What a surreal day. I came home to watch Episode 8 after having been at the finale filming earlier today. I love it that I finally got to meet so many of the designers I’ve been blogging about! Came home to a house full of relatives and kids and our nanny all running laps around me, while I pretended the room was empty and maintained laser focus on the TV. Or something like that.

Loved the fashion questions Mini Challenge; I’ve always been a trivia geek as well as a fashion lover. I would not, however, have known that it was Elton John, not Madonna, so didn’t feel too badly for the designers. Teacher Anna won and got to assign which icons went with which designers for inspiration.

So interesting what happened next – Anna offered up Dior and YSL to Daniella and Haven.  She thought she did her friends a favor, and gave the hardest ones to the guys. In the end it backfired, and Haven seemed intimidated at paying homage to Yves since she loves him so much. Too much pressure? If she’d been given Halston or Versace she might have knocked out a look without overthinking it. I felt that we the audience watched her slither right up inside her head and die of self-doubt, which unfortunately got her cut this week. Having seen her this morning, however, I am relieved to report that she is in fact alive and well, which made me happy as I like her.

I liked Anna’s look, but had to agree with the judges that while the dress was very Chanel, the jacket fell flat. If it were black, it would have been better, but the dress was really lovely. Well done, Anna. LOVED Johnny’s look with a capital L. Hot, sexy, very Versace and very Johnny.  So glad he won this week.

Isn’t it funny that someone said Reco’s look was more YSL than Haven’s? I had to agree. I actually liked his dress, and really felt for him this week. There’s a point at which all of us feel we’re just up against a wall and about to break – this was clearly his time to break down.  Obviously he panicked over not knowing his icon. On a sidenote how can a designer not know Halston? Well, I had never seen a reality show before being on one, so stranger things have happened. That black dress with the headpiece which won him Episode 4 was more Studio 54, if not exactly Halston. It wasn’t a bad dress, just not really following the assignment. Another case of failing big, and if you’re going to fail, take a risk and crash and burn. I’m glad he’s still with us, even if it’s not married to Haven.

Merlin’s look was fab! I would absolutely wear that to the opera, and loved the ever-so-slightly different colors and the nice detail around the neckline. He may not have known Madame Gres at all but at least he was able to ask James-Paul and fully absorb the answer. James-Paul was the strongest at marrying his look to the icon he was given – the top screamed Pucci with a veneer of JP, and the skirt did the opposite. Liked it. Also liked Daniella’s look, and that she didn’t go the obvious route and do a skirt. I didn’t care for the petulant face she pulled when she didn’t win, but it wouldn’t stop me from buying the outfit.

What fun this morning to meet so many of the cast, including people we barely got to connect with like Jonny Day and Kristin. I’d love to tell you what I thought of the shows today, but will save that for later on ….