The problem with this challenge (and the problem with fashion in general) is that what the judges and contestants THINK are Punk and Rock and Roll and a certain degree country are more mall knockoffs than actually what the people in these genres wear.

Country stars don't really dress like the old stars anymore... they are more glammed up.
Rock bands, unless they are costumey they basically wear jeans and T-shirts... but also this category can go just about anywhere because I know rock bands who wear taylored suits, have a slight country flare, rock vintage, and even dress in drag... it is just too broad.
Punk? Punk bands wear dark, distressed (though not bleached), tight jeans, heavy leather jackets, some with tons of spikes, bright plaid pants (also tight and the print being classic scottish style red) and t-shirts from old-school punk bands or often a shirt advertising something british.

I hated Korto's look. Bleh. It looked like something a high school kid who just started listening to Greenday would buy from the mall. And that hair and make up? I'm sorry... a punk dude isn't going to wear blue eye-shadow. (but that was the stylist's fault I think.) The bleaching on the pants looked like someone peed on him and was too matchy matchy with the color of the shirt. The shirt looked too mallish... but I did like some of the chains. She did have the right idea about wanting to distress the clothes... but didn't execute it well but she didn't have much time to work with. The main problem I had here was the jeans. They were WAY TOO loose. Punks wear not so much a skinny jean but just regular jeans you'd find at a thrift store about a size too small.
Suede's look ~ I disagreed with the judges. Yes Jerell looked like Jerell... but he could have also been a dude in a band. Suede's look was actually well though... he was right to not want to go to costumey... he could have done an over the top look like they'd wanted... but that look was in only really in the 80's. If you look through rock bands back through the ages from the 60's on, take the Rolling Stones for example... they were always more vintagey and classic jeans and T-shirt guys. I think Suede's look could have been worn onstage at the Grammy's but I can't say the same for anyone elses... except if Britney wanted to wear Jerell's look.
Lauren's look I think missed the mark. A purple sleeveless country shirt tied at the belly?! Are you kidding me? And that Skirt looked like a bad home-ec project! Ew. There was no glamour, no wow factor at all. And most female country stars don't dress so much country anymore... they dress like diva's now.
I thought Jerell's look was spot one.
Kenley... oh Kenley... What a smug little bitch. To outwardly laugh during judging last week and to be such a bitch to Tim Gunn... AND Nina! (OMG, she was bitching to NINA!!! Holy Crap! And didn't she snap at Heidi too?) Anyway... her outfit was bad, bad mall wear. High wasted pants? Please!

Anyhoo... This challenge was ridiculous. It was like asking them to design something for an American woman. (with no more explanation) and then expect them to design something that would meet the unknown definition of the American woman that the judges had in mind. The judges have obviously not hung around with many regular, working class bands and performers who actually buy their own clothes and are not dressed by lame stylists.

I can't wait for next week when everybody cries! Yay!

I wonder if they kept them all because the audience knows now, after last season, that it is really four designers who get to show at Bryant Park and not just three (because of the timing of the show and keeping it a secret.) This way that episode that used to be just checking in on the contestants is a lot more interesting because there is another elimination.

and I agree with Bronzer... I didn't really like any of the dresses either... but Kenley's was for sure my least favorite. I was very disappointed that no one picked a tiger lily as their inspiration. Though... the dress I envision from that flower would be more avant-garde though that would have been more interesting than what we saw tonight. What was up with Kenley's fish scales anyway? She failed on every level on this challenge.. and have we EVER heard anyone on the runway proclaim "I love my dress!" "I love it!" and not just once but almost every freaking week! .

UG!

That's funny!

OH! I told my mom as we were watching this episode that Kenley's "gown" looked like something out of H.R. Pufinstuf!


Oh... and could Kenley's voice be any more whiny and nasally?