PR 17 Ep 7: Category Is ... Eleganza!

There was much ado about being the Top Ten, but we all know what only matters is getting to The Tents. Still, it’s getting hot up in here, and with not a lot of awful designers—though Hester skirts that category—it’ll get harder to send someone packing.

The designtestants are invited to a champagne and caviar reception with Karlie and Brandon, though any savvy PR watcher knows that’s just a set-up to the challenge. When they arrive, Karlie is being photographed by Brandon and then the designtestants are asked to join them in a photo. Afterwards, it booze and fish eggs and BAM!

Karlie tells them that this week’s challenge, also a Flash Sale challenge where the winning looks will be sold after the show, is to create a look that embraces elegance. They will each—via the Lucite Button Bag—choose another Lucite bag with an object inside and create a design that compliments that object.

Sonia picks first and goes for the Purple Rhinestone Headphones; Lela picks a small Bust of a Woman; Sebastian chooses the Pink Orchid; Bishme, a Teal Hand … handbag; Venny gets a bottle of Rosé; Jamal, a Pink Perfume Bottle; Renee goes for Lemons and Limes … is she making a margarita cuz count me in; Hester picks Peacock Feathers.

That leaves Tessa and Garo, and Tessa is not happy. Not at her handbag choices because, when the designers chose a bag, they also picked a model, and the last two models are the, ahem, ‘curvy’ girls. Tessa doesn’t do ‘curvy,’ but then Brandon jumps her shiz and reminds her:

"In life and in your businesses, when any woman comes to you, your job as a designer is to make her feel good."

Neither he nor Karlie are pleased with Tessa’s disdain, but she picks the Cash Handbag and Garo, who says he’s got no problem with a curvy girl, chooses the Silver Mirror and Brush bag.

Okay, let’s rip …

THE SAFES

SEBASTIAN I think he captured the orchid in both color and feel, though maybe he should have stepped up the coins to make it more luxe.

TESSA She put her curvy girl in a basic black outfit underneath a giant kimono; she opted for a “reveal” to show off the model’s body, but when the clothes beneath are boring, the reveal is wasted.

GARO He knew how to dress a curvy girl, to make her fell beautiful, and sexy and covered and, as he said was most important, supported. She looked, and felt, beautiful.

RENEE This is the definition of Safe; a black suit, with a splash of color. It didn’t scream eleganza as much as it screamed ‘Where’s my phone?’

TOPS AND BOTTOMS

JAMALL

Once again, after last week’s disastrous suit mess, Jamall wants to make a suit, He whips out the muslin and begins cutting tit and fitting it to the mannequin until Christian comes along. Christian is not having it; he pushes Jamall to dump the stale, boring suit, and to just drape the fabric over the mannequin and see what happens.

Lightbulbs go off. And later, when Christian sees Jamall’s new look, he calls it stunning.

WHAT HE SAID

This is the most complete look I’ve made yet.

WHAT I SAID

It looks like an odd fit around the waist, but I love the style, the flip-flopping of the plaid, and the fact that we didn’t get another suit!

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon toys with Jamall, drawing out his critique until he finally says, “I’m so in love with this.” He calls it “so right,” and is happy Jamall found his way. Elaine said that after weeks of competition this outfit is the most Jamall, and that it references his gender fluid mentality toward fashion. Nina loved that Jamall took a man’s fabric, the plaid, and made a very feminine look. Karlie also agreed that it’s a total Jamall look and noted that up close it looks even better.

BISHME

This is his week to struggle. While he’s very good at streetwear, I think the elegant idea flummoxed him a bit. He also bought several fabrics at Mood, mostly to have a choice, but sometimes too many choices stop the creativity. He’s chosen to make a printed blouse and a high-low skirt, but then ….

Christian spots his look and wonders why there are so many fabrics; he warns Bishme to edit his look. Christian is also worried that the skirt is not refined or elegant. Bishme changes direction again.

WHAT HE SAID

I do not have something that fully represents my version of elegance.

WHAT I SAID

The printed blouse makes it hard to see the detail, and the plain skirt makes every detail jump out … high-low, culotte, skort, flaps … what is it?

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon said it wasn’t streamlined enough, with the high waist, the asymmetry, the ruffles; he said it seemed clear Bishme didn’t know what to make. Elaine thought the blouse was well-made but got lost in the Skirt of Many Ideas. Nina also loved the draping of the blouse but thought a different print might have shown it off better; she didn’t think this was a real Bishme. Karlie asked, “Am I crazy? Because I think the skirt is good.” Brandon replied, “Yes, you’re crazy.”

LELA

Finally, a visit to the Critique Runway for Lela. She’s been safe, or non-existent for most of the season, so this might be good.

With her Bust in a Handbag, she opts for a tea0lnght structured dress with corseting, and some organza to bring in a Greek revivalist tone. It’s very simple compared to others in the room.

WHAT SHE SAID

I really went for it this week. Minimal, chic.

WHAT I SAID

I rarely put the phrase ‘went for it’ with ‘minimal’ but I like the look and the shape and the simplicity. It is elegant.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina likes the corsetry and the accentuated hips, and the graphic design, but hated the , um, toilet paper top. Brandon, though, like the toilet paper … “very expensive toilet paper.” Elaine loved the graphic structure of the look and called it regal. Up close Karlie hated the fabric and thought it now looked cheap, and Nina agreed that up close the fabrics seemed tortured.

HESTER

She has immunity and so she’s going balls to the wall, or, as Sebastian noted, “titties on the runway.”

Her idea of elegant, and this is where she loses it instantly, is a gown … with pasties to cover the model’s nipples because nothing says ‘elegant’ that shopping where a stripper goes for her uniform. Especially when you glue the pasties onto the model. But Christian seemed to like the idea—though perhaps in theory it would have worked, in execution it was  mess—but wondered if it was ‘cool’.

WHAT SHE SAID

It’s so bonkers bananas.

WHAT I SAID

Waist down? Eleganza, though the fabric wasn’t a favorite. Up top? The little Chinese hats covering the nipples were simply stupid.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Elaine said she took a big risk with a brilliant idea that suffered through bad execution and puckering. Nina also noted the poorly executed messiness. While Brandon was not amused at all, calling it disrespectful to her own creativity and to the work. He was not having the “two taffeta fortune cookies”. Karlie rightfully noted that Hester was lucky to have immunity.

SONIA

Like Lela, Sonia has been rather safe this season, so now she also wants to step up and out. With the Headphones Handbag as inspiration, she’ll make a mod, young DJ in a tailored dress and kimono.

Christian isn’t quite seeing mod and young, but hopes the kimono, or the one-sided kimono, will save the look.

SPOILER ALERT: it does not. Sonia ends up running out of time making a tailored dress and so the kimono is left by the wayside, only to be retrieved, cut up again, and worn as some kind of Raggedy Ann scarf by the model.

WHAT SHE SAID

I wish I had the kimono, but I think the dress is really beautiful.

WHAT I SAID

It’s a gorgeous cocktail dress for an Upper east Side matron, but not at all for a hip young DJ. It’s a well-made miss.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon said it was beautiful, though it wasn’t really an idea; he also noted that it was well constructed. Elaine wanted the kimono because, without it, it was nothing. It wasn’t DJ, it was boring. Nina said it wasn’t modern or elegant, but that it was just safe, and cliché. Karlie hated the Last Minute Wizard Cape and wondered why Sonia, who makes gorgeous dresses, gave them this.

VENNY

He is also on Redemption Tour, though he’s also going by way of Restraint. He wants to make a fun cocktail dress to play off the Rosé Handbag but will keep it clean and simple.

Then he almost destroys himself because he wants to make the straps bigger and longer and I’m thinking he’s going off the rails again, but he stops short and keeps them simple.

Which may have been a good thing, because at the last-minute fitting, he breaks the top off the zipper and the model cannot take the dress off. He has to hand sew the straps on in the hallway right before the runway; luckily Jamall offers to help.

WHAT HE SAID

I hope the judges see a complete 180 from me, and that I can show restraint.

WHAT I SAID

It doesn’t hurt that his model is stunning, but it also doesn’t hurt that this is a gorgeous dress in a gorgeous color and is simply elegant.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Karlie loved it, saying she could “Rosé all day.” She loved that it was simple and loved the color. Brandon hated the straps hanging down the back but loved the way it framed the model’s shoulders’ all in all, he said it was a good comeback. Elaine loved that he pulled back on the design and said this was a look that many women would want. Nina loved the rosé color, mixed in with the hints of red, and was also glad that Venny found his voice again.

Hester went home for nipples!

Sadly, no, because immunity was in play; she was lucky. So, it comes down to Bishme and Sonia, and in the end, Bishme’s ‘designed’ blouse won out over Sonia’s simple, safe dress.

On the top side, Lela was safe, and it comes down to the Redemption Twins. Venny’s straps may have done him in, or Jamall’s use to the fabric may have sent him over the edge, because Jamall gets a well-deserved win.

I don’t like Tessa. After being called out by Brandon over her ‘curvy girl’ remarks, she doesn’t see the error of her ways, she’s only worried that her disdain for big girls will make her a target. I also didn’t like how she dogged Garo’s look on his ‘curvy girl, because he made his model look and feel sexy and gorgeous and elegant while her model looked like she might try to steal a microwave from Walmart by hiding it under her coat. A glimpse into next week shows some of other designers coming for Tessa and I’m there for that.

LINES OF THE NIGHT

Jamall, after getting his groove back:

“I feel like a whole new bitch.”

Bishme, when he was changing his ideas non-stop:

“Maybe I’m Hester-ing?”

Lela is so prim. I was amazed watching her eat in the Designtestants Penthouse; so prim and proper. I wonder what she thinks of Hester.

Here’s what I think of Hester. This week she went back to ‘Look at me, I’m daring and bold and avantgarde and cutting edge.’ Except she was tasteless and  refusing to listen to the challenge. Pasties are not elegant. And her whole personal runway appearance, dressing like she was the Bad Girl, the Rebel. It’s too much about Hester and not enough about the clothes and the challenge.

With Jamall and Venny back in form, I’d like to see them at The Tents; with Sebastian because, of course. Lela will probably go next week if she plays it safe. Tessa will go down if she doesn’t get a ‘skinny girl’ while Hester may burn out over the crazy. Renee is good, but she’s been too safe; I need her to be the next to step up. And that goes for Bishme, too.

Listen to the sages of the PR: design what you know in the challenge. Don’t change yourself to fit the category.

Next week: Mimi-collections for a celebrity on vacation. Ooh, is Mayim Bialik going to Croatia?

What did YOU think?