The contender who amped up the frenzy factor of each episode of Under The Gunn with her lost in translation demeanor, just couldn't wrap her signature origami silhouette around the challenge to create a stage look for 17-year-old pop princess Zendaya. But before Isabelle Donola could exit stage left, her mentor Nick Verreos grabbed the mic to properly slam his loopy mentee under a bus.
At runway judging, Isabelle bluntly blamed Nick for being a distraction, and told Mr Gunn there was persistent friction. Nick, who was "cautiously optimistic" about his mentee's potential at the start of this week's challenge, blew a fuse listening to Isabelle whine. "It was beyond amateur hour, I have done all I can do," blasted Nick. "It's been draining, it's been a struggle to give her information." He branded Isabelle's work "a failure on many levels."
Isabelle sewed her garment on the invert, and got no mercy for bloodshed from her punctured finger. The ill-stitched shimmery jumper looked "home-made" to the client. Isabelle took ownership: "The garment wasn't finished. [Nick] didn't step up for me. I am a great designer, and I know that!"
The takeaway, courtesy mentee Sam Donovan: "Time management is one of the things you need most." Nervous energy impeded how Isabelle processed directions. While tough love was a trending theme of episode five, tolerance is a message that has permanent residency on this reality TV show. The anonymous few who coward behind fictitious names to comment online that there are "too many queers in the fashion industry," miss the message of tolerance that Anya supports through her conduct on this platform.
White, black, plus-sized or gay, Anya is collaborative, respectful and professional without bias or hesitation. Determination and aspirations may get you in the door, but unless you intend to remain stuck in a conch shell, accepting diversity in its many hues, shapes and flavours is mandatory for success on the world stage. Same applies to sports, entertainment, business and politics.
While Anya scores big for being a poster girl for tolerance to the global movement, she struggles to inspire her team to bring their A-game. Mentor Mondo Guerra made Anya eat dust once again on the runway. Asha Daniels, who Mondo boasts "has the potential to grow the most," nailed the tomboy with edge look requested by the client. Judges called her garment "grungy and glamorous" and Zendaya rocked it at a tour stop.
Previously, Anya planned to reinforce that a mentee "get to risk being yourself fully, I want to impart that." After she failed Brady, she doesn't want to "sway [designers] away from what's natural to them." Words yet to translate into wins.
According to mentor Mondo, the battle to impress Mr Gunn and set an unknown designer on the path to become ready-to-wear royalty, boils down to Team Mondo which "has the most creative" designers, and Team Anya, which has "a lot of talent." All three teams are neck-and-neck by body count, but with three consecutive challenge wins Mondo is proving his might as a mentor.We're tuning in to see if Anya can derail his winning streak.
�2 Next Sunday–Common Thread: The Collection Test