UTG — All About “The Showdowns”!!

Yes, this week, battles, duels, showdowns, all the same and they were all over the place this week on Under the Gunn — mentors, judges, & designers. So what brought on all of this drama? Well first, let’s take a look at the challenge. The designers received their directions this week at FIDM. The idea stemmed from a partnership with Glade this week and their latest fragrant product — Glade Plug-Ins Customizables, which allow fragrances to be switched up! The designers were asked this week to have their looks make a switch. Right on the runway the look had to transition from day to night — multifunctionality was key!

With that, the designers were off to Mood to start their 1-day challenge, with a $250 budget. I noticed the mentors did not go this week so I wonder why?? Everyone gets back to the workroom and quickly we saw Nick and Tim with another mentor job description discussion! Tim counseled Nick to pose questions versus answering and we saw this play out later on in the episode, quite well if you ask me. An issue of co-dependency was brought up this week with Nick & his designers, which I question a little bit. I can see the angle slightly with Natalia, but I think Oscar is clearly doing his own thing. But personally, I like Nick’s hands-on approach versus Anya’s vague commentary & plastered smiley face approach.

But pretty much from the get-go, we knew the direction this episode was heading in — all about Natalia! I will get into specifics in a bit, but in my opinion, this was just the wrong episode for all of this drama. I don’t pretend to know how production might be involved in all of this, but throwing someone under the bus and wishing for them to go home when they were in the top — WRONG TIMING! Why not do it last week when she was actually in the bottom?? It’s also weird with timing since the other 3 bottom looks were fully agreed upon by the judges as being “bottom looks”; I mean there were some issues the judges adamantly discussed with each look & really not many if any positives. This reminded me of an episode of ANTM — one cycle, a model had professed over and over again feelings of wanting to go home. She ended up on top that week, while others who were loving the experience were in the bottom. But, one of the safe models quickly brought this to Tyra’s attention. Needless to say, it didn’t go over well & was clearly an issue of poor timing. That is how I feel about this pointless drama this week. And I get Mondo being upset, but Anya, really?? Her questioning Natalia’s talent is just sooooooo amusing to me, but we won’t get into all of that again!

The judging panel was missing Zanna this week, but in her place was guest judge Macklemore. I guess he picked a good week with all of the drama! Even with a clear-ish top & bottom, there was some major drama after all of the deliberations. So basically, after everyone had left the runway, Mondo & Anya stayed behind to speak of their disappointment this week. They not only didn’t think Natalia should have been in the top, but they also thought she should go home. The judges were needless to say in shock, but clearly didn’t regret their decisions. They all seemed to be in agreement and I thought answered the 2 mentors very well for why they made the decisions they did this week. Again, I reiterate bad timing for this drama to play out and it still doesn’t make much sense to me. Also, I’m not sure if this happened when the episode aired, but when I watched later, a poll flashed on the screen and the public agreed, overwhelmingly, with the judges this week, 76%. So they too were clearly in disagreement with Anya & Mondo.

The only designer I still wish I could have seen more from this season was Brady. But everyone else, I agreed that it was their time to go. So even if this had all happened last week, I still don’t see how Stephanie should have stayed. And Nicholas, I mean I won’t get into all of that again, but it was his time to go as well. So let’s take a look at how everything stacked up this week, safe zone first!

I’m still not sure how Sam’s look was the solo safe look for the week; it was pretty awesome! And I will say this every week, but it was so SAM! Each week, I am so happy to see Sam’s work & to see that he is not changing who he is as a designer, but rather growing. The day look was perfectly casual & chic, and what a print! And then to change it up to this sexy, yet still cool look for the evening was just fantastic! Shout-out to Benefit Cosmetics for this fresh beauty looks, effortlessly gorgeous!

So now to the looks in the top & heck let’s just start with the winner — OSCAR!! I’m a fan. Every week I am in awe and if he is not in the finals I will be shocked, disappointed, sad, and just an array of other feelings. What he can do in a day just blows my mind! His day look, I mean it’s sexy for day, but you can’t deny that it’s well made & perfectly fits the woman he designers for. Then you flip some details for the night look & it shines like a night sky full of shimmering stars. Clearly, well deserved win! Shout-outs to Francesca’s for the statement making heels & stunning black clutch; Blowpro for the side-swept bangs updo; & Benefit Cosmetics for the ever so slight smoky eye, perfection!

So Natalia, yes the one who all the drama was about this week, actually came in 2nd place. You would have thought for all of the craziness her look would be in the bottom, but that just wasn’t the case and shouldn’t have been the case with this look. Yes, there was a bubbled issue with the front of the day look, but many other looks had construction issues this week too. Asha said this was “Forever 21”?? Ok, please take me to whatever Forever 21 has this. Yes, they specialize in bodycon dresses, but their dresses are very short and of very little quality; that is not the case with Natalia’s dress, in either way it’s worn. Was the dress over the top or full of bells & whistles?? No! But who said it has to be. It was minimalism, which can very easily be applauded. I loved the cowl-neck for the day look & I thought the night look was effortlessly easy-going and could work for dinner, dates, drinks or dancing! Shout-outs to Francesca’s for the perfect black heels; Benefit Cosmetics for the smoldering gray eye; & Blowpro for the up-do with casually falling pieces!

The final top 3 look was Shan, but again, I’d rather have seen Sam! But Shan’s look was okay, not overly exciting for me. I think it was Anya & Tim who suggested to Shan about not using black, but I am not a fan of the mix of black with this plaid. I just didn’t love either look fully. For day –I loved the silhouette & it had a great fit, but I didn’t care again for this plaid. Then for evening — I loved the side cutouts, but I didn’t care for the godet zippered effect. Either way, even if not in 3rd, his look should have been safe. Shout-outs for Francesca’s with the great strapped heals & gorgeous statement making jewelry (Love the necklace!); Benefit Cosmetics for the smoky eye & lightly pink lip; Blowpro for the messy, but still chic ponytail.

Switching things up, no pun intended, let’s look at the bottom looks. The one the judges quickly saved was Asha, although I thought it could have been a bit more deliberated. All episode, Asha was putting Natalia down and was very much into her own look; I think that was a delusion. This look was just not great — poor construction, poor fit, very boxy. The concept of the transition was okay, but it added even more boxiness to this look, which didn’t help matters any. I’d say Asha should worry about herself from now on out, because for me, she was my vote to go this week. I don’t see a clear vision from her as a designer and I think she needs to step it up! Shout-out to Francesca’s for the cool shades & orange side satchel;

So that leaves Blake & Michelle for the bottom 2 looks, which very much saddened me as I’m a fan of both! So with Blake’s day look I was happy we saw some pants because it’s not often we do on PR. The judges said something about the shape, but again, if I’m not mistaken, I think Anya said something about the fit of the pants — so was that 2 pieces of bad advice this week?? I loved this print BTW! Moving onto the evening look, yes, it was short, but other than that, what was the issue?? This is why Asha made more of a bottom look for me and not so much Blake! Shout-outs to Blowpro for the curly up-do; Benefit Cosmetics for the smoldering grey eye; & Francesca’s for the gold jewelry & black handbag.

Ughhhh, this sucks to write this week, but sadly we have to say bye to Michelle. I don’t agree with all of the Natalia drama, nor do I agree with this decision. I don’t get why the judges don’t see who Michelle is as a designer. I was very happy to hear her say she knew last week, that look, was outside of her wheelhouse. The day look was a very casual and easygoing look. The silhouette seemed to perfectly fit the LA lifestyle & woman. The transition for the evening look didn’t work quite as much for me and I know Michelle liked the color palette, but for some reason, I think a mix with a bolder color or print might have helped here. I’m all for nudes & browns, but maybe a little color diversity could have made the look pop a bit more. I think the judges used the word “boring”, which I don’t agree with, but maybe a different color story was the answer??

So I wonder if next week, will we be in for even more DRAMA!!?? A pairs challenge is forthcoming & this time, unlike the last group challenge, the designers are being mixed around, dum dum dum — SOUNDS INTRIGUING!!