Making the Cut: Resort Wear-Modern Wedding-Face Off-Avant-Garde-Video Campaign

August 1, 2021 2:55 PM - Season 2, Episode 6

For episodes 2 through 6 of Making the Cut with Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn.

2. Resort Wear
Tim and Heidi challenge the contestants to craft a resort wear capsule collection for a cohort of models who will traverse a floating catwalk.

3. Modern Wedding
In Episode Three of Making the Cut, the designers are challenged to create three wedding outfits (two runway, one accessible) that reflect their brand identity — as well as the evolving bridal industry that’s embraced nontraditional styles, like suits and mini dresses. A thoughtful caveat: The contestants are allowed to design for any kind of couple they choose, whether two brides, two grooms, a bride and a groom, or something else. A meaner caveat: They have to work in teams of two.

4. Face Off
In this unique episode, Ally and Olivia — the two contestants who were left on the chopping block at the end of Episode Three — compete in a head-to-head challenge to create three looks that showcase their as-yet enigmatic brand identities. The rest of the six contestants are split into teams of two, one each to serve as Ally’s and Olivia’s design teams and models.

5. Avant-Garde
The remaining designers were tasked to create fashion-forward, avant-garde ensembles using denim in partnership with Levi's.

6. Video Campaign
Next, in episode six, the designers were assigned to create a campaign video for their brand to show their understanding of marketing, in addition to creating a runway look and an accessible look, which were shown at a drive-in theater.

posted by Glinn (6 comments total)

I don't know about you guys, but with the possible exception of Andrea the bridal designer and Gary the self-doubter, this is/was SUCH a lackluster group.

(SPOILERS thru EP 6 below)

Holy boring, Ally and Olivia. Though, I would have been fine with letting Ally through just because Olivia's attitude was SO TERRIBLE HOLY COW. But while it's true they had to demonstrate their brand in this challenge, and both have sort of relaxed/street sort of brands, they could have made ANYTHING (and with help), and they showed up with such boring stuff. I take it back, both needed to go.

The videos were pretty bad, except Andrea Pitter's which was great! (Great coats though I was not a fan of the color combo of camel with the black and white stripes)

I didn't mind the video with the two guys on the beach but it didn't show the clothes enough and those clothes were pretty dull. Gary's video was ok, but the timelapse for the dress was way too jerky - it was done much better for the shirt. But, much as the painted design was pretty cool, the actual clothes were sort of boring, weren't they? It's a good thing Andrea P. got to be co-winner or I was going to throw things if she came in second place AGAIN. I am not sure how I feel about the model providing the poem. I'm glad she was clearly credited, at least, but I feel like she deserved more... something.

I do not know how Andrea from Columbia has managed to squeak through to the end. The animal print and black feather clothes were ok but nothing special. In hindsight I feel like the judges chose to overpraise them or they would have had a 3-person elimination and no semi-final.
posted by Glinn at 3:28 PM on August 1, 2021

I concur with your assessment. This show reminds me of an elevated Project Runway. Understandable given Heidi and Tim but not a good thing. There is a good deal less silliness and interpersonal drama than PR but I wish there was still more focus on the design process and construction (though maybe articulating the design process is too difficult for TV?). The editing made it seem like Andrea from Columbia made it through the (Ep 5?) elimination based on the strength of her plea to the judges--which if not true does her a disservice, and if it is true then is not fair to designers who weren't as willing or able to get emotional in front of the judges. All said, I don't really feel her clothing is original (and it tends towards gauche in my eyes, but I am not a feathers-and-glitters person). Maybe there was difficulty finding designers due to Covid?

I wish instead of a second season of this we were getting a second season of Next In Fashion. It is the only fashion design competition I have rewatched (I don't classify the Great British Sewing Bee as a design competition, as lovely and rewatchable as it is). There was a wider variety of designers vis-a-vis identities and aesthetic, there was more of a focus on the process, and I liked that they brought in other designers as judges instead of, well, marketing execs. It was not perfect but it was better. Real bummer it was cancelled.
posted by Anonymous at 5:20 AM on August 2, 2021

As always, I get frustrated by the conflicting goals, next fashion superstar [sic] vs Amazon mass retailer. Since there’s an emphasis on designers who already have their own brand and business, we can see on their website what they can produce when they have more than a day to do it. Gary is just in the stratosphere when it comes to originality, creativity, construction, you name it, I mean, he’s designing prints. It’s just that I see the producers going for something safer, more commercial. I’ll be interested to see what Andrea P does for her final collection because her avant-garde outfit was not good and the coats in the last one were underwhelming. You know what coat I loved? Josh’s bleached red denim trench coat! I thought that was stunning and his big mistake was tacking that stupid ruffle (like wtf?) on it and calling it avant-garde. He should’ve used it as his RTW option.

I also think Next in Fashion had a better format, better judges, and less fake reality show drama.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:29 PM on August 2, 2021

I actually forgot about this show until my husband reminded me there were two to watch today. He is really into it and has predicted every winner so far, it's bizarre. He refused for years to watch PR because he thought he would be bored. He doesn't understand anything about fashion and doesn't know what avant garde is but he knows a giant pocket on a men's shirt is stupid.

I predicted the final three the very first show, knowing somehow that the one from Columbia (sorry I forget her name) would somehow sail under the radar not because she was good, but because other ppl were worse. Every leopard and fuzzy black thing she made for the most recent store, I can walk into a TJ Maxx and buy right now.

As the weeks go on Andrea seems more and more to understand the similarities but more importantly, the differences, between this show and Project Runway. This show wants something to put into the Amazon store that regular every day people would buy. I think she would have won even more times if she kept that first and foremost in her mind. This is obviously going to come down to Andrea and Gary.

I can't help it. I love Gary.
posted by the webmistress at 7:34 PM on August 3, 2021 [1 favorite]

I love Gary too and want him to win so much. I hope his nerves don't get the better of him. I thought his hand-painted garments last week were breathtaking and the poem the model wrote was fantastic. But the judges also love Andrea P, and she definitely seems to have her shit together.

I can't believe Raf has gone while Andrea S is still there. She should have gone home in the avant garde challenge when she made jeans and a jean jacket. WTF?

Initially at the start I was rooting for Olivia, as I too am a 4ft 11 woman, but, lord, her attitude sucked and I was glad to see the back of her.
posted by essexjan at 11:14 AM on August 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

I’ve gotten to this point and it’s hard to keep going. The judging seems just so all over the place. Or really… just bad. And the soundtrack continues to be oppressive. At least the cutesy is mostly gone.

I can’t believe that Miami Andrea is still there. Her video looks were just so trashy. In PR Heidi’s cheap taste was balanced out, but it seems like she specifically recruited judges who would back her up. Raf, Lucie, AND Josh being gone before Andrea is such a shame.

None of the avant garde looks felt that creative.

I’d be fine with either of the remaining two winning, but definitely rooting for Gary.
posted by supercres at 1:15 PM on September 11, 2021