***I don't think there are any spoilers but I'll warn ya just in case***
The designers were told they had to make a 12-piece collection with a budget of $9,000 and that Tim will be checking their progress. Flash forward to 10 weeks after the final 3 revealing and Tim is in snowy Huntington, Long Island where Carol Hannah has relocated since the last episode. She invites him into her house and takes him upstairs to see her collection so far. She explains that her inspiration was a night tour of Duke University and that she was trying some things differently, like pants and shorts instead of all dresses. She shows some capes to go with her long dresses that he thinks look matronly but he overall seems impressed with her work.
Carol Hannah then tells Tim that her family flew in from South Carolina and that they are going to make a delicious Southern meal that will require some of his help. They head downstairs and meet her family and then Tim puts on an apron and starts working on the biscuits (which was hilarious to watch). They sit down to eat and discuss Carol Hannah as a child, including awkward pictures. Carol Hannah walks Tim out and bids him goodbye til she heads to New York.
Next, Tim visits Irina in New York City. She has the sketches for her designs up and starts showing him some of her looks, which are heavy in knits and furs. She says that her inspiration was
Coney Island because she grew up close to there and she directs him to
screenprinted shirts with
Coney Island landmarks on them that she is going to put behind some of her looks. He says it's risky but he likes that. He does comment that he doesn't like one of her fur vests but is overall pleased with her designs.
Afterwards, Irina tells Tim he is meeting her and her family at their favorite restaurant in NYC. Tim shows up and they start talking about showing up in NYC from Georgia (the country, not the state) and that Irina and her sisters have to make something of themselves in America.
Finally, Tim pays a visit to Althea in Dayton, Ohio. He has trouble using the manual elevator and shows up in a workspace type place where Althea's collection is. Althea is glad that he is there because she is stuck and says her inspiration was Sci-
fi women, who are strong and have different style sense. She shows him a long coat that he is not fond of and he stresses to her how important editing is.
Then, Althea and Tim walk over to Althea's parent's house to meet everyone, including her cute boyfriend Stuart. Her parents talk about how she asked for a sewing machine at the age of 5 and always whipped up outfits when she and her sisters didn't have anything to wear.
The visits are over but not the surprises. We see Tim call Irina a few days later to let her know that the
Coney Island landmarks from her shirts are trademarked and that she can't use them. She starts freaking out wondering what she is going to do instead.
It's 5 days until Bryant Park and the designers start descending onto New York City. Althea is the first to show up and is soon followed by Irina. Then the awkwardness begins. They sit around trying to talk about whatever hoping Carol Hannah will show up soon. It becomes night and they get a visit from Tim, who tells them Carol Hannah isn't coming today because she has a contagious stomach bug. He directs their attention to champagne given by Heidi and they toast on being in NYC for Fashion Week and Carol Hannah feeling better.
It's 4 days til the show and they show up at Parsons to begin finishing their looks. Althea and Irina begin working and suddenly there is a surprise! Carol Hannah is there, feeling a little better but still warns them not to get too close. Tim shows up to give their collections another
looksy and gives them more or less the same critiques as last time. The only difference is that he notices Irina's collection is mostly black or gray, which he says is not good.
It's their turn to cast their models and usually designers fight over the best ones but this time, they seems pretty congenial and got through it rather easily.
As they continue to work on their designs, they get another surprise; Michael
Kors and Nina Garcia are here (now he wants to show up)! They have come to give them some tips on Fashion Week and answer their questions. One funny tip Nina gives is that a full black collection will not bode well on the runway but Irina interviews that she likes that it's all black and she is keeping it. They thank them and give them awkward hugs before they leave.
It's 3 days til the show and they are fitting their muse models with their signature piece that will be put in front of the judges to determine the winner. Everyone doesn't know which one they are going with yet and put their models in all sorts of looks to find out. Then, Tim and Heidi show up, which is usually bad, and give them another surprise; they have to create a 13
th look that goes with their collection. The designers faces go white and you can see the stress in their faces. They aren't at it alone though; the last 3 designers from the show are here! Logan,
Gordana, and Christopher step out and surprise them as their new help. They draw from a bag on who gets who and are set to go to Mood.
They get back to the workroom and start working on their 13
th look while their helpers finish up their designs. We get a shot of them heading back to the hotel and Carol Hannah throwing up from all the movement, which might mean she will be sick right up until the show.
I liked this episode simply because I always love seeing Tim go to weird destinations and try to fit in with families, which never works but he's cute for trying. The awkwardness between Althea and Irina was uncomfortable but I'm glad CH was there as the mediator, so to speak. Next week is Fashion Week and I hold true to my prediction. I think Carol Hannah will win because her collection looks stronger and looks like herself. I think Irina's all black collection will come back to bite her in the ass and I think Althea's collection seems too all over the place. We shall see who is the winner next week!
