Our fashion critic rates the winning looks from ‘Making the Cut’: ‘A roller coaster ride’

The following story contains spoilers from the seventh and eighth episodes of Amazon’s “Making the Cut” season 2. Read our review of last week’s looks here.

Episode 7: The goldilocks of the concept stores

In the penultimate episode of the season, the three remaining candidates – Andrea Pitter, Gary Graham and Andrea Salazar – have three days to introduce themselves and create stationary concept shops that present the identity of their respective brands (with the help of the show set). Designer). They are also tasked with creating three looks that will be on display in the store alongside all of the pieces from previous episodes.

Episode 7 is one of the few that pulls the contestants out of the Malibu fashion bubble for two good reasons. First, the concept stores were brought to life in the Row DTLA shopping center, where Season 1 winner Jonny Cota (who does a pep talk cameo at the beginning of the episode) has his boutique. Second, as Klum explains to the remaining troika, the season’s ultimate winner would not only receive the grand prize of $ 1 million and an Amazon fashion mentorship, but also a free three-year lease on a store there.

Winner of the three challenges Graham decided on a room that was inspired by a Shaker round barn, complete with a round wooden indoor silo as the central focal point, old photographs on the walls and a dense explanatory text block at the entrance. Among the clothes he created for the challenge was a plain black dress, the Co-host Tim Gunn guess was a bit too simple (Graham responded with hand-painted details) and jersey leggings with some of the prints that were familiar from previous episodes.

Fresh from her first challenge win, Pitter opted for what was to look like a New York subway car, complete with seats, metal bars, and her label’s name written in subway tile. For her new looks, she decided to add some color – specifically a sunny shade of yellow – that appeared in a number of silhouettes, including dresses and flared pants.

The story goes on

Salazar, who took part in the last two episodes without winning a single challenge, seemed to know she was in a win-or-go home situation and pulled out all the stops for a museum concept shop that offered her Seta label as a. presented fashion exhibition in front of gray walls and on mannequins.

Instead of watching the clothes come down the catwalk as in previous episodes, the judges – together with Amazon Fashion President Christine Beauchamp – visited the concept shops before making their decision. (While this was a refreshing departure from the show’s usual format, it offered only the slightest glimpse of the redesigned clothes.) The judges found Graham’s store too heavy on the nostalgic backstory and not entirely modern – enough for their tastes. And while they liked Pitter’s fancy railroad car concept, they felt it looked more like a storefront than a retail space.

So, as Goldilocks of the episode, Salazar stayed with a concept store that was spot on and managed to convey the identity of their brand not only through the clothes on display, but also through the lighting and even the smell of the room thanks to a custom fragrance, the one in the air. Another key factor that presented Salazar with the win was a social media-enabled full-length mirror on a wall with the hashtags #youareLEGEND and #SETAMUSEUM on top.

Since Salazar won the concept store challenge, that meant one of the other two was sent to pack, right? Not correct. The jury decided that neither Pitter nor Graham deserved to be booted from the bubble: all three designers would compete against each other in the season finale.

Take away: the pieces from Salazar’s Concept Store Challenge Dropping in the MTC store This includes a black faux leather jacket with military-inspired detailing ($ 92.90) and a black, layered tulle midi skirt ($ 119.90) with metallic gold sequins. Both are toned down (read: more commercial) riffs on silhouettes that she’s sent down the catwalk several times this season.

Episode 8: A roller coaster ride

The challenge of the last episode: the remaining designers had four days to create collections with 10 looks and prepare a formal business pitch that they could deliver to Beauchamp of Amazon Fashion the day before the presentation of their final runway shows. All three used their graduation collections to show their ability to grow as creatives and their personal time with Beauchamp to show their ability to grow as a company. And like the previous episode, this one didn’t focus very much on the clothes themselves.

Salazar, whose pitch Beauchamp called the group’s most business-like, named their latest runway collection “The Phenomenon,” which was inspired by natural phenomena around the world and her family. While the jury noted their increased use of lighter colors (many of their pieces at the start of the season were in the dark and sparkling spectrum), that wasn’t enough to bring them the win.

Graham, who seemed to take all previous judges’ comments to heart, did so here too, trying to add both a sense of modernity and a sense of modernity to his latest collection, which he believed was inspired by Gunslingers, the Wild West and Alison Arngrims also add a touch of sexy to “Little House on the Prairie” character Nellie Oleson. Several pieces caught the jury’s attention, including a see-through dress that Jeremy Scott compares to those in Degas’ ballet dancer paintings. And while Scott showed up as one of Graham’s most vocal supporters in the waning moments of the episode, it wasn’t enough to get the Franklin, NY designer the votes he needed for the grand prize.

The collection that brought the heat – and enough votes to win – belonged to Brooklyn-based bridal designer Pitter. “I wanted you all to go on a roller coaster ride [like] I was there, “she told the judges before her show.” It’s going to be a party. “

And it was a party with so much color, pattern and glitter coming down the catwalk that there was something fun for almost everyone – from the opening look with sequins in a maroon robe to lingerie and sleeveless, glittery blue animal print clasps -Ensemble and the bouquet of busy floral prints on track jackets, baggy pants, robes and dresses in between.

Pitter’s business pitch also contributed to the win. Beauchamp told the jury that the designer’s strong vision and desire to create clothing for women of all body shapes and skin colors was a strong part of her presentation.

“I came to this competition to break out of this bridal box – in terms of the bride, the personality,” Pitter said at the end of the episode. “I’ve learned that I’m definitely not stuck in a box.”

Where it will be – at least for the duration of a three-year, free lease – is in a room in Row DTLA. Thanks to this late-game award, along with the $ 1 million grand prize, mentorship, and the chance to co-brand a collection with Amazon Fashion, we’re likely to see a lot more of Pitter’s work product.

And maybe Salazar and Graham too. In a final twist in a second season of “Making the Cut” filled with them, Klum informed the two followers that Beauchamp from Amazon Fashion was so impressed by the visions of their brands that both would have the chance to sell their latest collections via the online shop “MTC”.

Conclusion: Although Pitter won the second season of the show – and will soon open a store in Row DTLA and design a new co-branded collection with Amazon Fashion – the decision to offer Graham and Salazar’s final collections for sale (prices vary.) However are around $ 100) beside her makes it an asset to them too. And, perhaps more importantly, it’s also a win for fans who stayed for the entire 10 designer and 8 episode roller coaster ride.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles times.