The elimination of Markantoine Lynch-Boisvert from “Making the Cut” in the episode “Social Media Content” surprised no one more than Markantoine himself, who didn’t think he should have been sent home. But despite his protestations the competition moved on with its final four: Rafael Chaouiche, Georgia Hardinge, Jeanette Limas, and Yannik Zamboni. But those semifinalists had one big task standing between them and the finale. So what happened in “Concept Store”?
No more one-day or two-day tasks. This was the big one. They would have four weeks to create their 10-look final collections, but not everyone would get to show those collections during the last fashion show. First they would work with “Making the Cut’s” production design team to construct their own concept stores that would represent their brands. They would also need to create at least four accessible looks to sell in those stores. “They have to be the perfect mix of product and experience to pull the customer into the world,” host Heidi Klum explains. And no need to travel back to their homes around the world. The show has rented all four of them apartments in the LA fashion district to be their bases of operations.
We follow the designers as they work tirelessly on their looks and learn exactly what concepts they’re bringing to their concept stores. “This makes me feel sometimes nervous, sometimes crazy, and sometimes happy. It’s a lot of emotions,” says Rafael about the experience of making the final four on “Making the Cut.” So he’s marrying two cultures in his collection. His store will resemble his real store in Brazil: black and white and full of chrome and mirrors, “futuristic but cozy at the same time.” But he’s also drawing inspiration from his experience in Los Angeles and the view from his apartment window.
Meanwhile, Yannik’s gonna Yannik and I’d have it no other way. The man who loves deconstructed looks has envisioned a deconstructed store: imperfect and broken with mannequins that are aged and cracked. But while he’s fully committed to his aesthetic point of view, he also doesn’t want the judges to think he’s too rigid with his color palette of white and … more white. So he’s introducing color into his repertoire.
Jeanette’s plan is exactly the opposite. She’s going classy and elegant. She wants the customer to walk in and say “wow.” And she ain’t afraid of no color: her store will evoke a sunset while her final collection will pick up the tones of a sunrise. Georgia’s store will follow her usual architectural muse; specifically she’ll draw from Richard Serra‘s curved-wall sculptures. As for her designs, she’s following her own lead: after winning the “Social Media Content” assignment by translating her structural showpiece into a more accessible print, she’s taking that same approach to her collection.
But the work it takes to complete a concept store and 14 or more looks — 10 for the runway, four for the store — in just four weeks takes its toll on them. At one point Yannik watches the sun rise while he’s still working. Jeanette is up late too and ultimately has to stop sewing because she “can’t think” anymore. Fashion is beautiful, but it ain’t pretty.
Before you know it, it’s time for the designers to return to their design studio to put the finishing touches on their work. But there’s a twist! Mentor Tim Gunn announces to them that in addition to the four accessible looks in their concept stores, the designers would have the opportunity to include up to three pieces from their final collections to give the judges a preview of what’s to come. Almost all of the designers decide they’re going to take advantage of this opportunity — everyone except Yannik, who wants his final collection to be a surprise that the judges will only get to see if they advance him to the final round. Is he flying a little too close to the sun? If the judges don’t like his concept store as is, there’s no guarantee they’ll want to see the rest of his work.
The designers are off to their concept stores to inspect the work that has been done by the show’s production team, and Tim joins them, as always, to offer his two cents during his Tim Talks . Yannik thinks his cracked-up concept store is “beautiful” with the walls and floor exactly as he imagined them. But what really surprises Tim is the fabric Yannik has used for his accessible looks. “Knock me over with a feather,” he says as he marvels at the use of color, a green-and-white print that he’s “crazy about.”
Jeanette’s store is “even better than I thought it would be,” according to the designer herself. As for Tim, he doesn’t think there’s quite enough of her personality or aesthetic in the space with its classic white walls. Rafael perplexes Tim a bit with a dog mannequin dressed in a hoodie — c’mon Tim, that’s adorable! — but a bigger concern is the store space itself. There are lots of hooks where clothes should go, but not enough pieces in there, so “it’s going to look like the shoplifters came in.” Rafael needs to add more pieces or “reconceive the space.” So Rafael does just that: he decides to add three of his looks from his final runway show to his concept store.
Georgia has the toughest time with her critique. Though she really likes the minimalism of her store, Tim is ambivalent. “I’m crazy mad about this space that you’ve designed,” he tells her, but “what does it have to do with your brand?” A couple of curved gray walls don’t exactly match the complex pleating and geometric sculptures she has become known for. He tells her to make it work for her, but Georgia is understandably distraught. There’s obviously no time to reconceive the entire space, and knowing that someone is bound to be eliminated from the competition before the final fashion show, she’s reduced to tears. But it’s comforting to her — and to me — to see how the other designers rally around her. Warm and supportive reality TV for the win! Give me feels over thrown notebooks any day.
“You’ve really pulled the stops out,” Tim tells the designers before the judges enter. “I was a little nervous, and I’m feeling very placated now and actually quite excited. Be secure in what you’ve done and what you’ve achieved, and feel very proud, because I do.” Tim’s voice cracks with emotion at the end there. More feels! Everyone needs this kind of moral support, no matter what field you’re in.
Yannik is worried that his looks won’t be conventionally pretty enough for guest judge Christine Beauchamp, the senior vice president of consumer categories at Amazon. But she loves the fabric he’s chosen, and Heidi thinks he shows a modern sensibility that she aspires to. And Nicole Richie absolutely loves his color scheme. When asked if any of his final runway looks are in the store, though, he explains, “If you want to see it, you know what to do.” Heidi thinks that’s a “ballsy” decision, though it’s hard to tell if she means it in a good way. But he has goody bags for the judges, so he’s buttering them up extra hard. We don’t get to see what’s in the bags, however, so I can’t say for sure that it’s not thousands of dollars in unmarked bills.
Rafael’s store also goes over well with its blend of casual and elevated looks. Nicole totally understands his concept, and Heidi calls his designs “stunning.” Heidi also thinks it was a great idea for Jeanette to use live models to show off the masterly draping of her dresses, and Jeanette arguably made an even wiser decision by serving the judges pina coladas. “I have been known to spend money when I’m drunk,” Nicole admits.
As for Georgia, Nicole loves the shirt she designed, which ties into the plaster sculpture she added to one of her walls to convey more of her personal style to the judges; Jeremy Scott likes the idea of giving the consumer something tangible of the artwork they can take home with then. And Christine appreciates that Georgia’s clothes are casual but chic, and also machine washable, which really takes the customer’s needs into consideration. And they all loved the blue runway dress she was showcasing front-and-center as a preview of her final collection. “It went better than I thought,” says Georgia.
But the judges are little more candid when they deliberate with each other once their tour of the concept stores is done. Yannik had Heidi’s favorite space, though its pieces weren’t quite as wearable as some of the other designers’. Nicole’s favorite store was Rafael’s, which Christine thought wrapped you in his vibrant personality, though Jeremy didn’t think it brought something new to the table. Jeanette’s store had a little bit of everything but also “not enough,” according to Nicole; it was hard for the judges to get a clear sense of her concept beyond pretty dresses, and they thought she highlighted the wrong looks on her mannequins while tucking away more exciting pieces in the corner. And while the judges did appreciate Georgia’s art concept, her bigger problem was actually the clothes themselves. Heidi wasn’t sure who they were for and none of them saw anything that excited them as much as her runway look.
From the discussions it’s clear that Jeanette and Georgia are the bottom two. Christine tells the rest of the judges that who moves on will have to come down to each designer’s body of work and their overall potential.
“Some of you nailed it, some maybe not so much,” Heidi tells them. The good news is first.
Yannik and Rafael are the first two called up. Yannik is told by Jeremy that it was “across the board a success for you today.” They reiterate their praise for his use of color, his clear brand identity, and his cutting edge point of view. Suffice it to say he’s moving on to the finale. So is Rafael, whose store took them on a journey with the right pieces included and a funky-boutique vibe. They put it up to a vote with Nicole picking Rafael (“He made me dream”) and Heidi voting for Yannik. That leaves Jeremy to cast the tie-breaking vote, and he chooses … Yannik! This is Yannik’s second win of the season following “One Day, One Team.” And ironically, both of his wins have found him working outside of his usual white-only style.
Now the hard part. Georgia and Jeanette are called up. Georgia had a great runway sneak peek, but the rest of the designs looked “too one-note.” Heidi couldn’t think of much to say about it at all, so it didn’t feel to her like a million dollar brand. Jeanette had a lot of energy and enthusiasm but shoved her brightest look in a corner. Jeremy calls her an outrageous talent, but the judges felt her brand lacked clarity, and her choices for her mannequins were underwhelming. Again they put it up to a vote. Heidi votes for Jeanette to stay. Nicole votes for Georgia. Once again it’s down to Jeremy, who says, “This tears me apart,” as he works his way up to voting for … Georgia. That means Jeanette is eliminated .
“I love ‘Making the Cut,'” Jeanette says in her exit interview. “This is a family. I feel like I’m going to have you all guys forever. And it changed my life. It changed everything for me. I’m going to make my husband proud and my family so proud. I gave my all to everything I did, and that’s why I’m leaving but I’m leaving very happy and very proud.”
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