NOTE: I wanted to point out that the guitar pick necklace from last week was designed by Payson Cooper of NYC. You can see her designs at http://www.paysoncooper.com.
Tim and Greta's challenge this week is Ariana Vargas. She is getting ready to move to Chicago to become head of Marketing and PR for a company that her sister is opening. The problem is, she has no clothes to go along with her new job and her new life. I mean, she does have clothes, but, yuck. She's got peeling shoes, sweaters with pills, sweat stains, and some really bad hemlines. Her wardrobe is so bad that it elicits 3 priceless gems from Tim: "But first we have to get a tetanus shot!" "I wouldn't wish that wardrobe on a homeless person!" "[That outfit is] Brittney Spears does Huckleberry Finn."
Ariana confides that the Brittney comment is her all time low.
Greta makes Ariana try on a really awful-looking, skinny-strapped dress because she also notices that Ariana is a little... lacking in support, shall we say. Ariana reveals that she is actually wearing a regular bra that she has tucked the straps into the dress. When pressed, she admits that she has lost her one and only strapless bra.
Clearly, this girl has not a fashion clue. In speaking with her a little more, she confides that she came from a single-parent home where money was really tight, and she holds onto clothes that are long past their shelf life. So even though she now has the money, she's still got the mentality. As usual, what starts off as being about fashion ends up being very, very personal.
In a Guide to Style first, Greta and Tim can find nothing worth keeping or salvaging in Ariana's closet. All of it is bundled up into garbage bags.
Now that Ariana is completely without anything to wear except a shirt and jeans, she's off to Bra Smyth to get her correct size and a basic undergarment wardrobe. They quickly determine her size -- and get her a strapless bra, right off the bat. She chooses a few other very pretty, great-looking bras and is on her way to Tim's loft to get the lowdown on her shape.
Since Ariana is long-waisted (ie, the area from clavicle to crotch is long), she has to learn how not to chop her body up into proportions that make her look off-balance. Because she has a big butt and a small waist, Ariana has been fitting her hips first and not worrying about the waistline, or wearing shorter waistlines, which also cut her off. Her tops are too long and only accentuate the weaknesses in her proportion. Tim also recommends ditching cap sleeves for just about any other sleeve length at all, including sleeveless.
At In-Style Magazine, Ariana is confronted by the sight of her old clothes next to the chic clothes in the showroom. Katrina Szish, the consultant, also asks her why she holds onto clothes, and she tells her about her childhood. Katrina then tells her that she doesn't have to go crazy and buy a ton of clothes, but if she wants to keep clothes for a really long time, then she needs to buy better quality clothes that will stand the test of time. She also instructs Ariana on how to look for little details that say "quality:" even stitching on the inside seams and hems, covered buttons, etc.
Armed with knowledge (and a better bra), Ariana heads off to do some shopping. At first, it's a disaster. She picks out a bunch of things and likes none of them, now that she knows what to look for. She's still not comfortable in making fashion choices -- until she finds a little black dress that she loves. She points out that the belt is a little poofy -- and has her fashion epiphany when Greta and Tim tell her that it can be fixed. It never occurred to her to have the clothes tailored to fit her body; she was just willing to go along and try to fit her unique body into off-the-rack clothes.
Now it's time for the wow moment. Tim takes her to Angel Sanchez, a Venezuelan designer who does very meticulous styling and draping. Ariana feels comfortable with him because he's Latino and understands her curvy figure. He tells her that she can have one of his dresses to wear to the charity event that she and her sister are attending where there will be potential investors for the company. Needless to say, she is overwhelmed. She says that it is like a dream come true, but a dream that she never knew she had.
For hair and make-up Greta and Tim take her to Devachan Salon, which is a high end salon that specializes in curly hair. After years of not loving her hair, Ariana is encouraged to embrace it by Lorraine Massey, who is the original Curly Girl and known for helping people get in touch with their inner curl. Lorraine cuts her hair dry and tells her to move around as she cuts from different angles. She also cuts a good 6 inches off, which Ariana likes less and less.
After the cut, she goes off to Edward at Devachan Salon for color, and he gives her a lot of natural-looking highlights. Then it's back to Lorraine's chair again, where she clips her wet hair up and separates it based on Ariana's natural wave. She allows it to dry naturally, then shakes it out. Ariana says that it's going to take some getting used to, but she likes it.
Gordin Espinet of MAC cosmetics gives Ariana a very natural look because she gives off an air of simplicity. She has good skin, so he just mists her face the covers it with moisturizer. With her new look complete, it's time for the fashion show.
Something, however, is still amiss. Greta can tell that Ariana is still a little freaked out by her haircut, but Ariana assures her that she will get used to it. Everyone is wowed by Ariana's new look as she sashays down the runway (and almost stops when she sees her sister there, because her sister was supposed to have been in Chicago), but Greta is tired of that hesitancy in Ariana's face. She can tell that the hair is REALLY bothering her. So before she can take her half-way face on her new look down the runway again, Greta straightens her hair into a sleek, but still full, look. Ariana now realizes how good the cut she got really is, that she can go from curly to other options.
She is infinitely more comfortable as she models her other looks, and is prepared to work her Angel Sanchez look down the runway. Angel himself comes in to see his dress, and he is blown away by it. Everybody is happy, and it's hugs and kisses all around.
As a parting gift, Greta and Tim give Ariana a Dior watch that is both stylish and business-y. She's very happy to get it, but that's not the only thing they have up their sleeves. They have also flown in Ariana's mother, and that's when the waterworks start. Ariana's mother, Eve, is so proud to see her daughter's transformation, and Ariana is so very happy that her mother is there.
Once again, Fairy Godfather Tim Gunn and Greta Monaghan change the world one person at a time -- through fashion.
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