Stylista: episode guide 1.4 "Shop it Like it's Hot" recap

Stylista: episode 1.4 “Shop it Like it’s Hot”

Original Air Date: 11/12/2008

 Image © 2008 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

This week’s episode kicks off with Ashlie throwing a huge fit about Cologne’s departure last week. I get it; she’s upset her friend went home, pissed that it wasn’t Kate, but does she really have to start screaming and yelling at the top of her lungs…while crying?! Give me a break!

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It’s still anyone’s game, since no one is really bothering to stand out. This is probably not the right industry to be timid, but I guess it will be a few weeks before any of our aspiring editors pick up on that.

The Assistant Challenge
This week’s assistant challenge involves shopping/styling a look for Anne Slowey. Anne, as we know by now, isn’t the easiest woman to deal with, so I think most of the stylists were a little scared when it came to this task. Armed with $1000 each and Henri Bendel, they went to work, looking for an outfit that could be worn day and night for Anne to events in the Hamptons.

The stylists clobber Bendel’s like it’s Wal-mart, running around, trying to figure out what’s what. I know they’re in a hurry, but if you’re in a store you aren’t familiar with (and several of them aren’t), you don’t just RUN through it, hoping to run across what you need. Devin arrives at the counter and is $2000 over budget. When asked by someone if she was looking at prices, she responds, “No! I was just grabbing things!” Nice, Devin. Way to manage your time wisely.

The group meets eagerly awaits Anne, who rolls up in a limo and super high heels that she, again, can’t walk in. When fellow Elle editor, Brett, offers her an arm to lean on, she claims, “I could run the bulls in these things.” Yeah. And get trampled. Every time we see Anne in her YSL Tributes, she looks like she’s about to topple over. She resembles a baby deer learning to walk rather than a high powered fashion editor.

Anne vetoes two outfits based on color (Ashlie should have known better than to try to put Anne in orange!) and chooses Devin as the winner of the challenge. Devin’s outfit for Anne? A navy chiffon ruffled sleeveless blouse with white wide leg pants and a few accessories. Classic, summer, and definitely Hamptons-chic.

Because of her win, Devin will be able to choose the teams for the next editorial challenge, slated for the next day. She decides to keep the drama together, lumping Ashlie, Megan and Kate in one team (and adds poor Danielle to their mix), and chooses Johanna, William and Dyshaun for her own team.

The Junior Editor Challenge
The editorial challenge involves taking a model, who is already styled mind you, and directing an Elle pictorial. It’s the first page, should include a title for the pictorial, a small blurb hitting on the trend, and then a picture of the model. The designer featured is Tory Burch, socialite-turned-designer and lover of all things printed and drowned in ’70s colors (think avocado, mustard and rust).

The teams are sent to two prop stores. Team 1 is at a retro store with tons of vintage furniture and appliances. For some reason, Kate becomes obsessed with a vintage TV circa 1960. The TV is cute and a bit awkward, but almost so much so that it may rob the model of some attention (which was something the editors thoroughly pointed out NOT to do). The TV becomes the inspiration for the photo set which now includes a dark orange couch on a wood frame and a giant green margarita-looking glass. Megan isn’t feeling the set, but decides to remove herself from the group and just let them do what they want. Why she decides to do this is beyond me, but it’s probably because Danielle and Kate aren’t backing down (and neither would Ashlie, but I have a feeling Ashlie agrees with her).

Team 2 decides to go with a minimalist approach. Johanna has an idea to use mannequins sans heads, which will represent the model trying to “break out” from the crowd, which is faceless and nameless. Uh…OK. This is American Elle, not i-D, pop magazine, or any magazine whose audience requires a brain, so I’m not sure this will go over well with the judges.

The teams are back at the studio to create the sets, and there’s tons of animosity spewing from Team 1. Megan feels her voice isn’t being heard, Kate is determined to get the TV in the shot, and poor Ashlie and Danielle are going nuts. Later, Megan removes herself from the group, sitting on the window sill as the other girls direct the shoot.

Team 2 is working together well, although Devin is sitting on the sidelines. William remarks that Devin loves everything. Show her a look, an idea, a font; the response is inevitably, “I love it! I love it! Oh yeah…I love it!” Great editorial mindset, Dev.

Once it’s time to go before the judges, Team 1 is just about ready to kill each other. When asked if they all contributed, they say yes, although we know that Megan basically had nothing to do with the concept or work. Danielle is quick to defend Kate when she says that Megan decided just to bow out of the shoot and sit alone, and Anne and Joe Zee are unimpressed with this. At first it doesn’t seem they’re digging the retro concept, and neither does guest judge Tory Burch, but in the end, they think it’s an OK idea and it was executed well.

The same cannot be said of Team 2. The idea is a little too deep (and perhaps stupid) for Anne, but Joe Zee likes the pop culture reference to Gossip Girl (which is the name of the spread). This obviously gives us the editor’s perspective, so we can see how dimly they work, assuming the readers will think it’s fun to use such an obvious reference.

Deliberation

Surprisingly, Team 1 is declared the winner, even though Megan didn’t really participate. I guess the producers felt she had to stay because she’s the main one causing drama in the house. Team 2 loses the challenge for failing to deliver a pictorial that will speak to the Elle audience.

Johanna is, of course, safe (I think she’s the one likely to win this entire thing),  and so is Dyshaun, leaving Devin and William to pack up their desks and go home. I think because Kate wasn’t on the losing team, there will be a little less comotion next week when they realize she’s still there.

Who do I most want to go home? Megan. She isn’t contributing anything worthwhile. Sure, Kate is lame, but she’s trying, and she’s open to people’s ideas and I do think she’s genuinely a sweet girl. Megan has alterior motives, is always looking out for herself, and can’t seem to take direction.

Next week: tears, screaming, and hopefully, some fashion. They won’t forget that again, will they?