Under The Gun Ep 2: Bolting For Fabric

All righty then, it’s week two of the Whittling Fifteen Into Twelve Challenge. This week, the remaining seven are herded outside where Tim, and The Mentors — Anya, Mondo and Nick — reveal their challenge, and the fact that of the seven of them, two will be out.

There are barrels of Mood fabrics scattered across the lawn and the designtestants are given thirty seconds to grab as much of any fabric they want. Not quite the same as last week, where everyone was given the same amounts of the same fabric, so, yeah, there’s that. But, these seven will still have six hours to create a look that represents them.

So, let’s rip…..

SAM

First off, he is too cute … in that precious Oh my god shut up before I smack you kind of way. 

And then there’s that whole Dairy Queen swirl hair, and the fact that he’s very Gretchen-esque in his critiques of everyone else; remember, he said he was Team Gretchen the year she “beat” Mondo on the PR. He’s so Sassy, he so wants to be on Team Nick.

WHAT HE SAID

My.Heart.Just.Stops. It is one of the most amazing moments. She looks so fantastic.

WHAT I SAID

It’s very cool, very urban, very edgy; I like it, even from Sam.

WHAT THEY SAID

Nick loved it’s “slouchy chic” factor and said he can spot talent — he’s a teacher, you know. He says he can help Sam translate his looks into couture and red carpet moments, so he wants Sam. Mondo liked it as well, and said he believes in Sam, and his potential. Anya wants him because he’s fun — I guess they’re going on holiday?

WHAT HAPPENED

Sam draws it out for about an hour, sighing and over-dramatizing how hard this all is and that it’s just too much and how can he, what will he, what should he … picks Mondo.

NICHOLAS

I think he’s wound a little tight because his first impression of the workroom was that it was so clean and he just loves working.in.a.clean.room. 

I was intrigued that he came to fashion design — though he mostly does menswear — because he used to create wearable electronics. Is that like an iPod suit? An Android hat? I don’t get it. 

But he’s very cut-and-dry — read: Boring — and very Just make it work so maybe he’s on to something. And yet he’s concerned about the time? Really? With the look you made you were worried about time? What? Having too much?

WHAT HE SAID

I realize my look is pretty different from everyone else. What are the mentors going to think about this?

WHAT I SAID

It’s an oversized T-shirt with a faux pocket square. In.Six.Hours? Oy.

WHAT THEY SAID

Anya picked Nicholas for her team because he has a vision but needs to amp it up; she feels that since they are opposites, and he’s done only menswear, they’ll be a good fit. Nick thought it too bare, too simple, but well-made while Mondo called it smart. Smart? He loves Nicholas’ quirky artistic approach and wants Nicholas for himself. Nick loved Nicholas intellectualism and his menswear aesthetic, but Nick does gowns and dresses and has a Bible, or something, and he wants Nicholas, too.

WHAT HAPPENED

Nicholas chose Anya.

ISABELLE

She’s crazy; this, for her, is like having a baby even though she’s never had a baby, but it’s like having a baby. And then there are the hats; seriously, does everyone need a gimmick? 

As the Mentors visit, Isabelle rambles on — cutitcutitcutitcutit — and Mondo is attracted to her wack-a-doodle-do. At the model fittings, she complains that the measurements she got were wrong, but I think she probably read them upside down. Just sayin’.

And then, as everyone else heads to the runway, Tim finds Isabelle and her half-naked model in the sewing room. He asks her to stop and she says she needs two minutes. He tells her it isn’t fair for her to have more time and she keeps working.

Tim.Snaps. Let’s hear that again: Tim.Gunn.Snaps! Isabelle! NOW!

And then a security guard — okay, maybe a production assistant — has to shove Isabelle off her model and get the girl to the catwalk.

WHAT SHE SAID

Even though I didn’t finish it does look chic, gorgeous.

WHAT I SAID

I’m not a fan of the fabric, but it is kind of cool.

WHAT THEY SAID

Nick really likes it and asks Isabelle to be on his team; he loves her draping and the contrasting grains of the fabric. Anya thinks she has potential but she’ll pass. Mondo thinks they won’t fit — I guess she’s too wack-a-doodle-do — and he passes.

WHAT HAPPENED

By default, she’s Team Nick.

ASHA

She has been saying for two episodes now that she and Anya have a connection because they looked at one another across the lawn. This ain’t Love Story, girl, it’s Under The Gunn! 

She says she designs “couture kickass” but during the Mentor visit Anya is concerned about her taste level, and the bare midriff look she’s creating.

WHAT SHE SAID

I’m so excited and my model is working the mess outta that dress.

WHAT I SAID

I like it but that bare midriff just seems wrong, and cheap.

WHAT THEY SAID

Anya is disappointed that there is too much skin showing, but since she has no more spots available, her opinion is moot. Mondo loves her look and asks her to join his team; he loves her organic approach to design, and the sculptural quality in her wok. Nick loved the way she twisted and molded the fabric but he’s gonna pass.

WHAT HAPPENED

Asha goes Team Mondo.

THE FINAL THREE — Two Must Go

AMY

During the Fabric Bolt, she scooped up a ton of fabric and then discarded most of it, thankfully, because she had some ugly-ass florals in her arms. 

When the mentors visited, Mondo worried that she’s too safe in her very simple look, but when the models come in for a fitting she has just half a bodice to try on; so she's safe and slow.

WHAT SHE SAID

I’m really happy. It looks adorable. It has that element of surprise [but] my best work doesn’t happen in six hours.

WHAT I SAID

Oh honey? A bow? No. No.

WHAT THEY SAID

Anya kind of liked it while Nick called it well-made, but not a Wow. Amy goes bottom three and begs Nick for a shot, saying this is her time, this is her dream — I half-expected a big showtune number … ♪ ♫ This is the moment, this is my dream ♫ ♪

WHAT HAPPENED

Song or not, she’s out.

REY

Man, is he a hot man. In that T-shirt, with that bald head and those beefy pecs, I think he could be this season’s Rami. 

And I kinda liked that he said he designs for “career oriented sluts.” 

Of course, this may explain why Mondo thinks he over-designs his looks in a dated kind of way, and why Anya hates his fabric choices — though it was beefy cute how he through the ugly fabrics out of the room. Nick says he wants to “mold” Rey and I looked at Carlos and said, “So do I, honey, so do I.”

WHAT HE SAID

I’m super happy looking at my look walk that runway. It showcases my tailoring skills as well as my taste.

WHAT I SAID

I like the pants but that jacket is a bad fabric choice and way too old.

WHAT THEY SAID

Nick called it: Grandma Cardigan. With only Nick left, Rey makes the hard pitch, swearing that even if he’d been picked by Mondo or Anya he’d want to be mentored by Nick

WHAT HAPPENED

Nick wasn’t buying — though he lied and called Rey’s look ‘chic.’ Rey’s out. 

Rey, of the short shorts, the fabulous legs, the beefy pecs, the hot smile and delicious accent, is out.

I think I’ll miss him most of all.

STEPHANIE

As the Mentors visit Mondo thinks she might be too quiet in her aesthetic, and that she should bring a Bam to the runway, while Nick thinks she’s safe and Anya is not a fan of her look from far away because it loses all the detail. 

This sends Stephanie into a freefall as she tries to figure out if her Wow skirt should Wow her or Wow the mentors.

Here’s a clue: Wow.The.Mentors.

WHAT SHE SAID

I am thrilled with the whole concept; like it’s exactly the silhouette I want, the detailing that is visible. She just looks so cute.

WHAT I SAID

I really like what she did, though the fabric choice is safe and dull.

WHAT THEY SAID

Mondo liked the look, while, for Anya, it was a ‘No.’ And, well, Stephanie was saved till the bottom when Anya and Mondo had already picked their whole team, so it was left to Nick.

WHAT HAPPENED

And since he apparently — or so he says — wrote LoveLoveLove on his card, Nick picks Stephanie.

MY TAKE

Why are they suddenly calling it Project Runway: Under The Gunn in the ads, and even on the website? Were the ratings so low that Lifetime felt the need to add the PR label?

Nick? Stop with the Nobody likes me because I’m not a cool kid schtick. It’s already old.

Anya kept talking about how the second group would be weak, but the teams were created randomly so how is that possible? Anya? Anya?

Now that the teams are chosen, and we get real challenges and other judges—Zanna Roberts Rassi! Love.Her—I’m hoping the show piques my interest more. Otherwise, maybe it should be Project Runway: Under The Gunn.

What did YOU think?