"Team
Underdog" (or...James, Will You Please Shut Up!) -
July 13
With Julie gone, there are 11 aspiring designers
playing for $250,000 and the opportunity to design for
Tommy Hilfiger.
Back at the Loft, Jeff "feels the love" of the house
right now, and talks to Chris C. They recap how Shauna
tried to take him down. He "feels like a million
bucks. He fought off a lot of adversity and Tommy gave
me props in front of the other contestants. He is
going to play off the good feeling, using that
negativity to stay strong enough and win this thing."
The next morning teams are getting ready and meet
Tommy at his flagship store in Soho. He tells his
story about when he was 18 years old and he took jeans
from NYC and sold them for $150 a pair. He eventually
opened one store and then a lot of stores. He then
took up sketching. And becoming a designer started
with a small shop. Which leads to this week's design
challenge:
CHALLENGE: Both teams will have the opportunity to
open a small store with a budget of $3,000. They have
to fill the store with inventory and they can shop
from any Goodwill store in NYC. Any money made will go
back to Goodwill. The doors will close at 1AM. The
winner of the challenge will not be decided by Tommy,
but the team that makes the most money wins. The
stores are next door to each other and the stores must
"create a clear vision."
The teams are very excited. Wes comments that he runs
a clothing store back home and does reconstructive
vintage. When he hears this challenge... he was happy.
Shauna picks first. She picks the orange key. And
Felix has the purple key. So the teams are:
SHAUNA: (Orange Team): Before she picked she was
nervous Felix was going to pick the same people she
was going to pick. She knows who has skills and how
doesn't. She picked Wes, Deanna (and at that point Wes
was happy Shauna picked both of them because they work
well together) Jeff(she picked him not only because
"he is a crazy lunatic, but he is the team's
sacrificial lamb." Rob W. was picked last overall.
Shauna comments that she is "fine with him on the
team, but you are limited with him on the
team."
FELIX: (Purple Team): He picked Elizabeth (because she
brings class and responsibilty to anything she does)
Jessica, James(he can sew, he is well rounded) and
Princess (for marketing and her big personality).
Ah, but there is a Social Invitation. One person from
each team will have the opportunity to board a
Privilege Private Jet with Tommy right now to go to
the Sundance Film Festival and attend the premiere
party of Lion's Gate Entertainment (one of the
producers of "The Cut, naturally) new film, "Happy
Endings" starring Tom Arnold, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and
Lisa Kudrow. To find out more about the film go here:
http://www.happyendingsthemovie.com/HE.html
Tommy tells the
teams..."No one has to go." So, is anyone going?
Shauna said yes. She said, "I was so glad to be the
team picker...I was so gone!" And Felix said yes as
well. He said he broke his own rule of team picker not
going on the social invitation, but 5 hours on a plane
with Tommy is an opportunity most people wouldn't
have.) We see a scene of Felix and Shauna leaving in
the limo.
James was upset Felix Left...The team is now down a
person, and he was just like "Bye!"
The teams go to 319 and 321 Lafayette Street in
Downtown New York City. (a bit past Canal Street) And
at 2:00PM with 37 hours to go, the teams enter and see
that both locations are an absolute wreck. Princess
likened her store to "a crack house". Wes's
reaction..."Damn!" Wes commented that with Shauna
gone, Deanna took over and delegated responsibilities
for her team. Jeff and Chris would do the interior and
Rob, Deanna and Chris C will do the inventory. "We are
so going to win! And it's going to look gorgeous!"
Deanna crows.
Back to the Purple team. James is lamenting the
competition is tough. "Wes owns a store, and so does
Deanna, and Jeff is their good luck charm. He has been
on the losing side only once so far. We are definitely
"Team Underdog". James/Elizabeth argue over what to do
first. James wanted to make a gallery like store.
Elizabeth was worried about inventory. Elizabeth
commented that James was taking on a leadership role.
Jessica said "We were the losers from the start. I am
scared about being the underdog."
We see the Orange Team going to Goodwill. Wes
describes the art of vintage reconstruction.
We see Tommy/Shauna/Felix on the Private Jet to
Sundance. Felix talks to Tommy about skateboarding and
name drops film and video director Spike Jonze as his
best friend. Felix "was blessed to be on the plane for
5 hours with Tommy...or cursed if he hates me."
Back in NYC, the purple team is at Goodwill. Jessica
says there was "so much work to do and the hours just
went by and by..." James was complaining about time.
To the Orange team we go at 1:00AM with 24 hours to
go. Deanna explains that Chris C called on the
technicians from Teknicar (who assisted in the
Fabolous Navigator assignment in Episode 2) to do
copper piping and shelving. Rob says "We need a name."
Jeff said "Comme Undone...it has a cool ring to it."
2:00AM--23 hours to go. The Purple Team --James
(again!) complains about the team being understaffed
and underskilled. James discusses the team name of
Garment Gallery. Elizabeth whines, "I don't care."
James retorts with, "You have to care." James says
Elizabeth is scattered and not as strong when she is
with Felix. They agree on "Garment Gallery."
Comme Undone's team goes over to the other store.
Chris C and Jeff laugh at the other team's store
(which looks like crap) and their store is ready to
go.
Back at the loft, we see Wes/Deanna/Rob remaking
clothes. Deanna comments she knew Wes and her could
rock the clothes. Rob is limited because he paints on
denim and t-shirts...that's it. Deanna worked on
dresses while Wes worked on blazers and shirts. Wes
says there is a long night ahead with a ton of
material to reconstruct.
We are with the Garment Gallery Team. Elizabeth and
James do interior while Jessica and Princess do the
reconstruct. James, for the zillionth time this
episode, complains to Elizabeth about "Team Underdog".
They both agree that if the team loses that Felix is
going to the pit.
(Recapper's note: If this team, especially James,
would stop bitching and moaning, maybe they would win
the assignment!)
Back at Sundance....Felix and Shauna talk in the limo
on the way to the party. Felix says, "I am so not
retail." Shauna..."I love to shop but..." Felix says,
"I left the leadership position to James. I feel he is
up to the challenge. But I can't say I am not unhappy
missing this challenge."
At the Soho cutting room, Jessica is feeling sick with
the flu. She didn't want to tell anyone. She throws up
and got sick. Princess asks Elizabeth to bring back
ginger ale, because Jess is vomiting. Princess said,
"Jess was sick. I felt overwhelmed." James gives
Princess a pep phone call and yet again calls this
"Team Underdog." James said the team was weak,
Princess is overwhelmed, Felix left us, Jessica's sick
and Liz became an "irritable bitch." And Liz again
shows why she won't win this contest. She goes into
full-on whiy bitch mode, complaining that when she was
sick she didn't complain. James said "Felix screwed
over by picking a weak team"
The next morning...in the "Comme Undone" store, they
are cleaning up and getting ready. Jeff says, "The
other team is laughably behind. We may win by default
by the team not opening their doors. Chris C called in
professional contractors to clean their store. Garment
Gallery is cleaning up as well, but not with vacuums.
They have brooms and dustpans. They noticed the
professional shop vacuum and James asked to borrow the
vacuum. The contractors are nice about it and say yes.
Jeff explodes saying, "Son of a bitch!" He mouths off
at the contractors, but they put Jeff in his place.
Jeff was upset and "he has a strong fire. I said my
piece and if my team didn't like the way I said
it...too damn bad!" Chris C. dressed down Jeff and
Jeff wouldn't have any of it. He said, "Pipe down!
Either you love me or you don't!" Chris C. complained
that Jeff speaks before he thinks. It will be his
downfall if he acts like this.
5:15PM, 8 hours to go. Wes said it took 20 hours to
get the store ready. The team busted ass all night to
get job done. We see Rob Jeff and Chris getting
customers. Wes/Deanna took over in sales.
Back at Garment
Gallery...James (ok, this is getting real annoying
now) complains the other store is open...and the team
is understaffed. Boring!
At Comme Undone, we
see how Deanna makes her sales. At Garment Gallery,
James saw no decorating theme, and at the last minute,
they decorate in a painting studio theme. Elizabeth
opened the store at 9:15PM--with 4 hours to go.
Back at Comme Undone, a special person walks in the
store. It's Jamie-Lynn DiScala. who plays Tony
Soprano's daughter Meadow on "The Sopranos." She
starts asking questions. She does that to Garment
Gallery as well. Jeff/Rob/Chris takes a ton of girls
to the store, but Wes complains they are "14-15 year
old girls who won't buy anything with mommy's credit
card." Jeff was trying to get a sale going, but Deanna
said he was a bit overbearing. "The panting and
clawing was a bit much." Wes called Jeff "a total
wacko. He was scaring customers away."
At the Sundance Film Festival, we see the premiere
party for "Happy Endings". Shauna and Felix enter.
Shauna explains they met Tom Arnold, Lisa Kudrow and
Maggie Gyllenhaal. Felix is seen talking to Lisa
Kudrow. Felix says "Skateboarding is his wild card. It
gets me in the door with a lot of people." The best
conversation during the party went this way:
FELIX (to Tom Arnold): We might have a lot in common.
ARNOLD: "Bill W?" (For those who don't know, Bill W.
is the man who founded Alcoholics Anonymous.)
Methinks Felix was partying a bit too hard. Shauna
likes to engage people (and is seen talking to Jason
Ritter). She saw Tommy looking away when talking to
Felix. Tommy and Felix were having a conversation
about "carne asada". And in a gross move, we see Felix
lick his own knife clean in front of Tommy! Dude,
where is your manners?
Back in NYC...it's 10:00PM. And into Comme Undone
comes another surprise guest...Simon Doonan who is the
creative director of Barney's New York. Deanna had a
moment with him when he visited Comme Undone. He
visits Garment Gallery as well. James didn't like the
critique of the store by
Doonan.
90 Minutes to go. Wes says...everything in the store
is $10.
1 Hour to go. Jeff and Princess are hustling for last
minute sales. We see more last minute hustle from both
sides...and it's done...1:00AM. Both teams celebrate
and James FINALLY says something nice about the team.
Deanna says, "If the design of the store was bad I'll
go, but you would be lying, because my store was
fierce!
Everyone is prepping for Style Forum. Felix, back in
Utah, says. "The elements were there, I didn't hear
anything." Deanna feels 100% safe. James says, Felix
is going to the pit. In Style Forum, Tommy enters and
discusses the Sundance trip first. Shauna performed
very well and "had a good time." He was surprised at
how much he talked about himself. It was
way too much, and "you embarrassed me."
Garment Gallery...Princess said it was James's idea.
Everyone got along.
To Comme Undone: He asked about the delegating of
responsibility. Deanna said Jeff's "male energy was
too crazy...too aggressive" and how he was trying
compliment sexually 16-17 year old girls. Jeff came
back with
that he didn't know their ages. Tommy said, "After
what you did last week, that really disappoints me."
Tommy then brings out Jamie Lynn-DiScala and Simon
Doonan who were his advisors on this assignment. Simon
liked the racks of Comme Undone. The Service was
engaging, but not pricing anything was "retarded."
Garment Gallery had no compelling visuals, and
Goodwill looks even better.
Jamie felt the colors of Comme Undone was warm and
there was an energy to the store and she also hated
the lack of prices. Garment Gallery's
service as sweet but it felt unorganized and no unique
pieces...but she did like the ladder and the prices.
They leave.
But it's who makes the most money who wins this
mission. Comme Undone made $970.30 for Goodwill...and
Garment Gallery made....$763.55. Comme Undone wins!
It's time for the dress down of Team Garment Gallery.
It was unattractive and uninviting. It was James'
idea. The whole team said Felix's leaving put a strain
on the team. Tommy calls James and Felix into the pit.
Felix's leaving was selfish, according to Tommy. He
told James that a Gallery was for art, not for
clothes. James blames Felix and defends himself. He
tells Felix he failed his team by leaving, but he
looks at things in the long term. And Tommy has not
seen as much from James as he did from Felix. James is
out of style...and in a classy move (the only one of
this episode) asks to make a closing statement and
thanks Tommy and the team members for the opportunity.
Tommy says, "James, you are a gentleman." He leaves
and his final farewell to us is a teary eyed farewell.
(Personally, the writing was on the wall for this
one.)
He ends on a very positive note. He says, "Both teams
opened two stores in 24 hours. There is a lot of
talent here. I am impressed."
Next week, the teams enter the world of rock and roll. |