PR 14 Ep 7: The One Where They Turn Trash Into Fashion, er, Trashion

Apparently it’s 1977 at the Designtestants Inn, or whatever they call the place they’re being held, because there, on the counter, is an actual working Boom Box! And so naturally this starts all kinds of talk about what the challenge might be, until the designers place the appropriate cassette tape — a pre-CD or download for those of you younger kids —into the box and press play.

Heidi gives them a clue about ‘diving’ this week and then it’s off to meet Tim … in a junkyard … alongside Marie Claire editor-in-chief, Anne Fulenwider, who introduces another Unconventional Challenge.

 The designers will be dumpster diving … ah, diving … into piles of electronics from the last century, grabbing whatever they can to create a modern yet fashionable look.

After pushing their carts back to the workroom … uh huh … the designtestants have one day, and again no Mood, to complete their looks.

Let’s rip … but first: Jake asks to talk with Tim, and tells him that his beloved dog is quite ill and needs to be put down—God how I loathe that phrase—and so Jake decides to leave the show. I’m sure a lot of folks think, or thought, Jake was leaving because, seriously, he was a looooong shot to be at The Tents, but I’ll take him at his word. I know that if one of my ‘kids’ was seriously ill, I’d be on the first plane outta there too.

So now … let’s rip …

THE SAFES

CANDICE — It’s very ‘what she does’ and reminds me of her other looks, being body conscious and using lines to define a woman’s curves. We’ve seen it before and the only new thing is the Highlighted Boobies, which seems like a fail to me.

LAURIE — It’s mouse pads, and floppy ones at that, along with some sponge-painted floppy mouse pads. It’s a throwaway, seriously.

MERLINE — This is so Tim Burton … Merline Scissorhands. I love the drama and the bird wings and the gothic crowiness of it all. Sure, it’s a costume, but I love it.

THE TOPS

THE ADORABLE EDMOND™  

He’s going black again, with mouse pads; it’s a little simple and when he wonders of he should go further, Tim tell him to “Go far.” He then decides to take computer keys and glue them to the look, with the backside showing — and I won’t mention how much I’d like to see an The Adorable Edmond™  backside … oops — and then add some fringe. He leaves the back exposed, except for a mesh of crossed wires.

And, finishing early, The Adorable Edmond™  opts not to sit like Joe or smoke like Swapnil, but to make a clutch out of the trash, too.

WHAT HE SAID

I feel like it’s different and unique and fashion forward.

WHAT I SAID

I love the use of the keyboard keys but the big shoulder pads, with the fringe, kinda threw me a little.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina likes it … a lot. She says there’s interest, and loves the movement of the fringe and the keyboard details; she says it both futuristic and current. Heidi also loves it and calls it fashion forward, modern and sexy and sophisticated, but does note that when viewed up close it’s kinda falling apart. Paula Patton smiled — I got a cavity — and said she’d wear it. Zap called it wonderful — I think he’s crushing on The Adorable Edmond™ , too — and loved the mosaic details and the fact that The Adorable Edmond™  also made an accessory. Anne Fulenwider called it sexy but not cheap, and modern.

WHAT HAPPENED

Not a win, but The Adorable Edmond™  is still bringing the good design … and the sexy … to the runway.

ASHLEY

She is working with film, mainly undeveloped Polaroid film, that’s she’s smashed and is allowing the chemicals to bleed creating unique Polaroid pictures that she’s trying to make into a dress.

She asked Tim is she should keep the Polaroids all in one line, though it might not translate well as fabric, or break them up individually into a new textile. That was a great call because she ended up with a short flirty Polaroid dress with a hot little cutout.

WHAT SHE SAID

I love it! It’s fun and funky.

WHAT I SAID

This was a Wow moment, and made me smile. It could’a been too short, but it worked.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina called it very creative and kind of a memory dress because of the Polaroid film; she loved the shine and the cutout. Heidi loved it for being fun and flirty and sexy, and a great fit on the model. Zac said she really used her creativity in this one, proving she’s a great designer. Paul Patton smiled — my teeth hurt watching her — and said it was a magnificent piece of art.

WHAT HAPPENED

I kinda sorta a little bit think she got robbed, but Ashley comes in Second.

KELLY

She picked aluminum tubing to make an entire dress and I — like Tim Gunn — thought it might turn into a Lost In Space “Danger Will Robinson” moment, until Kelly began cutting the tube into small pieces and gluing them onto muslin creating a totally new texture.

Her one mistake was cutting the sides so low that the model had some serious side-boobage, but she was able to fix that with a simple strap that worked really well with the whole look.

WHAT SHE SAID

Holy sh*t! I am so proud of myself.

WHAT I SAID

It’s gorgeous, if a little bit stiff. Still, very cool transformation.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Heidi cannot believe it’s made of aluminum tubes, calling it wearable, special and chic. When she said she’d wear it out, and Nina said she wouldn’t be able to sit down, Heidi said, “Who cares! I’ll stand up and sip some champagne!” Zac loved the beauty of the textile, calling it polished and clean and futuristic; he dubbed it the Tin Man’s Girlfriend, and praised Kelly for growing as a designer. Anne Fulenwider called it armor and brave and strong, while Nina loved the color and the texture and Paul smiled.

WHAT HAPPENED

A first win for Kelly. Sure, it was a simple silhouette, but she really transformed the trash into fashion.

THE BOTTOMS

SWAPNIL 

He starts off excited, saying this is what he does, and decides to go Hard Wired Bridal, but then … he just kinda gives up. He tells Candice his plan is to be safe for a bit, then win a few challenges and then win at The Tents. Um, Swappie? When the judges realize that you’re being safe just to stay, they’ll Auf you so fast you won’t know what hit you … possibly an old keyboard from Heidi’s house.

Step.It.Up. And stop smoking. He starts with a sculptural top but considers using muslin for the skirt at which point Tim tells him ‘No,’ since that’s not the challenge. So Swapnil smokes and jokes and laughs and giggles and then doesn’t finish so he hand paints muslin for a skirt.

Step.It.Up. And stop dilly dallying.

WHAT HE SAID

I am extremely happy. It’s looking very well-made. I could win.

WHAT I SAID

The top is good, the bottom is trash. Step.It.Up.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Heidi called him out for using muslin to make the skirt, though she loved the top half. She said the bottom half looks like the bunch of wires and cables we all have behind our TVs and she’s right … I checked mine and it looked better than Swapnil’s skirt. Nina called the bottom half childish and haphazard and wondered aloud, “What happened?” Zac said he expected more and was losing his patience, warning Swapnil that playing it safe could get him Auf’d. He then said the entire look needed to be sent back to the garbage.

WHAT HAPPENED

He seriously dodged a bullet. I like him, I like his ideas, but if he thinks playing it safe will get him to The Tents — and not just at the fake shows but the real one — he has not watched a season of the PR ever.

LINDSEY

Gosh, she’s boring. At the junkyard she mutters that she’s a germaphobe and doesn’t want to dive for trash and seems out of it already. And then she tells Tim that she has a hard time working unconventionally because she’s boring … she didn’t actually say that, I was reading between the lines because she’s boring.

So she makes another sweet pale dress fit for a high school girl at prom, with keyboard keys as texture up top, and a bunch of CD sleeves tacked together for a skirt.

WHAT SHE SAID

I feel comfortable with what I made.

WHAT I SAID

It’s boring, and being “comfortable” is not a good description of a design, Lindsey.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina says it is not a favorite look, and that she could tell right away that the skirt was CD sleeves, or tissues or Kleenex; se said Lindsey didn’t transform any of the trash. Zac said the keyboard top looked like bathroom tiles and the skirt looked like a shower curtain; he called her out for lack of imagination and said she needed some Swapnil juice … causing the entire world to cringe in unison. Heidi simply labeled it frumpy and dumpy and boring.

WHAT HAPPENED

She should’a gone home except …

JOSEPH

He decides that he’ll “sex it up” this week and focuses on that idea and not transforming the trash into fashion. Big mistake. Also, he started out using painted muslin — big mistake — and was going to attach wires to it, but dropped that idea in favor of just using whole mouse pads as fabric —big mistake., He finished early, worrying that if he kept working he’d decorate it like a Christmas tree, but maybe he should’a taken a note from The Adorable The Adorable Edmond™ ™ and added an accessory to save himself. Big mistake.

WHAT HE SAID

I’ve never made anything like this before. I’ve never pushed the sexy envelope.

WHAT I SAID

Get Joe a dictionary and turn to the definition of sexy because he missed the point. This is sad and those lose wires at the bottom had me wondering if the dress was rechargeable?

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina said it was safe and not at all creative; then she threw a show at Joe. Heidi was not impressed and said the look wasn’t strong; and then she threw a shoe at Joe. Zac hated the hanging wires and said there was no imagination; and then he threw a show at Joe. Anne Fulenwider said it was very safe and not fashion forward; and then she threw a show at Joe. Paula Patton — with a smile so sweet and sickening I think I’m suddenly diabetic — loved the color; then she threw a smile at Joe.

WHAT HAPPENED

Joseph picked up the four shoes and hit the road. Auf’d. Paula Patton is still smiling.

The “Walk Back” from the junkyard never happened. Did you see the Freedom Tower as they began their trek? They were miles from the workroom and so there was not a chance in hell they actually walked back. It would have been funny to tell then they were walking but then have vans waiting, but to pretend? Stop it PR producers, stop it!

With Jake Aufing himself, I thought, “Oh sheesh, they’ll haul Blake’s whiny ass back into the workroom!” Thankfully that did not happen.

Laurie, holding the boom box: “I’m taking it back to the old school, cuz I’m an old fool who’s real cool.”

Paula Patton’s smile. It’s really sickening and childish and kinda Bride of Chucky … but then she was married to Robin Thicke so maybe … ?

The Adorable Edmond™ , unless he totally flops, will show at The Tents. Swapnil? Maybe not so much unless he, and let’s say it together, Steps.It.Up. Candice is also floating, and Lindsey will be Auf’d soon. Laurie? I can’t see it yet. Ashley? If she boosts her confidence levels, could be in the finale. Merline is a long shot.

I died when Tim called Kelly’s use of the tubing as a kind of paillette because you could tell Kelly had no idea at all what that even meant.

Next week, its Broadway, and “Finding Neverland.”

What did YOU think?