Since I knew that this episode would reveal the designers that will be going to fashion week, I made a ranked list of the designers from most to least favorite before I watched the episode.
1. Christopher: I've had him pegged as a top three contender from the beginning. Part of what makes Christopher impressive is that he rarely doubts his designs, his point of view, or his choices. He had moments, but he wasn't an "every challenge is a crisis" designer. It doesn't hurt that I understand and enjoy his aesthetic. On top of his talent, he also has a sense of humor and doesn't take himself too seriously.
2. Dmitry: I waffled between Sonjia and Dmitry for number two, but Dmitry's construction skills, as you know, are mind-blowing, and he's an incredibly thoughtful designer. He has a gift for tailoring that is rare, and it makes me green. I also love the fact that he's so calm all the time; he just puts his head down and gets to work. No fuss, no muss. Also he's hysterical.
3. Sonjia: Sonjia has a decent taste level and decent tailoring skills. I generally like her aesthetic and she's had a couple of pieces this season that I would buy immediately. But her design process drove me crazy. She never had a solid idea when she hit the workroom, so every challenge seemed to become a crisis.
4. Melissa: Melissa was a real hit and miss for me throughout the season. I like the idea of her aesthetic, but I can't really remember ever being very impressed with her designs. She also seems to doubt herself a lot, and of the final five she seems the least flexible or able to roll with the punches.
5: Fabio: What can I say? I could just never quite get over Fabio's South American bohemian food-from-dumpster feyness and aesthetic. Not that I'm against any of those things, I just haven't been able to come to an understanding of all these things. But he does have great hair.
This episode was the avant-garde challenge. Avant-garde is tricky on this show, because true avant-garde is about innovation and experimentation, which doesn't necessarily mean practicality or salability of the designs. Basically the judges don't really want all-out avant-garde no matter what they say, so striking a balance between wearable, innovative, and even more forward than "fashion forward" is the real challenge for the designers. The designers also had to work within the color parameters of Electric Fantasie, a new line of makeups by L'Oreal. So, there's that.
I didn't have a stand out favorite for this challenge, but Christopher and Dmitry impressed me the most.
Christopher made a black "evil crow queen" gown. The back was practically flawless. I loved the double set of hook and eyes as part of the corseting. I agreed with the judges that the bust of the bodice was lackluster in fit and proportion, and therefore a bit distracting, but it wasn't terrible. I think he was just so focused on the padded hips and explaining them to the judges that he forget to think out how everything came together overall. I didn't have a problem with the feather arm pieces like the judges did, but I personally would have left them off. (Or maybe I would have done small feathers up the back of the forearm to make it look like they were growing out of her skin à la Black Swan. You know, keeping it subtle and creepy.)
Of course Dmitry's suit was nothing but impeccable tailoring. The front tails of the jacket could have used either a little more or less structure to help them lie in a more pleasing manner. I didn't agree with the judges that the collar was unnecessary, and I think they would have said it was "too simple" if it wasn't there. It certainly added interesting texture and it was a little unexpected in shape and height for a suit jacket.
Sonjia and Fabio were on par with each other, meaning that I liked and disliked each design in equal parts.
Sonjia made a seemingly Poison Ivy inspired dress. I didn't like the her dress between the neck and the waist. The illusion/floating bodice was unflattering. I did however like the color, the high asymmetrical collar (even though it needed more structure), and the cut and fit of the skirt.
I think I liked Fabio's jacket idea more than I liked the jacket. I mean, wearing a jacket upsidedown sounds like one of the stupidest ideas, but in silhouette it worked. But the fabric looked like the kind of microsuede that is used to upholster midlevel couches. I don't even know how to address the pieces underneath the jacket--they were unflattering and messy to say the least.
I absolutely hated Melissa's design. I was shocked that three of the four judges genuinely loved it. It was confused and fussy and sloppy and not a bit fashion forward. I've certainly seen every bit of it before. Additionally the skirt was poorly finished, especially the opening in the front, and was not impressed with the bodice and vest fit in the least. Sure, she understands working with leather, but that didn't help her design in this challenge. The vest looks too...puffy. She needed some understitching.
The final four are Christopher, Melissa, Fabio, and Dmitry (Dmitry also won this last challenge). But of course, according to the preview, one of them will be eliminated before the fashion week runway show. I think either Christopher or Dmitry could win handily this season, and Melissa and Fabio are the dark horses.
This means that Sonjia went home. In the end I agreed with the judges' overall assessment of Sonjia as a designer. Even though she has talent and skills in design and construction, she really is still working out her point of view. I think that's why every challenge was a crisis for her and why Tim said she is not living up to her potential. While she is not quite ready for fashion week, I believe she will find her voice and place in the design world.
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