Tim saves! Edmond lives to design another day, and he and Tim share an emotional embrace. Hold on a minute, I’m a little verklempt…talk amongst yourselves.
Okay, let’s gather ourselves because we have a lot of business to take care of. Our fab final four meet Tim and Heidi on the runway for their congratulations and last assignment of the season. They have seven weeks and $9,000 to complete their 10-look collections. Heidi encourages Ashley to create a plus sized collection and Ashley explains that has been her goal all along. With the assurance from Tim that she will be provided with plus-size models, Ashley is ready to make “Runway” history – for better or worse.
Tim checks in on Ashley in sunny San Diego, where she’s converted a fairly large portion of her sister’s home into a workroom. Ashley explains that her inspiration is a modern twist on Mexico City in the 1950’s. Immediately I’m thinking Frida Kahlo (more specifically, Salma Hayek in “Frida”), but when we see Ashley’s pastel color palette and floral headpieces, it’s looking more like a Lana del Rey music video set in Cabo. Ashley explains that she’s hand-dyed all of her material and Tim is impressed. She mentions that she might pair the pinks, teals and purples with white lace, but Tim stops her: “This whole collection would benefit from some deeply saturated jewel tones.” Where do I check the box for strongly agree? Ashley then guides Tim to her collection of floral headpieces and explains she would like each model to wear one atop big wavy hair. Tim calls them matronly but Ashley is adamant about sticking to her guns (and roses).
Tim then meets Candice in San Francisco. Her looks are Asian-inspired black and red pieces. There is one rather interesting wood skirt, and Tim also takes a look at a laser-cut leather kimono, which is so heavy he can’t pick it up. Add to that a full cage skirt, which Candice plans to transform into a red sequin-y dress, and you have what Tim warns could go “full-tilt drag queen.” Candice is potentially over-designing and needs to tone the whole collection down. But Candice seems to disagree. This is her shot to put on a show, and damn it, she’s gonna go for it. I don’t know how I feel about this collection yet because it’s definitely costume-y, but it’s got this kind of westernized colonial Asia vibe, and it’s just a step or two away from steampunk territory, and I think I just realized this collection belongs in a film and not on the runway. So maybe Tim is right.
In Springfield, Massachusetts, Kelly has new hair and a sparkly collection. I am not kidding, there are sparkles everywhere. I don’t know where to look. But then Kelly says her inspiration is “Studio 54 meets New Wave streetwear” and I’m suddenly following her. Not sure where we’re going, but I’ll sit back and enjoy the ride. Her color palette is gold, silver, teal, and some sort of wood-paneling patterned fabric. She’s made fanny packs from scratch and added headphones as accessories. Tim is into it, which is a little surprising because it’s so wacky. He has just one (rather large) reservation: Kelly has included a flesh-toned mesh in a few of the looks and Tim warns that it looks cheap. Kelly explains that she plans to put models with darker skin in these particular looks in order to offset the strange hosiery effect and Tim agrees that would be best. He also suggests that she buy some mesh in different colors just in case. After a quick stop at Kelly’s deli (not a euphemism), Tim grabs a free sandwich and heads off to see Edmond.
In Atlanta, Georgia, Edmond is working on a collection inspired by “glamour and luxury.” He reflects on his thirteen auditions and the pressure to create a collection now that he’s been saved. Edmond wants guidance from Tim about whether he should present ten beautiful gowns, or if he should include variety like a swimsuit and a cocktail dress, thereby covering more bases. Tim tells him to be who he is and stick to his vision, much to Edmond’s relief. His pieces are dark and grand and a little stiff. Edmond mentions he’d love to create a look that someone could wear to the Met Ball. Tim tells Edmond to go into the direction of the pieces that have ease and flow and to “beat back the architecture” of his designs. He also warns that Edmond has very little time and needs to kick it into high gear if he’s going to have a finished collection.
Back in New York and just a week away from New York Fashion Week, our designers reunite over mimosas. In the workroom while everyone is stealing glances at their competitions’ work, Edmond keeps most of his looks in their garment bags.
Surprise Challenge:
Tim announces that they will each have to choose three looks from their collections to show to the judges as a preview – and one of the looks they show will have to be created today. They have thirty minutes to sketch and $250 to use at Mood to grab anything they need to enhance their collection.
Tim is encouraged by what Kelly shows him in their critique, including the mesh dress that concerned him earlier. She explains that she’d like a second opinion, which is super smart. Tim is great but sometimes he and the judges see things differently and if a designer really believes in a look they should stand by it. Her new piece is in a material from her original collection that she had left over. He warns her to watch her proportions but he doesn’t have many other notes.
Edmond is going for light and airy but one of his looks is much too severe and heavy. It’s a long black dress with a large ruffle down the front. It’s like it was made for the ghost of an elderly Edwardian widow. As far as his third look, Edmond has a sketch of something ornate and ruffle-y. That’s pretty much it.
Candice has chosen three looks that do not include any prints or color. She’s overthinking whether the collection will look cohesive if the preview includes her more daring looks. Tim convinces her to rethink what she’ll show the judges. Her new look is similar to her red carpet challenge look, except in leather. Tim nods in approval.
Ashley’s new look is a form-fitting outfit in eggplant lace. Tim likes it and they turn to the real issue: the floral headpieces. He worries that Ashley’s attachment to them will hinder her from seeing the bigger picture and suggests that she use one or two to gauge the judges’ reactions. She seems ready for a fight.
Runway:
There is no guest judge to join Heidi, Zac, Nina, and Tim for the previews, so they can get real intimate with the final four designers. Tim volunteers to take notes for the designers as the judges critique their previews.
Edmond: He says his goal is to include “glamour, beauty, and sexiness.” He’s chosen black and white as his color palette to keep things cohesive. Heidi points out that she can tell immediately which look he’s just made – a knee-length black dress with one sleeve and white detail across the chest – but Zac likes the look. The judges are concerned about his dependence on color and ruffle to keep the collection cohesive, as the looks aren’t otherwise working together for them. They warn that he should edit and amp it up. It seems like he’s lost his edge. Nina urges Edmond to “bring the sexy back.” So that’s what that means.
Kelly: During her model fittings, Kelly realized that she didn’t have a model with the right skin tone for her mesh dress, so she decided to show a top and pants during her preview instead. Zac urges her to elevate her collection even more using styling: “Glitter works.” Heidi and Nina think the looks lack luxury. They all agree that she has the opportunity to save the collection by pumping up the volume using extra touches. Nina points out that Kelly was smart to make many pieces because it gives her the option to mix and match until she has the right look. Ever-resilient Kelly is excited to go for it.
Ashley: Zac is appalled that Ashley’s fit is not perfect. If her goal is to make plus-size women look amazing, the fit and details need to be amazing. Nina sees Ashley in the collection but wishes closer attention had been paid to details. She suggests that not all of the models should wear the floral crowns, as they might be a distraction from the rest of the collection. When Heidi disagrees about the crowns, Nina asks Ashley if she would rather people talk about her flowers or her clothes. Easy answer.
Candice: Because she didn’t want to spoil the ending of her collection, Candice picked its more mellow pieces to preview for the judges. The judges, however, already think her looks are too costume-y. Zac says, “It can go a little witchy-bitchy,” which, to be fair, is totally Candice’s aesthetic. The judges seem to have a problem with her styling, which is easily fixed. Heidi suggests losing the red look. Then Nina says the most devastating thing Candice will ever hear (I assume), “Alexander McQueen can do Alexander McQueen. You cannot.” Holy oh no! Candice has a lot of adjustments to make and she’s visibly freaked out.
The four of them have two days to fix everything. The judges try to boost their self-esteem in the meantime by reassuring them that it’s not impossible and there is no reason to panic. These poor souls. I do not envy them.
