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So this is the last week of Stylista and we are down to the final three contestants, DyShaun, Megan and Johanna. Personally, I don’t like any of them. I dislike Megan the most, though, so I hope she doesn’t win. Johanna is kinda whiny, so maybe I’d rather it wasn’t her either. DyShaun always wears those dumb hats. I guess I don’t want any one of them to win.

This week, the final three have to interview with Roberta “Robbie” Meyers, the Vice President/Editor-in-Chief of Elle Magazine. They all seem pretty nervous. DyShaun - sans hat - basically stumbles all over himself talking to Robbie, but seemed to pick it up a little and do better towards the end.

Johanna managed to keep it together OK, but it did seem like she babbled a little. It didn’t seem like she connected well with Robbie.

Megan, as usual, seems too sure of herself going into this interview. Confidence is OK, but sometimes, you can be too over the top when its not warranted. Also, she had no questions for Robbie, which is a huge interview no-no.
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This week on Stylista, the final four have to pick a replacement model to show off a particular dress. we mostly see Megan complaining about how Johanna doesn’t know what she is doing, since she is just too enthusiastic about everything, more like Megan at 15, and her model is too slim for the outline of the dress. In the end, however, Megan does prove right, when she wins the challenge.

They then get to create a new designer page after they meet some designers and choose which one they want to work with. It does have to be an up and comer, rather than someone who has been around for a while. Megan picks the teams as follows: Team 1 is Ashlie and DyShawn, and Team 2 is Johanna and Megan. She thinks Johanna is stronger in terms of writing. DyShawn was hurt, though, since he and Megan have always been friends.

At this point, I’m realizing that there is no one left that I like that much. Actually, I never liked anyone that much. But I guess if one of them has to win, I’d go with Ashlie or DyShawn. Megan is just annoying and Johanna tries too hard.

They find out a little twist to this challenge is that they have to then create their own runway show using the designers clothes. It seems like it was exciting and upsetting all at once.

Then it turns out that both teams picked the same designer, Jolibe. So now they had to present their arguments to see who the designer would choose. The designer choose Ashlie and DyShawn because they were more enthusiastic. Mostly cause the blase Megan made the pitch for the other team.

Then Johanna goes on to nearly insult the new designer, by talking about what she doesn’t like of his designs. Megan has to take her aside and explain that this show is about the designer’s vision, not hers. The DyShawn and Ashlie take most of the good shoes out of the closet and since it’s first come, first served, they now have to wait to see what they don’t use.

The makeup guy seemed to be mostly selling Max Factor makeup. Ashlie and DyShawn used some weird looking makeup designs, like thick eyebrows. Plus, they seemed pretty confused about where things were and what was happening.

Megan, however, really did seem to know what she was doing. She took charge and was able to get everyone on the same page and know what they were doing. All the others seemed a little too friendly and chatty with the models, who probably preferred specific direction.

I’m not sure I really get fashion, cause although some of the clothes looked pretty, not too many of then looked like anything anyone would actually wear. Anyone over a size 2, anyway.

So when they were putting their pages together, it seemed like Megan and Johanna were doing better, but Johanna is still pretty intense about it.

In to the panel, as for Team 1, the judges liked the makeup and the clothes, but didn’t care for how they laid out the page, since nothing popped, and also, there were typos. Once again, there are too many pics on the page. Didn’t Ashlie do that last week, too? For Team 2, the judges didn’t care as much for the clothes, but they seemed to liked the layout better, although then they said it was too safe. They also complained because there was no photo which was a close up of the print, since the whole point of their layout was his Egyptian print. Also, they didn’t like that in the one picture of the designer with the models, they models weren’t dressed in his designs. That did seem pretty stupid.

The winning team is Team 2, Megan and Johanna. Which means we are about to lose either Ashlie or DyShawn. Anne tells them that Ashlie has been very strong throughout the competition, but her editing skills are not good, even after the strong warning she was given last week, and DyShawn has a great eye for styling, but has no attention to detail.

In the end, Anne says that DyShawn has earned another week at Elle and that Ashlie is not the right fit.

This week on Stylista, they start out with Johanna saying that Kate should have gone home. She thought she would get rewarded for working well with Kate, a difficult person, instead, she was in the bottom two.

This week they have to set up a hotel room for super model, Maggie Rizer. They have a list to follow of all the things she requires and they have two hours and $300 to get it all done. Anne and Maggie then tour the rooms. Can I just say right now that I would not want to have to deal with this? They were very critical of every little thing. These people are just so haughty. Its like they expect people to bow down for them or something.

DyShaun won the challenge, but I didn’t think he would since he forgot the dog photo frames. I think the only reason Kate didn’t win was because she unwrapped al the food, as did all the other girls, making it easily accessible to the dogs (two lovely big Golden Retrievers).

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This week on Stylista we are down to the final five. I can’t help but wish we were down to the final two. But I keep watching anyway.

This was a new episode, but it is basically a recap of everything that has happened up to this point. The most interesting part for me was seeing stuff that happened in the first episode, which I missed because it aired when I was without the CW on my TV. I learned that Kate basically turned against her team while in front of the panel and complained about how her team and the house was treating her. I guess I’m not surprised. This basically means that she has done that each and every week during the panel judging. My question is why don’t the judges see that and realize that she’s a trouble maker.

I mean, if I’m being honest, there’s probably not anyone left at this point who is actually a nice guy, but Kate is really the worst of the bunch. For one thing, she’s smug. I can’t stand that. It’s like she creates all this drama, and then sits back like it has nothing to do with her and she smiles while they rail at her. We did, however, get to see Kate do her impression of Anne and everyone was sitting around and laughing. With her, rather than at her. Plus, I noticed that Kate’s clothes are pretty inappropriate for the work place. It was mentioned quite a bit in the first episode, apparently, but only occasionally after that. I think she must have taken some of the criticism regarding her clothing to heart, because I haven’t seen her wear anything in the episodes I’ve seen that was as bad as some of the stuff they showed on this recap special, with it’s previously unaired material.

Another thing I notice was how Kate will refuse to work with others, but then when they have a problem with it, she turns it back on them somehow. Its kind of hard to explain what I mean, but watch for it next week and you’ll see what I mean.

Wow, this turned into a real rant about Kate, didn’t it? Well, maybe she’ll be eliminated next week and then I won’t have to worry about her anymore.

This week on Stylista, we start out with the contestants chatting about Kate, once again. Danielle is telling her mother that she is shocked to still be in the running and has made the Top 6.

They separate into teams of two: Ashlie and Danielle, Kate and Dyshaun, Johanna and Megan. They have to purchase a $250 thank you gift for Anne to give to Amy Sacco, “a member of New York royalty.” Whatever that means. Ashlie and Danielle put together a travel kit, Kate and Dyshaun choose a vintage Chanel pin, and Johanna and Megan, a cashmere throw. Anne says that the travel bag was a little too low end, the cashmere throw wasn’t the best weight of cashmere, and the pin was beautiful, but too personal, although she likes that they took the risk. In any case, she picks the cashmere throw to give to Amy.

Next they are all going to a party and then putting together a party page for the magazine. They will have to study dossiers on each party guest and remember everything. They are working in two teams of three and Johanna and Megan are now the rival team captains. The teams are Team 1: Johanna, Kate and Danielle; Team 2: Megan, Dyshaun and Ashlie.

They get to choose (more…)

This week on Stylista (yes, I’m still watching, against my better judgment and good taste) it starts out with Ashlie telling off Kate because Cologne went home. Ashlie was crying, sobbing actually, about how unfair ir was that Kate was still there. Then William is trying to tell everyone that he is the only one with actual experience, but as it turns out, both DyShaun and Devin have at least as much or more. Well, they think so, anyway.

The gang starts out at Bendel’s. They have to pick out one travel outfit for Anne, which will transition from day to night. They have both limited time and money and they all seemed to be struggling with it. Except maybe Danielle. Devin spent about three times as much money as she had to spend and had to put lots of stuff back. Anne didn’t seem to like most of them for one reason or another, although she didn’t actually hate any of them from what I could tell. As it turned out, Devin won, maybe because she ended up with just simple core pieces and good colors.

Anne then tells them that this week two people are being eliminated. Personally, I’m all for it. I wouldn’t mind if they eliminated five people.

For the challenge, they need to design a photo shoot for a two page spread of Tory Burch fashion designs. They work in two teams of four and Devin chooses the teams like this: Team 1 is Ashley, Kate, Danielle and Megan; Team 2 is Devin, William, DyShaun and Johanna. Clearly, all the drama people (aside from poor Danielle) are on Team 1 and Team 2 are people who are serious.

As could be expected, Team 1 can’t work together. Kate is really an instigator and no one likes her. I think part of the problem is she never just agrees with what anyone else wants and then when they call her on it, she’s almost proud of the fact that she’s so difficult to work with. She does break down on the phone with her mom, who tells her to just give up and come home. Um, really? Is that the advice you want to give your daughter, when things get tough just quit? Is that why Kate is a “former” law student? Did she just give up at that, too?

Team 1’s spread is more retro, with an 60’s orange couch and cool looking TV, with the model as a bored housewife. Megan hated the whole thing, but I think the idea had potential. The bottom line is that this team disagrees with each other about almost everything. Megan just walked off in the middle of the shoot cause she couldn’t take Kate anymore.

Team 2 goes with a minimalistic theme, with lots of faceless, naked mannequins, to say that the model is someone who wants to disassociate herself from society. For whatever reason. Devin seems to agree with whatever anyone says, but she didn’t come up with any ideas at all. They definitely did get along better than the other team, though.

The spreads come out OK. Kate basically tells them that Megan walked off the shoot. The judges don’t seem to hate either spread, but they did think Team 1’s spread may have been a bit literal, and Team 2’s spread was a little lazy.

Anne declares Team 1 the winner and says they are all safe. Team 2 is told that their concept was good, but that it wasn’t executed well. Johanna is told that the mannequins are a good idea, even if not used well. But she is safe. For the other three, she tells them: William, you started strong, but you are nowhere to be seen in this layout; Dyshaun, you took the lead and the concept was clever but weren’t really able to execute the vision well; Devin, you have cleverly surrounded yourself with strong team mates, but they overshadowed her. Dyshaun is safe. William and Devin will be going home.

I’m not sure I can take 8 more weeks or whatever there is of Stylista. It just isn’t what I’d hoped. First off, instead of Anne Slowey being the Devil in Prada, the contestants themselves are evil. And annoying.

Kate’s ego and attitude are over the top. “I don’t work in teams, that’s because I’m a leader, I don’t work in teams.” Um, Kate, the best leaders are also able to follow and work well with others. Besides, in order to be a leader, people have to be willing to follow you. But, whatever.

The first task this week is for them to work for her niece - who is about to turn 10. (more…)