PR 16 Ep 11: I Am The Warrior

So, I was wrong last week when I thought it would be boxing; and I so hoped they’d bring back the twins so the other designtestants could take a shot at them. But this is good, too ...

They arrive at the boxing ring to find ... and this is just sacrilege ... Tim Gunn in a sweat suit. Seriously? Everyone knows, Tim Gunn does not sweat and does not wear sweats. We are all confused, until we learn that this is the Avon Make-up Challenge, of sorts. Avon supports breast cancer research and women who cannot afford breast cancer care and so there are a group of women, all fighting breast cancer, to share their stories; cut the tears from the designtestants and from yours truly.

Tim then explains that the fighters are the inspiration for this challenge: to create a high fashion editorial look inspired by these warrior women with $250 and two days to do it. But first ... the designers do get to throw some punches, at an instructor. Kentaro was cute because he hates to hit people and was so shy at punching the instructor’s hands, but Ayana lost all her modesty as she went after the guy.

Note to self: get Ayana to have your back in any fight.

Now, let’s rip ...

TOPS AND BOTTOMS

KENYA

I’m beginning to worry about Kenya because, once again, she cannot get to work; she sits and frets about an idea and what’s she’s making. If she makes it to The Tents and has to do a collection in what amounts to about a month, how will she ever finish?

Finally, she decides to do a petal detail—hasn’t she done this before?—on the shoulders to sort of mimic the strong I am woman pose; Tim seems to like it even though, and reminds her that she is the only designer left to have not won a challenge. And at that point, all she really has is an idea ... and some ugly blue fabric. No, really, I loathe that color blue and it’s all she’s got. Now I’m worried ...

WHAT SHE SAID

It totally represents who I am as a designer.

WHAT I SAID

I seriously don’t like that blue, especially all over. It doesn’t say warrior, unless it’s Flower Warrior. Still, gotta give it up to Liris who rocks any look.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Heidi says this is the first time someone got a look for Liris 100% right—and Liris says this is the moment she’s been waiting for.

Nina Garcia said this look proved you didn’t need hijinks to communicate power; there’s power in the silhouette, the color ... seriously Nina? ... and the tailoring. She was blown away by the pleating and the quilting Kenya used to make the petals and the skirt.

Guest judge, actress Rachel Brosnahan calls it stunning and, as most guest judges say at one point, she wants to wear it.

Zac Posen says Kenya delivered on the power of fashion and that this is the look he’s been waiting for Kenya to deliver.

BRANDON

Okay, Brandon has a very definite POV and a definite color palette—pale pinks and whites—that he rarely steps out of, but that’s one thing the judges want to see ... your own point of view.

But then we see that Brandon and Kentaro, The Brothers, have each created a hoodie and a turtleneck and, well, is he pushing his POV? Even Tim, who loves Brandon’s signature style, says he needs to push it more this week. And so Brandon works on creating a look that will be a “360-degree bomb.”

WHAT HE SAID

She looks killer. She’s like a Gangsta Bo Peep.

WHAT I SAID

I didn’t get the look, well, the bonnet, until he said that, and then it all worked.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Heidi says it’s “out there” even though she appreciates that he created something new and both masculine and feminine; she is not a fan of the bonnet, even though it is a great editorial piece and would photograph well.

Nina Garcia loves the juxtaposition of the millennial pink with the sport-street attitude—but also isn’t a fan of the bonnet; she loves the details, though—like the side bow—and says he has a sense of what’s happening in fashion.

Zac Posen did love the bonnet, even when it was worn down, and said Brandon hit it out of the park; and then he even said that, while poopy pants have also been a bad thing on the PR, he loves Brandon’s version of them.

Rachel Brosnahan loves the bonnet, saying it looks like a helmet and armor, and fun.

MARGARITA

Margarita is the first to tear up with the breast cancer warriors and then, back in the workroom, worries about the judges saying she doesn’t have a singular POV; she says she doesn’t need one—think again, honey—because she’s all about ideas, and says she has many voices, but a bunch of ideas is a scattered collection and no one wants to see that. Still, she comes out strong with an idea to create “contained chaos” and does an explosion of organza held in by a gold leather corset.

That took me a minute; gold leather corset? I’m not liking it.

And when Tim comes by, he looks at it, rests his head on his fingers and says he likes it. Huh? What? Huh? I thought for sure he’d dog the gold as a kind of superhero—and he didn’t mention the WW—word but thinks it’s “fantastic.”

WHAT SHE SAID

It’s powerful in my eyes.

WHAT I SAID

I’m getting ball gown cheese with a gold band and I think I know who’s out.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Zac Posen liked the draping of the skirt, but says the corset feels more clubby that warrior armor. He actually called the bustier “ugly.” Ow.

Rachel Brosnahan says she liked it better after hearing Margarita’s “contained chaos” description.

But Heidi reminds her that you don’t often hear the story before seeing the look, and without the story this is just a literal Wonder Woman dress without the bracelets. She also calls out the bad tailoring in the back; bad for a two day challenge.

Nina Garcia loved the concept but says the dress looks stuffed into the corset; stuffed chaos. Then she plays The Costume Card™ about the cliché metallic corset,

KENTARO

Right off the bat he’s thinking Japanese Samurai warrior, which is kind of his wheelhouse, but then the issues arise. He’s made the top, and the hoodie, too tight to fit over Jazzmine’s head and so he tosses them out.

And that’s not good, because Tim liked the idea and the fabrics—mostly whites and grays—though he warned Kentaro about having too many ideas, and not to resort to his old standby colors of blacks and blues.

Kentaro says he’ll make a lot of things and then edit down, but the first cut is the gray and whites, and then he digs out the blues and the blacks ....

WHAT HE SAID

She looks majestic and strong and modern.

WHAT I SAID

It’s an all black look; quite the turnaround from his original look. Maybe I see someone else going home?

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Rachel Brosnahan sees inspiration but not the model’s body or any of the details because of the black fabrics.

Nina Garcia calls it more monastic than majestic and says it would photograph like a black blob; she also wonders why it seems like a darker version of Brandon’s look.

Zac Posen worries that Kentaro cannot edit a look down; he doesn’t mind the all black, but says Kentaro needed more texture if he was going monotone.

Heidi liked it from the waist down—with the white pants beneath—but isn’t a fan of the waist up, where it was “sad;” she did love Jazzmine’s makeup.

AYANA

I think Ayana is hitting her stride at the right time. For the past few weeks she’s stepped up her game, tried something new, but still stuck to her modest POV; even the week of avant-garde she didn’t show a lot of skin.

She designs a fresh take on the power suit with a very detailed shirt ... buttonholes, cuffs, and ruffles ... oh my ... worn over cigarette pants and a skirt in a bold stripe. Tim absolutely loves it and says he’s getting chills; she is definitely stronger and more confident in her work.

WHAT SHE SAID

It’s strong, tailored and fun.

WHAT I SAID

It’s very cool, and that shirt is pretty amazing.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Zac Posen calls it “wacky, but impeccable,” and says it’s definitely editorial, though maybe not as “empowered” as the rest; still, he loves all the details and the expert tailoring.

Rachel Brosnahan agrees that it’s beautifully tailored, and says it could have gone so wrong, but turned out so bold.

Heidi, who loves showing skin, said this look pointed out how you could be powerful without showing skin; she called it strong and sexy and said it could have been very busy but it all worked.

Nina Garcia loved watching Ayana’s evolution throughout the season, from gowns to this look; she loved the masculine freshness of the piece.

It was clearly an Ayana and Brandon showdown—and I loved that they are both admirers of each other’s work—and this week was Brandon’s turn for his third win.

Kentaro and Margarita are the Bottom Two and, I’m thinking because she has no clear POV, Margarita gets Auf’d ...

“You’re not going anywhere,” Tim says, using his Tim Gunn Save™ at the last minute.

I noticed last night that this season, at the end, they are no real villains; all these designers seem to get along, and seem to like and respect one another. I used to think that’d make for a boring PR, but it doesn’t. Nice really is nice!

So, this was the Avon Makeup Challenge so I assumed there’d be a cash prize, or an Avon ad featuring the winning look, but no? Cheapskates!

When Kenya settles on the petal detail, Ayana supports her by saying she needs to find the part of the look she loves and develop that. I'm thinking that if Tim Gunn ever gets sick, or needs a day off, Ayana could fill in doing the critiques.

Lines of the Night:

Kentaro, wearing the pants Brandon designed:

“It looks like I have a huge penis.”

Kentaro, starting over after Tim’s critique:

“I make my dress like quicker than Cup of Noodle.”

But the winner is Liris, who I absolutely think is gorgeous and fierce and fabulous, with a Double Whammy of Quotes:

“I want the girls up. I want the waist snatched?"

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s about to slay them all.”

I have such a crush on Liris; almost as bad as the crush I have on Brandon, but, you know, for entirely different reasons.

When Kenya is told she’s safe, she heads back to the waiting room, and when Brandon enters and it’s clear he’s won, again, she says:

“I hate you. I hate you so much.”

And he replies:

“You really love me.”

And I said:

“I do ...”

And Carlos said:

“What did you say?”

As for The Tents it’s clearly got to be Brandon and Ayana; if they do a threesome I’m still hoping for Kentaro. A foursome? Well, I hope they don’t do it, because I’m kinda over Kenya—though she’s as sweet and funny as can be—and I agree that Margarita has no personality of design, no POV. 

I kinda wish Tim hadn't used his save, though I'm betting somewhere, in a shabby motel room in Middle America, Shawn and Claire saw that Save and shrieked like banshees.

Next week? A Snow-Way? Brrrrrrr ....

What did YOU think?