Heidi smiles and tells the group they can all leave while the judges chat. Interchangeably with every other episode, Heidi directs the other judges to “start with the designers we did like.” Heidi wants to begin by discussing Kenley. Diane von Furstenberg says Kenley’s dress was simple, very pretty, well designed, and “she fought for it - I like that.” Michael Kors says Kenley handled the “Asian influence” beautifully. Fern thinks if Kenley had added even one more piece to the look “it would have been a home run.”
Leanne’s design is discussed next. Fern “loved it” and thinks it met the challenge. Kors thinks Leanne “found a way to take the different influences and mix it together - very Ingrid Bergman.” Ms. von Furstenberg sums it up succinctly: “you had quite a lot of good design there.” We see a quick clip of Leanne backstage, looking like the cat who ate the canary. I’m sure the designers cannot hear the judges’ comments, but sometimes they must know when they’ve aced the challenge.
Heidi next says that she “likes Korto’s.” Heidi loves the fabric, the various pieces of the design. Kors and Diane agree that “when she took the jacket off the neckline was great.” Next are the three designs the judges most disliked. Kors thinks Suede’s dress was uninteresting, and the vest did not go with the gown. Fern simply says “It was not good enough.” Diane says that “the skirt was bad, because that girl was skiiiinny.” It’s true that the skirt added much volume without adding shape. The judges also dislike what they call “Shanghai Joe.” Diane says the front and back were two different things, the back was totally unacceptable, and “it looked homemade.” We see a clip of Joe’s garment from the back, its lines askew, no rhyme or reason. “Messy, messy, messy,” Heidi and Fern agree. Michael points out that Joe “did not think three-dimensionally. How does it look from every angle?” “That’s for suuure,” Diane quips.
Stella’s garment is discussed next. “Stella with the cape - the magician,” Fern smiles. Heidi says “if you do a suit, it has to be sharp.” We see the baggy-crotched pants and the lumpy vest strolling down the runway under that Halloween cape. “I can see where she was going but the execution was not good,” Diane sums up. “It was more Transylvania than Shanghai,” Kors can’t resist joking. “Stella was not stellar” Fern adds. The clip of Stella waiting backstage shows the 42-year-old designer looking exhausted.
Decisions made, the designers again take the runway. “One of you will be named the winner, and one of you will be boiled in oil and hung from a streetlamp,” Heidi says. Not really! Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. “One of you will be named the winner and one of you will be out,” Ms. Klum-Seal says, as always. Korto is in, and leaves the runway. Leanne gives her a sad look as she passes by. Kenley waits with a hopeful look. Diane von Furstenberg announces Leanne the winner of this challenge. “Your look will be sold exclusively to American Express card members,” she reminds us all. I thought the commerical break had just ended? Oh well. Leanne shyly thanks Diane “so much for the honor.” A sleepy-eyed Joe is grinning into the thin air. Heidi smiles and asks Leanne to leave the runway. We see Leanne’s shadow dancing behind the scrim as she goes backstage.
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