Each team had to make a cohesive line of six looks with items from a hardware store and a floral shop. As predicted, the teams also had a shakeup and were rebalanced. Stanley and Layana landed on Dream Team, and Michele was scooched over to Keeping It Real. Stanley really took charge of KIR; he dictated a theme of vintage Dior and a pastel color palette, and everyone fell in line and got it done. (Stanley's decisiveness and big picture mindedness might put him in the final three.) Meanwhile DT had no theme and it took a toll on their cohesion, meaning their line was not cohesive.
The judges decided not to pick a "losing" team, because both teams did well, which was a joke since someone still had to go home from the "second place" team, KIR. But it is true that both teams did really well.
DT's Dior theme really paid off for them. It was smart to create classic, familiar silhouettes with unconventional materials. Despite all the talk of creativity and thinking outside the box, the truth is that most people really want at least one familiar aspect involved. I believe it makes people feel safe and grounded in a small way.
Samantha won the challenge, but she didn't made it into my top three. The funny thing is that when she started struggling with her original design I thought, "She should just finish the top and make a simple pencil skirt to finish the outfit," which is exactly what she did. I really loved the look of the layered leaves under the skirt, but the hem should have been a baby hem (if possible), or at least no more than an inch. The overall silhouette was particularly lovely, but I didn't see anything particularly special about the bodice mix of materials. Nothing was bad, it simply wasn't for me.
The way Layana communicates with other people rubs me the wrong way. (We all know those people that seem sugary sweet, then one day you realize that they're just saying foul things with a sweet voice and out of a sweet face.) But the twig cage she built really was beautiful. The colors, silhouette, and proportions were all spot on, and the details were surprising and beautiful.The overlap of the textures on the bodice was particularly inspired.
Stanley's dress was meticulous without being fussy. Every piece of flora was placed carefully, thoughtfully, and in great proportion (even though my tastes call for the skirt to be a few inches shorter). Bonus, it also looks comfortable.
And I'm surprising myself by putting Matthew in my top three. That rope and mop bodice was structurally hard yet feminine. I can't say I'm crazy about the skirt shape, but somehow it all works in a pleasing manner.
KIR's too-little-too-late theme of "decades" didn't help them convince the judges that they had cohesion, but the effort had to be made. Nothing from KIR was crazy good, but they held up well enough.
Boy did the whole team throw Amanda under the bus. I mean, I'm sure Amanda's problems in the workroom were edited to be as dramatic as possible, and I didn't think it was dramatic at all, nor was she a burden on the other team members. Yes, she fairly could have gone home, because her dress was not super great, but it wasn't any worse than Joe's or Patricia's. I don't think Amanda will make it to the top, but maybe this kerfuffle will light a fire under her bum.
I didn't care for Kate's dress. Whatever treatment is happening at the hem is really distracting, as is the shape of the skirt made with chicken wire. I was also bored with her application of the unconventional materials. None of it was special or particularly well done.
I don't get Patricia. I just don't.
Joe went home for his pseudo sweater dress idea. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great, and someone had to go home. Often the fey, alternative perspective contestants are yet another scape goat for judges. I mean, the producers want the various design perspectives to make a more layered show, but the judges generally go for at least some adherence to the conventions of the "now" in the fashion world. Such is life.
Michelle and Richard's dress deserves a positive mention as well. Talk about a nice balance of hard and soft. It was a cool idea to have the greenery sort of pushing out of this cage-like dress (even though I'm not overly fond of the S&M look of the cage). They could have pushed the concept a little more, and I would've liked to see flowers in the midriff too.
P.S. Surprised I didn't say something about Daniel's hip bumps? Yes, they were kind of weird, but they were kind of interesting, and his construction was flawless. Plus those lambs ears are perfect.
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