This week's challenge was all about making Haute Couture, the judges want something Avant Garde, which if properly interpreted means make something big and fabulous and completely unwearable, after all it's the look and big reaction that they want and they want it fabulous. Here's the kicker, the outfits need to be inspired by the model's hairstyle... and surprise, the designers get to team up. It is a team challenge yes but we are told only one designer will be going home.Names are drawn out of a bag (velvet of course) and we have: Rami & Sweet P, Ricky & Kit, Victorya & Jillian and Chris & Christian. Team leaders are decided (painfully it seemed and with much trepidation), models are chosen, designs are sketched and we are off to get our fabric and then back to the studio to get down to it.
Of course there is always more to the challenge than it seems, and at the 11th hour Tim throws more grease on the fire and tells the teams to make a ready to wear (ie: off the rack) version that is inspired by their design that the other model will wear. Thankfully there is time to get more fabric because some of these teams are going to town with their big over the top design.
Most of the teams didn't get the challenge, and instead we got a bunch of boring crap that either repeated looks that we have seen before and before (I am talking to you my former favorite Rami), or they completely missed the boat (and that of course would be Kit and Ricky)... anyways....
Team Fierce (the over confident Christian with the fun & games Chris) hit all the right notes with layer after layer of organza (45 yards) that is an astounding work of art. The framing that Chris put together is phenomenal and you know that his experience in making over the top drag costumes really helped out. Their ready to wear part of the equation draws enough of the elements to make it work, although the skirt is very simple it's still fierce enough to win. The guys did a great job, but I find I am pulling way more for Chris to win now as Christian is really starting to get on my nerves.
Team Victorya & Jillian (or Team the bland leading the bland) did a great jacket (killer, inspired by the mohawk hairstyle) but their ready to wear dress was so second thought (and came out of no where) that they were good enough to stay in the competition but didn't win. Jillian is so monotone that I struggle to stay awake when she talks. It's. like. she. takes. a. breath. between.every.word. and she is driving me fricking crazy.
I was so disappointed with Rami this episode. In the space of one hour he went from being my favorite hunky designer to being an overbearing control freak that brought his partner to tears.Yes we know you can drape fabric Rami, but please do something different (was it me or even the color looked the same as last week?) and he treated Sweet P like crap. At least she got some nice feedback from the judges for her work (the ready to wear) and they are still in the competition.
Which brings us to the disaster that we call Ricky and poor Kit. Bad design choices, I mean a hoop dress with layers and layers of aprons is not Haute Couture....I have never heard the word cheap used to much in the judging of a garment... and I think that Kit got the boot because she was team leader. Ricky dodges another bullet, but surely he must be running out of lives eventually.
