Katherine Gerdes

Season 4: Episode 10 “Raw Talent”

12 February, 09:45 - thus far 5 insightful comments have been made

Okay… help me out here. I’m totally torn between hating and loving this challenge. Is it possible to do both? I had assumed that I would HATE everything about this episode, honestly I can’t think of anything tackier than WWE costumes except for maybe actual stripper wear, but it turned out to be entertaining and had some good results.

So now the question is; do you think “America’s next top designer” can be determined with a challenge like this (imagine if one of your favorites went home over this challenge, for me that would have been Rami getting sent home over that awful pink thing)? Or, do you think a challenge like this actually helps determine who the best designer is because it shows that they have range and can produce something great even with a ticky-tacky challenge like this?

Ugh, I still can’t decide…

Thanks to BPR for the photos!

Jillian: I really loved Jillian’s outfit (well… as much as I can love a metallic blue, spandex outfit). I think out of all the designs, this fits my personality the best and that’s probably why I’m drawn to it the most. I also thought I would hate the color when I saw it in the preview, but it’s definitely my favorite out of all the designs. I like the white stripes on the top and the shorts as a nod to a sporty/Adidas feel. I also thought the strapping on the torso was done really well and fits her without cutting in (I know none of these girls have any fat on them, but even Chris’s straps are cutting into his girl). My one complaint with the straps is the 2 that lead into the shorts. They remind me of that swimsuit Borat wore in the movie. Overall though, I really liked this whole look and although I can’t decide who should have won (seriously, I keep going back and forth between Christian, Chris and Jillian), I think it’s my favorite.

Christian: Okay, now that I just said Jillian’s was my favorite… I might have to change that to Christian’s. Can it be a tie? I loved the fact that Christian made something that was sexy AND covered! If you look at all the girls together, I think Christian’s model is the sexiest up there and she’s the only one without her chest popping out. I hate to do this, but the chaps and lace can only be described with one word… I’ll let you guess, it starts with and “F” and ends in a “ierce.” Although there seems to be grumbling about Christian always making puffy-sleeved jackets, it just doesn’t bother me. I love the jacket with this outfit and think the one-armed lace top underneath is a great touch.

Ricky (OUT): Although I think Ricky is the right one to go this week, I’m sad that it had to be on this outfit. I agree completely with the judges that it’s good for a bathing suit and ultimately I believe that is why he got the boot (I think Rami and Sweet P were weaker this time, but at least they fit the challenge). On the plus side, the orange and gold combo look great on her skin tone and it fits really well. Like I said, it’s sad that Ricky had to go home on a well-designed, well-constructed outfit, but in the end it was just a swimsuit. I also think that gold apron/bib thing might have hurt him in the judges eyes as well, I just can’t think of any good reason he made that?

Sweet P: I feel for Sweet P… I think her pick of models would have been the last girl I’d have chosen based on her trademark robe & reveal thing. I think her major mistake was picking such a light color of fabric. If you have to make a robe, I would think white would be the last color you’d want since it would automatically make you think of a bathrobe. Maybe if she had gone with purple or red (which tend to be “royal” colors), then the robe would have had more of a “queen” feeling. I also think the other main mistake was making a robe that already reveals everything. Although I was shocked to hear one of the WWE girls say; “it wasn’t covered enough,” I guess in this situation she was right, there needed to be more coverage in order to get the shock of the reveal. Like I said though, I totally feel for Sweet P with this challenge… I can’t imagine trying to work with a client who was determined to have every tacky embellishment possible on her garment.

Chris (WINNER): I really can’t decide who my favorite is… now that I’m looking at Chris’s design; it’s really a toss up between the 3 outfits (do you think the judges just flipped a coin?). For some reason it just hit me that if you look at all 6 designs together, the 3 best are the 3 that give the girls a “personality.” Without seeing the show, you could probably guess a pretty accurate persona (or even a “Superhero” theme) that Chris, Christian and Jillian’s girls are trying to portray. With the other 3, there’s not that much personality in the garment. Anyways, back to Chris, I really like the proportion on the boy short and think it works much better than Sweet P’s or Rami’s shorts. I also like that the bodice top is fairly covered (relatively speaking) and you know I love a good hoodie! I tend to not be a fan of leopard or bell sleeves, but in this design they both work really well.

Rami: Let me just say that I’m REALLY glad Rami didn’t go home over this challenge (and he easily could have). There’s really not all that much I can think to say that is positive about this outfit. The color doesn’t bother me as much as it seemed to bother Nina and Tim, but maybe in person it’s a lot worse? I did like the lace racer-back with the ruffles and really wish he had kept that concept going on in the front instead of throwing so many ideas out there. The unmatched sides of the top aren’t working and overall the top is too covered (I can’t believe I’m saying that!) which ends up making her chest look larger than it is. Compared to Jillian’s and Chris’s, the straps on Rami’s bodice don’t look well made or thought out. And similar to Ricky’s, the addition of the skirt is not helping at all. It makes the whole outfit look dowdy and poorly constructed.