Fashion has always been a social statement as well as a visual cue about status as well as a soapbox for personal issues and causes. Their design must be a high-fashion look that showcases their deepest desires for social activism or personal causes. It's a two-day challenge and the challenge is dictated and directed by Elaine Welteroth.
 |
| Bishme Cromartie - Baltimore Blooms |
Jamall is focused on "Black Lives Matter", a social justice cause that is quite active here in the Twin Cities area. Tessa wants to focus on women's rights and their social, sexual and physical abuse by embroidering white on a black dress. Hester Sunshine is working hard for marriage equality and LGTQ rights. Garo is focused on "Save the Bees" which is central to life on this planet. As the bees die, so will humanity.
Venny's cause is breaking through racial stereotypes, looking at the differences between outward perception vs inner reality. Bishme wants to continue focusing on the youth of Baltimore - how with proper focus and positives, they can bloom into amazing adults. Finally, Sebastian is focusing on the similarities between all people, no mater their origin or skin color. He wants to celebrate the commonality of people instead of the differences.
 |
| Garo Sparo - Save the Bees |
At Mood, they are given 45 minutes to shop with a budget of $250. Garo is going with neon yellow and black. The bees will certainly be represented. Hester is once again buying lots and lots of tulle. Sebastian wants to incorporate a variety of skin tone colors in a column dress, but is finding it difficult to get the different skin colors in the right fabrics, finally grabbing taupe and white in sheers along with a foundational fabric to support them.
 |
| Hester Sunshine - LBGT Rights |
After Christian goes through the workshop and talks with each designer, he calls them together and announces that they will each have to dress a second model. There's only one day left in the challenge and the designers are already fighting hard to get their fashions made, and now this added twist! But it's actually OK. Each designer will also design a T-shirt for their cause, working alongside graphic designers. The actual shirts will be offered for sale on the Bravo TV channel shopping section, and the proceeds of the T-shirt sales will go to benefit their causes. I've put a link to that shopping cart at the bottom of this post. I'll put each T-shirt after each design in the interior photos.
 |
| Jamall Osterholm - I found his message a bit confusing, but his gown on Mimi was outstanding. High Fashion in a puffer jacket style. |
The models come in and are fitted, and the designers work until midnight when they finally leave. The Runway awaits both models and designers on the next day. Panic doesn't even begin to describe some of the designers at this point. On the day of the Runway, they have 2-1/2 hours before the show to finish sewing, dress their models, and get their T-shirts on. The hair salon and makeup studios are also on the agenda for the short amount of remaining time. I'm quite sure some of them are running with scissors.
 |
| Sebastian Grey - We Are All The Same |
The Runway arrives and so much remains unfinished. Dresses are missing details that just didn't have time to get sewn on. Jackets are missing hoods and zippers are sewn in incorrectly, making a reveal a nice thought but an impossible dream. The tensions were definitely settling in. I'm really anxious to see the final projects. I'm going to show all seven final designs because I think every cause espoused by the designers deserves acknowledgement.
 |
| Tessa Clark - Women's Rights to their own bodies and selves. |
So here we go. As a Runway show, I was absolutely impressed. I was pleasantly surprised by Mimi wearing Jamall. The puffer-inspired gown just rocked and his T-shirt was excellent. I adored Sebastian's multi-cultural striped dress with sculptural details. His DNA striped T-shirt also really rocked. Although I loved Hester's cause of OK to be Gay, I wasn't that fond of her outfit and tulle-heavy jacket. Tessa really surprised me with her "Mine" dress - black with the white chalk outline of the front and tack of a female form. A brilliant design and it also really came through in the T-shirt. I think this was another step in her healing process after being molested three years earlier.
 |
| Venny Etienne - We're the same under the clothes. |
Venny wanted to break down stereotypes, the polished person underneath the jacket from the "Hood". I thought his message was a bit lost, but the T-shirt he designed, his "I have a Name", was fabulous. Although I really like Garo as a designer, his "Save the Bees" was too much costume and too little fashion. Bishme had "Baltimore Blossom" as his cause - nurturing the children into the adults of the future. His finished dress actually surprised me. Once he added the faces in the sequined cloth to the body of the dress, the design really came together and it walked the Runway beautifully.
SPOILERS BEHIND HERE - YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!
So, you've seen the fashions presented above (in alphabetical order of the designer), and you've followed along with me as I watched. What do you think? Who would you vote for? The T-shirts are available for sale for a limited time (here's the link if you're interested in seeing them closer).
Did you guess correctly? Bishme was the winner, with Sebastian and Jamall also placing at the top. Hester and Tessa were safe. Venny and Garo were in the bottom. Venny is sent home - Garo's design might have been costume, but Venny's was poorly made and conceived.
We're down to six now, and it doesn't get any easier. Now - take a second look at those T-shirts and, if you fall in love with any of the designs, please purchase one if you can afford it and if you support the cause. Have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment