Episode 2

Ooooh, ahhhh. . .the ballgown challenge, the celebrity challenge, AND the teamwork challenge, all in one! This week, the contestants were given the opportunity to create a gown to be worn by Miss USA at the Miss Unvierse Pageant. The evening gown portion of the competition counts for 30% of the pageant contestants' overall score! The designers were made to work in teams of two, and Miss USA's favorite 7 designs were chosen to become team leaders. Drama drama drama. . .

Here's the winner:

By Kayne, Pageant Dress Designer & Boutique Owner & Robert, Designer for Mattel

This really was a pretty pageant dress; the picture doesn't do the neckline justice. These guys hand-applied what must have been thousands of rhinestones, resulting in a necklace-like effect. Quote of the episode was Kayne telling Robert, "We bought like, a million rhinestones. We're sewing these on until our fingers bleed."

Here's the loser:

By Malan, Creepiest Person in the Universe, & Katherine, Fashion Designer

Oh. My. Gosh. This was by far the ugliest dress ever made by man. Again, the picture does not show the offensiveness of this dress to its fullest extent. This hideous combination of brown fabric, ruching, and AN UNFINISHED HEM made for a disaster on the runway. As Tim Gunn said, "It looks like a tree log." I'm just glad Malan is out; now we can all breathe a sigh of relief!

I was torn between two favorites:

By Keith, Menswear Designer, & Bradley, Fashion Designer

This was just so pretty! It flowed like a dream when the model walked down the runway. Plus, the fit of this interesting strapless top was amazing. Good job, guys, but Keith, knock it off with the "I'm the best designer in the world" stuff. Although. . .I have to say, I wish MY second dress I'd ever made looked this good!

And:

By Uli, Fashion Designer and Katherine, Fashion Designer

Bravo, you guys seriously need to get better cameras, okay? Okay. This dress was ingenious, and like the one before, looked like the model was walking on a cloud. The construction of three different colors of chiffon was carried out beautifully. Plus, I was excited to see two of my three favorite designers team up!

I'm going to say I have to agree that my least favorite was the tree trunk dress, and as I said before, I'm glad that Malan is gone. I'm also glad this week was not a double elimination challenge, because I think Katherine is going to surprise us later. Vincent, you're two for two on being THIS close to being ousted; my guess is, you're not going to last that much longer. My four favorite contestants this season are Michael, Laura, Keith (three of only five self-taught designers left), and Alison. Good luck, guys!

Well, I guess that about ends my rant for this week, so

Till next time,
Sarah