PR 17 Ep 11: ♫ ♪ If You Can Make It There ...♪ ♫

This week starts off with a text from Christian asking the designtestants to meet him at his atelier; I looked up atelier … a workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer. Just as I thought. But then they arrive at Christian’s “workshop” and it is stunning; five floors of gorgeous clothes and fabrics and architecture; stun-ning.

You get the feeling that this will be avantgarde this week, but … the designtestants will be designing for “real” women, who run NYC. Not the rich and powerful, movers and shakers, but women who work in the Department of Sanitation, for the NYPD, at the Post Office, as an EMT, in a school, and as a deckhand on a ferry.

Garo is paired with Debra, from the Post office; Hester gets Police Officer Dina; Sebastian gets Nicole, who is a streetsweeper for the Department of Sanitation; Tessa is given EMT Maria; Jamall gets Angela a ferry boat deckhand,  and Bishme gets Jaclyn, a schoolteacher.

They have two days and $300 to make a “dream” dress for a real woman. What could possibly go wrong? Tessa.

Let’s rip …

TOPS AND BOTTOMS

Garo

They hit it off like gangbusters; Debra, on her feet all day delivering the mail wants to “float like an angel” dressed in sparkles, and having every head turn when she walks into the room. A very tall order.

There is some discussion about color; she wants pink and he wants a cool blue, so … he’ll make two dresses and let her choose. Again, tall order. But luckily Christian comes in and when he sees the pink, and the other pinks and reds throughout the room he urges Garo to get rid of the pink and focus on the blue.

And Debra loves the color and the fit and the detachable chiffon cape …cape. She wanted to float down the runway.

WHAT HE SAID

I feel so good because she feels so good.

WHAT I SAID

I am not a fan of this kind of electric blue, but man does Debra work that cape and that runway; and the dress is gorgeous.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Guest judge, from Orange is the New Black, Danielle Brooks loves  the corset—of course there was a corset! She also loves the cape and wants to wear it! Nina is impressed, especially since she critiqued Garo last week as being too costume. Elaine thinks Debra looks like a million bucks, and Brandon said, “This is how I want my mail delivered.” He also points out the finished edge of the chiffon—which will become relevant … Tessa. Karlie loved that he listened to his client and gave her what she wanted and what he wanted to create.

Hester

Her client is Officer Dina who, after wearing a uniform all day long wants something sexy, off-the-shoulder and backless. This seems easy enough, but where will Hester put the crazy in this design?

Hint: she won’t. And that makes her crazy. Hester is a stressed, but does not cry, about the conventional nature of Dina’s wish for a hot pink bodice and long skirt, but Dina seems happy. And Hester does do some Hester-ish things to the look, like add the straps and the laced back, but, still, it’s simple.

WHAT SHE SAID

I know it’s not as hip as it could be.

WHAT I SAID

This is proof that Hester cannot rein in the crazy even a little; this could have been sexy and kooky and fun, but it missed the mark.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

 Nina thinks she looks glamorous and comfortable, but Brandon doesn’t see Hester in the look at all and worries that she tried too much to please the client and forgot her own quirk. Danielle noted what seemed like a lack of communication between designer and client.

Sebastian

He gets to design for Nicole, a sanitation worker, who takes him for a ride in her streetsweeper. Nicole, who is not yet engaged, wants Sebastian to design her a pink, puffy, retro, sparkly, princess engagement dress to make this dream happen.

Sebastian works her dress, but he’s not seeing himself, or his aesthetic in the look, and Christian comes by to save the day, telling Sebastian that the dress is everything the client wanted, but is it a modern take, as is Sebastian’s style.

Lightbulb.Moment. Sebastian does his stitching technique and creates a modern, architectural floral detail at the waist, and a strap around the shoulders. Nicole loves it and slays the runway with her stylish walk.

WHAT HE SAID

I don’t feel scared at all because I made my client happy.

WHAT I SAID

It is very princess, but it’s got a hard edge to it that makes it updated retro princess. Who knew there was such a thing?

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Brandon instantly sees a pageant girl in Nicole’s walk and spins and twirls, and he loves the look on her. Nina says that Sebastian always delivers and loves the back and the hard-edged bow. Elaine, though, feels it’s a poodle skirt—and what’s wrong with that—while the other judges disagree. Danielle says it’s a real dream dress and Karlie loves its pizazz!

Tessa

Her client is Maria, an EMT, who wants something girly and feminine to wear; short, and pink. Tessa instantly tells her she does minimal looks in black and gray and black and gray it is, even if Maria doesn’t want it.

Then Tessa’s idea of a dream dress is a jumpsuit because she doesn’t work well with clients or anyone who doesn’t do what she wants. In the end, she tells Maria that her feminine short pink dress will be a black and gray pantsuit with a detachable skirt.

When Christian visits Tessa she says Maria wanted the dark colors and the pants, but Christian reminds her: Tessa is forced to rip up the pants and create a dress; using the same idea that Sebastian gave her in a team challenge weeks ago.

But, and this is an odd choice, Tessa will add strips of chiffon, in browns and pale pinks to a belt with hooks on it because nothing says girl feminine like a utility belt? And since Tessa doesn’t hem, she uses pink hem tape as a splash of color; yes, she thinks that’s a splash. But she also leaves the edges of chiffon raw and they begin to shred right before the runway so, to Christian’s horror, she starts cutting them off.

Seriously. This girl is a mess.

WHAT SHE SAID

Maria looks awesome, sophisticated and sexy.

WHAT I SAID

For the love of god Tessa, what dress are you seeing?

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Karlie thinks this is more of Tessa’s dream dress, and Maria says she wanted pink. Tessa begins to sweat and lie, saying Maria asked for black—go back, watch the episode and you’ll never hear Maria say that. Danielle says she clearly didn’t satisfy the client, and Nina says it’s a lack of passion on Tessa’s part, and notes that up-close the look is an unfinished mess. Brandon once again notes the hems and Tessa lies again, about the pop of color and how everyone uses hem tape, and how the chiffon shredded—though, as I noted earlier, Brandon had pointed out Garo’s perfectly hemmed chiffon.

Jamall

He gets the ferry deckhand, Angela, who wants a red prom dress with a train and sheer arms—she hates showing her arms. Jamall, like Tessa, doesn’t ‘do’ clients and so he is stumped from the jump.

Christen notes that the dress is shapeless and far too simple. Jamall is lost, and behind schedule, and cannot make any kind of covering for the girl’s arms, and cannot sew a zipper in the right way, so it’s lumpy and puffy—and not in the good puffy Jamall way—in the back. Also, Angela thinks the top is loose and she’s afraid that with no sleeves to hold I up it’ll come tumbling down; Jamall adds a strap in there somewhere.

WHAT HE SAID

I’m not feeling confident in my construction. And she looks uncomfortable.

WHAT I SAID

How can he take a simple column dress and turn it into a torture chamber for his client?

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Nina notes that Angela seems uncomfortable and calls the dress a mess that is falling apart. picks up on this, too. Elaine agrees, saying  Jamall’s execution on curvy women is not up to par. Brandon points out that Jamall used a non-stretch fabric on a body-conscious dress: Design 101.

Bishme

His client is Jacklyn, a schoolteacher. She wants something sky blue and flowy dress, but would like a little skin, and a little sexy, too. And she is so pleased after the fitting that she writes him a lovely note, thanking him for his time and talent.

Christian, though, is worried that it looks a little too Disney princess, but if it’s what the client wants, and Bishme put himself in it, and sold it, it’s a win. But then, at the final fitting, Jaclyn worries about the plunging neckline and asks about a chiffon covering for the bodice; Bishme gives her that, but points out that it’s a slightly different blue, and they both agree to scrap it.

WHAT HE SAID

I’m feeling everything.

WHAT I SAID

It is kinda princess, but there’s some sex appeal working in there. A PG-13 Disney princess.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Elaine noticed the great relationship between client and designer, which resulted in a dress they both like. Nina loves the gathering at the waist and calls it an elegant look Karlie also noted that it was classy and elegant and still sexy.

Bishme and Hester are Safe, with Jamall and Tessa rightfully in the Bottom. Sebastian and Garo have the two best looks, and despite Elaine’s poodle comment, the judges give the top spot to Sebastian.

As for who goes home? In a perfect world, Tessa would leave because, while Jamall may have flaws, he designs and listens while Tessa lies and manipulates.

Sadly, though, it was Jamall’s time, and the judges give him a warm sweet sendoff.

Tessa flat-out lied saying her model wanted a dark dress. Flat out. And she lied earlier in the day when she said this would be her first black look; the others pointed out that many of her looks are black and she said they were wrong. Go back, Tessa, when you lose and look at the tape, and note how many times you lied about color, and choices and how unfinished hems are your thing.

Be gone.

I loved that teacher Jaclyn gave Bishme this math problem:

“A bat and two balls cost one dollar and ten cents. The bat is a dollar more than the ball. How much is the ball?”

Bishme first says ten-cents, but when he learns the answer is five-cents he’s stunned, and then proceeds to ask all the other designers the same question. No one got the answer, but I believe Tessa lied and said she did.

Christian’s atelier was spectacular, so I found a few photos; elegant, whimsical, glamorous, old New York townhouse stunning.

Lines of the Night

Tessa, after telling Sebastian his look is “pretty”—Tessa speak for she hates it, tells him:

“My goal with this is to please Brandon.”

Sebastian asks:

“What about the client?”

And that’s Tessa.

Bishme, after Christian sees what he calls sky blue fabric in his hands at Mood:

“I liked you better at the office.”

But Christian may be right …?

The Tents? Bishme, Garo and Sebastian. Tessa needs to be tossed aside quicker than last week’s unhemmed minimalist black mess, while Hester cannot design if she can’t do crazy, and if she wants to succeed, she needs to be pliable in design style and aesthetic.

Next week, it’s some weird fashion show in a box idea which I don’t yet understand, and we get what looks like Sebastian quitting. And unless he’s quitting to come to Smallville, then I need that shiz to stop.

And I need Tessa to go.

No, seriously, get her off the show.

What did YOU think?