Designers, there are only two episodes left and I am still wondering who, out of the
Final Five, will finally send something absolutely WOW down the runway!?? Who will go on to
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week? Will it be Mondo? Andy? April? Gretchen, Michael? That's a whole load of questions without any answers yet. In the meantime Heidi sends the Final Five to NYC's opulent Mandarin Oriental Hotel for some champagne, toasts, and relaxation. Nursing massive hangovers the next morning (just joking), the designers meet Mayor Bloomberg so he can present them with the final challenge: Design a look that's inspired by
New York City!
With the entire City at their disposal, the designers wander around their favorite spots in search of inspiration. Michael is literally inspired by Miss Liberty's drapery, April and Mondo analyze the linear structure of the Brooklyn Bridge, Andy breathes in Central Park's nature, and Gretchen stumbles down the the Lower East Side...One last trip to Mood and someone better have some fabulous fabric hiding in their bag. Or else. And yet I'm seeing lots of boring black around the workroom, and Gretchen is designing some awful boring separates in maroon tones. Tiiiiiiiim we need you!! Finally Tim checks in and informs Michael the sea of black fabric attempting to be a dress he's working on looks like a "tortured mess." Then it's on to Andy's slutty cocktail dress and Tim warns him against going all "
Real Housewives of New Jersey." Let 'em have it Tim!
Final Runway Show Time arrives and I'm absolutely dreading what the judges are about to see. I want them to be wowed, yet I'm almost certain they won't be. Almost everyone's made something safe and black, and Tim must be seething inside with disappointment.
And now I'm about to have a major prophetic moment: I say out loud that I've never longed to see and hear
Christian Siriano more than at this very moment. And then BAM!!!!The camera pans over to guest judge Christian Siriano and I almost fall off the couch. Just to clarify, I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA who the guest judge was this week. I need to take a moment......!
On the Runway: Just look at Michael's basic-looking draped black dress, for me it's so blah. Gretchen's leather jacket and skirt separates look more like career-Midtown than Lower East Side, while Andy's back-slashed warrior dress is shiny and fierce. Mondo's graphic mixed textiles dress is cute and architectural, but I don't love it, nor do I like the fit. April's gauzy dress looks like everything else she's made this season...
What do the judges think? Michael Kors loves Mondo's houdstooth/patterned dress, Nina and Christian loves Andy's edgy body-con dress, Michael Kors thinks Gretchen has ran out of steam and her look is more secretarial than downtown, and he also agrees that April has made the same joyless version of this "preganant witch" dress over and over again. And last but not least Gaaah! Michael Kors, and everyone else, loves Michael C's blah draped dress. What the hell?
After Heidi plays the annoying "which two designers should go with you to Fashion Week" game with the designers, it's the moment of truth.
Who's going to Fashion Week? As the guitar strums notes of major chords in the background it's
Congratulations to Michael C, Mondo, and Andy. And oh yeah, Gretchen. Auf Weederzane April, best of luck.
...And stay tuned for next time when Tim makes some house calls!!
