Second place again! I’m starting to think they are just messing with me to keep me on my toes. Although I admit I did not think that my coat was as innovative in terms of the “surprise”  as some of the others. I do think I was able to conceive and execute a beautiful jacket regardless of the specifics of the challenge. My model, my peers, and the female judges all said it was a coat that they would like to own which for me is the ultimate compliment. I am out to sell some clothes here and have come to find that if I want to have a successful business, that is what it is all about. As much as I would love to just create conceptual art, my Virgo practicality almost prevents me from thinking too abstractly when I am designing clothes.

And then there is Andrew. Oh Andrew. What is he thinking, if anything? His initial ideas at the beginning of this competition did more than worry me and made me question his legitimacy as any kind of designer, and the fact that he was able to stand up in front of the judges and completely lie about his piece being anything remotely resembling his own ideas. The most I get out of him as far as conversations consists of his appalling discussions about the differences between New York and Los Angeles or how fat he thinks he is. As a person who is already sure about my feelings on both cities and barely notices weight gain or loss in both myself and others I am pretty much bored to tears with any discussion of either subject.

Bottom line, I felt compassion for Daniella when the judges reprimanded her for telling them his executed garment was completely her idea. This is a competition, not a job. I am deciding exactly what I want to do no matter what because I am not going home for someone else’s mistakes in judgment or poor advice. Unfortunately as it seems, there are people here that are just riding coattails and if you ask me they should go ahead and go home instead of accepting compliments and prizes they don’t deserve!

I am very very happy that Haven is still here, on the other hand, I love her. She reminds me so much of my family and the strong, hilarious, Southern women I grew up around. She certainly has the confidence that could keep her here for longer than she thinks she could. I hope she not only remembers that, but everyone here believes in her.