Launch My Line, Ep. 5 – Of Lady Gaga and Wild Cards
Happy New Year! Welcome back to Launch My Line. Last episode, the professionals had to make an outfit inspired by nude models in an art museum. Vanessa was (finally) sent home, and Merle won immunity, which was offered for the first time on this show.
The designers gather for their usual continental breakfast, and Patrick mentions that things are a lot quieter without Vanessa around. The Caten boys come in wearing sunglasses and issue this week's challenge: Design a "wild card" or avant-garde piece inspired by sunglasses. They have several pairs with them, and offer first pick to Merle. Merle has also won the advantage of assigning sunglasses to the others, and she gives the ugliest pair, a hot pink job, to Eric, as she dislikes his expert, Galina. Patrick is also less than happy with the blocky black sunglasses she gives him as he thinks they look like something an old woman would wear.
The twins announce that the trim room will be open all day, but that the other rules involving the trim room will still be in effect: No experts are allowed in, and no more than two yards of fabric can be used. They also tell everybody that a "very special guest" will be stopping by later. Anybody who's seen the previews know that they're talking about a certain wildly popular singer.
Marilyn and Coco have a set of white and gold glasses and talk about making evening wear. Galina likes this challenge, because she enjoys avant-garde clothing. Merle is relieved she won immunity, because it means she won't have to go "over the top." Uh-oh. Whenever a competitor on this kind of show says something like that, it usually means they'll do very badly.
Eric has some silver fabric and tells us he loves it. Galina doesn't like it, but Eric says it fits his club wear theme, and she concedes that point. Last week, he was scolded by the judges for confusing "cohesive" with "monotonous" and making all of his dresses out of the same blue or green prints. He's obviously decided not to make that mistake again. Louanna has some white 70's-style sunglasses and wants to make a draped gown.
Marilyn wants to make a dress that emphasizes a woman's legs – and Coco comments that Marilyn has trouble describing clothes. Huh? "Let's emphasize the legs" sounds pretty clear to me. If the problem is Marilyn's ignorance of terminology, then shouldn't Coco be teaching her the proper terms, so she can describe her wants more plainly?
Patrick tells us that he wants to make a "fantasy piece." How that will connect to his sunglasses remains to be seen. Kathy got a pair of "John Lennon" sunglasses, a set of round wire rims, for anybody not familiar with the late singer. She and her expert, Emile, have decided to make a rope-braided gown.
Elsewhere, Marilyn and Coco haven't decided what to do, and are arguing over just that. Marilyn tells Coco that she's uncooperative and Coco promptly pouts. She is, believe it or not, 37 years old. Eric, who got the pink "cyclops" sunglasses, has decided to make a party dress. Patrick notes that sunglasses are sometimes called "shades" and wants to incorporate that idea in his design. He also wants to use tulle.
The twins then invite everybody for a "little break," during which they introduce them to Lady Gaga, who is wearing a snug black dress with huge, pointed shoulder pads. She's also sporting sunglasses. The designers are excited to see her, and we're told that she "represents the extreme in avant-garde." Lady Gaga tells everybody that she's inspired by shapes and also advises the designers to be true to themselves. The twins invite Lady Gaga to pick something from the trim room for everybody to use. To the designers' horror, she chooses fire-engine red patent leather.
After Lady Gaga leaves, the twins make their rounds. They start with Patrick, who shows them the gown he's making. Marilyn tells the twins that she and Coco are making something with a fishtail, and they warn her about time. Eric shows the twins the short "disco ball" dress he's making and tells them that he's thinking about using the patent leather for tights.
