Wow, PR really threw us a curveball last night, huh?! I was really hoping to have seen the last of Vincent and Angela, but there they were! To me, though, it seems like they were just milking all the drama from the two of them that they could. For one thing, every time Heidi mentioned “benefits of winning that will be revealed later,” it was in a voiceover – meaning the designers probably never heard that. If they had, would Angela and Vincent have been so shocked and confused that they were there? No. They just brought them back for the Jeffrey/Angela drama, and the Vincent drama (he is the drama, just like he’s the twist).
If not that, they might have also invited “auf’d” designers back to give the models a fair chance. They have been used so infrequently this season! Speaking of models, this was the episode we’ve been hearing about, where Jia got in an accident on her way to the show. Glad to hear she’s recovered and back on the runway, though. (In fact, she was in Malan’s show this week at Fashion Week.)
So, on to the challenge. This, to me, seemed like a challenge that should have been done long ago, much earlier in the season. Designing a black and white cocktail dress is such an even playing field. I would have rather seen this earlier on, with more contestants, than making an outfit out of things in the apartment, or trash (or stuff from a supermarket, or clothes you wore to a party). The brilliant twist, though, was that they had to use every scrap of fabric that they bought! Awesome! (Also, fits their Waste Management theme from earlier, I guess…)
And finally, in no particular order, my thoughts on each of the outfits… Oh okay, they’re in alphabetical order:
Angela – In the right situation, that collar thing could have been neat. But to wear to a cocktail party? It reminded me of those cones you put around a dog’s neck so he doesn’t chew at his stitches. And she spent so much time working on that thing, the actual dress looked like an afterthought – too simple and plain. Were there any fleurchons?! I didn’t notice! (Oh, now that I’m looking back at the photos, yes, there is a big one right in the middle of the chest.)
Jeffrey – I loved how Michael talked Kayne out of making his outfit too hooker-esque, but Jeffrey just kept going right on down that path! With the vinyl leggings, that was just too much. It didn’t look appropriate for any kind of party, certainly not a classy one. The judges mentioned Gwen Stefani, but I don’t think even she would wear something like that.
Kayne – Well, we knew he was going to be the next one eliminated anyway. His dress was nice, though it seemed maybe a little ’80s? His model was great, though. (Did you know she’s the girl in the TMBG video for “Richard’s on Richards”? I found out when I visited her MySpace page!) I liked how everyone was like, “Goodbye, sunshine!” He did seem like he’d be the cheeriest contestant at that point.
Laura – Is this the first piece she’s done on this show that doesn’t have the deep V neckline? (The Macy’s suit doesn’t count since it was Angela’s design [minus rosettes].) The black lace over white was different than what everyone else did. It looked great. I think she definitely deserved to win. But is it just me, or did she get really pregnant like, overnight?
Michael – It was nice, definitely one of the top outfits of the challenge, but it wasn’t amazing. The asymmetry wasn’t asymmetrical enough, if that makes sense. It looked to me more like one side had just slipped on her shoulder, rather than the actual shape of the dress. And the dress itself was rather simple. The belt was cool, though. How did they like the fact that Michael lined his purse with the extra fabric, but not Angela? Is it because she just crammed hers in? Or because she chose the wrong type of purse (one that didn’t really need to be stuffed)?
Uli – Once again, classic Uli. Only this time with crazy sleeves that were kind of distracting. And that necklace… As soon as Tim Gunn told her not to let it take away from the dress, I knew it was going to be a mess. Probably the most creative way of using up excess fabric, though.
Vincent – Get off my TV!! (Hehe, I said “get off.”) What the heck was he thinking, making a mini skirt and then worrying about what to do with his scrap fabric. Uh, duh, stick it on the bottom of the skirt. When Zac Posen had him hold that cape up to the bottom of the skirt to make it knee-length, it looked so much better! Also, “I make beautiful music”? Oh, that explains it! This was a competition about clothes.
