Start the Countdown!

Here we go - part one of the finale and the home visits. Going into tonight's episode, we knew we had one more elimination round to get to the final three. I expected it to be similar to last season's "bakeoff", but instead - they went with the wedding dress challenge. Not a repeat of last season, but not very ground-breaking either.

I loved getting a peek into the lives of the designers - such as Korto playing the drums, Leanne taking Tim out on a tandem bike ride (with Tim in a suit, no less), and Jerell introducing Tim to a host of family and friends. And it's always fun to see old pictures (especially baby pics) of the designers. Very interesting to see that while Kenley received an undeserved warm welcome, Tim didn't meet any friends or family, and did not share any extra-curricular activities with her. But not surprising.

Having already seen all of these designers' collections at Bryant Park (remember, thanks to decoys - six designers showed) - it was nice to get a little more background and context. For instance, Leanne mentioned that the waterfront and waves really inspired her, which explained the construction of the fabric in her outfits. I do think Jerell is the most creative designer of the four, in terms of different thinking, but Jerell - when Tim says "it's a lot of look" - you HAVE to listen.

When the designers return to New York for the end, they discover there is one last surprise - design a bridesmaid's dress. Again - not a dramatic moment, as we've seen in seasons past (remember Chloe's breakdown because of the 13th look?). For her dress - Kenley takes the feathers she constantly wears in her hair, and turns them into a wedding dress. I do not understand how the judges call her out for duplicating an Alexander McQueen dress (and we actually made an effort to find this dress on the web), then turn around and praise her for the execution. What? Generally, the judges will always defer to outlandish creativity, even when it has nothing to do with the challenge (example - Jerell's cocktail dress for the Olympic challenge). So I didn't understand their implied endorsement of a recent copy.

As for her bridesmaid dress - again, a mystery as to why the judges were so in love with it. It's a look I've seen before - you can find at your local mall.

One of my favorite moments of this episode (aside from the personal moments we saw with Korto, Leanne, and Jerell - notice that we got nothing new from Kenley) was when Tim choked up addressing the group. In spite of the fact of Kenley's season-long rudeness, and the majority of the designers who wouldn't listen to him - he is such a rockstar that he still cares about them. I have been fortunate enough to meet Tim in person, and can tell you this was genuine - he is a gentleman and a class act. We love you, Tim!

Back to the "challenge" - Korto got a lot of flack about her bridesmaid dress but I really liked it.I think if she had used a different color, it would have been another story. I initially liked where she was going with the wedding dress, but the silhouette and fitting (especially around the hips) was not flattering. More importantly, it didn't feel like Korto. She's done simple but flattering silhouettes, with interesting touches. This dress felt like her interpretation of what Leanne normally does.

As for Leanne - I loved her wedding dress. As I mentioned before, the design concept is something we saw at Bryant Park. More importantly, it's unusual and not something I've seen before. I liked the silhouette and construction of her bridesmaid dress, but didn't love the seafoam green color - it would have been great to see her use a more contemporary color.

Jerell's dress was vintage Jerell - over the top and with a million ideas in it. In this case - too many ideas and the judges dinged him for it. I think if he had listened to Tim, he might have saved himself. Nonetheless, I think he has a great future ahead of him, and I look forward to many interesting ideas and collections.

Finally - start the countdown for the finale!

Just like last week's blog, I'm testing your memory with one of my blogs from Season 4 - which talked about the Kenneth Cole OUTLOOK.



Saturn has always been known for its' community involvement and a few years ago, we began a partnership with Jon Bon Jovi and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation. As co-owner of the AFL's Philadelphia Soul football team, Jon has made giving back a priority and established the Foundation to make it happen. One of the Foundation's beneficiaries is Project H.O.M.E., an organization that has helped thousands of local Philadelphia residents break the cycle of poverty. Because of his philanthropic efforts, Jon was recently named as the first-ever Habitat for Humanity Ambassador. Saturn first connected with Jon Bon Jovi and the Philadelphia Soul team regionally, then broadened its' support to a national level.

In October 2006, Saturn, Jon, and Project H.O.M.E announced a partnership to renovate fifteen row houses in one of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods. A key goal of the project is to construct eco-friendly homes using "green" building strategies. Not only is this socially responsible, but also considerably more economical as well. This project was such a success that we decided to expand this to areas around the country.

This past July, Jon came to Detroit, and joined us, local Saturn retailers, Habitat for Humanity, and U-SNAP-BAC (a neighborhood improvement group) to kick off a new project - Hands on Home. Five homes are currently being built in a community on Detroit's East Side, and will be ready for their families by the holidays. The project was kicked off by Jon, Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak, and the rest of the team in a press conference that received a ton of media coverage. Right after the press conference, the last standing home on the construction site was demolished (which was actually the most fun part to watch!).



What's very cool about this project is that these homes will be very affordable, thanks to items like high-efficiency furnaces, fully recyclable carpet, etc. Even the new owners went through a rigorous process, to make sure they will be successful homeowners. They even learned basic home maintenance, how to manage a mortgage, etc.

If you want to know more or get involved, please visit the Saturn Hands on Home web site for more information.