Episode 14: The End, part 2
—by Eric Walter
It's probably fair to say there were no real surprises in part 2 of the Season 6 finale.
Will Carol Hannah come through her bout of plague and go on to Bryant Park? Will Irina find the time to finish, or will she choke on her ambitious collection? Would the returning auffed designer-helpers serve out their time without adding their own drama?
The answer to all of the above is of course yes. (Disappointed?)
Things did get a little tense behind the scenes at the Fashion Week show. Tim loses his cool like a high-strung wedding planner with a late bride. His reputation is on the line, too, and he won't have any amateurish hiccups ruining his … I mean, your show!
Make. It. Work. Now.
But in the end it all went remarkably well for everyone. And maybe that's the only real surprise of the season.
Some of best individual pieces were the notorious 13th looks Heidi assigned in last week's episode. It says a lot about these three women that some of their best work is done under pressure. It absolutely justifies the existence of the show and its totally unrealistic challenges.
The 13th looks, from left to right: Carol Hannah's dress added
some more color to the collection, Althea's speedy street-smart
ensemble impressed the judges, and Irina's black-on-black gown
added some frill to a severe collection.
I didn't have a favorite going into this week. No one was grabbing me and forcing me to pay attention. It seemed there was no underdog, no chance of an upset. I kind of didn't care who won. I would have agreed with any result.
After seeing all three collections, however, I did have a favorite.
Almost everyone I know who was watching this season called Irina a long time ago. But I thought Carol Hannah might actually pull it off.
Let's examine the collections.
Althea fell in love with knitwear sleeves in Dayton, Ohio, giving her models ape-like long arms to sway up and down the runway. Hers was a collection of mix-and-match separates, instantly wearable, but just asymmetrical and stylistic enough to be "fashion." Michael Kors sees a kindred spirit in her, perhaps. Is it knock-out enough for Fashion Week?
My favorite, Carol Hannah, seemed to take off from her prior fancy bed-inspired gown. Hers was an expedition into volume and shape and texture. The judges said her collection wasn't cohesive enough, but I totally disagree. Some looks stood out as more modern than others, but there was a commonality of flounce and frill. It was a good, open and well rounded set. She certainly had a fighting chance. Not bad for a woman on her death bed.
Irina gave the most polished and complete runway show, despite her dismally giggly introduction. (Thank goodness none of these three is being judged on her public speaking talents.) She went a bit Mad Max on us, with a death-black vision of the city gritty warrior woman, complete with shaped-felt helmets and handbags, home-made printed t-shirts under layers of Darth Vader exoskeleton. What it lacked in color, it made up for in severity and starkness. It felt a little joyless, yet show-offish, to me, like high school depression poetry.
I thought the monochromatic palette might sink her, especially when Nina pursed her lips and said, "We talked about this."
The judges surprised me by cutting Carol Hannah first. The final showdown came down to Althea and Irina? I wonder if this was just the producers putting a capper on a rivalry they built up through the second half of the season.
So Irina won. She did have the most consistent strength throughout the season, even if she rarely placed in the top from week to week. At least she was finally able to admit that she had some stiff competition. All it took was her winning the competition.
Now … When does Season 7 start?
