It’s down to the final four, and for whatever reason, Josh M. is still on the show. We can only hope he goes back to his apartment and makes a ton of ugly, tacky stuff in horrible neon colors and gets sent home. Wait, didn’t we see horrible neon colors in the promo? Fingers crossed!
Heidi Klum tells the final four they have five weeks and nine grand with which to make a collection. Then, she sends them home. Well, first they pack up their stuff at Atlas and cry a little. Then they go home. Hurry, you’ve only got five weeks, designers!
Of course, they don’t just run back to New York with finished collections. First. Tim Gunn drops in to give them critiques while they still have time to fix their mistakes. His first visit is to Kimberly in White Plains, Maryland. She’s designing for a Brooklyn gal, taking her inspiration from Brooklyn as it was when she was growing up (rough) and what it is now (expensive). What she shows Tim is surprisingly cute. I haven’t loved everything Kim’s done this season, but she’s steadily improved. She introduces Tim to her two best friends and thinks about her dead mom. She’s doing everything to make her dead mom proud. Do you detect a theme yet? You will.
Next, Tim jets off to Maraval, Trinidad to see Anya. She introduces him to her brothers Yves and Will. She does everything to make her dead brother Pillar proud. Everything, that is, except a collection. She shows Tim the beautiful fabrics she wants to use… but no samples. She’s made NOTHING? Tim looks like he’s going to have a heart attack. I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack just watching. She keeps telling him she hasn’t created any new shapes, to which he says, just MAKE SOMETHING. Oh, no. She’s choking. Anya, I’m rooting for you, come back!
Next, Tim visits Viktor in New York. His studio is a fifth floor walk up, which is excellent cardiovascular exercise. His inspiration is urban coast and… his dead brother.. Tim loves everything except one dress. Next, Tim meets his boyfriend David. Viktor reveals he’s one of seven kids from Mexico, so he wants to make good to achieve the American dream.
Josh M. is in Queens. His sister McKenzie seems surprisingly sane, so apparently crazy doesn’t run in the family. Josh M.’s family was athletic and he was a whiz on the track, but he left track and field behind for the bright lights and ugliest fabrics of New York City. He hopes Tim will clarify his vision. Hey, Josh M., you’re supposed to have a clear vision ALREADY. Josh M. wants to push the envelope with a lenticular fabric usually reserved for arts and crafts projects. Tim does not look pleased. He thinks the colors are sherbet-y. Tim hates Josh M.’s beloved vintage print, which is truly God awful. Tim declares it’s too busy and thinks it looks like he’s trying too hard. Honestly, this collection is truly horrid. But now Josh M. has direction. Thanks, Tim.
Finally, it’s time for everyone to head for New York for Fashion Week. Josh M. is so happy to be going to the penthouse of the Hudson Hotel, and he wishes his mom could be here to see him in all his glamorous glory. Guess what, Josh M.? You’re not there alone, so get over yourself. Soon, everyone else arrives and pretends to be happy to see one another.
In the workroom, the designers check one another out. Anya doesn’t like Kimberly’s colors. Viktor thinks Anya’s doing the same old crap. Kimberly thinks Viktor’s clothes are very showy. Viktor thinks Josh M.’s stuff might be too casual. And too ugly. Wait, that’s just my opinion, but blech.
Tim visits Viktor first. Josh M. is dying over Viktor’s jacket, which makes sense given that it looks like something Michael Jackson might have commissioned. Tim tells Josh M. his three looks don’t have cohesion. Tim tells Kimberly to calm down and pick three looks, as she’s running around like a chicken on crack. Tim tells Anya he’s disappointed, as he feels she retreated back into her comfort zone. Oh no. She choked? No, not Anya!
Josh M. is nervous for Anya, as she’s nervous and Anya is never nervous. Anya reveals that she thought too much about what other people would think when she got home, and it affected her designs. C’mon, Anya, snap out of it!
Model fittings. Anya is freaking out and constructing new outfits. Eeek, too late for that! Fix what you have!
Because he has so much time, given that he’s not tweaking anything, Viktor gets his make-up done. He doesn’t want to look like a drag queen. But really, he does.
Runway time! It’s Michael Kors. Nina Garcia and Heidi — that’s it. No guest judges.
Viktor
First Look: I like the leather, but I feel the dress sits too high on the waist. There’s a lot going on here.
Second Look: I like the top, but I’m not sure about the pants with the top. Too busy.
Third Look: The jacket is cool and so is the dress, but I wouldn’t put them together.
This is good, but it looks like a little kid went through Mommy’s closet and threw together a bunch of random stuff.
Anya
First Look: Nice little batik dress. Traditional Anya.
Second Look: A swimsuit and cover-up. Eh. And it looks too small.
Third Look: What’s the weird pinning in front? This is a mess. Oh, no.
It does feel coherent, but the second and third look are a disaster.
Kimberly
First Look: I love the top, but the pants? Ew. Not with those shoes!
Second Look: What is that skirt? And the bubble butt? Aack!
Third Look: A like the cut, but the fabric is wretched.
The colors are too garish. This does not look expensive. The hair and the bad shoes and the matchy-matchy purses are not helping.
Josh M.
First Look: My eyes! My eyes! Those pants are horrible. And what’s with the length? Too short!
Second Look: He’s really happy with his neoprene dress. But when the model catches the light, he shouldn’t be. The neoprene makes her look fat. No one needs reflective panels.
Third Look: The gap in the back of the dress, while intentional, doesn’t look that way and there’s weird bunching. Hate the back, just hate it.
The judges will talk to Anya first. Nina loves the first dress. Heidi liked it, too, but that was the only thing she liked. She didn’t think the bathing suit fit well and the gown color was sad. Plus, she didn’t think it was made very well and she suspected it was made in a day. Good catch, Heidi. Michael thinks the gown looks tortured and he doesn’t like the styling. The vibe is right, and he thinks making it beachier would help. Nina thinks she should change the shoes. She wants her to embrace her point of view.
Next is Kimberly. Michael loves that he can tell their her clothes. He likes how he handled the sexiness. He thinks it’s colorful and sexy, but he doesn’t like the matchy-matchy styling. He’d like to see the hair a little more simple. Nina wants her to fix the accessorizing. Heidi did not like the bubble butt. Me neither! When Kimberly admits she has an ivory jacket that goes over the skirt, Heidi and Nina jump on her – where is it? That might have helped!
Viktor talks about his mini-collection and has to mention his dead brother. Michael loves the first two looks. He likes the trouser print, but doesn’t like that the one model is wearing sunglasses. Michael wishes he hasn’t had the one model wearing the jacket, as it’s too much. Heidi loves the jacket, but wishes the baubles were smaller. Nina loves the top part of the first dress, but doesn’t love the leather skirt. Michael wants the volume turned down a little.
Moving on to Josh M. Heidi likes a lot of it, but she doesn’t love the belt on the jacket or the shoes. Michael thinks the jacket is great and he likes the seatbelt. He likes the back of the dress but he hates the modesty tab. Finally, he loves the last dress from the front but hate it from the back. Nina thinks he had the better styling and thinks the models look clean. She’s so impressed and thinks he’s a very good designer. What? Is she insane? Or is she saying something nice before she shoves him out the door?
Hard to sort out who’ll get the boot. No one got really crucified. Josh M. is humbled to think that Nina thinks he’s a good designer and announces this to his competition in a tone that lets us know he’s not humbled IN THE LEAST.
Everyone thinks that Viktor makes great pieces, but he has styling problems and needs to learn how to edit. Michael declares that Josh M.’s gown was full Halloween. YES! But he had the best styling. C’mon, don’t give someone a pass on styling! The judges love Anya’s first dress. But the other two, a mess. Nina didn’t like Kim’s color palette and Michael is worried about what else she’s going to show.
The judges declare that the girls choked. And Josh M. didn’t? Seriously?
Backstage, the designers hold hands and tell one another they love each other. While Josh M. ponders whether he can cut up Anya and Viktor’s collections when they aren’t looking.
Josh M. is safe. Whatever. He goes backstage and acts like a ridiculous, swooning drama queen. Viktor is also safe. Kimberly and Anya hold hands nervously.
Kimberly is… showing at New York Fashion Week. Anya is going home? Seriously? Anya is… also going to Fashion Week. Huh? Okay, that’s good. She has a few days to fix her mess and maybe win this thing. Anya is really, really grateful. She should be
When Anya walks backstage with good news, Viktor and Josh M. look pissed. Josh M. thinks both Kimberly and Anya should both go home. Because HIS ugly designs were so much better! God, Josh M. is like an icky bug you find in your bathroom and instinctively want to drown and rinse down the sink. If he wins this (especially after Gwetchen’s win last season), I will be so, so depressed.
Do you think it was a good idea to send four people to the finals? What did you think of the final designs? And were you surprised that Anya choked?