Hunter pats my shoulder. “Just brush off the rude people. That’s what I do.”
I nod and look at the clock. Somehow thirty minutes have already passed.
“Let’s walk around,” Hunter suggests.
We start at one corner, leaving the other for Missy and Jasmine. The first girl I see is wearing a nametag that reads June and is hard at work pinning a long piece of gauzy white material onto her mannequin. She pins fringe to the bottom of the gauze, and I start to envision the skirt she’s designing. On the mannequin’s bust, June pins paisley material. I remember the elements she selected were gauze and paisley. I’m not sure why she decided to add fringe, but I give her the benefit of the doubt.
Hunter is about to speak to her when the camera crew suddenly pounces. “Let’s get back to her,” he says.
The next contestant, Dani, is working barefoot. Her flaming red hair is now tied back with a scrap of fabric.
“Want to tell us about your design?” Hunter asks as we approach.
“Love to!” says Dani. She talks enthusiastically about her black-and-white op-art tank dress, focusing on the swirly pattern she’s adding. All the while, she continues working, not taking her eyes off her piece. “I’m going to add sleeves, but I have to figure out what will work. Of course, the sleeves might throw everything out of whack, but what can you do? I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl.”
“I wish I could be more like that,” I say. “Good luck.”
Our next stop is Kyle, the boy with the rainbow Mohawk. He’s frantically pinning and cutting something resembling a micro-mini. Suddenly he starts pacing and muttering about thread and adhesive tape. His sneaker catches on the carpet, and he crashes into his mannequin. It tumbles on top of him, and the cameras are immediately in his face, capturing each gruesome second.
Hunter stops to talk to him, but I give him space. I see Missy has moved on to Carrie, and I go join her.
“What do you think so far?” asks Missy.
“I feel for all of them,” I say.
“You can be the softie today,” Missy says with a smile. “Speaking of, should we discuss Carrie’s, um, creation?”
Missy steps aside, and I see all of Carrie’s design. Unfortunately, she didn’t stop at the two patterns she picked. The hemp culottes she’s working on could have been paired with a turquoise belt or a beaded peace sign. Instead, she’s laying it on thick with flower power. The hems are embroidered with flowers, as are the knees and belt. The turquoise peasant blouse has peace signs bordering the sleeves. To tie it all together, Carrie added beading and fringe.
I rack my brain for words of encouragement. “You really went all out,” I manage. “What made you go beyond the two patterns you originally chose?”
“The more patterns, the better,” Carrie replies, beaming. “I’m also adding beads to the ends of the fringe. Can’t hurt, right?”
It’s already a disaster. More beading won’t matter. I wish I could tell her to start over and stick with just turquoise and peace signs, but guidance isn’t allowed. “Do what you think is best,” I say, smiling.
“Chloe’s too nice,” Missy tells Jasmine when we’re standing beside her a few minutes later.
Jasmine looks at Carrie’s design. “Don’t tell me she was optimistic about that monstrosity…”
I shift uncomfortably. Carrie’s piece is a mess, but it still seems unfair to let one bad decision determine everything. “Everyone has a bad day,” I mumble, trying to stick up for her.
“She’s had a few,” says Jasmine. She glances over at the clock — one hour left. Two hours until I see Jake. Taping is sure to be done by then.
“She has promise,” Hunter says, joining us. “But not everyone is cut out for these competitions. It’s a lot of pressure.”
The judges continue examining the designs, and I try to catch up with those I’ve missed. One piece immediately catches my attention. The designer, Jared, has his long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. His mannequin is dressed in a free-flowing, white cotton skirt and a belt embellished with turquoise stones and beads. The top is a nod to the form-fitting clothes of the sixties.
“I like how you incorporated the turquoise as well as the form-fitting element,” I tell him.
“I was trying to meld the two styles of the time,” says Jared. “There was the group with the tighter, shorter clothing, and then there was the hippie movement. The turquoise stones and beading are a nod to my Native American heritage. The culture really influenced fashion in the sixties.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing the completed design,” I say, moving on. Jared’s design is my favorite so far, and his connection to his heritage reminds me of my connection to my grandfather’s cowboy style. Gramps was well known in the rodeo world, and his death — months before the Design Diva audition — was really hard for me. But thinking of all he accomplished and letting his memory be the inspiration for my designs helped me stand out.
“Thirty minutes!” calls Hunter.
Contestants immediately start scrambling, flinging their materials in all directions. This is the part the cameras love, but I move to a corner and watch everything unfold from there. I focus on a girl with spiky hair who’s frantically putting the finishing touches on a fringed vest. If only she’d left it at that. Instead, she’s paired the vest with a dress covered in peace signs and flowers.
“Good thing we’re letting two go today,” says Jasmine as the judges huddle beside me.
“What?” I say, surprised. “I thought you told the contestants one would be eliminated.”
“We did,” says Missy. “But that’s today’s twist. Sometimes you have to mix it up. We didn’t mean to leave you in the dark.”
I think about the twists during my Design Diva competition — everything from endless hand sewing to two tasks in one day. I hated being blindsided. And it doesn’t feel any better as a judge than it did as a contestant.
“Time!” yells Hunter. Fifteen pairs of eyes stare at us, dying to know their fate.
I follow Jasmine, Hunter, and Missy to the judges’ table and wait for them to take the lead.
“We are so pleased to see such a diverse collection today,” Hunter begins. “Your individuality really came through in the challenge.”
I nod but then remember that eliminations always start off positive. Then, a judge brings the mood down.
“Unfortunately,” Jasmine says, fulfilling my prophecy, “some of you got buried in your unique vision and lost sight of what’s fashionable. More is not always better, people.”
I see several faces fall and want to say something encouraging, but it’s not my turn. Instead, I stay quiet as the judges go from one contestant to the other, giving feedback that’s often biting. I do my best to add something supportive.
“Matthew, tell us about your piece, please,” Hunter says, calling forward a boy whose design I didn’t get a chance to inspect. Seeing it now is a shock. Multiple colors and psychedelic images take over the design. He also added fringe, beading, and stones.
“Sure!” says Matthew. “I wanted a bold design and added several styles and patterns to achieve that. The minidress is modeled after Jackie O’s trademark dresses —”
“Sorry, no,” Jasmine interrupts. “Mrs. Onassis would have never worn that.”
I cringe. Was Jasmine always this mean?
To his credit, Matthew remains unflustered. “Perhaps that’s only because such an item wasn’t available.” He winks, and Jasmine snorts. “Anyway, I wanted to combine Mrs. O’s style with the hippie movement.”
Missy shifts uncomfortably in her chair. “I’ll defer to Chloe on this one.”
I swallow. “Hi, Matthew. Well, um, I think you’re very brave. You had an idea in your head, and you definitely went with it. Kudos for sticking to your guns,” I say diplomatically. I’m not going to crush h
is dreams.
Matthew falls back into line, and Hunter grins. “Nice work, Chloe,” he whispers.
“Thanks,” I say, hoping the next contestant is easier.
“Dani, come on down!” Hunter says. As she gets closer, he adds, “The great thing about Dani is that she never fails to surprise us.”
Dani smiles. “I do my best.”
I look at her finished product, complete with sheer black-and-white sleeves.
“I worried the sleeves might be overkill,” Dani says, “but I like how they came out.”
“Overkill is definitely not a word that comes to mind here,” Missy says. “As usual, you’ve managed to combine a variety of ideas to create something different. I’m glad you took the risk.”
“I agree,” I chime in. “The pattern is hypnotizing.”
“Well done, Dani,” says Hunter. “June, you’re up next.”
I sit up straighter. When I left June, she still had two patterns to complete.
“I’ve always loved the flowing skirts of the sixties,” June begins. “But I wanted to take it a step further, so I added fringe to the hem. I think it really complements the paisley bodice.”
“Hmm,” says Jasmine. “I like the color and the pattern, but the fringe doesn’t work for me.”
“I agree,” says Hunter. “You have something really good here, but the fringe takes away from the design.”
June’s eyes beg me to say something different, but the truth is, I hate the fringe too. “This design is so promising,” I start. “Your color choices work really well, and I love the beading.”
“Thank you,” June says.
The judges continue with the other contestants. Kyle’s design survived his fall, but it’s still a mess. His bell-bottom pants have bells at the hems, and the shirt is a combination of polka dots and wavy lines. Pulling it all together is a tie-dyed macramé vest.
When it’s my turn, I stick to keeping things positive. “It’s a little busy for me, but I admire your ambition,” I say.
Jasmine snorts. “Last but not least, we have Jared.”
“Like some of my previous designs, I wanted to include my Native American background,” Jared says, stepping forward. “My grandfather, who recently passed, was always such a force in my life. He was so proud of our heritage.”
Jared chokes up, and a lump forms in my throat too. Just like me, he has a connection to his grandfather. And just like me, he’s used it for inspiration.
“Your inspiration clearly shines through,” Jasmine says, her voice surprisingly kind. “You’ve merged two elements of sixties style very successfully.”
“I like the addition of the turquoise stones around the collar. The stones and belt really pull the pieces together,” I add.
“Thank you,” says Jared, his voice sounding stronger now.
“Thank you for all your hard work and creativity,” Hunter says. “Now it’s time for the judges to deliberate. We’ll call you back in when we have a decision.”
The contestants leave the room, and Hunter, Missy, Jasmine, and I begin debating the positives and negatives of each design. I glance at the clock. Jake and I are supposed to meet in an hour.
“Wasn’t Jared’s design the best?” I ask.
“His was fantastic, but there are positives in many of the contestants’ designs,” Missy tells me. “Besides, we have to let two go, and there were too many problematic designs to make that decision easy.”
“I liked Dani’s design too,” I offer.
“Agreed,” Hunter says.
We continue to deliberate and have no trouble placing Dani and Jared into the favorites category. Choosing the bottom designers is tougher.
Without the contestants present, I can speak more freely. “June’s fringe was overkill,” I say. “But it was just one extra addition. Carrie’s and Matthew’s designs had more issues. They should have stuck to two styles each.”
Jasmine nods appreciatively. “I would have liked to have seen more of this Chloe with the contestants,” she says.
I shake my head. “You guys are great, but they expect negative feedback from you. I’d rather be positive. They all tried their best.”
Hunter winks at me. “I’m with Chloe. No need to make her into the big, bad meanie.”
“What about Kyle?” Missy asks.
“His design had too much happening. But at least it seemed more cohesive than Carrie’s and Matthew’s,” I say.
“I agree,” Missy says. “It was better — but barely.”
“So we’re set?” I say. I look at the clock, feeling anxious. I don’t want to flake out on Jake.
“I think so,” Hunter says, “but let’s recap.”
I try to stay focused as they review the positives and negatives of each design. After a half hour, I look at the clock again. I’m supposed to meet Jake in twenty minutes. There’s no way I’ll make it. I tap my toes.
“You have somewhere to be, Chloe?” asks Jasmine. Her voice is cool. “If you need to leave, go. We’ll explain it to the producers — somehow.”
“No, it’s okay,” I say quickly. “I just need to tell someone I’ll be late.”
I take out my phone to text Jake, but the battery has died. Could this get any worse? Jasmine is still staring at me. I sigh and put on my best happy face. “I’m all yours.”
The Design Diva deliberations seem to go on forever. By the time the judges announce (unsurprisingly) that Jared is the winner and Carrie and Matthew are eliminated, I’ve given up all hope of seeing Jake.
Just as I grab my bag to go back to my dorm, Missy says, “Before all our designers leave for the night, I’m sure Chloe wouldn’t mind answering any questions you might have.”
I put my bag back on my seat and slap on my most encouraging smile. “Of course not.” At this point, there’s no meeting with Jake, anyway.
Hunter, Missy, and Jasmine gather the contestants and arrange chairs in a circle. Dani raises her hand first. “Which of the designs you did on the show was your favorite?” she asks.
“Definitely the one for the Toys ‘R’ Us challenge. I was feeling down and not sure how to make something out of the box.” The contestants laugh at this and nod, relating to it. “But then I thought about how to make the piece my own. The local fair back in my hometown was a big inspiration for me when I designed my cotton candy-inspired skirt for that challenge.”
“How did you sew without machines?” asks June.
“Very stressfully,” I say, and everyone laughs again.
“Tell us about your internship,” Kyle says.
“It’s been amazing,” I say. “Stefan Meyers lets me be very hands-on. If you guys think the competition is getting too hard, just think of the internship. It’s worth it.”
“Are there any mean girls?” asks June. “Like Nina LeFleur from your season?”
I think of Madison and frame my answer carefully. “There will always be people who try to get the best of you. The key is to keep believing in yourself.”
I know my answer sounded too perfect, but it’s true. Besides, the cameras are still rolling. I don’t want my words to be edited into something vicious.
“What do you like best about your internship?” asks Jared.
“Learning new things,” I say. “Going into this competition, I thought I had a good handle on fashion design. Even more so after winning. But working for Stefan Meyers has made me realize that there’s so much more to learn. I want my own label one day, and there’s a lot to know about running it.”
I’m starting to feel more at ease and less anxious when someone calls out, “Whatever happened with you and that cute boy?”
I blush. Jake gave me a big hug onstage after I won, and the cameras panned to him during the last challenge, so it’s not surprising the contestants remember him. “U
m, we’re still friends,” I say. Hopefully, I want to add. I imagine Jake waiting for me, trying to call me, and then walking back to his apartment — alone. It makes me sad.
I steer the conversation elsewhere. “What do you wish would be different about the competition?” I ask. I wish someone had asked this during my season.
“More sleep would be nice,” says Jared.
“A little more time to start our designs before everyone swarms in,” says Kyle.
I nod. I can appreciate that. I spend a few more minutes chatting before wrapping things up. I give the new crop of designers my e-mail in case they have more questions.
“Stay in touch,” Jasmine tells me. “We’re rooting for you out there.”
I hug the judges goodbye and walk back to my dorm. It was a great day, but I wonder if I could have done things differently. Should I have left? What would have happened if I had? I unlock the door to my suite, wanting to charge my phone and be alone, but Bailey is sitting in the common room.
“Hey,” I say as I plug in my phone.
She puts down her sketch. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re going to cry. Oh! Before I forget, Jake was here looking for you. Did he find you?”
I look at her miserably and tell her the whole story.
“Ugh. That stinks,” Bailey says when I finish.
“I know. And I feel so ungrateful. I got to be a Design Diva judge, which was amazing, but I really wanted to see Jake.” I shake my head. “I should have left.”
Bailey stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Are you insane? You did not just say that, Chloe. This is your dream we’re talking about! I know you’re still in high school, but fashion design is all about opportunities and catching a break. Talent too, but there are a lot of talented designers out there. You don’t just throw away an opportunity like that!”
I’ve never seen Bailey annoyed at me, but she clearly is now. “Sorry,” I mumble.
Bailey sighs. “I don’t mean to lecture you, but so many people would kill for what you have. I mean, if someone told you last year to walk a mile in a pair of Manolo Blahniks for this chance, wouldn’t you have done it?”
Runway Rundown Page 4