This week’s blog will be devoted to appreciating Kelly’s “90’s hip-hop music video fly girl” vibes. I’m kidding, of course, but it should be known that I have mad respect for her look. It gives me the strong urge to raid my mom’s closet.
In this episode our darling top eight designers travel to the best/worst place on planet Earth: Broadway. I say “worst” because Times Square is the kind of cold-sweat fever dream that kept George Orwell up at night. I say “best” because I would argue that the theater district is the heart and soul of the city. (Well, above 14th Street, that is.) Hey, is that Matthew Morrison from “Glee?”
The Challenge:
In the lobby of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Tim introduces Matthew Morrison, the star of hit musical “Finding Neverland.” Together they explain that the designers will have the opportunity to see the show and use it as inspiration for this week’s look. There are no limits to this challenge — the designers can create anything they like. It’s a thrilling but horrifying concept. This has the potential to go terribly wrong.
At this point I’m filled with regret for using my one, “The show must go on!” cliché opportunity last week, as it’s infinitely more fitting for this episode. Ah, c’est la vie.
“Finding Neverland” elicits some beautiful and intense emotional responses from some of the designers, which is adorable and humanizing. Lindsey’s mention of her great-grandmother was particularly sweet.
With $250 in hand and a half hour to shop, the designers take over Mood with a vengeance. So far they haven’t had a whole lot of time at Mood to choose from the luxurious fabrics the shop has to offer, so they’re each making the most of it here. While they shop they reveal the directions they plan to move in.
-Edmond wants to make something colorful and dreamy, explaining to Tim, “When I dream, I dream in color!” He’s got a handful of brightly colored feathers and a heart full of hope.
-Laurie is inspired by her own childhood and mentions that Baptist church aisles can double as runways if you’re a small child who happens to be feeling her look.
-Lindsey is considering creating a whimsical dress but second-guesses herself, worried about how she’ll fair in this challenge given that she’s been on the bottom so many times. She’s not wrong to worry.
-Merline wants to work with the idea of an inner child, but is stuck when it comes to her execution.
-Candice, inspired by a quote from Hook, wants to embrace her dark side. While this isn’t a surprise, she does what she does very well and I anticipate a fabulous look.
-Kelly uses some photos she saw on the wall while waiting in line for the restroom as inspiration. She says she wants to bring old-fashioned glam to the modern world.
(A first-year psych student would have a field day dissecting the way the designers tackle this challenge.)
In the workroom, Tim hits the contestants with #realtalk. He explains that they all need to step it up because no one is safe besides Kelly, whose elimination immunity is tucked safely away in her fanny pack.
Swapnil in particular takes Tim’s tough love and last week’s judging to heart. His goal is to limit the amount of time he spends smoking/de-stressing so he can impress the judges with his work ethic. In his critique with Tim he explains that he’s combining a dreamy concept with something structural. Tim urges him to show the judges what he can do when he works at 150 percent.
Merline struggles to get her concept together and in the process gives us a little insight as to how her brain works. She says, “You’re telling me I can go outside of the box, but I go back in because now everybody is outside of the box. Maybe that’s the problem.” For an artist, she’s oddly self-aware. Then again she’s the one that screeches and dances while the rest of the world is hard at work trying to ignore her, so…maybe not.
Laurie’s design has a lot going on. It’s a hot pant, an oversized jacket, and a tube top with tulle lacing in the back. Tim is concerned that her choice of fabric for the jacket looks too mature. This leads to my favorite Tim line of this episode: “I feel as though you have two different people here. You have this modern warrior of sorts, and then you have her mother. You need to beat back the old lady.” Consider me (and Laurie for that matter) slayed.
I’m not ready to talk about Edmond’s purple cloud. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready.
In the fitting there are bust issues all around. After adding the boning to her top, Ashley realizes it doesn’t fit her model, Lindsey has to revise hers because (gasp!) her model has an actual chest, and Laurie’s model has no choice but to let it all hang out. This could end up being quite a revealing runway. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Runway: Heidi looks glorious in green, Zac is pretty in plum, Nina is lovely in lavender, and this week’s guest judge, model/author Coco Rocha, keeps it clean and simple in black and white. Tim sits by politely, waiting for his moment.
Merline and Swapnil are safe and Swapnil laments that he won’t be rewarded for giving more of an effort. I hope this doesn’t discourage him –- now is not the time to give up.
The Top:
Kelly: A tight black mini-dress with matching elbow-length gloves and a long sparkly green whatchamacallit. Actually what do you call that? A vest? A robe? Whatever it is, I think it’s pretty, and the judges agree. No one is really sure about Kelly’s choice to put a mini-dress underneath, but there’s no denying she’s chosen the right fabric for the job.
Edmond: A dark purple dream cloud vest. It’s like an oversized puffy winter vest that was ruined in the dryer. But underneath, there’s a perfectly fitted cigarette pant and a crisscross top that’s very Ilana from “Broad City,” which is to say fresh and fun. The best part is that this outfit offers a built-in pillow for napping anytime, anywhere.
Candice, the winner: A black leather corset bustier with oversized off-shoulder sleeves made of a dark printed material. The model looks like a glamorous pirate ready to pose for the cover of a feminist romance novel.
The Bottom:
Ashley: A ruched but flowy nearly-floor-length dress in a white to deep purple ombré material. It looks overworked, with an ill-fitting sweetheart neckline top and an unfinished hem. Nina say it’s “prom gone wrong.”
Laurie: She says her inspiration was fairies, and she mentions her daughter, which would indicate (to me, at least) that she was hoping to trigger a child-like wonder in the judges. But then why did she leave this model totally exposed? The short shorts are somehow big and floppy, the droopy jacket is embellished with something that resembles chicken wire, and the tube top is made of some silver material with circles cut out. It’s overly ambitious, messy, and unfinished. Nina says, “This is not Tinkerbell, this is Tinker-hell.” Nina is on fire tonight.
Lindsey: It’s a wearable lily pad. It’s beautiful color, but it’s not symmetrical and not flattering. Again, Lindsey is guilty of presenting something that bores the judges.
Personally, I wasn’t offended by Lindsey’s look, but I suppose it was just too little too late. She’s sent packing.
