No Love Lost
Kenley confessed that she was mad at Leanne because she thinks Leanne sabotaged her outfit, saying that Leanne “didn’t sell the outfit [and] made it look like a fool’s outfit.” Leanne wasn’t the least bit bothered by Kenley’s anger, noting that Kenley’s “been disrespectful to all of us [and sometimes] outright rude.” Frankly, we’d have to go with Leanne on this as Kenley’s outfit in the last challenge was just bad, and no amount of “selling” on Leanne’s part would have saved it, and as evidenced by her behavior towards Tim Gunn, Kenley can be rude and disrespectful.
Loyal to the End
Korto decided to stay with her model, which was no surprise since Korto’s stuck with her model since the beginning. As a result, there was no models swap this week.
Nature Calls
To reveal their next challenge, Tim took the designers to the Botanical Gardens, where Collier Strong, make-up artist for L’Oreal Paris (who along with TreSemme sponsors this show), revealed that their next challenge would be to create an evening gown inspired by nature.
The Details
The designers were given cameras and one hour to roam the Botanical Gardens. Once they were done, they were given an additional 30 minutes to select one photograph to serve as their inspiration. After that, they were given $250 to buy materials and 2 days to complete their designs.
For My Mama
Korto enjoyed roaming the Botanical Gardens, saying it reminded her of the garden her mother planted when Korto was growing up in Africa. She vowed that she was going to “win this one for my mama.”
Perfectly Suited?
Kenley loved the bright, bold colors in the Gardens and said that because of the rich color palate that she could choose to work with, “this challenge is perfect for [her].”
Come to Me Lord
Korto revealed that she has had no experience making evening wear, so she really didn’t know what she was doing. She ended up asking for divine inspiration, or as she sang it, “we’re praying.”
Pettiness All Around
Kenley forgot a bag at Mood, which contained her supply of tulle. She freaked out and asked the other designers if they would sell her their unused tulle. But apparently Kenley’s built up a lot of animosity with the other designers, because no one was willing to help her out, particularly Jerell and Korto, who both had plenty of tulle they were not going to use. As Jerell put it, “[Kenley’s] not getting my tulle!” and Korto noted that she didn’t feel sorry for Kenley at all because of her “ugly attitude.” Frankly, they all looked very petty. Fortunately for Kenley, Tim Gunn continued to be awesome (despite her obnoxious rudeness to him last week) and he told her that she could go back to Mood to retrieve her missing materials.
The Dragonslayer
Not surprisingly, Jerell was not impressed with Kenley’s design, which he thought was reminiscent of “Kenley, the dragonslayer.” He couldn’t see where she was going with her “tube dress of scales” and it certainly wasn’t an evening gown.
Freeze Out
Kenley was seemingly ostracized by the other designers, who worked in compatible harmony. Kenley noted that she was used to being left out, and “[she doesn’t] know why.” We’re surprised by that statement as she should know that rudeness doesn’t tend to win one many friends.
Personality Insight?
In confessional, Kenley revealed that she’s been raised to be “tough” and that she has had to fight for a lot of things. She was raised by her father, who was a tugboat captain and growing up around him made her a little rough around the edges but she unapologetically declared – “I am who I am.”
Tim Says
Tim found the lace detail on Korto’s gown to be too dated, and Korto took his advice to heart, deciding to just use the lace as a trim. Tim said the detailing on Kenley’s dress looked like “fish scales” but Kenley insisted that it was exactly what she was going for. Tim reminded her the theme was not “nautical” and Kenley assured him she knew what she was doing. Finally, Tim warned both Leanne and Jerell about completing their gowns on time because at the time of his assessment (midday on the second day), both looked unfinished.
High Stakes
All of the designers broke down at one point or another during the challenge, noting that they really wanted to be one of the final 3 that got to go to Bryant Park. Because this was the last challenge before Fashion Week, the stakes were higher, and the pressure more intense, which would explain why all the designers were so tightly strung.
This Week’s Guest Judge. . .
. . .was Georgina Chapman, designer for Marchesa.
Lukewarm Praise
The top two designers were Jerell and Leanne. The judges thought that Jerell’s maroon/deep purple strapless gown with billowy skirt was “youthful” and the “most intriguing” design. However, his design was not quite finished and looked “messy” and like a “hack-n-sew” job had been done on parts of it. They felt that Jerell needed to work on the “finished sophistication” of his designs. Leanne’s lavender gown with pleated ruffles and structuring was deemed “a nice balance between the structure and softness.” They liked that she was showing a “softer, [more] feminine” side to her work and they could tell she “definitely has a signature” to her designs. However, they thought the gown “needed a little more work” especially in the “bustle” of her gown where it looked like she just tacked on fabric (which she admitted to doing because she had run out of time). They also noted that her structuring work was too “somber [and] sad, [and that] there’s no joy” to it.
