This sense of finality is getting to the designers as the hours tick down toward their final runway challenge. Leanne, age 27, cries in her vlog and says she wanted to show at Bryant Park since she was twelve. Jerell also cries, the next morning at Atlas as he irons his clothes. The combination of relief, sadness, and stress are taking their toll on him. He’s relieved he’s made it this far but will miss being there, and he is still worried about making it to Bryant Park. “This is certainly the biggest moment of my life to date,” he says as emotions overwhelm him. Korto, in her own Atlas apartment, having made her bed for the last time there, reads the 23rd Psalm aloud. That psalm is about walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and fearing no evil. It’s usually read aloud at funerals - it’s a strange choice. Or maybe she’s just gearing up for another day of dealing with Kenley.
At Parsons, Tim tells the group to “have fun and wow everybody” and that they have an hour with their models before hair and makeup begins. Jerell calls after Tim that his “suit is cut great.” The models enter for their final fitting. Kenley vlogs that Korto is an awful designer and she doesn’t like anything Korto does. “I don’t like what any of the designers do,” she adds. She sums up Jerell’s designs as craft projects, Leanne’s as “pleated details with a muted color palette,” and dismisses them with a “that’s been done.” When you give Bettie Page her old wardrobe back, Miss Collins, then point a finger.
Heidi wears a pant suit for the final challenge’s runway show. And she can count! “There are four of you here, but only three will earn the right to compete at New York Fashion Week,” says Ms. Klum Seal, and without taking off a shoe. She reminds them of the challenge parameters (a design inspired by Nature), then introduces the judges. The guest judge this week is Georgina Chapman, co-founder of and designer for Marchesa. Marchesa, inspired in part by Jazz Age fashion icon Marchesa Casati, is a fashion house which features extremely elegant evening wear. Their gowns fluidly combine old Hollywood glamour with sophisticated lines. Their creations are soft, feminine, and eclectic.
First gown down the runway is Korto’s. Its color is exactly like that of the flower in her inspiration photograph, but the comparison ends there. The flower has tiers of oblong petals; the gown is a typical, plunging V-neck satin evening gown. As the model turns, Korto worries in voiceover about the “janky beadwork” which curves up the sides with the strips of lace. The gown’s train is rectangular and plain. Leanne’s model Tia walks gracefully down the runway in the lavender gown. The pleats resemble a prom gown’s ruffles but the fit and style are flattering. In color and structure it does bear a resemblance to its photographic origin. Heidi frowns as Tia turns and reveals a dark purple chiffon train that seems tacked on.
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