margeaux and Gabriel are Patricia's kids and they are listening to her tell the things she has to finish for her collection. Gabriel tells her that she is good under pressure, so he is sure that everything will be perfect. They interview together that their mama is awesome. Then, we see them dance in the workroom in a little circle. All the while, Patricia is giggling hysterically and it's just the sweetest thing to see! I love them! Then, Tim comes in and drags their guests away. Tim tells them that they will have until 5 pm to finish everything, but they will have some time the day. He tells them that the guest judge for the fashion show will be Michael Kors. He tells them that they will need to be confident and high-spirited to win him over. He gets choked up and says that he is very proud of them and has never had a season where the finalists had such strong character. Really? I guess they take themselves more seriously than a lot of other finalists have. I can't believe we're spending two hours on this. It feels like the show should already be over. Tim says that any of them could win. Then, he says that he loves them and leaves.
Patricia says that seeing her family motivated her to keep going. She decides that she is going to put more holes in the black leather pants, since patching them hasn't worked. At the end of the day, Michelle whispers to Patricia that Stanley isn't ready yet. Patricia just nods and doesn't say anything. That said, Michelle starts to help him pull stuff together when he starts to melt down. He has far too much to complete. That night, Michelle tells Patricia that Stanley doesn't have a single completed look.
The morning, they put on their finest to get ready for the fashion show. Stanley is stunned that he is in such a predicament, especially considering he has never really been in the bottom. We see a replay of Patricia's time on the show and Nina championing her as a visionary. Then, Michelle talks about all of the trials and tribulations she had being on a losing team. She thinks that helped her find her voice. They walk into Lincoln Center and make their way backstage.
They all start getting to work and Stanley is employing everyone he can to help him. Michelle says that he has mountains of work to complete. People start filing into the theatre. There is Kristen Chenoweth. Mondo is wearing something ridiculous. Tim says that he is flabbergasted that four seamstresses are sewing four different garments of Stanley's collection. He has never seen this happen before. Meanwhile, Heidi is walking onstage to start the show.
Hey, there's Fabio and Melissa! I miss them. An Anya/Fabio tropical vacation is still near the top of my list of things that I want but will never happen. Heidi looks gorgeous in a graphic romper and black blazer. Her speech is really sort of a love fest. She tells Zac and Nina and Michael that she loves them all. Michelle is first and out on the runway. We see her family rooting for her on the front row. Her show begins and it all seems the same to me. It's all super padded and armor-y. The cuts are very feminine, but the fabrics seem so "durable" that I imagine a lady would have to be very thin in order to not look bulky in these outfits. That said, I feel like all of the waistlines and hems are perfect. There's one look that has a built-in scarf that she has tied like a necktie. That's a mistake. She says that this collection is like the poem that she wanted to write, but through clothing. Her fancy coat comes out and looks a lot better without the many clip-on bags. She took Tim's advice and made that chartreuse neckpiece black and it really works! Her wolf sweater is very cool, though I don't know how much the chaps really do for me. The bleeding heart sweater is very cool. Her final gown is red with tons of studs. She knocks her hat askew as she walks onstage to applause, but gamely takes it off and just holds it.
Patricia comes onstage and tells the audience that her name is Water Lily and her American name is Patricia. Her collection is inspired by trees. And so it begins. I mean, I really admire Patricia so much. She has such an authentic voice. I'm not sure I like how it sounds. Or, that she knows how to control it. That's pure creativity though. That matters to me. Fashion is so derivative and cyclical and sometimes it's hard to know if someone's talent lies with thinking up something new or curating their own knowledge of past trends. With Patricia, even if you're not exactly loving what you're seeing, it feels like it comes from a place that is authentic and pure. I dig her. That said, I don't really like any of the first four looks that walk. The first print is nice but the fabric seems cheap to me. The chartreuse and gray print over the red? I can't even imagine what she might have been going for there. Her horsehair headpieces are strange and delightful. I think I sort of like the lumberjack shirt and short combo. I'm still digging the cape. And, her blue dress with all of the sequins looks like it's made of clouds. Michael Kors looks like he does not know what to make of this though.
Backstage, it looks like Stanley is still working. He says that he doesn't like to work this way. Oh really? There's a commercial break and, seriously, if this reunion show doesn't satisfy with at least some explanation of some behaviors, I honestly don't even know. Stanley comes out and thanks Lovie and Stephen. He says that his collection is American Opulence. You're setting yourself up to get some Michael Kors smack down with that name. The show begins and everything is pretty. I think the cuffs on his pants were maybe too high and his skirts are still too long. He is thrilled watching from backstage though. Tim tells him that it has gotten much sexier. The hair and make-up is fantastic. The skirts should be shorter though and there are too many jackets. The skirt and top that Nina wanted separated are here and the skirt is still TOO LONG. Hike it up! His coat dress still looks vintage, though the metal belt is hot. I like his white dress with embroidery and it seems like the only dress with an appropriate hem. His final look, the tea length gown, is a mistake. Fabio and Melissa are like shaking their heads as they look at it.
After the show, Michelle and Stanley hug backstage. Kristen Chenoweth says that she is a hard audience and that she liked a lot of the pieces. Marilu Henner says that each successive piece in Patricia's collection made her happier and happier. Well, of course Marilu Henner would be Team Patricia. Does anyone remember that fitness book she wrote in the late '90s? Lady does NOT like dairy. She thinks we're all addicted. Like, if you want ice cream, you have a freaking ADDICTION. Also, she said that something was wrong with you if your poop didn't float. I mean, these were some pretty strong allegations and I was susceptible to them and I'll just say that I spent several years of the early '00s wondering if I would end up a dairy-addled victim of non-floating poo dead in a ditch somewhere. Anyway, crazy textiles and crazy dairy scary. These things seem to go together to me. Sammi from The Jersey Shore liked all of them but one really stood out for her. Designer Ramy Sharp liked Michelle's collection. We see her hug Wally backstage. Gabriel and Margeaux are hugging on Patricia and then Alexa Ray Joel tells us that she loved her headpieces. Some lady, Siggy Flicker, who is apparently a "love and life expert," tells us that Stanley's collection was their favorite. I think she should call herself, Siggy Flicker, City Slicker. The caliber of people commenting this year is not that great, though I love me some Chenoweth. Dmitry is there and says that Michelle is going to win.
Before the designers come onto the runway, the judges discuss the day. Nina says that she was very proud of them. Zac liked seeing what they could do with more time. Michael says that it was intriguing to not know anything about the designers. Then, the designers come onstage. Heidi congratulates them. They start the judging with Michelle. She says that her theme was, like herself, a lone wolf. Heidi asks her incredulously exactly what she has been through. Suddenly realizing that her own internal narrative might not be the one everyone else has followed, she says that oh, it's just this process. It's such a nightmare. The judges like that though. She adds that she lost her pack. Then, she had to go home by herself. Now, she needs one last kill. Well, that actually makes sense, even though she's sort of mixing the metaphorical use of "lost" and "kill." Heidi likes the story. Nina loved the first look. She appreciated that the silhouette was consistent and also that there were separates. She loved the heart sweater and wants Michelle to send her one. Michael loved the first look as well. He thought that the fabric she used for her closing look was too heavy. Also, he told her that she doesn't have to end a show with a gown, which she admits to doing because she thought she had to. Heidi thought the collection was consistent, though she didn't think that everything was flattering. Michael hated that the scarves were tied like men's ties. Zac tells her that he thinks that maybe her scarves were not modern enough and she tries to tell him that it's what the cool kids will be wearing. Then, he says that her references have already been seen in fashion.
Patricia says that trees were her inspiration. She explains how she created all of her own textiles. Michael loved the blue dress and the lumberjack look. He thought the beginning of the collection was like the art teacher on acid. Heh. Heidi says that the crowd lit up when her collection walked. She explains that she gets excited about clothes like Patricia's as opposed to a well-fitting blazer and pants. That feels like a little jab at Nina and I say well done. Heidi loved the print of chartreuse and gray but she didn't like the red piece underneath. Zac thinks the blue dress is techno-pow-wow. That's brilliant. He's really good at coining Native American fashion terms. Nina says that they all recognize her unique talent. She loves the blue dress as well, but she thinks a lot of her silhouettes are disconnected. Michael concludes that her artistry is stellar.
Stanley says that his customer is a lady who goes to work but likes to shop. Michael says he didn't get a working woman at all. He liked several pieces, but he thinks the gown in front of him is Betty White on Dancing With The Stars, which makes Stanley groan. Then, he says that the chunky ring on her finger looks like an appetite suppressant. Like, she went to dinner and doesn't eat because her hand is too heavy. Michael Kors, Inventor. Heidi says that she was surprised to see some sewing mistakes. Nina thinks that the gown is the weakest look. She thinks that he should have used his black slacks with that top that he wouldn't separate!
Heidi asks Stanley why he should win. He says that he has a distinct point of view and he would represent the show well. Michelle says that she has an eye towards the future and she's designing for a woman who doesn't even know that she exists yet. I'm losing my mind here. She's just not that cool. Whatever! I'm done! Patricia says that she is a voice that has never been heard.
They go backstage while the judges deliberate. Patricia thanks the spirits for never leaving her. The judges confer. Michael liked some of Stanley's clothes, but he wasn't sure that it was special. Zac wasn't cool with him farming out his embroidery. Nina says that he has nice ideas that he simply can't make modern. Zac also thinks that he's stubborn. Nina is trying to defend him. Michael seems to really like Patricia. Zac and Heidi are TOTALLY on board too. Nina is completely silent. Everyone likes Michelle's story. Michael liked the quilting, but Zac thought it was boring. Nina says that she agrees with Zac about the ties on that one look and he jokes that it's the first time all season that has happened. Smiles all around though. No one is bleeding. Heidi thinks that a lot of pieces are over thought. Zac thinks that the question is commercial versus artistic. Heidi really adds some value as a dissenting voice. She thinks that maybe they go for someone who wouldn't maybe have a huge audience, but who is certainly unique. Nina is so not buying it.
The judges are done. The designers return to the stage. Stanley is out. He kissed both ladies and interviews that the team aspect of the competition taught him a lot, because he doesn't like people. I hope that changes. He seems like such a quality guy. So, it's down to the ladies. We know where this is going. Patricia is out. Heidi gives her kisses and she leaves the runway. Michelle drops to her knees as Patricia gets hugs from her family backstage. Michelle says that she thought that her collection was the best, but she thinks that every designer should feel that way. Zac says that he has tears in his eyes. Michelle tells us that she has never worked hard for herself. She thinks she can tackle every mountain. FYI -- you should probably just climb mountains. Tackling them? Not so successful for most people. Michelle's family and model come and congratulate her. Then, Tim comes out. Tim has obviously been a big fan of hers all season. He as much as said that he threw the competition to keep her in after she completely crapped out during a challenge. But, she's very happy. So great for her. This reunion had BETTER be good.