PR 17 Ep 10: Just.Cause.

As the show starts, Tessa is crying … because Lela’s gone, because she was in the bottom, because there are more men than women, because she wants to draw attention. Pfft.

Luckily, Christian comes backstage to tell the designtestants that their next challenge starts right now and to get back on the runway. Tessa asks if it’s okay to go out since she’s been crying. Seriously? This is reality TV; they live for that.

Anyhoo, Karlie and Elaine come onto the runway in clothes with statements printed on them and are joined by models in similarly stated shirts … “Feminism is for all genders” … “I can’t breathe” … “Time’s Up” … “D.A.R.E.” … “Black Lives Matter”… “Equality.” Elaine asks the designers what they stand for and then schools the designtestants on the history of fashion as a political platform.

And there’s the challenge: design a high-fashion interpretation of a cause that they care about. Elaine, who merged fashion and politics in her leadership at Teen Vogue, will mentor the designers during the creative portion of the show and this is where I fall in love with Elaine; she’s smart, compassionate, she listens to the designers, and she offers good sound advice other than the usual “Go for it.”

They have 2 days and $250 dollars to start a riot. But there's a Monkeywrench™:

In the middle of the first day, Christian reveals that the designtestants will have to dress a second model on the challenge … themselves. And they will have to create their own statement T-shirt … and they will have to walk the runway.

Okay it was a tiny monkeywrench, because graphic designers come in to chat with the designtestants and they make the T-shirts. Still, Sebastian on the catwalk? Oh honey …

Let’s rip …

SAFES

HESTER--left

Hester’s issue is marriage equality and I’m confused since we have it already; then she flops it to LGBTQ rights, and finally settles on ‘It’s okay to be gay.’. She talks to Elaine about a faux fur coat made of tulle and Elaine warns her not to spin out like a certain rooster from last week. Elaine mutters, “Grrrrll,” and is off.

Hester’s tulle coat is hot pink, with rainbow sleeves and a sheer back that reads “Gay AF” which is hard to see or read. I need it immediately. Underneath, the model is wearing a tight skirt and crop top in neon. It’s a bit much and a bit safe—for Hester—al at the same time.

TESSA--right Tessa wants to make “a black dress honoring women’s rights and sexual, mental, physical abuse.” She'll embroider a female shape onto the dress which will be revealed when the model opens the flap front of the look. Elaine likes the box shape and says it’s akin to saying society keeps women in a box.

Before hitting the runway,  Tessa's model, Asia, opens the square front panel of the dress behind the screen to show off the word “Mine” cut out at the bottom. Nina likes that Tessa kept her minimalist aesthetic, but guest judge and fashion designer Aurora James is over “designers telling women what their body shape should look like.” She also questions the covering and uncovering.

TOPS and BOTTOMS

GARO

He’s all about the bees; no bees, no pollination; no pollination, no food; no food, Soylent Green! It’s people!

And since he’s doing bees, he’ll use black and yellow. Elaine warns him about the costume aspect of the color palette, and he says the dress will mostly be black. He’s also doing … wait for it, it’s a stunner … another corset.

Christian worries about the simple—now mostly yellow—dress and Garo says he’ll put a flounce along the bottom. A flounce? I say. Flounce? Christian is also worried that his look is too similar to other things he’s already shown.

Garo makes a misstep. The tallow dress; the black stitching; the purse handle straps. I’m scared.

WHAT HE SAID

Looking at my dress, it’s obvious I made a bee costume.

WHAT I SAID

He gets it. Too late, but he gets it.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

To Brandon the shoulder straps and the hem are too costume like a “weird, Elizabethan highlighter saleswoman.” Nina notes that Garo is technically very good, but he needs to step up the design and stop relying on corsetry. Elaine says it looks out of touch and a costume; she warned him. Karlie notes that the whole look is unflattering, and Aurora simply says, “It’s bad.”

BISHME

He’s going back to Baltimore, an idea that helped him score a win already this season. He says Baltimore gets a bad rap and since he works  with the youth in the city, he focuses on inspiring them to ‘blossom.’ He opts for a purple gown with a floral detail on one shoulder.

Christian, though, isn’t having it. He questions the how the purple pencil skirt inspires kids; there’s no joy, ease, or movement. It’s too “lady.” Bishme admits he’s trying too hard to edit, but Christian pushes to add the kids in somewhere, and Bishme uses sequins to put the faces of children on the dress.

WHAT HE SAID

It turned out better than I expected.

WHAT I SAID

Vast improvement over the original look. The faces are amazing, and the floral band is the perfect blossom.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Aurora says that the dress made her emotional and she wants it; “I would wear it tomorrow.” Nina loves the shoulder detail and the connection between Bishme’s t-shirt and the gown. Karlie loves the tie-in between the cause and the look and loves the glamour of it all. Brandon notes the dress is well-made and tells a great story.

SEBASTIAN

Sebastian wants to stand for equality but doesn’t know where to begin. Elaine pushes him to be more vulnerable, talking about the importance of his being on the show for gay men, Latinos, Colombians. Sebastian starts to cry and then the idea hits him: color, skin color. He’ll make a column dress in various tones of skin colors … we are all the same, even if our skin is a different shade. His statement t-shirt—my favorite—features different skin tones and the letters DNA in red.

Christian loves the idea and the designs, but, quite plainly, doesn’t see his own skin color in the look; he urges Sebastian to put more tones in the look.

WHAT HE SAID

My garment looks amazing. I see all the elements and appreciate the message.

WHAT I SAID

It’s stunning. It’s definitely a Sebastian piece. And the idea, his t-shirt, and his walk are perfection.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon at first thinks it’s different fabrics, but Nina tells him it’ the same fabric in different tones, layered one atop the next. Nina sys it’s beautiful, elevated, and poetic. Aurora James loves his t-shirt but isn’t as fond of the look up close. Elaine agreed that the design isn’t her favorite, but the story was amazing.

VENNY

He’s doing a puffer jacket because his cause is stereotyping; puffer coats and hoodies seem to be a stereotype of black people, and he wants to show that under the puffer coat can be an entirely different person. His story is based on the fact that a woman he’d only spoken to on the phone was surprised to find out he was black because :he didn’t sound black.”

Venny makes the colossal error of working on the dress first, when the jacket, and even the removal of the jacket, is what makes the statement. It’s only when Christian pints that out that Venny starts on the coat, but by then it’s too late. It’s less puffer and more bomber; there’s no hoodie; the zipper on the dress is put in wrong so he doesn’t want the model to remove the coat when the removal of the coat is the statement.

I’m sorry. I love Venny. But he’s going down.

WHAT HE SAID

The original idea is not what’s going down the runway.

WHAT I SAID

It’s sad. And then he put a white shoe on it. Oh Venny.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Elaine thinks the message was muddled—Venny’s t-shirt read “I have a name,” and it was perfect. Nina noted the problem with proportion, and that he was hiding the model under his oversize bomber jacket … which should have come off! Venny gets emotional, and Aurora tells him that he’s going to nail the jacket another time, as long as he keeps working from his heart.  Karlie and Brandon pointed out that it was poorly made and unfinished.

JAMALL

He’s thinking of his brother in prison and of the Black Lives Matter movement and the stereotypical conception of black men as being dangerous and not in danger. He tells Elaine he wants to make another puffer look and I worry he’s becoming like Garo and the Corsets—a great name for a band I might add.

But when explains that the puffer acts as a kind of protective armor for so many black people and Elaine is totally onboard. Jamall also sees the puffer as a strong symbol of black masculinity, but he wants to bring out the royalty and beauty in black culture.

And he does; the look is puffer eleganza; royal to a t … shirt, which reads “My Royal Story…”

WHAT HE SAID

I am very proud. The piece is strong.

WHAT I SAID

I am now a fan of the puffer, as long as it looks as elegant and regal and Jamall made this one.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina says she sees the streetwear reference, but she’s not seeing the reference to his statement, until he explains it. She still thinks Jamall hasn’t found himself yet. Elaine also loved the high fashion look, and knowing the story, loves the statement, too. Karlie noted how the fabric became ‘royal’ thought the design. Brandon loved the idea of the beauty through the struggle. Aurora loved the statement, and the elegant dress with the kind of seat-belt belt.

The Tops are Bishme, Sebastian and Jamall, and for once I am fine with whomever gets the nod.

And once again Baltimore brings it home for Bishme. He deserved it; his exuberance in the looks and in his attitude really secured this one.

Now, it’s down to Garo, the corset costumer, and Venny, the sweet man who can’t seem to edit or finish his looks. It all boils down to technique and the end results, and so Garo is Safe, and Venny goes home.

This was an all Bishme episode. He was funny, nervous, talkative, worried, exasperated, dancing, singing, jouyous. He was just adorable, and I'm glad he won; his deisgn and his cause are worth it.

I’ll miss Venny; he was just so sweet. I loved that, as he was cut, Brandon congratulated him on the journey from accountant—yes, he was an accountant—to fashion. Venny says …

“One thing that I’ve learned is I have it in me. As my shirt says, ‘I have a name,’ and you’ll definitely know it.”

Now, sashay, away. Wait; that’s a different show. Bye, Venny.

I was annoyed by Tessa co-opting Elaine’s thoughts on her dress. Seeing the design in the workroom, Elaine loved the box shape, noting that society often keeps women in a box. That idea never occurred to Tessa and yet she presented it on the runway like it was her own. I’m not a fan.

Swatch sighting! Finally!

LINES OF THE NIGHT

As the challenge is revealed on the runway, Elaine and Karlie note the serious look on Bishme’s face. But when he says he’s not worried, but that he’s already designing in his head, Karlie notes his:

“Resting Bishme face.”

Loved it!

Taking selfies with their models for the runway presentation, Sebastian worries about how it will look:

“I don’t know what’s my good side. Maybe it’s inside?”

Honey, it’s outside, and dreamy, and inside, and dreamy.

The Tents? Right now, it seems like a Bishme-Jamall-Sebastian show, unless Bishme reverts back to too much, Jamall goes off the rails into Bad Taste Land, and Sebastian goes too safe.  Garo needs to stop the corset, unless it works in the design, and stop the costume. Tessa needs to bring something besides black and simple and shapeless and Hester needs to … well, go. I don’t like cartoons.

Next week … the designtestants create a dream dress for the women who run NYC. Oh, honey, not the high-powered movers and shakers, but cops and sanitation workers, teachers and more!

What did YOU think?