02x09 - Transformation

[bunniefuu]

With so few of you left,
and with all of you being so talented,

this decision
was beyond difficult to make.

[Tan] Mm-hmm.

It came down to small details
to decide who stays and who goes.

The designer going home tonight is...

Desyrée.

[sad music playing]

[Tan] Sorry, Desyrée.

-We love you, Des. You know that.
-It's all good.

Desyrée, you accomplished so much here,

and we know we will continue
to see amazing work from you.

Gonna put out some fire, I know that.
I learned so much being here.

I'm so proud of myself,
so it's gonna be up, for sure.

[Gigi] Hug it out.

-It's been so nice to meet you.
-You too.

-[Tan] Thanks for everything.
-Of course.

[Tan] You were wonderful.

I'm not crying 'cause I'm sad. Like...

This was, like,
an amazing, amazing experience.

-[Desyrée laughs] What?
-I love you.

[mellow music playing]

I love you too.

[Amari gasps] You said it!

I have to continue to believe in myself,
which I've done this entire competition,

continue to push myself
to see what I'm really made of.

I think I did that this whole time.

-[Desyrée] It's okay.
-Bye, Des.

[Desyrée] Definitely not the end.
It's the beginning.

Be on the lookout
'cause I'm 'bout to cook up.

I'm telling you. [chuckles]

[Tan] Congratulations.
You have made it to the semifinals.

Give yourselves a round of applause.

-You deserve it! Come on, let's get out.
-[Gigi whooping]

You need some rest. Come on, kids.

-[Gigi squealing] Semifinal!
-[Tan] Mmm.

Our final four designers

are going to take on their most
technically difficult challenge to date.

That's right, but, Tanny,
you already wore that.

-Mm-hm.
-I'll fix it.

[funky music playing]

That one too.

That's better.

This is transformation.

[jazzy hip-hop music playing]

♪ Eyes on the prize
It's all I can see ♪

♪ Gotta beat, kick hard
Like the legend Bruce Lee... ♪

Hi!

Hello, everyone.

[Gigi] Hi, guys.

[Deontré] Ooh!

-Hi!
-[Gigi] Speaking volumes.

[Deontré] Yes.

This is the semifinal of Next in Fashion.

-Can you believe it?
-[designers chuckle]

-No.
-I can't.

It has been truly amazing
to watch you all transform

into the designers that you are today.

[Gigi] You are our top four designers,

and now there is
only one more design challenge

before the finale.

Oy!

-[chuckles] We're all so nervous.
-So nervous.

This might be the most technically
difficult challenge we have ever done.

-[sighs]
-It's the semifinal.

Don't freak out, Amari.

There's no better way to cap off
this amazing fashion journey

than with a challenge that is all about...

Oh!

[electronic whirring]

-What?!
-[laughs] Oh!

Oh my goodness.

[circuits scrambling]

-Oh my God.
-Wait. What?

-[Amari] Oh my gosh!
-Oh my God.

-Read it and weep.
-[designer screams]

[designers] Transformation!

We're gonna need more time
to do something like that.

[all laugh]

Well, this is insane.

Fashion is always about creating a moment,

and for this challenge, that's exactly
what we're asking you to do.

We want you to design one look

that transforms
into a completely new look.

But you should think about it.
It's more like two looks in one.

[Gigi] The transformations have to happen
on the runway.

We wanna see one look
walk down the runway, transform,

and another walk back.
Dazzle, surprise, and shock us.

-Oh my God.
-A hard one.

This transformation challenge
is not just one look.

It is two looks.
Definitely our most difficult one.

[tense music playing]

Super technically difficult.
You know, you gotta make it seamless.

This will weed out
who's ready for that finale.

I'm sweating.

You probably should be.

We are honored to be joined
by a very special guest judge.

She certainly knows how to transform

into one of the most fashionable people
on television

in her scene-stealing role
in Emily in Paris.

-What?!
-Oh!

Tomorrow we will be welcoming
the iconic actress Ashley Park.

[designers] Whoa!

[applauding and cheering]

Designers, you will have seven hours today
to work on your transforming looks

and a few more tomorrow to finish up.

You are the top four designers.

-[laughs] Yes.
-[Gigi] This is it.

At the end of this challenge,
three of you will move on to the finale.

So the pressure is on.

You will all be working
with female models.

-[chuckles]
-Excited, Nige?

[all laugh]

-Are you ready?
-Yes.

Your last challenge before the finale...

Oh Lord.

[Gigi] ...starts...

["Set It Off"
by Emanuel Vo Williams playing]

[both] Now!

♪ Let's go, go, go, go!... ♪
-Look at 'em go!

-[Gigi] Let's transform me into something...
-More comfortable?

-Yeah.
-Okay, great. [chuckles]

♪ It feels so perfect
It feels so right ♪

♪ It's the beginning of the best night
Of my life... ♪

[singing] ♪ Breakfast burrito ♪

♪ Let's go, go, go, go!... ♪

-G-ster.
-Tan-ster.

-Semi-finale.
-Can't believe it.

-Four of 'em left.
-Oh my God! I miss 'em already.

Usually they're one good, strong look,
but we have to do two.

-Have you ever done anything like this?
-No.

Transformation is a big,
big, big, big challenge.

And technically, for Deontré and Nigel,
it's two womens wear looks,

and they probably wish
they got more practice at that now.

I'm a little nervous
'cause it's transformation,

and it's working with a female.

It's definitely harder for me.

[Gigi] Both versions
of the look need to be equally amazing...

-[laughs] Yeah.
-...in their own moment.

In my family,
I'm, like, known as the princess.

I'm also a tomboy.

So I wanna transform myself
from overalls to, like, a fairy princess.

The possibilities are endless as of
how they could do this transformation.

It could change
in shape, in size, in storyline.

-They can really be creative with this.
-And the stakes could not be higher.

The next challenge is the finale.

-[Gigi] Mm-hmm.
-Major.

-[tears]
-Oh, that's loud.

[giggles]

I'm so scared for this challenge.

This is something
I've never thought of doing.

As you can see, the snaps, it just takes
a little bit more, you know, muscle.

This is an incredibly technical challenge.

-[tearing]
-[gasps]

-[laughs]
-Velcro... sounds cheap.

-That sound like something ripped.
-That is very much ghetto. [laughs]

You can come up with a great design,
but having something transform onstage,

that's crucial.

If fabric goes over the magnet
where you can't see it,

will it really stick together?

[tearing]

That's gonna be hard.

I'm trying to find that perfect ivory.

Ooh. What is that?

♪ I like to turn heads
I need some new threads ♪

♪ Like a retail junkie ♪

♪ So pay me my money... ♪

Hello, Deontré.
You're already onto something.

[Deontré] Yeah, so my idea
is taking streetwear to evening wear.

So the first look
is going to be a varsity jacket

with a black leather bodysuit,

and then the second look is a yellow dress
that's gonna tie on the other side,

and the jacket is gonna reverse
and turn into a fur jacket on the outside.

I feel like streetwear to evening wear
is such the transformation

of your confidence in this competition.

-Right?
-It is.

I love that.

[Deontré] I've transformed so much
as a designer in this competition.

Like, when I first started here,

it was, you know,
strictly baggy menswear stuff.

I didn't have the slightest clue
about a lot of things

as far as womens wear and construction.

And now I'm becoming
more of an innovative person

when it comes to thinking outside the box.

And that's what it takes
to be next in fashion.

Now that you've done
at least one womens wear look,

do you feel
you can correct those fit issues?

Yes. I'm definitely gonna go in
and make sure it fits perfectly.

You don't wanna go back to the law office.

-At all.
-You can do these two looks in time?

Definitely. I've been paying attention
to my construction, so I'm ready.

[exciting music playing]

-[exhales sharply]
-[music continues]

-I can't get over that cheetah fit.
-[Nigel] It's the cheetah boys.

[Deontré and Nigel laugh]

-Yo.
-Hi, Nige.

Oh, he's like a stuffed, like, cheetah,
snow leopard.

-[laughing]
-[Tan] Okay, you're using patchwork, obvs.

For the ladies, thank you.

We didn't have to force you into it
or anything.

-Nah, not at all. [laughs]
-[Tan laughing]

So the concept is basically,
like, kinda based off my dad.

He put 20 years into the military,

and he still went on
to go to school for microbiology,

and he's a supervisor at a hospital now.

So I'm making a military vest and short

with all these,
like, dope raw-edged pockets,

and then also adding
some, like, drawstrings,

and it'll transform
into, like, a office look

with a shirt and tie
and a patchwork skirt.

-[Gigi] Wow! Field to office.
-Okay. Let's make sure I understand.

Does the jacket come off or underneath?

It'll just detach from here and here,
and it'll just fold over.

Tell me why your dad
is your inspo for this.

He's a role model to me.

He kinda saved me
from the life I was gonna head into.

Growing up, I lived with my mom,
and she was a single mom for a long time,

and it got to a point
where, you know, around 14,

I started hanging out
with the wrong crowd,

staying out all night,
and, you know, running the streets.

She realized
I was going in the wrong direction,

and she knew exactly what I needed,
and that was my father.

-[phone vibrating]
-[laughs]

Hey, yo! What up, boy?

I'm good. I'm in the middle
of the challenge right now.

Me and my dad's relationship is so good.

Like, he's always been
super supportive of me.

-I'm basing it off of you.
-So you're gon' take it from that to this?

-Yeah.
-[dad] I don't know.

Are you capable of capturing all that?

[laughs]

So when I moved to Atlanta,
my dad saved my life.

I was going down a different road,

and I would've been
somebody totally different than I am today

if he didn't come and step in.

I know whatever you come up with
is gon' be fire, man.

Your creativity,
your devotion to your craft,

is nothing like I've seen in this world.

I wouldn't be in this situation
if it wasn't for you,

This could've been a different story.

-I love you.
-Love you too, man.

Every day, I just try to represent him

and show him
that his lessons didn't go wasted.

Pops giving me the motivational speech
made me wanna go harder.

It's game time.

[Amari] It's a cute pair of pants.

The shiny black fabric
is gonna be the leggings.

Getting the fit on these leggings
is very important

because you don't want 'em to be baggy,
then it comes off as pants.

I've never done anything like this before.

I think it'll be something different
from me that the judges haven't seen yet.

[sewing machine whirring]

-[Tan sings] ♪ Bao, Bao, Bao, Bao, Bao! ♪
-[Gigi] Hi, Bao!

[Tan] What are you doing?

Okay, so my concept is
I wanted to do angel to devil.

-Oh!
-[Gigi] Cool!

[Bao] So my dress is going to transform

from a classic white velvet ruched dress,

and then it's going to then transform

into a beautiful corseted,
flowing, red charmeuse dress.

-The skirt will be under...
-Inside of it.

And this whole sea of red will...

She will turn into... Yeah.

Okay, so question.

How does this speak to your journey
throughout this competition?

[Bao] Oh my God.

When you have your own brand,
you really hone in on your customers,

and you kinda forget
all the other areas of influences.

It's been life changing.

So question. Why fashion?

I think I was meant to do it.

You know, I always knew
I was gonna be a designer from the get-go.

My mom was a sweatshop worker,

and we didn't have any money
for daycare, obviously,

so I had to go with her,
and I sat by her feet.

And I will never forget the sound
of all those foot pedals going.

But I just knew at that moment, like,

this is what I'm going to be doing,

turning cloth into extraordinary garments.

My mom passed away from cancer, um,

12 years ago.

Her dream was always
to be a fashion designer,

but life kind of gave her
a different path,

but, in a way, her path led to my path.

So this one's for you, Mom.

[laughs]

["Higher With Fire"
by Ross Gilmartin playing]

♪ On fire all the time... ♪

Gigi Hadid.
How much time do they have, love?

-Four hours left!
-[Amari groans]

Four hours.

In day one
of your transformation challenge.

Come on, Amari!

[Nigel] Yo, Amari.

Making some progress?

-[chuckles] I don't know.
-[Nigel laughs]

[Tan] Hello, Amari!

-'Sup?
-What's going on?

Tell us what you're making.

A modern-day princess
because I'm a princess in my family.

Oh, Amari. [chuckles]

I'm the youngest and the only girl,
but I'm really an outdoorsy gal.

So I want to create this white jumpsuit

that unbuttons open to this green gown.

So is it gonna unclip from the top?

I want her to yank it off,
and then the gown is underneath.

[Tan] You're gonna bunch up all the fabric
on the inside.

So it's such a full skirt,
if she's got all that bunching,

she might look pregnant from the side.

Oh no.

So be really cautious
of how you're gonna create this.

-I think that maybe this is too skimpy...
-[Amari] Yeah.

[Gigi] ...to hold so much within it.

-Within it. That's not gonna work.
-[Tan] It's not gonna work.

Now, we've been in this
for a little while now.

-How have you grown?
-I'm actually really shy. [snickers]

-You can't believe it.
-Shy where?

-[Tan] Refuse to believe it.
-At home?

Yes, I'm a loner.

-Like, for sure.
-[Tan] No!

When I was younger,
I used to be really shy and to myself

because I was made fun of.

I think it's 'cause I'm so quirky.

When you stand out
and have a different personality

and you're not the norm,
people make fun of you.

I think it got to me,
so I kinda stayed to myself.

After being made fun of
for such a long time,

I've kind of turned into a turtle.

I've hid myself.

I've hid my creativity.

But being here
has brought me out of my shell.

This experience has shown me to shine,

not dim my light for anyone or anything.

After talking with Tan and Gigi,

the main thing I'm changing
is the overall,

and I'm just making it more oversized,
so that the gown underneath is hidden.

I'm basically starting over at this point.

These are much more oversized.

This part is gonna
have to be able to snap open.

How's it going, Bao?

I can see
you got the whole red carpet out.

[Bao laughs] Yeah, that's right.

Gotta do it up.

I'm starting with the red dress first.
It is what the dress will transform into.

'Cause it's important
to know how much bulk I'm working with.

Today is about completing both garments,

and then tomorrow
is about making them transform.

With a transformation challenge,

construction and knowledge of fabrics
is everything.

You're using fabrics
that won't stick to each other,

that will not be too bulky
under the other garment.

Luckily, that's my wheelhouse.

["Go Ahead Now"
by Henry Richard Obree Parsley playing]

♪ Don't think about it ♪

♪ We'll do it now... ♪

Right now we're working
on the varsity jacket

for the compartment to hide the dress.

The process of making this jacket
is I'm gonna create the outer layer first,

and then I'm gonna make the fur
as a lining,

which will give it that reverse effect.

I'm just kinda making sure the waistband
is going at the edge of the jacket.

I've never made a varsity jacket.

It's always hard to make things
look identical. I'm trying my best.

All this, of course, again,
is something new for me,

but $200,000, a collaboration
with Rent the Runway,

that is such a major opportunity for me.

I gotta be in the final.

[upbeat music playing]

[Amari] How's it going, Nigel?

[Nigel] I'm trying to figure this out.
It's a little tricky for me.

I'm not a big draper.

The biggest challenge
is definitely the shirt

'cause I'm usually doing,
like, oversize fitting,

but with a female model this time,

I wanna give it a cinched waist

'cause they've been asking
for that from me.

Sheesh! This ain't looking
how it used to look.

[Tan] Hello, Nige!

-[Nigel] What's up?
-What's going on?

-The shirt.
-[Nigel] It's not laying right for me.

Have you draped before?

Um, not too much.

-It's difficult. And then about the skirt.
-Yeah. [laughs]

[Nigel] Um, I haven't started on that. Um...
-[Tan] Oh!

-[laughing]
-[Tan] Bold. Brave.

I think it's gonna be pretty simple,
to be honest.

How many skirts you made?

Um... [laughs]

Never? Do whatever feels right for you.

As long as it still reads Nigel,
I'm happy.

That's what I'm gonna give you.

-I'mma stay confident.
-Thank you. Stay confident.

How's your latex-ish legging going?

[Deontré] I finished them.
I put the zipper and stuff on.

I love the yellow
with the latex popping out.

[Tan] All right, everyone!

Oh Lord almighty.

[jazz music playing]

[rhythmically] You've got
one single hour left.

[designers laugh]

-[Amari] Please, no.
-[Bao] Why are you guys so happy about it?

'Cause you've got a whole hour!

[Nigel] Why y'all dancing about that?

-[Gigi and Tan grunting]
-[Nigel laughing]

Oh, Amari!
Have you got something on your mannequin?!

-Can you believe it?!
-No, I can't.

Neither can I!

[tense music playing]

Oh, I don't have much...

That's not much scraps.

Any more scraps?

I've ran out of fabric.

sh**t!

Yeah. It's a great feeling. [scoffs]

Getting to the end of the day,

and I at least have the bodice
of my dress done,

but I used a bit too much fabric.

I really can't believe
I ran out of fabric. [chuckles]

[Deontré] How'd you do that?

I guess I thought, like, I had more,
but I didn't.

I'm just gonna have to pivot.

I think I'm just gonna start it off
with this fabric,

the part that starts going,

and then cascading
the other fabrics underneath.

I think that's my only choice.

Since I don't have any of the fabric
that I used before for the gown,

I'm just gonna use some tulle

just for some different textures
in the bottom.

-Out here frustrated.
-[paper crumbling]

[lively music playing]

[Deontré] Looks pretty. Wow.

-♪ Fashion, passion... ♪
-[sewing machine whirring]

-What would you like to talk about?
-Who you went to go see.

Right now I'm working on the fabrication
for the skirt.

I'm taking shirting materials,
and I'm putting it on the quilted fabric

to give it more structure.

Should we start with Nige?

-Yeah.
-Worried.

-Oh no.
-Not gonna lie.

Okay.

-[Tan] Everything's looking very simple.
-[Gigi] Okay.

It's not as dramatic of a transformation
as I was hoping it would be.

The white shirt, tie, and a plaid skirt,

it just feels like something
I've seen a thousand times over.

It's not like just finishing a garment.
It has to function.

Bao.

Her angel look, I love
that it's a different kind of draping

that's so not her,

and then it goes down
to, like, a very classic Bao dress.

I'm over here making overalls
turning into a damn gown.

You have no choice.

If I don't see you in the finale...

-Then you ain't got no competition.
-[laughs] Oh, oh, oh, oh!

I'm still confused with Amari's,

if it's still an overall,
that it unstraps...

She's gonna try.
And that's what I hope it does become.

I don't think she knows
quite how it'll work right now. [laughs]

-Right.
-It's Amari.

[Deontré] Good, good, good.

I feel relatively good about Deontré.
I think the concept is great.

I love the bodysuit underneath.

Hopefully the leather leggings
are skintight.

Right.

[dramatic music playing]

-[needle clinking]
-[Bao] Oh no.

[Deontré] Come on, Deontré. Come on.

-[music continues]
-[Amari] Ugh. Amari, move quicker.

I'm starting to drape my outer layer.

I didn't get as far in the second piece
as I wanted to.

-[Amari] That look clean finished?
-[Deontré] It does.

[Nigel] I definitely have a lot to do.

All right, designers, that is it
for day one of your semifinal challenge.

Go home, get some rest,

and we will see you tomorrow
for the transformation runway.

Get out of here.

Thank you. Good night.

[designers] Good night.

-Sleep time?
-[Gigi] Yeah.

[Nigel] Today went by too fast.

[upbeat electronic music playing]
♪ Ready, set, go!... ♪

That's the back. That's the front.

Right now I'm working on the overall.

I'm putting that together so I can see
how I'm going to transform it,

so I'm just trying to get that
at least going before the model gets here.

-Sorry.
-♪ Ready, set, go!... ♪

[Bao] I have the reveal dress done,

but I need to finish
the top of the white dress

'cause it's gonna hide everything.

[Deontré] The only things that's finished
is the leggings,

and the jacket is almost complete.

I just gotta figure out this dress design.

[voice over PA]
Models to the workroom, please.

[model] Hi!

[Deontré] How are you?

Let's put this on first.

[Nigel] Try these shorts on,
and then try this button-up.

I can't believe you have angel wings.
This is insane!

-Okay, absolutely meant to be. [laughs]
-[model] Yeah.

You have to rip it off,

but, you know, not rip
so the stuff come apart

because that'll get me disqualified.

-Yes, yes, yes! You're all there.
-[model] Yay!

[upbeat music playing]

[sighing] Oh boy.

[voice over PA] Designers,
please move backstage.

♪ Won't stop
I'm in my zone now... ♪

She'll rip that down,
and the skirt should reveal,

but that's where I have to
kinda play with right now.

I'm just hoping
that the skirt drops seamlessly,

but I'm gonna try and add a drawstring
to cinch the waist

and just hope that it kinda helps
with that transformation.

♪ Don't call me crazy ♪

♪ Don't call me crazy ♪

[Bao grunts softly]

I was gonna use snaps
for the transformation,

but the snaps
are sticking together too much.

I don't want her
to have to utilize her actual fingers

to open up anything.

So, ultimately,
I'm gonna have to go with the Velcro.

I don't know how it's gonna transform
because I haven't fit on my model yet,

so it's frustrating. [grunts]

Where is the strap? Damn it.

I've never ever done draping before,
and it is not as easy as it looks.

What the hell?
I don't know how to do this.

This is...

If I don't do this correctly,
that's a wrap for me.

You won't see me no more.

-[grunts]
-[upbeat music playing]

[voice over PA]
Let's load the audience, please.

-[model] Come on!
-Come on!

Oh, I love your cheerleading.
It's helping.

Almost done.

-I think I'm gonna cry.
-No. You're gonna be fine.

What the hell was I thinking,
going so big?

I feel like I didn't even need
this yellow piece.

I'm stuffing her like a pillow.

Oh boy. I'm screwed, aren't I?

[sighs] At least I tried my best.

I put tulle in it.

The most bulkiest fabric.

Oh, I hate this challenge.
I think I'm just not gonna make it.

How's it gonna fit?

They're gonna roast me to death.

I'm deciding to add a belt
because it might hide some fluffiness.

That'll work.
Keep lacing it up. It'll help.

I'm just gonna have to pray it works.

[Bao] Do you wanna try it really quick?
[gasps]

-What?
-[Bao] Hold on.

-This is also Velcro right here.
-[Bao] No, it just ripped the dress.

Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.

My model's doing a trial run,
and she ripped the front of my dress.

Like, literally a gash, like, six inches,
so now I'm freaking out,

because I am
going to have to sew it closed

and make it look seamless

literally ten minutes
before she gets on the runway.

It's a kiss of death right now.

[dramatic music playing]

[crowd cheering]

Good evening, everyone.

The theme for the show tonight
is transformation.

-[Tan laughs]
-[crowd cheering]

There is no more iconic moment
than a mid-walk reveal,

and tonight you're gonna get four of 'em.

Get it as tight as possible.

I'm just so mad that my snaps didn't work.
I had to put Velcro on it.

Tan and I
will be judging the designs tonight

with a little help
from some amazing guests.

First up, we are very excited
to welcome back Jason Bolden!

-[Gigi] Yay!
-[crowd cheering]

[voice over PA] Designers,
you have two minutes remaining.

We are also welcoming to the stage

an actress, a singer,

a true fashion supernova.

From Emily in Paris,

Ashley Park is here.

[crowd cheering]

[Ashley] Hi!

-[Tan] Hi. [smooches]
-Hi. [smooches]

Honestly,
you don't have to even flip the jacket.

Just grab it actually, not from...
Like, from the fabric.

On and off the screen,

you have become known
for some showstopping looks.

What excites you about fashion?

As an actor and performer,

what I love about fashion
is it's so integral to the storytelling.

You can be whoever you wanna be
and tell whatever story you wanna tell,

which is so exciting.

[Bao] Don't worry.

Save my life
so I can make it to the final.

Now the designers are eagerly awaiting,

the models are ready to go,

and there is only one thing left to do.

Let's start the show.

-[crowd cheers excitedly]
-[Tan] Woo!

-[exciting music playing]
-[stage manager] Okay, standing by.

I'm ready to send them.

And go.

♪ Everything's gonna be all right... ♪

[crowd cheering]

[Amari] Wow. Come on, Bao!

-All right. Gorge silhouette.
-Grecian goddess.

-[Tan] All right.
-[Gigi] I love this material.

I'm glad that she chose to go
with, like, a silver metallic

rather than just a white.

-[Ashley] Yeah.
-[Tan] Beautifully draped.

[Jason] I mean, the draping,
the ruching, the silhouette.

Everything is perfection.

She looks comfortable.
A dress she can dance in all night.

Oh yeah.

Doing a simple dress,
it has to be perfect.

Her execution is perfect.
Here we go. Here we go.

-[Jason] Oh!
-[crowd gasps, cheers]

Oh my gosh!

-[Jason] Honey!
-That is genius.

-[Tan] Can you believe it?
-Bao just wowed me.

[Ashley] It's a totally different dress!
-[Jason] There's no trace of platinum.

-Uh-uh.
-I see no platinum anywhere.

Wait. Designers are like scientists.
Like, how did they do that?

[stage manager]
Stand by, model two, and go.

[Ashley gasps] Oh my gosh.

[crowd cheering]

-Here we go!
-[Amari] Come on, Nigel.

[Deontré] Woo, woo, woo!

I mean, this is quintessential
ready-to-wear.

[Gigi] Love the laces
coming off the pockets.

I love those raw edges.

-[Jason] Yeah.
-It's super cool and grounded as well.

-Oh, here we go.
-Oh, I can't wait!

Wait.

-[Tan] Oh!
-[crowd cheering]

[Jason] Oh!

I wish he gave
a little bit more waist in there

because I don't mind the proportion
of the skirt,

but I think then you need to,
like, really cinch it in.

[Ashley] I think it's such a good use
of the puff on the top from before,

and you really see
how it informs the skirt.

[stage manager]
And one, two, three, and walk.

[crowd cheering]

Come on, Amari.

-[Jason] Yes.
-[Ashley] Wow.

-I love this.
-That is lovely!

It's very simple, but it's lovely.

[Jason] Wow.

[Gigi] Usually I don't like matte white
on the runway,

but I love that it has those raw edges.

It makes the white more exciting.

It's a bit more obvious
that there's something underneath.

-[Jason] Very true.
-[Tan] She looks stuffed to the gills.

Too much at the front,
at the back, on the bum.

[judges] Okay.

-All right, let's see.
-Where we going, Amari?

I'm impressed all that fit under there.

-Now I'm impressed.
-That was a lot to fit under there.

I don't love that we can see the pants.

The shape isn't as refined
as I would like it to be.

-You can't smash tulle.
-Tulle.

-[Jason] It just looks messy.
-[Tan] It looks really messy.

However, I think the top is pretty.

[Ashley]
It's like a beautiful Tinkerbell moment.

[Gigi] I get what she was going for
with those layers.

It's just not a dress
that can be bunched up.

-You have to use different materials.
-It holds structure too much.

So there's no real reveal.

[stage manager] Last model lined up. Go.

-Okay, Deontré!
-[Ashley] Okay!

[crowd cheering]

-[designers cheer]
-My boy!

This is a vibe.

[Tan] I love the leather pant if they were
just a little tighter, better fitting.

The leather pant's wonderful.

Definitely.
The proportions of the jacket are off.

One side of her shoulder's
higher than the other.

The sleeve is longer.

I wish the waist were tighter
to give some shape.

Yeah. I thought the jacket
would be the easiest execution for him.

[Jason] Here it comes.

♪ Everything's gonna be all right... ♪

Oh, it's a sash.

Interesting.

[Gigi] You know what?
It's a beautifully draped dress.

It is. I love a strapless body
catsuit vibe with something over,

and that hardware across the waist
is really fresh.

Um, I do love the idea
that he's put a gown over a jumpsuit.

[stage manager]
Three, two, one, and go, finale.

-♪ Everything's gonna be all right... ♪
-[crowd cheering]

♪ Everything's gonna be all right... ♪

[music fades]

-[Bao cheering]
-[upbeat music playing]

[Bao] Final four! Ah!

I could not be more proud of our kids.

Yeah. With 11 hours, I'm glad
that there's clothes on the runway.

-I'm glad they got it all done.
-Can't believe they did that in 11 hours.

-It's wild.
-Insane.

[designers cheering]

-We did it! Another one in the books.
-[all scream and cheer]

[Jason] How do I look?

Gorgeous. [laughs]

-[Tan] Hi, Bao!
-Hello!

First off, I would like to introduce you
to the beautiful, talented Ashley Park.

-Hi! So good to meet you.
-So beautiful, oh my God.

My whole concept was angel to devil.

I do more than just cutouts,

but, ultimately, whatever style I do,
I want you guys to feel like it's me.

It's just about construction

and just making sure it's seamless
and picking the right fabrics.

-Bao.
-Yeah?

This is my favorite thing
that you have ever made.

Oh. [chuckles]

[Jason] The ruching, the draping,

the cowl front, the cowl back.
It was everything that I wanted to see.

-You're not just the cutout girl.
-Yeah.

-This is something that is so beautiful.
-Thank you.

A cowl neck
can sometimes read really dated,

but you gave us
a really modern version of it,

and so it felt really sexy.

Well done.

Now I'd like to see the red.

[upbeat music playing]

-[Ashley] Wow.
-[Tan] Wow.

-[Gigi] Amazing.
-Come on.

The seamless transformation
is what really worked.

The fact that she literally twirled
like a cartoon princess was beautiful.

Although it's a very beautiful dress
and the silhouette is so pretty,

it feels a little bit safe for you.

I know you can push yourself so much more.

When your dress did this,

I was like, "I think
they're scientists, not designers."

It's so smart, and it lays so beautifully.
I was so blown away by the transformation.

-Thank you.
-It's a beautiful color.

It's a beautiful transition.

I have no idea
where the white dress is under that,

and that's amazing.

Thank you so much.

-Thank you so much, you guys.
-Thanks, Bao.

[hip-hop music playing]

[Deontré]
So my transformation is a everyday girl.

She's out, you know, running some errands
in her boyfriend's jacket,

and she's hitting the town.

She run into some friends,
like, "Let's go out."

She don't have to even get ready.
She's already ready.

Trying to do two looks into one
was, like, hard.

Creating this varsity jacket
for the first time was hard.

Can we please see the reveal?

Do your thing!

[exciting music playing]

I got you. [laughs]

-[Ashley] Swish!
-[Jason] Wow.

-[Deontré laughs]
-[Gigi] I love the fabric choice. Um...

It looks expensive, that yellow.
It's gorgeous.

-Yellow's my favorite color.
-It's mine too.

-It's mine too.
-That's a badass silhouette.

I love her leg coming through.
I love it on top.

-I'm proud of you. It's awesome.
-Thank you so much.

-Deontré.
-[Deontré] Yes.

I think you know
that there are some construction issues.

There are issues with the fit.

It felt messy.

The idea of the jacket would've been great
if you had time to construct it.

It's the first time
doing a varsity jacket,

but you were almost there.

I think the idea's fantastic.

Thank you.

Bravo to doing a catsuit
with a gown over it.

-That ain't what you do.
-It's not.

[Jason] That's not what you do.

As much as you get
so into the conceptual part of it,

pull back just a little bit
and start working on the fit

because that catsuit,

if it was skintight
and it looked like it was painted on her,

sickening.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

[pop music playing]

So I was inspired by my father.
He was a marine,

so I kinda wanted to go
utility, like, vest and short.

And when he put in his 20 years,

he moved onto kind of, like, healthcare.

So it's like underneath that
is, like, dress shirts.

It's supposed to represent
the office look.

I think this is
such a successful female look.

She walked out,
and both of us were like, "I'd wear that,"

-[laughs] Fire.
-[Ashley] Totally. I love the pockets.

I love not having to carry a purse around,
so love that.

And I love
that your personal story came into it.

That's a vibe.

Thank you.

Can we please see the transformation?

We tried to get it
as best as possible. Yeah.

-[judges] Oh!
-[Gigi] Wow!

I do like the first outfit
more than the second outfit.

The second one,
I would've loved it tighter

or for it to be
a little bit more of a mini,

but overall I think
it was such a fun and cool transition.

I loved the first look,
the military-inspired outfit.

It felt fresh,
which is hard to do with military.

It's been done a thousand times,
but you did so much raw edging,

which made it a little more interesting
and a lot more contemporary,

and then the transformation
was relatively seamless.

-I mean, it only took her a moment.
-[Nigel] Yeah.

Yes, you possibly could've gone
a little bit bolder with the shirt,

but I think the skirt's wicked.

Thank you. [laughs]

[upbeat music playing]

[Amari] The transformation is
from work wear to princess.

I like the outdoors,

and then I'm also a princess in my family.

[laughs] And how do you think
this challenge went for you?

[Amari] Um, it was challenging.

I kind of just do too much.

[Tan] Okay.

First, with your jumpsuit,

besides the fact that we could tell
it was stuffed to the brim...

[laughs]

...I think the jumpsuit was really cool.

I loved the top.
I loved the material you used.

I loved those raw edges, the pocket.

Obviously, I think
it was a difficult transformation.

I think the issue was using that tulle,
and that's what was so crunchy and big.

If you had put something thin and smooth
underneath that skirt

and just let it drop,
it would've been better.

Let's, uh, see the transformation, please.

I'll help you out this time.

-[model] Thank you.
-[Amari] You're welcome. No, thank you.

-Jason?
-You think I'mma say something shady?

-[Amari chuckles, laughs]
-[all laugh]

[Amari] I'm scared!

Actually, you ready for this?

I'm not.

This is my favorite dress today.

Stop it.

[Jason] The color's sensational.
The shape is fantastic,

but I didn't get to experience it
till now,

till you were there to do it.

You said it yourself.

You overthink, and you try to do too much.

-Yes.
-[Tan] Amari.

The transformation wasn't successful.

Oh, I know.

But I love the top of this dress.
I think it's so beautiful,

and you should be so proud

'cause you could not have done that
weeks ago.

[sentimental music playing]

[chuckling gently] I know, Amari.
I love you so much.

I know, my love. I love you so much.

You're a special one, baby. I know.

-Um...
-[Amari sniffs]

It means so much coming from you.

I couldn't see myself like this before,
you know? [cries]

I've hid for so long. [cries]

I think I've always been, like, scared
for people to see me,

and you guys have changed my life,

really helped me grow,

and I just feel
so much more confident now.

Just hearing what you're saying
about feeling like you have to hide,

this dress is very representative
of that exact struggle, right?

And so don't second-guess that

'cause that is unreal,
and no one else can do that.

[uplifting music playing]

Don't let anyone else dim your shine.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[Tan] Thank you.

-See you later.
-See you.

-[whooping] It's gonna be okay.
-[Amari crying]

All right, so we've seen all the looks.

Let's figure out
who deserves a place in the finale.

-Good job, guys.
-Great.

-Yes, Bao.
-Oh. Yes.

Okay, Bao. I think probably the most
smooth transition of the night, right?

-[Jason] Definitely the smoothest.
-[Tan] For sure.

The first dress that she showed us
was beautiful and very not Bao,

which I think is really impressive,

to show how much she's grown
throughout this competition.

But I did like that first dress
more than the second.

Same.

I would love to see
what she's able to do in the finale.

Definitely agree.

What about Amari?

Her ideas are actually great.
It's just her construction's lacking.

There were just some components
that didn't work as well.

I loved it outside of the mishap.

That green dress was my favorite look.

That's the one I would take.

[Tan] Deontré's look was successful.
It was a successful transformation.

I do think there were elements
that definitely weren't well ex*cuted.

-That baggy latex pant was not it.
-[Tan] Was not it.

[Jason] That gave me anxiety.

But if the bodysuit was fitting correctly,
it could've been a real moment.

Yeah. Just based on the stuff
that they did today,

I'm most excited to see
an entire collection from him.

-[Jason] Yes.
-[Tan] Mm-hmm.

And then finally we have Nigel.

I loved his first outfit
that came out, the military.

It was really cool.
It's what every young kid would want.

I will say,
just because the theme is transformation,

I actually thought the transformation
was a tiny bit clunky

in terms of the mechanics of it.

He dropped it and then did that
and then the little shimmy. [laughs]

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

All right, do you think
that we have a final three, y'all?

Oh yes, I think we do.

[tense music plays]

-[Jason] Bye, baby. Good luck!
-Thank you. We appreciate it.

-Tell them we love them.
-Bye, loves. Thank you so much.

-[Ashley] Bye.
-Bye.

Okay, let's do it.

[tense music playing]

[Amari whispers] All right.

All four of you have shown us
why you deserve to be here.

But three of you are about to move on
to the Next in Fashionfinale,

and one of you is about to leave
the workroom for the last time.

The first designer that will officially
be part of the Next in Fashionfinale is...

[music intensifies]

-...Nigel.
-[Amari] Yay!

[laughing] Yo.

-[Tan laughs]
-I made it. I'm ready for it.

I wanna show you guys what I've learned

and just take it to the next level.

Really show the world
why I deserve to be here.

-Good.
-Wow. Let's go.

The next designer
moving on to the finale is...

Bao.

-[Deontré] Woo!
-[Amari] Congrats, Bao!

-[Deontré] So proud of you.
-I'm so happy for you.

-Are you ready for the finale?
-[Bao] Yes.

I'm so excited
to show you guys what I can do.

-Okay!
-[Tan] We can't wait to see!

[Gigi] Just two designers remain.

The third designer
that is claiming the last spot

in the Next in Fashionfinale is...

Deontré.

-Thank you, guys, so much. [laughs, cries]
-[all laugh]

[emotional music playing]

-[Deontré crying]
-What's going on? What you feeling?

Um, just a lot of nerves, you know.
I always have a lot of emotions inside,

but I'm excited to, you know,
go to the finale and wow you guys.

You're gonna pull out all the stops.
We're excited.

-Thank you.
-I'm so happy for you.

-I'm proud of you too, Amari.
-That does mean that, Amari...

[softly] It's okay.

...this is the end
of your fashion adventure here,

but you are leaving
a fully transformed designer.

Yeah, you are.

[Gigi] We know you are going to move on
to continue to do amazing work

with so many new friends
and people that love you

and wanna celebrate you
for exactly who you are.

[crying] I don't even know what to say.
I'm just so happy.

I didn't think I would make it this far.

I'm so proud of myself

because I've shown myself
that I can do it.

-Bring it in. [chuckles]
-Thank you so much.

-[Tan] We love you so much.
-[laughing]

-[Tan] You're such a special girl.
-Thanks.

Me making it to the semifinals
is so great,

and my parents are gonna be so proud.

My journey at Next in Fashion
has been an evolution.

I think I've grown so much.

I've learned to get out of my own way.

Aw. Bye, guys.

I'm a new person now.

I feel more confident.

Stressed-and-pressed Amari is in the past.

-Love you guys.
-[laughing] We love you, Amari.

-Thank you so much.
-Thank you. See ya.

My career is just getting started.

All right, you guys,
you're going through to the finale!

-[Gigi screams]
-[designers laughing]

-[Gigi] Look at our final three!
-[Tan] The finale!

-[Bao] Oh my God!
-Yeah! Come on.

We are so excited to see what you three
dream up for the grand finale.

We are asking all of you three

to present a complete collection
of eight brand-new looks.

In just three days.

-[exhales] Stop.
-Good luck!

-[designers laugh]
-[Gigi] Love y'all!

Bye! Gosh, they make me proud.

-[Nigel] Yo! [laughing]
-[Bao squeals, whoops]

-Oh my God!
-We made it!

Top three.

Top three, guys!
I think we need to get to work.

Oh, yeah, we do.

-[all laugh]
-No partying!

["Catch Fire"
by Emanuel Vo Williams playing]

♪ Yeah, I'm about to catch fire ♪

♪ I'm about to set free ♪

♪ I'm about to set free ♪

♪ I'm about to catch fire ♪

♪ Yeah, I'm about to catch fire ♪

♪ Get ready for the new me ♪

♪ Get ready for the new me ♪

♪ Stand back when I catch fire! ♪