Here is this week’s episode, scientifically reduced to pill form.
Little did the designers know in this week’s episode is that they would be jazzing for blue jeans. Last season, when Tim Gunn took those designers on a field trip to a warehouse, they had to create a garment made of recyclable materials. These designers get to recycle, but it’s not as green as the last challenge. They have to reinvent however many pairs of Levi’s they can grab from clotheslines suspended over a very dirty floor.
Jillian is obviously running on a creative high from last week’s trench coat. She decides to recreate the magic with a more futuristic design, only to find Victorya also attempting to make a coat. It’s hard to tell if Victorya has a similar inspired buzz as Jillian’s or if this is a case of plagiarism. The big problem with Victorya’s is that she adds on elements to an existing jacket torso, and it’s there for everyone to see.
Sweet P initially sets out to create a wedding dress, but heeds Tim Gunn’s advice and makes something more wearable. It’s a sheath, but at least she saved herself to do something more ambitious in the weeks to come.
Rami doesn’t quite identify with the iconic value of denim, but he works with it as a material and creates something that wows the judges, who have gotten sick of his draping. He creates an elegant cocktail dress, and he does something very similar to what Jeffrey Sebelia did on his Fashion Week show – zippers along the seams.
That lightning bolt has definitely protected Harry Potter many times, culminating in immunity this week. He reinvents the jacket in his usual ruffly manner, but he also creates a pair of jeans and uses jacket cuffs for the legs. It’s the most original and both are sellable as separates, but doesn’t stand out.
Chris March has definitely succeed Bjork Lady as the resident wacko. While she had a variety of things at her disposal (handsewing, spit-marking, a surprising dose of sexual puritanism, using grass stains on her fabrics), Chris March speaks to and listens to his garments. While there is a metaphoric approach about how projects speak to you and how it tells you its finished, he has taken it to a literal level. He must have also had the phone line to Kevin, as he had a few frayed seams that he didn’t want to change.
Ricky has a breakdown this week. While Jillian is the queen of the workroom meltdown, Ricky has chosen the runway as his platform. This time, he responds to positive criticism this way, as he has been through the roller coaster this whole season with the judges often hating his work. Micheal Kors can’t resist talking about Amy Winehouse in reference to the dress and the model’s hair. His attempt at a cocktail dress succeeds and he wins the challenge, vindicating himself from Harry Potter’s earlier bitchy stares.
Between someone with a not so fabulous coat and someone who slapped one together with a literal jacket, the latter goes home. Alas, Victorya goes home.
Rate the runway! Check out the looks for yourself.
