Last week we saw the end of Flatironed Rafael… sad face, I know, but the show goes on. 

On to the runway! Heidi welcomes them back, and introduces the next challenge – she makes a “leash” pun during the intro, which leads Joshua McKinley to jump to “S&M” as the theme of the next challenge – natch. Perv.

This week it goes on to my favorite perennial challenge – the “Weird Shit” challenge… oh, wait, the “Unconventional Materials” challenge, I think it’s actually called. This time, the unconventional-ness is using materials from a pet store. This could go really, really wrong… at least in years past (party store, trash heaps, etc.) they had stuff that could be worked into fabric – this time it’s going to take much more innovation. Tim meets the designers outside of Petland Discounts in Hell’s Kitchen, and they shop! Bert is resting on his immunity and doesn’t appear to even want to try – he doesn’t do artsy-craftsy, which is code of “I’m not particularly innovative, and can’t think outside the box worth a damn…”  Laura is buying shame collars, and adorable Fallene is buying rope chew toys… gotta wonder where that’s headed.

Back to the workroom – it’s too quiet. There’s a lot of frightened, and perplexed designers. Julie is making fabric out of Iams food bags… what a waste of dog food. Hopefully they sent it on to a home for hungry dogs. Oh no, Cecelia is using the kibble nuggets as beading… wow.

Every season, there’s the “wacky” designer for whom the “unconventional” challenge is supposed to be a slam dunk. This year? It’s Fallene! And she’s cutting apart orange plastic seaweed – this could be cool! Or horrible… i’ve been proven wrong a lot on the wacky challenge, so I’ll sit and wait.

VIktor and Josh M. are both using pee-training pads as fabric… they better do something good, because it is awfully fabric-y! Quirky Becky from Portland is using a LOT of fake foliage… hmm… yeah…. she’s concerned about it being too hippy/mother earthy…

More after the jump!

Ugh… Laura from St. Louis shares that she was raised upper class and has been “shopping at Nieman’s since she was in single digits” and as such, she has some sort of insight into fashion and taste. This is the same girl that expressed admiration at the Real Housewives. Yeah, she’s delusional. Especially with her dog cone-collar skirt situation. It’s like Judy Jetson had a yard sale.

You know, I underestimated Anthony, I think. He’s working birdseed like beading – I gotta give him props for taking on a massive challenge – I can’t imagine how heavy that outfit will be once it’s done.

Ombre refers to this style of shading effect.

OMBRE! The word has been used! Olivier is using the fleecy interior of a dog bed for a bodice, and he’s using two-tones of hamster bedding to make an ombre effect on the skirt… again, awesome or awful. There’s no way it’ll be anything in between.

Josh McKinley scares me – not just his overworked eyebrows – his is definitely one of those for whom “taste level” will perpetually be an issue. He’s using neon colored aquarium rocks as beading… damn.

And Bert… well, he just doesn’t seem to care.

Back to Olivier, though. He’s 22. He’s from Ohio, and at 16 he moved to London. Somehow in those 6 years, he’s acquired a posh English accent. Perhaps during his time going to University in Milan he learned to speak like a Mayfair dandy… There’s something strange about that boy…

Outfits are being completed, and the workday is ending. Fallene’s orange seaweed skirt is pretty cool, but she’s kind of phoning in that top – too much time spent on the skirt, perhaps?

JUDGEMENT DAY is here! Last minute adjustments happen, Anthony goes batshit on the birdseed, and covers the whole mess with seed. Again – it’ll awesome or awful… nothing in between.

Here goes the runway! Guest judge? Designer Stacey Bendet of Alice & Olivia.

This definitely seems like one of those challenges where the designers are just hoping to make it through. Fellene never did do much better with that awful bodice. Anthony’s birdseed dress is pretty rad.

Bert rested on his immunity – what a schmuck. The dress is vaguely negligee-ish, but just looks cheap and sad.

Julie’s dog food bag dress is just awful, Anya did the exact same top as she did in the previous week – this time with leashes knotted instead of her pajamas. Portland Bryce’s pee pad napkin skirt is awful. Josh Christensen made a big old yawn. Viktor worked those pee pee pads into something awesome. Hopefully Bryce took note of that. Olivier’s ombre-effect skirt is cool for an effect, but not particularly interesting. Becky’s dress looks like salad, but it’s nicely done. Laura aborted the cone-collar situation, and used corrugated cardboard.

Oh Josh McKinley, that top is awfully ugly, but something tells me that the judges will love it.

JUDGEMENT COMES!

On the top:

Anthony Ryan Auld and his birdseed dress - they love that you can't identify what it is from a distance.

Olivier and his ombre'd skirt -- Nina is really in love with this mess. gah!

Joshua Mckinley and his neon aquarium stone top - ugh. They love the top, but they aren't too keen on the styling or anything else, though. Again, for Josh M, too much is not enough.

On the bottom:

Bryce and his pee pad situation - Michael calls out his napkin dress.

Josh Christensen and his puppy umbrella top - too much normal material. They're calling him out for going too simple, but I'd argue that Olivier's dog-bed top is pretty simple too… but at least Olivier's was well tailored.

Fallene and her red seaweed skirt, and burlap top get the shit kicked out of it.

Winner? Olivier and his Ombre’d situation. Seriously? Anthony’s birdseed should have won.

 Going Home? Aw, it’s Joshua from Snohomish! Well, he didn’t exactly wow us…again. It was time. Hate to admit it, but he kinda deserved it.

One of my crushes is out, so now Viktor remains my only PR crush…

Tune in next week! There’s all kinda drama going on, and I think it’s something circusful – Heidi is on stilts, and they actually get to go to Mood!